ventripotent

English

WOTD – 13 February 2012

Etymology

From Middle French ventripotent, from Latin venter (belly) + potens (powerful).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /vɛnˈtɹɪpətənt/
  • (file)

Adjective

ventripotent (comparative more ventripotent, superlative most ventripotent)

  1. Having a big belly.
    • 1694, François Rabelais, translated by Thomas Urquhart, Pantagruel, Book LIX, (chapter title):
      Of the ridiculous statue Manduce; and how, and what the Gastrolaters sacrifice to their ventripotent [translating 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 [...].
  2. 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.

Translations

French

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Adjective

ventripotent (feminine ventripotente, masculine plural ventripotents, feminine plural ventripotentes)

  1. having a big belly, ventripotent

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French ventripotent.

Adjective

ventripotent m or n (feminine singular ventripotentă, masculine plural ventripotenți, feminine and neuter plural ventripotente)

  1. potbellied

Declension

References

  • ventripotent in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.