This week’s theme
When etymology meets entomology

This week’s words
earwig
gadfly
puce
paparazzo
ecdysis

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(pyoos)

MEANING:

noun: A dark red or brownish purple color.
adjective: Of this color.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French puce (flea), from Latin pulex (flea). Earliest documented use: 1778. Other terms coined after the flea are flea market, a direct translation of French marché aux puces, and ukulele (from Hawaiian, literally leaping flea, perhaps from the rapid motion of the fingers in playing the instrument).

USAGE:

“Kirsty ... screamed until she was puce in the face.”
Stephen Westa; King of Hearts; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Feb 4, 2017.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: