ecdysiast

ec·dys·i·ast

[ek-diz-ee-ast, -ist]
noun
stripper ( def 3 ).

Origin:
ecdysi(s) + -ast, variant of -ist after a vowel; coined by H. L. Mencken in 1940

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To ecdysiast
Collins
World English Dictionary
ecdysiast (ɛkˈdɪzɪˌæst) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
a facetious word for stripper
 
[C20: (coined by H. L. Mencken) from ecdysis + -ast, variant of -ist]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Ecdysiast is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ecdysiast
H.L. Mencken's invented proper word for "strip-tease artist," 1940, from Gk. ekdysis "a stripping or casting off" (used scientifically with ref. to serpents shedding skin or crustacea molting), from ekdyein "to put off" (contrasted with endyo "to put on"), from ex- + dyo "sink, plunge, enter."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT