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Post by Felix on May 22, 2007 8:13:51 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 22, 2007 is: foreshorten • \for-SHORT-un\ • verb 1 : to shorten by proportionately contracting in the direction of depth so that an illusion of projection or extension in space is obtained *2 : to make more compact : abridge, shorten Marvell's Example Sentence: Confident in his ability to end the Korean War, and thus foreshorten the enlistments of many weary soldiers, Dwight D. Eisenhower made his famous campaign pledge, "I will go to Korea." Did you know? "Foreshorten" first appeared in a 1606 treatise on art by the British writer and artist Henry Peacham: "If I should paint ... an horse with his brest and head looking full in my face, I must of necessity foreshorten him behinde." Peacham's "foreshorten" probably comes from "fore-" (meaning "earlier" or "beforehand") plus "shorten." The addition of "fore-" to verbs was a routine practice in Peacham's day, creating such words as "fore-conclude," "fore-consider," "fore-instruct," and "fore-repent." "Foreshorten," along with words like "foresee" and "foretell," is one of the few "fore-" combinations to still survive. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Truncated Words
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Felix
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Post by Felix on May 23, 2007 5:48:32 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 23, 2007 is: alfresco • \al-FRESS-koh\ • adjective or adverb : taking place or located in the open air : outdoor, outdoors Marvell's Example Sentence: The less savory accompaniments for an alfresco meal are sharing it with insects, or having food seasoned by birds passing overhead. Did you know? In addition to describing a type of dining, "alfresco" can also describe a kind of painting. The word "fresco," which comes from the Italian adjective "fresco," meaning "fresh," refers to a method of painting on fresh plaster. Although the "outdoors" sense of "alfresco" is by far the most common in current use, the term is sometimes used to describe painting done in the fresco manner -- that is, on fresh plaster. Words without Walls
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Post by Felix on May 24, 2007 8:04:54 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 24, 2007 is: apparatchik • \ah-puh-RAH-chik\ • noun 1 : member of a Communist apparat *2 : a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (as a corporation or political party) Marvell's Example Sentence: Polarization of ideologies in U.S. politics has led to appointing of apparatchiks to government offices, rather than seeking candidates with talent and independence. Did you know? In the context of the definition of "apparatchik" (a term English speakers borrowed from Russian), "apparat" essentially means "party machine." An "apparatchik," therefore, is a cog in the system of the Communist Party. The term is not an especially flattering one, and its negative connotations reflect the perception that some Communists were obedient drones in the great Party machine. In current use, however, a person doesn't have to be a member of the Communist Party to be called an "apparatchik"; he or she just has to be someone who mindlessly follows orders in an organization or bureaucracy. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Dogma Words
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Post by Felix on May 25, 2007 7:15:56 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 25, 2007 is: youthquake • \YOOTH-kwayk\ • noun : a shift in cultural norms influenced by the values, tastes, and mores of young people Marvell's Example Sentence: The ' youthquake' of the 1960s is just a latter-day example of the generational contention commented on by Plato, who lamented, "...the young...contend hotly with their elders in words and in deeds, while the elders, lowering themselves to the level of the young, sate themselves with pleasantries and wit, mimicking the young... " Did you know? The 1960s were a time of seismic social upheaval brought about by young people bent on shaking up the establishment. From politics to fashion to music, the ways of youth produced far-reaching cultural changes. Linguistically, the sixties saw the addition to English of such words as "flower child," "peacenik," "hippie," "love beads," "trippy," "vibe," "freak-out," and "love-in." Not surprisingly, they also saw the emergence of "youthquake." The first known use of "youthquake" in print comes from a 1966 article in McCall's: "the youthquake, as some call it ... has swept both sides of the Atlantic." Generational Seismic Event
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Post by Felix on May 26, 2007 7:15:31 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 26, 2007 is: wallah • \WAH-luh\ • noun : a person who is associated with a particular work or who performs a specific duty or service -- usually used in combination Marvell's Example Sentence: A "personal assistant" in the parlance of business means a sort of gofer, an appointments reminder, equipment procurer, a detail wallah who frees up his or her principal to do (presumably) more important things. Did you know? "Wallah" comes from the Hindi suffix "-vālā," meaning "one in charge." Like its Hindi counterpart, "wallah" is commonly used in combination with other nouns. The first use of "wallah" appeared as "lootywallah" in a narrative penned by Officer Innes Munro describing his time deployed on the Coromandel Coast of India in the 1780s. "Looty," or "lootie," was a noun sometimes applied to a member of a band of marauders or robbers. In the narrative, Munro used the term to describe looting cavalrymen. In current writing, "wallah" is typically accompanied by words like "office" or "marketing." Words for Functionaries
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Post by Felix on May 27, 2007 7:32:37 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 27, 2007 is: flimflam • \FLIM-flam\ • verb : to subject to a deception or fraud Marvell's Example Sentence: At the end of each episode of the '50s TV show "Racket Squad," which detailed cases of fraud, deception and flimflam, "Captain Braddock," the lead character, admonished those watching: "Remember, there is a little larceny in the best of us, and the confidence man counts on that." Did you know? English is full of words concerned with trickery and deception, ranging from the colorful "flimflam," "bamboozle," and "hornswoggle" to the more mundane "deceive," "mislead," and "delude." "Flimflam" first entered English as a noun meaning "deceptive nonsense" in the second half of the 16th century. A sense meaning "deception" or "fraud" soon developed. The verb use didn't show up until well into the next century. In addition to general deceiving or tricking, the verb "flimflam" is often used specifically to refer to swindling someone out of money. The ultimate origin of "flimflam" is uncertain, but the word is probably of Scandinavian origin and may be related to the Old Norse "flim," meaning "mockery." Words to Grift by
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Post by Felix on May 28, 2007 6:24:21 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 28, 2007 is: impertinent • \im-PER-tuh-nunt\ • adjective 1 : not pertinent : irrelevant *2 a : not restrained within due or proper bounds especially of propriety or good taste b : given to or characterized by insolent rudeness Marvell's Example Sentence: For a politician, a question from an interviewer is impertinent in direct proportion to how embarrassing an honest answer would be. Did you know? English speakers adopted both "impertinent" and "pertinent" from Anglo-French in the 14th century. Both words derive from the present participle of the Latin verb "pertinēre," meaning "to pertain." Initially, "impertinent" was used for things that are simply not relevant. Over time, it came to be used of things that are not only irrelevant but rudely or inappropriately so, and later for people who are just straight-out rude. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Saucy Words
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Post by Felix on May 29, 2007 8:36:26 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 29, 2007 is: hemidemisemiquaver • \hem-ih-dem-ih-SEM-ih-kway-ver\ • noun : a musical note with the time value of 1/64 of a whole note : sixty-fourth note Marvell's Example Sentence: My granddaughter, when upset immoderately (she is never upset at any less severity,) can so rapidly change the quality of the various notes of her distress that the length of each is no more than a hemidemisemiquaver, I am sure. Did you know? Hemidemisemiquavers are the fastest musical notes that are commonly played, and performing them well can stretch human technique to its limit. The term is mainly used in Britain, where eighth notes are called "quavers," sixteenth notes are called "semiquavers," and thirty-second notes are called "demisemiquavers." In the United States, "hemidemisemiquaver" is likely to be used humorously, occurring especially as a clever substitute for "moment" or "bit," as in "the concert ended not a hemidemisemiquaver too soon." Words for NanoNotes
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Post by Felix on May 30, 2007 6:18:13 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 30, 2007 is: gibe • \JYBE\ • verb : to utter taunting words Marvell's Example Sentence: One of the features shortening lifespans of internet message boards or newsgroups is the flame war, wherein participants compete in venomous gibes at one another. Did you know? Confused about "jibe" and "gibe"? The distinction actually isn't as clear-cut as some commentators would like it to be. "Jibe" is used both for the verb meaning "to be in accord, agree" ("jibe with") and for the nautical verb and noun ("jibe the mainsail," "a risky jibe in heavy seas"). "Gibe" is used for the verb "to deride or tease" and the noun "a taunting remark." But "jibe" is a recognized variant of "gibe," so it also has taunting or teasing uses. "Gibe" has been used occasionally as a variant of "jibe," but this use is very rare, and many people consider it to be an error. Cutting Words
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Post by Felix on May 31, 2007 6:35:42 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for May 31, 2007 is: wetware • \WET-wair\ • noun : the human brain or a human being considered especially with respect to human logical and computational capabilities Marvell's Example Sentence: Depending on wetware to drive a company carries the risk that the individual example tends to congeal and sometimes ossify with age; some backup required. Did you know? When the computer terms "software" and "hardware" sprang to life in the mid-20th century, a surge of visions and inventions using the new technology immediately followed . . . along with a revival of the combining form "ware." An early coinage was "wetware," which began circuiting techie circles in the 1970s as a name for the software installed by Mother Nature (a.k.a. the brain). Other "ware" names for people and their noggins have made a blip in our language -- for example, "meatware" and "liveware" -- but none have become firmly established in the general lexicon like "wetware." A Cerebration of Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 1, 2007 7:11:40 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 01, 2007 is: demulcent • \dih-MULL-sunt\ • adjective : soothing Marvell's Example Sentence: When I was ten, my grandmother and mother treated second-degree sunburn across my shoulders with cloths soaked in cold tea, a demulcent measure recommended by the doctor. Did you know? "Demulcent" derives from the Latin verb "demulcēre," meaning "to soothe." "Demulcēre" in turn comes from a combination of the prefix "de-" and "mulcēre," an earlier verb that also means "to soothe." As an adjective, "demulcent" often applies to the soothing nature of some medicines, but you can also use it to describe such things as a soothing voice or a soothing demeanor. The noun "demulcent" is used for a gelatinous or oily substance that is capable of soothing inflamed or abraded mucous membranes and protecting them from further irritation. Ameliorative Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 2, 2007 7:24:12 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 02, 2007 is: jocose • \joh-KOHSS\ • adjective *1 : given to joking : merry 2 : characterized by joking : humorous Marvell's Example Sentence: It's difficult to be jocose when all about you are reasons to wonder if laughter will ever again be the right response to folly. Did you know? When you need a word to describe something (or someone) that causes or is intended to cause laughter, you might pick "jocose" or a synonym such as "humorous," "witty," "facetious," or "jocular." Of those terms, "humorous" is the most generic and can be applied to anything that provokes laughter. "Witty" suggests cleverness and a quick mind, while "facetious" is a word for something that is not meant to be taken seriously. "Jocose" and "jocular" both imply a habitual waggishness and a fondness for joking. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Jolly old Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 3, 2007 9:04:36 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 03, 2007 is: ameliorate • \uh-MEE-lee-uh-rayt\ • verb : to make better or more tolerable Marvell's Example Sentence: Sometimes we must accept that we can only ameliorate, not totally rehabilitate, the state of decay into which we are born. 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 what is being made better can be good or bad (as in "the weather improved" and "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"). Improving Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 4, 2007 7:32:11 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 04, 2007 is: multifarious • \mul-tuh-FAIR-ee-us\ • adjective : having or occurring in great variety : diverse Marvell's Example Sentence: Intending to compliment the many talents of the semi-literate worker, the shift boss referred to him as " multifarious," resulting in a grievance from the indignant employee who retorted that "nobody can say anything bad about me," scowling nefariously. Did you know? Dictionary makers have dated the first appearance of "multifarious" in print as 1593 -- and rightly so -- but before that time another word similar in form and meaning was being used: "multifary," meaning "in many ways" and appearing (and disappearing) in the 15th century. Before either of the English words existed, there was the Medieval Latin word "multifarius" (same meaning as "multifarious"), from Latin "multifariam," meaning "in many places" or "on many sides." "Multi-," as you may know, is a combining form meaning "many." A relative of "multifarious" in English is "omnifarious" ("of all varieties, forms, or kinds"), created with "omni-" ("all") rather than "multi-." Many-faceted Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 5, 2007 6:40:55 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 05, 2007 is: louche • \LOOSH\ • adjective : not reputable or decent Marvell's Example Sentence: In a memorable tour of mid-fifties Knoxville's lower strata of louche characters, Cormac McCarthy drew on his own life for the novel Suttree. Did you know? "Louche" ultimately comes from the Latin word "luscus," meaning "blind in one eye" or "having poor sight." This Latin term gave rise to the French "louche," meaning "squinting" or "cross-eyed." The French gave their term a figurative sense as well, taking that squinty look to mean "shady" or "devious." English speakers didn't see the need for the sight-impaired uses when they borrowed the term in the 19th century, but they kept the figurative one. The word is still quite visible today and is used to describe both people and places of questionable repute. Picaresque Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 6, 2007 7:48:30 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 06, 2007 is: canard • \kuh-NARD\ • noun 1 a : a false or unfounded report or story; especially : a fabricated report *b : a groundless rumor or belief 2 : an airplane with horizontal stabilizing and control surfaces in front of supporting surfaces; also : a small airfoil in front of the wing of an aircraft that increases the aircraft's stability Marvell's Example Sentence: The repeated emergence of theories that an author other than Shakespeare created his works, invariably naming a candidate from the upper classes, gains adherents despite being each and every one a canard, with no more basis than its partisans' implicit snobbery. Did you know? In 16th-century France "vendre des canards à moitié" was a colorful way of saying "to fool" or "to cheat." The French phrase means, literally, "to half-sell ducks." No one now knows just what was meant by "to half-sell"; the proverb was probably based on some story widely known at the time, but the details have not survived. At any rate, the expression led to the use of "canard," the French word for "duck," with the meaning "a hoax" or "a fabrication." English speakers adopted this "canard" in the mid-1800s. The aeronautical sense of "canard," used from the early days of flying, comes from the stubby duck-like appearance of the aircraft. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Erroneous Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 8, 2007 7:13:32 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 08, 2007 is: thimblerig • \THIM-bul-rig\ • verb *1 : to cheat by trickery 2 : to swindle by a trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three small cups to fool the spectator guessing its location Marvell's Example Sentence: The Working Girl offered the dim-looking john her extra special thimblerig service, collecting a big down payment before excusing herself, saying she had to take the money to her "friend," an errand from which she never returned. Did you know? The game of thimblerig seems innocent enough. The thimblerigger places a seed under one of three thimbles. He or she deftly scoots the thimbles around on a table, then asks the player to bet on which one hides the seed. But thimbleriggers are masters of sleight of hand and can move and manipulate the seed unfairly -- so the guileless player doesn't stand a chance of winning. (The poor bettor is probably unaware that "rig" has meant "to manipulate or control usually by deceptive or dishonest means" since the 1800s.) When the same sham is played with nutshells, it's called a "shell game," and there's a related game played with cards known as "three-card monte." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Bunco Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 9, 2007 8:00:17 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 09, 2007 is: obstinate • \AHB-stuh-nut\ • adjective *1 : perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion 2 : not easily subdued, remedied, or removed Marvell's Example Sentence: It us unfortunately not uncommon for government leaders to mistake being obstinate in pursuing failed policies to be a sign of strength. Did you know? If you're obstinate, you're just plain stubborn. "Obstinate," "dogged," "stubborn," "pertinacious," and "mulish" all mean that someone is unwilling to change course or give up a belief or plan. "Obstinate" suggests an unreasonable persistence; it's often a negative word. "Dogged," which can be more positive, implies that someone goes after something without ever tiring or quitting, while "pertinacious" suggests a persistence that can be annoying. "Stubborn" indicates a resistance to change, which may or may not be admirable. Someone who displays a really unreasonable degree of stubbornness could accurately be described as "mulish." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Obdurate Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 11, 2007 7:27:43 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 10, 2007 is: Golconda • \gahl-KAHN-duh\ • noun : a rich mine; broadly : a source of great wealth Marvell's Example Sentence: Countless Nigerian mail and internet tricksters have found the U. S. a Golconda of gullible marks. Did you know? In the 16th century, Golconda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi kingdom in southern India, near modern Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region and was the center of a flourishing diamond trade. Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the hills surrounding Golconda, including Darya-e Nur (meaning "sea of light"), at 185 carats, the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels of Iran. By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth. Sucker Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 12, 2007 7:04:38 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 12, 2007 is: succor • \SUCK-er\ • noun *1 : relief; also : aid, help 2 : something that furnishes relief Marvell's Example Sentence: There is a fine line between providing aid or succor to the enemy, and treating him as though he were a human being, a line that the present administration does not seem to recognize. Did you know? If you're in need of an explanation of the origins of "succor," we can help. Middle English speakers adapted "socour," the predecessor of "succor," from the Anglo-French "sucors," which essentially had the same meaning as our modern word. "Sucors," in turn, derives from the Medieval Latin "succursus," itself a derivative of the Latin verb "succurrere," meaning "to run to the rescue" or "to bring aid." That Latin verb was a composite of the prefix "sub-" (meaning "from below") and the verb "currere" (meaning "to run"). "Succor" has been saving the day in English (as both a noun and a verb) since at least the 13th century. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Comforting Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 13, 2007 11:58:08 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 13, 2007 is: utmost • \UT-mohst\ • adjective 1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme *2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount Marvell's Example Sentence: Working to the utmost of your capacity will not always reward you, as many small entrepreneurs have discovered, finding that success has no moral sense. Did you know? "Utmost" traces back to the Old English "ūtmest," a superlative adjective formed from the adverb "ūt," meaning "out." "ūtmest" eventually evolved into "utmost," perhaps influenced by the spelling of the word "most." Not surprisingly, the earlier sense of "utmost" carries the same meaning as "outermost." The second sense of "utmost," meaning "of the greatest or highest degree," first appeared in English in the 14th century but didn't see frequent use until almost 400 years later. A related word is "utter," meaning "absolute" or "total," as in the phrase "utter chaos"; it comes from Old English "utera," meaning "outer," and ultimately from "ūt." *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. Outer Limits of Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 14, 2007 7:44:20 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 14, 2007 is: roister • \ROY-ster\ • verb : to engage in noisy revelry : carouse Marvell's Example Sentence: Cloud-puffball, torn tufts, tossed pillows | flaunt forth, then chevy on an air- built thoroughfare: heaven- roysterers, in gay-gangs | they throng; they glitter in marches. from "That Nature is a Heralclitean Fire and of the comfort of the Resurrection" by Gerard Manley Hopkins Did you know? As Hugo Williams asserts in The Times Literary Supplement (November 15, 1991), roistering tends to be "funnier, sillier and less harmful than standard hooliganism, being based on nonsense rather than violence." Roisterers might be chagrined to learn that the word "roister" derives from a Middle French word that means "lout" or "boor" ("rustre"). Ultimately, however, it is from the fairly neutral Latin word "rusticus," meaning "rural." In the 16th century, the original English verb was simply "roist," and one who roisted was a "roister." Later, we changed the verb to "roister" and the corresponding noun to "roisterer." Rowdy Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 15, 2007 8:51:50 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 15, 2007 is: anabasis • \uh-NAB-uh-sis\ • noun *1 : a going or marching up : advance; especially : a military advance 2 : a difficult and dangerous military retreat Marvell's Example Sentence: The Bridge over the River Kwai might have lost some of its punch if its soundtrack had included "The Colonel Bogey Anabasis." Did you know? The first sense of "anabasis" follows logically enough from its roots. In Greek, the word originally meant "inland march"; it is derived from "anabainein," meaning "to go up or inland," which is formed by combining the prefix "ana-" ("up") and "bainein" ("to go"). The second and opposite sense, however, comes from an anabasis gone wrong. In 401 B.C., Greek mercenaries fighting for Cyrus the Younger marched into the Persian Empire only to find themselves cut off hundreds of miles from home. As a result, they were forced to undertake an arduous and embattled retreat across unknown territories. Xenophon, a Greek historian who accompanied the mercenaries on the march, wrote the epic narrative Anabasis about this experience, and consequently "anabasis" came to mean a dramatic retreat as well as an advance. *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. Going Up Country Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 16, 2007 16:23:34 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 16, 2007 is: clandestine • \klan-DES-tun\ • adjective : marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious Marvell's Example Sentence: Depending on whose side you support, clandestine methods in politics are either immoral or shrewdly played. Did you know? In 1658, the English poet John Milton wrote of "clandestine Hostility cover'd over with the name of Peace." Three and a half centuries later we use "clandestine" in much the same way. The word is often used as a synonym of "secret" and "covert," and it is commonly applied to actions that involve secrecy maintained for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose. It comes to us by way of Middle French from Latin "clandestinus," which is itself from "clam," meaning "secretly." Sub Rosa Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 17, 2007 9:39:00 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 17, 2007 is: hawkshaw • \HAWK-shaw\ • noun : detective Marvell's Example Sentence: My father and I shared an enthusiasm for the erudite fictional hawkshaw Nero Wolfe, in my father's case leading to sitting on the curb waiting for the mailman in the '30s, hoping for the latest issue of the Saturday Evening Post, where Nero Wolfe stories often appeared. Did you know? If you're a fan of mystery writing, you may have a favorite fictional detective. Perhaps it's Hercule Poirot (created by Agatha Christie), Lord Peter Wimsey (created by Dorothy L. Sayers), or Mike Hammer (created by Mickey Spillane). These and other famous sleuths from the mystery genre follow in the tradition of a fictional detective from the 19th century: Hawkshaw, a theatrical gumshoe introduced in the 1863 play The Ticket of Leave Man by British dramatist Tom Taylor. "Hawkshaw" gained further popularity as a general term for a detective when the name was used for a character in a comic strip by American cartoonist Gus Mager. Words of Deduction
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Post by Felix on Jun 18, 2007 6:32:15 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 18, 2007 is: resplendent • \rih-SPLEN-dunt\ • adjective : shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor Marvell's Example Sentence: The resplendent colors of a summer sunset owe much of that glory to dirt and pollen hanging in stagnant air. Did you know? "Resplendent" has a lot in common with "splendid" ("shining, brilliant"), "splendent" ("shining, glossy"), and "splendor" ("brightness or luster"). Each of those glowing terms gets its shine from the Latin verb "splendēre" ("to shine"). Etymologists believe "splendēre" might also be related to Middle Irish "lainn," meaning "bright." "Splendent," "splendor," and "resplendent" first showed their lustrous senses in English during the 15th century, but "splendid" didn't show up until over 175 years later; its earliest known use dates from 1624. Glittering Words
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Post by Felix on Jun 19, 2007 7:55:21 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 19, 2007 is: shoestring • \SHOO-string\ • noun 1 : shoelace *2 : a small sum of money : capital inadequate or barely adequate to the needs of a transaction Marvell's Example Sentence: Attempting to fight the Iraq War on a comparative shoestring caused many of the problems bedeviling the military effort. Did you know? In earlier times, wandering peddlers offered townspeople a variety of items and trinkets, such as fabrics, embroidery materials, and even patent medicines. Another popular offering from these traveling salespeople was shoelaces. The fact that such vendors neither earned much money nor charged very much for their wares led to the connection of their literal shoestrings with a metaphorical application of "shoestring" to a very small amount of money. It's still not uncommon to hear of a business being operated on a shoestring (even if these days it's less likely that actual shoelaces are involved), but it's also possible to speak of "traveling on a shoestring" and even "gardening on a shoestring." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Underfunded Words
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Felix
Global Moderator
Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Jun 20, 2007 6:59:36 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 20, 2007 is: purview • \PER-vyoo\ • noun 1 a : the body or enacting part of a statute b : the limit, purpose, or scope of a statute *2 : the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention 3 : range of vision, understanding, or cognizance Marvell's Example Sentence: The Patriot Act unified the purviews of several federal agencies under one administration, creating a very large new entity. Did you know? You might guess that there is a connection between "purview" and "view," but the two words are not actually related. "Purview" comes from "purveu," a word often found in the legal statutes of 13th- and 14th-century England. These statutes, written in the Anglo-French, opened with the phrases "purveu est" and "purveu que," which translate literally to "it is provided" and "provided that." "Purveu" derives from "porveu," the past participle of the Old French verb "porveeir," meaning "to provide." "View" derives (via Middle English) from the past participle of another Anglo-French word, "veer," meaning "to see," and ultimately from the Latin "vidēre," also meaning "to see." *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. Turf Words
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Felix
Global Moderator
Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Jun 21, 2007 7:50:24 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for June 21, 2007 is: estival • \ESS-tuh-vul\ • adjective : of or relating to the summer Marvell's Example Sentence: On June 21 of each year, Druids gather at Stonehenge in England for an estival observation of the Summer Solstice. Did you know? "Estival" and "festival" look so much alike that you might think they're very closely related, but that isn't the case. "Estival" traces back to "aestas," which is the Latin word for "summer" (and which also gave us "estivate," a verb for spending the summer in a torpid state -- a sort of hot-weather equivalent of hibernation). "Festival" also comes from Latin, but it has a different and unrelated root. It derives from "festivus," a term that means "festive" or "merry." "Festivus" is also the ancestor of "festive" and "festivity" as well as the much rarer "festivous" (which also means "festive") and "infestive," meaning "not merry, mirthless." Hot Parties
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Copperhead
Forumite
The Baking Bookworm
What goes around, comes around.
Posts: 1,057
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Post by Copperhead on Jun 21, 2007 8:20:50 GMT -5
Information on 2 words for the price of one. Excellent!
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