TARNATION

Etymology

Noun

tarnation (countable and uncountable, plural tarnations)

(archaic) The act or process of damnation or reprobation; hell.

(obsolete) Someone or something that causes trouble; troublemaker.

Interjection

tarnation

(archaic) Used to express anger, irritation, disappointment, annoyance, contempt, etc.

Adjective

tarnation (comparative more tarnation, superlative most tarnation)

Bothersome; devilish.

Generic intensifier.

Adverb

tarnation (comparative more tarnation, superlative most tarnation)

Very; extremely.

Usage notes

This New Englandism has fallen out of use in New England, but is remembered for its colorfulness and is still used in the Southeastern United States as a minced oath, where ‘hell’ or ‘damn’ would otherwise be said, especially in the phrase "what in tarnation".

Anagrams

• Tarantino, intra-NATO, tranation

Source: Wiktionary



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Word of the Day

23 February 2025

BARGAIN

(noun) an advantageous purchase; “she got a bargain at the auction”; “the stock was a real buy at that price”


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee starts as a yellow berry, changes into a red berry, and then is picked by hand to harvest. The red berry is de-shelled through a water soaking process and what’s left inside is the green coffee bean. This bean then dries in the sun for 3-5 days, where it is then packed and ready for sale.

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