Word of the Day
xeric
adjective
of, relating to, or adapted to a dry environment.
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Xeric is an adjective used in ecology, botany, and biology in general to characterize a very dry environment or an organism that can grow in such an environment. Xeric comes from Greek 虫脓谤贸蝉 鈥渄ry, withered,鈥� and it appears to be obviously related to the Greek noun 虫别谤贸苍 鈥渄ry land, mainland,鈥� but the long 脓 and the short e are problematic. If 虫脓谤贸蝉 and 虫别谤贸苍 are related, they will come from the Proto-Indo-European root kser– (also ks脓r-) 鈥渄ry,鈥� source of Latin serescere 鈥渢o become dry,鈥� ser脓nit膩s 鈥渄ry, bright, clear weather or sky鈥� (English serenity), and ser脓nus 鈥渃lear, cloudless, fine鈥� (English serene). Xeric entered English in the first half of the 20th century.
how is xeric used?
At the island’s opposite end is the Southeast Peninsula, a wilderness of salt ponds and xeric vegetation.
These increasingly xeric (hot and dry) conditions restricted the range of large game animals and this, coupled with human predation and environmental stress, drove many game species … to extinction.
luminary
noun
a person who has attained eminence in his or her field or is an inspiration to others: one of the luminaries in the field of medical science.
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贰苍驳濒颈蝉丑听濒耻尘颈苍补谤测听comes from Middle English luminari(e) 鈥渓ight (especially of the sun or moon), lamp, source of spiritual light, shining example of holiness, earthly glory,鈥� from Old French luminarie, luminaire, from Medieval Latin 濒奴尘颈苍腻谤颈补 (plural of聽濒奴尘颈苍腻谤别), from Late Latin 濒奴尘颈苍腻谤颈补 鈥渓ights, lamps,鈥� used in the Vulgate for the lights in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem and in Christian churches. (The Vulgate is the Latin version of the Bible, prepared chiefly by St. Jerome at the end of the 4th century a.d.). In Latin of the classical period, 濒奴尘颈苍腻谤别 meant merely 鈥渨indow, window shutter.鈥� Luminary entered English in the late 15th century.
how is luminary used?
I have been accustomed to consider him a luminary too dazzling for the darkness which surrounds him ….
She had been a luminary of the British folk revival in the nineteen-fifties and sixties鈥攁 ballad singer with a steady, almost austere approach to melody, a demure presence, and a true, heartbreaking voice.
redoubtable
adjective
that is to be feared; formidable.
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贰苍驳濒颈蝉丑听redoubtable comes from Middle English redoutable 鈥渢errible, frightening, worthy of honor, venerable,鈥� ultimately from Old French redotable, redoubtable, a derivative of the verb redouter 鈥渢o fear, dread.鈥� Redouter is formed from a French use of the prefix re– as an intensive (for instance, in refine), a use that Latin re– does not have, and from Latin 诲耻产颈迟腻谤别 鈥渢o doubt, hesitate, waver鈥� (but not 鈥渢o fear鈥�). Redoubtable entered English in the first half of the 15th century.
how is redoubtable used?
Isabelle may not realize it for a while, but she’s become a redoubtable opponent, Vincent.
“They are as redoubtable a gang of pirates as ever sailed the Spanish Main,” Cannon said in introduction to his remarks about the Florida delegation.