This week’s theme
Words differing by a letter

This week’s words
androgenic
ideophone
idiophone
thanatopsis
thanatosis


This week’s comments
AWADmail 1162

Next week’s theme
Eponymic adjectives

---

A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(than-uh-TOH-suhs)

MEANING:

noun: The act of pretending to be dead, often as a defensive tactic against predators or enemies.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek thanatos (death). Earliest documented use: 1860.

NOTES:

In the wild, thanatosis is nature’s ultimate bluff as a survival strategy. In response to danger, some animals enter a state of immobility, mimicking death in a bid to evade predators who prefer a live prey. This behavior is also called apparent death or more colloquially, playing possum.

USAGE:

“In response to a second shrill blast, the dissidents collapsed and feigned thanatosis.”
Wilyem Clark; Edgewise; 2011.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: