Bustard (noun)
bus-tah-d
A large, heavily built, swift-running bird, found in open country in the Old World. The males of most bustards have a spectacular courtship display.
Late 15th century perhaps an Anglo-Norman French blend of Old French bistarde and oustarde, both from Latin avis tarda ‘slow bird’ the name is unexplained, as the bustards are fast runners.
Example sentences
“Several attempts to restore the bustard population to the UK have failed.”
Gamp (noun) gamp (British) (informal) Umbrella. 1860–65; after the umbrella of Mrs. Sarah Gamp in Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit (more…)
Marabout (noun) ma-ra-boot (Islam) a hermit or holy man, especially in N Africa, often wielding political power and credited with supernatural powers./ the tomb or shrine of such a man.…
Farrago (noun) far-ah-go A jumbled mixture of things. 1625–35; Latin: literally, mixed crop of feed grains, equivalent to farr- (stem of far ) emmer + -āgō suffix noting kind or…
Firkin (noun) fer-kin a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc. First recorded around 1400–50 and comes from the late Middle English word ferdkyn or firdekyn. (more…)
Collocation (noun) coll-ok-ay-shun the arrangement, especially of words in a sentence. 1595–1605; Latin collocātiōn- (stem of collocātiō ), equivalent to collocāt (more…)
Infelicitous (adj) in-fel-is-it-us inapt, inappropriate, or awkward; malapropos / not felicitous, happy, or fortunate; unhappy. First recorded in 1825–35 (more…)
Absquatulate (verb) ab-skwat-yu-layt to flee; abscond. First recorded in 1820–30. Formed from ab-, “away from,” and squat, “to sit in a low or crouching position.” (more…)
Steadfast (adj) sted-fast Firm in purpose, resolution, faith, attachment. First recorded before 1000 and comes from the Middle English word stedefast, from Old English stedefæst. (more…)
Motte (noun) mot (historic)a mound forming the site of a castle or camp. late 19th century: from French, ‘mound’, from Old French mote (see moat). (more…)