Sunday, October 12, 2008

Word of the day: Plaudit

Here's one I've never heard before, and thought I'd share.

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plaudit \PLAW-dit\, noun:

1. A round or demonstration of applause.
2. Enthusiastic approval; an expression of praise.

A large, robust man, he had earned the plaudits bestowed on him at that testimonial dinner through a lifetime of earnest toil.
-- James T. Fisher, Dr. America

The aim of the wise man was no longer the plaudits of the masses but autarkeia, or self-sufficiency.
-- Peter France, Hermits: The Insights of Solitude

Despite the plaudits her work received, her particular emphasis did not gain many adherents for more than a generation.
-- Michael Kammen, American Culture, American Tastes

Plaudit is from Latin plaudite, "applaud" (said by players at the end of a performance), from plaudere, "to applaud."


Enjoy expanding your vocabulary,

Bp

[via Dictionary.com's word of the day]

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