Friday, March 31, 2017
Munificent
WORD OF THE DAY
munificent \ myoo-NIF-uh-sunt \ adjective
Definition
1a : very liberal in giving or bestowing
1b: lavish
2 : characterized by great liberality or generosity
Examples
"On the hill, where kites used to be flown, stood the fine college which Mr. Laurence's munificent legacy had built."
— Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys, 1886
"Each taco is $3, and each is munificent. You might not manage more than two."
— Ligaya Mishan, The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
Munificent was formed back in the late 1500s when English speakers, perhaps inspired by similar words such as magnificent, altered the ending of munificence.
Munificence in turn comes from munificus, the Latin word for "generous," which itself comes from munus, a Latin noun that is variously translated as "gift," "duty," or "service."
Munus has done a fine service to English by giving us other terms related to service or compensation, including municipal and remunerate
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Transpicuous
WORD OF THE DAY
transpicuous \ tran-SPIK-yuh-wus \ adjective
Definition
: clearly seen through or understood
Examples
"Measuring and studying a small business is not inherently different from doing it for a large corporation if its financial reports are set up to be transpicuous and to make its activities transparent and there is an incentive for making them so."
— Isabel Anderson, The Financial Post (Canada), 28 Jan. 2006
"… the surfaces of his literary work were so terribly transpicuous, so banally boring—simple declaratives rife with simple vocabulary."
— Joshua Cohen, Harper's, July 2012
Did You Know?
Transpicuous is derived from the Latin word transpicere, meaning "to look through." Transpicere, in turn, is a formation that combines trans-, meaning "through," and specere, meaning "to look" or "to see." If you guessed that transpicuous is related to conspicuous, you're correct.
It's also possible to see a number of other specere descendants in English, including aspect, circumspect, expect, inspect, perspective, and suspect. Another descendant of specere, and a close synonym of transpicuous, is perspicuous, which means "clear and easy to understand," as in "a perspicuous argument."
(Per-, like trans-, means "through.") There's also perspicacious, meaning "keen and observant." (You might say that perspicuous and transpicuous mean "able to be seen through," whereas perspicacious means "able to see through.")
transpicuous \ tran-SPIK-yuh-wus \ adjective
Definition
: clearly seen through or understood
Examples
"Measuring and studying a small business is not inherently different from doing it for a large corporation if its financial reports are set up to be transpicuous and to make its activities transparent and there is an incentive for making them so."
— Isabel Anderson, The Financial Post (Canada), 28 Jan. 2006
"… the surfaces of his literary work were so terribly transpicuous, so banally boring—simple declaratives rife with simple vocabulary."
— Joshua Cohen, Harper's, July 2012
Did You Know?
Transpicuous is derived from the Latin word transpicere, meaning "to look through." Transpicere, in turn, is a formation that combines trans-, meaning "through," and specere, meaning "to look" or "to see." If you guessed that transpicuous is related to conspicuous, you're correct.
It's also possible to see a number of other specere descendants in English, including aspect, circumspect, expect, inspect, perspective, and suspect. Another descendant of specere, and a close synonym of transpicuous, is perspicuous, which means "clear and easy to understand," as in "a perspicuous argument."
(Per-, like trans-, means "through.") There's also perspicacious, meaning "keen and observant." (You might say that perspicuous and transpicuous mean "able to be seen through," whereas perspicacious means "able to see through.")
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Occam's razor
WORD OF THE DAY
Occam's razor \ AH-kumz-RAY-zer \
Definition
: a scientific and philosophic rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities
Examples
Invoking Occam's razor, Randall concluded that the sill was wet most likely because someone left the window open during the storm.
"To even describe the plot is to make clear how phantasmagorical the whole idea is. Occam's razor applies here. Or, as medical students are taught, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras."
— Paul Cassell, The Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
William of Occam (also spelled "Ockham") didn't invent the rule associated with his name. Others had espoused the "keep it simple" concept before that 14th-century philosopher and theologian embraced it, but no one wielded the principle (also known as the "law of parsimony") as relentlessly as he did.
He used it to counter what he considered the fuzzy logic of his theological contemporaries, and his applications of it inspired 19th-century Scottish philosopher
Sir William Hamilton to link Occam with the idea of cutting away extraneous material, giving us the modern name for the principle.
Occam's razor \ AH-kumz-RAY-zer \
Definition
: a scientific and philosophic rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities
Examples
Invoking Occam's razor, Randall concluded that the sill was wet most likely because someone left the window open during the storm.
"To even describe the plot is to make clear how phantasmagorical the whole idea is. Occam's razor applies here. Or, as medical students are taught, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras."
— Paul Cassell, The Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
William of Occam (also spelled "Ockham") didn't invent the rule associated with his name. Others had espoused the "keep it simple" concept before that 14th-century philosopher and theologian embraced it, but no one wielded the principle (also known as the "law of parsimony") as relentlessly as he did.
He used it to counter what he considered the fuzzy logic of his theological contemporaries, and his applications of it inspired 19th-century Scottish philosopher
Sir William Hamilton to link Occam with the idea of cutting away extraneous material, giving us the modern name for the principle.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Retrospective
WORD OF THE DAY
retrospective \ reh-truh-SPEK-tiv \ adjective
Definition
1a : contemplative of or relative to past events
1b: characterized by, given to, or indulging in retrospection
1c : being a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years
2a : affecting things past 2b: retroactive
Examples
The audit revealed that the organization owed retrospective taxes.
"The 1998 retrospective Ladies and Gentlemen—The Best of George Michael (Epic/Sony) is the album to receive the most attention in the late singer-songwriter's catalogue…."
— Paul Sexton, Billboard.com, 30 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again," wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1839 novel Hyperion. But these days the past is trendy, old-fashioned is hip, and retrospective is as retro as it gets.
A glance at the history of retrospective reveals that it traces back to the Latin retro- (meaning "back," "behind," or "backward") and specere (meaning "to look at").
Once you have retrospective behind you, you can also add its kin retrospect (which is used as a noun, an adjective, and a verb) and retrospection to your vocabulary, too. Retrospective can also be used as a noun, referring to an exhibition that "looks back" at artistic work created over a span of years.
retrospective \ reh-truh-SPEK-tiv \ adjective
Definition
1a : contemplative of or relative to past events
1b: characterized by, given to, or indulging in retrospection
1c : being a generally comprehensive exhibition, compilation, or performance of the work of an artist over a span of years
2a : affecting things past 2b: retroactive
Examples
The audit revealed that the organization owed retrospective taxes.
"The 1998 retrospective Ladies and Gentlemen—The Best of George Michael (Epic/Sony) is the album to receive the most attention in the late singer-songwriter's catalogue…."
— Paul Sexton, Billboard.com, 30 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again," wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1839 novel Hyperion. But these days the past is trendy, old-fashioned is hip, and retrospective is as retro as it gets.
A glance at the history of retrospective reveals that it traces back to the Latin retro- (meaning "back," "behind," or "backward") and specere (meaning "to look at").
Once you have retrospective behind you, you can also add its kin retrospect (which is used as a noun, an adjective, and a verb) and retrospection to your vocabulary, too. Retrospective can also be used as a noun, referring to an exhibition that "looks back" at artistic work created over a span of years.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Sarcasm
WORD OF THE DAY
sarcasm \ SAHR-kaz-um \ noun
Definition
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
2 b : the use or language of sarcasm
Examples
"I'm seeing more and more of my friends coming to watch the races instead of being a part of them. And then, some of the girls that are racing against me are literally half my age. It's awesome. Don't know if you can hear my sarcasm—really awesome."
— Lindsey Vonn, The Associated Press, 3 Nov. 2015
"Often, users on social media tend to portray complicated social and political issues as simple and obvious, at times employing sarcasm or satire to disparage those who disagree."
— James Lee, The Daily Pennsylvanian (University of Pennsylvania), 12 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
If you've ever been hurt by a remark full of cutting sarcasm, you have some insight into the origins of the word. Sarcasm can be traced back to the Greek verb sarkazein, which initially meant "to tear flesh like a dog." Sarkazein eventually developed extended senses of "to bite one's lips in rage," "to gnash one's teeth," and "to sneer."
The verb led to the Greek noun sarkasmos, ("a sneering or hurtful remark"), iterations of which passed through French and Late Latin before arriving in English as sarcasm in the 17th century. Even today sarcasm is often described as sharp, cutting, or wounding, reminiscent of the original meaning of the Greek verb.
sarcasm \ SAHR-kaz-um \ noun
Definition
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual
2 b : the use or language of sarcasm
Examples
"I'm seeing more and more of my friends coming to watch the races instead of being a part of them. And then, some of the girls that are racing against me are literally half my age. It's awesome. Don't know if you can hear my sarcasm—really awesome."
— Lindsey Vonn, The Associated Press, 3 Nov. 2015
"Often, users on social media tend to portray complicated social and political issues as simple and obvious, at times employing sarcasm or satire to disparage those who disagree."
— James Lee, The Daily Pennsylvanian (University of Pennsylvania), 12 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
If you've ever been hurt by a remark full of cutting sarcasm, you have some insight into the origins of the word. Sarcasm can be traced back to the Greek verb sarkazein, which initially meant "to tear flesh like a dog." Sarkazein eventually developed extended senses of "to bite one's lips in rage," "to gnash one's teeth," and "to sneer."
The verb led to the Greek noun sarkasmos, ("a sneering or hurtful remark"), iterations of which passed through French and Late Latin before arriving in English as sarcasm in the 17th century. Even today sarcasm is often described as sharp, cutting, or wounding, reminiscent of the original meaning of the Greek verb.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Nightmare
WORD OF THE DAY
nightmare \ NYTE-mair \ noun
Definition
1 : an evil spirit formerly thought to oppress people during sleep
2 : a frightening dream that usually awakens the sleeper
3 : something (such as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror
Examples
Since starting the new medication, John routinely experiences vivid dreams when he sleeps and even suffers from frequent nightmares.
"The dream of a stress-free, short-term rental in a balmy locale can easily become a nightmare without due diligence, according to real estate agents and Long Island snowbirds."
— Cara S. Trager, Newsday, 19 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Looking at nightmare, you might guess that it is a compound formed from night and mare. If so, your guess is correct. But while the night in nightmare makes sense, the mare part is less obvious.
Most English speakers know mare as a word for a female horse or similar equine animal, but the mare of nightmare is a different word, an obsolete one referring to an evil spirit that was once thought to produce feelings of suffocation in people while they slept.
By the 14th century the mare was also known as nightmare, and by the late 16th century nightmare was also being applied to the feelings of distress caused by the spirit, and then to frightening or unpleasant dreams.
nightmare \ NYTE-mair \ noun
Definition
1 : an evil spirit formerly thought to oppress people during sleep
2 : a frightening dream that usually awakens the sleeper
3 : something (such as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror
Examples
Since starting the new medication, John routinely experiences vivid dreams when he sleeps and even suffers from frequent nightmares.
"The dream of a stress-free, short-term rental in a balmy locale can easily become a nightmare without due diligence, according to real estate agents and Long Island snowbirds."
— Cara S. Trager, Newsday, 19 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Looking at nightmare, you might guess that it is a compound formed from night and mare. If so, your guess is correct. But while the night in nightmare makes sense, the mare part is less obvious.
Most English speakers know mare as a word for a female horse or similar equine animal, but the mare of nightmare is a different word, an obsolete one referring to an evil spirit that was once thought to produce feelings of suffocation in people while they slept.
By the 14th century the mare was also known as nightmare, and by the late 16th century nightmare was also being applied to the feelings of distress caused by the spirit, and then to frightening or unpleasant dreams.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Watershed
WORD OF THE DAY
watershed \ WAW-ter-shed \ noun
Definition
1a : a dividing ridge between drainage areas
1b : a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water
2a : a crucial dividing point, line, or factor
2b: turning point
Examples
"This year marked a watershed for contemporary classical music in the city. No greater proof was the Ear Taxi Festival, a Chicago-centric marathon of new music performance that, for six heady days in October, brought together some 500 local musicians to present roughly 100 recent classical works...."
— John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2016
"The Cienega Creek watershed contains some of the highest-quality riparian woodland, riverine and cienega wetland habitats in Arizona."
— Jennifer McIntosh, The Arizona Daily Star, 29 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Opinion on the literal geographic meaning of watershed is divided. On one side of the debate are those who think the word can only refer to a ridge of land separating rivers and streams flowing in one direction from those flowing in the opposite direction.
That's the term's original meaning, one probably borrowed in the translation of the German Wasserscheide. On the other side of the argument are those who think watershed can also apply to the area through which such divided water flows.
The latter sense is now far more common in America, but most Americans have apparently decided to leave the quarrel to geologists and geographers while they use the term in its figurative sense, "turning point."
watershed \ WAW-ter-shed \ noun
Definition
1a : a dividing ridge between drainage areas
1b : a region or area bounded peripherally by a divide and draining ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water
2a : a crucial dividing point, line, or factor
2b: turning point
Examples
"This year marked a watershed for contemporary classical music in the city. No greater proof was the Ear Taxi Festival, a Chicago-centric marathon of new music performance that, for six heady days in October, brought together some 500 local musicians to present roughly 100 recent classical works...."
— John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2016
"The Cienega Creek watershed contains some of the highest-quality riparian woodland, riverine and cienega wetland habitats in Arizona."
— Jennifer McIntosh, The Arizona Daily Star, 29 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Opinion on the literal geographic meaning of watershed is divided. On one side of the debate are those who think the word can only refer to a ridge of land separating rivers and streams flowing in one direction from those flowing in the opposite direction.
That's the term's original meaning, one probably borrowed in the translation of the German Wasserscheide. On the other side of the argument are those who think watershed can also apply to the area through which such divided water flows.
The latter sense is now far more common in America, but most Americans have apparently decided to leave the quarrel to geologists and geographers while they use the term in its figurative sense, "turning point."
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Lief
WORD OF THE DAY
lief \ LEEF \ adverb
Definition
: soon, gladly
Examples
"I'd as lief be in the tightening coils of a boa constrictor than be held by that man," declared Miss Jezebel.
"I thank you for your company; but, good faith, I had as / lief have been myself alone."
— William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 1599
Did You Know?
Lief began as lēof in Old English and has since appeared in many literary classics, first as an adjective and then as an adverb. It got its big break in the epic poem Beowulf as an adjective meaning "dear" or "beloved." The adverb first appeared in the 13th century, and in 1390, it was used in John Gower's collection of love stories, Confessio Amantis.
Since that time, it has graced the pages of works by William Makepeace Thackeray, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and D. H. Lawrence, among others. Today, the adjective is considered to be archaic and the adverb is used much less frequently than in days of yore.
It still pops up now and then, however, in the phrases "had as lief," "would as lief," "had liefer," and "would liefer."
lief \ LEEF \ adverb
Definition
: soon, gladly
Examples
"I'd as lief be in the tightening coils of a boa constrictor than be held by that man," declared Miss Jezebel.
"I thank you for your company; but, good faith, I had as / lief have been myself alone."
— William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 1599
Did You Know?
Lief began as lēof in Old English and has since appeared in many literary classics, first as an adjective and then as an adverb. It got its big break in the epic poem Beowulf as an adjective meaning "dear" or "beloved." The adverb first appeared in the 13th century, and in 1390, it was used in John Gower's collection of love stories, Confessio Amantis.
Since that time, it has graced the pages of works by William Makepeace Thackeray, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and D. H. Lawrence, among others. Today, the adjective is considered to be archaic and the adverb is used much less frequently than in days of yore.
It still pops up now and then, however, in the phrases "had as lief," "would as lief," "had liefer," and "would liefer."
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Ameliorate
WORD OF THE DAY
ameliorate \ uh-MEE-lee-uh-rayt \ verb
Definition
1 : to make better or more tolerable
2 : to grow better : improve
Examples
Access to clean water would ameliorate living conditions within the village.
"There is one variable that many childhood experts agree can ameliorate the uncertainty in the lives of 'at risk' youths. A caring adult willing to take a few hours a week for a one-on-one relationship with a child or young adult can have an enormous impact on that child's life and future success."
— Alice Dubenetsky, The Vermont Eagle, 18 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Ameliorate traces back to melior, the Latin adjective meaning "better," and is a synonym of the verbs better and improve. When is it better to use ameliorate? If a situation is bad, ameliorate indicates that the conditions have been made more tolerable.
Thus, one might refer to drugs that ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy, a loss of wages ameliorated by unemployment benefits, or a harsh law ameliorated by special exceptions.
Improve and better apply when something bad is being made better (as in "the weather improved" or "she bettered her lot in life"), and they should certainly be chosen over ameliorate when something good is getting better still ("he improved his successful program," "she bettered her impressive scores").
ameliorate \ uh-MEE-lee-uh-rayt \ verb
Definition
1 : to make better or more tolerable
2 : to grow better : improve
Examples
Access to clean water would ameliorate living conditions within the village.
"There is one variable that many childhood experts agree can ameliorate the uncertainty in the lives of 'at risk' youths. A caring adult willing to take a few hours a week for a one-on-one relationship with a child or young adult can have an enormous impact on that child's life and future success."
— Alice Dubenetsky, The Vermont Eagle, 18 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Ameliorate traces back to melior, the Latin adjective meaning "better," and is a synonym of the verbs better and improve. When is it better to use ameliorate? If a situation is bad, ameliorate indicates that the conditions have been made more tolerable.
Thus, one might refer to drugs that ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy, a loss of wages ameliorated by unemployment benefits, or a harsh law ameliorated by special exceptions.
Improve and better apply when something bad is being made better (as in "the weather improved" or "she bettered her lot in life"), and they should certainly be chosen over ameliorate when something good is getting better still ("he improved his successful program," "she bettered her impressive scores").
Monday, March 20, 2017
Hackle
WORD OF THE DAY
hackle / HACK-ul / noun
Definition
1a : one of the long narrow feathers on the neck or back of a bird
1b : the neck plumage of the domestic fowl
2: a comb or board with long metal teeth for dressing flax, hemp, or jute
3a : (plural) hairs (as on a dog's neck and back) that can be erected
3b: (plural) temper, dander
Examples
The rooster's colorful hackle quivered as it stretched out its neck and began to crow.
"So before you get your hackles up in response to local sales and gas proposals floated up in Helena, consider the significant benefits they could bring to our local cost of living."
— The Bozeman (Montana) Daily Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
In its earliest uses in the 15th century, hackle denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds—which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool.
In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word hackles is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive.
hackle / HACK-ul / noun
Definition
1a : one of the long narrow feathers on the neck or back of a bird
1b : the neck plumage of the domestic fowl
2: a comb or board with long metal teeth for dressing flax, hemp, or jute
3a : (plural) hairs (as on a dog's neck and back) that can be erected
3b: (plural) temper, dander
Examples
The rooster's colorful hackle quivered as it stretched out its neck and began to crow.
"So before you get your hackles up in response to local sales and gas proposals floated up in Helena, consider the significant benefits they could bring to our local cost of living."
— The Bozeman (Montana) Daily Chronicle, 14 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
In its earliest uses in the 15th century, hackle denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds—which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool.
In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word hackles is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Effulgence
WORD OF THE DAY
effulgence \ ih-FULL-junss \ noun
Definition
1: radiant splendor
2: brilliance
Examples
"There's plenty of conflict about who invented hummus or falafel … and where these dishes reach their dazzling effulgence, but the truth is there are common dishes and flavors to many of the cuisines found along the southern edge of the Mediterranean Sea."
— Laura Reiley, The Tampa Bay Times, 6 July 2016
"The performance was riveting, demonstrating both her technical prowess and her clear understanding of line, movement, and energy. The work was exquisitely sculpted into an ever-growing effulgence that crept steadily forward toward a transfixing conclusion."
— Wayne F. Anthony, The Blade (Toledo, Ohio), 4 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Apparently, English speakers first took a shine to effulgence in the 17th century; that's when the word was first used in print in our language. Effulgence derives from the Latin verb fulgēre, which means "to shine."
Fulgēre is also the root of fulgent, a synonym of radiant that English speakers have used since the 15th century. Another related word, refulgence, is about 30 years older than effulgence.
Refulgence carries a meaning similar to effulgence but sometimes goes further by implying reflectivity, as in "the refulgence of the knight's gleaming armor."
effulgence \ ih-FULL-junss \ noun
Definition
1: radiant splendor
2: brilliance
Examples
"There's plenty of conflict about who invented hummus or falafel … and where these dishes reach their dazzling effulgence, but the truth is there are common dishes and flavors to many of the cuisines found along the southern edge of the Mediterranean Sea."
— Laura Reiley, The Tampa Bay Times, 6 July 2016
"The performance was riveting, demonstrating both her technical prowess and her clear understanding of line, movement, and energy. The work was exquisitely sculpted into an ever-growing effulgence that crept steadily forward toward a transfixing conclusion."
— Wayne F. Anthony, The Blade (Toledo, Ohio), 4 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Apparently, English speakers first took a shine to effulgence in the 17th century; that's when the word was first used in print in our language. Effulgence derives from the Latin verb fulgēre, which means "to shine."
Fulgēre is also the root of fulgent, a synonym of radiant that English speakers have used since the 15th century. Another related word, refulgence, is about 30 years older than effulgence.
Refulgence carries a meaning similar to effulgence but sometimes goes further by implying reflectivity, as in "the refulgence of the knight's gleaming armor."
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Decry
WORD OF THE DAY
decry \ dih-KRY \ verb
Definition
1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly
2 : to express strong disapproval of
Examples
Town officials were surprised by how roundly the changes to the town hall's hours were decried.
"He has previously spoken on behalf of music education and decried music piracy and the low royalty rates paid to artists whose songs are streamed online."
— George Varga, The San Diego Union Tribune, 12 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Decry, depreciate, disparage, and belittle all mean "to express a low opinion of something," but there are also some subtle differences in their use. Decry, which is a descendant of the Old French verb crier, meaning "to cry," implies open condemnation with intent to discredit ("he decried her defeatist attitude").
Depreciate implies that something is being represented as having less value than commonly believed ("critics depreciated his plays for being unabashedly sentimental"). Disparage implies depreciation by indirect means, such as slighting or harmful comparison ("she disparaged polo as a game for the rich").
Belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude ("they belittled the achievements of others").
decry \ dih-KRY \ verb
Definition
1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly
2 : to express strong disapproval of
Examples
Town officials were surprised by how roundly the changes to the town hall's hours were decried.
"He has previously spoken on behalf of music education and decried music piracy and the low royalty rates paid to artists whose songs are streamed online."
— George Varga, The San Diego Union Tribune, 12 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Decry, depreciate, disparage, and belittle all mean "to express a low opinion of something," but there are also some subtle differences in their use. Decry, which is a descendant of the Old French verb crier, meaning "to cry," implies open condemnation with intent to discredit ("he decried her defeatist attitude").
Depreciate implies that something is being represented as having less value than commonly believed ("critics depreciated his plays for being unabashedly sentimental"). Disparage implies depreciation by indirect means, such as slighting or harmful comparison ("she disparaged polo as a game for the rich").
Belittle usually suggests a contemptuous or envious attitude ("they belittled the achievements of others").
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Gadzookery
WORD OF THE DAY
gadzookery \ gad-ZOO-kuh-ree \ noun
Definition
: (British) the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel)
Examples
"Several other stories and verses that they jointly contributed to magazines are historical and melodramatic in tone, larded with archaic oaths and exclamations and general gadzookery."
— Julia Briggs, A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit, 1987
"Her spare prose and dialogue give a period flavour without the dread excesses of gadzookery."
— David Langford, The Complete Critical Assembly, 2002
Did You Know?
"Gadzooks . . . you astonish me!" cries Mr. Lenville in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby. We won't accuse Dickens of gadzookery ("the bane of historical fiction," as historical novelist John Vernon once called it), because we assume people actually said gadzooks back in the 1830s. That mild oath is an old-fashioned euphemism, so it is thought, for "God's hooks" (a reference, supposedly, to the nails of the Crucifixion).
Today's historical novelists must toe a fine line, avoiding anachronistic expressions while at the same time rejecting modern expressions such as okay and nice (the latter, in Shakespeare's day, suggesting one who was wanton or dissolute rather than pleasant, kind, or respectable).
gadzookery \ gad-ZOO-kuh-ree \ noun
Definition
: (British) the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel)
Examples
"Several other stories and verses that they jointly contributed to magazines are historical and melodramatic in tone, larded with archaic oaths and exclamations and general gadzookery."
— Julia Briggs, A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit, 1987
"Her spare prose and dialogue give a period flavour without the dread excesses of gadzookery."
— David Langford, The Complete Critical Assembly, 2002
Did You Know?
"Gadzooks . . . you astonish me!" cries Mr. Lenville in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby. We won't accuse Dickens of gadzookery ("the bane of historical fiction," as historical novelist John Vernon once called it), because we assume people actually said gadzooks back in the 1830s. That mild oath is an old-fashioned euphemism, so it is thought, for "God's hooks" (a reference, supposedly, to the nails of the Crucifixion).
Today's historical novelists must toe a fine line, avoiding anachronistic expressions while at the same time rejecting modern expressions such as okay and nice (the latter, in Shakespeare's day, suggesting one who was wanton or dissolute rather than pleasant, kind, or respectable).
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Besmirch
WORD OF THE DAY
besmirch \ bih-SMERCH \ verb
Definition
1: to cause harm or damage to
2: sully, soil
Examples
"Greenfield is not one of those biographers who set out to besmirch their subjects and deplore their lives, and for whom every detail is an indictment."
— Luc Sante, The New York Times Book Review, 25 June 2006
"But to many of us, golf is more than a game…. We occasionally curse its name, but will defend it to the death to any that besmirch it. In short, golf is our addiction."
— Joel Beall, Golf Digest, 1 July 2016
Did You Know?
Since the prefix be- in besmirch means "to make or cause to be," when you besmirch something, you cause it to have a smirch. What's a smirch? A smirch is a stain, and to smirch something is to stain it or make it dirty. By extension, the verb smirch came to mean "to bring discredit or disgrace on."
Smirch and besmirch, then, mean essentially the same thing. We have William Shakespeare to thank for the variation in form. His uses of the term in Hamlet ("And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will") and Henry V ("Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd with rainy marching in the painful field") are the first known appearances of besmirch in English.
besmirch \ bih-SMERCH \ verb
Definition
1: to cause harm or damage to
2: sully, soil
Examples
"Greenfield is not one of those biographers who set out to besmirch their subjects and deplore their lives, and for whom every detail is an indictment."
— Luc Sante, The New York Times Book Review, 25 June 2006
"But to many of us, golf is more than a game…. We occasionally curse its name, but will defend it to the death to any that besmirch it. In short, golf is our addiction."
— Joel Beall, Golf Digest, 1 July 2016
Did You Know?
Since the prefix be- in besmirch means "to make or cause to be," when you besmirch something, you cause it to have a smirch. What's a smirch? A smirch is a stain, and to smirch something is to stain it or make it dirty. By extension, the verb smirch came to mean "to bring discredit or disgrace on."
Smirch and besmirch, then, mean essentially the same thing. We have William Shakespeare to thank for the variation in form. His uses of the term in Hamlet ("And now no soil nor cautel doth besmirch the virtue of his will") and Henry V ("Our gayness and our gilt are all besmirch'd with rainy marching in the painful field") are the first known appearances of besmirch in English.
Monday, March 13, 2017
Irenic
WORD OF THE DAY
irenic \ eye-REN-ik \ adjective
Definition
: favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation
Examples
The former senator's irenic nature made her an ideal candidate to be a foreign ambassador.
"In a period when relations between religious traditions are characterized by suspicion and lack of understanding, Gregg's even-handed and irenic treatment of each religion's biblical interpretation provides a positive appreciation of each on its own terms and an invitation for each religion to consider rejoining with the others in an important conversation."
— Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 17 June 2016
Did You Know?
In Greek mythology, Eirene was one of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons and natural order; in the Iliad the Horae are the custodians of the gates of Olympus.
According to the Greek poet Hesiod, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and a Titaness named Themis, and their names indicate their function and relation to human life. Eirene was the goddess of peace. Her name is also the Greek word for "peace," and it gave rise to irenic and other peaceable terms including irenics (a theological term for advocacy of Christian unity),
Irena (the genus name of two species of birds found in southern Asia and the Philippines), and the name Irene.
irenic \ eye-REN-ik \ adjective
Definition
: favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation
Examples
The former senator's irenic nature made her an ideal candidate to be a foreign ambassador.
"In a period when relations between religious traditions are characterized by suspicion and lack of understanding, Gregg's even-handed and irenic treatment of each religion's biblical interpretation provides a positive appreciation of each on its own terms and an invitation for each religion to consider rejoining with the others in an important conversation."
— Luke Timothy Johnson, Commonweal, 17 June 2016
Did You Know?
In Greek mythology, Eirene was one of the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons and natural order; in the Iliad the Horae are the custodians of the gates of Olympus.
According to the Greek poet Hesiod, the Horae were the daughters of Zeus and a Titaness named Themis, and their names indicate their function and relation to human life. Eirene was the goddess of peace. Her name is also the Greek word for "peace," and it gave rise to irenic and other peaceable terms including irenics (a theological term for advocacy of Christian unity),
Irena (the genus name of two species of birds found in southern Asia and the Philippines), and the name Irene.
Friday, March 10, 2017
Tattoo
WORD OF THE DAY
tattoo \ ta-TOO \ noun
Definition
1: a rapid rhythmic rapping
2a : a call sounded shortly before taps as notice to go to quarters
2b: outdoor military exercise given by troops as evening entertainment
Examples
The impatient man began beating a tattoo with his fingers on the countertop.
"As tennis fans, we spend our time watching the players' hands. But the professionals will tell you that matches are more often won with the feet, and this was the greatest contrast yesterday. Murray's size 12s tapped out a rapid tattoo on the turf … as he ran down countless lost causes."
— Simon Briggs, The Daily Telegraph (London), 9 July 2016
Did You Know?
Today's word has nothing to do with skin markings. That other tattoo comes from the Tahitian word tatau. Today's tattoo comes from the Dutch colloquialism "tap toe," which can be translated as "turn off the tap," though it was most often used to mean something like "Shut up! Cease!"
The Dutch began using the word taptoe for a drum beat, and then English speakers borrowed the term (changing it slightly, to taptoo and, eventually, to tattoo). It was used especially by the military to name a drum beat (or possibly a bugle call) that signaled the day's end. This taptoo most likely led to our taps, a term for the final bugle call at night in the military.
"Tattoo" (or tattow in the 18th century) of the ink in skin variety is a loanword from the Polynesian word tatau, meaning "to write".
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the etymology of tattoo as "In 18th century tattaow, tattow. From Polynesian (Samoan, Tahitian, Tongan, etc.) tatau. In Marquesan, tatu."
Before the importation of the Polynesian word, the practice of tattooing had been described in the West as painting, scarring, or staining
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Ominous
WORD OF THE DAY
ominous \ AH-muh-nus \ adjective
Definition
1: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous
2: foreboding or foreshadowing evil
3: inauspicious
Examples
Our fears about the picnic being cancelled were heightened by the sight of dark, ominous clouds appearing over the horizon.
"An ominous week-long standoff between the government and its rogue first vice president is … dominating talk in the edgy Afghan capital."
— Pamela Constable, The Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Ominous didn't always mean "foreshadowing evil." If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "presaging events to come"—whether good or bad. It is ultimately derived from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen.
Today, however, ominous tends to suggest a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms portentous and fateful are used similarly, but ominous is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming character that foreshadows evil or disaster.
Portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive, but seldom gives a definite forewarning of calamity. Fateful implies that something is of momentous or decisive importance.
ominous \ AH-muh-nus \ adjective
Definition
1: being or exhibiting an omen : portentous
2: foreboding or foreshadowing evil
3: inauspicious
Examples
Our fears about the picnic being cancelled were heightened by the sight of dark, ominous clouds appearing over the horizon.
"An ominous week-long standoff between the government and its rogue first vice president is … dominating talk in the edgy Afghan capital."
— Pamela Constable, The Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
Ominous didn't always mean "foreshadowing evil." If you look closely, you can see the omen in ominous, which gave it the original meaning of "presaging events to come"—whether good or bad. It is ultimately derived from the Latin word omen, which is both an ancestor and a synonym of our omen.
Today, however, ominous tends to suggest a menacing or threatening aspect. Its synonyms portentous and fateful are used similarly, but ominous is the most menacing of the three. It implies an alarming character that foreshadows evil or disaster.
Portentous suggests being frighteningly big or impressive, but seldom gives a definite forewarning of calamity. Fateful implies that something is of momentous or decisive importance.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Ramify
WORD OF THE DAY
ramify \ RAM-uh-fye \ verb
Definition
1 : to split up into branches or constituent parts
2 : to send forth branches or extensions
3 : to cause to branch
Examples
"In alternating chapters, 'The Lost Boy' moves back and forth in time, from a present-day whodunit set in a city … to a grim tale set in the 1870s on one of the myriad rocky islands lying off the coast. These narratives are related in fascinating ways, their threads crisscrossing and ramifying inventively."
— Anthony Lewis, The Providence Journal, 27 Nov. 2016
"[H. G.] Wells was also publishing inspired books at a furious pace. His first were the scientific textbooks Honours Physiography and Text-book of Biology (both 1893); the latter went into many editions. The topics rapidly ramified. The year 1895 alone saw a short-story collection (The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents), a fantastic romance in which an angel falls to Earth (The Wonderful Visit) and a volume of essays, as well as his first full-length work of fiction, The Time Machine."
— Simon J. James, Nature, 8 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Ramify has been part of English since the 15th century and is an offshoot of the Latin word for "branch," which is ramus. English acquired several scientific words from ramus, including biramous ("having two branches"). Another English word derived from ramus is the now obsolete ramage, meaning "untamed" or "wild."
Ramage originated in falconry—it was initially used of young hawks that had begun to fly from branch to branch in trees. The most common ramus word, though, is a direct descendant of ramify. Ramification in its oldest sense means "branch, offshoot," but is most commonly used to mean "consequence, outgrowth."
Ramify started out as a scientific word, at first referring to branching parts of plants and trees and later to veins and nerves, but it soon branched out into non-scientific and even figurative uses, as in "ideas that ramify throughout society."
ramify \ RAM-uh-fye \ verb
Definition
1 : to split up into branches or constituent parts
2 : to send forth branches or extensions
3 : to cause to branch
Examples
"In alternating chapters, 'The Lost Boy' moves back and forth in time, from a present-day whodunit set in a city … to a grim tale set in the 1870s on one of the myriad rocky islands lying off the coast. These narratives are related in fascinating ways, their threads crisscrossing and ramifying inventively."
— Anthony Lewis, The Providence Journal, 27 Nov. 2016
"[H. G.] Wells was also publishing inspired books at a furious pace. His first were the scientific textbooks Honours Physiography and Text-book of Biology (both 1893); the latter went into many editions. The topics rapidly ramified. The year 1895 alone saw a short-story collection (The Stolen Bacillus and Other Incidents), a fantastic romance in which an angel falls to Earth (The Wonderful Visit) and a volume of essays, as well as his first full-length work of fiction, The Time Machine."
— Simon J. James, Nature, 8 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Ramify has been part of English since the 15th century and is an offshoot of the Latin word for "branch," which is ramus. English acquired several scientific words from ramus, including biramous ("having two branches"). Another English word derived from ramus is the now obsolete ramage, meaning "untamed" or "wild."
Ramage originated in falconry—it was initially used of young hawks that had begun to fly from branch to branch in trees. The most common ramus word, though, is a direct descendant of ramify. Ramification in its oldest sense means "branch, offshoot," but is most commonly used to mean "consequence, outgrowth."
Ramify started out as a scientific word, at first referring to branching parts of plants and trees and later to veins and nerves, but it soon branched out into non-scientific and even figurative uses, as in "ideas that ramify throughout society."
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Syncretism
WORD OF THE DAY
syncretism \ SING-kruh-tiz-um\ noun
Definition
1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice
2 : the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
Examples
"Dance caller and historian Phil Jamison … argues convincingly … that American square dance is not a colonial relic from the British Isles, but rather a uniquely American syncretism of European, African and Native American influences."
— Gabriel Popkin, The Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2016
"The Yoruba religion was brought to Cuba by Africans from the Yoruba region…. Over time, the religion merged with Catholicism, resulting in a religious syncretism that unites the Yoruba deities (orishas) with Catholic saints."
— Abel Fernandez, The Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
The ancient Greeks mainly used the term synkrētismos to describe the joining together of Greeks in opposition to a common enemy. In the early 17th century, English speakers adopted the term in the anglicized form syncretism to refer to the union of different religious beliefs.
Three centuries later, lexicographers of the 1909 edition of Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language added a new definition of syncretism ("the union or fusion into one or two or more originally different inflectional forms, as of two cases"), but this specialized sense is rarely encountered outside of the field of linguistics.
Some related terms that you might encounter are syncretize ("to attempt to unite and harmonize"), syncretist ("one who advocates syncretism"), and syncretic and syncretistic ("characterized or brought about by syncretism").
syncretism \ SING-kruh-tiz-um\ noun
Definition
1 : the combination of different forms of belief or practice
2 : the fusion of two or more originally different inflectional forms
Examples
"Dance caller and historian Phil Jamison … argues convincingly … that American square dance is not a colonial relic from the British Isles, but rather a uniquely American syncretism of European, African and Native American influences."
— Gabriel Popkin, The Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2016
"The Yoruba religion was brought to Cuba by Africans from the Yoruba region…. Over time, the religion merged with Catholicism, resulting in a religious syncretism that unites the Yoruba deities (orishas) with Catholic saints."
— Abel Fernandez, The Miami Herald, 4 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
The ancient Greeks mainly used the term synkrētismos to describe the joining together of Greeks in opposition to a common enemy. In the early 17th century, English speakers adopted the term in the anglicized form syncretism to refer to the union of different religious beliefs.
Three centuries later, lexicographers of the 1909 edition of Webster’s New International Dictionary of the English Language added a new definition of syncretism ("the union or fusion into one or two or more originally different inflectional forms, as of two cases"), but this specialized sense is rarely encountered outside of the field of linguistics.
Some related terms that you might encounter are syncretize ("to attempt to unite and harmonize"), syncretist ("one who advocates syncretism"), and syncretic and syncretistic ("characterized or brought about by syncretism").
Monday, March 6, 2017
Postulate
WORD OF THE DAY
postulate \ PAHSS-chuh-layt \ verb
Definition
1 : demand, claim
2a : to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary
2b : to assume as an axiom or as a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning (as in logic or mathematics)
Examples
"Some postulate that the moment when machines surpass humans in intelligence may not be that far off."
— Vicky Allan, The Sunday Herald (Glasgow), 22 Jan. 2017
"[Dr. Kevin] Tracey, a neurosurgeon, scientist and inventor, first advanced what seemed a radical hypothesis in the late 1990s: He postulated that the vagus nerve is intimately involved in the function of the immune system."
— Delthia Ricks, Newsday, 3 Jan. 2017
Did You Know?
In 1703, the dedication of the City and County Purchaser and Builders Dictionary included the following words: "These your extraordinary Favours … seem to Postulate from me … a Publick Recognition."
That sense of postulate, a synonym of claim or demand, has been used by English speakers since the early 1600s. (The word's Latin grandparent, postulare, has the same meaning, but postulate first appeared earlier in the 1500s in senses restricted to ecclesiastical law.)
Postulate was also used as a noun in the late 1500s, with the meaning "demand" or "stipulation." That sense is now considered archaic, but we still use the noun postulate. Today, it usually means "a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning."
Friday, March 3, 2017
Cabotage
WORD OF THE DAY
cabotage \ KAB-uh-tahzh \ noun
Definition
1 : trade or transport in coastal waters or airspace or between two points within a country
2 : the right to engage in coastal trade or transport
Examples
"If Britain were granted cabotage, B.A.'s planes would be able to operate like a domestic carrier—to hop about the United States, picking up and discharging passengers, and carrying many of them to and from Britain."
— John Newhouse, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 1991
"The decision to allow cabotage could see a foreign carrier … fly domestic passengers between the Queensland resort and another destination north of the tropic."
— Steve Creedy, The Australian, 29 May 2015
Did You Know?
Coastlines were once so important to the French that they came up with a verb to name the act of sailing along a coast: caboter. That verb gave rise to the French noun cabotage, which named trade or transport along a coast.
In the 16th century, the French legally limited their lucrative coastal trade, declaring that only French ships could trade in French ports. They called the right to conduct such trading cabotage too.
Other nations soon embraced both the concept of trade restrictions and the French name for trading rights, and expanded the idea to inland trade as well.
cabotage \ KAB-uh-tahzh \ noun
Definition
1 : trade or transport in coastal waters or airspace or between two points within a country
2 : the right to engage in coastal trade or transport
Examples
"If Britain were granted cabotage, B.A.'s planes would be able to operate like a domestic carrier—to hop about the United States, picking up and discharging passengers, and carrying many of them to and from Britain."
— John Newhouse, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 1991
"The decision to allow cabotage could see a foreign carrier … fly domestic passengers between the Queensland resort and another destination north of the tropic."
— Steve Creedy, The Australian, 29 May 2015
Did You Know?
Coastlines were once so important to the French that they came up with a verb to name the act of sailing along a coast: caboter. That verb gave rise to the French noun cabotage, which named trade or transport along a coast.
In the 16th century, the French legally limited their lucrative coastal trade, declaring that only French ships could trade in French ports. They called the right to conduct such trading cabotage too.
Other nations soon embraced both the concept of trade restrictions and the French name for trading rights, and expanded the idea to inland trade as well.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Laconic
WORD OF THE DAY
laconic \ luh-KAH-nik \ adjective
Definition
1: using or involving the use of a minimum of words
2: concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
Examples
The reporters had a hard time getting the laconic quarterback to share his thoughts after the tough loss.
"Far from laconic, Penny is steeped with a positive attitude as she greets students with a smile and asks for their omelet request. With a voracious appetite for conversation, Penny's outgoing personality draws a throng of students to her omelet line."
— Haley Thompson, The Courier (Monmouth College), 3 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us by way of Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, which is derived from Lakōn, meaning "native of Laconia."
It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we're more apt to use Laconian for this meaning today). In current use, laconic means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.
laconic \ luh-KAH-nik \ adjective
Definition
1: using or involving the use of a minimum of words
2: concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
Examples
The reporters had a hard time getting the laconic quarterback to share his thoughts after the tough loss.
"Far from laconic, Penny is steeped with a positive attitude as she greets students with a smile and asks for their omelet request. With a voracious appetite for conversation, Penny's outgoing personality draws a throng of students to her omelet line."
— Haley Thompson, The Courier (Monmouth College), 3 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. Laconic comes to us by way of Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, which is derived from Lakōn, meaning "native of Laconia."
It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we're more apt to use Laconian for this meaning today). In current use, laconic means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Exponent
WORD OF THE DAY
exponent \ ik-SPOH-nunt \ noun
Definition
1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indicate the operation of raising to a power
2a : one that expounds or interprets
2b: one that champions, practices, or exemplifies
Examples
"As the leading exponent of naturalism in fiction, [Émile] Zola believed in the clinically accurate depiction of all aspects of human life."
— Adam Kirsch, The New Statesman, 18 Jan. 2017
"But the quality of the imagination is to flow, and not to freeze. The poet did not stop at the color, or the form, but read their meaning; neither may he rest in this meaning, but he makes the same objects exponents of his new thought."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: Second Series, 1944
Did You Know?
You probably won't be surprised to learn that exponent shares an ancestor with proponent—and indeed, the Latin ponere ("to put") is at the root of both terms. Exponent descends from exponere, which joins ponere with ex- ("out") and means "to put forth" or "to explain." Proponent traces to proponere, a word created from the affix pro- ("before") that can mean "to put before," or "to display" or "to declare."
Proponent is related to propose and can describe someone who offers a proposal, but today it usually means "one who argues in favor of something." Exponent can also refer to someone who is an advocate, but it tends to refer especially to someone who stands out as a shining representative of something. In addition, it has retained its earlier meaning of "one who expounds."
exponent \ ik-SPOH-nunt \ noun
Definition
1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indicate the operation of raising to a power
2a : one that expounds or interprets
2b: one that champions, practices, or exemplifies
Examples
"As the leading exponent of naturalism in fiction, [Émile] Zola believed in the clinically accurate depiction of all aspects of human life."
— Adam Kirsch, The New Statesman, 18 Jan. 2017
"But the quality of the imagination is to flow, and not to freeze. The poet did not stop at the color, or the form, but read their meaning; neither may he rest in this meaning, but he makes the same objects exponents of his new thought."
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: Second Series, 1944
Did You Know?
You probably won't be surprised to learn that exponent shares an ancestor with proponent—and indeed, the Latin ponere ("to put") is at the root of both terms. Exponent descends from exponere, which joins ponere with ex- ("out") and means "to put forth" or "to explain." Proponent traces to proponere, a word created from the affix pro- ("before") that can mean "to put before," or "to display" or "to declare."
Proponent is related to propose and can describe someone who offers a proposal, but today it usually means "one who argues in favor of something." Exponent can also refer to someone who is an advocate, but it tends to refer especially to someone who stands out as a shining representative of something. In addition, it has retained its earlier meaning of "one who expounds."
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