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perpend: msg#00010

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: perpend

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The Word of the Day for December 11 is:

perpend \per-PEND\ verb
1 : to reflect on carefully : ponder
*2 : to be attentive : reflect

Example sentence:
Perpend: if you let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
slip away, you will regret it.

Did you know?
"Perpend" isn't used often these days, but when it does
show up it is frequently imperative, as in our example sentence.
As such, its use can be compared to the phrase "mark my
words." "Perpend" arrived in English in the 15th century from
the Latin verb "perpendere," which in turn comes from "pendere,"
meaning "to weigh." Appropriately, our English word essentially
means "to weigh carefully in the mind." "Pendere" has several
descendants in English, including "append," "compendium,"
"expend," and "suspend." "Perpend" can also be a noun meaning "a
brick or large stone reaching through a wall" or "a wall built
of such stones," but that "perpend" comes from a Middle French
source and is unrelated to the verb.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.






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