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A.Word.A.Day--obtund obtund (ob-TUND) verb tr. To blunt, deaden, or dull. [From Middle English, from Latin obtundere (to beat against), from ob- (against) + tundere (to beat). Other words derived from the same Latin root are pierce and contuse.] Today's word in Visual Thesaurus. "Self-improvement books are narcotics in ink. They obtund with false promise." Tom Tiede; Self-Help Nation; Atlantic Monthly Press; 2001. "It seemed wise to attack when the better part of their foes, complacent with garrison duty, would be obtunded from holiday celebrations." S.N. Dyer; Resolve and Resistance; Omni (New York); Apr 1, 1995. This week's theme: verbs. X-Bonus If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weed. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (1849-1926)

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