Wordwyrt

define

/dɪˈfaɪn/dih-FYN
/dɪˈfaɪn/dih-FYN

Meaningto set limits

Common meaning: to state exactly what a word or thing means

‘down, away, off’ + ‘a boundary, end, limit’ → define

Journey through time

  1. Latinfīnis‘a boundary, end, limit’
  2. Frenchdefiner
  3. Englishdefine‘to state exactly what a word or thing means’ · today

de- also in: deterdecampdecidededucedefame

fin also in: finefinalfinishfinitefinance

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin fīnis ‘a boundary, end, limit’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry fīnis, p. 751 · dictionary scan

Roots

  • fīnis Latin “a boundary, end, limit”

Related words

confinedefinitefinalfinancefinefinishfiniteinfinite

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