Word of the Day
pion
noun
a subatomic particle with spherical symmetry and positive, negative, or neutral charge.
More about pion
Pion is either a contraction of pi meson or formed from pi and the suffix -on, which indicates subatomic particles. The Greek letter pi (Ancient Greek 辫卯 or 辫别卯) is a borrowing from the Phoenician alphabet, and its name comes from a Semitic root meaning 鈥渕outh.鈥� Pion was first recorded in English in the early 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF PION USED IN A SENTENCE
The pion blinked into and out of existence within mere billionths of a second.
humuhumunukunukuapuaa
noun
either of two triggerfishes聽of Indo-Pacific coral reefs.
More about humuhumunukunukuapuaa
Humuhumunukunukuapuaa is from Hawaiian 丑耻尘耻丑耻尘耻-苍耻办耻苍耻办耻-腻-辫耻补鈥榓. The humuhumu element means 鈥渢riggerfish,鈥� while nukunuku translates as 鈥渟hort, blunt鈥� and 鈥渟mall snout,鈥� 腻 means 鈥渓ike,鈥� and 辫耻补鈥檃 means 鈥減ig.鈥� Both humuhumu and nukunuku are reduplicated forms, same as the English terms bye-bye, chitchat, and itsy-bitsy. Humuhumunukunukuapuaa was first recorded in English in the mid-1860s.
EXAMPLE OF HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKUAPUAA USED IN A SENTENCE
A school of brightly colored humuhumunukunukuapuaa drifted idly by the reef.
abat-jour
noun
a device, as a skylight or reflector, for diverting light into a building.
More about abat-jour
Abat-jour is from French, in which abat is a form of abattre, 鈥渢o beat down,鈥� ultimately from Latin battuere, 鈥渢o beat.鈥� Battuere is the source of numerous fighting-related words in English, including battle听补苍诲 debate, and French jour, 鈥渄ay, daylight,鈥� is the source of journal and journey. Abat-jour was first recorded in English in the 1820s.
EXAMPLE OF ABAT-JOUR USED IN A SENTENCE
Through an abat-jour in the ceiling, the sun cast a square of light onto the floor.