Word of the Day
quoin
verb
to secure or raise with a wedge, keystone, or cornerstone
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Why Dictionary.com chose quoin
More about quoin
- First recorded in 1525–35 as a noun meaning “the outer angle of a wall.”
- From Middle French coin, meaning “wedge;” related to coin¹ for the wedge-shaped tool used anciently to strike images onto coins.
EXAMPLES OF QUOIN
- To quoin the gazebo and make it level, the workers used planks and other pieces of scrap wood.
- The centerpiece of the garden was the stone archway that the designer quoined with an intricately carved keystone.
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Why Dictionary.com chose natch
More about natch
- First recorded in 1945.
- Shortening and respelling of naturally.
EXAMPLES OF NATCH
- She aced the exam, natch, since she studied for weeks.
- Natch, the kids asked for ice cream as soon as they saw the truck.
woodchuck
noun
a stocky burrowing rodent that hibernates in the winter
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Why Dictionary.com chose woodchuck
More about woodchuck
- First recorded in 1665–75.
- From an Algonquian word meaning “marten,” a small mammal hunted for its pelt; possibly from the Narragansett ockqutchaun.
EXAMPLES OF WOODCHUCK
- A woodchuck darted across the field and disappeared into its burrow.
- The farmer spotted a woodchuck digging near the cornfield.
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