darling

See also Darling

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English derling, from Old English dēorling (darling, favorite, minion", also "household god), corresponding to dear +‎ -ling.

Pronunciation

Noun

darling (plural darlings)

  1. A person who is dear to one.
    • 2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, Guardian:
      If there's such a thing as pariah food – a recipe shunned by mainstream menus, mocked to near extinction and consigned to niche hinterlands for evermore – then the nut roast, a dish whose very name has become a watchword for sawdusty disappointment, is surely a strong contender. One of the darlings of the early vegetarian movement (particularly in its even sadder form, the cutlet), it was on the menu at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium [sic], and has since become the default Sunday option for vegetarians – and a default source of derision for everyone else.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

darling (comparative darlinger, superlative darlingest)

  1. Dear; cherished.
    She is my darling wife of twenty-two years.
  2. charming
    Well isn't that a darling little outfit she has on.

Translations

Usage notes

darlinger is rarely used.

Anagrams

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Last modified on 20 May 2013, at 16:24