This week’s theme
No el

This week’s words
grandezza
aquaphobia
juxtapositive
swanky
cruciform

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(ak-wuh-FOH-bee-uh)

MEANING:

noun: A fear of water, especially of drowning.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Latin aqua (water) + -phobia (fear), from Greek -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1875.

NOTES:

Not to be confused with hydrophobia, which, despite its literal meaning of “fear of water” from Greek hydro- (water), is commonly used in a medical context to describe a symptom of rabies. In rabies, hydrophobia refers to a difficulty or intense fear of swallowing, especially liquids, due to painful throat spasms.

USAGE:

“Ever since I was a kid I’ve been scared witless of water. ... I became a pyromaniac to counter it. I remember thinking that there were two types of people: water people and fire people. ... I was just wondering how many kids develop aquaphobia after getting water splashed on their heads when they’re little babies.”
Timothy Taylor; Silent Cruise; Vintage Canada; 2011.

See more usage examples of aquaphobia in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: