Kate Fulton
Definition: Large-bellied or gluttonous.
Pronunciation: Vehn-tri-poe-tent
Origin:
The word originated in the early 17th century. Ventripotent is derived from two Latin words: venter (belly) and potens (power). It was originally a Latin word which passed into usage in French.
Why this word?
With Thanksgiving the holiday season is in full effect here in America, the land of plenty. While it is certainly a time to enjoy oneself and to relax with family and friends, it is also a time to be mindful of others who do not have enough to eat while we may have too much. It is also a time to remember, as many are prone to excess around the holidays both in food and in spending, that moderation is important.
How to use the word ventripotent in a sentence?
“In short, the tiny creature of the first stage, so active and alert, is
succeeded by a ventripotent grub, deprived of movement by its very
obesity. Who would recognize in this clumsy, flabby, blind, hideously
pot-bellied creature, with nothing but a sort of stumps for legs, the
elegant pigmy of but a little while back, armour-clad, slender and
provided with highly perfected organs for performing its perilous
journeys? (The Glow Worm and Other Beetles by Jean Henry Fabre)
“In my post-Thanksgiving daze, stuffed and satiated with innumerable courses and delicious desserts, I sat recumbent upon the couch and could barely gaze over my ventripotent abdomen.”
