Pronounced: SHOWN-duh (alt: SHAHN-duh), noun
Notes: I have not run across this word
Yesterday’s word
The word farouche means
- unruly or disorderly; wild
- marked by shyness and lack of social graces
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1700s
Background / Comments
Our word came from the French word farouche (wild; shy), which came from the Old French word forasche, which came from the Late Latin word forasticus (living outside), which came from the Latin word foras (outdoors). The idea seems to be (when brought into English) that a socially awkward person would be one who was an outsider to the group – perhaps from living outdoors.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 