Word of the Day

Tuesday, February 06, 2001

cerebration

\ser-uh-BRAY-shuhn\ , noun;

The act or product of thinking; the use of the power of reason; mental activity; thought.

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Quotes:

Generally, to the 2 1/2-year-old apple of her parents' eye, who bravely negotiates her ABC's, the recitation must seem, if anything other than pure nonsense, more like a physical task -- like rafting a river or running a steeplechase -- than cerebration.

-- Daniel Menaker, "Lletters for Yyoungsters", New York Times, November 9, 1986

Celebration of cerebration is not what the public wants. Indeed, the opposite is probably true. We are suspicious of excessive smartness.

-- David R. Slavitt, "You Can Go Holmes Again", New York Times, October 17, 1993

Origin:

Cerebration is ultimately derived from Latin cerebrum, "brain." The related verb cerebrate means "to use the power of reason; to think."