Thanks & Giving

ab initio  | ˌab əˈniSHēˌō | adverb from the beginning (used chiefly in formal  or  legal contexts) :  the agreement should be declared void ab initio . adjective  [  attrib.  ] starting from the beginning :  he was  instructing   ab initio  pilots . ORIGIN  early 17th cent. :  Latin .

temporary, ephemeral,  evanescent , fleeting,  transient , transitory Things that don't last long  are  called  temporary ,  which  emphasizes a measurable but limited duration ( a temporary appointment as  chief of staff ).  Something  that is   fleeting  passes almost instantaneously and cannot be caught or held ( a  fleeting  thought ;  a fleeting glimpse ).  Transient  also applies to  something  that  lasts  or  stays  only  a  short time ( transient   house guests ), while  transitory  refers to  something   that is  destined to pass away or come to  an  end ( the   transitory   pleasure  of eating ).  Evanescent   and   ephemeral   describe what is even more short-lived.  Ephemeral   literally   means  'lasting for  only   a   single  day,' but...

proposition  | ˌpräpəˈziSHən | noun 1  a statement or assertion that expresses a judgment or opinion :  the proposition that all men are created equal . •  Logic  a statement that expresses a concept that can be true or false .

knell  | nel |  literary noun the sound  of  a bell, esp. when rung solemnly for a death or funeral . •  used  in  reference to an announcement, event, or sound that warns of the end of something :  the decision will probably  toll the knell for  the facility . verb  [  no  obj.  ] ( of  a bell) ring solemnly, esp. for a death or funeral . •  [  with  obj.  ]  proclaim (something) by or as if by a knell . ORIGIN  Old English  cnyll (noun),  cnyllan (verb); related to  Dutch  knal  (noun), knallen  (verb)  ‘ bang, pop, crack . ’  The current spelling (dating from the 16th cent.) is perhaps influenced by  bell 1 . toll  2  | tōl | verb ( with reference to   a  bell) sound or cause  to   sound  with a slow, uniform succession of strokes, as a  signal  or announcement :  [  no  obj. ...