Word of the Day

Errant is an adjective that means straying outside the proper path. The Latin word Ire (EAR ay) means ‘to go.’ In time this word evolved and became the English word for ‘straying.’ Errant can mean ‘behaving in an improper manner’ or it can simply mean to ‘wander about.’ I love taking a stroll along the creek, but if you’re not careful, it’s easy to find yourself traveling down an errant path. All...

Exemplum is a noun that refers to a model or an example. Our word of the day comes directly from Latin where it means ‘model’ as in: As far as I’m concerned Carol is an exemplum of wisdom. Not only does she always know what to say, but she understands that sometimes, a person shouldn’t say anything at all.

Calefacient is an adjective that means making warmth. Our word of the day combines the Latin words for ‘be warm’ and ‘make.’ In addition to being used as an adjective to mean ‘produce warmth,’ calefacient can also be used as a noun that refers to something that produces warmth. An example of the word as an adjective is: When someone is suffering from heat loss that bad, they desperately need a cal...

Agitprop is a noun that refers to propaganda distributed through art. Our word of the day comes from the Russian word that refers to ‘the agitation propaganda committee of the Communist Party.’ Today, agitprop may be used to refer to art with a political agenda of any kind. I wasn’t expecting agitprop when I took my ten-year-old to see a puppet show. But those furry little puppets sure h...

Devoir is a noun that refers to a duty or responsibility. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word debere (day BEAR ay) which means ‘to owe.’ A devoir is something we owe to a person or group of people. I suppose I didn’t have to offer Elizabeth my coat after it had gotten cold, but I felt I needed to do my devoir as a gentleman.

Facile is an adjective that means easily accomplished or attained. The Latin word facilis (fa CHEEL ees) means ‘easy to do.’ The word has retained more-or-less the same meaning after being imported into English. At first I thought sorting the files would be a facile task, but I was wrong. It wound up being the most difficult part about working in the accounting department.

Clodhopper is a noun that refers to a clumsy and uncouth pumpkin. Coming from Middle English, the word ‘clod’ referred to an unsophisticated person. The word was soon extended to refer to the kinds of shoes often worn by country folks. I like Bobby Joe a lot, but when I first met him he came across like a clodhopper. That thick Alabama accent and those tattered overalls didn’t exactly make him app...

Apostate is a noun that refers to a person who abandons a group for another allegiance. The Greek word aphistastha (ah FEAST uh thigh) means ‘revolt.’ Early on, it was used mainly in a religious context to refer to someone revolting against a particular church or religion. In more recent years,  it’s used to refer to someone who abandons any kind of group or organization to make an allegiance...

Polyhistor is a noun that refers to a person of great or wide learning. Our word of the day comes from Greek. The prefix P-O-L-Y means ‘much’ or ‘many,’ while histor (HE store) means ‘expert’ or ‘learned.’ Keep in mind that a polyhistor isn’t just a very smart person, but a person very smart on a number of wide-ranging topics. If I had known Janet was such a polyhistor, I wouldn’t have challenged...

Spendthrift is a noun that refers to a person who spends money wastefully. Our word of the day combines the words ‘spend’ and ‘thrift’ to mean someone who spends their money in an irresponsible, reckless way. I wouldn’t have given my nephew so much money for his birthday if I’d known what a spendthrift he was. After he got done buying news shoes and a new suit, and new laptop, he had nothing left...

Salutary is an adjective that means beneficial or useful. The Latin word salus (SOL oose) means ‘health.’ Depending on the context, our word of the day may mean ‘promoting health.’ Or it may be used more broadly to describe anything helpful or beneficial. The first tech guy gave us lots of advice for repairing our computers, but in the end none of his advice was salutary. We had no choice but to f...

Indigent is an adjective that means suffering from extreme poverty. The Latin word indigēre (in dee JAIR ay) means ‘to need.’ Our word of the day describes someone who is very much in need. If I had known about Max’s indigent state, I would have offered to help. But his pride prevented him from letting anyone know how much in need he was.

Gregarious is an adjective that means sociable or outgoing. Our word of the day is often used to describe a friendly, extroverted person who is good in groups or flocks of people. So it makes sense that its root word Gregis (GREJ ees) is Latin for ‘sheep.’ We also find traces of the word Gregis in words like ‘congregate,’ ‘aggregate’ or ‘segregate,’ but while these words can be negative or positiv...

Sententious is an adjective that means given to using aphoristic sayings. The Latin word sententia (sen TENSE ee uh) refers to ‘a thought’ or ‘expression.’ A sententious person is someone who relies heavily on the use of short, pithy aphorisms like ‘life is what you make it’ or ‘it’s about the journey, not the destination.’ In some contexts, calling someone sententious can be a compliment. It can...

Landloper is a noun that refers to a vagrant or vagabond. Our word of the day combines the word ‘land’ with ‘loper,’ a word of Dutch origin that means ‘runner.’ A person referred to as a landloper doesn’t necessarily run all the time, but they wander the land without a permanent home. Sometimes I get so sick of paying this outrageously high rent that I consider becoming a landloper. Sure, roaming...

Acclamation is a noun that refers to a loud, enthusiastic welcome. The word acclaim comes from the Latin word acclamare (ock la MARE ay) which means ‘to cry out at.’ When a group of people make an acclamation, they are crying out in approval of someone or something. For example: I had no idea our band was so popular on the local scene until I heard the acclamation greeting us when we entered the r...

Blunderbuss is an adjective that means a frequently blundering person. Our word of the day sometimes refers to a firearm with a short muzzle. The word is derived from the Dutch word for ‘thunder.’ But blunderbuss can also refer to a person prone to many blunders, for example: I don't think it’s such a good idea to leave Tim in charge of the cash register this weekend. Knowing what a blunderbuss he...

Canting is an adjective that means pious or righteous. The word cant, C-A-N-T — without the apostrophe — refers to the insincere use of pious words. A person who is frequently expressing cant could be called hypocritical or self-righteous or: canting. When my canting uncle went on and on this Thanksgiving about his views on war I reached the point where I couldn’t take any more. If there’s one thi...

Enliven is a verb that means to cheer up or animate. Our word of the day combines the prefix E-N, which means ‘to make or put in’ with L-I-V-E, which, of course, means ‘life.’ It’s possible to enliven a person by cheering them up. But it’s also possible to enliven an inanimate object by metaphorically ‘bringing it to life,’ for example: Shelly’s paintings really enliven her apartment. When you don...

Allocution is a noun that refers to a formal speech. Our word of the day’s origin is with the word allocū (ah LO coo) which is Latin for ‘address.’ Allocution is best used in a formal context. Cathy’s allocution was quite elegant. Her ability to express herself in a somber, formal occasion is admirable.

Carte blanche is a noun that refers to unrestricted authority. Our word of the day comes directly from the French term for ‘blank document.’ In this case, a blank document refers to something that gives someone unchecked power. The director thought it might be a good idea to have our play Much Ado about Nothing performed entirely by dogs. It may not have been a good idea to give Arnie carte blanch...

Somnific is an adjective that means causing sleep. The origin of our word of the day is in the Latin word somni (SOAM nee) which means ‘sleep.’ If something is somnific it has a calming effect and could put you into a slumber. Charolette’s lovely voice can be sleep-inducing. After a few minutes of listening to her, I’m headed for the nearest pillow.

Sufferance is a noun that refers to patient endurance. Our word of the day’s origin is in the  Latin word sufferre (soo FAIR ay) which means to ‘endure’ or ‘to submit to.’ A person with a great deal of sufferance has an ability to submit to a lot. I have great sympathy for Charles and all he’s had to endure. His sufferance after the accident is something he should be very proud of.

Parisiology is a noun that refers to the use of ambiguous language. The Greek word parisos (PAR ee sose) means ‘evenly balanced,’ and the suffix O-L-O-G-Y denotes something related to words. To evenly balance your words is one way to keep your language unclear or ambiguous. After the investigation began, the mayor had some tough questions to answer. Fortunately, as a lawyer, he’s very good at...

Sodality is a noun that refers to brotherhood or community. The Latin word sodalis (so DOLL ees) means ‘comrade’ or ‘companion.’ A sodality refers to a companionship between many people. the word is frequently used to refer to people whose companionship is of a religious kind. For example: After many years away, it felt great to rejoin my friends in church. I missed the sodality between us.