nuance

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The Word of the Day for December 1 is: 

nuance   \NOO-ahnss\   noun
         *1 : a subtle distinction or variation 
     2 : a subtle quality : nicety
     3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings 
(as of meaning, feeling, or value)

Example sentence:
          Because she wanted to set her novel in New England, the author spent 
three months in New Hampshire learning the nuances of the local dialect.

Did you know?
     The history of "nuance" starts in Latin with the noun "nubes," meaning 
"cloud." "Nubes" floated into Middle French as "nue," also meaning "cloud," and 
"nue" gave rise to "nuer," meaning "to make shades of color." "Nuer" in turn 
produced "nuance," which in Middle French meant "shade of color." English 
borrowed "nuance" from French, with the meaning "a subtle distinction or 
variation," in the late 18th century. That use persists today. Additionally, 
"nuance" is sometimes used in a specific musical sense, designating a subtle, 
expressive variation in a musical performance (such as in tempo, dynamic 
intensity, or timbre) that is not indicated in the score.





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