Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PAUCITY

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explore the archives: A paucity is a d___th: a regrettable shortage of things we really do need. When you see the combining form "pauci-," you know that the word has something to do with fewness, smallness, or a shortage: pauciarticular arthritis affects just a few joints, a pauciflorous plant has very few flowers, a paucispiral shell has very few whorls. And a pauciloquent speaker uses very few words--not at all like a _____iloquent speaker, who uses an abundance of fancy words. make your point with... "PAUCITY" The word "paucity" comes from a Latin one meaning "few, or little." A paucity of something is an amount of it that's too small. Pronunciation: POSS id ee Part of speech: Noun, the countable kind: "a paucity of grocery stores within walking distance," "the paucity of research on this issue." Other forms: none How to use it: "Paucity" is a common word, but it's pretty formal. Why might you pick it instead of the much more common words "shortage" or "insufficiency"? Probably because you need to strike a formal tone. And, you might need to emphasize how troubling or regrettable it is that we have too few of something. Or, you might simply prefer the rhythm of a three-syllable word, especially if you're going for parallelism, as in "a plethora of this and a paucity of that." So, talk about a paucity of something: To be concrete, talk about a paucity of dinner plates, a paucity of qualified applicants,  or a paucity of available homes on the market. To be abstract, talk about a paucity of courage, a paucity of information, a paucity of entertainment value, or a paucity of workable ideas. Notice that you can have a paucity of countable things ("a paucity of farmers markets") and a paucity of uncountable stuff ("a paucity of locally-sourced food"). examples: Responding to complaints about the paucity of honest, hardworking men, Abigail Van Buren suggests that women stop going to bars and start getting involved in volunteering or in church or community activities. The link between how many words you know and how many dollars you earn per year is an interesting one, but it suffers from a paucity of credible research. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "paucity" means when you can explain it without saying "a fewness" or "an insufficient amount." try it out: At home, at school, or at work, what's something you have too much of? And what's something you don't have enough of? Fill in the blanks: "There's a plethora of _____ and a paucity of _____." Example: "There's a plethora of exciting projects and a paucity of time." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. This month, we're playing with rhyming puzzles as we review previous words.  Examples: Someone who belts out songs in church with great gusto has ____ ___. Answer: hymn vim. And the barbecue place where you always meet up with your friends from Dallas and Houston is your _____ _____. Answer: Texas nexus. The puzzles, and their answers, will get longer and sillier as the month goes on. Click or mouse-over the link to the clue if you need it, and see each answer the following day. Enjoy! From yesterday: On your dinner plate, what you really care about is the steak; the baked potato is pretty good, but the salad is a tasteless little heap. Still, that salad keeps your steak company on the plate, filling the space that would have looked blank otherwise. The salad is your __________ _____ ____. (Three words: the first has two syllables, and the others have one syllable each. Clue: use this word.) Answer: makeweight steak mate. Try this today: Often misattributed to Dr. Seuss, the following observation was made by Robert Fulghum: "We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love." If you're lucky, this has happened to you. Your own weird, odd, atypical habits have fallen into a perfect rhythm with someone else's. You've achieved ____________ _____________. (Two words of five syllables each. Clue: use this word.) review today's word: 1. The opposite of PAUCITY is A. ABUNDANCE B. MISCHIEF C. SUPERIORITY 2. Asked to explain the paucity of _____, teachers acknowledged the need for more funding and more effective classroom management. A. grades B. detentions and expulsions C. books the students read that year Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C