A.Word.A.Day--ventifact

Wordsmith.org

The Magic of Words

Dec 14, 2010

This week's theme
Words made with combining forms

This week's words
exogamy
ventifact

A ventifact from Huizen, Holland

Photo: Marco Langbroek

Erratum
In yesterday's A THOUGHT FOR TODAY the author should have been shown as Samuel Butler the novelist (1835-1902), not Saumel Butler the poet (1612-1680).

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

ventifact

PRONUNCIATION:

(VEN-tuh-fact)

MEANING:

noun: A stone shaped, polished, or faceted by windblown sand.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin venti- (wind), from ventus (wind) + factum (something made), from facere (to make or do). First recorded use: 1911. Also see yardang.

USAGE:

"On that last trip, I knelt by the river and took a stone from the deep pockets of my wind pants. It was a black ventifact, an igneous rock. During eons of exposure to the wind, its surface had become smooth and polished."
Bill Green; Adventure in Antarctica; The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio); Oct 1, 1995.

Explore "ventifact" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Nationalist pride, like other variants of pride, can be a substitute for self-respect. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983)

Orijinz is a perfect holiday gift! "I've been playing the word game Orijinz ..lot of fun" -Jim Horne, NY Times

In My Book® greeting card & bookmark in one! holiday special - FREE card with any size order (mention Wordsmith) thru 12/20

WildWords - Not Your Grandma's Game New tiles, squares, and rules put all words in play. See how. Sponsored links

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