Apedia

Ship Merchant Argosy Noun Word Sailed Meaning Rich

Word argosy
Date April 24, 2009
Type noun
Syllables AHR-guh-see
Etymology Looking at the first sense of "argosy," you might assume that this word is a close relative of "argonaut," but that isn't the case. Although both words have a nautical sense, they have different etymologies. The original argonauts sailed on a ship called the Argo to seek the Golden Fleece; their moniker combines the name of their ship and the Greek word "nautēs," meaning "sailor." "Argosy" comes from "Ragusa," the Italian name for the city that is now Dubrovnik, Croatia. Over time, "Ragusa" was modified into "ragusea," a noun for the laden merchant ships that sailed from that port in medieval days. A broadening of meaning and another shift in spelling gave us "argosy," denoting any merchant vessel or rich store.
Examples Uncle Ken is always armed with an argosy of jokes, and he keeps the family entertained for hours.
Definition 1 : a large ship; especially : a large merchant ship
2 : a rich supply

Tags: wordoftheday::noun

Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.

Next card: Pursuit hue cry england crime meaning suspect april

Previous card: Sententious excessive meaning paper expression april adjective sen-ten-shus

Up to card list: Word of the Day