Word of the Day 18-21

Word of the Day 18~~October 18, 2009

Turbid \TUR-bid\

adjective:

1.
Muddy; thick with or as if with roiled sediment; not clear; -- used of liquids of any kind.
2.
Thick; dense; dark; -- used of clouds, air, fog, smoke, etc.
3.
Disturbed; confused; disordered.


Origin:
Turbid comes from Latin turbidus, "confused, disordered," from turba, "disturbance, commotion."


Word of the Day 19~~October 19, 2009


Fugacious \fyoo-GAY-shuhs\

adjective:

1.
Lasting but a short time; fleeting.


Origin:
Fugacious is derived from Latin fugax, fugac-, "ready to flee, flying; hence, fleeting, transitory," from fugere, "to flee, to take flight." Other words derived from the same root include fugitive, one who flees, especially from the law; refuge, a place to which to flee back (re-, "back"), and hence to safety; and fugue, literally a musical "flight."

Word of the Day 20~~October 20, 2009


Milieu \meel-YUH; meel-YOO\

noun:

1.
Environment; setting.


Origin:
Milieu is from French, from Old French, from mi, "middle" (from Latin medius) + lieu, "place" (from Latin locus).

Word of the Day 21~~October 21, 2009


Scuttlebutt \SKUHT-l-buht\

noun:

1.
A drinking fountain on a ship.
2.
A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water.
3.
Informal. Gossip; rumor.


Origin:
Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.