This week’s theme
When etymology meets entomology

This week’s words
earwig
gadfly
puce
paparazzo
ecdysis


This week’s comments
AWADmail 770

Next week’s theme
Words with irregular plurals

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(EK-duh-sis)

MEANING:

noun: The shedding of an outer layer: molting.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek ekdysis, from ekdyein (to take off), from ek- (out, off) + dyein (to put on). A related word is ecdysiast. Earliest documented use: 1867.

USAGE:

“George Osborne became a junior Opposition Whip in 2003, a Shadow Treasury spokesman the following year, and in 2005 Shadow Chancellor -- multiple ecdysis possible only in times of political defeat.”
Quentin Letts; The Next Prime Minister?; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 9, 2015.

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

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: