Word of the Day

Overdetermined is an adjective that means having many causes. The Latin-derived English word ‘determine’ means ‘to identify something as a cause.’  When the prefix O-V-E-R is added, it means ‘an excess or exaggeration’ of causes. Something that has many causes is overdetermined. Example: According to social scientists, reading ability is overdetermined. There is not one cause for it, but many. 

Cespitose is an adjective that means growing in clumps.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word caespes (KIE ay space) meaning ‘turf’ or ‘sod.’ Its recently emerging offspring is used to refer to grass or other kinds of plants that grow in clumps. Example: That cespitose grass around the cactus isn’t very plentiful here in the desert. As it gets warmer and warmer, those small clumps of gras...

Ocellus is a noun that refers to the eye of a small creature.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word oculus (OH koo loose) which means ‘eye.’ Ocullus has been around since the early 19th century and is always used in reference to the smaller eyes of animals. Here’s an example: When I saw those tiny worms, I was stunned to learn they had the ability to see. But when Mr. Hammel showed me the...

Littoral is an adjective that means relating to or situated on the shore of the sea or a lake.  The Latin word litus (LEE toos) means ‘beach.’ Our word of the day has been around since the mid-17th century as an adjective that references the beach and, less commonly, as a noun that, like its ancestor, means ‘beach.’ Here’s an example of littoral in use: My favorite thing about the movie was its de...

Ethology is a noun that refers to the study of animal behavior.  The Greek word ethos (EE thoss) refers to ‘nature’ or ‘disposition’ and the common suffix O-L-O-G-Y means ‘study of.’ When combined, we get a word that refers to the study of the nature of animals. Examples: I have to whistle and scream my brains out to get our bulldog Sparky to come in from the yard at the end of the day. But someho...

Monopsony is a noun that refers to a market situation in which there is only one buyer. The Greek word mono (MA no) means ‘one,’ as in monopoly, a word that refers to a market situation with one seller. With monopsony, the word ends with P-S-O-N-Y which comes from the Greek word for ‘buying.’ Here’s an example: Our baseball factory had no choice but to accept the terms of the local baseball team b...

Vicissitude is a noun that refers to a change of circumstances or fortune.  The Latin word vicissim (vee CHEESE eem) means ‘by turns or changes.’ Our word of the day has been English since the early 17th century. Here’s an example of it in use: The daily vicissitudes of owning a business were simply too stressful for me to take. Whether it was ordering mustard or ketchup or buns or wieners, operat...

Startlish is an adjective that means ‘easily startled.’ The Old English word ‘start’ provides the basis of our word of the day as well as the word startle. Startlish refers to someone inclined to be startled. It is a synonym of the word skittish. Here’s an example of it in use: My sister’s startlish behavior made her a perfect victim for my scary pranks. When she’d object to my shenanigans, I’d te...

Orthography is a noun that refers to the conventional spelling system of a language.  The Greek word orthos (OR those) means ‘correct,’ while the suffix G-R-A-P-H-Y comes from the Greek word for ‘writing.’ So our word of the day may be used to refer to the way of spelling a word. Here’s an example: My daughter is such a word nerd that when I asked her how cat was spelled, she gave me a ten-minute...

Gravamen is a noun that refers to the most significant part of a complaint.  The Latin word gravis (GRAH vees) means ‘heavy.’ shifting into English in the early 17th century, our word of the day is used to describe the weightiest or most important part of a person’s complaint. Here’s an example: I have to admit I didn’t care for the lame music playing in Dr. Simon’s office, but I wouldn’t say it w...

Hippocampus is a noun that refers to the part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory.  Our word of the day has its origin in Greek mythology. The word ‘hippo’ is derived from the Greek word for a sea creature. In time, this word was used to describe the section of the brain that governed emotion and memory because this section was curved like a seahorse. Here’s an example of hippocampus i...

Psychographics is a noun that refers to the classification of people according to psychological criteria.  The prefix P-S-Y-C-H-O comes from the Greek word for ‘soul’ or ‘mind.’ In words like psychology and psychiatry, it refers to the art of exploring deep into people’s souls. The word graphic, from the Greek word for ‘writing’ or ‘drawing’ is used to indicate data. Our word of the day is used to...

Scenography is a noun that refers to the representation of objects in perspective.  Our word of the day’s root word is ‘scene’, which comes from the Greek word for ‘stage.’ So it’s appropriate that it’s commonly used in theatre to describe the art of arranging scenery. Example: Last night’s play was something of a disappointment. The acting was fine, but they had arranged the scenery in such a way...

Rort is a noun that refers to a fraudulent or dishonest act or practice.  The origin of our word of the day is unclear, but it’s often thought to be a mix of the words ‘report’ and ‘retort.’ Rort is a slang word that’s almost always used in an informal context. Here’s an example: Jeff was a good boss who generally did the right things, but he’s been known to have the occasional rort from time to t...

Hackle is a noun that refers to the hair along the back of the neck that rises when a person is angry.  Coming from Late Middle English, our word of the day is frequently used in reference to dogs that are not in a great mood. Here’s an example: Like many Dobermans, Roscoe’s hackles get raised when he hears weird noises at the front door. After all these years of being around him, I find the hairs...

Falstaffian is an adjective that means having a love of food, drink and humor.  Sir John Falstaff is a Shakespearean character who appears in many of the Bard’s plays. Known for being jolly and good-natured, his name provides the basis for our word of the day and may be used to describe anyone blessed with a similar temperament. Example: It’s probably not a good idea to have too many falstaffian g...

Anastrophe is a noun that refers to an inversion of the usual order of words. Derived from the Greek words for ‘back’ and turning,’ our word of the day has been around since the mid-16th century. Here’s an example: I’ve always been a fan of that lovable Star Wars character Yoda and his odd habit of inverting the normal order of words in a sentence. It takes a lot of charm to turn anastrophe into a...

Acescent is an adjective that means turning sour.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word acescere (ah che SHARE ay) which means ’to become sour.’ Its earliest use in English can be traced back to the mid-17th century. In addition to being implemented to describe food or beverage, acescent may also be used to describe a mood or atmosphere. Here’s an example: I got the sense that people at t...

MacGyver is a verb that means to make or repair an object in an improvised or inventive way.  Our word of the day is derived from a popular television show of the 1980s whose titular star was skilled at creating weaponry or assorted items from everyday items. It’s recently become a verb. Here’s an example of it in use: On our canoe trip, we found ourselves without a way to signal to the other camp...

Motley is an adjective that means ‘of diverse composition.’  Our word of the day’s precise origin is unknown, but we know it’s from the Late Middle English period and can be thought of as a synonym of assorted or varied. Here’s an example of motley in use: They sent a pretty motley group of employees to the conference. The group included guys with varying levels of competence, dependability and ab...

Materiel is a noun that refers to military equipment.  Our word of the day is not to be confused with the word material, M-A-T-E-R-I-A-L, but both words are derived from the Latin word materia (mah TEAR ee uh) meaning ‘matter.’ Here’s an example of our word of the day in use: It never made sense to me that in the army we would spend hours hauling materiel from one site to another, only to haul it...

Hyperopia is a noun that refers to the condition of seeing distant things more clearly than those that are near.  Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix H-Y-P-E-R, meaning ‘beyond,’ and the Greek word ops (OPS) meaning ‘eye.’ The condition of hyperopia is commonly known as farsightedness.  Being farsighted can be pretty awkward in public, especially when trying to read a book. If my hyperop...

Immure is a verb that means to enclose within.  The Latin word murus (MOO roos) refers to a ‘wall.’ To immure someone is to wall them in. Our word of the day has been with us since the late 16th century. Here’s an example of it in use: Last night’s movie was one of the scariest I’ve ever seen. Especially the part where the villain tried to immure the hero inside a chamber of horrors.

Homiletic is an adjective that means related to preaching or writing a sermon.  The Greek word homilia (ho MEAL ee uh) means ‘to converse with.’ In time, this word gave birth to the English word homily which referred to a sermon or a story with a religious meaning. Homiletic has been with us since the mid 17th century. Example: I enjoyed the story my dad told me about his days as a young hunter. B...

Hinterlands is a noun that refers to the land beyond the city.  The German word hinter (HIN ter) means ‘behind,’ while land simply means ‘land.’ This word to describe the often uncharted lands behind the big cities was been a part of English since the late 19th century. Example: Having grown up in the big city, I often feel a little out of my element in the hinterlands. Those small-town expression...