Explore the Interesting Definition of CONCOCTION (It’s Related to Cooking!)
What is the Definition of CONCOCTION?
Learn the definition of concoction and then see how to use this word in a variety of ways and contexts. Gain mastery of the word CONCOCTION in this video and add life and vibrancy to your English conversation.
Transcript
Slide 1:
Hello, I’m David James.
Slide 2:
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Slide 3:
What Does Concoction Mean?
Slide 4:
- A mixture of various ingredients (as in cooking)
- Something fabricated or devised, e.g. a story that is hard to believe.
Let’s look at the origin of the word.
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Concoction comes from the Latin coquere, meaning, “to cook”. The prefix con- means “together”, so “boil together”, “prepare”.
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However, from around the 18th century the meaning went beyond cooking!
It began to take on the sense of “cooking something up” meaning contriving or fabricating an explanation or story.
Let’s look at some examples . . .
CONCOCTION in a sentence
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The picture shows a glass containing a bright green drink.
This sentence example reads:
“Whatever is that concoction?”
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In other words, the word ‘whatever’ can be used instead of ‘what’ to emphasize something or express surprise.
Further, ‘concoction’ here refers to a drink with a bewildering or confusing combination of ingredients. (Definition 1: A mixture of various ingredients)
Slide 9:
In the next picture we see a man in a busy street. His facial expression indicates he doubts the truthfulness of what he is being told.
The sentence example reads:
“You don’t honestly expect me to believe such a concocted explanation do you?”
Slide 10:
To clarify, perhaps this man’s friend was late meeting him and said it was because animals escaped from the zoo and the traffic was held up.
Therefore, the look on his face says: “I don’t believe you!” (Definition 2: Something fabricated or devised, e.g. a story)
Slide 11:
The last picture shows a young woman in a crowd. Her hair is a turquoise colour and she is wearing an orange and cream dress with bright red bows on her arms.
Sentence example:
This fashion concoction certainly made her stand out in the crowd!
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That is to say, this girl wore a mixture of colours and clothing styles which focused attention on her. (Definition 1: A mixture of various things)
To sum up . . .
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In conclusion: You can probably see that you need to use the word ‘concoction’ with caution, as it can often have a negative meaning.
However, it’s the perfect word to describe a mixture of many different elements and a good word for describing a story that’s far-fetched and hard to believe.
Slide 14:
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Similarly, if you are interested in the definition of CONCOCTION, be sure to check:
“The Origin and Meaning of GALVANIZE”
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14: Free Use nenetus at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode
