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vicissitudes - 2 dictionary results

vi⋅cis⋅si⋅tude

  [vi-sis-i-tood, -tyood]
Use vicissitudes in a Sentence
–noun
1. a change or variation occurring in the course of something.
2. interchange or alternation, as of states or things.
3. vicissitudes, successive, alternating, or changing phases or conditions, as of life or fortune; ups and downs: They remained friends through the vicissitudes of 40 years.
4. regular change or succession of one state or thing to another.
5. change; mutation; mutability.
Origin:
1560–70; < L vicissitūdō, equiv. to viciss(im) in turn (perh. by syncope < *vice-cessim; vice in the place of (see vice 3 ) + cessim giving way, adv. deriv. of cēdere to go, proceed) + -i- -i- -tūdō -tude

Related forms:
vi⋅cis⋅si⋅tu⋅di⋅nous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To vicissitudes
vi·cis·si·tude   (vĭ-sĭs'ĭ-tōōd', -tyōōd')   
n.  
    1. A change or variation.
    2. The quality of being changeable; mutability.
  2. One of the sudden or unexpected changes or shifts often encountered in one's life, activities, or surroundings. Often used in the plural. See Synonyms at difficulty.

[Latin vicissitūdō, from vicissim, in turn, probably from vicēs, pl. of *vix, change; see weik-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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