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Sep 26, 2006

This week's theme
Miscellaneous words

This week's words
prelapsarian
senectitude
diacritical
theriac
prevenient

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senectitude

(si-NEK-ti-tood, -tyood)

noun: Old age.

From Latin senectus (old age), from senex (old). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sen- (old) that's also the ancestor of senior, sir, sire, senate, senile, Spanish señor, and surly (which is an alteration of sirly, as in sir-ly).

"As for Skywalker John, his fortune is made back on earth giving television testimonials for laxatives, rheumatism medicaments, diapers and walkers. If those images are unsettling, please remember the old saw that senectitude is not for the faint of heart."
Nicholas von Hoffman; All Hail the World's Oldest Lab Rat; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Nov 17, 1998.

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