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Stationary vs. StationeryStationary and stationery are just one letter off, but that seemingly small difference changes the meaning of these words entirely. These two terms share the Latin root statiōnārius, which derives from the word station meaning “a standing place.” Stationary with an a is the older of these two terms, and it means “fixed in one place and not moving,” like a stationary bicycle at the …
They Call It Puppy Love And Other Animal-inspired PhrasesWe often attribute emotions and other human characteristics to animals. This is called anthropomorphism. Similarly, we also describe people using animal characteristics. You might, for example, say my teenage son “eats like a horse,” meaning he’s a growing boy and consumes a lot of food. This is called zoomorphism. Zoomorphism also includes assigning animal-like qualities to gods and inanimate objects. The term comes from the Greek …
Nearby words
snaggy, snail, snail bore, snail cam, snail darter, snail fever, snail kite, snail mail, snail's pace, snail-paced, snailfish
Origin of snail fever
First recorded in 1945–50; so called because the parasites that cause the disease are carried by snails
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019