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Why Dictionary.com chose conglobate
More about conglobate
- First recorded in 1625鈥�35.
- From the Latin 肠辞苍驳濒辞产腻谤别; combines 肠辞苍-鈦�, meaning “together,” + the Latin root globus, meaning “ball, sphere.”
- Also used figuratively.
EXAMPLES OF CONGLOBATE
- As it cooled, the spinning lump of molten glass slowly conglobated to form a perfect sphere.
- When I reflect over the past year, all the separate incidents conglobate into one tangled impression.
quintessential
[ kwin-tuh-sen-shuhl ]
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adjective
of or relating to the perfect embodiment of something
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Why Dictionary.com chose quintessential
More about quintessential
- First recorded in 1545鈥�55.
- From the Latin qu墨nta essentia, meaning “the fifth element or essence.”
- In Aristotelian physics, the main four elements were earth, air, fire, and water; the fifth element, or quintessence, was a pure, hypothetical substance thought to make up the heavens.
EXAMPLES OF QUINTESSENTIAL
- She dreamed of the quintessential Paris morning: a croissant in one hand and a book in the other.
- The family dinner was the quintessential holiday gathering 鈥� some laughter, some arguing, and too much pie.
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Why Dictionary.com chose librate
More about librate
- First recorded in 1615鈥�25.
- From the Latin 濒墨产谤补, meaning “a scale or balance.”
EXAMPLES OF LIBRATE
- Even while sleeping, some birds can librate on branches or wires, thanks to a tendon-locking mechanism in their feet.
- The sculpture seemed to librate on its narrow base, making museum visitors anxious about it falling over.
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