Apricated

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To bask in sunlight involves feeling warmth and comfort while enjoying the relaxing effects of sun exposure and the uplifting nature of light
2. Experiencing the sun’s rays brings about a sense of well-being, promoting relaxation alongside the joy of warmth on the skin
3. To soak up sunlight means to experience pleasant warmth while benefiting from the calming influence of sunlight on the body and mind

Etymology: Latin "apricus" meant "sunny," the sort of place where a person could bask in warmth, and English borrowed the idea as a verb meaning to sit in the sun. The Latin word is built from "aperire," "to open, uncover," so the sunny spot is literally a place left open to the sky, with nothing to shade it. "Apricus" is itself an adjective ending in "-cus," a suffix that forms adjectives relating to a noun, and English added "-ate" to turn it into a verb. The verb is rare, a word for a specific pleasure: lounging in sunlight, the way a cat stretches out on a warm windowsill. It is worth knowing that "apricot" is not related, even though the fruit's name was also shaped by "apricus." The fruit name came through other routes, so the two words only share a sunny flavour by coincidence of influence rather than common ancestry.

Synonyms: sunbathed, sun-kissed, warmed, radiated, exposed to sunlight

Antonyms: shaded, cooled, darkened