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penult

[ pee-nuhlt, pi-nuhlt ]
/ ˈpi nʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt /

noun

the next to the last syllable in a word.

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You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?
To cook in water that begins cold and then reaches a boil.
To stew in a sauce for a long time.
To cook in water, just below boiling temperature.
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Also pe·nul·ti·ma [pi-nuhl-tuh-muh]. /pɪˈnʌl tə mə/.

Origin of penult

1530–40; <Latin paenultima (syllaba), contraction of paene ultima almost the last; see pen-, ultima

Words nearby penult

pentyl acetate, pentylenetetrazol, pentyl group, penuche, penuchle, penult, penultimate, penumbra, penurious, penury, Penutian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for penult

British Dictionary definitions for penult

penult

penultima (pɪˈnʌltɪmə)

/ (ˈpɛnʌlt, pɪˈnʌlt) /

noun

the last syllable but one in a word

Word Origin for penult

C16: Latin paenultima syllaba, from paene ultima almost the last
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012