Defile, in this context, means to march off in a line, deriving from the French verb meaning 'to move in a column,' and is distinct from the homograph meaning to make unclean.
Defile, en este contexto, significa marchar en fila. Proviene del verbo francés "défiler", que significa "moverse en columna", y es diferente del otro "defile" que significa contaminar o profanar.
| Word | defile |
|---|---|
| Date | April 5, 2017 |
| Type | verb |
| Syllables | dih-FYLE |
| Etymology | It's likely that when you hear the verb defile, what comes to mind is not troop movements but, rather, something being contaminated or desecrated. That more commonly encountered homograph of defile, meaning "to make unclean or impure," dates back to the 15th century and is derived from the Anglo-French verb defoiller, meaning "to trample." Today's word, on the other hand, arrived in English in the early 18th century. It is also from French but is derived from the verb défiler, formed by combining dé- with filer ("to move in a column"). Défiler is also the source of the English noun defile, which means "narrow passage or gorge." |
| Examples | The generals gazed on impassively as the troops defiled past. "He watched as the troops defiled across the bridge; their thinned ranks made a noticeable impression on the monarch." — Michael V. Leggiere, Napoleon and the Struggle for Germany, 2015 |
| Definition | : to march off in a line |
Tags: wordoftheday::verb
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