Word of the Day
rarefied
adjective
extremely high or elevated; lofty; exalted: the rarefied atmosphere of a scholarly symposium.
More about rarefied
The adjective rarefied 鈥渆levated, lofty, exalted,鈥� only first appears in this sense in English in the second half of the 17th century. In origin, rarefied is the past participle of the Middle English verb rarefien 鈥渢o reduce the density of, thin, soften,鈥� first recorded at the end of the 14th century. Rarefien comes from Old French rarefier, from Medieval Latin 谤腻谤脓蹿颈肠腻谤别, from Latin 谤腻谤脓蹿补肠别谤别 鈥渢o make less solid, rarefy,鈥� a Latin technical term occurring first and only in Lucretius鈥檚 D膿 R膿rum N膩t奴r膩, a long Epicurean didactic poem aimed at freeing human beings from the scourge of superstition, religion, and the fear of death.
how is rarefied used?
The country gentry of old time lived in a rarefied social air: dotted apart on their stations up the mountain they looked down with imperfect discrimination on the belts of thicker life below.
In his 30s, breathing rarefied air, Mr. Coppola made two decisions that changed his career鈥檚 trajectory.
More about chirography
Chirography, an expensive word for 鈥渉andwriting, penmanship,鈥� comes from Greek 肠丑别颈谤辞驳补辫丑铆补 鈥渨ritten report, testimony in writing.鈥� The first element, cheiro-, is a combining form of the noun 肠丑别铆谤 鈥渉and,鈥� which has many dialect forms (肠丑茅谤蝉, 肠丑岣梤, 肠丑茅谤谤-). 颁丑别铆谤 comes from the uncommon Proto-Indo-European root ghesor-, ghesr– 鈥渉and,鈥� the source of Hittite kessar, Armenian 箩别峁�-, and Tocharian tsar, all meaning 鈥渉and.鈥� The combining form –graphy, naturalized in English, is a derivative of the verb 驳谤谩辫丑别颈苍 鈥渢o write,鈥� from a Proto-Indo-European root ghrebh-, ghrobh– 鈥渢o scratch, dig, bury,鈥� the source of English grave (burial place), grub (to dig), and groove. Chirography entered English in the 17th century.
how is chirography used?
Miss Kate S. Chittenden’s hand is bold, fearless, and masculine, and there are decided indications that her temperament resembles her chirography in these respects.
鈥淭hree hours of hand-shaking is not calculated to improve a man鈥檚 chirography,鈥� he [Lincoln] said later that evening.
magnanimous
adjective
generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.
More about magnanimous
Magnanimous comes from the Latin adjective magnanimus 鈥渘oble in spirit, brave, generous.鈥� Magnanimus is a loan translation of the Greek adjectives 尘别驳谩迟丑测尘辞蝉, 尘别驳补濒贸迟丑测尘辞蝉 鈥済reat hearted,鈥� and 尘别驳补濒贸辫蝉测肠丑辞蝉 鈥済enerous, high-souled.鈥� Magnanimus was used especially in translations of the Aristotelian term 尘别驳补濒贸辫蝉测肠丑辞蝉. Magnanimous entered English in the 16th century.
how is magnanimous used?
… if he would … discharge his heart of its hoarded bitterness鈥攆orgive the world, for having turned his head; and for not keeping it turned, by main force; become a little more magnanimous; and, a little less unhappy and suspicious … I do almost believe that he might do something decent, to be remembered by.
As a master of symbolism, Mandela supported his strategy by being magnanimous towards his former enemies.