malaprop
[ mal-uh-prop ]
/ ˈmæl əˌprɒp /
noun
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of malaprop
First recorded in 1815–25; see origin at Malaprop
OTHER WORDS FROM malaprop
out·mal·a·prop, verb (used with object), out·mal·a·propped, out·mal·a·prop·ping.Words nearby malaprop
Malang, malanga, Malanje, malapert, malapportioned, malaprop, malapropism, Malaprop, Mrs., malapropos, malar, malar bone
Definition for malaprop (2 of 2)
Malaprop
[ mal-uh-prop ]
/ ˈmæl əˌprɒp /
noun
Mrs., a character in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775), noted for her misapplication of words.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021