Word of the Week: Thousand

The word thousand is a noun and defined as a number equal to 10 times 100. First used before the 12th century, the word thousand derives from the Old English word thūsend, which is related to the German word Tausend. The original Roman numeral for thousand is “M”. The Hindu–Arabic numeral system was invented byContinue reading “Word of the Week: Thousand”

Word of the Week: Basilisk

Basilisk is a noun and defined as a legendary reptile with fatal breath and glance. The term basilisk derives from the Greek word basilískos meaning “little king” or “young ruler.” The Greek word basilískos can be further broken down into the words basileús and -ískos, which in English can be translated to “king” and “diminutive”,Continue reading “Word of the Week: Basilisk”

Word of the Week: Hippogriff

Hippogriff is a noun and defined as a legendary animal having the foreparts of a griffin and the body of a horse. The term hippogriff derives from the Ancient Greek word híppos meaning “horse” and the Latin word gryphus meaning “griffin.” The first known use of the term hippogriff was in 1612 by Ludovico AriostoContinue reading “Word of the Week: Hippogriff”

Word of the Week: Ghoul

Ghoul is a noun and defined as a legendary evil being that robs graves and feeds on corpses. The term ghoul derives from the Arabic word ghūl or “to seize.” In Arabic, the word ghoul also refers to a greedy or gluttonous individual.  It wasn’t until 1786 when the term ghoul was first referenced inContinue reading “Word of the Week: Ghoul”