This week's theme
Words derived from numbers

This week's words
septentrional
decimate
hebdomad
doyen
dubious

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(doi-EN, DOI-uhn)

MEANING:

noun: The senior member of a group, profession, etc.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French doyen (most senior member), from Latin decanus (chief of ten), from decem (ten). Earliest documented use: 1422.

USAGE:

"[The financial sector's] doyens have gained powerful positions in government, although this may be down to the modern assumption that if people are rich they must be smart."
The War on Finance; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 4, 2012.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: