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A.Word.A.Day--impuissance impuissance (im-PYOO-i-suhns) noun Lack of strength or power. [From Middle English, from Old French, from in- (not) + puissance (power), ultimately from Indo-European root poti- (powerful). Some other words that are derived from the same root: possess, power, possible, and potent.] "In conjunction with their impuissance and low status, the regulated designs of Zoroastrian houses facilitated tension and conflict between members of the two groups." Sanjoy Mazumdar and Shampa Mazumdar; Intergroup Social Relations And Architecture; Environment and Behavior (Thousand Oaks, California); May 1997. "This friendly warning - this forbearance to strike the blow that was to remove the manacles from millions of bondsmen - was treated by the masters of the slaves with scorn. It was sneered at by them, as an act of sheer impuissance." Benson J. Lossing; Our Country; 1905. This week's theme: miscellaneous words. X-Bonus I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it. -Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US president, architect and author (1743-1826)

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