Word of the Day

: July 30, 2010

inchoate

adjective in-KOH-ut

What It Means

: being only partly in existence or operation; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated

inchoate in Context

Kate had an inchoate suspicion that things were about to go wrong, but she was unable to think of any concrete reason for her concern.

Did You Know?

"Inchoate" derives from "inchoare," which means "to begin" in Latin but translates literally as "to hitch up." "Inchoare" was formed from the prefix "in-" and the noun "cohum," which refers to the strap that secures a plow beam to a pulling animal's yoke. The concept of implementing this initial step toward the larger task of plowing a field can help provide a clearer understanding of "inchoate," an adjective used to describe the imperfect form of something (as a plan or idea) in its early stages of development. Perhaps because it looks a little like the word "chaos" (although the two aren't closely related), "inchoate" now not only implies the formlessness that often marks beginnings, but also the confusion caused by chaos.