A.Word.A.Day --hebephrenia

A.Word.A.Day

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Oct 3, 2011

This week's theme
There is a word for it

This week's words
hebephrenia
retrodiction
onomasticon
anosognosia
keening

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

There are two times in life when we are most likely to be at a loss for words: when we're happiest and when we're saddest. For other occasions, we can usually think of a word.

With such a large stock of words in its coffers, the English language is at the ready to supply just the right word.

Stock up your verbal reserve with this week's words, words that may make you say, "I didn't know there was a word for it!"

hebephrenia

PRONUNCIATION:

(hee-buh-FREE-nee-uh)

MEANING:

noun: A form of insanity occurring at puberty, also known as disorganized schizophrenia.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek hebe (youth) + phren (mind). Earliest documented use: 1883.

USAGE:

"Lisa Carver's prose is that of a freewheeling dunce high school junior who's given to frequent attacks of hebephrenia mixed with suffocating narcissism."
Sally Eckhoff; Zine But Not Heard; The Village Voice (New York); Sep 3, 1996.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Don't be afraid to take a big step. You can't cross a chasm in two small jumps. -David Lloyd George, British prime minister (1863-1945)

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