runcible spoon

runcible spoon
runcible spoon /ˈrʌnsəblˈspu:n/
loc. n.
forchetta che serve anche da coltello e cucchiaio (avendo tre grossi rebbi concavi, di cui uno tagliente) NOTE DI CULTURA: runcible spoon: runcible è una parola ► nonsense inventata da Edward Lear, che l'ha usata per la prima volta nella poesia «The Owl and the Pussycat»: «They dined on mince, and slices of quince, / Which they ate with a runcible spoon». Altrove Lear fornisce un'illustrazione del runcible spoon, che non ha rebbi ma è semplicemente storto all'estremità. Lear ha usato l'aggettivo anche per un cappello, un gatto, un'oca e un muro e quindi probabilmente contava soprattutto sulla forza evocativa della parola, che fa venire in mente parole come Roncevaux (Roncisvalle) e fencible (che difende, difensivo).

English-Italian dictionary. 2013.

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  • runcible spoon — [run′sə bəl] n. [coined by LEAR2 Edward < ? obs. rounceval, huge (< ?) + IBLE] a table utensil of indefinite form referred to by Edward Lear in his humorous poem “The Owl and the Pussycat” (1871): term later applied to any of various… …   English World dictionary

  • Runcible spoon — NOTOC A runcible spoon is a utensil that appears in the nonsense poetry also uses the adjective runcible to describe objects other than spoons. It is fundamentally a nonsense word.Cecil Adams, The Straight Dope ,… …   Wikipedia

  • runcible spoon — noun A fork like spoon that has a cutting edge. They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; …   Wiktionary

  • runcible spoon — run′ci•ble spoon′ [[t]ˈrʌn sə bəl[/t]] n. a forklike utensil with two broad prongs and one sharp, curved prong, as used for serving hors d oeuvres • Etymology: runcible, nonsense term coined in 1871 by Edward Lear …   From formal English to slang

  • runcible spoon — /run seuh beuhl/ a forklike utensil with two broad prongs and one sharp, curved prong, as used for serving hors d oeuvres. [runcible, term coined in 1871 by Edward Lear] * * * …   Universalium

  • runcible spoon — [ rʌnsɪb(ə)l] noun a fork curved like a spoon, with three broad prongs, one of which has a sharpened outer edge for cutting. Origin C19: used by Edward Lear, perh. suggested by late C16 rouncival, denoting a large variety of pea …   English new terms dictionary

  • runcible spoon — /rʌnsəbəl ˈspun/ (say runsuhbuhl spoohn) noun a utensil with two broad prongs (like a fork) and one sharp, curved prong (like a spoon), or other similar implement. {coined by Edward Lear in the poem The Owl and the Pussycat (1871) …  

  • runcible spoon — n. a fork curved like a spoon, with three broad prongs, one edged. Etymology: nonsense word used by E. Lear, Engl. humorist d. 1888, perh. after rouncival large pea …   Useful english dictionary

  • runcible spoon — noun Etymology: coined with an obscure meaning by Edward Lear Date: 1871 a sharp edged fork with three broad curved prongs …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • runcible — 1871, a nonsense word coined by Edward Lear; used especially in runcible spoon spoon with three short tines like a fork, which first took the name 1926 …   Etymology dictionary

  • runcible — /runˈsi bl/ adjective Appar a nonsense word of Edward Lear s, whose phrase runcible spoon has been applied to a pickle fork with broad prongs and one sharp, curved prong …   Useful english dictionary

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