3 January 2017
piste
[peest]
noun
1. a track or trail, as a downhill ski run or a spoor made by a wild animal.
2. (in fencing) a regulation-size strip, usually 2 meters wide and 14 meters long, on which fencers compete.
Origin of piste
Italian, Latin
1720-1730; French: animal track < Italian pista, pesta, noun derivative of pestare to pound, crush < Vulgar Latin, frequentative of Latin pī (n) sere; cf. pestle
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for piste
Historical Examples
On our return to the piste, or flying field, we usually keep steadily at it until nearly dark.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron
W. Crispin Sheppard
One just has to drive them in a straight line across the piste.
Don Hale with the Flying Squadron
W. Crispin Sheppard
He looked in the direction of that voice, proceeding from the group of spadassins amid the Blacks across the piste, and he smiled.
Scaramouche
Rafael Sabatini
Anagram
I step
spite
Today’s quote
There comes a point in your life when you need to stop reading other people’s books and write your own.
– Albert Einstein
On this day
3 January – the tenth day of the 12 days of Christmas (Western Christianity).
3 January 106BC – birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero (sometimes anglicised as Tully), Roman statesman, politician, philosopher, orator. Tully’s influence on Latin and other European languages was immense and still felt up to the 19th century. The history of prose in Latin and other languages was said to be either a reaction against, or a return to, his style. Died 7 December 43BC.
3 January 1521 – Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem.
3 January 1892 – birth of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of ‘The Hobbit‘ and ‘Lord of the Rings‘. Died 2 September 1973. ‘The road goes ever on … ‘
3 January 1956 – birth of Mel Gibson, Australian actor.
3 January 1962 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro.
3 January 1969 – birth of Michael Schumacher, German Formula 1 racing car driver.
3 January 1977 – Apple Computers is incorporated.