A Word to the Wise
Words in the News From Dictionary.com
* Sedentation (seh-den-TAY-shun) – defined as “the adoption of a sedentary mode of life” – has been in use since the first half of the 20thcentury… but never the way we’re using it today.
* Supplicant (SUH-plih-kunt) – “humbly imploring, entreating” – had a rare moment in the sun after President Trump declared that the US would never merit this adjective.
* Cordon sanitaire (kor-dohn sah-nee-TARE) – “a protective barrier” – is a term that is usually applied to situations in which a state wishes to repel a dangerous influence, but is often found in reference to infectious diseases.
* Scourge (SKURJ) – “a cause of affliction or calamity” – had a spike in lookups on Dictionary.com after President Trump rhymed it with “gorge” and people rushed to see if they’d been saying it wrong all this time.