Word of the Day

Polysemy is a noun that means possibility of many meanings for a word. Our word of the day has a fairly recent origin. It combines the Greek prefix ‘poly’ for ‘many’ and the Greek ‘simadi’ (see MA dee) meaning ‘sign.’  I encourage my students to use simple words in their writing. Polysemy can often cause unintended ambiguity.

Bevy is a noun that refers to a large gathering of people or things of a particular kind.  The precise origin of bevy is unknown, but it came to refer to a group of birds — especially quail — just as a ‘pack’ refers to a group of wolves. It may also refer to a group of people, for example: I was stunned by the bevy of movie stars I saw at the party that night. I’d never seen such a breathtaki...

Aplomb is a noun that means self-confidence.  Aplomb comes from French, where it means, ‘according to a plumb line.’ A plumb line refers to a line dipped into water to determine the water level. It is steady and solid — just like a person with aplomb.  Diana’s unwavering aplomb was a great source of comfort for us. Because she didn’t lack confidence, neither did we.

Ameliorate is a verb that means to make something better.  The French word meilleur (me YARE) beans ‘better.’ This is where our word of the day comes from. Ameliorated is often, but not always, used in a medical context. When I was ill, I found that chicken soup ameliorated my cold. With every sip, I could feel my symptoms slowly fade away.

Swimmingly is an adverb that means smoothly or without problems.  The Dutch word zvem (ZVEM) is where we get swim from, but how do we get from that to a synonym of smoothly? Swimming suggests gliding motions and that suggests smooth or without problems.  Everything was going swimmingly with our experiment until the beaker exploded. After that, we had some serious problems.

Belie is a verb that means to fail to give a true impression of. In Old English the word Leogan (LEE oh gan) means to lie. It’s basically an ancestor of the current word ‘lie.’ To belie something means to make something untrue or a lie.  Ross’ brand new wardrobe belies his claims of financial hardship. There’s no way a poor person could afford such extravagant clothes. 

Variegated is an adjective that means exhibiting different colors.  The Latin word varius (VAR ee oos) means various, and it’s given birth to many words like variety, varied, and of course, variegated. The term is frequently used by botanists to describe leaves that contain multiple colors, but there’s a wide variety of ways our word of the day may be used. If you ask me, Troy’s car looks a l...

Animus is a noun that refers to hostility or ill will.  Our word of the day comes directly from Latin, but the word has shifted meaning a little. In Latin animus (AHN ee moos) means spirit or soul. Once imported to English, animus came to mean hostility or ill feeling.  It’s unlikely that Larry harbors any animus toward me. He doesn’t seem like the type to be angry over such a minor affa...

Sillage is a noun that refers to a scent that lingers in the air.  Sillage comes directly from French where it means ‘trail,’ but unlike ‘trail’ which has a broader meaning, our word of the day almost always refers to a scent.  Finding my old lucky horseshoe in the basement wasn’t difficult. I just had to follow that unmistakable sillage of rusted metal.

Coterie is a verb that means an inner circle or clique.  In Middle Low German the word kote (KOE tuh) refers to an association of tenants. Over the years the word’s definition has broadened to mean an association of just about anyone, but usually with the implication of exclusivity.  Those guys seemed to enjoy having me around, but I never felt a part of their coterie. I guess I just was...

Stentorian is an adjective that means loud or powerful in sound. Our word of the day is one of many words that have its origin in Greek mythology. In the classic work known of The Iliad, Stentor was the herald, or bringer of news, for the Greek forces. He was noted for his loud, thunderous voice. I had a feeling James wouldn’t work out as a kindergarten teacher. Something about his stentorian...

Nonpereil is an adjective that means without equal.  In French, the prefix non simply means ‘not’ and pareil means ‘equal.’ Together they refer to a person or a thing that is without equal.  Any comparisons between this grilled cheese sandwich and any others is pointless. This grilled sandwich is simply nonpereil.

Oeuvre is a noun that means the collective works of an artist. Oeuvre comes directly from the French word for ‘work.’ It's often used by art or movie critics when describing the entire output of an artist.  That director’s latest film left me cold. But that doesn’t change my admiration of his oeuvre as a whole.

Vilipend is a verb that means to treat as worthless. Vilis (VY lis) is the Latin word for worthless. When combined with pendo (PEN doe), the Latin word for ‘considered,’ we get a word that means ‘considered or treated as if it has no worth.’  Please don’t vilipend my friend for the mistakes he has made. In spite of his sloppy work, he is a valuable employee.

Truepenny is a noun that refers to an honest person.  Truepenny is a portmanteau word that combines ‘true’ and ‘penny’ to give us a word for something genuine. A true penny, of course, refers to a coin that is exactly as it appears.  I had my doubts about Erica’s agent when we first met. But after dealing with her for many years, I can see her for the true penny she is.

Taradiddle is a noun that means a petty lie.  Jeremy Diddler was a character from an early 19th century play called Raising the Wind. From that we get the word diddle, which means to swindle. The significance of TARA added to the word is not clear, but we do know that a taradiddle is less lethal than a diddle.  Susan’s excuse about having to work on the day I needed her help annoyed me a...

Inveigle is a verb that means to persuade by deception or flattery. In Old French, the word aveugle (AH vug) meant ‘to blind.’ Our word of the day has a broader meaning than ‘to blind,’ but it must be remembered that to persuade someone through deception or flattery is to blind them.  I got the feeling the salesman was trying to inveigle me into a higher price. Every time I asked about the ca...

Compunction is a noun that means guilt or remorse.  The Latin word pungere (POON Jay ray) means ‘to prick.’ This was combined with C-O-M, a suffix that implies excessive force. That gave us compungere (com poon JAY ray) which meant ‘to prick sharply.’ It may help to think of compunction as a sharp prick or stab at one’s conscience.  Terry was tempted to use the handicapped parking sticke...

Venial is an adjective that means slight or pardonable.  The word venia (VEN ee uh) is Latin for forgiveness. Our word of the day is pretty much always used to refer to a sin or mistake. A venial sin is one that can be forgiven. A mortal sin, on the other hand, cannot. The cook badly burned my pork chops last Thursday. But, as it was a venial sin, I let the matter slide.

Presentiment is a noun that means a feeling that something is about to happen. The French word pressentiment (press SAHN tee mon) is the origin of our word of the day, which describes an intuitive feeling about the future. The word is usually used in a foreboding sense. For example: Entering the stadium, I had a presentiment about the upcoming game. I could sense that our team was going to get clo...

Pert is an adjective that means lively or cheerful. The Latin word apertus (ah PEAR toos) meaning ‘opening’ is where our word of the day was born. In time, the word’s meaning shifted to its current meaning of ‘lively’ or ‘energetic.’ When used pejoratively it can mean ‘bold’ or ‘saucy.’ When used positively it can mean cheerful, as in: Rachel’s pert behavior made her well-liked at the office. Some...

Camarilla is noun that means a small group of people with a shared purpose. Our word of the day comes from Spanish. It’s the diminutive of the word camera (COM ay rah) meaning ’room,’ as in a place where political cliques and plotters are likely to meet. The word soon evolved to refer to the plotters themselves. It has also expanded to use outside of politics.  The CEO knew things were seriou...

Myrmidon is a noun that means a subordinate who carries out orders without question. In Greek mythology there’s a tale about a group of warriors from Thessaly (THES a lee) who accompanied Achilles to Troy. When using mymidon today, a person doesn’t have to be especially warlike to earn the title. They must simply be a subordinate who takes orders without regard for moral consequences.  I don’...

Banausic is an adjective that means mundane or only serving a practical purpose. The Greek word for artisans is banausikos (aon ah SEE kos). If artisans seems like a strange way to define a word for mundane, keep in mind that the word artisans didn’t necessarily refer to artists. It referred broadly to anyone who was skilled at making things with their hands. That mostly included people making pre...

Ariose is an adjective that means songlike.  Music lovers may be familiar with an aria, a song performed by a solo voice in an opera. Ariose comes from the same root, the Latin word aer (EYE ur) meaning ‘air.’ Describing something as ariose can be a supreme compliment, for example: It always surprised me that Michelle never pursued a career in music. With her ariose voice, she would have been...