Word of the Day

[Augustine2004]

Casper


Essay: Perhaps you have in mind just the friendly ghost. Or Caspar the Magus. If so, scope out this Wikipedia webpage http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casper For instance, the Apollo 16 command module is named . . .

[Augustine2004]

casque


piece of armor for the head: helmet.



Casque is French for "helmet."

[Augustine2004]

casuist


one who argues plausibly but falsely; a sophist.
one who determines what is right and wrong in matters of conscience or conduct.



Wikipedia says that the meaning of casuistry, and hence casuist, is in a state of flux. (Is it really so in Christianity? The Bible should suffice as a source of rules for conscience or conduct?)

[Augustine2004]

casus belli


an act or event that justifies or leads directly to a declaration of war.



Germany manufactured a casus belli in which Germans dressed in Polish military uniforms staged an attack on 31 August 1939, the eve of World War II in Europe, against the German radio station Sender Gleiwitz in Gleiwitz, Upper Silesia, Germany (since 1945: Gliwice, Poland). That event came to be called the Gleiwitz incident.

[Augustine2004]

cat (nautical)


a cathead (a beam projecting from a ship bow and used as a support to lift an anchor); a device for raising the anchor to the cathead; a catboat

----------- purloined from Wikipedia

So, Teabream went looking for the ship's "cat." An old tar challenged him in a tone of voice reflecting hostile wariness. Somewhat taken aback, Teabream soon responded, "I am supposed to find the cat, I think. Where do you suppose I might find it?" The tar went into a long series of questions-and-answers before he finally determined what Captain Smollett must have meant. "Just go to the bow and wait. I'll let the bosun know."

[Augustine2004]

cata- (prefix)


indicates:
reversing of a process: cataplasia.
Lower in position or down from: cataphyll.



catabolism: the metabolic change of complex into simple molecules with the release of energy (see also catabolite and catabolize).
cataclysm: any violent upheaval, especially one that brings fundamental change.
catadromous: migrating down river to breed in marine waters.
catalepsy: a condition marked by muscular rigidity, lack of awareness of environment and lack of response to external stimuli.
catalog.
catalysis (also see catalyst).
cataphoresis: electrophoresis.
cataphyll: a modified or rudimentary leaf.
cataplasia, cataplasm
cataplexy: a sudden temporary paralysis.
catapult, cataract, catarrh
catastasis: in classical tragedy, the intensified part of the action directly preceding the catastrophe. The climax of a play.
catastrophe
catatonia: a condition associated with schizophrenia and certain organic brain disorders and characterized by catalepsy and negativism.

[Augustine2004]

catchment area


Essay: The definition for catchment area in my dictionary is, "The geographical area from which people are drawn to an institution, as a hospital." But the definition for just catchment is 1) a catching or collecting of water. 2) A structure, such as a basin, for collecting or draining water. 3) the collected water. Hmmm . . .



The catchment of Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital is much larger than that of the average hospital because of its sterling reputation. [Mercy me, am I wrong to leave out area?]

[Augustine2004]

catechize

essay: catechize is today's WotD because of its etymology. It is another instance of the cata- family, which we examined a few days ago. The ending part of catechize is from the Greek for "to sound." So, the literal meaning is, "According to making sounds" (I guess!). The idiomatic meanings are 1) to instruct orally in the principles of a religious creed by means of question and answers; 2) to question searchingly or persistently.



[I'm not certain this is proper usage] Teabrash catechized Tom Wolfe's book to the point of exasperating the author. The next morning Teabrash found Mr. Wolfe gone. Dismayed and astonished, he wondered what to do.

[Augustine2004]

catenate


to connect in a series of ties or links; form into a chain.



Catenate is the root of a family of words:

catena: a closely linked series.
catenary: the curve formed by holding a chain up against gravity by the chain's ends.
catenary bridge: a bridge held up by catenary wires or ropes.

----------- purloined from Wikipedia

catenulate: (biology) consisting of or formed from chainlike links.

[Augustine2004]

cater



Essay: Two meanings I'm not familiar with:

1) to provide anything wished for or needed;
2) to behave with special thoughtfulness.

Meaning 1 above shows it's not necessarily just food or drink that is provided: He read books that catered to his appetite for adventure. Meaning 2 is shown in this phrase: catered to the unhappy invalid. Now are you happy to see those meanings validated?

[Augustine2004]

Catharism
Cathar


Essay: Catharism is a complex subject, but possibly the definition given by my dictionary is adequate:

What is taught by a Gnostic and dualistic sect of heretics in Europe in the 10th to the 14th centuries. The adherents regarded all matter as the creation of an evil deity opposed to God.

More in Wikipedia Gnosticism and Catharism.



Was there ever any explanation of why the kind of Gnosticism, including Catharism, that regarded all matter as the creation of an evil deity would not entail suicide--I mean, once one became convinced of that kind of gnosticism, why go on living? To be sure, the deity's evil does not necessarily entail suicide, but that might be expected as a natural reason.

Well, the Catholic Church certainly made many Cathars die, according to the Wikipedia article. (I'm still appalled, though.)

[Augustine2004]

cathedra
cathedral


Essay: Those two words turn out to be in the cata- family, introduced a few days ago. A cathedra is a bishop's official chair or throne or his office or see. Or he could be a professor instead. A cathedral is the principal church of the see and contains the bishop's throne or it can be an adjective: [I guess] The cathedral congregation tittered. The bishop glared around. The last part of cathedra, hedra, means "seat" in Greek. Actually, Latin later took cathedra from Greek to mean "chair."

One might think to poke fun at ex cathedra ("from the chair") as literally meaning "from down from the seat." One would always be silly, sigh.

[Augustine2004]

cata- (prefix [again])


Essay: I discovered more words of the cata- family.

Cathepsin - any of a group of animal enzymes;
catheter - tube (you know);
catheterize - (you know);
cathetometer - an instrument that measures vertical distances, especially small distances in the level of a liquid in tubes;
cathode - (you know);
catholic and words having that word as the root - (you ought to know, except here kata- means "according to").

[Augustine2004]

catkin



Essay: Many plants produce dense flower clusters that many people think resemble kitten tails (see illustrations here [scroll down]). Often catkins are droopy.

[Augustine2004]

Cato



Essay: Two Cato men, both named Marcus Porcius Cato, enlivened ancient Roman times. The first one, called The Elder, was a statesman who wrote the first history of Rome; indeed he was the first Latin prose author of any importance. As censor he tried to restore simplicity and stamp out luxury and decadence (so, what's new?) After a mission to Africa (153) he reportedly ended all his Senate speeches with Delenda est Carthago ("Carthage must be destroyed!") The other Cato was called The Younger [natch!] being the Elder's great-grandson. A conservative, he supported Pompey against Julius Caesar in the 49-46 B.C. civil war.