expletive
expletive is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 2 senses. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.Filling up; hence, added merely for the purpose of filling up; superfluous. "Expletive imagery." Hallam. Expletive phrases to plump his speech. Barrow.
- 2.A word, letter, or syllable not necessary to the sense, but inserted to fill a vacancy; an oath. While explectives their feeble aid to join, And ten low words oft creep in one dull line. Pope.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is expletive.
- What is filling up; hence, added merely for the purpose of filling up; superfluous. "Expletive imagery." Hallam. Expletive phrases to plump his speech. Barrow called?
- What is a word, letter, or syllable not necessary to the sense, but inserted to fill a vacancy; an oath. While explectives their feeble aid to join, And ten low words oft creep in one dull line. Pope called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/expletive
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