Enkerchief

/ɪnˈkɛɹtʃɪf/ verb

Definition

To cover with a kerchief or headscarf; to wrap the head.

Etymology

From 'en-' (into) plus 'kerchief,' which comes from Old French 'couvre-chef' (head-covering), literally 'cover-head.' The French compound was borrowed into Middle English and eventually shortened to 'kerchief.'

Kelly Says

The word 'kerchief' preserves a perfect example of how English borrowed French words during the Middle Ages—the French 'couvre-chef' was so useful that English speakers adopted it, but then simplified it to just 'kerchief' and invented new verbs like 'enkerchief' to use it as a verb.

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