Word of the Day
squamous
adjective
covered with or formed of squamae or scales.
More about squamous
The adjective squamous is a direct borrowing of Latin 蝉辩耻腻尘艒蝉耻蝉 鈥渃overed with scales, scaly鈥�, a derivative of the noun 蝉辩耻腻尘补 鈥渟cale (on a fish or reptile), metal plate used in making armor.鈥� The ultimate etymology of 蝉辩耻腻尘补 is unclear, but it is related to 蝉辩耻腻濒脓谤别 鈥渢o be covered or crusted in scales or dirt,鈥� and the derivatives of 蝉辩耻腻濒脓谤别 include 蝉辩耻腻濒颈诲耻蝉 鈥渉aving a rough surface鈥� and 蝉辩耻腻濒辞谤 鈥渞oughness, dirtiness, filth.鈥� Squamous entered English in the 16th century.
how is squamous used?
The back was piebald with yellow and black, and dimly suggested the squamous covering of certain snakes.
They speak no known tongue and are said to sacrifice sailors to their squamous, fish-headed gods, likenesses of whom rise from their stony shores, visible only when the tide recedes.
lunula
noun
something shaped like a narrow crescent, as the small, pale area at the base of the fingernail.
More about lunula
The uncommon noun lunula is restricted to anatomy, biology, and archaeology or art history. It鈥檚 a straightforward borrowing of Latin 濒奴苍耻濒补, literally 鈥渓ittle moon,鈥� but meaning 鈥渃rescent-shaped ornament鈥� (one of its senses in English). The only common meaning for this uncommon noun is the pale, crescent-shaped are at the base of a fingernail or toenail. 尝奴苍耻濒补 is a diminutive of 濒奴苍补 鈥渕oon,鈥� which is disconcertingly similar to Russian 濒耻苍谩 鈥渕oon.鈥� (The cognate Polish 艂耻苍补 means 鈥済low.鈥�) Both the Slavic and the Latin nouns derive from the same Proto-Indo-European source, 濒辞耻办蝉苍腻, the same source as Avestan raoxshna- 鈥渟hining; a light.鈥� (Raoxshna is also used as a proper female name that in Greek is rendered 搁丑艒虫谩苍脓 鈥淩oxane.鈥� The 鈥渙riginal鈥� Raoxshna/Roxane was a Bactrian princess born c340 b.c.; she married Alexander the Great in 327 b.c., and was poisoned in prison in 310 b.c.). Proto-Indo-European 濒辞耻办蝉苍腻 becomes in Old Prussian the plural noun lauxnos 鈥渟tars,鈥� and Middle Irish luan 鈥渕oon.鈥� All of these forms derive from the very common Proto-Indo-European root leuk- and its variants louk- and luk- 鈥渓ight, bright.鈥� Lunula entered English in the 16th century.
how is lunula used?
It refuses to grow back, the nail of this one finger, the lunula destroyed, a moon permanently obliterated by one smash of his interrogator’s pistol.
I … wore only a simple shift of amber-and-brown plaid wool, and only ghillies, ovals of calfskin, laced around my feet. No golden tore, no silver lunula, nor am I royal of stature or of mien.
prima facie
adjective
plain or clear; self-evident; obvious.
More about prima facie
The English phrase prima facie is obviously Latin: pr墨m膩 faci膿 (ablative singular in form) means 鈥渁t first sight.鈥� (贵补肠颈脓蝉 has very many meanings: “physical or outward appearance, looks, sight, scene, good looks,鈥�.”) It is not incredible that the English phrase at first blush is a literal translation of the Latin phrase: blush, a noun meaning “glance, sight,” is obsolete except for the phrase at (on) (the) first blush. Prima facie entered English in the 15th century.
how is prima facie used?
McCain and Palin have been quoting this remark ever since, offering it as prima-facie evidence of Obama鈥檚 unsuitability for office.
There was no prima-facie absurdity in his hypothesis鈥攁nd experiment was the sole means of demonstrating its truth or falsity.