succor

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The Word of the Day for June 12 is:

succor   \SUCK-er\   noun
    *1 : relief; also : aid, help 
     2 : something that furnishes relief 

Example sentence:
      "The people lost all hope of succor, and fled to the mountains for 
refuge." (Mark Twain, _A Tramp Abroad_)

Did you know? 
     If you're in need of an explanation of the origins of "succor," we can 
help. Middle English speakers adapted "socour," the predecessor of "succor," 
from the Anglo-French "sucors," which essentially had the same meaning as our 
modern word. "Sucors," in turn, derives from the Medieval Latin "succursus," 
itself a derivative of the Latin verb "succurrere," meaning "to run to the 
rescue" or "to bring aid." That Latin verb was a composite of the prefix "sub-" 
(meaning "from below") and the verb "currere" (meaning "to run"). "Succor" has 
been saving the day in English (as both a noun and a verb) since at least the 
13th century.  

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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