Word of the Day
girasol
noun
a sunflower, having edible, tuberous, underground stems or rootstocks.
More about girasol
Girasol, from Italian girasole, is an abbreviation of girare, meaning “to turn,” and sole, “sun.” While girare is related to English gyrate, sole shares an origin with English solar. Girasol was first recorded in English in the 1580s.
EXAMPLE OF GIRASOL USED IN A SENTENCE
The girasols were uprooted so they could be cooked for lunch.
ecotone
noun
the transition zone between two different plant communities, as that between forest and prairie.
More about ecotone
The eco- element of ecotone is short for ecology, which is based on Ancient Greek oîkos, “house, dwelling.” The -tone part, meanwhile, comes from Ancient Greek tónos, meaning “strain” or “a stretching.” Although Ancient Greek oi usually corresponds to British English oe, the American spelling of ecology is used throughout the English-speaking world. Ecotone was first recorded in English at the turn of the 20th century.
EXAMPLE OF ECOTONE USED IN A SENTENCE
Human civilization has created a new kind of ecotone where wild plants quickly give way to crops, gardens, and parks.
andragogy
noun
the methods or techniques used to teach adults.
More about andragogy
Andragogy is usually used in contrast to pedagogy, the art or science of teaching. Andragogy was formed by replacing the ped- element, meaning “child,” with the element andr-, meaning “man, male,” which comes from Ancient Greek anḗr, “man.” Andragogy is used to refer to the teaching of all adults—though, a more gender-neutral term could be invented using the Ancient Greek form ánthrōpos, “human, person.” Andragogy was first recorded in English in the late 1920s.
EXAMPLE OF ANDRAGOGY USED IN A SENTENCE
The professor’s background in andragogy allowed her to better anticipate the learning needs of her graduate students.