Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SEMINAL

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explore the archives: Seed is to seminal as germ is to ________. What does that last word mean? How close of a synonym is it to seminal? make your point with... "SEMINAL" Something seminal is related to seeds. More generally, something seminal is like a seed because it's ready to develop into something or it's original and important and has a big influence on future development. Pronunciation: SEM in ull Part of speech: Adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "a seminal thing." 2. After a linking verb, as in "It was seminal.") Other forms: seminally How to use it: When you're talking about things that are seed-like because they haven't developed yet but they will, call them seminal powers and abilities, seminal ideas and thoughts, seminal virtues and vices, etc. And when you're talking about things that are seed-like because they are central to the advancement of something, call them seminal achievements; seminal studies and papers; seminal books, texts, films, and other works; seminal moments and periods of time; seminal events; and even seminal minds, authors, artists, and other public figures. examples: My professor in American literature lingered lovingly over the work of Ezra Pound, a seminal poet who pushed the entire genre toward sharper, clearer images. Chad gave me a special copy of The Elements of Style, that slim but seminal book, elegantly illustrated and hardbound in red. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "seminal" means when you can explain it without saying "sowing the seeds of something" or "original and influential." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "At age _____, I received a seminal piece of advice: _____." Example: "At age eight or nine, I received a seminal piece of advice: be your own boss." 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. License Plate Words! You’ve spotted a cluster of three letters on a license plate. Keep all three letters together—don’t insert any letters between them—but add any letters you like to the left and/or right of the cluster to form words. For example, when you spot the cluster CKG, you can form BACKGROUND and BACKGAMMON (and all their related words, like BACKGROUNDER and BACKGAMMONING, for a total of 8 possible words). We’ll move from easy to hard clusters as the month goes on. (For the curious, you can generate a complete list of answers using a tool like this one.) Let's play! Our previous question: If you spot the cluster NKE, you can use it to form 281 words. One is BANKER. Give yourself a minute or so. How many others can you think of? Possible answers: You may have thought of BLANKET, BLINKED, CANTANKEROUS, CHUNKED, DEBUNKED, DONKEY, DRUNKEN, HOODWINKED, MONKEY, PINKEYE, SPELUNKER, THINKER, TRINKET, UNKEMPT, and/or YANKED. Try this today: If you spot the cluster ENU, you can use it to form 185 words. Give yourself a minute or so. How many can you think of? review today's word: 1. One opposite of SEMINAL is A. IN FLAMES B. IN FULL BLOOM C. IN FINE FETTLE 2. In a seminal ruling, the court _____. A. determined that he was entitled to a sum of $50 and to the return of his pet hamster B. established that it's unconstitutional to separate public school students students by race C. added nothing new to the rules for how much money candidates can accept from their donors 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. B 2. B