Word of the Day

Monday, July 08, 2002

deleterious

\del-uh-TIR-ee-us\ , adjective;

Harmful; destructive; pernicious.

Quotes:

Heat, especially year-round heat, has an even more deleterious consequence: it encourages the proliferation of life forms hostile to man.

-- David S. Landes, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations

Hikers can minimize the deleterious effects of high altitudes by spending two days acclimatizing themselves at spots around 8,000 feet.

-- Nancy Stedman, "The Good and Bad of Sun Exposure", New York Times, May 4, 1999

Origin:

Deleterious is derived from Greek deleterios, from deleisthai, "to hurt, to damage."