malaprop

[mal-uh-prop] Origin

mal·a·prop

[mal-uh-prop]
noun
malapropism (def. 2).

Origin:
1815–25; see Malaprop

out·mal·a·prop, verb (used with object), out·mal·a·propped, out·mal·a·prop·ping.

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Malaprop is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

Mal·a·prop

[mal-uh-prop]
noun
Mrs., a character in Sheridan's The Rivals (1775), noted for her misapplication of words.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To malaprop
Collins
World English Dictionary
malapropism (ˈmæləprɒpˌɪzəm)
 
n
1.  the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one of similar sound, esp when creating a ridiculous effect, as in I am not under the affluence of alcohol
2.  the habit of misusing words in this manner
 
[C18: after Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan's play The Rivals (1775), a character who misused words, from malapropos]
 
'malaprop
 
adj
 
mala'propian
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

malaprop
1823, see malapropism.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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