Pignorate (verb)
pig-no-rayt
(rare) (historic) To give or take as a pledge; to pawn.
Early 17th century; earliest use found in Henry Cockeram (fl. 1623–1658), lexicographer. From classical Latin pignerāt-, past participial stem of pignerāre (in post-classical Latin also pignorare) to give as a pledge from pigner- (also pignor-), pignus pledge (perhaps from the stem of pingere + a suffix of Indo-European origin forming legal terms relating to property, also seen in e.g. fēnus interest; the word would thus originally have denoted a mark made to record a pledge).
Example sentences
“He did pignorate the deal, so trust it’s in good hands.”
Wonky (adj) won-kee Not straight or balanced, off kilter. First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol. (more…)
