andiron

May. 11th, 2022 08:20 am
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[personal profile] prettygoodword
andiron (AND-ai-ern) - n., one of a pair of metal supports used for holding up logs in a fireplace.


Also called dog or fire-dog in the southern United States, but very few other places. The word dates to the 1200s as Middle English aundyr(n)e, from Anglo-French aundyre (with the 2nd syllable taken as Middle English ire/iren, iron, in part because they were generally made of iron) from Old French andier, allegedly from Gaulish *anderos, young animal, because animal heads were used as decorations on andirons.

andirons holding up the fire
Thanks, WikiMedia!

---L.

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