Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MERIDIAN

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connect today's word to others: Let's say that you've reached the peak of your career: the high point, the ac__, the ze____. Then, you're at the meridian of your career, which is basically saying that your career is a day, and that right now, it's noon. Meridian comes from the Latin meridie, meaning "at noon," which also gave us the phrases AM and PM: ante meridiem, before noon, and post meridiem, after noon. If you take that Latin word meridie and break it in half, you see that the meri half means "middle" and the die half means "day." Can you recall another word that came from Latin dies, meaning "day"? One is q___dian, which means "daily" or "dull and ordinary in an everyday kind of way." (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "MERIDIAN" This word is Latin for "midday" or "noon," and it has specific meanings in astronomy and geography. Here's the general meaning. The meridian of something is the highest point, the most developed point, or the most perfect point. Pronunciation: muh RID ee un Part of speech: Countable noun. (Countable nouns, like "bottle," "piece," and "decision," are words for things that can be broken into exact units. You talk about "a bottle," "three pieces," and "many decisions." Likewise, talk about one meridian or multiple meridians.) Other forms: None are common. How to use it: When you pick the word "meridian" to describe something's high point, you're comparing that whole thing to a day, and comparing its high point to high noon. So, talk about the meridian of a career, the meridian of life, the meridian of a TV show's season; the meridian of beauty, the meridian of ugliness, the meridian of popularity, etc. If you can compare it to a day, then you can talk about its meridian. If you talk about a person's meridian, you mean that person's prime of life. You can also say that someone or something is reaching or approaching its meridian, that it's in its meridian (or in its full meridian), or that it's past its meridian. It's rare, but you can use "meridian" like an adjective, too: meridian height, meridian glory, meridian splendor. examples: As a trend, slap bracelets had not yet mounted to their meridian when, to our dismay, our principal banned them. "A Rose for Emily," with its imagery of dust, tarnish, and faded lace, is the story of a southern belle well past her meridian. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "meridian" means when you can explain it without saying "high noon" or "full splendor." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "In (a certain year or period), (something) was in its meridian of (beauty, ugliness, strangeness, popularity, etc.)." Example: "In the early 90's, wallpaper was in its meridian of tackiness." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing "Coiners & Coinages." Use your knowledge of science, history, literature, and vocabulary as you match newly coined words to the people who coined them, and vice versa. Let's do this! From our previous issue: Did William Shakespeare (1564-1616) coin the word BREACH, BEDROOM, or BLOCKADE? Answer: Bedroom. But it doesn’t mean what you think! Here it is in A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Then, by your side, no bed-roome me deny." See? It meant "room in the bed," not "a room with a bed." Try this today: Was the word BOSSY coined by Geoffrey Chaucer, by an unnamed female writer of short stories for Harper's Magazine, or by a divisive pamphleteer known only as The Black Adder? review today's word: 1. One opposite of MERIDIAN is A. BRIO. B. NADIR. C. SALVO. 2. He was approaching the meridian of life, his hair _____. A. growing past his ears, obscuring that distinctive baby swirl B. poking up in a stubborn youthful cowlick C. taking on distinguished flecks of gray Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C