Apr 30, 2010 This week's theme

Back-formations



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cathect

sass

callithump

accrete

cerebrate



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cerebrate PRONUNCIATION: (SER-uh-brayt) MEANING: verb tr., intr.: To use the mind: to think, reason.



ETYMOLOGY: Back-formation from cerebration (act of thinking), from cerebrum (brain). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ker- (horn or head) that is also the source of words such as unicorn, horn, hornet, rhinoceros, reindeer, migraine, carrot, carat, and Hindi sirdar (leader, from Persian sar: head).



USAGE: "Since Galatea, Richard Powers has been cerebrating more than he's been feeling, but with his latest book, as if in wild overcompensation, he has led with his heart and entirely lost his head." Thomas Mallon; Going to Extremes; The Atlantic (Boston); Jan/Feb 2003.



See more usage examples of cerebrate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.



A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. -Stephen Roberts, database architect (b. 1967)





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