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nuptials

 - 3 dictionary results

nup⋅tial

  [nuhp-shuhl, -chuhl]
Use nuptials in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to marriage or the marriage ceremony: the nuptial day; nuptial vows.
2. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of mating or the mating season of animals: nuptial behavior.
–noun
3. Usually, nuptials. a wedding or marriage.
Origin:
1480–90; (MF) < L nuptiālis, equiv. to nupti(ae) marriage, wedding, deriv. of nubēre to marry (of a woman); cf. nubile

Related forms:
nup⋅tial⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
3. See marriage.

Pronunciation note:
The pronunciations [nuhp-choo-uhl] and [nuhp-shoo-uhl], by analogy with such words as mutual and actual, are not considered standard.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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nup·tial   (nŭp'shəl, -chəl)   
adj.  

  1. Of or relating to marriage or the wedding ceremony.

  2. Of, relating to, or occurring during the mating season: the nuptial plumage of male birds.

n.  A wedding ceremony. Often used in the plural.

[Middle English nupcialle, from Old French nuptial, from Latin nūptiālis, from nūptiae, wedding, from nūpta, feminine past participle of nūbere, to take a husband.]
nup'tial·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

nuptial 
1490, from L. nuptialis "pertaining to marriage," from nuptiæ "wedding," from nupta, fem. pp. of nubere "take as a husband," related to Gk. nymphe "bride," from PIE *sneubho- "to marry, wed" (cf. O.C.S. snubiti "to love, woo," Czech snoubiti "to seek in marriage," Slovak zasnubit "to betroth").
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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