rankle
pronunciation
How to pronounce rankle in British English:
UK [ˈræŋkl]
How to pronounce rankle in American English:
US [ˈræŋkəl]
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- Verb:
- gnaw into; make resentful or angry
Word Origin
- rankle
- rankle: [14] Etymologically, if something rankles, it festers from the effects of a ‘dragon’s’ bite. Nowadays the word is only used metaphorically, but it originally meant literally ‘be sore, fester’. It was borrowed from Old French rancler, a variant of draoncler. This was derived from draoncle ‘ulcer’, which in turn came from dranculus, the medieval Latin descendant of dracunculus, a diminutive form of Latin dracō ‘snake’ (source of English dragon). The notion underlying the word is of an ulcer caused by the bite of a snake.=> dragon
- rankle (v.)
- c. 1300, "to fester," from Old French rancler, earlier raoncler, draoncler "to suppurate, run," from draoncle "abscess, festering sore," from Medieval Latin dracunculus, literally "little dragon," diminutive of Latin draco "serpent, dragon" (see dragon). The notion is of an ulcer caused by a snake's bite. Meaning "cause to fester" is from c. 1400. Related: Rankled; rankling.
Example
- 1. But this would rankle china , where many think the american aim is to " contain " them .
- 2. But whereas churchill is sometimes claimed as a forefather of the european project , the interventions of david cameron only seem to rankle .
- 3. You burrow and rankle inhis heart !
- 4. South korea does too , and historical memories still rankle in that country .
- 5. You 'll make your back rankle if you carry those massive tubs .