Word of the Day : June 26, 2018

kaput \kuh-PUT\ adjective

Definition

1 : utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed

2 : unable to function : useless

3 : hopelessly outmoded

Did You Know?

Kaput originated with a card game called piquet that has been popular in France for centuries. French players originally used the term capot to describe both big winners and big losers in piquet. To win all twelve tricks in a hand was called "faire capot" ("to make capot"), but to lose them all was known as "être capot" ("to be capot"). German speakers adopted capot, but respelled it kaputt, and used it only for losers. When English speakers borrowed the word from German, they started using kaput for things that were broken, useless, or destroyed.

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Aired June 26, 2018

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