A.Word.A.Day Archives
from https://wordsmith.org/awad
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Date: Sat Jun 1 00:51:07 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--exsert
X-Bonus: No problem is so formidable that you can't just walk away from it.
ex.sert \ek-'s*rt\ \-'s*rt-*l, -'s*r-.ti-l\ \-'s*r-sh*n\ vt [L exsertus,
pp. of exserere] : to thrust out - ex.ser.tile aj
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Date: Sun Jun 2 00:55:19 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--exsiccate
X-Bonus: I think, therefore I am. I think.
ex.sic.cate \'ek-si-.ka-t\ \.ek-si-'ka--sh*n\ vt [L exsiccatus, pp. of
exsiccare, fr. ex- + siccare to d]ry, fr. siccus dry - more at SACK : to
remove moisture from : DRY - ex.sic.ca.tion n
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Date: Mon Jun 3 00:51:09 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--exscind
X-Bonus: Warranty and guaranty clauses are voided by payment of the invoice.
ex.scind \ek-'sind\ vt [L exscindere, fr. ex- + scindere to cut, tear -
more at MSHED : to cut off or out : EXCISE
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Date: Tue Jun 4 00:51:06 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gustatory
X-Bonus: The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do. -Thomas Jefferson
gus.ta.to.ry \'g*s-t*-.to-r-e-, -.to.r-\ aj : relating to, associated with,
or being the sense of taste
" 1882 Standard 23 Aug. 5/1 "Apart from its aesthetic and gustatory
aspects, Cookery deserves..profound consideration."
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Date: Wed Jun 5 00:51:14 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--seigniorage
X-Bonus: When you starve with a tiger, the tiger starves last. -Griffin's Thought
sei.gnior.age or sei.gnor.age \'sa-n-y*-rij\ n [ME seigneurage, fr. MF,
right of the lord (esp. to coin money), fr. s]eigneur : a government
revenue from the manufacture of coins calculated as the difference between
the monetary and the bullion value of the silver contained in silver coins
1996 MARK BERNKOPF, Electronic Cash and Monetary Policy,
"The widespread adoption of electronic cash would deprive Federal
authorities of a substantial amount of seignorage, the margin
between the face value of currency issued, and the costs of issuing
that currency. In 1994, the Federal Reserve turned about $20 billion
in seignorage over to the Treasury."
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Date: Thu Jun 6 00:51:13 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--egeria
X-Bonus: A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart. -Jonathan Swift
Ege.ria \i-'jir-e--*\ n [L] 1: a nymph who advised the legendary Roman king
Numa Pompilius 2: a woman adviser or companion
1890 Athen�um 24 May 670/2 "With the help and counsel of Beatrice, who
turns his Egeria, he wins fame in law and politics."
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Date: Fri Jun 7 00:51:19 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ananias
X-Bonus: Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time. -Hebrew proverb
An.a.ni.as \.an-*-'ni--*s\ n [Gk, prob. fr. Heb H<sub-dot>a<breve>nanya-h]
1: an early Christian struck dead for lying 2: LIAR
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Date: Sat Jun 8 00:51:16 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fuddy-duddy
X-Bonus: I would rather be able to appreciate things I can not have than to have things I am not able to appreciate. -Elbert Hubbard
fud.dy-dud.dy \'f*d-e--.d*d-e-\ n [perh. redupl. of Sc fuddy short-tailed
animal, tail, fr. fud tail] : one who is old-fashioned, pompous,
unimaginative, or concerned about trifles - fuddy-duddy aj
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Date: Sun Jun 9 00:51:16 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pelagic
X-Bonus: Jack the Ripper excused himself on the grounds that what he did was human nature -A.A. Milne
pe.lag.ic \p*-'laj-ik\ aj [L pelagicus, fr. Gk pelagikos, fr. pelagos sea -
more at (MFLAKE : of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea :
OCEANIC
1974 Nature 4 Oct. 367/2 "If the 1974-75 quotas for pelagic whaling in
the Southern hemisphere are reached..the catch of all species next
season may reach 380 thousand tons."
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Date: Mon Jun 10 01:02:07 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--icarian
X-Bonus: A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.
Icar.ian \ik-'ar-e--*n, -'er-; i--'kar-, -'ker-\ aj : of, relating to, or
characteristic of Icarus : : soaring too high for safety : inadequate for
an ambitious project
1972 Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 1 Dec. 16/1 "In the view of some
social philosophers and historians, space flight is an Icarian venture
at its best-and an extravagance at its worst."
--
In Greek mythology, Daedalus and his son Icarus fly out of labyrinth using
wax wings. As Icarus flies too near the sun, the wax of his wings melts and
he falls into the sea. Stories and legends like this one have contributed
many colorful words to the language. All of this week's words in AWAD have
their origins in tales from Greek mythology. -Anu
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Date: Tue Jun 11 00:51:13 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gorgon
X-Bonus: There is a budding morrow in midnight. -John Keats
gor.gon \'go.r-g*n\ \go.r-'go--ne--*n, -ny*n\ n [L Gorgon-, Gorgo, fr. Gk
Gorgo-n] cap 1: any of three snaky-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose
glance turns the beholder to stone 2: an ugly or repulsive woman -
gorg.on.ian aj
1815 SCOTT, Guy M. iii, "Her dark elf-locks shot out like the snakes
of a gorgon."
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Date: Wed Jun 12 00:51:09 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--palladium
X-Bonus: program (pro'-gram) [n] A magic spell cast over a computer allowing it to turn one's input into error messages.
Cross references:
1. element
1. pal.la.di.um \p*-'la-d-e--*m\ \-e--*\ n or pal.la.dia [L, fr. Gk
palladion, fr. Pallad-, Pallas] cap 1: a statue of Pallas Athena whose
preservation was held to ensure the safety of Troy pl 2: SAFEGUARD
2. palladium n [NL, fr. Pallad-, Pallas, the asteroid] : a silver-white
ductile malleable metallic element of the platinum group that is used esp.
as a catalyst and in alloys
1845 MCCULLOCH, Acc. Brit. Emp. (1854) II. 91 "The Habeas Corpus
Act..denominated the palladium of an Englishman's liberty."
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Date: Thu Jun 13 00:51:10 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--augean
X-Bonus: Laziness is no more than the habit of resting before you get tired. -Jules Renard
Au.ge.an \o.-'je--*n\ aj [L Augeas, king of Elis, fr. Gk Augeias; fr. the
legend that his st]able, left neglected for thirty years, was finally
cleaned by Hercules : extremely filthy or corrupt
1866 ALGER, Solit. Nat. & Man IV. 389 "To cleanse the augean bosom of
the world by turning through it a river of pure enthusiasm."
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Date: Fri Jun 14 00:51:10 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--atlas
X-Bonus: The lust for comfort murders the passions of the soul. -Kahlil Gibran
at.las \'at-l*s\ \*t-'lant-(.)e-z\ n or at.lan.tes [L Atlant-, Atlas, fr.
Gk] cap 1a: a Titan forced to bear the heavens on his shoulders 1b: one
who bears a heavy burden 2a: a bound collection of maps 2b: a bound
collection of tables, charts, or plates 3: the first vertebra of the neck
pl usu 4: a figure or half figure of a man used as a column to support an
entablature
1883 M. HOWLAND, in Harper's Mag. Mar. 598/1 "We brokers are the
Atlases that bear the world upon our shoulders."
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Date: Sat Jun 15 00:51:13 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sisyphean
X-Bonus: Democracy is where you can say what you think even if you don't think.
Sis.y.phe.an or Si.syph.i.an \.sis-i-'fe--*n\ \sis-'if-e--*n\ aj : of,
relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus
1895 KIDD, Soc. Evol. ix. 245 "Do we only see therein humanity
condemned to an aimless Sisyphean labour?"
Sisyphus, the name of a king of Corinth, whose punishment in Hades was
to roll a heavy stone up a hill; as he reached the top, the stone rolled
down again.
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Date: Mon Jun 17 00:49:50 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--verboten
X-Bonus: He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money. -Ben Franklin
ver.bo.ten \v*r-'bo-t-*n\ aj [G] : FORBIDDEN; esp : prohibited unreasonably
1949 E. BENN, Happier Days xviii. 217 "The unfortunate German, bred
and trained from childhood to understand that everything is verboten
unless specifically permitted."
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Date: Tue Jun 18 00:49:54 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nitid
X-Bonus: The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness. -the character Annie Savoy in the film Bull Durham
nit.id \'nit-*d\ aj [L nitidus - more at NEAT] : BRIGHT, LUSTROUS
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Date: Wed Jun 19 00:55:05 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scabrous
X-Bonus: It is not important what you believe, only that you believe.
Cross references:
1. rough
sca.brous \'skab-r*s also 'ska-b-\ aj [L scabr-, scaber rough, scurfy; akin
to L scabies mange -]more at SCAB 1: DIFFICULT, KNOTTY {a ~ problem} 2:
rough to the touch : SCALY, SCURFY {a ~ leaf} 3: dealing with suggestive,
indecent, or scandalous themes : SALACIOUS; also : SQUALID - sca.brous.ly
av
1979 London Rev. Bks. 25 Oct. 10/1 "His propaganda pieces grow more
outrageously scabrous."
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Date: Thu Jun 20 00:51:16 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hyaline
X-Bonus: Two step formula for handling stress: 1. Don't sweat the small stuff. 2. Remember that it's all small stuff. -Anthony Robbins
1. hy.a.line \'hi--*-l*n, -.li-n\ aj [LL hyalinus, fr. Gk hyalinos, fr.
hyalos] 1: of or relating to glass 2a: transparent or nearly so and usu.
homogeneous 2b1: GLASSY 2b2: lacking crystallinity : AMORPHOUS
2. hy.a.line \'hi--*-l*n, -.li-n, in sense 2 -.le-n or -l*n\ \-l*n\ n or
hy.a.lin 1: something (as the clear atmosphere) that is transparent 2: any
of several translucent nitrogenous substances related to chitin found esp.
around cells and readily stained by eosin
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Date: Fri Jun 21 00:51:24 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--supererogatory
X-Bonus: You can lead a computer to the Superhighway but you can't make it think. -Des Waller
su.per.erog.a.to.ry \.su:-p*-ri-'ra:g-*-.to-r-e-, -.to.r-\ aj 1: observed
or performed to an extent not enjoined or required 2: SUPERFLUOUS,
NONESSENTIALN mean done without need or compulsion or warrant.
SUPEREROGATORY implies a giving above what is required by rule and may
suggest adding something not needed or not wanted; GRATUITOUS usu. applies
to something offensive or unpleasant given or done without provocation;
UNCALLED-FOR adds to GRATUITOUS implication of impertinence or logical
absurdity; WANTON implies not only a lack of provocation but a malicious or
sportive motive SYN syn SUPEREROGATORY, GRATUITOUS, UNCALLED-FOR, WANTO
1860 MOTLEY, Netherl. xix. (1868) II. 484 "It had now become
supererogatory to ask for Alexander's word of honour."
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Date: Sat Jun 22 00:51:17 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--compurgator
X-Bonus: Seek the wisdom of the ages, but look at the world through the eyes of a child. -Ron Wild
com.pur.ga.tor \'ka:m-(.)p*r-.ga-t-*r\ n : one that under oath vouches for
the character or conduct of an accused person
1881 19th Cent. 386 "The compurgators were simply witnesses to
character..but the effect of their unanimous declaration of belief in
his innocence was precisely that of a verdict of 'not guilty` by a
jury."
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Date: Sun Jun 23 00:51:34 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--laconic
X-Bonus: A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it. -Alistair Cooke
Cross references:
1. concise
la.con.ic \l*-'ka:n-ik\ \-i-k(*-)le-\ aj [L laconicus Spartan, fr. Gk
lako-nikos; fr. the Spartan reputat]ion for terseness of speech : sparing
of words : TERSE - la.con.i.cal.ly av
1888 A. K. GREEN, Behind Closed Doors iii, "'Trust me` was his laconic
rejoinder."
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Date: Mon Jun 24 02:17:45 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rictus
X-Bonus: The productions of all arts are kinds of poetry and their craftsmen are all poets. -Plato
ric.tus \'rik-t*s\ n [NL, fr. L, open mouth, fr. rictus, pp. of ringi to
open the mouth;] akin to OSlav recidilla>gnocidilla>ti 1: the gape of a
bird's mouth 2a: the mouth orifice 2b: a gaping grin or grimace
1969 Listener 2 Jan. 27/3 "To the comedians I like I find I go more than
half-way. I find myself sitting with a rictus of amused incredulity and
surprise."
--
A word in the head is worth two in the book. Find out how many of this
week's bird words you can catch. -Anu
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Date: Tue Jun 25 00:51:15 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--psittacine
X-Bonus: If you consult enough experts, you can confirm any opinion.
psit.ta.cine \'sit-*-.si-n\ aj [L psittacinus, fr. psittacus parrot, fr. Gk
psittakos] : of or relating to the parrots - psittacine n
1976 Amer. Speech 1973 XLVIII. 265 "The psittacine linguistic and
cultural relativity with which the argument begins is a very dead duck
at the argument's conclusion.
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Date: Wed Jun 26 00:51:17 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--avifauna
X-Bonus: Listen or thy tongue will keep thee deaf. -American Indian Proverb
avi.fau.na \.a--v*-'fo.-n*, .av-*-\ \-'fo.n-*l\ \-*le-\ \-(.)fo.-nis-tik\ n
[NL, fr. L avis + NL fauna] : the birds or the kinds of birds of a region,
period, or environment - avi.fau.nal aj
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Date: Thu Jun 27 00:51:20 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ornithology
X-Bonus: Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it. -G.B. Shaw
or.ni.thol.o.gy \-je-\ n [NL ornithologia, fr. ornith- + -logia -logy] 1: a
branch of zoology dealing with birds 2: a treatise on ornithology
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Date: Fri Jun 28 00:51:16 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--struthious
X-Bonus: There never was child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him asleep. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
stru.thi.ous \'stru:-the--*s, -the--\ aj [LL struthio ostrich, irreg. fr.
Gk strouthos] : of or relating to the ostriches and related birds : RATITE
Many MIS managers treat the Year 2000 problem with a struthious
attitude--burying their heads in the sand, and hoping it would
simply go away. -Anu
--
Do people who wear clothings made of struthious skin get ostracized? -Anu
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Date: Sat Jun 29 00:51:15 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--oology
X-Bonus: No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. -William Blake
ool.o.gy \-je-\ n : a branch of ornithology dealing with birds' eggs
1883 Nature XXVII. 308/1 "Australian birds, whose nidification and
oology had previously been imperfectly known."
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Date: Sun Jun 30 00:51:24 EDT 1996
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nidifugous
X-Bonus: Life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by so quick you hardly catch it going. -Tennessee Williams
ni.dif.u.gous \ni--'dif-y*-g*s, -'dif-i-g*s\ aj [L nidus nest + fugere to
flee - more at FUGITIVE] : leaving the nest soon after hatching