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Why Dictionary.com chose nictate
More about nictate
- First recorded in 1755鈥�65.
- From the Latin 苍颈肠迟腻谤别, meaning “to blink or wink.”
EXAMPLES OF NICTATE
- The horse nictated briefly after the fly buzzed near its eye.
- Owls barely nictate compared to many other birds, so their gaze feels watchful and wise.
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Why Dictionary.com chose siesta
More about siesta
- First recorded in 1645鈥�55.
- Ultimately a shortening of the Latin phrase sexta h艒ra, meaning “the sixth hour or midday.”
EXAMPLES OF SIESTA
- A gentle breeze and a shaded bench made for the perfect impromptu siesta.
- After lunch, the whole village seemed to vanish into a collective siesta.
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Why Dictionary.com chose erst
More about erst
- From Old English (450鈥�1150) 牵谤别蝉迟, meaning “first.”
- Combines ere, meaning “early or before,” + -别蝉迟鹿.
EXAMPLES OF ERST
- Erst the heart of the city’s jazz scene, the street is now filled with retail chains.
- The factory floor, erst full of noise and life, now stood silent beneath a thick layer of dust.
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