A.Word.A.Day -- auger

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A.Word.A.Day--auger

This week's theme: words formed by false splitting.

auger (AW-guhr) noun

Any of various boring tools resembling a corkscrew, used in carpentry, digging, etc.

[From the misdivision of "a nauger" as "an auger". Ultimately from the Indo-European root nobh- (navel) that is also the source of nave, navel, umbilical, omphaloskepsis (navel gazing), and Hindi nabhi (navel).]

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

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"What is the strangest thing you've seen coming out of the ground? Once I had a T-shirt come out of the ground as we pulled the auger up." Francois Marchand; Q&A with Kathy Fiebich; Edmonton Journal (Canada); Sep 2, 2007.

X-Bonus

When we enlarge upon the affection our friends have for us, this is very often not so much out of a sense of gratitude as from a desire to persuade people of our own great worth, that can deserve so much kindness. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680)

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