Word of the Day
epigenetic
adjective
noting or pertaining to the process by which the expression of genetic information is modified on a molecular level without a change to the DNA sequence.
More about epigenetic
Epigenetic, “pertaining to the process by which the expression of genetic information is modified on a molecular level,” is a compound of epi-, “on, over,” and genetic, which is formed from Ancient Greek génesis, “origin, source.” It may be easy to assume that gene is a shortened form of genetic, but the two are only distantly related. For more relatives of epigenetic, compare the Words of the Day gens du monde, iatrogenic, and kindred. Epigenetic was first recorded in English circa 1830, but its modern sense dates to the late 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF EPIGENETIC USED IN A SENTENCE
Forty years after their separation at birth, epigenetic reasons had made one twin start to go gray earlier than the other.
rejuvenate
verb
to restore to a former state; renew; renovate.
More about rejuvenate
Rejuvenate, “to restore to a former state,” is based on Latin juvenis, “young,” with re- indicating “again” or “back.” Juvenis is also the source of juvenile, and through contraction of the -uve- into -ū-, its comparative form is the easily recognizable jūnior, “younger.” Though this change from -uve- to -ū- may seem a little odd, a similar phenomenon happened in English, with Old English geoguth becoming modern English youth, a distant relative of juvenis. Rejuvenate was first recorded in English at the turn of the 19th century.
EXAMPLE OF REJUVENATE USED IN A SENTENCE
The construction workers rejuvenated the abandoned house, repairing its windows and laying down new floors.
vaudevillian
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of theatrical entertainment consisting of a number of individual performances, acts, or mixed numbers.
More about vaudevillian
Vaudevillian, “of or relating to theatrical entertainment consisting of various performances,” is the adjectival form of the noun vaudeville, a loanword from French. One possible origin for vaudeville is as an abbreviated alteration of Middle French (chanson du) vau de Vire, “(song of the) vale of Vire,” a valley in Normandy, France, noted for satirical folk songs. Another possibility is from dialectal French vauder, “to go,” and virer, “to turn”; vauder could derive from Latin vādere, “to go,” as we touched on with the Word of the Day laisser-aller. Vaudevillian was first recorded in English in the late 1920s.
EXAMPLE OF VAUDEVILLIAN USED IN A SENTENCE
While he preferred performing Shakespeare, the masked man revealed that he had made his start as a vaudevillian actor.