Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MICROCOSM

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connect today's word to others: Today we're checking out the compact little word microcosm. As of today, dictionaries don't recognize its verb form, "microcosmize"--thank goodness, because it's so ugly--but it means "to form a miniature world, to be a tiny representation of something much larger." We don't need "microcosmize," y'all, because we already have the much lovelier word e____mize. Can you recall it? Here's an example: "Tiffanie e______zed childhood innocence; she once told me that you can tell boys and girls apart only by how long their hair is." That is, Tiffanie is childhood innocence in microcosm. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "MICROCOSM" A microcosm is a miniature world. To be more specific, a microcosm is either  a small model or representation of something much larger  or something that's complex enough to be its own little self-contained world.     Pronunciation: MY crow coz um 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 microcosm or multiple microcosms.) Other forms: An alternate to "microcosm" is "microcosmos." The plural is "microcosms." For the adjective, you have your pick of "microcosmal," "microcosmic," and "microcosmical." And the adverb is "microcosmically." How to use it: When you need to emphasize the incredible complexity of something small, or when you need to emphasize the striking way in which something small represents something larger, call it a microcosm.  Things we often call microcosms include streets, neighborhoods, communities, stores, schools, and churches, as well as more abstract things like stories, events, actions, decisions, competitions, conversations, conflicts, etc. Often we say that one smaller thing is a microcosm of the larger thing: a neighborhood that's a microcosm of a culture, a corporation that's a microcosm of ruthless capitalism, an incident that's a microcosm of America's racial inequality. Lastly, you can use the phrase "in microcosm" to mean "on a very small scale:" we see or understand something in microcosm, something appears in microcosm, something is something else in microcosm, something captures or presents something else in microcosm, and so on. examples: "Last Resort," the first single from Papa Roach's 2000 album Infest, is a microcosm of alternative metal: a cry for help, an angry shout, a violent explosion of hyperbole. The crowded cafe is hot and humid, with the occasional relief of an ocean breeze, and amid the tables float the warm scents of rice and Spam and the sound of chatter in English, Japanese, and Hawaiian. It's Hilo in microcosm. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "microcosm" means when you can explain it without saying "miniature universe" or "representation." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ is a microcosm, with its own _____ and _____." Example: "Futurama is a microcosm, with its own heroes and villains and richly developed humor." 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. "Bits & Pieces." This month, we're playing with affixes and combining forms, the bits and pieces of our language, matching them to their meanings. The more of these bits and pieces you know, the better you are at decoding unfamiliar words, which is sooo satisfying! I'll share the answers in each subsequent issue. Here are the answers from our previous issue: 1. "juxta-" means "near or next to." 2. "epi-" means "at or upon." 3. "plagio-" means "slanted." 4. "tele-" means "distance." 5. "ecto-" means "outside." Try this set today. It's about body parts: 1. "brachio-" means _____. 2. "bucco-" means _____. 3. "-dactyl" means _____. 4. "encephalo-" means _____. 5. "labi-" means _____.    Answer bank:       A. cheek       B. lips       C. brain       D. arm       E. fingers or toes review today's word: 1. The exact opposite of MICROCOSM is MACROCOSM. But a close opposite of MICROCOSM is A. FULL TILT. B. MAJOR LEAGUE. C. WHOLE UNIVERSE. 2. With her _____, the child marveled at one microcosm after another. A. telescope B. microscope C. kaleidoscope 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. C 2. B