Word of the Day
: April 2, 2012grok
playWhat It Means
: to understand profoundly and intuitively
grok in Context
The novel's protagonists are driven by a desire to grok their place in the grand scheme of the universe.
"Both of these views completely fail to grok both the documented benefits of America's leadership in space and the font of inspiration for visionaries … who have aspired to send people there." - From an article by Greg Autry in Political Machine, February 2, 2012
Did You Know?
"Grok" may be the only English word that derives from Martian. Yes, we do mean the language of the planet Mars. No, we're not getting spacey; we've just ventured into the realm of science fiction. "Grok" was introduced in Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. The book's main character, Valentine Michael Smith, is a Martian-raised human who comes to earth as an adult, bringing with him words from his native tongue and a unique perspective on the strange, strange ways of earthlings. "Grok" was quickly adopted by the youth culture of America and has since peppered the vernacular of those who grok it.
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What is the meaning of "nugatory," our Word of the Day from March 13? The answer is ...
More Words of the Day
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Apr 19
underwhelm
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Apr 18
qua
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Apr 17
circumlocution
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Apr 16
inalienable
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Apr 15
purloin
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Apr 14
furlong
