Word of the Day

: March 26, 2012

hebdomadal

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adjective heb-DAH-muh-dul

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What It Means

: occurring, appearing, or done every week : weekly

hebdomadal in Context

Charles made room in his schedule for hebdomadal visits with his math tutor throughout the semester.

"And still he remembered the Sunday evening, the hebdomadal get-together of his parents' circle of friends." -- From Rohinton Mistry's 2002 novel Family Matters

Did You Know?

"Hebdomadal" is a rare and curious term describing a basic concept: the calendar week. The noun "hebdomad" (referring to a group of seven or a period of seven days) derives from Greek "hepta," meaning "seven"; that root also gave us "heptathlon," an Olympic event consisting of seven events. One notable use of the word occurs in the name of the Hebdomadal Council, the chief executive body of the University of Oxford from 1854 until about 2000. The Hebdomadal Council managed the school's finances and property, among other things, and was so named for its strict schedule of meetings - of course - just once per week.