Word of the Day
More about olykoek
Olykoek has its origins in the now-extinct New York dialect of Dutch. Dutch is related to English, therefore it’s no surprise that Dutch olie and koek resemble their English cognates oil and cake. Olykoek was first recorded in English at the turn of the 19th century.
EXAMPLE OF OLYKOEK USED IN A SENTENCE
The crowd of Knicks fans enjoyed olykoeks as the sun rose over the Hudson River.
More about debouch
Debouch is an adaptation of French déboucher, meaning both “to unclog, uncork” and “to emerge, result, drain.” The bouche element means “mouth” and comes from Latin bucca, which means “cheek, jaw.” Bucca eventually replaced Latin ōs, ōr- (as in oral and oration) as the word for “mouth.” Debouch was first recorded in English circa 1660.
EXAMPLE OF DEBOUCH USED IN A SENTENCE
Passengers in festive clothing debouched from the crowded subway on their way to the parade.
More about enisle
Enisle comes from French. En- roughly means “to make happen, cause to be,” as in the Word of the Day enkindle, while isle is an older spelling of French île, “island,” from Latin īnsula. Isle and island are not related, but island (from Old English) gained its silent s by association with isle. Enisle was first recorded in English around 1610.
EXAMPLE OF ENISLE USED IN A SENTENCE
When the dam burst, the torrent of water filled the valley, enisling the highest points of land therein.