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Word of the Day : July 14, 2019
embezzle \im-BEZZ-ul\ verb
Definition
: to appropriate (something, such as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use
Did You Know?
English has a lot of verbs that mean "to steal," including pilfer, rob, swipe, plunder, filch, and thieve. Embezzle differs from these by stressing the improper appropriation of property to which a person is entrusted—often in the form of company funds. First appearing in English in the 15th century, embezzle derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French embesiller, meaning "to make away," formed from the prefix en- and the verb besiller, meaning "to steal or plunder." Related to embezzle is bezzle, a verb used in some British English dialects to mean "to waste or plunder" or "to drink or eat to excess."
Aired July 14, 2019
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Comments
Michael L
I always thought that the word embezzle was derived from the practice of shaving gold off the edges of gold coins using a bezel. Has anyone else heard that, or is it just my imagination?
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