20 May 2017
prurient
[proo r-ee-uh nt]
adjective
1. having, inclined to have, or characterized by lascivious or lustful thoughts, desires, etc.
2. causing lasciviousness or lust.
3. having a restless desire or longing.
Origin of prurient
Latin
1630-1640; Latin prūrient- (stem of prūriēns), present participle of prūrīre to itch
Related forms
prurience, pruriency, noun
pruriently, adverb
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for prurient
Contemporary Examples
So far no Republican congressman has been foolish enough to cast himself as the Ken Starr figure, prude, proud and prurient.
Should Weiner Resign? Daily Beast Contributors Weigh In
The Daily Beast
June 6, 2011
It remains unclear whether the interest is altruistic or self-aggrandizing, humane or prurient, psychopathic or admirable.
All These Useless Doctors
Kent Sepkowitz
January 31, 2010
The influence of Oliver Stone, our granddaddy of prurient interest in political violence, hung thick in the air.
The Strange World of Political Assassination Fantasies
James Poulos
September 23, 2014
The only interest served by the Guardians of Peace is our prurient interest.
The Disaster Story That Hollywood Had Coming
Doug McIntyre
December 16, 2014
Philip Delves Broughton explains how the paper was popular, prurient, and invasive.
The Intrusive British Press
July 9, 2011
Historical Examples
That prurient heat in Twenty-five millions of hearts is not cooled thereby; but is still hot, nay hotter.
The French Revolution
Thomas Carlyle
The Aino’s imagination is as prurient as that of any Zola, and far more outspoken.
Aino Folk-Tales
Basil Hall Chamberlain
Voltaire says that these prurient questions were debated with a gusto and a minuteness of detail not found elsewhere.
The History of Prostitution
William W. Sanger
“To h–––– with their prurient laws,” said Lopez, rising suddenly from his chair.
The Prime Minister
Anthony Trollope
And this fair-haired little figure was the woman that people who knew her only from her books, called bold, prurient even!
The Wheels of Chance
H. G. Wells
Anagram
turn ripe
ripen rut
Pi turner
Today’s quote
We write to taste life twice: in the moment and in retrospection.
– Anais Nin
On this day
20 May 325 – commencement of the First Council of Nicea, a cabal of 1800 bishops convened by Roman Emperor Constantine I (Constantine the Great) to gain consensus within the church for various doctrinal issues, such as the divinity of Christ, the Holy Trinity and the date for Easter which were articulated in the ‘Creed of Nicea’. The Council concluded on 25 August 325.
20 May 1896 – a 6 ton chandlier falls from the ceiling of the Palais Garnier, Paris, onto the crowd below. One person is killed and many injured. The theatre was used as the setting for Gaston Leroux’s novel, Phantom of the Opera.
20 May 1944 – birth of Joe Cocker. English rock and blues singer. His first big hit was in 1968 with his cover of the Beatles song, ‘With a Little Help from my Friends’, which he performed at Woodstock the year later. In 1972, while touring Australia, he and six band members were arrested in Adelaide for possession of cannabis. The following day he was charged with assault following a brawl in Melbourne. Australian Federal Police gave him 48 hours to leave the country and banned him from re-entry. From this he earned the nickname ‘Mad-dog’. The incident raised the profile of cannabis legalisation in Australia. He toured Australia again in 1975, after the new Labor government allowed him back into the country. He won a Grammy Award in 1983 and was awarded an OBE in 2007. Died 22 December 2014.
20 May 2017 – World Whiskey Day.