Word of the Day - Lisa exact\ig-ZAKT\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to call for forcibly or urgently and obtain 2 : to call for as necessary or desirable EXAMPLES Although Jenny eventually succeeded, working full-time while taking a full college course load exacted a high toll from her. Bullied in five straight meetings, by an average of 13.2 points, the Jets on Sunday exacted a measure of revenge that extended beyond the outcome. Aside from outplaying the Patriots, they outsmarted them. — From an article by Ben Shpigel in the New York Times, October 21, 2013 DID YOU KNOW? Exact derives from a form of the Latin verb exigere, meaning to drive out, to demand, or to measure. (Another descendant of exigere is the word exigent, which can mean demanding or requiring immediate attention.) Exigere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix ex- with the verb agere, meaning to drive. Agere has been a very prolific source of words for English speakers; it is the ancestor of agent, react, mitigate, and navigate, just to name a few. Incidentally, if you are looking for a synonym of the verb exact, you could try demand, call for, claim, or require.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:57:52 +0000