The word 'lickerish' is an adjective that originally meant greedy or desirous, but also evolved to describe someone lecherous or lustful, stemming from an old French verb with similar meanings.
La palabra 'lickerish' es un adjetivo que originalmente significaba glotón o codicioso, pero también evolucionó para describir a alguien lascivo o lujurioso, derivado de un antiguo verbo francés con significados similares.
| Word | lickerish |
|---|---|
| Date | April 11, 2009 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | LIK-uh-rish |
| Etymology | In Anglo-French, the verb "lecher" has two meanings, "to lick" and "to live in debauchery." From that verb came the English adjective "lickerous" in the 14th century. By the mid-17th century "lickerous" had fallen into disuse, leaving us with the variant "lickerish." "Lickerish" was originally cooked up as word to describe both a person who is fond of good food and the tempting food itself. The lexical temptation to extend these appetitive meanings of "lickerish" was very soon satisfied, and the word became a synonym of "greedy" and "desirous." Its use was then extended to describe people and things having or suggesting lustful desires, a use in line with the "to live in debauchery" meaning of its French ancestor. |
| Examples | "Fiend," cried the undaunted maiden, slapping the face of her lickerish captor. |
| Definition | 1 : greedy, desirous 2 : lecherous |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
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