feng shui

feng shui

[fuhng shwey]
the Chinese art or practice of creating harmonious surroundings that enhance the balance of yin and yang, as in arranging furniture or determining the siting of a house.
Origin:
1795–1800; < Chinese: natural surroundings, literally, wind and water

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Collins
World English Dictionary
feng shui (ˈfʌŋ ˈʃweɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the Chinese art of determining the most propitious design and placement of a grave, building, room, etc, so that the maximum harmony is achieved between the flow of chi of the environment and that of the user, believed to bring good fortune
 
[C20: from Chinese feng wind + shui water]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Feng shui is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

feng shui
also feng-shui, 1797, from Chinese, from feng "wind" + shui "water." A system of spiritual influences in natural landscapes and a means of regulating them.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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