Word to the Wise: Adumbrate

To "adumbrate" (uh-DUM-brate) - from the Latin for "shadow" - is to foreshadow or give a sketchy outline.

Example (as used by T.S. Eliot in Notes Towards a Definition of Culture): "The way of looking at culture and religion which I have been trying to adumbrate is so difficult that I am not sure I grasp it myself except in flashes, or that I comprehend all its implications."

[Ed. Note: Become a more persuasive writer and speaker ... build your self-confidence and intellect ... increase your attractiveness to others ... just by spending 10 VERY enjoyable minutes a day with ETR's new Words to the Wise CD Library.]

Similar Articles:

• Sciolism - Example (as used by Caroline Winterer in The Culture of Classicism): “American classics teachers’ ch…
• Bring Your Story Home to Your Reader - Let’s go deeper into storytelling, what d’ya say? My last article in ETR ("You, The Movie"…
• Lambent - Word to the Wise: Lambent “Lambent” (LAM-bunt) - from the Latin for “lick” - means brilliantly playf…
• It’s Fun to Know: The Portraits on Coins - You may not have noticed, but the portraits of presidents and other dignitaries on paper money are u…
• Word to the Wise: Obfuscate - To "obfuscate" (OB-fuh-skate) - from the Latin for "to darken" - is to make some…
• Worth Quoting: Seth Godin on Facing Resistance - "There’s a myth that all you need to do is outline your vision and prove it’s right - then, qui…
• The Language Perfectionist: Is This Usage Brilliant or Dim? - Last year, a kerfuffle erupted over Sen. Joseph Biden’s presumably well-intentioned characterization…