vari-

(Latin: different, diversity, change, changing)

Believed by some etymologists to be from varus, "bent, knock-kneed; to bend, to turn, to twist".

divaricate (verb), divaricates; divaricated; divaricating
1. To spread apart: Henry was divaricating his fingers after putting on his gloves.
2. To branch off: Gerard's wife was looking at a map and told him to divaricate to the right where the road splits into two directions so they would go in the right direction to visit their friends.
electrically variable coil (s) (noun), electrically variable coils (pl)
An iron-core coil whose inductance can be varied or modified over a wide range by changing a small DC control current.
electrophoretic variants
1. Proteins which can be divided into distinct electrophoretic components because of the variations in their mobilities.
2. Physical and biochemical characteristics of an organism as determined by the interaction of its genetic constitution and the environment of the different proteins which are separable into distinct electrophoretic components because of the differences in mobilities.

One example is erythrocyte acid phosphatase.

The term erythrocyte refers to a blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body tissues; while, the term phosphatase is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis and synthesis of phosphoric acid esters (organic compounds that can react with water to produce an alcohol and an organic or inorganic acid) and the transfer of phosphate groups from phosphoric acid to other compounds.

geomagnetic secular variation, secular variation (s) (noun); geomagnetic secular variations; secular variations (pl)
In geophysics, the changes in the Earth's magnetic field: Such geomagnetic secular variations occur over hundreds of years and are caused by internal changes in the Earth or a variation of any field or parameter which occurs over hundreds of years.
geomagnetic variation (s) (noun), geomagnetic variations (pl)
Any change that happens to the geomagnetic field: A geomagnetic variation can be temporal or short-time changes in the geomagnetic field, both long-term (secular) and short-term (transient).
idiovariation (s) (noun), idiovariations (pl)
In biology, the genetic phenomenon of mutation, implying a constant change in the genotypical structure of an organism.
invariable (adjective) (not comparable)
Pertaining to something that never changes; unalterable; never changing in nature, value, or extent: The invariable response to her two-year-old's question if she could use her mother's laptop was always a "No!".
invariableness (s) (noun) (no plural)
invariably (adverb), more invariably, most invariably
Pertaining to how something or someone doesn't change or is not subject to change; always constant on every occasion: Sally's little boy is invariably complaining about not being allowed to have any candy before meals.
invariant (s) (noun), invariants (pl)
invariant (adjective), more invariant, most invariant
prevaricate (pri VAR i kayt") (verb), prevaricates; prevaricated; prevaricating
1. To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to withhold information: The local officials prevaricated about the real costs of the new city hall.
2. To avoid giving a direct and honest answer or opinion, or a clear and truthful account of a situation, especially by quibbling or being deliberately ambiguous or misleading: When anyone prevaricates, he or she is avoiding telling the truth or is not providing the real facts.
3. To stray from or to evade the truth; to equivocate: As a witness under oath, Bert didn't prevaricate but he answered all of the questions honestly.
4. Etymology: from Latin prevaricate, "to walk crookedly" from varus, "knock-kneed"; from this the verb varicare, "straddle" was combined with the prefix prae-, "before, beyond" which produced praevaricari, "to walk crookedly" or "to deviate from straightforward behavior" and "to turn away from the truth".
To stray or to deviate from the truth and so to lie.
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prevarication (s) (noun), prevarications (pl)
1. The deliberate act of intentionally being vague or ambiguous: Jack was being very evasive when answering his father's question, and this prevarication was typical of him when he wanted to avoid being scolded.
2. A statement that someone makes which perverts or avoids the truth: Jimmy said he didn't break the neighbours window while playing ball, but it turned out that this was a prevarication, because he really did and lied to his parents about it!
3 Etymology: from about 1382, "divergence from a right course, transgression", from Old French prevaricacion, from Latin prævaricationem, "a stepping out of line (of duty or behavior)"; from prævaricatus, a form of prævaricari, "to make a sham accusation, to deviate"; literally, "to walk crookedly", from prae, "before" + varicare, "to straddle", from varicus "straddling", from varus, "bowlegged, knock-kneed".
prevaricator (s) (noun), prevaricators (pl)
1. Someone who repeatedly lies or refuses to be honest: There are some prevaricators who make a habit of always fibbing or trying to hoodwink people by exaggerating everything they say to other people.
2. Anyone who speaks so as to avoid the precise truth; a quibbler; an equivocator: A prevaricator originally meant a straddled or a bent-legged person with crooked legs or someone who, because of distorted legs, could not walk in a straight line; now, it is someone who purposely deviates or avoids speaking truthfully.
3. Etymology: from Latin praevaricator which came from prevaricatus; the past participle of the verb prevaricari, "to lie; literally, "to walk crookedly", as if "straddling something"; from prae, "before" + varicare, "to straddle, to walk crookedly".
Someone who does not tell the truth, a liar.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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unvarying (adjective), more unvarying, most unvarying
Characteristic of someone or something always being the same, persistent, or never changing: Mark follows the same, unvarying routine everyday; such as, early to bed and early to rise.

Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "another, other, different, alternating, varied, changing": ali-; allo-; alter-; allelo-; hetero-; mut-; poikilo-; reciproc-.