A.Word.A.Day --stentorian

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Oct 19, 2010

This week's theme
Eponyms

This week's words
harlequin
stentorian
pharisaical
luddite
simony

A genus of protozoans is named after Stentor owing to the trumpet-shaped appearance of the microorganisms

Photo: Proyecto Agua/Water Project

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

stentorian

PRONUNCIATION:

(sten-TOR-ee-uhn)

MEANING:

adjective: Loud and powerful.

ETYMOLOGY:

In Greek mythology, Stentor was a herald in the Trojan War and noted for his loud voice. In the Iliad, Homer described his voice to be equal to the voices of fifty men. He was put to death after his defeat by Hermes (1, 2) in a shouting contest.

USAGE:

"David Beckham's legendarily stentorian and commanding voice would lend itself perfectly to a career as a rapper."
Alexis Petridis; Tara Newley's Gritty New Film; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 9, 2010.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Extreme justice is extreme injustice. -Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE)

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