Word of the Day

Nesh is an adjective that means soft and tender.  Our word of the day comes from Old English and has been around for several centuries. In addition to being an adjective, it can also be used as a verb that means to act timidly. Here’s an example of the adjective version: If there’s one thing I love it’s having a nice, nesh cookie for dessert. Taking a big bite into something soft and tender is a p...

Bevel is a verb that means to change to a sloped angle.  Coming from the Old English word for ‘open mouthed’ bevel has been with us since the late 16th century. It’s often used in carpentry, as a noun to refer to a sloped angle or a tool to create such angles. Here’s an example: Rex has a tendency to get sloppy when trying to make angles by hand, so that’s why he uses a bevel. He feels it’s better...

Desipience is a noun that refers to silliness.  The Latin word sapere (suh PAIR ay) means ‘to be wise.’ By adding the prefix D-E for ‘away from,’ we get a word for behavior that is far away from being wise. Here’s an example: It’s embarrassing to consider how much of my youth I wasted on various forms of despience. Being a full-time goof may be more fun than being productive and industrious, but I...

Cyesis is a noun that refers to pregnancy.   Coming from the Greek word Kuesis (koo ESS es) which means ‘pregnancy’ our word of the day was given birth to in the mid-16th century. Here’s an example of cyesis in use: After nine months of cyesis, Laura couldn’t wait to get back to running again. It felt good to be able to engage in the things that pregnancy had denied her. 

Exuviate is a verb that means to shed or cast out.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word exuviae (eks SOU vee uh) and refers to the skin of an animal that has been shed. From this, we get exuviate, which refers to anything that has been shed. Here’s an example: Before leaving New Orleans, we had to cast off everything in our car that we didn’t absolutely need. But it turned out that it wa...

Fiat is a noun that refers to a formal authorization or proposition.  The Latin word feiri (fee AIR ee) mean’s ‘be done or made.’ By the Late Middle English period, fiat had become a word to describe a decree by a powerful leader. Example: The principal didn’t care for the new school colors, so he had it changed by fiat. His choice of new colors were several times more atrocious, but no one dared...

Ferrous is an adjective that means containing or consisting of iron.  The Latin word ferrum (FAIR oom) means ‘iron.’ By the mid 19th century, this word had evolved into our word of the day as it came to describe anything made of iron.  Those farrous bars on my window are intended to scare away any potential intruder. There’s something about the firmness of irons that makes dangerous people take no...

Farouche is an adjective that means sullen or shy in company.  The Latin word foras (FOUR as) means ‘outdoors.’ As this word evolved into our word of the day, it came to refer to someone used to living outdoors. This soon referred to someone who was uneasy around others because of their outdoor lifestyle. These days, its meaning is a little simpler. It is a synonym of words like ‘shy’ and ‘introve...

Wamble is a verb that means to feel nauseous or dizzy.  The Latin word vomare (voe MAR ay) means ‘to vomit.’ From this origin, came our word of the day that refers to all kinds of stomach problems likely to induce vomiting. Here’s an example of wamble in use: As much as I like Carol’s cooking, I have to admit that any more than one helping tends to make me wamble. Any more than two helpings will h...

Dandle is a verb that means to bounce on one’s knees or in one’s arms.  The exact origin of our word of the day is unknown, but we know it’s been with us since the mid 16th century and it has a very specific use, meaning it should not be used to refer to bouncing anything on one’s knee except a baby. Here’s an example of dandle in use: I would say it was somewhere around their fiftieth birthday th...

Countermand is a verb that means to revoke an order.  Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix C-O-N-T-R-A which means ‘against,’ and the Latin word mandare (man DARE ay) which means ‘to order.’ Countermand dates back to the late Middle English period. Here’s an example: I had previously ordered all employees to be fired if they showed up late, but when it became clear that such an edict woul...

Febrile is an adjective that means having or showing a great deal of nervous excitement or energy.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word febris (FAY brees) means ‘fever.’ Our word of the day has been around since the mid 17th century and may be used as a literal reference to a fever or may be used figuratively to mean ‘showing great excitement.’ Example: Tommy’s Febrile demeanor tends to...

Contravention is a noun that refers to an action that violates a law or treaty.  The Latin prefix C-O-N-T-R-A means ‘against and the Latin word venire (vay NEAR ay) means ‘come.’ A contravention is any violation of rules. Example: After a few contraventions, Harry found himself in so much trouble, he straightened up right away. Getting caught breaking the law has a way of changing people’s behavio...

Benighted is an adjective that means in a state of intellectual or moral ignorance.  The Old English word benight was a verb that meant ‘to obscure’ or ‘to cover in the darkness of night.’ When something is benighted it is ‘in the dark,’ if you will. Our word of the day is used to describe someone who is ‘in the dark’ in the sense of being ignorant or unaware. Here’s an example: While the rest of...

Judicature is a noun that refers to the authority or jurisdiction of a court of law.  The Latin word judicare (joo duh CAR ay) means ‘to judge.’ It’s given birth to a number of English words like ‘adjudicate, ‘judicious’ and, of course, ‘judge.’ Our word of the day can be used to refer very specifically to a particular court, or to judges in general. Example: The judicature of the state is among t...

Aggiornamento is a noun that refers to the process of modernization or bringing something up to date.  Our word of the day comes from the Italian word aggionare (ah gee oh NARE ay) a verb that means ‘to update.’ Here’s an example of aggiornamento in use: I understand the aggiornamento of those old stadiums from a standpoint of public safety. But it seems to me that there's beauty in an old str...

Tousle is a verb that means to make hair messy or untidy.  Derived from German and related to the word ‘tussle,’ our word of the day has been with us since the late Middle English period. Here’s an example: Just before entering the bar, I tousled my hair to make sure I looked appropriately rugged. But the problem is I have so little hair left, I’m not sure anybody would notice a change. 

Unilateral is an adjective that means performed by only one person, group or country.  The Latin word latus (LA toose) means ‘side.’ By adding the prefix U-N-I meaning ‘one, ‘ we get a word that means ‘taking place on only one side.’ Our word of the day is often used in the context of conflict between nations. Here’s an example: Ending the agreement between the countries in a unilateral fashion wa...

Amerce is a verb that means to punish with a fine.  Coming from Middle English, our word of the day isn’t as commonly used as it had been centuries ago, but it does pop up in some legal contexts. Here’s an example: After pleading guilty, the defendant was amerced. It was hoped that fining him with a crime would deter him from doing the same in the future. 

Amanuensis is a noun that refers to an assistant who takes dictation.  Our word of the day comes from a Latin phrase that refers to ‘a servant at handwriting.’ More recently, an amanuensis is likely to be thought of as a secretary or assistant. Here’s an example of the word in use: After years of being an amanuensis, I was eager to make a career change. All that dictation can get tedious after a w...

Unremitting is an adjective that means incessant or never relaxing.  The root word of our word of the day is remit, which goes back to the early 20th century and is derived from the Latin word remittere (ree ma TARE ay) which means ‘send back’ or ‘restore.’ An unremitting person refuses to be sent back or to restore anything. Here’s an example: Monica’s unremitting demeanor didn’t always make her...

Wan is an adjective that means pale or light in complexion.  Coming from Old English, our word of the day’s origin is something of a mystery. But we do know it is something of a synonym of words like pallid or ashen. Example: Having a wan complexion can often make people not seem healthy. But in Steve’s case, his pale skin has nothing to do with being ill. He’s just the product of very light-compl...

Junoesque is an adjective that means marked by stately beauty.  Dating back to the 19th century, our word of the day combines the Roman Goddess Juno with the suffix E-S-Q-U-E. Here’s an example of Junoesque in use.  At five-ten, Carly could be fairly imposing. If she were any taller or any more stunning, she’d be Junoesque. 

Spiel is a noun that refers to a long or fast speech or story.  Coming from a German word for a game, our word of the day was imported into English in the 19th century and has seen a shift in its meaning. Its current meaning makes it a synonym of ‘speech.’ Here’s an example: The teacher’s spiel about the need to be on time lasted way too long. In fact, by the time he’d finished it, I wound up bein...

Cahoots is a noun that refers to colluding or conspiring together secretly.  The origin of cahoots is unknown, but we know it emerged in the early 19th century and it’s pretty always used in the plural. Example: I quit my job when I discovered that my boss was in cahoots with the company executives. But I might have reacted differently if I’d known that they were secretly conspiring a surprise bir...