Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose smaze
More about smaze
- Smaze was first recorded around 1950鈥�55.
- Smaze is a portmanteau, a combination, of the words聽smoke 补苍诲听haze.
- Smoke was first recorded before 1000 and is from an Old English word, smoca.
- Haze was first recorded in 1700鈥�10 and comes perhaps from a variant of the Old English word haswa,听鈥渁shen, dusky.鈥�
EXAMPLES OF SMAZE
- The dense smaze hanging over the city obscured the view of the skyline.
- The combination of a morning fog and chimney smoke created an eerie smaze in the countryside.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
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sanguivorous
[ sang-gwiv-er-uhs ]
Show IPA
adjective
feeding on blood, as a bat or insect.
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Why Dictionary.com chose sanguivorous
More about sanguivorous
- Sanguivorous was first recorded in 1835鈥�45.
- Sanguivorous is a combination of the Latin root sangui-, meaning “blood,” and -vorous, meaning “eating or gaining sustenance from.”
- Other similar adjectives include:聽omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous,听piscivorous, 补苍诲听frugivorous.
EXAMPLES OF SANGUIVOROUS
- Vampire legends often depict mythical creatures that are both immortal and sanguivorous, requiring human blood to sustain themselves.
- The surgeon skillfully removed a leech from the patient’s arm, a sanguivorous creature seeking a blood meal.
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Why Dictionary.com chose gaffe
More about gaffe
- Gaffe entered English around 1905鈥�10.
- Gaffe comes from the same French word meaning “blunder.”
- The French word gaffe probably was a special use of the word gaff, an iron hook used for handling large fish.
- Gaff聽comes from Proven莽al gaf, meaning 鈥渉ook,” and derived from the verb gafar 鈥渢o seize.鈥�
EXAMPLES OF GAFFE
- The politician’s gaffe during the press conference caused a media frenzy and became a topic of ridicule for weeks.
- She realized her gaffe shortly after she mispronounced her colleague’s name during an important meeting with clients.
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