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The Word of the Day for August 04, 2009 is:

tantivy • \tan-TIV-ee\

• adverb

: in a headlong dash : at a gallop

Example Sentence:

Once the school bell sounded signaling dismissal, the children rose from their desks and headed tantivy for the exits.

Did you know?

"Tantivy" is also a noun meaning "a rapid gallop" or "an impetuous rush." Although its precise origin isn't known, one theory has it that "tantivy" represents the sound of a galloping horse's hooves. The noun does double duty as a word meaning "the blare of a trumpet or horn." The second use probably evolved from confusion with "tantara," a word for the sound of a trumpet that came about as an imitation of that sound. Both "tantivy" and "tantara" were used during foxhunts; in the heat of the chase people may have jumbled the two.