ardour

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

ardour (countable and uncountable, plural ardours)

  1. British, Canada, and Australia spelling of ardor.
    • 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter VI, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. [], volume III, London: [] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 120:
      I rushed towards her, and embraced her with ardour; but the deathly languor and coldness of the limbs told me, that what I now held in my arms had ceased to be the Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished.
    • 1931, H. P. Lovecraft, chapter 6, in The Whisperer in Darkness:
      The purpose of my visit, and the frightful abnormalities it postulated struck at me all at once with a chill sensation that nearly over-balanced my ardour for strange delvings.

Translations

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman ardour, ardur, from Latin ārdor, ārdōrem; compare ardaunt.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /arˈduːr/, /ˈardur/

Noun

ardour (plural ardours) (rare, Late Middle English)

  1. ardour (emotional passion or intensity)
  2. A fiery, painful feeling.

Descendants

  • English: ardor, ardour

References

Old French

Noun

ardour oblique singularf (oblique plural ardours, nominative singular ardour, nominative plural ardours)

  1. Late Anglo-Norman spelling of ardur
    toun ardour et l’estudie de aprendre [] deit estre provee