WOTD April 2020

WOTD Hub

April 1st

Emission (n.)

French, "émission," from Latin, "emissio," "sending out, projecting, hurling, letting go, releasing, stem out"

  1. An act or instance of emitting or putting into circulation
  2. Something that is sent forth by emitting or discharging
  3. Effluvium

April 2nd

Phantasm (n.)

French, "fantosme," "a dream, illusion, fantasy, apparition, ghost, phantom"

  1. A product of fantasy, such as a delusive appearance, ghost, spectre, or figment of imagination
  2. A mental representation of a real object

April 4th

Pseudoscience (n.)

Unknown when word was coined, earliest reference is in 1796 and refers to alchemy. "pseudo-" from Greek "pseudes," "false, lying, deceived," possibly from PIE root "*psu-," "wind; nonsense, idle talk"

  1. A system of theories, assumptions, and methods erroneously regarded as scientific

April 5th

Distinguish (v.)

French, "distinguer," from Latin, "distinguere," "to separate between, keep separate, mark off, recognize as different, make out, perceive, distinct from what is similar"

  1. To perceive a difference in
  2. To mark as separate or different; to separate into kinds, classes, or categories
  3. To characterize or discern; to single out
  4. To make noteworth or remarkable; give prominence

April 6th

Vice (n.)

French, "vice," Latin, "vitium," "fault, defect, offense, blemish, imperfection, irregularity"

  1. A moral depravity or corruption; moral fault or failing
  2. (In general) A blemish, defect, imperfection, deformity, or taint
  3. A buffoon or jester
  4. An abnormal behavior pattern in a domestic animal detrimental to its health or usefulness

April 7th

Hamartia (n.)

Greek, "hamartanein," "fault, failure, guilt, sin, to fail one's purpose, err, to miss the mark"

  1. A tragic flaw

April 8th

Chthonic (adj.)

Greek, "khthonios," "of the earth, in the earth"

  1. Of or relating to the underworld

April 9th

Envisage (v.)

French, "envisager," "to look in the face of," from "en-," "in," and "visage," "face"

  1. To view or regard in a certain way
  2. To have a mental picture of, especially in advance of realization

April 10th

Enterprise (n.)

French, "enterprize," "a difficult task"

  1. A project or undertaking that is especially difficult, complicated, or risky
  2. A unit of economic organization or activity
  3. A systemic purposeful activity
  4. Readiness to engage in daring or difficult action

April 11th

Ecology (n.)

German, "Oekologie," from Greek, "Oikos," "house, dwelling, habitation"

  1. A branch of science concerned with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments
  2. The totality or pattern of relations between organisms and their environment
  4. Environment or climate
  5. An often delicate, intricate, or complex system