CEENOOT

Word of the Week

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

CEENOOT

(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...

ECOTONE (n. pl. -S)

• Definition: a transitional area between two or more ecological communities or habitats

• Front hooks: (none)
• Back hooks: -S
• Anagrams: (none)
• Longer extensions: (none)
• Wraparounds: (none)
• Other Spellings: (none)
• Related Forms: ECOTONAL (adj.)

TileHead says:

The word ECOTONE was first used by ecologist Frederic E. Clements (1874-1945) circa 1904, who formed it from classical elements: the eco- root used in words such as ECOLOGY (from the Latin oeco-, "household," ultimately from Greek oikos, "house"), plus the Latin tonus ("tension," from the Greek tonos, "stretching").  In recent decades, the word has become more common in both scientific and popular publications, as treatment of environmental issues has increased.

In ecotonal areas where the plains met the mid-latitude belt, such as in southern Siberia, we observe the degree of experimenting that led to the invention of new ways of exploiting the changing environments.
– Clive Finlayson, Neanderthals and Modern Humans (2004)

Therefore, preservation, restoration, or development of these lagoon ecotones, particularly the wetland components, is important for dealing with pollution abatement and/or integrated pest control. Likewise, these ecotones are the major habitats of many vulnerable plant and animal species.
– I. Ethem Gonenc & John P. Wolflin, Coastal Lagoons: Ecosystem Processes and Modeling for Sustainable Use and Development (2005)

Indeed, the eco- prefix (in which the classical oikos meaning of "house" is extended to mean "the place where one lives or dwells" or any "natural environment") has been used in many new words pertaining to the environment.  Other recent Scrabble-acceptable eco- additions to the language include ECOCIDE, ECOFREAK, ECOTAGE, ECOTOUR, ECOTYPE, ECOSYSTEM, ECOSPECIES, ECOFEMINISM, ECOTERRORISM, ECOPHYSIOLOGY, and ECOCATASTROPHE.