English

edit

Etymology

edit

Borrowed from Latin mangōnizō (to adorn wares for sale), from mangō (dealer who adorns his wares to make them look more valuable) (the source of English monger) + -izō (-ize).

Verb

edit

mangonize (third-person singular simple present mangonizes, present participle mangonizing, simple past and past participle mangonized)

  1. (transitive, obsolete) To make (something) appear more attractive or appealing.
    • 1642, Thomas Barton, “Section II”, in ΑΠΟΔΕΙΞΙΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΝΤΙΤΕΙΧΙΣΜΑΤΟΣ. [APODEIXIS TOU ANTITEICHISMATOS.] Or, A Tryall of the Covnter-scarfe, Made 1642. [], London: Printed by Thomas Purslow, for Andrew Crooke, [], published 1643, →OCLC, page 16:
      [Y]our Mercuriall wit hath mangonized a Gigantean fury with an humble hue.
    • 1902, Edward Washburn Hopkins, The Religions of India, page 300:
      What little seems to be authentic history is easily told; nor are, for our present purpose, of much value the legends, which mangonize the life of Buddha. They will be found in every book that treats of the subject, [...]
edit