sci-, -science, -scientific, -scientifically, -scient, -sciently

(Latin: to know, to learn; to have knowledge)

No knowledge of a science can be properly acquired until the terminology of that science is mastered, and this terminology is in the main of Greek and Latin origin.

—Spencer Trotter
nanoscience (s) (noun), nanosciences (pl)
The knowledge of materials and phenomena that exist at very miniaturized levels; especially, at dimensions of around one nanometer.

Nanoscience consists of technology that utilizes the ability to build devices which are extremely small.

In nanoscience, nanometers are used to measure the smallest things; usually, those that are the size of an atom or molecule, and are used when working with miniature computing devices; such as, integrated circuits (IC) and transistors in a processor.

Some microchips in nanoscience have transistors which are 100 nanometers wide and can accommodate more than one billion transistors within a single microchip.

nescience (s) (noun), nesciences (pl)
An absence or lack of knowledge; a form or instance of ignorance: Having grown up in a small village, Grace was a complete nescience, uninformed, and unaware of the ways of the people in the metropolis where she was looking for a job.
A word that means someone does not have much knowledge about things.
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A complete lack of knowing much.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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nescient (adjective), more nescient, most nescient
1. Descriptive of being ignorant or unknowing.
2. A reference to asserting that some people are incapable of understanding what is going on.
neuroscience (s) (noun), neurosciences (pl)
1. A scientific discipline that studies nerve cells or the nervous system; such as, neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, or all such disciplines collectively.
2. The scientific study of the molecular and cellular levels of the nervous system, or systems within the brain; such as, vision and hearing, and of behavior produced by the brain.
nice (adjective) (not comparable)
1. Pleasant or enjoyable: We had weather today which was verynice.
2. Kind, or showing courtesy, friendliness, or consideration: It was very nice of him to return my purse and the money that was in it, too.
3. Respectable, or of an acceptable social or moral standard: We have made some nice contacts in our new neighborhood.
4. Pleasing to look at: Shirley was wearing a very nice outfit.
5. Etymology: Nice is one of the more celebrated examples in English about a word that changed its meaning out of any recognition over the centuries.

In this case, from "stupid" to "pleasant".

Its ultimate source was Latin nesius, "ignorant," a compound adjective which was formed from the negative element ne- and the base of the verb scire "to know" which is the source of English science.

This passed into English via Old French nice with a minimal change of meaning, but from then on a slow but sure semantic transformation took place, from "foolish" via "shy" then "fastidious" and "refined" to "minutely accurate or discriminating" as in a "nice distinction" and on then to "pleasant, agreeable".

From the Dictionary of WORD ORIGINS, By John Ayto, page 364, Arcade Publishing, New York, 1990.

nicely (adverb), more nicely, most nicely
1. Descriptive of being done in a pleasant or correct way: Janet was told by her publisher that she had a very nicely written story.
2. A reference to doing something accurately, exactly, and with the exact order or proportion: The building was nicely adjusted and its shape was nicely proportioned.
omniscience (s) (noun), omnisciences (pl)
The fact, state, or quality of having infinite knowledge: In literature; especially, as an attribute of the author or a third-person narrator; omnisciences consist of knowing complete information concerning all the events of a narrative, and the private motives, thoughts, etc., of all the characters who are involved.
omniscient (adjective), more omniscient, most omniscient
1. Relating to a deity being all-knowing and having infinite understanding: Our omniscient God is aware of everything that is going on whether it is good or bad.
2. Descriptive of an individual who has extensive perceptions or as much erudition as possible in a certain field or area: Omniscient people are supposedly skilled in everything and take pride in their abilities and infinite mental gifts that are usually suspected of being figments of their imaginations.
3. Etymology: from Latin omnis, “all” + scientia, "knowledge".
A reference to having universal knowledge.
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Relating to knowing everything.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
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omnisciently (adverb), more omnisciently, most omnisciently
1. Descriptive of being infinitely wise or regarding a "universal" knowledge, or seeming to know everything.
2. A reference to someone having total knowledge.
3. Etymology: from Latin omnis, "all" + sciens, "knowing".
parviscient (s) (noun), parviscients (pl)
A condition of conveying or knowing little; having very limited knowledge or being ignorant.
Per lumen scientiae viam invenient populi. (Latin motto)
Translation: "Through the light of knowledge the people will find a way."

Motto of Texas College, Tyler, Texas, USA.

Per scientiam ad salutem publicam.
Through knowledge to public health.

Motto of Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

prescience (s) (noun), presciences (pl)
A knowledge of events before they happen; foreknowledge; foresight: Somehow Jane's mother possessed the prescience in knowing how her husband would react when she told him the truth.
prescient (adjective), more prescient, most prescient
1. Pertaining to an ability in knowing what will happen before it actually does occur: Those who are prescient people claim to have the gifts of foresight, clairvoyance, premonition, or prophecy.

The police gave the bank a prescient warning that they had heard that a robbery was being planned by criminals.

2. Etymology: from Latin praescient-, "knowing beforehand", from the verb praescire, from prae, "before" + scire "to know".
presciently (adverb)
1. Descriptive of forethought or foreknowledge of events.
2. A reference to human anticipation of the course of events.

Related articles about science: "Science Race"; STEM, Part 1; STEM, Part 2; Scientific Specialties.


Inter-related cross references, directly or indirectly, involving word units meaning "know, knowledge; learn, learning": cogni-; discip-; gno-; histor-; intellect-; learn, know; math-; sap-; sopho-.