51吃瓜 of the Day
cherubic
adjective
of or having the nature of a cherub, or an angel represented as a rosy-cheeked child with wings; angelic.
More about cherubic
Cherubic 鈥渙f or having the nature of a cherub鈥� is based on the noun cherub (plural cherubim or cherubs, depending on the context), plus the adjective-forming suffix -ic. Cherub derives via Latin from Ancient Greek 办丑别谤辞煤产, which was adapted from Hebrew 办蓹谤奴产丑. The Hebrew plural 办蓹谤奴产丑墨m was far better known than the singular 办蓹谤奴产丑 was, and earlier versions of English (compare Old English cerubim) as well as many Romance languages (compare French 肠丑茅谤耻产颈苍 and Spanish 辩耻别谤耻产铆苍) based their singular words for cherub on the Hebrew plural. This singular鈥損lural confusion even appears in literature; Madeleine L鈥橢ngle, in A Wind in the Door, includes a character who introduces itself, however paradoxically, as a 鈥渟ingular cherubim.鈥� Cherubic was first recorded in English in the early 17th century.
how is cherubic used?
The designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana constructed a Baroque Sicilian church fa莽ade as the background for their 鈥淜ing of Angels鈥� collection. The show opened with a tableau of young stars in formalwear, including elaborately embroidered military-style jackets and floral suits, walking beneath a pair of cherubs. The colorful knitwear that featured cherubic putti in oval frames looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets.
Alexander Lingas, a musicologist and the music director of Cappella Romana [a vocal ensemble based in Portland, Ore.] …. said that some pieces only 鈥渕ade sense鈥� inside the simulated acoustics. One example featured on the album is a cherubic hymn that likens the singers to angels …. [A]s the group rehearsed it with the virtual acoustics, a pattern of repeated undulating motifs built up rippling momentum until, as he described it, 鈥渢he sound essentially achieved liftoff.鈥�
cherubic
toxophilite
noun
a devotee of archery; archer.
More about toxophilite
Toxophilite 鈥渁 devotee of archery鈥� is based on the term Toxophilus 鈥渂ow-lover,鈥� which Roger Ascham coined for his book of the same name published in 1545. Toxophilus is based on Ancient Greek 迟贸虫辞苍 鈥渂ow鈥� and 辫丑铆濒辞蝉 鈥渓oving, dear,鈥� the latter of which we learned about from the recent 51吃瓜 of the Day philtrum. If you were wondering whether 迟贸虫辞苍 is related to the English word toxic, you have good instincts! Toxic ultimately comes from Ancient Greek toxik貌n (ph谩rmakon) 鈥渂ow (poison),鈥� that is, poison used on arrows. 罢贸虫辞苍 may be related to or derived from an Iranian source; compare Persian takhsh 鈥渃ross-bow, arrow.鈥� Toxophilite was first recorded in English circa 1790.
how is toxophilite used?
Apollo used to be an Olympic-class archer, a toxophilite of the first rank, until he took a bribe from a betting syndicate and blew a contest he should have won easily.
toxophilite
bilious
adjective
extremely unpleasant or distasteful.
More about bilious
Bilious 鈥渆xtremely unpleasant or distasteful鈥� comes from Latin 产墨濒颈艒蝉耻蝉, which is formed from the noun 产墨濒颈蝉 鈥渂ile鈥� and the suffix -艒蝉耻蝉 鈥渇ull of, containing.鈥� The origins of 产墨濒颈蝉 are mysterious, but that has not stopped linguists from developing theories. One hypothesis, however flimsy, is a connection to Latin fel 鈥済补濒濒产濒补诲诲别谤; venom, poison,鈥� which could point to a derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root bhel- 鈥渢o shine; white, yellow,鈥� but this is a bit of a stretch of phonetic logic. Another option, in light of some potential cognates of 产墨濒颈蝉 in Celtic languages (such as Welsh bustl 鈥済all, bile鈥�), could point to a pre-Indo-European source from which only the Celtic and Italic languages borrowed the term. Alternatively, 产墨濒颈蝉 and its Celtic cognates could be distantly related to English bite because of bile鈥檚 digestive effects. Bilious was first recorded in English circa 1540.
how is bilious used?
Almost hypnotized by the distant glow, by that ghost-light that spun and bobbed over the dark mound, the boy stared for a time. Between fear and cold, he became unaware even of his own shaking. Minutes later, racing along, the boy felt that something was wrong. While he should have felt relief at leaving that forsaken encampment, his stomach felt leaden. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. Turning, he saw the streaming ball of bilious light, winding its way through the air behind him. The ghost was chasing him.
The euphoria of discovery conveyed by Richard Greenberg through a gay outsider who becomes an impassioned baseball fan hasn鈥檛 dimmed a bit in the two decades since Take Me Out was first produced. Other things, however, have changed …. Issues that once seemed too reflective of the playwright鈥檚 hand at work now seem urgently keyed into a contemporary world in which masculine anxiety and its bilious consequences are being held up for scrutiny.
bilious