Word of the Day

Peregrinate is a verb that means to navigate by foot. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word peregre (PAIR ay grey) which means ‘to travel abroad.’ The word’s meaning has broadened since evolving into English to simply mean ‘travel from place to place’ — usually by foot. The thing I love most about living in the country is the open spaces available to roam. You can peregrinate for miles and...

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Astigmatic is an adjective that means showing an incapacity for observation or discrimination. Coming from the Greek word stigma (STEEG ma) the term astigmatism refers to an eye condition that causes images to seem distorted. The word can also be used metaphorically to describe an inability to see things clearly. With all due respect to Johnny, I feel he has an astigmatic interpretation of the eve...

Ambivert is a noun that refers to someone who has characteristics of an extrovert and an introvert. The terms introvert and extrovert have been around since roughly the turn of the 20th century. An extrovert is described as someone who enjoys being with other people and an introvert is someone generally prefers to be alone. Our word of the day combines those words to describe someone who has...

Politesse is a noun that refers to formal politeness. The Latin word politus (po LEE toos) means ‘civil’ or ‘polite.’ It is the basis of words like ‘politics’ and it’s used to indicate a politeness reserved for formal settings. For example: I was afraid that Jeremy would embarrass us at the governor’s mansion — especially with his wild sense of humor. He’s not familiar with the kind of politesse t...

Askew is an adjective that means crooked or not straight. Our word of the day comes from Middle English and simply meant slanted or not parallel. Askew can still be used in this sense today, but it can also be used figuratively to refer to something that is awry or wrong. Our plan was to spend a fun weekend in the woods and savor the wildlife, but our plan went askew when we forgot to bring mosqui...

Endemic is an adjective that means native to a particular area. The Greek word endemios (en DEM ee os) means ‘native.’ As this word evolved into our word of the day, it maintained the same basic meaning. If something is endemic to an area, it is native there. When I returned to Australia, I’d forgotten how many species were endemic to the country. It was great seeing all those native animals again...

Impart is a verb that means to communicate or make information known. The Latin word impartire (im par TEAR ay) means ‘to divide’ or ‘disseminate.’ When we disseminate or impart information, we make it more known or available to people. I’m glad my parents took the time to impart to me the wisdom of ancient philosophers. Too bad I didn’t take the time to listen to them.

Viscous is an adjective that means having a thick, sticky consistency. The Latin word viscum (VEES coom) refers to birdlime, a sticky substance used on twigs to trap small birds. Something that is described as viscous may not have anything to do with birds or birdlime, but it has in common that sticky consistency. As a bartender, I discovered, after trying to experiment with my own concoction...

Gelid is an adjective that means icy or extremely cold. The Latin word gelu (JAY loo) means ‘frost’ or ‘intense cold.’ The word can be used as a literal reference to something icy or very cold as in ‘The pond was gelid that evening,’ or it can be used metaphorically as in: I was hoping for a warm reception at the reunion, but when I got a gelid greeting from everyone, I had a feeling their memorie...

Contretemps is a noun that refers to a minor dispute or disagreement. The Latin word tempus (TEM poos) means ‘time.’ Combined with the prefix C-O-N-T-R-E, which means  ‘counter’ or ‘against,’ we get a word that describes people engaged in disagreement or dispute. With so many passionate people in the publishing industry, it’s not surprising that we would have the occasional contretemps in our...

Ursine is an adjective that means related to or resembling a bear. The Latin word Ursus (OOR soos) means ‘bear.’ The word has migrated to English to become our word of the day. Describing a person or thing as ursine, is suggesting they resemble a bear, either in appearance, behavior or both. For example: Bearded and weighing close to three hundred pounds, Mr. Henry’s ursine looks could be pretty i...

Canard is a noun that refers to an unfounded rumor. Our word of the day originated from canard (CAN are) the French word for ‘duck.’ The journey from ‘duck’ to ‘unfounded rumor’ is a complicated one that begins with a French phrase that refers to ‘half-selling a duck’ or ‘cheating.’ From there, the word came to mean something ‘unfounded.’ The more I travel, the more I find many old canards about c...

Soi-disant is an adjective that means self-described. Our word of the day comes directly from the French words for ‘oneself’ and ‘saying.’ It’s usually used to refer to a title or description a person has given themselves. Example: Charlie is a soi-disant troublemaker. But most of the trouble from this self-described troublemaker involves stealing the occasional cookie from the kitchen when his mo...

ulgate is a verb that means to make an idea or belief known among people. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word promulgare (pro mull GAR ay) which means ‘to bring something out.’ When we bring out a belief or idea among others, we promulgate it. For example: Some of my favorite philosophers of the 19th century helped spread ideas of tolerance. It’s a lovely thing that people used their pul...

Ballast is a noun that refers to something that gives stability. The origin or our word of the day is uncertain, but we know that it began as a word to describe a device used to create balance on such things as sailboats. When used figuratively, it refers to anything that provides balance or stability. For example: When she joined a workplace with so many people in their late teens and twenties, S...

Procrustean is an adjective that means enforcing conformity. According to Greek mythology, Procrustes was a cruel villain who was eventually killed by the hero Theseus. Today the word is used to describe a villain who forces others to move in lock step to their command. Mrs. Beale could be a procrustean leader in our sixth grade English class. She demanded that everybody adhere to her very strict...

Semiotics is a noun that refers to a study of signs and symbols. Our word of the day  comes from the Greek word sēmeiotikos (same OH tea kose) means ‘of signs.’ A course in semiotics is a course in signs, symbols and their meaning. According to my professor, there’s a lot to learn by examining the semiotics of a movie. Even when certain themes aren’t stated directly, they can be embedded in a...

Predilection is a noun that refers to a preference for. The Latin word prediligere (pray day LEEGE air ay) means ‘to prefer before others.’ Having a predilection means to have a preference before others. For example: When it comes to food and movies, everyone knows I have a predilection for Italian. Nothing moves me more than an evening of Sergio Leone movies while eating linguini and clam sauce.

Pro forma is an adjective that means standard or done as a matter of politeness. Our word of the day comes directly from a Latin phrase that translates to ‘for form’s sake.’ It’s often used to describe the form of documents. I could tell the letter supposedly sent by the company offering a million dollar settlement was a fake because it wasn’t written in a pro forma manner. A legitimate letter of...

Foment is a verb that means to instigate or stir up. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word fovere (for VARE ay) meaning to ‘heat.’ Heating something up is often used in cooking to help ingredients blend together. When we heat up or foment something in a more figurative sense, we instigate them, for example: We didn’t know that when Tammy objected to our uniform, she was trying to foment a...

Ingratiate is a verb that means to bring oneself into favor with. The Latin phrase in gratium (een GRATS ee oom) means ‘in favor.’ When someone ingratiates themselves to someone, they bring themselves in favor with them. The word is frequently used in an unflattering way to suggest that the person doing the ingratiating has an agenda. When Harvey offered to work late last week, we knew he was simp...

Askance is an adverb that means ‘with a look of suspicion or disapproval.’ The origin of our word of the day is not known, but we are aware that it’s been around since the late 15th century and it is used in a context to describe a look or an attitude of suspicion. For example: Terri looked askance at the company’s policy of asking for her social security number immediately after entering the buil...

Perforce is an adverb that is used to express necessity. Our word of the day comes directly from Middle English, meaning ‘by force.’ When we do something perforce, we do it because we’re forced to do so out of social or practical necessity. For example: When I asked Eric how things were going, I was doing so perforce, not because I wanted an answer. But Eric gave me a forty-five minute update on e...

Incandescent is an adjective that means bright or brilliant. The Latin word candidus (can DEE doos) means ‘brilliant’ or ‘bright.’ Our word of the day has evolved from this origin and can be used in a literal or metaphorical sense. For example: Sandy’s incandescent performance was an inspiration to us all. It’s not often that you see someone play the violin with such passion and brilliance.