Word of the Day

Defalcate is a verb that means to embezzle or misuse funds. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word defalcare (del el CAR ay) which means ‘away from’ or ‘off.’ When money has been D-E-F-A-L-C-A-T-E-D, it has been taken without permission. I still can’t believe Judd’s decision to defalcate our company’s funds. I had always trusted that he could be trusted with our money.

Victual is a noun that refers to food or provisions. The Latin word victus means ‘food.’ Our word of the day came directly from this word and maintains the same basic meaning. Here’s an example: It is often said that an army travels on its stomach. This means that if a troop doesn’t have its victual, they simply lack the ability to perform effectively.

Redintegration is a noun that refers to the evocation of a state of mind. The root word of the redintegration is ‘integrate,’ which means to incorporate into a larger whole. When something is redintegrated, it is revived to a previous state. Here’s an example of the word in use: The redintegration of my fourth grade memories was made possible by hearing that awful song again. Luckily my memories w...

Entente is a noun that refers to a friendly understanding between factions. Our word of the day comes directly from French and is translated to ‘friendly.’ When used in English the word is more likely to refer to nations or geographical regions than individuals. The entente that existed between the south side and the north had begun to break down by the end of the decade. It seemed only a matter o...

Memoriter is an adjective that means memorized by heart. Our word of the day has the same Latin origin of words like ‘memory’ and ‘memoir.’ To commit something to your memory is to commit it memoriter. Here’s an example of memoriter in use: That poem has remained in my head since the sixth grade when I had to learn it memoriter. Although I still have it memorized, I haven’t had a need to recite it...

Prelapsarian is an adjective that means pertaining to an innocent or carefree period. The Latin word labi means ‘to fall.’ By adding the prefix P-R-E, we get a word that means ‘before the fall.’ Here is an example of prelapsarian in use: In the prelapsarian days of Chuck’s youth, he had fun nearly every day. But moving away from his peaceful country changed everything. In an instance, the innocenc...

Phlegethon is a noun that refers to a fiery light. Coming directly from Greek, our word of the day once referred to a river of fire. More recently, it can refer to any fiery light. Here’s an example: The five of us nearly got lost in the woods. If it weren’t for that phlegethon in the distance, we wouldn’t have seen anything.

Defenestrate is a verb that means to dismiss someone. The Latin word fenstra (fen EST rah) means ‘window.’ Our word of the day initially meant ‘to throw something out of the window.’ These days defenestrate is used more metaphorically. Here’s an example: Because I was a rookie at the firm, everyone tended to defenestrate my ideas as soon as they left my mouth. It didn’t feel good to have those tho...

Flump is a verb that means to sit or fall down heavily. The origin or our word of the day is unclear, but it seems to be imitative in nature, in other words, flump seems to have come from an attempt to imitate the sound of someone or something falling onto something. Here’s an example of flump in use: I was so exhausted after the race that I was afraid I’d flump to the ground after crossing the fi...

Callow is an adjective that means inexperienced and immature. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word calvus (KAL voose) which means ‘bald.’ This was often used to describe a young man who hadn’t come of age. As the word drifted into Old English and later evolved into callow, it came to mean ‘immature.’ At the time I made all those mistakes in life, I was too callow to understand what I...

Embracery is a noun that refers to an attempt to threaten or bribe a jury. Coming from Middle English, our word of the day is commonly used in legal contexts. Here’s an example of embracery in use: Having lunch with members of the jury is never a good idea from a trial attorney because it can create the impression of embacery. Even if your intentions are pure, it may seem is though you’re trying t...

Hegira is a noun that refers to a trip to a more desirable location. Coming from an Arabic word for ‘departure,’ hegira came to English in the late 16th century. It was initially used in a spiritual context, referring to a trip to Mecca, but it can now be used to refer to any trip or migration made with the intention of improving one’s life. After twelve years of living in the frozen climates of M...

Apopemptic is an adjective that means related to departing. Our word of the day began in Greek as a synonym of dismiss. In time, it came to refer to a song delivered to someone upon departure. After its importation into English, it became an adjective that is roughly a synonym of parting, for example: When he quit the office, Steve’s apopemptic advice was to make sure I got the desk closest to the...

Paletot is a noun that refers to a loose outer jacket. Coming from Middle English, our word of the day was later brought into French. Here’s an example of paletot in use: It looked to me that Janine’s fur coat was way too warm for a late summer day. So I wore a paletot, but found it was too cold for that. Some days make it hard to find the right medium.

Tohubohu is a noun that refers to a state of chaos. Our word of the day comes directly from Hebrew as a word that means ‘emptiness and desolation.’ Since being imported into English, tohubohu’s definition has shifted slightly to refer to a condition of bedlam and disorder. Here’s an example of it in use: We made every effort to bring order to all the tohubohu of the day, but it wasn’t easy. With t...

Infix is a noun that refer to letters added to a word to change meaning. The Latin word figere (fig AIR ay) means ‘to fasten.’ From this word we get infix which has a meaning similar to figere. Although it has other uses, It is generally used when referring to language. Here’s an example: I got a text from Greg that said he didn’t car about the game. This puzzled me until he later infixed the word...

Apollonian is an adjective that means related to the rational, ordered and self-disciplined aspects of human nature. According to Greek mythology, the god Apollo was noted for his orderly and disciplined demeanor. Those who embody those traits  deserve to be thought of as Apollonian. Eric was a strong candidate for the position, but in the end, he lacked the Apollonian categories we were seek...

Gradely is an adjective that means decent and orderly. Our word of the day comes from Middle English and when used as an adjective it is a synonym of words like worthy and upstanding. It can also be used as an adverb that means the same as properly and suitably. Here’s an example of gradely used as an adjective: The Prince’s gradely demeanor made him a favorite of the court. But, as we soon saw, u...

Isochronous is an adjective that means occurring at the same time. Our word of the day comes directly from Greek, and holds the same pronunciation and meaning today. Here’s an example: I was always under the impression that the American civil war and the Protestant reformation in Europe were isochronous events. But after studying history a little, I discovered the two things did not take place at...

Integument is a noun that refers to a tough, outer protective layer. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the Latin word integumentum (in teg you MEN toom) which means ‘covering, shield or wrapping.’ The word is often used in reference to an animal’s outer shell or protective skin, but here’s an example that can be used in reference to humans: When it gets this cold outside, I wish I had...

Zeugma is a noun that refers to a figure of speech in which a word applies to two others in different senses. The Greek word zugon (ZOO gone) means ‘to yoke.’ Our word of the day refers to a situation where two different meanings are yoked into one. Example: When I said, ‘Corey opened his door and his mind to the strangers who entered his home,’ my son didn’t understand that I was using a zeugma....

Acrostic is a noun that refers to a poem, word puzzle or other composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or phrase. Our word of the day comes from the combination of various Greek words for ‘end,’ ‘row,’ and ‘verse.’ An acrostic is often  a puzzle that someone must figure out, but other times it is a word like ‘scuba,’ which is an acrostic that stands for self-contained un...

Antepenultimate is an adjective that means the third from last in a series. The Latin word ultimare (OOL tea mare ay) means ‘come to an end.’ If something is the ultimate in a series, it is the last. The penultimate is the second to last, and the antepenultimate is the third from last. Here’s an example of it in use: When searching for restaurants, our antepenultimate option was a place called She...

Totemic is an adjective that means regarded as being symbolic or representative of a quality. The word totem comes from Ojibway and refers to a symbol that embodies a family or clan. If something is totemic it is regarded as representative of a particular quality. We found a seafood restaurant in Maine that was totemic of the state’s food. In every way it reminded us of everything we loved about M...

Saudade is a noun that refers to a feeling of melancholy or nostalgia. Our word of the day comes directly from Portuguese and it refers to a sense of melancholy or nostalgia that is, according to legend, characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament. Here’s an example of saudade in use: Anna’s songs contain a strong element of saudade. They are sad and melancholic in a way that fondly...