The Word of the Day

kinetic \kuh-NET-ik\ adjective
1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
*2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing
3 : of or relating to art (as sculpture or assemblage) having mechanical parts which can be set in motion : of or relating to kinetic art

Example sentence: The dancers infected the audience with their fierce kinetic energy.

Did you know? "Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinetikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinema," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinematographe."
"Cinematographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.