It's the Word of the Day for January 3rd.

Today's word is senescence, spelled S-E-N-E-S-C-E-N-C-E-N-C-E.

Senesance is a noun. It's a formal and technical word that refers to the state of being old or the process of becoming old.

Here's the word used in a sentence from CNN.

Pilates provides improvements in core strength, flexibility, and balance, even when done just once a week.

It can help with stress relief,

as well as anxiety and depression. Among those 60 years of age and older, Pilates has even been

shown to slow the process of senescence. The word senescence can be traced back to the Latin

word senex, meaning old. Can you guess which other English words

come from Senex? Senile might correctly come to mind, as well as senior. But another one might

surprise you, Senate. This word for a legislative assembly dates back to ancient Rome, where the Senatus was originally a

council of elders, composed of the heads of patrician families. There's also the much more rare

word, sinectitude, which, like Senexence, refers to the state of being old, specifically

to the final stage of the normal lifespan.

With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sakalowski.

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