Word of the Day
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.
pluviophile
noun
a person who enjoys rain and rainy days, and who is fascinated by the sights, sounds, etc., of rain.
More about pluviophile
Pluviophile is partly based on pluvia, one of two Latin words for “rain”; the other, imber, appears in the Word of the Day ignimbrite. The -phile element comes from Ancient Greek -philos, meaning “dear, beloved.” Pluviophile was first recorded in English in the early 1990s. Pluviophile is one of the recent additions to Dictionary.com.
EXAMPLE OF PLUVIOPHILE USED IN A SENTENCE
Despite their earlier complaints about rainy weather, many locals had become pluviophiles following the long drought.