degradate??!

[Mark Mandel]

Apropos of this discussion:

<<<<<

Sent by:  Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
      <MW-WOD at LISTSERV.WEBSTER.M-W.COM>

Subject:  orientate: M-W's Word of the Day

The Word of the Day for October 15 is:

orientate   \OR-ee-un-tayt or OR-ee-en-tayt\   (verb)
     1 : to point or turn toward the east
     2 : to set in a definite position especially in relation to
the points of the compass; also : to ascertain the bearings of
    *3 : to acquaint with a situation or environment

Example sentence:
     The film's opening sequence orientates the viewer and sets
the stage for the story to unfold.

Did you know?
     "Orientate" is a synonym of "orient," and it has attracted
criticism as a consequence. "Orient," which dates from the mid-
18th century, is in fact the older of the two verbs -- "orientate"
joined the language in the mid-19th century. Both can mean "to
cause to face toward the east" (not surprisingly, they are related
to the noun "Orient," meaning "the East"). Both also have broader
meanings having to do with setting or determining direction or
position, either literally or figuratively. Some critics dislike
"orientate" because it contains an unnecessary extra syllable,
but you can decide for yourself how important that consideration
is for you. Personal choice is the primary deciding factor,
although "orientate" tends to be used more often in British
English than it is in American.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

----------------
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc.
http://www.Merriam-Webster.com
----------------

***************************************************************

Visit http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/service/subinst.htm to
subscribe to or unsubscribe from the Word of the Day mailing list.

(c) 2001 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated