Parsimonious

A penny saved is a penny earned--even for billionaires

Some of the richest people have the most parsimonious habits. Jim C. Walton, an heir to the Walmart legacy, was worth $16.4 billion as of 2007 but reportedly drove a 15-year-old Dodge Dakota. Similarly, Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad was worth $33 billion but drove a 15-year-old Volvo and regularly flew coach. Warren Buffet had a net value of $57 billion yet lived in the same home he had bought for $31,500 nearly 50 years earlier.

Parsimonious (pronounced “par-seh-MOE-nee-es”)

Excessively sparing or frugal.

Etymology

From Latin parcere, “to spare, save”, plus monia, a suffix indicating action, state, or condition.

Synonyms

stingy, miserly, penurious

Source

ABC News |   Photo by: kevin

Multifarious

Rainforest in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Rainforests exist only through an interdependence of multifarious flora and fauna. They cover less than 2% of  Earth, yet they are home to 50% of its plants and animals. A typical four square-mile patch of rainforest contains up to 750 species of trees, 400 species of birds, and 150 species of butterflies. Even so, rainforests are being leveled at the rate of one football field per second, despite providing a livelihood for over 1 billion people.

Multifarious (pronounced “mult-əh-FAIR-ee-əs”)

Having great variety; diverse.

Etymology

From Latin multi, “many”, plus fariam, “parts”. Fariam is also the root of omnifarious, meaning “all parts”.

Synonyms

sundry, multiform, manifold

Source

Nature.org: Rainforest Facts |   Photo by: baxterclaus

Liquefacient

Unusually colorful sea cucumber

Sea cucumbers are deep sea-dwelling animals that owe their shape to endoskeletons below the skin. These endoskeletons have the peculiar property of being liquefacient; when a sea cucumber is in danger, it can essentially liquefy itself and slip through minuscule spaces, then re-harden when safe from harm’s way. Its transmutable nature presents a special challenge in containing it within aquariums that have large pumps or filtration systems.

Liquefacient (pronounced “lik-wih-FAY-shent”)

1. a substance that liquefies or causes liquefaction
2. *becoming or causing to become liquid

Etymology

From Latin liquere, “be fluid”, plus facere, “to make”.

Source

Wikipedia: Sea Cucumber |   Photo by: laszlo-photo

Arborization

Rendering of dendrites, branch-like projections of neurons

The nervous system displays varying degrees of arborization throughout the body, and thus produces widely divergent levels of sensitivity. There are so many nerve endings in your thumb and forefinger knuckles that if you consecutively feel two stacks of paper, you can detect a mere 0.006 inch difference in thickness. The nerve endings in the back, however, are so sparsely placed that if two points press on your back within 2.5 inches of each other, they will probably be indistinguishable from a single point.

Arborization (ar-bər-ih-ZAY-shən)

1. *A branching, treelike shape or arrangement, as that of the dendrite of a nerve cell.
2. The formation of a treelike shape or arrangement.

Etymology

From Latin arboreus, “pertaining to trees”. Arboreus is also the root of arborist, arboretum, and arboreal.

Source

The Sense of Man (pg. 37, 52)   |   Photo by: theilr

Impetuous

Qataris are renowned for their impetuous driving habits. The U.S. State Department brushes aside crime, violence, and political upheaval in its Crime and Safety Report to focus on reckless driving, reading:

“Driving in Qatar is likened to participating in an extreme sport; drivers often maneuver erratically and at high speed, demonstrate little road discipline or courtesy, fail to turn on their headlights during hours of darkness or inclement weather, and do not use seat belts – all resulting in a high vehicular accident rate (in excess of 70,000 annually). In fact, traffic fatalities are Qatar’s leading cause of death”.

Impetuous (pronounced im-PECH-oo-us)

1. *Characterized by sudden and forceful energy or emotion; impulsive and passionate.
2. Having or marked by violent force: impetuous, heaving waves.

Etymology

From Latin impetus, meaning “attack, assault, onset, impulse”.

Synonyms

rash, vehement, unrestrained

Source

Overseas Security Advisory Council |   Photo by: jonycunha