Today’s word was “absterge“, which has the primary meaning of ‘To wipe away; to wipe clean, cleanse’ (OED). However, it can be a transitive verb used figuratively meaning ‘To purge’ (OED). And “worms” and “purge” have oft been bedfellows – albeit it rather disgustingly. Worms need to be purged before being eaten, but if you have worms they need to be purged from your intestinal lining. And the best way to do this is with honey, since it has ‘an absterging virtue’ against worms (A Natural and Medicinal History of Worms). Honey, however, will not purge worm-infected messages contracted over the net. For this, you need a fancy bit of software.
Day #90 of a 365 project, where the daily pic is informed by the OED word of the day.