Posted on 03/01/2006 6:08:32 AM PST by VRWCmember
In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".
quintessence • \kwin-TESS-unss\ • noun
1. the fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies
2. the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form *
3. the most typical example or representative
* Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
Other forms:
quin·tes·sen·tial /"kwin-t&-'sen(t)-sh&l/ adjective
quin·tes·sen·tial·ly adverb
Example sentence:
"Do not shorten the morning by getting up late; look upon it as the quintessence of life, as to a certain extent sacred." (Arthur Schopenhauer, Counsels and Maxims)
Did you know?
Long ago, when people believed that the earth was made up of four elements -— earth, air, fire, and water —- they thought the stars and planets were made up of yet another element. In the Middle Ages, people called this element by its Medieval Latin name, "quinta essentia," literally, "fifth essence." Our forebears believed the quinta essentia was essential to all kinds of matter, and if they could somehow isolate it, it would cure all disease. We have since given up on that idea, but we kept "quintessence," the offspring of "quinta essentia," as a word for the purest essence of a thing. Modern physicists have given "quintessence" a new twist—they use it for a form of so-called "dark energy," which is believed to make up 70 percent of the universe.
Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.
The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-)
Practice makes perfect.....post on....
Review Threads:
Review Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish (Be SURE to check out posts #92 and #111 on this thread!)
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate
Review Thread Four: Word For the Day, Friday 7/25/03: Potation
Review Thread Five: Word For the Day, Monday 8/19/03: Stolid
Review Thread Six: Word for the Day, Tuesday 11/09/2004: Peripatetic (Post #125 may be my best anagram post ever)
The FReep is, IMHO, the quintessence of cyber wit and charm (thanks, in part, to Word for the Day!).
Congratulations!
Congratulations!!
I love that. Sorry xs, it is toooo funny!
Also from Nordlinger:
Finally, received this: "If only Cheney had said to Whittington, 'You better put some ice on that,' it wouldn't have been a story."
If Cheney had been a Democrat we would only have heard of this 50 years from now when they open up the files. Actually, you will have heard it. I plan to be dead by then.
Congrats Grampa!
So that means you have some extra cash for those of us who have to pay?
Good question!
No, my wife already spent it too.
Where have you been Texas girl?
The zippymonkey clown has already been zotted. "This little one is hardly worth the effort. Come, let me buy you something to drink."
Finally home, work done, errands run and groceries put away-
The conspiracy theories of the 'rats
Have become the quintessence of weird-
Their followers wear their tinfoil
And go whever they're steered
Whether it be about Katrina
(Caused by Rove's hurricane machine you know)
Or the levees being blown up and
Racism making rescues too slow
Now they think the white house "knew"
But didn't save their city-
Since they stayed with a hurricane coming
They leave me short on pity
Mamzelle is already on my Word for the Day ping list too.
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