Welcome to another spine-tingling installment of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! This is the fourth entry in our series of words which only seem to appear in the negative. And the Word of the Week is...
Unfurl:
Pronunciation: \-ˈfər(-ə)l\
Function: verb
Date: 1641
transitive verb: to release from a furled state
intransitive verb : to open out from or as if from a furled state : unfold
"unfurl." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.
Merriam-Webster Online. 21 May 2010
but have you ever heard anyone use the word...
Furl:
Pronunciation: \ˈfər(-ə)l\
Function: verb
Etymology: Anglo-French ferlier to fasten, from fer, ferm tight (from Latin firmus firm) + lier to tie, from Latin ligare — more at ligature
Date: 1556
transitive verb : to wrap or roll (as a sail or a flag) close to or around something
intransitive verb : to curl or fold as in being furled
"furl." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2010.
Merriam-Webster Online. 21 May 2010
Example: The retired captain walked past his old post twice a day, at dawn and at dusk, just for the pleasure of watching them unfurl and furl the flag which he had served under for so long.
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