by Dwane | Sep 6, 2014 | Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Acmopetala – pointed petals. The fritillaria acmopetala is a flower of the easter Mediterranean. You can identify it by the pointed flower petals. This is the source of the scientific name, acmopetala. Acmopetala comes from the Greek ἀκμή (point; top), and...
by Dwane | Sep 6, 2014 | Education, English, Vocabulary
Acerbic: sharp criticism; sarcasm; witty criticism, often funny, but always harsh. Acerbic once meant, sour tasting, or bitter. Over time, the word turned into an adjective attached to “wit”. When we describe someone with “Acerbic wit”, we are describing someone...
by Dwane | Sep 5, 2014 | Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Acme – the peak of perfection; the pinnacle; the zenith; the company that sends incredible equipment to Wile E. Coyote. From Greek ἀκμή (point; top).
by Dwane | Sep 5, 2014 | Education, English, Latin, Vocabulary
Acrimonious: angry, bitter, acerbic; bitterness of expression proceeding from anger. From Latin acer, acris (bitter, pungent, sharp, sour) and the suffix monium (state, or condition). Acrimony, then, is the “condition of being sour.” Example: After the acrimonious...
by Dwane | Sep 4, 2014 | Education, English, Greek, Vocabulary
Acapnotic: a non smoker. From Greek ά (not, without) and καπνός (smoke). Want to tell your friends “No, thanks!” without being rude? Tell them you are acapnotic. They will think you have a medical condition. And, you will smile at your...
