17 August 2014

demure

demure

[dih-myoo r]

adjective, demurer, demurest.

1. characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved.
2. affectedly or coyly decorous, sober, or sedate.

Origin

1350-1400; Middle English dem (e) ur (e) well-mannered, grave < Anglo-French demuré, past participle of demurer to demur; perhaps influenced by Old French mur, mëur grave, mature (< Latin matūrus)

Related forms
demurely, adverb
demureness, noun
undemure, adjective
undemurely, adverb
undemureness, noun

Can be confused
demur, demure.

Synonyms Expand
1. retiring. See modest.

Antonyms
1, 2. indecorous.

Anagram

red emu
rude me

Today’s aphorism

Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.

– Walt Whitman

On this day

17 August 1786 – birth of Davy Crockett, American frontiersman, King of the Wild Frontier.

17 August 1896 – Bridget Driscoll becomes the first car accident fatality after being run over by a Benz car in the grounds of the Crystal Palace, London, England.

17 August 1908 – the world’s first animated cartoon, Fantasmagorie by Émile Cohl, is shown in Paris.

17 August 1970 – Russia launches the Venera 7 spacecraft, which becomes the first man-made object to land on Venus (15 December 1970)

17 August 1980 – Azaria Chamberlain is reported missing at Ayers Rock, Northern Territory. Initially it was claimed that a dingo took her. In 1982, her mother, Lindy Chamberlain was tried for murder. Her husband, Michael, was charged for being an accessory after the fact. After three years in prison, Lindy was released after a piece of the baby’s clothing was found near a dingo’s lair. In 2012, a coroner confirmed the Chamberlain’s version of events that a dingo had taken Azaria.

17 August 1987 – death of Rudolf Hess, prominent Nazi politician who served as Deputy Fuhrer under Adolf Hitler. In 1941, Hess flew solo to Scotland in an effort to negotiate peace after being ignored by Hitler in various plans associated with the war. The flight was not sanctioned by Hitler. Hess was taken prisoner and charged with crimes against peace. He served a life sentence and remained in prison until his death. Born 26 April 1894.