-ary

(Latin: a suffix; a person who, a place where, a thing which, or pertaining to; connected with; having the character of; apparatus)

The following examples of this suffix represent a very small number of those that exist in other parts of this lexicon.

definitionary (s) (noun), definitionaries (pl)
The utilization of contents that originate in an unlimited variety of techniques: humorous, figurative, and linguistic; utilizing wit worthy words with the intention of amusing readers: Roland continually tried to create definitionaries which would amuse his readers with such presentations as, "an egotist is someone who is usually me-deep in conversation."

Another example of a definitionary entry is, "acupuncture is a jab well done."

diary (s) (noun), diaries (pl)
1. A daily record of events or transactions, a journal: Specifically, a diary consists of daily records of matters affecting the writer personally, or which come under his or her personal observations.
2. A book which is set up for keeping a daily record, or having spaces with printed dates for certain daily memoranda and keeping notes about topics: Some diaries also include calendars that contain daily contents about matters of importance to people generally, or to members of a particular profession, occupation, or pursuit.
dictionary (s) (noun), dictionaries
1. A book dealing with the individual words of a language, or certain specified classes of them, so as to set forth their orthographies, pronunciations, their synonyms, derivations, and histories; or at least some of these facts. "For the convenience of references, the words in dictionaries are usually arranged in some stated order; such as, alphabetically, etc."

“In most schools, English teachers have their students learn to use a dictionary to look up unknown vocabulary words which they can use in their essays."

2. Etymology: from Latin dictio-, "the act of speaking"; and dictionarius, "a collection of words".

When one word leads to another, it generally ends up in a quarrel, a speech, or a dictionary.

—E.C. McKenzie

A dictionary is the only place where happiness can always be found.

—Evan Esar

An excellent book that can be hard to read because it changes the subject so often.

—Evan Esar

Dictionary information. Dictionary sources of information:

Dictionaries and Lexicons, Part One;
Dictionaries and Lexicons, Part Two;
Dictionary with a Touch of Humor.

dictionary [lexicomedy]
1. A book in which one word continually leads to another.
2. A publication that is always changing the subject on every page.
3. A book that is bound to be of use to everyone who needs verbal clarifications except when a definition contains another form of the same word and never explains the meanings of any of the various forms.
4. The universe arranged in alphabetical order.
digitary
Of or pertaining to the fingers.
disciplinary (adjective)
Relating to the enforcing of rules and the punishing of people who break them: "The captain took disciplinary action against the troops who got drunk and were involved in a fight with civilians at a local bar."
discretionary (adjective), more discretionary, most discretionary
1. Giving someone the freedom to make a decision according to individual circumstances: Shirley has enough discretionary income to pay for a nice vacation on the California coast this year.
2. Given according to the merits of an individual case, rather than being provided or awarded automatically.
3. Able to be used as desired without any stipulations; done or used when necessary.
dispensary
A place where medicines are prepared and dispensed (distributed or weighted out in carefully determined portions); especially, a place where the poor can obtain medical advice and medicines gratuitously or at a nominal price.
documentary (s) (noun), documentaries (pl)
1. A work, such as a film or television program, presenting facts about political, social, or historical subjects in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration: "She received an award for her documentary about gorillas and their environmental problems resulting from human interference."
2. Movies or television programs which relate the facts about actual people and events: "They watched the series of documentaries about the royal families of europe."
domiciliary (adjective), more domiciliary, most domiciliary
Relating to, or providing something for people in their own homes; If requested, some domiciliary medical care could be provided to the elderly Mrs. Smith in her home.
dormitary
1. Causing sleep, dormitive.
2. A sleep-producing medicine; a narcotic.
emissary (s) (noun), emissaries (pl)
An agent or a representative sent on a particular mission to represent or to advance the interests of another person or government: Becky asked her brother to be her emissary and to find out if Brad, the boy Becky found so attractive, was interested in her or not.
Someone sent on a mission by another person.
© ALL rights are reserved.

An agent who is supposed advance the concerns of someone else.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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

estuary (s) (noun), estuaries (pl)
1. A tidal opening, an inlet or creek through which the tide enters; an arm of the sea indenting the land.
2. The tidal mouth of a great river, where the tide meets the current of fresh water.
3. A semi-enclosed coastal body of water that has a connection with the open sea and within which fresh water and salt water mix by means of currents and tides.
4. Etymology: from Latin aesturium, "a tide place" from aestus, "boiling heat, fire; the ebb and flow of the sea, tide"; related to aestus, "heat".

An estuary is the mouth of a river where the tide of the ocean and the current of the river meet, and the rough waters at such a point demanded a word of action. The Latin aestuarium gave us the word from aestus which meant "heat, bubbling, boiling" and so the "swelling sea".

—According to Wilfred Funk, Litt. D. in his
Word Origins and Their Romantic Stories;
Publishers Grosset & Dunlap; New York; 1950; page 339.

There are those who are trying to develop the tidal energy of the estuaries; that is, water-powered turbines that spin in the current as the tides come and go, turning generators to make electricity that is lean and, they hope, reasonably priced.

Estuaries make promising locations for tidal power if the technology improves and more power can be generated in slower currents.

—Based on information located in
"Tide and time beckon green-energy entrepreneurs" by Henry Fountain;
International Herald Tribune; April 23, 2010; page 16.
evolutionary
1. Relating to, resulting from, or produced by evolution.
2. Developing in small increments that accumulate to bring about significant changes.
exclusionary (adjective)