This week's theme: words that have many unrelated meanings.
speculum (SPEK-yoo-luhm) noun
1. A mirror used as a reflector in an optical instrument,
such as a telescope.
2. Speculum metal: any of various alloys of copper and
tin used in making mirrors.
3. An instrument for holding open a body cavity for
medical examination.
4. A bright patch of color on the wings of certain birds,
for example ducks.
[From Latin speculum (mirror), from specere (to look at), ultimately
from the Indo-European root spek- (to observe) which is also the
root of such words as suspect, spectrum, bishop (literally, overseer),
espionage, despise, telescope, and spectacles.]
Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=speculum
-Anu Garg (garg wordsmith.org)
"The beautiful green speculum on the wings is common to both sexes."
Charles Darwin; Descent Of Man; 1871.
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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/speculum.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/speculum.ram
Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/speculum.html
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