Word of the Day
More about cucurbit
Cucurbit, “any plant of the gourd family,” ultimately comes from Latin cucurbita, “gourd, cupping glass.” Despite the similar spelling, it remains uncertain whether cucurbita is related to cucumis, “cucumber.” What is certain is that cucurbita, following several irregular sound changes, is the source of both courgette, a British alternative name for zucchini, and gourd, a term for fruits such as pumpkins and squash. Cucurbit was first recorded in English in the late 14th century.
EXAMPLE OF CUCURBIT USED IN A SENTENCE
To welcome guests in the fall season, the inn had arranged cucurbits of all shapes, sizes, and colors along their walkways.
kreplach
noun
turnovers or pockets of noodle dough filled with any of several mixtures, usually boiled, and served in soup.
More about kreplach
Kreplach, “stuffed noodle turnovers,” is a borrowing of Yiddish kreplech (also transliterated as kreplakh, kreplekh), which is the plural of krepl, “meat dumpling.” The majority of words in Yiddish come from varieties of German, and krepl is no exception to this trend; it is related to standard German Krapfen and dialectal German Kräppel, “doughnut, fritter.” The source of all three words appears to be an Old High German word for “hook,” after the shape of the pastry. Following a long chain of borrowings across languages and shifts in meaning, this same Old High German root is the ultimate origin of English grape, which makes a meal of kreplach and wine etymologically appropriate. Kreplach was first recorded in English in the early 1890s.
EXAMPLE OF KREPLACH USED IN A SENTENCE
Similar to wontons, kreplach are savory, appetite-satisfying dumplings that add an extra kick of flavor to hearty soup.
olfaction
noun
the act of smelling.
Why the Museum of Science chose olfaction
Have you ever had a whiff of a holiday dinner before it’s finished cooking? We wanted to know how you recognize that delicious smell. To find out about olfaction and its relationship with memory, watch this video from award-winning science communicator Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D.
More about olfaction
Olfaction contains two Latin roots: ol-, “to smell,” and fact-, “to make, do.” Ol- is a variation of od-, which is found in odor and deodorant. The change from d to l happened with several Latin words over time, which is also how the older word dingua, “tongue, speech,” evolved into Classical Latin lingua, as in bilingual, linguistics, and linguine—yes, the tongue-shaped pasta. Olfaction was first recorded in English in the 1840s.
EXAMPLE OF OLFACTION USED IN A SENTENCE
The farmer found that her pigs didn’t need any training to help hunt truffles because they had a natural passion for olfaction.
FUN FACT ABOUT OLFACTION
Humans have about six million olfactory receptors in their noses. Dogs have 300 million, which explains why their sniffers are better! Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
