Word of the Day

Word of the Day: Drupe

 

Pronunciation: /droop/

 

Definition: (noun)

 

1) Any fruit, as a peach, cherry, plum, etc., consisting of an outer skin, a usually pulpy and succulent middle layer, and a hard and woody inner shell usually enclosing a single seed.

 

Etymology: mid 18th century: from Latin drupa ‘overripe olive,’ from Greek druppa ‘olive.’

Word of the Day

Word of the Day: Puce

 

Pronunciation: /pyoos/

 

Definition: (noun, adj)

 

1) a dark red or brownish purple color.

2) of a dark or brownish purple.

 

Etymology: late 18th century: from French, literally ‘flea(-color),’ from Latin pulex, pulic- .

Word of the Day

Word of the Day: Colporteur

 

Pronunciation: /ˈkälpôrdər,ˌkälpôrˈtər/

 

Definition: (noun)

 

1) a person who peddles books, newspapers, or other writings, especially bibles and religious tracts

 

Etymology: late 18th century: French, from the verb colporter, probably an alteration of comporter, from Latin comportare ‘carry with one.’

Word of the Day

Word of the Day: Etiolate

 

Definition: (verb)

 

1) to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor.

2) to cause (a plant) to whiten or grow pale by excluding light: to etiolate celery.

3) (of plants) to whiten or grow pale through lack of light.

 

Etymology:

 

Etiolate comes from the French verb étioler “to make pale, etiolate (plants),” probably derivative of a Norman French dialect form of standard French éteule, from Old French estoble, estuble “stubble,” from Latin stipula “stalk, straw.” The word entered English in the 18th century.