Anthropocene | Word of the Day

April 22, 2019 Anthropocene [an-thruh-puh-seen, an-throp-uh‐] noun 1. a proposed epoch of the present time, occurring since mid-20th century, when human activity began to effect significant environmental consequences, specifically on ecosystems and climate. word-trends Has The Word "Expert" Lost Its Meaning In 2019? word-trends How Does Adding The Word "Possible" Change News WORD OF THE DAY Anthropocene continued... QUOTES He proposed that humans had so throughly altered the fundamental processes of the planet—through agriculture, climate change, and nuclear testing, and other phenomena—that a new geological epoch had commenced: the Anthropocene, the age of humans. -- Robinson Meyer, "Geology's Timekeepers Are Feuding," The Atlantic, July 20, 2018 ORIGIN Anthropocene is a compound of Greek ánthrōpos "human being, man (as opposed to an animal or a god)" and the English combining form -cene, which was extracted from words like Miocene, Pliocene, and Oligocene, names of geological strata and epochs. The combining form -cene ultimately comes from the Greek adjective kainós "new, recent"; it was coined by the English geologist Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875). Anthropocene entered English in the 20th century. MORE FOR YOU 1 Can We Call Products "Meat" or "Milk" If They Don't Come From Animals? In our age of meatless chicken nuggets, tofu hot dogs, and faux burgers that "bleed," what constitutes meat today? 2 The Double Meanings For These Innocent Animal Emoji Sometimes, a lobster isn't just a lobster ... 3 Dissent vs. Protest: Why Choosing The Right Word Matters It seems political conflict in the 2010s has put the words dissent and protest at the center of our vocabulary. But are we using them correctly? 4 Does "Spark Joy" Mean The Same Thing In English And Japanese? In the context of the KonMari method, joy goes beyond just happiness. So what does it actually mean in Japanese, then? 5 What Does It Mean To Be Electable? The word electable seems self-explanatory. Technically, it means "capable of, or having a reasonable chance of being elected." But, what are we really talking about when we say that someone is electable? © 2019 Dictionary.com, LLC. ABOUT CONTACT You are subscribed to the Word of the Day as: matzom229@gmail.com Subscriber since: September 06, 2017 Unsubscribe Dictionary.com, LLC. 555 12th Street Suite 500 Oakland CA 94607 Manage your subscription Terms & Privacy