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Post by Felix on Aug 20, 2007 6:45:07 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 18, 2007 is: benison • \BEN-uh-sun\ • noun : blessing, benediction Marvell's Example Sentence: "...We/ have no such daughter, nor shall we ever see/ that face of hers again. Therefore be gone/ without our grace, our love, our benison." (Shakespeare King Lear,1, 1. 262-265) Did you know? "Benison" and its synonym "benediction" share more than a common meaning; the two words come from the same root, the Latin "benedicere," meaning "to bless." ("Benedicere" comes from the Latin "bene dicere" -- "to speak well of" -- a combination of the Latin "bene," meaning "well," and "dicere," to say.) Of the two words, "benediction" is more common today, but "benison" has a longer history in English. Records show that "benison" has been used in our language since the 14th century. "Benediction" didn't appear in print until nearly a century later. Words of Conferral
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Post by Felix on Aug 20, 2007 6:46:18 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 19, 2007 is: virescent • \vuh-RESS-unt\ • adjective *1 : beginning to be green : greenish 2 : developing or displaying the condition of becoming green due to the development of chloroplasts in plant organs (as petals) normally white or colored Marvell's Example Sentence: Rummaging around in the crowded shelves of my refrigerator, I discovered a piece of neglected cheese, of a distinctly virescent color. Did you know? "Virescent" first appeared in English in 1826. It derives from the present participle of "virescere," a Latin verb meaning "to become green" and a form of another verb, "virēre," meaning "to be green." "Virēre" also gave us another adjective meaning green, "verdant," only the route to that adjective takes a stop at the Old French "verdoier" ("to be green"). "Virescent" has seen occasional general use, as when Thomas Hardy wrote, in his 1881 novel A Laodicean, of "[t]he summer . . . tipping every twig with a virescent yellow." But it is nowadays found most frequently in scientific contexts, especially those pertaining to botany. Moldering Words
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Post by Felix on Aug 20, 2007 6:47:34 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 20, 2007 is: chiliad • \KILL-ee-ad\ • noun 1 : a group of 1000 *2 : millennium Marvell's Example Sentence: "A chiliad years are as a day" does not have quite the same ring as "A thousand years are as a day," does it? Did you know? What's the difference between a chiliad and a millennium? Not much: both words refer to a period of 1000 years. While "millennium" is more widely used, "chiliad" is actually older. It first appeared in 1598 and was originally used to mean "a group of 1000," as in "a chiliad of errors." "Millennium" didn't make its way into written English until the 1630s. Not surprisingly, both words trace back to roots that mean "thousand." "Millenium" comes from the Latin "mille," and "chiliad" is a descendent of the Greek "chilioi." *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. Tens of Hundreds
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Post by Felix on Aug 21, 2007 5:35:32 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 21, 2007 is: plenitude • \PLEN-uh-tood\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being full : completeness *2 : a great sufficiency : abundance Marvell's Example Sentence: A plenitude of any good or service is defined as just a little more than what you have. Did you know? "Plenitude" was first recorded in English during the 15th century and ultimately comes to us from "plenus," the Latin word for "full." "Plenus" has also given us "plenty," which in turn influenced a variation on "plenitude": "plentitude." Some usage commentators have objected to "plentitude," but it has been in use since the early 1600s and has appeared in the works of such writers as Henry James and Sir Walter Scott. Both words are used in the same sorts of contexts, but "plentitude" is not used as frequently as "plenitude." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Words of Amplitude
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Post by Felix on Aug 24, 2007 7:37:54 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 24, 2007 is: crambo • \KRAM-boh\ • noun : a game in which one player gives a word or line of verse to be matched in rhyme by other players Marvell's Example Sentence: The Great Lexicographer so excelled at crambo, That to Boswell he seemed a verbal Rambo. Did you know? We've called the game "crambo" since at least 1660, but it was originally dubbed "crambe." The now-obsolete word "crambe" literally meant "cabbage," but it was rarely used for the leafy plant. Instead, it was used figuratively (in reference to a Latin phrase meaning "cabbage repeated or served up again") for things that were overused or repeated. The game, which was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, began with one player picking a word. A second player then tried to guess it by asking questions. For example: "I know a word that rhymes with 'bird.'" "Is it ridiculous?" "No, it is not absurd." "Is it a part of speech?" "No, it is not a word." And so on, until the word was guessed. Linguistgic Games
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Post by Felix on Aug 25, 2007 5:49:35 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 25, 2007 is: parabolic • \pair-uh-BAH-lik\ • adjective 1 : expressed by or being a parable : allegorical *2 : of, having the form of, or relating to a parabola : of, having the form of, or relating to a curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to a straight line in its surface Marvell's Example Sentence: Like the pull of an invisible celestial body, the limited credit resources of the economy imposed a parabolic downturn on the stock market graphs. Did you know? The two distinct meanings of "parabolic" trace back to the development of Late Latin and New Latin. Late Latin is the Latin language used by writers in the third to sixth centuries. In that language, the word for "parable" was "parabola" -- hence, the "parable" sense of "parabolic." New Latin refers to the Latin used since the end of the medieval period, especially in regard to scientific description and classification. In New Latin, "parabola" names the same geometrical curve as it does in English. Both meanings of "parabola" were drawn from the Greek word for "comparison": "parabolē." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Curvilinear Words
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Post by Felix on Aug 27, 2007 9:44:28 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 27, 2007 is: objet trouvé • \AWB-zhay-troo-VAY\ • noun : a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value Marvell's Example Sentence: The traditional Southern yard art known as a "bottle tree" is an example of the decorative use of objets trouvés. Did you know? "Objet trouvé" comes from French, where it literally means "found object." The term entered English during the early 20th century, a time when many artists challenged traditional ideas about the nature of true art. Surrealists and other artists, for instance, held that any object could be a work of art if a person recognized its aesthetic merit. "Objet trouvé" can refer to naturally formed objects whose beauty is the result of natural forces as well as to man-made artifacts (such as bathtubs, wrecked cars, or scrap metal) that were not originally created as art but are displayed as such. Decorative Words
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Post by Felix on Aug 28, 2007 6:50:01 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 28, 2007 is: stagflation • \stag-FLAY-shun\ • noun : persistent inflation combined with stagnant consumer demand and relatively high unemployment Marvell's Example Sentence: The incongruity in conventional economic interpretation of both inflation and a moribund economy co-existing called for a new word, stagflation. Did you know? "Stagflation" is a portmanteau, that is, a word that blends two others (in this case, "stagnation" and "inflation"). The first documented use of the word appeared in 1965 in the writing of British politician Iain Macleod, who wrote, "We now have the worst of both worlds -- not just inflation on the one side or stagnation on the other, but both of them together. We have a sort of 'stagflation' situation." Macleod is often credited with coining the term, and his linguistic invention was quickly embraced by economists in the United States, who used it to refer to the period of economic sluggishness and high inflation that affected the country in the 1970s. Rampantly Torpid Words
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Post by Felix on Aug 29, 2007 8:53:17 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 29, 2007 is: berate • \bih-RAYT\ • verb : to scold or condemn vehemently and at length Marvell's Example Sentence: The out-of-control victim of personality disorder berated anyone within hearing for imagined slights and cabals against her. Did you know? "Berate" and one sense of the verb "rate" can both mean "to scold angrily or violently." This sense of "rate" was first recorded in the 14th century, roughly a century before the now more familiar sense meaning "to estimate the value of." We know that "berate" was probably formed by combining "be" and the older sense of "rate," but the origins of "rate" itself are somewhat more obscure. We can trace the word back to the Middle English form "raten," but beyond that things get a little murky. It's possible that "rate," and by extension "berate," derives from the same ancient word that led to the Swedish "rata" (meaning "to find blame, despise") and earlier the Old Norse "hrata" ("to fall, stagger"), but this is uncertain. Words to Rant By
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Post by Felix on Aug 30, 2007 13:55:17 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 30, 2007 is: protean • \PROH-tee-un\ • adjective 1 : of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to assume different forms *2 : displaying great diversity or variety : versatile M arvell's Example Sentence: To call someone a "Renaissance man (or woman)" ascribes to them a protean set of abilities and interests. Did you know? Proteus was the original master of disguise. According to Greek mythology, the grizzled old shepherd of Poseidon's sea creatures possessed the gift of prophecy but didn't like to share his knowledge. Proteus would escape those who wanted to question him by changing his shape. The only way to get a straight answer from him was to sneak up behind him during his midday nap and hold onto him (while he frantically changed from shape to shape) until he eventually revealed what he knew. The adjective "protean" describes anyone or anything that is as mutable and adaptable as the mythological shepherd. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Multitalented Words
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Post by Felix on Aug 31, 2007 7:45:34 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for August 31, 2007 is: tyro • \TYE-roh\ • noun : a beginner in learning : novice Marvell's Example Sentence: The popularity of how-to books with the word "Dummies" in the title reflect the number of tyros attempting to cope with complicated technology. Did you know? The word "tyro" is hardly a newcomer to Western language. It comes from the Latin "tiro," which means "young soldier," "new recruit," or more generally, "novice." The word was sometimes spelled "tyro" as early as Medieval Latin, and can be spelled "tyro" or "tiro" in English (though "tyro" is the more common American variant). Use of "tyro" in English has never been restricted to the original "young soldier" meaning of the Latin term. Writers in the 17th and 18th centuries wrote of tyros in various fields and occupations. Herman Melville used "tyro" to refer to men new to whaling and life at sea. More recently, The New York Times Book Review and Rolling Stone used the noun attributively (that is, directly before another noun), referring to a "tyro sleuth" and a "tyro director," respectively. Apprentice Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 1, 2007 6:40:53 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 01, 2007 is: stipulate • \STIP-yuh-layt\ • verb 1 : to make an agreement to do something : contract *2 : to specify (something) as a condition or requirement (as of an agreement or offer) Marvell's Example Sentence: Business lawyers depend on any contract being so densely thicketed with clauses and footnotes stipulating conditions for fulfilling the contract provisions that a mere layman cannot hope to understand it. Did you know? Like many terms used in the legal profession, "stipulate" has its roots in Latin. It derives from "stipulatus," the past participle of "stipulari," a verb meaning "to demand a guarantee (as from a prospective debtor)." "Stipulate" has been a part of the English language since the 17th century. In Roman law, oral contracts were deemed valid only if they followed a proper question-and-answer format; "stipulate" was sometimes used specifically of this process of contract making, though it also could be used more generally for any means of making a contract or agreement. The "specify as a condition or requirement" sense of the word also dates from the 17th century, and it is the sense that is most often encountered in current use. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Conditional Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 2, 2007 10:16:33 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 02, 2007 is: pillory • \PILL-uh-ree\ • noun 1 : a device formerly used for publicly punishing offenders consisting of a wooden frame with holes in which the head and hands can be locked *2 : a means for exposing one to public scorn or ridicule Marvell's Example Sentence: The rise of the "blogosphere" has created millions of pillories for every shade of political, religious and social belief. Did you know? In days gone by, criminals who got caught might well have found themselves in the stocks (which held the feet or both feet and hands) or a pillory. Both of those forms of punishment -- and the words that name them -- have been around since the Middle Ages. We latched onto "pillory" from the Anglo-French "pilori" (which has the same meaning as our English term), but the exact origins of the French term are uncertain. For centuries, "pillory" referred only to the wooden frame used to hold a ne'er-do-well, but by the early 1600s, folks had turned the word into a verb for the act of putting someone in a pillory. Within a century, they had further expanded the verb to cover any process that led to as much public humiliation as being pilloried. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Words of Exposure
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Post by Felix on Sept 3, 2007 6:11:58 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 03, 2007 is: insinuate • \in-SIN-yuh-wayt\ • verb 1 a : to introduce (as an idea) gradually or in a subtle, indirect, or covert way *b : to impart or suggest in an artful or indirect way : imply 2 : to introduce (as oneself) by stealthy, smooth, or artful means Marvell's Example Sentence: A man may insinuate that another man has put on a few pounds, and just get a rueful chuckle out of his target, but to do so with a woman, any woman, invites disastrous consequences. Did you know? The meaning of "insinuate" is similar to that of another verb, "suggest." Whether you "suggest" or "insinuate," you are conveying an idea indirectly. But although these two words share the same basic meaning, each gets the idea across in a different way. When you "suggest," you put something into the mind by associating it with other ideas, desires, or thoughts. You might say, for example, that a book's title suggests what the story is about. "Insinuate," on the other hand, usually includes a sense that the idea being conveyed is unpleasant, or that it is being passed along in a sly or underhanded way. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Allusive Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 4, 2007 12:31:45 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 04, 2007 is: ruly • \ROO-lee\ • adjective : obedient, orderly Marvell's Example Sentence: For the truly ruly no rules need be enforced, self-control is total, dissident postures are unacceptable, and those who meet these criteria are very, very dull. Did you know? You're probably familiar with "unruly," meaning "not readily controlled or disciplined." Have you ever wondered, "Is there a 'ruly' too?" If so, did it seem to you that such a word should exist? A little over 150 years ago, someone apparently followed that same thought process, creating "ruly" by dropping the prefix from "unruly." Whoever did so probably thought the coinage was a new one, but that's not quite the case. There had once been another "ruly" with much the same meaning as the modern term, but it had been out of use for over 200 years. Ultimately, "ruly" and "unruly" come from "reuly," a Middle English word meaning "disciplined." "Reuly" in turn comes from Middle English "reule," a predecessor of "rule." Words of Good Behavior
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Post by Felix on Sept 5, 2007 12:44:29 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 05, 2007 is: benign • \bih-NYNE\ • adjective *1 : of a gentle disposition : gracious 2 a : showing kindness and gentleness b : favorable, wholesome 3 a : of a mild type or character that does not threaten health or life; especially : not becoming cancerous b : having no significant effect : harmless Marvell's Example Sentence: The ideal first-grade teacher must be of a benign temperament before all else, for the transition from kindergarten to primary grades is a tough one. D id you know? "Benediction," "benefactor," "benefit," "benevolent," and "benign" are just some of the English words that derive from the well-tempered Latin root "bene," which means "well." "Benign" came to English via Anglo-French from the Latin "benignus," which in turn paired "bene" with "gignere," meaning "to beget." "Gignere" has produced a few offspring of its own in English. Its descendants include "congenital," "genius," "germ," "indigenous," and "progenitor," among others. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Unvexed Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 6, 2007 8:21:20 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 06, 2007 is: grandiloquence • \gran-DIH-luh-kwunss\ • noun : a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language Marvell's Example Sentence: Although brevity of expression and simplicity of words have been in style since at least Mark Twain's time, occasionally grandiloquence in writing can still be effective, as William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy have demonstrated. Did you know? "Grandiloquence," which first appeared in English in the late 16th century, is one of several English words pertaining to speech that derive from the Latin "loqui," meaning "to speak." Other offspring of "loqui" include "eloquent" ("marked by fluent expression"), "loquacious" ("full of excessive talk"), and "soliloquy" ("a long dramatic monologue"). "Grandiloquence" comes (probably via Middle French) from the Latin adjective "grandiloquus," which combines "loqui" and the adjective "grandis" ("grand or great"). A word that is very similar in meaning to "grandiloquence" is "magniloquence" -- and the similarity is not surprising. "Magniloquence" combines "loqui" with "magnus," another Latin word meaning "great." Bloviating Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 8, 2007 19:08:13 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 07, 2007 is: miasma • \mye-AZ-muh\ • noun 1 : a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease; also : a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere *2 : an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt; also : an atmosphere that obscures : fog Marvell’s Example Sentence:In an illuminating book on the Vietnam War, The Fog of War, Robert McNamara’s miasma allusion triggered new debate on that wrenching national ordeal. Did you know?In notes taken during a voyage to South America on HMS Beagle in the 1830s, Charles Darwin described an illness that he believed was caused by “miasma” emanating from stagnant pools of water. For him, “miasma” had the same meaning that it did when it first appeared in English in the 1600s: an emanation of a vaporous disease-causing substance. (”Miasma,” by the way, comes from Greek “miainein,” meaning “to pollute.”). But while Darwin was at sea, broader applications of “miasma” were starting to spread. Nowadays, we know germs are the source of infection, so we’re more likely to use the newer, more figurative sense of “miasma,” which refers to something destructive or demoralizing that surrounds or permeates. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Misty Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 8, 2007 19:13:56 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 08, 2007 is: jape • \JAYP\ • verb *1 : to say or do something jokingly or mockingly 2 : to make mocking fun of Marvell's Example Sentence: The more tender-hearted internauts were appalled at the freedom of expression with which many posters japed and commented on those annoying, clueless users so common on message boards and newsgroups. Did you know? "Jape" mysteriously appeared in the English language during the 14th century and was adopted by literary folks, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, as a word meaning both "to trick" and "to jeer." It was also used, however, with the meanings "to seduce (someone)" or "to have sexual intercourse." This ambiguity forced writers to think twice about using "jape" in fear of misinterpretation. Ultimately, the word was avoided by respectable writers, and by the end of the 16th century it had fallen into disuse. But this four-letter word was not completely forgotten. It got its second chance when 19th-century writers began using its "jeer" meaning again -- leaving its carnal meaning in oblivion. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Jesting Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 9, 2007 17:39:24 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 09, 2007 is: convivial • \kun-VIV-ee-ul\ • adjective : relating to, occupied with, or fond of feasting, drinking, and good company Marvell's Example Sentence: Sometimes evenings hosting friends with a minimum of preparation and a maximum of improvisation can be more convivial by far than a carefully scripted party. Did you know? "Convivial" traces to "convivium," a Latin word meaning "banquet," and tends to suggest a mood of full-bellied joviality. Charles Dickens aptly captures that sense in his novel David Copperfield: "We had a beautiful little dinner. Quite an elegant dish of fish; the kidney-end of a loin of veal, roasted; fried sausage-meat; a partridge, and a pudding. There was wine, and there was strong ale.... Mr. Micawber was uncommonly convivial. I never saw him such good company. He made his face shine with the punch, so that it looked as if it had been varnished all over. He got cheerfully sentimental about the town, and proposed success to it." Hospitable Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 10, 2007 7:33:02 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 10, 2007 is: longueur • \lawn-GUR (approximation -- this word comes from French and has sounds with no English equivalents)\ • noun : a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) -- usually used in plural Marvell's Example Sentence: Brevity and concision are desirable in writing meant for publication, unless writing for a personal blog, which medium seems to thrive on longueurs of little interest to anyone but the blog owner. Did you know? You've probably come across long, tedious sections of books, plays, or musical works before, but perhaps you didn't know there was a word for them. English speakers began using the French borrowing "longueurs" in the late 18th century. In French, "longueurs" are tedious passages, and "longueur" literally means "length." The first recorded use of "longueur" in English comes from the writer Horace Walpole, who wrote in a letter, "Boswell's book is gossiping;. . . but there are woful longueurs, both about his hero and himself." Interminable Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 12, 2007 19:51:34 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 11, 2007 is: aplomb • \uh-PLAHM\ • noun : complete and confident composure or self-assurance : poise Marvell's Example Sentence: General Petraeus delivered his scripted apologia for the Iraq debacle with the aplomb of a seasoned soldier, subordinate to his civilian masters. Did you know? In the 19th century, English speakers borrowed "aplomb," meaning "composure," from French. "Aplomb" can also mean "perpendicularity" in French and comes from the phrase "a plomb," meaning "perpendicularly" or literally "according to the plummet." A plummet is a lead weight that is attached to a line and used to determine vertical alignment. Not surprisingly, "aplomb" and English words like "plumber" and the verb "plumb" ("to measure depth" and "to explore critically and minutely") ultimately trace back to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum." Words of Assurance
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Post by Felix on Sept 12, 2007 19:58:58 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 12, 2007 is: virtuoso • \ver-choo-OH-soh\ • noun 1 : one skilled in or having a taste for the fine arts *2 : one who excels in the technique of an art; especially : a highly skilled musical performer (as on the violin) 3 : a person who has great skill at some endeavor Marvell's Example Sentence: Cormac McCarthy is a virtuoso of written English, whose books have not always sold well enough to draw the attention of Oprah Winfrey. Did you know? English speakers borrowed the Italian noun "virtuoso" in the 1600s. It comes in turn from the Italian adjective "virtuoso," which means both "virtuous" and "skilled." In English, "virtuoso" can be pluralized as either "virtuosos" or "virtuosi," and it is often used attributively ("a virtuoso performer"). The first virtuosos were men of substantial knowledge and learning ("great wits," to quote one 17th-century clergyman). The word was then transferred to those skilled in the arts, and by the 18th century it had acquired its specific sense applied to musicians. In the 20th century, English speakers broadened "virtuoso" again to apply to a person skilled in any pursuit. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Words of Legerdemain
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Post by Felix on Sept 13, 2007 7:54:02 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 13, 2007 is: dubious • \DOO-bee-us\ • adjective 1 a : of doubtful promise or outcome b : questionable or suspect as to true nature or quality *2 : unsettled in opinion : doubtful Marvell's Example Sentence: Facts on the internet, especially when presented by those with cloaked identities, should be treated as dubious until proven reliable. Did You Know?"Dubious" derives from the Latin verb "dubare," meaning "to hesitate in choice of opinions or courses," and it is related to the Latin word for "two": "duo." "Dubious" can be used to indicate uncertainty about the result of an action or the truth of a statement as well as about the uncertainty of a person and his or her character. In either case, it usually implies a feeling of doubt from suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Untrusty Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 17, 2007 14:05:45 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 17, 2007 is: salubrious • \suh-LOO-bree-us\ • adjective : favorable to or promoting health or well-being Marvell's Sentence: Despite growing up in the reputedly salubrious mountain climate of western North Carolina, the novelist Thomas Wolfe died of a rare form of tuberculosis, which infected his brain. Did you know? "Salubrious" and its synonyms "healthful" and "wholesome" all mean favorable to the health of mind or body. "Healthful" implies a positive contribution to a healthy condition (as in Charles Dickens' advice to "take more healthful exercise"). "Wholesome" applies to something that benefits you, builds you up, or sustains you physically, mentally, or spiritually. Louisa May Alcott used this sense in Little Women: "Work is wholesome.... It keeps us from ennui and mischief, is good for health and spirits, and gives us a sense of power and independence...." "Salubrious" is similar to the other two, but tends to apply chiefly to the helpful effects of climate or air. Healing Words
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Post by Felix on Sept 18, 2007 5:46:53 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 18, 2007 is: thesaurus • \thih-SOR-us\ • noun *1 : treasury, storehouse 2 a : a book of words or of information about a particular field or set of concepts; especially : a book of words and their synonyms b : a list of subject headings or descriptors usually with a cross-reference system for use in the organization of a collection of documents for reference and retrieval Marvell's Example Sentence: Delighting in injecting obscure words into his posts, the online bloviater kept his Visual Thesaurus open at all times in a window on his desktop. Did you know? In the early 19th century, archaeologists borrowed the Latin word "thesaurus" to denote an ancient treasury, such as that of a temple. Soon after, the word was metaphorically applied to a book containing a "treasury" of words or information about a particular field. In 1852, the English scholar Peter Mark Roget published his Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, in which he listed a treasury of related words organized into numerous categories. This work led to the common acceptance of the term "thesaurus" for "a book of words and their synonyms." Finally, during the 1950s, "thesaurus" began being used in the field of word processing to refer to a list of related terms used for indexing and retrieval. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Web of Words
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Felix
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Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Sept 19, 2007 11:26:32 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 19, 2007 is: fissiparous • \fih-SIP-uh-rus\ • adjective : tending to break up into parts : divisive Marvell's Example Sentence: My last employment became fell victim to the fissiparous personnel policy followed by the former Executive Director. Did you know? When it first entered English in the 19th century, "fissiparous" was concerned with reproduction. In biology, a fissiparous organism is one that produces new individuals by fission; that is, by dividing into separate parts, each of which becomes a unique organism. (Most strains of bacteria do this.) "Fissiparous" derives from Latin "fissus," the past participle of "findere" ("to split"), and "parere," meaning "to give birth to" or "to produce." Other "parere" offspring refer to other forms of reproduction, including "oviparous" ("producing eggs that hatch outside the body") and "viviparous" ("producing living young instead of eggs"). By the end of the 19th century "fissiparous" had acquired a figurative meaning, describing something that breaks into parts or causes something else to break into parts. Sundering Words
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Felix
Global Moderator
Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Sept 20, 2007 7:16:33 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 20, 2007 is: quidnunc • \KWID-nunk\ • noun : a person who seeks to know all the latest news or gossip : busybody Marvell's Example Sentence: An especially annoying kind of internet troll is the quidnunc, who invades every thread with endless questions, knowing nothing about the subject discussed, or the other participants. Did you know? "What's new?" That's a question every busybody wants answered. Latin-speaking Nosey Parkers might have used some version of the expression "quid nunc," literally "what now," to ask the same question. Appropriately, the earliest documented English use of "quidnunc" to refer to a gossiper appeared in 1709 in Sir Richard Steele's famous periodical, The Tatler. Steele is far from the only writer to ply "quidnunc" in his prose, however. You also can find the word among the pages of works by such writers as Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne. But don't think the term is old news -- it sees some use in current publications, too. Intrusive Words
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Felix
Global Moderator
Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Sept 21, 2007 9:41:42 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 21, 2007 is: genial • \JEE-nee-ul\ • adjective 1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild *2 : marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness 3 : displaying or marked by genius Marvell's Example Sentence: A genial disposition towards everyone you meet, even in the absence of reciprocity on the part of the recipient, will benefit you even more than those who meet you. Did you know? "Genial" derives from the Latin adjective "genialis," meaning "connected with marriage." When "genial" was first adopted into English in the mid-16th century, it meant "of or relating to marriage," a sense that is now obsolete. "Genialis" was formed in Latin by combining the "-alis" suffix (meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by") with "genius," meaning "a person's disposition or inclination." As you may have guessed, Latin "genius" is the ancestor of the English word "genius," meaning "extraordinary intellectual power"-- so it's logical enough that "genial" eventually developed a sense (possibly influenced by the German word "genial") of "marked by very high intelligence." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. Affable Words
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Felix
Global Moderator
Tepid One
Happy Morning
Posts: 4,137
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Post by Felix on Sept 22, 2007 8:11:04 GMT -5
The Word of the Day for September 22, 2007 is: prognosticate • \prahg-NAHSS-tuh-kayt\ • verb *1 : to foretell from signs and symptoms : predict 2 : presage Marvell's Example Sentence: The necessity for multiple words to use in print and broadcast media, rather than repeat the same word several times, has led many, especially sportscasters, to speak often of how to prognosticate athletic results. Did you know? "Prognosticate," which ultimately comes from the Greek "prognōstikos" ("foretelling"), first appeared in English during the 15th century. Since that time, "prognosticate" has been connected with things that give omens or warnings of events to come and with people who can prophesy or predict the future by such signs. Shakespeare used the "prophesy" sense of "prognosticate" in the sonnet that begins "Not from the stars do I my judgement pluck": “From thine eyes my knowledge I derive, And constant stars in them I read such art …of thee this I prognosticate, Thy end is truth's and beauty's doom and date.” Note: The above quotation is from Shakespeare's Sonnet 14. Click here for the complete sonnet. Portentous Words
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