cstr/en-wiktionary-extracted-all huggingface dataset:
all fur coat and no knickers
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Senses: examples: text: A nurse spoke for a number of her colleagues when she said that she felt that these developments were a waste of time and 'all fur coat and no knickers' (personal interview, 1994).
ref: 1999, David Brock, Michael J. Powell, Christopher Robin Hinings, Restructuring the professional organization: Accounting, Health Care and Law:
text: From this viewpoint some forms of Post-Modernism mean new façades for old concepts, dressing the skyscraper, or the vast supermarket in the garb of the tart - 'all fur coat and no knickers'.
ref: 2003, Cliff Moughtin, Urban Design: Street and Square:
text: "What about the wife?"
"Bridget. She was all fur coat and no knickers. A real social climber."
"But you liked her?"
"Yes."
ref: 2005, Michael Robotham, Suspect:
glosses: Having a superficially positive appearance that is belied by the reality, e.g., superficially elegant and beautiful but actually common.
Synonyms: all fur and no knickers
Related terms: all hat and no cattle
all hat and no cowboy
beauty is only skin deep
mutton dressed as lamb
mod con
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: mod cons
Etymology: Abbreviation of modern convenience.
Senses: glosses: A modern convenience.
præmunire
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: præmunires
Senses: glosses: Alternative form of praemunire.
præmunire
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: præmunires
form: præmuniring
form: præmunired
form: præmunired
Senses: examples: text: And the ſame year was impriſoned at Warwick, and præmunired for refuſing to take the oath of allegiance: where he was a priſoner in all about nineteen years (as aforeſaid) and four of them kept cloſe priſoners; but being freed by the king's declaration of indulgence, in 1672, while he had a little reſpite he travelled pretty much […]
ref: 1791, John Whiting, Persecution Exposed, in Some Memoirs Relating to the Sufferings of John Whiting, and many others of the People Called Quakers, for Conscience Sake, in the West of England, &c. With Memoirs of Many Eminent Friends Deceased, and Other Memorable Matters and Occurrences, Concerning the Sufferings of the said People; and Remarkable Providences Attending Him and Them, during his Long Imprisonment at Ivelchester, till the General Release, in 1686; and Continued Down to the Year 1696, 2nd edition, London: Printed by James Phillips, George-Yard, Lombard-Street, →OCLC, pages 385–386:
text: He [George Fox] then told them, there was no sentence passed upon him, neither was he præmunired, that he knew of; and therefore he was not made the king's prisoner, but was the sheriff's […]
ref: 1834, William Sewel, The History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress of the Christian People Called Quakers. Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurrences. Written Originally in Low Dutch, and also Translated by Himself into English, 6th edition, volume II, London: Darton and Harvey, →OCLC, pages 136–137:
text: C[h]ristopher Soper beinge one off yᵉ persons aforesᵈ yᵗ was sent to gaole by Justice Sawle & others as aforesᵈ & for refuseinge to swear præmunired […]
ref: 1928, Thomas Lower, edited by Norman Penney, Record of the Sufferings of Quakers in Cornwall 1655–1686 [Journal of the Friends Historical Society; Supplement 14], London; Philadelphia, Penn.: Friends Book Centre; Anna W. Hutchinson, →OCLC, page 133:
glosses: Alternative form of praemunire.
amber nectar
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: amber nectars
Senses: examples: text: Fortunately, once in the beergarden with the good Doctor and a cold and frothy schooner of the amber nectar, everything fell into place.
ref: 2004, Ken Ewell, Voyages of Discovery: A Manly Adventure in the Lands Down Under, page 22:
text: The Czech lands have been famous for centuries for producing some of the finest amber nectar in the world.
ref: 2010, Neil Wilson, Mark Baker, Prague, Lonely Planet, page 180:
text: After my spot has finished, I weave my way to the bar for a nice cool bottle of Stella, and as I'm swigging down the amber nectar, who should walk into the room but my newfound nemesis: Dave Doyle.
ref: 2010, Russ Harris, Stand Up Strummer: A Tale of Sex, Love and Side-effects, page 216:
text: This was one of our personal little wins over the army, and as soldiers do, we love to down a few amber nectars from time to time.
ref: 2010, Rob Maylor, SAS Sniper: The Rob Maylor Story, unnumbered page:
glosses: Beer.
Synonyms: amber fluid
general public
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Senses: glosses: Those members of the public who have no special role in a particular area, such as an airport, hospital or railway station; there will typically be restrictions on their access.
examples: text: After days of intensifying pressure from runners, politicians and the general public to call off the New York City Marathon in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, city officials and the event’s organizers decided Friday afternoon to cancel the race.
ref: 2012 November 2, Ken Belson, New York Times, retrieved 02 Nov 2012:
glosses: Members of the public not in the attentive public of any given issue; laypeople.
lager
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlɑːɡə/
ipa: /ˈlɑɡɚ/
rhymes: -ɑːɡə(ɹ)
homophone: laager
homophone: logger (father-bother merger)
Forms: form: lagers
Etymology: From German Lagerbier (“beer made for storing”), from Lager (“store”). Cognate with native English lair.
Senses: glosses: A type of beer, brewed using a bottom-fermenting yeast.
Coordinate terms: ale
bitter
lambic
pilsner
porter
stout
weissbier
Derived terms: cooking lager
lager-beer
lager-conditioned
lagering
lagerita
lagerlike
lager lout
lagerphone
lager top
lagery
superlagerlagered up
lager
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlɑːɡə/
ipa: /ˈlɑɡɚ/
rhymes: -ɑːɡə(ɹ)
homophone: laager
homophone: logger (father-bother merger)
Forms: form: lagers
form: lagering
form: lagered
form: lagered
Etymology: From German Lagerbier (“beer made for storing”), from Lager (“store”). Cognate with native English lair.
Senses: glosses: To store (lager beer) at a low temperature for maturing and clarification.
Related terms: ale
lager
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlɑːɡə/
ipa: /ˈlɑɡɚ/
rhymes: -ɑːɡə(ɹ)
homophone: laager
homophone: logger (father-bother merger)
Forms: form: lagers
Senses: glosses: Alternative spelling of laager.
lager
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈlɑːɡə/
ipa: /ˈlɑɡɚ/
rhymes: -ɑːɡə(ɹ)
homophone: laager
homophone: logger (father-bother merger)
Forms: form: lagers
form: lagering
form: lagered
form: lagered
Senses: glosses: Alternative spelling of laager.
agrammatist
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: agrammatists
Etymology: Built from agrammatism.
Senses: glosses: One suffering from agrammatism.
Related terms: acalculiac
agrammatism
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: agrammatisms
Etymology: From Ancient Greek ἀγράμματος (agrámmatos, “illiterate”) + -ism (English suffix).
Senses: glosses: The inability to form sentences by virtue of a brain disorder.
glosses: An ungrammatical utterance.
Related terms: agrammatist
grammar
grammatical
acalculia
agitatrix
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /æd͡ʒɪˈteɪtɹɪks/
Forms: form: agitatrices
Etymology: Learned borrowing from Latin agitātrīx, feminine of agitātor. By surface analysis, agitate + -trix.
Senses: glosses: A woman who agitates; a female agitator.
Related terms: agitation
agitator
agelast
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: /ˈæd͡ʒəˌlæst/
/ˈeɪd͡ʒəˌlæst/
Forms: form: agelasts
Etymology: Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἀγέλαστος (agélastos, “not laughing”), from γελάω (geláō, “to laugh”). Attributed to a French coinage by François Rabelais (ca.1483–1494—1553).
Senses: examples: text: As a real agelast in a comedy, he is beaten. The beating of an agelast is the most important point of the comedy.
ref: 2005, Arkady Kovelman, Between Alexandria and Jerusalem: The Dynamic of Jewish and Hellenistic Culture, Koninklijke Brill, page 50:
text: Declaring with Doumergue that "Rabelais and Calvin (and Olivétan) were the creators of French literary prose,"²⁵ Bakhtin adds "Even the agelast Calvin wrote a pamphlet about relics with a certain comic overtone."²⁶ The single, and unusual word "agelast" summarizes the popular view of John Calvin: a person who does not laugh or smile; someone who cannot enjoy life or the fact that others might be happy.
ref: 2008, Charles Partee, The Theology of John Calvin, Westminster John Knox Press, page 10:
text: For Kundera, agelasts represent the opposite of the spirit of the novel; the novel is born from the sense of humor and not from theoretical thinking.
ref: 2016, Mika Hallila, “Chapter 7: How the Novel Laughs”, in Rafał Borysławski, Justyna Jajszczok, Jakub Wolff, Alicja Bemben, editors, Histories of Laughter and Laughter in History, Cambridge Scholars Publishing:
text: Agelasts have a very clear idea that they have patent regarding both the truth and the mission and are so bloody solemn that they just cannot accept other views.
ref: 2023, Benjamin Katz, Transcending Creators’ Trilogy in the Era of Growing Global Idiocrasy, Xlibris, unnumbered page:
antonyms: gelast
laugher
cachinnator
hypergelast
glosses: One who never laughs (especially at jokes); a mirthless person.
wikipedia: François Rabelais
Related terms: agelastic
gelastic
hypergelast
katagelasticism
ageustia
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: /əˈɡjuːstɪə/
/æˈɡjuːstɪə/
Forms: form: ageustias
Senses: glosses: Alternative spelling of ageusia.
aerocolpos
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: /ɛːɹəʊˈkɒlpɒs/
Etymology: aero- + Ancient Greek κόλπος (kólpos, “bosom, fold, womb”).
Senses: topics: medicine
sciences
glosses: Vaginal gas; air or gas trapped in the vagina.
Related terms: eproctolagniac
take it out on
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: takes it out on
form: taking it out on
form: took it out on
form: taken it out on
Senses: examples: text: Don't take it out on your husband if you had trouble with your boss at work.
synonyms: look for a dog to kick
glosses: To unleash one's anger on (a person or thing other than the one that caused it).
Related terms: cut off one's nose to spite one's face
allochezia
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Etymology: From allo- + -chezia.
Senses: glosses: defecation from somewhere other than the anus
glosses: expulsion through the anus something other than feces
Related terms: copremesis
lientery
rosy
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹəʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹoʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹəʉzi/
rhymes: -əʊzi
Forms: form: rosier
form: rosiest
Etymology: From Middle English rosy; equivalent to rose + -y.
Senses: synonyms: pink#Adjective
rubicund
glosses: Rose-coloured.
examples: text: If I close my eyes I can see Marie today as I saw her then. Round, rosy face, snub nose, dark hair piled up in a chignon.
ref: 1977, Agatha Christie, chapter 2, in An Autobiography, part II, London: Collins, →ISBN:
glosses: Of any reddish hue from bright pink to the color of ruddy cheeks in a light-skinned person.
glosses: Otherwise resembling a rose, as for example in scent of perfume.
glosses: Optimistic.
Derived terms: everything in the garden is rosy
everything is rosy in the garden
paint a rosy picture
rosy barb
rosy boa
rosy-cheeked
rosy drop
rosy-eyed
rosy feather star
rosy finch
rosy garlic
rosy-lipped batfish
rosy marsh moth
rosy minivet
rosy pastor
rosy periwinkle
rosy-red
rosy-red minnow
rosy rustic
rosy starling
rosy tern
rosy thrush-tanager
rosy wave
rosy
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹəʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹoʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹəʉzi/
rhymes: -əʊzi
Forms: form: rosies
form: rosying
form: rosied
form: rosied
Etymology: From Middle English rosy; equivalent to rose + -y.
Senses: examples: text: Two flags of color rosied the jut of his cheekbones, giving him an unexpectedly boyish look.
ref: 2014, Lynn Viehl, Disenchanted & Co.:
glosses: To make pinkish in colour.
examples: text: In suburban Kent, the owners of the Chislehurst Caves recognised their potential as communal shelters. Nottingham people used the caves under the castle. Retrospect has rosied the accounts of shelter life.
ref: 2003, Mary Abbott, Family Affairs:
glosses: To present in a deceptively optimistic or positive light.
rosy
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹəʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹoʊzi/
ipa: /ˈɹəʉzi/
rhymes: -əʊzi
Etymology: A variant of Rosie, an ellipsis of Rosie Lee.
Senses: examples: text: I fancy a cup of rosy.
glosses: Alternative spelling of Rosie (“tea”).
passion fruit
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈpæʃən fɹu(ː)t/
Forms: form: passion fruit
form: passion fruits
form: passionfruit
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *peh₁-der.?
Proto-Indo-European *pet-der.?
Latin patior
Proto-Indo-European *-tisder.
Proto-Italic *-tjō
Latin -tiō
Latin passiōbor.
Old English passion
Latin passiōbor.
Old French passionbor.
Middle English passioun
English passion
Latin frūctus
Old French fruitbor.
Middle English fruyt
English fruit
English passion fruit
From passion + fruit.
Senses: glosses: A plant, passiflora, that produces an edible fruit.
examples: text: He brought four passion fruits from the market.
text: Passion fruits are added for visual interest.
glosses: The edible fruit of the passionflower, Passiflora edulis; a round fruit with a purple or yellow skin which is native to Brazil.
examples: text: A slice of passion fruit was added to the dessert for visual interest.
glosses: The flesh of the edible fruit.
examples: text: “Ah my little passion fruit,” José cooed, “I knew it. You are feeling the love too!”
ref: 2009, Marnelle Tokio, Room 207:
glosses: A person whom one cherishes very much, especially a woman.
Derived terms: banana passionfruit
Passion fruit yellow mosaic virus
passiontini
wild passionfruit
Related terms: maracuja
churchward
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: churchwards
Etymology: A contraction of churchwarden, in turn from Old English cyrce + weard a "churchwarden" or "sacristan".
Senses: topics: Christianity
glosses: Obsolete spelling of churchwarden.
churchward
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Forms: form: churchwards
Etymology: From Middle English cherche ward, chercheward, chircheward, churchewarde, chyrche-ward, chyrcheward, kirkeward, kurk-ward, kurkward, kyrkward; equivalent to church + -ward.
Senses: glosses: Towards a church.
Related terms: Churchward
Churchwood
Churchyard
churchyard
cry wolf
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: cries wolf
form: crying wolf
form: cried wolf
form: cried wolf
form: cry “wolf”
Etymology: From the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf, where a little boy amuses himself by repeatedly crying "wolf" to see the panic he causes in the community, but is consequently ignored when he tries to alert them to a real wolf.
Senses: examples: text: The politicians would cry wolf at the slightest provocation so when the real threat appeared no one believed them.
text: The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf!" so often, cried "wolf!" now in vain.
ref: 1907, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, chapter II, in The War in the Air: […], London: George Bell and Sons, published 1908, →OCLC:
text: […]and the critical sense of the professors counts for little, for they cry wolf too often[…]
ref: [1921 [1919], H. L. Mencken, chapter 5, in The American Language, 2nd edition, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 36:
text: […]those who created the worst economic mess in postwar history should be the last people crying wolf 1,000 days into this administration[…]
ref: 1983, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Radio Address - 15 October, 1983:
text: These intensifying disasters now striking richer countries, she said, show that developing countries seeking the world’s help to fight climate change “have not been crying wolf.”
ref: 2021 July 17, Somini Sengupta, quoting Ulka Kelkar, “‘No One Is Safe’: Extreme Weather Batters the Wealthy World”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 30 Jul 2021:
glosses: To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.
wikipedia: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Related terms: Chicken Little
AFB
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: AFBs
Senses: examples: text: Almost two and a half years of repairs paid off in January, when the Frankenjet flew for the first time, from Hill AFB to Lockheed Martin’s F-35 facility in Fort Worth, Texas.
ref: 2025 April 10, Brad Lendon, “‘Frankenjet’ stealth fighter made from two wrecked warplanes joins US Air Force fleet”, in CNN:
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
war
glosses: Initialism of air force base.
glosses: Initialism of acid-fast bacillus.
topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: Initialism of American foulbrood.
Related terms: topics: aviation
aeronautics
aerospace
engineering
business
physical-sciences
natural-sciences
military
war
government
politics
word: AFS
ANC
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: ANCs
Senses: examples: text: On November 28 Jane's bloodwork chart provided the exaltation we looked for. The column for ANCs, resolutely 0 day after day, showed the figure 1. The single ANC was evidence that the new marrow was engrafting, beginning to produce a new immune system, the most significant marker in the journey of the hundred days.
ref: 2005, Donald Hall, The Best Day the Worst Day: Life with Jane Kenyon, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 121:
topics: immunology
medicine
sciences
glosses: Initialism of absolute neutrophil count, a blood test measuring the number of neutrophil granulocytes.
topics: government
healthcare
glosses: Initialism of antenatal care.
topics: audio
electrical-engineering
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: Initialism of active noise control.
qualifier: marriage
glosses: Initialism of antenuptial contract.
ANC
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Senses: examples: text: Once all the votes are counted, if the ANC remains below 50% it will be forced to enter a coalition with one or more parties. Depending on how low its support dips, it may need to form a deal with one of the larger opposition parties such as the DA or EFF to remain in power.
ref: 2024 May 30, Sarah Dean and David McKenzie, “First results in South Africa’s election suggest it is heading for biggest political shift since apartheid”, in CNN:
glosses: Initialism of African National Congress.
B & B
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: B & Bs
form: B&B
form: BnB
form: B and B
Senses: glosses: Initialism of bed and breakfast.
BT
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: BTs
Senses: glosses: Initialism of blood test.
topics: law
glosses: Initialism of bench trial.
glosses: Initialism of baal teshuva.
glosses: Initialism of Bacillus thuringiensis toxin.
glosses: Initialism of botulinum toxin.
glosses: Initialism of bluetongue (“disease of ruminants”).
Derived terms: sense: botulinum toxin
english: botulinum neurotoxin type A
translation: botulinum neurotoxin type A
word: BT-A
BT
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Senses: glosses: Initialism of British Telecom.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
networking
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: Initialism of BitTorrent.
topics: business
electrical-engineering
electricity
electromagnetism
electronics
energy
engineering
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
glosses: Abbreviation of Bluetooth.
glosses: Abbreviation of Banten: a province of Indonesia.
homeward
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈhoʊmwɚd/
ipa: /ˈhəʊmwəd/
Forms: form: homewards
Etymology: From Middle English homward, from Old English hāmweard, from Proto-Germanic *haimawarda, equivalent to home + -ward. Cognate with Dutch heimwaarts, German heimwärts (“homeward”).
Senses: examples: text: I am homeward bound.
text: There Enoch spoke no word to anyone, / But homeward—home—what home? had he a home? / His home, he walk'd.
ref: 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Enoch Arden”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 36–37:
glosses: Towards home.
Derived terms: homeward bound
homeward
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈhoʊmwɚd/
ipa: /ˈhəʊmwəd/
Forms: form: homewards
Etymology: From Middle English homward, from the adverb (see above).
Senses: examples: text: I caught a homeward bus.
glosses: oriented towards home
NAS
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: NASes
Senses: glosses: Initialism of naval air station.
glosses: Initialism of network-attached storage.
glosses: Initialism of neonatal abstinence syndrome.
NAS
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Senses: glosses: Initialism of National Academy of Sciences (US).
glosses: Initialism of National Association of Scholars (US).
glosses: Initialism of National Autistic Society (UK).
topics: Christianity
glosses: Initialism of New American Standard (Bible).
Misha
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Pronunciation: /ˈmɪʃ.ɑː/
Forms: form: Mishas
Etymology: A transliteration of the Russian Ми́ша (Míša), a hypocoristic for Михаи́л (Mixaíl), the Russian equivalent of Michael, from Hebrew מיכאל.
Also a female name, presumably analogous to Michelle.
Senses: glosses: A male given name from Russian, Ukrainian.
glosses: A female given name from Russian.
Derived terms: Mishapocalypse
Related terms: Mishka
Mishunja
Mick
Mikhail
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Etymology: From Russian Михаи́л (Mixaíl, “Michael”), from Hebrew מיכאל. Doublet of Michael.
Senses: glosses: A transliteration of the Russian male given name Михаи́л (Mixaíl).
Related terms: Misha
Mishka
Mishunja
Michael
legitimate
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
Forms: form: legitimates
Etymology: From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten".
The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).
Senses: examples: text: But should a “holy alliance of legitimates” extinguish it, it will be but for a season.
ref: 1831, Alexander Scott Withers, Chronicles of Border Warfare:
text: This extraordinarily mixed family of legitimates and illegitimates seems to have maintained a certain kind of harmony.
ref: 1898, Sydney George Fisher, The True Benjamin Franklin:
text: His overweening pride received another shock through his new friends the legitimates.
ref: 1830, William Hone, Pamphlets and Parodies on Political Subjects:
glosses: A person born to a legally married couple.
legitimate
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.mət/
ipa: /lɪˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
ipa: /ləˈd͡ʒɪt.ɪ.meɪt/
Forms: form: legitimates
form: legitimating
form: legitimated
form: legitimated
Etymology: From Middle English legitimat, legytymat, from Medieval Latin lēgitimātus, perfect passive participle of Latin lēgitimō (“to make legal”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from Latin lēgitimus (“lawful”), originally "fixed by law, in line with the law," from Latin lēx (“law”). Originally "lawfully begotten".
The noun was derived from the adjective within English or earlier by substantivization (see -ate (noun-forming suffix)), the verb from the adjective by conversion (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)).
Senses: glosses: To make legitimate, lawful, or valid; especially, to put in the position or state of a legitimate person before the law, by legal means.
Synonyms: legitimize
Derived terms: delegitimate
relegitimate
farinaceous
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌfæɹəˈneɪʃəs/
rhymes: -eɪʃəs
Forms: form: more farinaceous
form: most farinaceous
form: farinacious
Etymology: From Latin farinaceus (“relating to, or made from, flour”), derived from Latin farīna (“flour, meal”).
Senses: examples: text: Mr. Pumblechook's premises in the High-street of the market town, were of a peppercorny and farinaceous character, as the premises of a corn-chandler and seedsman should be.
ref: 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations:
text: The very fact that the secretion of saliva in the young child does not become established until the third month after birth, seems to indicate that before that age farinaceous articles of diet are unsuited to the infant, as saliva is one of the most potent agents in the digestion of starchy foods.
ref: 1870, Eustace Smith, On the Wasting Diseases of infants and children, Henry C. Lea, page 28:
text: As Mr. Giffen has pointed out, a rise in the price of bread makes so large a drain on the resources of the poorer labouring families and raises so much the marginal utility of money to them, that they are forced to curtail their consumption of meat and the more expensive farinaceous foods: and, bread being still the cheapest food which they can get and will take, they consume more, and not less of it […]
ref: 1895, Alfred Marshall, Principles of Economics, page 208:
glosses: Made from, or rich in, starch or flour.
examples: text: In the Great Pavilion, the nurserymen and women have been employing their dark arts, too; coaxing agapanthus into bloom two months early, cosseting iris with wads of strategically placed cotton wool or touching up the farinaceous, fan-shaped fronds of a Bismarck palm with face powder.
ref: 2007 May 22, Victoria Summerley, “It does us good to get our hands dirty”, in The Independent Online
glosses: Having a floury texture; grainy.
Derived terms: farinaceously
Related terms: farina
sluggard
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: sluggards
Etymology: From Middle English slogarde, probably ultimately of Old Norse origin. Equivalent to slug + -ard (“pejorative agent suffix”).
Senses: glosses: A person who is lazy, stupid, or idle by habit.
glosses: A person slow to begin necessary work, a slothful person.
glosses: A fearful or cowardly person, a poltroon.
Related terms: lug
slug
sluggish
cursive
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɝsɪv/
ipa: /ˈkɜːsɪv/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)sɪv
Forms: form: more cursive
form: most cursive
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French cursif, from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus.
Senses: glosses: Running; flowing.
examples: text: Then Mambro handed me his manuscript, a sheaf of loose pages really, his cursive handwriting scrawled over them, the exaggerated tails of the f’s and the j’s, the distinct loop of the q.
ref: 2025, Santanu Bhattacharya, Deviants, Fig Tree, page 269:
glosses: Having successive letters joined together.
raw_tags: of writing
topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: Of or relating to a grammatical aspect relating to an action that occurs in a straight line (in space or time).
Derived terms: cursive singing
cursivity
cursivization
noncursive
precursive
semicursive
cursive
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɝsɪv/
ipa: /ˈkɜːsɪv/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)sɪv
Forms: form: cursives
Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French cursif, from Medieval Latin cursīvus, from Latin cursus.
Senses: glosses: A cursive character, letter or font.
glosses: A manuscript written in cursive characters.
antonyms: printing
hypernyms: handwriting
glosses: Joined-up handwriting.
Derived terms: cursively
cursiveness
minuscule cursive
Roman cursive
Related terms: course
discursive
incursive
handwriting
italic
longhand
shorthand
sonorous
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsɒn.əɹ.əs/
ipa: /səˈnɔː.rəs/
ipa: /ˈsɑːn.ɚ.əs/
ipa: /ˈsoʊ.nə.ɹəs/
ipa: /səˈnɔrəs/
Forms: form: more sonorous
form: most sonorous
form: sonourous
Etymology: Borrowed from Latin sonōrus, from sonor (“sound”), early 17th century.
Senses: examples: text: The highlight of the hike was the sonorous cave, which produced a ringing echo from the hiker’s shouts.
text: The Oath is redacted ; pronounced aloud by President Bailly, — and indeed in such a sonorous tone, that the cloud of witnesses, even outdoors, hear it, and bellow response to it.
ref: 1837, Thomas Carlyle, “Mercury de Breze”, in Henry Duff Traill, editor, The French Revolution, a History, the Bastille, volume 2, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, The Third Estate, page 162:
glosses: Capable of giving out a deep, resonant sound.
examples: text: He was selected to give the opening speech thanks to his imposing, sonorous voice.
text: For this reason the Italian opera seldom sinks into a poorness of language, but, amidst all the meanness and familiarity of the thoughts, has something beautiful and sonorous in the expression.
ref: 1761, Joseph Addison, The Works of the Late Right Honorable Joseph Addison, Esq., Birmingham: John Baskerville for J. and R. Tonson, →OCLC, pages 32–33:
text: There is nothing of the artificial Johnsonian balance in his style. It is as often marked by a pregnant brevity as by a sonorous amplitude.
ref: 1859 July 25, Edward Everett, “Rufus Choate. Tributes to the Memory of the Hon. Rufus Choate”, in The New York Times, page 2:
text: When the right-away was given, Driver Gibson would give a sonorous blast on Cardean's deep-toned hooter, and amid a flurry of swirling steam the train would move majestically out, with nearly half the city of Carlisle—or so it would appear—as onlookers on the platform.
ref: 1945 May and June, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 152:
glosses: Full of sound and rich, as in language or verse.
glosses: Wordy or grandiloquent.
examples: text: Vowels are more sonorous (acoustically powerful) than consonants, and so we perceive them as louder and lasting longer.
ref: 2001, Michael Dobrovolsky, “Phonetics: The Sounds of Language”, in William O'Grady, John Archibald, Mark Aronoff, Janie Rees-Miller, editors, Contemporary Linguistics, →ISBN, page 21:
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
phonetics
phonology
sciences
glosses: Produced with a relatively open vocal tract and relatively little obstruction of airflow.
Synonyms: word: sonoral
sense: giving out a deep, resonant sound
word: booming
word: canorous
sense: wordy, grandiloquent
word: prolix
word: sesquipedalian
word: verbose
word: boom-boom
word: orotund
word: remugient
word: resonant
word: resounding
word: reverberant
word: rotund
word: sonorous
word: tympanic
word: vibrant
Hypernyms: word: deep
word: euphonious
word: low
word: low-pitched
Hyponyms: word: stentorian
Related terms: word: sonorant
word: sonority
word: sonorously
word: sonorousness
word: sepulchral
inamorata
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: rhymes: -ɑːtə
ipa: /ɪnˌæmɒˈɹɑːtə/
ipa: [ɪnˌæmɒˈɹɑːtə]
ipa: [ɪnˌæməˈɹɑːɾə]
Forms: form: inamoratas
form: inamoretta
form: enamorata
form: innamorata
Etymology: Borrowed from Italian innamorata, the feminine form of innamorato (“lover, boyfriend”), from innamorare (“to make somebody fall in love”), from in- (“in”) + amore (“love”).
Senses: examples: text: Presently Monsieur Margot made his appearance. Though very much surprised at seeing me, he did not appear the least jealous of my attentions to his inamorata.
ref: 1828, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter XVI, in Pelham; or, The Adventures of a Gentleman. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 111:
glosses: A female lover or woman with whom one is in love; a mistress.
Related terms: amore
amorist
amorous
inamorato
sunder
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsʌndɚ/
rhymes: -ʌndə(ɹ)
Forms: form: more sunder
form: most sunder
Etymology: From Middle English sunder, from Old English sundor- (“separate, different”), from Proto-Germanic *sundraz (“isolated, particular, alone”), from Proto-Indo-European *snter-, *seni-, *senu-, *san- (“apart, without, for oneself”). Cognate with Old Saxon sundar (“particular, special”), Dutch zonder (“without”), German sonder- (“special”), German sondern (“to separate, set apart”), Old Norse sundr (“separate”), Danish sønder (“apart, asunder”), Latin sine (“without”).
Senses: glosses: Sundry; separate; different.
Derived terms: sunderling
sunderly
sunder
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsʌndɚ/
rhymes: -ʌndə(ɹ)
Forms: form: sunders
form: sundering
form: sundered
form: sundered
Etymology: From Middle English sundren (“to separate, part, divide”), from Old English sundrian (“to separate, split, part, divide”), from Proto-Germanic *sundrōną (“to separate”), from Proto-Indo-European *sen(e)- (“separate, without”). Cognate with Scots sinder, sunder (“to separate, divide, split up”), Dutch zonderen (“to isolate”), German sondern (“to separate”), Swedish söndra (“to divide”). More at sundry.
Senses: examples: text: Notwithstanding its terrifically wide sweep, (some thirty feet or more,) and the hissing vigor of its descent, sufficient to sunder these very walls of iron, still the fraying of my robe would be all that, for several minutes, it would accomplish.
ref: 1842, Edgar Allan Poe, The Pit and the Pendulum:
text: In Taran's hand the sundered bone had turned into gray dust, which he cast aside.
ref: 1967, Lloyd Alexander, Taran Wanderer:
glosses: To break or separate or to break apart, especially with force.
examples: text: Two souls, the shores wave-mocked of sundering seas: —
Such are we now.
ref: 1881 Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Severed Selves, lines 8-9
text: … Carlo finally saw Everything, before it sunders into things; he saw Knowledge before it sunders into knowing; he saw Integrity before it sunders in integrals; he saw Unity before it sunders into units.
ref: 2003, Dean Barton, Searching for the Evergreen Man, Llumina Press, →ISBN, page 69:
glosses: To part, separate.
examples: text: Where a fair opportunity offers, and the grass is perfectly dry, the hipples are sundered; that is, broken out into beds in the usual manner, turned, and again got up into cocklets, of such size as the state of dryness requires.
ref: 1788, William Marshall, The Rural Economy of Yorkshire:
text: Except under abnormal conditions, protection can be afforded to a field by cutting a strip half a chain in width all round the field, with a reaper and binder for preference, when the crop is in the best condition for hay, and then ploughing or sunder-cutting the stubble.
ref: 1941, The Queensland Agricultural and Pastoral Handbook, page 82:
text: The trees and shrubs all around us began to show the signs of death; dried branches, leafless gray and molding wood. The ground here was as hard as stone, the dirt and dust dry as bone sundered in the desert scorch.
ref: 2010, Stony Stern, Run Past The Hunter, page 143:
text: The world, a good deal of it, sundered, scorched.
ref: 2013, Thomas Glave, Among the Bloodpeople: Politics and Flesh, page 165:
glosses: To expose to the sun and wind.
Derived terms: asunder
in sunder
sunderance
sunder out
tosunder
Related terms: sundry
sunder
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsʌndɚ/
rhymes: -ʌndə(ɹ)
Forms: form: sunders
Etymology: From Middle English sundren (“to separate, part, divide”), from Old English sundrian (“to separate, split, part, divide”), from Proto-Germanic *sundrōną (“to separate”), from Proto-Indo-European *sen(e)- (“separate, without”). Cognate with Scots sinder, sunder (“to separate, divide, split up”), Dutch zonderen (“to isolate”), German sondern (“to separate”), Swedish söndra (“to divide”). More at sundry.
Senses: examples: text: He would not stay for me to stand and gaze.
I shook his hand and tore my heart in sunder
And went with half my life about my ways.
ref: 1939, Alfred Edward Housman, Additional Poems, VII, lines 2-4:
glosses: a separation into parts; a division or severance
Derived terms: sundrous
Related terms: sunder tree
sporadic
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /spəˈɹæd.ɪk/
rhymes: -ædɪk
Forms: form: more sporadic
form: most sporadic
Etymology: From Medieval Latin sporadicus (whence also French sporadique, Italian sporadico, Spanish esporádico), from Ancient Greek σποραδικός (sporadikós), from σποράς (sporás, “scattered, dispersed”), from σπορά (sporá), σπόρος (spóros, “a sowing [of seed]”).
Senses: glosses: (of diseases) occurring in isolated instances; not epidemic.
examples: text: It was a stodgy, weary display from Mourinho’s team with only sporadic moments when they threatened Salvatore Sirigu’s goal and their manager seemed bewildered afterwards when he tried to explain what had gone wrong.
ref: 2015 March 12, Daniel Taylor, “Chelsea out of Champions League after Thiago Silva sends 10-man PSG through on away goals”, in The Guardian (London):
glosses: Rare and scattered in occurrence.
glosses: Exhibiting random behavior; patternless.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: Not belonging to any infinite family; an exception to an otherwise orderly classification.
Derived terms: sporadic E
sporadic group
Related terms: sporadical
sporadically
sporadicalness
pari passu
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌpaɹiˈpɑːsuː/
Etymology: From Late Latin pari passu, from Latin parī, ablative of pār (“equal”) + passū, ablative of passus (“step”).
Senses: examples: text: Will container development merely bring about a substitution for the body of the covered wagon? Probably not, in his view, but he believes that the size and tonnage of the container are likely to increase pari passu with the lifting capacity of handling appliances.
ref: 1963 April, “Beyond the Channel: France: Freight stock of the future”, in Modern Railways, page 269:
text: Pari passu with Marechal Bugeaud's ‘pacification’, French colonisers steadily took root in Algeria.
ref: 1977, Alistair Horne, A Savage War of Peace, New York: Review Books, published 2006, page 30:
text: A subsequent coolness, pari passu with the dotcom billionaire's revenue growth no doubt, is said to've developed.
ref: 2013, Thomas Pynchon, Bleeding Edge, Vintage, published 2014, page 54:
glosses: Simultaneously; likewise, equally.
topics: economics
law
sciences
glosses: At an equal rate.
pari passu
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌpaɹiˈpɑːsuː/
Etymology: From Late Latin pari passu, from Latin parī, ablative of pār (“equal”) + passū, ablative of passus (“step”).
Senses: topics: economics
sciences
glosses: at an equal rate
prevaricate
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɹɪˈvaɹɪkeɪt/
ipa: /pɹɪˈvæɹɪkeɪt/
ipa: /pɹɪˈvɛɹɪkeɪt/
Forms: form: prevaricates
form: prevaricating
form: prevaricated
form: prevaricated
form: prævaricate
Etymology: From the participle stem of Latin praevāricārī (“to walk crookedly; to play a false or double part”), from prae- + vāricāre (“to stand with feet apart, straddle”), from vāricus (“with feet spread apart”).
Senses: glosses: To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).
examples: text: The people saw the politician prevaricate every day.
synonyms: equivocate
waffle
evade
antonyms: direct
glosses: To speak or act in a manner that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive; equivocate.
topics: law
glosses: To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.
topics: law
glosses: To undertake something falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.
Synonyms: beat about the bush
beat around the bush
equivocate
fabricate
fib
lie
tergiversate
Derived terms: prevaricatest
prevarication
prevaricator
Related terms: lie
Alvin
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈælvɪn/
rhymes: -ælvɪn
Forms: form: Alvyn
form: Elvin
Etymology: From Old English Ælfwine, made up of ælf (“elf”) + wine (“friend”).
Senses: glosses: A male given name from Old English.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
A locality in Yuma County, Colorado.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Madison County, Georgia.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
A village in South Ross Township, Vermilion County, Illinois.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Mikado Township, Alcona County, Michigan.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
A city in Brazoria County, Texas, named after Santa Fe employee Alvin Morgan.
glosses: A number of places in the United States:
A town and unincorporated community therein, in Forest County, Wisconsin, named after Baptist minister Alvin Spencer.
glosses: A locality in the Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada.
Related terms: Alven
Albin
Alwin
Alwyn
Elwin
denouement
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: denouements
Senses: examples: text: The denouement is the moment when all of the knots of a story are untied, […] But the denouement should not be confused with the end of a story.
ref: 2005, Lemony Snicket, The Penultimate Peril:
text: Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort and its foes’ glee.
ref: 2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55:
text: In the sizzling two-hour denouement, for example, the music titan Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard) discovered that he didn’t have a terminal illness after all (Dun-dun-DUN).
ref: 2015 March 19, Alessandra Stanley, “'Empire' Finale Review: A Sizzling End to Season One”, in New York Times:
text: Some commentators have said one of the more recent fall-outs – over noise reduction specifications campaigned for by local residents – is a fitting denouement to what has been a humiliating drama.
ref: 2020, Kate Connolly, “'We were a laughing stock': Berlin airport finally finished as Covid bites”, in The Guardian:
text: Boris Johnson’s time as prime minister has at last reached its denouement.
ref: 2022 July 7, Martha Gill, “Boris Johnson Made a Terrible Mistake: He Apologized”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
glosses: Alternative spelling of dénouement.
pyrophoric
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Etymology: From Ancient Greek πυροφόρος (purophóros, “fire-bearing”) + -ic. Analyzable as pyro- + -phore + -ic.
Senses: glosses: Spontaneously igniting in air, especially when in a finely divided state.
glosses: Producing sparks, especially by friction.
qualifier: fire investigation
glosses: Able to oxidize with exposure to atmospheric oxygen at normal temperatures.
Derived terms: pyrophoric iron
Related terms: pyro-
spontaneous combustion
fire
pyrolysis
pyrophoric alloy
corpus fetishism
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Etymology: Probably coined by linguist Geoffrey Pullum. http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000122.htmlhttp://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000058.html
Senses: topics: human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: An insistence that the only valid source of illustrative examples of words or language constructs is from the corpus (existing body of literature) of the language
creo
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: creos
Etymology: Possibly a backformation of neo-creo.
Senses: examples: text: Nelson is just about the only creationist who makes some effort at presenting his ideas in legitimate scientific venues, but Pharyngula does a good job of showing why creo's don't do well in such situations.
ref: 2004 August 2, Jason, “Around the Blogs”, in Evolutionblog, archived from the original on 04 Mar 2012:
text: Anytime you want to debate an intelligent creo instead of the AiG YEC morons I will promptly oblige you.
ref: 2005 March 24, Ray Martinez, “Re: Natural Selection”, in talk.origins (Usenet), message-ID <1111718471.043282.17720@l41g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>:
text: And of course the creos will say that whatever they find is evidence for a young universe.
ref: 2007 September 10, Nick Matzke, “Iapetus flyby today!”, in Panda's Thumb:
text: In Texas, for example, a creo-dominated board of education in 2009 successfully shoehorned creationist language into the life and earth sciences standards.
ref: 2010 December 17, “Top Ten Evolution Stories of 2010”, in National Center for Science Education, archived from the original on 15 Oct 2011:
glosses: Clipping of creationist.
Related terms: neo-creo
creo
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Etymology: Possibly a backformation of neo-creo.
Senses: examples: text: [comment #128 by "raven"] In the hotbed of creo nonsense, the USA, acceptance of the fact of evolution runs around 99% among relevant scientists.
ref: 2007 November 17, PZ Myers, quoting raven (username), “The Discovery Institute lies to educators”, in Pharyngula, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2012, comment #128:
text: First, I have to agree with you regarding the many creo sites and their unqualified interpretations of fossil evidence […]
ref: 2008 November 26, Mark Gerard, “Re: Science be damned!”, in talk.origins (Usenet):
glosses: Clipping of creationist.
Related terms: english: evolution/creationism
translation: evolution/creationism
word: evo-creo
UHMW
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Senses: glosses: Initialism of ultra-high molecular weight.
glosses: Clipping of UHMWPE.
Related terms: english: high density
translation: high density
word: HD
word: HMW
english: ultra-high density
translation: ultra-high density
word: UHD
word: UHMWPE
marshmallow
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /mɑːʃˈmæləʊ/
ipa: /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/
ipa: /ˈmɑɹʃˌmæl.oʊ/
rhymes: -æləʊ
Forms: form: marshmallows
form: marsh mallow
form: marsh-mallow
Etymology: From Old English mersċmealwe, corresponding to marsh + mallow.
Senses: examples: text: Our common Marsh Mallows have diverse soft, hoary white stalks rising to be three or four foot high, spreading forth many branches.
ref: 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 180:
glosses: Marsh mallow, a species of mallow, Althaea officinalis, that grows in marshy terrain.
examples: text: The Disagreeable Girl is a female of the genus homo persuasion, built around a digestive apparatus that possesses marked marshmallow proclivities.
ref: 1906, Elbert Hubbard, Love, Life and Work:
text: It was an apple marshmallow sundae, I recollect. I dug my spoon into it with an assumption of gaiety which I was far from feeling.
ref: December 1915, P. G. Wodehouse, “My Battle with Drink”, in Vanity Fair:
glosses: A type of confectionery, originally (since Ancient Egyptian times) made from this plant, but now generally made of sugar or corn syrup, gelatin that has been presoftened in water, gum arabic, flavorings, and sometimes beaten egg whites, all whipped to a spongy consistency.
examples: text: He acts like a total badass, but he's really just a marshmallow once you get to know him.
text: You're a marshmallow, Glenn.
ref: 1995, Chrono Trigger:
glosses: Someone who is soft and benign.
Derived terms: marbit
marshmallow creme
marshmallow fluff
marshmallowy
marshmallow
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /mɑːʃˈmæləʊ/
ipa: /ˈmɑɹʃˌmɛl.oʊ/
ipa: /ˈmɑɹʃˌmæl.oʊ/
rhymes: -æləʊ
Forms: form: marshmallows
form: marshmallowing
form: marshmallowed
form: marshmallowed
form: marsh mallow
form: marsh-mallow
Etymology: From Old English mersċmealwe, corresponding to marsh + mallow.
Senses: examples: text: For i could still feel her small face in my hands, her lips marshmallowing under the brushing knuckle of my index, the hard press of her capable contoured body.
ref: 2005, Ken Gunther, Lilith: A Biography:
text: He didn't know if touching me meant that I would marshmallow up or if he would have to brace himself for a blow.
ref: 2005, Joylynn Jossel, If I Ruled the World:
text: Various dishes heaped with food were tucked haphazardly all over: mounds of whipped potatoes, medleys of buttered vegetables, marshmallowed sweet potatoes, oyster stuffing, cranberry sauce (fresh from the can) and even more dishes
ref: 2011, JB Sanders, Glen & Tyler's Honeymoon Adventure:
glosses: To soften (literally or figuratively).
combinations
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /kɑmbɪˈneɪʃənz/
ipa: /kɒmbɪˈneɪʃənz/
Senses: glosses: plural of combination
glosses: A one-piece form of underwear, being a combination of a vest or chemise and underpants.