[Groop] Today's A.Word.A.Day

Porter publicporter at gmail.com
Tue Oct 20 12:46:44 PDT 2009


And now Groo does... etymology?
Really, I think the "Usage" section could have been much better  
utilized.
  ~ Porter


Today's word from Wordsmith.org

mendicant

PRONUNCIATION:
(MEN-di-kuhnt)

http://wordsmith.org/words/mendicant.html

MEANING:
adjective:
1. Living on alms.
2. Like a beggar.
noun:
1. A beggar.
2. A member of any of various orders of friars forbidden to own  
property and living on alms.

ETYMOLOGY:
 From Latin mendicare (to beg), from mendicus (beggar), from mendum  
(defect).

USAGE:
"But Metro, a perennial mendicant with no dependable dedicated, long- 
term source of capital funding, could hardly afford to scrap or  
completely rebuild the older cars."
Common Sense at Metro; Washington Post; Sep 30, 2009.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
He who praises everybody, praises nobody. -Samuel Johnson,  
lexicographer (1709-1784)
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