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why was i harrumphed at!? Did look at the AWAD archives and quote below from guest wordsmith of that week - Richard Lederer. [confused]
contronym (KAHN-troh-NIM) noun
A word that generates two opposite meanings. More popularly, they are
known as Janus-faced words because the Greek god Janus had two faces
that looked in opposite directions.
"The moon is VISIBLE tonight."
"The lights in the old house are always INVISIBLE."
Although the two capitalized words are opposite in meaning, both can
be replaced by the same word -- out. When the moon or sun or stars are
out, they are visible. When the lights are out, they are invisible.
Thus, out is a contronym.
Other examples:
cleave: separate; adhere firmly.
a. A strong blow will cleave a plank in two.
b. Bits of metal cleave to a magnet.
oversight: careful supervision; neglect.
a. The foreman was responsible for the oversight of the project.
b. The foreman's oversight ruined the success of the project.
Source: AWAD archives, 1201
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