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Word of the day
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Why Dictionary.com chose armillary
More about armillary
- Armillary was first recorded around 1655–65.
- Armillary comes from the Latin word armill(a), “bracelet, hoop,” which is typically worn on the arm.
- The Latin word armill(a) was formed from the Latin word arm(us), meaning “shoulder,” and the diminutive suffix –illa.
- Armillary is most often used in the term armillary sphere, “an ancient instrument consisting of an arrangement of rings used to show the relative positions of the celestial equator, ecliptic, and other circles on the celestial sphere.”
EXAMPLES OF ARMILLARY
- As I studied the antique armillary sundial, I marveled at the elegant combination of delicate rings that allowed for precise timekeeping.
- The museum displayed a stunning armillary globe, its metal rings forming a three-dimensional representation of the celestial sphere.
bosky
adjective
covered with bushes, shrubs, and small trees; woody.
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Why Dictionary.com chose bosky
More about bosky
- Bosky was first recorded in 1585–95.
- Bosky comes from the noun bosk, “a small wood or thicket,” which entered English around 1250–1300.
- Bosk, in turn, comes from the Middle English variant of busk(e), which shares the Old Norse origin, buskr, with bush, “a low plant with many branches.”
EXAMPLES OF BOSKY
- In the heart of the bosky knoll, a family of deer gracefully emerged from the undergrowth, their antlers blending with the surrounding verdant foliage.
- The old stone cottage nestled in a cozy clearing, its windows framed by a bosky landscape that seemed straight out of a fairy tale.
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Why Dictionary.com chose exsiccate
More about exsiccate
- Exsiccate was first recorded around 1375–1425.
- Exsiccate comes from the Latin word exsiccātus, meaning “dried up.”
- This form can be broken down further into the prefix ex-, which means “thoroughly,” and the verb siccāre, “to dry, make dry.”
- Desiccate, “to dry up,” and desiccant, “a drying agent,” are related to exsiccate, but entered English about 300 years later.
EXAMPLES OF EXSICCATE
- With no rainfall for months, the soil in the farmer’s field started to exsiccate, making it difficult for crops to grow.
- The ancient parchment documents were carefully stored in a dry environment to prevent them from exsiccating and becoming brittle over time.
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