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Word of the Day : July 19, 2021
capricious \kuh-PRISH-us\ adjective
Definition
: governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable
Did You Know?
The adjective capricious and its close relation, the noun caprice (a synonym of whim), both derive via French from the Italian capriccio, which originally referred not to a sudden desire but to a sudden shudder of fear. Capriccio, in turn, likely derives from the Italian capo, meaning "head," and riccio, the word for "hedgehog." The implication was that someone who shuddered in fear was said to have a "hedgehog head," meaning that the person's hair stood on end like the spines of a hedgehog.
Aired July 19, 2021
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