Apr
Word of the Week: ex cathedra
Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was diapason. The father-in-law set me straight on this one–I knew I had seen it before! (If I had remembered the days when I sat beside my mom as she played the church pipe organ, it would have dawned on me!)
According to Merriam-Webster Online, diapason actually has several meanings:
a) a burst of sound
b) the principal foundation stop in the organ extending through the complete range of the instrument
c) : the entire compass of musical tones
range or scope
a) tuning fork
b) a standard of pitch
Today’s WOW is actually composed of two parts, but is listed as one word in the dictionary. Here are my guesses for ex cathedra:
ex cathedra (eks-kə-ˈthē-drə) 1. a former cathedral 2. the relief of a hospital patient after a catheter is removed *cough* 3. when you finally quit being obsessed by Cathy comic strips
What is your guess for ex cathedra? Post a comment below to let me know!
Wednesday’s Post: Where’s Your Center?
You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: diapason; Word of the Week: captious; and Word of the Week: caitiff
“from the chair” An official pronouncement by the Pope which is believed by the faithful to be without error,and becomes Catholic doctrine