Pronounced: par-thuh-no-JEN-uh-sis, noun
Notes: You may know this word
Yesterday’s word
The word salient means
- moving by leaps or springs; jumping
- jetting upward
- standing out conspicuously; prominent: especially of notable significance
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1500s
Background / Comments
I was aware of the third definition, but not the other two; I’m used to hearing our word in the phrase “the salient points of the article”. When our word first came into English, is was used as a heraldic term meaning “rampant but leaning forward as if leaping”. As time passed, it acquired the first meaning above. Today, the third definition prevails; in addition to the figurative meaning to which I’ve already alluded, it can also be something physically prominent, such as salient ears or a salient nose. Our word came from the Latin verb salire (to leap).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 