Word of the Day
malic
adjective
pertaining to or derived from apples.
More about malic
Malic “pertaining to apples” comes by way of French from Latin mālum “apple.” Mālum, in turn, is an adaptation of Ancient Greek mêlon, which refers specifically to apples or generally to any tree fruit and is also the source of English melon. Similarly, though mālum survives today as Italian mela “apple,” while the French word for “apple,” pomme, comes from Latin pōmum “fruit.” Portuguese maçã and Spanish manzana derive instead from the Latin term Mattiāna (mala) “(apples) of Matius,” which refers to Gaius Matius, a Roman botanist and friend of Julius Caesar. Though the words are almost identical, Latin mālum is not related to Latin malus “bad,” meaning that the use of apples to represent forbidden fruit is a clever pun. Malic was first recorded in English in the 1790s.
EXAMPLE OF MALIC USED IN A SENTENCE
The Evil Queen’s temptation of Snow White with a poisoned apple is a perfect example of malic malice.
petrichor
noun
a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground.
Why the Museum of Science chose petrichor
There’s nothing quite like the smell of a rainstorm, and you’ve likely wondered, what causes that distinct smell? To find out, watch this video about petrichor from science communicator, Alex Dainis, PhD.
More about petrichor
Petrichor is based on two Ancient Greek words: pétros, meaning “stone,” and īchṓr, the name of an ethereal fluid that the gods of Greek mythology had instead of blood in their veins. This scent results from certain types of rocks and soils releasing a plant-derived oil during rainfall. Scientists Isabel Joy Bear and Richard G. Thomas coined petrichor in 1964.
EXAMPLE OF PETRICHOR USED IN A SENTENCE
After weeks without a single drop of rain, petrichor hung in the air after this morning’s showers.
FUN FACT ABOUT PETRICHOR
Though often confused with the smell that ozone causes before rainfall, petrichor actually refers to the earthy aroma during rain. Learn more fun facts at the Museum of Science.
aegrotat
noun
an unclassified degree granted a university student who has fulfilled all requirements for graduation but was prevented by illness from attending the final examinations.
More about aegrotat
Aegrotat, “a graduate degree given because of illness,” is a British English term that was borrowed from Latin, in which aegrōtat literally means “(a person) is sick.” Unlike English, Latin typically uses -re to mark the infinitive, therefore, the infinitive counterpart of aegrōtat is aegrōtāre, meaning “to be sick,” which comes from aeger, “sick.” Despite the similar spelling, aeger is not related to Latin ager (stem agr-), “field,” or the recent Word of the Day eagre. Aegrotat was first recorded in English in the early 1860s. Learn more about the differences between British English and American English here.
EXAMPLE OF AEGROTAT USED IN A SENTENCE
With an unusually nasty flu making its way around the university, the vice-chancellor granted aegrotats to several sick students who were otherwise set to graduate midyear.