Abandon

WORD OF THE DAY

abandon / noun / uh-BAN-dun

Definition

1: a thorough yielding to natural impulses; especially 

1b: enthusiasm, exuberance

Examples

The winning photograph was of a dog bounding with abandon through a field of snow.

"The drum solo has long been a concert punchline. Foo Fighters, in recognition of that, made Hawkins' solo as ridiculous and over the top as possible. His drum kit, perched upon a hydraulic lift, soared twenty feet in the air as he pounded the skins with reckless abandon." 

— Jim Ryan, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2018

Did You Know?

The sense of abandon defined above is a relative newcomer to the English language, dating from the early 1800s, but an earlier noun sense, defined as "the act of abandoning," was in use in the 1600s. 

The earlier sense was influenced by the verb abandon, which was borrowed by Middle English in the 1300s from Anglo-French abanduner. 

The Anglo-French term in turn came from the phrase (mettre) a bandun, meaning "to hand over" or "to put in someone's control." The newer sense has been more directly influenced by French abandon, which means not only "abandonment or surrender" but also "freedom from constraint."

Perspicacious

WORD OF THE DAY

perspicacious / adjective / per-spuh-KAY-shus

Definition
1a: of acute mental vision or discernment
1b: keen

Examples
"Captivated by the breadth of its elegant façade—echoed in the grandeur of the interior spaces—the perspicacious owners enlisted their trusted decorator Jacques Grange … to collaborate on a sensitive renovation.
— Angus Wilkie, Architectural Digest, December 2017

"Elsewhere in his speech, Daniels was perspicacious about the challenges that Purdue graduates are likely to face during the course of their careers and civic lives."
— Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, 6 June 2018

Did You Know?
Perspicacious is similar in meaning to shrewd and astute, but a sharp mind will also discern subtle differences among them.
All three denote being acute in perception and sound in judgment, but shrewd stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness, whereas perspicacious implies unusual power to see through and comprehend what is puzzling or hidden.
Astute suggests both shrewdness and perspicacity, as well as diplomatic skill.

Circumvent

WORD OF THE DAY

circumvent / verb / ser-kum-VENT

Definition
1: to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem
2a: to hem in
2b: to make a circuit around

Examples
A couple of clever students were able to circumvent the security protocols on the school's network and gain access to the database storing their grades.

"… [P]artygoers stood patiently on another queue for the elevator. Jim Belushi—one of the 29 actors featured in W's 'Best Performances' issue—circumvented the elevator line and went for the steps."
— Jasmin Rosemberg, Variety, 5 Jan. 2018

Did You Know?
If you've ever felt as if someone was circling around the rules, you have an idea of the origins of circumvent—it derives from the Latin circum, meaning "circle," and ventus, the past participle of the Latin verb venire, meaning "to come."
The earliest uses of circumvent referred to a tactic of hunting or warfare in which the quarry or enemy was encircled and captured.
Today, however, circumvent more often suggests avoidance than entrapment; it typically means to "get around" someone or something, as in our example sentences.