Word of the Day
jambalaya
noun
a Creole dish consisting of rice cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, or shellfish, plus herbs, spices, and vegetables.
More about jambalaya
Jambalaya is a borrowing from the dialect of French spoken in Louisiana. Before French, jambalaya appears to have come from Occitan, a language from southern France. The explanation that jambalaya contains the name Jean or French jambon, “ham,” plus balayer, “to sweep,” is false. Jambalaya was first recorded in English in the 1740s.
EXAMPLE OF JAMBALAYA USED IN A SENTENCE
A savory, simmering jambalaya was the centerpiece of the New Orleans-themed buffet.
retrograde
adjective
moving backward; having a backward motion or direction; retiring or retreating.
Why the Museum of Science chose retrograde
To find out, watch this video from science communicator Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop M.D.
Learn more at the Museum of Science.
More about retrograde
Retrograde comes from Latin retrōgradus, meaning “going back,” which is based on retrō, “back, backward,” and gradī, “to step, go.” While retrō can be found in many words indicating backward movement, both in space and in time, gradī is related to centigrade and graduate. Retrograde was first recorded in English in the late 14th century.
EXAMPLE OF RETROGRADE USED IN A SENTENCE
Mercury’s arc in the sky turned retrograde, becoming more of an S shape as the planet moved among the constellations.
More about oneiromancy
Oneiromancy is based on Ancient Greek óneiros, “dream,” and manteía, “divination.” Óneiros is of uncertain origin, with relatives in Albanian and Armenian but in no other languages. Manteía comes from mántis, “prophet,” which is also the source of praying mantis. Oneiromancy was first recorded in English circa 1650.
EXAMPLE OF ONEIROMANCY USED IN A SENTENCE
Though oneiromancy doesn’t quite have a scientific basis, dreams may serve as windows not into the future but rather into the subconscious.