Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
the transition zone between two different plant communities, as that between forest and prairie.
The eco- element of ecotone is short for ecology, which is based on Ancient Greek oîkos, “house, dwelling.” The -tone part, meanwhile, comes from Ancient Greek tónos, meaning “strain” or “a stretching.” Although Ancient Greek oi usually corresponds to British English oe, the American spelling of ecology is used throughout the English-speaking world. Ecotone was first recorded in English at the turn of the 20th century. EXAMPLE OF ECOTONE USED IN A SENTENCE Human civilization has created a new kind of ecotone where wild plants quickly give way to crops, gardens, and parks.
the methods or techniques used to teach adults.
Andragogy is usually used in contrast to pedagogy, the art or science of teaching. Andragogy was formed by replacing the ped- element, meaning “child,” with the element andr-, meaning “man, male,” which comes from Ancient Greek anḗr, “man.” Andragogy is used to refer to the teaching of all adults—though, a more gender-neutral term could be invented using the Ancient Greek form ánthrōpos, “human, person.” Andragogy was first recorded in English in the late 1920s. EXAMPLE OF ANDRAGOGY USED IN A SENTENCE The professor’s background in andragogy allowed her to better anticipate the learning needs of her graduate students.
a minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye.
Animalcule comes from New Latin animalculum, “small animal.” The animal- element comes from Latin animālis, meaning “living” or, literally, “airy, breathy.” The suffix -culum, “small,” also appears in disguise in the Words of the Day canicular and osculate. Animalcule was first recorded in English in the 1590s. EXAMPLE OF ANIMALCULE USED IN A SENTENCE Pressed between the two glass slides, a variety of animalcules drifted and skittered through the narrow band of water.
spectral in color; brilliant.
Prismatic is based on Ancient Greek prîsma, literally meaning “something sawed.” The noun, prism, can refer to a transparent object created with cut angles that is used to disperse light into a spectrum. Prismatic was first recorded in English at the turn of the 18th century. EXAMPLE OF PRISMATIC USED IN A SENTENCE A prismatic array of colors reflected onto the wall as the sunlight struck the glass artwork.
a condiment or dip consisting of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and usually mint.
Tzatziki is from Modern Greek that comes from Turkish cacık, which is of uncertain origin, though it resembles older Persian zhāzh, the name of various wild plants. Turkish is the source of numerous food-related terms, such as baklava, bergamot, pastrami, and even lemon. Tzatziki was first recorded in English in the early 1960s. EXAMPLE OF TZATZIKI USED IN A SENTENCE A dollop of tzatziki gave the savory slices of pita a slightly sour punch.
