A.Word.A.Day --tour de force

A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact

Home

Today's Word

tour de force

PRONUNCIATION:

(toor duh FORS)

plural tours de force (toor duh FORS)

MEANING:

noun: A feat of strength, skill, or ingenuity: an exceptional performance or achievement.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French tour (turn, feat) + de (of) + force (strength). Earliest documented use: 1802.

USAGE:

“Listening to this breathtakingly brilliant tour de force made me appreciate why they call Pushkin the Russian Shakespeare.”
Sue Arnold; Evgenii Onegin by Pushkin; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 8, 2012.

See more usage examples of tour de force in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise