Word of the Day
anamnesis
noun
the recollection or remembrance of the past; reminiscence.
More about anamnesis
Anamnesis comes from the Ancient Greek verb anamimnḗskein, “to remember” or, literally, “to call to mind again.” Ancient Greek aná means “again, back, re-,” while mimnḗskein, “to call to mind,” is also the source of amnesia and amnesty. Anamnesis was first recorded in English in the 1650s.
EXAMPLE OF ANAMNESIS USED IN A SENTENCE
During a period of intense anamnesis, the patient recalled several nearly forgotten memories of his childhood that he hadn’t thought about in years.
ginkgo
noun
a large shade tree native to China, having fan-shaped leaves and fleshy seeds with edible kernels.
More about ginkgo
Ginkgo is a misspelling of Japanese ginkyō, with German physician Engelbert Kaempfer responsible for the original error in the early 1690s. The gin- element means “silver” and is related to Mandarin yín, while the kyō part means “apricot” and is cognate to Mandarin xìng. Gingko was first recorded in English in the early 1770s.
EXAMPLE OF GINKGO USED IN A SENTENCE
The immense ginkgo cast an even larger shadow over the park’s grounds.
More about ferdutzt
Ferdutzt is from Pennsylvania Dutch, similar to the recent Word of the Day ferhoodle, and comes from German verdutzt, “bewildered, nonplussed.” Verdutzt is the past participle of the verb verdutzen, “to confuse, bewilder,” in which -dutz- may be related to English dote. Ferdutzt was first recorded in English in the early 1980s.
EXAMPLE OF FERDUTZT USED IN A SENTENCE
The mechanic was ferdutzt and surprised that the new car had broken down so soon after its purchase.