This week’s theme
Verbs

This week’s words
fribble
belie
descry
cosset
beleaguer


This week's comments
AWADmail 688

Next week's theme
Characters from Don Quixote who became words

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(bi-LEE-guhr)

MEANING:

verb tr.:
1. To surround with troops.
2. To beset with difficulties.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Dutch belegeren (to camp around), from be- (around) + leger (camp). Ultimately from the Indo-European root legh- (to lie or lay), which also gave us lie, lay, lair, fellow, and laager. Earliest documented use: 1589.

USAGE:

“Underlying tensions and unresolved issues continue to beleaguer the Blue Line area.”
In Lebanon, UN Official Urges ‘Calm, Restraint’ Along Blue Line; Asia News Monitor (Bangkok, Thailand); Feb 19, 2015.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: