From: The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

The first rent day came a few weeks later in April when my father was appointed treasurer to the king's household, a post which brought him access to the king's daily wealth which he could peculate as he thought best.

The narrator is Mary (Boleyn) Carey, Anne younger sister.

The meaning is quite clear from the sentence, but i had never seen the word peculate before.


Peculate; pky-lt
TRANSITIVE & INTRANSITIVE VERB: Inflected forms: pec·u·lat·ed, pec·u·lat·ing, pec·u·lates

To embezzle (funds) or engage in embezzlement.
ETYMOLOGY: Latin peclr, peclt-, from peclium, private property. See peku- in Appendix I.

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