balneology

****************************************************************
Attention word gurus:  try WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature 
Merriam-Webster definitions! Available at Borders Bookstores.
http://www.wordsweep.com
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for February 12 is:

balneology   \bal-nee-AH-luh-jee\   noun 
     : the science of the therapeutic use of baths 

Example sentence: 
     Dori studied balneology in Europe and now applies her knowledge at a spa 
in California. 

Did you know? 
     "Sure, the hot water feels good. Sure, the massage is nice. But it goes 
beyond that, advocates say." So wrote Ellen Creager in an article published on 
February 18, 2001 in the _Detroit Free Press_. The healing powers of mineral 
baths have long been touted by advocates like those mentioned by Creager. 
Though we've had the word "balneology" for just over 120 years, this method of 
treating aching muscles, joint pain, and skin ailments goes back to ancient 
times. Proponents of the science of bath therapy created the name "balneology" 
from the Latin word "balneum" ("bath") and the combining form "-logy" 
("science"). Today, some medical institutes in Europe have departments of 
balneology. Modern "balneologists" impart their knowledge to, or themselves 
serve as, "balneotherapists," who apply their "balneotherapy" to grateful 
clients.





You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

[1816-IF:AOL--@]413-734-3134[1816-ENDIF:AOL--@]