"Ex"actly Right! Trivia Quiz

Answer: loathing

The original meaning of execrate is to invoke a curse upon someone, the opposite of consecrate (make sacred or bless). Attested in English since the mid-16th century, the verb comes from the Latin "exsecrari", formed by the prefix "ex-" (out) and "sacrare" (devote to). The verb eventually came to mean loathe or detest utterly - feelings you would undoubtedly cultivate if you called a curse upon someone or something. As is often the case with words of Latin origin, execrate is generally used in formal contexts, such as literature or high-quality journalism.

If you were feeling forgiveness, you would probably excuse someone or something, while greed would drive you to exploit them, and curiosity to examine them.

Answer: excoriate

Though all of these words sound somewhat painful, only one of them has the original meaning of stripping the skin from somebody/something - and that is excoriate. The Latin verb "excoriare" comes from "corium" (hide, skin) preceded by "ex" (out or off). "Corium" is another name for dermis, the innermost layer of the skin; the French ("cuir"), Italian ("cuoio") and Spanish ("cuero") words for leather are all directly derived from "corium". In the early 18th century, excoriate began to be used in the metaphorical sense of denounce or criticize harshly, which is the most common today.

Extirpate means to rip or wipe out, while excruciate means to inflict intense pain (as by crucifixion). Exfoliate, meaning to cast off in scales or splinters, often refers to the skincare routine of rubbing off dead skin cells from one's face or body.

Answer: explanation or critical interpretation of a text

While the majority of English "ex" words have their roots in Latin, exegesis comes directly from Greek. With a literal meaning of leading out, this noun is derived from the verb "hegeisthai" (lead) - which is also the root of the word hegemony. In the past, exegesis (first attested in English in 1627) was mainly used in reference to the critical interpretation of religious texts such as the Bible. However, this is no longer the case in modern English, as the word is now used to denote the interpretation of any kind of text.

The three wrong definitions also correspond to "ex" words. The removal of teeth is exodontia (another word of Greek origin), the elimination of pests is extermination, and departure from some place can be either exodus (departure of a large amount of people) or expatriation (departure from one's own country).

Answer: exquisite

Exquisite comes from the Latin "exquisitus", which is the past participle of the verb "exquirere", meaning to seek out. The original meaning of exquisite was thus sought after, or carefully selected. In modern English, this adjective denotes something (or someone) possessing outstanding qualities of beauty, delicacy, and fineness. The earliest use of exquisite in English dates from the 15th century.

The three remaining adjectives - all of Latin origin - can be used to refer to an expense that is perceived as too high or unreasonable. Exorbitant means deviating from the normal course; extravagant means lacking in moderation or restraint; excessive (the most frequently used of the three) means more than what is reasonable. Extortionate (from extort, meaning obtain by coercion) conveys an even stronger meaning.

Answer: inciting them by argument or advice

Meaning to urge or persuade strongly and earnestly, exhort comes from the Latin "hortari" (encourage). In this particular case, the prefix "ex" does not mean out or off, but is used to intensify the verb's meaning (as in encourage thoroughly). The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, maintains that exhort was coined in English in the 15th century (rather than being adopted from Old French in the 13th century, as other sources suggest) - together with forms such as adhort (with similar meaning) and dehort (dissuade), neither of which is used any longer in modern English.

The three incorrect definitions refer to expedite (send someone or something on their way), exclude (keep out), and exhilarate (make someone very happy or excited).

Answer: exchequer

Unlike the three words listed as wrong answers, exchequer does not have Greek or Latin roots, but is instead related to the game of chess - which has its origin in Ancient Persia. Before it came to mean the governmental department in charge of collecting and managing the national revenue (first used in the 14th century), exchequer meant a chessboard or counting table. The word comes from Old French "eschequier", in turn derived from "eschec" (check, as in checkmate) - whose ultimate origin lies in the Persian "shah" (king) via Medieval Latin "scaccus". According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, the connection between the management of revenue and the game of chess is the chequered cloth that was used to cover the table when revenues were counted.

Exorcism is the act of freeing somebody from an evil spirit, while excursus is a digression, and exhaust (as a noun) refers to the release of waste fumes or gases.

Answer: objectionable content has been removed

The verb expurgate comes from the Latin "expurgare", meaning cleanse thoroughly; as "purgare" means purify, the prefix "ex" has an intensive meaning. While purge, which also comes from "purgare", is used both in a literal and figurative sense, expurgate is generally employed to refer to a book or other written text that has been "cleansed" of any material deemed vulgar, obscene, or - as it is sometimes the case in recent times - politically incorrect. An alternative term for such an action is bowdlerize, from the name of an English physician who in 1818 published an expurgated version of Shakespeare's works. The first known use of expurgate dates from 1678.

If new material was added to a text, the correct "ex" word to be used would be expanded. Another "ex" word, expunge (prick out), refers to the action of deleting material from a text - though not necessarily in order to expurgate it.

Answer: exude

From the Latin "exsudare" (sweat out), exude means discharge or emit gradually. The Latin verb "sudare" (from the noun "sudor") is related to the English sweat, as both words have the same Indo-European root. In its literal meaning (first attested in English in 1574), exude is generally used in a scientific context, while in more general discourse it is used in the sense of possessing or displaying abundantly - as in exude charm or exude confidence.

The three wrong answers all have Latin origins. Extol means praise highly; exult means rejoice; exhale means breathe out.

Answer: absolve from blame

First attested in English in the 1520s, exonerate comes from the Latin "exonerare", meaning free from a burden. The verb is derived from the noun "onus, oneris" (burden), from which the English adjective onerous also comes. The burden in this case is a figurative rather than a literal one. In a legal context, exonerate means to free or absolve from an accusation or criminal charge. Exculpate (which first appeared in English in the 17th century) comes from "culpa" (guilt), also familiar to English speakers through the phrase "mea culpa" (meaning I am to blame, an acknowledgment of guilt). According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, exonerate applies to being cleared of accusation or blame for more serious reasons than exculpate.

The three definitions listed as wrong answers also correspond to "ex" words: expatiate (discuss at length), exsanguinate (drain of blood), and exhume (remove from a grave).

Answer: exclave

An exclave is a piece of land that has no physical connection to the country or subdivision it is politically attached to. Etymologically, exclave is a back-formation from enclave, a term denoting a country or region completely surrounded by another (such as Lesotho or Vatican City). Both enclave and exclave are rooted in the Latin word "clavis" (key): an enclave is thus something that is locked in ("in" + "clavis"), and an exclave is something that is locked out ("ex" + "clavis"). Enclave was first used in English in the mid-19th century, while exclave was coined in the 1880s. A notable exclave (or semi-exclave) is Kaliningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia enclosed by Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea.

Excise (as a noun) is a kind of tax or licensing charge. An exarch is a bishop in the Eastern Orthodox Church, or the ruler of a province of the Byzantine Empire. Exurbia refers to a residential area, generally inhabited by affluent families, which lies beyond the suburbs of a city.