Word of the Day

Punditocracy is a noun that refers to an elite or influential group of political commentators. The word pundit comes from the Hindi word pandit (PON dit) which means ‘scholar.’ After being imported into the English language, the word has taken on a less formal meaning. A pundit may refer to an expert or simply someone who plays one on TV. The punditocracy refers to the collective wisdom of these p...

Wiredraw is a verb that means to stretch or draw out forcibly. Our word of the day originally came about as a reference to a process done to steel. It later came to refer to drawing something out excessively. My old philosophy professor could wiredraw an idea out forever. He could often take a half-hour lesson and stretch it into six weeks of classes.

Manque is an adjective that means having failed at what one might have been. Coming directly from the French word for ‘to lack,’ our word of the day is used to indicate an unfulfilled potential. Keep in mind, by the way, that when used, Manque is placed after the word it modifies — not before. Here’s an example: My daughter can be downright militant when it comes to reporting people who don’t recy...

Hew is a verb that means to conform or adhere to. Derived from the Latin word cudere (coo DARE ay) which means ‘to beat,’ our word of the day was originally used to mean ‘chop’ or ‘cut.’ By the 18th century, the phrase ‘hew the line’ had gained popularity. It referred to cutting a line along a log until it became squared. With this phrase, hew took on a new meaning. Today it is more commonly used...

Diglossic is an adjective that means tending to speak in different dialects in different settings. The Greek prefix D-I means ‘two,’ while glossa (GLOW sah) means ‘language.’ But diglossic doesn’t strictly mean bilingual or ‘having two languages.’ Instead it means ‘having two versions of the same language.’ More specifically, it refers to having a tendency to use one version of a language in some...

Asseverate is a verb that means to declare earnestly or solemnly. Asseverare (ah SAY ver are ay) is a Latin word that means ‘assert’ or ‘declare.’ Our word of the day could be thought of simply as a synonym of ‘stated’ or ‘said,’ but asseverate is a more formal term than that. It is often used in legal or governmental contexts. For example: The government officials will hold a press conference thi...

Volte-face is a noun that refers to a reversal of opinion or position. Our word of the day comes directly from the French words ‘turn of face.’ The Governor’s volte-face on the issue was shocking to his long-term supporters. They’d never before seen him reverse field on a position he seemed to hold so firmly.

Perfidious is an adjective that means deceitful and untrustworthy. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word perfidia (pair FEE dee uh) meaning ‘treachery.’ By the late 16th century, the word had found its way into the English language as ‘perfidy.’ Perfidious is the adjective version of it. There is no room for perfidious behavior on this team. If we don’t have trust in our teammates, th...

Delphic is an adjective that means obscure or ambiguous. The Delphi in Greece was the site of a temple of Apollo. An oracle, or fortune teller, resided there. Her prophecies were often ambiguous and difficult to interpret. Today when we use the term Delphic to describe someone or something we’re not suggesting they have prophetic powers, but rather, that they are unclear or muddy. Working with Tam...

Vestige is a noun that refers to a remaining trace of something that has disappeared. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vestigum (ves TEE gum) which means ‘footprint’ or ‘trace.’ The word can be used in a wide range of contexts in science, biology and history to refer to elements of the past that remain although they are no longer needed. But vestige can also be used in more casua...

Recriminate is a verb that means to accuse someone who has made an accusation against you. The Latin word criminare (crim in ARE ay) means ‘accuse.’ Our word of the day gets its origin with the addition of the prefix R-E, meaning ‘opposition.’ So to recriminate someone is to make a counteraccusation against your accuser. When the mayor was alleged to have embezzled funds from his office, he made t...

Watershed is a noun that refers to a turning point. In a literal sense, a watershed refers to a an area of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins or seas. When used figuratively, it means a turning point that sent different ideas to different areas. There are times when a classic movie can become a watershed. It can introduce the film world to many talented people who later...

Tropism is a noun that refers to a tendency to respond to a stimuli. The Greek word tropos (TRO pose) means ‘to turn.’ Our word of the day is frequently used to describe plants and other organisms, but may also refer to tendency of people to lean toward the familiar. For example: Great movies about deep, intellectual topics are hard to come by. The tropism among moviegoers is toward mindless actio...

Vaporous is an adjective that means vague or lacking substance. The root word of the vaporous is vapor, which comes from the Latin word ‘vaporum’ (va POOR um) meaning ‘warm steam’ or ‘heat.’ Vapor can also refer to something ‘unsubstantial or vague.’ Here’s an example of vaporous: As a college professor, it’s always easy to tell when an essay is written by a student who doesn’t understand their su...

Yahoo is a noun that refers to a noisy or violent person. The word yahoo was invented by novelist Jonathan Swift in 1726 satirical work Gulliver’s Travels. A ‘yahoo’ was a term that described a made-up race of unintelligent, violent brutes. The word later came to refer to a crass or stupid person. It pains me to say this, but when I first met Earl, he struck me as something as a yahoo. He didn’t s...

Perfervid is an adjective that means intense and impassioned. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word fervidus (FAIR vay doose) which means ‘fiery’ and ‘hot.’ The prefix P-E-R simply means ‘utterly’ or ‘completely.’ Here’s an example of our word of the day in action: Randy’s perfervid sense of team spirit was helpful on some occasions because it energized us into playing harder. But at other...

Zonk is a verb that means to stun or stupefy. Our word of the day seems to have no origin except that its basis is imitative, meaning the sound of the word imitates what comes to mind when people imagine it in action. To zonk means to take forceful, sudden action. A person can be zonked by another person or by a thought, for example: After weeks for trying to figure out clues to the murder, I didn...

Remiss is an adjective that means neglectful of duty. The Latin word remissus (ray MEESE ooose) means ‘slack’ or ‘careless.’ Our word of the day has retained this meaning. A remiss worker is one who is careless. Here’s an example: The suspect, Mr. Weiss was able to slip inside because the security guard was remiss in his duties. Had the guard been wide awake, it would have been impossible for Mr....

Encumber is a verb that means to burden or weigh down. The French word Combre (comb) refers to ‘a river barrage formed by felled trees.’ This word came to refer to things that hold something back or weigh it down. It is also the basis for the word ‘cumbersome.’ Andy hoped the barbecue pit wouldn’t encumber the group on their camping trip. Sure it was heavy, but how can you have a camping trip with...

Recompense is a verb that means to compensate or make amends. It can also be used as a noun that refers to the compensation or reward given for past harm. The Latin word recompensare (ray com pen SAR ay) means ‘compensation.’ As the word migrated into the English language, its basic meaning has remained the same. Here’s an example of recompense as a verb: I was so deeply upset about the time I was...

Rarefied is an adjective that means of high class or caliber. The Latin word rarus (RAHR oos) means ‘thin’ or ‘rare.’ When something is rarefied it is made more rare and more valuable. For example: These rarefied antiques are worth much more than they appear to. That tea kettle you’re looking at is worth at least a million dollars.

Raiment is a noun that refers to clothing of the finest quality. Our word of the day originated in Middle English and usually refers to ornate or luxurious clothing. For example: The raiment wore at the ball was truly breathtaking. I hadn’t seen clothes that extravagant since my last visit to a museum.

Peccable is an adjective that means capable of sin. The Latin word peccare (peck CAR ay) means ‘to sin.’ Our word of the day simply means ‘capable of sin.’ You may be familiar with the similar word ‘impeccable,’ which means faultless. At first, I thought Angela was perfect in every way, incapable of any misdeeds. But soon after become her personal assistant, I discovered she was quite peccable.

Quaff is a verb that means to drink with gusto. The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but we can say that it entered the English language in the early 16th century, probably as an imitation of the sound made by a person drinking. I was so thirsty after the race that I had to quaff a water bottle in about two seconds. That was probably the most enthusiastically I’d ever drank anything since...

Popple is a verb that means to flow in a tumbling or rippling way. Derived from Middle English, popple can also be used as a noun that refers to a rolling or ripping of water. But it’s mostly used to describe water in the act os splashing or trickling. For example: Growing up on the beach, I had gotten accustomed to waking up with the sound of the waves as they would popple onto shore. That splash...