Word of the Day: PLETHORA

A whole lot

plethora (noun) - a very large amount or number; an abundance or excess [pleth-er-uh]

BREAKDOWN: The word plethora derives from the root PLE- meaning to fill or complete. While we use plethora to describe an excess or abundance of basically anything, the word was first applied in English to a medical condition where an excess of blood contributed to a ruddy complexion.

“But wherever the truth may lie, this much is crystal-clear: our bigger-and-better society is now like a hypochondriac, so obsessed with its own economic health as to have lost the capacity to remain healthy. . . . Nothing could be more salutary at this stage than a little healthy contempt for a plethora of material blessings.” — Aldo Leopold

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]