New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: STEVEDORE

pronunciation: [STEE-vi-dohr]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Spanish, 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. A person employed or a contractor engaged at a dock to load and unload cargo from ships.

 

Examples:

"My cousin works as a stevedore at the Port of Los Angeles."

"During my years as a stevedore, I moved cargo from virtually every country on the planet."

About Stevedore

“Stevedore” is based on the Spanish word “estibador,” based on the Spanish verb “estibar,” meaning “to load.”

 

Did you Know?

Stevedores — also called “longshoremen” and “dockworkers” — are not nearly as common as they used to be, as a result of the rise of shipping containers in the 1960s. Prior to that time, every ship arriving in port needed to be carefully loaded and unloaded full of individual pieces of cargo that had to be tied down in place. The emergence of shipping containers changed all that: Virtually all goods today are shipped in standardized, stackable containers that can be easily moved with cranes. As a result, the number of dockworkers has plummeted; there are more than 90% fewer stevedores on the docks today than in the years following World War II. However, somebody must still manage loading and unloading shipping containers, and that remains the job of stevedores.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FLAMBEAU

pronunciation: [FLAM-bo]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax.

2. A large candlestick with several branches.

 

Examples:

"Processions illuminated by flambeaus are common during seasonal holidays in both Europe and Asia."

"The guides led us down the forest path with a flambeau, instead of a flashlight, to make the adventure feel more authentic."

About Flambeau

“Flambeau” is taken directly from the French, where it referred originally to a small flame.

 

Did you Know?

“Flambeau” is based on the Old French word “flambe,” meaning “a flame,” from the Latin root “flamma,” the basis of the English word “flame.” The French word is also the root of other familiar English words, including “flamboyant,” which was initially used to describe the vivid light of a burning flambeau but today describes anything bright, bold, or audacious. Another related word is “flambé,” once again from the French, meaning “to cook by adding a spirit, like brandy, and setting alight.”