Word of the Day : May 20, 2018

besot \bih-SAHT\ verb

Definition

1 : infatuate

2 : to make dull or stupid; especially : to muddle with drunkenness

Did You Know?

Besot developed from a combination of the prefix be- ("to cause to be") and sot, a now-archaic verb meaning "to cause to appear foolish or stupid." Sot in turn comes from the Middle English noun sott, meaning "fool." Early print evidence of besot is found in a poem by George Turberville, published in 1567. In the poem, the narrator describes how he gazed at a beautiful stranger "till use of sense was fled." He then proceeds to compare himself to Aegisthus of Greek legend, the lover of Clytemnestra while Agamemnon was away at war, writing: "What forced the Fool to love / his beastly idle life / Was cause that he besotted was / of Agamemnon's Wife."

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  Words Used by Nabokov Quiz








    Choose the best definition or synonym for the word in bold: "There are some eructations that sound like cheers—at least, mine did." Lolita




                                  a groan
                                  a sneeze
                                  a belch
                                  a clearing of the throat








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Aired May 20, 2018

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