51吃瓜 of the Day
de rigueur
[ duh ri-gur ]
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adjective
strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, or fashion.
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Why Dictionary.com chose de rigueur
More about de rigueur
- De rigueur was borrowed into English from French around 1825鈥�35.
- De rigueur in French means “of rigor” or “of strictness in etiquette.”
- Rigor entered English around 1350鈥�1400 from the Latin word聽rigor, meaning “stiffness,” as in the Latin phrase rigor mortis, “the stiffening of the body after death.”
EXAMPLES OF DE RIGUEUR
- Wearing black tie attire is de rigueur at formal galas and high-end restaurants.
- Exchanging business cards before a meeting is still de rigueur in many Asian cultures.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
queue
[ kyoo ]
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verb
to form in a line while waiting (often followed by up).
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Why Dictionary.com chose queue
More about queue
- Queue was first recorded in English in 1585鈥�95.
- Queue comes via Middle French from the Latin word cauda or 肠艒诲补, meaning 鈥渢ail.鈥�
- Queue, in the highlighted sense, is more commonly used in British English.
- The first recorded meaning of queue in English was 鈥渁 band of parchment attached to a document and bearing a seal.鈥�
EXAMPLES OF QUEUE
- The eager fans queued up outside the concert venue hours before the doors opened.
- The customers patiently queued behind the counter at the popular bakery to buy their favorite pastries.
tmesis
[ tuh-mee-sis ]
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noun
the introduction of one or more words between the parts of a compound word.
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Why Dictionary.com chose tmesis
More about tmesis
- Tmesis was first recorded in 1580鈥�90.
- Tmesis ultimately comes from the Greek word 迟尘锚蝉颈蝉, 鈥渁 cutting,鈥� which is from the stem of the Greek verb 迟茅尘苍别颈苍, meaning 鈥渢o cut,鈥� combined with the suffix –sis that appears in loanwords from Greek.
- Other more common Greek loanwords with this suffix are thesis, “a proposition stated or put forward for consideration,” and stasis, “the state of equilibrium or inactivity caused by opposing equal forces.”
EXAMPLES OF TMESIS
- The TV show’s theme song begins with an example of tmesis, breaking up the word “superhero” to create emphasis: “Super-duper-hero!”
- The poet used a creative tmesis in the phrase “mind-bogglingly beautiful,” adding an extra word for poetic effect.
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