Micro- is a prefix which means small, reduced, magnifying. As a unit of measure, micro- means one millionth part of. Micro- is derived from the Greek mikros, meaning small, trivial, slight, petty, trivial. Micro- is a prefix which may be applied to word when describing something that is small scale. Macro- is a prefix which means large, over a long period, the big picture. Macro- comes from the Greek makros, meaning long, abnormally long. Macro- is a prefix which may …
Manga is a Japanese style of graphic novels and comic books that is aimed at adults as well as children. In manga, the characters have oversized eyes, the drawings are often in black and white. Manga stories are told in serial form. Manga style descends from Japanese aesthetics, though many see the influence of American comic books brought into Japan during the post-World War II, Occupation years. Katsushika Hokusai coined the term manga in 1814 to describe a free-flowing, quirky …
In computer parlance, a mouse is a pointing device that converts two-dimensional motion relative to a surface into the movement of a cursor on a computer screen. A mouse consists of one or more buttons and often, a wheel or touch surface. The mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1960s and presented to the world in what has been dubbed the Mother of All Demos. At that time, only a few people understood …
Eeny, meeny, miny, mo is the first line of a counting rhyme, used by children to decide who goes first in a game or who is the team captain or who is “it” in a game of tag. Eeny, meeny, miny, mo and other counting rhymes were passed from child to child in oral tradition, the rhymes were not written down until the mid-1800s. As may be expected from oral traditions perpetuated through children, there are large variances in these …
A miner is 1.) a person who digs for coal, lead, gold, or other natural resources. 2.) a soldier who plants explosives in order to blow up enemies and enemy positions. 3.) an Australian bird 4.) a South American bird. The most common use of miner is one who mines, often modified with the item that is being mined such as a gold miner or lead miner. The word miner appears in the late thirteenth century, coming from the Old …
Ditto means the same as what has already been said, the same as what has been written above, the same as what has been written before. Ditto may be a noun, the plural is dittos. Ditto may also be an adverb. As a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object, ditto means to make duplicates or to do again. Related words are dittos, dittoed, dittoing. Ditto comes from the Italian detto in the early 1600s, and was …
A minuet is a ballroom dance with short, dainty steps. The minuet is a dignified dance for a group of couples, first popular in seventeenth century France. Music for this dance is also called a minuet, often part of a sonata, symphony or suite. The beat is in 3/4 time. Minuet comes from the French word menuet, meaning fine, delicate, small, narrow. Minute has two meanings. 1.) When the accent is on the second syllable, miNUTE, it functions as an …
Main is an adjective which means the thing of principal importance, central. Main may be used as a noun to refer to the principal pipe or cable carrying utilities such as water, gas or electricity, to a building. In British English, these pipes are called the mains. Archaically, main means the open ocean. The word main comes into use in the early thirteenth century to mean large, bulky, strong, from the Old English maegen meaning power, strength, force. By the …
MacGyver means to make an object or repair an item with only the items at hand. When something has been MacGyvered it has been thrown together in an ingenious and improvised fashion. MacGyver is a new word in the Oxford English Dictionary, it is a transitive verb which is a verb that takes an object. Related words are MacGyvers, MacGyvered, MacGyvering and MacGyverism. MacGyvered may also be used as an adjective. The Urban Dictionary defines MacGyver as “..us[ing] a dorito, …
Misspell means to spell a word incorrectly, but it also happens to be a word that is commonly misspelled. How ironic. Proper spelling and use of any word are important to ensure your readers fully understand your writing. Misspellings are common with new writers and English language learners. So what better way to drive home the purpose of proper spelling than with a commonly misspelled word? Let’s review what misspell means and how to use it properly. How to Spell …