Word of the Day
nimbus
noun
a cloud, aura, atmosphere, etc., surrounding a person or thing.
More about nimbus
Nimbus, 鈥渟hining cloud surrounding a deity; dense clouds with ragged edges,鈥� comes straight from Latin nimbus, 鈥渞ainstorm, rain cloud, cloud (of smoke), cloudburst.鈥� Nimbus comes from a complicated Proto-Indo-European root (e)nebh-, (n)embh– 鈥渄amp, vapor, cloud,鈥� as in Sanskrit 苍谩产丑补蝉– 鈥渇og, vapor, cloud, heaven,鈥� Latin nebula, Greek 苍别辫丑茅濒脓, 苍茅辫丑辞蝉 鈥渃loud,鈥� Old Irish nem and Welsh nef, both meaning 鈥渉eaven,鈥� Polish niebo 鈥渟ky, heaven,鈥� Hittite nebis 鈥渉eaven,鈥� German Nebel 鈥渇og, mist,鈥� and Old Norse nifl–heimr 鈥渉ome of fog, abode of the dead, Niflheim.鈥� Nimbus entered English in the early 17th century.
how is nimbus used?
She had a capacity for excess, and a nimbus of exhausted hedonism trailed along with her.
It is curious how certain words accumulate a nimbus of positive associations, while others, semantically just as innocuous, wind up shrouded in bad feelings.
nimbus
desideratum
noun
something wanted or needed.
More about desideratum
The noun desideratum (plural desiderata) means 鈥渟omething wanted or needed.鈥� It is a noun use of the Latin neuter past participle 诲脓蝉墨诲别谤腻迟耻尘, from the verb 诲脓蝉墨诲别谤腻谤别 鈥渢o long for, desire.鈥� According to the Roman grammarian Festus, 诲脓蝉墨诲别谤腻谤别 and its close relative 肠艒苍蝉墨诲别谤腻谤别 鈥渢o observe attentively, contemplate,鈥� were compound verbs formed from 蝉墨诲耻蝉 (stem 蝉墨诲别谤-) 鈥渉eavenly body, star, planet,鈥� that is, 诲脓蝉墨诲别谤腻谤别 and 肠艒苍蝉墨诲别谤腻谤别 were originally terms used in astrology in general or Roman augury in particular, but aside from Festus there isn鈥檛 much evidence for the sidereal connection. Desideratum entered English in the 17th century.
how is desideratum used?
Power becomes its own desideratum. The search for it can trump economic well being, stability and safety.
Sitzfleisch, or 鈥渟itting still,鈥� became the ultimate desideratum for showing one鈥檚 understanding of the new language of classical music.
desideratum
clement
adjective
mild or merciful in disposition or character; lenient; compassionate.
More about clement
Clement, 鈥渕ild in disposition, merciful,鈥� comes from Latin 肠濒脓尘脓苍蝉 (inflectional stem 肠濒脓尘别苍迟-) 鈥渕erciful, lenient, mild (of weather), calm (of water).” 颁濒脓尘脓苍蝉 has no reliable etymology; its most common derivative is the noun 肠濒脓尘别苍迟ia 鈥渃lemency, leniency.鈥� The phrase 鈥渃lemency of Caesar鈥� is not much used nowadays: It comes from Latin Cl膿mentia Caesaris, which first appears as part of an inscription on a Roman coin dating to 44 b.c., therefore shortly before Caesar鈥檚 assassination, and a nice bit of propaganda in his honor. Clement entered English in the late 15th century.
how is clement used?
I know you are more clement than vile men Who of their broken debtors take a third …
And the spirit of the times is happily growing more clement toward a greater fulness and variety of life.
clement