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Subitaneous

[sə-bə-TEYN-ee-əs]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, mid 17th century

1.

That occurs or is manifested suddenly, spontaneously, or in haste; sudden, hasty, unexpected.

2.

Of an egg (of certain invertebrates): hatching very soon after being laid, without a period of dormancy.

Examples of Subitaneous in a sentence

"He woke at 3 a.m. with a subitaneous solution for that nagging problem."

"The pop star's arrival was subitaneous, but still excited the crowd."

About Subitaneous

This noun comes from the classical Latin word "subitāneus," which means "sudden." Any situation, thought, or action that is unexpected can be considered subitaneous in nature.

Did you Know?

Mathematician Archimedes is the master of the subitaneous idea. Archimedes was struck by sudden inspiration for a difficult math problem. Overjoyed, he ran through the streets of Greece shouting "Eureka!" — Greek for "I have found it!"

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