inculcate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2006 is: inculcate • \in-KUL-kayt\ • verb : to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions Examples: More than anything, Don and Gloria try to inculcate in their children the importance of treating others the way they wish to be treated themselves. Did you know? "Inculcate" derives from the past participle of the Latin verb "inculcare," meaning "to tread on." In Latin, "inculcare" possesses both literal and figurative meanings, referring to either the act of walking over something or to that of impressing something upon the mind, often by way of steady repetition. It is the figurative sense that survives with "inculcate," which was first used in English in the 16th century. "Inculcare" was formed in Latin by combining the prefix "in-" with "calcare," meaning "to trample," and ultimately derives from the noun "calx," meaning "heel." In normal usage "inculcate" is typically followed by the prepositions "in" or "into," with the object of the preposition being the person or thing receiving the instruction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.