A.Word.A.Day--argosy

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msesheta

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Jan 23, 2012, 9:23:38 AM1/23/12

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The Magic of Words

Jan 23, 2012

This week's theme
Words from the Mediterranean

This week's words
argosy

A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg

Planes crash, ships flounder, and trains collide. This week we're going to be traveling virtually. We're heading to Middle Earth and you are invited. No, we have nothing to do with Tolkien. We're just being literal -- our destination is the Mediterranean "sea in the middle of the earth".

The countries we're going to be visiting are Croatia, Italy, Syria, Greece, and France. So join us for our toponymic tour in which we'll explore a word coined after each of those places.

argosy

PRONUNCIATION:

(AHR-GUH-see)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A large ship, or a fleet of ships, especially one carrying valuable cargo.
2. A rich source or supply.

ETYMOLOGY:

Shortening of Italian nave Ragusea (ship of Ragusa), after Ragusa, a maritime city on the Adriatic sea, modern day Dubrovnik, Croatia. Earliest documented use: 1577.

USAGE:

"Shylock: He hath an argosy bound to Tripolis, another to the Indies."
William Shakespeare; The Merchant of Venice; 1596.

"We get a little bit detective story, a little bit gossip, and an argosy of insight."
Amy Wallen; Book Review: 'Nom de Plume'; Los Angeles Times; Aug 8, 2011.

Explore "argosy" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot. -Charlie Chaplin, actor, director, and composer (1889-1977)