Word of the Day
corybantic
adjective
frenzied; agitated; unrestrained.
More about corybantic
The English adjective corybantic comes from the Greek adjective 碍辞谤测产补苍迟颈办贸蝉, a derivative of the noun 碍辞谤媒产腻蝉 (inflectional stem 碍辞谤媒产补苍迟-) 鈥渁 corybant, a priest of the goddess Cybele in Phrygia (now in west central Turkey),鈥� and in Greek also meaning 鈥渄runken person, enthusiast.鈥� Further etymology is risky: apart from 碍辞谤媒产腻蝉 and its derivatives being non-Greek, not much can be said. Phrygian is an obvious choice, but the Phrygians themselves borrowed a great deal from other peoples of ancient Anatolia (Asian Turkey). Corybantic entered English in the 17th century.
how is corybantic used?
It penetrates the mind, filling it with a babel of distractions news items, mutually irrelevant bits of information, blasts of corybantic or sentimental music, continually repeated doses of drama that bring no catharsis, but merely create a craving for daily or even hourly emotional enemas.
There was obviously no enthroned authority here, no bejeweled king to pacify when emotions ran wild, but complete freedom to embrace joy with corybantic abandonment.
More about foison
The English noun foison is archaic in standard English, but it still occurs in Scottish English. Foison is a regular French phonetic development from the Vulgar Latin noun 蹿耻蝉颈艒 (inflectional stem 蹿耻蝉颈艒n-), equivalent to the very rare Late Latin 蹿奴蝉颈艒 (stem 蹿奴蝉颈艒n-) 鈥渁 pouring out, effusion, melting (in metallurgy),鈥� a derivative of the verb fundere 鈥渢o pour, pour out, shed.鈥� Foison came into English via Old French; its doublet, the English noun fusion, entered English straight from Latin in the mid-16th century. Foison entered English in the first half of the 14th century.
how is foison used?
Then delicacies and dainties were delivered to the guests, / Fresh food in foison, such freight of full dishes …
postprandial
adjective
after a meal, especially after dinner: postprandial oratory; a postprandial brandy.
More about postprandial
The Latin noun prandium means 鈥渕idday meal, lunch, luncheon鈥�; the verb 辫谤补苍诲脓谤别 鈥渢o have breakfast or lunch鈥� is a derivative of prandium. There is no Latin adjective 辫谤补苍诲颈腻濒颈蝉 鈥減ertaining to breakfast or lunch,鈥� let alone the adjectives pre辫谤补苍诲颈腻濒颈蝉 (prae辫谤补苍诲颈腻濒颈蝉) or post辫谤补苍诲颈腻濒颈蝉. There is, however, the Late Latin noun prandiculum 鈥渂reakfast,鈥� which is found only in lexicographical writings–a salutary warning! Postprandial is used in medicine in its literal meaning 鈥渄one or happening after a meal.鈥� Apart from medical usage postprandial is a jocular word, as in this example from George Bernard Shaw, 鈥淭he whole thing was mere postprandial brag, war-game and club-fender gossip鈥� (1917). Postprandial entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is postprandial used?
Most people seem to switch on the game a few minutes after having wolfed down their fifth slice of pie, but if you do that, there鈥檚 the cognitive dissonance of watching professional athletes and cheerleaders vigorously moving their bodies while your own body lies on the couch in a state of postprandial lethargy and bloat.
The postprandial conversation goes on until dawn.