trombenik

Pronounced: TROM-buh-nick, noun

Notes: The word is also spelled trombenick. I see ‘trombone’ in this word, and that’s not quite right

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Yesterday’s word

The word Antaean means

• mammoth
• having superhuman strength

Background

The word Antaean comes from Greek mythology. Antaeus was the gigantic and powerful son of Gaea (the earth goddess) and Poseidon (the sea god). Antaeus was a wrestler, and whenever he touched the earth, his strength was renewed. No one ever beat him until Hercules faced him. Hercules discovered the secret of the giant’s strength and defeated him by not letting him touch the ground. I remember reading the story of the battle between Antaeus and Hercules in grade school, during a time I had an interest in Greek mythology, but I had forgotten the name Antaeus, which is why I both knew and did not know this word.

First usage

This word entered English in the 1700s, being used by the English poet William Mason