Word of the Day
cistvaen
noun
a prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket.
More about cistvaen
Cistvaen, 鈥渁 prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket,鈥� comes from Welsh cist faen, 鈥渟tone box, stone chest.鈥� Cist comes via Latin cista, 鈥渂ox, chest,鈥� from Ancient Greek 办颈蝉迟脓. Faen is a mutated form of maen, 鈥渟tone,鈥� a Cornish relative of which is also part of the Word of the Day dolmen. In Welsh, as in many Celtic languages, the first consonant of a noun or adjective mutates in a variety of contexts, including in some compound words; this is why the m in maen (pronounced like 鈥渕ain鈥� or 鈥渕ine鈥�) becomes the 鈥渟ofter鈥� f in faen (pronounced like 鈥渧ain鈥� or 鈥渧ine鈥�). Cistvaen was first recorded in English in the first decade of the 19th century.
EXAMPLE OF CISTVAEN USED IN A SENTENCE
While dolmens are aboveground homes for the prehistoric dead, the Celts once used shallow cistvaens as burial pits.
algorithm
noun
an ordered set of instructions applied repeatedly to data to solve a problem or accomplish a task.
Why the Museum of Science chose algorithm
You might think algorithms are reserved for complex computer instructions, but if you've ever followed a recipe when you cook, then you have used an algorithm. To learn more, watch this video from award-winning science communicator Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D.
Learn more fun facts .
More about algorithm
Algorithm is a variant of algorism and ultimately comes from Arabic 补濒-碍丑飞腻谤颈锄尘墨, which refers to the 9th-century mathematician Mu岣mmad ibn M奴s膩 补濒-碍丑飞腻谤颈锄尘墨. In this name, 碍丑飞腻谤颈锄尘 refers to an area of Central Asia now divided between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Algorism became algorithm because of the influence of Ancient Greek 补谤颈迟丑尘贸蝉, 鈥渘umber,鈥� as in arithmetic. Algorithm was first recorded in English in the 1690s.
EXAMPLE OF ALGORITHM USED IN A SENTENCE
The data scientist applied a simple algorithm and solved the frustrating puzzle in less than 3 seconds.
zaffer
noun
an artificial mixture, resembling smalt, containing cobalt oxide and, usually, silica, used to produce a blue color in glass and in ceramic glazes.
More about zaffer
For the origin of zaffer, 鈥渁 cobalt oxide鈥搒ilica mixture used to produce a blue color,鈥� let鈥檚 travel down a linguistic rabbit hole. Zaffer, from French safre or Italian zaffera, may come from Arabic 鈥檃峁补谤, 鈥測ellow,鈥� which resembles but is not related to saffron and sulfur. Alternatively, zaffer may come from Latin 蝉补辫辫丑墨谤补, 鈥渟apphire,鈥� via Ancient Greek 蝉谩辫辫丑别颈谤辞蝉, 鈥渓apis lazuli,鈥� from a Semitic source akin to Hebrew 蝉补辫辫墨谤, 鈥渟apphire.鈥� One intriguing proposal is that 蝉补辫辫墨谤 and its close Semitic relatives come from Sanskrit 艣补苍颈辫耻谤颈测补, 鈥渄ear to Saturn,鈥� equivalent to 艢补苍颈, the planet Saturn, plus 辫谤颈测谩-, 鈥渄ear.鈥� Zaffer was first recorded in English circa 1660.
EXAMPLE OF ZAFFER USED IN A SENTENCE
The glass blower used zaffer to make the vase a beautiful hue of azure.