Repent

Main Entry: re·pent
Pronunciation: ri-'pent

Function: verb

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French repentir, from Medieval Latin repoenitEre, from Latin re- + Late Latin poenitEre to feel regret, alteration of Latin paenitEre

intransitive verb
1 : to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one's life
2 a : to feel regret or contrition b : to change one's mind

transitive verb
1 : to cause to feel regret or contrition
2 : to feel sorrow, regret, or contrition for

- re·pent·er noun

Mimesis

mimesis • \muh-MEE-sis\ • noun
: imitation, mimicry

Example sentence:
Late in her career, the painter became less interested in mimesis and began to experiment in styles of abstraction.

Did you know?
"Mimesis" is a term with an undeniably classical pedigree. Originally a Greek word, it has been used in aesthetic or artistic theory to refer to the attempt to imitate or reproduce reality since Plato and Aristotle. "Mimesis" is derived from the Greek verb "mimeisthai," which means "to imitate" and which itself comes from "mimos," meaning "mime." The English word "mime" also descends from "mimos," as do "mimic" and "mimicry." And what about "mimeograph," the name of the duplicating machine that preceded the photocopier? We can't be absolutely certain what the folks at the A. B. Dick Company had in mind when they came up with "Mimeograph" (a trademark name that has since expired), but influence from "mimos" and its descendants certainly seems probable.

Wane

wane verb, waned, wan‧ing, noun

–verb (used without object)
1.to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.: Daylight waned, and night came on. Her enthusiasm for the cause is waning.
2.to decline in power, importance, prosperity, etc.: Colonialism began to wane after World War II.
3.to draw to a close; approach an end: Summer is waning.
4.(of the moon) to decrease periodically in the extent of its illuminated portion after the full moon.

–noun
5.a gradual decrease or decline in strength, intensity, power, etc.
6.the drawing to a close of life, an era, a period, etc.
7.the waning of the moon.
8.a period of waning.
9.a defect in a plank or board characterized by bark or insufficient wood at a corner or along an edge, due to the curvature of the log.

—Idiom
10.on the wane, decreasing; diminishing: The popularity of that song is on the wane.
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[Origin: bef. 900; ME wanen (v.), OE wanian to lessen; c. MD, MHG wanen, ON vana to cause to wane, destroy]

—Synonyms 1, 2. diminish, fail, sink. 5. diminution; failure, decay.

Lamentable

Main Entry: la·men·ta·ble
Pronunciation: l&-'men-t&-b&l also 'la-m&n-

Function: adjective

1 : that is to be regretted or lamented : DEPLORABLE

2 : expressing grief : MOURNFUL

- la·men·ta·ble·ness noun
- la·men·ta·bly /-blE/ adverb

Assiduous

assiduous \uh-SIJ-uh-wus\ adjective
: marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application

Example sentence:
It's no surprise that my neighbor Jeanne's assiduous tending of her garden results in a good crop -- but you'd be surprised how well I do with my haphazardly tended plot.

Did you know?
Judges presiding over assizes (former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties) had to be assiduous in assessing how to best address their cases. Not only were their efforts invaluable, but they also served as a fine demonstration of the etymologies of "assiduous," "assess," and "assize." All three of those words derive from the Latin verb "assidere," which is variously translated as "to sit beside," "to take care of," or "to assist in the office of a judge." "Assidere," in turn, is a composite of the prefix "ad-" (in this case, meaning "near" or "adjacent to") and "sedere," meaning "to sit."

Kvetch

kvetch \KVECH\, intransitive verb:
1. To complain habitually.

noun:
1. A complaint.
2. A habitual complainer.

Maelstrom

maelstrom \MAIL-strum\ noun
1 : a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius
*2 : something resembling a maelstrom in turbulence

Example sentence:
The mayor has been swept up in the media maelstrom surrounding the laundering of thousands of dollars in state funds by city officials.

Did you know?
"Maelstrom" comes from an early Dutch proper noun that literally meant "turning stream." The original Maelstrom is a channel that has dangerous tidal currents located off the northwest coast of Norway. The word became popularized in the general vocabulary of English in reference to a powerful whirlpool, or something akin to one, in the 19th century. This was partly due to its use by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne (whose writing was widely translated from French) in stories exaggerating the tempestuousness of the Norwegian current and transforming it into a whirling vortex.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Insuperable

insuperable \in-SOO-puh-ruh-bul\ adjective
: incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved

Example sentence:
The battalion's strong defensive position proved to be an insuperable obstacle for the enemy.

Did you know?
"Insuperable" first appeared in print in the 14th century, and it still means now approximately what it did then. "Insuperable" is a close synonym to "insurmountable." In Latin, "superare" means "to go over, surmount, overcome, or excel." The Latin word "insuperabilis" was formed by combining the common prefix "in-" (meaning "not" or "un-") with "superare" plus "abilis" ("able"). Hence "insuperabilis" means "unable to be surmounted, overcome, or passed over," or more simply, "insurmountable." The word "insuperabilis" was later anglicized as "insuperable." Related words such as "superable," "superably," and even "superableness" have also found a place in English.

Ruminate

ruminate \ROO-muh-nayt\ verb
*1 : meditate, muse
2 : to chew repeatedly for an extended period

Example sentence:
After meeting with her counselor, Meg passed the afternoon ruminating on the question of what to do with her life.

Did you know?
When you ruminate you chew something over, either literally or figuratively. Literal rumination may seem a little gross to humans, but to cows, chewing your cud (that's partially digested food brought up from the stomach for another chew) is just a natural part of life. Figurative ruminating is much more palatable to humans; that kind of deep, meditative thought is often deemed quite a worthy activity. The verb "ruminate" has described metaphorical chewing over since the 1500s and actual chewing since the early 1600s. Our English word derives from and shares the meanings of the Latin "ruminari," which in turn derives from "rumen," the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud).

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

Firebrand

firebrand \FYRE-brand\ noun
1 : a piece of burning wood
2 : one that creates unrest or strife (as in aggressively promoting a cause) : agitator

Example sentence:
John views himself as a relentless firebrand who stands up for his beliefs even when they are not popular.

Did you know?
The original firebrands were incendiary indeed; they were pieces of wood set burning at the fire, perhaps for use as a light or a weapon. English speakers started brandishing those literal firebrands as long ago as the 13th century. (Robinson Crusoe held one high as he rushed into a cave on his deserted island and saw "by the light of the firebrand... lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat.") But the burning embers of the wooden firebrand quickly sparked figurative uses for the term, too. By the early 14th century, "firebrand" was also being used for one doomed to burn in hell, and by 1382, English writers were using it for anyone who kindled mischief or inflamed passions.

Fortuitous

fortuitous \for-TOO-uh-tus\ adjective
1 : occurring by chance
2 : fortunate, lucky
*3 : coming or happening by a lucky chance

Example sentence:
How fortuitous it was that the day before the rattlesnake bit little Jessica, her Dad had completed a first aid course!

Did you know?
For some 250 years, until the early part of the 20th century, "fortuitous" meant one thing only: "happening by chance." This was no accident; its Latin forebear, "fortuitus," derives from the same ancient root as the Latin word for "chance," which is "fors." But the fact that "fortuitous" sounds like a blend of "fortunate" and "felicitous" (meaning "happily suited to an occasion") may have been what ultimately led to a second meaning: "fortunate." That use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Perhaps the seeds of the newer sense were planted by earlier writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a chance occurrence. In fact, today we quite often apply "fortuitous" to something that is a chance occurrence but has a favorable result.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.