51吃瓜 of the Day
disinvent
verb (used with object)
to undo the invention of; to reverse the existence of.
More about disinvent
Disinvent is an obvious compound of the prefix dis-, here having a reversing force, and the verb invent. It is quite rare, first appearing in the second half of the 19th century (for the 鈥渄isinventing鈥� of the telegraph). In the 20th century disinvent has been applied to the impossibility of 鈥渄isinventing鈥� nuclear or chemical weapons.
how is disinvent used?
However alarmed we are by those weapons, we cannot disinvent them. The world cannot cancel the knowledge of how to make them. It is an irreversible fact.
A number of science fiction movies have actually had to 鈥�disinvent鈥� existing technologies in order to retell the myth of how rebels against 鈥渢he system鈥� help preserve free and open societies.
persiflage
noun
light, bantering talk or writing.
More about persiflage
The origin of聽persiflage聽all comes down to sound. English聽persiflage is borrowed from French聽persiflage, derived from聽persifler聽鈥渢o banter鈥� and -age, a noun-forming suffix.聽Persifler听肠辞尘产颈苍别蝉听per-, an intensive prefix meaning 鈥渢horoughly,鈥� and听蝉颈蹿蹿濒别谤聽鈥渢o whistle, hiss.鈥� Siffler聽in turn comes from Late Latin聽蝉墨蹿颈濒腻谤别, from Latin 蝉墨产颈濒腻谤别, also 鈥渢o whistle, hiss.鈥� This perfectly expressive verb yields English聽sibilate 鈥渢o hiss鈥� and聽sibilant聽鈥渉issing,鈥� which, in phonetics, characterizes such sounds as the –s– and –zh– in聽persiflage. We can well imagine how the teasing repartee, for example, of two sweethearts in a romantic comedy, sizzles with sibilant sounds, but for all the 鈥渉issing鈥� of聽persiflage, its raillery is light and good-natured.聽Persiflage聽entered English in the mid-18th century.
how is persiflage used?
He was not an Italian, still less a Frenchman, in whose blood there runs the very spirit of persiflage and of gracious repartee.
… when persons of unrestrained wit devote their attention to airy persiflage, much may be included in their points of view.
foment
verb
to instigate or foster (discord, rebellion, etc.).
More about foment
English foment ultimately comes from the Latin noun 蹿艒尘别苍迟耻尘 鈥渁 soothing dressing or compress (hot or cold), a remedy, alleviation.鈥� 贵艒尘别苍迟耻尘 is a contraction of an earlier, unrecorded fovimentum or fovementum, a derivative of the verb 蹿辞惫脓谤别 鈥渢o keep warm, protect from the cold, refresh, ease.鈥� The Latin neuter suffix –mentum is used to form concrete nouns from verbs, such as 补谤尘腻尘别苍迟耻尘 鈥渟ailing gear, tackle,鈥� from 补谤尘腻谤别 鈥渢o fit out with equipment or weapons.鈥� Foment entered English in the 15th century.
how is foment used?
Russian attempts to influence American voters鈥攊ncluding ad purchases on social media intended to foment racial division鈥攃oexisted with and benefitted from domestic attempts to discourage people from casting a vote.
The coordinated attacks, which took place in three Sri Lankan cities and killed more than 300 people, were designed to foment religious strife in a country that has been slowly recovering from a quarter-century-long civil war.