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ultramodern

Flag: gbEnglishMerriam-Webster Dictionary

n>… cajoled himself with thoughts of escape. — Robertson Davies
Other Words
  • ca​jole​ment kə-ˈjōl-mənt noun
  • ca​jol​er noun
  • ca​jol​ery kə-ˈjō-lə-rē noun
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
blandish blarney coax palaver soft-soap sweet-talk wheedle
Examples
  • //cajoled her into doing his laundry for him
First Known Use
1630, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
borrowed from French cajoler "to give much attention to, make a fuss over, flatter, persuade with flattery," going back to Middle French cajoller "to flatter out of self-interest," perhaps the same verb as Middle French cageoller "to vocalize, sing (of a jay or other bird)," expressive formation of uncertain origin

NOTE: Middle French cageoller was explained by Wartburg, et al., Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, as a permutation, under the influence of cage cage entry 1, of gaioler "to chatter, cackle (of birds)," a derivative of Picard gaiole "birdcage," corresponding to Old French geole, jaole "cage, prison" (see jail entry 1). According to Dubois-Mitterand-Dauzat, Dictionaire étymologique et historique du français (Larousse, 1993, continuing the etymology from earlier editons of Dauzat), the meaning "to flatter" is due to association of cageoller with enjôler "to captivate by flattery" (Old French enjaoiler "to imprison"). Alternatively, the two formations ("to sing, vocalize" and "to flatter") have been regarded as of independent origin; the first may either be an onomatopoeic outgrowth of cacarder "to honk (of a goose)," or a rearrangement of *jacoler, based on jacques, a dialectal name for a jay; the second is conjecturally a merger of enjôler and caresser "to stroke, caress entry 1" (thus E. Gamillscheg, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2. Auflage, Winter, 1969).

cajole
verb

Synonyms & Antonyms

cal​cu​la​tor
noun
cal·​cu·​la·​tor
ˈkal-kyə-ˌlā-tər

Definition

  • one that calculates: such as
    a usually electronic device for performing mathematical calculations
    a person who operates a calculator
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
History and Etymology
Middle English calkelatour "one who counts or computes, mathematician," borrowed from Latin calculātōr-, calculātor "teacher of arithmetic," from calculā- (attested in Late Latin as the st
ultramodern — MW · Shobdo