habit-, hab-, -hibit; habili-, habil-

A proper way or manner of behaving; a good habit: One good habitude that Jill learned while growing up was to brush her teeth in the morning and in the evening before going to bed.

Literally, "skillful man"; an extinct ancestor of the modern human being (Homo sapiens) living approximately 1.5 million years ago and charactherized its ability to make and use tools.

1. A lack of capacity or means to do something: Grandmother was blind and therefore had the inability to see.
2. Absence of enough power, capacity or resources: Although Tim had been in school for many years, he still had the inability to read up to grade level.

To live as a person, an animal, or a group in or occupying a place or an environment: "Certain species of birds are inhabiting North America while others kinds of birds inhabit other geographic areas."

1. The quality of being liveable: The inhabitability of the North Pole is not given for the existence of cacti.
2. The capability of being present in something: The attic at Joan's house provided the inhabitability of storing many old books and trunks full of memories of the family.

Suitable to be lived in: Tom's lovely home was inhabitable, but his father's pickup truck really wasn't very inhabitable!

Pertaining to areas where various creatures live: "The loneliest inhabited places on earth are probably the Arctic and Antarctic regions."

1. To stop or to hold back something from continuing or developing: Congress was told that their proposed changes in spending could drastically inhibit economic growth.

When plants are placed in a dark room, their growth is inhibited.

2. To prevent a person from behaving or speaking freely: Karen was told that she should not allow fear of failure to inhibit her efforts to get a salary increase.
3. To slow down or adversely affect a bodily process or the action of an organ: Certain prescription drugs are inhibiting the spread of some infections.

A drug that inhibits the growth of cancer cells is considered a very good thing.

4. In electronics, to prevent a certain signal or event from occurring: The computer engineer inhibited the operation of specific circuits. © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A feeling of being embarrassed or a belief that prevents a person from behaving spontaneously or speaking freely: Marie is a very outgoing person and so she doesn’t have any inhibitions of talking to people she meets for the first time.
2. A mental state in which a person's activity or behavior is stifled or obstructed: Shy people are often said to suffer from inhibitions.
3. The slowing down or prevention of a chemical reaction: Certain substance inhibitions are widely used to retard various undesirable processes; for example, the corrosion of metals.
4. The suppression or blocking of a bodily process or the action of an body organ: The doctor caused the inhibition of Jim's heart beat with an electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve.
5. Etymology: from Latin inhibitus; from inhibere, "to hold in, to hold back, to restrain"; from in-, "in, on" harbere, "to have, to hold". © ALL rights are reserved.

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