Words similar to etymology
Example sentences for: etymology
How can you use “etymology” in a sentence? Here are some example sentences to help you improve your vocabulary:
, and fails to explain what is metaphorical about She is ailing . Third--though here we might not be dealing with Ayto's decision as much as the publisher's--it is simply not convenient to have a dictionary of etymology that excludes all bound prefixes and suffixes, though these are glossed, as required, when they are part of an entry.
Thus, kick the bucket is listed in the category E29e Pork (because of its presumed etymology, Slaughtered pigs are hung by the heels from the bucket or beam) while go west appears under G12e Sunset, bite the dust (questionably defined as brought low) appears at C10f Winning and losing the battle, buy the farm (which I cannot find in the OED ) is listed under E7a Land (where it is labeled as an Americanism, confuting my understanding that it originated with the R.A.F., early in WWII), and cash in your chips/ checks goes under K77c Roulette (which might be all right for a British English classification, but I think that Americans would expect to find it at K81 Poker ).
This part serves both as a self-contained course in English etymology and as an explanation of the more technical Latin and Greek data presented in A CROSS REFERENCE DICTIONARY and in the Technical Information and Detailed Example sections of the COMMON ROOTS.
boffo The only speculation about its etymology cited is Merriam-Webster's 12,000 Words: “from boffola, a `belly-laugh,' which in turn comes from boff, a `belly-laugh,' `gag,' `hit,' perhaps based on `box office.
The second dictionary, by MacLennan, is two-way and ventures a modest etymology which is helpful.
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