Word of the Day
ferhoodle
verb
to confuse or mix up.
Why Dictionary.com chose ferhoodle
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More about ferhoodle
Ferhoodle is adapted from verhuddle, “to tangle, confuse,” in Pennsylvania Dutch, a dialect of German. This means that verhuddle is closely related to German verhudeln, “to bungle, make a mess of,” in which the ver- element is related to the for- in English forgive and forget. Ferhoodle was first recorded in English in the mid-1950s.
EXAMPLE OF FERHOODLE USED IN A SENTENCE
The alternating days of searing heat and chilling cold ferhoodled everyone’s gardening plans.
logophile
noun
a lover of words.
Why Dictionary.com chose logophile
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More about logophile
Logophile is a compound of logo-, meaning “word, speech,” and -phile, meaning “lover of.” Logo- comes from Ancient Greek lógos, which has a variety of senses, including “word, saying,” “speech, discourse,” and “proportion, ratio.” The form -phile can also be found in the Words of the Day ailurophile and bibliophile. Logophile was first recorded in English in the late 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF LOGOPHILE USED IN A SENTENCE
While most students were dreading the standardized test, a few plucky logophiles were excited to learn the words that would likely appear in the reading section.
paronomasia
noun
the use of a word in different senses or the use of words similar in sound to achieve a specific effect, as humor or a dual meaning; punning.
Why Dictionary.com chose paronomasia
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More about paronomasia
Paronomasia means “a play on words” in Ancient Greek and comes from the verb paronomázein, “to make a slight name-change.” The ónoma element means, “name,” and its common variant, ónyma, appears in English words such as homonym and synonym. Paronomasia was first recorded in English in the 1570s.
EXAMPLE OF PARONOMASIA USED IN A SENTENCE
The paronomasia in the line “I am too much in the sun” (also heard as “son”) implies Hamlet’s continued mourning of his father.