as in halfpenny
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Recent Examples of kenning
Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Noun
The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension.
—Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance.
—Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023
Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kenning
Noun
-
Indeed, in 2023, his music earned him just shy of $200,000, about one halfpenny at a time.—
Brett Martin,
New York Times,
31 Mar. 2024
-
In nineteenth-century England, tailors would place old halfpennies in the pockets of a man’s new suit for good luck.—
Hua Hsu,
The New Yorker,
18 Sep. 2023
Verb
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For starters, even though federal law requires hospitals to list their prices publicly, fathoming these files is almost impossible.—
Rufina Chow,
NBC news,
3 Apr. 2026
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However, Chiefs veteran center Creed Humphrey says his team won't be listening to those, or even fathoming the thought of panicking.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
18 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Look for alcohol-free, subtle formulas the goal is a whisper of fragrance, not a perfume cloud that announces itself from across the room.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
-
In biergartens, servers carry trays where alcohol‑free helles — a traditional pale lager — sits shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the classic stuff, no longer ordered with a whisper or judgment.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Sam always found this really interesting line of being very truthful of what is going on behind closed doors in a generation, but then also pushing the boundaries on how people are used to perceiving or digesting certain topics.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
10 June 2026
-
In 2020, Samir Nurmohamed, now an assistant professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania, published a paper that showed evidence that perceiving yourself as an underdog can lead to higher motivation and better performance at work.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Tiny bugs float in the sun like dust motes, and there are graceful flies large enough to require a runway landing.—
John Metcalfe,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Sunbeams through the windows illuminate floating dust motes—and, imperceptibly, microdroplets of mucus carrying the measles virus, expelled from an infected but asymptomatic child who is hopping and laughing among the others.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service and New Mexico State Police assisted in apprehending Jones, Hann said.—
Caroline Zimmerman
May 28,
Kansas City Star,
28 May 2026
-
Federal immigration agents fanned across the city, apprehending workers at car washes, garment businesses, Home Depots and other locations.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Fatty acids are long chains of carbon surrounded by hydrogen atoms.—
Rosemary Trout,
The Conversation,
10 June 2026
-
The interactions between the electrons of these oscillating atoms changed their angles too.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
Rudin relinquished his Broadway producing duties in 2021 following allegations of bullying but returned last season with a transfer of Little Bear Ridge Road, also starring Metcalf.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
Ancheta said there were no immediate reports of casualties, but some people fainted following the strong tremor.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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