Word of the Day
rangoli
noun
a traditional Hindu decoration on a floor or other flat surface usually made of powder, such as colored or dyed sand, chalk, crushed limestone, or rice flour.
More about rangoli
Rangoli, “a traditional Hindu decoration made of powder produced on a flat surface,” is adapted from rãgoḷī in Marathi, a language native to central and western India with over 90 million speakers. Numerous languages of the Indian subcontinent inherit much of their vocabulary from the classical language Sanskrit, and Marathi is no exception. In this way, rãgoḷī comes from Sanskrit raṅga “color” combined with āvali “line.” Rangoli was first recorded in English in the early 1880s.
EXAMPLE OF RANGOLI USED IN A SENTENCE
The community came together to create a vibrant rangoli on the stone floor of the library’s lobby.
pandiculation
noun
the act of stretching oneself, especially on waking.
Why the Museum of Science chose pandiculation
Pandiculation has been observed in most vertebrates, cold and warm-blooded. To find out more about pandiculation, watch this video from science communicator Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D.
Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
More about pandiculation
Pandiculation, “the act of stretching oneself,” comes from the Latin verb pandiculārī, “to stretch, grimace,” which derives from pandere, “to spread out, extend.” Pandere has three stems in English: pand-, pans-, and pass-. We can find pand- and pans- in expand and expansion, while pass- appears in compass and passport. Unfortunately, pandiculation is not related to panda, which was borrowed from one of the languages spoken in Nepal. Pandiculation entered English in the early 17th century.
EXAMPLE OF PANDICULATION USED IN A SENTENCE
After a long session of pandiculation, the bleary-eyed panda rose and set off in search of breakfast.
More about strigiform
Strigiform, “of or pertaining to owls,” is based on Latin strix (stem strig-), “screech owl,” which comes from Ancient Greek stríx, “owl,” of uncertain origin. Stríx is one of several Ancient Greek words for “owl” (compare scops owl) that are likely of pre-Greek origin, coming from a long-lost language of the eastern Mediterranean. For another example of a pre-Greek word, check out the Word of the Day dithyrambic. Stríx also gives rise to Latin striga, which has a variety of macabre senses, from “evil spirit” to “vampire” to “witch.” Strigiform was first recorded in English in the late 1870s.
EXAMPLE OF STRIGIFORM USED IN A SENTENCE
In the fresco, Athena appears surrounded by wide-eyed strigiform figures, probably to underscore her association with wisdom.