corody

noun

cor·​o·​dy ˈkȯr-ə-dē How to pronounce corody (audio)
ˈkär-
variants or corrody
plural corodies
: an allowance of provisions for maintenance dispensed as a charity

Word History

Etymology

Middle English corody, corrodie "allowance for food, lodging, etc., granted by a religious house or other body as an annuity," borrowed from Anglo-French corrodie, borrowed from Medieval Latin corrodium, variant of conredium, corredium, conregium, noun derivative of Vulgar Latin *conrēdāre "to make provision for," whence Old French conreer "to prepare, dress, equip" — more at curry entry 1

Note: The Medieval Latin word, attested from at least the tenth century with many variants, must have been formed early enough to preserve the internal -d- of the source, which was lost in Gallo-Romance; variants with -g- instead of -d- were presumably guesses at the sound's identity after -d- was lost. The second -o- of corrodium may reflect Old French nominal forms such as conroi with rounding of the vowel nucleus.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corody was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

corodiary
corody
corojo
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Corody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corody. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

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