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Mar 5, 2015 This week’s theme Words using only one of the vowels This week’s words parastatal defervescence imprimis poltroon Words, language & more Join us in our discussion forum: Wordsmith Talk A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg poltroon PRONUNCIATION: (pol-TROON) MEANING: noun: An utter coward. ETYMOLOGY: From French poltron (coward), from Italian poltrone (lazy person), from Latin pullus (young animal). Ultimately from the Indo-European root pau- (few, little), which is also the source of few, foal, filly, pony, poor, pauper, poco, and catchpole. Earliest documented use: 1529. USAGE: “Against this backdrop, Bertuccelli offers a derisive portrait of officialdom. Administrators and doctors come across as poltroons.” Richard Duckett; ‘Since Otar Left’ is Slow But Intriguing; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Dec 9, 2004. See more usage examples of poltroon in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege. -William Beveridge, economist and reformer (5 Mar 1879-1963)

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