iconoclast

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2008 is: iconoclast • \eye-KAH-nuh-klast\ • noun 1 : a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration 2 : a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions Examples: Susan's irreverent opinion of Shakespeare made her an iconoclast in the eyes of many of her fellow English majors. Did you know? "Iconoclast" is a word that often shows up on vocabulary lists and College Board tests. How will you remember the meaning of this vocabulary-boosting term? If you already know the word "icon," you're halfway there. An "icon" is a picture that represents something, and is often a religious image. "Icon" comes from the Greek "eikōn," which is from "eikenai," meaning "to resemble." "Iconoclast" comes to us by way of Medieval Latin from Middle Greek "eikonoklastēs," which joins "eikōn" with a form of the word "klan," meaning "to break." "Iconoclast" literally means "image destroyer." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.