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penchant

 - 4 dictionary results

pen⋅chant

  [pen-chuhnt; Fr. pahn-shahn]
–noun
a strong inclination, taste, or liking for something: a penchant for outdoor sports.
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Origin:
1665–75; < F, n. use of prp. of pencher to incline, lean < VL *pendicāre, deriv. of L pendēre to hang
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To penchant
pen·chant   (pěn'chənt)   
n.  A definite liking; a strong inclination. See Synonyms at predilection.

[French, from present participle of pencher, to incline, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *pendicāre, from Latin pendēre, to hang; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]
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

penchant 
1672, from Fr. penchant, properly the prp. of O.Fr. pencher "to incline," from V.L. *pendicare, a frequentative formed from L. pendere "to hang" (see pendant).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

penchant

see have a penchant for.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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