Word of the Day

: August 6, 2013

kinetic

adjective kuh-NET-ik

What It Means

1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated with them

2 a : active, lively

b : dynamic, energizing

3 : of or relating to kinetic art

kinetic in Context

Polly's grandfather had a colorful kinetic sculpture in his garden that would rotate on windy days.

"I've known John 30 years, and he's still the kinetic guy trying to find the next new thing." - Bill Gates, quoted in Forbes, May 27, 2013

Did You Know?

"Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinētikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinēma," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinématographe." "Cinématographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.