nuance

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The Word of the Day for December 1 is:=20

nuance   \NOO-ahnss\   noun
         *1 : a subtle distinction or variation=20
     2 : a subtle quality : nicety
     3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate sh=
adings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)

Example sentence:
          Because she wanted to set her novel in New England, the author=
 spent three months in New Hampshire learning the nuances of the local d=
ialect.

Did you know?
     The history of "nuance" starts in Latin with the noun "nubes," mean=
ing "cloud." "Nubes" floated into Middle French as "nue," also meaning "=
cloud," and "nue" gave rise to "nuer," meaning "to make shades of color.=
" "Nuer" in turn produced "nuance," which in Middle French meant "shade =
of color." English borrowed "nuance" from French, with the meaning "a su=
btle distinction or variation," in the late 18th century. That use persi=
sts today. Additionally, "nuance" is sometimes used in a specific musica=
l sense, designating a subtle, expressive variation in a musical perform=
ance (such as in tempo, dynamic intensity, or timbre) that is not indica=
ted in the score.





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