Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Cortege

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

cortege \kawr-TEZH\, noun:
1. A procession, especially a ceremonial one.
2. A line or train of attendants; retinue.

From her parlor window, Susan Kidwell saw the white cortege glide past, and watched until it had rounded the corner and the unpaved street's easily airborne dust had landed again.
-- Truman Capote, In Cold Blood

As the cortege neared the downtown section more cars joined it. The hearse was followed by six Packard touring cars with tops back, driven by liveried chauffeurs and filled with flowers.
-- William Faulkner, Sanctuary

Cortege is related to the Old French word curt meaning “an enclosed yard.” By the 1600s, it referred to “a train of attendants.”

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