Word of the Day

The word is sometimes shortened to malaprop, which is spelled MALAPROP. Malapropism is a noun that refers to a humorously misused word or phrase. Our word of the day has its origin in a 1775 play called The Rivals. It featured a character named Mrs. Malaprop who had a habit of verbal blunders, such as: ‘He is the very pineapple of politeness.’ The play’s writer, Richard Sheridan created the name f...

Aurorean is an adjective that means of or belonging to the dawn. Fans of Roman mythology may know that Aurora was the Roman Goddess of the dawn. The word aurora still refers to this time in the morning. Our word of the day is an adjective that refers to anything related to the dawn. The early mornings in this town are stunning. I could stare at the aurorean glow across for several minutes.

Expiate is a verb that means to make amends for. Our word of the day began life with the Latin word expiare, which means ‘to atone for.’ Before arriving in contemporary English, it had other meanings. Shakespeare (and others in his time) used the word to mean ‘to put an end to.’ But more recently, expiate is typically used in a context related to guilt or guilty behavior. For example: Tom felt gui...

Scandent is an adjective that means climbing or ascending. Coming from the Latin word scandere (SCON dare ay) meaning ‘to climb,’ our word of the day is frequently used to describe plants like vines that climb while growing. But it may also be used figuratively. For example:  in all my years in law, I’ve never met anyone more ambitious and eager to reach the top of the legal world as Laura. W...

Cordate is an adjective that means heart-shaped. The Latin word cordi (CORE dee) means heart. Keep in mind that a cordate object is not shaped like an actual heart, but is instead shaped like the perfectly symmetrical image we see, for example, represented on valentine’s day cards. When I was in a more romantic mood, I thought a cordate tattoo on my forearm would be nice. But more recently I think...

Bon vivant is a noun that refers to a person who enjoys the good things in life. Our word of the day comes to us directly from the French, where its literal translation is ‘good liver,’ as in ‘one who lives well.’ In particular, a bon vivant is someone with refined tastes in food and drink. As a teenager, I thought of myself as something of a bon vivant, but I now realize I was mistaken. Knowing w...

Reprehend is a verb that means to voice disapproval of. The Latin word hendere (HEN dare ay) means ‘to seize’ or ‘to grasp.’ Our word of the day combines this with the prefix RE, which means ‘back’ and PRE meaning ‘before.’ I don’t like to be judgmental about my daughter’s taste in music. But when I heard that nonsense coming from the stereo in her bedroom, I felt compelled to reprehend her choice...

Basilic is an adjective that means royal or of great importance. The Greek word basilikḗ (BAH seal eek) means ‘royal building.’ As the word evolved through Latin and French, it retained the same basic meaning. To this day, a basilica may refer to a giant church. Our word of the day has a broader meaning that may refer to anything of giant significance. Our boss is constantly reminding us of the ba...

Euchre is a verb that means to cheat or trick. The precise etymology of our word of the day is not known, but we do know it was, and is, the name of a card game in which a person has to win three tricks to win a hand. Those who dishonestly prevent someone from winning three tricks are cheating. From this origin, comes euchre’s definition of ‘to swindle.’ That guy I met at the racetrack, seemed tru...

Distend is a verb that means to extend or stretch. The Latin word tendere (TEN dare ay) means ‘to stretch.’ By combining it with the prefix ‘DIS’ meaning ‘apart,’ we get the basis for our word of the day. Distend may be used in a medical context to refer to, for example, ‘a distended finger,’ or it can refer to something a person does, as in: I would like to distend our tent so that all five peopl...

Repletion is a noun that refers to the condition of being filled to excess. Repletion comes from the Latin repletionem (rep play TONE aim) meaning ‘to fill.’ While the word has retained this definition, it has over the years, acquired the additional meaning of ‘a state of being filled to excess.’ This is true whether the ‘filled’ object is a room or a belly, as in ‘I can’t recall ever feeling the...

Officious is an adjective that means meddlesome or overly eager to offer unwanted advice. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the Latin word ‘officiosus (oh fish ee OH soos) meaning ‘obliging’ or ‘eager to serve.’ But in more recent centuries, officious has also come to mean ‘doing more than is asked or expected’ or ‘meddlesome.’ An example of the second meaning is: Larry is a great ass...

Desuetude is a noun that means discontinuance from use or exercise. Our word of the day is a distant relative of the Latin verb suescere (sue ay SHARE ay) meaning ‘to accustom.’ With the prefix DE — which means ‘away’ — the word later evolved to mean ‘a state of not being used.’ Desuetude is a synonym of disuse, but its more ‘old world’ sound may make it a more appropriate word when you need somet...

Celerity is a noun that refers to swiftness or speed. The Latin word celer (SAY lare) means ‘swift’ or ‘speedy.’ Its distant relative, celerity is best used in a context that refers to the speed of motion. For example: I always suspected Susan would have the necessary skills to be a great basketball player. The celerity of her movements are perfect for the sport.

Probative is an adjective that means done for the purpose of testing or trying. Probative is derived from the Latin word probare (pro BAR ay) meaning ‘to prove’ or ‘to test.’ Depending on its context, it can either be a synonym of exploratory or it can mean ‘intending to confirm.’ An example of the first meaning would be: After our probative additions to the menu, we determined that our customers...

Rebus is a noun that refers to a representation of a word using pictures or symbols. In Latin, rebus is the plural of res (RACE) meaning ‘thing’ or ‘object.’ This later came to refer to the objects that appear in ancient writing such as hieroglyphics. But it may also refer to more recent puzzle games where players try to guess a word by glancing at objects. Being a very visual person, I love playi...

Derogate is a verb that means to belittle or disparage. Derogate’s roots are similar to that of the word derogatory, which means ‘showing a critical or disrespectful attitude.’ Both words are derived from the Latin derogare (dare oh GAR ay) meaning ‘to detract.’ But derogate is a more appropriate word when looking for a verb instead of an adjective. For example: I hope Lester didn’t feel I was try...

Brio is a noun that means enthusiasm or vigor. Our word of the day is what is known as a loan word, meaning ‘a word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification.’ Brio is from Italian, and in English it maintains its meaning of ‘vivacity’ or ‘enthusiasm.’ The band director felt I my performance was flat and unenthusiastic. He encouraged me to bring more brio into my playing.

Herculean is an adjective that means requiring great strength. Those familiar with Greek mythology may have heard of the son of Zeus named Hercules known for his extraordinary strength. Our word of the day is often used to describe a task that requires such extraordinary strength, for example: I wasn’t prepared for how heavy Martha’s harp was. After trying to lift it, I soon discovered what a herc...

Endogenous is an adjective that means originating from within. The Greek prefix E-N-D-O means ‘from within.’ And Genous (JEN ose) means ‘producing.’ Endogenous is frequently — but not exclusively — used in a scientific or medical context. The patient didn’t seem to pick up the illness from any outside sources. So we surmised that an endogenous virus was the cause.

Atrophy is a noun that refers to a wasting away. It can also serve as a verb that means ‘to waste away.’ The literal translation of our word of the day, from the Greeks is ‘lack of nourishment.’ But in more recent years, atrophy often takes on a more metaphorical meaning that has nothing to do with actual food. A person’s muscles can atrophy if they haven’t been used for a while and the same...

Excursus is a noun that refers to a digression on a particular point. From Latin, we get the word excurrere (EKS coo air ay) which refers to a digression. Our word of the day has undergone a number of changes, but its meaning remains the same. Don’t be put off by the formal sound of excursus. It’s a perfect word to use when talking about something written or expressed by a formal lecturer or write...

Inveterate is an adjective that means stubbornly established by habit. The Latin word vetus (VAY toos) means ‘old.’ In the past, our word of the day was simply a synonym of ‘long-standing’ or ‘old,’ but in more recent years, its meaning has shifted to refer to something that remains around because of habit. Shaking hands when meeting someone is an inveterate gesture in our society. But the centuri...

De rigueur is an adjective that means required by custom or etiquette. Coming directly from French, de rigueur’s literal translation is ‘of strictness,’ but a better way to understand it is to think of it as meaning ‘according to obligation or convention.’ There was a time when wearing a hat in public was de rigueur for men. There was really no reason for this except for social custom.

Devolve is a verb that means to transfer or be passed on to another. Our word of the day is often thought of as the opposite of the word evolve, and it is true that, like evolve, its origin is in the Latin word volvere (VOL vair ay) meaning ‘rolling.’ The addition of the prefix D-E, meaning ‘down’ gets us a word that means ‘rolling down.’ So devolve may mean ‘to degenerate through change or evolut...