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A.Word.A.Day--manitou

Pronunciation RealAudio

manitou (MAN-i-too) noun, also manito

1. A supernatural force that pervades the world.

2. A spirit or deity.

[From Ojibwa manito.]

"He (Michael Horse) teams up with Mulder and Scully to chase a mysterious animal, or spirit, Mulder suspects is a manitou." David Bianculli; Timothy Leary is a Doctor on 'Brisco'; The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland); Apr 1, 1994.

"What is a sacred place, I wondered, except one that makes you feel humble and insignificant in the face of nature? And what is a manitou but the power of a place to move you to those thoughts?" Greg Breining; The Power of Rock; Sierra (San Francisco); Jan/Feb 2001.

This week's theme: words borrowed from Native American languages.

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