Word of the Day Archives · Page 7 of 8

Word of the Day: Univocal

October 13, 2016

Word of the Day: Univocal

Univocal (adjective) yoo-NIV-uh-kul

Definition

1 : having one meaning only
2 : unambiguous

Examples

The president declared that it was important to send a univocal message of support to the beleaguered country.

“Often cited as America’s greatest indigenous art form, jazz wriggles away from any univocal definition, resisting the confines of a single track like water flowing on broken ground.” — Charles Donelan, The Santa Barbara (California) Independent, 23 Sept. 2010

Synonyms

absolute, apparent, categorical, clear-cut, decisive, explicit, indisputable, obvious, straight-forward, unambiguous, undeniable, unmistakable

Did You Know?

Earliest known print evidence of univocal, in the sense of “having one meaning only,” dates the word to the mid-1500s, somewhat earlier than its more familiar antonym equivocal (meaning “often misleadingly subject to two or more interpretations”). Both words trace back to the Latin noun vox, which means “voice.” The prefix uni– (“one”) was combined with vox to create the Late Latin word univocus, from which English speakers borrowed univocal. Univocal was indeed once used in the sense of “speaking in one voice” (or “unanimous”) as its etymology would imply, but that use is now obsolete.

My Take

Sometimes, for me to understand a word, I need to know the synonyms for the word. Univocal is one of those words. Sure, the definition presented by Merriam-Webster was clear enough. However, it only lightly touched on my understanding the word.

So, I did what I normally do in my writing. I went to the thesaurus and found several dozen synonyms. I share the most pertinent ones with you but, honestly, there are others I might use in differing situations.

In my everyday use of the meanings, I often use the word absolute (the software engineer in me lives and breathes that term), decisive (the businessman), explicit (the writer), obvious (the everyday guy), and the list goes on and on.

When I went looking for an appropriate image to represent the word, I found hundreds of examples. Most of them were uninteresting and ambiguous. I found a couple that I could not use in this article, and the rest, well let’s just say, they don’t fit into my beliefs of the world. So, I chose one that I liked, but if I could have found a better example, I would have.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Phlegmatic

October 12, 2016

Word of the Day: Phlegmatic

Phlegmatic (adjective) fleg-MAT-ik

Definition

1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm
2 : having or showing a slow and stolid temperament

Definition from Dictionary.com

1. not easily excited to action or display of emotion; apathetic; sluggish.

2. self-possessed, calm, or composed.

3. of the nature of or abounding in the humor phlegm.

Examples

“She said ‘Good morning, Miss,’ in her usual phlegmatic and brief manner; and taking up another ring and more tape, went on with her sewing.” — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847

“You are aware of the finality of fate, and tend to have a phlegmatic and sometimes unhappy compromise with your life, even when you long for a definitive resolution.” — Molly Shea,The New York Post, 31 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

According to the ancient Greeks, human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids or semifluids called humors: blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm. Each humor was associated with one of the four basic elements: air, earth, fire, and water. Phlegm was paired with water—the cold, moist element—and it was believed to impart the cool, calm, unemotional personality we now call the “phlegmatic type.” That’s a bit odd, given that the term derives from the Greek phlegma, which literally means “flame,” perhaps a reflection of the inflammation that colds and flus often bring.

My Take

Okay, I admit it. I had trouble with this one. The definition as listed in Merriam-Webster didn’t do much in allowing me to understand the meaning of the word. I had to go to Dictionary.com to understand it. I’ve included its definition in this post.

Now that I have a better understanding, I wanted to know more. Therefore, I looked up synonyms for the word. They include 1. stoical, cool, cold, uninterested, dull, torpid. 2. cool, collected, unruffled, placid, quiet.

To be honest, I would probably use one of the synonyms before using the actual word Phlegmatic. Check out this the blog article http://temperaments-carrie.blogspot.com/2010/09/meet-polly-phlegmatic-part-1.html if you would like to know more. I found it an interesting read.

What do you think? Please share your comments. I enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Scion

October 11, 2016

Word of the Day: Scion

Scion (noun) SYE-un

Definition

1 : a detached living portion of a plant (as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft

2 : descendant, child; especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family

3 : heir

Examples

“The duke was the billionaire owner of swaths of central London, a friend of Britain’s royal family and the scion of an aristocratic family stretching back to the Norman Conquest.” —The Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2016

“The vibe of the place is a mixture of old-school cool and Brit eccentric. There are poems etched onto the wall by the artist Hugo Guinness, … a scion of the famous Anglo-Irish brewing family.” — Christa D’Souza, W, September 2016

Did You Know?

Scion derives from the Middle English sioun and Old French cion and is related to the Old English cīth and the Old High German kīdi (meaning “sprout” or “shoot”). When it first sprouted in English in the 14th century, scion meant “a shoot or twig.” That sense withered in horticultural contexts, but the word branched out, adding the grafting-related meaning we know today. A figurative sense also blossomed referring to one’s descendants, with particular reference to those who are descendants of notable families.

My Take

Well, knock me down with a feather. While I knew the word in everyday life (the car), I did not know its meaning. I did not know it meant grafting or its relationship to an heir.

In researching the word, I came up with thousands of relevant photos, most of them of the car. Since I don’t promote products in this forum, I needed to dig deeper. It was in this digging that it truly hit me, to graft one onto another. In it view of a descendant, examples are all around us, from the heir to a throne, to being the descendant of our ancestors. As implied in the photo, the branches of our genealogical tree can intermingle and intertwine, spreading out or coming together over the ages, merging before taking separate paths. It reminds me that we, the residents of this planet, are all related to each other.

In my Mona Bendarova Adventures, there is a scion on the way. Honey carries the heir, or scion, to Lee Marks. They commonly call him the ‘Little Master.’ Assuming he survives to adulthood, he is most definitely the scion to the Mark’s estate. He may not, but Honey is sure he will. I look forward to writing his story in later books within the series.

Please share with me your comments. I enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Roister

October 10, 2016

Word of the Day: Roister

Roister (verb) ROY-ster

Definition

: to engage in noisy revelry : carouse

Examples

Hugh didn’t get much sleep last night because his neighbors were roistering until the wee hours of the morning.

“North Highlands, apparently, is also what they call a part of Scotland where the prince’s grandmum (the Queen Mother) kept a wee castle where the little royals used to roister.” — Carlos Alcala, The Sacramento (California) Bee, 27 Oct. 2005

Did You Know?

As British writer Hugo Williams asserted in The Times Literary Supplement (November 15, 1991), roistering tends to be “funnier, sillier and less harmful than standard hooliganism, being based on nonsense rather than violence.” Boisterous roisterers might be chagrined to learn that the word roister derives from a Middle French word that means “lout” or “boor,”rustre. Ultimately, however, it is from the fairly neutral Latin word rusticus, meaning “rural.” In the 16th century, the original English verb was simply roist, and one who roisted was aroister. Later, we changed the verb to roister and the corresponding noun to roisterer.

My Take

I remember the days when I would go out in the evening, perhaps after work or just because, and carouse or engage in noisy revelry. Ah, those were the days. Too bad, I didn’t know this word for it. Roister.

Do I miss those days? No, not really. As best as I can remember, I would go out because I needed to blow off steam, to get my rocks off, to find a girl to spend the evening with, and do it all over again. Of course, I didn’t have a lot of mad money in those days, so it wasn’t a nightly thing. What might have happened if I did, I shudder to think about it. I was lucky. Incredibly lucky. I didn’t fall into the wrong crowd, get a girl pregnant, nor get hooked on drugs, etc.

Today, I have a special person in my life. Stresses of the day are quickly relieved just by being with her, helping her and allowing her to help me. I have a small but solid circle of friends. We hang out and enjoy good times.

Do I miss those days of carousing, revelry, and roistering. No. What’s more, I am happy.

Please share with me your comments. I enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Odious

October 9, 2016

Word of the Day: Odious

Odious (adjective) OH-dee-us

Definition

: arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful

Examples

Volunteers gathered on Saturday morning to scrub away the odious graffiti spray-painted on the school.

“I can’t help being reminded of the progress we’ve made as a nation, as well as the odious past of slavery, the many men and women who have lost their lives in wars….” — Candi Castleberry Singleton, quoted in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Odious has been with us since the days of Middle English. We borrowed it from Anglo-French, which in turn had taken it from Latin odiosus. The Latin adjective came from the noun odium, meaning “hatred.” Odium is also an ancestor of the English verb annoy (another word that came to Middle English via Anglo-French). And, at the beginning of the 17th century, odium entered English in its unaltered form, giving us a noun meaning “hatred” or “disgrace” (as in “ideas that have incurred much odium”).

My Take

Odious is not an unknown word for me, yet it is one that does not enter very much in my vocabulary. As I sit here, thinking about the term, I wonder why. I suppose it has a lot to do with my parents, my upbringing, and my philosophy on life. I don’t hate nor do I find most things repugnant. I wrote about my parents and how they raised me many months ago. In short, I wonder if, like myself, they were radicals. They raised me to be compassionate and considerate of everyone. They never instilled in me the nationalistic, sexist, or racist attitudes that I see around me. As a result, I feel fortunate.

Getting back to the word odious, I will strive to remember it. In researching the term, I discovered other uses for the word. The image I found for this post reflects upon another usage. In thinking about it further, I suddenly realize that there is a growing offensive attitude growing in my Mona Bendarova books. I briefly introduced it in book 2, and in book 3, the views of the community reflect a growing level of repugnancy among the population. Book 4 will expand upon the schism, almost like the today’s political environment.

What do you think? Share if like. I look forward to reading your comments.

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The Truncate Cropped Sweater in Fiery Red

Word of the Day: Truncate

October 8, 2016

Word of the Day: Truncate

Truncate (verb) TRUNG-kayt

Definition

: to shorten by or as if by cutting off

Examples

“Apparently, a federal law … requires printed credit card receipts truncate not only the credit card number, but also the expiration date.” — Jack Greiner, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2016

“Google’s own URL shortener service … instantly truncates the URL you’re visiting and copies the new address to the clipboard for use anywhere.” — Eric Griffith, PCMag.com, 23 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Truncate descends from the Latin verb truncare, meaning “to shorten,” which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word for the trunk of a tree, which is truncus. Incidentally, if you’ve guessed that truncus is also the ancestor of the English word trunk, you are correct. Truncusalso gave us truncheon, which is the name for a police officer’s billy club, and the obscure word obtruncate, meaning “to cut the head or top from.”

My Take

Truncate is another word that is part of my everyday vocabulary. It joined my vocabulary decades ago when I became a software engineer. Truncating strings (letters or words, such as a last name, an error message, or other similar communications). I’ve also used it to truncate trailing spaces in a string, to minimize storage necessities or make a message easier to understand.

In everyday life, agencies and companies routinely truncate, or prune, portions of a string to protect the privacy of the end user. Displaying the last four digits of a social security number or a credit card number protects the identity of the owner of that number. I could come up with example after example, but I believe you get the idea. So, the next time you see a truncated string, just remember that it’s there to help protect your privacy or understand the message.

Other things that can be truncated include cropped shirts, cropped shorts, and cropped hair cuts. Cropped is another word for truncate. Look around and see what other examples you can find in everyday life. Share them by commenting below. In the meantime, have a great day.

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Word of the Day: Macadam

October 7, 2016

Word of the Day: Macadam

Macadam
noun — muh-KAD-um

Definition

: a roadway or pavement of small closely packed broken stone

Examples

The sloping, curved street saw light traffic and had a smooth macadam surface that made it popular with skateboarders.

“Littered on the beach are nearly a dozen big slabs of macadam and even larger chunks of concrete that have slid down the cliff.” — Chris Burrell, The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Massachusetts), 20 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

In 1783, inventor John Loudon McAdam returned to his native Scotland after amassing a fortune in New York City. He became the road trustee for his district and quickly set his inventiveness to remedying the terrible condition of local roads. After numerous experiments, he created a new road surfacing material made of bits of stone that became compressed into a solid mass as traffic passed over them. His invention revolutionized road construction and transportation, and engineers and the public alike honored him by using his name (re-spelled macadam) as a generic term for the material or pavement made from it. He is further immortalized in the verb macadamize, which names the process of installing macadam on a road.

My Take

Macadam, hey, a word I not only know, but I know well. In fact, I use it everyday life. Just two months ago, I had my driveway serviced with a top coat of macadam. It looks great, and it will sustain my home for decades to come. Some people call it asphalt paving, but that is not entirely accurate.

Since macadam is only 5 to 10% bitumen, macadam is a more accurate name for the substance.

What I don’t care for are the potholes that frequently occur during the freezing / warming seasons. If macadam has even the smallest void, water can seep into the macadam. During freezing cycles, the water expands and forces the aggregate to disengage from the roadway, allowing more water to flow into the void. As the ice melts, the disengaged aggregate washes away. The result is a hole that grows into what we call potholes. Potholes are the bane of our cars, from minor tire damage to broken axles. Something that I am sure every driver knows. I’m not saying anything you don’t already know. Of that, I am certain.

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Word of the Day: Vulnerary

October 7, 2016

Word of the Day: Vulnerary

Vulnerary
adjective VUL-nuh-rair-ee

Definition

: used for or useful in healing wounds

Examples

“Rebecca examined the wound, and having applied to it such vulneraryremedies as her art prescribed, informed her father that if fever could be averted … there was nothing to fear for his guest’s life, and that he might with safety travel to York with them on the ensuing day.” — Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1820

“St. John’s wort can also help those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) due to lower sunlight exposure in the winter months. Its anti-inflammatory, vulnerary, astringent, and antimicrobial actions make it a powerful healer for wounds, bruises, burns, sprains, and muscle pain.” — Jane Metzger, Mother Earth News, 13 July 2015

My Take

Ah, a new word for me, and one that I can use in my Mona Bendarova books. In these books, there is a medical doctor who is researching the male child high mortality rate and other issues.

However, he is also the primary care physician for hundreds of thousands of patients. In a world where sickness has been eliminated, the greatest need for his services is trauma care. Trauma injury occurs frequently. Treatment is performed using natural and manufactured medicines.

Vulnerary is a word that I can apply to his treatments. Wounds, bruises, burns, sprains, and muscle strain is common and need for the Doctor’s services is frequent. I look forward to the opportunity to use the word.

If you are interested in further information on the science of vulnerary, check out this blog site The Top 10 Best Blogs on Vulnerary.

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Word of the Day: Invective

October 5, 2016

Word of the Day: Invective

Invenctive

noun | in-VEK-tiv

Definition

1 : an abusive expression or speech
2 : insulting or abusive language : vituperation

Examples

“The ongoing collapse of responsible broadcast and cable journalism and the explosive role that social media has assumed in this campaign have made for a nasty brew of invective, slurs and accusations….” — Susan J. Douglas, In These Times, July 2016

“At a moment when American political discourse has descended to almost unimaginable levels of … invective, we need our teachers to model a better way to discuss our differences.” — Jonathan Zimmerman, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 14 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Invective originated in the 15th century as an adjective meaning “of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse.” In the early 16th century, it appeared in print as a noun meaning “an example of abusive speech.” Eventually, the noun developed a second sense applying to abusive language as a whole. Invective comes to us from the Middle French wordinvectif, which in turn derives from Latin invectivus, meaning “reproachful, abusive.” (Invectivus comes from Latin invectus, past participle of the verb invehere, one form of which means “to assail with words.”) Invective is similar to abuse, but it tends to suggest not only anger and vehemence but verbal and rhetorical skill. It sometimes implies public denunciation, as in “blistering political invective.”

My Take

It’s a shame really. I think everyone, at one time or another, have been either the victim or abuser of invective language. I don’t care to use it, and I can’t recall a particular instance over the last several years where I have used it. However, I do know that I have, as the feelings I sustained at the time, remain with me to this day. Push comes to shove; I will fall prey to using it. I have also been the victim of such language. For me, it can be degrading, demoralizing, and an outright assault upon my psyche.

That said, it’s a word that I intend to strive to remember and avoid practicing. Searching for an appropriate image found numerous examples, most of which are products such as guns, which I will not promote. Finding a generic one was harder. Persistence prevails so that I may bring one to you.

In my writings, you will find little invective speech, especially in the Mona Bendarova Adventures. Sure, there is coarse language, flavorful language, descriptive, and erotic language, but little in the way of abusive language. Oh, sure, a couple of my characters may utter short abusive outbursts, but they usually don’t last more than a sentence or two. Perhaps I should incorporate more of invective language in my stories.

What do you think? I would love to know. Feel free to share your comments with me.

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Word of the Day: Banausic

October 4, 2016

Word of the Day: Banausic

Banausic | adjective | buh-NAW-sik

Definition

: relating to or concerned with earning a living — used pejoratively; also : utilitarian,practical

Examples

“At the far end was a wooden board on which were hung saws, chisels, knives and other banausic instruments of the trade.” — Sebastian Faulk, Human Traces, 2005

“That story is followed by a brilliant allegory of reality TV and the cult of personality, Rumours About Me, in which a simple company man sees his banausic daily life … broadcast by the media until he is transformed into ‘a nobody who was known by everybody.'” — Christine Thomas, The Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2008

Did You Know?

The ancient Greeks held intellectual pursuits in the highest esteem, and they considered ideal a leisurely life of contemplation. A large population of slaves enabled many Greek citizens to adopt that preferred lifestyle. Those who had others to do the heavy lifting for them tended to regard professional labor with contempt. Their prejudice against the need to toil to earn a living is reflected in the Greek adjective banausikos (the root of banausic), which not only means “of an artisan” (from the word for “artisan,” banausos) but “nonintellectual” as well.

My Take

Hey, here is a word I know I have never used or known. What I like about it, is it the perfect word to describe what I am trying to do with my writings. I strive to earn a living from my stories, written down, and shared with you.

Hundreds of stories stream through my head daily, some adaptations of previous streams but most are raw, new and different. Hmm, my streams are quiet right now, due to my injury several months back. I am hopeful they will return soon. At least that is what Doc tells me, despite my reservations. How do you think I came up with ‘The Taste of Honey’? It was one of those streams that kept repeating itself over the years.

Hopefully, my stories will be the banausic means to independent living. (Did I use it right? If not, please let me know.) Now, the challenge is to remember this word and use it. With my short-term memory issues, that will be a challenge. Thankfully, I have this post to refer to again and again.

This is Richard Verry, sharing with you just another insight into my world.

‘Word of the Day’ is brought to you by Merriam-Webster.

Word of the Day: Univocal

Definition

Examples

Synonyms

Did You Know?

My Take

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Word of the Day: Phlegmatic

Definition

Definition from Dictionary.com

Examples

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My Take

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Word of the Day: Scion

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Roister

Definition

Examples

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My Take

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Word of the Day: Odious

Definition

Examples

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My Take

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Word of the Day: Truncate

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Macadam

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Vulnerary

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Invective

Definition

Examples

Did You Know?

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Word of the Day: Banausic

Definition

Examples

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