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 | Sep 25, 2012This week's theme Verbs This week's words crepitate ramify ameliorate adhibit decorticate A Word A Day the book  "Delightful." -The New York Times Buy it in your country  Discuss  Feedback  RSS/XML             A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg ramify
 PRONUNCIATION: MEANING: 
verb tr., intr.: To divide into branches.
 ETYMOLOGY: 
From Latin ramus (branch). Ultimately from the Indo-European root wrad-
(root) which also sprouted words such as root, wort, licorice, radical,
radish, rutabaga, eradicate, and deracinate.
Earliest documented use: 1425.
 USAGE: 
"Andrew offered to read me a handful of passages from the manuscript
... which had ramified so uncontrollably that it was turning into
several distinct projects." Nicolas Rothwell; The Red Highway; Black Inc.; 2009. See more usage examples of ramify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. -James Baldwin, writer (1924-1987) | 
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