private
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpɹaɪ.vɪt/
ipa: /ˈpɹaɪ.vət/
ipa: [ˈpʰɹaɪ̯vɪt]
ipa: [ˈpʰɹaɪ̯vɪt]
ipa: [ˈpɹəjvət]
ipa: [ˈpʰɹɑɪ̯vɪt]
ipa: [ˈpʰɹɑjvət]
ipa: [ˈpʰɹaɪ̯vət̞]
note: Dublin
ipa: [ˈpʰɹəɪ̯və(ʔ)]
note: Dublin
ipa: [ˈpʰɾəɪ̯və(ʔ)]
note: Dublin
ipa: [ˈpʰɹo̞ɪ̯və(ʔ)]
note: Dublin
ipa: [ˈpʰɾo̞ɪ̯və(ʔ)]
note: Indic
ipa: /praj.veʈ/
rhymes: -aɪvɪt
rhymes: -aɪvət
Forms: form: privates
Etymology: From Middle English privat(e) (“individual, exclusive, private”), from Latin prīvātus (“bereaved, deprived, set apart from, release”), perfect passive participle of prīvō (“to bereave, deprive, release”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) for more), from prīvus (“private, one's own, proper”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per; compare prime, prior, pristine. Doublet of privy.
Senses: glosses: A soldier of the lowest rank in the army.
examples: text: In the cities and towns of California, privates are pressuring county governments to close or reduce in size their hospitals and to pay private hospitals for the care of low-income patients. Thus everything is stacked against public hospitals.
ref: 1973, Health/PAC Bulletin, numbers 48-67, page 2:
text: Because you are already moving people with the limitations of what we did in 1982 on the capping of Medicare, you are finding out that the privates are picking up that slack, […]
ref: 1993, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Immigration and Refugee Affairs, The implementation of employer sanctions: Hearings:
glosses: A doctor working in privately rather than publicly funded health care.
glosses: The genitals.
examples: text: The Count Meloone, a Noble Lord of France,
Whose priuate with me of the Dolphines loue,
s much more generall, then these lines import.
ref: c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
glosses: A secret message; a personal unofficial communication.
examples: text: Nor must I be unmindful of my private.
ref: 1611, Ben[jamin] Jonson, Catiline His Conspiracy, London: […] [William Stansby?] for Walter Burre, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
glosses: Personal interest; particular business.
examples: text: Go off, I diſcard you: let me enioy my priuate: go off.
ref: c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv], page 268, column 1:
glosses: Privacy; retirement.
examples: text: And what haue Kings, that Priuates haue not too,[…]
ref: 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 85, column 1:
glosses: One not invested with a public office.
examples: text: If you want to learn ballet, consider taking privates.
glosses: A private lesson.
Synonyms: sense: genitals
word: bits
sense: genitals
word: private parts