Word of the Day

Megillah is a noun that refers to an elaborate, complicated production. Coming directly from the Hebrew word for ‘scroll,’ our word of the day began to refer to a long-winded story. In English it is generally used to mean a complicated set of arrangements. We all thought bringing the family to the ballgame would be simple, but it wound up being a complex Megillah. I’m just glad nobody got lost.

Lexis is a noun that refers to all the words of a language. Related to the Greek word lexicon, our word of the day simply means every word of a particular language. It would take years to learn the complete lexis of the Spanish language, but for now, I’d settle for knowing the words for ‘how do I find my hotel room?’

Toponym is a noun that refers to a geographical name used as a word. Our word of the day is derived from the Greek word topo (TOPO) which means ‘place’ and onym (OH nim) meaning ‘name.’ It can be used to to simply mean the name of a place like ‘India’ or ‘Cleveland.’ Or it can be used to refer to a geographical name that was later used as a word, like the term ‘A Queensborough mayor.’ Here’s...

Borstal is a noun that refers to an institution for youthful offenders. Our word of the day comes from the name of a village in southern England, where the first institution for youthful offenders was built. Today it is used in reference to any such institution. Tommy’s behavior got so out-of-control he had to be sent to the borstal. He didn’t enjoy spending years in the institution, but his...

Darg is a noun that refers to a day's work. Our word of the day comes from Middle English and it refers to something done for a living. Here’s an example. Tuesday at the convenience store started as just another session at the daily darg. But it soon became one of the days that meant so much more. For a few hours, it felt like more than just a daily grind.

Defrayal is a noun that refers to the providing of payment for. The Latin word fredum (FRAY doom) refers to ‘a fine that was often paid for a breach of the peace.’ This later evolved into a reference to ‘a cost.’ More recently, our word of the day has come to mean ‘the payment of a cost.’ When Andy promised to take care of the defrayal of my court case, he had no idea what he was getting into. My...

Prolusion is a noun that refers to a preliminary action or event. The Latin prefix P-R-O means ‘before.’ And ludere (loo DARE ay) means ‘to play.’ When combined, we get what forms the basis of our word of the day. Prolusion generally means something before an event or a written work. Here’s an example: While I didn’t enjoy the concert’s prolusion, I found myself deeply enthralled by the music itse...

Cognoscente is a noun that refers to a person with specialized knowledge or expertise. Coming directly from Italian, our word of the day entered the English language in the late 18th century. While it may be used to describe any kind of expert, it is most often used in reference to those whose expertise is in matters related to art or culture. Here’s an example: Being a cognoscente on wine has mad...

Pharaonic is an adjective that means impressively large and spacious. The word pharaoh, witch refers to a powerful ruler who resided in a large temple, specifically in ancient Egypt, came from Egyptian and has since been imported into Hebrew, Greek, Latin and English. Pharaonic is the adjective version of this well-travelled word. It is often used to describe accommodations fit for a pharaoh. Afte...

Perdure is a verb that means to continue to exist. Our word of the day shares its Latin ancestry with such words as ‘durable’ and ‘endure.’ They all come from the word durare (doer ARE ay) meaning ‘to last.’ Here’s an example of perdure in use: After three weeks of failure, we weren’t sure if our company would perdure. But here we are eight years later, still in existence and still going stro...

Prosopopeia is a noun that refers to a figure of speech in which an abstract thing is personified. Our word of the the day comes directly from the Greek words for ‘person’ and ‘make.’ It may refer to the personification of an abstract idea or a figure of speech in which an imagined or absent person or thing is represented as speaking. Here’s an example of the former. My new novel features a charac...

Snollygoster is a noun that refers to a clever, shrewd person. Coming from German, our word of the day was imported into English in the mid 19th century. It refers to a screwed, clever person, but almost always as an insult. Here’s an example: The senator may have been a pleasant man, but he could be quite a snollygoster when he needed to be. The world of politics is difficult to navigate without...

Expurgate is a verb that means to remove for being objectionable or unsuitable. Coming from Latin, our word of the day is related to the word purge, which means ‘to cleanse.’ When something is removed or expurgated from a book or movie, it is usually done for the purpose of ‘cleansing’ that thing. Many great movies of years past had scenes expurgated because they offended people’s sensibilities. T...

Anomie is a noun that refers to a breakdown in standards and values. Our word of the day comes from the Greek word anomos (ANN oh mose) which means ‘lawless.’ It entered the English language in the 1930s to refer to a lack of the usual social or ethical standards. Here’s an example of its use: Movies about zombie apocalypses have always fascinated me. I’m intrigued by what kind of anomie sets in w...

Euhemerism is a noun that refers to the interpretation of myths as traditional accounts of historical persons and events. Today’s word of the day comes from an ancient Greek mythographer Euhemerus. The process of taking mythological events and weaving them into history is named after him. Here’s an example of it. I get the feeling that stories of my dad walking twenty miles to school every day in...

Rueful is an adjective that means expressing sorrow or regret. The word rue, which means to bitterly regret, comes from Middle English. Rueful is the adjective version of it. Here’s an example of it in use: Chuck’s poor performance on the test put him in a rueful mood. He deeply regretted not studying more math in school.

Mythopoeia is a noun that refers to a creation of myth. Our word of the day combines two Greek words ‘myth,’ which translates into our contemporary English word myth, and poiein (PEEN) meaning ‘make.’ From the 1950s on, the word mythopoeia has referred to the process of making a myth. There’s always been a great deal of mythopoeia in the sports world. Turning sports stars into legends has always b...

Indissoluble is an adjective that means incapable of being undone. The Latin word dissolubilis (dee so loo BEE leese) means ‘fades.’ When the prefix I-N is added, we get a word that means ‘not faded.’ By the Late 15th century, indissoluble had entered the English language meaning ‘unable to be destroyed.’ Here’s an example: My friendship with Leslie is indissoluble. We figure if our relationship c...

Exordial is an adjective that means taking place at the beginning. The Latin word exoridi (EX or deer ee) means ‘begin.’ By the Late 16th century, the word exordium, meaning ‘beginning’ had entered English. Exordial refers to the something taking place in the introductory part. Audrey’s exordial moments at college were strange. It took a while to adjust to such a different life, and those opening...

Prothalamion is a noun that refers to a song celebrating an upcoming marriage. Our word of the day comes from the title of a 16th century poem and is typically used in a literary or historical context. But as songs are still performed at weddings, prothalamion may be used in a modern, ordinary context. Here’s an example: As a songwriter, I’ve mostly written jingles for TV ads and sitcoms. So it wa...

Wanderwort is a noun that refers to a word from one language that is used in many others. Our word of the day consists of two words that are German in origin, wander, meaning ‘to meander or travel,’ and ‘wort,’ for ‘word.’ Simply put, a wanderwort is a word that has travelled from one language to another — and sometimes to many others. Because it is from German and has landed in English, that mean...

Stratagem is a noun that refers to a move made to outwit one's opponents. The Greek word stratos (STRAH tose) means ‘army.’ This gave birth to a number of words like ‘strategy’ that originated in military use, but can be used outside of that context as well. Stratagem refers specifically to a move made to fool an enemy. Chuck’s decision to go to the bathroom in the middle of the poker game was pro...

Summarily is an adverb that means without delay or formalities. Coming from the Latin word summa (SUE ma) meaning ‘sum total,’ our word of the day is a variation of ‘summary,’ a word often used in law meaning ‘conducted without the legal formalities.’ Summarily can be used in a legal context or an ordinary one. Here’s an example of it being used in an ordinary one: My boss summarily dismissed accu...

Peckish is an adjective that means hungry. Our word of the day is typically used informally to describe hunger. It comes from the word peck, as in ‘pecking at your food.’ Here’s an example of it: I often feel a little peckish when I get up in the morning. But I’ve learned to discipline myself. If I ate every time I was hungry, I’d have a serious weight problem.

Pensum is a noun that refers to a task assigned as punishment. The Latin word pensus refers to something done for the sake of justice or punishment. Our word of the day comes from this origin and maintains a similar meaning. A pensum is often something assigned in a school setting to punish a student. Here’s an example: As a teenager, I always thought washing the walls was my pensum for being smar...