

May 31, 2013 This week's theme

What a difference a letter makes



This week's words

palatine

collier

lares and penates

hyperbolic

debark



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Next week's theme

Words that appear to be misspellings What a difference a letter makes A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg



debark PRONUNCIATION: (dee-BARK)

MEANING: verb tr.:

1. To remove the bark from a dog.

2. To remove the bark from a log.

verb tr., intr.:

3. To disembark.

ETYMOLOGY: For 1: From de- (from) + bark, from Old English borcian (to bark). Earliest documented use: 1943.

For 2: From de- (from) + Old Norse börkr (bark). Earliest documented use: 1744.

For 3: From French debarquer, from de- (from) + barque (ship). Earliest documented use: 1744.

USAGE: "Dr. Marder said they will probably debark Truffle unless she quickly learns to play quietly."

Sam Dolnick; Heel. Sit. Whisper. Good Dog; The New York Times; Feb 3, 2010.



"Mike Rowe finds himself ... heading to a mill to help debark and process wood for a log cabin."

Emily Yahr; Highlights; The Washington Post; Feb 22, 2011.

See more usage examples of debark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.



A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The words a father speaks to his children in the privacy of the home are not overheard at the time, but, as in whispering galleries, they will be clearly heard at the end and by posterity. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (1763-1825)





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