Word of the Day

adjective

Everyone was agog over the rumor that a famous actress would be coming to town to shoot her next movie.

"Throughout the hotel dolphins cavort in the details, a popular motif in the mansions of Newport, leaving anyone who appreciates interior design agog." — From an article by Kathleen Pierce in The Boston Globe, April 8, 2012

English speakers have been clamoring over the word "agog" for over 450 years; it derives from the Middle French phrase "en gogues," meaning "in a state of mirth." The "-gog" part of the word might make one wonder if "agog" has a connection to the verb "goggle," meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English "gogelen," meaning "to squint." In many instances, "agog" is followed by a preposition, such as "over" or "about."

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