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Jun 8, 2010 This week's theme Words that appear plural but aren't This week's words taxis starets congeries shambles kudos Sergius of Radonezh, a starets (1314-1392) Location: Sergiyev Posad, Russia Photo: Ygrek Discuss Feedback RSS/XML A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg starets PRONUNCIATION: (STAHR-its, -yits) plural startsy (STAHRT-see) MEANING: noun: A religious teacher or adviser. ETYMOLOGY: From Russian starets (elder). In the Eastern Orthodox Church a starets is a spiritual adviser who is not necessarily a priest. USAGE: "Grigori Rasputin was neither mad nor a monk, but an unconventional starets." Cecilia Rasmussen; Shadowed by Rasputin's Evil Reputation; Los Angeles Times; Oct 10, 1999. Explore "starets" in the Visual Thesaurus. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A lawn is nature under totalitarian rule. -Michael Pollan, author, journalism professor (b. 1955)

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