Dégagé

Was it the accent marks that scared away the Spelling Bee editors?

Photo by Elena Kloppenburg on Unsplash

Today’s New York Times Spelling Bee letters:

Art: Iva Reztok

A, E, G, O, P, Y, and center D (all words must include D)

Merriam-Webster says…

Credit: merriam-webster.com

Silly little dictionary! Don’t you know that dégagé can’t possibly be a word if the New York Times says it ain’t?

For further fascinating facts, check out the Spelling Bee Master.

What’s your favorite dord* from today’s puzzle?

My Two Cents

I find dégagé to be a very interesting word. The first two definitions seem to be related to a carefree air, while the third one, out of left field, describes a specific leg movement in ballet.

Now, one might think this third definition would be a noun, but the entire word is described as an adjective. That’s because dégagé is a common abbreviation for battement dégagé.