Word of the Day
alluvion
noun
a gradual increase of land on a shore or a river bank by the action of water, whether from natural or artificial causes.
More about alluvion
Alluvion, “an increase of land on a shore by the action of water,” comes from Latin alluviō, “an overflowing,” in which the -luv- element comes from lavāre, “to wash.” The basic stems of lavāre (lau- and lav-) are visible in latrine (earlier lavātrīna), laundry, lavatory, and lavish—but not lava. Meanwhile, through its broader range of stems, lavāre is also the source of the Word of the Day antediluvian, and deluge and lotion. Alluvion was first recorded in English in the 1530s.
EXAMPLE OF ALLUVION USED IN A SENTENCE
The anglers had to step lively to avoid sinking into the soft area of alluvion along the river’s edge.
gul
noun
a large octagonal design derived from the shape of a rose, a motif on rugs.
More about gul
Gul, “a rose-shaped design,” is a short word with a long history. The term is a loanword from classical Persian gul, “rose.” Thanks to a series of sound changes, gul comes from an ancient Iranian root, warda-, that may have been borrowed into Ancient Greek as wrodon, later rhódon, “rose,” and then into Latin as rosa. This flowery root appears in English rose, rhododendron, and even julep, but be careful—despite the resemblance, it is not the source of the Word of the Day rosolio. Gul was first recorded in English in the 1810s.
EXAMPLE OF GUL USED IN A SENTENCE
The carpet’s ornate central gul caught the interior designer’s eye.
eruct
verb
to belch, as gas from the stomach.
Why the Museum of Science chose eruct
To find out, watch this video about from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
More about eruct
Eruct comes from the Latin verb ērūgere, “to belch out, discharge noisily.” Not surprisingly, the -ruct part of eruct is distantly related to English reek, “to smell bad.” While reek is of Old English origin (and therefore more than 1000 years old), eruct was first recorded in English in the 1660s. Read more about this medical term.
EXAMPLE OF ERUCT USED IN A SENTENCE
The unlucky photographer missed the perfect shot when he eructed and bumped the camera out of focus.
