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amphigory

[ am-fi-gawr-ee ] [ ˈæm fɪˌgɔr i ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

noun

a meaningless or nonsensical piece of writing

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Why Dictionary.com chose amphigory

More about amphigory

  • First recorded in 1800–10.
  • From the French amphigouri; combines amphi-, a prefix meaning “two, both sides,” + gouri, possibly from the Greek ²µÃ»°ù´Ç²õ, meaning “circle,” or ²¹²µ´Ç°ùí²¹, meaning “speech.”

EXAMPLES OF AMPHIGORY

  • My essay devolved into an amphigory as I ran out of ideas.
  • His argument tries to maintain clarity, though it strays at moments into amphigory.
20240103
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51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar

51³Ô¹Ï of the day

pelagic

[ puh-laj-ik ] [ pəˈlædʒ ɪk ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

adjective

of or relating to the seas and oceans

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Why Dictionary.com chose pelagic

More about pelagic

  • First recorded in 1650–60.
  • Combines the Greek root ±èé±ô²¹²µ´Ç²õ, “the sea,” + suffix -¾±³¦Â².

EXAMPLES OF PELAGIC

  • The study revealed how some pelagic ecosystems are affected by plastic waste.
  • The whale is a pelagic mammal, spending most of its life far from the coast.
20240103
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar

51³Ô¹Ï of the day

quoin

[ koin ] [ kɔɪn ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

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 ³¦´Ç¾±²Ô¹ 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.
20240103
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar
51³Ô¹Ï of the Day Calendar