A.Word.A.Day --roughhouse

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Today's Word

roughhouse

PRONUNCIATION:

(RUF-haus)

MEANING:

verb tr.: To handle roughly, but in a playful manner.
verb intr.: To engage in boisterous play.
noun: Boisterous play.

ETYMOLOGY:

Originally, a rough house was the place where a brawl occurred. Over time, the term softened into a synonym for horseplay and became a verb as well. Earliest documented use: 1882.

USAGE:

“As their child grew older, they’d roughhouse on the lawn, hold sock battles in the living room.”
Leigh Duncan; His Favorite Cowgirl; Harlequin; 2014.

See more usage examples of roughhouse in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out come sighs, laughter, and dreams. -Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (18 Feb 1883-1957)

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