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word | 1 Nov 2004 06:59

ensconce

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The Word of the Day for November 1 is:

ensconce   \in-SKAHNSS\   verb
      1 : shelter; conceal
     *2 : establish; settle

Example sentence:
     Jan was already firmly ensconced in her position at the 
publishing house when she met the not-yet-famous young writer. 

Did you know?
       Many people might think of "sconce" as a type of 
candleholder or lamp, but the word can also refer to a defensive 
fortification, usually one made of earth. Originally, then, a 
person who was "ensconced" was enclosed in or concealed by such 
a structure, out of harm's way. The earliest writer to apply the 
verb "ensconce" to its figurative sense was William Shakespeare. 
In his play _The Merry Wives of Windsor_, the character 
Falstaff, hoping to avoid detection when he is surprised during 
an amorous moment with Mrs. Ford, says "She shall not see me; I 
will ensconce me behind the arras." (An arras is a tapestry or 
wall hanging.)
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word | 2 Nov 2004 06:59

scrutinize

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The Word of the Day for November 2 is:

scrutinize   \SKROO-tuh-nyze\   verb
    *1 : to examine closely and minutely 
     2 : to make a scrutiny 

Example sentence: 
     Signora Bernasconi scrutinized the painting, said to be by 
Fra Angelico, and declared it a fake.

Did you know?
     A close look at the etymology of "scrutinize" reveals that 
the word stems from the Latin verb "scrutari" (meaning "to 
search" or "to examine"), which in turn probably comes 
from "scruta" (meaning "trash," or more specifically "a mixture 
of worthwhile articles and trash"). "Scrutari" gave us the 
noun "scrutiny" in the 15th century, a word which originally 
meant "a formal vote" and then "an official examination of 
votes." "Scrutinize" retained reference to voting, with the 
meaning "to examine votes," at least into the 18th century -- 
and even today in Britain a "scrutineer" is a person who counts 
votes. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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word | 3 Nov 2004 06:59

tergiversation

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The Word of the Day for November 3 is: 

tergiversation   \ter-jiv-er-SAY-shun\   noun
    *1 : evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut 
statement : equivocation 
     2 : desertion of a cause, position, party, or faith

Example sentence:
     The tergiversation of Ken's speech left his listeners 
confused about where he really stood on the issue.

Did you know?
     The Latin verb "tergiversari" means "to show reluctance," 
and it comes from the combination of "tergum," meaning "back," 
and "versare," meaning "to turn." "Tergiversari" gave English 
the noun "tergiversation" and the verb "tergiversate" ("to 
engage in tergiversation"). "Tergiversation" is the slightly 
older term, having been around since at least 1570; the first 
known use of "tergiversate" dates from 1590. There's also the 
much rarer adjective "tergiversant" ("tending to evade"), as 
well as the noun "tergiversator" ("one that tergiversates").

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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word | 4 Nov 2004 06:59

acumen

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The Word of the Day for November 4 is:

acumen   \uh-KYOO-mun\   noun
     : keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or 
discrimination especially in practical matters

Example sentence:
     "For a man who was never in the country, and who did not 
evidently do much in the way of business, his knowledge and 
acumen were wonderful." (Bram Stoker, _Dracula_)

Did you know?
     A keen mind and a sharp wit can pierce the soul as easily 
as a needle passes through cloth. Remember the analogy between a 
jabbing needle and piercing perception, and you will readily 
recall the history of "acumen." Our English word retains the 
spelling and figurative meaning of its direct Latin ancestor, a 
term that literally meant "point." Latin "acumen" traces to the 
verb "acuere," which means "to sharpen" and which derives 
from "acus," the Latin word for "needle." In its first known 
English uses in the 1500s, "acumen" referred specifically to a 
sharpness of wit. In modern English, it conveys the sense that 
someone is perceptive enough to grasp a situation quickly and 
clever enough to use that discernment to good advantage.
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word | 5 Nov 2004 06:59

phantasmagoria

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The Word of the Day for November 5 is:

phantasmagoria   \fan-taz-muh-GOR-ee-uh\   noun
    *1 : an exhibition or display of optical effects and 
illusions
     2 a : a constantly shifting complex succession of things 
seen or imagined  b : a scene that constantly changes
     3 : a bizarre or fantastic combination, collection, or 
assemblage

Example sentence:
     The phantasmagorias of artist Joan Miro convey a ghostly 
impression by showing objects free from the bounds of time and 
space.

Did you know?
     When an early 19th-century showman named Philipstal 
invented a special-effects lightshow of optical illusions that 
reminded people of phantoms and phantasms, he dubbed it 
a "phantasmagoria." He picked a term that sounds impressive (and 
creepy) and that comes from the same roots as the 
words "phantom" and "phantasm." Like them, "phantasmagoria" can 
be traced back to Latin "phantasma" ("a product of fantasy") and 
ultimately to Greek "phantazein," which means "to present to the
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word | 6 Nov 2004 06:59

diffident

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The Word of the Day for November 6 is: 

diffident   \DIF-uh-dunt\   adjective
     1 : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-
confidence 
    *2 : reserved, unassertive 

Example sentence:
     Always diffident and soft-spoken, Tony did not raise any 
objection when the cashier overcharged him for his purchase.

Did you know?
     "Diffident" and "confident" are antonyms, but both have a 
lot to do with how much trust you have in yourself. Etymology 
reveals the role that that underlying trust plays in the two 
terms. "Confident" and "diffident" both trace to the Latin 
verb "fidere," which means "to trust." "Diffident" arose from a 
combination of "fidere" and the prefix "dis-," meaning "the 
absence of," and it has been used to refer to individuals 
lacking in self-trust since the 15th century. "Confident" arose 
from "confidere," a term created by combining "fidere" with the 
intensifying prefix "con-." That term has been used for self-
trusting souls since at least the late 16th century. By the 
way, "fidere" puts the trust in several other English words too,
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word | 7 Nov 2004 06:59

Pickwickian

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The Word of the Day for November 7 is:

Pickwickian   \pick-WICK-ee-un\   adjective 
     1 : marked by simplicity and generosity 
   *2 : intended or taken in a sense other than the obvious or 
literal one

Example sentence:
     "It was tough, but I survived" was Carl's Pickwickian 
response when I asked him about his weekend "boat-sitting" a 50-
foot luxury yacht.

Did you know?
     The term "Pickwickian" comes from Samuel Pickwick, the name 
of a simple and benevolent character in Charles Dickens' novel 
_The Pickwick Papers_. Early in the novel, Mr. Pickwick accuses 
another character, Mr. Blotton, of behaving in "a vile and 
calumnious mode," and in return is called "a humbug." Only later 
is the reader made aware that all was said in jest, and that the 
two men are actually the best of friends. Such literary tricks 
have led to the use of "Pickwickian" to describe uses of 
language that are similarly not meant to be taken at face value.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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word | 8 Nov 2004 06:59

devise

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The Word of the Day for November 8 is:

devise   \dih-VYZE\   verb
     1 *a : to form in the mind by new combinations or 
applications of ideas or principles : invent  b : to plan to 
obtain or bring about : plot  
     2 : to give (real estate) by will 

Example sentence: 
     As a young scientist, Constance devised ingenious ways of 
collecting and interpreting data.

Did you know?
      There's something inventive about "devise," a word that 
stems from Latin "dividere," meaning "to divide." By the 
time "devise" appeared in English in the 1200s, its Anglo-French 
forebear "deviser" had accumulated an array of senses, 
including "to divide," "distribute," "arrange," 
"array," "digest," "order," "plan," "invent," "contrive," 
and "assign by will." English adopted most of these and added 
some new senses over the course of time: "to 
imagine," "guess," "pretend," and "describe." In modern use, 
we've disposed of a lot of the old meanings, but we kept the one 
that applies to wills. "Devise" traditionally referred to the
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word | 9 Nov 2004 06:59

mountebank

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The Word of the Day for November 9 is: 

mountebank   \MOUNT-ih-bank\   noun
     1: a person who sells quack medicines from a platform
    *2: a boastful unscrupulous pretender : charlatan

Example sentence:
     In his newspaper column, Gavin criticized the talk-radio 
host as "a mountebank whose 'expert' opinions and advice are 
complete hooey."

Did you know?
     "Mountebank" derives from the Italian "montimbanco," which 
was formed by combining the verb "montare" ("to mount"), the 
preposition "in" (converted to "im," meaning "in" or "on") and 
the noun "banco" ("bench"). Put these components together and 
you can deduce the literal origins of "mountebank" as someone 
mounted on a bench -- the "bench" being the platform on which 
charlatans from the 16th and 17th centuries would stand to sell 
their phony medicines. Mountebanks often included various forms 
of light entertainment on stage in order to attract customers. 
Later, extended uses of "mountebank" referred to someone who 
falsely claims to have knowledge about a particular subject or a 
person who simply pretends to be something he or she is not in
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word | 10 Nov 2004 06:59

inveterate

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The Word of the Day for November 10 is: 

inveterate   \in-VET-uh-rut\   adjective
     1 : firmly established by long persistence 
    *2 : confirmed in a habit : habitual 

Example sentence:
     It started with an occasional cigarette in college, but by 
her late twenties, Lilly was an inveterate smoker.

Did you know?
     Like "veteran," "inveterate" ultimately comes from 
Latin "vetus," which means "old," and which led to the Latin 
verb "inveterare" ("to age"). That verb in turn gave rise 
eventually to the adjective "inveteratus," the direct source of 
our adjective "inveterate" (in use since the 14th century). In 
the past, "inveterate" has meant "long-standing" or 
simply "old." For example, one 16th-century writer warned 
of "Those great Flyes which in the springe time of the yeare 
creepe out of inveterate walls." Today, "inveterate" most often 
applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence 
that it is practically ineradicable or unalterable.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
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Gmane