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Weird Word Wednesdays: Croodle, shrammed, and nither

For today’s Weird Word Wednesday, let’s look at three words related to cold weather: croodle, shrammed, and nither.

Here’s what www.merriam-webster (unabridged edition) says about these words:

croodle

Pronunciation: [ ˈkrüdᵊl ]

Part of speech: Verb

Definition:  To huddle together, as from cold.

Origin:  Probably frequentative of Scots crood to crowd, from Middle English crouden

“Croodle.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/croodle. Accessed 23 Dec. 2022.

shrammed

Pronunciation: [ ˈs(h)ramd, -aa(ə)md ]

Part of speech: Adjective

Definition: Shriveled and benumbed with cold.

Origin: Probably alteration of scrammed, past participle of scram.

“Shrammed.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/shrammed. Accessed 23 Dec. 2022.

nither

Pronunciation: [ ‘nih-thur ]

Part of speech: Verb

Definition: To shiver or tremble, especially with cold.

Origin: Probably Scandinavian

“Nither.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/nither. Accessed 23 Dec. 2022.

What other weird words to describe cold can you think of? Let me know in the comments below.

Posted in Pamela, Weird Word Wednesdays