Word of the Day

Inspissate is a verb that means to thicken or congeal. The Latin word spissus (SPEE soos) means ‘think’ or ‘dense.’ Inspissate has been with English since the early 17th century and has maintained the same meaning. Here’s an example: It was fun to make maple syrup, but I feel we needed to inspissate it a little. Personally, I’ve always liked my syrup as thick as possible.

Caducous is an adjective that means easily detached and shed. The Latin word caducus (cah DOO coos) means ‘liable to fall.’ Our word of the day entered the English language in the late 17th century with a meaning related mostly to botany. Here’s an example: It’s lovely to watch these plants bud at this time of year, especially to see the buds fall away. This kind of caducous act fascinates me as m...

Obtestation is a noun that refers to the act of protesting. The word obtest is a synonym of protest. Our word of the day is the noun variation of this. Here’s an example of obtestation in use: We didn’t understand Helen’s obtestation of playing classical music in the office. We had always thought of her as a fan of this genre and here she was protesting it.

Ravelment is a noun that means confusion or entanglement. The word ravel is of middle English descent and it means to tangle something. When we ravel words we create ravelment — or confusion — in people’s heads. Tommy’s complicated explanation created nothing but revalment. Instead of making sense of things, it only caused more bewilderment.

Perambulate is a verb that means to travel around in a leisurely way. The Latin word ambulare (ohm boo LAR ay) means walk, while the prefix P-E-R means ‘all over.’ When we perambulate through an area, we stroll through all of it at a leisurely pace. Our trip to Paris was fun, but it was a little too rushed. We didn’t have time to perambulate through the city.

Glottal is an adjective that means producing a sound from the glottis. The Greek word glottis refers to ‘the tongue.’ After being imported into English, it’s meaning shifted to refer to the larynx, a part of the vocal cords that effect voice modulation. To make a glottal sound is to make a sound that involves this part of the body. This often can refer to a clicking sound. After my throat surgery,...

Osculate is a verb that means to kiss. The Latin word osculum (OH skew loom) means ‘little mouth’ or ‘kiss.’ Although it has a more formal, separate meaning in mathematics, it is also used informally to refer to a kiss. Here’s an example: After studying medicine for years, I found myself drowning in Latin. Things got particularly weird when I came home and asked my wife to osculate me on the mouth...

Bumptious is an adjective that means self-assertive to annoying degree. It’s no coincidence that the first four letters in our word of the day come to the word ‘bump.’ Its origin is that it combines the word ‘bump’ with the word ‘fractious’ to means someone whose self-assertive personality can rub — or bump — people the wrong way. Here’s an example: We all like James, but can he can be a little bu...

Selenography is a noun that refers to the mapping of the moon. In Greek mythology Selene is the goddess of the moon. In recent years her name has been adopted for for words that refer to the moon. For selenography, the suffix G-R-A-P-H-Y has been added to created a word specifically related to geography of the moon. Here’s an example of selenography in use: Patti decided to pursue a career in sele...

Banausic is an adjective that means serving utilitarian purposes only. Our word of the day comes from a Greek word banausikos (bah NO see kose) which means ‘of or for artisans.’ It must be remembered that artisans of the ancient world mostly created art for utilitarian purposes, things like vases and furniture. In time, banausic came to mean anything that existed solely for utilitarian reasons. We...

Pyrite is a noun that refers to a ‘fools’ gold’ or something that appears valuable but is worthless. The Greek word pur (PU er) means fire. In addition to being the origin of such words as pyromania, it is also the basis of our word of the day. Pyrite usually refers to a shiny yellow mineral that was often mistaken for gold in the 19th century. But it can also be used metaphorically to refer to so...

Scattergram is a noun that refers to a diagram used to compare two variables. Coming from two common English words, scattergram is a synonym of a scatter diagram, that may be preferable because it rolls off the tongue faster and easier. Here’s an example of it in use: I used a scattergram to compare the different factors that has caused our team to struggle. Showing a diagram of those factors line...

Guttle is a verb that means to eat or drink greedily or noisily. The word gut is of Old English descent and refers to the bowels or digestive tract. When we Guttle we put stuff into our gut quickly and loudly. Here’s an example: It was fun to watch my family Guttle down the food I spent hours creating. But to honest, their loud and greedy eating likely had less to do with how good it was than with...

Deliquesce is a verb that means to melt away or become liquid. The Latin word liquere (luh KWARE ay) refers to liquid. By adding the prefix D-E for ‘down,’ we get a word that means ‘to be’ or ‘to become’ liquid. After a winter that lasted way too long, it was great to see the ice deliquesce in a matter of hours. Watching ice melt has never been more fun.

Ultimo is an adjective that means of last month. Our word of the day comes directly from Latin, maintaining the same pronunciation and meaning. Here’s an example of ultimo in use: The first Monday ultimo was Connie’s birthday and I forgot it. I hope she doesn’t mind celebrating last month’s birthday this month.

Interlard is a verb that means to embellish with different material. Stemming from a Latin word, the prefix I-N-T-E-R means ‘between’ or ‘among.’ The word ‘lard,’ although generally used as a noun to refer to excess fat, can also be a verb that means ‘to embellish with.’ When we interlard something, we embellish it with lots of different material. Tonight I’m going to interlard the casserole with...

Stillicide is a noun that refers to a continual dripping. The Latin prefix S-T-I-L-L-A means ‘drop,’ while the Latin word cedere (say DARE ay) means ‘fall.’ The stillicide of raindrops onto my window put me to sleep very quickly. A continual drip against a hard surface does that to me every time.

Remembrancer is a noun that refers to a souvenir. Coming from the root word memory, which is Latin in origin, remembrancer can be used to describe a souvenir or a person who reminds someone of something. My favorite remembrancer from my trip to Peru was a lovely knit cap. Every time I wear it, it reminds of all those wonderful times.

Adduce is a verb that means to cite as evidence. The Latin word adducere (ah doo SER ay) means to lead towards. When we lead someone toward a conclusion, we adduce them — with evidence. Example: My wife adduced a number of incidents of cookie thievery to help me realize our cat Tabitha was nibbling on food in the night. By citing these example, she made the case very clear.

Ochlophobia is a noun that refers to an extreme fear or dislike of crowds or mobs. The prefix O-C-H-L-O is Greek in origin and it means crowds. P-H-O-B-I-A — also Greek — means fear. Here’s an example of our word of the day in use: With my ochlophobia, it was concerned that the crowds for our band would make me uncomfortable. But it turned out the crowds were so small there wasn’t anything to fear...

Quincunx is a noun that refers to an arrangement of five objects with four at the corners and the fifth at the its center. The literal translation of our word of the day is ‘five twelfths,’ but it is better understood as an arrangement that resembles a die that contains five dots. Here’s an example: By arranging the blades on that shaver in quincunx, they made better shave available. Having five b...

Skylark is a verb that means to frolic or pass the time with nonsense. Our word of the day is a variation on the word lark, a word of Old Norse descent that means to pass time with frivolous fun. Here’s an example of skyark in use: As a teenager, I was nowhere near as motivated as I later became. It wasn’t rare for me to skylark the entire day without doing anything of substance.

Bovarism is a noun that refers to an exaggerated estimation of oneself. Madame Bovary was a 19th century novel that featured a character — Madame Bovary — known for her extravagant lifestyle and inflated self-esteem. Our word of the day is best used to describe the tendency to embody these traits. Musicians can be wonderful people, but let’s be honest. They often have a trace of Bovarism in them....

Bosh is a noun that means something regarded as absurd or nonsense. Our word of the day is an informal word that comes from the Turkish word for ‘empty’ or ‘worthless.’ It entered the English language in the mid-19th century maintaining the same basic meaning. Many people find Chris to be a great intellect, but I always thought his book were pure bosh. When you get right down to it, they don’t con...

Silviculture is a noun that refers to the growing and cultivation of trees. Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin word for ‘a wood.’ It is similar to agriculture or horticulture. The difference is that while silviculture is a more specific term, referring only the cultivation of trees. Mike’s passion for silviculture is the reason he became a forrest ranger. It’s hard to imagine being...