vacation
VACATION
noun, often attributive
Definition of VACATION
1
: a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission
2
a : a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b : a period of exemption from work granted to an employee
3
: a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation <had a restful vacation at the beach>
4
: an act or an instance of vacating
See vacation defined for English-language learners »
See vacation defined for kids »
Examples of VACATION

Family vacations were a high point in my childhood.
When are you taking vacation this year?
Employees are entitled to 120 hours of paid vacation.
AND I DO GET 3 WEEKS! How about that.
I don't have any vacation days left.
We have a one-week vacation in February.
The university will be closed for Christmas vacation.

Origin of VACATION
Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French vacacion, from Latin vacation-, vacatio freedom, exemption, from vacare
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to VACATION
Synonyms: break, holiday [chiefly British], hols [British], leave, recess

RECESS! Hey I like that word!

Hehe, OK so Vacation wasn't the REAL word of the day, but since it is officially my first vacation day, I kinda sorta cheated. AND being my birthday I exercised my right to be King for a day! (I said KING guys)! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

February 24, 2012
Word of the Day

HENCHMAN
audio pronunciation
\HENCH-mun\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a trusted follower : a right-hand man
2
: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
3
: a member of a gang

EXAMPLES

The play opens with the main character, a gangster, onstage surrounded by his henchmen.

"[U.S. Attorney George E.Q.] Johnson vigorously took the fight to Capone and his henchmen, successfully prosecuting Capone's brother Ralph, Frank Nitti, the Guzik brothers Harry and Sam, and the beer barons Terry Druggan and Frankie Lake." -- From an article by Stephan Benzkofer in the Chicago Tribune, January 15, 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

The earliest known examples of today's word in written English show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English at the beginning of the 15th century and is a combination of Old English "hengest" ("a male horse") and "man." In the late 1700s, "henchman" began to be used for the personal attendant of a Scottish Highland chief. This sense, made familiar to many English readers by Sir Walter Scott, led to the word's use in the broader sense of "right-hand man," which in turn evolved into the other meanings.

Hum.... Wonder if wecould all be classified as a henchman. I mean Scrapyardians ARE a group, right.

And Todays word for February 25, 2012 is:

CONCLAVE
audio pronunciation
\KAHN-klayv\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a private meeting or secret assembly
2
: a gathering of a group or association

EXAMPLES

"The shadowy world of Ministers' meetings and security service conclaves ... was never explored." -- From an article by Mary Riddell in The Observer, February 2004

"On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Lin and other village leaders met to discuss their options and decided to call off the public protests and to reopen access to the village.… After that conclave, the village leaders held a rally with more than 1,000 residents in a public square and told the audience about the new agreement." -- From an article by Edward Wong in The New York Times, December 22, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

Ever wonder what happens behind locked doors? The etymology of "conclave" begs this question as the word comes from a Latin term meaning "room that can be locked up." The English word formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete. Today, "conclave" refers not to the locked rooms but to the private meetings and secret assemblies that occur within them. "Conclave" is especially likely to refer to a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals who have secluded themselves to choose a pope, but it can refer to other types of private or secret meetings as well. The meaning of "conclave" has also expanded to include gatherings that are not necessarily secret or private but simply involve people with shared interests.

Hey, that's us, sort of, maybe! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

March 01, 2012
Word of the Day

ABEYANCE
audio pronunciation
\uh-BAY-unss\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a lapse in succession during which there is no person in whom a title is vested
2
: temporary inactivity : suspension

EXAMPLES

Our plans to go for a bike ride were in abeyance until the weather cleared up.

"The remaining $5,000 of the fine is held in abeyance and will not have to be paid unless additional violations are committed by the Venice baseball program during the probationary period."—From an article by Dennis Maffezzoli in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Florida), January 23, 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

"Abeyance" has something in common with "yawn." Today, "yawn" implies sleep or boredom, but years ago it could also signify longing or desire ("Full many men know I that yawn and gape after some fat and rich benefice"—Thomas Hoccleve, 1420). The Old French word for "yawn" was "baer," which joined the prefix "a-" ("in a state or condition of") to form "abaer," a verb meaning "to expect" or "await." There followed Anglo-French "abeyance," which referred to a state of expectation—specifically, a person's expectation of inheriting a title or property. But when we adopted "abeyance" into English in the 16th century, we applied the expectation to the property itself: a property or title "in abeyance" is in temporary limbo, waiting to be claimed by a rightful heir or owner.

March 07, 2012
Word of the Day

ARROGATE
audio pronunciation
\AIR-uh-gayt\

DEFINITION

verb
1
a : to claim or seize without justification b : to make undue claims to having : assume
2
: to claim on behalf of another : ascribe

EXAMPLES

The city council has accused the mayor of arrogating decision-making authority to himself that rightly belongs with the council.

"Iranian political analysts said Mr. Ahmadinejad, unlike his predecessors, has made enemies of many Iranian religious figures by aggressively arrogating more power to his office than they would like." — From an article by Rick Gladstone in The New York Times, November 23, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

"Arrogate" comes from the Latin "arrogatus," a past participle of the verb "arrogare," which means "to appropriate to one's self." The Latin verb, in turn, was formed from the prefix "ad-" ("to" or "toward") and the verb "rogare" ("to ask"). You may have noticed that "arrogate" is similar to the more familiar "arrogant." And there is, in fact, a relationship between the two words. "Arrogant" comes from Latin "arrogant-, arrogans," the present participle of "arrogare." "Arrogant" is often applied to that sense of superiority which comes from someone claiming (or arrogating) more consideration than is due to that person's position, dignity, or power.

Does this mean some of our so-called elected officials need to read the meaning of today's Word of the Day? I think so!

March 08, 2012
Word of the Day

DIPLOPIA
audio pronunciation
\dih-PLOH-pee-uh\

DEFINITION

noun
: a disorder of vision in which two images of a single object are seen because of unequal action of the eye muscles — called also double vision

EXAMPLES

Most cases of diplopia go away on their own, but in some instances it can be a sign of an aneurysm or other disorder in the brain.

"Every August thousands of twins converge there for 'Twins Days Festival' — so many in fact you might think you had an acute case of diplopia…." — From a Q&A in The Berkshire Eagle (Massachusetts), November 12, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

We won't give you any double-talk about "diplopia." The word is simply the sum of the combining forms "dipl-" (meaning "double") and "-opia" (meaning "vision"). Visionarily speaking, the linguistic relatives of "diplopia" include "hyperopia" ("farsightedness"), "myopia" ("nearsightedness"), "deuteranopia" ("red-green color blindness"), and "presbyopia" ("loss of elasticity in the eye's lens").

March 09, 2012
Word of the Day

WINSOME
audio pronunciation
\WIN-sum\

DEFINITION

adjective
1
: generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence
2
: cheerful, lighthearted

EXAMPLES

Darryl's winsome nature made him well-liked in the office, and his cubicle was a popular destination for co-workers looking for a conversation partner.

"Faina, a winsome blonde child with a fox for a friend, emerges from the woods to bewitch them both." — From a book review by Lydia Kiesling in Slate, January 31, 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

"Winsome" began as "wynsum" a thousand years ago. It was formed from "wynn," the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix "-sum," an older form of the "-some" we see today in many adjectives, such as "awesome," "irksome," and "lonesome." "Wynn" later became "win," meaning "pleasure," but we haven't used that noun since the 17th century. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to "winsome." "Winning" ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb "win," is from Old English "winnan," meaning "to struggle." Both "winnan" and "wynn" are thought to be related to Latin "venus," which means, among other things, "charm."

March 10, 2012
Word of the Day

QUIETUS
audio pronunciation
\kwye-EE-tus\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: final settlement (as of a debt)
2
: removal from activity; especially : death
3
: something that quiets or represses

EXAMPLES

The town council voted against granting a permit to stage the concert in the park, thus putting the quietus on any repeat of last year's unruly behavior.

"All this comes just about the time when some bass-fishing folks were predicting a mad rush to the banks for the first round of spawning on Tuesday's full moon. The effects of the rain, cooler water and a rising barometer should put the quietus on that until water levels stabilize and sunlight returns to warm the water." — From an article by Joe Macaluso in The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), February 2, 2012

DID YOU KNOW?

In the early 1500s, English speakers adopted the Medieval Latin phrase "quietus est" (literally "he is quit") as the name for the writ of discharge exempting a baron or knight from payment of a knight's fee to the king. The expression was later shortened to "quietus" and applied to the termination of any debt. William Shakespeare was the first to use "quietus" as a metaphor for the termination of life: "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, … When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin?" (Hamlet). The third meaning, which is more influenced by "quiet" than "quit," appeared in the 19th century. It often occurs in the phrase "put the quietus on" (as in, "The bad news put the quietus on their celebration").

Diplopia can also be toxic induced. For instance brought on by medication or just being plain drunk. I had a passing case of diplopia last night...

Rasmus, you better go see an eye doctor, it could be serious if it keeps coming back. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I am my own eyedoctor, and I say it is ok