Today's Words: Hinterland, Bulbul and Sapphirine

Hinterland

(hin-ter-land) Noun

the remote or less developed parts of a country.

More about Hinterland

First used between 1885–90.

Directly from the German Hinterland, literally “behind the land.”

Commonly used in the plural, hinterlands, compared with the sticks or boondocks.  

Examples of Hinterland

She longed to escape the city’s noise and find solace in the serene hinterland.

The bustling port city was surrounded by a vast, sparsely populated hinterland.

Bulbul

(bool-bool) noun

a songbird often mentioned in Persian poetry, regarded as being a nightingale.

More about Bulbul

Of imitative origin, borrowed into English from Persian around 1775–85.

In Arabic, bulbul is the name of a bird in the Pycnonotidae family but can also refer to the nightingale.

Examples of Bulbul

Every morning, the melodious song of the bulbul filled the garden.

The bulbul, with its cheerful tunes, was a favourite among birdwatchers.

Sapphirine

(saf-er-in) Adjective

like sapphire, especially in colour.

More about Sapphirine

First recorded between 1375–1425.

From Greek sappheírinos, “like lapis lazuli” see sapphire, -ine)

Examples of Sapphirine

The tropical sea shimmered with sapphirine and turquoise waves.

Her sapphirine eyes matched her favourite blue dress.

Inputs courtesy: Dictionary.com