Word of the Day
subterfuge
[ suhb-ter-fyooj ]
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noun
an artifice or expedient used to evade a rule, escape a consequence, hide something, etc.
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Why Dictionary.com chose subterfuge
More about subterfuge
- First recorded in English around 1565鈥�75.
- Comes from the Late Latin word subterfugium, which is similar to the Latin word subterfug(ere), meaning “to evade.”
- Subter means “below,” and fugere, “to flee.”
EXAMPLES OF SUBTERFUGE
- His elaborate subterfuge involved creating a fake identity to gain access to the exclusive event.
- Their subterfuge of leaving a decoy package fooled the thieves and protected the valuable merchandise.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
totality
[ toh-tal-i-tee ]
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noun
Astronomy. total obscuration or darkening in an eclipse.
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Why Dictionary.com chose totality
More about totality
- First recorded in 1590鈥�1600 in the sense of “a whole.”
- The astronomical sense highlighted here was first recorded in the 1840s.
- Comes from the noun total, which came from the Latin word 迟艒迟腻濒颈蝉, meaning “entire.”
EXAMPLES OF TOTALITY
- During the solar eclipse, we were lucky enough to witness the breathtaking totality as the moon completely blocked out the sun.
- People traveled far and wide to experience the rare event of totality during the total solar eclipse, hoping to capture it through photography and memory.
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Why Dictionary.com chose fard
More about fard
- First recorded around 1400鈥�50.
- Comes from an Old French noun that derived from the verb farder, meaning “to apply makeup.”
- Farder probably came from the Old Low Franconian verb *蹿补谤飞颈胆辞苍, “to dye, color.”
EXAMPLES OF FARD
- Before the photo shoot, the makeup artist worked diligently to fard the model’s face with precision.
- The beauty vlogger demonstrated how to fard effectively for a flawless makeup look in her latest tutorial.
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