regi-, reg-, rec-, rex-

1. An attack made by a small military force into enemy territory.
2. A mission flown by a combat military aircraft.
3. Armed attacks; especially, those made from a place surrounded by enemy forces.
4. A brief trip away from home; especially, to an unfamiliar place.
5. Etymology: "attack of the besieged upon the besiegers"; from French sortie; literally, "a going out", noun use of the past participle verb form of sortir, "go out", from Old French, "to go out, to escape"; from Latin surgere, "to rise up" which is from "fountain, stream" and from sub, "up from below" + regere, "to keep straight, to guide".

1. To make a sortie against an enemy position: "The army sortied an aircraft against enemy forces."
2. To come out from a defensive position to make an attack: "The special forces are currently sortieing terrorist forces in the mountains."
3. A short journey to a place where people have not been before, often with a particular purpose: "It was our first sortie into the new fitness studio to see what the trainers have to offer."

"During our vacation in the national park, we sortied into the various attractive areas that were available there."

1. The practice of magic with supernatural powers: With the wave of her magical wand, the Fairy Godmother, skilled in sortilege, changed the poor little scullery maid into a beautiful princess.
2. Etymology: from Latin sortilegus, “prophetic, soothsayer”; from sors, “lot, fortune” plus legere, “to read”. © ALL rights are reserved.

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

1. A strong, wavelike, forward movement, a rush, or a sweep: "The police had to prepare for the onward surge of the angry mob."
2. A strong, swelling, wavelike volume or body of something: "The burning brush produced a billowing surge of smoke."
3. A fast, sudden movement; such as, a surge taking place while driving a car.
4. The swelling and rolling sea: "The surge of the sea crashed against the beach homes."
5. In meteorology, a widespread change in atmospheric pressure that is in addition to cyclonic and normal diurnal changes; such as, a storm surge.
6. With electricity, a sudden rush or burst of current or voltage; a violent oscillatory disturbance.
7. An uneven flow and strong momentum given to a fluid; such as, water in a tank, resulting in a rapid, temporary rise in pressure.
8. A sudden unplanned change in an electrical system's voltage which is capable of damaging electrical equipment; especially, an increase in voltage significantly above the designated level of 120 volts for U.S. household and office wiring or 220 volts in Europe or in other parts of the world.
9. Etymology: from Latin surgere, "to rise"; a contraction of surrigere, "to rise" from sub-, "up from below" + regere, "to keep straight, to guide".

Electrical surges refer to sudden unplanned changes in an electrical system's voltage that is capable of damaging electrical equipment; especially, an increase in voltage significantly above the designated level of 120 volts or 220 volts.

The maximum power, usually 3-5 times the rated power, which can be provided to an electrical system over a short time without damage to the system.

A component that responds to the rate of change of an electrical current or voltage in order to prevent damage from a sudden fluctuation in electrical power; especially, a large increase above a predetermined value; often used to protect computer systems and other electronic equipment.

1. Temperature control, as by a thermostat; heat regulation.
2. The regulation and control of temperature, specifically internal body temperature.
3. The control of heat production and heat loss, specifically the maintenance of body temperature through physiological mechanisms activated by the hypothalamus (a neural control center at the base of the brain, concerned with hunger, thirst, and other autonomic functions).
4. The various physiological processes by which the body regulates its internal temperature.

The process by which an organism regulates its internal body temperature which takes place by means of various physiological processes but can also involve behavior; such as, moving away from a condition of extreme heat or cold.

The two most common forms are ectothermic and endothermic regulation.

Translated: "Where there is no direct law, the opinion of the judge is to be taken, or references to be made to similar cases."

Translation: "The banners of the king come forth" is the title of a hymn on the Passion of Christ, written by Vanantius Fortunatus, bishop of Poitiers (died about A.D. 600) and assigned to Vespers during Passiontide.

Translation: "Chance, not wisdom, governs human life."

Another interpretation: "Life is mostly a matter of luck."