lustration
n.— «Newspapers have coined the term “wild lustration” to describe the storm of new charges. The term, derived from the Latin for “purification,” was coined in the early 1990s to describe the vetting of public figures for ties with the old regime. But now it’s back. And what makes this lustration so wild is the indiscriminate way in which so many of the names are coming to light, often through leaks to the press or on the Internet, with no supporting evidence.» —“The Reckoning” by Andrew Purvis in Warsaw, Poland Time Europe Apr. 4, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
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