Word of the Day
fartlek
noun
a training technique, used especially among runners, consisting of bursts of intense effort loosely alternating with less strenuous activity.
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Why Dictionary.com chose fartlek
More about fartlek
- Fartlek comes from a combination of the Swedish words fart, meaning “speed,” and lek, “play.”
- Fart is cognate with the English verb fare, meaning “to go, travel,” and lek may be related to English lark, “a carefree adventure; to have fun.” But it has a far more popular relative: LEGO, the name of a brand of interlocking plastic bricks, from Danish leg godt, meaning “to play well.”
- Fartlek was first mentioned in English in the periodical Scholastic Coach in 1952.
- Swedish national cross-country coach Gösta Holmér developed the technique in response to his team’s poor performances against their Finnish rivals in the 1930s.
EXAMPLES OF FARTLEK
- The coach designed a fartlek workout that would challenge her team both mentally and physically.
- Fartleks can be a great way for runners to improve their speed and endurance without getting bored with a monotonous training regimen.
mixtape
noun
a recording on a cassette tape, CD, or digital medium, consisting of music or songs selected by a single person.
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Why Dictionary.com chose mixtape
More about mixtape
- Mixtape is a combination of the words mix, from Latin mixtus, and tape, from Old English tæppe “strip (of cloth).”
- The phrase mix tape dates back to at least 1974, when it appeared in Robert E. Runstein’s Modern Recording Techniques.
- Mix tape soon became common enough to become one, unhyphenated word: mixtape.
- By the late 1990s, DJs were selling homemade mixtapes, compiling various artists’ songs together.
- Artists also began making their own mixtapes, even featuring original music.
EXAMPLES OF MIXTAPE
- My brother gave me a mixtape that he made for my birthday.
- She created a mixtape of her favorite songs from the ’90s.
demur
verb
to make objection, especially on the grounds of moral or ethical considerations; take exception.
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Why Dictionary.com chose demur
More about demur
- Demur comes via French from the Latin word dēmorārī, meaning “to linger, to delay.”
- Demur entered English between 1175–1225.
- The adjective demure, “shy, reserved,” entered English later from the past participle of the French verb “to demur.”
EXAMPLES OF DEMUR
- Despite her initial reluctance, she did not demur when asked to participate in the project.
- The committee members had no choice but to demur at the proposal, as it went against their ethical standards.
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