Word of the Day

Olivaceous is an adjective that refers to a dusky, yellowish green color. The root word of olivaceous is ‘olive,’ word Greek word for ‘oil.’ Our word of the day simply refers to the color of an olive. Example: Those olivaceous shoes you’re wearing are making me hungry. Every time I look down, I want to order a pizza smothered in olives.

Lacustrine is an adjective that means related to lakes. The latin word lacus (LAH coos) means lake. Our word of the day is a variation on this which is often used in writing about nature. Here’s an example: The lacustrine environment was serene enough to make me forget about the big city. I’d rather spend an hour at a lake than at a midtown cafe any day.

Dentifrice is a noun that refers to a paste or powder for cleaning the teeth. Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix D-E-N-T, meaning ‘tooth,’ as in ‘dentist’ or ‘dentures,’ with the Latin word fricare (fri CAR ay) which means ‘to rub.’ Here’s an example of dentifrice in use: The dentist recommended I use this dentifrice on my teeth instead of brushing them. But it felt strange to do it. Th...

Parturient is an adjective that means about to give birth. The Latin verb parere (pa RARE ay) means ‘to bring forth.’ Our word of the day can be used in a medical sense or in everyday conversation. My wife was parturient when we went on our trip, so we weren’t sure what state Evan would be born in. It turned out, Susan gave birth in New Mexico, a place with great hospital wards for pregnant women.

Heliacal is a word that means related to or near the sun. The Greek word helios (He lee ose) means ‘sun,’ is a catch-all term that can mean regarding or related to the sun, or it can mean near the sun. Here’s an example of the former: When hanging around people who do a lot of tanning, you’ll have to get used to a lot of helical conversation. At times it seems those people can’t talk about anythin...

Plenipotent is an adjective that means invested with or possessing full power. The Latin word plenus (PLAY noose) means ‘full,’ while pontentia (poe TENT ee uh) — also Latin — means ‘power.’ Here’s an example of plenipotent in use: When Mr. Kemp was plenipotent, he struck fear into the hearts of all his employees. But these days, he’s so powerless that nobody pays his threats any attention.

Hoyle is a noun that refers to the rules. Our word of the day is an eponym, which means it’s a word named after a person. The person who inspired Hoyle was an 20th century English astrophysicist named Fred Hoyle noted for establishing a theory of cosmology. When something is done according to Hoyle, it is done according to the rules. Hank didn’t care for the way we carelessly handed out checks on...

Astir is an adjective that means in a state of excited movement. Derived from the Germanic word stir, meaning ‘to disturb,’ our word of the day entered English in the late 18th century. Astir is generally used in a very literary context. Everyone was all astir when they’d learned Aurora had a big announcement. But the excitement died down when her announcement was just that she’d bought a really c...

Moonshot is a noun that refers to an extremely ambitious and innovative project. Coming from two well-known English words, our word of the day is often used to describe a literal spacecraft trip to the moon, but it’s more commonly used in a metaphorical sense. Here’s an example of it: Hector had great respect for my ambition to become a professional boxer. I’d always admired prizefighters. Of cour...

Complaisant is an adjective that means willing to please others. The Latin word complacere (com pla SER ay) means ‘to please.’ In addition to our word of the day, it has given birth to words like complacent and comply. Complaisant is often used to describe a person’s temperament. Example: Mike’s complaisant demeanor makes him a great bartender. But at the same time, being so eager to please didn't...

Accede is a verb that means to assent or agree to a demand. The Latin word cedere (say DARE ay) means ‘to give away’ or ‘yield.’ The word can be used in a wide variety of ways. Here’s one example: My wife and I try not to accede to the demands of our two-year-old in the midst of a tantrum. But sometimes we just can’t resist. Yielding to his need for a cookie was an example from last night’s fit.

Divers is an adjective that means of varying types or several. Coming from the Latin word diversus (die VER suess) our word of the day shares it origin with the word diverse and has a similar meaning. The difference is divers is a more literary word. Example: The divers animals on display at the habitat made us swoon with delight. There were so many species I felt we’d stumbled onto a zoo without...

Unshirted is an adjective that means undisguised or plain. Coming from two common English words, unshirted can simply mean ‘not wearing a shirt,’ but it also means ‘without a disguise.’ Here’s an example of it in use: It seems to me that the mayor would have been better off making unshirted demands instead of disguising his needs with fancy words. The more plain his speech, the easier it is to acc...

Abstruse is an adjective that means difficult to understand or obscure. Abstrusus (ab STREW soos) is a Latin word for ‘put away hidden.’ From this word, came abstruse. Often used in a literary context, It can be thought of as synonym of words like arcane and esoteric. Conrad’s books are brilliantly written, but I find them abstruse. Even after three or four readings, I have no idea what they’re ab...

Sine Die is an adverb that means without plans for resumption. Our word of the day is derived from a Latin phrase that literally translates to ‘without a day.’ But it’s best understood as meaning ‘with no more further days.’ Sine die is generally used in legal contexts or business contexts. Here’s an example: Wendy was hoping the matter would be discussed at future meetings, but they ended things...

Imprimatur is a noun that refers to a person’s acceptance or guarantee that something is of a good standard. The Latin verb imprimere (Im pre MEER ay) means ‘to print.’ The Roman Catholic has historically printed an ecclesiastical and religious books as a means of given their approval to them. Since entering the English language in the mid 17th century, the word’s meaning has broadened and is now...

Countervail is a verb that means to offset the effect of something. The Latin phrase contra Valere (CONE tra vah LARE ay) means ‘be of worth against.’ When we countervail something, we create an equal weight. Here’s an example: My attempt to countervail all the awful music my students listened to by playing opera in the classroom was not met with open arms. They simply didn’t want their awful musi...

Ubiety is a noun that refers to the quality or state of being in a place. The Latin word ubi (OOH bee) means ‘where’ and the suffix I-E-T-Y means ‘city.’ When combined, we get a word for the state of being in a definite location. Carl’s ubiety is not known for certain. But we know him well enough to know that whatever his location is, there must be a donut shop nearby.

Oligopoly is a state of limited competition. The root word of oligopoly, oligarch means a very rich business leader with a great deal of political influence. It comes from a Greek combination of words that mean ‘few’ and ‘to rule.’ When a condition in which few people rule has been reached, it can be called an oligopoly. Here’s an example: Tracy thinks an oligopoly wouldn’t be a bad thing necessar...

Shrive is a verb that means to free from guilt. The Latin word scribere (scri BEAR ay) means ‘to write.’ Over centuries, the meaning of our word of the day has shifted to means something done by a priest when he hears confession. It can also be used more generally. Here’s an example. When Mom suspected somebody was stealing cookies at night, she offered to shrive the guilty party provided they con...

Dataveillance is a noun that refers to the practice of monitoring digital data. Originating in the 1970s, dataveillance is a recent addition to English that describes the recent practice of people tracking the data of others for the purpose of gathering information. But the word comes from two Latin words that have been around for centuries. The word has been used as a philosophical term and surve...

Corrigendum is a noun that refers to an error. The origin of corrigendum is in the Latin word corrigere (core ee GARE ay) which means ‘to bring into order’ or ‘to correct.’ As an editor, I often deal with writers who get frustrated when they see a corrigendum that embarrasses them. I always assure them that all writers have things that need be corrected. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t have a job.

Conurbation is a noun that refers to an extended urban area. The Latin prefix C-O-N means ‘together.’ Combined with U-R-B for ‘city,’ we get our word of the day which refers to a place where serval towns are merged into a giant urban area. Having grown up in the conurbation of southern California, I’m accustomed to gigantic urban locations. Living in a large city that is isolated from other large...

Fustian is a noun that refers to pompous or pretentious speech or writing. Coming from the Latin word fustaneum (foo STAN ee oom) which refers to a specific kind of cloth, our word of the day’s meaning has shifted over time to now refer to speech or writing that is thought of as pompous or pretentious. Example: At the time, I was impressed by the professor’s speech as a student. But looking back,...

Inunction is an adjective that means the act of rubbing on an oil or ointment. The Latin word inunguare (in un GWARE ay) means ‘to smear.’ Our word of the day entered the English language in the late 15th century and has retained its same basic meaning. Here’s an example of it in use: It took a while to understand why inunction wasn’t helping with my condition. Then it occurred to me that when the...