20091110Word of the Day

junli

fungible

\FUHN-juh-buhl\ , adjective;
1.(Law) Freely exchangeable for or replaceable by another of like nature or kind in the satisfaction of an obligation.
2.Interchangeable.
noun: 1.Something that is exchangeable or substitutable. Usually used in the plural.
形容词 a.
1.可取代的
名词 n.
1.代替物

Quotes:
People think this tax is for Social Security. But tax monies are really fungible. They get raided all the time.
~Eugene Ludwig, "Motivated to Work," interview by Kerry A. Dolan", Forbes, March 20, 2000
The setting is Ireland in the 1950's, but, a cynical reader might reflect, this sort of fiction is so common that the characters will be completely fungible.
~Susan Isaacs, "Three Little Girls From School", New York Times, December 30, 1990
Genuine eros makes us desire a particular person; crude desire is satisfiable by fungible bodies.
~Edward Craig (general editor), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Origin:
Fungible comes from Medieval Latin fungibilis, from Latin fungi (vice), "to perform (in place of)."(vice), "to perform (in place of)."