Word of the Day : August 11, 2021

nimrod \NIM-rahd\ noun

Definition

1 : hunter

2 : idiot, jerk

Did You Know?

The word nimrod gets its start in the Bible: Nimrod was king of a country known as Shinar, and he's described in Genesis as "the first on earth to be a mighty man" and "a mighty hunter before the Lord." English speakers of the 16th century didn't think Nimrod was particularly benevolent; they used his name as a synonym of tyrant—a meaning that is now obsolete. In the 17th century, English speakers began using nimrod as a generic term for any hunter. That meaning is not especially common today but it's still encountered occasionally, especially in hunting and fishing journalism. The legendary Nimrod is also sometimes associated with the attempt to build "the tower of Babel," which resulted in the wrath of the Lord, proved a disastrous idea, and gave nimrod yet another meaning: "a stupid person."

Aired August 11, 2021

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