Deciduate - Wordsmith.org

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#113460 - 10/12/03 02:27 AM Deciduate
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	Settle an argument. I wrote a post to a group in which I participate in which I reported that the maple trees outside my window are deciduating at a great rate. Several of the wags in the group challenged the existence of the verb deciduate. I assumed a straight face and responded that it descended from the Latin "deciduare" meaning to lose one's leaves. This, of course, I made up out of whole cloth. But isn't there such a word and, if not, shouldn't there be?
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#113461 - 10/12/03 06:16 AM Re: Deciduate
Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Registered: 06/24/02 Posts: 7184 Loc: Vermont	strangely enough, when I orient myself around it, I like it. just may use it today... _________________________ formerly known as etaoin...
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#113462 - 10/12/03 09:34 AM Re: Deciduate
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13655	OED: Deciduate. adj., a. Possessing a decidua; belonging to the Deciduata. b. Of the nature of a decidua: said of a placenta which is cast off at parturition.
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#113463 - 10/12/03 10:16 AM Re: Deciduate
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	Hey, I do pretty good at making stuff up! Thank you, Fal.
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#113464 - 10/12/03 10:27 AM Re: Deciduate
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13655	I don't find any deciduo, -are but I do see decido, -ere, fall down, fall off, die.
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#113465 - 10/12/03 12:07 PM Re: Deciduate
AnnaStrophic Carpal Tunnel Registered: 03/15/00 Posts: 6511 Loc: lower upstate New York	From the title of your post, Father Steve, I guessed "losing leaves." So it is a great word, IMHO!
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#113466 - 10/12/03 02:54 PM Re: Deciduate
Father Steve Carpal Tunnel Registered: 09/06/00 Posts: 2788 Loc: Seattle, Washington, USA	Thank you, Anna. I tried it out on some people at church this morning and every one of them knew what I/it meant. That's a pretty fair test for a proposed word.
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#113467 - 10/12/03 03:09 PM Re: Deciduate
Faldage Carpal Tunnel Registered: 12/01/00 Posts: 13655	every one of them knew what I/it meant I can hardly wait for it to show up on the TVRWorstWords list (http://www.vocabula.com/VRworstwords.htm). In fact, if it doesn't show up within the week I shall submit it myself: "Oh what a horror that this perfectly good adjective, of which not one in a thousand of us would know the meaning much less have need, has been ruthlessly verbed and dragged from its pristine meaning into one of a completely unrelated field and, what is worse, be given a meaning that is instantly understandable and eminently useful."
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