Word of the Day
惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉
preposition
in relation to; compared with: income 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 expenditures.
More about 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉
The mere fact that 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 functions as an adverb, adjective, preposition, and noun all but guarantees many meanings, all semantically related: as an adverb the phrase means 鈥渇ace to face鈥�; as an attributive adjective 鈥渇ace-to-face鈥�; as a preposition 鈥渃ompared with; in relation to鈥�; and as a noun 鈥渁 person face to face with or opposite another one; a date at a social affair; a person of equal rank or authority.鈥� The still obviously French term 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 has at least as many meanings as the English one. The French noun vis comes from Vulgar Latin 惫墨蝉耻蝉 鈥渇ace,鈥� from Latin 惫墨蝉耻蝉 鈥渟ight, vision, faculty of sight, form, appearance.鈥� 痴墨蝉耻蝉 is a derivative of the verb 惫颈诲脓谤别 鈥渢o see, see with the mind鈥檚 eye, notice.鈥� 痴颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 entered English in the mid-18th century.
how is 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 used?
Until recently, at least in the United States, our notions of privacy have been rooted in the Fourth Amendment鈥檚 delineation of the federal government鈥檚 powers 惫颈蝉-脿-惫颈蝉 the individual citizen.
I’m a stockbroker, and … my timing has been off lately vis-a-vis the market …
philippic
noun
any speech or discourse of bitter denunciation.
More about philippic
The adjective and noun philippic come from Latin Philippicus 鈥渙f or pertaining to King Philip II of Macedon鈥� (the father of Alexander the Great), from Greek 笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈办贸蝉 with the same meaning. 笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈办贸蝉 is usually used in the plural, 笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈办贸颈, with the plural noun 濒贸驳辞颈 鈥渟peeches鈥� understood. The original 笔丑颈濒颈辫辫颈办贸颈 濒贸驳辞颈 were three speeches delivered by the Athenian statesman Demosthenes against King Philip of Macedon between 351 and 341 b.c. The second set of philippics were the 14 orations that the Roman statesman and man of letters Marcus Tullius Cicero delivered against Mark Antony between 44 and 43 b.c. Cicero himself called these speeches (艒r膩ti艒n膿s) Philippicae 鈥淧hilippic (orations).鈥� The speeches not unnaturally enraged Mark Antony, who ensured that Cicero鈥檚 name stood at the head of the list of proscriptions. The adjective sense of philippic entered English in the mid-16th century.
how is philippic used?
Ms. Goldstein鈥檚 book is meticulously fair and disarmingly balanced, serving up historical commentary instead of a searing philippic.
… his philippic against King Leopold for the atrocities he sanctioned called the attention of the whole world to conditions that constituted a disgrace to modern civilization.
desuetude
noun
the state of being no longer used or practiced.
More about desuetude
Desuetude comes from French 诲茅蝉耻茅迟耻诲别, a borrowing of Latin 诲脓蝉耻脓迟奴诲辞 鈥渄isuse,鈥� a derivative of the verb 诲脓蝉耻脓蝉肠别谤别 鈥渢o lay aside a habit or custom鈥� and the abstract noun suffix –迟奴诲艒. 顿脓蝉耻脓蝉肠别谤别 is a compound verb composed of the preposition and prefix 诲脓, 诲脓-, here indicating negation, and the verb 蝉耻脓蝉肠别谤别 鈥渢o become accustomed to, to make accustomed.鈥� In 蝉耻脓蝉肠别谤别 the suffix –脓蝉肠别谤别 indicates an inchoative or inceptive meaning (鈥渢o begin to鈥︹��). Desuetude entered English in the 15th century.
how is desuetude used?
A very few people, not appearing to be up to much, sat far apart at desks in a dimly lighted panorama of desuetude.
The practice of “leaving a calling card” may have fallen into desuetude among human beings, but as a description of pet behavior the phrase continues to have legs.