malfeasance

Pronounced: mal-FEE-zuhns, noun

Notes: I was pretty close with this one, but I decided to add it to write about the similar-looking words “misfeasance” and “nonfeasance”

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Yesterday’s word

The word carrefour means

• crossroads
• square, plaza

First usage

This word came into English in the 1400s

Background / Comments

Even though we see the word ‘four’ in the word (and the word originally meant an intersection of “four” roads at a single point – a crossroads); it is the first have that has the meaning of “four”: the word came to English via Middle French from Late Latin quadrifurcus (having four forks). It is a combination of quadri- (four) and furca (fork). The word’s meaning expanded to refer to any public square or plaza.