Word of The Day for Thursday, January 6, 2011

battology

bat•tol•o•gy (buh-TOL-uh-jee)  n

Definition:
continual unnecessary reiteration of the same words, phrases, or ideas

battologist noun; battological adjective

Origin:
1595–1605; from Gk. battologia "a speaking stammeringly," from battos "stammerer," of imitative origin, + -logia

Sentence Examples:
• The frequent repetition, therefore, of these, is as excusable as frequent preaching; and they that nauseate it as loathsome battology, do love novelty better than verity, and playing with words to please the fancy, rather than closing with Christ to save the soul. -Select practical writings of Richard Baxter

• Away then with all silly theorems concerning population, the battology of statistics, with many words making nothing understood. -The Quarterly review, 1818

• Therefore, although I shewed that he had done that from malice, I could not take away from him every pretext for attacking us. It was my duty to give satisfaction on the score of battologies. But by no means have I admitted that there was here any useless battology, or mere contending about words. I confessed, however, that I would not have spoken unless I had been forced by his wickedness to do so. -Letters of John Calvin

The Storyline
Still in a foul mood, Anna returned to her office to finish her inventory reports shooting her assistant a look to stave off another battology regarding the schedule.

Sources: Wordnik, Online Etymology

Word-E: A Word-A-Day

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