Friday, February 11, 2011

Imbroglio

Imbroglio \im-BROHL-yoh\ , noun;
1. A complicated and embarassing state of things
2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding
3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction
4. A confused mass; a tangle

This word dates to 1750 and comes from Italian imbroglio. Imbrolio derives from imbrogliare ("confuse, tangle"), which is a combination of in- + brogliare ("in"+ "embroil"). Brogliare is probably from Middle French brouiller ("confuse") which is also the forebear of broil.

Today's word and the first definition were both taken from Dictionary.com's 'Word of the Day' for Friday, February 11
Etymologies come from the Oxford English Dictionary and/or Etymonline.com

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