mammothrept
English
WOTD – 9 July 2011
Etymology
From Late Latin mammothreptus (“kept at the breast too long”), from Koine Greek μαμμόθρεπτος (mammóthreptos, “brought up by one’s grandmother”), from Ancient Greek μάμμη (mámmē, “grandmother”) + θρεπτός (threptós) verbal adjective from τρέφω (tréphō, “to bring up”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmaməθɹɛpt/
Audio (UK) (file)
Noun
mammothrept (plural mammothrepts)
- (archaic) A spoilt child.
- 1601, Ben Jonson, Fountaine of Selfe-love, Act IV Scene 3:
- O, you are a meere mammothrept in judgement, then. Why, doe you not obserue how excellently the dittie is affected in euerie place?
- 1947, Robertson Davies, The Diary of Samuel Marchbanks:
- She concludes, "you better apologize." The day I apologize to you, you contumacious mammothrept, there will be two moons in the sky.
- 1970, Patrick O'Brian, Master & Commander:
- ‘And having seen the parents I am impatient to see this youth, the fruit of their strangely unattractive loins: will he be a wretched mammothrept?’
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Translations
spoilt child
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