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* WORD A DAY *
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
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Fellow Logophiles,
Good morning! Here are the answers to this week's word power
quiz:
1. rebuttal - D: An opposing argument; as, "He offered the
mildest of the many possible rebuttals." Old French rebuter
(to thrust back, push).
2. metamorphosis - B: Transformation; complete change; as,
the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. Greek
metamorphoun (to transform).
3. caldron - B: Large kettle; also, an agitated condition;
as, "the famous caldron of physicist Ernest Lawrence's
laboratory." Latin calidus (warm).
4. esoteric - B: Difficult to understand; as, "Younger
scientists explored esoteric new domains." Greek esoteros
(inner).
5. cadre - C: Key group; nucleus of trained people; as, "He
left behind a small cadre of students." Latin quadrum
(square).
6. rigor - B: Strictness or severity in judgment or conduct;
as, His childhood was a "combination of freedom and moral
rigor." Latin rigere (to be stiff).
7. tenet - D: Belief or principle; as, "Only rarely did they
express [their creed's] tenets, but they lived by them."
Latin tenere (to hold).
8. vantage - A: Competitive superiority; position giving a
broad perspective; as, the vantage that comes from exper-
ience. Old French avantage.
9. interpolate - D: To insert new material that may distort
a text; mathematically, to estimate a missing value. Latin
interpolare (to polish, corrupt).
10. superlative - A: Supreme; of outstanding quality. Latin
superlatus (exaggerated).
11. rectify - B: To correct; adjust; amend; as, "to rectify
his mother's checkbook." Latin rectificare.
12. truism - D: Obvious, self-evident truth; as, "It became
an instant truism that science meant power." Old English
treowth (truth).
13. bailiwick - A: Area of authority, interest or skill; as,
Quantum mechanics was his bailiwick. English bailiff (deputy
sheriff) and wick (village).
14. gestation - A: Pregnancy. Also, the conception and
development of an idea; as, the gestation of a new theory.
Latin gerere (to bear).
15. innate - B: Inborn; existing naturally, rather than
acquired; as, "Children are innate scientists." Latin
innasci.
16. subordinate - C: To put under the authority of another;
as, "Some [scientists] subordinated their own abilities to
his." Latin subordinare.
17. embody - B: To incorporate; represent; give form to; as,
"Most physicists were now persuaded that the atom embodied...
electrons, protons and neutrons." Prefix em- (in) and body.
18. connive - A: To conspire; cooperate secretly; as, They
connived to alert President Roosevelt to the possibility of
an atom bomb. Latin connivere (to close the eyes, wink).
19. primer - B: Introductory textbook covering the basic
elements of a subject; as, a primer on mathematical methods.
Latin primus (first).
20. teleological - A: Related to the study of ultimate pur-
poses in natural phenomena; as, The teleological question,
what is the meaning of life? Greek telos (end) and -logy
(study of).
Sincerely,
Carly
P.S. You can discuss this issue or any other topic in the
new Word A Day forum. Check it out here... Word A Day Forum
*
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*
WORD: chimerical ky-MER-ih-kuhl (adjective)
: Merely imaginary; produced by or as if by a wildly fanci-
ful imagination
SYNONYMS: * fantastic
* improbable
* unrealistic
WORD WISE: Chimerical is ultimately derived from Greek
khimaira, "she-goat" or "chimera," which in Greek mythology
was a monster having the head of a lion, the body of a goat,
and the tail of a dragon.
QUOTE: "In the chimerical atmosphere of the Museum of
Jurassic Technology, it is far from clear where fact ends
and fiction begins--or vice versa."
--Margaret Wertheim, "The Museum of Jurassic Technology,"
Omni, November 1, 1994
*
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*
@@ MID-WEEK WORD SCRAMBLE @@
1) e n z a s i r u 4) s d i m e i r c i v
2) i r a h e l c i c m 5) l o s i n u c i g a
3) t o r e u
* Does not include obscure and unusual words *
Let's see who can answer them all correctly. I will publish
the answers in tomorrow's issue!
OBSCURE AND UNUSUAL WORDS
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1) Cerberus SUR-buh-ruhs (noun)
: a powerful, hostile guard
From Latin, from Greek Kerberos.
2) colporteur KAWL-por-tuhr (noun)
: a peddler of religious books
From French colporteur (peddler), from col (neck) +
porter (to carry), from Latin portare. Ultimately from
Indo-European root per- (to lead, pass over).
GopherCentral's Question of the Week:
Should Illegal aliens be allowed to sign up for the military
in exchange for US Citizenship?
Please share your opinion, visit: The Question of the Week
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