A.Word.A.Day --ensconce

A.Word.A.Day

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May 13, 2013

This week's theme
Verbs

This week's words
ensconce
equivocate
petrify
impute
exscind

Last week's words
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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

A.Word.A.Day is all about improving one's verbal ability. This week we'll improve our verb-ability with five words that are all verbs.

To say "In the beginning was the verb" wouldn't be too far off as the word comes from Latin verbum which means both verb and word. The quotation may not be verbatim, but it's clearly pro-verb.

Verbs give life to a sentence. You could say they bring verve, which also came to us from Latin verbum.

At any rate, verbs are about action, so let's put them into action.

ensconce

PRONUNCIATION:

(en-SKONS)

MEANING:

verb tr.:
1. To settle firmly and comfortably.
2. To hide securely.

ETYMOLOGY:

From en- (in) + sconce (small fortification), from Dutch schans (entrenchment). Earliest documented use: 1589.

USAGE:

"Vladimir Putin is once more ensconced behind the Kremlin's walls."
Not Such a Strongman; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 9, 2012.

See more usage examples of ensconce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author (1924-1998)

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