Fatiferous

/fəˈtɪfərəs/ adjective

Definition

Bringing or bringing about fate; producing fatal or destined consequences.

Etymology

From Latin 'fatum' (fate) + '-ferous' (bearing, carrying, from 'ferre' meaning 'to bear'). This is an extremely rare English word, possibly a scholarly invention from the 1600s-1800s.

Kelly Says

This wonderfully obscure adjective literally means 'fate-bearing'—like something carrying destiny on its shoulders. You'd almost never hear it in modern English, but it's exactly the kind of word scholars would have invented when Latin and Greek vocabulary was fashionable.

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