ventripotent
English
WOTD – 13 February 2012
Etymology
From Middle French ventripotent, from Latin venter (“belly”) + potens (“powerful”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /vɛnˈtɹɪpətənt/
Adjective
ventripotent (comparative more ventripotent, superlative most ventripotent)
- Having a big belly.
- 1694, Thomas Urquhart, translating François Rabelais, Pantagruel, Book LIX, (chapter title):
- Of the ridiculous statue Manduce; and how, and what the Gastrolaters sacrifice to their ventripotent [transl. ventripotent] god.
- 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 714:
- The reception committee consisted of Constance and a ventripotent Swiss banker, representing the Red Cross [...].
- 1694, Thomas Urquhart, translating François Rabelais, Pantagruel, Book LIX, (chapter title):
- Gluttonous.
- 2008, A. C. Kemp, The Perfect Insult for Every Occasion, →ISBN, page 198:
- I'm sure your being so ventripotent is useful in county fair competitions, George, but it's driving our bakery into the ground, so we're replacing you.
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French
Adjective
ventripotent (feminine singular ventripotente, masculine plural ventripotents, feminine plural ventripotentes)
Further reading
- “ventripotent” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
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