A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Mar 1 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--slush fund X-Bonus: The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men. -Norman Angell, lecturer, author, MP, and Nobel laureate (1872-1967) This week's theme: Words having nautical origins slush fund (sluhsh fuhnd) noun A fund established for illegal activities, especially in business and politics. [Originally, a slush fund was money collected to buy small luxuries for a ship's crew. The fund was raised from the sale of slush (refuse fat) from the ship's galley. Earliest documented use: 1839.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/slush%20fund "[Choi] used her friendship with the South Korean leader to pressure businesses into donating to charitable foundations, which served as her personal slush fund." Spiritualist at Centre of Crisis Goes on Trial; The Nelson Mail (New Zealand); Dec 20, 2016. -------- Date: Thu Mar 2 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pinchgut X-Bonus: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991) This week's theme: Words having nautical origins pinchgut (PINCH-guht) noun: A miserly person. adjective: Miserly. [Originally, a pinchgut was someone who didn't give enough food to a ship's crew. Earliest documented use: 1615.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pinchgut Pinchgut Island https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pinchgut_large.jpg (former name of Fort Denison, on Sydney Harbor), named because a man was sentenced here for a week on a ration of bread and water http://law.mq.edu.au/research/colonial_case_law/nsw/cases/case_index/1788/r_v_hill/ Photo: Howard Mitchell https://www.flickr.com/photos/44181937@N02/9704481511/ "Even Sifter Sol, a pinchgut gold panner who rarely parted with a penny, bought a bottle." Maxine Schur; Gullible Gus; Clarion Books; 2009. -------- Date: Fri Mar 3 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jettison X-Bonus: Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989) This week's theme: Words having nautical origins jettison (JET-i-suhn, -zuhn) verb tr.: To cast off something regarded as unwanted or burdensome. noun: The act of discarding something. [Originally, jettison was the act of throwing goods overboard to lighten a ship in distress. From Latin jactare (to throw), frequentative of jacere (to throw). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ye- (to throw), which also gave us jet, eject, project, reject, object, subject, adjective, joist, jactitation https://wordsmith.org/words/jactitation.html , subjacent https://wordsmith.org/words/subjacent.html , and jaculate https://wordsmith.org/words/jaculate.html . Earliest documented use: 1426.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/jettison A jet jettisoning fuel https://www.flickr.com/photos/96543219@N06/8853598372/ Photo: Bobmil42/Wikimedia "Disillusioned former supporters accused [Stephen Donnelly] of jettisoning his principles for a shot at high office." Colin Coyle; Social Media Savvy TD Will Need All of His Connecting Skills After Switching Sides; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 5, 2017. -------- Date: Mon Mar 6 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bludge X-Bonus: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak for me. -Martin Niemoller, pastor, initial supporter of Hitler, concentration camp survivor (1892 - 6 Mar 1984) Makers make and bakers bake, but mothers don't moth and fathers don't fath.* That's because the verbs "to bake" and "to make" gave birth to their noun forms, but the nouns mother and father have been with us for a long time, much before anyone thought of making or baking anything. If we did coin the verbs "to moth" or "to fath", they would be examples of back-formations. A back-formation is a word formed under the assumption that it must be the parent of an existing word. For example, the verb "to burgle" appears to have given birth to its noun, but it's the other way: burglar came first. Similarly, we coined the verb "to typewrite" after the noun "typewriter". This week we'll see five verbs that are back-formations, coined after nouns. * We haven't made the verbs "to moth" and "to fath" from the nouns, but we have turned them into different verbs: "to mother" and "to father". bludge (bluhj) verb intr.: To shirk responsibility. verb tr.: To obtain something through the generosity of others; to scrounge. noun: An easy task. [Back-formation from bludger (pimp), from bludgeoner, from bludgeon, of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1919.] "My former flatmate also bludged some tickets from me but did make a lovely lasagne in return." Simon Taylor; Huge Support A Welcome Surprise; The Times (London, UK); Oct 23, 2003. -------- Date: Tue Mar 7 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--politick X-Bonus: Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) This week's theme: Back-formations politick (POL-i-tik) verb intr. To engage in (usually partisan) political activity. [Back-formation from politicking (engaging in partisan political activity), from politic (pragmatic, shrewd), from Old French politique (political), from Latin politicus (political), from Greek politikos (political), from polis (city). Earliest documented use: 1892.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/politick "The Wise Man, by contrast, doesn't politick: he is studious, reserved, quiet, and self-effacing." Sebastian Hamilton; A Shameful Witch-Hunt; Daily Mail (London, UK); Sep 17, 2016. -------- Date: Wed Mar 8 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--allocute X-Bonus: No human being is illegal. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (1928-2016) This week's theme: Back-formations allocute (A-luh-kyoot) verb intr. To make a formal speech, especially by a defendant after being found guilty and before being sentenced in a court. [Back-formation from allocution (a formal speech), from Latin allocution, from loqui (to speak). Earliest documented use: 1860.] "The deal was for him to plead to a lesser charge and allocute to the judge." Lavina Giamusso; Australia: The Puppeteer; CreateSpace; 2016. -------- Date: Thu Mar 9 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--adolesce X-Bonus: If you've got a religious belief that withers in the face of observations of the natural world, you ought to rethink your beliefs -- rethinking the world isn't an option. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) This week's theme: Back-formations adolesce (ad-uh-LES) verb intr. To reach or pass through adolescence (the period between childhood and adulthood). [Back-formation from adolescent, from Latin adolescere (to grow up), from alere (to feed). Earliest documented use: 1859.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/adolesce "Jeremy Parzen: 'America is only now adolescing as a wine nation.'" Hannah Selinger; A Cheeseburger, Some Fries, and a Nice Cabernet; The Washington Post; Jun 8, 2014. -------- Date: Fri Mar 10 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--foray X-Bonus: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (1934-1996) This week's theme: Back-formations foray (FOR-ay) noun: 1. An initial attempt into a new activity or area. 2. A sudden raid, especially for taking plunder. verb tr.: To pillage. verb intr.: To make one's way into a new activity or area. [Probably a back-formation from forayer (raider), from Old French forrer (to forage). Earliest documented use: 1400.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/foray "There were brief forays into discomfiting reality, to be fair." Michael Den Tandt; Tory Hopefuls Avoid the Big Issues; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Feb 6, 2017. -------- Date: Mon Mar 13 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lodestar X-Bonus: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) This week marks 23 years of our spreading the joy of words. On March 14 back in 1994 I started what became Wordsmith.org. Thank you for being with us -- you're what makes Wordsmith.org. There's no word for a 23-year anniversary, but we can coin one: trivicennial, from tri- (three) + vicenary (relating to 20 years). March 14 is also the birthday of Albert Einstein. That wild-haired man known for his equation E = mc2 also gave us another equation when he said: If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y, and z is keeping your mouth shut. To celebrate our trivicennial and Einstein's birthday, we are holding an equation writing contest. Write an original equation and send it to contest@wordsmith.org by this Friday. Include your location. Selected entries will win their choice of: a signed copy of any of my books https://wordsmith.org/awad/books.html a copy of the word game One Up! http://www.oldscoolcompany.com/store.html To get you started, here's an equation I came up with to describe a person's renown: R = deeds x (words/10) x sqrt(looks) Meanwhile, enjoy this week's miscellaneous words. lodestar or loadstar (LOAD-stahr) noun Someone or something that serves as a guiding principle, model, inspiration, ambition, etc. [From Old English lad (way) + star. A lodestar is called so because it's used in navigation, it shows the way. Earliest documented use: 1374.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lodestar "He was her rock, the lodestar on which she could focus." Laura Benedict; Bliss House; Pegasus Books; 2014. -------- Date: Tue Mar 14 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--uliginous X-Bonus: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) This week's theme: Miscellaneous words uliginous (yoo-LIJ-uh-nuhs) adjective Swampy; slimy; slippery. [From Latin uligo (moisture). Earliest documented use: 1576.] "Isn't there room for 'an unctuous undercurrent of uliginous untruth'?" Bruce Bellingham; Advice: Drop Cat, Show Claws; San Francisco Examiner; Jan 15, 1996. https://wordsmith.org/words/unctuous.html -------- Date: Wed Mar 15 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--superbity X-Bonus: Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) This week's theme: Miscellaneous words superbity (soo-PUHR-buh-tee) noun Pride; arrogance. [From Middle French superbitÃ, from superbe (superb). Earliest documented use: 1450.] "If there is a key to Gore Vidal's public character it has something to do with his towering immodesty, the enjoyable superbity of his self love." Martin Amis; The Moronic Inferno; Jonathan Cape; 1986. -------- Date: Thu Mar 16 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--analphabetic X-Bonus: The fetters imposed on liberty at home have ever been forged out of the weapons provided for defence against real, pretended, or imaginary dangers from abroad. -James Madison, 4th US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) This week's theme: Miscellaneous words analphabetic (an-al-fuh-BET-ik) noun: An illiterate person. adjective: 1. Illiterate. 2. Not alphabetical. [From Greek analphabetos (not knowing the alphabet), from an- (not) + alphabetos (alphabet), from alpha + beta. Earliest documented use: 1876.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/analphabetic "While it was not true that he was totally analphabetic, the printed word gave him a rough time." Allan Seager; A Frieze of Girls; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "In Chapter Fifteen, Laura Santone discusses the 'Dictionnaire critique' ... whose entries appeared in analphabetic order." John Considine; Adventuring in Dictionaries; Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2010. -------- Date: Fri Mar 17 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--appetence X-Bonus: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) This week's theme: Miscellaneous words appetence (A-puh-tuhns) noun A strong desire or inclination. [From French appétence (desire), from Latin appetentia, from appetere (to seek after), ad- (to) + petere (to seek). Ultimately from the Indo-European root pet- (to rush or fly), which also gave us appetite, feather, petition, compete, perpetual, propitious https://wordsmith.org/words/propitious.html , impetuous https://wordsmith.org/words/impetuous.html , petulant https://wordsmith.org/words/petulant.html , pteridology https://wordsmith.org/words/pteridology.html , pinnate https://wordsmith.org/words/pinnate.html , and lepidopterology https://wordsmith.org/words/lepidopterology.html . Earliest documented use: 1610.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/appetence "Conservatives will now be able to test the national appetence for more individualistic solutions to social policy problems." James Travers; Cautious Voters Keep New PM on Tight Leash; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 24, 2006. -------- Date: Mon Mar 20 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--osmosis X-Bonus: What didn't you do to bury me / But you forgot that I was a seed. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (b. 20 Mar 1931) In my high school I had courses in sciences, mathematics, arts, and more. Looking back I realize that we can learn a lot if we look beyond the literal. In physics, I learned what happens when light goes through lenses, concave and convex. It's the same light but it appears different depending on what lens we have. In chemistry, I learned what happens when you drop a piece of sodium in water (that experiment wasn't an official part of the curriculum). Sodium changes. Water changes too. Likewise, when two people meet they should have changed as a result of that meeting. This week we'll see five words that have meanings specific to chemistry as well as more general meanings. osmosis (oz-MOH-sis, os-) noun 1. A gradual, unconscious assimilation of information, ideas, etc. 2. Movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a lower solute concentration to higher concentration, thus equalizing concentrations on both sides. [From Greek osmos (a push). Earliest documented use: 1863.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/osmosis https://wordsmith.org/words/images/osmosis_large.jpg "The golem knew degrees of the human emotion, picking them up from osmosis." William W. Johnstone; The Devil's Heart; Zebra; 1984. -------- Date: Tue Mar 21 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--solvent X-Bonus: Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace. -Benito Juárez, President of Mexico (21 Mar 1806-1872) This week's theme: Words from chemistry solvent (SOL-vuhnt) adjective: 1. Able to pay one's debts. 2. Able to dissolve another substance. noun: 1. Something that dissolves another. 2. Something that solves a problem. [From Latin solvere (to loosen, to dissolve, to pay). Ultimately from the Indo-European root leu- (to loosen, divide), which also gave us forlorn, lag, loss, solve, analysis, resolute, and catalyst. Earliest documented use: 1653.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/solvent https://wordsmith.org/words/images/solvent_large.jpg "They were solvent, yes, but they had to watch the pennies still." Jessie Keane; Dangerous; Pan Macmillan; 2015. -------- Date: Wed Mar 22 00:01:02 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--caustic X-Bonus: A wise man fights to win, but he is twice a fool who has no plan for possible defeat. -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) This week's theme: Words from chemistry caustic (KAW-stik) adjective 1. Capable of burning or corroding. 2. Highly critical; sarcastic. [From Latin causticus, from Greek kaustikos, from kaustos (combustible), from kaiein, (to burn). Earliest documented use: 1555.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/caustic https://wordsmith.org/words/images/caustic_large.jpg "She'd been brash and caustic when she'd broken things off." Falguni Kothari; Bootie and the Beast; Harlequin; 2015. -------- Date: Thu Mar 23 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bromidic X-Bonus: One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) This week's theme: Words from chemistry bromidic (broh-MID-ik) adjective Commonplace; trite. [From the former use of bromide compounds as sedatives. Bromine got its name from the Greek bromos (stench) due to its strong smell. Earliest documented use: 1906.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/bromidic https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bromidic_large.jpg "Did you get bored with my bromidic lectures?" Tushar Sen; Pandora's Box; Frog Books; 2015. -------- Date: Fri Mar 24 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--miscible X-Bonus: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016) This week's theme: Words from chemistry miscible (MIS-uh-buhl) adjective Capable of being mixed together. [From Latin miscere (to mix), ultimately from the Indo-European root meik- (to mix), which is also the source of mix, miscellaneous, meddle, medley, promiscuous, melee, mustang, admix https://wordsmith.org/words/admix.html , immix https://wordsmith.org/words/immix.html , and panmixia https://wordsmith.org/words/panmixia.html . Earliest documented use: 1570.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/miscible https://wordsmith.org/words/images/miscible_large.jpg "And of course it's not just life and death that are both miscible and immiscible. The same is true for everything: where does the bee start and the wind end? Where does the tree start and the boring beetle end?" Derrick Jensen; Songs of the Dead; Flashpoint Press; 2009. -------- Date: Mon Mar 27 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--earwig X-Bonus: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) What does a canopy have in common with a pavilion? Both words are derived from insects. A canopy is, literally, a bed with mosquito netting (from Greek konops: mosquito) and a pavilion is like a butterfly with his wings spread out (from Latin papilio: butterfly). Sometimes people confuse the words etymology and entomology, but in this case they wouldn't be wrong if they asked, for example: Could you tell me the entomology of the word canopy? This week we have a set of words in which etymology* meets entomology**. We'll look at five words that have connections with insects. * etymology: from Greek etymos (true) ** entomology: from Greek entomos (notched, referring to an insect's three sections) which we literally translated into Latin as insectum. earwig (EER-wig) noun: Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of pincers at the rear of the abdomen. verb tr.: To influence or bias a person by insinuations. verb intr.: To secretly listen to a conversation. [From Old English earwicga (earwig), from ear + wicga (insect). From the ancient belief that this insect crawled into people's ears to reach their brains. Earliest documented use: before 1000.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/earwig https://wordsmith.org/words/images/earwig_large.jpg Photo: Andrew Dennes https://www.flickr.com/photos/velo_denz/6046868877/ "Out there, where it counted, Judge Atlee called them fair and straight, regardless of how much he'd be earwigged." John Grisham; Sycamore Row; Doubleday; 2013. "I stood for ages earwigging beside another mother lecturing her tiny sons." Janice Turner; The Fine Art of Showing Off Your Children; The Times (London, UK); Mar 9, 2017. -------- Date: Tue Mar 28 00:01:02 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gadfly X-Bonus: The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make its home for life. For this task, it has a rudimentary nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root, it doesn't need its brain anymore, so it eats it. It's rather like getting tenure. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) This week's theme: When etymology meets entomology gadfly (GAD-fly) noun 1. Any of the various types of flies that bite or annoy livestock. 2. One who persistently annoys. [From gad (a goad for cattle), from Middle English, from Old Norse gaddr. Earliest documented use: 1626.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/gadfly https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gadfly_large.jpg Photo: Cho-A https://www.flickr.com/photos/freestyle_ttorry/3726057203/ "As a gadfly, Socrates earns the ire of Athens and its rulers, but it is only by stirring the state, a 'great and noble steed,' that we can dare to effect any sort of change for the better." Christopher Thomas; The Columbia Spectator (New York); Feb 28, 2017. -------- Date: Wed Mar 29 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--puce X-Bonus: 'Tis the time's plague when madmen lead the blind. -William Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (1564-1616) This week's theme: When etymology meets entomology puce (pyoos) noun: A dark red or brownish purple color. adjective: Of this color. [From French puce (flea), from Latin pulex (flea). Earliest documented use: 1778. Other terms coined after the flea are flea market, a direct translation of French marché aux puces, and ukulele (from Hawaiian, literally leaping flea, perhaps from the rapid motion of the fingers in playing the instrument).] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/puce https://wordsmith.org/words/images/puce_large.jpg Art: Leah Palmer Preiss http://www.leahpalmerpreiss.com/ "Kirsty ... screamed until she was puce in the face." Stephen Westa; King of Hearts; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Feb 4, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Mar 30 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paparazzo X-Bonus: There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham. -Anna Sewell, writer (30 Mar 1820-1878) This week's theme: When etymology meets entomology paparazzo (pah-puh-RAHT-so), plural paparazzi noun: A photographer who follows famous people to take their pictures for publication. [From Paparazzo, the name of a photographer in Federico Fellini's 1959 film "La Dolce Vita". Fellini got the name via scriptwriter Ennio Flaiano who picked it from the 1901 travel book "By the Ionian Sea". The book mentions a hotel owner named Coriolano Paparazzo. Fellini claimed at another time that the name Paparazzo suggested to him "a buzzing insect, hovering, darting, stinging". Earliest documented use: 1961.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/paparazzo See the "original" paparazzi in La Dolce Vita: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5g26WMFpdM . And modern paparazzi in Beverly Hills: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uegvMPjZizA . "The paparazzo in question -- Karl Larsen -- has admitted in the past purposely-berating celebrities to get a reaction from them." Kelly Pegg; Would You Help Stop Someone Being Attacked?; Yorkshire Evening Post (Leeds, UK) Mar 8, 2017. -------- Date: Fri Mar 31 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ecdysis X-Bonus: If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (31 Mar 1596-1650) This week's theme: When etymology meets entomology ecdysis (EK-duh-sis) noun The shedding of an outer layer: molting. [From Greek ekdysis, from ekdyein (to take off), from ek- (out, off) + dyein (to put on). A related word is ecdysiast https://wordsmith.org/words/ecdysiast.html . Earliest documented use: 1867.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ecdysis An orchid mantis after ecdysis https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ecdysis_large.jpg Photo: Scott Cromwell https://www.flickr.com/photos/30092205@N08/7475100348/ "George Osborne became a junior Opposition Whip in 2003, a Shadow Treasury spokesman the following year, and in 2005 Shadow Chancellor -- multiple ecdysis possible only in times of political defeat." Quentin Letts; The Next Prime Minister?; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 9, 2015.