kenning 1 of 2

chiefly Scottish

kenning

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ken, chiefly Scottish

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kenning
Noun
This is a kenning that evokes a natural transition to darkness and also an unfinished human endeavor. Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024 The kenning’s true meaning lies beyond the edges of my comprehension. Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024 My favorite parts of the book are those where there's a new kenning. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023 Most of the writers attempting to imitate Tolkien weren’t steeped in the rhythm of Old English kennings, or the spiritual yearning of chivalric romance. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 2 June 2023 Weinersmith has successfully captured the spirit of this timeless story, weaving in generous amounts of alliteration and his version of Old English kennings, a compound figure of speech that replaces a common noun with two or more words that make for a more figurative than literal description. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kenning
Noun
  • Indeed, in 2023, his music earned him just shy of $200,000, about one halfpenny at a time.
    Brett Martin, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
  • In nineteenth-century England, tailors would place old halfpennies in the pockets of a man’s new suit for good luck.
    Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • The whispers rise, a hum, a din— China’s AI, set to win.
    Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 28 Jan. 2025
  • More powerful and vivid than captured on record, her singing moved from faint, vulnerable whispers to urgent, shrill-free belting that often carried without the aid of effects.
    Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • For those who don't know the back story, the pretty colors might get in the way of accurately perceiving this bike.
    Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 23 Dec. 2024
  • All that needs to happen are people perceiving moral infractions.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Slowly, surely, one mote of black dust at a time, tires are leaving their mark on the environment.
    Tim Stevens, The Verge, 17 Nov. 2023
  • In the 1996 film Twister, storm chasers played by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton sacrifice nearly everything to let loose swarms of data-collecting motes that get sucked up into a tornado and beam data back.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2023
Noun
  • However, as the universe continued to cool, more neutral hydrogen atoms formed and began absorbing photons en masse.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In saturated fats, the carbon atoms have the maximum amount of hydrogen atoms bonded.
    Devineé Lingo, M.S., Health, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The last-minute Annie Oakley act does not alter that one whit.
    The Editors, National Review, 30 Sep. 2024
  • The same wellness warriors who fret about microplastics seem not to care one whit about the breakdown of medical aesthetics.
    Mattie Kahn, Vogue, 23 July 2024
Verb
  • The following content is brought to you by PCMag partners.
    StackCommerce Team (Sponsored), PCMAG, 6 Jan. 2025
  • The striker joined Frankfurt on a free transfer from Nantes in 2022 following the expiration of his contract, having scored 23 times in 87 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.
    David Ornstein, The Athletic, 6 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Try your luck by running the 40-yard dash or vertical jumping, just like the prospects do at the NFL Scouting Combine.
    Neil Nakahodo, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2025
  • In addition, the designer’s mood board was pinned with images ranging from cinematic shots of Monica Bellucci to editorials and runway moments starring pets — a prelude to the dash of pet therapy and humor Koma injected into the lineup.
    Sandra Salibian, WWD, 16 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near kenning

Cite this Entry

“Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kenning. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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