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November 2, 2024
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| Word of the Week--"Homogeneous" |
Definition--Homogeneous- adj. composed of similar parts or elements; corresponding in structure.
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| Discussion--You may have heard the term homogeneous in your chemistry class.
It is often used to refer to solutions that are mixed with other elements of similar nature. However, chemicals and
solutions are not the only use for the word. Homogeneous is also used to refer to any other entity that is formed by
similar elements. For example, we may refer to a soccer team as being a homogeneous group, being composed of athletes who enjoy
kicking a ball. The opposite of homogeneous is heterogeneous, which we might use to describe a group composed of two soccer players,
a basketball player, and three baseball players.
We have probably all heard of homogenized milk, which is milk that has been made homogeneous by mixing and balancing fat content.
If our milk was not homogenized it would be clumpy and thick (which sometimes happens if we leave it in the refrigerator too long!)
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| Etymology--Homogeneous- borrowed from Medieval Latin homogeneous, from Greek
homogenes, meaning "of the same kind."
Note that all of the foreign translations share the same Greek root.
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Foreign Translations
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| Dutch: |
homogeen
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| French: |
homog�ne
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| German: |
homogen
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| Italian: |
omogeneo
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| Spanish: |
homog�neo
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Jane Ellis
Previous Words of the Week
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