ENGLISH
REFERENCE

valentine

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈvæɫənˌtaɪn// UK //vˈæləntˌaɪn// valen·tine

n. a person you love or like, or a special card you send to them on February 14th. People often use this word to talk about their boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse on that day.

n. a person singled out as a sweetheart or recipient of a greeting on Saint Valentine's Day; also refers to the card or gift sent to such a person.


SIMPLE

Will you be my Valentine this year?

CONTEXTUAL

He spent the entire morning writing a heartfelt message inside a handmade Valentine for his wife.

COMPLEX

The tradition of sending an anonymous Valentine flourished during the Victorian era, as improvements in the postal service made it easier to exchange tokens of affection discreetly.

Origin

From Latin Valentīnus, a patronymic from Valēns (Roman cognomen), itself nominalized from vālens (“strong, healthy”) + -īnus (“-ine”). Doublet of Valentinus, Valentino, Valentina, and Valentini.

Usage

Often capitalised when referring to the person or the specific holiday card.

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