51吃瓜 of the Day
thigmotropism
noun
Biology. oriented growth of an organism in response to mechanical contact, as a plant tendril coiling around a string support.
More about thigmotropism
Thigmotropism is a very rare word, restricted to biology, especially botany. All three of the components of the word come from Greek: 迟丑铆驳尘补 means 鈥渁 touch鈥�; 迟谤贸辫辞蝉 and 迟谤辞辫岣� are both nouns meaning 鈥渁 turning, turn鈥�; and -ism comes from the Greek suffixes -颈蝉尘贸蝉, isma, used to form nouns denoting the result of an action. Thigmotropism entered English in the early 20th century.
how is thigmotropism used?
When touch is the stimulus, the response is thigmotropism. Positive thigmotropism occurs when a tendril touches an object and, by growing toward it, wraps around it.
Thigmotropism is what makes a vine curl around a stake or an epiphyte cling to a branch in the wild.
turophile
noun
a connoisseur or lover of cheese.
More about turophile
Turophile a rare word not only in meaning but also in its spelling. The combining form -phile is very common in English, but the combining form turo- is unique: it comes from the Greek noun 迟瘸谤贸蝉, which is nearly always Romanized as tyro-, as in the technical term tyrosine (an amino acid). 罢瘸谤贸蝉 comes from a complicated Proto-Indo-European root 迟脓耻, tewe, teu, 迟奴 鈥渢o swell, coagulate, be or become thick鈥�: for the Greeks cheese was 鈥渢hickened milk.鈥� The Latin word 产奴迟瘸谤耻尘 鈥渂utter鈥� is a borrowing from Greek 产辞煤迟测谤辞苍 鈥渂utter,鈥� literally 鈥渃ow cheese.鈥� 叠奴迟瘸谤耻尘 鈥渂utter鈥� was adopted by the West Germanic languages, e.g., Old English butere, English butter, Dutch boter, Old High German butera, and German Butter. Turophile entered English in the 20th century.
how is turophile used?
For any New York turophile … there is irritation, frustration and dismay when visiting most of the town’s restaurants whether grand luxe or bistro. The cheeses, if available at all, are more often than not overripe or underaged, too cold or too few …
… as any turophile knows, microbes are the source of cheese鈥檚 vast diversity of flavors, textures, and smells.
day-tripper
noun
a person who goes on a trip, especially an excursion, lasting all or part of a day but not overnight.
More about day-tripper
Day-tripper has been used in English since the mid-1800s.
how is day-tripper used?
… he seized on the word as if it might somehow help to plug him into German culture, rather like a day-tripper to Boulogne trying to convince himself that he has explored France.
Deepest mind in the galaxy, apparently, and you still express yourself like a day-tripper with a dog-eared phrase book.