51吃瓜 of the Day
caprice
noun
a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather.
More about caprice
Caprice is capricious. It certainly comes from French, from Italian capriccio; the problem is where does Italian capriccio come from? In Italian, capriccio originally meant 鈥渟udden startle, shiver,鈥� now 鈥渨him, fancy, fad.鈥� The Italian word may come from an unattested Vulgar Latin capriceus 鈥済oat,鈥� the image being of a kid skipping or frisking. Capriccio may also derive from the Italian noun capo 鈥渉ead, leader鈥� (from Vulgar Latin capum, from Latin caput) and riccio (from Latin 脓谤颈肠颈耻蝉 鈥渉edgehog鈥�), which as an adjective means 鈥渃urly, frizzy鈥� and as a noun means 鈥渉edgehog,鈥� the image now being of the hair standing on end in fright. Caprice entered English in the second half of the 17th century.
how is caprice used?
This is only聽a聽caprice鈥攁nd it would be the worst thing in the world to give in to her.
The only difference between a caprice and a lifelong passion is that the caprice lasts a little longer.
quorum
noun
the number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority.
More about quorum
Quorum comes from Latin 辩耻艒谤耻尘 “of whom.” (To get into the grammatical weeds, 辩耻艒谤耻尘 is the masculine genitive plural of the relative and interrogative pronoun and adjective 辩耻墨, quae, quod 鈥渨ho, which, what.鈥�) In medieval England, the Latin formula for commissioning justices of the peace would mention certain prominent local persons in general, known for their learning, experience, and prudence, and then specify one or more such persons as definitely to be included: Qu艒rum 奴num N esse volumus 鈥淥f whom we want N to be one.鈥� Such commissioned justices were necessary to constitute a bench and were known as justices of the quorum. The current sense, 鈥渢he number of members of a group or organization required to be present to transact business legally, usually a majority,鈥� dates from the early 17th century. Quorum entered English in the first half of the 15th century.
how is quorum used?
… new members can only be approved by a twelve-member quorum, and the shrunken Academy now has ten active members instead of its usual eighteen: a Catch-22 if there ever was one.
Along with two pre-existing vacancies, this will shrink what should be a six-member board to three members鈥攐ne short of the quorum required to hold meetings and perform many basic functions.
beacon
noun
a person or thing that illuminates or inspires: The Bible has been our beacon during this trouble.
More about beacon
Beacon comes from Old English 产脓补肠别苍, 产脓肠别苍, 产脓肠苍 鈥渁 sign, portent; a standard, banner; a signal, signal fire, signal hill or tower, watchtower; lighthouse.鈥� (Most of these senses appear in Beowulf.) 叠脓补肠别苍 comes from Germanic baukna– 鈥渂eacon, signal,鈥� the source of Old Frisian 产腻办别苍, Old Saxon 产艒办补苍, Old High German bouhhan. The derivative Germanic verb bauknjan 鈥渢o make a sign, signal鈥� becomes 产脓肠苍an in Old English and beckon in English.
how is beacon used?
As is often the case with those who die young, Martin Luther King Jr. has become more symbol than man: pacifist, beacon of nonviolent racial reform.
At first sight we had not rated the American town favorably, but now it seemed聽a beacon of civilization.