Word of the Day: Vouchsafe

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The definition of "vouchsafe" by Merriam-Webster is as follows:

vouch·safe

verb \vauch-sāf, ˈvauch-ˌ\

vouch·safed

vouch·saf·ing

Definition of VOUCHSAFE

transitive verb

1 a: to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner

b: to give by way of reply vouchsafe an explanation>

2: to grant as a privilege or special favor

Let's see… why did I pick this word today?  Well, I ran across it in a novel of Edgar Rice Burroughs, written in the early 20th Century.  It immediately caught my eye, and I looked it up on my Kindle while reading.  Why doesn't this word get used today?