51吃瓜 of the Day
tocsin
noun
a signal, especially of alarm, sounded on a bell or bells.
More about tocsin
Tocsin, 鈥渁 signal, especially an alarm sounded on a bell,鈥� comes via Old French toquesin, touquesaint, tocsaint from Proven莽al tocasenh. Tocasenh is a compound made up of the verb tocar 鈥渢o strike鈥� (French toucher, English touch), from Vulgar Latin 迟辞肠肠腻谤别 鈥渢o touch鈥� and senh 鈥渁 bell, note of a bell,鈥� from Medieval Latin signum 鈥渁 bell,鈥� from Latin signum 鈥渁 mark or sign; a signal.鈥� Tocsin entered English in the second half of the 16th century.
how is tocsin used?
Labor Day instead of sounding the knell of vacations, has become the tocsin for more holidays鈥揊all holidays. Increasingly of late years has this season been growing in favor among those who wish to avoid the crowds of early August, or plan a special sort of trip.
Paris is in the streets;鈥攔ushing, foaming like some Venice wine-glass into which you had dropped poison. The tocsin, by order, is pealing madly from all steeples.
tocsin
irrefragable
adjective
not to be disputed or contested.
More about irrefragable
Irrefragable, 鈥渘ot to be disputed or contested,鈥� comes from Late Latin 颈谤谤别蹿谤补驳腻产颈濒颈蝉, literally 鈥渦nable to be broken back,鈥� and an easy word to break down into its components. The prefix ir– is the variant that the Latin negative prefix in– (from the same Proto-Indo-European source as English un-) takes before r-. The element re– means 鈥渂ack, back again,鈥� thoroughly naturalized in English; here re– forms part of the verb 谤别蹿谤补驳腻谤墨 鈥渢o oppose (a candidate); resist; militate against鈥� (蹿谤补驳腻谤墨 is possibly a variant of frangere 鈥渢o break鈥�; 谤别蹿谤补驳腻谤墨 means 鈥渢o break back鈥�). The suffix –腻产颈濒颈蝉 is formed from the connecting vowel –腻– and the adjective suffix –bilis, which shows capability or ability, and is the source of English –able. Irrefragable entered English in the first half of the 16th century.
how is irrefragable used?
The court often assumes that a federal agency acted properly unless an employee offers “irrefragable proof to the contrary.”
The Senate committee cited this as one of many issues on which the court had misinterpreted the law and the intent of Congress. “By definition,” it said, “irrefragable means impossible to refute. This imposes an impossible burden on whistleblowers.”
Physical science magnifies physical things. The universe of matter with its irrefragable laws looms upon our mental horizon larger than ever before, to some minds blotting out the very heavens.
irrefragable
More about celerity
Celerity, 鈥渟wiftness; speed,鈥� comes via Middle French 肠茅濒茅谤颈迟茅 from Latin celerit腻s (inflectional stem celerit腻t-) 鈥渟wiftness, quickness, speed,鈥� a derivative of the adjective celer. Celer comes from the Proto-Indo-European root kel– 鈥渢o drive, incite to quick motion鈥� and the suffix –es– (Old Latin keles– regularly changes to Classical Latin celer-). The Latin adjective celeber, also celebris 鈥渂usy, crowded, frequented鈥� (source of English celebrate, celebrated) is also formed from kel-. The root also appears in Greek 办茅濒脓蝉 鈥渞unner, racer, racehorse, fast ship.鈥� Celerity entered English in the second half of the 15th century.
how is celerity used?
At both forms of interview, the majority are not attending and taking notes because a court stenographer is doing it for them. With breathtaking celerity鈥攚ithin ten minutes鈥攖ranscripts of both the flash interviews and the longer interviews are produced, reproduced, machine-stapled, never proofread, and placed in wall racks, where they are collected by the journalists.
Minutes after my delayed arrival Schneier had with characteristic celerity packed himself and me into a taxi.
celerity