Pronounced: uh-ROY-oh, noun
Notes: I’ve run across this word in some reading, but I was not sure of the meaning
Yesterday’s word
The word esplanade is “a level open stretch of paved or grassy ground — especially one designed for walking or driving along a shore”
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Background / Comments
Our word came from the Middle French word esplanade, which came from the Italian word spianata (a level stretch of ground), which came from the verb spinianare (to make level), which came from the Latin word explanare (to make level). [Incidentally, this Latin word is the source for “explain”.] Our word these days refers to a place of enjoyment, but in the 1600s, our word was associated with war.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 