Tuesday, 27 December 2011

Adventive

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 27, 2011

adventive \ad-VEN-tiv\, adjective:
1. Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.
noun:
1. A not native and usually not yet well established plant or animal.

I'm sure it's hard to be adventive, temporarily naturalized, that is.
-- Gish Jen, World and Town

Carrion beetles usually avoid competition with blowflies by visiting the carcasses at a later, dried stage of decomposition. Next come the omnivores, such as wasps and ants, and finally there are the adventive insects, like spiders.
-- David Shobin, The Provider

Adventive, like adventure, is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning “an advance.” The suffix -ive denotes a noun that comes from an adjective, like detective or active.

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