51吃瓜 of the Day
zeitgeber
noun
an environmental cue, as the length of daylight or the degree of temperature, that helps to regulate the cycles of an organism's biological clock.
More about zeitgeber
Zeitgeber 鈥渁n environmental cue, such as the length of daylight, that helps regulate the biological clock of an organism,鈥� comes from German Zeitgeber, literally 鈥渢ime giver,鈥� a compound of Zeit 鈥渢ime鈥� (cognate with English tide) and Geber, an agent noun from the verb geben 鈥渢o give鈥� (cognate with English give). The German term is formed on the analogy of Taktgeber 鈥渆lectronic synchronization device, timer, metronome.鈥� Takt and Zeit are near synonyms except that Takt is more narrowly applied to music and rhythm. Zeitgeber entered English in the late 1950s.
how is zeitgeber used?
Natural light is the best-known, though not the only, zeitgeber that syncs human sleep patterns up with the Earth鈥檚 24-hour day.聽
Night-shift workers also struggle, he says, because they don’t get the environmental and social cues that help adjust the circadian clock. The most important of these cues, called zeitgebers (German for ”time givers”) is sunlight.
zeitgeber
friable
adjective
easily crumbled or reduced to powder; crumbly.
More about friable
The English adjective friable comes from Middle French friable from Latin 蹿谤颈腻产颈濒颈蝉 鈥渆asily crumbled, crumbly,鈥� a derivative of the verb 蹿谤颈腻谤别 鈥渢o break into small pieces, crumble.鈥� 贵谤颈腻谤别 is akin to the verb 蹿谤颈肠腻谤别 鈥渢o rub, chafe鈥� (source of English friction) and the adjective 蹿谤墨惫辞濒耻蝉 鈥渨orthless, trashy鈥� (English frivolous). In the Olden Days, when studying Latin in high school was routine, some clever wag would reinvent for the millionth time the saying S墨c friat crustulum 鈥淭hus crumbles the cookie.鈥� Friable entered English in the second half of the 16th century.
how is friable used?
In some places, the limestone was so friable that, if you brushed a finger against it, it ran like sand through an hourglass.
In autumn, the days are pleasant, the soil friable, and there is a good choice of desired rose varieties.
friable
triclinium
noun
Roman History.
a dining room, especially one containing a couch extending along three sides of a table, for reclining on at meals.
More about triclinium
The uncommon noun triclinium comes from Latin 迟谤墨肠濒墨苍颈耻尘, straight from Greek 迟谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 鈥渄ining room.鈥� A 迟谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 was more precisely an arrangement of three chaise longues in the shape of a capital Greek pi (螤) on three sides of a central table for dining (the fourth side was left open for servants or busboys). 罢谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 is a compound made up of the Greek (and Latin) combining form tri– 鈥渢hree,鈥� as in triangle (a 鈥渢hree-cornered鈥� geometric figure), triathlete, and tripod (literally 鈥渢hree-footed鈥�). 碍濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 is a derivative of 办濒墨虂苍脓 鈥渃ouch, bed, sickbed,鈥� source of English clinic and clinical. Lying on couches while dining was introduced into Greece in the early seventh century b.c. from Asia Minor (now western Turkey). The Romans adopted the Greek custom via the Etruscans, and the Etruscans (and Romans) scandalized the Greeks by allowing citizen women (such as wives), to participate in banquets. Triclinium entered English in the first half of the 17th century.
how is triclinium used?
Ancient Romans could recline on the triclinium鈥檚 long benches, discussing music, literature and other refined topics, while contemplating a vista of ecstatic abandon.
The most elegant type of Hellenistic derivation has a curving headrest or fulcrum at one end; but a true triclinium evidently required a matching set of three fitted together …
triclinium