Pronounced: VEE-luhr, adj
Notes: I couldn’t remember the definition, but I think I’ve seen the word before
Yesterday’s word
The word fabian means “avoiding direct confrontation; cautious; delaying”
First usage
This word goes back to the late 1500s
Background / Comments
This word is named after a real person, not someone in fiction; in this case, Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus. He used guerilla tactics (at least, that’s what we would call them today) by not engaging the enemy directly. Instead, he disrupted the enemy’s supply lines and other such tactics – what we call a war of attrition.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 