Word of the Day

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

inculcate

\in-KUHL-kayt; IN-kuhl-kayt\ , transitive verb;

To teach and impress by frequent repetition or instruction.

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Quotes:

It is difficult, if not impossible, to inculcate in those who do not want to know, the curiosity to know; I think it is also impossible to kill this need in those who really want to know.

-- T. V. Rajan, "The Aha! Factor", The Scientist, March 21, 2002

A tragic indication that even the most noble attempts to inculcate children with the basic principles of universal humanism -- that, whatever our differences, we are more alike than unalike -- will founder against the rocks of deeply held prejudices of their parents.

-- Gary Younge, "Sesame sans frontieres", The Guardian, October 14, 2002

But Havelock would insist that the epics constitute the accumulated wisdom of the culture, beyond which the audience (thoroughly inculcated with the teachings of the epics) cannot go.

-- Michael E. Hobart and Zachary S. Schiffman, Information Ages

Origin:

Inculcate is from Latin inculcare, "to tread upon, to force upon," from in-, "in, on" + calcare, "to trample," from calx, calc-, "heel."