WORD OF THE DAY

A person who covers their eyes during the scariest parts of a horror movie is showing an abient behavior because they are making an effort to avoid or retreat from something that is unpleasant to them.

The word abient refers to behavior "characterized by avoidance or withdrawal." It comes from the Latin word abiens, meaning "going away." In biology, this term can describe how certain organisms move away from harmful conditions. For instance, a plant that grows away from direct sunlight is demonstrating an abient response to light. In everyday life, someone avoiding a loud, crowded space because it overwhelms them is also exhibiting abient behavior.