The Word of the Day for May 6 is:
volant \VOH-luhnt\ (adjective)
1 : having the wings extended as if in flight -- used of a
heraldic bird
*2 : flying or capable of flying
3 : quick, nimble
Example sentence:
According to popular myth, Santa Claus flies through the air
at Christmastime on a sleigh drawn by eight volant reindeer.
Did you know?
English picked up "volant" from Middle French. The term
survives in Modern French as well, both as an adjective having
essentially the same meaning as the English term, and as a noun
with several meanings (among them "shuttlecock"). The influence
of French can be seen doubly in the heraldic sense of "volant":
in heraldic contexts, the adjective "volant" almost always
appears after the noun -- a syntax picked up from French along
with the meaning. For instance, a coat of arms or a military
decoration might feature an "eagle volant." Ultimately, "volant"
comes from the Latin verb "volare," meaning "to fly." Another
word that came to English through Middle French from "volare" is
"volley," which refers to things flying back and forth through
the air.
ttfn,
Bill
--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice,
but in practice there is. Anon.
Bill Johns
Pullman, Washington
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