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1. To warn strongly; to put on guard: The crossing guard at the busy intersection admonished the pedestrians to look both ways before attempting to cross the street.
2. To counsel in terms of someone's behavior: The assistant principal of the school admonished the students about their noisy behavior in the library.
3. To advise a person to do or, more often, not to do something: The judge was admonishing both lawyers not to waste anymore court time with petty arguments.

The doctor always admonishes her patients to cut down on excessive meat consumption.

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1. Mild, kind, yet earnest reproof, rebuke, or criticism: The writer of the drama presented an admonition to the producer regarding the lighting that was being considered for the upcoming production.
2. Cautionary advice or warning: At the bottom of the page of instructions, there was the admonition to always unplug the machine before installing a new piece of equipment.
3. A piece of advice that is also a warning to someone about his or her behavior: Mike's mother issued an admonition that he should wash his hands before coming to eat. © ALL rights are reserved.

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

1. A reference to something that is growing next to or is adhering to something else: There are adnascent parts in plants and even adnascent segments in animals that are connected to each other.
2. Etymology: from Latin adnascens, past participle of anaasi, "to be born, to grow".

1. A reference to something that is congenitally united or grown together: The adnate parts of flowers include stamens or the pollen-producing organs of flowers that are attached to petals or the modified leaves that surround the reproducing parts of flowers.
2. Concerning the union or cohesion of parts not normally joined together: When there is an adnate organ, it is considered to be of a different kind and not a usual one.
3. Etymology: from Latin agnatus, from agnasci, "to become"; from ad, " to" + nasci, "to be born".

1. Describing a medical process directed towards a nerve: The adnerval operation involved an electric current which went from a nerve to a muscle, and then passed through it.
2. Referring to something located near a nerve: The ganglion on Jane's hand evidently was quite adnerval because it was very painful for her so she had it surgically removed.

Subordinate or accessory appendages of an organ: Adnexa can refer to the adnexa of the uterus, adnexa of the eye, or to the adnexa of the skin.

The period of growth from childhood to adulthood: The time of adolescence is an important introduction to adulthood.

1. A person growing up from childhood to adulthood, especially one from about 12 to about 20 years of age; youth, teenager, teen, minor: Over 70 percent of today’s adolescents are expected to finish high school.
2. Teenager, juvenile: The presentations of many movies about life is primarily geared to adolescents.

The words adolescent and "adult" come from different forms of the Latin verb adolescere, "to grow up", and in Latin they mean “growing up” and “grown-up”, respectively.

1. To take a child of other biological parents into one's family and make it legally one's own son or daughter: Jack and Jill couldn't have a baby of their own, so they adopted one to raise as their own.
2. To take up something such as a plan, an idea, a cause, or a practice and to use or follow it: Jane was overweight and finally adopted a new method of dieting, and she was successful!
3. To assume an attitude or way of behaving: They tried to adopt a new way of life in their new country.
4. To take on and to use a new name, a title; to take on a duty: After being in the business for a year, Voni was asked to adopt the responsibilites of taking care of the office machines.
5. To vote to accept something: The committee formally approved of the decision to adopt the suggestion presented by one of the members.

1. The act of accepting with approval or a favorable reception: There are many adoptions of new words into the English language, especially those relating to computer usage.
2. A term for a situation in which adult animals take over the care of young that are not their own offspring: Sometimes baby creatures are adopted and raised by another creature of the same kind.

Relating to the location near the mouth of an organism; pertaining to the direction toward the mouth: In the story Peter was reading the magic bird had adoral marks near its beak which shone brilliantly when it chirped in the morning.

1. To love someone intensely; to regard with deep, often rapturous love: Even though they were married for five years, Jack and Jill still adored each other like in the very beginning of their relationship!
2. To like something or someone very much: Naomi just adored her little kitten and gave it little treats to eat.

Mary loved to go to her grandmother's home because she adored the chocolate cupcakes her grandmother always made!
3. To worship God, a god, or a spirit: The church members in the village all adored the Supreme Being and prayed every day.
4. Etymology: from Old French aourer, "to adore, to worship"; from Latin adorare, "to speak to, to entreat, to beseech, to ask in prayer, to worship"; from ad-, "to" and orare, "to speak, to pray".

1. To add decoration or ornamentation to something: At Christmas time the Jackson family adorned their Christmas tree with candles and tinsel.
2. To add to the beauty or glory of something or someone: Grace adorned her hair with flowers and beads.

A scientific term which is used to describe a pair of endocrine glands which are located at the top of the kidneys in a human body: The adrenals have an impact on stress hormones, like adrenaline, as well as controlling the way the kidneys operate.

Pertaining to the area near or upon the kidney: A hormone that is secreted by the suprarenal or adrenal gland can raise a person's blood pressure.