ventripotent

English

WOTD – 13 February 2012

Etymology

From Middle French ventripotent, from Latin venter (belly) + potens (powerful).

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /vɛnˈtɹɪpətənt/
  • (file)

Adjective

ventripotent (comparative more ventripotent, superlative most ventripotent)

  1. Having a big belly.
    • 1694, François Rabelais, translated by Thomas Urquhart, Pantagruel, Book LIX, (chapter title):
      Of the ridiculous statue Manduce; and how, and what the Gastrolaters sacrifice to their ventripotent [translating ventripotent] god.
    • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber 2004 (Avignon Quintet), p. 714:
      The reception committee consisted of Constance and a ventripotent Swiss banker, representing the Red Cross [...].
  2. Gluttonous.
    • 2008, A. C. Kemp, The Perfect Insult for Every Occasion, →ISBN, page 198:
      I'm sure your being so ventripotent is useful in county fair competitions, George, but it's driving our bakery into the ground, so we're replacing you.

Translations

French

Portrait d’un homme ventripotent.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Adjective

ventripotent (feminine ventripotente, masculine plural ventripotents, feminine plural ventripotentes)

  1. having a big belly, ventripotent

Further reading

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French ventripotent.

Adjective

ventripotent m or n (feminine singular ventripotentă, masculine plural ventripotenți, feminine and neuter plural ventripotente)

  1. potbellied

Declension

References

  • ventripotent in Academia Română, Micul dicționar academic, ediția a II-a, Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2010. →ISBN
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