This week’s theme
Words derived from the names of parts of the body

This week’s words
caltrop
chagrin
sinewy
repugn
rubberneck

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(ri-PYOON)

MEANING:

verb tr., intr.: To oppose, resist, or fight.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Old French repugner, from Latin repugnare, from re- (again) + pugnare (to fight), from pugnus (fist). Ultimately from the Indo-European root peuk- (to prick) which is also the source of point, puncture, pungent, punctual, poignant, pounce, poniard, impugn, pugilist, and pugnacious. Earliest documented use: 1382.

USAGE:

“[A] decadence that Elgar would have repugned.”
Douglas Sealy; Katherine Hunka (violin), Sophia Rahman (piano); Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jan 24, 2001.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: