Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The act of endearing.
- noun An expression of affection, such as a caress.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The state of being endeared; tender affection; love.
- noun Endearing action; a manifestation of affection; loving conduct; a caress, or the like.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The act of endearing or the state of being endeared; also, that which manifests, excites, or increases, affection.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
affection
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the act of showing affection
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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I've lost count of the number of times I've heard a BBC reporter make reference to "Stevie G", which might well be music to the ears of Scouse lovers, but to the rest of us this term endearment is vomit enducing.
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The same word that's used as part of a vicious attack can sometimes be a term of endearment.
Larry Magid: Technology Doesn't Cause Bullying and -- Despite Claims -- It Can't Prevent It Larry Magid 2011
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But maybe it sounds weird to your ears because you're a guy, and you call this part of your anatomy you "spare tire," "love handles" or another term of endearment.
Jean Fain, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W.: Love Your Muffin Top Jean Fain 2011
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But maybe it sounds weird to your ears because you're a guy, and you call this part of your anatomy you "spare tire," "love handles" or another term of endearment.
Jean Fain, L.I.C.S.W., M.S.W.: Love Your Muffin Top Jean Fain 2011
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The same word that's used as part of a vicious attack can sometimes be a term of endearment.
Larry Magid: Technology Doesn't Cause Bullying and -- Despite Claims -- It Can't Prevent It Larry Magid 2011
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“Fucking obese,” he'd say as if it was a term of endearment, as if it was expected of him.
Buoyancy DeMisty Bellinger 2011
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Then send a text—with a term of endearment—that appears to be written to someone else.
Why Texting Turns Us Back Into Teenagers Elizabeth Bernstein 2011
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The same word that's used as part of a vicious attack can sometimes be a term of endearment.
Larry Magid: Technology Doesn't Cause Bullying and -- Despite Claims -- It Can't Prevent It Larry Magid 2011
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Now geek is a term of endearment among acolytes of technology, imbued with golden marketing potential.
Now That Everyone Wants to Be a Geek, Lawyers Have Been Called Miguel Bustillo 2011
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The same word that's used as part of a vicious attack can sometimes be a term of endearment.
Larry Magid: Technology Doesn't Cause Bullying and -- Despite Claims -- It Can't Prevent It Larry Magid 2011
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