WORD OF THE DAY
FAVONIAN \ fuh-VOH-nee-un \ adjective
Definition
1: of or relating to the west wind
2: mild
Examples
Our guests relaxed on the patio, watching the sunset and enjoying favonian breezes.
"The singular microclimate of Neuras makes [wine production] possible, as the favonian wind blowing in from the Atlantic chills the area down, while a geological fault spills out five natural springs into the alkaline soil."
— Richard Bangs, The Huffington Post,7 Oct. 2014
Did You Know?
In "Ode to the West Wind," poet Percy Bysshe Shelley called the "wild West Wind" the "breath of Autumn's being." But according to Greco-Roman tradition, the west wind was warm and usually gentle.
Its Latin name, Favonius, is the basis for the English adjective favonian and derives from roots that are akin to the Latin fovēre, meaning "to warm."
Zephyros, a Greek name for the west wind, is the ultimate source of zephyr, meaning "a gentle breeze." In Greco-Roman tradition, it was the north wind, Boreas (aka Aquilo), who was the rude and blustery type.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Wormhole
WORD OF THE DAY
WORMHOLE \ WERM-hohl \ noun
Definition
1 : a hole or passage burrowed by a worm
2 : a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time
ExamplesSome science fiction writers speculate that wormholes will become the intergalactic highways of the future.
"Sci-fi fans who hope humanity can one day zoom to distant corners of the universe via wormholes, as astronauts do in the recent film 'Interstellar,' shouldn't hold their breath."
— Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Nov. 2014
Did You Know?
If you associate wormhole with quantum physics and sci-fi, you'll probably be surprised to learn that the word has been around since Shakespeare's day—although, admittedly, he used it more literally than most modern writers. To Shakespeare, a wormhole was simply a hole made by a worm, a more down-to-earth sense which is still used today.
But even the Bard subtly linked wormholes to the passage of time; for example, in The Rape of Lucrece, he notes time's destructive power "to fill with worm-holes stately monuments." To modern astrophysicists, a wormhole isn't a tunnel wrought by a slimy invertebrate but a theoretical tunnel between two black holes or other points in space-time, providing a shortcut between its end points
WORMHOLE \ WERM-hohl \ noun
Definition
1 : a hole or passage burrowed by a worm
2 : a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time
ExamplesSome science fiction writers speculate that wormholes will become the intergalactic highways of the future.
"Sci-fi fans who hope humanity can one day zoom to distant corners of the universe via wormholes, as astronauts do in the recent film 'Interstellar,' shouldn't hold their breath."
— Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Nov. 2014
Did You Know?
If you associate wormhole with quantum physics and sci-fi, you'll probably be surprised to learn that the word has been around since Shakespeare's day—although, admittedly, he used it more literally than most modern writers. To Shakespeare, a wormhole was simply a hole made by a worm, a more down-to-earth sense which is still used today.
But even the Bard subtly linked wormholes to the passage of time; for example, in The Rape of Lucrece, he notes time's destructive power "to fill with worm-holes stately monuments." To modern astrophysicists, a wormhole isn't a tunnel wrought by a slimy invertebrate but a theoretical tunnel between two black holes or other points in space-time, providing a shortcut between its end points
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Petulant
WORD OF THE DAY
PETULANT \ PET-chuh-lunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior
2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish
Examples
Uncle Harold is a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems.
"… this bunch doesn't care about being reasonable or meeting opposing views halfway. Like petulant toddlers, they want it all right now or they'll throw a tantrum."
— Kevin Foley, The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal, 16 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." Petere is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which petulant was derived. Some other words with connections to petere are compete and appetite. Competere, the Late Latin precursor to compete, is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb petere.
The joining of ad- and petere led to appetere ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our appetite. Additional descendants of petere are petition, perpetual, and impetus.
PETULANT \ PET-chuh-lunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior
2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish
Examples
Uncle Harold is a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems.
"… this bunch doesn't care about being reasonable or meeting opposing views halfway. Like petulant toddlers, they want it all right now or they'll throw a tantrum."
— Kevin Foley, The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal, 16 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." Petere is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which petulant was derived. Some other words with connections to petere are compete and appetite. Competere, the Late Latin precursor to compete, is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb petere.
The joining of ad- and petere led to appetere ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our appetite. Additional descendants of petere are petition, perpetual, and impetus.
Monday, December 28, 2015
Exorbitant
WORD OF THE DAY
EXORBITANT \ ig-ZOR-buh-tunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : not coming within the scope of the law
2 : exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size
Examples
I asked what the rent was for the apartment, and my jaw dropped when they quoted me an exorbitant sum.
"Much of the discussion centered around a lack of financial literacy, which can leave some vulnerable to taking on debt that they can't repay, with exorbitant interest rates or balloon payments."
— Carrie Wells, The Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2015
Did You Know?
The first use of exorbitant in English was "wandering or deviating from the normal or ordinary course." That sense is now archaic, but it provides a hint as to the origins of exorbitant: the word derives from Late Latin exorbitans, the present participle of the verb exorbitare, meaning "to deviate."
Exorbitare in turn was formed by combining the prefix ex-, meaning "out of," with the noun orbita, meaning "track of a wheel" or "rut." (Orbita itself traces back to orbis, the Latin word for "disk" or "hoop.") In the 15th century exorbitant came to refer to something which fell outside of the normal or intended scope of the law. Eventually, it developed an extended sense as a synonym of excessive.
EXORBITANT \ ig-ZOR-buh-tunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : not coming within the scope of the law
2 : exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size
Examples
I asked what the rent was for the apartment, and my jaw dropped when they quoted me an exorbitant sum.
"Much of the discussion centered around a lack of financial literacy, which can leave some vulnerable to taking on debt that they can't repay, with exorbitant interest rates or balloon payments."
— Carrie Wells, The Baltimore Sun, 1 Dec. 2015
Did You Know?
The first use of exorbitant in English was "wandering or deviating from the normal or ordinary course." That sense is now archaic, but it provides a hint as to the origins of exorbitant: the word derives from Late Latin exorbitans, the present participle of the verb exorbitare, meaning "to deviate."
Exorbitare in turn was formed by combining the prefix ex-, meaning "out of," with the noun orbita, meaning "track of a wheel" or "rut." (Orbita itself traces back to orbis, the Latin word for "disk" or "hoop.") In the 15th century exorbitant came to refer to something which fell outside of the normal or intended scope of the law. Eventually, it developed an extended sense as a synonym of excessive.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Crèche
WORD OF THE DAY
crèche \ KRESH \ noun
Definition
1 : a representation of the Nativity scene
2 : a nursery or day care center
3 : a group of young animals (such as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults
Examples
A crèche was erected on the lawn in front of the church.
"Goldman has a creche in the basement of the building and Tefridj-Gaillard has used it in the past when other childcare fell through."
— Rosamund Urwin, The Evening Standard, 17 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
"She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a cratch." That may not sound like a familiar translation of Luke 2:7, but back in the 1300s, the substitution of cratch for manger probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. Back then spelling was imprecise, and several different words and spellings, including cratch, cracche, crache, and crecche, were used to describe a trough for holding feed for livestock or to identify the manger where Jesus was laid.
By the late 18th century, crèche (which we borrowed from French and now sometimes spell without the accent mark) had displaced those older forms, and the word had lost its former "manger" meaning, coming to refer instead to a representation of the Nativity scene itself.
crèche \ KRESH \ noun
Definition
1 : a representation of the Nativity scene
2 : a nursery or day care center
3 : a group of young animals (such as penguins or bats) gathered in one place for care and protection usually by one or more adults
Examples
A crèche was erected on the lawn in front of the church.
"Goldman has a creche in the basement of the building and Tefridj-Gaillard has used it in the past when other childcare fell through."
— Rosamund Urwin, The Evening Standard, 17 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
"She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a cratch." That may not sound like a familiar translation of Luke 2:7, but back in the 1300s, the substitution of cratch for manger probably wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. Back then spelling was imprecise, and several different words and spellings, including cratch, cracche, crache, and crecche, were used to describe a trough for holding feed for livestock or to identify the manger where Jesus was laid.
By the late 18th century, crèche (which we borrowed from French and now sometimes spell without the accent mark) had displaced those older forms, and the word had lost its former "manger" meaning, coming to refer instead to a representation of the Nativity scene itself.
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Aftermath
WORD OF THE DAY
AFTERMATH \ AF-ter-math \ noun
Definition
1 : a second-growth crop
2 : consequence, result
3 : the period immediately following a usually ruinous event
Examples
It was almost noon before I felt ready to face the aftermath of the previous night's festivities, and to begin cleaning up.\
"In the aftermath of World War II, Tupperware parties became a popular compromise between the jobs many [American women] had grown accustomed to while American men were fighting overseas and their re-entrenched domestic obligations as wives and mothers."
— Schuyler Velasco, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2015
Did You Know?
Aftermath dates to the late 1400s and was originally an agricultural term. Its two parts are transparent—but only if you're familiar with an ancient word math that is now used only in British dialectal English and that means "a mowing of a grass or hay crop" and also refers to the crop that is gathered.
The original aftermath came, of course, after the math: it was historically the crop of (usually) grass cut, grazed, or plowed under after the first crop of the season from the same soil. It wasn't until the mid-late 1600s that aftermath developed its other meanings, both of which are now far more common than the first.
AFTERMATH \ AF-ter-math \ noun
Definition
1 : a second-growth crop
2 : consequence, result
3 : the period immediately following a usually ruinous event
Examples
It was almost noon before I felt ready to face the aftermath of the previous night's festivities, and to begin cleaning up.\
"In the aftermath of World War II, Tupperware parties became a popular compromise between the jobs many [American women] had grown accustomed to while American men were fighting overseas and their re-entrenched domestic obligations as wives and mothers."
— Schuyler Velasco, The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Aug. 2015
Did You Know?
Aftermath dates to the late 1400s and was originally an agricultural term. Its two parts are transparent—but only if you're familiar with an ancient word math that is now used only in British dialectal English and that means "a mowing of a grass or hay crop" and also refers to the crop that is gathered.
The original aftermath came, of course, after the math: it was historically the crop of (usually) grass cut, grazed, or plowed under after the first crop of the season from the same soil. It wasn't until the mid-late 1600s that aftermath developed its other meanings, both of which are now far more common than the first.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Cavil
WORD OF THE DAY
CAVIL \ KAV-il \ verb
Definition
: to raise trivial and frivolous objection
Examples
Amber caviled about going to the flea market when I first brought up the idea, but she seemed to enjoy herself thoroughly once we were there.
"The system prompted some critics to cavil that the Volt was not an electric car, and was simply a plug-in hybrid…."
— Frank A. Aukofer, The Providence Journal, 11 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
"You must be joking!" That's just one of the things you might be tempted to exclaim if you found yourself quarreling with a caviler—and you'd be right, etymologically speaking at least. Cavil derives from the Latin verb cavillari, meaning "to jest" or "to raise silly objections," which in turn derives from the Latin noun cavilla, meaning "raillery."
In case you're wondering, cavil is not related to the adjective cavalier ("marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters"). Cavalier, which is also a noun for a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship, traces back via Middle French to the Late Latin caballarius, meaning "horseman."
CAVIL \ KAV-il \ verb
Definition
: to raise trivial and frivolous objection
Examples
Amber caviled about going to the flea market when I first brought up the idea, but she seemed to enjoy herself thoroughly once we were there.
"The system prompted some critics to cavil that the Volt was not an electric car, and was simply a plug-in hybrid…."
— Frank A. Aukofer, The Providence Journal, 11 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
"You must be joking!" That's just one of the things you might be tempted to exclaim if you found yourself quarreling with a caviler—and you'd be right, etymologically speaking at least. Cavil derives from the Latin verb cavillari, meaning "to jest" or "to raise silly objections," which in turn derives from the Latin noun cavilla, meaning "raillery."
In case you're wondering, cavil is not related to the adjective cavalier ("marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters"). Cavalier, which is also a noun for a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship, traces back via Middle French to the Late Latin caballarius, meaning "horseman."
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Invidious
WORD OF THE DAY
INVIDIOUS \ in-VID-ee-us \ adjective
Definition
1 : tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy
2a : unpleasant, objectionable, or obnoxious
2b : of a kind to cause harm or resentment
Examples
"Consider the intimate and curious acquaintance one makes with various kinds of weeds … disturbing their delicate organizations so ruthlessly, and making such invidious distinctions with his hoe, levelling whole ranks of one species, and sedulously cultivating another."
— Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
"Organizations that practice invidious discrimination detract from social justice. Whatever benefits they may have (of tradition, solidarity, community and self-expression) are undercut by the unpleasantness of treating people differently on the basis of arbitrary characteristics."
— Noah Feldman, The Contra Costa (California) Times, 28 Jan. 2015
Did You Know?
Fittingly, invidious is a relative of envy. Both are descendants of invidia, the Latin word for "envy," which in turn comes from invidēre, meaning "to look askance at" or "to envy." (Invidious descends from invidia by way of the Latin adjective invidiosus, meaning "envious," whereas envy comes to English via the Anglo-French noun envie.)
These days, however, invidious is rarely used as a synonym for envious. The preferred uses are primarily pejorative, describing things that are unpleasant (such as "invidious choices" and "invidious tasks") or worthy of scorn ("invidious remarks" or "invidious comparisons").
INVIDIOUS \ in-VID-ee-us \ adjective
Definition
1 : tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy
2a : unpleasant, objectionable, or obnoxious
2b : of a kind to cause harm or resentment
Examples
"Consider the intimate and curious acquaintance one makes with various kinds of weeds … disturbing their delicate organizations so ruthlessly, and making such invidious distinctions with his hoe, levelling whole ranks of one species, and sedulously cultivating another."
— Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854
"Organizations that practice invidious discrimination detract from social justice. Whatever benefits they may have (of tradition, solidarity, community and self-expression) are undercut by the unpleasantness of treating people differently on the basis of arbitrary characteristics."
— Noah Feldman, The Contra Costa (California) Times, 28 Jan. 2015
Did You Know?
Fittingly, invidious is a relative of envy. Both are descendants of invidia, the Latin word for "envy," which in turn comes from invidēre, meaning "to look askance at" or "to envy." (Invidious descends from invidia by way of the Latin adjective invidiosus, meaning "envious," whereas envy comes to English via the Anglo-French noun envie.)
These days, however, invidious is rarely used as a synonym for envious. The preferred uses are primarily pejorative, describing things that are unpleasant (such as "invidious choices" and "invidious tasks") or worthy of scorn ("invidious remarks" or "invidious comparisons").
Monday, December 21, 2015
Hidebound
WORD OF THE DAY
HIDEBOUND \ HYDE-bound \ adjective
Definition
1 : (of a domestic animal) having a dry skin lacking in pliancy and adhering closely to the underlying flesh
2 : having an inflexible or ultraconservative character
Examples
The store failed when its hidebound owners refused to alter their business model to adjust for the changing economy.
"Both sides acknowledge a cultural divide between hidebound Beacon Hill, dominated by lawyers, lobbyists, and professional politicians, and a tech sector increasingly driven by apolitical twentysomethings."
— Michael Levenson, The Boston Globe, 30 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Hidebound has its origins in agriculture. The word, which appeared in English as hyde bounde in the 16th century, originally described cattle that, due to illness or poor feeding, had skin that clung to the skeleton and could not be pinched, loosened, or worked with the fingers. Hidebound has also been applied to humans—both literally, to describe people with tight skin, and figuratively.
In its earliest figurative usage, hidebound meant "stingy" or "miserly." That sense has since fallen out of use, but a second figurative usage, describing people who are rigid or unyielding in their actions or beliefs, lives on in our language today.
HIDEBOUND \ HYDE-bound \ adjective
Definition
1 : (of a domestic animal) having a dry skin lacking in pliancy and adhering closely to the underlying flesh
2 : having an inflexible or ultraconservative character
Examples
The store failed when its hidebound owners refused to alter their business model to adjust for the changing economy.
"Both sides acknowledge a cultural divide between hidebound Beacon Hill, dominated by lawyers, lobbyists, and professional politicians, and a tech sector increasingly driven by apolitical twentysomethings."
— Michael Levenson, The Boston Globe, 30 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Hidebound has its origins in agriculture. The word, which appeared in English as hyde bounde in the 16th century, originally described cattle that, due to illness or poor feeding, had skin that clung to the skeleton and could not be pinched, loosened, or worked with the fingers. Hidebound has also been applied to humans—both literally, to describe people with tight skin, and figuratively.
In its earliest figurative usage, hidebound meant "stingy" or "miserly." That sense has since fallen out of use, but a second figurative usage, describing people who are rigid or unyielding in their actions or beliefs, lives on in our language today.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Perpetuity
WORD OF THE DAY
PERPETUITY \ per-puh-TOO-uh-tee \ noun
Definition
1 : eternity
2 : the quality or state of continuing forever
Examples
The terms of the benefactor's will calls for the formation of a trust intended to fund the library for perpetuity.
"Afterwards these animals were reintroduced to the project area, and migratory corridors were created between solar fields to allow antelope and elk to pass unimpeded. As an added measure … 12,000 acres of nearby land were set aside for conservation in perpetuity."
— Philip Warburg, The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Continual existence—that elusive concept has made perpetuity a favorite term of philosophers and poets for centuries. The word derives ultimately from the Latin adjective perpetuus ("continual" or "uninterrupted"), which is also the source of our perpetual and perpetuate.
It frequently occurs in the phrase "in perpetuity," which essentially means "forever" or "for an indefinitely long period of time." Perpetuity also has some specific uses in law. It can refer to an arrangement in a will rendering land forever inalienable (or at least, for a period longer than is set by rules against such arrangements) or to an annuity that is payable forever.
PERPETUITY \ per-puh-TOO-uh-tee \ noun
Definition
1 : eternity
2 : the quality or state of continuing forever
Examples
The terms of the benefactor's will calls for the formation of a trust intended to fund the library for perpetuity.
"Afterwards these animals were reintroduced to the project area, and migratory corridors were created between solar fields to allow antelope and elk to pass unimpeded. As an added measure … 12,000 acres of nearby land were set aside for conservation in perpetuity."
— Philip Warburg, The New York Times, 3 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Continual existence—that elusive concept has made perpetuity a favorite term of philosophers and poets for centuries. The word derives ultimately from the Latin adjective perpetuus ("continual" or "uninterrupted"), which is also the source of our perpetual and perpetuate.
It frequently occurs in the phrase "in perpetuity," which essentially means "forever" or "for an indefinitely long period of time." Perpetuity also has some specific uses in law. It can refer to an arrangement in a will rendering land forever inalienable (or at least, for a period longer than is set by rules against such arrangements) or to an annuity that is payable forever.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Unclubbable
WORD OF THE DAY
UNCLUBBABLE \ un-KLUB-uh-bul \ adjective
Definition
1a: having or showing a disinclination for social activity
1b: unsociable
Examples
However fascinating her research is, the professor is decidedly unclubbable and not likely to make a good dinner party guest.
"Journalists are always fun on screen. This is because journalists are such fun in real life. Gossipy and unclubbable, they make the best company."
— Rachel Cooke, The New Statesman, 25 July 2011
"Journalists are always fun on screen. This is because journalists are such fun in real life. Gossipy and unclubbable, they make the best company."
— Rachel Cooke, The New Statesman, 25 July 2011
Did You Know?
The word unclubbable dates to the late 1770s, a time when lexicographer Samuel Johnson was still riding a wave of fame in the wake of the publication of his 1755 A Dictionary of the English Language. Johnson himself likely coined unclubbable.
Earliest evidence of the word in use is from a 1778 entry in author Fanny Burney's diary, in which she quotes Johnson as using the word to describe a friend. Burney herself may have coined the unflattering descriptor's antonym: in a 1781 diary entry, she describes Johnson himself as clubbable—an adjective that has stuck to him ever since.
For Johnson, a person's clubbability was likely determined by how well the person might do in a very particular club: "The Club"—later known as "The Literary Club"—established by Johnson and the artist Joshua Reynolds in 1764.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Deference
WORD OF THE DAY
DEFERENCE \ DEF-uh-runss \ noun
Definition
1: respect and esteem due a superior or an elder;
2: affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes
Examples
Showing deference to his visiting uncle, Charles insisted on giving up his usual seat at the head of the dinner table so that the older gentleman could take his place.
"At 84, he's … the business's greatest living screenwriter and … a man whom stars treat with a deference he doesn't always reciprocate."
— Boris Kachka, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2015
"At 84, he's … the business's greatest living screenwriter and … a man whom stars treat with a deference he doesn't always reciprocate."
— Boris Kachka, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
The words deference and defer both derive from the Latin deferre, which means "to bring down" or "to carry away." At the same time you might also hear that defer traces to the Latin differre, which means "to postpone" or "to differ." Which root is right? Both.
That's because English has two verbs, or homographs, spelled defer. One means "to submit or delegate to another" (as in "I defer to your greater expertise"). That's the one that is closely related to deference and that comes from deferre. The other means "to put off or delay" (as in "we decided to defer the decision until next month"); that second defer derives from differre.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Natatorial
WORD OF THE DAY
NATATORIAL \nay-tuh-TOR-ee-ul \ adjective
Definition
1: of or relating to swimming
2: adapted to or characterized by swimming
Examples
This year's swim team has considerably more natatorial talent than have previous years' teams.
"Natatorial legs are modified for swimming, producing a feathered oar-like form, used by beetles and bugs that spend their lives in water."
— Whitney Crenshaw and Richard Redak, Bugs Rule!, 2013
"Natatorial legs are modified for swimming, producing a feathered oar-like form, used by beetles and bugs that spend their lives in water."
— Whitney Crenshaw and Richard Redak, Bugs Rule!, 2013
Did You Know?
The Latin verb natare, meaning "to swim," gave English the word natatorial and its variant natatory. It also gave us natant ("swimming or floating in water"); supernatant ("floating on the surface"); natation ("the action or art of swimming"); and last but not least, natatorium ("an indoor swimming pool").
A few common English words are related to this rather obscure bunch, among them nurture, nutrient, and nutrition, but these descend not from natare, but from nutrire, a Latin word (meaning "to nourish") that shares an ancestor with natare.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Fulminate
WORD OF THE DAY
FULMINATE \ FULL-muh-nayt \ verb
Definition
: to complain loudly or angrily
: to send forth censures or invectives
Examples
An avid cyclist, Justine would often fulminate against automobile drivers who ignored bike lanes and otherwise created hazards for those riding on two wheels.
"We say we value memoirs and other nonfiction works precisely because they tell us what really happened. Then, when the amazing true story turns out to be a bit less than absolutely true, some of us fulminate about it for a while, even as countless more continue to pony up for the tale."
— Laura Miller, Salon, 9 June 2015
"We say we value memoirs and other nonfiction works precisely because they tell us what really happened. Then, when the amazing true story turns out to be a bit less than absolutely true, some of us fulminate about it for a while, even as countless more continue to pony up for the tale."
— Laura Miller, Salon, 9 June 2015
Did You Know?
Lightning strikes more than once in the history of fulminate. That word comes from the Latin fulminare, meaning "to strike," a verb usually used to refer to lightning strikes—not surprising since it sprang from fulmen, Latin for "lightning."
When fulminate was adopted into English in the 15th century, it lost much of its ancestral thunder and was used largely as a technical term for the issuing of formal denunciations by ecclesiastical authorities. But its original lightning spark remains in its suggestion of tirades so vigorous that, as one 18th-century bishop put it, they seem to be delivered "with the air of one who [has] divine Vengeance at his disposal."
Friday, December 11, 2015
Velleity
WORD OF THE DAY
VELLEITY \ vh-LEE-uh-tee\ noun
Definition
1: the lowest degree of volition
2: a slight wish or tendency : inclination
Examples
Samuel sometimes mentions that he would like to go back to school, but his interest strikes me as more of a velleity than a firm statement of purpose.
"It should be enough of an advantage for online retailers … that you can order items from them the instant your internet-browsing fingers conceive a velleity to own something; exploiting and maintaining anachronistic tax loopholes is uncalled for."
— The Economist (online), 9 Sept. 2011
Did You Know?
Allow us, if you will, to volunteer our knowledge about velleity. It is a derivative of the New Latin noun velleitas, from the Latin verb velle, meaning "to wish or will." You might also wish to know that velle is the word that gave us voluntary (by way of Anglo-French voluntarie and Latin voluntarius) and volunteer (by way of French voluntaire). While both of those words might imply a wish to do something (specifically, to offer one's help) and the will to act upon it, the less common velleity typically refers to a wish or inclination that is so insignificant that a person feels little or no compulsion to act.
VELLEITY \ vh-LEE-uh-tee\ noun
Definition
1: the lowest degree of volition
2: a slight wish or tendency : inclination
Examples
Samuel sometimes mentions that he would like to go back to school, but his interest strikes me as more of a velleity than a firm statement of purpose.
"It should be enough of an advantage for online retailers … that you can order items from them the instant your internet-browsing fingers conceive a velleity to own something; exploiting and maintaining anachronistic tax loopholes is uncalled for."
— The Economist (online), 9 Sept. 2011
Did You Know?
Allow us, if you will, to volunteer our knowledge about velleity. It is a derivative of the New Latin noun velleitas, from the Latin verb velle, meaning "to wish or will." You might also wish to know that velle is the word that gave us voluntary (by way of Anglo-French voluntarie and Latin voluntarius) and volunteer (by way of French voluntaire). While both of those words might imply a wish to do something (specifically, to offer one's help) and the will to act upon it, the less common velleity typically refers to a wish or inclination that is so insignificant that a person feels little or no compulsion to act.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Objet Trouvé
WORD OF THE DAY
objet trouvé \ AWB-zhay-troo-VAY \ noun
Definition
: a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value
Examples
"Architects, too, have discovered found objects—usually substantial buildings like barns, firehouses, power stations, train depots—but the objet trouvé that Robert A. M. Stern recently transformed into a writers' penthouse and all-purpose retreat from his office below was a humble, metal-clad storage shed…." — Joseph Giovannini, Architectural Digest, July 2007
"The American sculptor Judith Scott literally concealed things: each of her cocoonlike constructions began with an objet trouvé—an umbrella, a skateboard, a tree branch, her own jewelry—around which she wound layers and layers and layers of yarn, twine, and strips of textiles until the item's identity was obscured."
— Andrea K. Scott, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2014
"The American sculptor Judith Scott literally concealed things: each of her cocoonlike constructions began with an objet trouvé—an umbrella, a skateboard, a tree branch, her own jewelry—around which she wound layers and layers and layers of yarn, twine, and strips of textiles until the item's identity was obscured."
— Andrea K. Scott, The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2014
Did You Know?
Objet trouvé comes from French, where it literally means "found object." The term entered English during the early 20th century, a time when many artists challenged traditional ideas about the nature of true art. Surrealists and other artists, for instance, held that any object could be a work of art if a person recognized its aesthetic merit.
Objet trouvé can refer to naturally formed objects whose beauty is the result of natural forces as well as to man-made artifacts (such as bathtubs, wrecked cars, or scrap metal) that were not originally created as art but are displayed as such.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Adamantine
WORD OF THE DAY
ADAMANTINE \ ad-uh-MAN-teen \ adjective
Definition
1: made of or having the quality of adamant
2a: rigidly firm
2b: unyielding
3: resembling the diamond in hardness or luster
Examples
The ushers were adamantine in their refusal to let latecomers into the theater.
"Lampard and Pirlo have been adamantine, but even Lampard fell prey to injury this past season."
"Lampard and Pirlo have been adamantine, but even Lampard fell prey to injury this past season."
— Rafael Noboa y Rivera, The Hudson River Blue, 17 June 2015
Did You Know?
The Greek and Latin word for the hardest imaginable substance, whether applied to a legendary stone or an actual substance, such as diamond, was adamas. Latin poets used the term figuratively for things lasting, firm, or unbending, and the adjective adamantinus was used in similar contexts.
The English noun adamant (meaning "an unbreakable or extremely hard substance"), as well as the adjective adamant (meaning "inflexible" or "unyielding"), came from adamas. Adamantine, which also has such figurative uses as "rigid," "firm," and "unyielding," came from adamantinus. Adamas is actually the source of diamond as well.
Diamas, the Latin term for diamond, was an alteration of adamas.
The English noun adamant (meaning "an unbreakable or extremely hard substance"), as well as the adjective adamant (meaning "inflexible" or "unyielding"), came from adamas. Adamantine, which also has such figurative uses as "rigid," "firm," and "unyielding," came from adamantinus. Adamas is actually the source of diamond as well.
Diamas, the Latin term for diamond, was an alteration of adamas.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Menorah
WORD OF THE DAY
MENORAH \ muh-NOR-uh \ noun
Definition
: a candelabra with seven or nine lights that is used in Jewish worship
Examples
At sundown on the first night of Hanukkah, Joshua's father helped him light the first candle on the menorah.
"Tens of thousands of people come out for the celebration, which includes the lighting of the state's largest menorah (an eighteen-foot steel stunner) and a performance by famed Jewish musician Avraham Fried."
— Brooke Porter Katz, Atlanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2015
"Tens of thousands of people come out for the celebration, which includes the lighting of the state's largest menorah (an eighteen-foot steel stunner) and a performance by famed Jewish musician Avraham Fried."
— Brooke Porter Katz, Atlanta Magazine, 1 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
English speakers originally used the Hebrew borrowing menorah for the seven-branched candelabra used in Jewish worship since ancient times. The nine-branched Hanukkah candelabra is called hanukkiah in Hebrew, but English speakers have come to use menorah for this candelabra too.
The Hanukkah menorah recalls the expulsion by Judas Maccabaeus of invading forces from the Temple of Jerusalem. Maccabaeus and his followers sought oil for the temple's menorah so that the sanctuary could be rededicated, but they found only enough oil for a single day. Miraculously, that tiny amount of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply could be obtained.
The Hanukkah menorah includes a candle for each day the oil burned, plus the shammes, a "servant candle" that is used to light the others.
The Hanukkah menorah includes a candle for each day the oil burned, plus the shammes, a "servant candle" that is used to light the others.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Imprimatur
WORD OF THE DAY
IMPRIMATUR \ im-pruh-MAH-toor \ noun
Definition
1a : a license to print or publish especially by Roman Catholic episcopal authority
1b : approval of a publication under circumstances of official censorship
2a : sanction, approval
2b : imprint
2c : a mark of approval or distinction
Examples
"But that's the new Coachella. Being the country's most compelling music festival wasn't enough. It needed a celebrity imprimatur. And with Madonna's much publicized booking last year, the guest list bulged."
— Charles Aaron, Spin, August 2007
"Overseeing the design of the restaurant space is Paul Basile of Basile Studio…. His imprimatur will also be on a major remodel of Craft & Commerce, which is in the midst of a $1.8 million redo…."
— Lori Weisberg, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2015
— Charles Aaron, Spin, August 2007
"Overseeing the design of the restaurant space is Paul Basile of Basile Studio…. His imprimatur will also be on a major remodel of Craft & Commerce, which is in the midst of a $1.8 million redo…."
— Lori Weisberg, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Imprimatur means "let it be printed" in New Latin. It comes from Latin imprimere, meaning to "imprint" or "impress." In the 1600s, the word appeared in the front matter of books, accompanied by the name of an official authorizing the book's printing. It was also in the 1600s that English speakers began using imprimatur in the general sense of "official approval."
The Roman Catholic Church still issues imprimaturs for books concerned with religious matters (to indicate that a work contains nothing offensive to Catholic morals or faith), and there have been other authorities for imprimaturs as well. For example, when Samuel Pepys was president of the Royal Society, he placed his imprimatur on the title page of England's great scientific work, Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, in 1687.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Purloin
WORD OF THE DAY
PURLOIN \ per-LOYN \ verb
Definition
: to appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust
Examples
The columnist resigned from the paper after it was revealed that he had purloined material from other journalists.
"The C.I.A. hacks into computers that Senate intelligence committee staffers are using in the basement of a C.I.A. facility because the spy agency thinks its Congressional overseers have hacked into the C.I.A. network to purloin hidden documents on torture."
— Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2014
"The C.I.A. hacks into computers that Senate intelligence committee staffers are using in the basement of a C.I.A. facility because the spy agency thinks its Congressional overseers have hacked into the C.I.A. network to purloin hidden documents on torture."
— Maureen Dowd, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2014
Did You Know?
Purloin, pilfer, and filch may just seem like fancy words for "steal," but each has a slightly different connotation.
Pilfer implies stealing repeatedly in small amounts, as in this sentence: "It was months before her boss realized she was pilfering office supplies."
Filch adds a suggestion of snatching quickly and surreptitiously, e.g., "He filched an apple from the tray."
Purloin stresses removing or carrying off something for one's own use or purposes, as in "She purloined the manuscript and tried to pass it off as her own work."
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Etymology
WORD OF THE DAY
ETYMOLOGY \ eh-tuh-MAH-luh-jee \ noun
Definition
1: the history of a word or phrase shown by tracing its development and relationships
2: a branch of linguistics dealing with etymologies
Examples
As the etymology of "December" reports, the month gets its name from the Latin "decem" meaning "ten" —a nod to its former status as the tenth month in the early Roman calendar.
"'Sicario' opens with an etymology of the title. The word, which means hit man, derives from 'Sicarii'; the Sicarii were a band of zealots who attacked Romans in Jerusalem with the intention of expelling them from the Holy Land."
— Sonny Bunch, The Washington Post (online), 24 Sept. 2015
"'Sicario' opens with an etymology of the title. The word, which means hit man, derives from 'Sicarii'; the Sicarii were a band of zealots who attacked Romans in Jerusalem with the intention of expelling them from the Holy Land."
— Sonny Bunch, The Washington Post (online), 24 Sept. 2015
Did You Know?
Readers of the Word of the Day are already familiar with etymologies—that is, word histories. The etymology of etymology itself is relatively straightforward. Etymon means "origin of a word" in Latin, and comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning "literal meaning of a word according to its origin." Greek etymon in turn comes from etymos, which means "true." Be careful not to confuse etymology with the similar sounding entomology. Entomon means "insect" in Greek, and entomology is the study of bugs.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Consequential
WORD OF THE DAY
CONSEQUENTIAL \ kahn-suh-KWEN-shul \ adjective
Definition
1a: of the nature of a secondary result
1b: indirect
2: consequent
3a: having significant consequences
3b: important
3b: important
4: self-important
Examples
Voters handed the mayor a decisive victory in the election, demonstrating that they still trust her to handle the most consequential issues facing the community.
"But while much of the world was looking away, Shinzo Abe, the country's prime minister since 2012, has become one of the most consequentialJapanese politicians of the postwar era."
"But while much of the world was looking away, Shinzo Abe, the country's prime minister since 2012, has become one of the most consequentialJapanese politicians of the postwar era."
— Bill Powell, Newsweek, 29 Sept. 2015
Did You Know?
Consequential dates from the 17th century and can be traced back to the Latin verb consequi, meaning "to follow along." Consequi, in turn, combines the prefix con-, meaning "through" or "with," and sequi, meaning "to follow." The English words sequel, second, and suitor are among the offspring of sequi.
Henry Fielding's 1728 comedy Love in Several Masques introduced the meaning of "important" to consequential, which had until that point been used primarily in the context of results. Evidence for this usage declined temporarily in the 19th century, causing its acceptability to be questioned by such commentators as H. W. Fowler; it resurfaced in the 20th century, however, and is now considered standard.
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