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eclectic: msg#00010

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Subject: eclectic

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The Word of the Day for March 11 is:

eclectic \ih-KLEK-tik\ adjective
1 : selecting what appears to be best in various
doctrines, methods, or styles
*2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources;
also : heterogeneous

Example sentence:
Old-school musicians joined with today's rising stars to
showcase an eclectic mix of music for charity.

Did you know?
"Eclectic" comes from a Greek verb meaning "to select" and
was originally applied to ancient philosophers who were not
committed to any single system of philosophy; instead, these
philosophers selected whichever doctrines pleased them from
every school of thought. Later, the word's use broadened to
cover other selective natures. "Hard by, the central slab is
thick with books / Diverse, but which the true eclectic mind /
Knows how to group, and gather out of each / Their frequent
wisdoms...." In this 19th century example from a poem by Arthur
Joseph Munby, for example, the word is applied to literature
lovers who cull selective works from libraries.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.







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