Word of the Day
utilidor
noun
an insulated network of pipes and cables, used to convey water and electricity in communities situated in areas of permafrost.
More about utilidor
Utilidor, “an insulated network that conveys water and electricity in frozen areas,” is a portmanteau of utility and corridor. Utility ultimately comes from Latin ūtī (stem ūs-), “to use,” which is also the source of usual, usurp, and utensil. Corridor comes from Italian corridore (also corridoio), based on correre, “to run,” from Latin currere; for more examples of currere’s descendants in English, check out the Word of the Day corsair. Utilidor was first recorded in English in the late 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF UTILIDOR USED IN A SENTENCE
In northern cities such as Iqaluit, Utqiagvik, and Yellowknife, utilidors provide a useful lifeline during the dark, frozen winter months.
oleoresinous
adjective
consisting of drying oils and resins that usually have been cooked.
More about oleoresinous
Oleoresinous, “consisting of drying oils and resins,” is a compound of oleo-, “oil”; resin; and -ous, a suffix roughly meaning “full of, consisting of.” Oleo- comes by way of Latin oleum or olīvum, “oil, olive oil,” from Ancient Greek élaion (dialectal élaiwon), which derives from elaíā (dialectal elaíwā), “olive.” For the reason why these Ancient Greek words are inconsistent about the letter w, check out the recent Word of the Day oenology. Resin comes via Latin rēsīna from Ancient Greek rhētīnē, of uncertain origin. Oleoresinous was first recorded in English in the mid-1840s.
EXAMPLE OF OLEORESINOUS USED IN A SENTENCE
She distilled turmeric to create the oleoresinous varnish for the custom coatrack.
cistvaen
noun
a prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket.
More about cistvaen
Cistvaen, “a prehistoric sepulchral tomb or casket,” comes from Welsh cist faen, “stone box, stone chest.” Cist comes via Latin cista, “box, chest,” from Ancient Greek kistē. Faen is a mutated form of maen, “stone,” a Cornish relative of which is also part of the Word of the Day dolmen. In Welsh, as in many Celtic languages, the first consonant of a noun or adjective mutates in a variety of contexts, including in some compound words; this is why the m in maen (pronounced like “main” or “mine”) becomes the “softer” f in faen (pronounced like “vain” or “vine”). Cistvaen was first recorded in English in the first decade of the 19th century.
EXAMPLE OF CISTVAEN USED IN A SENTENCE
While dolmens are aboveground homes for the prehistoric dead, the Celts once used shallow cistvaens as burial pits.