A Word A Day 1 (Jan+Feb 2006)

Front 1

nirvana (nir-VAH-nuh) noun

Back 1

1. Freedom from the endless cycle of birth and death and related suffering.

2. An idealized state or place free of pain, worries, etc.

[From Sanskrit nirvana (blowing out, extinguishing, extinction), from nis- (out) + vati (it blows).]

Hint 1

From Sanskrit

Front 2

sutra (SOO-truh) noun

Back 2

A rule or formula; aphorism.

[From Sanskrit sutra (thread).]

Hint 2

From Sanskrit

Front 3

ahimsa (uh-HIM-sah, uh-HIN-sah) noun

Back 3

The principle of refraining from harming any living being.

[From Sanskrit ahimsa, from a- (not) + hinsa (injury).]

Hint 3

From Sanskrit

Front 4

mantra (MAN-truh) noun

Back 4

1. A sound, word, or phrase that is repeated in prayer and is believed to have mystical powers.

2. An often repeated word or phrase that is closely associated with something; a slogan, byword, or a watchword.

[From Sanskrit mantra (thought, formula).]

Hint 4

From Sanskrit

Front 5

dharma (DHAR-muh) noun

Back 5

1. Duty; right behavior.

2. Law, especially the eternal law of the cosmos.

3. Religion.

[From Sanskrit dharma (law, custom, duty).]

Hint 5

From Sanskrit

Front 6

cancrine (KANG-krin) adjective

Back 6

1. Reading the same backwards as forwards, palindromic.
For example, "A man, a plan, a canal: Panama." (letter cancrine) "So patient a doctor to doctor a patient so!" (word cancrine)

2. Crab-like.

[From Latin cancr- (stem of cancer) cancer + -ine.]

Hint 6

From Latin

Front 7

sartorial (sar-TOR-ee-uhl) adjective

Back 7

Related to a tailor or tailored clothes.

[From Late Latin sartor, tailor.]

Hint 7

From Late Latin

Front 8

debark (di-BARK) verb tr., intr.

Back 8

To disembark.

[From French debarquer, de- from + barque ship.]

Hint 8

From French

Front 9

debark (dee-BARK) verb tr.

Back 9

To remove the bark from a log or a dog.

[De- + bark.]

Front 10

tokology (to-KOL-uh-jee) noun, also tocology

Back 10

Midwifery or obstetrics.

[From Greek toko, child, childbirth + logy.]

Hint 10

From Greek

Front 11

athenaeum (ath-uh-NEE-um) noun

Back 11

1. A library or reading room.

2. A literary or scientific club.

[From Latin Athenaeum, from Greek, a temple of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.]

Hint 11

From Latin

Front 12

badinage (bad-NAHZH BAD-nahzh) noun

Back 12

Light, playful remarks; banter.

[From French badinage, from badiner (to banter).]

Hint 12

From French

Front 13

bon mot (bon mo) noun, plural bons mots

Back 13

A witty remark.

[From French bon mot, literally good word.]

Hint 13

From French

Front 14

rejoinder (ri-JOIN-duhr) noun

Back 14

1. A sharp reply; retort.

2. In law, the defendant's answer to the plaintiff's reply/replication.

[From Middle French rejoindre (to rejoin), from re- + joindre (to join), from Latin.]

Hint 14

From Middle French

Front 15

repartee (rep-uhr-TEE) noun

Back 15

1. A quick, witty reply or conversation.

2. Cleverness in making witty conversation.

[From repartie (retort), from repartir (to retort), from re- + partir (to part or divide), from Latin.]

Front 16

ad lib (ad LIB) noun

Back 16

Improvised speech or music.

[From Latin ad libitum (at pleasure).]

Hint 16

From Latin

Front 17

ad lib (ad LIB) verb tr.

Back 17

To perform music, speech, etc. spontaneously.

[From Latin ad libitum (at pleasure).]

Hint 17

From Latin

Front 18

ad lib (ad LIB) verb intr.

Back 18

To improvise.

[From Latin ad libitum (at pleasure).]

Hint 18

From Latin

Front 19

ad lib (ad LIB) adjective

Back 19

Improvised, impromptu.

[From Latin ad libitum (at pleasure).]

Hint 19

From Latin

Front 20

trepid (TREP-id) adjective

Back 20

Fearful; timid.

[From Latin trepidus (alarmed).]

Hint 20

From Latin

Front 21

requite (ri-KWYT) verb tr.

Back 21

To repay, return for, avenge, or retaliate.

[From Middle English requiten, from re- + quiten (to pay), a variant of quit.]

Hint 21

From Middle English

Front 22

vincible (VIN-suh-buhl) adjective

Back 22

Defeatable; capable of being overcome.

[From Latin vincibilis, from vincere (to overcome).]

Hint 22

From Latin

Front 23

pervious (PUR-vee-uhs) adjective

Back 23

1. Permeable; open to passage or penetration.

2. Open to suggestions, arguments, reason, change, etc.

[From Latin pervius, from per- (through) + via (way).]

Hint 23

From Latin

Front 24

sipid (SIP-id) adjective

Back 24

Having a pleasing taste or flavor.

[Back formation from insipid, from Late Latin insipidus, from in- (not) + sapidus (savory), from sapere (to taste, to know).]

Front 25

looby (LOO-bee) noun

Back 25

An awkward, clumsy, lazy fellow.

[From Middle English loby, from lob (bumpkin).]

Hint 25

From Middle English

Front 26

frowzy (FROU-zee) adjective, also frowsy, frouzy

Back 26

1. Unkempt, slovenly.

2. Having a musty odor.

[Origin unknown.]

Front 27

rangy (RAYN-jee) adjective

Back 27

1. Slim and long-limbed.

2. Inclined to roaming.

[From Middle English range (row), from Old French rangier (to arrange).]

Hint 27

From Middle English

Front 28

rident (RYD-uhnt) adjective

Back 28

Laughing; cheerful.

[From Latin ridere (to laugh) which is also the source of ridiculous, deride, and risible.]

Hint 28

From Latin

Front 29

fussbudget (FUS-buj-it) noun

Back 29

One who is fussy about unimportant things.

[From fuss + budget, from Middle English, from Old French bougette, diminutive of bouge (bag), from Latin.]

Front 30

bimester (by-MES-tuhr) noun

Back 30

A period of two months.

[From Latin bimenstris, from bi- (two) + mensis (month).]

Hint 30

From Latin

Front 31

yestreen (ye-STREEN) noun

Back 31

Yesterday evening.

[From Middle English yester- + even.]

Hint 31

From Middle English

Front 32

anachronism (uh-NAK-ruh-niz-uhm) noun

Back 32

1. The error of placing a person, object, custom, or event in the wrong historical period.

2. A person, thing, or practice that does not belong in a time period.

[From French anachronisme, Latin and Greek, from ana-, (backwards) + khronos (time).]

Hint 32

From French

Front 33

perennial (puh-REN-ee-uhl) adjective

Back 33

1. Lasting for a long time; perpetual.

2. (of a plant) Living several years.

3. Recurrent.

[From Latin perennis (through the year), from per- (throughout) + annus year).]

Hint 33

From Latin

Front 34

perennial (puh-REN-ee-uhl) noun

Back 34

1. A perennial plant.

2. Something that continues or is recurrent.

[From Latin perennis (through the year), from per- (throughout) + annus year).]

Hint 34

From Latin

Front 35

hesternal (he-STER-nuhl) adjective

Back 35

Of yesterday.

[From Latin hesternus (of yesterday).]

Hint 35

From Latin

Front 36

McJob (muhk-JOB) noun

Back 36

A low-paying, non-challenging job with few benefits or opportunities, typically in the service sector.

[Coined by Douglas Coupland, in Generation X, after McDonald's]

Front 37

Pangaea (pan-JEE-uh) noun

Back 37

A hypothetical supercontinent that existed when all the major landmasses of the earth were joined.

[From Greek pan (all) + gaia (earth), supposedly coined by German meteorologist Alfred Wegener (1880-1930).]

Hint 37

From Greek

Front 38

eustasy (YOO-stuh-see) noun

Back 38

A uniform global change in sea level.

[From eustatic, from German eustatisch, coined by Austrian geologist Edward Suess.]

Hint 38

From German

Front 39

locust years (LO-kuhst yeerz) noun

Back 39

A period of economic hardship.

[Coined by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to refer to the mid 1930s in Britain, after "the years that the locust hath eaten" from the Bible, Joel 2:25.]

Front 40

prehensile (pri-HEN-sil, -syl) adjective

Back 40

1. Capable of seizing or grasping, especially by wrapping around.

2. Skilled at keen perception or mental grasp of an idea or concept.

3. Greedy.

[From French prehensile, coined by French naturalist Georges Louis Leclerc De Buffon, from Latin prehensus.]

Front 41

sextet (seks-TET) noun

Back 41

1. A group of six.

2. A group of six singers or musicians, or a piece of music composed for them.

[Alteration of sestet, influenced by Latin sex (six).]

Front 42

potatory (POH-tuh-tor-ee) adjective

Back 42

Pertaining to or given to drinking.

[From Latin potatorius, from Latin potatus, past participle of potare (to drink).]

Hint 42

From Latin

Front 43

gyrovague (JYE-ro-vayg) noun

Back 43

A monk who travels from one place to another.

[From French, from Late Latin gyrovagus gyro- (circle) + vagus (wandering).]

Hint 43

From Latin

Front 44

discommode (dis-kuh-MOD) verb tr.

Back 44

To put to inconvenience.

[From French discommoder, from dis- + commode (convenient).]

Hint 44

From French

Front 45

obsequy (OB-se-kwee) noun

Back 45

A funeral rite or ceremony.

[From Middle English obsequie, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin obsequiae, alteration (after Latin exsequiae, funeral rites) of Latin obsequia, plural of obsequium (compliance).]

Hint 45

From Latin

Front 46

volitant (VOL-i-tuhnt) adjective

Back 46

1. Flying or capable of flight.

2. Active; moving about rapidly.

[From Latin volitare (to flutter), from volare (to fly).]

Hint 46

From Latin

Front 47

adit (AD-it) noun

Back 47

1. Access; entrance; admission.

2. A nearly horizontal passage leading into a mine.

[From Latin aditus (approach, entrance), from adire (to approach), from ire (to go).]

Hint 47

From Latin