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A.Word.A.Day--nares

nares (NAR-eez) noun, singular naris

The nostrils or nasal passages.

[From Latin nares, plural of naris (nostril).]

Today's word shares the same root (nas-) with nose, nuzzle, nostril, nasal, and pince-nez.

"There's a fine frost around their eyes and nares." Tom Walker, Venus at Minus 55, Alaska (Anchorage), Nov 1997.

Here is a pop quiz: Who was Gluteus Maximus? Even though it sounds like the name of some ancient Roman general, gluteus maximus is actually the name of a muscle. Its claim to fame is that it's the biggest muscle in the human body. Can you guess where one can find it? Hint: you sit on it. It finds its home in the posterior. An incredible machine, the human body is a source of many fascinating facts, discoveries, tidbits. Here is one more: Who have a greater number of bones: babies or adults? Babies have more than 300 bones, while adults have just 206. As we grow, many bones in our body fuse together.

This week we'll look at a few terms that are synonyms for better-known words relating to the human body. -Anu

X-Bonus