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word of the day

The word for today is…

pursy (adj) – 1. Having a puckered appearance.
2. Proud because of one’s wealth especially in the absence of other distinctions.
3. (Pathology) short-winded.
4. (Archaic) Fat; overweight.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : There are two adjectives spelled pursy, each with its own etymology. The one describing a puckered appearance goes back to the mid-16th century and has its source in the noun purse (“a receptacle for carrying money and other small objects”); a drawstring purse’s puckered appearance is the inspiration.

The other pursy (pronounced PUH-see or PER-see) dates from the 15th century and can mean “short-winded especially because of corpulence” or simply “fat.” This pursy comes from the Old French word pousser , meaning “to exert pressure” or “to breathe heavily”—the same word, etymologists believe, behind the word push.

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