English

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Alternative forms

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  • morne (14th-15th centuries)

Etymology

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From Middle English mornen, mournen, from Old English murnan, from Proto-Germanic *murnaną. Cognate with French morne (gloomy).

Pronunciation

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Verb

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mourn (third-person singular simple present mourns, present participle mourning, simple past and past participle mourned)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) To express sadness or sorrow for; to grieve over (especially a death).
  2. (transitive) To utter in a sorrowful manner.
  3. (intransitive) To wear mourning.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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mourn (countable and uncountable, plural mourns)

  1. (now literary) Sorrow, grief.
    • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “vij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book II:
      Anone after ther cam balen / and whan he sawe kynge Arthur / he alyght of his hors / and cam to the kynge on foote / and salewed hym / by my hede saide Arthur ye be welcome / Sire ryght now cam rydynge this way a knyght makynge grete moorne / for what cause I can not telle
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
  2. A ring fitted upon the head of a lance to prevent wounding an adversary in tilting.

See also

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Anagrams

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