Word of the Day

Shamble is a verb that means to walk awkwardly or shuffle. It can also be used as a noun that refers to an awkward walk. The precise origin of our word of the day is unclear, but it may have been derived from the phrase ‘shamble legs’ which referred to the ungainly legs of tables used in the meat market. According to this theory the word was then picked up to describe the walk of a person whose le...

Goad is a verb that means to incite or arouse. It’s also a noun that means something that urges or stimulates into action. The roots of the word of the day are in Old English, where the word often referred to a spear or a pointed stick used to drive or ‘goad’ cattle. When we goad people in a figurative sense, we’re not using a stick, but we are impelling them into action just the same. I tried to...

Imbroglio is a noun that refers to a confused situation. Coming directly from Italian, our word of the day is often used to describe a messy or confusing scandal. For example: It’s not clear how the school board got caught up in this imbroglio, but it has not been helpful. A scandal of this proportion can only bring harm to its reputation.

Delectation is a noun that refers to delight or enjoyment. Our word of the day has evolved from the Latin word delectare (del eck TAR ay) which means ‘to allure, please or charm.’ You could think of delectation as a second cousin to the word delicious, which has the same root. Carmen was hoping to make a good impression on her new neighbors with her cooking skills. The delectations she shared...

Forbearance is a noun that refers to tolerance or patience. The word forbear, which is derived from Old English, means ‘to hold back’ or ‘refrain.’ Our word of the day is the noun that refers to what a person must have in order to forbear. It took a great deal of forbearance for Andrew to avoid eating sweets last month. That kind of patience is a very rare quality.

Incommode is a verb that means to disturb or inconvenience. The Latin word commodus (COMB moe doos) means convenient. By adding the prefix I-N, we get a word the means inconvenient. After taking on the form of a verb, our word of the day entered English in the late 16th century. I didn’t mean to incommode you, but I felt the phone call was important enough to disrupt the meeting.

Malefactor is a noun that refers to a person who does harm. Our word of the day combines male (MOLL ay) the Latin word for ‘bad’ or ‘evil,’ with factor, which is derived from facare (fuh CHAIR ay) the Latin word for ‘do.’ In combination, we get a word that refers to ‘an evildoer.’ We don’t yet know who stole that money intended for the orphanage. But once identified, the malefactor will be punishe...

Aposematic is an adjective that means serving as a warning or alarm. The Greek word sema (SEM uh) which refers to ‘a sign,’ provides the origin of our word of the day. Aposematic means a sign of danger or caution. When Sandra told us the inspector was on his way, nobody paid attention. But looking back those words probably had an aposematic significance.

Detente is a noun that refers to an easing of tensions between rivals. Our word of the the day comes directly from French where it refers to ‘a relaxation.’ When imported into English, the word came to refer to a relaxation of tension between nations or regions. In more recent years, it’s just as likely to have the same meaning, but applied to individuals. I sense there’s detente between Carly and...

Agrestic is an adjective that means rustic or related to the country. The Latin word agrestis (A GRES stis) meaning ‘a field,’ is the basis of words like agriculture and agrarian. It’s also the origin of our word of the day. May wife didn’t care for the simplicity of that country home we stayed in for two weeks, but personally, I found it had a lovely agrestic charm.

Educe is a verb that means to elicit or draw out something. Our word of the day has it’s origin in the Latin word educere (ed doo CHAIR ay) which means ‘to lead.’ After entering English, it’s meaning has evolved to mean ‘to draw out.’ My daughter is usually shy with strangers. But with an adorable magic trick, Marvin the Magnificent educed a giant smile from her.

Scrutator is a noun that refers to one who investigates or examines. The Latin word scrutari (screw TAR ee) means ‘to search or examine.’ Our word of the day shares this root with the word scrutinize. So it may help to think of a scrutator as ‘one who scrutinizes.’ If I had known we’d have a visiting scrutator to take a look at the carpet, I would done a better job of cleaning.

Peccadillo is a noun that refers to a slight offense. The Spanish word Pecado (pe COD oh) means sin. The addition of the suffix I-L-L-O, which means ‘little’ gives us a word that means ‘small sin.’ From there, peccadillo was directly imported into English. Aaron may not be concerned about the peccadillos from his past, but they may hurt his chances if he ever runs for office. All those tiny sins h...

Symbiotic is an adjective that means characterized by a cooperative, interdependent relationship. The Greek word symbiosis (sim be OH sis) is a noun that refers to ‘a living together.’ Our word of the day is the adjective version. It entered English in the late 19th century and was mainly used in a biological context. For example two animals with a mutually beneficial relationship were said to hav...

Sequacious is an adjective that means servile or subservient. A sequacious person is more like to follow than lead, so it makes sense that our word of the day would be derived of the Latin word sequi (SAY kwee) which means ‘to follow.’ Ralph tends to be surrounded by sequacious people. He seems to enjoy being tended to by servile individuals.

Mesmeric is an adjective that means fascinating or irresistible. Our word of the day comes from an 18th century Austrian physician named Franz Anton Mesmer. Mesmer was noted for his use hypnotic techniques. Mesmeric is a synonym of hypnotic, but it may also be used in a more subtle sense to mean ‘charming’ or ‘alluring.’ For example: Lydia’s mesmeric personality has played a big role in her succes...

Omnifarious is an adjective that means of all kinds or forms. Our word of the day combines the Latin omni (OHM knee) meaning ‘all’ and fariam (FAR ee um) meaning ‘parts.’ Something that is omnifarious contains all, or at least, many parts. The omnifarious breakfast tray at the office meeting was a great idea. Having a little something for everyone is a good way to make sure there are no arguments...

Cede is a verb that means to yield. The Latin word cedere (CHAY dare ay) meaning ‘to yield’ was often used in a legal sense. The word’s meaning and use remains much the same after evolving into our word of the day. But cede isn’t only used in legal contexts. A person can cede rights or property, but they can also cede a point, as in. I cede your point about the poor performance in our first five g...

Ataraxia is a noun that refers to a state of serene calmness. Our word of the day comes directly from Greek and has maintained the same definition for centuries. Ataraxy, ending with a Y instead of an I-A is a variation of the same word. Russ seems to have found a state of ataraxia in his life. His sense of calmness and serenity is evident to anyone who crosses his path.

Winnow is a verb that means to sift or separate. It’s also a noun that refers to a device used to winnow. Our word of the day has its origin in Old English, where it meant ‘to fan.’ It’s also related to the word ‘wind.’ It may hep to think of a gust of wind as winnowing through a stack of paper. The director needed to find a lead actor for his play by morning. So he had to winnow through a gi...

Connote is a verb that means to convey or imply. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word notare (no TAR ay) which means ‘to note’ or ‘to remark.’ When we connote something we indicate it, but without doing so directly. For example: Lately Terry’s clothes connote serious financial hardship — even if he has too much pride to openly admit he needs money.

Commensurate is an adjective that means equal in amount or extent. The Latin word mensura (men SUE ruh) means ‘to measure.’ By adding the prefix C-O-M, we get a word that means ‘measured together’ or ‘measured equally.’ All of Lydia’s employees received commensurate pay. She does that to ensure that no one is envious of anyone else’s salary.

Spate is a noun that refers to a large number or amount. Our word of the day is of Scottish and Northern English origin and dates back to the early 15th century, where it referred to a sudden flood. You could think of an abundance of something as a ‘sudden flood’ of that thing. The spate of cash we’ve had lately comes just in time. We were in desperate need of a lot money, and now, we have it.

Purlieu is a noun that refers to a surrounding area or an environment. In Medieval England, a perambulation was a name for a ceremony where a person took a walk around their property, with witnesses observing, to establish the boundaries of their land. Perambulate came from the Latin ambulare (om boo LAHR ay) meaning ‘to walk.’ Our word of the day is derived from perambulation and refers to the ar...

Avocation is a noun that refers to ‘a hobby.’ You may recognize the word ‘vocation’ — a synonym of ‘career’ — in our word of the day. This word evolved from the Latin vocare (vo CAR ay) which means ‘call’ as in ‘a calling.’ The addition of the prefix A gives us a word that means ‘a calling away’ from one career. My dad always felt it was important to have an avocation to be a well-rounded person....