ansa | Word of the Day

July 06, 2019 ansa [an-suh] noun 1. either of the apparent extremities of the rings of Saturn or of other planets, especially when viewed from a distance under certain conditions, when they look like two handles. word-trends The Most Surprisingly Serendipitous Words Of The Day holidays What Word Is Your State Looking Up On Father's Day? WORD OF THE DAY ansa continued... QUOTES A distinct dark patch, like a notch, visible near the middle of the ansa, broadest on the face of ring, and extending nearly from the inner to outer edge. -- Thomas Gwyn Elger, "Physical Observations of Saturn in 1888," Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 48, 1888 ORIGIN English ansa comes via French anse "handle" from Latin ānsa "handle (of a cup, a door), a loop, an opening, an opportunity." As a term in art history or archaeology, ansa means "an incised, decorated handle of a vase." The astronomical sense "one of the apparent extremities of the rings of Saturn or other celestial bodies" is a New Latin sense dating from the 17th century. Latin ānsa is akin to Old Prussian ansis "hook, kettle-hook" and Lithuanian ąsà "pot handle." MORE FOR YOU 1 "Infamous" vs. "Notorious": Why Is There A Difference? Infamous and notorious are commonly interchanged terms used to describe someone or something that is famous for being negative in some way. There are times when either will work, yet in other cases, one word is a better fit. 2 Why We Need Better Terms For People Who Identify As Two Or More Races Read how Professor Nicole Holliday explains why some individuals and groups that identify as two or more races are sensing a lexical gap for terms they would like for their own their specific racial combination. 3 Terms That Twitter And YouTube Created These sites have transformed the internet—and our lives as we know them, including our language. So, get internet-savvy with these words and expressions born from our new, digital normal. 4 When Did "Fat" Become An Insult? The word fat holds a complicated place in our society. As an adjective, it joins words like tall, hairy, fluffy, or bright. But, unlike those descriptors, fat isn't neutral. 5 Expressions For Epic Fails And Major Mistakes Epic fail isn't the only term for ridiculously crummy situations. The English language has all kinds of colorful sayings for when things go to s**t. Take a look. © 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 400 Oakland CA 94607 Manage your subscription Terms & Privacy