A.Word.A.Day --parastatal

A.Word.A.Day

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Mar 2, 2015

This week’s theme
Words using a single vowel

This week’s words
parastatal
defervescence
imprimis
poltroon
tumulus

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

A few years ago I played a small part in a local play. There’s nothing like being part of a production to understand the mechanics of a play. One thing I learned was that a playwright often gives even secondary roles a few minutes in the limelight. They get to be on center stage and show their stuff.

Well, consider this week’s words as such a case. Each day, we pick a vowel and focus the spotlight on it. Today it’s a.

parastatal

PRONUNCIATION:

(par-uh-STAYT-l)

MEANING:

noun: A company or agency owned wholly or partly by the government.
adjective: Relating to such an organization.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek para- (beside) + state, from Latin status (condition). Earliest documented use: 1944.

USAGE:

“In South Africa, rising economic growth and poor government planning, critics say, have left Eskom, the country’s energy parastatal, scrambling to build new power plants.”
Joseph J. Schatz; Power Cuts Cripple Southern Africa; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jan 25, 2008.

“State and parastatal staff also must contribute more to their pensions.”
Neil Behrmann; 2m British Civil Servants Walk Out; The Business Times (Singapore); Dec 1, 2011.

See more usage examples of parastatal in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991)

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