Word of the Day

: September 4, 2009

comminute

verb KAH-muh-noot

What It Means

: to reduce to minute particles : pulverize

comminute in Context

A mortar and pestle are used to comminute the herbs and roots before introducing them into the distilled alcohol.

Did You Know?

What do "comminute," "pulverize," and "triturate" all have in common? All three words are derived from Latin and share the meaning "to reduce to small particles." "Comminute" can be traced back to the prefix "com-" and the verb "minuere," meaning "to lessen." "Pulverize" descends from a combination of "pulver-," meaning "dust" or "powder," with the suffix "-izare," which -- like the English "-ize" -- can mean "to cause to be." "Triturate" is borrowed from the past participle of the Latin "triturare," which means "to thresh." "Triturate" specifically refers to the use of rubbing or grinding to achieve pulverization, a process which could be said to resemble the use of rubbing to separate grains from harvested cereal plants.