Word of the Day
pyrophoric
[ pahy-ruh-fawr-ik ]
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adjective
capable of igniting spontaneously in air
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Why Dictionary.com chose pyrophoric
More about pyrophoric
- First recorded in 1780鈥�90.
- From the Greek 辫测谤辞辫丑贸谤辞蝉, meaning “fire-bearing;” combines 辫测谤辞-虏, meaning “fire,” + -phore, meaning “bearer of,” + -颈肠虏.
EXAMPLES OF PYROPHORIC
- The scientist handled the pyrophoric material with extreme caution to avoid accidental ignition.
- The chemical only showed pyrophoric properties above a certain temperature.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
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Why Dictionary.com chose ablactate
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- First recorded in 1750鈥�60.
- Combines the prefix 补产-鈦�, meaning “away from,” + 濒补肠迟补迟别鹿, from the Latin 濒补肠迟腻谤别, meaning “to give milk.”
EXAMPLES OF ABLACTATE
- The parents decided to ablactate their twins, following their pediatrician’s advice.聽
- The zookeepers ablactated the tiger cubs by introducing soft food over a few weeks.
behemoth
[ bih-hee-muhth ]
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noun
any creature or thing of monstrous size or power
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Why Dictionary.com chose behemoth
More about behemoth
- First recorded between 1350鈥�1400.
- From Hebrew 产蓹丑脓尘艒迟丑, meaning “beasts,” where the plural form was likely used to indicate greatness rather than number.
EXAMPLES OF BEHEMOTH
- The museum’s centerpiece, a behemoth dinosaur skeleton, towers over visitors.
- The company became a behemoth, swallowing up smaller companies with ease.
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