Word of the Day Archive
Tuesday December 4, 2007
profuse \pruh-FYOOS; proh-\ , adjective:
1. Pouring forth with fullness or exuberance; giving or given liberally and abundantly; extravagant.
2. Exhibiting great abundance; plentiful; copious; bountiful.
Lo and behold, when the time came to pay the check, it turned out that my pants had been torn by a nail strategically located under the table. Profuse apologies and "please don't pay for this dinner" followed.
-- George Lang, Nobody Knows the Truffles I've Seen
Thickets of brambles and vines grew in profuse, obscuring tangles between our house and the road.
-- Reeve Lindbergh, Under a Wing
Profuse comes from Latin profusus, past participle of profundere, "to pour forth," from pro-, "forth" + fundere, "to pour."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for profuse
