Word of the Day
swizzle
verb (used with object)
to agitate a beverage with a rod for stirring highballs and cocktails.
More about swizzle
Swizzle, “to agitate a beverage with a rod,” is of uncertain origin, but not because there are multiple competing theories. Instead, the mystery behind swizzle is the same as that behind many slang terms: linguists have no idea what the origin of swizzle could possibly be! Swizzle is first and foremost a noun referring to a type of alcoholic drink from the Caribbean, and in an example of metonymy, the name came to refer as well to the stick served with the drink. A similarly named drink is the switchel, which is found in some varieties of US and Canadian English, but just as with swizzle, switchel is also of uncertain origin. Swizzle was first recorded in English circa 1810.
EXAMPLE OF SWIZZLE USED IN A SENTENCE
As happy hour started, the bar filled with the sounds of patrons swizzling their drinks and clinking their glasses together in toasts.
malic
adjective
pertaining to or derived from apples.
More about malic
Malic “pertaining to apples” comes by way of French from Latin mālum “apple.” Mālum, in turn, is an adaptation of Ancient Greek mêlon, which refers specifically to apples or generally to any tree fruit and is also the source of English melon. Similarly, though mālum survives today as Italian mela “apple,” while the French word for “apple,” pomme, comes from Latin pōmum “fruit.” Portuguese maçã and Spanish manzana derive instead from the Latin term Mattiāna (mala) “(apples) of Matius,” which refers to Gaius Matius, a Roman botanist and friend of Julius Caesar. Though the words are almost identical, Latin mālum is not related to Latin malus “bad,” meaning that the use of apples to represent forbidden fruit is a clever pun. Malic was first recorded in English in the 1790s.
EXAMPLE OF MALIC USED IN A SENTENCE
The Evil Queen’s temptation of Snow White with a poisoned apple is a perfect example of malic malice.
petrichor
noun
a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground.
Why the Museum of Science chose petrichor
There’s nothing quite like the smell of a rainstorm, and you’ve likely wondered, what causes that distinct smell? To find out, watch this video about petrichor from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
More about petrichor
Petrichor is based on two Ancient Greek words: pétros, meaning “stone,” and īchṓr, the name of an ethereal fluid that the gods of Greek mythology had instead of blood in their veins. This scent results from certain types of rocks and soils releasing a plant-derived oil during rainfall. Scientists Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G. Thomas coined petrichor in 1964.
EXAMPLE OF PETRICHOR USED IN A SENTENCE
After weeks without a single drop of rain, petrichor hung in the air after this morning’s showers.
FUN FACT ABOUT PETRICHOR
Though often confused with the smell that ozone causes before rainfall, petrichor actually refers to the earthy aroma during rain. Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
