May 2008
Number Words

May 1 (Thursday)
centenarian (noun)
Definition: one who is 100 years old or older
Sentence: Irving Berlin (1888-1989) became a centenarian in 1988.

May 5 (Monday)
decimate (verb)
Definition: destroy ten percent or more, or a large portion of
Sentence: In the 14th century, Europe was decimated by the bubonic plague.

May 7 (Wednesday)
millennium (noun)
Definition: 1000 years; 1000th anniversary
Sentence: Many redwood trees are more than a millennium old.

May 9 (Friday)
octogenarian (noun)
Definition: person in his or her eighties
Sentence: If she had lived two more years, Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) would have been an octogenarian.

May 13 (Tuesday)
plurality (noun)
Definition: victor’s margin over the runner up when no candidate has a majority of the votes
Sentence: If A gets 20 votes, B 15, and C 10, A is the winner by a plurality of 5.

May 15 (Thursday)
quadrennial (noun)
Definition: occurring or being done every four years
Sentence: Our presidential elections are a quadrennial event.

May 19 (Monday)
sesquicentennial (noun)
Definition: 150th anniversary
Sentence: The Alaska purchase of 1867 will have its sesquicentennial in 2017.

May 21 (Wednesday)
treble (verb)
Definition: multiply by three; triple
Sentence: If you invest $100, you have to get back $300 to treble your investment.

May 27 (Tuesday)
triumvirate (noun)
Definition: ruling body of three
Sentence: A member of a triumvirate shares responsibility and power with two other rulers.