A.Word.A.Day -- circumbendibus

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May 14, 2008

This week's theme
14-letter words, 14-letter definitions

This week's words
acritochromacy
tintinnabulate
tinctumutation
brobdingnagian
circumbendibus

This week’s comments
AWADmail 298

Next week’s theme
Guest Wordsmith

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

circumbendibus

(sur-kuhm-BEN-duh-buhs)

noun: Circumlocution.

[From Latin circum- (around) + English bend + Latin -ibus.]

"There are times when [George] Steiner does the exact opposite, dressing up banalities in the most clotted, Latinate and circumbendibus waffle in order to make them appear profound."
Christopher Hart; Speaking in Tongues; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jan 6, 2008.

X-Bonus

I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigrees of nations. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784)

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