prodig-, prodigi-
(Latin: a sign, an omen, portent; a wonder, a person; especially, a child who is endowed with extraordinary qualities)
The words in this unit are NOT related to the entries in the prodigal- unit; regardless of what other dictionaries say.
2. Of momentous or ominous significance: The prophet had a prodigious vision about what would happen to the people if the terrorists invaded the country.
3. Pertaining to that which is wonderful or marvelous: Shirley had a prodigious, or a remarkable talent, as a writer.
4. Referring to anything which is beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree: The winner of the quiz program succeeded in achieving the prodigious sum of one million dollars.
5. Extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree: The ocean has a prodigious, or an astounding, amount of water.
The local newspaper reported that there was a prodigious, or an amazing number, of visitors at the recent art exhibition.
6. Pertaining to being bountiful, profuse, and abundant: There are prodigious numbers of word entries that still need to be completed and/or enhanced in this lexicon.
7. Etymology: from Latin prodigiosus "marvelous" and prodigium "prophetic sign, portent".
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After the defeat of the French in Canada at the hands of the British in 1759, the French population in Canada increased prodigiously in the 19th and early 29th centuries; however, since the end of World War II, the birth rate of French Canadians dropped considerably, and English-speaking Canada has grown much faster.
The writing skills of Isaac Asimov's prodigiousness involved the publications of hundreds of books about science, history, fiction, and many other topics.
Karen, a math prodigy, surprised her teacher and fellow students when she easily solved a complicated numerical problem which was presented to the class.
2. An act or event so extraordinary or rare as to inspire wonder: Gertrude told her parents about a fourteen-year old boy who is a mathematics prodigy and is attending her university.3. An unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration: Tom was a prodigy who started playing the piano when he was six years old and then he became well-known as a soloist at the age of fifteen and as a teacher of other aspiring young people.
4. A portentous sign or event; an omen; a sign of something about to happen: The arctic cold was a prodigy that moved down through Canada, and some sections of the United States, bringing very low temperatures and heavy snows that were not normal so early in November.
5. Etymology: a "sign, portent, something extraordinary from which omens are drawn", from Latin prodigium, "sign, omen, portent, prodigy" from pro-, "forth" + -igium, a suffix or word of unknown origin.
The Roman word prodigium was used to indicate an incident or an extraordinary nature that was recognized as a prophetic sign, whether good or bad, by the entire nation.
Then it was adopted into English as prodigy, which at first had the same meaning as the Roman term; that is, as a sign of prophesy. Later it was applied to an extraordinary person or animal, one with great intelligence or talent, and then it evolved into a reference to a child who possessed these qualities.
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A prodigy is the child who plays the piano late at night when he ought to be in bed.