Today's Words: Firkin, Gallimaufry, Inveterate

Firkin

(Fur-kin)

noun

a small wooden vessel or tub for butter, lard, etc.

More about Firkin

• 
  
• First recorded around 1400–50.
• Comes from the late Middle English word ferdkyn or firdekyn.
• This is formed from a variant of ferthe, meaning “fourth,” and the diminutive suffix –kin.

• Examples of Firkin
• 
  
• The antique store had a collection of quaint firkins on display, each with its own unique design.
• After the harvest festival, the townspeople gathered around to share stories over slices of bread from a firkin of butter.

Gallimaufry

(gal-uh-maw-free)

 noun

a hodgepodge; confused medley; jumble.

• More about Gallimaufry
• 
  
• First recorded in 1545–55.
• Comes from the Middle French word galimafree, “kind of sauce or stew.”
• Galimafree is probably a conflation of galer, “to amuse oneself.”
• Related to gallant, “brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous.”

Examples of Gallimaufry

The artist’s studio was a gallimaufry of colourful paints, brushes, and unfinished canvases.

• Walking through the crowded market, he couldn’t help but notice the gallimaufry of sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded him.

Inveterate

(in-vet-er-it)

adjective

settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like.

• More about inveterate
• 
  
• First recorded in 1375–1425.
• Comes from Latin, from the past participle of inveterāre, “to grow old, allow to grow old, preserve.”
• Inveterāre contains veter-, the stem of vetus, meaning “old,” which is also the stem of the word veteran.

Examples of inveterate

• The inveterate procrastinator always left things until the last minute.
• As an inveterate optimist, she always saw the bright side of every situation.

Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com