aplomb
/əpˈlɒm/uh-PLOM
/əpˈlɑm/uh-PLAHM
Meaningby the plumb line; upright
Common meaning: self-confidence (once uprightness)
- ato, towards, at (Latin ad-, often through French a-)
- plomblead (the metal)Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), p. 1388 · scan
‘to, towards, at (Latin ad-, often through French a-)’ + ‘lead (the metal)’ → aplomb
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Built on Latin plumbum ‘lead (the metal)’.
Roots
- plumbum Latin “lead (the metal)”
Related words
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app