Word of the Day

Lucent is an adjective that means clear or glowing with light. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word lucēre (LOO chair ray) which means ‘to shine.’ Although, it may refer literally to light or a glowing, it can also be used metaphorically as a synonym of clear. Tommy’s lucent explanation of the situation helped me understand things better. He made it clear that we needed to act soon.

Prudential is an adjective that means exercising good judgement. Behavior that be labelled prudential is usually wise and containing foresight. So it makes sense that our word of the day’s origin is from prudentia (proo DENSE ee uh) the Latin word for ‘foreseeing.’ Carly’s prudential guidance has played a giant role in making this company what it is. We needed someone capable of making wise judgem...

Redbrick is an adjective that means working class or lacking prestige. Our word of the day combines the two common English words, ‘red’ and ‘brick’ in reference to a kind of material used to construct buildings. Because redbrick is a more recent development, it means that a building created from it lacks the prestige of an older building. It is most commonly used to refer to less prestigious colle...

Sycophant is a noun that refers to a flatterer or someone who is servile. The Greek word sykophantēs (seek oh FANT ace) meant slanderer. Over time this word evolved into sycophant and its meaning has evolved as well. In recent years, it’s come to be defined as a subserviant person who flatters for personal gain. So someone who flatters just for the sake of being nice can’t truly be considered a sy...

Pickwickian is an adjective that means innocent or naive. In the 19th century Charles Dickens novel, the Pickwick Papers, the character named Samuel Pickwick was noted for having a childlike naivete. In the novel, he gets hoodwinked by conmen and imposters. Try not be so pickwickian in your dealings with the Senate. If your approach is too innocent, you can wind up getting taken to the cleaners.

Contumacious is an adjective that means stubbornly disobedient. The origin of contumacious is contumax (con TOO mocks) the Latin word for rebellious. In a legal context it can also refer to the charge ‘contempt of court.’ Our word of the day is also used in legal contexts. Its uses can be flexible, but contumacious usually sounds best in a legal or formal context. The doctor’s patient behaved in a...

Interdict is a verb that means to prohibit or stop. It can also be used as a noun that refers to a prohibition. Our word of the day is of Latin origin. It combines the prefix I-N-T-E-R, meaning ‘between’ and dicere, (DEE chair ay) meaning ‘to say’ or ‘to speak.’ In the past, anyone guilty of violating an interdict was subject to being cut off from having privileges from or attending, the Catholic...

Propinquity is a noun that means nearness or proximity. The Latin word prope (PRO pay) which means ‘near’ has given birth to our word of the day and its cousin ‘proximity.’ Propinquity is the older member of the family, having entered English in the 14th century. Both words are roughly translated to ‘nearness’ but propinquity often conveys a sense of being closer than just ‘in the vicinity’ which...

Imprecation is a noun that refers to a curse. The Latin word precari (pray CAR ee) means ‘to pray, ask or request.’ The addition of the prefix I-N gets us a word that can be thought of as the opposite of a prayer — in other words, a curse. The word be used to describe the actions of a figure like a witch or a warlock, but it can also be used more informally. For example: Brenda may have smiled whe...

Panoply is a noun that refers to a magnificent or impressive array. The Greek word panoplia (pan oh PLEE uh) referred the full set of armor worn by Greek infantry guards. It combined the prefix PAN, meaning ‘all’ with hopla (HOPE la) meaning ‘armor.’ By the 17th century the word had entered the English language and its meaning had extended to mean ‘a full set’ of something that may or may not have...

Dexterous is an adjective that means skillful or adroit. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word dexter (DECKS ter) meaning ‘on the rights side.’ Because most people are right-handed and do things more skillfully with the right hand, the word dexterous came to be a synonym of ‘skillful.’ I love watching Amy’s dexterous work on the balance beam. It’s lovely to see that kind of skill.

Phlegmatic is an adjective that means having a calm, composed temperament. You may recognize the word phlegm, as in the bodily fluid, in our word of the day. It turns out there is a connection. So how did phlegm come to be associated with a synonym of ‘calm’ and ‘stoic?’ The answer goes back to the ancient Greeks. They believed that human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids called...

Cadge is a verb that means to beg. The linguistic origin of cadge is not known for certain, but we do know that in the 1400s, peddlers who were called cadgers travelled the British countryside with horses and carts. By the 1800s the term was often used to describe people who were beggars posing as peddlers. I hate having to cadge money from my brother. He always makes me feel bad for having to bed...

Gainly can be an adjective that means graceful. It can also be used as an adverb that means very or completely. Originating in Middle English, the word gain has many meanings. Among other things it can mean ‘to win.’ You can think of gainly as a synonym of ‘winning’ as in, a ‘winning personality.’ Sheila’s gainly demeanor will get her far in life. Everyone loves to be in the company of someon...

Tweedy is an adjective that means academic or scholarly. Tweed is a fabric whose name is of Scots origin. Because tweed is commonly worn by academics, our word of the day came to be a term to describe academics or anything associated with them. You didn’t exactly conjugate that word properly. Sorry to come across tweedy, but as a former college professor, correcting people’s grammar is a habi...

Wieldy is an adjective that means easily handled or managed. To wield something means to ‘hold’ or ‘use’ it. It is related to the German word Walten (VI uh un). Once again, wieldy is spelled WIELDY. You may recognize our word of the day as the positive variation of the word unwieldy. I like how wieldy this tool box is. It’s much easier to carry around than the others I’ve used in the past.

Overslaugh is a verb that means to pass over in favor of another. Less commonly, it can also be used as a noun that refers to an exemption from duty from the British armed forces. Our word of the day originated in Dutch. The word overslaan (OVE er Shlan) means ‘to skip.’ I think it may be best to overslaugh Henry. I know he’s been with the company the longest, but the newer employees are so much b...

Acarpous is an adjective that means sterile  or not producing fruit. Karpos (CAR pose) is the Greek word for fruit. The addition of the prefix A turns it into ‘fruitless.’ Our word of the day may refer to actual food but it may be used to mean any living creature that produces no offspring. It may also be used metaphorically to mean ‘unproductive’ or ‘futile.’ For example: The purpose of...

Hermetic is an adjective that means airtight or not affected by outside influence. In Greek mythology, Hermes was the god of science and art. So it makes sense that the scientific discovery of an airtight tube would be credited to him. The word Hermetic is named for him. The word is generally used in a scientific context, but it can also be used more informally as in: if we don’t want the milk to...

Crestfallen is an adjective that means dispirited or humiliated. Our word of the day began life in the late 16th century, originating with a reference to a mammal or bird having a fallen or drooping crest. An animal’s crest refers to its head. Having a drooping head is an indication that an animal — or person — is dejected. The loss left Harold crestfallen for weeks. You wouldn’t think the results...

Sanguine is an adjective that means cheerfully optimistic. It can also be an adjective that means consisting of or related to blood or a noun that refers to a moderate to strong red. The Latin word for blood is sanguis (SAN gwis). From this we get the meaning of ‘blood red’ or ‘related to blood’ as well as our word of the day’s other meaning ‘marked by eager hopefulness.’ In spite of the earl...

Conduce is a verb that means to lead to a particular result. The origin of our word of the day is from the Latin word conducere (cone do CHAIR ay) which means to conduct. I used to smoke six packs a day until I started making an effort to live healthier. Once I realized that smoking doesn’t conduce to a healthy life, I stopped.

Sui generis is an adjective that means of its own kind or unique. Our word of the day is a phrase taken directly from Latin. Its literal translation is ‘of its own kind.’ It’s used to describe people or things that are one of a kind. Max may have had others who looked a lot like him, but when it came to playing his guitar, he was truly Sui generis.

Syncretic is an adjective that means combining different forms of belief or practice. The Greek word synkrētismos (sink ray TISS mos) refers to a federation of Cretan states. By the 19th century, its offspring syncretic had entered English. Although frequently used in a religious context, it may also refer to music, cultures or anything else characterized by a melding of more than one tradition. T...

Vitiate is a verb that means to corrupt or make ineffective. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word vitium (VEE tyoom) which means ‘fault’ or ‘moral flaw.’ It shares this root with words like ‘vicious’ and ‘vice.’ But it's not always used in a moral context. For example: For me that awful pie fight scene really vitiates the movie. From that point on, I could not overlook the movie’s fl...