different between affair vs churchwarden

English

Alternative forms

• affaire (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English afere, affere, from Old French afaire, from a- + faire (“to do”), from Latin ad- + facere (“to do”). See fact, and confer ado.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??f??/
• (otherwise) (US) IPA^(key): /??f??(?)/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??f??/
• Rhymes: -??(?)

Noun

affair (plural affairs)

1. (often in the plural) Something which is done or is to be done; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public.

   Synonyms: matter, concern
2. Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely.
3. (military) An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle.
4. A material object (vaguely designated).

   • The house was a big elaborate limestone affair, evidently new. Winter sunshine sparkled on lace-hung casement, on glass marquise, and the burnished bronze foliations of grille and door.
5. An adulterous relationship. (from affaire de cœur).
6. A romantic relationship with someone who is not one's regular partner (boyfriend, girlfriend).
7. A person with whom someone has an adulterous relationship.
8. A party or social gathering, especially of a formal nature.
9. (slang, now rare) The (male or female) genitals.
   • 1748, John Cleland, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure:

     [S]he, with the greatest effrontery imaginable, unbuttons his breeches, and removing his shirt, draws out his affair, so shrunk and diminished that I could not but remember the difference, now cresfallen, or just faintly lifting its head.

Translations

See also

• liaison

References

• affair in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• raffia

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from English affair, from French affaire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?fe?/, [a?fe?]

Noun

affair m (plural affaires)

1. affair (extramarital relationship)

   Synonym: aventura

English

Etymology

church +? warden

Pronunciation

Noun

churchwarden (plural churchwardens)

1. (Britain) A lay officer of the Church of England who handles the secular affairs of the parish.
2. (US) A similar functionary of the Episcopal church.
3. (Britain, slang) A churchwarden pipe.
   • W. Black

     There was a small wooden table placed in front of the smoldering fire, with decanters, a jar of tobacco, and two long churchwardens.

   • 1843, John William Carleton, The Sporting Review (volume 10, page 419)

     In one part of Cockaigne an amalgamation of these two last has lately taken place; and the pleasure experienced by the parishioners of Walbrook is unbounded when smoking an alderman and churchwarden.

Derived terms

• churchwarden pipe
• churchwardenship
• churchwarden's pew

Translations

See also

• vestry