Today's Word

Truncate

TRUN-kayt

Definition

(verb) To shorten something by cutting off a part, especially at the end.

Example

The article had to be truncated to fit within the magazine’s word limit.

Fun Fact

“Truncate” comes from the Latin truncare, meaning “to cut off.” The concept appears in various fields, from botany (truncated leaves) to mathematics (truncated numbers). Digital systems often truncate text when displaying character limits, a feature familiar to anyone who’s seen a message cut off on social media.

Previous Words

Permeate

Today's Word

Permeate

PUR-mee-ayt

Definition

(verb) To spread throughout something; to penetrate and pass through every part of something.

Example

The smell of woodsmoke had permeated the entire cabin by morning, clinging to every curtain, cushion, and piece of clothing inside.

Word Origin

From Latin permeare, meaning “to pass through” — formed from per- (through) + meare (to pass or go). The root meare is relatively rare in English derivatives but also appears in permeability and impermeable. The word entered English in the mid-17th century, initially used in scientific contexts to describe fluids passing through porous materials before broadening into general use.

Fun Fact

The concept of permeation is central to one of the most consequential technologies of the modern world — the cell membrane. Every living cell is enclosed by a selectively permeable membrane that allows certain molecules to pass through freely while blocking others. This selective permeability is what makes life as we know it possible — it allows cells to absorb nutrients, expel waste, and maintain the precise internal chemistry required to function. Scientists studying membrane permeability have unlocked breakthroughs in drug delivery, water filtration, and even carbon capture technology.

READ MORE...

Truncate

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Permeate

Permeate

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Permeate

Gamut

Saccharine

Intractable

Congruity