jacent-, jacen-

1. Pertaining to being situated near or close to something, or to each other, especially without touching: The adjacent house to Sam's is where Eva's aunt lives.
2. Characteristic of lying near, close, or touching something else; adjoining; neighboring: The two sisters had adjacent bedrooms which were connected by a door.
3. Etymology: from Latin adjacentem, adjacens; both of which are from adjacere, "to lie at, to border upon, to lie near"; from ad-, "to" + jacere, "to lie, to rest"; literally, "to throw".

A reference to being near to or close to, but not necessarily touching; sharing a border, wall, or point: The other group is meeting in the adjacently larger room.

1. Referring to surrounding, bordering on every side, or around: Hayden and Jennifer were visiting Paris and the more circumjacent areas in order to learn more about France.
2. Etymology: from Latin circumjacens, circumjacent-; from circumjacere, "to lie around"; from circum-, "round, around" + jacere, "to lie".

1. The main idea or substance of some longer or more complicated matter; the most essential or basic part: Ralph didn't read the whole article in the magazine; however, he got the gist of what was in it.

The gist of the lawyer's argument was that the law was unfair to women.

2. Etymology: "the real point" (of a law case, etc.), from Anglo-French legalese phrases; especially, cest action gist, "this action lies", meaning "this case is not sustainable by law", from Old French gist en, "it consists in, it lies in", from Latin jaceo, jacere, "to lie" and jacet, "it lies". © ALL rights are reserved.

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

1. Characteristic of being or situated between or among other items: The books in the library are arranged by interjacent positions on the shelves.
2. Etymology: from Latin interjacens, interjacentis, "lying between"; from interjacere; from inter-, "between" + jacere, "to lie".

1. Descriptive of a situation in which something is forming a foundation or underlying another thing.
2. The state of being lower than something else, although not directly below it.

1. Conveying to something that is located nearby but underneath or below it.
2. Etymology: from Latin subjacens, subjacentis which came from subjacere, "to lie underneath"; from sub-, "under" + jacere, "to lie, to rest".

1. A reference to something that is situated underneath another object.
2. Relating to being at a lower elevation.

1. Pertaining to something that is lying or positioned over or on top of another object.
2. A reference to resting or overlying immediately above or upon something else.
3. Etymology: from Latin superjacere, "to lie over"; from super-, "above, over" + jacere, "to lie".