You searched for: “of
Units related to: “of
(Greek: of, or pertaining to "god of war", Ares or Mars, used primarily in astronomy)
(Latin: of, pertaining to, or resembling hair; minute [hairlike] blood vessels that connect the arterioles and the venules)
(Latin: suffix from -ensis, of, belonging to, from [a place]; originating in [a city or country])
(from Proto-Germanic -iskaz, Vulgar Latin -iscus, Italian -esco, and then French -esque: a suffix forming adjuectives and indicating "resemblance, style, manner, or distinctive character, etc., of")
(Latin: wise, wisdom, to be wise, to have wisdom; to know, knowledge; to taste [of], to perceive)
(Latin: of, relating to, or resembling; compound of the suffixes -ule, "little, small" and -ar, "pertaining to, of the nature of, like"; and so, -ular is a combining form meaning: referring to something "specified": appendicular, molecular, pedicular; as well as, a combining form meaning "resembling" something specified: circular, globular, tubular)
(Latin: of, or pertaining to, a cow; a bovine)
(shortened forms of spoken words or written symbols, or phrases, used chiefly in writing to represent the complete forms)
(generally a reference to indigenous people in general; being the first or earliest known of its kind present in a region: aboriginal forests, aboriginal rocks; of or relating to Aborigines or people of Australia)
(the origins and more recent usage as a term used in the performances of prestidigitation or "magic")
(modifying or describing parts of speech)
(descriptions of verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs)
(a system of sounds for each symbol)
(etymology of words or their original "true meanings"; a rich source of information regarding the earliest meanings of words as they migrated from the past into the present)
(the structure of organisms from the smallest components of cells to the biggest organs and their relationships to other organs especially of the human body)
(the science of bodily structures and parts as discovered and developed over the centuries by means of dissections)
(Egyptians suffered with a variety of physical complaints despite healthier habits among ancient nations)
(terms restricted to the study of social insects; such as, ants and words that apply generally to entomology)
(a glossary of archeological terms particularly related to the field of research that can tell us about our origins and our remote past)
(a published series of etymological topics)
(the science of the celestial bodies: the sun, the moon, and the planets; the stars and galaxies; and all of the other objects in the universe)
(scientific terms about the use of vehicles including cars, trucks, or any automobiles including their technology as related to transportation)
(a reverse acronym or a regular word that also doubles as an acronym using the same procedures as with acronyms, except that the letters of a word are presented to form a phrase which defines the word or for humorous reasons)
(a world of Biblical information for everyone who wants to know more about the Bible and its contents and the world from which it became known)
(phrases or Bible quotations that are derived directly from the King Jame's version of the Bible many of which are direct quotations)
(sources of information for the various terms listed in the Index of Scientific and Technological Topics)
(Algenol, an algae strain of microscopic plantlike organisms that feed off sunlight and carbon dioxide; a biofuel greener and cheaper than oil or corn-fed ethanol)
(a glossary of biological terms about living creatures including plants and all kinds of animal species and organisms)
(a collective term for all organic substances of relatively recent, non-geological, origin which can be used for energy production)
(many blended words have entered English since the 1800's; a significant number of which are corporate brand names)
(the relative locations of sections of the body, or bodily organs, and their actions and activities)
(what resembles an odd marriage between Trojan battle gear and Medusa is actually part of the most powerful brain scanner ever made)
(the most deadly five "enemies" of the brain: depression, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, stroke, and autism)
(words that end with cate and are pronounced KAYT)
(the hundred-degree temperature interval gave us the name scale of centigrade from the Latin centum, "hundred" and gradus, "step")
(Photo of world leaders at work)
(all of the enhanced units present parts of speeches (when applicable), have definitions for word entries, and clarifying sentences in context)
(some of the common terms used in computer science)
(a radiographic technique that produces an image of a detailed cross section of bodily tissue using a narrow collimated beam of x-rays that rotates in a full arc around a patient to image the body in cross-sectional slices)
(connecting words or groups of words)
(judicial or legal words that may apply to trial processes that determine the guilt or innocence of people which is ascertained by either judges or juries)
(lexicomedy, linguicomedy, or a chuckleglossary consisting of definitions which are markedly different from the accepted dictionary norm)
(a variety of learning concepts for improving vocabulary skills)
(a variety of diseases)
(New plagues, survival, and the various mutual adaptations carried on with our microbial fellow travelers)
(New diseases are always coming into existence, most change with time, and some even vanish from known existence!)
(Until recently, the usual explanation for the first pandemics was not biological but a result of immorality)
(dogs are considered to be the companions and best friends of humans and this list of terms will help all of us understand the topics that exist about our canine friends)
(a suffix that forms abstract and collective nouns added to adjectives to show state or condition; added to nouns to show a position, rank, or realm of; all of those who are part of a group or organization)
(conceptions of dreams from different cultures and during different historical periods)
(electricity has become one of the most significant areas of study in the world)
(concern over the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels has resulted in looking for alternative fuels that are less polluting)
(this summary of English history is continued from the Get Words home page)
(an official language of the Republic of South Africa which developed from the Dutch of the colonists who went there in the 1600's; South African Dutch)
(the language of a group of American Indian tribes that lived in the valleys of the Ottawa River and of the northern tributaries of the St. Lawrence River)
(an American Indian or an Eskimo; any of the languages of certain American Indians or Eskimos)
(A history of the English Language)
(languages spoken by over 400 closely related groups in central, east-central, and southern Africa, belonging to the South Central subgroup of the Niger-Congo language family and including Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Zulu, Xhosa, etc.)
(many words in English come from a variety of foreign sources)
(an alphabetized listing of links to a world of the uncompromising multi-purpose, majestic, and fathomable universe of words)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern contents)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(a variety of English words which have developed through history and are currently used in our modern age)
(an extensive list of words with explanations that can expand and greatly improve your English vocabulary)
(ecology is the study of the relationship between organisms and the environments in which they live, including all living and nonliving components)
(origins of "arena" and "clue")
(enhance your English vocabulary by taking advantage of word origins)
(Greek: eu, "good, well; sounding good" + pheme, "speaking, speech"; mild, agreeable, or roundabout words used in place of coarse, painful, or offensive ones)
(a history of English dictionaries)
(the historical progress of English dictionaries)
(the next stages of dictionary development)
(other features were incorporated into dictionaries as they continued to evolve)
(the laser that can produce quadrillions of pulses of light per second, creating a spot on a cell that is as hot as the sun)
(the first newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the second newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the third newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the fourth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the fifth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the sixth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the seventh newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the eighth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the ninth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the tenth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the eleventh newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the twelfth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the thirteenth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(the fourteenth newsletter of a series that was formerly presented to subscribers by the Sr. Scribe, a.k.a. John Robertson)
(examples of how words can be applied in abnormal ways)
(the four gemstones which are most valuable are diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds; and anyone would be impressed with a gift of a diamond, a sapphire, an emerald, or a ruby piece of jewelry)
(geography includes mapmakers, scientists, explorers of the earth and provides a way to look at both the physical world and the people who live in various parts this globe)
(a glossary, or dictionary, of terms used in geology; the science of the earth including its origin, composition, structure, and history)
(when visiting old graveyards and examining the epitaphs on gravestones, there are certain words and phrases which could be difficult or impossible to understand without knowing what the words in this unit mean)
(medical professionals and scientists who specialize in designated areas of medical care)
(fields are protected by barriers of hedges by keeping the wind from eroding (blowing away) valuable top soil)
(Herodotus extended his historical coverage beyond the Greek world to the lives, ways, and beliefs of the people with whom the Greeks and the Persians came into contact)
(the science of water which denotes the study of the properties, distribution, and movements of water on land surfaces, in the soil, and through the subsurface rocks of the earth)
(a description in which plants can be produced in containers filled with water and a number of other non-soil contents)
(Latin punctus "a point" or "a mark"; the standardized non-alphabetical symbols or marks that are used to organize writing into clauses, phrases, and sentences, and in this way to clarify meanings)
(access a variety of topics regarding science and technology)
(this is an over-all listing of the special groups of topics listed on this site)
(Historical perspectives of the Reader's Digest)
(a compilation of excerpts and quotes from past issues of magazines and books so they won't be lost in the present)
(There are estimated to be 10,000 million insects living in each square kilometer of habitable land on earth or 26,000 million per square mile)
(Latin origins of words in English characterized by "jumping, leaping", or "springing forward")
(a glossary of terms relating to the decoration and design of interior spaces in buildings)
(Italian developed from Latin and the following words came into English from Italian; most of which were derived from Latin)
(the first Latin words to find their way into the English language owe their adoption to the early contact between the Roman and the Germanic tribes on the European continent and Greek came with Latin and French while others were borrowed directly; especially, in the fields of science and technology)
(Modern Medical Technology reveals more about King Tut, Part 1 of 2)
(Modern Medical Technology reveals more about King Tut, Part 2 of 2)
(just a few of the many important words with several applications in common practice and referring to special technical and scientific operations)
(mathematics is the deductive study of quantities, magnitudes, and shapes as determined by the use of numbers and symbols while every branch of science and engineering depends on mathematics; measurement is the process of associating numbers with physical quantities and phenomena and measurement is fundamental to the sciences; to engineering, construction, and other technical fields; and to almost all everyday activities)
(how some terms might be interpreted by those who lack professional vocabulary knowledge in the field of medicine)
(leeches are bleeding their way back into the good graces of modern medical treatment as healers just as they did in ancient societies)
(learning more about the progress of medicine throughout the centuries)
(fashion terms including the invention of new words for items that apply specifically to men's fashions)
(terms about the science and technology of metals and metal processing)
(topics about the study of the complex motions and interactions of the atmosphere, including the observation of phenomena; such as, temperature, density, winds, clouds, and precipitation)
(an index of Mickey Bach cartoons)
(composed of varied things or made up of many different things or kinds of things that have no necessary connection with each other; from Latin miscellaneus, from miscellus, "mixed"; and derived from miscere, "to mix")
(words that don't mean what they look like or what many people assume that they should mean)
(the advantages of self determination in fulfilling your objectives and belief in your aspirations can improve your mental control and enhance your health)
(these words have become a part of the English language over recent years)
(previously published list of Focusing on Words Newsletters)
(names of words)
(Old Norse: oaf, silly person)
(the study of the deep seas or oceans involves the abyss or the "deep seas" which cover almost two-thirds of the earth's surface; showing applicable scientific terminology in this unit)
(grammatical forms including: nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, etc. that are used to identify word entries)
(a science that attempts to discover the fundamental principles of the sciences, the arts, and the world that the sciences and arts influence)
(generally, flowering plants have special parts that make it possible for them to exist)
(poetic, figures of speech, and words primarily referring to the content of various types of poems)
(words to live by, to inspire, and to give guidance)
(words that take the places of nouns)
(using the creations of pumpkins to illustrate some words)
(this page includes a presentation of the punctuation marks or symbols that are in general use in English writing)
(a mark of punctuation for questions)
(symbols at the beginning and end of a word or groups of words)
(some quotes about a variety of subjects)
(over the past century, knowledge of the way the universe works [science] has grown significantly, and with it the ability to apply that knowledge to everyday problems [technology] has changed the way people live)
(the spread of information with the "wiring" of the world has improved communications between people and accelerated the pace of scientific discoveries as well as greater efficiency in the exchange of technical knowledge and applications)
(a re-writing of the classical story with excessive wordiness)
(there is much more to learn about the mysterious processes of sleep and the things that disturb it)
(bibliographic sources of information from which words and topics have been compiled about scientific and technological topics)
(bibliographic sources of information from which words and sentences have been compiled about words and expressions English speakers should know for better understanding and communication)
(a comparison of synonymous references and their relationships to each other)
(engineering is the technical science in which properties of matter and the sources of power in nature are made useful to people; such as, in structures, devices, machines, and products)
(some of the common terms and abbreviations used by those who send out text messages)
(a translation of the story)
(The name given to the plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351.)
(The name given to the plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351.)
(The name given to the plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351.)
(Various living organisms are organized from the smallest unit of cells to form tissues which form organs and organs work together to form organ systems)
(Fiction or Non-Fiction? You decide.)
(theater as we know it was originated by the Greeks and many of their theatrical terms are still in use)
(historical perspectives of thermoscopes to thermometers: Daniel Fahrenheit, Galileo Galilei, Anders Celsius, and Lord Kelvin; among others, were major contributors to temperature calculations as we know them today)
(Sesquipedalia Verba or Sesquipedalians are references to the use of excessively long words)
triage (adjective) (not comparable)
(Descriptive of the task of allocating and sorting: The triage nurse had many patients to categorise and group regarding their medical needs.)
(A family of words ending in -ude.)
(knowledge about special topics that enhance a person's understanding about certain words)
(to make a careful and critical examination of something or to investigate someone thoroughly)
(A visual presentation of various plants, animals, insects and other forms of life in their environments)
(as presented by Mickey Bach, the cartoonist who defined words with related illustrations)
(using definitions and a letter added to the beginning of the second word of two words with the same spellings will produce two completely different words)
(sentences that illustrate the manipulations of words with one meaning into different applications)
(words exist in all sizes and degrees of difficulty from numerous languages and English continues to churn out new words from the past and the present)
(many of the words used today in English are derived from Greek myths)
(an exhibition of words that appear in headlines and sub-headlines which all of us should know)
(lists of words used in context from various printed media; including, statements that help readers determine how words function in various contents)
(Many words from French are used in English)
(there are many words which may be rarely seen by a vast number of people; however, they have been existing and they are still available for one's use or enlightenment)
(a collection of English words that have been used in the titles of articles from various printed media)
(one of the group of biological sciences, each of which deals with an aspect of the study of living things)
(phyla rhymes or major taxonomic groups, classifying of living organisms, into which animals are divided and made up of several classes in poetic format)
Word Entries at Get Words containing the term: “of
“Lawyer Idiocy” as Demonstrated by Some of Them

On November 8, 1998, there was an article in “Dear Ann Landers” titled, “Lawyer-bashing: Sometimes wounds are self-inflicted.”

The Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers Journal printed the following questions actually asked of witnesses by lawyers during a trial. The responses to some of the questions were given by insightful witnesses. This is not a put-on. It’s for real. —Ronita in Center Line, Michigan”

  • Question: Now, doctor, isn’t it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn’t know about it until the next morning?
  • Question: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
  • Question: Were you present when your picture was taken?
  • Question: Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?
  • Question: Did he kill you?
  • Question: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?
  • Question: You were there until the time you left, is that true?
  • Question: She had three children, right?

    Answer: Yes.

    Question: How many were boys?

    Answer: None.

    Question: How many were girls?

  • Question: You say the stairs went down to the basement?

    Answer: Yes.

    Question: And these stairs, did they go up, also?

  • Question: How was your first marriage terminated?

    Answer: By death.

    Question: And by whose death was it terminated?

  • Question: Can you describe the individual?

    Answer: He was about medium height and had a beard.

    Question: Was this a male or a female?

  • Question: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice that I sent to your attorney?

    Answer: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

  • Question: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?

    Answer: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

  • Question: All your responses must be oral. OK? What school did you go to?

    Answer: Oral.

  • Question: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

    Answer: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

    Question: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?

    Answer: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.

  • Question: Mr. Slatery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?

    Answer: I went to Europe, sir.

    Question: And you took your new wife?

  • Question: So the date of conception was August 8th?>

    Answer: Yes.

    Question: And what were you doing at the time?

  • Question: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?

    Answer: I have been since early childhood.

  • Question: You were not shot in the fracas?

    Answer: No, I was shot midway between the fracas and the navel.


Oh, well! That's the way it goes sometimes.


This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #05 (page 1)
2. Scientific method, formlation of physical laws and generalizations
The formulation of physical laws from the generalization of the phenomena: physical laws are the way nature usually behaves based on what has been observed in the past.
This entry is located in the following unit: Measurements and Mathematics Terms (page 1)
3. Scientific method, developoment of theory to predict new phenomena
The development of a theory that is used to predict new phenomena where the theory is a general statement that explains the facts.

A theory can lead to a new conclusion or the discovery of a phenomenon. Developments of a theory often result in a change in paradigm; that is, looking at or thinking about a scientific problem in a totally different way as indicated by a set of assumptions, concepts, values, and practices that constitute a way of viewing reality for the scientific community that shares them.

—Based on information compiled from "Why Is Measurement Important to Science?"
by Patricia Barnes-Svarney, Editorial Director; The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference;
A Stoneson Press Book, Macmillan Publishers; New York; 1995; page 2.
This entry is located in the following unit: Measurements and Mathematics Terms (page 1)
A message from someone who recently purchased a copy of Words for a Modern Age, A Cross Reference of Latin and Greek Combining Elements

John Robertson:

I received your book on 6/26/00. Congratulations on a great book. You no doubt spent a great amount of time in research. I find the book fascinating.

It’s been over 45 years since I studied Latin and Greek in college and unless one keeps it up, one tends to forget. You have rekindled my interest. Now that I’m retired, I’ll have more time. I have always been interested in the origin of words especially from Latin and Greek.

Because the schools do not teach Latin and Greek as they once did, your book would be invaluable in helping students with the English language; thereby enriching their thought process. I am so happy that we still have people in this world who regard knowledge of Latin and Greek essential to scholarly development.

To quote Seneca, Jr. from your book: “Non scholae, sed vitae discimus.” Thank you for your “illusions” and also many thanks to your wife.

Jeffrey

Note from your editor: The “illusions” referred to the dedication in Words for a Modern Age, A Cross Reference of Latin and Greek Combining Elements in which I wrote: “Dedicated to my wife, who has been my sine qua non. She has kept me in good health with her loving concern for my well being and has rarely interfered with my efforts to strive for my ‘illusions.’ ”

The Latin quotation by Seneca, Jr. means: “We don’t learn just for school, but we learn for life.”.




Speaking of books. The following came from "The Spelling Newsletter" published by Ray Laurita, Leonardo Press, PO Box 1326, Camden, ME 04843.


Can This Be True? Department

After reading the following exchange which appeared in the Metropolitan Diary, I have a feeling that our readers will be equally dismayed:

Carol Ruth Langer stopped at the information desk of a Barnes & Noble in Midtown to inquire about a copy of the Book of Job.


"How would you be spelling 'Job'?" the clerk asked.

"J -- O -- B", Ms. Langer said.

"Job books are in the career section."

Ms. Langer tried again. "Not job, Job, a book in the Bible".

"Who is the author" the clerk asked.


At that point, Ms. Langer knew it was time to leave.


As seen in the May 15, 2000, issue of the New York Times.
This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #11 (page 1)
ABA Model Code of Professional Responsibility
American Bar Association standards of behavior, which are voluntary and intended as self-regulating for lawyer conduct in the courtroom and between lawyers and clients.
This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 1)
aberration of starlight
1. The tiny apparent displacement of stars resulting from the motion of the earth through space.
2. Apparent displacement of a star from its true position, due to the combined effects of the speed of light and the speed of the earth in orbit around the sun (about 30 kilometers per second or 18.5 miles per second).
This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 1)
Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology
Edited by Christopher Morris; Academic Press, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers; New York; 1992.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Science and Technology (page 1)
acceptance of responsibility
A genuine admission or acknowledgment of wrong doing.

In federal presentence investigation reports, for example, convicted offenders may write an explanation and apology for the crime(s) they committed

A provision that may be considered in deciding whether leniency should be extended to offenders during the sentencing phase of their processing.

This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 1)
adaptive theory of sleeping
A theory that the sleep pattern of human beings developed after the species began living in caves, which offered protection from encounters with powerful night time predators.
This entry is located in the following unit: Dream Terms (page 1)
Administrative Office of United States Courts
Organization that hires federal probation officers to supervise federal offenders.

Also supervises pretrial divertees; probation officers prepare presentence investigation reports about offenders at the request of a district judge.

This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 1)
Aesculepius, Asculapius (Latin); Asclepius, Asklepios (Greek), Part 1 of 2
A god for all medical doctors unit.
age of majority, age of consent
Chronological date when one reaches adulthood, usually either 18 or 21; when juveniles are no longer under the jurisdiction of the juvenile courts, but rather the criminal courts.
This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 2)
allocation of resources
The knowledge people use to assign rights to the ownership and use of resources.
alternation of generations
Succession of sexually and asexually formed groups of offspring belinging to a given species of organisms; such as, microspheric and megalospheric foraminifers, polyps, and medusa stages of some coelenterates (invertebrate lacking a backbone or spinal column), etc.

Coelenterates are radially symmetrical animals having saclike bodies with only one opening and tentacles with stinging structures; they occur in polyp and medusa forms.

This entry is located in the following unit: Geology or Related Geological Terms + (page 2)
Amazing Histories of Words

Lists of word histories including a wide variety of well-known English terms.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 1)
amble of dogs
A relaxed, easy gait in which the legs on either side move almost, but not quite, as a pair.

Often seen as the transition movement between a walk and other gaits.

This entry is located in the following unit: Dog or Canine Terms + (page 1)
angle of incidence
The angle that a ray of sun makes with a line perpendicular to the surface.

A surface that directly faces the sun has a solar angle of incidence of zero, but if the surface is parallel to the sun (for example, sunrise striking a horizontal rooftop), the angle of incidence is 90°.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 1)
angle of response
A natural surface inclination of a slope consisting of loose, well-sorted rock or mineral fragments.
This entry is located in the following unit: Geography Terms + (page 1)
ant sizes of workers: monomorphic, dimorphic, polymorphic
Depending on the species, workers in a colony can be
  1. Monomorphic, all the same size.
  2. Dimorphic, of two sizes.
  3. Polymorphic, more than two sizes.

Workers divide labor, so some leave the nest to find food while most of them stay in the nest to take care of all of the other tasks which need to be done.

This entry is located in the following unit: Ant and Related Entomology Terms (page 2)
Apollo, god of the Sun, words from myths
The Sun god who brings life-giving heat and light to Earth unit.
Apple of your eye (Deuteronomy 32:10, Zechariah 2:8)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 1)
Arena: Blood, Sweat, and Cheers; Part 1 of 2
Latin: harena, "sand" or "arena" in English, became the general term for "shows" and now it refers more to "sports", etc. unit.
Asimov's Chronology of science and Discovery
Isaac Asimov; Harper & Row, Publishers; New York; 1989.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Science and Technology (page 1)
astronomical areas of study
Fields of study include: astrophysics, celestial mechanics, and cosmology.

Astronomy is considered by some to be the oldest recorded science. This concept is based on records from ancient Babylonia, China, Egypt, and Mexico.

The first true astronomers are said to be the Greeks, who deduced the earth to be a sphere and attempted to measure its size. A summary of Greek astronomy came to us from Ptolemy of Alexandria's Almagest.

The Arabs developed the astrolabe and produced good star catalogs while in 1543, the Polish astronomer Copernicus demonstrated that the sun, not the earth, is the center of our planetary system

The Italian scientist Galileo was the first to use a telescope for astronomical study, 1609-1610.

The British astronomer William Herschel's suggestions on the shape of our galaxy were verified in 1923 by the U.S. astronomer Edwin Hubble's telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory in California.

Recent extension of the powers of astronomy to explore the universe has been made possible in the use of rockets, satellites, space stations, and space probes, while the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope into permanent orbit in 1990 has made it possible for the detection of celestial phenomena seven times more distant than by any earth-based telescope.

This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 3)
balance of payments
A periodic summary of difference between a nation's total payments to foreign countries and its receipts from them.
This entry is located in the following unit: Economical, Business, and Financial Terms + (page 2)
balance of system
Represents all components and costs other than the photovoltaic modules/array.

It includes design costs, land, site preparation, system installation, support structures, power conditioning, operation and maintenance costs, indirect storage, and related costs.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 2)
balance of trade
The difference in value between a nation's imports and its exports.
This entry is located in the following unit: Economical, Business, and Financial Terms + (page 2)
Baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 1)
Best of Breed
The dog selected by the judge as the best representative of a particular breed on that day.
This entry is located in the following unit: Dog or Canine Terms + (page 2)
Bibliography or Sources of Terms
Bibliography of topics and terms.
This entry is located in the following unit: Index of Scientific and Technological Topics (page 1)
Bibliography or Sources of Terms
Some of the references used to present topics and terms.
This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 1)
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution which set forth certain freedoms and guarantees to U.S. citizens.
Biometrics: Index of Units
Units which explain the various aspects of biometrics unit.
Biomimetics: Index of Natural Imitations
The production of natural-life mimics unit.
birth of Egyptology
The study of ancient Egypt can be traced to Napoleon's 1798 invasion, when his team of scholars and artists made detailed records of the country's antiquities.
This entry is located in the following unit: Archeology, Archaeology (page 2)
Birth of the Blues

This is supposed to be the ONLY time Johnny Carson sang in public!

This show was at Kiel Opera House in St Louis, in June, 1965, when Johnny Carson hosted the "Tonight Show".

"The Rat Pack" was playing in Las Vegas, but visited Carson for this entertaining performance by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Johnny Carson

Click on this link: Birth of the Blues for your enjoyment.

This entry is located in the following unit: Videos (page 1)
Blog, Blogs, and Blogging, Part 1 of 2
A Blog is Another Way to Express Our Selves When Writing on the Internet unit.
Boyfriends of an Elderly Woman
MY FIVE BOYFRIENDS!
1. I am seeing 5 gentlemen every day.

As soon as I wake up, Will Power helps me get out of bed.

2. Then I go to see John (the toilet).
3. Then Arthur Ritis shows up and stays the rest of the day.

He doesn't like to stay in one place very long, so he takes me from joint to joint.

4. After such a busy day, I'm really tired and glad to go to bed with Ben Gay.

What a life!

5. Now remember this: Life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes!
6. So have fun, think "good thoughts" only and learn to laugh at yourself and count your blessings!!!

Identification source is unknown!

This entry is located in the following unit: English Words in Action, Group B (page 8)
burden of proof
The requirement to introduce evidence to prove an alleged fact or set of facts.
This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 6)
By the skin of your teeth (Job 19:20)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 1)
By the sweat of your brow (Genesis 3:19)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 1)
Calendar,The Whole Ball of Wax
The meaning and origin as presented in this unit.
Cameron defends stiff sentences for rioters, honing debate on message of deterrence
stiff sentences:
rioters:
honing:
deterrence:

"Mr. Cameron said the four days of arson, riot and looting in London and major cities was 'absolutely appalling' and the criminal justice system should be sending 'a very clear message that it's wrong and won't be tolerated.' "

International Herald Tribune, August 18, 2011; page 3.
Capnomania and Fumimania, Part 1 of 4
The Ballad of Salvation Bill by Robert W. Service and additional capnomania-fumimania information about smoking or addiction to tobacco smoke from the past to the present unit.
Capnophobia and Fumiphobia, Part 1 of 4
The fear and hatred of tobacco smoke or being around smokers and being exposed to smoking in general unit.
cate family of verbs
Words that end with cate and are pronounced KAYT: in this unit.
center of gravity
The point where the weight of an object appears to be concentrated, usually near its middle.

Cars with a high center of gravity are more likely to topple over when they go round corners.

This entry is located in the following unit: Automobile or Related Car Terms (page 2)
challenges of jurors
Questions raised of jurors by the judge, prosecutor, and/or defense attorney relating to their qualifications as impartial finders of fact; a determination of juror bias one way or another for or against the defendant.
This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 7)
change of venue
A change in the place of trial, usually from one country or district to another one.

Changes of venue are often conducted to avoid prejudicial trial proceedings, where it is believed that a fair trial cannot be obtained in the specific jurisdiction where the crime was alleged to have been committed.

This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 7)
Chariots of Fire (2 Kings 6:17)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 2)
Chemical Elements Chart History, Part 1 of 2
History of the Chemical Elements Table unit.
Chemical Elements Chart History, Part 1 of 2
History of the Chemical Elements Table unit.
cleavage of lateral epitaxial films for transfer; CLEFT
A process for making inexpensive Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) photovoltaic cells in which a thin film of GaAs is grown on top of a thick, single-crystal GaAs (or other suitable material) substrate and then is cleaved from the substrate and incorporated into a cell, allowing the substrate to be reused to grow more thin-film GaAs.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 4)
coefficient of relationship, coefficient of relatedness, degree of relatedness
The probability that a gene possessed by one individual is also possessed by another individual through common descent in the previous few generations.
This entry is located in the following unit: Ant and Related Entomology Terms (page 5)
Cognition or Processes of Sensory Input Terms
Cognition Theory and Applications by Stephen K. Reed; Thomson Learning, Inc.: 2004.
This entry is located in the following unit: Bibliography or Lists of Glossary-Term Sources (page 1)
Confusing Words, Index of Clarified Groups A-Z
Lists of homonyms, homophones, homographs, and other words that cause confusions unit.
crumple zones of cars
Crumple zones exist at the front and the back of a car and these areas are deliberately designed to crumple up like an accordion when a collision takes place.

Such actions slow the car's deceleration and dramatically reduces the impact forces. Just three feet (one meter) of crumpled car can cut the forces reaching the passengers by 90 percent.

This entry is located in the following unit: Automobile or Related Car Terms (page 2)
curvature of space
According to Einstein's theory of gravitation, massive objects in space; such as, stars, cause space to curve and light to bend.
This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 8)
days of storage
The number of consecutive days the stand-alone system will meet a defined load without solar energy input.

This term is related to system availability.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 5)
depth of discharge; DOD
The ampere-hours removed from a fully charged cell or battery, expressed as a percentage of rated capacity.

For example, the removal of 25 ampere-hours from a fully charged 100 ampere-hours rated cell results in a 25 percent depth of discharge.

Under certain conditions, such as discharge rates lower than that used to rate the cell, depth of discharge can exceed 100 percent.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 6)
Dictionary with a Touch of Humor
Enjoying words with special points of view, sometimes humorous, and which are not found in a "regular" dictionary unit.
Early flaws of euro are resurfacing in debt crisis
flaws:
resurfacing:
debt crisis :

When the rules for the euro were first drafted 15 years ago, the leaders of France and Germany had to compromise even to agree on its name: Berlin wanted a 'a stability pact,' emphasizing Germanic fiscal discipline, while the French leaders insisted on adding 'growth' to the title to make it more palatable to their voters."

International Herald Tribune, August 18, 2011; page 1.
Education: Index of Topics
Various topics having to do with technological education and research trends unit.
elbow of a dog
The joint in the front leg where the upper arm (humerus) meets the forearm (ulna).
This entry is located in the following unit: Dog or Canine Terms + (page 4)
Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
James Trefil, General Editor; Routledge; New York; 2001.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Science and Technology (page 1)
Energy Sources of Words
Scientific research into scientific Energy Sources of Words.
This entry is located in the following unit: Index of Scientific and Technological Topics (page 1)
Erin McKean presents a speech titled: "The Joy of Lexicography"
Filmed at TED: Technology, Entertainment and Design, March, 2007.

Click on this link: Erin McKean was able to launch Wordnik, thanks to her TED Talk.

This entry is located in the following unit: Videos (page 1)
Examples of Conjunctions
  • Either write her a note or call her on the phone. (connecting verbs)
  • That tree is quite tall but full of leaves. (connecting adjectives)
  • The setup at the table is missing a knife and a fork. (connecting nouns)
This entry is located in the following unit: conjunction (s), conjunctions (pl) (page 1)
expansion of universe
A feature of our universe deduced from the observation that the distant galaxies' light is red-shifted.

Observations so far have not succeeded in determining whether the universe is open (of infinite extent in space) or closed (of finite extent) and whether the universe in the future will continue to expand indefinitely or will eventually collapse back into an extremely dense, congested state.

This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 10)
Fat of the land (Genesis 45:18)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 2)
Feet of clay (Daniel 2:31-33)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 2)
First Point of Aries
The point at which the sun, traveling from south to north on the ecliptic, crosses the celestial equator.

Identical to the vernal equinox.

This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 11)
Funk & Wagnalls Standard Handbook of Synonyms, Antonyms, and Prepositions
By James C. Fernald, L.H.D.; Funk & Wagnalls; New York; 1947.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Words in Action (page 1)
Grammatical Forms That Are Used to Identify the Parts of Speech for Word Entries
A list of Parts of Speech that are presented with word entries.
This entry is located in the following unit: Index of Punctuation Marks (page 1)
Graveyard Words for a Greater Understanding of Epitaphs

Lists of words used on old gravestones which used Latin terms.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 1)
Hydroponics: Soilless Production of Crops
The Soilless Production of Crops or Hydroponics elements.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index of Scientific and Technological Topics (page 2)
In the twinkling of an eye (1 Corinthians 15:52)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 3)
Index of Information from Past Publications Revealed in the Present, Part 1
Information from the Past and into the Present, Part 1; Historical perspectives of the Reader's Digest.
Index of Information from Past Publications Revealed in the Present, Part 2
Information from the Past and into the Present, Part 2; Excerpts of humorous and more serious topics from the Reader's Digest March, 1932.
Index of Information from Past Publications Revealed in the Present, Part 3
Information from the Past and into the Present, Part 3; A few words from the Reader's Digest July, 1940.
Index of Scientific and Technological Topics

Lists of scientific and technological subjects for your investigation and enlightenment or education that results in understanding and the spread of knowledge.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 1)
Instructions for Use of Commercial Products

These statements were found on actual products. Really! Why? Is it ignorance on the part of companies or is this something out of “Instructions for Dummies?” Not all of them are blunders in English.

The warning labels are real because some companies are afraid of being abused by frivolous lawsuits that U.S. courts should be throwing out without further consideration. Instead, it is costing consumers millions of dollars because companies are actually required by law to pay large sums for nonsense lawsuits and, of course, these costs are passed on to those who buy their products.

Robert Dorigo Jones, president of the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch, a consumer advocacy group says, "Wacky warning labels are a sign of our lawsuit-happy times."

  • On hairdryer instructions: Do not use while sleeping.
  • On a bag of Fritos: You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
  • On a bar of Dial soap: Directions. Use like regular soap.
  • Frozen dinner that says: Serving suggestion, Defrost.
  • On a hotel-provided shower cap in a box: Fits one head.
  • On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert: Do not turn upside down. (Printed on the bottom of the box)
  • On Marks & Spencer bread pudding: Product will be hot after heating.
  • On packaging for a Rowenta iron: Do not iron clothes on body.
  • On Boots (pharmacy chain in the UK) children's cough medicine: Do not drive car or operate machinery after use.
  • On Nytol: Warning, may cause drowsiness.
  • On a Korean kitchen knife: Warning, keep out of children.
  • On a string of Chinese-made Christmas lights: For indoor or outdoor use only.
  • On a Japanese food processor: Not to be used for the other use.
  • On Sainsbury's peanuts: Warning, contains nuts.
  • On an American Airlines packet of nuts: Instructions, open packet, eat nuts.
  • On a Swedish chainsaw: Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands.
  • Contributed by Doron, As seen in Joke of the Day! Date: Tue, 27 Oct 1998.

  • Label on a baby stroller (British, "pram"): Remove your child before folding the stroller for storage.
  • A Batman costume carried a warning stating: "PARENT: Please exercise caution. FOR PLAY ONLY. Mask and chest plate are not protective. Cape does not enable user to fly.
  • A plastic sled advises users to wear helmets and to avoid trees, rocks, or "man-made obstacles."

    It also states: "This product does not have brakes."

  • Addicted to Milk? A self-described milk-a-holic is suing the dairy industry, claiming that a lifetime of drinking whole milk contributed to his clogged arteries and a minor stroke. Norman Mayo, 61, believes he might have avoided his health problems if he had been warned on milk cartons about fat and cholesterol.

    "I drank milk like some people drink beer or water," he said. "I've always loved a nice cold glass of milk, and I've drank [sic] a lot of it."

    The Associated Press, 6/6/97.

  • Milk Lawsuit - Featured in Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" [a Talk-Show Host and comedian on American T-V].

    As Jay Leno noted in his monologue on June 10, 1997, "Here's another reason why Americans hate lawyers. A man in suburban Seattle is suing the dairy industry because he's become addicted to milk and it has raised his cholesterol to dangerous levels. It's just as dangerous as tobacco. The government should have warning labels on milk, in fact this is the proposed warning label:

    WARNING: TOO MUCH MILK CAN MAKE YOU A FRIVOLOUS-LAWSUIT FILING MORON.

  • This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #04 (page 1)
International System of Units, SI; Système Internationale d’Unités
All systems of weights and measures, metric and non-metric, are linked through a network of international agreements supporting the International System of Units.

The International System is called the SI, using the first two initials of its French name Système International d'Unités.

The primary agreement is the "Treaty of the Meter" or the Convention du Mètre, signed in Paris on May 20, 1875.

Forty-eight nations have signed the treaty, including all the major industrialized countries. The United States is a charter member of the metric club, having signed the original document back in 1875.

Each SI unit is represented by a symbol, not an abbreviation. The use of unit symbols is regulated by precise rules.

These symbols are the same in every language of the world; however, the names of the units themselves vary in spelling according to national procedures; therefore, it is correct for Americans to write meter and Germans to write Meter, and it is also correct for the British to write metre, Italians to write metro, and Poles to write metr.

There is no official spelling of the SI units; however, the SI does provide the names, the definitions, and the symbols of the units which must be followed even when the spellings are different as shown below.

The fundamental SI unit of length has numerous spellings

  • meter (American English, Danish, Dutch, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Slovak, and Swedish)
  • metr (Czech, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian)
  • metras (Lithuanian)
  • metre (British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand English; French)
  • metri (Finnish)
  • metro (Basque, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish)

A list of elements associated with the International System of Units (SI)

  • ampere (unit of measurement)
  • are (unit of area measurement)
  • atomic second
  • candela (cd) (SI unit of measurement)
  • centimeter (cm) (unit of measurement)
  • coulomb (unit of energy measurement)
  • farad (unit of measurement)
  • gram (gm or g) (measurement)
  • hectare (unit of measurement)
  • henry (unit of energy measurement)
  • hertz (unit of measurement)
  • joule (unit of energy measurement)
  • kelvin (K) (unit of measurement)
  • kilogram (kg) (unit of measurement)
  • kilometer (km) (unit of measurement)
  • liter (l) (unit of measurement)
  • lumen (unit of energy measurement)
  • lux (unit of energy measurement)
  • megohm (electronics)
  • meter (m) (measurement)
  • metric ton (unit of weight)
  • micrometer (unit of measurement)
  • millimeter (mm) (unit of measurement)
  • mole (chemistry)
  • nanometer (unit of measurement)
  • nanotesla (physics)
  • newton (unit of measurement)
  • ohm (unit of energy measurement)
  • pascal (Pa ) (unit of energy measurement)
  • second (unit of time)
  • siemens (S) (unit of energy measurement)
  • tesla (unit of energy measurement)
  • unit (measurement)
  • volt (unit of measurement)
  • watt (unit of measurement)
  • weber (unit of measurement)

Compiled partly from information located at the
Encyclopedia Britannica on line.
This entry is located in the following unit: Measurements and Mathematics Terms (page 7)
intrinsic rate of increase
Symbolized by r, the fraction by which a population is growing in each instant of time.
This entry is located in the following unit: Ant and Related Entomology Terms (page 10)
Labor of love (Hebrews 6:10)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 3)
Land of Nod (Genesis 4:16)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 3)
Letter of the law (2 Corinthians 3:6)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 3)
Letters of interest from readers
John,

I mentioned this earlier but my letter apparently went into hyperorbit. The phrases involving two and tandem are not pleonasms. Tandem hitching simply requires that the hitching of a team be linear, one behind another. Any number of individuals can constitute the tandem team.

A replacement pleonasm could be the “three-horse troika.” A troika is three horses, hitched abreast, to a conveyance.

—-Richard

This is in reference to my pleonasm/redundancy list at the pleonasm page.


For the history [of discipline and punishment], I found the following on www.m-w.com:

Discipline Etymology: Middle English, from Old French & Latin; Old French, from Latin disciplina, teaching, learning, from discipulus, pupil.

Punish Etymology: Middle English, punisshen, from Middle French, puniss-, stem of punir, from Latin punire, from poena, penalty —

My interpretation is that discipline is an inflexible teaching. Punishment can be a tool to achieve discipline, but reward is another tool. Moreover, crime punishment (for example) can be hardly related with discipline.

—Giovanni

Hello,

I am very delighted with the newsletter. I agree that the female version of an android would be gynoid or something in that area. I have recently learned the Ancient Greek word for woman: gune, gunaikos. So in English that would transliterate into gyna-.

I was wondering how I can get my comments to appear on the newsletter. I truly love the classic languages and anxious to participate.


Si bene valet, valeo.
—Michael

Contrasting Discipline and Punishment

Discipline is derived from the Latin word discere which means to learn. Discipline is related to the concept of moral or physical training often involving hard work and hard knocks as we say “I went to the school of hard knocks.” We learn from the mistakes we make (except for those of us with hard heads!).

Discipline can be imposed by others or we can be self-disciplined. We learn discipline (self-control) through the lessons of life.

Many times, when we behave in an undisciplined matter we can incur a consequence which is like a penalty or punishment.

Penalties for our behavior can be a natural result of our actions or given to us by our authority.

Punishment comes from two Latin words; the Latin verb punire (poenio) which means to punish or penalize and the Latin noun poenia = a penalty/punishment. It is the idea of paying for the wrong that was done. Hence the Latin idiom poenas dare, "to pay the penalty".

Punishment is related to discipline but not synonymous.

As language evolves, related terms are sometimes used interchangeably as are discipline and punishment. However, I believe it is best to clearly distinguish between these two terms as your text book is doing. Looking at the phrases below, which communicates more clearly?

I am being punished. [I am experiencing a penalty] I am being disciplined. [Am I behaving in a disciplined manner or being punished?]

He endured the discipline. [Did he endure rigorous training or a punishment?] He endured the punishment. [He endured a penalty].

For what it's worth,

—Lori

Just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful and educational site on the WWW. I work with a lot of people from other countries who, have asked me to help them learn the English language. This site has been extremely helpful to me.

With all of the slang that is used, it is hard to understand, some of which I was not aware of, that I have been using (like "what's up" a man from Ethiopia said to me what is the meaning of this Laura? What do they mean what is up? The sky is up, I laughed and explained).

Anyway, thanks for teaching me as well and others. Bless you for the effort you put forth!


—Laura

Gee, I really like this site. I prepare prison inmates to pass the GED exam. I really like my work and am planning on presenting a 40-minute talk with handouts about the value of improving vocabulary. This will be in March at the Missouri Department of Corrections Education Conference.

I should have two sessions, with about thirty to forty participants each. The title of my little dittie is: "Don't Be a Brain Robber, Be a Brain Builder!" Catchie-huh?

Now, I would like to know if I may use some of the material from this site and if you have some references or pearls of wisdom to suggest. I really would appreciate hearing them.

By the way, in the field of literacy and emerging language skills, the area of corrections is doing a big job of stressing the importance of getting a GED. If an inmate wants a job above $7.50 a month, he has to have a diploma!

Sometime in the next two years, an inmate will also need a GED to get a parole date! So far I have enjoyed my inmate students. They are so interesting, and surprisingly, they are open to using dictionaries and improving their vocabulary. Thanks for listening.

—Sincerely, Nancy

Hi John

Thank you for the welcome; what fun to find your page. As a retired teacher of Humanities, I applaud the writer's efforts to present accurate information to her class. I'm sure she is an excellent teacher. I also admire your effort in trying to focus on Latin and Greek derivatives, and I'll be interested to see if you can pull it off.

Having done no research on either punishment or discipline, I don't have any answers, but here are a few ideas I'll S.W.A.G.

First, punishment and discipline are Latin derivatives but with radically different stems. The text is right to make a difference between them. The Latins and Greeks were clear thinkers and, therefore, meant exactly what they said.

When they used "punishment," they meant a condition of causing pain or suffering; when they used "discipline," they meant instruction and/or education. Punishment and discipline may be used together. That is, one may cause pain or suffering (emotional, not necessarily physical), but that is largely ineffective without discipline.

"Don't hit your sister with your fist, you'll break your knuckles" is more effective than "Don't hit your sister with your fist, because if you do, I"ll hit you." ;-)

So, discipline takes punishment one step further; it provides instruction as to the way of the world. Experiments in child psychology appear to provide evidence showing that babies only two or three months old have a sense of how the physical world works. The essence of punishment is unpredictability. The two words probably became synonymous in the vernacular through sloppy thinking.

Good luck with your project.

—Best regards, Gayle

Any idea who came up with this ridiculous sesquipedalian monstrosity [floccinaucinihilipilification]? I forgot the definition.

Your newsletter is great by the way.

Ok, is there a precise word for the act of "counting sheep" other than the inaccurate "insomnia"? If not, can we offer a neologism, a hybrid word combining sheep and sleep . . . Ewesomia? But that isn't pc, is it? Ewes it or lose it . . . . (to sheep perchance to dream?)

I checked Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament in which the word for "flock, sheep, goats"; is tso’n or "small cattle". "Tso’nia?" "Tso’nasomia"? I don't know, this sounds strange . . . .

What about the "counting" part of "counting sheep"? The same Hebraic dictionary defines "count"; as saphar, meaning "to number, count, proclaim or declare".

So counting sheep could be combined into "Saphartsonia"?

But what about the "sleep" connection? This is rambling, perhaps you could offer a Latin-Greek variant . . . thanks.

—John M.
This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #03 (page 1)
Living off the fat of the land (Genesis 45:18)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 3)
marvels of the Maya
In 1839, Frederick Catherwood and John Lloyd Stephens explored Central America, visiting the Maya monuments of Copan, Palenque, and Uxmal. Stephens' fascination with the Maya has continued to these modern times.
This entry is located in the following unit: Archeology, Archaeology (page 5)
McGraw-Hill Year Book of Science & Technology
McGraw-Hill, Inc.; New York; 1992.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Science and Technology (page 1)
Misleading Meanings of English Words

English words that don't mean what they look like as they are often assumed to be.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 2)
Nanotechnology: Index of Articles
A series of nanotech subjects unit.
O ye of little faith (Luke 12:28)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 4)
Oaf of Office
Oaf or Oath of Office?
This entry is located in the following unit: Words at Work in the Print Media: INDEX (page 1)
oil of amber (s) (noun), oils of amber (pl)
Brown essential oil distilled from amber: Oil of amber is miscible (mixable) with alcohol which has a balsamic (aromatic resin) aroma.

This entry is located in the following unit: amber (page 1)
Out of the mouths of babes (Psalms 8:2, Matthew 21:16)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 4)
Poetry, Proverbs, Quotes, and Statements of Faith

Compositions, both secular and of a religious nature, providing thoughts about faith and personal meditations for consideration.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 2)
Results of Previous "Mnemonic devices can guarantee greater accuracy in spelling English words.

First, the results of the principal/principle survey

The spelling of many English words are confusing even to those whose first language is English.

There were 45 per cent of the subscribers on the Focusing on Words Newsletter list who responded to the survey.

  • 1. The (principal/principle) reason for this discussion is to improve one’s spelling skills.

    Of those responding, 68 per cent chose the right answer (principal).

  • 2. All of us should live by certain moral (principals/principles).

    Ninety-nine per cent chose the right answer (principles) in number two.

  • 3. The (principal/principle) character in the play is ill.

    In number three, eighty-two per cent chose the right answer (principal).

  • 4. His political (principals/principles) are less than acceptable.

    In number four, ninety-seven per cent chose the right answer (principles).

  • 5. As a matter of (principal/principle), he refused to borrow money from anyone.

    In number five, ninety-seven per cent chose the right answer (principle).

  • 6. The (principal/principle) invested in that project was $100,000.

    Of those participating, eighty-five per cent made the correct choice of (principal) in number six.

  • 7. We must instill into the minds of our youth (principals/principles) of honesty and morality.

    Ninety-seven per cent of participants indicated the right answer (principles) in the last number.

A few words about the use of mnemonic devices that make it easier to remember how to spell certain words correctly.

Although many subscribers had different mnemonic devices for determining which principal/principle to use in a sentence, the best mnemonics to use seem to be “main” for principal and “rule” for principle.

Note the relationship of the “a” in main and principal and the “le” in rule and principle. Always make these relationships and you will always use them correctly.

Mnemonic [nee MAH nik], as in mnemonic device, comes from the Greek element that means, “memory” or “to remember” and refers to a technique that facilitates making the right choices for words that are otherwise confusing.

Whenever you want to make sure you have chosen the correct principal/principle, substitute the words main and rule in place of one or the other principal/principle, to see if it makes sense and when it does; it is certain that you have the right choice. For example, in number one, you could say, “The rule reason for this discussion ....” or say, “The main reason for this discussion ....” and you would logically have to choose main or “principal” because the other choice simply doesn’t make any sense.

So many people have used the mnemonic device of saying, “You spell the principal of the school with pal because he/she is your pal” or something similar to that. I strongly urge that you NOT use this mnemonic because it can be very misleading. It tends to make people think that the use of pal is used only with that particular principal. It is far better to say that the principal of the school is spelled with pal because he/she is the MAIN administrator, teacher, or educator of the school.

Did you notice the erratum in sentence number seven of the survey. Mea culpa. I used “install” instead of “instill into the minds ....”

Congratulations to nine subscribers (out of the 412 who participated) who saw and told me about this error (erratum). If there had been more than one erratum, then I would have had to confess to errata.

Thank you, if you were one of those who contributed to the survey. It was amazing to see that MOST of the participants made no errata in their submissions. I apparently have a VERY knowledgeable list of subscribers!

This entry is located in the following unit: Focusing on Words Newsletter #05 (page 1)
sands of time
Showing the sands of time.

Word Info image © ALL rights reserved.
This entry is located in the following unit: Time, Times, and More Times (page 1)
Scientific Terms Including a Variety of Topics
  1. Descriptioinary by Marc McCutcheon: Checkmark Books; An imprint of Facts On File, Inc.; New York; 2000.
  2. Encyclopedia of Science and Technology by James Trefil, Editor; Routledge; New York; 2001.
  3. How Things Work, Everyday Technology Explained by John Langone; National Geographic; Washington, D.C.; 2006.
  4. Inventions and Discoveries by Rodney Carlisle; Scientific American; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Hoboken, New Jersey; 2004.
  5. Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier; Random House Publishers; New York; 1992.
  6. Science Desk Reference; Scientific American; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; New York; 1999.
  7. The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil; Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston, Massachusetts; 1988.
This entry is located in the following unit: Bibliography or Lists of Glossary-Term Sources (page 1)
seasonal depth of discharge
An adjustment factor used in some system sizing procedures which "allows" the battery to be gradually discharged over a 30-90 day period of poor solar insolation.

This factor results in a slightly smaller photovoltaic array.

This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 19)
shelf life of batteries
The length of time, under specified conditions, that a battery can be stored so that it keeps its guaranteed capacity.
This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 19)
Sign of the times (Matthew 16:3)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 4)
sin of commission (s) (noun), sins of commission (pl)
Doing anything which is forbidden by the law of God: People make a sin of commission when they fail to do the right thing; especially, by not being honest and by being unethical in their behavior towards our Heavenly God and other human beings.
This entry is located in the following unit: sin-, sinn- (page 1)
sin of omission (s) (noun), sin of omissions (pl)
A sin that is the result of not doing something that we should do: People are responsible to do good to others at all times whenever it is possible and it is sinful to avoid doing it.
This entry is located in the following unit: sin-, sinn- (page 1)
sin of plagiarizing (s) (noun), sins of plagiarizing (pl)
The stealing and publications of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions and presenting them as one's own original writing: The sins of plagiarizing are considered to be academic dishonesty and a stealing of other people's productions.
To steal and pass off ideas and writings of another as one's own creations.
© ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

This entry is located in the following unit: sin-, sinn- (page 1)
sins of physical violence (s) (noun), sins of physical violences (pl)
There have been, and currently are, many reports of murders by stabbings and shootings of people, or other methods, in many places of the world: The sins of physical violences are happening with no justifications, or no logical reasons, and surely the villains will be punished while alive, if apprehended by the police, and after their deaths by God.
This entry is located in the following unit: sin-, sinn- (page 1)
state-of-charge; SOC
The available capacity remaining in the battery, expressed as a percentage of the rated capacity.
This entry is located in the following unit: Photovoltaic Conversion Efficiency Terms + (page 20)
Sweat of your brow (Genesis 3:19)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 4)
The ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:10)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 4)
The love of money is the root of all evil (Timothy 6:10)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 5)
The results of a diagnostic test given to premedical students who were instructed to write short meanings for a list of medical terms

artery, the study of paintings.

bacteria, the back door of a cafeteria.

barium, what doctors do when patients die.

bowel, a letter like a, e, i, o, or u.

caesarean section, a neighborhood in Rome.

cat scan, searching for a lost cat.

cauterize, making eye-contact with a girl.

coma, a punctuation mark.

dilate, to live a long time.

enema, not a friend .

euthanasia, Chinese, Japanese, etc. adolescents.

fester, quicker.

fibula, a small lie.

genital, not a Jew.

hangnail, a coat hook.

impotent, distinguished, well known.

labor pain, getting hurt at work.

malfeasance, exorbitant charges for professional services.

medical staff, a doctor’s cane.

morbid, a higher offer.

nitrates, cheaper than day rates.

node, was aware of, knew.

nosography

1. The art of writing using a pen or pencil stuck up one’s nose.

2. The writing done by a nasograph.

outpatient, someone who has fainted.

pap smear, a fatherhood test.

pelvis, a cousin of Elvis.

prophylactic, a person who favors birth control.

recovery room, place to do upholstery.

rectum, dang near killed ‘em.

secretion, hiding something.

seizure, famous Roman leader.

tablet, a small table.

terminal illness, getting sick at the airport.

tumor, more than one.

urine, opposite of “you’re out”.

vein, conceited.

—Source is unknown
The root of the matter (Job 19:28)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 5)
The salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 5)
Think of any single number greater than zero; such as, 1 to 9.
Multiply the number of your choice by 3. Add 1. Multiply by 3. Add the original number to the result.

The answer will always end with 3. Delete the 3, and the remaining figure will be the original number that you started with.

This entry is located in the following unit: Number Challenges (page 1)
torrent of (s) (noun phrase), torrents of (pl)
A violent, sudden, and excessive outpouring of something; usually, words or feelings: Ingrid experienced a torrent of abusive words from her supervisor because she didn't get her report in on time.
This entry is located in the following unit: English Words in Action, Group T (page 5)
tragedy of the commons
The degradation of commonly owned resources due to the lack of incentive for individual users to conserve them.

Commons were originally shared grazing areas, which were generally overgrazed. The full expression was coined by Garrett Hardin in 1968.

This entry is located in the following unit: Ocean and Deep Sea Terms (page 6)
Vexillology Information, Part 1 of 4
The study of flags and their significance; in this unit.
Wages of sin (Romans 6:23)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 5)
wanderers or positions of planets
The orbits and positions of the planets or "wanderers" could not be accurately accounted for before the invention of the telescope although star positions were known.

Understanding came with the revolutionary work of Galileo, Brahe, and Kepler which, together with Newton's contributions, finally swept away the Greek concept of an earth-centered universe and established the present model of the solar system.

The Greeks had simplified celestial mechanics according to the simple doctrine that "matter behaves according to nature."

This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 28)
Wash your hands of the matter (Matthew 27:24)
This entry is located in the following unit: Bible Quotations used in modern English (page 5)
Words of Science and the History behind Them
Isaac Asimov; Houghton Mifflin Company; Boston; 1959.
This entry is located in the following unit: Sources of Information; Science and Technology (page 1)
Words Used in Headings as Seen in a Variety of Publications

Lists of groups about Words Used in Printed Media Headings as seen in various media publications.

This entry is located in the following unit: Index or Menu of Various Topics (page 2)
writ of certiorari
A writ issued by a higher court directing a lower court to prepare the record of a case and to send it to the higher court for review.

It is a means of accessing the U.S. Supreme Court in order for a case to be heard.

This entry is located in the following unit: Criminal Court Words or Judicial Terms + (page 7)
zodiac, revision of star signs

"The Sun does not move", wrote Leonardo da Vinci in 1495

Well, everything in the Cosmos moves, including the sun, the earth and the Star Signs of the Zodiac. The Signs of the Zodiac were first mapped by the ancient Babylonians about 3,000 years ago when, indeed, there were 12 Star Signs.

Movement on the Cosmic time-scale is very slow compared with the time-scale of a human life. The Star Signs are slipping by a small amount each year, so that there are now 13 Signs in the Zodiac.

The Sign of Ophiuchus (30 November-17 December) moved into the Zodiac over 1,000 years ago. Most astrologers continued to use the traditional 12 Signs of the Zodiac because they were unaware of star movements. That practice has continued to the present day.

To illustrate just how slowly the Cosmic clock advances: the Age of Pisces replaced the Age of Aries about 1,400 years ago, and the much-heralded Age of Aquarius will not be here for another 600 years!

The New Signs of the Zodiac

  1. The New Pisces: First Sign of the Zodiac: 12 March to 18 April.
  2. The New Aries: Second Sign of the Zodiac: 19 April to 13 May.
  3. The New Taurus: Third Sign of the Zodiac: 14 May to 20 June.
  4. The New Gemini: Fourth Sign of the Zodiac: 21 June to 19 July.
  5. The New Cancer: Fifth Sign of the Zodiac: 20 July to 19 August.
  6. The New Leo: Sixth Sign of the Zodiac: 20 August to 15 September.
  7. The New Virgo: Seventh Sign of the Zodiac: 16 September to 30 October.
  8. The New Libra: Eighth Sign of the Zodiac: 31 October to 22 November.
  9. The New Scorpio: Ninth Sign of the Zodiac: 23 to 29 November.
  10. The New Ophiuchus: Tenth Sign of the Zodiac: 30 November to 17 December.
  11. The New Sagittarius: Eleventh Sign of the Zodiac: 18 December to 18 January.
  12. The New Capricorn: Twelfth Sign of the Zodiac: 19 January to 15 February.
  13. The New Aquarius: Thirteenth Sign of the Zodiac: 16 February to 11 March.
—Information for these zodiac signs came from the book:
The 13 Signs of the Zodiac by Walter Berg;
Thorsons, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers;
San Francisco, California; 1995; pages viii, and 1-127.
This entry is located in the following unit: Astronomy and related astronomical terms (page 28)