Word of the Day

Suppliant is an adjective that means ‘making or expressing a plea to someone in power.’ it is also a noun that refers to a person making a humble plea to someone in power.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word supplicare (soop lee CAR ay) which means to ‘plea’ or ‘beg.’ Suppliant may refer to a person inclined to be to someone in power or it may describe the person doing the begging. Here...

Cantrip is a noun that refers to a mischievous or playful act or trick. The origin of our word of the day is not clear, but we can say with certainty that it’s been around since the late 16th century and it’s used as a synonym for prank. Here’s an example: I’ve been known to play a cantrip or two on co-workers from time to time. It’s gotten to the point where every time somebody sits down they hav...

Sociometry is a noun that refers to the quantitative study and measurement of relationships within a group of people.  Stemming from the Latin words socius (SO see oos) meaning ‘companion’ or ‘associate’ and metrum (MET room) meaning ‘measurement,’ our word of the day has been with us since the early 20th century. Here’s an example: If someone had done a sociometry of our high school football team...

Corporeal is an adjective that means ‘consisting of material as opposed to spiritual objects.’ Our word of the day has been around since the late Middle English period. It comes from the Latin word corpus (CORE poos) which means ‘body.’ Here’s an example: No matter how spiritual a person is, when they find themselves in shark-infested waters, their corporeal concerns tend to take centre stage. Not...

Erewhonian is an adjective that means ‘opposed to machinery or technological progress.’ Our word of the day gets its origin from an 1872 speculative fiction novel called ‘Erewhone.’ The title is roughly ‘nowhere’ spelled backwards and the novel is about a fictional utopian society in which technology runs amok. Erewhon could be thought of as a synonym of luddite.  I’m no erewhon, but I strongly be...

Hoke is a verb that means ‘to give a false or artificial quality to.’  Our word is of an unknown origin. All we know is that it’s been around since the early 20th century — along with its close relative the noun ‘hokum.’ Initially used to describe bad acting or writing, hoke has more recently been used to describe anything that rings false. Here’s an example: My lawyer warned me not to hoke it up...

Schematic is an adjective that means symbolic or simplified.  The root word of our word of the day, scheme, came from the Latin word schema (SKEH ma) and arrived in English in the mid 16th century. It referred to a celestial diagram. In time, its offspring came to refer to a diagram of any kind. Schematic could be thought of as the adverb version of it. It can also be used as a noun that refers to...

Craic is a noun that refers to an enjoyable social activity, or a good time.  Our word of the day began as the German word for crack. After it drifted into Old English, it meant ‘to make an explosive noise.’ In time, it took on its current meaning. Here’s an example of it: The craic at Jeff’s house was the most fun I’ve had in years. His parties always were a blast. 

Sanctum is a noun that refers to a private place from which most people are excluded.  The Latin word sanctus (SONG toose) means ‘holy.’ Our word of the day emerged in the late 16th century, taking with it a religious connotation. A sanctum is not necessarily holy, but it is often treated as if it were.  My dad’s study was a sanctum around our house and he treated it like a shrine. No one was allo...

Quash is a verb that means ‘to put an end to.’ The Latin word cassus (cah SOOSE) means ‘null and void.’ Our word of the day emerged during the middle English period and has since been used as a verb and often in a legal context. Here’s an example: The lawsuit was quashed when it became clear the plaintiff had no evidence. I’m no lawyer, but even I know that if you have no evidence, you have no cas...

Cabotinage is an adjective that means overacting or hamming.  Originally stemming from the French word for a cabinet, our word of the day entered English in the 19th century to describe over-the-top bad acting. Here’s an example: All the cabotinage in the movie really put me off. A character couldn’t even catch a migraine without screaming and shouting.

Plumbeous is an adjective that means ‘dull gray in color.’  Our word of the day gets its origin from the Latin word plumbum (PLUME boom) which means ‘lead.’ By the late 16th century, plumbeous became the word to describe the color of lead. Here’s an example: When we first moved into our home, we knew we had some painting to do. Neither one of us were fond of the plumbeous walls. That dull gray jus...

Microcosm is a noun that refers to a thing regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristics of something much larger.  Our word of the day has been with us since the 14th century. It’s derived from the Greek prefix M-I-C-R-O, which means ‘small,’ and Kosmos (COS mose) meaning ‘world’ or ‘order.’ Here’s an example of microcosm in use: Our baseball team had become a microcosm for our count...

Alluvion is a noun that refers to the flow of water against a shore.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word luere (lou WEAR ay) which means ‘to wash.’ Arriving at our shores in the mid16th century, alluvion soon came to refer specifically to water washing against the shores. Here’s an example: The alluvion at the beach is a truly breathtaking sight. I could sit back and watch the tide cras...

Sluice is a verb that means to cleanse or rinse with water.  Dating back from the 17th century, our word of the day was first used as a noun to describe a gate used to hold back water. In time it became a verb to describe the act of watering something. Here’s an example: I really need to sluice that porch. All that mildew and dirt need to be rinsed off before our party guests arrive and are too di...

Synderesis is a noun that refers to inborn knowledge of the basic principles of morality. Originally stemming from Greek philosophy and the Greek language, our word of the day may be used to describe an innate understanding of right and wrong. Here’s an example of synderesis in use: My dog’s synderesis must not have been properly functioning when he gobbled up all the apples yesterday. He should h...

Posit is a verb that means to propose an explanation.  Our word of the day began as the Latin word for ‘placed,’ By the mid-17th century, it had placed itself in English as a word that specifically meant to place something as a proposed explanation. Here’s an example of posit in use: It may seem obvious that the missing cookie from the cabinet was eaten by me, but I posit that the ants stole it aw...

Euthenics is a noun that refers to the study of the effect of living conditions on humanity. The Greek prefix E-U means ‘good,’ while ‘Thenein’ is Greek for ‘to make or do.’ Euthenics is a word that refers to the efforts to improve human conditions. Here’s an example of it in use: Back when we were living in the desert, we could have really used some kind euthenics program. In fact, the best way t...

Inchmeal is an adverb that means ‘little by little.’  The Old English word meal, in addition to its contemporary use, also meant ‘measure’ or ‘quantity.’ By the mid 16th century, it was combined with the measurement ‘inch’ to describe something happening slowly. Here’s an example: The worm was crawling inchmeal across the floor. It may take him a while to get there, but he sure seems determined. 

Infrasocial is an adjective that means lacking social organization.  Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ‘socius’ (SO see oos) meaning ‘friend’ and adds the prefix I-N-F-R-A meaning ‘below.’ If something or someone is infrasocial, their behavior is less than ideal. Used by researchers, infrasocial came into use in the mid-20th century. Here’s an example: The guys in my old Fraternity cou...

Autumnal is an adjective that means ‘characteristic of autumn.  The word autumn comes from Latin and has always meant ‘the fall,’ as in the season that follows summer. Our word of the day ads and N-A-L to give us an adjective to describe anything related to this season. Here’s an example: Football has always been my favorite autumnal activity. As soon as those leaves hit the ground, I’m ready to h...

Favonian is an adjective that means ‘related to the west wind’ or ‘mild wind.’ Coming from Roman mythology, our word of the day gets its origin from Favonius (fay VONE ee us), the Roman personification of the west wind. It breezed into English in the late 16th century and came to refer to a gentle gust of wind. Here’s an example: My daughter’s flute playing has a gentle favonian quality. It hits m...

Terricolous is an adjective that means ‘living in or on the ground.’ Our word of the day comes from the Latin words ‘terra,’ (TEAR uh) meaning ‘land’ or ‘the earth,’ and colore (coe LOW air) which means ‘to inhabit.’ It’s often used to describe various animals that live underground. My favorite part about fishing is digging for worms. I’ve always been fascinated by the creepy little terricolous cr...

Gerund is a noun that refers to a verb that functions as a noun.  Our word of the day has its origin in 16th century Latin and is derived from the word ‘gerere’ (jer AIR ay) which means ‘do.’ Gerunds typically end in I-N-G. Here’s an example: The hardest part about teaching my friend Tanja about English was helping her understand how to use a gerund. She struggled with understanding how ‘swim’ was...

Clowder is a noun that refers to a group of cats.  Coming from a Middle English word for ‘a mass’ or ‘a rock,’ our word of the day is used in the same way the word ‘pack’ is used to describe a gathering of wolves. Here’s an example of clowder in use: That large clowder of cats outside made me a little uneasy at first, but there’s something about cats that just melt my heart even when they’re feral...