WORD OF THE DAY
billion / noun / BILL-yun
Definition
1 (US): a number equal to 1,000 million
1 (British): a number equal to 1,000 milliard
2: a very large number
Examples
If you were to count to a billion at the rate of one number per second, it would take you over 31 and a half years to finish.
"White dwarf stars start off extremely hot, but they no longer generate their own energy. And while they initially radiate enough heat that we can see them in our telescopes, they slowly lose their energy over billions of years."
— Deborah Netburn, The Bismark (North Dakota) Tribune, 15 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
How much is a billion? It might depend on whom you ask. Billion was borrowed from French in the late 1600s to indicate the number one million raised to the power of two, or a million million—a number represented by a 1 followed by 12 zeros.
However, the French later changed their naming conventions so that a billion became a thousand million (a 1 followed by 9 zeros) and a trillion became a thousand thousand million (or a million million, the old billion).
The French have since returned to the older system, but it was this new system that was adopted by American English speakers in the 1800s.
In Britain, the newer system has seen increasing use since the 1950s, but the older sense is still sometimes used there as well.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Grift
WORD OF THE DAY
grift / verb / GRIFT
Definition
1: to obtain (money) illicitly (as in a confidence game)
2: to acquire money or property illicitly
Examples
The guidebook warns that the city's con artists grift millions of dollars from unwary tourists annually.
"He's somebody that lived and grifted, lived for the day. As soon as he got any money from some shady deal or whatever he was involved in, he just spent it."
— Richard E. Grant, quoted on Vox.com, 18 Oct. 2018
Did You Know?
Grift was born in the argot of the underworld, a realm in which a "grifter" might be a pickpocket, a crooked gambler, or a confidence man—any criminal who relied on skill and wits rather than physical violence—and to be "on the grift" was to make a living by stings and clever thefts.
Grift may have evolved from graft, a slightly older word meaning "to acquire dishonestly," but its exact origins are uncertain.
We do know that the verb grift first finagled its way into print in the early 20th century, as demonstrated in George Bronson-Howard's 1915 novel God's Man, where it appears in gerund (verb made into a noun!) form: "Grifting ain't what it used to be. Fourteenth Street's got protection down to a system—a regular underworld tariff on larceny."
grift / verb / GRIFT
Definition
1: to obtain (money) illicitly (as in a confidence game)
2: to acquire money or property illicitly
Examples
The guidebook warns that the city's con artists grift millions of dollars from unwary tourists annually.
"He's somebody that lived and grifted, lived for the day. As soon as he got any money from some shady deal or whatever he was involved in, he just spent it."
— Richard E. Grant, quoted on Vox.com, 18 Oct. 2018
Did You Know?
Grift was born in the argot of the underworld, a realm in which a "grifter" might be a pickpocket, a crooked gambler, or a confidence man—any criminal who relied on skill and wits rather than physical violence—and to be "on the grift" was to make a living by stings and clever thefts.
Grift may have evolved from graft, a slightly older word meaning "to acquire dishonestly," but its exact origins are uncertain.
We do know that the verb grift first finagled its way into print in the early 20th century, as demonstrated in George Bronson-Howard's 1915 novel God's Man, where it appears in gerund (verb made into a noun!) form: "Grifting ain't what it used to be. Fourteenth Street's got protection down to a system—a regular underworld tariff on larceny."
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Avuncular
WORD OF THE DAY
avuncular / adjective / uh-VUNK-yuh-ler
Definition
1: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality
2: of or relating to an uncle
Examples
At 18 years her senior, May's brother was a steadying force in her life, supportive and avuncular.
"Today's generation of fans knew [Stan] Lee as the avuncular elder statesman who regaled packed halls at comic conventions with stories of his years in the medium, and for his cameos in every Marvel movie, which he continued well into his 90s."
— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's murderous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in William Shakespeare's tragedy), but avuncular reveals that, as a group, uncles are generally seen as affable and benevolent, if at times a bit patronizing.
Avuncular derives from the Latin noun avunculus, which translates as "maternal uncle," but since at least the 19th century English speakers have used avuncular to refer to uncles from either side of the family or even to individuals who are simply uncle-like in character or behavior.
And in case you were wondering, avunculus is also an ancestor of the word uncle itself.
avuncular / adjective / uh-VUNK-yuh-ler
Definition
1: suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality
2: of or relating to an uncle
Examples
At 18 years her senior, May's brother was a steadying force in her life, supportive and avuncular.
"Today's generation of fans knew [Stan] Lee as the avuncular elder statesman who regaled packed halls at comic conventions with stories of his years in the medium, and for his cameos in every Marvel movie, which he continued well into his 90s."
— Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet's murderous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn't exactly Mr. Nice Guy in William Shakespeare's tragedy), but avuncular reveals that, as a group, uncles are generally seen as affable and benevolent, if at times a bit patronizing.
Avuncular derives from the Latin noun avunculus, which translates as "maternal uncle," but since at least the 19th century English speakers have used avuncular to refer to uncles from either side of the family or even to individuals who are simply uncle-like in character or behavior.
And in case you were wondering, avunculus is also an ancestor of the word uncle itself.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Impetus
WORD OF THE DAY
impetus / noun / IM-puh-tus
Definition
1a: a driving force
1b: impulse
1c: incentive, stimulus
1d: stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity
2: the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion — used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion
Examples
The high salary and generous benefits package were impetus enough to apply for the job.
"Several legislators who spoke at last week's workshop cited a recent series by the Post & Courier of Charleston as the impetus for this year's focus on education."
— Kirk Brown, The Greenville (South Carolina) News, 9 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
You already have plenty of incentive to learn the origin of impetus, so we won't force the point. Impetus comes from Latin, where it means "attack or assault"; the verb impetere was formed by combining the prefix in- with petere, meaning "to go to or seek."
Petere also gives us other words suggesting a forceful urging or momentum, such as appetite, perpetual, and centripetal.
Impetus describes the kind of force that encourages an action ("the impetus behind the project") or the momentum of an action already begun ("the meetings only gave impetus to the rumors of a merger").
impetus / noun / IM-puh-tus
Definition
1a: a driving force
1b: impulse
1c: incentive, stimulus
1d: stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity
2: the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion — used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion
Examples
The high salary and generous benefits package were impetus enough to apply for the job.
"Several legislators who spoke at last week's workshop cited a recent series by the Post & Courier of Charleston as the impetus for this year's focus on education."
— Kirk Brown, The Greenville (South Carolina) News, 9 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
You already have plenty of incentive to learn the origin of impetus, so we won't force the point. Impetus comes from Latin, where it means "attack or assault"; the verb impetere was formed by combining the prefix in- with petere, meaning "to go to or seek."
Petere also gives us other words suggesting a forceful urging or momentum, such as appetite, perpetual, and centripetal.
Impetus describes the kind of force that encourages an action ("the impetus behind the project") or the momentum of an action already begun ("the meetings only gave impetus to the rumors of a merger").
Friday, February 22, 2019
Minion
WORD OF THE DAY
minion / noun / MIN-yun
Definition
1: a servile dependent, follower, or underling
2a: one highly favored
2b: idol
3: a subordinate or petty official
Examples
The senior executive has a small platoon of minions to run both personal and business errands for him.
"Smartphones make it easier for managers to change their minds at the last moment: for example, to e-mail a minion at 11pm to tell him he must fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow."
— The Economist, 10 Mar. 2012
Did You Know?
Minion comes to us from Middle French and has a somewhat surprising cousin in English: filet mignon. The two words are connected by way of Middle French mignon, meaning "darling."
Minion entered English around 1500 directly from Middle French, whereas filet mignon arrived significantly later by way of a modern French phrase meaning "dainty fillet."
The earliest uses of minion referred to someone who was a particular favorite, or darling, of a sovereign or other important personage.
Over time, however, the word developed a more derogatory sense referring to a person who is servile and unimportant.
minion / noun / MIN-yun
Definition
1: a servile dependent, follower, or underling
2a: one highly favored
2b: idol
3: a subordinate or petty official
Examples
The senior executive has a small platoon of minions to run both personal and business errands for him.
"Smartphones make it easier for managers to change their minds at the last moment: for example, to e-mail a minion at 11pm to tell him he must fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow."
— The Economist, 10 Mar. 2012
Did You Know?
Minion comes to us from Middle French and has a somewhat surprising cousin in English: filet mignon. The two words are connected by way of Middle French mignon, meaning "darling."
Minion entered English around 1500 directly from Middle French, whereas filet mignon arrived significantly later by way of a modern French phrase meaning "dainty fillet."
The earliest uses of minion referred to someone who was a particular favorite, or darling, of a sovereign or other important personage.
Over time, however, the word developed a more derogatory sense referring to a person who is servile and unimportant.
Thursday, February 21, 2019
Hoopla
WORD OF THE DAY
hoopla / noun / HOO-plah
Definition
1a: excited commotion
1b: to-do
2a: exaggerated or sensational promotion or publicity
2b: ballyhoo
Examples
"Ideas change as data accumulate. If future evidence causes me to change my mind again, that's okay. That's how the scientific method works, always revising what we thought we knew, eventually casting aside the emotional hoopla, and ultimately granting us not a measure of truth so much as a better approximation of reality."
— Eric J. Chaisson, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2018
"My wife and I were watching all this [government] shutdown hoopla on television. My wife then said, 'Why don't you serve them meals?' So we decided to extend it out to all of the Coast Guard members stationed here…."
— James Gubata, quoted in The Providence Journal, 15 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
In French, the interjection houp-là is used roughly the same way as English's upsy-daisy or whoops-a-daisy, as one might say when picking up a child. (This usage can be found in English, too, in such works as Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons and James Joyce's Ulysses.)
When the word was borrowed into American English, however, it was to refer to a kind of bustling commotion, and later, as a term for sensationalist hype.
In the early 20th century, another hoopla was in use as well. Playing on the syllable hoop, that word gave its name to a ring-toss game played at carnivals.
hoopla / noun / HOO-plah
Definition
1a: excited commotion
1b: to-do
2a: exaggerated or sensational promotion or publicity
2b: ballyhoo
Examples
"Ideas change as data accumulate. If future evidence causes me to change my mind again, that's okay. That's how the scientific method works, always revising what we thought we knew, eventually casting aside the emotional hoopla, and ultimately granting us not a measure of truth so much as a better approximation of reality."
— Eric J. Chaisson, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2018
"My wife and I were watching all this [government] shutdown hoopla on television. My wife then said, 'Why don't you serve them meals?' So we decided to extend it out to all of the Coast Guard members stationed here…."
— James Gubata, quoted in The Providence Journal, 15 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
In French, the interjection houp-là is used roughly the same way as English's upsy-daisy or whoops-a-daisy, as one might say when picking up a child. (This usage can be found in English, too, in such works as Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons and James Joyce's Ulysses.)
When the word was borrowed into American English, however, it was to refer to a kind of bustling commotion, and later, as a term for sensationalist hype.
In the early 20th century, another hoopla was in use as well. Playing on the syllable hoop, that word gave its name to a ring-toss game played at carnivals.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Obsequious
WORD OF THE DAY
obsequious / adjective / ub-SEE-kwee-us
Definition
: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Examples
"Not pleasing others enough amounts to surliness, pleasing too much makes one obsequious—you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. The sweet spot in the middle is where you want to be."
— Carlin Flora, Psychology Today, 1 July 2017
"She read up on professors beforehand and, if their written work was accessible, familiarized herself with it, so she could make mention of it. That flattered them and pegged her as a serious, considerate person. Taking that too far, of course, could be repulsively obsequious."
— Frank Bruni, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2018
Did You Know?
An obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. Use that fact to help you remember the meaning of obsequious. All you need to do is bear in mind that the word comes from the Latin root sequi, meaning "to follow." (The other contributor is the prefix ob-, meaning "toward.") Sequi is the source of a number of other English words, too, including consequence (a result that follows from an action), sequel (a novel, film, or TV show that follows and continues a story begun in another), and non sequitur (a conclusion that doesn't follow from what was said before).
obsequious / adjective / ub-SEE-kwee-us
Definition
: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness
Examples
"Not pleasing others enough amounts to surliness, pleasing too much makes one obsequious—you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. The sweet spot in the middle is where you want to be."
— Carlin Flora, Psychology Today, 1 July 2017
"She read up on professors beforehand and, if their written work was accessible, familiarized herself with it, so she could make mention of it. That flattered them and pegged her as a serious, considerate person. Taking that too far, of course, could be repulsively obsequious."
— Frank Bruni, The New York Times, 19 Aug. 2018
Did You Know?
An obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. Use that fact to help you remember the meaning of obsequious. All you need to do is bear in mind that the word comes from the Latin root sequi, meaning "to follow." (The other contributor is the prefix ob-, meaning "toward.") Sequi is the source of a number of other English words, too, including consequence (a result that follows from an action), sequel (a novel, film, or TV show that follows and continues a story begun in another), and non sequitur (a conclusion that doesn't follow from what was said before).
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Prestigious
WORD OF THE DAY
prestigious / adjective / preh-STIH-juss
Definition
1 (archaic): of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery
2a: having an illustrious name or reputation
2b: esteemed in general opinion
Examples
Carla was overjoyed to receive an acceptance letter from the prestigious university.
"The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has announced 16 finalists for its closely watched SECA [Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art] Art Award for 2019. The awards are the region's most prestigious recognition for emerging artists."
— Charles Desmarais, The San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
You may be surprised to learn that prestigious had more to do with trickery than with respect when it was first used in the mid-16th century. The earliest (now archaic) meaning of the word was "of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery."
Prestigious comes to us from the Latin word praestigiosis, meaning "full of tricks" or "deceitful." The words prestige and prestigious are related, of course, though not as directly as you might think; they share a Latin ancestor, but they entered English by different routes.
Prestige, which was borrowed from French in the mid-17th century, initially meant "a conjurer's trick," but in the 19th century it developed an extended sense of "blinding or dazzling influence." That change, in turn, influenced prestigious, which now means simply "illustrious or esteemed."
prestigious / adjective / preh-STIH-juss
Definition
1 (archaic): of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery
2a: having an illustrious name or reputation
2b: esteemed in general opinion
Examples
Carla was overjoyed to receive an acceptance letter from the prestigious university.
"The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has announced 16 finalists for its closely watched SECA [Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art] Art Award for 2019. The awards are the region's most prestigious recognition for emerging artists."
— Charles Desmarais, The San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
You may be surprised to learn that prestigious had more to do with trickery than with respect when it was first used in the mid-16th century. The earliest (now archaic) meaning of the word was "of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery."
Prestigious comes to us from the Latin word praestigiosis, meaning "full of tricks" or "deceitful." The words prestige and prestigious are related, of course, though not as directly as you might think; they share a Latin ancestor, but they entered English by different routes.
Prestige, which was borrowed from French in the mid-17th century, initially meant "a conjurer's trick," but in the 19th century it developed an extended sense of "blinding or dazzling influence." That change, in turn, influenced prestigious, which now means simply "illustrious or esteemed."
Monday, February 18, 2019
Emote
WORD OF THE DAY
emote / verb / ih-MOHT
Definition
: to give expression to emotion especially in acting
Examples
"It's not always immediately obvious, but sometimes you fall in love with a band for the way the singers emote."
— James Reed, The Boston Globe, 24 Jan. 2012
"Aiming for a higher quality than masks allowed, the makeup artist John Chambers developed a new type of foam rubber and created facial appliances that allowed actors to talk and emote."
— Andrew R. Chow, The New York Times, 31 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Emote is an example of what linguists call a back-formation—that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word (in this case, emotion).
As is sometimes the case with back-formations, emote has since its coinage in the early 20th century tended toward use that is less than entirely serious.
It frequently appears in humorous or deprecating descriptions of the work of actors, and is similarly used to describe theatrical behavior by nonactors.
Though a writer sometimes wants us to take someone's "emoting" seriously, a phrase like "expressing emotion" avoids the chance that we will hear some snideness in the writer's words.
emote / verb / ih-MOHT
Definition
: to give expression to emotion especially in acting
Examples
"It's not always immediately obvious, but sometimes you fall in love with a band for the way the singers emote."
— James Reed, The Boston Globe, 24 Jan. 2012
"Aiming for a higher quality than masks allowed, the makeup artist John Chambers developed a new type of foam rubber and created facial appliances that allowed actors to talk and emote."
— Andrew R. Chow, The New York Times, 31 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Emote is an example of what linguists call a back-formation—that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word (in this case, emotion).
As is sometimes the case with back-formations, emote has since its coinage in the early 20th century tended toward use that is less than entirely serious.
It frequently appears in humorous or deprecating descriptions of the work of actors, and is similarly used to describe theatrical behavior by nonactors.
Though a writer sometimes wants us to take someone's "emoting" seriously, a phrase like "expressing emotion" avoids the chance that we will hear some snideness in the writer's words.
Friday, February 15, 2019
Apotheosis
WORD OF THE DAY
apotheosis / noun / uh-pah-thee-OH-sis
Definition
1a: the perfect form or example of something
1b: quintessence
1c: the highest or best part of something
1d: peak
2a: elevation to divine status
2bb: deification
Examples
"Four decades after its box office debut, Grease remains a cultural phenomenon.… [Olivia] Newton-John is particularly stellar, with her charming persona and spotless soprano voice making the film the apotheosis of her '70s superstardom."
— Billboard.com, 4 Oct. 2018
"In 2018, this adaptation [of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451] speaks to the apotheosis of social media, to the approach of authoritarianism, and to any other anxieties about the self-surveillance state that you might harbor."
— Troy Patterson, The New Yorker, 18 May 2018
Did You Know?
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting—or simply handy, say if you wanted a god somewhere in your bloodline—to grant someone or other "god" status.
So they created the word apotheōsis, from the verb apotheoun, meaning "to deify." (The prefix apo-can mean "off," "from," or "away," and theos is the Greek word for "god.") There's not a lot of Greek-style apotheosizing in the 21st century, but there is hero-worship.
Our extended use of apotheosis as "elevation to divine status" is the equivalent of "placement on a very high pedestal." Even more common these days is to use apotheosis in reference to a perfect example or ultimate form. For example, one might describe a movie as "the apotheosis of the sci-fi movie genre."
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Heartstring
WORD OF THE DAY
heartstring / noun / HAHRT-string
Definition
: the deepest emotions or affections — usually used in plural
Examples
"While on Facebook, have you ever come across a posting that tugs at your heartstrings? Photos of adorable abandoned puppies, say, or a story about a cute little girl who didn't get any happy birthday wishes? You instinctively click the 'thumbs-up' or add a comment (Happy birthday!) and maybe even decide to share the posting."
— Mary C. Hickey, Consumer Reports, June 2018
"There are two moments in 'Mary Poppins Returns' when the grown-ups watching really lose it: Dick Van Dyke's arrival and when Angela Lansbury starts singing. Those are playing on a lifetime of heartstrings."
— Lin-Manuel Miranda, quoted in USA Today, 27 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Before a song or movie or heart-shaped card accompanied by a box of chocolates could tug at your heartstrings, the job was more likely to be accomplished by a surgeon: the word heartstring used to refer to a nerve believed to sustain the heart.
You might recognize the word's second syllable in the term hamstring, which refers to both a group of tendons at the back of the knee and to any of three muscles at the backs of the upper legs.
It's also apparent in a rare dialect term for the Achilles' tendon: heel string. And in light of these terms, it's not surprising to know that string itself was at one time used independently to refer to cords like tendons and ligaments.
heartstring / noun / HAHRT-string
Definition
: the deepest emotions or affections — usually used in plural
Examples
"While on Facebook, have you ever come across a posting that tugs at your heartstrings? Photos of adorable abandoned puppies, say, or a story about a cute little girl who didn't get any happy birthday wishes? You instinctively click the 'thumbs-up' or add a comment (Happy birthday!) and maybe even decide to share the posting."
— Mary C. Hickey, Consumer Reports, June 2018
"There are two moments in 'Mary Poppins Returns' when the grown-ups watching really lose it: Dick Van Dyke's arrival and when Angela Lansbury starts singing. Those are playing on a lifetime of heartstrings."
— Lin-Manuel Miranda, quoted in USA Today, 27 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Before a song or movie or heart-shaped card accompanied by a box of chocolates could tug at your heartstrings, the job was more likely to be accomplished by a surgeon: the word heartstring used to refer to a nerve believed to sustain the heart.
You might recognize the word's second syllable in the term hamstring, which refers to both a group of tendons at the back of the knee and to any of three muscles at the backs of the upper legs.
It's also apparent in a rare dialect term for the Achilles' tendon: heel string. And in light of these terms, it's not surprising to know that string itself was at one time used independently to refer to cords like tendons and ligaments.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Cacophany
WORD OF THE DAY
cacophony / noun / ka-KAH-fuh-nee
Definition
1a: harsh or discordant sound : dissonance; specifically
1b: harshness in the sound of words or phrases
2a : an incongruous or chaotic mixture
2b: a striking combination
Examples
"But never in their most uneasy dreams did they expect the cacophony—a word which here means 'the sound of two metal pots being banged together by a nasty foreman standing in the doorway holding no breakfast at all'—that awoke them."
— Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill, 2000
"Divided into groups of ten or so, the students came forward for an opportunity to play the instruments. The cacophony that resulted was matched only by the children's broad smiles as they blew tubas, banged on drums or drew bows across violins."
— Steven Felschundneff, The Claremont (California) Courier, 29 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Words that descend from the Greek word phōnē are making noise in English. Why? Because phōnē means "sound" or "voice."
Cacophony comes from a joining of the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos,meaning "bad") with phōnē, so it essentially means "bad sound."
Symphony, a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound, traces to phōnē and the Greek prefix syn-, which means "together."
Polyphony refers to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony, and it comes from a combination of phōnē and the Greek prefix poly-, meaning "many."
And euphony, a word for a pleasing or sweet sound, combines phōnē with eu-, a prefix that means "good."
cacophony / noun / ka-KAH-fuh-nee
Definition
1a: harsh or discordant sound : dissonance; specifically
1b: harshness in the sound of words or phrases
2a : an incongruous or chaotic mixture
2b: a striking combination
Examples
"But never in their most uneasy dreams did they expect the cacophony—a word which here means 'the sound of two metal pots being banged together by a nasty foreman standing in the doorway holding no breakfast at all'—that awoke them."
— Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill, 2000
"Divided into groups of ten or so, the students came forward for an opportunity to play the instruments. The cacophony that resulted was matched only by the children's broad smiles as they blew tubas, banged on drums or drew bows across violins."
— Steven Felschundneff, The Claremont (California) Courier, 29 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Words that descend from the Greek word phōnē are making noise in English. Why? Because phōnē means "sound" or "voice."
Cacophony comes from a joining of the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos,meaning "bad") with phōnē, so it essentially means "bad sound."
Symphony, a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound, traces to phōnē and the Greek prefix syn-, which means "together."
Polyphony refers to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony, and it comes from a combination of phōnē and the Greek prefix poly-, meaning "many."
And euphony, a word for a pleasing or sweet sound, combines phōnē with eu-, a prefix that means "good."
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Teem
WORD OF THE DAY
teem / verb / TEEM
Definition
1a: to become filled to overflowing
1b: abound
2: to be present in large quantity
Examples
"On Friday, Tselikis stood in front of the Red's Best stall at Boston's Public Market, offering up tidbits about lobsters as they teemed inside a tank."
— Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com, 10 June 2016
"But beneath the surface, some of the rigs are teeming with biological life. Dozens of fish species, thousands of different kinds of invertebrates, and sea lions all call the rigs home."
— Erik Olsen, Quartz, 17 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
The verb teem and the noun team are not just homophones, they are also etymological kin. Teem is derived from Old English tīman or tæman, which originally meant "to bring forth offspring" or "to become pregnant."
That word is related to the ancestor of team, the Old English noun tēam, meaning "offspring, lineage, or group of draft animals."
Team can still be used to refer to a brood of young animals, especially pigs or ducks, but both teem and team have otherwise largely left their offspring-related senses behind.
teem / verb / TEEM
Definition
1a: to become filled to overflowing
1b: abound
2: to be present in large quantity
Examples
"On Friday, Tselikis stood in front of the Red's Best stall at Boston's Public Market, offering up tidbits about lobsters as they teemed inside a tank."
— Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com, 10 June 2016
"But beneath the surface, some of the rigs are teeming with biological life. Dozens of fish species, thousands of different kinds of invertebrates, and sea lions all call the rigs home."
— Erik Olsen, Quartz, 17 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
The verb teem and the noun team are not just homophones, they are also etymological kin. Teem is derived from Old English tīman or tæman, which originally meant "to bring forth offspring" or "to become pregnant."
That word is related to the ancestor of team, the Old English noun tēam, meaning "offspring, lineage, or group of draft animals."
Team can still be used to refer to a brood of young animals, especially pigs or ducks, but both teem and team have otherwise largely left their offspring-related senses behind.
Monday, February 11, 2019
Bardolater
WORD OF THE DAY
bardolater / noun / bar-DAH-luh-ter
Definition
: a person who idolizes Shakespeare
Examples
The song retells the story of "Othello," but in such subtle language that only bardolaters are likely to recognize it.
"[W]hether you're a bona fide Bardolater or someone who uses Shakespeare as an excuse to eat brie on a blanket under the summer stars, here's a brief round-up of where to satisfy your appetite for Shakespeare this summer."
— Jenny Terpsichore Abeles, The Recorder (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 15 June 2017
Did You Know?
George Bernard Shaw once described a William Shakespeare play as "stagy trash." Another time, Shaw said he'd like to dig Shakespeare from the grave and throw stones at him. Shaw could be equally scathing toward Shakespeare's adoring fans.
He called them "foolish Bardolaters," wrote of "Bardolatrous" ignoramuses, and called blind Shakespeare worship "Bardolatry." Oddly enough, Shaw didn't despise Shakespeare or his work (on the contrary, he was, by his own admission, an admirer), but he disdained those who placed the man beyond reproach.
The word bardolater, which Shaw coined by blending Shakespeare's epithet—"the Bard"—with an affix that calls to mind idolater, has stuck with us to this day, though it has lost some of its original critical sting.
bardolater / noun / bar-DAH-luh-ter
Definition
: a person who idolizes Shakespeare
Examples
The song retells the story of "Othello," but in such subtle language that only bardolaters are likely to recognize it.
"[W]hether you're a bona fide Bardolater or someone who uses Shakespeare as an excuse to eat brie on a blanket under the summer stars, here's a brief round-up of where to satisfy your appetite for Shakespeare this summer."
— Jenny Terpsichore Abeles, The Recorder (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 15 June 2017
Did You Know?
George Bernard Shaw once described a William Shakespeare play as "stagy trash." Another time, Shaw said he'd like to dig Shakespeare from the grave and throw stones at him. Shaw could be equally scathing toward Shakespeare's adoring fans.
He called them "foolish Bardolaters," wrote of "Bardolatrous" ignoramuses, and called blind Shakespeare worship "Bardolatry." Oddly enough, Shaw didn't despise Shakespeare or his work (on the contrary, he was, by his own admission, an admirer), but he disdained those who placed the man beyond reproach.
The word bardolater, which Shaw coined by blending Shakespeare's epithet—"the Bard"—with an affix that calls to mind idolater, has stuck with us to this day, though it has lost some of its original critical sting.
Friday, February 8, 2019
Wiseacre
WORD OF THE DAY
wiseacre / noun / WYZE-ay-ker
Definition
1: one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially
2: smart aleck
Examples
"Regardless of how they choose to do so, most people who contact Congress have legitimate concerns—but, as any staffer can tell you, there is a small but enduring subgroup of wiseacres and crackpots. Moore, the former congressional staffer, once took a call from a man who claimed, in all seriousness, to be the true and rightful owner of the moon."
— Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2017
"A French nobleman-soldier who is mad for love and poetry in roughly equal measure, a chivalric wiseacre adept at wordplay and swordplay alike, Cyrano requires an actor who is both physically and intellectually nimble."
— Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, 20 July 2018
Did You Know?
Given the spelling and definition of wiseacre, you might guess that the word derives from the sense of wise meaning "insolent" or "fresh"—the sense that also gives us wise guy, wisecrack, and wisenheimer.
But, in fact, wiseacre came to English by a different route: it is derived from the Middle Dutch wijssegger, meaning "soothsayer."
Wiseacre first appeared in English way back in the 16th century, while the "insolent" sense of wise and the words formed from it are products of the 19th century.
The etymologies of wiseacre and wise are not completely distinct, however; the ancestors of wiseacre are loosely tied to the same Old English root that gave us wise.
wiseacre / noun / WYZE-ay-ker
Definition
1: one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially
2: smart aleck
Examples
"Regardless of how they choose to do so, most people who contact Congress have legitimate concerns—but, as any staffer can tell you, there is a small but enduring subgroup of wiseacres and crackpots. Moore, the former congressional staffer, once took a call from a man who claimed, in all seriousness, to be the true and rightful owner of the moon."
— Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2017
"A French nobleman-soldier who is mad for love and poetry in roughly equal measure, a chivalric wiseacre adept at wordplay and swordplay alike, Cyrano requires an actor who is both physically and intellectually nimble."
— Don Aucoin, The Boston Globe, 20 July 2018
Did You Know?
Given the spelling and definition of wiseacre, you might guess that the word derives from the sense of wise meaning "insolent" or "fresh"—the sense that also gives us wise guy, wisecrack, and wisenheimer.
But, in fact, wiseacre came to English by a different route: it is derived from the Middle Dutch wijssegger, meaning "soothsayer."
Wiseacre first appeared in English way back in the 16th century, while the "insolent" sense of wise and the words formed from it are products of the 19th century.
The etymologies of wiseacre and wise are not completely distinct, however; the ancestors of wiseacre are loosely tied to the same Old English root that gave us wise.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Abstruse
WORD OF THE DAY
abstruse / adjective / ub-STROOSS
Definition
1: difficult to comprehend
2: recondite
Examples
"Today's physics breakthroughs tend to be so abstruse that summarizing them is like trying to explain the financial-derivatives market to a three-year-old."
— The National Review, 16 Apr. 2018
"Before the Apple Macintosh, the first computer to popularize point-and-click, people using home computers had to familiarize themselves with abstruse text commands."
— Clive Thompson, The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Look closely at the following Latin verbs, all of which are derived from the verb trudere ("to push, thrust"): extrudere, intrudere, obtrudere, protrudere.
Remove the last two letters of each of these and you get an English descendant whose meaning involves pushing or thrusting.
Another trudere offspring, abstrudere, meaning "to push away" or "to conceal," gave English abstrude, meaning "to thrust away," but that 17th-century borrowing has fallen out of use.
An abstrudere descendant that has survived is abstruse, an adjective that recalls the meaning of its Latin parent abstrūsus, meaning "concealed."
abstruse / adjective / ub-STROOSS
Definition
1: difficult to comprehend
2: recondite
Examples
"Today's physics breakthroughs tend to be so abstruse that summarizing them is like trying to explain the financial-derivatives market to a three-year-old."
— The National Review, 16 Apr. 2018
"Before the Apple Macintosh, the first computer to popularize point-and-click, people using home computers had to familiarize themselves with abstruse text commands."
— Clive Thompson, The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2018
Did You Know?
Look closely at the following Latin verbs, all of which are derived from the verb trudere ("to push, thrust"): extrudere, intrudere, obtrudere, protrudere.
Remove the last two letters of each of these and you get an English descendant whose meaning involves pushing or thrusting.
Another trudere offspring, abstrudere, meaning "to push away" or "to conceal," gave English abstrude, meaning "to thrust away," but that 17th-century borrowing has fallen out of use.
An abstrudere descendant that has survived is abstruse, an adjective that recalls the meaning of its Latin parent abstrūsus, meaning "concealed."
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
Ratiocination
WORD OF THE DAY
ratiocination / noun / rat-ee-oh-suh-NAY-shun
Definition
1a: the process of exact thinking
1b: reasoning
2: a reasoned train of thought
Examples
"It is beginning to look like television may soon kill not only the theater and the movies but radio, books, magazines, newspapers, and finally articulate speech and all the processes of ratiocination."
— Aldous Huxley, letter, 14 Feb. 1949
"Ratiocination is a trained, disciplined procedure of arriving at truth—a use of reason and perspicacity so precise it's almost supernatural."
— Virginia Heffernan, Wired, June 2018
Did You Know?
Edgar Allan Poe is said to have called the 1841 story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" his first "tale of ratiocination."
Many today agree with his assessment and consider that Poe classic to be literature's first detective story. Poe didn't actually use ratiocination in "Rue Morgue," but the term does appear three times in its 1842 sequel, "The Mystery of Marie Roget."
In "Marie Roget," the author proved his reasoning ability (ratiocination traces to ratio, Latin for "reason" or "computation"). The second tale was based on an actual murder, and as the case unfolded after the publication of Poe's work, it became clear that his fictional detective had done an amazing job of reasoning through the crime.
ratiocination / noun / rat-ee-oh-suh-NAY-shun
Definition
1a: the process of exact thinking
1b: reasoning
2: a reasoned train of thought
Examples
"It is beginning to look like television may soon kill not only the theater and the movies but radio, books, magazines, newspapers, and finally articulate speech and all the processes of ratiocination."
— Aldous Huxley, letter, 14 Feb. 1949
"Ratiocination is a trained, disciplined procedure of arriving at truth—a use of reason and perspicacity so precise it's almost supernatural."
— Virginia Heffernan, Wired, June 2018
Did You Know?
Edgar Allan Poe is said to have called the 1841 story "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" his first "tale of ratiocination."
Many today agree with his assessment and consider that Poe classic to be literature's first detective story. Poe didn't actually use ratiocination in "Rue Morgue," but the term does appear three times in its 1842 sequel, "The Mystery of Marie Roget."
In "Marie Roget," the author proved his reasoning ability (ratiocination traces to ratio, Latin for "reason" or "computation"). The second tale was based on an actual murder, and as the case unfolded after the publication of Poe's work, it became clear that his fictional detective had done an amazing job of reasoning through the crime.
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Mettlesome
WORD OF THE DAY
mettlesome / adjective / MET-ul-sum
Definition
1: full of vigor and stamina
2: spirited
Examples
"'I like this place because everything they have can kill you,' Edith Pearlman says, perusing the menu of a Brookline pub on a recent gray afternoon. The remark proves fitting introduction to both the septuagenarian author and her work: at once mischievous and mettlesome, with a twist near the end."
— Leah Hager Cohen, The Boston Globe, 10 Apr. 2012
"He was convinced that [the director] John Huston decided after the first week that the film was a dud and if he could kill or seriously injure his star it would be cancelled and the insurance would pay up. He had Hurt riding over rough terrain on mettlesome horses."
— John Boorman, The Guardian, 17 Dec. 2017
Did You Know?
The 17th-century adjective mettlesome (popularly used of spirited horses) sometimes appeared as the variant metalsome.
That's not surprising. In the 16th century and for some time after, mettle was a variant spelling of metal—that is, the word for substances such as gold, copper, and iron. (Metal itself dates from the 14th century and descends from a Greek term meaning "mine" or "metal.")
The 16th century was also when metal—or mettle—acquired the figurative sense of "spirit," "courage," or "stamina." However, by the early 18th century, dictionaries were noting the distinction between metal, used for the substance, and mettle, used for "spirit," so that nowadays the words mettle and mettlesome are rarely associated with metal.
mettlesome / adjective / MET-ul-sum
Definition
1: full of vigor and stamina
2: spirited
Examples
"'I like this place because everything they have can kill you,' Edith Pearlman says, perusing the menu of a Brookline pub on a recent gray afternoon. The remark proves fitting introduction to both the septuagenarian author and her work: at once mischievous and mettlesome, with a twist near the end."
— Leah Hager Cohen, The Boston Globe, 10 Apr. 2012
"He was convinced that [the director] John Huston decided after the first week that the film was a dud and if he could kill or seriously injure his star it would be cancelled and the insurance would pay up. He had Hurt riding over rough terrain on mettlesome horses."
— John Boorman, The Guardian, 17 Dec. 2017
Did You Know?
The 17th-century adjective mettlesome (popularly used of spirited horses) sometimes appeared as the variant metalsome.
That's not surprising. In the 16th century and for some time after, mettle was a variant spelling of metal—that is, the word for substances such as gold, copper, and iron. (Metal itself dates from the 14th century and descends from a Greek term meaning "mine" or "metal.")
The 16th century was also when metal—or mettle—acquired the figurative sense of "spirit," "courage," or "stamina." However, by the early 18th century, dictionaries were noting the distinction between metal, used for the substance, and mettle, used for "spirit," so that nowadays the words mettle and mettlesome are rarely associated with metal.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Condone
WORD OF THE DAY
condone / verb / kun-DOHN
Definition
: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless
Examples
The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned.
"Forgiving those who have hurt us, or our loved ones, does not mean we condone what they did. What it means is, we are willing to let go, giving ourselves permission to move forward and to take back control of our lives."
— Mike Zimmer, The Record Observer (Centreville, Maryland), 28 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight.
Although English speakers sometimes use condone with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook."
Condone comes from the Latin verb condonare, which means "to absolve." Condonare in turn combines the Latin prefix con-, indicating thoroughness, and donare, meaning "to give" or "to grant."
Not surprisingly, donare is also the source of our words donate and pardon.
condone / verb / kun-DOHN
Definition
: to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless
Examples
The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned.
"Forgiving those who have hurt us, or our loved ones, does not mean we condone what they did. What it means is, we are willing to let go, giving ourselves permission to move forward and to take back control of our lives."
— Mike Zimmer, The Record Observer (Centreville, Maryland), 28 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight.
Although English speakers sometimes use condone with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook."
Condone comes from the Latin verb condonare, which means "to absolve." Condonare in turn combines the Latin prefix con-, indicating thoroughness, and donare, meaning "to give" or "to grant."
Not surprisingly, donare is also the source of our words donate and pardon.
Friday, February 1, 2019
Largesse
WORD OF THE DAY
largesse / noun / lahr-ZHESS
Definition
1a: liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior
1b: something so given
2: generosity
Examples
Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college without going into debt.
"Probably no surprise, given all this largesse over the Christmas period, spending at recycling and refuse stations was up 46.2 per cent on Boxing Day last year."
— The New Zealand Herald, 28 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
The word largesse, which also can be spelled largess, has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century.
It derives via Anglo-French from the Latin word largus, meaning "abundant" or "generous."
Largus is also the source of our word large. As far back as the 14th century, we used the word largeness as a synonym of largesse (meaning "liberal giving"), but largeness was also at that same time being used more frequently as it is now: to refer to physical magnitude and bulk rather than to magnanimity.
largesse / noun / lahr-ZHESS
Definition
1a: liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior
1b: something so given
2: generosity
Examples
Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college without going into debt.
"Probably no surprise, given all this largesse over the Christmas period, spending at recycling and refuse stations was up 46.2 per cent on Boxing Day last year."
— The New Zealand Herald, 28 Dec. 2018
Did You Know?
The word largesse, which also can be spelled largess, has been part of the English language since at least the 13th century.
It derives via Anglo-French from the Latin word largus, meaning "abundant" or "generous."
Largus is also the source of our word large. As far back as the 14th century, we used the word largeness as a synonym of largesse (meaning "liberal giving"), but largeness was also at that same time being used more frequently as it is now: to refer to physical magnitude and bulk rather than to magnanimity.
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