51吃瓜 of the Day
concatenation
noun
a series of interconnected or interdependent things or events.
More about concatenation
Concatenation comes straight from the Late Latin noun 肠辞苍肠补迟脓苍腻迟颈艒 (stem 肠辞苍肠补迟脓苍腻迟颈艒n-) 鈥渃onnection, sequence鈥� (literally 鈥渃haining together鈥�), a derivation of 肠补迟脓苍补 鈥渃hain.鈥� The Italian and Spanish words for 鈥渃hain鈥� (catena and cadena, respectively) far more closely resemble the Latin original than does the modern French 肠丑补卯苍别 (the English source for 鈥渃hain鈥�), which passed through the stages chaeine (Old French), from caeine (Old North French), from Latin 肠补迟脓苍补. Concatenation entered English in the early 17th century.
how is concatenation used?
It took an amazing concatenation of circumstances, from Lyndon Johnson鈥檚 withdrawal to Rockefeller鈥檚 tergiversations to Humphrey鈥檚 disaster at the hands of the left in Chicago, to make him President.
Before the huge Saturn 1B rocket thundered off its launch pad, the effort had been plagued by an extraordinary concatenation of weather delays, electronic gremlins and other obstacles.
concatenation
peduncle
noun
a flower stalk, supporting either a cluster or a solitary flower.
More about peduncle
The English noun peduncle is a technical term in the biological sciences, meaning 鈥渁 stalk, flower stalk, stem.鈥� Peduncle comes from New Latin pedunculus, with the same meanings, a derivative of Latin 辫脓蝉 (inflectional stem ped-) 鈥渇oot鈥� and the suffix –unculus, a variant of –culus, used to form diminutives. Latin 辫脓蝉, ped– comes from the very widespread Proto-Indo-European root ped-, pod-, 辫脓诲-, 辫艒诲 鈥渇oot.鈥� The variant 辫艒诲– regularly becomes 蹿艒迟– in Proto-Germanic, 蹿艒迟us in Gothic, 蹿艒迟r in Old Icelandic, 蹿艒迟 in Old English, and foot in English. The variant pod– becomes pous (stem pod-) 鈥渇oot鈥� in Greek, and the preposition pod 鈥渦nder鈥� in Slavic. The Latin suffix –unculus is uncommon, but it also appears in Latin homunculus 鈥渉uman being, mere human being (as opposed to preternatural or supernatural beings or forces),鈥� English homunculus. Peduncle entered English in the early 18th century.
how is peduncle used?
A member of the iris family, the marica is sometimes known as walking iris because of the way it produces young plants from drooping peduncles (flower stalks).
On Monday, they [the cherry blossom buds] reached 鈥�peduncle elongation,鈥� which is the penultimate stage before the Tidal Basin is overwhelmed by both magnificent flowering trees and an onslaught of tourists.
peduncle
emulous
adjective
desirous of equaling or excelling.
More about emulous
The English adjective emulous, 鈥渄esirous of equaling or excelling; jealous, envious,鈥� comes from Latin aemulus with the same meanings, both positive and negative. Aemulus is a Latin derivative of the rare Proto-Indo-European root aim-, im– 鈥渢o copy, imitate.鈥� From that same root Latin derives 颈尘腻驳艒 (inflectional stem 颈尘腻驳颈苍-) 鈥減icture, likeness, reflection (in a mirror),鈥� source of English image, imagine, and imago (a technical term in entomology and psychoanalysis), the Latin verb 颈尘颈迟腻谤墨 鈥渢o copy, reproduce, imitate,鈥� source of English imitate, imitation, and the Latin adjective 颈苍颈尘颈迟腻产颈濒颈蝉 鈥渦nable to be reproduced or copied, inimitable.鈥� Emulous entered English in the 14th century.
how is emulous used?
Tastefully emulous, Villard wanted his home to transcend its less fashionable location and magnify its owners through classical restraint rather than ostentatious display.
“Mr. Hareton is desirous of increasing his amount of knowledge,” I said, coming to his rescue. “He is not envious but emulous of your attainments鈥擧e’ll be a clever scholar in a few years!”
emulous