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Word of the Day

Word of the day

verdure

[ vur-jer ] [ ˈvɜr dʒər ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

green vegetation, especially grass or herbage.

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Why Dictionary.com chose verdure

More about verdure

  • Verdure entered English around 1250–1300.
  • Verdure comes via Middle English from the Middle French word verd, which means “green.”
  • Related words with the same root include verdant, “green with vegetation,” and verdurous, “rich in verdure; freshly green.”

EXAMPLES OF VERDURE

  • The painter captured the essence of summer by depicting a field of verdure in his masterpiece.
  • Walking through the park, I couldn’t help but admire the lush verdure that adorned every corner.
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Word of the day

Brobdingnagian

[ brob-ding-nag-ee-uhn ] [ ˌbrɒb dɪŋˈnæg i ən ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

of huge size; gigantic; tremendous.

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Why Dictionary.com chose Brobdingnagian

More about Brobdingnagian

  • Brobdingnagian was first recorded in 1725–30.
  • Brobdingnagian comes from the name Brobdingnag, a fictional place from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
  • In Brobdingnag, everything was of enormous size.
  • Its opposite in the book was Lilliput, where everything was tiny. Something Lilliputian is extremely small.

EXAMPLES OF BROBDINGNAGIAN

  • As we hiked through the forest, we came across a Brobdingnagian oak tree that towered above all others.
  • The construction of the skyscraper required a Brobdingnagian crane to lift and place each massive steel beam.
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Word of the day

galore

[ guh-lohr ] [ gəˈloʊr ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adverb

in abundance; in plentiful amounts.

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Why Dictionary.com chose galore

More about galore

  • Galore was first recorded around 1660–70.
  • Galore comes from the Irish phrase, go leór, meaning “enough, plenty.”
  • The go element roughly translates as “to,” and leór, which comes from the Old Irish word lour, means “sufficiency.”

EXAMPLES OF GALORE

  • The party decorations were vibrant and colorful, with balloons, streamers, and confetti galore.
  • When I entered the bakery, my senses were greeted with the delightful aroma of freshly baked goods galore.
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