51吃瓜 of the Day
snye
noun
a side-channel, especially one that later rejoins the main stream.
More about snye
Snye, 鈥渁 side-channel,鈥� is probably adapted from Canadian French chenail, a variant of standard French chenal. Chenal comes from Latin 肠补苍腻濒颈蝉, 鈥渨aterpipe, conduit,鈥� which may derive from canna, 鈥渞eed, pipe.鈥� Canna, in turn, is a borrowing (via Ancient Greek 办谩苍苍补) of a word of Semitic origin such as Akkadian 辩补苍奴, 鈥渞eed鈥�; related words in modern Semitic languages include Arabic 辩补苍腻丑, 鈥渃anal, channel,鈥� and Hebrew 辩腻苍别丑 鈥渃ane, reed, stem.鈥� In this way, the Semitic source of Latin canna is also the source of English canal, cane, canister, cannoli, cannon, canon, canyon, channel, and鈥攆or fashion mavens鈥攖he surname Chanel. Snye was first recorded in English in the 1810s.
EXAMPLE OF SNYE USED IN A SENTENCE
The snye joined the main waterway right in front of their cabin, which made for a perfect fishing spot.
malinger
verb
to pretend illness, especially in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc.
More about malinger
Malinger, 鈥渢o pretend illness,鈥� is an adaptation of French malingre, 鈥渟ickly, ailing,鈥� with a change in spelling perhaps because of the influence of English linger, which is not at all related. A common hypothesis is that malingre is formed from Old French mal, 鈥渂adly,鈥� and heingre, 鈥渉aggard, scrawny.鈥� Alternatively, the mal- element may come from the related term malade, 鈥渟ick,鈥� the source of malady. Heingre is also of unclear origin, but a clue may lie in German hager, 鈥済aunt,鈥� which is鈥攜et again鈥攐f unknown origin. Nevertheless, hager is perhaps connected to English haggard. Malinger was first recorded in English in the 1810s.
EXAMPLE OF MALINGER USED IN A SENTENCE
When the sun is shining and the birds are singing, it may be tempting to malinger.
More about jeu d'esprit
Jeu d鈥檈sprit, 鈥渁 witticism,鈥� is a borrowing from French, in which it literally means 鈥済ame of spirit.鈥� Jeu, 鈥済ame,鈥� comes from Latin jocus, 鈥渏oke,鈥� which is the source of jeopardy, jewel, and jocular. Meanwhile, esprit comes from Latin 蝉辫墨谤颈迟耻蝉, 鈥渟pirit, breath,鈥� from 蝉辫墨谤腻谤别, 鈥渢o breathe鈥�; compare aspire, expire, perspire, and respire. The plural of jeu d鈥檈sprit is jeux d鈥檈sprit, in both English and French, with only the 鈥済ame鈥� element becoming plural. Though most French nouns add -s when made plural, most nouns ending in -eu add -x.听Jeu d鈥檈sprit was first recorded in English in the 1710s.
EXAMPLE OF JEU D鈥橢SPRIT USED IN A SENTENCE
The unexpected jeu d鈥檈sprit that closed the speech had the entire room roaring with laughter.