Word of the Day

: September 27, 2009

plumply

adverb PLUMP-lee

What It Means

: in a wholehearted manner and without hesitation or circumlocution : forthrightly

plumply in Context

Having taken offense at the remark, Sir Jeffrey plumply asked the man if his insult was intentional.

Did You Know?

In the 14th century, the word "plump" was used for a sound like that of something dropping into water (as we use "plop" today). Middle English speakers turned the "plump" sound into a verb meaning "to drop." The verb spawned a noun meaning "a sudden drop or fall," which in turn generated an adverb "plump" meaning "directly, without qualification." English novelist Fanny Burney (1752-1840) used the adverbial "plump" in one of her letters when she wrote of "coming plump against the question." But she didn’t stop there. The adverb "plump" gave rise to "plumply," and Fanny Burney was one of the first to use the new form, this time in her diary: "The offer was plumply accepted."