August - Answers1. AU (from Latin aurum, gold) is the chemical symbol for that precious metal. (It also means astronomical unit, the distance from here to the sun, about 93 million miles.)2. Alabaster is a smooth, soft stone, often white and translucent, used for art and ornamental objects. (The name probably came from the fact that it was found near Alabastron, in Egypt.) 3. Ague (from Latin febris acuta, or acute fever) is a shivering fit, chills and fever. Shakespeare named one of his characters Anthony Aguecheek. 4. The aphid is a plant louse. Ants place aphids on host plants, and feed on the honeydew secreted by the aphids—a truly symbiotic relationship. (The word is Anglicized from Modern Latin aphides, the name of the genus.) 5. Angst is a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish—usually a deep, prolonged anxiety about the world in general or personal freedom. (Angst is the German word for fear.) |
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