Deter

 WORD OF THE DAY

deter / verb / dih-TER

Definition
1: to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting
2: inhibit

Examples
"'Criminals are looking for easy targets,' Const. Chris Lesage said in a statement. 'Removing valuables from plain sight and making sure to lock your vehicle can be enough to deter a would-be thief.'"
— Chris Simon, The Barrie (Ontario) Advance Online, 24 May 2021

"Fake owls are usually the most effective way to deter large birds of prey like hawks and, of course, owls. For those who have smaller pets or backyard chickens, a fake owl may be the best bird deterrent."
— Rebecca Wolken, BobVila.com

Did You Know?
The word deter is rooted in fear. It was borrowed into English around the mid-16th century from the Latin verb deterrēre, which in turn was formed by combining de-, meaning "from" or "away," with terrēre, meaning "to frighten."
Terrēre is also the source of terror, terrible, and even terrific, which originally meant "very bad" or "frightful."
These days, you may be deterred by something that frightens you or by something that simply causes you to think about the difficult or unpleasant consequences of continuing.
The word can also mean "to inhibit," as in "painting to deter rust."

Gormandize

 WORD OF THE DAY

gormandize / verb / GOR-mun-dyze

Definition|
1: to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously
2: devour

Examples
Lady Baleforth watched in horror as Lord Hoggwood gormandized the hors d'oeuvres, polishing off the entire lot before any of the other guests even arrived.

"That's because—unless you live in the Sistine Chapel—there are very few other things to focus on while staring at the ceiling from the couch after gormandizing the Thanksgiving feast."
— John O. Marlowe, The Paper of Montgomery County (Indiana), 30 Nov. 2017

Did You Know?
Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym for glutton.
The meanings of both gourmand and gormandize were clearly disparaging until the 19th century, when gourmet came into use to refer to a connoisseur of food and drink.
Since then, the meaning of gourmand has softened, so that it now simply suggests someone who likes good food in large quantities.
Gormandize still carries negative connotations of gluttony, but it can also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.

Bijou

 WORD OF THE DAY

bijou / noun / BEE-zhoo

Definition
1a: a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship
1b: jewel
2: something delicate, elegant, or highly prized

Examples
"To celebrate her latest collection … jeweler Jesse Marlo Lazowski hosted an intimate dinner in New York City.… In a Putnam & Putnam–designed vitrine filled with layers of sand in desert-sunset hues, the bijoux were on full display and guests … took their turns trying on the fine jewelry baubles."
— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 2 Feb. 2018

"Reese Witherspoon fired up her scarlet and vermilion Christian Dior gown with Bulgari's high jewelry. Her colorful bijoux included a Magnifica ring holding a 10-carat ruby and diamonds and a one-of-a-kind Barocko onyx, diamond and pearl bracelet."
— Alev Aktar, The New York Post, 6 May 2021

Did You Know?
Bijou (which can be pluralized as either bijoux or bijous) has adorned English since the late 17th century.
We borrowed it from French, but the word ultimately traces to Breton, a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh and spoken by inhabitants of the Brittany region of northwest France.
Our modern English word derives from Breton bizou, which means "ring."
That history makes bijou a rare gem in English because, although the Breton people occupied part of England for many years before they were pushed into France by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries, very few Breton-derived words remain in our language.
Another Breton descendant is menhir, a term for a kind of monolith.