peach

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>peach</strong> &#149; \PEECH\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong>  to inform against <strong>:</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/betray">betray</a></p> <p><strong>2 :</strong>  to turn informer <strong>:</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blab#h2">blab</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"They'll think his lordship, or perhaps his brother, <em>peached</em> on them." — <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Gabriel_Lord_of_Regrets/75v6DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22They%27ll+think+his+lordship,+or+perhaps+his+brother,+peached+on+them%22&amp;pg=PT62&amp;printsec=frontcover">Grace Burrowes, <em>Gabriel: Lord of Regrets</em>, 2013</a></p> <p>"Peter cocked his head. 'What are the chances of him finding out who <em>peached</em> him?' 'He will certainly never hear it from me.' She slid her gaze to her coachman. 'Or Gary. As long as you don't say anything, there is no chance.'" — <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Emperor_s_Conspiracy/dactDDI_F18C?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22peached+him%22&amp;pg=PA88&amp;printsec=frontcover">Michelle Diener, <em>The Emperor's Conspiracy</em>, 2012</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>If you guessed that the origin of this verb <em>peach</em> has something to do with a slightly fuzzy fruit, you are unfortunately incorrect. The fruit <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peach#h1">peach</a></em> is an unrelated word that traces back to the Latin phrase <em>malum persicum</em>, literally meaning "Persian fruit." The verb blossomed from Middle English <em>apechen</em> ("to accuse"), itself an offspring of the Anglo-French verbs <em>apecher</em> and <em>empecher</em>, both meaning "to ensnare." <em>Empecher</em> is