14 September 2017

undine

[uhn-deen, uhn-deen]

noun

1. any of a group of female water spirits described by Paracelsus.

Origin of undine

New Latin undīna (1658; coined by Paracelsus), equivalent to Latin und(a) wave, water + -īna -ine1

Synonyms

See sylph.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for undine

Historical Examples

“She’s like undine after she had found her soul,” said the Englishman.
The Eternal City
Hall Caine

You remind me just now of pictures I have seen of undine and the woodland nymphs.
Pretty Madcap Dorothy
Laura Jean Libbey

Urquhart called her undine, and she was mostly known as the Mermaid.
Love and Lucy
Maurice Henry Hewlett

I will sell it, fair undine, and you shall have the proceeds.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt

Then there is undine, but she only appears on the operatic stage, and that but rarely.
From a Terrace in Prague
Lieut.-Col. B. Granville Baker

I didn’t make much success of waking my undine ‘s soul to life!
The Making of a Soul
Kathlyn Rhodes

Anagram

in dune

Today’s quote

Ethics and equity and the principles of justice do not change with the calendar.

– D. H. Lawrence

On this day

14 September 1752 – the British Empire commences using the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian calendar. To balance the calendar, the 10 days from 3 September to 13 September are written off. This is because the Gregorian claimed the annual cycle was 365.2425 days. The Julian calendar averaged out at 365.25 days per year, but used 365 days each year with an extra day every four years to allow for the rounded down amount.

14 September 1812 – Fire of Moscow – French troops under the command of Napoleon defeat Russian troops in the Battle of Borodino and invade Moscow. Count Fyodor Rostopchin orders Russian citizens to destroy the Kremlin and other major buildings as they retreat. The fires burn for 4 days and destroy around 75% of Moscow.

14 September 1983 – birthday of Amy Winehouse. English singer-songwriter. Died 23 July 2011.