WORD OF THE DAY
FAVONIAN \ fuh-VOH-nee-un \ adjective
Definition
1: of or relating to the west wind
2: mild
Examples
Our guests relaxed on the patio, watching the sunset and enjoying favonian breezes.
"The singular microclimate of Neuras makes [wine production] possible, as the favonian wind blowing in from the Atlantic chills the area down, while a geological fault spills out five natural springs into the alkaline soil."
— Richard Bangs, The Huffington Post,7 Oct. 2014
Did You Know?
In "Ode to the West Wind," poet Percy Bysshe Shelley called the "wild West Wind" the "breath of Autumn's being." But according to Greco-Roman tradition, the west wind was warm and usually gentle.
Its Latin name, Favonius, is the basis for the English adjective favonian and derives from roots that are akin to the Latin fovēre, meaning "to warm."
Zephyros, a Greek name for the west wind, is the ultimate source of zephyr, meaning "a gentle breeze." In Greco-Roman tradition, it was the north wind, Boreas (aka Aquilo), who was the rude and blustery type.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Wormhole
WORD OF THE DAY
WORMHOLE \ WERM-hohl \ noun
Definition
1 : a hole or passage burrowed by a worm
2 : a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time
ExamplesSome science fiction writers speculate that wormholes will become the intergalactic highways of the future.
"Sci-fi fans who hope humanity can one day zoom to distant corners of the universe via wormholes, as astronauts do in the recent film 'Interstellar,' shouldn't hold their breath."
— Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Nov. 2014
Did You Know?
If you associate wormhole with quantum physics and sci-fi, you'll probably be surprised to learn that the word has been around since Shakespeare's day—although, admittedly, he used it more literally than most modern writers. To Shakespeare, a wormhole was simply a hole made by a worm, a more down-to-earth sense which is still used today.
But even the Bard subtly linked wormholes to the passage of time; for example, in The Rape of Lucrece, he notes time's destructive power "to fill with worm-holes stately monuments." To modern astrophysicists, a wormhole isn't a tunnel wrought by a slimy invertebrate but a theoretical tunnel between two black holes or other points in space-time, providing a shortcut between its end points
WORMHOLE \ WERM-hohl \ noun
Definition
1 : a hole or passage burrowed by a worm
2 : a hypothetical structure of space-time envisioned as a long thin tunnel connecting points that are separated in space and time
ExamplesSome science fiction writers speculate that wormholes will become the intergalactic highways of the future.
"Sci-fi fans who hope humanity can one day zoom to distant corners of the universe via wormholes, as astronauts do in the recent film 'Interstellar,' shouldn't hold their breath."
— Mike Wall, Space.com, 24 Nov. 2014
Did You Know?
If you associate wormhole with quantum physics and sci-fi, you'll probably be surprised to learn that the word has been around since Shakespeare's day—although, admittedly, he used it more literally than most modern writers. To Shakespeare, a wormhole was simply a hole made by a worm, a more down-to-earth sense which is still used today.
But even the Bard subtly linked wormholes to the passage of time; for example, in The Rape of Lucrece, he notes time's destructive power "to fill with worm-holes stately monuments." To modern astrophysicists, a wormhole isn't a tunnel wrought by a slimy invertebrate but a theoretical tunnel between two black holes or other points in space-time, providing a shortcut between its end points
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Petulant
WORD OF THE DAY
PETULANT \ PET-chuh-lunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior
2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish
Examples
Uncle Harold is a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems.
"… this bunch doesn't care about being reasonable or meeting opposing views halfway. Like petulant toddlers, they want it all right now or they'll throw a tantrum."
— Kevin Foley, The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal, 16 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." Petere is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which petulant was derived. Some other words with connections to petere are compete and appetite. Competere, the Late Latin precursor to compete, is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb petere.
The joining of ad- and petere led to appetere ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our appetite. Additional descendants of petere are petition, perpetual, and impetus.
PETULANT \ PET-chuh-lunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : insolent or rude in speech or behavior
2 : characterized by temporary or capricious ill humor : peevish
Examples
Uncle Harold is a petulant and fussy man who is always blaming everyone else for his problems.
"… this bunch doesn't care about being reasonable or meeting opposing views halfway. Like petulant toddlers, they want it all right now or they'll throw a tantrum."
— Kevin Foley, The Marietta (Georgia) Daily Journal, 16 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
Petulant is one of many English words that are related to the Latin verb petere, which means "to go to," "to attack," "to seek," or "to request." Petere is a relative of the Latin adjective petulans ("impudent"), from which petulant was derived. Some other words with connections to petere are compete and appetite. Competere, the Late Latin precursor to compete, is a combination of the prefix com- and the verb petere.
The joining of ad- and petere led to appetere ("to strive after"), and eventually to Latin appetitus, the source of our appetite. Additional descendants of petere are petition, perpetual, and impetus.
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