Nearby Words

liminality

[lim-uh-nal-i-tee]

lim·i·nal·i·ty

[lim-uh-nal-i-tee]
noun Anthropology.
the transitional period or phase of a rite of passage, during which the participant lacks social status or rank, remains anonymous, shows obedience and humility, and follows prescribed forms of conduct, dress, etc.

Origin:
< Latin līmin- (stem of līmen) threshold + -al1 + -ity
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Liminality has a plethora of syllables.
So is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Does it mean:
an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language.
a white, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, C14H9Cl5, usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pediculicide: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S.
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Main Entry:  liminality
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  the condition of being on a threshold or at the beginning of a process
Etymology:  Latin limen 'threshold'
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
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