Word of the Day

: June 12, 2007

succor

noun SUCK-er

What It Means

1 : relief; also : aid, help

2 : something that furnishes relief

succor in Context

"The people lost all hope of succor, and fled to the mountains for refuge." (Mark Twain, A Tramp Abroad)

Did You Know?

If you're in need of an explanation of the origins of "succor," we can help. Middle English speakers adapted "socour," the predecessor of "succor," from the Anglo-French "sucors," which essentially had the same meaning as our modern word. "Sucors," in turn, derives from the Medieval Latin "succursus," itself a derivative of the Latin verb "succurrere," meaning "to run to the rescue" or "to bring aid." That Latin verb was a composite of the prefix "sub-" (meaning "from below") and the verb "currere" (meaning "to run"). "Succor" has been saving the day in English (as both a noun and a verb) since at least the 13th century.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.