by Dwane | Aug 21, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Absent: gone, not there, not present physically, or not present mentally. Absent derives from Latin absunt, which means, they are not here. Absunt itself derives from Latin ab (away) and the infinitve esse (to be). With the condition of American schools these days,...
by Dwane | Aug 20, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Abrasion: A scrape. Fall off of a bicycle and you may end up with an abrasion. Abrasion can also be the act of wearing or rubbing off. For example: The constant abrasion of chairs left scratches on the hardwood floors. Abrasion come from the Latin word abradere,...
by Dwane | Aug 19, 2014 | Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Anesthetic: a drug that numbs feeling; and agent causing loss of feeling, or sensation. From the Greek αν (not; without) and αἰσθητικός (sensitive, feeling). Whenever people pine for the good old days, I remind them of one word… dentistry....
by Dwane | Aug 19, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Abnormal: not typical, something out of the ordinary. Don’t get this word confused with its positive equivalent, exceptional. If you are abnormal, you are exceptional… in a worrisome sort of way. Abnormal has an interesting derivation. Ab, of course, means...
by Dwane | Aug 16, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Abhor: to regard with disgust; to hate extremely, or with contempt; to loathe, detest, or abominate. From Latin ab (away) and horreo (to dread, shudder at, or bristle). Example: She abhorred the weekly staff meeting.
by Dwane | Aug 15, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Aberrant: Wandering, straying from the right way. From Latin ab (away) and erro (I wander). The noun form of the word, aberration is an unwelcome (usually) departure from what is normal, or expected. Example: Years later, she abandoned her aberrant...
