Word of the Day

: August 4, 2008

cicerone

noun sih-suh-ROH-nee

What It Means

1 : a guide who conducts sightseers

2 : mentor, tutor

cicerone in Context

After I bought my first set of golf clubs, Jerry acted as my cicerone, enthusiastically teaching me the basics of the challenging sport.

Did You Know?

Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.) was renowned in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writer, and he is remembered today for his skills as an orator and rhetorician. The Ciceronian style of rhetoric placed special emphasis on the rhythms and cadences of phrases and sentences and their ability to appeal to the speaker's audience. It is believed that Cicero's eloquence and learning influenced the use of his Italian name, "Cicerone," to refer to sightseeing guides, themselves known for their talkativeness and eloquence, and later, to persons who serve as mentors or tutors to others.