Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose cleek
More about cleek
- Cleek was first recorded between 1350 and 1400 and is mostly used in Scottish English.
- Cleek comes from the Middle English word cleke, meaning “hook.”
- Cleke is a derivative of the verb cleke, “to take hold of,” which is a variant of cleche, similar to clutch.
- The past tense of cleek can be claught, cleeked, or claucht.
- A cleek is also a type of golf club, which is unsurprising, since Scotland is the birthplace of golf.
EXAMPLES OF CLEEK
- As the bakery tray emerged from the oven, he couldn’t resist but cleek a fresh, warm croissant.
- In her excitement upon hearing the news, she cleeked her shopping bags and hurriedly made her way to the car.
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Why Dictionary.com chose pawky
More about pawky
- Pawky entered English around 1670-80 and is primarily used in British and Scottish English dialects.
- Pawky comes from the Scots word pawk, which means “trick.”
- You can do something pawkily or show pawkiness, both derived from pawky.
- You can also be a pawk, or a saucy person.
EXAMPLES OF PAWKY
- With a pawky smile, she managed to outwit her opponents in the game of chess.
- Despite his innocent appearance, the cat had a pawky charm that allowed him to sneak treats from the kitchen counter without getting caught.
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Why Dictionary.com chose borak
More about borak
- Borak was first recorded in 1835-45.
- Borak is a slang term in Australian English and New Zealand English.
- Borak comes from a word meaning “no” or “not” in Wathawurrung, an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around what is now known as Geelong, Victoria.
EXAMPLES OF BORAK
- The comedian’s stand-up routine was filled with witty banter and clever borak that poked fun at societal norms.
- The online forum was notorious for its toxic environment where users would endlessly poke borak at one another, tearing each other down instead of promoting healthy discussions.
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