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Words of the Day 23/6/10

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kco
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Jun 23, 2010
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#1

...and zenith has its counterpart: nadir.

Zenith

ze·nith
 [zee-nith or, especially Brit., zen-ith]

–noun
1. the point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer. Compare nadir.
2. a highest point or state; culmination.
—Can be confused:   nadir, zenith .

—Synonyms
2.  apex, summit.

—Antonyms
1, 2.  nadir.
 
Origin,
late 14c., from O.Fr. cenith  (Fr. zénith ), from M.L. cenit, senit,  bungled scribal transliteration of Arabic samt  "road, path," abbreviation of samt ar-ras,  lit. "the way over the head." Letter -m-  misread as -ni- . The M.L. word may as well be influenced by the rough agreement of the Arabic term with classical L. semita  "sidetrack, side path" (notion of "thing going off to the side"), from se-  "apart" + *mi-ta- , suffixed zero-grade form of PIE base *mei-  "to change" (see mutable)
Nadir
 
 

na·dir

 [ney-der, ney-deer]
–noun
1. Astronomy . the point on the celestial sphere directly beneath a given position or observer and diametrically opposite the zenith.
2. Astrology . the point of a Horoscope opposite the midheaven: the cusp of the fourth house.
3the lowest point; point of greatest adversity or despair.
Origin,
c.1391, in astronomical sense, from M.L. nadir,  from Arabic nazir  "opposite to," in nazir as-samt,  lit. "opposite of the zenith," from nazir  "opposite" + as-samt  "zenith" (see zenith). Transf. sense of "lowest point (of anything)" is first recorded 1793.
 
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Interger (c)a whole number 
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Which Words 018
Beguile (a)to be suited to (b)to charm or divert (c)to confuse with glib argument
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The answers will appear in the next word of the day
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N1ghtmareRanger
N1ghtmareRanger
Jul 28, 2024
0
#2
Holy shit is that a motherfucking terraria reference!?!?