Word of the Day : August 31, 2018

duress \dur-RESS\ noun

Definition

1 : forcible restraint or restriction

2 : compulsion by threat; specifically : unlawful constraint

Did You Know?

Duress is a word of hardy stock. It has been a part of the English language since the 14th century and has a number of long-lived relatives. Duress itself came into Middle English through the Anglo-French duresce (meaning "hardness" or "severity"), which stems from Latin durus, meaning "hard." Some obvious relatives of this robust root are durable, endure and obdurate (meaning "unyielding" or "hardened in feelings"). Some others are dour (meaning "harsh," "unyielding," or "gloomy") and the preposition during.

Aired August 31, 2018

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