Fwd: "nictitation, n." - Word of the Day from the OED

[Dave Monroe]

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Date: Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Subject: "nictitation, n." - Word of the Day from the OED
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Your word for today is: nictitation, n.

nictitation, n.
Pronunciation: Brit. /ˌnɪktᵻˈteɪʃn/,  U.S. /ˌnɪktəˈteɪʃ(ə)n/
Etymology: <  post-classical Latin nictitatio winking or blinking
(1689) <  nictitat-, past participial stem of nictitare nictitate v. +
-io -ion suffix1. Compare earlier nictation n.
  Winking or blinking; the action or habit of moving the eyelids; an
instance of this. Also in extended use.
1794  E. Darwin Zoonomia I. §xxiv. 269 These [tears] by frequent
nictitation are diffused over the whole ball, and‥the tears are
gradually driven forward.
1831 Fraser's Mag. 3 653, I know by that satisfactory nictitation of
your eye that you agree with me.
1899  T. C. Allbutt et al.  Syst. Med. VIII. 107 There is often a
nictitation of the lids.
1900 Overland Monthly June 550 Fortunately, Nature has provided the
trout with no power of nictitation—he cannot by any possibility wink
his eye.
1962  V. Nabokov Pale Fire 160 A couple‥whose blundering Cadillac half
entered my driveway before retreating in a flurry of luminous
nictitation.

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