Word of the Day

Word of the day

Monday, March 20, 2023

hyson

[ hahy-suhn ] [ ˈhaɪ sən ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a Chinese green tea dried and prepared from twisted leaves, especially of the early crop.

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What is the origin of hyson?

Hyson is an adaptation of Cantonese heiceon, “bright spring.” The hei element, meaning “bright, glorious,” is a cognate of Mandarin , while ceon, “spring,” is related to Mandarin chūn. It’s possible that hyson’s unusual spelling is the result of the term passing through Dutch or French on its way to English, in which it first appeared in the 1730s.

EXAMPLE OF HYSON USED IN A SENTENCE

Once the small bag of hyson was placed in the mug, the leaves added a golden tinge to the water.

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Word of the day

Sunday, March 19, 2023

purloin

[ per-loin ] [ pərˈlɔɪn ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer.

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What is the origin of purloin?

Purloin comes from Old French porloigner, “to put off, remove.” The por- element comes from Latin prō, “for, in favor of,” while -loigner is ultimately from Latin longus, “long.” Prolong comes from the same sources as purloin, making the two words doublets. Purloin was first recorded in English in the early 14th century.

EXAMPLE OF PURLOIN USED IN A SENTENCE

After halting a man on the street under the pretense of asking directions, the thief purloined the man’s watch.

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Word of the day

Saturday, March 18, 2023

quaere

[ kweer-ee ] [ ˈkwɪər i ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

ask; inquire (an imperative used to introduce or suggest a question).

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What is the origin of quaere?

Quaere is the command form of the Latin verb quaerere, “to seek, ask,” and therefore demands of someone that they ask a question. In case you wish to demand of multiple people that ask questions, the second-person plural (“you all”) of quaere is quaerite. Quaere is also the source of the English noun query. Quaere was first recorded in English circa 1530.

EXAMPLE OF QUAERE USED IN A SENTENCE

If you are confused about how to use apostrophes, quaere whether you have it right!

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