Word of the Day 55-62

Word of the Day 55~~November 24, 2009

Martinet \mar-t'n-ET\

noun;

1.
A strict disciplinarian.
2.
One who lays stress on a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods.


Origin:
A martinet is so called after an officer of that name in the French army under Louis XIV.

Word of the Day 56~~November 25, 2009


Brobdingnagian \brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn\

adjective;

1.
Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.


Origin:
Brobdingnagian is from Brobdingnag, a country of giants in Swift's Gulliver's Travels.

Word of the Day 57~~November 26, 2009


Provender \PROV-uhn-duhr\

noun;

1.
Dry food for domestic animals, such as hay, straw, corn, oats, or a mixture of ground grain; feed.
2.
Food or provisions.



Origin:
Provender comes from Old French, from Late Latin praebenda (prae and pro being confused), "a daily allowance of provisions," from praebere, contraction of praehibere, "to hold forth, to offer, to afford," from prae-, "before" + habere, "to have, to hold."

Word of the Day 58~~November 27, 2009


Gourmand \goor-MAHND; GOOR-mahnd; GOOR-mund\

noun;

1.
One who eats to excess.
2.
A lover of good food.


Origin:
Gourmand is from French gourmand, greedy.

Word of the Day 59~~November 28, 2009


Rusticate \RUHS-tih-kayt\

intransitive verb;

1.
To go into or reside in the country; to pursue a rustic life.

transitive verb:

1.
To require or compel to reside in the country; to banish or send away temporarily.
2.
(Chiefly British). To suspend from school or college.
3.
To build with usually rough-surfaced masonry blocks having beveled or rebated edges producing pronounced joints.
4.
To lend a rustic character to; to cause to become rustic.



Origin:
Rusticate comes from the past participle of Latin rusticari, "to live in the country," from rusticus, "rural, rustic," from rus, "the country."

Word of the Day 60~~November 29, 2009


Malleable \MAL-ee-uh-buhl\

adjective;

1.
Capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer, or by the pressure of rollers; -- applied to metals.
2.
Capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces; easily influenced.
3.
Capable of adjusting to changing circumstances; adaptable.


Origin:
Malleable comes from Medieval Latin malleabilis, from malleare, "to hammer," from Latin malleus, "hammer."

Word of the Day 61~~November 30, 2009


Couture \koo-TOOR\

noun,

1.
The business of designing, making, and selling highly fashionable, usually custom-made clothing for women.
2.
Dressmakers and fashion designers considered as a group.
3.
The high-fashion clothing created by designers.

adjective:

1.
Created or produced by a fashion designer.
2.
Being, having, or suggesting the style, quality, etc., of a fashion designer; very fashionable.


Origin:
Couture is from French meaning sewing, from Old French cousture, from Vulgar Latin cōnsūtūra, from Latin cōnsuere, cōnsūt-, to sew together.

Word of the Day 62~~December 1, 2009


Intrepid \in-TREP-id\

adjective;

1.
Fearless; bold; brave; undaunted; courageous; as, an intrepid soldier; intrepid spirit.



Origin:
Intrepid comes from Latin intrepidus, "calm," from in-, "not" + trepidus, "anxious, disturbed."