Word of the Day
abat-jour
noun
a device, as a skylight or reflector, for diverting light into a building.
More about abat-jour
Abat-jour is from French, in which abat is a form of abattre, “to beat down,” ultimately from Latin battuere, “to beat.” Battuere is the source of numerous fighting-related words in English, including battle and debate, and French jour, “day, daylight,” is the source of journal and journey. Abat-jour was first recorded in English in the 1820s.
EXAMPLE OF ABAT-JOUR USED IN A SENTENCE
Through an abat-jour in the ceiling, the sun cast a square of light onto the floor.
zabuton
noun
a large, flat cushion, used in Japan for sitting or kneeling on the floor.
More about zabuton
Zabuton is borrowed from Japanese and formed from za, “seat,” and -buton, a form related to futon. Za as well as both the fu and ton elements in futon are all derived from Middle Chinese. In modern Mandarin, za has the cognate zuò, “seat,” fu is related to bù, “cloth,” and ton shares an origin with Mandarin tuán, “ball, circle, mass.” Zabuton was first recorded in English in the late 1880s.
EXAMPLE OF ZABUTON USED IN A SENTENCE
The guests each picked up a zabuton upon entering the room so they could sit around the low table in comfort.
Io
noun
a large volcanically active moon of the planet Jupiter.
Why the Museum of Science chose Io
To find out, watch this video about Io from science communicator Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D.
Learn more at the Museum of Science.
More about Io
Io is named after Īṓ, one of Zeus’s mortal lovers in Greek mythology. The name Īṓ, along with many Ancient Greek names, most likely comes from a lost language of the Mediterranean and is of uncertain origin and meaning. German astronomer Simon Marius gave the moon Io its name in the 1610s.
EXAMPLE OF IO USED IN A SENTENCE
Photos from the spacecraft revealed an ongoing eruption on the surface of Io.