In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Word of the day: Preen
Expand your vocabulary with The South African’s word of the day. Each day The South African offers you an opportunity to learn new words.
In an age where AI and Donald Trump have left many doubting the truth, US dictionary Merriam-Webster has revealed 2023’s most looked-up word. Photo: Pexels
Learn some of the most interesting English words from The South African’s WORD OF THE DAY!
If you are a wordsmith or want to learn a new word to impress that special someone, this content is for you!
Today’s word of the day is:
Preen
To preen is to make one’s appearance neat and tidy or to behave or speak with pride or self-satisfaction.
Pronunciation: [PREEN]
Preen hatched in 14th-century Middle English, and early on it displayed various spelling forms, including prenen, prayne, prene, and preyne. The word traces to the Anglo-French puroindre, or proindre, linking pur-, meaning “thoroughly,” with uindre, oindre, meaning “to anoint or rub.” One of the first writers known to apply preen to the human act of primping was Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales: “He preens himself and prunes and combs his curls / To take the fancy of this queen of girls.” Centuries later (sometime during the late 19th century), the prideful meaning of preen took flight, joining bird-related verbs plume, which was being used with the meaning “to pride or congratulate (oneself),” and peacock, a word still used today to mean “to show off.”
Example: She stood preening herself in front of the mirror.
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