|
Home
|
May 20, 2013
This week's themeWords coined after mountains This week's words vesuvian parnassian chevy chartreuse himalayan 
Mount Vesuvius
Photo: Julius V
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu GargNext week marks 60 years of the first scaling of the Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. Going up nine kilometers in storms, avalanches, and thin air is not just any hike on the trail. Nearly 4,000 have made it to the top and back but more than 200 have died in the attempt. It's hard, but not impossible if you're determined. A double-amputee has scaled the peak, so has a blind person. A 13-year-old boy has done it, and so has a 76-year-old. And one man has done it as many as 21 times ("Honey, I'm stepping out for a stroll ... on Mount Everest"). We all have our mountains to scale. Some of these are not as visible as Mt. Everest though they may be equally challenging. Scaling them comes with no accolade, but they are nonetheless worthwhile. May you reach all the peaks you set out to scale. Everest has become a metaphor for a high point of something. This week we'll see five other words that are derived from mountains and hills. vesuvian
PRONUNCIATION:
(vi-SOO-vee-uhn)
MEANING:
adjective: Marked by sudden explosive outbursts.
ETYMOLOGY:
After Mount Vesuvius, a volcano that buried the cities of Pompeii and
Herculaneum when it erupted in 79 CE. Earliest documented use: 1673.
USAGE:
"It erupted without warning from a young man ... his Vesuvian sneeze
rocked the room." Dr. Kate Scannell; Tis the Season of the 'Winter Flu Olympics' -- Again; Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, California); Jan 20, 2013. See more usage examples of vesuvian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
May my silences become more accurate. -Theodore Roethke, poet (1908-1963)
|
|
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise
© 1994-2024 Wordsmith