Oprah

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Oprah Winfrey, the American television host, actress and media executive known for her long-running daytime talk show
2. The name of the American broadcaster and businesswoman who rose to fame through a popular daytime television talk program
3. A reference to the American media personality, philanthropist and entrepreneur famous for hosting a influential daytime talk show

Etymology: Oprah Winfrey, the American television host, was born Orpah Gail Winfrey in 1954. Her name was taken from Orpah, a woman in the Book of Ruth, but a clerical mix-up is the usual explanation for why the spelling changed. Her name was reportedly misspelled as "Oprah" on early records, and the form stuck, so the spelling now used as a common noun is simply the one she came to be known by. The word "oprah" as a common noun is a back-formation of sorts from the famous host, and its sound shift is an example of metathesis, in which two sounds swap places. The original "Orpah" moved its "r" to produce "Oprah," so the name's pronunciation became a familiar "OH-prah" rather than the older "OR-pah."