Saturday, August 8, 2009

Vocabulary Lesson

These terms are not one and the same.

According to dictionary.com
ancillary
–adjective
1. subordinate; subsidiary.
2. auxiliary; assisting.

And according to medterms.com

Axillary: Pertaining to the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and the body, better known as the armpit.

The word "axilla" was borrowed directly from the Latin. To the Romans, as to us, the axilla was just the armpit.

A perfumer might have an ancillary scent. Hopefully not an axillary one.

Further, the axillary artery is definitely not ancillary.

I'm glad I cleared that up.

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