nexus

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>nexus</strong> &#149; \NEK-sus\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>A nexus is a relationship or connection between people or things.</p> <p>// Her final research paper for her pedagogy class highlighted the <em>nexus</em> between teachers and students.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nexus">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Darren Tucker, a field supervisor with Arizona Game and Fish, said that the last known fatal bear attack in Arizona happened in 2011 in the Pinetop area, further adding to the ‘extremely uncommon’ nature of the attack, stating that it seemed ‘predatory in nature.’ ‘We didn't see any obvious attractants. The location and the surrounding residencies looked pretty tidy,’ Tucker told reporters. ‘However, typically, nine times out of ten when we have wildlife-human conflict there is some <em>nexus</em> to food.’” — Kye Graves, <em>USA Today</em>, 16 June 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>If you’re unfamiliar with the word <em>nexus</em>, the popular, long-running video game series <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Legend-of-Zelda-1688275"><em>The Legend of Zelda</em></a> may provide an <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/object%20lesson">object lesson</a> in its several definitions (and if you’re unfamiliar with the games, we will explain). When <em>nexus</em> came into English in the 17th century, it meant “connection” or “link.” Eventually, people began using it to refer to a connected group or series of things, as in “a nexus of relationships.” In recent decades it has taken on a third meaning: “center” or “hub,” perhaps from the notion that a point in the center of an arrangement serves to join together the objects that surround it. Now, one might plausi