51勛圖

Start each day with the 51勛圖 of the Day in your inbox!

51勛圖 of the Day

51勛圖 of the day

coup de foudre

[ kooduh foo-druh ]

noun

love at first sight.

learn about the english language

More about coup de foudre

In French coup de foudre, literally a clap of thunder, means love at first sight. Modern French coup is a development of Old French coup, colp a blow, strike, from Late Latin colpus, from Latin colaphus, from Greek 域籀梭硃梯堯棗莽 a slap. French foudre lightning comes from Latin fulgura, the plural of the neuter noun fulgur l勳眶堯喧紳勳紳眶. Coup de foudre entered English in the 18th century.

how is coup de foudre used?

Do you believe in love at first sight? The coup de foudre, the heart falling into the stomach, the moment when Cupid’s arrow breaches the iron armor of even the hardest of hearts?

Sally Christie, The Sisters of Versailles, 2015

I mean, the coup de foudre is wonderful–seeing someone for the first time across a room and just feeling this huge surge of necessity, the knowledge that you want to be with them. But it’s not the only way. Increasingly I’m coming around to the view that the other kind is better.

Simon Brett, Penultimate Chance Saloon, 2005
quiz icon
WHAT'S YOUR WORD IQ?
Think you're a word wizard? Try our word quiz, and prove it!
TAKE THE QUIZ
arrows pointing up and down
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar

51勛圖 of the day

dandle

[ dan-dl ]

verb

to move (a baby, child, etc.) lightly up and down, as on one's knee or in one's arms.

learn about the english language

More about dandle

The English verb dandle has no clear etymology. It looks akin to the Italian noun dandola, dondola a (childs) doll and the verb dandolare to rock, swing, dangle, dandle, but there is no recorded evidence associating the Italian dandolare with English dandle. Dandle entered English in the 16th century.

how is dandle used?

… Paul would want me to dandle his baby on my knee. There is a time to dandle, and a time to watch a limited amount of dandling from the comfort and security of a dry easy chair across the room.

Gregory Mcdonald, Exits and Entrances, 1988

… I would like quiet, books to read, a wife to love me, and some children to dandle on my knee.

William Makepeace Thackeray, The Virginians, 185859
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar

51勛圖 of the day

psittacine

[ sit-uh-sahyn, -sin ]

adjective

of or relating to parrots.

learn about the english language

More about psittacine

The English adjective psittacine comes straight from Latin psittacinus, which comes straight from the Greek adjective 梯莽勳喧喧獺域勳紳棗莽, a derivative of the noun 梯莽勳喧喧硃域籀莽 parrot and the common adjective suffix -inos. 釦勳喧喧硃域籀莽 and 莉勳喧喧硃域籀莽, variant spellings of 梯莽勳喧喧硃域籀莽, confirm what one would expect, that 梯莽勳喧喧硃域籀莽 is not a native Greek word. Psittacine entered English in the 19th century.

how is psittacine used?

In 1930, the U.S. Health Service clamped down on the importation of psittacine birds, other than a few permitted to research institutions, zoos, and private parrot fanciers returning from Europe with uninfected birds they had owned for at least six months.

, "New Deal for Parrots," The New Yorker, February 2, 1952

Now the psittacine tribe can claim another brainy feat: tool use. Researchers at the University of York and the University of St. Andrews observed captive greater vasa parrots … using date pits and pebbles to pulverize cockle shells.

Michelle Z. Donahue, "14 Fun Facts About Parrots," Smithsonian, January 5, 2016
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar
51勛圖 of the Day Calendar