51吃瓜 of the Day
myopic
adjective
unable or unwilling to act prudently; shortsighted.
More about myopic
Myopic ultimately comes from the Greek noun 尘测艒辫铆补 鈥渘earsightedness,鈥� which in Greek has no extended or metaphorical meaning. (The suffix –ic is English, not Greek, i.e., there is no Greek adjective 尘测艒辫颈办贸蝉.) 惭测艒辫铆补 is a compound formed of the verb 尘媒别颈苍 鈥渢o close the eyes or mouth,鈥� which is close kin to the Latin 尘奴迟耻蝉 鈥渋narticulate, dumb, silent鈥� (English mute). The same 尘媒别颈苍 appears in the noun 尘测蝉迟岣梤颈辞苍 鈥渟ecret, secret rite鈥� (English mystery) and its adjective 尘测蝉迟颈办贸蝉 鈥渃onnected with the mysteries鈥� (English mystic). The second element of myopia, –艒辫铆补, is a combining form of 峁损蝉 (stem 艒辫-) 鈥渆ye, face, countenance.” Myopic in its original sense entered English at the end of the 18th century; the sense 鈥渦nable or unwilling to act prudently鈥� developed in English at the end of the 19th century.
how is myopic used?
The belief that simply running a data set will solve for every challenge and every bias is problematic and myopic.
Science provides us with a new perspective on our place in the cosmos and a better understanding of ourselves as human beings. It helps us overcome our otherwise myopic preconceptions about how the world works.
temporize
verb
to be indecisive or evasive to gain time or delay acting.
More about temporize
The current, somewhat negative, meaning of temporize, 鈥渢o be indecisive or evasive to gain time or delay acting,鈥� is a relatively modern development of Middle French temporiser 鈥渢o pass the time, await one鈥檚 time,鈥� from Medieval Latin 迟别尘辫辞谤颈锄腻谤别 鈥渢o delay,鈥� equivalent to Medieval Latin 迟别尘辫辞谤腻谤别 鈥渢o delay, put off the time.鈥� All of the medieval words are derivatives of Latin tempor-, the inflectional stem of tempus 鈥渢ime,鈥� which has no certain etymology. Temporize entered English in the 16th century.
how is temporize used?
I’ll temporise till we are all dead and buried.
He is as likely as any man I know to temporize鈥攖o calculate what will be likely to promote his own reputation and advantage …
More about eyewinker
Eyewinker is a very rare noun, originally Scottish and now mostly an American regionalism. Eye needs no explanation; winker has several meanings: “eyelash, eyelid, eye, something that gets in the eye and makes one blink.” Eyewinker entered English in the early 19th century.
how is eyewinker used?
“Last night鈥�at dinner”鈥�Mrs. Appel eyed him accusingly鈥�“I found鈥�an eyewinker鈥�in the hard sauce.”
Not even an eyewinker was left to her.