leonine
11/22/22 • 2 min
3 Listeners
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 22, 2022 is:
leonine \LEE-uh-nyne\ adjective
Leonine means “of, relating to, or resembling a lion.”
// She spent hours in the bathroom trying to detangle her leonine tresses.
Examples:
“As I tried harder and harder ... I began to understand more about what [Fabio] meant at the time, to both me and to his fans. For me, I kind of thought he was just a hood ornament of '90s masculinity. Heroic and leonine, ripped like He-Man but draped in finely tailored Italian linen. There always seemed to be a wind machine plugged in somewhere just out of his frame.” — Jason Sheeler, People.com, 11 Aug. 2021
Did you know?
Hear us roar! Most people or characters described as leonine aren’t cowardly (with one famous exception, of course), but rather noble, strong, regal, or possessed of similarly positive virtues associated with pride-forming big cats. Leonine clawed its way into the English language from the Latin word leo (“lion”), which in turn comes from the Greek word leōn. Today, we have an interesting range of words that relate back to leōn: leopard (leōn + pardos, a Greek word for a panther-like animal); chameleon (leōn + the Greek chamai, meaning “on the ground”); and the names Leo, Leon, and Leonard. But the dancer’s and gymnast’s leotard is not named for its wearer’s cat-like movements. Rather, it was simply named after its inventor, Jules Léotard, a 19th-century French aerial gymnast.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 22, 2022 is:
leonine \LEE-uh-nyne\ adjective
Leonine means “of, relating to, or resembling a lion.”
// She spent hours in the bathroom trying to detangle her leonine tresses.
Examples:
“As I tried harder and harder ... I began to understand more about what [Fabio] meant at the time, to both me and to his fans. For me, I kind of thought he was just a hood ornament of '90s masculinity. Heroic and leonine, ripped like He-Man but draped in finely tailored Italian linen. There always seemed to be a wind machine plugged in somewhere just out of his frame.” — Jason Sheeler, People.com, 11 Aug. 2021
Did you know?
Hear us roar! Most people or characters described as leonine aren’t cowardly (with one famous exception, of course), but rather noble, strong, regal, or possessed of similarly positive virtues associated with pride-forming big cats. Leonine clawed its way into the English language from the Latin word leo (“lion”), which in turn comes from the Greek word leōn. Today, we have an interesting range of words that relate back to leōn: leopard (leōn + pardos, a Greek word for a panther-like animal); chameleon (leōn + the Greek chamai, meaning “on the ground”); and the names Leo, Leon, and Leonard. But the dancer’s and gymnast’s leotard is not named for its wearer’s cat-like movements. Rather, it was simply named after its inventor, Jules Léotard, a 19th-century French aerial gymnast.
Previous Episode
temerity
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 21, 2022 is:
temerity \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\ noun
Temerity is a formal word that means "unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition"; it is a synonym of both rashness and recklessness. Temerity can also refer to a rash or reckless act.
// The line between boldness and temerity is sometimes only evident after the consequences have become clear.
// The previous night's temerity had landed the students in detention.
Examples:
"As Jackson sauntered during the ensuing break in play, his chin up defiantly and jaw clenched, James did a double-take at the apparent temerity, his next-play focus transforming into disapproval." — Houston Mitchell, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2022
Did you know?
When you’re feeling saucy, there’s no shortage of words in the English language you can use to describe the particular flavor of your metaphorical sauce, from audacity and effrontery to the Yiddish-derived fan favorite chutzpah. If we may be so bold, let us also suggest temerity: it comes from the Latin temere, meaning “recklessly” or “haphazardly,” and is good for suggesting boldness even in the face of danger or likely punishment. Temerity is a formal word, rarely used in casual writing or conversation, but provided you have the cheek to flout this convention, you may be thinking “what have I got to lose?”
Next Episode
vamoose
1 RecommendationsMerriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 23, 2022 is:
vamoose \vuh-MOOSS\ verb
Vamoose is an informal word that means "to depart quickly."
// With the sheriff and his posse hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose.
Examples:
"[Ali S.] Khan's group packed fast and vamoosed on a small airplane, which rose straight into a thrashing thunderstorm." — David Quammen, The New Yorker, May 4, 2020
Did you know?
In the 1820s and '30s, the American Southwest was rough-and-tumble territory—the true Wild West. English-speaking cowboys, Texas Rangers, and gold prospectors regularly rubbed elbows with Spanish-speaking vaqueros in the local saloons, and a certain amount of linguistic intermixing was inevitable. One Spanish term that caught on with English speakers was vamos, which means "let's go." Cowpokes and dudes alike adopted the word, at first using a range of spellings and pronunciations that varied considerably in their proximity to the original Spanish form. But when the dust settled, the version most American English speakers were using was vamoose.
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