Word of the Day

Cohere is a verb that means to be united. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word cohaerēre (koe hay RARE ay) which means ‘to stick together.’ In order for the company to function properly, each office must cohere in purpose. If we don’t stick together, we’ll never get anything done

Etesian is an adjective that means occurring every year. The Greek word etos (ETT ose) means year. From this we get our word of the day which first entered English in the early 17th century. These etesian inspections can really be a problem. One year is simply not enough time to get every part of our van in working order.

Pharisaical is an adjective that means hypocritical. Our word of the day is derived from the Pharisees, an ancient sect that was known among readers of the Bible for having a strict adherence to traditional law but a tendency to behave in pretentious, self-righteous ways. By the 17th century, the word pharisaical had come to English, having come from Greek through Aramaic. Like many politicians, t...

Luddite is a noun that refers to a person who avoids the use of new technology. It’s not certain which language our word of the day comes from but we know the term was first used to describe a group of textile mill workers in Nottingham, England in the early 19th century who rioted for the destruction of new machinery that was slowly replacing them. A man known as Ned Ludd seemed to be involved in...

Extenuate is a verb that means to lessen the severity of. The Latin word tenuare (TEN ooh are ay) means ‘to make thin.’ Combined with the prefix EX, we get the basis of our word of the day. Extenuate is often used in a legal context as in ‘extenuating circumstances,’ but you don’t need to be in a courtroom to find a use for it. For example: I didn’t think anything could extenuate the damage from t...

Deify is a verb that means to glorify or worship. The Latin word deus (DAY oos) means ‘god’ and the literal translation of our word of the day is ‘to make a god.’ But the word may be used in a lighter context to simply mean ‘elevate as if a god.’ The people of this town are enormous baseball fans. The day I hit three home runs, everyone wanted to deify me.

Sidereal is an adjective that means related to the stars. The Latin word sidus (SEE doos) means star. This is the origin of our word of the day. If you’ve ever heard the term sidereal time, you know that this phrase refers to a measurement of time based on a motion of the fixed stars. It was lovely to walk home in the sidereal glow of the evening. The light of the stars has always looked so beauti...

Puerile is an adjective that means childish or silly. Our word of the day traces its origin to the Latin word puer (POO air) meaning ‘boy’  or ‘child.’ Puerile is basically the adjective form of the word that means ‘like a child.’ But keep in mind that calling someone or something puerile is never a compliment, so think ‘childish’ not ‘childlike.’ I embarrassed myself at work by making a numb...

Nebbish is a noun that refers to a timid or submissive person. Our word of the day is one of many words that originated in Yiddish, a language that began as a German dialect with words from Hebrew and several modern languages. Nebbish has evolved from the word for ‘poor’ and ‘unfortunate.’ I was kind of a nebbish as a kid. I didn’t have the courage to stand up for myself at all.

Mephitic is an adjective that means foul-smelling. Our word of the day has its origin in Latin, where the word mephitis (MEH fit iss) means ‘noxious vapor.’ It is also personified as a goddess believed to have the power to avert it. Today mephitis retains its original meaning and mephitic may be used to describe something related to mephitis or it may be used more broadly to refer to anything foul...

Paean is a noun that means a tribute or thing that expresses enthusiastic praise. According to Greek mythology, Paean was the physician to the gods. The word later came to refer to hymns that were sung to praise the gods. More recently it is used to refer to any tribute — musical or otherwise. The article about the football team was really a paean to its head coach. It praised him for his guidance...

Hegemony is a noun that refers to a dominance or authority over others. The Greek word hēgeisthai (hee GAYE sty) is a verb that means ‘to lead.’ By the mid-16th century the word had been imported into English where it referred to the control once wielded by the ancient Greek states and, in later centuries it was reapplied to other nations that rose to power. In contemporary use, hegemony may refer...

Phalanx is a noun that refers to an organized body of persons. Our word of the day comes directly from Greek where it refers to an infantry of soldiers. More recently it simply refers to a large group of people, usually a group that is united for a singular purpose. The police were intimidated by the phalanx of protesters at the school. A large body of people determined to get change can frighten...

Aeolian is an adjective that means related to or caused by the wind. The Greek god Aeolus is the god of the winds. From this we get our word of the day which may refer either to something caused by the wind or in some way connected to the wind. The windstorm made a huge mess in my backyard last night. All that Aeolian chaos is terrible for my garden.

Cerebrate is a verb that means to use the mind or reason. You may recognize the Latin derived ‘cerebrum — a synonym of ‘brain’ — as cerebrate’s root word. Our word of the day simply adds the suffix ATE to indicate a state or function. It’s hard to cerebrate with all the noise going on outside. I’ll need more quiet if I hope to put my mind to use.

Achates is a noun that refers to a faithful friend. Our word of the day comes from an epic poem called Aeneid. In the story, Achates accompanies a Trojan leader named Aeneas everywhere in his adventures. Prior to being featured in the poem by Vergil, both characters originated in Greek mythology. When trying out a new standup comedy routine, I like to rehearse it in front of an Achates or two. Onl...

Prandial is an adjective that means related to a meal. The Latin word prandium (PRAHN dee oom) means breakfast. In time it came to refer to any meal. The company outlawed any more prandial meetings. The employees tend to eat so much they run up an outrageously large bill.

Affranchise is a verb that means to set free. You may recognize ‘franchise’ as the root of our word of the day. It comes from the Latin word franc (fronk) meaning ‘free.’ With the addition of the prefix A — which means ‘to’ — it becomes a transitive verb that means something done to someone, as in: After watching a documentary on animal cruelty, Amy affranchised her chickens. Setting them free aft...

Disport is mainly used as a verb that means to divert or amuse, but less commonly, it can be a noun that refers to a sport. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin portare (poor TAR ay) meaning ‘to carry.’ From here, the word picked up the prefix DIS and became disport which meant ‘to carry away,’ ‘comfort’ or ‘entertain.’ This versatile word can refer to a pastime, but in that sense it has...

Lineament is a noun that refers to a distinctive feature -- especially on the face. Linea (LIN ee ah) comes from Latin and means ‘line.’ Keep in mind that a ‘line’ may refer to a straight line or an outline with curves and features that stand out — just as a distinctive nose may stand out in the contour of a person’s face. With his giant chin, it wasn’t difficult to identify Jake after all these y...

Sedulous is an adjective that means involving great effort and perseverance. Our word of the day is evolved from the Latin words se dolus (say DOE loose) which mean ‘without guile.’ Over time this evolved into a single word sedulo (say DOO low) meaning ‘diligently’ or ‘sincerely.’ Marcy is a great asset to the company. She’s a sedulous employee who works long and hard to make sure she gets things...

Asperity is a noun that refers to roughness. The Latin word asper (AHH spur) means rough. This word took a lengthy journey through Anglo-French and Middle English and still exists today. It can be found nestled into words like exasperate as well as our word of the day. My father survived a great deal of asperity before he succeeded in life, but he feels that his rough path to prosperity has given...

Precatory is an adjective that means expressing a wish. Precari (pray CAR ee) is the Latin word that means ‘to pray.’ Over time, it has evolved into our word of the day, which is often used in a legal context to indicate something that is desired but not legally binding like a ‘precatory dress code’ in the workplace. It may also be similarly used in an everyday context: My precatory plans were for...

Oenophile is a noun that refers to a lover of wine. The Greek word for wine oinos (EE nosse) provides roughly half of our word of the day’s origin. The rest is PHILE a suffix of Latin descent that means ‘lover of.’ Rhonda was one of the most knowledgeable oenophiles I’ve ever met. Not only did have a great wine to recommend to me, but she was aware of that wine’s history. Oenophile is spelled OENO...

As a noun, clarion refers to a medieval musical instrument or the clear, shrill noise it makes. As an adjective it means loud and clear. A clarion is a musical instrument known for making a clear, shrill sound. Its name comes from the Latin word clarus (KLAR oos) meaning clear. The sale on winter gloves was a clarion call to me. I understood perfectly well the need to make sure my hands were fully...