Word of the Day-canny0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['kæn-ni] Definition: Knowing, judicious, prudent; frugal; (Scottish) steady, restrained, and gentle. Usage: Today's word works whenever you wish to characterize something as judicious and steady, "Father Gerhard's canny management of his parish spared it and him the embarrassment suffered in other parishes." Although this is the basic meaning of the word, it has a long association with the judicious control of financial matters, "Luella has a canny sense of exactly how much money her husband can expend over the weekend and arrive at work on time Monday morning—and she dispenses it accordingly." Suggested Usage: Today's word has an odd orphan negative even though it survives with its original meaning unchanged. The negative, "uncanny," has come to mean "weird, of supernatural nature; eerie" and is no longer related semantically to today's word. The comparative forms are "cannier" and "canniest" while the adverb is "cannily" and the noun, "canniness." Etymology: From Old English cunnan "to know how, be able to," also the origin of "cunning" and "couth," now found only in "uncouth," from Old English cuth "well-known, excellent." Another relative is the "kith" of "kith and kin" from Old English cyth "acquaintance, friendship, kinfolk." Old English "cnawan," today's "know," comes from the same ultimate root, *gno-. A descendent of this root is found in Latin cognscere "to come to know, get acquainted with" and ignorare "to not know, to disregard," underlying English "ignore" and "ignorant." With a different suffix, *(g)no-dhli- we get Latin nobilis "knowable, known, famous" and our word "noble." The Greek variants, e.g. gignskein "to know, think," lie behind English "gnome," "(a)gnostic," and "diagnosis." (Our thanks to the uncannily canny Steve Hart or Larchmont, New York for suggesting today's word.) Word of the Day-canine0 评论
canine \KEY-nahyn\
adjective: 1. of or like a dog or member of the dog family 2. pertaining to a canine tooth noun: 1. any animal belonging to a group of meat-eaters including dogs, foxes, and wolves 2. one of the four teeth next to the incisors; cuspid Several police departments with canine squads similar in size to the Prince George's unit reported few -- if any -- cases of dogs biting officers. -- David S. Fallis and Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post, 2001-12-30 First came Netflix and Zipcar. Now comes a company that plans to rent dogs to Bostonians willing to pay steep fees for a canine friend without worry of commitment. -- Sarah Schweitzer, Boston Globe, 2007-12-17 Word of the Day-candor0 评论
candor \KAN-der\, noun:
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity 2. fairness; impartiality What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters. -- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03 But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life(各行各业的人) around a common purpose, a higher purpose. -- The Guardian, 2008-01-27 Word of the Day-candid0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['kæn-did] Definition: White, pure, honest, unbiased, frank or open. Usage: "Candid" still implies a purity, almost a naiveté, that "frank" does not convey, "Candice, I wish you wouldn't be so candid when discussing our age!" For 50 years Allen Funt entertained people with his "candid microphone" on radio followed by “candid camera（用来偷拍的袖珍照相机）" on TV, recording people doing things they would not want recorded on tape or film for others to laugh at. Suggested Usage: The definition above maps the semantic history of today's word: whiteness to purity to honesty, then frankness. The noun is "candor" (British-Australian "candour") and the adverb "candidly," not always the best way to talk. Today’s word is unrelated to "candy," which comes from Arabic qandah "candy," borrowed from Persian qand "sugar." Etymology: The leap from "candid" to "candidate" might seem to require a rocket-powered pogo stick today but Latin candidat-us "clothed in white," the origin of our word "candidate," comes from candidus "white" just as does "candid." The reason? Roman candidates for political office wore a white toga during their campaigns. The verb root (candere) is also found in incendere "to kindle, set afire," the origin of English "incendiary," "incense," and "frankincense." An early source of artificial light, "candle," is also a descendant, and a candle-maker is a chandler (candle+er), of which there must have been many, judging from the number of people still bearing that name today. (Our thanks for Professor Dennis Baumwoll of Bucknell University for today's lexical enlightenment.) Word of the Day-camp0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['kæmp] Definition: Effeminate, homosexual hence ostentatious, theatrical and hence outlandish or vulgar to the point of being amusing. Usage: The term is not flattering, so apply it gingerly, "Oh, do invite Lois; without one of her camp outfits to snip at it won't be a party!" It applies to either sex in its more recent metaphorical sense: "How camp can you get? I saw him driving a pink Cadillac with silver cow horns mounted on the hood." Suggested Usage: The adjective is derived from the noun "camp" which originally referred to exaggerated effeminate behavior of homosexuals or to such homosexuals themselves. Currently the word is used more frequently in reference to anything outlandishly and tastelessly artificial, out of fashion, or otherwise inappropriate. Some speakers add the adjective suffix -y to form, "He may be straight but he sure has a campy walk." In some regions you will encounter a verb: "What are you camping it up for? Don't your clothes attract enough attention?" Etymology: The origin of today's word has been consumed by collective forgetfulness so all we can do is thank Silvia Simon for reminding us of this mysterious lexical oddity. Word of the Day-calumniate0 评论
Calumniate (Verb)
Pronunciation: [kê-'lêm-nee-eyt] Definition: To make malicious statements known to be false in an effort to harm someone's reputation or character. Usage: Our language can damage others in several ways: we may defame (to focus an attack on the victim's reputation), malign (to attack someone's character by speaking badly of him or her), or vilify (to grossly criticize someone to undermine their character and reputation). "Calumniate" implies an attack on character or reputation that is knowingly incorrect. Benjamin Disraeli, a 19th-century British Prime Minister, said that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Calumniating falls under Disraeli's second category. The noun is "calumny." Suggested Usage: Unfortunately, we find this behavior on all levels: "After a period of scandal, politicians sometimes become more careful about calumniating their opponents." "Humans are basically sadistic; watch how toddlers calumniate their siblings, just to watch the spectacle of the punishment." calumny, noun: 1. False accusation of a crime or offense, intended to injure another's reputation. 2. Malicious misrepresentation; slander. They would see to it that every suspicious whisper and outright calumny would be repeated in print, breathing fire into the growing spirit of faction.-- William Safire, Scandalmonger They protest to him against the universal order, and then reward his kind words by calumny and accusations of . . . inhumanity and cruelty.-- Paola Capriolo, Floria Tosca Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny.-- Shakespeare, Hamlet Word of the Day-cajole0 评论
cajole \kuh-JOHL\, transitive verb:To persuade with flattery, repeated appeals, or soothing words; to coax.
If Robert had been an ordinary ten-year-old he would have cajoled and whined, asked and asked and asked until I snapped at him to keep quiet.-- Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue One of Virgil's great accomplishments was his ability to charm, cajole, weasel people out of their bad moods, especially when their bads moods inconvenienced him.-- Anthony Tommasini, Virgil Thomson: Composer on the Aisle Whiz kept to himself and spent long hours every day studying financials and technical charts and reading impenetrable economic publications. Even the warden had tried to cajole him into sharing market tips.-- Belfry Holdings, The Brethren Cajole derives from Early Modern French cajoler, originally, "to chatter like a bird in a cage, to sing; hence, to amuse with idle talk, to flatter," from Old French gaiole, jaiole, "a cage," from Medieval Latin caveola, "a small cage," from Latin cavea, "an enclosure, a den for animals, a bird cage," from cavus, "hollow." It is related to cave, cage and jail (British gaol). Word of the Day-callow0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['kæ-lo] Definition: Immature, inexperienced, having not reached adulthood, as a callow youth. Usage: Edith Wharton pretty much summed up her reasons for relocating to Paris in a letter to a friend after her car broke down in Massachusetts and she was forced to overnight in a hotel less fashionable than she was accustomed to: "Such dreariness, such whining callow women, such utter absence of the amenities, such crass food, crass manners, crass landscape!" So, what happened to the Age of Innocence? Callowness, however, can also be associated with things other than birds and people: "I fear this vintage is wasted on such a callow palate as Freddy's." Suggested Usage: Today's word is used mostly in reference to young birds and people. However, callow foxes might learn a valuable lesson practicing their attack tactics on a porcupine or skunk. The adverb for this word is "callowly" and the noun, "callowness." Etymology: From Middle English calwe "bald" from Old English calu "bald," related to German kahl "bald" and Latin calvus "bald." On the surface, today's word seems self-contradictory. Baldness usually comes with age and experience yet this word has come to roost on young people with hair at its thickest. How come? As the word "bald" pushed "callow" aside, "callow" reoriented itself to the featherless state of unfledged baby birds—a meaning that it retains, by the way. From here the implication of immaturity migrated back to people, leaving an interesting semantic trail if you have a map. (A gracious bow to Lynn Laboriel, who loves lexical mysteries like that hidden in today's word.) callow \KAL-oh\, adjective:Immature; lacking adult perception, experience, or judgment. Those who in later years did me harm I describe as I knew them then, and I beg any reader to remember that, although I was hardly callow, I was not yet wise in the ways of the world.-- Iain Pears, An Instance of the Fingerpost George Black Jr was grateful that during his protracted courtship of Betty, his future father-in-law 'bore my callow unsophistication with benign indulgence'.-- Richard Siklos, Shades of Black They watched in awe as Revere, at first a callow and unambitious youth, began to develop into a serious young man dedicated to books and devoted to his father.-- Sherwin B. Nuland, "The Saint", New Republic, December 13, 1999 Word of the Day-cadge0 评论
cadge \KAJ\
transitive verb:1. To beg or obtain by begging; to sponge. intransitive verb:1. To beg; to sponge. Another . . . complains of the hard work involved in cadging an invitation to a fancy dinner.-- James N. Davidson, Courtesans & Fishcakes Imagine the Tom his fellow students saw at the University of Iowa -- a slovenly, self-absorbed young man with a high, braying laugh, a tendency to cadge money and a habit of blushing -- and you can see why one remembered him as "a rather unpleasant little person" and another later said that he would have bet on "anyone but Tom" to become a successful playwright.-- Benedict Nightingale, "The Bard of Failure", New York Times, November 19, 1995 John D. Rockefeller came to him regularly now to beg for dimes and to cadge free rides.-- William H. Pritchard, "Yossarian Redux", New York Times, September 25, 1994 Word of the Day-callous0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['kæ-lês] Definition: (1) Having calluses hence hardened and thickened. (2) Feeling no emotion or having no sympathy for others. Usage: You might subtly go back to the original source by saying, "I don't mean to be thin skinned, but your constant harping leaves me callous." Then, you might follow it up by saying, "On second thought, I guess I'm being thick skinned because my ears developed a callus from your constant harping." Suggested Usage: Take care not to confuse the adjective callous with the noun, callus "a hard, thickened area on skin or bark." Although not common, both forms can also function as verbs: callous "to make or become callous," and callus "to develop hardened tissue." Etymology: Not surprisingly, both "callous" and "callus" descend from the same source, Middle French calleux, from Latin callosus, in turn, from callus "hard skin." The difference in spelling is attributable to the fact that -ous is typically an adjectival ending. Word of the Day-cadence0 评论
cadence \KAYD-'n(t)s\, noun:
1. the measure or beat of music, dancing, or a regularly repeated movement 2. a rising and falling sound; modulation; also, the falling inflection of the voice, as at the end of a sentence 3. a series of chords bringing part of a piece of music to an end I notice that when Hillary is experiencing turbulence she lapses into a rhetorical style similar to that of John McCain's: a sing-song rhythm in which every sentence is delivered with the exact same cadence and ends on the same predictable beat.-- Jacques Berlinerblau, The God Vote, Washington Post, May 5, 2004 "Every pitcher has a body cadence and rhythm," says Brock. "Once you've learned to read it, you can tell whether he is about to make a pick-off throw, and you can know exactly when you can start toward second."-- The Premier Pilferer, Time, July 14, 1970 Harmonic richness and variety entered victoriously where stereotyped cadences, barren and threadbare progressions, had reigned ad nauseam（令人作呕的）.-- Carl Engel, Jazz: A Musical Discussion, The Atlantic, August 1, 1992 Word of the Day-cacophony0 评论
cacophony \kuh-KAH-fuh-nee\, noun:1. Harsh or discordant sound; dissonance.2. The use of harsh or discordant sounds in literary composition.
New York was then a cacophony of sounds -- a dozen accents ricocheting off surrounding buildings as immigrant mothers called their children home for supper, noon whistles blowing, vendors hawking their wares on the streets, children shouting, horses whinnying, and people yelling.-- Herbert G. Goldman, Banjo Eyes The mammoth central station towered over the platforms, and with the cacophony from whooshing steam, shrill whistles, shouts and the heaving of hand and horse carts, not only was it the biggest, noisiest, most confusing experience any of them had ever encountered, but the city was almost unimaginable.-- Christopher Ogden, Legacy: A Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg Word of the Day-cached0 评论
cached \kasht\, adjective:
1. stored; hidden 2. in computing, stored in a part of memory used as a cache（缓存） MacMillan wrote to his sponsors at the National Geographic Society, "I am more convinced than ever that far northern Arctic work will never be done by heavier than air machines simply because landing places are uncertain and caches of food and gas cannot be depended upon. -- Raimund E. Goerler, To the Pole - The Diary and Notebook of Richard E. Byrd, 1925-1927, 1925 I switch on the Garmin to find my first way point, where I've cached a 2-gallon bag of water. The device's little floating arrow guides me to within 3 feet of the rock under which I hid it. -- Dan Neil, Los Angeles Times, 5/4/2008 The chief had two particularly fine horses, which so excited his cupidity that one night he drove them off and "cached"-that is, hid-them in a safe place. The chief looked for them high and low, but without success. -- Theodore Roosevelt, Ranch Life and the Hunting-Trail Word of the Day-cabal0 评论
Part of Speech: noun
Pronunciation: [kê-'bæl or kê-'bahl] Definition: A secret group involved in plots and intrigues, usually aimed at the overthrow of a power structure. Usage: Here is another unjustly rare word with many commonplace applications: "Hmm, your sister asked the same thing; you two don't have a cabal going, do you?" Or: "The older deacons formed a cabal to replace the young minister" (where "older" and "young" are interchangeable). Suggested Usage: The noun may be used as a regular verb in the sense of forming a cabal or conspiring: "Caballing officers caused the overthrow of many South American governments." There are no synonyms. "Conspiracy" refers to the activity, not the group carrying it out. Etymology: From Medieval Latin cabala, borrowed from Hebrew qabbala "received doctrine" (<> cabal \kuh-BAHL; kuh-BAL\ noun: 1. A secret, conspiratorial association of plotters or intriguers whose purpose is usually to bring about an overturn especially in public affairs. 2. The schemes or plots of such an association. intransitive verb: 1. To form a cabal; to conspire; to intrigue; to plot. If you constantly disagreed with Winters, he wrote you out of his cabal, his conspiracy against the poetry establishment.-- Richard Elman, Namedropping: Mostly Literary Memoirs My father always had been a collector. There were the stamps, National Geographics, scrapbooks filled with his favorite political cartoons, and booklets justifying his belief that the world was under the control of a global cabal of elites unified by such organizations as the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Freemasons.-- Frederick Kempe, Father/Land But the new world of toys is by no means simply the product of a profit-mad cabal of toy pushers discovering new ways of exploiting the child market.-- Gary Cross, Kids' Stuff The Anti-Federalists were not simply concerned that Congress was too small relatively--too small to be truly representative of the great diversity of the nation. Congress was also too small absolutely--too small to be immune from cabal and intrigue.-- Akhil Reed Amar, The Bill of Rights Word of the Day-byzantine0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: ['bi-zên-teen] (US) or (British) [bi-'zæn-tayn ] Definition: Pertaining to Byzantium; highly complicated and intricate; characterized by a manner that relies on intrigue, scheming and labyrinthine machinations. Usage: The common adjective "byzantine" has two levels of meaning. The first one is for something that's merely complicated: "Let's forget these byzantine travel arrangements and sign up for a group tour." The other connotes underhanded business: "Rudolf resorted to byzantine machinations behind the scenes to wreck the reputations of his enemies." Suggested Usage: "Byzantine" with a capital "B" can be used to refer to a citizen of ancient Byzantium or its art or architecture but "byzantine" is the form we use for the metaphoric sense of the word. The latter, but not the former, may be compared. The adverb of the latter would be "byzantinely" and the noun, but they are rarely encountered. Etymology: From "Byzantium," later known as Constantinople, today's Istanbul. The origin of "Byzantium" is unclear but as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, it was known for the complex political intrigues of its leaders. In "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (1776), Edward Gibbon claims that Byzantium contained so many labyrinthine connections that it was impossible to separate or simplify any element of the bureaucracy. (Our gratitude to Cliff Shin for today's word is anything but byzantine; just a simple, but heartfelt "Thanks!") Word of the Day-burgeon0 评论
Part of Speech: verb
Pronunciation: [‘bêr-jên] Definition: To bud, sprout, to begin to grow or blossom; to grow and flourish. Usage: Of course everything in your garden burgeons in the spring. But other things burgeon in other gardens, too, "He was as yet unaware of the tenderness for her already burgeoning in him after their first encounter." Today’s word may also be used by analogy with items that resemble buds, "A painful corn now burgeoned on her foot from constantly wearing her daughter’s shoes." Suggested Usage: The media are fraying today’s word a bit about the edges; it may be time to cast our attention its way. Expressions like "the burgeoning Enron scandal" is something of an understatement. Even if we say that Enron was a garden where unrequited felony burgeoned with abandon, we ignore the fact that much of it came to full bloom. A burgeon is a bud, well, maybe a pimple, but even this pejorative noun flagrantly understates the explosion of the Enron scandal. Etymology: Middle English "burgeonen" from Old French "borjoner," the verb from the noun burjon "a bud." This noun descended from the Vulgar Latin *burrio, burrion which came from Late Latin burra "a shaggy garment." Today’s word is unrelated to "burro," a Spanish back-formation from borrico "donkey," a descendant of Late Latin burricus "small horse." (We can only hope that a sense of gratitude is burgeoning in all our breasts for Terry Light, author of 'Shades of Meaning' at http://www.shadesofmeaning.com and the source of today’s word.) Word of the Day-burnish0 评论
burnish \BUR-nish\, verb, noun:
1. to make shiny by polishing 2. a polish or shine A burnish on the copper pots made them very attractive. The craftsman burnished and refurbished metalworks. Word of the Day-bumptious0 评论
bumptious \BUMP-shuhs\, adjective: Crudely, presumptuously, or loudly self-assertive.
The clown in the girl is bumptious as can be: bouncing about in the peaked cap and oversized coat of a boy she hasn't learned to love yet, pacing in lockstep behind a fellow-lodger for the sheer love of badgering him, blowing out her cheeks like a fussed walrus when crossed.-- Walter Kerr, Anne Frank Shouldn't Be Anne's Play, New York Times, January 7, 1979 Still a tremendous singer and a man so confident of his own sex appeal that he could make the most outrageously bumptious behaviour seem not only engaging but also entirely natural.-- David Sinclair, "Larger than life and twice as rocky", Times (London), March 13, 2000 Wells did not meet his father until he was an adult, by which time he had developed his own blunt, sometimes bumptious personality.-- George Vecsey, "An Outsider Who Became an Insider", New York Times, October 7, 1998 Meaning : presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive Example Sentence “I wish the DJs on this station weren’t so bumptious,” said Andrea. “I’d prefer to just listen to the music.” Did you know? Etymologists believe that “bumptious” was probably coined, perhaps playfully, from the noun “bump” plus “-tious.” When “bumptious” was first used around 1800, it meant “self-conceited.” Charles Dickens used it that way in David Copperfield: “His hair was very smooth and wavy; but I was informed . . . that it was a wig . . . and that he needn’t be so ‘bounceable’ — somebody else said ‘bumptious’ — about it, because his own red hair was very plainly to be seen behind.” Word of the Day-bucolic0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: [byu-'ka-lik] Definition: Characteristic of flocks or herds; rustic, rural, pastoral. Usage: A bucolic landscape has the same effect as a pillow and a warm fire in winter: "Thornton dreamed of himself and his lovely friend, Wanda, on a bucolic picnic under an ancient oak spreading halfway across a meadow intersected by a giggling brook." The thought of this word itself reduces tension and relaxes the thinker, "Holcombe filled his apartment with bucolic pictures of the Virginia countryside to absorb the stress he brought with him from the office." Suggested Usage: Today's word reeks of romance, of bright, tranquil summer days in the countryside, away from the rush and rumble of the city. The noun is "bucolicism" but is rarely used. Etymology: Latin bucolicus "pastoral," borrowed from Greek boukolikos, the adjective of the compound noun boukolos "cowherd," based on bous "cow" + kolos "herdsman." "Kolos" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kwel- "round, circle, rotate, dwell," which also gave us "colony" and "cultivate." Reduplicated (*kwe-kwlo) it became "circle" from Greek kyklos "circle." Old English "hweogol," which descended to us as "wheel, is a direct descendant." Sanskrit chakram "wheel" comes from the same source and came through Hindi into English as chukker "period of play in polo" and "chakra," one of the seven centers of spiritual energy according to the teachings of yoga. Kolo, kolesa "wheel" in several Slavic languages (e.g. Russian) shares the same origin. bucolic \byoo-KOL-ik\ adjective:1. Relating to or typical of the countryside or its people; rustic.2. Of or pertaining to the life and occupation of a shepherd; pastoral. noun:1. A pastoral poem, depicting rural affairs, and the life, manners, and occupation of shepherds.2. A country person. What Ms. Morris appreciates most now is the mix of bucolic and urban: She can descend into the subway and roam the city, then spend hours in the botanic garden and "walk quietly home to check my tomato plants."-- Janny Scott, "The Brownstone Storytellers", New York Times, May 15, 1995 In 1901 the Pittsburgh Leader focused on the more bucolic qualities of Springdale, noting "considerable acreage of woods and farm land, picturesque streets . . . and pretty little frame dwellings set amidst overhanging apple trees and maples."-- Linda Lear, Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature St. Paul's was a private Episcopal boys' school outside of Concord, New Hampshire, sixty miles from Windsor, in the middle of a wooded, secluded, bucolic nowhere.-- Ken Gormley, Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation bucolic \byoo-KAH-lik\ adjective 1 : of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral *2 : relating to or typical of rural life Example sentence: While sitting in rush hour traffic, Cecilia often daydreamed about living in a little house in a quiet, bucolic setting. Did you know? We get "bucolic" from the Latin word "bucolicus," which is ultimately from the Greek word "boukolos," meaning "cowherd." When "bucolic" was first used in English in the early 17th century, it meant "pastoral" in a narrow sense — that is, it referred to things related to shepherds or herdsmen and in particular to pastoral poetry. Later in the 19th century, it was applied more broadly to things rural or rustic. "Bucolic" has also been occasionally used as a noun meaning "a pastoral poem" or "a bucolic person." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Word of the Day-brusque0 评论
Part of Speech: adjective
Pronunciation: [brêsk] Definition: Rudely curt, offensively blunt, gruff, or short with someone. Usage: Unlike "bluff," which implies a good-hearted straightforwardness, today's word implies a dismissive and insulting gesture, "Creighton brusquely dismissed my suggestion that he address his colleagues more courteously." A sense of superiority often lies behind brusqueness, "Mandy's world crashed around her when she finally met her movie idol and asked for his autograph only to be told brusquely to get lost." Suggested Usage: Remember, today's word is NOT spelled "brusk" despite what the weak-kneed, willy-nilly dictionaries tell you. Let's not adapt our speech to speech errors no matter how commonly they occur. The adverb is "brusquely" and the noun, "brusqueness." Etymology: Today's is more undisguised loot from the French language, related to Italian brusco "coarse, rough," and Portuguese and Spanish brusco "rude, peevish"—all from Late Latin bruscus "butcher's broom." The Latin word may—and we emphasize 'may'—be a blend of Late Latin brucus "heather" + ruscus "butcher's broom." If so, it is related to French bruyère "heath," which comes from Late Latin *brucaria, a noun from the same word, brucus "heather." English borrowed this French word, too, though this one we at least disguised a bit as "briar." 1 : markedly short and abrupt *2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness Example sentence: Her brusque manner, often mistaken by others as unfriendliness, is actually caused by extreme shyness. Did you know? We borrowed "brusque" from French in the 1600s. The French, in turn, had borrowed it from Italian, where it was spelled "brusco" and meant "tart." And the Italian term came from "bruscus," the Medieval Latin name for butcher’s-broom, a shrub whose bristly leaf-like twigs have long been used for making brooms. English speakers initially used “brusque” to refer to a tartness in wine, but the word soon came to denote a harsh and stiff manner — which is just what you might expect of a word bristling with associations to stiff, scratchy brooms. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Word of the Day-brook0 评论
Part of Speech: verb
Pronunciation: [brUk] Definition: To put up with or stand for; to tolerate. Usage: There are not many ways to use this word, but because it's unusual, it could carry some weight. "I'll brook no more prevarication; tell me where you were all night or pack your bags." On the contrary, "Che will brook any amount of nonsense as long as his girlfriend keeps his number on speed-dial." Suggested Usage: Although its etymological roots mean "to use, enjoy," the current meaning of "brook" suggests that one has stomached just about enough. Etymology: Today's word is a homonym of brook "creek or stream," but the two come to us by different etymological paths. The "creek" version derives from Middle English and Old English "broc." "Broc" is related to the Old High German bruoh "marshy ground." The "tolerate" version is from Middle English "brouken," from Old English brucan "to use, to enjoy." This word is akin to German brauchen "to need," and Latin fruor, fructus "to enjoy." They share an ancestor in PIE *bhrug-. Grimm's Law, a guiding principle in linguistics, tells us that PIE initial *bh converts regularly to "f" in Latin, e.g. English "bear" : Latin "fero" [I carry, bear], "brother" : "frater", etc. (Thanks to Dalyn Cook, who will brook no threat to the survival of this word in English. We stand with her.)
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