51吃瓜 of the Day
crepuscular
adjective
of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct.
More about crepuscular
The euphonious adjective crepuscular, 鈥渞elating to twilight, dim,鈥� is a derivative of the Latin noun crepusculum 鈥�(evening) twilight, dusk鈥� (its opposite, 鈥渕orning twilight, dawn,鈥� is diliculum, very rare but euphonious in its own right). Crepusculum is most likely a derivative of the adjective creper 鈥渙bscure, doubtful, uncertain,鈥� of obscure, doubtful, uncertain etymology. Crepuscular entered English in the mid-18th century.
how is crepuscular used?
At dusk the full moon began its rise in the crepuscular light and its glowing would last the entire of that night until it set at dawn.
The whisper of his conviction seemed to open before me a vast and uncertain expanse, as of a crepuscular horizon on a plain at dawn鈥攐r was it, perchance, at the coming of the night?
Watch crepuscular as the word of the day
crepuscular
materfamilias
noun
the mother of a family.
More about materfamilias
Materfamilias, 鈥渢he mother of a family,鈥� is not very common in English, even less common than paterfamilias 鈥渢he male head of a family, householder.鈥� Materfamilias comes from Latin 尘腻迟别谤蹿补尘颈濒颈腻蝉, a compound of 尘腻迟别谤 鈥渕other鈥� (nominative singular) and 蹿补尘颈濒颈腻蝉 鈥渙f a family鈥� (the archaic genitive singular of the noun familia, which in classical Latin is familiae). M膩ter蹿补尘颈濒颈腻蝉 is often written in Latin as two words (尘腻迟别谤 蹿补尘颈濒颈腻蝉). Materfamilias entered English in the mid-18th century.
how is materfamilias used?
I do not know a more hard-worked, driven creature than the ordinary Materfamilias at the seaside, more especially if she has left her own large airy house, with its nurseries and schoolrooms, and taken lodgings at a fashionable spot, where every inch of space costs pounds, and where she can never rid herself of her family for one moment.
Uncle Dikran … took Shushan鈥檚 side in every family dispute, knowing better than to disagree with the omnipotent materfamilias.
materfamilias
aeolian
adjective
of or caused by the wind; wind-blown.
More about aeolian
The chief element of the adjective aeolian is the proper noun Aeolus, the entity, whether human, divine, or semidivine, in charge of and controlling the winds. Aeolus lived on one of the Aeolian (Lipari) Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea just a little north of Sicily. English and Latin Aeolus derives from the Latin adjective Aeolius 鈥渃onnected with, derived from, or descended from Aeolus,鈥� from Greek 础颈贸濒辞蝉, a proper noun use of the adjective 补颈贸濒辞蝉 鈥渜uick, nimble.鈥� 础颈贸濒辞蝉 first appears on a Linear B tablet from about the 13th century b.c. as aiwolos, the name of a cow. (Linear B was the very inefficient writing system used for Mycenean Greek in the Late Bronze Age.) The next occurrence of 补颈贸濒辞蝉 is much, much grander: It is the second half of the Homeric compound adjective koryth补颈贸濒辞蝉 鈥渜uickly moving the helmet; with flashing helmet,鈥� part of the poetic formula koryth补颈贸濒辞蝉 H茅kt艒r 鈥淗ector with the flashing helmet.鈥� Aeolian entered English in the 16th century.
how is aeolian used?
Between June and October, subtropical tempests sweep over the landscape, creating aeolian forms鈥攃orrugated ridges caused by wind erosion.
before the words of these volumes can be enjoyed, the spirit must hear the roar and thunder of the breakers of passion in the distance … and drink in his ear aeolian murmurings, and music from the thrill of spirit wings through the clear marble air.
aeolian