oppugn

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The Word of the Day for July 15 is: 

oppugn   \uh-PYOON\   verb
     1 : to fight against 
    *2 : to call in question 

Example sentence:
     As a young research assistant, Erin had the audacity to oppugn the 
conclusions of her department head.

Did you know?
     "Oppugn" was first recorded in English in the 15th century. It came to 
Middle English from the Latin verb "oppugnare," which in turn derived from the 
combination of "ob-," meaning "against," and "pugnare," meaning "to fight." 
"Pugnare" itself is descended from the same ancient word that gave Latin the 
word "pugnus," meaning "fist." It's no surprise, then, that "oppugn" was 
adopted into English to refer to fighting against something or someone, either 
physically (as in "the dictatorship will oppugn all who oppose it") or verbally 
(as in "oppugn an argument"). Other descendants of "pugnare" in English include 
the equally aggressive "pugnacious," "pungent," "repugnant," and the rare 
"inexpugnable" ("incapable of being subdued or overthrown").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. 





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