Word of the Day
shalach manoth
noun
the practice of giving gifts to one another or to people in need on Purim.
More about shalach manoth
Shalach manoth is an adaptation of either Yiddish shalakh-mones or its Hebrew ancestor mishlóakh manót, literally “delivery of portions.” The Hebrew noun mishlóakh means “delivery, shipment,” while manót is the plural of manáh, “portion, ration, share.” A close relative of manáh is minyan, a group of 10 people, from Hebrew minyān, “number.” Shalach manoth was first recorded in English in the late 1910s.
EXAMPLE OF SHALACH MANOTH USED IN A SENTENCE
The charity, in an act of shalach manoth, donated dozens of gift baskets and bags of food to the local community.
bowdlerize
verb
to amend a written work by removing or modifying passages considered vulgar or objectionable.
More about bowdlerize
Bowdlerize is the namesake of Thomas Bowdler, who published an edited version of Shakespeare’s plays in 1807. Bowdler claimed that he had removed “defects which diminish [the plays’] value.” The surname Bowdler has two possible origins: in reference to a person who buddles or is from Boelare (modern Nederboelare in Belgium). Bowdlerize was first recorded in English in the 1830s.
EXAMPLE OF BOWDLERIZE USED IN A SENTENCE
The students noticed that their edition of Hamlet had been bowdlerized, with several exciting yet controversial scenes significantly whittled down.
qiviut
noun
the soft, dense, light-brown woolly undercoat of the musk ox, used in making fabrics.
More about qiviut
Qiviut is the plural of qiviuq, “down, underhair.” It’s a borrowing from one of the Inuit languages, as are Words of the Day angakok and anorak. The letter q in Inuit languages is pronounced farther back in the mouth than the q in English, producing a sound about halfway between English k and French r. Give it a try! Qiviut was first recorded in English in the late 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF QIVIUT USED IN A SENTENCE
The thick lining of qiviut inside his coat kept him warm during his morning walk.