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A.Word.A.Day--tantalize

tantalize (TAN-tuh-lyz) verb tr., also tantalise

To tease or torment by showing something desirable but keeping it out of reach.

[After Tantalus in Greek mythology. Tantalus, a king of Lydia, was condemned to stand in Hades chin deep in water and under fruits that receded whenever he tried to drink water or eat the fruit.]

"(JK) Rowling e-mailed Catie back with some tantalizing snippets from her fourth book -- `Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' -- and then phoned her in Albany, New York to read extracts." Rowling Read Unfinished Potter Book To Dying Fan, The Times of India (New Delhi, India), Dec 29, 2002.

"Though Law & Order follows a long line of case-solving hits from Dragnet to Columbo, its penchant for real-life cases is its bread and butter. They tantalize with a whiff of familiarity, but often veer off in another direction to surprise viewers -- and to forestall lawsuits." Gary Levin, Plot Ideas Ripped From the Headlines, USA Today, Dec 6, 2002.

This week's theme: words from the word game Derivation.

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