liminal

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The Word of the Day for August 18 is:

liminal   \LIM-uh-nul\   adjective 
     1 : of or relating to a sensory threshold 
   *2 : barely perceptible 
     3 : of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, 
or condition : in-between, transitional

Example sentence: 
     In the background of the painting, a liminal figure stands 
in the murky half-light. 

Did you know?      
     "Liminal" descends from the Latin noun "limen," 
meaning "threshold." It makes sense, then, that "liminal" 
applies to the idea of a sensory threshold, the point at which a 
physiological effect begins to be produced. Likewise, closely 
related "subliminal" means "below a threshold"; it can describe 
something inadequate to produce a sensation or something 
operating below a threshold of consciousness. The "sensory 
threshold" sense of "liminal" has given rise to extended uses. 
In addition to the "barely perceptible" sense, "liminal" now 
sometimes means "transitional" or "intermediate" (as in "the 
liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.