temp-, templum +

A reference to something which can be pondered or thought about: He considered the subject to be contemplable and mulled over it for quite a while.

1. To think about something as a possible course of action: Jack contemplated moving to a bigger city, thinking that he could find a job with a better salary than he had so far in the village where he lived.
2. To think about something seriously and at length; especially, in order to understand it more fully: Doug sat at his desk working on his web site and made an effort to stop and contemplate what his wife had just said about him wasting his time.
3. To think calmly and at length; especially, as a religious or spiritual exercise: While on vacation in Ireland, Jim was sitting on a cliff contemplating how beautiful the area below was.
4. To look at something thoughtfully and steadily: Jim and Patricia stood in the church and could not help but contemplate the beautiful stained-glass windows.
5. To spend time considering a possible future action or one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way: Mark is contemplating whether his desire of studying biology instead of geography would be a better preparation for getting a job after graduation.
6. To consider carefully and at length; to meditate on or to ponder thoughtfully: At the Art Gallery in Toronto, Canada, Carol contemplated the masterpieces of the Thomson Collection of European Art.
7. To consider carefully and at length; to meditate on or to ponder: David contemplated the problem of moving to a new residence from all angles before he made a decision.
8. To have in mind as an intention or a possibility: After knowing each other for a long time, Tina and Tom finally contemplated marriage.
9. Etymology: from Latin contemplari, "to survey, to observe, to consider"; originally, by augurs (ancient-Roman religious officials who interpreted omens to guide public policies); from con-, "with, together" + templum, "an open place, a sanctuary, a temple" or "place of worship". © ALL rights are reserved.

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

1. The act of gazing at, beholding, regarding, and surveying something.
2. A descriptive term regarding the act of considering, studying, or pondering something.
3. A reference to a design or a plan to accomplish an action.

1. The act or state of contemplating.
2. Thoughtful observation or study.
3. Meditation on spiritual matters; especially, as a form of devotion.
4. Intention or expectation: "They sought further information in contemplation of which college, or university, to attend."

1. Involving, allowing, or causing deep thought: "He is in a contemplative mood today."
2. Given to or characterized by contemplation: "She has a contemplative mind."
3. A religious man, or woman, who devotes his or her entire life in a cloister to prayer and reflection: "She joined a contemplative order of nuns."

A reference to spending time considering a possible future action, or to consider one particular thing for a long time in a serious and quiet way: "They were contemplatively considering which university their son would attend."

Deep and serious thoughtfulness: "Her contemplativeness helped her to make better decisions for her company."

1. Someone who looks at a situation attentively and thoughtfully.
2. Those who consider something carefully and at length.
3. A person who meditates on or ponders about something.
4. An individual who has something in mind as an intention or possibility: "At this time, she was a contemplator of marriage."

Thinking about or considering a possible future action again: "He recontemplated whether he should move to the city again or to stay in the suburb where he had a good job."

1. A crossbar of wood in a shaft, cross timber, serving as a step.
2. Etymology: from German Stempel, "a stamp, a prop"; literally, "an instrument for stamping".

This term is not related to the words listed in this "sanctuary, temple" unit. It is presented here to clarify the term for anyone who might think it comes from the same Latin family of templum words.

1. A knight of a religious military order established in 1118 to protect pilgrims and the Holy Sepulcher.
2. Etymology: from Anglo-French templer, Old French templier, from Middle Latin templaris (1157), member of the medieval religious/military order known as Knights Templars (c.1118-1312), so called because they had their headquarters in a building near Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem.

A reference to the activities, or functions, of the Masonic Knights Templar.

1. A pattern or gauge; such as, a thin metal plate with a cut pattern, used as a guide in making something accurately, as in woodworking or the carving of architectural profiles.
2. A mechanical pattern or mold with one or more shapes used to guide the manufacture or drawing of objects with a similar shape.
3. A short beam of metal, wood, or stone, used to distribute weight or pressure in a structure.
4. A molecule that provides a pattern for the synthesis of other molecules in biochemical reactions.
5. A computer document or file which has a preset format, used as a starting point for a particular application so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used.
6. Etymology: from Latin templum, "plank, rafter"; also, "a building for worship".

1. An edifice or place dedicated to the service or worship of a deity or deities.
2. Any of the three successive houses of worship (usually capitalized) in Jerusalem in use by the Jews in Biblical times, the first built by Solomon, the second by Zerubbabel, and the third by Herod.
3. A synagogue, usually a Reform or Conservative one.
4. An edifice erected as a place of public worship; a church; especially, a large or imposing one.
5. A device in a loom that keeps the cloth stretched to the correct width during weaving.
6. Etymology: "a building for worship" from Old English tempel, from Latin templum, "piece of ground consecrated for the taking of auspices, a building for worship".

1. Supplied with a temple or temples, or with churches: "This templed area in the city has several churches and temples for many religious groups."
2. Enclosed in a temple: "The church has a special templed section for individual meditation."