assegai

[as-uh-gahy]

as·se·gai

[as-uh-gahy] noun, plural as·se·gais, verb, as·se·gaied, as·se·gai·ing.
noun
1.
the slender javelin or spear of the Bantu-speaking people of southern Africa.
2.
a southern African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such spears are made.
verb (used with object)
3.
to pierce with an assegai.

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Assegai is one of our favorite verbs.
So is absquatulate. Does it mean:
to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.
to flee; abscond:
Also, assagai.


Origin:
1615–25; earlier azagaia < Portuguese < Arabic az zaghāyah, equivalent to al the + Berber zaghāyah assegai
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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World English Dictionary
assegai or assagai (ˈæsəˌɡaɪ)
 
n , pl -gais
1.  a southern African cornaceous tree, Curtisia faginea, the wood of which is used for making spears
2.  a sharp light spear, esp one made of this wood
 
[C17: from Portuguese azagaia, from Arabic az zaghāyah, from al the + zaghāyah assegai, from Berber]
 
assagai or assagai
 
n
 
[C17: from Portuguese azagaia, from Arabic az zaghāyah, from al the + zaghāyah assegai, from Berber]

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