comminute

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2009 is: comminute • \KAH-muh-noot\  • verb : to reduce to minute particles : pulverize Examples: 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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.