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Tureen

t(y)o͝o'rēn

March 30, 2016 posted by John

noun a deep covered dish from which soup is served.

ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: alteration of earlier terrine, from French terrine (see terrine), feminine of Old French terrin 'earthen,' based on Latin terra 'earth.'

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Soporific

säpə'rifik

March 16, 2016 posted by John

adjective tending to induce drowsiness or sleep: the motion of the train had a somewhat soporific effect.

• sleepy or drowsy: some medicine made her soporific.
• tediously boring or monotonous: a libel trial is in large parts intensely soporific.

noun a drug or other agent that induces sleep.

DERIVATIVES
soporifically |-ik(ə)lē| adverb

ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin sopor 'sleep' + -ific.

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Gammon¹

'gamən

March 2, 2016 posted by John

noun ham that has been cured or smoked like bacon.

• the bottom piece of a side of bacon, including a hind leg.

ORIGIN late 15th cent. (denoting the haunch of a pig): from Old Northern French gambon, from gambe 'leg.'

Gammon²

'gamən

noun a victory in backgammon (carrying a double score) in which the winner removes all their pieces before the loser has removed any.

verb [ with obj. ] defeat (a backgammon opponent) with a gammon.

ORIGIN mid 18th cent.: apparently from Old English gamen or gamenian (see game¹), with survival of the -n ending.

Gammon³

'gamən | informal, dated, chiefly Brit.

noun nonsense; rubbish.

verb [ with obj. ] hoax or deceive (someone).

ORIGIN early 18th cent.: origin uncertain; the term was first used as criminals' slang in give gammon to 'give cover to (a pickpocket)' and keep in gammon 'distract (a victim) for a pickpocket.'

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