Word of the Day

Encorsel is a verb that means to enchant or fascinate. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the French word for sorcery. To ensorcel someone is to cast a spell on them — at least figuratively. I had a feeling the lush, verdant scenery of the country would ensorcel me. Twelve years later and the spell that has been cast on me is still going strong. I wouldn’t leave this place if you paid...

Luculent is an adjective that means clear in thought or expression. The Latin word lux (LOOX) which means ‘light.’ provides the basis for many words related to illumination and clarity including lucid and our word of the day luculent. It’s been a part of the English language since the mid 16th century. My earliest term papers could not exactly be described as luculent. They were so lacking in clar...

Eyesome is an adjective that means pleasant to look at. The suffix S-O-M-E means ‘characterized by being.’ So adding it to the word eye, in this case, means characterized by being pleasant to the eye. Getting imported into the English language, our word of the day is almost always meant to be flattering. Here’s an example: When I captured the attention of everyone in the bar, I thought it was beca...

Stultify is a verb that means to cause to lose enthusiasm especially as a result of a tedious routine. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word stultus (STUHL toose) which means ‘foolish.’ When it first reached the English language in the mid 18th century, stultify meant ‘to cause someone to look foolish.’ In time, it’s definition changed and it now means to slow someone down and sap their en...

Decouple is a verb that means to separate or disentangle. The word couple is often used as a verb meaning ‘to join two or more things.’ When we add the prefix D-E, we get the opposite. So our word of the day means to separate or dissociate things. Example: Before I could remove the boxes from my trunk, I first had to decouple them. All stuck together, they were too large to yank out.

Eviternity is a noun that means eternal duration. The Latin word aeviternus (EYE vee ter nal) means ‘everlasting.’ By the late 16th century, our word of the day underwent a few changes and joined the English language. Here’s an example of it in use: The wait for my uber car seemed to last an eviternity. In reality, the duration was eternal. It just felt that way because it was so cold outside.

Maudlin is an adjective that means self-pitying or tearfully sentimental. Our word of the day has a biblical origin. Mary Magdalen of the New Testament was often referred to as ‘the weeping sinner.’ By the Middle English period, a derivation of her last name became maudlin. Here’s an example of it in use: That last scene in the movie may have been a little maudlin, but I have to admit it moved me...

Navigable is an adjective that means able to be sailed on by ships or boats. The Latin word navigare (nav uh GAR ay) means ‘to sail.’ From this word, we get the English word ‘navigate’ as well as our word of the day which basically means ‘able to be navigated by boats or ships.’ Here’s an example: Before the tsunami, nearly all of the port was navigable. But since the storm hit, there’s barely a p...

Slough is a noun that refers to a swamp. The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but it appears to be from Old English. In addition to being a synonym of swamp, slough is often used to refer to a situation characterized by lack of progress or activity. Here’s an example: The city council seems to always be in one kind of slough or other. In the twelve years I’ve been covering them, I don’t r...

Eustress is a noun that refers to stress that is beneficial. Stress is a well known English word that refers to mental or emotional pressure, but when we add the Greek prefix E-U, which means ‘well’ or ‘good,’ we get something close to ‘good stress,’ or stress that is, in some sense, helpful. Here’s an example: I found looking after eight dobermans to be a surprising source of eustress. After a we...

Dissimilitude is a noun that refers to dissimilarity or diversity. The Latin word similis (suh MILL us) means ‘like’ or ‘similar.’ By adding the prefix D-I-S, we get the opposite, meaning ‘unlike’ or ‘different.’ The dissimilitude of vacation options made the choice very difficult. It’s one thing to compare two similar locations like Pasadena or San Diego, but when the alternatives are as diverse...

Taigle is a verb that means to entrap. Coming directly from Middle English our word of the day has gotten trapped in the English language for a few centuries now. Here’s an example of it in use: One of these days I’ll find a running path by the river that doesn’t taigle me in the bushes. Getting trapped in those thorns is not only annoying, it can be downright painful.

Fiduciary is an adjective that means ‘involving trust.’ The Latin word fidere (fie DARE ay) means ‘to trust.’ In the late 16th century, our word of the day joined the English language. Often used to describe the relationship between a trustee and a beneficiary of a firm, fiduciary may be used in more ordinary day-to-day contexts. Here’s an example: After promising to watch her cats, I felt I had a...

Zetetic is an adjective that means proceeding by inquiry. Coming from the Greek word Zetein (ze TANE) meaning ‘seek,’ our word of the day is best used to describe a method of investigation, for example: In my experience the best way to figure out who is responsible for a mistake made in the workplace is through zetetic means. Once you start asking around, someone is bound to spill the beans.

Smatchet is a noun that refers to a contemptible or unmannerly person. Our word of the day has a mysterious origin, but it appears to be from Scottish. Smachet is never a flattering thing to call someone, but if you must use it, here’s an example of how it’s done: At first I thought the guy who took the last donut from the box at the office was a real smatchet. But after retracing my steps I reali...

Lexiphanicism is a noun that refers to pretentious phraseology. The Greek word lexikos means ‘words.’ This is the basis of our word of the day which is usually employed in a pejorative manner. Here’s an example: Harry’s lexiphanicism is the only thing keeping him from being more liked. He’s a nice guy, but his insistence on using words nobody else has heard of can be a little irritating.

Oniomania is a noun that refers to an uncontrollable urge to buy things. The Greek word onos (OH nose) means ‘price’ and the Greek suffix M-A-N-I-A is used to indicate a mental abnormality or obsession. Here’s an example of our word of the day in use: One of the biggest stresses a marriage can endure is oniomania. In addition to the stress it causes, it can also send both spouses into severe pover...

Rhathymia is a noun that refers to a state of being carefree or light-hearted. The Greek word rathymos (RATH ee mose) means ‘easy-going’ or ‘carefree.’ After spending several light-hearted centuries in English, our word of the day still retains the same meaning it did in its homeland. Here’s an example: Phil is ordinarily a pretty easy-going guy, but when his favorite Tai restaurant permanently cl...

Hauteur is a noun that refers to arrogance or disdainful pride. The French word haut (hot) means ‘high,’ and its English offshoot ‘haughty’ refers to someone who thinks of themselves as high and mighty. Our word of the day is the noun version. Here’s an example of it in use: There’s something about winning a few hands of poker that make a guy feel high and mighty. All of that hauteur may feel grea...

Sonsy is an adjective that means healthy and attractive. Our word of the day has a Scottish Gaelic origin. The word sona (SO nuh) means ‘fortunate.’ By the mid 16th century, this word had drifted into the English language and soon came to mean ‘having an attractive and healthy appearance.’ Here’s an example: The Robinson family had such a sonsy appearance that we were too intimidated to accept the...

Festinate is a verb that means to hurry or hasten. It can also be used as an adjective that means hasty. Our word of the day comes from the Latin verb festinare (fest in ARE ay) which means ‘to speed up.’ Festinate hastily made a transition to English in the 16th century where it retained its basic meaning. We knew we’d have to festinate our sight-seeing if we were going to reach the airport on ti...

Tectonic is an adjective that means related to building or construction. The Greek word tekton (TECH tahn) refers to a ‘carpenter’ or ‘builder.’ Arriving in the English language in the mid 17th century, tectonic is sometimes used in the field of geology to refer to the structure of the earth’s crust. But in more common use, it refers to the structure of man-made buildings. Here’s an example: I’ve...

Sentry is a noun that refers to a guard to control access to a place. The origin of our word of the day is the French word sentinelle (cent uh NELL). Its shortened version, sentry, entered English in the 17th century. Here’s an example: Mike’s trophy was so valuable, he felt a sentry was needed around it at all times. It didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no need to guard a trophy for off...

Aperture is a noun that refers to an opening or a gap. The latin word aperire (app er EYE ray) means ‘to open.’ From there, we get our word of the day which holds on to a meaning very close to its origin. Here’s an example of aperture in use: As a kid I was curious about what would happen if I stuck my head in the aperture between walls in the attic. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Some open...

Xeriscape is a noun that refers to a style of landscape that requires little or no water. Our word of the day combines the prefix X-E-R-O which means ‘dry’ with the suffix S-C-A-P-E, which means ‘a specific type of scene or environment.’ Xeriscapes are often very common in desert locations where there is a lack of water. Example: As much as I love water, I have to admit I enjoyed the xeriscape of...