Wednesday word: arrears

[trellia-chan.livejournal.com]

arrears: [uh-reerz]

Plural Noun:

1.  The state of being behind on paying a debt or other obligation. "During the recession, many homeowners were in arrears with their morgage payments."

2. An unfinished dudy.

3. An unpaid or overdue debt.

Etymology: First known use 1300-1350  Middle English arrere "behind" or "backward."  From Middle French arere. From Latin ad retro.

Thursday word: advection

[prettygoodword.livejournal.com]

advection (ad-VEK-shun) - n., (meteorology) a horizontal flow of air, especially one that transports heat, moisture, particulates, etc. (themodyamics) the motion of heat in a fluid by bulk motion of the fluid (regardless of direction).


The thermodynamics sense is in contrast to convection, motion of heat by bulk motion and diffusion combined, while the meterology sense is in contrast to convection, a flow in a vertical direction that transports et cet. Both are from Latin -- or in the case of advection, coined from Latin roots in the early 1900s -- from vehere, to carry or bring plus a prefix: ad- meaning toward or con- meaning with.

The low will pass to our north with little or no warm air advection to transport much moisture into the region.

---L.