Wednesday, April 16, 2008

VOCABULARY WORD NO. 14

Without passion for the things you do, there can be no fulfilment. (Brenda A. Ysaguirre)

TODAY'S WORDS

"politic"
politic \POL-ih-tik\ (adjective) - 1 : Of or pertaining to polity, or civil government; political (as in the phrase "the body politic"). 2 : (Of persons): Sagacious in promoting a policy; ingenious in devising and advancing a system of management; characterized by political skill and ingenuity; hence, shrewdly tactful, cunning. 3 : (Of actions or things): Pertaining to or promoting a policy; hence, judicious; expedient; as, "a politic decision." "Berenike swallowed her fury and gave the governor her most politic smile." -- Randall Scott, 'Retribution' Politic derives from Greek politikos, and from polites, "citizen," from polis, "city."

"distrait"
distrait \dis-TRAY\ (adjective) - Divided or withdrawn in attention, especially because of anxiety. "I noticed that after my host had read it he seemed even more distrait and strange than before." -- Arthur Conan Doyle, 'The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge' Distrait is from Old French, from distraire, "to distract," from Latin distrahere, "to pull apart; to draw away; to distract," from dis- + trahere, "to draw, to pull." It is related to distraught and distracted, which have the same Latin source.

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