Word of the Day - 07/27/26
furlough
/'fɜrloʊ/(v.): dismiss or reduce working hours, usually for economic reasons
Due to budget cuts, several factory workers were furloughed indefinitely.
(n.): a temporary leave of absence from military duty
The soldier received a two-week furlough to attend his sister's wedding.
(n.): a temporary leave of absence authorized for a prisoner from a penitentiary
During his weekend furlough from the penitentiary, the prisoner stayed with his family before returning to complete his sentence.
Word Origin
The word 'furlough' originates from the Dutch word 'verlof', meaning 'permission' or 'leave'. It entered the English language in the 17th century, likely through military contexts. The Dutch 'verlof' itself is composed of the prefix 'ver-', which is cognate with the English 'for-' (often indicating removal, completion, or prohibition, as in 'forbid' or 'forget'), and 'lof', meaning 'leave' or 'permission'.
Words with similar origins include the English word 'leave' (in the sense of authorized absence, e.g., 'sick leave'), which shares a common Germanic root for permission. Another example is the German word 'Urlaub' (meaning 'holiday' or 'leave'), where the 'laub' element is cognate with the 'lof' in Dutch 'verlof'.