Word of the Day
democracy
noun
government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.
More about democracy
Democracy, “government by the people,” comes from the Middle French noun démocratie, which comes via Latin from Greek dēmokratía, “popular government.” Democracy was first recorded in English in the early 1500s.
vote
verb (used without object)
to express or signify will or choice in a matter, as by casting a ballot.
More about vote
Vote, “to express or signify will or choice in a matter,” comes from a late Middle English noun that ultimately comes from Latin vōtum “a vow made to a deity; prayer, desire, hope.” Vote was first recorded in English in the late 1400s.
baetyl
noun
a meteorite or stone held sacred or believed to be of divine origin.
More about baetyl
Baetyl, “a sacred meteorite,” comes by way of Latin baetulus from Ancient Greek baítȳlos, “meteoric stone.” Baítȳlos is sometimes hypothesized to be of pre-Greek origin, meaning that it may be a borrowing from a long-lost language of the Mediterranean. However, a far more interesting (and likely) proposal is that baítȳlos comes from a Semitic source such as Hebrew bēth ’ēl (compare bethel) or Phoenician bēt ’l, both of which mean “house of god.” Phoenician bēt, “house,” is the origin of the Ancient Greek letter beta and, by extension, alphabet. Baetyl was first recorded in English in the early 1850s.
EXAMPLE OF BAETYL USED IN A SENTENCE
Though they may look to us simply like old, rugged stones, baetyls served a central purpose in ancient Mediterranean religions.