8 January 2015
adventitious
[ad-vuh n-tish-uh s]
adjective
1. associated with something by chance rather than as an integral part; extrinsic.
2. Botany, Zoology. appearing in an abnormal or unusual position or place, as a root.
Origin
Latin
1595-1605; < Latin adventīcius literally, coming from without, external, equivalent to ad- ad- + ven- (stem of venīre to come) + -t (us) past participle suffix + -īcius -itious
Related forms
adventitiously, adverb
adventitiousness, noun
nonadventitious, adjective
nonadventitiously, adverb
nonadventitiousness, noun
Dictionary.com
Examples from the web for adventitious
– These climbing roots are adventitious ; that is, they do not arise from the young root of the germinating seed.
– The poem obtained adventitious fame.
– Stilt roots are adventitious roots that grow out of the main trunk, a yard or so above the ground.
Anagram
situated vino
vest audition
native studio
devious titan
a divine stout
soviet unit ad
invades it out
avoid site nut
Today’s aphorism
A person, seasoned with a just sense of the imperfections of natural reason, will fly to revealed truth with the greatest avidity: while the haughty Dogmatist, persuaded that he can erect a compleat system of Theology by the mere help of philosophy, disdains any further aid, and rejects this adventitious instructor.
– David Hume
On this day
8 January 1935 – birth of Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock and Roll. Died 16 August 1977.
8 January 1947 – birthday of David Bowie, British musician and actor, born David Robert Jones.
8 January 1959 – Fidel Castro’s rebel forces take control of Cuba. Castro eventually became President and ruled the nation until 2011.
8 January 1964 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson introduces legislation that results in the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, otherwise known as the War on Poverty, in an effort to reduce the increasing poverty rate, which at that time was around 19%. Through this a number of poverty-reduction strategies were implemented, including Social Security Act 1965, Food Stamp Act of 1964, Elementary and Secondary Education Act (1965), Community Action Program, Job Corps, and Volunteers in Services to America. Within 10 years the poverty rate had been reduced to around 11%. In 2014, the rate has risen to around 15%.