Mare

/mɛr/ noun

Definition

An adult female horse, or large dark areas on the moon's surface visible from Earth.

Etymology

From Old English 'mere' meaning 'female horse,' related to Germanic languages. The lunar meaning comes from Latin 'mare' meaning 'sea,' as ancient astronomers thought these dark regions looked like seas.

Kelly Says

The moon's dark patches are called 'maria' (plural of mare, Latin for 'sea'), named by astronomers who thought they were oceans—they're actually ancient volcanic plains, showing how our early misunderstandings sometimes stick around in scientific terminology.

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