Word of the Day

Tactility is a noun that refers to the capability of being felt or touched. The Latin word Tactilis (tack TEEL ees) means ‘touch.’ From this word comes the English word tactile, an adjective that means ‘that which can perceived by touch.’ Our word of the day is a noun that refers to the ability to be felt or touched, for example: There is something about the tactility of a print book as opposed to...

Propitious is an adjective that means indicating a good chance of success. The Latin word propitus (por PEE tea oose) means ‘favorable’ or ‘gracious.’ In recent centuries, it has drifted into English and maintained the same basic meaning. For example: Our soccer team didn’t get off to a propitious start. When we lost the first four games by a combined total of twenty points, it didn’t seem we...

Quondam is an adjective that means former. Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin word for ‘formerly.’ It is used as a synonym of words like ‘erstwhile’ and ‘once.’ For example: The quondam band members were united in their envy of what the band had become after they had departed. This is to be expected when you leave a band right before they become famous.

Homeric is an adjective that means epic or large scale. According to historians, Homer was a storyteller of Ancient Greece. His poems featured large scale stories of heroic behavior. Homeric is an adjective to describe tales of a similar nature. My dad’s stories about his adventures walking home from school and encountering stray dogs had an almost Homeric quality to them. He even claimed to...

Wheel horse is a noun that refers to a hardworking or diligent person. Our word of the day combines the English words ‘wheel’ and ‘horse.’ Its origin is from the practice of positioning the hardest working horse nearest the wheels of a horse-driven vehicle. It didn’t take long for Stacy to become the wheel horse of the office. I guess that’s what happens when you’re always volunteering to do...

Diaspora is a noun that refers to ‘people settled far from their ancestral homeland.’ The Greek prefix D-I-A means ‘across.’ When combined with the Greek word speirein (SPEAR een) meaning ‘scatter,’ you get our word of the day. The word initially referred to Jewish people living outside Israel, but more recently it came to refer to any cultural group of people in a similar situation. Tanya was loo...

Clavate is an adjective that means ‘club-shaped.’ The Latin word clava (KLAH vah) means ‘club.’ Often used to describe plants and animals, our word of the day describes anything that is club-shaped, meaning it is thicker at the top than at the base. When spending time at the camp site, you should always avoid contact with those clavate plants seen by the river. Touching one of those club-shap...

Emporium is a noun that refers to ‘a major trading center.’ Our word of the day comes directly from a Greek word that refers to ‘a merchant.’ The word was imported into English in the late 16th century and came to refer to ‘a center of commerce.’ In more recent years, it has been used to refer to a large retail store. Eric’s place of business has expanded a great deal over the years. It began a ti...

Sargasso is a noun that refers to ‘a messy situation.’ Our word of the day is a word of Portuguese descent whose precise origin isn’t clear to us. When used literally it refers a weed. But in a more figurative sense it means any kind of messy situation. Michelle’s attempt to teach English in Japan without knowing how to speak Japanese started out well, but it soon became a sargasso. The language b...

Modicum is a noun that refers to ‘a small quantity of something.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin word modus (MOE doos) which refers ‘a limit’ or ‘a measure.’ Modicum is often used in a similar context. For example: Although we all love our Packers here in Green Bay, we always make sure we have a modicum of respect for the other team. It doesn’t hurt to treat your opponent with a small am...

Hodiernal is an adjective that means ‘related to the present day. ‘ The Latin word hodie (AW dee ay) means ‘today.’ When something is hodiernal, it is related to today. For example: As much as Steve wants to save up for a new house, he has to also weight that desire against hodiernal concerns. He wants to save for tomorrow, but he needs to eat today.

Muggle is a noun that refers to ‘a person with no particular skills.’ Our word of the day comes from the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. I was initially used to describe people ‘a person without magical powers.’ It has since been adapted to refer to anyone with particular powers or skills of any kind. Example: As. Kid, I grew up afraid that if I didn’t learn math, I’d become some kind of a mu...

Aphotic is an adjective that means ‘having no light.’ Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix ‘A,’ meaning ‘without’ with ‘photic’ (FOE tick) meaning ‘light.’ Frequently used in nature, aphotic describes a thing or place that has no light. We were hoping to get some great pictures on our underwater dive. But unfortunately, the aphotic conditions simply made it too dark for that to happen.

Enfeoff is a verb that means ‘to surrender property.’ Coming from Middle English, our word of the day has traditionally been used in legal proceedings to describe the exchange of property. For example: The owner of the building isn’t happy to surrender the property he’s owned for many years, but according to the law, he has to enfeoff it to the new owner once a deal has been struck.

Abuzz is an adverb that means ‘characterized by lots of talk or gossip.’ Our word of the day began life as a variation of the word ‘buzz,’ Buzz is a word from Middle English that is imitative, which means it imitates the sounds of the thing it describes. When we describe something as abuzz, we mean it is buzzing. It’s often used metaphorically to describe something as ‘buzzing’ with conversat...

Doyen is a noun that refers to ‘the most respected member of a particular field.’ The Latin word decanus (day CON oos) refers to ‘the chief of a group of ten.’ The word was later imported into French and eventually English when it dropped the association with the number ten and came to refer simply to ‘a chief or leader.’ It is related to the word ‘dean,’ as in the head of a college or university....

Inanition is a noun that refers to ‘exhaustion or a lack of enthusiasm.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin word Inanis (ee NON ees) which means ‘empty’ or ‘void.’ When a person suffers from inanition, they are lacking in vigor or stamina. It wasn’t easy to get work done in a state of inanition. Having no energy all day long has a way of slowing things down considerably.

Doddle is a noun that refers to ‘a very easy task.’ The origin or our word of the day is unknown, but we can say with some certainty that it crept into English around the 1930s and is an informal word to describe an easy thing to do. When a rookie comes into the department, we usually start them off with a doddle to help them build their confidence. Giving them an easy task is a good way to keep t...

Venerate is a verb that means ‘to revere or hold in high regard.’ The Latin word venerari (ven air ARE ay) means ’to adore or revere.’ When venerari drifted into the English language in the early 17th century and became venerate, it retained its same basic meaning. An example of its use: Those in the popsicle industry have come to venerate my grandfather over the years — and for good reason. It ma...

Picaresque is an adjective that means ‘related to the adventures of a rogue.’ The word can also be used as a noun to refer to ‘a book or movie that features the adventures of a rogue.’ The Spanish word picaro means ‘rogue.’ Our word of the day is a style of fiction or film that tells the adventures of a roguish character, meaning someone who is rough and dishonest but appealing. The term and the s...

Vinous is an adjective that means ‘related to or fond of wine.’ The Latin word vinum (VEE noom) refers to ‘wine.’ If something is vinous, it resembles or is, in some sense, related to wine. For example: The vinous smell the restaurant made me thirsty right away. I had a feeling I’d be sipping wine all night long.

Sensei is a noun that refers to ‘a teacher.’ Our word of the day comes directly from Japanese. It began as a combination of the Japanese words for ‘previous’ and ‘birth.’ It is frequently used to refer to a teacher in martial arts. My Taewando instructor has been pleased with my progress so far. My previous sensei got a little frustrated by my tendency to accidentally kick myself in the nose all t...

Evert is a verb that means ‘to turn inside out.’ The Latin word evertere (EV er tear ay) provides the origin of our word of the day. It means to ‘upset’ or ‘overthrow.’ By the 18th century, the word had been imported into English and had its meaning shift. More recently, when we evert something, we turn it inside out. Chuck had nothing at all to donate to the charity when they came asking last Thu...

Pyrrhic is an adjective that means ‘achieved at an excessive cost.’ The origin of the word pyrrhic comes Pyrrhus (PIER hoos) from an Ancient king of a region of Greece called Epirus. This king’s army defeated the Romans in a key battle in 279 BC, but sustained heavy losses. Our word of the day alludes to this. My daughter’s win at the spelling bee may have been a pyrrhic victory. She won the...

Aphasia is a noun that refers to ‘a loss of the ability to speak.’ Our word of the day comes from the Greek word ahpatos (AH fah tose) which means ‘speechless.’ It entered the English language in the mid 19th century. Aphasia is often used as a term for a medical diagnosis, but it may also be used more informally. For example: Meeting my favorite comedian was such an unnerving experience, I couldn...