[Loch-Ruadh] word of the day

[Jane Sitton]

Your daily vocabulary lesson: countermand * \KOWN-ter-mand ("ow" as in
"town")\ * (verb) *1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order 2 : to
recall or order back by a superseding contrary order

Example sentence:  General Carmichael countermanded his original order for
reinforcements when he saw that the threat of an attack had clearly passed.

Did you know? In the military, one's mandate is to follow the commands (and
sometimes the "countermands") of the officers.  Doing their bidding is not
particularly commendable-it's simply mandatory.  The Latin verb "mandare,"
meaning "to entrust" or "to order," is the authority behind "countermand."
It's also behind the words "mandate," "command," "commend" (which can mean
"to entrust" as well as "to praise"), and "mandatory."  "Countermand" came
to English via Middle French, where the prefix "contre-" ("against") was
combined with the verb "mander" ("to command").  It has been a part of our
language since the 1400s.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.