Word History: Portly comes to us from French porter "carry, bear, wear", a word inherited from Latin portare "to carry". We can see this French root in many borrowed English words: porter, who carries luggage, port, where ships bring things, and import, to carry in.

What does the root word portly mean?

adjective, port·li·er, port·li·est. rather heavy or fat; stout; corpulent.

What is the euphemism of Portly?

Adj. 1. portly - euphemisms for `fat'; "men are portly and women are stout" stout. fat - having an (over)abundance of flesh; "he hadn't remembered how fat she was"

What does portly gentleman mean?

portly Add to list Share. If your uncle has a rounder body shape, he might call himself a portly gentleman. Synonyms of portly include stout and heavy. Some opera singers are portly, but all that girth makes it easier for them to produce a robust sound. Although portly is similar to chubby, it's a little more dignified ...

What is the meaning of portly man?

(especially of middle-aged or old men) fat and round: He was a portly figure in a tight-fitting jacket and bow tie. Synonyms. fat (BIG) stout.

Where The Term Redneck Comes From

What does lamb baste mean?

or lam·bast

verb (used with object), lam·bast·ed, lam·bast·ing. to beat or whip severely. to reprimand or berate harshly; censure; excoriate.

What does the phrase couch potato mean?

: a lazy and inactive person especially : one who spends a great deal of time watching television. Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More About couch potato.

What does mercurial man mean?

Mercurial describes someone whose mood or behavior is changeable and unpredictable, or someone who is clever, lively, and quick. With a mercurial teacher, you never know where you stand.

What's the definition of waddled?

1 : to walk with short steps swinging the forepart of the body from side to side. 2 : to move clumsily in a manner suggesting a waddle. waddle. noun.

What does uni mean in unison?

When something is said in unison, two or more voices sound like one. Unison comes from the Latin root words uni, meaning "one," and sonous, meaning "sound." So unison literally means one sound, and in music, it still retains that meaning.

Is portly a adverb?

Portly is an adjective. The adjective is the word that accompanies the noun to determine or qualify it.

What does pliant flexibility mean?

English Language Learners Definition of pliant

: able to bend without breaking : flexible.

What is Mercuriality?

mercurial \mer-KYUR-ee-ul\ adjective. 1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury. 2 : having the qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury. 3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood.

What is the difference between mercurial and capricious?

As adjectives the difference between capricious and mercurial. is that capricious is impulsive and unpredictable; determined by chance, impulse, or whim while mercurial is (often capitalized, see (mercurial)) pertaining to the planet mercury.

What does the idiom cold feet mean?

To “have cold feet” is to be too fearful to undertake or complete an action. A wave of timidity or fearfulness. Loss or lack of courage or confidence.

What does tough cookie mean?

: a person who is physically and emotionally strong Don't worry about her—she's a tough cookie.

What is the meaning of carry the ball?

Take charge, advance a cause, as in In our lab any of the assistants can carry the ball. This usage comes from such sports as football, where the ball-carrying player gives the team yardage or a touchdown. By the early 1900s it was being transferred to other endeavors.

What is the root word of auspicious?

Auspicious comes from Latin auspex, which literally means "bird seer" (from the words avis, meaning "bird," and specere, meaning "to look at"). ... Today, the plural form auspices is often used with the meaning "kindly patronage and guidance."

What is the mean of Swarm?

1 : a large number of bees that leave a hive together to form a new colony elsewhere. 2 : a large number grouped together and usually in motion a swarm of mosquitoes a swarm of tourists. swarm. verb. swarmed; swarming.

How do you remember lambast?

1. The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car.
2. The deputy ragged the Prime Minister.
3. The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup.

What are synonyms for portly?

• beefy.
• burly.
• corpulent.
• overweight.
• stout.
• ample.
• broad.
• fleshy.

What does trudging along mean?

: to walk or march steadily and usually laboriously trudged through deep snow. transitive verb. : to trudge along or over.

How do you use portly in a sentence?

1. Anisya Fedorovna came in and leaned her portly person against the doorpost. ...
2. A short, portly banana will have a different personality than a tall, slim banana. ...
3. It was a Brit, Malcolm Sayer, a rather portly chap who smoked roll up cigarettes.

What does it mean to be a pliant person?

adjective. bending readily; flexible; supple; adaptable: She manipulated the pliant clay. easily influenced; yielding to others; compliant: He has a pliant nature.