This week’s theme
Words using only one of the vowels

This week’s words
parastatal
defervescence
imprimis
poltroon
tumulus

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(dee-fuhr-VES-uhns)

MEANING:

noun: The abatement of a fever.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin de- (away from) + fervere (to boil, to be hot). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhreu- (to boil or to bubble), which is also the source of brew, bread, broth, braise, brood, breed, barmy, and perfervid. Earliest documented use: 1721.

USAGE:

“‘I don’t like these sudden drops. It’s false defervescence ...’ That same evening, Philippe’s temperature went back up.”
Andre Maurois; Climates; Other Press; 2012. (translation: Adriana Hunter)

See more usage examples of defervescence in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: