Word of the Day

: October 20, 2008

aggress

verb uh-GRESS

What It Means

: to commit aggression : to act aggressively

aggress in Context

Certain indicators, such as irritability, can indicate an animal's likelihood to aggress.

Did You Know?

"Aggress" and its more familiar relatives, "aggression" and "aggressive," derive from the Latin verb "aggredi," meaning "to approach, attack, or undertake." When "aggress" was first used in English in the 16th century, it meant "to approach," but that use is now obsolete. The current meaning of the word has been with us since the early 18th century. Back then, the noun "aggress" ("an attack") appeared occasionally as well, but time has relegated that use to obsolescence, too.