pococurante

WOTD – 23 February 2007    

English

Etymology

From Italian poco ‘little’ + curante ‘caring’, from curare ‘to care’.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˌpəʊ.kəʊ.kjʊəˈræn.ti/
• (US) IPA: /ˌpoʊ.koʊ.kjuːˈrɑːn.ti/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

pococurante (comparative more pococurante, superlative most pococurante)

1. apathetic, indifferent or nonchalant
   • 1909, Ward A. W., Prothero G. W., Leathes Stanley K.C.B., and Lord Acton, The Cambridge Modern History, Vol. VI, p. 20.

     The Treasury was entrusted to the pococurante capacity of Grafton, the Exchequer to the erratic genius of Charles Townshend.

Synonyms

• aloof, apathetic, disinterested, indifferent, nonchalant

Translations

apathetic

• Polish: obojętny, niedbały

• Romanian: nepăsător (ro), indiferent (ro), insensibil (ro), impasibil (ro)

Noun

pococurante (plural pococurantes)

1. such a person

Derived terms

• pococurantism