logo       

facile: msg#00002

culture.language.word-of-the-day

Subject: facile


****************************************************************
Introducing WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature Merriam-Webster
definitions! Enjoy hours of challenging fun. Try it at:
http://www.wordsweep.com
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for January 3 is:

facile \FASS-ul\ adjective
1 a : easily accomplished, handled, or attained *b : shallow,
superficial
2 a : ready, fluent b : poised, assured

Example sentence:
The book is well-organized, but the author's conclusions are unduly
facile.

Did you know?
Would you have guessed that "facile" and "difficult" are related?
They are! "Facile" comes to us through Middle French, from the Latin word
"facilis," meaning "easy," and ultimately from "facere," meaning "to make or
do." "Difficult" traces to "facilis" as well, but its history also involves the
negative prefix "dis-," meaning "not." "Facile" can mean "easy" or "easily
done," as befits its Latin roots, but it now often adds the connotation of
undue haste or shallowness, as in "facile answers to complex questions."





You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx

To unsubscribe, please click here:
http://www.drhinternet.net/mw/u/966408/568f14b4ab4f050b/N395L6

To 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://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

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





<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Google Custom Search

News | FAQ | advertise