Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PELLUCID

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explore the archives: The beautiful word pellucid has a literary tone, meaning it's best for academic or serious contexts. We've checked out lots of other words with the same kind of literary flavor, including    nepen_____: making you feel better by helping you forget your troubles;    od_____: a journey that's long and full of exciting and difficult things;    and des________: something desperately important that you lack. Could you recall each? make your point with... "PELLUCID" Lucid things are clear: either see-through or easy to understand. ("Lucid" comes from the Latin lucidus, meaning "light, bright, or clear.") "Pellucid" means the same thing. Pellucid things are clear: either see-through or easy to understand. It's a more formal, serious word compared to "lucid." (You might wonder if the "pel" part means "very, extremely." Actually it just means "through." Literally pellucid things are transparent: they let light shine through them.) Pronunciation: puh LOO sid Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a pellucid thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was pellucid.") Other forms: The adverb is "pellucidly." For the noun, pick "pellucidness" or "pellucidity." (I prefer "pellucidity" because it's more common and because it matches "lucidity." The pronunciation is different than you might expect: "pell yuh SID ih tee.") How to use it: When you need to be especially serious, formal, or elegant in your word choice, pick "pellucid" instead of "clear," "lucid," "transparent," or "translucent." You might be literal and talk about pellucid air and pellucid water, pellucid glass, pellucid eyes, pellucid diamonds, etc. Or, be abstract: talk about pellucid sounds and pellucid music; pellucid writing and pellucid speech (or a pellucid style or manner of writing or speaking); pellucid thoughts, a pellucid mind, or a pellucid view or vision or understanding of something; or a pellucid quality, like pellucid beauty, pellucid candor, pellucid purity, or pellucid brilliance. examples: Taylor stood transfixed by the tiny tetras, their pellucid bodies flicking and darting across the tank. Lincoln's Gettysburg Address remains a model of patriotism and pellucidity. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "pellucid" means when you can explain it without saying "comprehensible" or "translucent." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "_____ (is, are, was, or were) pellucid in (its or their) (joy, sorrow, beauty, brilliance, expression, or delicacy)." Concrete example: "The baby's eyelashes were pellucid in their delicacy." Abstract example: "Elton John's 'The Last Song' is pellucid in its sorrow." 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. Our game this month is "What's the Difference?" I’ll give you two terms. Without using Google or a dictionary, explain how they’re different. Go beyond saying, "well, I know the difference, but I can’t explain it," or "show me an example and I'll tell you which it is." In your explanations, try to focus on features, not comparisons. For example, what's the difference between climate and weather? A good explanation focuses on features: "climate is what’s going on in the atmosphere over long periods of time, and weather is what’s going on in the atmosphere at a particular place and time." A weaker explanation focuses on comparisons: "climate is more concerning than weather." The game will get harder as the month goes on: we’ll start with objects—natural first, then man-made—then switch to concepts. Let’s do this! From yesterday: What's the difference between a cellar and a basement? Answer: Cellars are always fully underground; basements only sometimes are. Also, cellars typically are used exclusively for storage. Try this today: What's the difference between a maze and a labyrinth? review today's word: 1. One opposite of PELLUCID is A. BALMY B. FOGGY C. STORMY 2. "Sweet is the Melody" showcases Aselin Debison's young voice, pellucid as _____. A. a sunflower B. a warm hearth C. a mountain stream Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C