Make Your Point > Archived Issues > TORNADIC

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explore the archives: Some of our most expressive adjectives end in "like:" lifelike, childlike, Christlike, accordion-like, barrel-like, Caesar-like. In general, those hyphens can seem sloppy, but we've looked at some very graceful adjectives that include them, like g___-e__ed ("covered in gold" or "extremely elegant") and t___-w__n ("utterly exhausted by hard work"). Would you agree with this? We can deal with the bulkiness of a hyphen and a suffix if and only if the result is more function: more expression. So unless you're being literal--unless you're a meteorologist distinguishing between, say, tornado winds and tornado-like winds--there's no need to say tornado-like because tornado already has its own uncluttered adjective: tornadic. make your point with... "TORNADIC" A tornadic person or thing is like a tornado: sudden, whirling, violent, and/or destructive in an uncontrollable way. Pronunciation: Either "tore NAD ick" or "tore NADE ick." The first pronunciation is older. Pick it if you like to be precise about that kind of thing. The second sounds more like "tornado," so pick it if you want people to understand you more easily. 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 tornadic thing" or "a tornadic person." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was tornadic" or "He was tornadic.") Other forms: None besides "tornado" and "tornadoes." How to use it: You can be literal and talk about tornadic winds, tornadic weather, tornadic waterspouts, etc. Or, be more figurative and talk about tornadic forces, tornadic passions, tornadic strength; tornadic moods and conditions; tornadic damage and destruction, and so on. examples: You know your home-cooked dinner was amazing when creating it left a path of tornadic destruction in the kitchen. Right before nap time, Taylor's exhaustion pushes her into a tornadic mood. The cat doesn't want to be petted? That causes loud sobbing. A lost sock? Screaming. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "tornadic" means when you can explain it without saying "destructive" or "uncontrollable." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) (does something) with a tornadic (fury or passion)." Example: "Her parents pushed her into competitive chess with a tornadic passion." 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 called "Cousins or Strangers?" Consider two pairs of similar-looking words, and figure out which pair are truly related, like cousins, and which pair are unrelated, like strangers. "Related," of course, is a relative concept (ha ha). We're interested in closeness: "compute" and "computer" are sisters, or variations of the same word; "vision" and "video" are cousins, sharing the same Latin root; but "compute" and "video" are strangers. From our previous issue: Pair A: POND and PONDER. Though you can sit by a pond and ponder, these words are the strangers. "Pond" came from an Old English word meaning "pound"--as in, a pound for enclosing stray dogs. A pound encloses, and a pond is enclosed. (Does that connection not impress you? Me neither!) But "ponder" comes from the Latin ponderare, "to weigh:" to ponder something is to weigh it carefully in your mind. Pair B: VIA and TRIVIA. These are the cousins, both from Latin. Via meant "way or road," and trivia originally meant "a place where three roads meet," then expanded to mean "a public place." Trivialis, then, meant "commonplace." That's why Logan Pearsall Smith in 1902 titled his book Trivia: it was full of tidbits of information about common, everyday things. Ready to check out two more pairs? Remember, one pair will be cousins; the other, strangers. Which is which? Pair A: DEMON and PANDEMONIUM Pair B: BARE and BARREN review today's word: 1. The opposite of TORNADIC is A. SERENE B. CHAOTIC C. INCLEMENT 2. The atmosphere in the _____ diner was _____, even tornadic. A. 50's-style .. nostalgic B. busy .. frantic C. silent .. strained 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. A 2. B