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Looking for a new kind of post-holiday feeding frenzy? Feast on colorful references in our Dictionary of Allusions. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/writref/allusion.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 14 is: pabulum \PAB-yuh-lum\ (noun) 1 : food; especially : a suspension or solution of nutrients in a state suitable for absorption 2 : intellectual sustenance *3 : something (as writing or speech) that is insipid, simplistic, or bland Example sentence: When Diana complained that her thought-provoking news stories had been watered down to mere pabulum, her editor reminded her that their readership preferred easily palatable, simplified writing. Did you know? "Pabulum" derives from the Latin term for "food" or "fodder" and was first used in English in the 18th century for anything taken in by plants or animals to maintain life and growth. Within 30 years of its first appearance in English texts, it was also being used to refer to things so intellectually stimulating or nourishing that they could be considered food for thought. But the word took on a whole new flavor in the 1930s when a team of Canadian doctors formulated a highly nutritious (but bland) baby cereal and named their product "Pablum" (based on the Latin word). As a result, the similar-looking "pabulum" did a linguistic about-face and is now often used for things that are bland and unstimulating as well as for things that are intellectually sustaining. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c)2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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Previous Message by Date:sublimate***************************************************************** Looking for a new kind of post-holiday feeding frenzy? Feast on colorful references in our Dictionary of Allusions. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/writref/allusion.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 13 is: sublimate \SUH-bluh-mayt\ (verb) 1 : to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form *2 : to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its primitive form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable Example sentence: Joe's letter made Marcy want to scream and throw things, but instead she sublimated her anger by writing a tart reply. Did you know? To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, it means to transform solid to vapor, or vice versa; psychologically, it means changing the outlet, or means, of expression from something base and inappropriate to something more positive or acceptable. The word "sublimate" comes from the Latin verb "sublimare," which means "to lift up" or "raise" and which is also the ancestor of our "sublime." "Sublimate" itself once meant "to elevate to a place of dignity or honor" or "to give a more elevated character to," but these meanings are now obsolete. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml Next Message by Date:punctilio***************************************************************** Introduce your family to the world's history makers with Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/peoplace/biog.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 15 is: punctilio \punk-TIH-lee-oh\ (noun) 1 : a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code *2 : careful observance of forms (as in social conduct) Example sentence: Because of his poise and punctilio, Sam was the employee most often chosen to show important guests around the office. Did you know? We'll get straight to the point: there are a number of Latin-derived words that come from relatives "pungere" (meaning "to prick" or "to stab") and "punctum" (meaning "point"). "Punctilio" is one of these many words. It came to English through the Italian word "puntiglio" (meaning "small point," "point of honor," or "scruple"), which comes from the Spanish word "puntillo," the diminutive of "punto," meaning "point." It is from "punctilio" that we get our adjective "punctilious," which means "marked by conformity to details of codes or conventions." Do you have any guesses for other derivatives of "punctum" and "pungere"? "Punctuation," "puncture," "compunction," "punctual," and "pungent" are some of the more common ones. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Previous Message by Thread:sublimate***************************************************************** Looking for a new kind of post-holiday feeding frenzy? Feast on colorful references in our Dictionary of Allusions. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/writref/allusion.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 13 is: sublimate \SUH-bluh-mayt\ (verb) 1 : to cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state and condense back to solid form *2 : to divert the expression of (an instinctual desire or impulse) from its primitive form to one that is considered more socially or culturally acceptable Example sentence: Joe's letter made Marcy want to scream and throw things, but instead she sublimated her anger by writing a tart reply. Did you know? To sublimate is to change the form, but not the essence. Physically speaking, it means to transform solid to vapor, or vice versa; psychologically, it means changing the outlet, or means, of expression from something base and inappropriate to something more positive or acceptable. The word "sublimate" comes from the Latin verb "sublimare," which means "to lift up" or "raise" and which is also the ancestor of our "sublime." "Sublimate" itself once meant "to elevate to a place of dignity or honor" or "to give a more elevated character to," but these meanings are now obsolete. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml Next Message by Thread:punctilio***************************************************************** Introduce your family to the world's history makers with Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/peoplace/biog.htm ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 15 is: punctilio \punk-TIH-lee-oh\ (noun) 1 : a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code *2 : careful observance of forms (as in social conduct) Example sentence: Because of his poise and punctilio, Sam was the employee most often chosen to show important guests around the office. Did you know? We'll get straight to the point: there are a number of Latin-derived words that come from relatives "pungere" (meaning "to prick" or "to stab") and "punctum" (meaning "point"). "Punctilio" is one of these many words. It came to English through the Italian word "puntiglio" (meaning "small point," "point of honor," or "scruple"), which comes from the Spanish word "puntillo," the diminutive of "punto," meaning "point." It is from "punctilio" that we get our adjective "punctilious," which means "marked by conformity to details of codes or conventions." Do you have any guesses for other derivatives of "punctum" and "pungere"? "Punctuation," "puncture," "compunction," "punctual," and "pungent" are some of the more common ones. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. To subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, interactive surveys, and more: http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c) 2003 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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