Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A dissembler; a flatterer; a hypocrite.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • I think so, said he, myself; and then shall you be a puppy, and this gentle popinjay a perfect papelard, that is, dissembler.

    Five books of the lives, heroic deeds and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel 2002

  • I think so, said he, myself; and then shall you be a puppy, and this gentle popinjay a perfect papelard, that is, dissembler.

    Five books of the lives, heroic deeds and sayings of Gargantua and his son Pantagruel 2002

  • I think so, said he, myself; and then shall you be a puppy, and this gentle popinjay a perfect papelard, that is, dissembler.

    Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 1 Fran��ois Rabelais 1518

  • "Chanson de Roland" to the "Tragedy of Hamlet"; to be "papelard" was unworthy of a chevalier; the true knight of courtesy made nothing of defying the torments of hell, as he defied the lance of a rival, the frowns of society, the threats of parents or the terrors of magic; the perfect, gentle, courteous lover thought of nothing but his love.

    Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres Henry Adams 1878

  • The courtesy of Roland has the serious solidity of the Romanesque arch, and that of Lancelot and Aucassins has the grace of a legendary window; but one may love it, all the same; and one may even love the knight, -- papelard though he were, -- as he turned back to the altar and remained in prayer until the last mass was ended.

    Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres Henry Adams 1878

Comments

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  • dissembler

    April 26, 2009

  • It is either a sub-tribe of the Piegan or a different pronunciation of it. The Piegan are a southern branch of the Blackfoot Tribe of American Indians.

    May 4, 2009

  • This word was chosen as Wordnik word of the day.

    November 11, 2009

  • recycling words of the day, eh?

    September 15, 2013

  • Yes! We're going back through our old words of the day so that we can start showing words of the day on weekends, too. :-) Also, a lot of our early words of the day were pretty fun, but we had way fewer subscribers then, so they missed out ...

    September 15, 2013

  • oh ok, that's fine then. I was trying to make a reference to a recent tweet-recycling kerfuffle.

    September 17, 2013