Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ



May 20, 2014
This week's theme
Words coined after Shakespearean characters

This week's words
ophelian
benedict
hamlet
bardolphian
polonian

Benedict
David Garrick as Benedick
Art: Jean Louis Fesch, 1770

Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

benedict

PRONUNCIATION:
(BEN-i-dikt)

MEANING:
noun: A newly married man, especially one who was previously thought to be a confirmed bachelor.

ETYMOLOGY:
From alteration of Benedick, character in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Earliest documented use: 1821.

USAGE:
"Columbus Moise, the old bachelor lawyer, who is soon to be a benedict, answered the toast."
Miguel Antonio Otero; My Life on the Frontier, 1882-1897; 1935.

See more usage examples of benedict in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist (1806-1873)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith