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Word of the Day for Friday October
17, 2003
bedaub \bih-DOB\, transitive verb: 1. To smudge over; to besmear or soil with anything thick and dirty. 2. To overdecorate; to ornament showily or excessively. The patient's signature is less neat than usual, not only because of his agitated state but also, quite possibly, because the pen is so bedaubed with chocolate that it slips through his fingers. --Marcel Beyer, "The Karnau Tapes." [1]Grand Street, Fall 1997 Only their wagon keeps on rolling, empty, bedaubed with tears, under our windows. --Laszlo Darvasi and Ivan Sanders, "Stories of Kisses, Stories of Tears." [2]Grand Street, March 1, 1997 _________________________________________________________ Bedaub is from be-, "thoroughly" + daub, from Medieval French dauber, "to plaster," perhaps from Old French dauber, "to clothe in white, white-wash, plaster," from Latin dealbare, "to whitewash, to plaster," from de- (intensive prefix) + albus, "white." References 1. http://www.grandstreet.com/ 2. http://www.grandstreet.com/ Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=bedaub Note: Audio pronunciation available only to Premium members. To learn more about the benefits of Premium membership, visit our site: http://dictionary.reference.com/premium/?r=9 [>>Charles<<] |
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