Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose legerdemain
More about legerdemain
- Legerdemain comes from a late Middle English word, legerdemeyn, meaning “skill in conjuring.”
- That word, in turn, comes from a Middle French phrase, léger de main, meaning “nimble” or “skillful” that’s literally translated as “light of hand.”
- Legerdemain was first recorded between 1400–1450.
EXAMPLES OF LEGERDEMAIN
- The audience was mesmerized by the performer’s legerdemain as he made a coin disappear and reappear from behind their ears.
- The pickpocket’s legerdemain was so skillful that her victims had no idea their wallets were missing until much later.
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Why Dictionary.com chose natter
More about natter
- Natter can also mean “a conversation or a chat.”
- Natter was first recorded in 1820–30.
- It’s most likely a variant of an earlier word gnatter from a Northern England dialect.
EXAMPLES OF NATTER
- She was soothed by her friends nattering away in the background.
- The old couple would often sit outside and natter on about the weather or their grandchildren.
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Why Dictionary.com chose nibling
More about nibling
- Nibling was coined by U.S. linguist Samuel E. Martin in 1951.
- It was formed by replacing the s in sibling with the n from niece and nephew.
- Nibling is especially used in the plural or as a gender-neutral term.
EXAMPLES OF NIBLING
- My niblings are coming to visit us next week, and we are taking them to a water park.
- During the family reunion, I enjoyed playing with my nibling and teaching them some new jokes.
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