Word of the Day

Vernal is an adjective that means related to spring. Our word of the day comes from the ver (VER) which is the Latin word for spring. Here’s an example of it: It’s great to reach that point of the year when you open the windows and take in all the delightful vernal aromas of that time of year. It’s too bad that some aromas outside are more delightful than others.

Imbricate is a verb that means to overlap or cause to overlap. Our word of the day comes from a Latin word that described a certain kind of roof tile. These tiles often overlapped in a way that gave birth to our contemporary use of the word. Imbricate can be used literally or figuratively. Here’s an example of its figurative use: I’ve never met the CEO of our company, but our circles of frien...

Feculent is an adjective that means muddy or dirty. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin faex (FAH ex) which means ‘dregs,’ a reference to any foul or undesirable sediment. Here’s an example: The feculent matter at the bottom of the lake made our scuba adventures a lot less enjoyable than our ocean diving. It’s so much more fun to see sand and adorable sea creatures down there than m...

Theophoric is an adjective that means bearing the name of a god. Our word of the day is Greek in origin and is used to describe any name from a god of any faith. Here’s an example of theophoric in use: Emma and I chose Thor as a name for our son because we liked the idea of a theophoric name and what name could be better than that of the Norse god of thunder.

Attitudinize is a verb that means to assume an affected mental state. Our word of the day gets its root word from attitude, which comes indirectly from the Latin word Aptus (OP toose) meaning ‘fit.’ When a person attitudinizes, they adopt or express a particular attitude just for effect. Here’s an example of the word in use: At first we all thought Jane’s snooty demeanor was just an illustration o...

Cajolery is a noun that refers to coaxing or flattery. The word cajole is of French origin, and it means to persuade or coax with flattery. Cajolery is the noun version that refers to the act of cajoling. Here’s an example. I was hoping I didn’t have to resort to cajolery in order to get a raise, but a few minutes into my meeting with the boss, it was clear that I needed to tell him his shoes...

Roue is a noun that refers to a man who devotes his life to superficial pleasure. Our word of the day comes from a French word that translates to ‘broken on a wheel.’ This referred to the torture thought to be deserved by a person who lived a worthless like of cheap pleasure. The word is always intended as an insult. I don’t want to come across as a roue, but I don’t like to work an...

Integrative is an adjective that means tending to unify. The root word of our word of the day is integrate. To integrate something is to unify or combine various elements. Integrative could be thought of as the adjective version of that word. Here’s an example: We used an integrative approach in our kitchen to bring together various kinds of foods. The results varied wildly. Mixing foods can somet...

Anacreontic is an adjective that means convivial and festive. Our word of the day comes from an ancient Greek poet named anacreon. He was best known for poems that were celebrations of love and wine. When a song or poem is described as anacreontic, it shares these qualities. At first it was my intention to write a dark, serious poem about something somber and bleak. But I accidentally wound u...

Landsman is a noun that refers to a person who emigrated from the same place. Our word of the day comes from Old English. It has been commonly used in Yiddish culture to describe anyone of a similar background. Here’s an example: My grandfather didn’t know who to trust when he first arrived in his new nation, so he made friends with others from his old region. His best friend became a landsman nam...

Neurotypical is an adjective that means not displaying signs of autism. Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix N-E-U-R-O with the word ‘typical,’ also of Greek origin. Neurotypical refers specifically to some who does not display the symptoms associated with the neurological condition known as autism. Here’s an example of it in use: The doctor has generally worked only with autistic patient...

Disputation is a noun that refers to argument or debate. The Latin word disputare (dis pyoo TAR ay) means ‘to dispute.’ The word is often used to refer to a formal debate. Here’s an example: After attending the disputation my son participated in, I’m convinced that from now on, we must give him whatever he wants. The young man is simply too good at debating for us to argue him out of anything.

Jocose is an adjective that means playful or humorous. Our word of the day originated from the Latin word jocus (jo KOOSE) which bought us words like joke and jocular. Jocose is a synonym of words such as comical or whimsical. When Steve entered the office with that weird new haircut, we all found it hilarious. Steve, on the other hand, didn’t find it remotely jocose.

Williwaw is a noun that refers to a sudden violent wind. The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but the way it is best used is no mystery. Williwaw is used to describe a strong wind. Having that picnic on the top of that steep cliff made me a little uneasy. Once up there, one williwaw is all it would have taken to sweep us into the ocean.

Solomonic is an adjective that means wise in judgement. Our word of the day comes from the biblical figure noted for making wise decisions. The word is typically used to describe those noted for their wisdom. During our heated dispute we could have used a Solomonic figure to help us resolve things. Sometimes a little wisdom goes a long way.

Synallagmatic is an adjective that means imposing reciprocal obligations. Coming from the Greek word for contract, our word of the day is often used in legal situations, refers to the need for both sides to offer the same. Here’s an example: I refused to accept any terms that were not synallagmatic. If I was going to wash her car for a week, she had to wash my skateboard for a week.

Daedal is an adjective that means skillful or artistic. Daedalus was a figure from Greek mythology known for his skill at carpentry and for the wax wings he designed for his son Icarus. Our word of the day refers to this figure’s skill, and so daedal is used as a synonym of adroit or artful. Kelly was much more deadal than I was at pottery. By that I mean, she’d make something with enough skill th...

Organoleptic is an adjective that means involving the sense organs. Our word of the day comes from the Greek word for ‘organ’ and combines it with the Greek ‘leptikos’ (LEP tea cose) which means ‘to take.’ Here’s an example of the word in use. I had no scientific knowledge that Maria’s food had any medicinal value, but based on my organoleptic research of her linguini and clam sauce, all I can say...

Codify is a verb that means to arrange in a system. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word codex (KOE dex) which refers to a ‘systemic classification of laws.’ These days, we codify — or classify — a number of things, not just laws. Here’s an example of codify in use. After years of simply estimating how many times we had to beg my parents to take us to Disney world before they’d surre...

Evection is a noun that refers to the act of carrying out or away. Coming from the Latin word for carry, our word of the day is often used in scientific contexts. It refers to the regular variation in the eccentricity of the moon’s orbit around the earth, caused mainly by the sun’s attraction. But here’s an example of evection used in an everyday context: Whenever the ice cream man arrived in my n...

Grubstake is a noun that refers to money set aside for a time of assistance. It can also be used as a verb that means to provide assistance. Our word of the day began life in the old west and — as today — was used in informal settings. Here’s an example: After all those years of working on the railroad, I had to have a grubstake set aside in case of a rainy day. But then as soon as I struck g...

Desultory is an adjective that means lacking a definite plan. The Latin word desultorius (des ool TOR ee oos) means ‘superficial.’ When the word evolved into English, its meaning evolved as well. More recently the word is often used as an antonym of unfocused. At best, the actress’s performance came across as desultory. But if she’d had more focus, she could have turned in fine work.

Verbicide is a noun that refers to the deliberate distortion of a word's meaning. Our word of the day combines the word ‘verb’ with the Latin suffix C-I-D-E which refers to killing. It is a recent addition to the language and is almost always used in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The mayor’s frequent acts of verbicide probably harmed his political career. The word distortion that made me cringe the mo...

Camber is a verb that means to arch slightly. It’s also a noun that refers to a slight curve. The Latin word camurus (CAM ooh roose) means ‘curved inwards.’ Our word of the day has retained that basic meaning. Here’s an example of camber as a noun: The camber in the wood made it difficult to help construct a table. Unless each wood panel is completely straight, the table will be crooked.

Dint is a noun that refers to power or force. The Old English word dynt — D-Y-N-T — meant ‘stroke with a weapon.’ The word later evolved into its modern English equivalent. It is frequently used in the phrase ‘by dint of’ which means ‘by means of.’ Here’s an example of our word of the day used in this capacity. Henry didn’t only win all those hot dog eating contests by dint of being good friends w...