Word of the Day
chelonian
adjective
belonging or pertaining to a reptilian order comprising turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.
More about chelonian
Chelonian comes from Ancient Greek chelṓnē, meaning “turtle, tortoise.” Chelṓnē could have connections with Slavic words for “turtle” or other Ancient Greek words, or it could come from an extinct ancient Mediterranean language. Chelṓnē is not related to Spanish galápago, “tortoise.” Chelonian was first recorded in English in the 1820s.
EXAMPLE OF CHELONIAN USED IN A SENTENCE
A bale of several chelonian critters scurried about in the water, every so often poking their heads out of their shells.
jarabe tapatío
noun
a dance of Mexican origin, performed by a couple and consisting of nine figures and melodies, in which the partners often dance facing each other but not touching.
More about jarabe tapatío
Jarabe means “syrup” in Spanish, while tapatío refers to a person or thing from Guadalajara, a city in Jalisco, Mexico. Spanish jarabe and English syrup both come from Arabic sharāb, “a drink,” which is related to sherbet and sorbet. Tapatío derives from the Nahuatl word tlapatiotl, “price, value,” after the Guadalajara area’s notable use of cacao beans as currency. Jarabe tapatío was first recorded in English in the mid-1870s.
EXAMPLE OF JARABE TAPATÍO USED IN A SENTENCE
The dancer dropped his sombrero to the floor as a signal to his partner to begin their jarabe tapatío.
More about kvetch
Kvetch is adapted from Yiddish kvetshn, meaning “to squeeze, pinch,” which is closely related to German quetschen, also meaning “to squeeze.” One possibility is that kvetch ultimately comes from Latin quassāre or quatere, “to shake,” which is the source of English concussion and squash. Kvetch was first recorded in English in the early 1960s.
EXAMPLE OF KVETCH USED IN A SENTENCE
The couple refused to buy an air conditioner, preferring instead to kvetch constantly about the heat in the summer.