Word - 150

ALIENIST \AY-lee-uh-nist\ noun

: psychiatrist

Example sentence:

Julius Wagner von Jauregg was a gifted alienist and neurologist who was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.

Did you know?

"Alienist" looks and sounds like it should mean "someone who studies aliens," and in fact "alienist" and "alien" are related -- both are ultimately derived from the Latin word "alius," meaning "other." In the case of "alienist," the etymological trail leads from Latin to French, where the adjective "aliene" ("insane") gave rise to the noun "alieniste," referring to a doctor who treats the insane. "Alienist" first appeared in print in English in 1864. It was preceded by the other "alius" descendants, "alien" (14th century) and "alienate" (used as a verb since the early 16th century). "Alienist" is much rarer than "psychiatrist" these days, but at one time it was the preferred term.

Word - 149

TENACIOUS \tuh-NAY-shus\ adjective

1 a : not easily pulled apart : cohesive

b : tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance

2 *a : persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired

b : retaining knowledge easily

Example sentence:

Eugene's tenacious auditioning finally paid off when he landed the part of Romeo in the upcoming Shakespeare festival.

Did you know?

For all of its nearly 400 years, "tenacious" has adhered closely to its Latin antecedent: "tenax," an adjective meaning "tending to hold fast." Almost from the first, "tenacious" could suggest either literal adhesion or figurative stick-to-itiveness. Sticker burrs are tenacious, and so are athletes who don't let defeat get them down. We use "tenacious" of a good memory, too -- one that has a better than average capacity to hold information. But you can also have too much of a good thing. The addition in Latin of the prefix "per-" ("thoroughly") to "tenax" led to the English word "pertinacious," meaning "perversely persistent." You might use "pertinacious" for the likes of rumors and telemarketers, for example.

Word - 148

DOMICILE \DAH-muh-syle or DOH-muh-syle\ noun

*1 : a dwelling place : place of residence : home

2 a : a person's fixed, permanent, and principal home for legal purposes

b : the place where a corporation is actually or officially established

Example sentence:

"One evening Tess and Clare were obliged to sit indoors keeping house, all the other occupants of the domicile being away." (Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles)

Did you know?

"Domicile" traces to Latin "domus," meaning "home," and English speakers have been using it as a word for "home" since at least the 15th century. In the eyes of the law, a domicile can also be a legal residence, the address from which one registers to vote, licenses a car, and pays income tax. Wealthy people may have several homes in which they live at different times of the year, but only one of their homes can be their official domicile for all legal purposes.

word - 147

CHAWBACON \CHAW-bay-kun\ noun

: bumpkin, hick

Example sentence:

Larry has been living in the city for almost a year, but he's still as much of a chawbacon as the day he left the farm.

Did you know?

"Chaw" is an alteration of "chew" that is still used in some English dialects, especially in rural areas. Cured pork, or bacon, was a staple of some rural folks' diets in the past. Since the 16th century, "chaw" has been combined with "bacon" to create a ludicrous name for an uncultured yokel. Over the centuries, the word has lent its delicious dialect flavor to a wide range of publications, but it has become less common in recent decades. Today, city dwellers are as likely as country folk to chow down on bacon, and the word "chawbacon" isn't often on the lips of either group.

Word - 146

ACCENTUATE \ak-SEN-shu-wayt\ verb

: accent, emphasize; also : intensify

Example sentence:
Job-seekers are encouraged to accentuate their most valuable skills and experience, and to downplay any gaps in their work history.

Did you know?

When you "accentuate" something, you put an "accent" (or emphasis) on it. So it will come as no surprise to learn that etymologists have traced "accentuate" back to "accentus," the Latin word for "accent." "Accentus," in turn, combines the prefix "ad-" with "cantus," meaning "song." Other descendants of "accentus" in English include "accent" itself, as well as "accentual" ("of, relating to, or characterized by accent").