Pronounced: HOL-uh-fraz-um, noun
Notes: An interesting word (new to me)
Yesterday’s word
The word junket means
- a festive social affair
- a trip made by an official at public expense
- a promotional trip made at another’s expense
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1300s
Background / Comments
Our word has had an interesting journey. It was originally used to refer to various types of food, but then expanded to mean “banquet”. Finally, the word came to refer to pleasure outings or trips (regardless of whether food was involved or not). Its most common meaning these days are the second and third meanings above; the first one is new to me. Our word comes from the Middle English word jonket, which came from the Old French word jonquette (a reed basket), which came from the Latin word juncus (reed).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 