Word of the Day
More about clarsach
Clarsach is an adaptation of either the Irish Gaelic cláirseach or the Scottish Gaelic clàrsach, both meaning “harp.” These two words likely come from the Old Irish clár, which variously means “board, plank” or “table, tablet.” Clarsach may be related through Ancient Greek to clergy, cleric, clerk, and the name Clark. Clarsach was first recorded in English around 1805.
EXAMPLE OF CLARSACH USED IN A SENTENCE
The golden clarsach shines against a dark green background on the flag of Leinster.
vigesimal
adjective
of, relating to, or based on twenty.
More about vigesimal
Vigesimal comes from Latin vīcēsimus, “twentieth.” While English and its Germanic relatives base their words for “twenty” on a combination of “two” and “ten,” Latin vīgintī is distantly related to Ancient Greek eíkosi (as in icosahedron, a twenty-sided figure) and Sanskrit viṃśatí (as in pachisi, a game in which twenty-five is the highest score). Vigesimal was first recorded in English in the 1650s.
EXAMPLE OF VIGESIMAL USED IN A SENTENCE
French now uses a vigesimal system for numbers over 60, representing 80 as “4 × 20” and 90 as “4 × 20 + 10.”
oolong
noun
a brown or amber tea grown in China and Taiwan and partially fermented before being dried.
More about oolong
Oolong is an adaptation of a Chinese word, most likely Mandarin wūlóng, which literally translates to “black dragon.” The wū element means “crow” or “black,” while lóng means “dragon.” Oolong was first recorded in English in the early 1850s.
EXAMPLE OF OOLONG USED IN A SENTENCE
The oolong let off an earthy smell as it slowly diffused throughout the cup.