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Aug 26, 2010
This week's themeRandom words This week's words fluvial sidereal orison macerate sward Make a gift that keeps on giving, all year long A gift subscription of AWAD It takes less than a minute. 
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with Anu Gargmacerate
PRONUNCIATION:
(MAS-uh-rayt)
MEANING:
verb tr., intr.:1. To soften by soaking or steeping in a liquid. 2. To separate into parts by soaking. 3. To weaken or to become thin; to emaciate. ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin macerare (to make soft, weaken). Ultimately from the Indo-European
root mag-/mak- (to knead, to fit) that is also the source of make, mason,
mass, match, among, mongrel, mingle, and maquillage.
USAGE:
"The plastic rubbish has been macerated by marine forces and is composed
of small particles that float just below the surface, killing fish that
mistake it for food."John Maxwell; Boojum Hunting in the Caribbean; Jamaica Observer (Kingston); Jan 24, 2010. See more usage examples of macerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Although a democracy must often fight with one hand tied behind its back, it nonetheless has the upper hand. -Aharon Barak, law professor, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel (b.1936)
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