Word of the Day for Tuesday, October 18, 2011
moot \moot\, adjective:
1. Open to discussion or debate; doubtful.
2. Of little or no practical value or meaning; purely academic.
3. Chiefly Law Not actual; theoretical; hypothetical.
verb:
1. To present or introduce (any point, subject, project, etc.) for discussion.
2. To reduce or remove the practical significance of; make purely theoretical or academic.
3. Archaic To argue (a case), especially in a mock court.
noun:
1. An assembly of the people in early England exercising political, administrative, and judicial powers.
2. An argument or discussion, especially of a hypothetical legal case.
3. Obsolete A debate, argument, or discussion.
The B.O. seems to consider discussions on the U.S. Constitution moot and irrelevant!
--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog
“What do you mean, 'moot'?” “I mean moot. It's taken care of. The documents are notarized. I'm recouping my lawyer's fees and that's the end of it.”-- Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections
As for Maddy, my only point would be that a suitable age for dating becomes moot if nobody's asking.-- Marion K. Douglas, Dance Hall Road
Moot is derived from the Old English gemot "meeting.” The adj. senses of "debatable" and "not worth considering" arose from moot case, earlier simply moot (n.) "discussion of a hypothetical law case" (1530s), in law student jargon, in reference to students gathering to test their skills in mock cases.
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