See Also: septleva(dictionary)

terrible (iou) and septleva (iou)


terrible (iou)



terrible adjective, adverb, & noun. LME.
[Old & mod. French from Latin terribilis, from terrere frighten: see -IBLE.]
A. adjective.
Causing or fit to cause terror; inspiring great fear or dread; appalling, frightful. LME.
I. Murdoch Remembering..the scene as..something potent with the most terrible menace. M. Amis She told me something so terrible,..so annihilating that I can't remember a word.
a. Causing a feeling similar to dread or awe; very violent, severe, or painful; colloq. very great or bad; excessive. L16.
I. Murdoch It's a terrible bore, but we must go and see Millie. J. Neel There will be a terrible bang and the..building will combust.
b. Of a person: outrageous; behaving in a shocking or outrageous manner. M19.
terrible infant = ENFANT TERRIBLE. terrible twins joc. a pair of associates whose behaviour is troublesome or outrageous.
C. Hampton Men I fall in love with turn out to be such terrible people.
c. Exceedingly incompetent; of shockingly poor performance or quality. E20.
C. Harkness Men..wearing..terrible old plus-fours, scruffy jackets. New Yorker He didn't win..very oftenhe was a terrible speller.
b. adverb. Exceedingly; = TERRIBLY 2a. Now chiefly colloq. & US. L15.
E. O'Neill She was terrible old-fashioned.
C. noun. A terrible thing or being; something causing great fear or dread. Usu. in pl. E17.
J. Struthers One has, between Grecian and Gothic story, generated a new race of terribles.
terribleness noun M16.

septleva (iou)



septleva noun.E-M18.
[Contr. of French sept-et-le-va = seven and the first stake.]
In the card-game of basset, a bid to leave a won stake in place and bet it on the turn of another card of the same rank for a sevenfold win.