Word of the Day
alley-oop
interjection
used as a shout of encouragement, exhortation, or the like, especially when coordinating efforts to lift a heavy object.
More about alley-oop
Alley-oop comes from French allez-hop, which generally means “off you go” or “go on up.” Allez, “go,” is a form of aller, “to go,” as in the Word of the Day laisser-aller. Hop is an expressive word with a variety of meanings and is also the source of hoopla. Alley-oop was first recorded in English in the late 1910s.
EXAMPLE OF ALLEY-OOP USED IN A SENTENCE
“Alley-oop,” cried the vaudeville performer, and his co-stars struggled to lift the piano he was sitting on.
girasol
noun
a sunflower, having edible, tuberous, underground stems or rootstocks.
More about girasol
Girasol, from Italian girasole, is an abbreviation of girare, meaning “to turn,” and sole, “sun.” While girare is related to English gyrate, sole shares an origin with English solar. Girasol was first recorded in English in the 1580s.
EXAMPLE OF GIRASOL USED IN A SENTENCE
The girasols were uprooted so they could be cooked for lunch.
ecotone
noun
the transition zone between two different plant communities, as that between forest and prairie.
More about ecotone
The eco- element of ecotone is short for ecology, which is based on Ancient Greek oîkos, “house, dwelling.” The -tone part, meanwhile, comes from Ancient Greek tónos, meaning “strain” or “a stretching.” Although Ancient Greek oi usually corresponds to British English oe, the American spelling of ecology is used throughout the English-speaking world. Ecotone was first recorded in English at the turn of the 20th century.
EXAMPLE OF ECOTONE USED IN A SENTENCE
Human civilization has created a new kind of ecotone where wild plants quickly give way to crops, gardens, and parks.