AAILMNT

Word of the Week

A feature wherein TileHead highlights a word that is is especially interesting or unusual (and, incidentally, useful in Scrabble play):

AAILMNT

(unscramble the letters to form this week's word...)

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(answer below, after a little more spoiler space....)

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This week's word is...

MATINAL adj.

• Definition: of or pertaining to the morning; of or relating to animals or insects active in the early morning

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: (none)
• Anagrams: (none)
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: MATUTINAL (adj.), MATUTINALLY (adv.)

TileHead says:

• Matuta was the Roman goddess of childbirth and of the dawn, whence came the Latin matutinum meaning morning.  Thus, dear Matuta is the ultimate source not only of MATINAL and MATUTINAL, but also MATIN / MATTIN (a morning prayer or a morning song) and the familiar word MATINEE (a daytime performance), all of which passed into English from French.