The Word of the Day for August 17 is:
tartar \TAR-ter\ noun
1 capitalized : a native or inhabitant of a vast historical region in
Asia and Eastern Europe roughly extending from the Sea of Japan to the
Dnieper
*2 often capitalized : a person of irritable or violent temper
3 : one that proves to be unexpectedly formidable
Example sentence:
On the basketball court, Nate was a Tartar whose undisciplined
behavior often got him in trouble with the referee.
Did you know?
Originally, their name was "Tatar," not "Tartar." Since at least the
1200s, the Tatar people have lived in Asia and Eastern
Europe, and they were among the fiercest fighters of the Golden Horde of
the Mongols. In the 13th century, they rode with
Genghis Khan and became the terror of their day. Their name, "Tatar," is
believed to come from Persian or a Turkic
language, but in Europe it was associated with "Tartarus," the Latin name
for the part of Hell reserved for the punishment of
the wicked. Because of that association, English speakers began calling the
Tatar people "Tartars." Over time, "tartar" came to
be used for anyone considered as ferocious or violent as the Tartar
warriors who had once ransacked the ancient world.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence
(c) 2004 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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