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philopena
[ fil-uh-pee-nuh ]
/ ˌfɪl əˈpi nə /
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noun
a custom, presumably of German origin, in which two persons share the kernels of a nut and determine that one shall receive a forfeit from the other at a later time upon the saying of a certain word or the performance of a certain action.
the thing shared.
the forfeit paid.
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Also fillipeen.
Origin of philopena
1830–40, Americanism; earlier philippina<Dutch philippine<German Vielliebchen, diminutive of viellieb very dear; in earlier form viellieb was taken as proper name Philippe Philip and -chen was made into feminine suffix -ina, giving a woman's name; in later form the word was Anglicized along pseudo-classical lines (cf. philo-, penal)
Words nearby philopena
philologist, philology, philomel, Philomela, Philomelides, philopena, philophobia, philoprogenitive, philos., philosophaster, philosophe
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021