Word of the Day

: August 12, 2008

homily

noun HAH-muh-lee

What It Means

1 : a usually short sermon

2 : a lecture or discourse on or of a moral theme

3 : an inspirational catchphrase; also : platitude

homily in Context

"I don't mind eating tofu burgers," said Darnell, "as long as I don't have to hear a homily on the virtues of vegetarianism."

Did You Know?

Gather around for the history of "homily." The story starts with ancient Greek "homilos," meaning "crowd" or "assembly." Greeks used "homilos" to create the verb "homilein" ("to consort with" or "to address"), as well as the noun "homilia" ("conversation"). Latin speakers borrowed "homilia," then passed it on to Anglo-French. By the time it crossed into Middle English, the spelling had shifted to "omelie," but by the mid-16th century the term had regained its "h" and added the "y" of the modern spelling.