Word of the Day
cherubic
adjective
of or having the nature of a cherub, or an angel represented as a rosy-cheeked child with wings; angelic.
More about cherubic
Cherubic “of or having the nature of a cherub” is based on the noun cherub (plural cherubim or cherubs, depending on the context), plus the adjective-forming suffix -ic. Cherub derives via Latin from Ancient Greek kheroúb, which was adapted from Hebrew kərūbh. The Hebrew plural kərūbhīm was far better known than the singular kərūbh was, and earlier versions of English (compare Old English cerubim) as well as many Romance languages (compare French chérubin and Spanish querubín) based their singular words for cherub on the Hebrew plural. This singular–plural confusion even appears in literature; Madeleine L’Engle, in A Wind in the Door, includes a character who introduces itself, however paradoxically, as a “singular cherubim.” Cherubic was first recorded in English in the early 17th century.
how is cherubic used?
The designing duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana constructed a Baroque Sicilian church façade as the background for their “King of Angels” collection. The show opened with a tableau of young stars in formalwear, including elaborately embroidered military-style jackets and floral suits, walking beneath a pair of cherubs. The colorful knitwear that featured cherubic putti in oval frames looked inspired by church ceilings, and angelic visages also graced motorcycle jackets.
Alexander Lingas, a musicologist and the music director of Cappella Romana [a vocal ensemble based in Portland, Ore.] …. said that some pieces only “made sense” inside the simulated acoustics. One example featured on the album is a cherubic hymn that likens the singers to angels …. [A]s the group rehearsed it with the virtual acoustics, a pattern of repeated undulating motifs built up rippling momentum until, as he described it, “the sound essentially achieved liftoff.”
toxophilite
noun
a devotee of archery; archer.
More about toxophilite
Toxophilite “a devotee of archery” is based on the term Toxophilus “bow-lover,” which Roger Ascham coined for his book of the same name published in 1545. Toxophilus is based on Ancient Greek tóxon “bow” and phílos “loving, dear,” the latter of which we learned about from the recent Word of the Day philtrum. If you were wondering whether tóxon is related to the English word toxic, you have good instincts! Toxic ultimately comes from Ancient Greek toxikòn (phármakon) “bow (poison),” that is, poison used on arrows. Tóxon may be related to or derived from an Iranian source; compare Persian takhsh “cross-bow, arrow.” Toxophilite was first recorded in English circa 1790.
how is toxophilite used?
Apollo used to be an Olympic-class archer, a toxophilite of the first rank, until he took a bribe from a betting syndicate and blew a contest he should have won easily.
bilious
adjective
extremely unpleasant or distasteful.
More about bilious
Bilious “extremely unpleasant or distasteful” comes from Latin bīliōsus, which is formed from the noun bīlis “bile” and the suffix -ōsus “full of, containing.” The origins of bīlis are mysterious, but that has not stopped linguists from developing theories. One hypothesis, however flimsy, is a connection to Latin fel “gallbladder; venom, poison,” which could point to a derivation from the Proto-Indo-European root bhel- “to shine; white, yellow,” but this is a bit of a stretch of phonetic logic. Another option, in light of some potential cognates of bīlis in Celtic languages (such as Welsh bustl “gall, bile”), could point to a pre-Indo-European source from which only the Celtic and Italic languages borrowed the term. Alternatively, bīlis and its Celtic cognates could be distantly related to English bite because of bile’s digestive effects. Bilious was first recorded in English circa 1540.
how is bilious used?
Almost hypnotized by the distant glow, by that ghost-light that spun and bobbed over the dark mound, the boy stared for a time. Between fear and cold, he became unaware even of his own shaking. Minutes later, racing along, the boy felt that something was wrong. While he should have felt relief at leaving that forsaken encampment, his stomach felt leaden. The hairs on the back of his neck were prickling. Turning, he saw the streaming ball of bilious light, winding its way through the air behind him. The ghost was chasing him.
The euphoria of discovery conveyed by Richard Greenberg through a gay outsider who becomes an impassioned baseball fan hasn’t dimmed a bit in the two decades since Take Me Out was first produced. Other things, however, have changed …. Issues that once seemed too reflective of the playwright’s hand at work now seem urgently keyed into a contemporary world in which masculine anxiety and its bilious consequences are being held up for scrutiny.