Merriam-Webgster Word of the Day - Diaphanous

WORD OF THE DAY December 13, 2017

diaphanous    adjective | dye-AF-uh-nus     Definition   1 : characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through   2 : characterized by extreme delicacy of form : ethereal   3 : insubstantial, vague   Scroll down for more about diaphanous       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Star Wars Words Quiz   Is the Force strong in you?     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   Can you guess which of the following words come from the same Greek root as diaphanous? A. epiphany B. fancy C. phenomenon D. sycophant E. emphasis F. phase The Greek word phainein shows through more clearly in some of our quiz words than others, but it underlies all of them. The groundwork for diaphanous was laid when phainein (meaning "to show") was combined with dia- (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek diaphanēs, parent of the Medieval Latin diaphanus, which is the direct ancestor of our English word.     Examples of DIAPHANOUS   "For an hour and 45 minutes, Jackson wound through the various chapters of her career, directing her diaphanous voice to nearly three dozen songs…. " — Brian McCollum, The Detroit Free Press, 30 Oct. 2017   "… no element of Sienna Miller’s wardrobe—the hippy vests, the diaphanous vintage dresses, the scrunched, sun-weathered lace blouses—went undiscussed or undocumented." — Mark Holgate, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2017   Word Family Quiz   What word is derived from Greek phainein ("to show") and is the name for the luminous floating shapes that you see when closing your eyes tight and pressing them with your fingers?   VIEW THE ANSWER           WORD OF THE YEAR 2017     Feminism + 9 more   Read why feminism is our Word of the Year, plus dotard, syzygy, gaffe, and 6 more top words!   SEE THE FULL LIST            MORE WORD FUN:     WORD GAMES         TRENDING NOW         WORDS AT PLAY     FOLLOW US:    Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 www.merriam-webster.com