Word of the Day

: May 5, 2016

gormandize

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verb GOR-mun-dyze

What It Means

: to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously

gormandize in Context

"People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night." — Philippe Sagant, The Dozing Shaman, 1996

"While my ability to gormandize has slackened over the years, my enthusiasm for cooking big has only grown." — Henry Miller, The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), 19 Dec. 2013


Did You Know?

Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym of glutton. The meaning of gourmand softened over time, developing in the mid-18th century a sense referring to one who is "heartily interested in good food and drink." It wasn't until the early 19th century that the wholly positive gourmet became established. Whether that now-common word encouraged the adoption of or was influenced by the softer meaning of gourmand is unknown. Gormandize, too, has softened over time, but only slightly: it can now also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.



Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word meaning "an immoderate indulgence in food or drink" or "an overabundant supply": s _ r _ e _ t.

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