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May 27, 2009
This week's theme
Words derived from numbers

This week's words
decussate
hecatomb
atone
tessera
decuman

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

atone

PRONUNCIATION:
(uh-TOHN, rhymes with phone)

MEANING:
verb tr., intr.: To make amends for.

ETYMOLOGY:
From the contraction of the phrase "at one" meaning "to be in harmony".

USAGE:
"While society must be protected from those who might pose it a threat, it is vital we let people get on with their lives once they have atoned."
Éamonn Mac Aodha; Minor Offenders Need More Help to Escape Spectre of Past Crime; The Irish Times (Dublin); Apr 28, 2009.

See more usage examples of atone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Whoe'er excels in what we prize / Appears a hero in our eyes. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (1667-1745)

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