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Enjoy a year's worth of poems, puns, and puzzles in The Best of an Almanac of Words at Play. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/puzzspec/wordplay.htm *************************************************************** The Word of the Day for February 5 is: affluent \AF-loo-unt\ (adjective) 1 : flowing in abundance *2 : having a generously sufficient and typically increasing supply of material possessions Example sentence: The affluent families of Tropic City head for their mountain getaways on sultry summer weekends; the less well- heeled seek respite in the river that flows through town. Did you know? Are you overflowing with possessions? Does the money flow in? Are your assets fluid? If so, you can consider yourself "affluent." Today's word is really all about "flow" -- that is to say, it's based on the Latin word for "flow," which is "fluere." (Some other "fluere" descendants are "confluence," "fluctuate," "fluid," "influence," "mellifluous," and "superfluous.") The older use of "affluent" refers, both literally and figuratively, to an abundant flow, as in "an affluent fountain" or "affluent joy." In fact, it was probably the tendency to use "affluent fortune" for an abundant flow of money that led to our using "affluent" as a synonym of "well- to-do." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. ---------------- Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc. http://www.Merriam-Webster.com ---------------- Subscribe or unsubscribe to Word of the Day via the Web at: http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/service/subinst.htm To join the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-subscribe-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com To leave the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-signoff-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions about your subscription? Write to: mw-wod-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions or comments about the Word of the Day? Write to: word@Merriam-Webster.com © 2002 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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