Word Of The Day

Theorem
the·o·rem noun \ˈthē-ə-rəm, ˈthir-əm\

Definition of THEOREM

1: a formula, proposition, or statement in mathematics or logic deduced or to be deduced from other formulas or propositions
2: an idea accepted or proposed as a demonstrable truth often as a part of a general theory : proposition <the theorem that the best defense is offense>
3: stencil
4: a painting produced especially on velvet by the use of stencils for each color
— the·o·rem·at·ic adjective

Origin of THEOREM

Late Latin theorema, from Greek theōrēma, from theōrein to look at, from theōros spectator, from thea act of seeing — more at theater
First Known Use: 1551

1 Reply

@RexRed,

volant [VOH-luhnt], adjective:
1. Moving lightly; nimble.
2. Engaged in or having the power of flight.

noun:
1. Also called volant piece. Armor. A reinforcing piece for the brow of a helmet.

But here in the present case, to carry on the volant metaphor, (for I must either be merry or mad) is a pretty little Miss, just, come out of her hanging-sleeve coat, brought to buy a pretty little fairing; for the world, Jack, is but a great fair thou knowest; and, to give thee serious reflection for serious, all its toys but tinselled hobby horses, gilt gingerbread, squeaking trumpets, painted drums, and so forth.
-- Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Or, The History of a Young Lady

With Rube winging it that spring, the band blared, and the volant baseball team was unbeatable.
-- Alan Howard Levy, Rube Waddell

Volant stems from the Latin word volāre which meant "to fly". In English, it acquired the sense of moving nimbly in the early 1600s.

1 Reply

LUMINOUS
1 emitting or reflecting usually steady, suffused, or glowing light
2 of or relating to light or to luminous flux

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Inexplicable [in-ek-spli-kuh-buhl, in-ik-splik-uh-buhl]

in·ex·pli·ca·ble [in-ek-spli-kuh-buhl, in-ik-splik-uh-buhl] Show IPA
adjective
not explicable; incapable of being accounted for or explained.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin inexplicābilis. See in-3 , explicable

Related forms
in·ex·pli·ca·bil·i·ty, in·ex·pli·ca·ble·ness, noun
in·ex·pli·ca·bly, adverb

Synonyms
unaccountable, mysterious, mystifying.

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@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

volant [VOH-luhnt], adjective:
1. Moving lightly; nimble.
2. Engaged in or having the power of flight.

noun:
1. Also called volant piece. Armor. A reinforcing piece for the brow of a helmet.

But here in the present case, to carry on the volant metaphor, (for I must either be merry or mad) is a pretty little Miss, just, come out of her hanging-sleeve coat, brought to buy a pretty little fairing; for the world, Jack, is but a great fair thou knowest; and, to give thee serious reflection for serious, all its toys but tinselled hobby horses, gilt gingerbread, squeaking trumpets, painted drums, and so forth.
-- Samuel Richardson, Clarissa, Or, The History of a Young Lady

With Rube winging it that spring, the band blared, and the volant baseball team was unbeatable.
-- Alan Howard Levy, Rube Waddell

Volant stems from the Latin word volāre which meant "to fly". In English, it acquired the sense of moving nimbly in the early 1600s.

Having the power of flight. I like that. Smile

1 Reply

@RexRed,

pensée [pahn-SEY], noun:
A reflection or thought.

He rose from his deep chair and at his desk entered on the first page of a new notebook a pensee: The penalty of sloth is longevity.
-- Evelyn Waugh, Unconditional Surrender

In a pensee that could have been cribbed from Mae West's daybook, she also said, “If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married!”
-- Karen Karbo, How to Hepburn

Pensée comes directly from the French word of the same spelling which means "a thought".

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Penséer - are the most common summerflowers in Swedish gardens.
Wonder if it has to do with the word pensée? They come in many colours, but I choose this picture as I am a "nationalist"

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4xO04S0VT08/TZnRiHhdaoI/AAAAAAAAA88/GmBj64s1OTc/s1600/penseer.jpg

1 Reply

@saab,

In English they are called pansies, but I have no idea whether there is a connection between pansy and pensee. My mother never cared for those flowers even though they are very pretty. The reason: in my native language of Latvian they are commonly called atraitnites which literally translates as 'little widows.' Mom didn't like that name. Smile

1 Reply

@Lustig Andrei,

How did thay acquire that name ?

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Unpleasant
choice for a name of an innocent little flower.

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@OmSigDAVID,

I have absolutely no idea where pretty little flowers like that acquired an unpleasant sobriquet of that sort. Chalk it up to the vagaries of language.

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Polyglot
Glotta in Greek for "tongue" or language. So the polyglot is a person who speaks many tongues or many languages.
Does this mean the person is above bi-lingual?

By the way the poor pansie is in German, Danish and Norwegian Stepmotherflower. That certainly has a negativ touch too.
Now we know what a pansie is called in six languages. We all are polyglots when it comes to a certain flower.

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Cogitation
cog·i·ta·tion noun \ˌkä-jə-ˈtā-shən\

Definition of COGITATION

1
a : the act of cogitating : meditation
b : the capacity to think or reflect
2
: a single thought
Examples of COGITATION

<as long as there's a national deficit, interplanetary exploration will most likely remain an agreeable cogitation and nothing more>

Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English cogitaciun < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin cōgitātiōn- (stem of cōgitātiō ), equivalent to cōgitāt ( us ) ( see cogitate) + -iōn- -ion

First Known Use of COGITATION
13th century

1 Reply

Epitome [ih-pit-uh-mee]
Example Sentences Origin

e·pit·o·me [ih-pit-uh-mee]
noun
1. a person or thing that is typical of or possesses to a high degree the features of a whole class: He is the epitome of goodness.
2. a condensed account, especially of a literary work; abstract.

Origin:
1520–30; < Latin epitomē abridgment < Greek epitomḗ abridgment, surface incision. See epi-, -tome

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@RexRed,

enchiridion (en-kahy-RID-ee-uhn), noun:
A handbook; manual.

For you offer us the postulation that we can, in the shadow, or rather the radiance, of your own enchiridion, go and do likewise.
-- Marcel Proust, Swann's Way

Sarah and Isaac were romping noisily about and under the beds; Rachel was at the table, knitting a scarf for Solomon; grandmother pored over a bulky enchiridion for pious women, written in jargon.
-- Israel Zangwill, Children of the Ghetto

Enchiridion stems from the Greek root cheir meaning "hand". The prefix en- means "within", so the noun means "in the hand". The suffix -idion denotes a diminutive form of another word.

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Gregarious
1. (Sociology) enjoying the company of others, WHICH I DO HERE

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) (of animals) living together in herds or flocks Compare solitary
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) (of plants) growing close together but not in dense clusters
4. of, relating to, or characteristic of crowds or communities

1 Reply

@saab,

Yes, we are a rather gregarious lot here.

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Volition

vo·li·tion [voh-lish-uhn, vuh-]
noun
1. the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing: She left of her own volition.
2. a choice or decision made by the will.
3. the power of willing; will.

Origin:
1605–15; < Medieval Latin volitiōn- (stem of volitiō ), equivalent to vol- (variant stem of velle to want, wish; see will1 ) + -itiōn- -ition

1 Reply

@RexRed,

rusticate
Tomorrow I am leaving on my own volition to rusticate in my summercabin.

1 Reply

@saab,

subitize (SOO-bi-tahyz), verb:
To perceive at a glance the number of items presented.

Below seven the subjects were said to subitize; above seven they were said to estimate.
-- H. Gutfreund and G. Toulouse, Biology and Computation: A Physicist's Choice

I wanted to see if Pedro could subitize, so I asked, “Pedro, how many stars are in the first circle?”
-- Melissa Conklin, It Makes Sense!

Subitize comes from the Latin word subitāre which meant "to appear suddenly".

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