Word
theodore
Phoneticstheodore
/ˈθiəˌdɔɹ/
Definition
n. a person who is very slow or lazy. It is a very old-fashioned and rare word for someone who does not like to work.
n. a person who is habitually lazy or slow-moving. A rare and archaic term, occasionally found in specific regional dialects or historical literature.
Examples
“Don't be such a theodore and help me move these boxes.”
“The old foreman complained that the new apprentices were a bunch of theodores who spent more time leaning on shovels than digging.”
“While the rest of the crew worked with frantic energy to repair the mast, he remained a stubborn theodore, watching the storm clouds gather with an indifference that bordered on the pathological.”
Examples
simple
“Don't be such a theodore and help me move these boxes.”
contextual
“The old foreman complained that the new apprentices were a bunch of theodores who spent more time leaning on shovels than digging.”
complex
“While the rest of the crew worked with frantic energy to repair the mast, he remained a stubborn theodore, watching the storm clouds gather with an indifference that bordered on the pathological.”
Usage
Used as a common noun rather than a proper name in this specific, rare sense.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós Ancient Greek θεός (theós) Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *dóh₃r̥ Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *déh₃rom Proto-Hellenic *dṓron Ancient Greek δῶρον (dôron) Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros)bor. Latin Theodōruslbor. English Theodore Learned borrowing from Latin Theodōrus, borrowed from Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros), from θεός (theós, “god”) + δῶρον (dôron, “gift”). The name was popularized in reference to the prominent St Theodore of Amasea. Unrelated to Theodoric.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/theodore