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Feb 7, 2006

This week's theme
Loanwords from Sanskrit

This week's words
dharma
mantra
ahimsa
sutra
nirvana

Anagrams
I, Rearrangement Servant
May I try your name?

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mantra

noun:
1. A sound, word, or phrase that is repeated in prayer and is believed to have mystical powers.
2. An often repeated word or phrase that is closely associated with something; a slogan, byword, or a watchword.

From Sanskrit mantra (thought, formula). Ultimately from Indo-European root men- (to think) which is the source of mind, mnemonic, mosaic, music, mentor, money, and mandarin.

"These tips go beyond the 'test early and often' mantra and will improve your IT organization's testing capabilities."
Meridith Levinson; Testing, 1, 2, 3; CIO (Framingham, Massachusetts); Nov 15, 2005.

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

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