Word of the Day
supergiant
noun
an exceptionally luminous star whose diameter is more than 100 times that of the sun.
Why the Museum of Science chose supergiant
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 supergiant
In supergiant, the super- element literally means “above, beyond,” and it’s a distant relative of English over, German über, and Ancient Greek hypér. Giant comes from Ancient Greek gígās (gígant- in compounds), which lost its second g as it passed into French and then into English in the late 1920s.
EXAMPLE OF SUPERGIANT USED IN A SENTENCE
Some of the brightest stars in the constellation were dazzling blue, superhot supergiants.
bai
noun
a yellow mist occurring during the spring and fall, caused by dust from the interior of China.
More about bai
Bai is a loanword from Japanese and was exported from Middle Chinese to multiple languages of East Asia. In this way, bai is related to Mandarin mái and Cantonese maai, both meaning “fog” or “dust storm.” Bai was first recorded in English in the mid 1910s.
EXAMPLE OF BAI USED IN A SENTENCE
As the bai drifted over the countryside, the sun began to pale, and a thin coating of dust gathered in the treetops.
chryselephantine
adjective
made of or overlaid with gold and ivory, as certain objects made in ancient Greece.
More about chryselephantine
Chryselephantine is based on Ancient Greek chrȳsós, “gold,” and eléphās, “elephant.” Because of its similarity to Biblical Hebrew kharúts, “gold,” chrȳsós may have been borrowed from a Semitic language such as Phoenician. Eléphās may also be of Semitic origin. Chryselephantine was first recorded in English in the 1820s.
EXAMPLE OF CHRYSELEPHANTINE USED IN A SENTENCE
The chryselephantine statue of Athena glistened in the sunlight streaming through the temple.