WORD OF THE DAY
cursory \ adjective \ KER-suh-ree
Definition
1: rapidly and often superficially performed or produced
2: hasty
Examples
James gave the instructions only a cursory look before he began to assemble the shelves and didn't realize until he was partway through that he would need a power drill.
"The police report has been filed, but a detective won't be on the case until Tuesday. Knowing LA, there are so many automobile thefts that it may not get much more than a cursory acknowledgement from the police."
— Bradley Brownell, Jalopnik, 28 Jan. 2018
Did You Know?
Cursory and its synonyms superficial and shallow all mean "lacking in depth or care"—but these words are not used in exactly the same way in all cases. Cursory, which comes from the Latin verb currere ("to run"), implies speed and stresses a lack of attention to detail.
While cursory suggests a lack of thoroughness, superficial implies a concern only with surface aspects or obvious features. An analysis of a problem might be labeled "superficial" if it considers only the obvious and fails to dig deeper into the issue.
Shallow is more generally derogatory in implying lack of depth in knowledge, reasoning, emotions, or character, as in "insensitive and shallow comments."
Thursday, March 8, 2018
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Woolgathering
WORD OF THE DAY
woolgathering \ noun \ WOOL-gath-uh-ring
Definition
: indulgence in idle daydreaming
Examples
My woolgathering in the backseat was abruptly interrupted by a question from the taxi driver.
"I love the feeling of being on a train, the rumble and roar that seem to aid woolgathering, and I never tire of staring out the window, no matter the scenery."
— Karl Zimmermann, The Los Angeles Times, 3 Sept. 2017
Did You Know?
Woolgathering once literally referred to the act of gathering loose tufts of wool that had gotten caught on bushes and fences as sheep passed by.
As you might imagine, woolgathering was not the most profitable of enterprises; its practitioners must have seemed to wander aimlessly, gaining little for their efforts.
In the mid-16th century, woolgathering began to appear in figurative phrases such as "my wits went a woolgathering"—in other words, "my mind went wandering aimlessly."
From there, it wasn't long before the word woolgathering came to suggest foolish or purposeless mind-wandering.
woolgathering \ noun \ WOOL-gath-uh-ring
Definition
: indulgence in idle daydreaming
Examples
My woolgathering in the backseat was abruptly interrupted by a question from the taxi driver.
"I love the feeling of being on a train, the rumble and roar that seem to aid woolgathering, and I never tire of staring out the window, no matter the scenery."
— Karl Zimmermann, The Los Angeles Times, 3 Sept. 2017
Did You Know?
Woolgathering once literally referred to the act of gathering loose tufts of wool that had gotten caught on bushes and fences as sheep passed by.
As you might imagine, woolgathering was not the most profitable of enterprises; its practitioners must have seemed to wander aimlessly, gaining little for their efforts.
In the mid-16th century, woolgathering began to appear in figurative phrases such as "my wits went a woolgathering"—in other words, "my mind went wandering aimlessly."
From there, it wasn't long before the word woolgathering came to suggest foolish or purposeless mind-wandering.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Scarify
WORD OF THE DAY
scarify \ verb \ SKAIR-uh-fye
Definition
1: to make scratches or small cuts in (something, such as the skin)
2: to lacerate the feelings of
3: to break up, loosen, or roughen the surface of (something, such as a field or road)
4: to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination
Examples
"Recent harvests on city-owned land have removed on average about 50 percent of the standing biomass, which is not low-impact forestry. It is done with large, commercial-scale logging equipment that reduces biodiversity and scarifies the forest soil."
— Ralph Baker, The Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), 18 July 2017
"Canna seeds need to be scarified by filing through the hard shells before they germinate."
— Tony Tomeo, The Chico (California) Enterprise-Record, 5 Jan. 2018
Did You Know?
You get two words for the price of one with scarify. The first scarify appeared in English in the 15th century with the meaning "to make scratches or cuts in" and later developed a figurative application of "cutting" someone emotionally.
This word is ultimately derived from a Greek verb meaning "to scratch an outline." The second homograph turned up in the late 18th century and gained currency by the 20th century.
This scarify was formed by combining scare with -ify, possibly as a combination of scare and terrify, and it predictably means "to scare or frighten."
scarify \ verb \ SKAIR-uh-fye
Definition
1: to make scratches or small cuts in (something, such as the skin)
2: to lacerate the feelings of
3: to break up, loosen, or roughen the surface of (something, such as a field or road)
4: to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination
Examples
"Recent harvests on city-owned land have removed on average about 50 percent of the standing biomass, which is not low-impact forestry. It is done with large, commercial-scale logging equipment that reduces biodiversity and scarifies the forest soil."
— Ralph Baker, The Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), 18 July 2017
"Canna seeds need to be scarified by filing through the hard shells before they germinate."
— Tony Tomeo, The Chico (California) Enterprise-Record, 5 Jan. 2018
Did You Know?
You get two words for the price of one with scarify. The first scarify appeared in English in the 15th century with the meaning "to make scratches or cuts in" and later developed a figurative application of "cutting" someone emotionally.
This word is ultimately derived from a Greek verb meaning "to scratch an outline." The second homograph turned up in the late 18th century and gained currency by the 20th century.
This scarify was formed by combining scare with -ify, possibly as a combination of scare and terrify, and it predictably means "to scare or frighten."
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