A.Word.A.Day		About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us

Home Today's Word Yesterday's Word Archives FAQ

Discuss Email this Feedback RSS/XML Permalink A.Word.A.Day--temporize temporize also temporise (TEM-puh-ryz) verb intr. To delay so as to gain time or to avoid making a decision. [From French temporiser (to bide one's time), from Medieval Latin temporizare (to pass the time), from Latin tempor-, from tempus (time).] Today's word in Visual Thesaurus. "Over the past several months, as the international community has continued to temporize, conditions in Sudan have worsened." Editorial: Darfur, Continued; The Providence Journal (Rhode Island); Apr 19, 2005. "They've a temper, some of them--particularly verbs, they're the proudest -- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs -- however, I can manage the whole lot of them!" boasts Humpty-Dumpty in Lewis Carroll's 1872 classic, "Through the Looking Glass". If they are in fact as conceited as Humpty-Dumpty claims them to be, perhaps verbs can be forgiven for their hoity-toity ways -- after all they are the ones that bring a sentence to life. How many of this week's five verbs can you manage? -Anu Garg X-Bonus I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (1815-1882)

Subscribe: Sign up to receive A.Word.A.Day in your mailbox every day. The Book: A Word A Day is now a book. Find it in your local bookstore or at Amazon.com. "A delightful, quirky collection." -The New York Times Give the Gift of Words Share the magic of words. Send a gift subscription of A.Word.A.Day. Anu on Words: Writer Magazine Globe & Mail  Interact: Bulletin board AWADtalk Moderated Chat AWADchat Readers' Voice AWADmail