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The Word of the Day for October 18 is:

rife   \RYFE\   (adjective)
     1 : prevalent especially to an increasing degree
     2 : abundant, common
    *3 : copiously supplied : abounding

Example sentence:
     "Nature is rife with cheats. Think of the bumblebee who
sucks nectar and darts away without pollinating the flower."
(Erik Stokstad, _New Scientist_,  July 27, 1996)

Did you know?
     English is rife with words that have Germanic connections,
many of which have been handed down to us from Old English.
"Rife" is one of those words -- it's related to Middle Low German
"rive," meaning "abundant." Not a whole lot has changed with
"rife" in its 900-year history. We continue to use the word, as
we have since the 12th century, for negative things, especially
those that are widespread or prevalent. Typical examples are
"shoplifting was rife" or "rife with misspelled words." "Rumors"
and "speculation" are frequently described as "rife" as well.
But "rife" can also be appropriately used, as it has been for
hundreds of years, for good or neutral things. For example, you
might speak of "the summer garden, rife with scents."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

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