Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Divest

WORD OF THE DAY February 2, 2018

divest    verb | dye-VEST     Definition   1 a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title   b : to undress or strip especially of clothing, ornament, or equipment   c : rid, free   2 : to take away from a person   Scroll down for more about divest       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Words of Snow and Ice Quiz   A selection of words from the chillier parts of the lexicon.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   Divest is one of many English words that come from the Latin verb vestire ("to clothe") and ultimately from the noun vestis ("clothing, garment"). Others include vest, vestment, invest, and travesty. Divest and its older form devest can mean "to unclothe" or "to remove the clothing of," but the word had broader applications even when it was first being used in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the opening scene of Shakespeare's King Lear, Lear uses the term to mean "rid oneself of" or "put aside":     "Tell me, my daughters     (Since now we will divest us both of rule,     Interest of territory, cares of state),     Which of you shall we say doth love us most?" In addition to clothing, one can be divested of power, authority, possessions, or burdens.     Examples of DIVEST   The court's ruling does not divest the family of their ability to use the property.   "A news release went out from Governor Andrew Cuomo's office, saying that New York was going to divest its vast pension-fund investments in fossil fuels." — Bill McKibben, The New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2017   Name That Synonym   Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of divest referring to dispossession: e _ _ r _ p _ i _ te.   VIEW THE ANSWER           USAGE NOTES     'Free Rein' or 'Free Reign'?   The phrase does not make you king or queen for the day.   FIND OUT

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