This week’s theme
Overachievers from mythology

This week’s words
aphrodisiac
titanic
borasco
vulcanic
gorgonian

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(ty-TAN-ik)

MEANING:

adjective:
1. Of great power, strength, size, etc.
2. Relating to or made of the element titanium.

ETYMOLOGY:

After Titan, any of a family of giant gods in Greek mythology. The element titanium is named after Titans because of its high strength. Earliest documented use: 1628; for sense 2: 1814. Another word coined after the Titans is titanism

NOTES:

Things didn’t end well for the Titans. First they overthrew their father and they in turn were overthrown by one of their children (see titanism). With such a track record, you’d assume someone would think twice before naming anything, let alone a ship that navigates among icebergs, after them. When did humans ever learn? An Australian billionaire (a titan of industry?) has announced Titanic II: “The ship will follow the original journey ...” Let’s hope it does not follow the original journey too faithfully.

USAGE:

“Show business lost a titanic talent in composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim.”
Joseph P. Kahn; A Wistful Farewell to the Notables Who Left Us in 2021; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 1, 2022.

See more usage examples of titanic in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: