Word of the Day
clepsydra
noun
an ancient device for measuring time by the regulated flow of water or mercury through a small aperture
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Why Dictionary.com chose clepsydra
More about clepsydra
- First used in English between 1640–50.
- Latinized form of the Greek klepsýdra, from kléptein, “to steal, conceal” + hydra, “water.” Cf. kleptomania and kleptocracy.
EXAMPLES OF CLEPSYDRA
- The clepsydra’s steady drip of water provided a reliable method for tracking time in ancient civilizations.
- The ancient Greeks employed a clepsydra to time speeches during their legislative assemblies.
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Why Dictionary.com chose endemic
More about endemic
- First recorded in 1655–65.
- From New Latin endēmicus, equivalent to Greek éndēm(os), “dwelling in a place, native,” (from en-2, “within, in” + deme, “people, district”+ -ic, suffix forming adjectives). Compare with pandemic and epidemic.
EXAMPLES OF ENDEMIC
- The koala is endemic to Australia, found nowhere else in the world.
- The genetic trait is endemic to the local population, passed down through generations.
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Why Dictionary.com chose skedaddle
More about skedaddle
- An Americanism first used between 1860–65.
- There’s debate over its origin but most sources connect it to Scots and Northern English dialects meaning “to spill, scatter.”
- The term was popularized during the American Civil War, originally spelled as skaddadle, military slang meaning “run away, flee hastily.”
EXAMPLES OF SKEDADDLE
- Let’s skedaddle before the storm comes.
- As soon as they heard the approaching sirens, the burglars skedaddled from the scene of the crime.
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