Word of the Day

Proffer is a verb that means to present for acceptance. It is also a noun that refers to an offer being made. Our word of the day’s origin is similar to that of the word ‘offer.’ Both are derived from Anglo-French, but ‘proffer’ is a word that stresses the kindness of the act. For example, When Wendy needed a place to stay, her friend Lisa presented her with an opportunity to live rent-free in one...

Pelion is a noun that refers to a huge or difficult task. Our word of the day refers to an imposingly high mountain range in Northeastern Greece. It’s been referenced in many Ancient Greek works of art. In addition to its geographical definition, it may be used to refer to any imposing or difficult task. For example: Rodney has faced many challenges in his life, but making it as an art dealer migh...

Reciprocity is a noun that refers to mutual benefit. The Latin word reciprocus (ray CHEAP roe coos) means ‘returning the same way.’ Our word of the day may be used to describe a state where two or more people engage in behavior that helps everybody or ‘returns the same way’ for all. For example, After years of getting free tax advice from Shelly, I decided to repay her by coaching her son’s baseba...

Felicific is an adjective that means tending to cause happiness. The Latin word Felix (FAY licks) means ‘happy.’ This word has given birth to words like felicidad (fay LEASE ee dod) the Spanish word for ‘happiness’ as well as names like Felix, Felicity and Felicia — all of which have a meaning related to happiness. If something is felicific, it tends to make people happy. I enjoyed volunteering to...

Penurious is an adjective that means marked by suffering. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word penuria (pen YOOR ee uh) which means ‘poverty.’ The strict definition of penurious is ‘to be in poverty,’ but the ‘poverty’ in this case doesn’t only refer to not having much money. It can also refer to someone suffering a great deal. For example: I’m glad to hear that Cassie has been feeling mu...

Retronym is a noun that refers to a term to distinguish the original older version of something. Our word of the day’s prefix R-E-T-R-O refers to a revival of something, by adding the suffix N-Y-M, meaning ‘name,’ we get a word that means ‘a name for something old.’ More specifically, a word for something old that has been replaced by something newer. For example: It still seems odd to me to refer...

A Kludge is a makeshift solution to a problem. Our word of the day is a fairly recent addition to the English language. Coming from the German word klug (KLOOK) which means ‘smart,’ kludge popped up in the 1960s as a word for a way around a problem — often a problem in the world of technology. For example: My computer won’t allow me to enter the proper data, so I’ll give my friend Aaron a call to...

Andragogy is a noun that refers to the science of teaching adults. Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix A-N-D-R-A, which means ‘man’ or ‘adult’ with A-G-O-G-Y, which means ‘teaching.’ Just as pedagogy is generally used in a context to refer to teaching children, andragogy usually refers to teaching adults. I taught an adult education class a few years ago and I can tell that andragogy was...

Penetralia is a noun that refers to the innermost part. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word penetralis (pen ay TRAWL ace) which means ‘innermost.’ It’s where we get the word ‘penetrate.’ When we penetrate a place, we see the innermost part, or penetralia. As lovely as the castle looks on the outside, it’s even lovelier on the inside. The penetralia contains all kinds of exotic jewels.

Insolate is a verb that means to place in the sunlight. The Latin word sol (SOLE) refers to ‘the sun.’ From this, our word of the day gets its origin. To insolate something means to place it in sunlight. I tend to get a little lazy when it comes to taking care of my plants. Sometimes I go weeks where I forget to insolate them because I don’t always remember how important it is that they get sunlig...

Pendulous is an adjective that means hanging downward. The Latin word pendere (PEN dare ay) means ‘to hang.’ A pendulous item hangs — usually on its own. For example: During construction, that pendulous wrecking ball above the school has always made me uncomfortable. I’m afraid it will someday stop hanging and fall on the head of some unfortunate passerby.

Nutriment is a noun that refers to something that provides substance. The Latin word nutrire (new TREE ray) means ‘to nourish.’ It has given birth to such words as nutritious, nutrient,  nutritionist and our word of the day. Nutriment may refer to specific foods or it may refer more broadly to nutritious substance. For an example of the latter: Pizza may taste good, but it doesn't provide muc...

Vexatious is an adjective that means irritating or distressing. To vex someone is to trouble or distress them. This word comes from the Latin word vexere (VEX air ay) which means ‘to disturb’ or ‘agitate.’ Vexatious is the adjective version used to describe something or someone that disturbs or agitates. I hate to be vexatious during work hours, but I insist on having relaxing music playing in the...

Longevous is an adjective that means long-lived. Our word of the day gets its origin by combining two Latin words longus (LONE goose) which means ‘long’ and aevum (EYE voom) which means ‘age.’ My cousin has wanted to be an astronaut since he was five. While this never seemed like a realistic goal, I’ve always admired this longevous dream of his.

Ultima thule is a noun that refers to a distant, unknown region. Our word of the day is a combination of the Latin word Ultima (OOL team uh) which means ‘final’ and thula, a word of Greek origin that refers to ‘the northernmost region of the world.’ Ultima Thule does not refer to a specific location. It simply means any unknown, distant place. For example: When we found ourselves lost in the jungl...

Idiolect is a noun that refers to the language or speech unique to a particular person. Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix I-D-E-O, meaning ‘personalized’ with the suffix L-E-C-T, meaning ‘to speak.’ You could think of an idiolect as a personal dialect. I used to make all my classmates crack up when doing impressions of our teachers. It was always a great challenge to try to mimic each...

Kickshaw is a noun that refers to a fancy dish or delicacy. Our word of the day is from the French word quelque chose (KWEL a kay CHOSE ay) which means roughly ‘of what kind?” The word’s new meaning, ‘a fancy meal’ caught on soon after migrating to English. Back in my tiny home town, we weren’t used to much fine eating, but here in Manhattan we seem to enjoy a brand new kickshaw every night.

Pixilated is an adjective that means eccentric or whimsical. Our word of the day comes from the word pixie whose precise origin is unknown. But we do know that a pixie refers to a cheerful, mischievous sprite. A pixilated person is someone with a similar disposition. Our neighbor Jenny was a sweet lady with a pixilated personality. She had a habit of surprising us every year with a brand new snow...

Primogenitor is a noun that refers to one's earliest ancestor. Our word of the day is from Latin. It combines the word primo (PREE moe) which means ‘first’ with genitor (JEN ee tore) meaning ‘father.’ You could think of our word of the day as a synonym of forefather or ancestor, but unlike those words, primogenitor may be used to refer to the very first of one's ancestors. After much searching, we...

Impassible is an adjective that means incapable of suffering or of experiencing pain. The Latin word passio (POSS ee oh) translates roughly to ‘passion’ or ‘suffering.’ By adding the prefix I-M for ‘not,’ we get our word of the day which means ‘incapable of experiencing pain.’ Our English teacher Mr. Thorpe was so stoic and strong, he seemed impassible to us. But when he took a seat on a tack, we...

Boondoggle is a noun that refers to a wasteful or impractical project. The exact origin of our word of the day isn’t clear, but it was initially used by boy scouts to refer to a braided cord used as a neckerchief slide. It’s not known how the word came to have its other meaning, but it is also used to refer to a project that costs lots of money, but has little or no value. I had a feeling the offi...

Perorate is a verb that means to speak in a pompous way. Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix P-E-R meaning ‘through’ with orare (oh RAHR ay) which means ‘to speak.’ Together, perorate means to speak at great length. Speaking at great length is often done by people who may be considered pompous or arrogant. I was under the impression that Thomas must have had a medical degree, but I was w...

Estivate is a verb that means to spend the summer in one place. The Latin word aestus (ESS toos) means ‘hot.’ After migrating into English and evolving into our word of the day, it came to refer to summer. You could think of ‘estivate’ as the summer equivalent of ‘hibernate.’ I tend to get a little lazy when the temperatures reach the upper eighties. If I didn’t have to make a living I’d love to e...

Quid pro quo is a noun that refers to something given or received for something else. Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin words that mean ‘something for something.’ It is often used in a legal context to refer to bribery, but the word itself is morally neutral. It can imply a trade that is wrong or illegal — but not always. For example: I really wanted Ryan to build that treehouse fo...

Epicurean is an adjective that means devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. It’s also a noun that refers to a person who is devoted to living an epicurean life. Our word of the day is coined after an ancient Greek philosopher named Epicurus. He was known for stressing the importance of living a happy life. In time, his philosophy became simplified into a pursuit of pleasure — with an emphasis on the...