The Words of the Week - Nov.15

‘Fascism’

Fascism has been a top lookup in our dictionary for weeks, and is often the top lookup.

Protests against Donald Trump erupted in the US on Saturday as people on both coasts took to the streets in frustration about his re-election. ... On Friday, protesters gathered outside city hall in Portland, Oregon, in a similar demonstration against Trump. Signs carried by demonstrators included messages that read: “Fight fascism” and “Turn fear into fight”.
— Maya Yang, Guardian (London, England), 10 Nov. 2024

We define fascism (sometimes capitalized Fascism) specifically as “a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual, and that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition,” and more broadly as “a philosophy or system with some combination of fascist values and governing structures.”

‘Conclave’

Conclave saw a rise in lookups this week, likely due to the recent release of a movie called Conclave.

The film, based on Robert Harris' 2016 novel, follows Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he shepherds the conclave at the Vatican during which the next pope will be selected. There's a lot of in-fighting and manipulation, with several cardinals vying for the position. ... It's an intensely thrilling story, despite the fact that it’s almost completely people speaking inside closed rooms.
— Emily Zemler, The Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2024

We define the relevant sense of conclave as “a private meeting or secret assembly,” used especially for a meeting of Roman Catholic cardinals secluded continuously while choosing a pope. Conclave comes from a Latin word meaning “room that can be locked up” (from the Latin com-, “together,” and clavis, “key”). The English conclave formerly had the same meaning, but that use is now obsolete.

‘Drought’

Drought has been in the news, as significant portions of the United States have been experiencing abnormally dry conditions, as well as droughts ranging from moderate to extreme.

With wildfires burning after its driest September and October ever, New Jersey will issue a drought warning, a step that could eventually lead to mandatory water restrictions if significant rain doesn't fall soon.
— Wayne Parry, The Associated Press, 12 Nov. 2024

Drought refers to a period of dryness, especially a prolonged period of dryness—specifically one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth. The word traces back through Middle English to the Old English noun drūgath, which in turn comes from the verb drūgian, meaning “to dry up.”

‘Kakistocracy’

Kakistocracy has also spiked in lookups this week due to its increased use on social media.

As Trump gears up for his second term in office, he’s wasted no time making the first hires of his incoming administration. Hegseth’s appointment as Secretary of Defense is, for many, a textbook example of kakistocracy—rule by the least-qualified.
— Eve Upton-Clark, Fast Company, 13 Nov. 2024

We define kakistocracy in our Unabridged dictionary as “government by the worst people.” It comes from a combination of the Greek kakistos (the superlative of kakos, meaning “bad”) and the English suffix -cracy, used for words referring to forms of government, or states having such forms. The earliest known use of kakistocracy comes from the early 19th century.

‘Uranus’

Uranus was trending this week, following reporting on a journal article in Nature Astronomy suggesting that a spike in solar activity caused a brief decrease in the amount of plasma in the planet’s magnetosphere.

“Uranus Might Have Experienced a Freak Event When Voyager 2 Visited”
— (headline), The New York Times, 11 Nov. 2024

Uranus is used to refer to both the sky personified as a god and father of the Titans in Greek mythology, and to the planet named for that god. No matter which of the two standard pronunciations of Uranus you choose, someone may snicker. The Greek take on Ouranos, from which the English word comes, sounds more like “oo-rah-NOHSS” than either of the two English pronunciations, however.

Word Worth Knowing: ‘Poltophagy’

Our Medical dictionary defines poltophagy as the “thorough chewing of food until it becomes like porridge.” Poltophagy was an offshoot of Fletcherism, a health fad of the Victorian era. Nutritionist Horace Fletcher advocated chewing each mouthful 30+ times before swallowing as a method of maximizing health. Adherents of poltophagy were not distracted from dinner conversation by chew-counts, but they nonetheless had their mouths full for much of the meal.

The word poltophagy was coined by a doctor who drew upon the Greek word poltos for his invention, with the misunderstanding that poltos meant “masticated" or "finely divided.” Poltos, though, means “porridge,” and this etymology has stuck to the modern word.

The exclusive use of this means of swallowing is only possible with finely divided food—I have called this way of taking food poltophagy (poltos, masticated, finely divided), and the other, psomophagy (psomos, biting, tearing).
— The Dental Register, 15 Sept. 1910