DR LANGUAGE |
Spoonerism Pronunciation: ['spu-nêr-iz-êm] Definition 1: A speech error involving the transposition of the initial consonants of two neighboring or proximate words, especially if the result is a funny meaningful phrase, e.g. "Our Lord is a shoving leopard" for "Our Lord is a loving shepherd." Usage 1: During World War I, according to his facetious students, who wrote up Dr. Spooner's [see Etymology] verbal mishaps after his passing, he supposedly toasted Her Highness Queen Victoria with, "Three cheers for our queer old dean!" and reassured his students, "When our boys come home from France, we will have the hags flung out." His students also claimed that he lionized Britain's farmers as "noble tons of soil." Suggested usage: We would suggest you avoid spoonerisms except to enjoy those committed by others. So, we leave you with one more spake by the Right Reverend Spooner to one of his students: "You have hissed my mystery lectures and tasted the whole worm!" Etymology: "Spoonerism" is a commonization of the surname of Reverend W. A. Spooner, Dean and Warden of New College, Oxford from 1844-1930. That is, the proper noun "Spooner" became a common noun, "spooner" to which the suffix -ism was attached. Another way of putting it is that the Reverend Spooner is the eponym of "spoonerism." (Much gratitude is owed Sverrir Konradsson of Reykjavik, Iceland, who went in today's Sword of the Day-oops! Now I'm doing it.) Vituperate Pronunciation: [vI-'tu-pêr-yet or -'tyu (British)] Definition 1: To scold extremely harshly and with abusive language, to furiously verbally abuse. Usage 1: The noun is "vituperation" [vI-tu-pêr-'ey-shên] and the adjective, "vituperative" [vI-'tu-pêr-ê-tiv]. Suggested usage: This is a word best held in reserve until you hear some very serious chastising: "Rachel loosed such a vituperative tirade on Bertrand when he tried to kiss her that he fled in tears." Few civilized people resort to vituperation because of its social consequences: "Melvin can vituperate among the best of them when he doesn't get his way. That is why he spends his weekends alone at home." Etymology: Latin vituperare "to censure, find fault" from vitium "fault" + parare "to prepare, furnish." "Vitium" developed into French "vice" whence English vice "bad habit, crime." It is unrelated to the prefix "vice-" which comes from Latin vicinus "near, neighboring." (Our gratitude for today's word is owed Denver's most exciting young architect, Owen Beard of SOLiD Architectural Designs, always calm and cool, never ever vituperative.) Pronunciation: [ste-gên-'ah-grê-fee] Definition 1: Hiding writing in plain view, cryptography. Usage 1: This word has been in use since 1569 as a synonym for "cryptography." Recently, however, it has been associated with digital watermarking, so it may diverge from "cryptography" in the future. It comes replete with a panoply of derivatives: "steganogram," "steganographer," and an adjective, "steganographical." Suggested usage: The use of this term in referring to digital watermarking means no one has had time to use it metaphorically: "Any half-clever steganographer can find the watermark in this graphic file." Already we can send steganograms via e-mail to the extent they are merely encrypted messages, but what of concealed codes in missives of all sorts: "Manfred loves to steganographically conceal messages in his letters to Flo." Etymology: From Greek steganos "covered" + graphein "to write." "Steganos" comes from stegein "to cover (water-tight)." Domos hala stegon "a house that keeps out the sea" was a metaphor for a good ship. The same root occurs without "s" in Latin tegere "to cover" whence tegula that evolved into "tile." In the Germanic languages this form emerges in German decken "cover," Dach "roof," and "deck" from Middle Dutch dec "roof, covering." In Russian we find stegnut' "to button, zip, etc." and, finally, from Hindi we get "thug" from Hindi "thag," probably from Sanskrit sthaga "a cheat," itself from sthagati "he conceals." (We are so delighted that Debra Deininger for bringing today's word to our attention that we will ignore the temptation to thank her steganographically.) Dinkum Pronunciation: ['ding-kêm] Definition 1: Genuine, honest person or thing. Usage 1: Fair dinkum is "the real stuff, the truth." Americans and Brits trying to cut back on their profanity now have the perfect substitute for "No s____?" When you doubt something you want to believe, simply substitute, "Fair dinkum?" Unfortunately, there is some indication that this term may succumb with the current generation of Aussies and Kiwis in favor of a swarm of new Amercanisms. Suggested usage: Here is another Australian word (remember "dags"?) needing nurture by usage throughout the English-speaking world. Help us spread it around, especially the phrase "fair dinkum" for the reason mentioned in Usage. "(Fair) dinkum, you won the lottery?" How can you tell a dinkum Australian from recent arrival? Dinkum Australians know wombats can't fly. Etymology: The OED, known for its modesty, claims only that "dinkum" originally meant "work, especially hard work." The original meaning in Australia was apparently "hard or honest work" according to Baker's Dictionary of Australian Slang, whence "genuine, honest." (Today's contributor, dinkum Australian Greg Rutter, worries that this major contribution to English by Australia is tottering on the crumbling edge of extinction. Let's help him save it.) Pandiculation Pronunciation: [pæn-di-kyê-'ley-shun] Definition 1: Stretching the body and extremities when drowsy or tired, usually accompanied by yawning, especially when going to bed or waking; also, around the office, a pastime for those who work at a computer (I should know). Usage 1: The verb is "pandiculate" and the agent noun is "pandiculator." The term is used by those who not only do not eschew obfuscation but wallow in it with great relish. Suggested usage: This is a great, albeit rare word, but the slightest bit of context explains it to your (underprivileged) friends who do not subscribe to YDC's Word of the Day: "Archibald could have lounged around all day in a state of constant pandiculation, but the grass wanted mowing." Mentally immobilize your kids (or their teacher) with gems like this: "Thirty minutes into Mr. Furman's driver's ed refresher course, the class was rippling with pandiculation." Etymology: Latin pandiculari "to stretch one's self" from pandere "to spread out" + icul (diminutive element "a little"). The underlying PIE root * [s]pen- with variable [s] "pull, stretch, spin" not only gave German spannen "stretch, span" and English "span" and "spin," but the Latin verb pendere "to weigh" behind "pendant," "pendulum," "pensive," and "depend." (For a larger slice of PIE, have a look at "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in YDC's library.) Continuous Pronunciation: [kên-'tin-yu-ês] Definition 1: Extending in time or space without interruption, unbroken. Usage 1: "Continuous" and "continual" are often used synonymously but they should not be; they differ semantically in ways that are not at all subtle. Continual means "repeated" while continuous means "unbroken," e. g. a hum may be continuous (unbroken) but a knocking is continual (repeated). Suggested usage: If Sigmund droned on and never let up, you might say, "Sigmund's continuous droning drove everyone at the meeting crazy." If Sigmund occasionally let someone else speak (or drone, as the case may be), you should change the adjective, "Sigmund's continual droning drove everyone at the meeting crazy." Today's contributor, Katy Platt, offers this mnemonic to help us remember the difference between "continuous" and "continual": "I continually need to remind myself that my learning curve rises continuously." Etymology: From Latin continuus "continuous" from continere "to hold together" derived from com- "together, with" + tenere "to hold, keep." The PIE root *ten(d)- apparently meant "stretch" judging from Green teinein "stretch," Sanskrit tantram "loom," and Latin tendere "stretch" underlying "tendon," "tend," "tense," "tenuous," and "tent." The same root resulted in "thin" in English and with a reduplicated prefix, tetanos "stiff, rigid" in Greek. (For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in yourDictionary's library.) Scuttlebutt Pronunciation: ['skê-d(ê)l-bêt or 'skê-t(ê)l-bêt] Definition 1: The drinking fountain aboard a ship; (colloquial US) idle gossip, rumor emanating from the water cooler. Usage 1: On shore, the word is used widely as a synonym for gossip but should be restricted to the gossip likely to be picked up at the water cooler or fountain. Today's word has no correlate verb or adjective. Suggested usage: Remember, this word is not a synonym of "gossip" and should be restricted to the office (or on board ship), places which afford drinking fountains or water coolers, "Raymond, scuttlebutt has it you are in line for a big transmotion." "Have you heard the scuttlebutt about the boss's wife? They say she had one facelift too many and now every time she sits down she grins." Etymology: English Navy slang of the 1930's from scuttle butt "drinking fountain on board a ship" derived from "scuttled butt," the keg for drinking water on board ship. Scuttle originally meant "to cut a hole in something," usually a boat or ship in order to sink it, but in this case, in a keg (butt) to allow access to the water within. "Butt" has nothing to do with what you were thinking but is from French "botte," "boute" (which underlies "bottle"), Spanish "bota," Italian "botte," all of which derive from Medieval Latin butta, buttis "cask." "Scuttlebutt" originated, then, as "scuttlebutt gossip" or gossip around the scuttlebutt aboard ship. Malapropism Pronunciation: ['m=E6-l=EA-prahp-iz-=EAm] Definition 1: The unintentional use of one word that sounds a b= it like another (almost homophones), but which is completely and hilariou= sly wrong in context. Usage 1: Like another recent Word of the Day, "spoonerism," a m= alapropism is a type of speech error that happens to be funny. A "malapro= pist" is someone noted for their malapropisms and the adjective is "malap= ropian." However, "malaprop" may be used by itself as a noun, verb, or a= djective: "Her malaprops will keep her from the top" or "Her malaprop sp= eech undermined her career" or "He could have been a contender but he mal= apropped once too often in a top-level meeting." Suggested usage: Comedian Norm Crosby, king of the malaprops, a= lways speaks from his diagram and drinks only decapitated coffee. Still,= we don't suggest you malaprop but simply enjoy the malapropisms you hear= around you: "This restaurant has quite a lovely ambulance!" "Such an att= ractive man=97he's got a very appalling way about him." "A missile defens= e shield could start a new clear war." Enough already! To paraphrase Mrs.= Malaprop, lead the way out of here and we'll precede. Etymology: A commonization (conversion from proper to common no= un) circa 1849 from Mrs. Malaprop, a character noted for her misuse of wo= rds in Richard Sheridan's comedy "The Rivals" (1775). Sheridan created he= r name from the French phrase mal =E0 propos "inappropriate." Mrs. Malapr= op thus is the eponym of "malapropism." (Our thanks to friends in North = Lincolnshire, UK, for providing some of the witty examples in today's sug= gested usage.) Resistentialism Pronunciation: [re-zis-'ten-chê-li-zêm] Definition 1: The mock philosophy by P. Jennings as depicted in The Spectator (1948) claiming that inanimate objects are hostile to humans. Usage 1: yourDictionary's South African friend, Chris Stewart, who suggested today's word, is convinced it is not used enough, though he does not pointedly claim that things are out to get him. We at YDC are not convinced that its current usage underrepresents its usefulness but we bring it to you, anyway. We can, of course, derive the adjective "resistentialist(ic)" from today's word if the need arises to propagate this lexical lineage. Suggested usage: Here is a word we might want to suggest you avoid but, as always, the imaginative will be able to find apropos uses: "My resistentialist bent encourages me to avoid the woods and other areas with lots of hard objects." Should you fall, you might try, "If I were a resistentialist, I would swear that footstool just leapt under my feet from halfway across the room." Then again, you might just lay there silently until medical (or mental) assistance arrives. Etymology: The word is an artificial concoction of Latin res "thing" + resist laid over "existentialism." Jennings may have gotten his idea from the Russian novel by Yuri Olesha "Envy," whose main character, Nikolai Kavalerov, can't seem to avoid colliding with inanimate objects and is convinced they are conspiring to block his road to success.
Pronunciation: [kæk-'o-ê-pee or 'kæk-o-e-pee] Definition 1: Incorrect pronunciation. Usage 1: Occasionally, we need words we have long since abandoned or that have abandoned us. We may be facing a period in our history now when we need to retrieve "cacoepy" from our lexical attic. "Cacoepy" is not to be confused with cacology "bad choice of words." The antonym of "cacoepy" is orthoepy "the correct pronunciation of words." "Cacoepistic" is the adjective form of today's word and a person who often mispronounces words is a "cacoepist." Suggested usage: We think that such a ten-dollar word (the legendary "fifty-cent word" adjusted for inflation) as today's ought to be reserved for those who consistently get it wrong. "The Cacoepist-In-Chief mispronounced word after word, even making up a few, leading one newspaper to ask 'Hain't English his Native Lingo?'" Etymology: The first part of today's word comes from the Greek kakos "bad." The PIE root is kakka- "to defecate." Words like "poppycock" and "cacophony" have their origins in the same root. The second half, -epy, is from Greek: epos "song, word." Its PIE root is wekw-, which also turns up in "vocal," "voice," "invoke" and "vote." (For a bigger slice of PIE read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library.) Mnemonic Pronunciation: [nee-'mah-nik] Definition 1: Pertaining to memory; assisting memory. Usage 1: The word is probably most commonly used in the phrase "mnemonic device" which may also be expressed by simply using the adjective as a noun, as in "a mnemonic." The phrase "'i' before 'e' except after 'c'," is a (faulty) mnemonic used to remember the order of these two vowels in English words like "chief" and "receive." Suggested usage: This is the adjective "memorial" should have been, the adjectival form of "memory." "Their conversation was a mnemonic tournament between the huge catalogs of remembered detail accumulated over their two disparate lives." Any time you need the meaning of "memory" as a modifier of noun, use this word: "My low mnemonic capacity dissuaded me from an acting career." Etymology: Greek mnemonikos "pertaining to memory" from mneme "memory." The PIE root *men- turns up in Russian po-min-at' "to remember" and mnenie "opinion" but it also appears with the suffix -t in Latin mens, mentis "mind" whence "mental," "mentor," and the suffix "-ment." Greek matos "willing" found in "automatic," mantis "seer" as in "praying mantis," "mania," Sanskrit mantrah "counsel, prayer," underlying "mandarin," and English "mind"-are all of the same origin. For more PIE, read 'How is a Hippo like a Feather' in our library. (We are grateful for the mnemonic agility of Michele Bresler of the American Dental Association for bringing today's word to mind.) Forte Pronunciation: ['fort] Definition 1: A strong point, a strength. Usage 1: The origin of this word in English is French fort "str= ong, strength" but it has been confused with the Italian musical term for= te "strong, loud" and is now spelled with an "e" and mispronounced ['for-= tey]. ("Piano" derives from Italian pianoforte "soft-loud", the first mus= ical instrument with a pedal to control volume.) In French the word is "= fort," pronounced [for], so the French pronunciation does not help. It s= hould be spelled and pronounced "fort" in English but we will concede the= current spelling; however, the final "e" must be silent. Suggested usage: Here is an example demonstrating the two pronu= nciations of today's word: "The pianist woke me up by playing the forte [= 'for-tey] opening of Beethoven's Fifth right after Braham's Lullaby. I gu= ess recital programming is not his forte [fort]." "Brandon is not an aca= demic leader; attendance seems to be his forte." One of the fortes of al= l Word-of-the-Day subscribers is vocabulary. Etymology: From Latin fortis "strong" via French "fort" and Ita= lian "forte," the word also behind English "fort(ress)" and "fortify." T= he ultimate root from which "fortis" derived is probably *bhergh-, the so= urce of German Berg "mountain" and Russian bereg "bank, shore." It turns= up in Old English "burg" that gave modern "borough" and was borrowed int= o French as bourg "town" from which "bourgeois" and "bourgeoisie" are der= ived. (Today's contributor, David Long, is a musician; I think piano is h= is forte. Or is it terminology? Either way, thanks for today's word.) = Whiskey or whisky Pronunciation: ['hwis-kee] Definition 1: A 'spiritual' potable distilled from rye, corn, or barley, arguably the greatest or worst Gaelic contribution to society. Usage 1: Scotch "whisky" and Irish "whiskey" are distinguished in spelling; "whisky" is the usual in Britain and "whiskey," in the U.S. Apparently our Irish ancestors dominated US bars and taverns. Suggested usage: Again, yourDictionary.com seems to have solved one of life's major enigmas: the drinking problem. The actual problem seems to be that in many societies alcoholic beverages are confused with water (see Etymology). Once these two are clearly differentiated semantically, the abuse of alcoholic beverages should be quickly brought under control. "Remember, there is never room for anything else in a glass of good whisk(e)y." Etymology: Gaelic uisgebeatha 'water of life', Irish uisce beatha "water of life," paralleling Italian acquavita "water of life" and Russian vodka "bit of water" (diminutive of voda "water"). "Gin" is derived from "Geneva," the Old Dutch word for "juniper berry." The original was called "Holland's Geneva." However, the entry in Edward Phillips' dictionary of 1706 reflects the same confusion found elsewhere: "Geneva, a kind of strong Water so called." (A toast to Ronan Sheridan of Drogheda, Ireland for putting us on the right trail of this mystery.) Potlatch Pronunciation: ['pat-læch] Definition 1: A social event, especially one given to express the wealth and generosity of the host in expectation of something in return. Usage 1: This word is rarely used outside the Northwestern regions of the US despite the fact that it fills a lacuna in the English vocabulary. The potlatch was a ceremony given by someone aspiring to be a chief and hence displaying his wealth (often expensive gifts were destroyed to demonstrate the power and wealth of the aspirant). Does that ring a bell? If not, maybe the examples below will. Suggested usage: Domestic applications of the word abound: "Putting on this potlatch for my parents doesn't incline me to marry Lester any more than before." Obviously, the corporate social world has plenty of room for it, "Raymond spent more on this lavish potlatch than his raise would cover if it succeeded and he was promoted." The important difference between a potlatch and a party is the intent of the giver: they are expecting something in return. Etymology: From the Chinook Creole "potlatch" taken from the Nootka potlach "gift, to give." The Nootka are a Northwestern indigenous American people. The letters "tl" represent a particular sound in Nootka and other native American languages comprising an "l" and "t" pronounced simultaneously rather than two contiguous sounds. The word "coyote," for example, derives from Nahuatl (Mexico) "koyotl" with the same sound. (Our gratitude to MB for another useful word given to English by America's autochthonous nations.) Whelm Pronunciation: ['hwelm ] Definition 1: To overturn a concave object (boat, bowl, etc.) to cover something with it (= to whelve); to bury under earth, snow, or water; to engulf in a devastating manner, e.g. a flood, storm, avalanche. Usage 1: If "overwork" derives from "work" and "overcharge," from "charge," where does "overwhelm" come from? It turns out, it was derived the same way; we have simply allowed the original verb to slip away from us. The spelling originally followed pronunciation, the "h" preceding the "w." This may become a moot point if the puff of air represented by "h" continues to disappear in words beginning on "wh," as it already has in the northeastern US. Suggested usage: Flowers planted in the fall may be protected by whelming a pot over each of them before the first snow. The wind whelmed the cabin in a deafening roar. The train was whelmed in a snow drift. Now, if we can overwhelm someone, why not "underwhelm" them, too: "I must say I was underwhelmed by Lionel's performance as CEO, to say the least." Etymology: Old English *hwelman, probably a blend of helmen "to cover" (as in "helmet") and whelven "to cover" (Old English "hwelfan"). The stem goes back to PIE *kel-, the origin of "hell," "hole," and "holster," plus Latin clam (calam) "secretly" which gave us "clandestine" and Greek kleptein (kaleptein) "to conceal, steal" whence "kleptomaniac." (Kevin O'Brien was overwhelmed by the urge to contribute today's word. Thanks, Kevin Obfuscate Pronunciation: ['ahb-fês-keyt] Definition 1: To dim or darken; to obscure by depriving of light or clarity. Usage 1: The basic meaning is to darken, as "Centuries of candle smoke severely obfuscated the icons." The noun is "obfuscation" and the participles are "obfuscating" (present) and "obfuscated" (past). Suggested usage: This verb works well with irony, "Horace, must you always obfuscate the discussion with facts?" or without, "The wine, I fear, my good Dudley, obfuscates your best judgement: you need not fill Lady Sopwith's water glass with wine, too." Etymology: Latin obfuscare "to darken" from ob- "over, toward, against" + fuscare "to darken" from fuscus "dark." The prefix ob- was subject to the process of "assimilation" whereby a linguistic sound takes on the properties of a contiguous sound. [n] is notorious for this: "incomplete" but "impolite," "irrelevant," and "illegal." So "obfuscare" later became "offuscare" and this word, too, was imported into English as "offuscate" but did not stick. (Thanks today is due Margaret McLane de Joval, Fresno, California, for lifting any obfuscation from this word.) Redound Pronunciation: [ree-'dawnd] Definition 1: To recoil or return, hence to have a consequence. Usage 1: Today's word should not be confused with "rebound" which means to bounce back or recover, despite their phonological and semantic similarities. This word is also historically related to "redundant" via the movement of waves but there is no current semantic relationship. Suggested usage: This is a good word to weave into sermons to your loved ones, "Remember, every cigarette you smoke redounds on your health," or, "Your every deed redounds upon your reputation." Perhaps they will pay more attention to vocabulary-enriched advice. Etymology: Via French from Latin redundare "flow over, overflow" from re(d)- "back, again" + undare "to surge" from unda "wave." "Unda" is a nasalized (containing an "n") variant of the original root *wd/wed/wod, which had these three variants in PIE (read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library for more PIE). The same root underlies both "wet" and "water" in English and the nasalized variant turns up in "winter" (the wet season). The same root emerges in Russian voda "water" and "vodka." In Old Irish the same root became uisce "water" spelled today "whisky" in Scotland and "whiskey" in Ireland. (Much glory redounds today to Joseph Kevra for suggesting this word.) Flummox Pronunciation: ['flê-mêks] Definition 1: (Colloquial) To totally confuse, to confuse to the point of frustration. Usage 1: "Flummox" is hardly a word we proper speakers of English would use. It is a term originating in the musty dialects of Merry Old (England) that has assumed residence in the vocabularies of reporters. Its origin apparently flummoxed Dickens, who wrote in the Pickwick Papers in 1837 (xxxiii), "He'll be what the Italians call reg'larly flummoxed." In 1840 the Cambridge University Magazine printed, "So many of the men I know Were 'flummox'd' at the last great-go [the final examination at Oxford-Dr. Language]." Suggested usage: Today's contributor (see below), himself a journalist, writes, "A volatile stock that changes without regard to market expectations, for example, leaves investors 'flummoxed', according to my newspaper and others like it. I have yet to hear a real-life investor complain of such a condition." Perhaps they are too flummoxed to comment. More likely this results from the fact that the term seldom strays beyond the pale of journalism. Etymology: According to the OED, it is probably of dialectal origin; cf. flummocks "to maul, mangle," flummock "slovenly person," also "hurry, bewilderment," flummock "to make untidy, to confuse, bewilder" variously used in Hereford, Gloucester, S. Cheshire, and Sheffield. (We are happy that circumstances surrounding this word did not flummox Tom Iggulden of the Australian Financial Review to the point where he could not recommend it as today's Word of the Day.) Impugn Pronunciation: [im-'pyun] Definition 1: To challenge or call into question the legitimacy of something or someone. Usage 1: The original meaning of this word was to physically attack something; to impugn a city implied that it was assaulted by an army. The current noun is "impugnment" and the only adjective is "impugnable." Suggested usage: Kids, try this to get out of a tight corner, "Mom, are you impugning my veracity when you say you doubt I spent the weekend with Uncle Fred and Aunt Molly?" Credibility is often called into question, "You impugn my credibility for telling you that I won the lottery?" This word even applies to pickup trucks: "No one has ever impugned the reliability of my pickup truck." Etymology: Old French impugner from Latin impugnare, in- "in(to)" + pugnare "to fight" which also underlies pugnacious "belligerent" and pugilist "boxer." The underlying PIE root *peug- "to prick, stick" resulted in "point" in French and the mother of all four-letter words in English and hence cannot be pursued further here. (No one can impugn the lexical authority of Gregg Schaufeld when he shares lexical beauties like this one with us.) Grimalkin Pronunciation: [gri-'mal-kin] Definition 1: An old female cat or a spiteful jealous old woman. Usage 1: You may use this word recklessly in speaking of cats but we recommend caution in its use referring to women. Suggested usage: Clearly, the word may be used ailurophilically: "Charity's cats included a grimalkin with a personality quite compatible with her own." But vocabulary-building, like charity, begins in the home, "Christine narrowly escaped the clutches of the grimalkin she once called 'Mother' to become a self-composed, cosmopolitan libertine in her own right." Etymology: Probably a corruption of British gray + malkin (Shakespeare refers to a "Gray Malkin" in MacBeth). "Malkin" is the nickname for "Maude," from Malde, hence Mal(de) + kin with the diminutive marker also found in "napkin," a mondegreen of "an ap(r)-kin" (a small apron). "Malkin" was sometimes used as a name for a cat but its meaning also commonized (changed from a proper to common noun) to refer to an messy female or a maidservant. (Ailurophile Bob Rockermann of Gardiner, New York was kind enough to recommend today's rather catty word.) Recuse Pronunciation: [ree-'kyuz] Definition 1: To reject or disqualify someone in a position of authority from a decision-making process because of a conflict of interest or other impropriety. Usage 1: The noun is "recusal." The term is applied most often in courts, where judges are recused or recuse themselves because of potential conflicts of interest or the appearance of impropriety. Suggested usage: Wherever authority exists, there is room for today's word, "I think the personnel director should recuse herself from the hiring process before her family runs the company." It matters not how minor the authority or how pedestrian the implied impropriety: "Sabrina, in light of your 23 traffic violations, I have decided to recuse you from driving the car for the next month." Etymology: Latin recusare "to decline, reject, refuse" from re- "turn back" + cusare (from causa "reason, purpose"). Akin to "excuse" and "accuse." Anthropomorphism Pronunciation: [æn-thrê-pê-'mor-fi-zêm] Definition 1: Assigning human properties to an inhuman object. Usage 1: When the forest sighs or whispers, the moon gazes down, the sun dances along the horizon or you hear the laughter of the rivulet, anthropomorphism is afoot. Expressions like "the legs of the table," "the head of the bed," and "the foot of a mountain" are simply metaphoric extensions, new meanings of those words, as it were. To achieve anthropomorphism, the speaker must treat the object as if it were human. The adjective is "anthropomorphic" and the verb, "anthropomorphize." Suggested usage: The word itself is rarely used except in literary discussions. However, since we use the process so widely, occasions do arise: "Desi, don't you think anthropomorphizing your driveway wanders a bit beyond poetic license?" or "I get chills when she speaks of her pet rock anthropomorphically." Etymology: From Greek anthropomorphos "human in form" from anthropos "human being" + morphe "form, shape." "Anthropo-" is also found in anthropology "the study of humans," and misanthrope "people-hater." "Morph-" appears in morphology, the study of form(s), isomorphic "identical in form," polymorphic "able to assume different forms," as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. (Cheryl Huff's mother called her '68 Chevy station wagon "Katie" and often remarked that "she" was always "thirsty," not realizing she was committing anthropomorphism. So, Cheryl thought we should alert the world about the word and its meaning.) Mawkish Pronunciation: ['mak-ish or 'maw-kish] Definition 1: Having a sickening taste (archaic); sickeningly or sentimentally insipid. Usage 1: Not to be confused with mawky "full of maggots" (see Etymology) though this word would make a good substitute for "maggoty" in polite company, if only we could restore it from its current obscurity. The adverb is "mawkishly" and the noun "mawkishness." Suggested usage: You must know people who tempt you to say, "Reinhart, cut the mawkish sentimentality about my eyes and buy us another drink," or, "There is a mawkish sweetness in his manner that makes me slightly queasy when I speak with him." Etymology: Here is another word cast off from its own origins. Its root is Middle English mawke "maggot." Little is known of the origins of either word. The suffix -ish, however, forms adjectives of common Germanic origin: Gothic -isks, Old Norse -iskr, Old English -isc, German and Dutch -isch. It is a cognate with the Greek noun suffix -ik-os and Latin -ic-us underlying such words as "linguistic(s)," "statistics," and Slavic suffixes -ik (bolshevik) and -itsa (tsaritsa). Solace Pronunciation: ['sah-lês or 'so-lês] Definition 1: Comfort, consolation in a time of sorrow, or distress or the source of such consolation. Usage 1: This word may be used as a verb, too, "The insurance payment hardly solaced young Vernon for driving his Porsche into the lake." The adjective "solaceful" is rarely used, for good reason. Suggested usage: Solace is usually associated with traumatic events that cause mental anguish, "Moving to the shore provided some solace for the loss of her husband." However, there is no semantic limitation on the origins of solace, "My only solace in discovering all my power tools stolen was the knowledge that one had a severe short-circuit I never got around to repairing." Etymology: Latin solacium, solatium from solor "to comfort, console," Spanish solaz, Italian sollazzo. In fact, we find the same root in "console." Possibly related to salvare "save" found in English "salvage," "salvation," and "save" itself Adumbrate Pronunciation: ['æ-dêm-breyt or ê-'dêm-breyt (British)] Definition 1: To sketch a faint shadow of something; to suggest, intimate, or insinuate. Usage 1: The adjective is "adumbrative" [æ-'dêm-brê-tiv] and the noun, "adumbration." Definition 2: To overshadow. Usage 2: This meaning is rarely used today: "His good qualities are adumbrated by his bad traits." Suggested usage: Use this word when you need a verb even paler than "suggest," "April never so much as adumbrated her affection for Sinclair before announcing their engagement." Do not forget that its original meaning has to do with sketching, "Rafe made an adumbrative gesture suggesting he was dying of boredom, so I rescued him from his conversation with Penelope." Etymology: Latin adumbrat-, past participle of adumbrare "to represent in outline," from ad "to, toward" + umbra "shadow, shade." Latin "ad" is akin to English "at" and the mother of French "à," Italian and Spanish "a." Latin "umbra," used in English to refer to the darkest spot on something, underlies "umbrella," and "umbrage." (Today's word was adumbrated to us by both Ben St. John and Richmond, Austrailia's most articulate psychologist, Peter McCrossin.) Autochthonous Pronunciation: [a-'tahk-thê-nês or aw-] Definition 1: Indigenous; originating in the place where found. Usage 1: Autochthonic [a-têk-'thah-nik] and autochthonal [a-'tahk-thê-nêl] may be used interchangeably with "autochthonous." The noun "autochthon" [a-'tahk-thên] refers to an original nation, animal, or vegetation of a locality. In biology it essentially refers to objects that have not moved since their formation, as an autochthonous bloodclot. Suggested usage: An autochthonous forest is an original-growth forest. The autochthonous homeowner is the one who built the original home. The autochthonous folklore of a land is that of the people originating on the land. We would not say that Strom Thurman is an autochthonous senator because the senate existed before Senator Thurman. However, the American Indians are the autochthonous inhabitants of the Americas. Etymology: Greek autokhthonos "from the land itself" from auto- "self" + khthon "earth, land" hence related to a previous Word of the Day, chthonic "in the earth." The PIE root *dhghem- also lies behind the Greek origins of "chameleon" (from chamai "ground" + leon "lion") and "chamomile" (= camomile from chamai + mel "ground apple"). The root also turns up with the "m" in Russian zemlya "land, earth" and Persian zamin with the same meaning. Not much seems to be known about "auto." (For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library Draconian Pronunciation: [drê -'ko-ni-yên] Definition 1: Relating to painfully harsh or severe measures, especially those of Draco of Athens (see Etymology). Usage 1: Actually, "draconic" [drê-'kah-nik] works just as well and offers an adverb, "draconically," that "draconian" does not. The noun may be "draconism" or "draconianism," depending on how much time you have to talk. Another advantage of "draconic" is that it may be used as an adjective for "dragon": "The dragon rewarded us with that silly draconic smile of his, then disappeared into the cave." Suggested usage: Like all our words, this one has a plethora of household uses. "Mom, don't you think grounding me for a month just because I totaled the Buick is rather draconic (draconian)?"-to mention just one. It is also at home in the workplace, "The second round of cuts during the company's 'right-sizing' was more draconian than the first." Etymology: From Greek drakon "dragon" which was also the family name of Draco, archon of Athens in 621 B.C., known for his harsh laws. It is difficult to believe that the stem did not cross Bram Stoker's mind in choosing "Dracula" as the name of the king of the vampires in his novel, though evidence is rather obnubilate. (Today's word was suggested by Dr. Glenn Block, Director of Orchestras and Opera, Illinois State University, whose direction of the ISU orchestras and opera is less than draconian.) Salacious Pronunciation: [sê-'ley-shês] Definition 1: Arousing or appealing to sexual desire or imagination; lewd, lascivious. Usage 1: We like the cleanness of "salacity" [sê-'læ-si-tee] for the noun but note that the clumsier "salaciousness" is used more frequently. Suggested usage: If you do not want to use "pornography" around the house, you may refer to it as "salacious material" in front of the kids. Of course, if they read your Word of the Day, their vocabulary may keep up with yours. "Her dress went beyond sexy; it was positively salacious," is the way to express your displeasure over suggestive clothing. Of course, it is probably most widely used in describing behavior: "Her tongue circled her lips so salaciously Ben's jaw dropped and his knife fell into his wine glass." Etymology: Latin salac-, salax "fond of leaping, especially of male animals" from salire "to leap, spring, bound, jump, hop." The same verb gave French saillie "a sally, rush foward" and English verb "sally (forth)." Unrelated to "Sally (Ann)," the British nickname for the Salvation Army and particularly its hostels. Add the preposition ad "to, at" and we get "assail" from Latin assalire "to jump on/at." Abattoir Pronunciation: ['æ-bê-twah(r) ] Definition 1: Slaughterhouse. Usage 1: This word is used almost exclusively for its literal meaning: "Fred lost his job at the abattoir after attempting to defend the life of a doomed sheep." Suggested usage: However, the word is ready and able for metaphorical duty where a more sophisticated term for "slaughterhouse" is called for: "I felt like a heifer in an abattoir during the lay-offs." Here is one for news reporters: "The expressway became a automotive abattoir yesterday when 23 cars piled up in the fog." Etymology: French abattre "to cut or shoot down" based on a- "to, from" + battre "to beat." The prefix derives from Latin ad- "(up) to" and is akin to English "at". The French stem is related to English "beat," "bat," "batter," and Russian bit' "beat." (Our thanks to Iva Krauss of Grand Canyon, Arizona, for today's meaty word.) Docent Pronunciation: ['do-sênt] Definition 1: In Eastern European universities, the equivalent of an associate professor. Elsewhere the word refers to a lecturer who is not a regular member of the faculty. Most recently the English word has begun to refer to a tour guide in a museum or art gallery. Usage 1: A docent's counterpart in medicine and religion is the "locum." "Locum" is short for "locum tenens," literally, "one holding a place." It's used in British English to describe the working situation of some GPs in the National Health Service. Suggested usage: Few universities offer the position of docent to graduate students in the US. However, the new service as a synonym of "tour guide" does open some interesting metaphoric possibilities: "Sally will be our social docent at the party this evening; she knows everything worth knowing about everyone." Thinking more broadly, we might say, "Veronica is the perfect docent for the shopping channels; she rarely shops anywhere else." Etymology: German Dozent "lecturer, tutor" from Latin docent-us "teaching, teacher" present participle of docere "to teach" (Greek "didasko"). The PIE root is "dek-" and it lends us such terms as "doctor," "dogma," "document," and "disciple," the docent's companion because it comes from the Latin discere "to learn." Read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in YDC's library for more PIE. (Our thanks today to Phyllis C. Murray for instructing us on this useful, but obscure word.) Obnubilate Pronunciation: [êb-'nu-bê-leyt or ahb-'nyu-bê-leyt] Definition 1: To darken, dim, especially to becloud. Usage 1: The adjective, obnubilate [êb-'n(y)u-bê-lêt] "beclouded" is rarely used in favor of the regular past participle, "obnubilated," as in "The faces in the room became obnubilate in the thick cigar smoke." As you can see, it deserves better. Suggested usage: This is a swell word with which to obnubilate the fact that you aren't very smart (if that is the case), "This is a purely intuitive issue, Francine; don't obnubilate it with facts and figures." If you are smart, there are many more ways to use it: "Esther did not allow her husband's funeral to obnubilate her Saturday morning golf match with Francine." Etymology: Latin obnubilat-, past participle of obnubilare "to cover with clouds or fog" from nubilus "cloudy" the adjective from nubes "cloud." This word is akin to nebula "vapor, fog, smoke," nimbus "rainstorm," and nubo "to cover, veil." The same ancient root gave Sanskrit nabhas "vapor, cloud," German Nebel "fog, mist," Greek nephos "clouds," Russian nebo "sky." This word is unrelated to "nubile" which comes from nubilis "marriageable" the adjective from nubere "take a husband." (Our deepest gratitude goes to Gerard Collett of the Wanganui Collegiate School for "unobnubilating" this word for us.) Contumacious Pronunciation: [kahn-tê-'mey-shês or kahn-tyu-'mey-shês (British)] Definition 1: Obstinately resisting authority, perversely insubordinate, even rebellious; of diseases, resistant to treatment. Usage 1: The word could be used more often in its practical, medical sense: "Contumacious sores and lumps require radical medical treatment." The noun is "contumacy," pronounced [kên-'tu-mê-si] or [kên-'tyu-mê-si]. Suggested usage: Want to incorporate education in your discipline? Replace phrases like "stubborn brats" with something along the lines of, "I've never seen such contumacious ruffians in my life. Now clean this room without further controversy!" Guaranteed to change their attitude and guide them to intellectual, if not domestic, excellence. Use it at work, too, "Union resistance is approaching contumacy; let's concede the lunch break." Etymology: Latin contumax, -acis "insolent, obstinate" from con- "with" + tum "swell, thicken" + ax [adjective suffix]. The root that provided the Latin root "tum-" (as in "tumid" and "tumescent ") also gave the English "thumb," the swollen finger, and "thimble," the little tool for the thumb. (Our gratitude today is owed Jackie Mair, who did not have to rise to contumacy in convincing us that today's word deserves consideration.) Regardless Pronunciation: [ri-'gahrd-lês] Definition 1: In spite of everything; unmindful; careless (adjective). Usage 1: In American speech, this word is so often abused that it tops many people's "Pet Peeves" list. The abuse is using "irregardless" in its stead, probably an blend of "irrespective" and "regardless." "Irregardless" has no legitimate antecedents in etymology (unlike the word "ain't"-see "'Ain't' isn't a Four-Letter Word" in the YDC library). It is merely a sloppy twentieth-century blending of two words similar in sound and meaning that continues to slink about the language. Use "regardless" or "irrespective"-don't combine them! Suggested usage: Here is how to use the word in biology: "Regardless of the fact that it doesn't have enough wingspan to lift its pudgy body, the bumblebee flies." Don't forget it functions as sentential adverb, too: "Emma says that she understands everyone's scheduling problems; regardless, she's going to put the meeting on today's agenda." Etymology: From Old French regarder, re [intensifier] + garder "to guard" which comes from "guard," borrowed from the Germanic ancestor of English "ward" ("gu" was the closest match to Germanic "w" found in French at the time). (Everyone who cringes at the sound of "irregardless" thanks Debi Price for reminding us to make a public service announcement of today's word.) Kitsch Pronunciation: [kich] Definition 1: Art or decoration exemplifying taste both pretentious and bad. More broadly, anything that appeals to a popular, vulgar sensibility. Usage 1: "Kitsch" can also be an adjective, rendering "kitschy" redundant. "Kitschify" is the facetiously contrived verb which, unfortunately, begs "kitschification," "kitschifiable," and so on. Let's not let this derivation get out of hand. Suggested usage: "Kitsch" implies that an artwork is either cloying, ostentatious, or both: "The Lazy Boy recliner was just too kitsch for the otherwise contemporary furnishings in Llewellyn's living room." "Bethany wasn't in a mood for high-brow culture, so she settled for a weekend of kitsch at the local craft fair." A little bit of kitsch may be necessary in our lives. Kitsch is popular culture that binds classes together in many industrialized countries. Etymology: German dialectical kitsch "trash, knickknack, shoddiness" of unknown origin. (A smug salute goes out to Thomas Nixon of NASA for reminding us of this fun word.) Magnanimous Pronunciation: [mæg-'næ-nê-mês] Definition 1: Showing or suggesting a lofty spirit, generosity, and nobility of mind; especially, refusing to feel vengeful or resentful Usage 1: Truly, this word captures the capacity to forgive and forget. While most of us are not magnanimous in every situation-and we could debate whether or not every situation deserves magnanimity -we can but try. "Magnanimity" [mæg-nê-'ni-mê-tee], by the way, is the noun referring to the quality of being magnanimous or to a magnanimous act. Suggested usage: Household uses of this word (should) abound: "I'm not magnanimously forgiving you for mowing down my daffodils; I need to borrow your pick-up truck tomorrow." Hopefully, you will find moments to use this word seriously, "Although the boys severely spray-painted his car, Rory asked the judge to sentence them to community service-an act of magnanimity that saved their future." Etymology: Directly from Latin "magnanimus:" magnus "great" + animus "soul, mind" (see also the recent Word of the Day "equanimity" in our archives). Other words deriving from "magnus" are "magnate," "magnificent," "magnify," "majesty." Akin to "mayor" and "major." The underlying root *meg- also gave English "much" and the prefix from Greek megas "great" found in "megabar," "megabyte," and "megaphone." In Sanskrit the same root emerged as maha "great, large" found in maharajah "great rajah," maharishi "great seer, sage," and mahatma "great life, spirit." (Our thanks to Margaret McLane de Joval of Fresno, California for magnanimously taking the time to suggest this word to us.) Troglodyte Pronunciation: ['trahg-lê-dIt] Definition 1: A prehistoric or ancient cave dweller, hence a reclusive, anachronistic person who resists change; a pongid (gorilla, orangutan, or chimpanzee). Usage 1: The adjective is "troglodytic" [trahg-lê-'di-tik]. The first constituent, "troglo-" may be combined with other Greek constituents to create new words like troglophile "cave-lover" or troglophobe "someone who fears spelunking." Suggested usage: Today the word is used most widely in the first definition: "Any suggestion of change around here and the troglodytes come out of the woodwork and close ranks." "Jane is a troglodyte who brushes her hair, wears sensible shoes, and leaves home only at night in her 1978 station wagon." Etymology: Greek troglodytes "caveman" from trogle "hole made by gnawing, (later) cave" (from trogein "to gnaw") + dytes "one who enters." (Sheila has been learning so many new words from YDC's Word of the Day that she felt she must share this one with us.) Equanimity Pronunciation: [ee-kwê-'ni-mê-ti] Definition 1: Composure; cool steadiness, level-headedness especially under stress. Usage 1: The adjective is "equanimous" [ee-'kwæ-nê-mês]. Phoebe worked calmly and equanimously helping friends to safety after the earthquake. "Composure" implies effort while "equanimity" is a consistent quality seemingly requiring no effort. Suggested usage: Applications abound around the home: "How can you sit there and tell me with utter equanimity that you've already washed the dishes this week, when I haven't seen you in the kitchen since July?" You may find uses at work, too, "Lucinda can lay off 100 people with such equanimity it curdles your blood." Etymology: Latin æquanimus "having an even mind or soul" æquus "even, equal" + animus "mind, soul, spirit." "Animus" was borrowed directly from Greek anemos "wind" and probably shared that meaning originally. Animals were originally viewed as beings with souls or spirits (not full of wind). The basic root *anê- is also found in Sanskrit an "to breathe," anas "breath," and anilas "wind" and Gothic uz-ana "exhale." (Our thanks to James Kirtley of SmartCertify for submitting today's word with perfect equanimity.) Vehement Pronunciation: ['vee-ê-mênt] Definition 1: Emotionally strong, intense, verging on anger; physically powerful and/or rapid. Usage 1: People sometimes misprounounce the adverbial form of this word, "vehemently" as [vê-'hee-mênt-li] with the accent on the wrong syl-LA-ble. Note that in all of its manifestations-vehement (adjective), vehemence and vehemency (noun), and vehemently (adverb)-the accent always stays on the first SYL-la-ble, "vee." Suggested usage: The first gist of "vehement" usually describes ardent (or overardent) reactions and words: "Gerard is issuing vehement denials, but the car was dented while he was driving it." The second is for physical actions: "Punching the keys vehemently doesn't make the computer work any better, Mavis." The same word with the same connotations has a wide variety of uses. Etymology: Middle English from Latin "vehemens," perhaps from vehere "to carry." The PIE root "wegh-" also gave the Latin vexare "to agitate" (literally, "to set into motion"), so "vehement" has several Latin ancestors that suggest being "carried away." "Wegh-" also is the source "vehicle," "convection," "voyage," and our own English "way." For more about PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in yourDictionary's library. (We thank Professor Allana Elovson for suggesting today's word.) Catatonic Pronunciation: [kæ-dê-'tah-nik or kæ-tê-] Definition 1: Characterized by paralysis or catalepsy, a complete loss of physical movement and expression, possibly retaining consciousness and sensation. Usage 1: This word originates in psychiatry. Clinically, catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by bizarre actions, extreme agitation, immobile stupor and/or bizarre or inappropriate posturing. The noun referring to the state is "catatonia" while the adjective itself is used in reference to people in that state. Suggested usage: The term is most often used to indicate a state of immobility brought on by tragedy or disappointment: "Many Deadheads entered a catatonic state with the passing of Jerry Garcia." Other uses await our imagination, "Since Ramone was promoted over her, Gladys has been behaving like a catatonic; she won't even say 'hello' to you." It is always hyperbolic (an exaggeration). Etymology: From Greek katatonos "stretching down, tight," from katateinein "to stretch tight," comprising kata "down" + teinein "to stretch." The PIE root "ten-," which underlies the Greek root, also produced "tendon," "tension," "tune," "tetanus" (from Greek tetanos "rigid"), and English "thin." (Our gratitude and sympathy goes out today to Dr Glenn T. Himes, who reports that some days, he feels a bit catatonic himself.) Gumbo Pronunciation: ['gêm-bo] Definition 1: In the southern US, "gumbo" started out as a word for "okra," a tall plant with edible pods that produce a thick, slippery base for cooking. Today it refers to a soup made from okra, seafood or meat, and other vegetables. Usage 1: Okra offers us two examples of "synecdoche," using the name of a part to refer to the whole (or vice versa). In botany, the pod is named after the entire plant; in cooking, the whole recipe is named for one of its ingredients. Definition 2: Any thick mixture or combination. Usage 2: Like "salmagundi," another Word of the Day (February 4, 2001), "gumbo" has slipped from being the name of a dish to a term referring to any hodge-podge of ingredients. Unlike "salmagundi," "gumbo" implies a thick, sticky hodge-podge. Suggested usage: "Gumbo recipes abound, but my favorites include crawdads and are hot, hot, hot." Remember, any metaphoric use must suggest thickness: "Marilyn was driven to spend the weekend writing by a gumbo of ideas she brought back from vacation." Etymology: "Gumbo" comes from Angolan "kingombo," the "ki-" marking the noun class and "ngombo," the stem. The word "okra" is of West African origin, akin to Ibo okuru "okra." "Gumbo" and "okra" are etymologically interesting because they are part of a small body of words brought over by African slaves and absorbed by American English. Most such words pertain to foodstuffs imported into the United States by slaves. (A gumbo of thanks and well-wishes to Susan Sklar for suggesting that we feature today's word.) Chatoyant Pronunciation: [shê-'toy-ênt] Definition 1: Having a changeable luster, like a cat's eye or the gem of the same name. Usage 1: The adjective may be used as a noun to refer to chatoyant gems, e.g. the moonstone is a radiant chatoyant. "Chatoyancy" is the noun referring to a chatoyant quality, e.g. the chatoyancy of her hair in the moonlight. Suggested usage: We can play metaphorically with the semantic luster of this word in several ways, "She sauntered down the stairs in a chatoyant sea of silk and satin." We can also capitalize on its sense of changeability, "Your promises have a chatoyant luster that taunt suspicion," i.e. they are attractive but change substantially before fulfillment. Etymology: French present participle of chatoyer "to shimmer like cats' eyes" from chat "cat," in turn from Vulgar Latin *cattus, perhaps of African origin. Akin to German Katze "cat," Welsh and Cornish "cath," and Breton "kaz." Also found in Slavic: Russian kot "tomcat," koshka "cat" and Polish "kot". (We are grateful to the lustrous eye of Ben St. John for catching today's word and bringing it to us.) - Apropos Pronunciation: [æp-rê-'po] Definition 1: Both timely and to the point; appropriate, apposite, relevant. Usage 1: "Giles gets upset when he is criticized, so his comments about self-improvement later are not often apropos." The word may be used without change adverbially: "Apropos of the managerial meeting, do you recall Jeff's concluding words?" "Apropos" functions today more as a preposition itself without "of ": "Apropos your remark about food, I wouldn't mind a bit of lunch. How about you?" Suggested usage: Opportunities to use this word as an adjective abound: "I didn't think it very apropos that you began discussing cows just as Letty returned from Weight-Watchers." Adverb phrases based on "apropos" usually occur at the beginning of sentences: "Apropos of our talk about dinner, my schedule is clear this evening." Etymology: French "à propos" from à "to" (from Latin "ad-") + propos "purpose" from Latin proponere "to intend." The PIE root *ad- underlying Latin "ad" developed into English "at." (See "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in YDC's library for more PIE). Rodomontade Pronunciation: [rah-dê-mên-'teyd, ro-dê-mên-'teyd] Definition 1: Pretentious boasting or bragging; bluster and hence any arrogant act. Usage 1: The same word may be used as an intransitive verb: "We have a $10 million deal with IBM? That's just Jack rodomontading about his sales department again." Suggested usage: This is the pretentious means of referring to pretentious boasting. Using the word itself is a sort of rodomontade. (Don't you just love words like that?) "The commencement speaker's point was less acuminate behind the absolute rodomontade of his accomplishments he brandished in the foreground." Etymology: Old French "rodomont" + -ade. The suffix is from the Latin feminine past participle, -ata, often used as a noun, e.g. strata "paved way, road," armata "armed, furnished with weapons." Found elsewhere in "marmalade," "parade," "serenade," "tirade," as well as "salad" from the Medieval Latin salata "salted" via French "salade," and "ballad" (originally meaning "a dancing song") from late Latin ballare "to dance," whence also "ball" and "ballet." The noun originates in Italian "rodomonte," a commonization of the name of the blustering Saracen leader in Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso and Orlando Innamorato." (Our thanks to Orval A. Lund, Jr., Professor of English, Winona State University for dusting off this old beauty for us.) Hoi polloi Pronunciation: [hoy-pê-'loy] Definition 1: The people, the folk, the masses, the majority of the population (Latin "vulgus," German "Volk"). The word is usually used disdainfully. Usage 1: When we say "the hoi polloi" was are (sort of) saying, "the the many" (see the etymology below). This is a case of the reanalysis of a borrowed phrase, ignoring its foreign grammar. Other examples include the Arabic word for "the," al, in words like "algebra," "alcohol," and "alchemy." Also, "hoi polloi" is sometimes incorrectly used to mean "the elite," possibly because it is reminiscent of high and mighty or because it sounds like "hoity-toity." Suggested usage: Using the word reflects a bit of snootiness: "Commercial TV may be good enough for the hoi polloi but I prefer Public Television." It could be used by a spouse, however, to encourage improvement in her helpmeet, "I think you should be able to rise above the hoi polloi and watch a football game without injuring yourself or anyone else." Etymology: Greek hoi polloi "the many" from "hoi" nominative plural of ho "the" + polloi nominative plural of polus "many." The underlying root, pel-, we have seen before. It also generated Latin plenus "full" (French plein), English "full," and Russian polnyi "full." (The voice rising above the hoi polloi with today's word is that of Rolf Hertzman of Stockholm.) Sycophant Pronunciation: ['sik-ê-fênt] Definition 1: Someone who flatters people of influence in hopes of having some influence spent in her direction; a person who seeks to further himself by licking the boots of his superiors; a "yes man." Usage 1: The rather worn joke goes something like this-Lackey: "Yes, boss, whatever you say, boss." Boss: "'Yes? Yes? Why do you say 'yes' to whatever I say? What kind of sycophant are you?" Lackey: "Um, what kind do you want me to be?" The noun is "sycophancy." Suggested usage: "Julian is proud of his independence; there's not a sycophantic bone in his body" exemplifies the adjectival form of the word. "Dieter thought that he maintained his dignity, but we thought he performed sycophantically before his superiors all evening," illustrates the adverb. Etymology: From Latin sycophanta "informer, slanderer" from Greek sykophantes "informer." "Sykophantes" comprises sykon "fig" + -phantes "one who shows or displays." The stem of "-phantes" also gives us "photo" and its PIE root "bha-" turns up in English "beacon" and "banner"-all rather showy things, like the sycophant showing obeisance. (Our thanks to Charles Loving of Portland for today's word that renders the homely "toady" as a "fig-displayer.") Primogeniture Pronunciation: [prI-mê-'gen-ê-t(y)Ur or -chUr] Definition 1: The status of having been born first; also the law of inheritance whereby land is inherited by the first-born (son). Usage 1: It is usually applied in the legal sense; however, it means only "first-birth." The first-born is the "primogenitor." Suggested usage: Birthrights play a major role in families, so you might try, "OK, big brother, primogeniture does not give you the right in this house to fossick around in my room when I'm not here." I doubt if brother, no matter how large, would want to take on a sibling with this kind of vocabulary. Etymology: Primo + geniture "birth, begetting." "Primo" is Latin for "first" and derives from PIE *per- "through" with a suffix "m". With the suffix "v" it appears in Russian pervyi "first." The same root probably underlies English "far." "Geniture" comes from Latin "genitura" akin to "genesis" with almost the same meaning. The noun derived from the verb geno, genui, genitum "beget, give birth to" akin to Greek gyne "woman" found in "gynecology" and "misogyny." Both these words are devolved from the same PIE root as English "queen." For more on PIE read "Words: Where do they Come from?" in the YDC library. (We are grateful today for the birth of Anand Bala, who otherwise would not have been able to send us today's word.) Parameter Pronunciation: [pê-'ræm-ê-têr] Definition 1: Mathematics: A constant in an equation that varies in other equations of the same general form. Definition 2: One of a set of (measurable) factors that define a system and determine its behavior. Usage 2: Probably as a result of confusion with "perimeter" this word recently has been used to refer to limiting factors. You are more likely to establish the perimeters of a mine field than any of its parameters. Be careful when referring to factors that limit variations; "perimeter" is more likely the term you need. Suggested usage: First, two clear cases: "The parameters for the future development of this institution should include a stronger measure of job satisfaction." "Road rage has added an unexpected new parameter to driving in the United States." Now, here is a borderline case. "Constance has written something outside the parameters of modern fiction," is OK so long as it means that the factors determining modern fiction do not apply to Constance's work. However, "perimeters" would also work here. Etymology: Greek para- "beside" metron "measure." "Para" is akin to Greek peri "around" as in periscope "a look-around" and Latin per "through, by, via" found in a host of verbs like "permeate," "persist," and "perambulate." English "fore" as in "forecast" and "foretell" share the same origins, as does Russian pere- in perestroika "rebuilding." Corporeal Pronunciation: [kor-'por-ee-êl] Definition 1: Bodily, pertaining to a tangible, physical, animal body specifically as opposed to anything spiritual. Usage 1: This word is the opposite of "spiritual." Be careful not to confuse it with "corporal" ['kor-pê-rêl], which also means "bodily" but does not imply you are distinguishing the bodily from the spiritual. Definition 2: Material, physical, tangible. Usage 2: "Corporeal matters" are usually related to the flesh, but the term can be stretched to include the material evidence of any idea. "A novel is the corporeal relic of a writer's mind." Suggested usage: Speaking of Church Latin (see below for the etymology), transubstantiation makes the body and blood of Christ corporeal in the Roman Catholic communion. But secular applications do arise: "The corporeal flaws seem to accumulate with age no matter how much you exercise." Selecting this word rather than "corporal" specifically excludes spiritual flaws. Etymology: From Latin "corporeus," from corpor- "body." The PIE root *kwrep- gives us the words "corpuscle," "corpse," "corpus," and, oddly enough, "leprechaun." The Irish word is "lucorpan" from Old Irish lu- "small" + corpan "body" from the same Latin root, a testament to how Church Latin was interwoven with Irish Gaelic over the centuries. (Thanks to Alex Buckley of Staffordshire, England for reminding us all of this gutsy word.) Confection Pronunciation: [kên-'fek-shên] Definition 1: Any sweet food or sweetened medicinal preparation; a piece of fine craftsmanship. Usage 1: The verb "confect" still means "to prepare by mixing ingredients," so the noun may refer to anything concocted of several ingredients or the process of concocting itself. But "confectionery shops" now are establishments where only sweetmeats ("meat" originally meant "food") are sold, though it more often referred to apothecary shops in the 17th century. A "confectioner" is now someone who prepares confectioneries or sweetmeats. Suggested usage: "Her gown was a lavish confection of lace and taffeta, a pure confectionery for the eyes," works with both meanings of the word, either a concoction or an appealing millinery sweet. "The main course was a Caucasian confection of goat meat struggling against vegetation that grows only on the crags of the Caucasus. Dessert was an odd sweet confection from the shop around the corner." Etymology: This is an excellent example of "semantic narrowing," a change in meaning from broad to narrow. "Confection" derives from the verb confect which means "to put together, prepare" from a participle of Latin con- "with, together" + ficere "do, make." Confection originally meant "mixing, putting together, preparation" or anything so contrived. Later its meaning became restricted only to the preparation of sweet foods and the results of such preparation. (We extend our gratitude to Roy Pittman for suggesting we confect today's article on "confection.") Brook Pronunciation: [brUk] Definition 1: To put up with or stand for; to tolerate. Usage 1: Although its etymological roots mean "to use, enjoy," the current meaning of "brook" suggests that one has stomached just about enough. Suggested usage: There are not too many ways to use this word, but because it's unusual, it could carry some weight. "I'll brook no more prevarication; tell me where you were all night or pack your bags." On the contrary, "Che will brook any amount of nonsense as long as his girlfriend keeps his number on speed-dial." Etymology: Today's word is a homonym of brook "creek or stream," but the two come to us by different etymological paths. The "creek" version derives from Middle English and Old English "broc." "Broc" is related to the Old High German bruoh "marshy ground." The "tolerate" version is from Middle English "brouken," from Old English brucan "to use, to enjoy." This word is akin to German brauchen "to use," and Latin fruor, fructus "to enjoy." They share an ancestor in PIE *bhrug-. Grimm's Law, a guiding principle in linguistics, tells us that PIE initial *bh converts regularly to "f" in Latin, e.g. English "bear" : Latin "fero" [I carry, bear], "brother" : "frater", etc. (Thanks to Dalyn Cook, who will brook no threat to the survival of this word in English. We stand with her.) Kibosh Pronunciation: ['kI-bahsh or ki-'bahsh] Definition 1: (Slang) A restraining element; something that stops or halts something else. Usage 1: Most often used in the phrase "to put the kibosh on," where it means "to finish off" or "dispose of." Definition 2: (Slang) Nonsense; palaver. Usage 2: This meaning is not used so often as the first: "He was talking a bunch of kibosh, so I stopped listening after the fourth word." Suggested usage: There are plenty of ways to use this slang term around the house: "Rosalie had an idea for a weekend getaway, but her husband's plans to go fishing put the kibosh on her scheme." Here is how to use both meanings of the word in one sentence: "Victor wants to find a quiet way to put the kibosh on Dan's kibosh about a pay raise." Etymology: Unsettled, but probably not from Yiddish or Anglo-Hebrew "kye b(r)osh" that literally means "eighteen British-coins" in Yiddish. It is hard to see the semantic connection here. The word first emerged in England around 1836 when it appeared in Charles Dickens' "Sketches by Boz": "'Hoo-roar,' ejaculates a pot-boy in a parenthesis, 'put the kye-bosk on her, Mary.'" More likely, "kibosh" is a corruption of "caboche" [kê-'bahsh], a verbal variant of "cabbage" which means to decapitate (a deer) right behind the horns. "Caboche" is a term of British heraldry ("stag's head caboched (or cabossed) on a field of gold"). (We are glad that no one put the kibosh on Kathleen Lamantia's request for a write-up of this common but mysterious bit of English slang.) Arch Pronunciation: [arch] Definition 1: Chief; principal; foremost. Usage 1: Used in this way, today's word appears in the cliché "arch foe." However, "arch" doesn't have negative connotations by itself, so it could also be employed as "arch ally" or in the "arch champion" of a cause. Definition 2: Mischievous; cheeky. Usage 2: The cliché that stems from this definition is "arch glance." Such a look is provocative, but so is any other impish expression: an "arch wink" communicates "I'm naughty and we all know it." Suggested usage: If someone you know likes to flirt or make roguish comments, start calling him or her "Your Archness" ("archness" is the noun form). Also, "arch" as a verb means "to span" - and an arch smile can bridge the space between two people rather quickly. Etymology: Middle English from Old French "arche," from Latin "arcus." An "arch glance" is a visual metaphor; it calls to mind the way that a raised eyebrow mimics an inverted U supporting a structure in the same the way that the eyebrow supports a saucy expression on someone's face. Edentate Definition 1: Lacking teeth (the dental correlate of "bald"). The antonym of dentate "having or shaped like teeth." Usage 1: The verb, also "edentate," means to extract or otherwise remove teeth. "Edentation" is the noun from the verb. "Edentulous" [ee-'den-tyu-lês] or [ee-'den-chê-lês] has the same meaning as "edentate," deriving from Latin "edentulus" with the same meaning. The term is common in biology in referring to animals without teeth (ducks?) Suggested usage: The concrete uses of this word are rather obvious, "Her biscuits are not for the weak or edentate." But why not abstract extensions like, "Has congress passed another edentate law restricting handguns?" Rather than threatening to knock someone's teeth out, try, "If you don't leave me alone I'll edentate you!" If that doesn't return everyone's sense of humor, nothing will. Etymology: From the past participle ("edentatus") Latin edentare "to knock out the teeth." Latin dens, dentis "tooth" is akin to Sanskrit "dantas," Greek "odous," Gothic "tunthus," German "Zahn," and English "tooth," which seems to have lost the "n" somewhere along the way. The original PIE word was the present participle of *ed- "eat, bite": *ed-ent = "biting, biter." For a bigger slice of PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in our library. (Our thanks to Albert Schofield for putting a little bite in the Word of the Day with this toothy word meaning "toothless.") -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Bailiwick Pronunciation: ['bey-li-wik] Definition 1: Originally, this word meant the jurisdiction of a bailiff; now it refers to one's proper sphere of influence or knowledge. Usage 1: There are no current adjectives or verbs. Not much you can do with this word derivationally. Suggested usage: This is an important word in defining yourself to others: "Well, I eat out a lot; the kitchen is not my bailiwick," or: "Lawn mower repair is not my bailiwick; I just design rockets." You might even stretch it to include educational disciplines, "Geography is not my bailiwick but I'm a whiz at math." Etymology: From Middle English bailliwik(e) "district under the jurisdiction of a bailiff (sheriff's deputy who delivers writs)" from bailie (or bailiff) + wik(e) "village, district." Bailiff is from Latin bâjulus "carrier, one who bears." Wick is from Old English wic "hamlet or town district." It is akin to Latin vicus "town, district" (as in "vicinity" and "vicar"), Greek oikos "house," and Sanskrit visah "house." With the ancient suffix "-sla" (weik-sla-) the same root resulted in "villa," "village," and the suffix -ville. "Wick" itself remained in English as a locative suffix in two forms: -wick, as in Eastwick, Brunswick and -wich, as in Greenwich, Sandwich. (Teresa Guillien found this historically interesting word in her lexical bailiwick and shared it with us. We are so glad.) Lackaday Pronunciation: ['læk-ê-dey] Definition 1: An archiac interjection used to express disapproval or regret. Usage 1: This word fell out of use, but its offshoot, "lackadaisical," is still with us. "Lackadaisical" is an irregular eighteenth-century formation from "lackaday" and means "lacking spirit." "Lackadaisical" doesn't quite mean "lazy," but rather, "disinterested." Suggested usage: Perhaps if "lackaday" is used alongside "lackadaisical," we can rejuvenate it through that context: "We got James's grades in the mail this afternoon. Lackaday, but that boy is lackadaisical about his studies." Etymology: Shortened from "alack the day," where "alack" was used to express alarm or disapproval. "Alack" is a form of "alas," which comes from Middle English by way of Old French a las, helas, "ah (I am) miserable," from Latin lassus, "weary." "Lassus" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "le-," which also gives us lassitude, "a condition of weariness or listlessness." Thus, while "lackadaisical" is an irregular formation from its parent, it leads us back quite surely to its PIE ancestor. (See "How Is A Hippo Like A Feather?" in YDC's Library for more about PIE). (Thanks to Dr. Allana Elovson, of Santa Monica, California for suggesting "lackadaisical," which led us backward through an engaging etymological history to today's word.) Mendacious Pronunciation: [men-'dey-shês ] Definition 1: A Latinate form for "lying" or "untruthful." Usage 1: It would be impolite or downright rude to call someone a "lying crook," but the Latinate equivalent "mendacious offender" could soften the effect. While "mendacious" is an adjective, it has nominal counterpart mendacity "untruthfulness." Suggested usage: Both "mendacious" and "mendacity" have ready Anglo-Saxon counterparts, "untruthful" and "untruthfulness." If you want to impress the person you are calling a fraud, you might say, "You are so charming in your mendacity that no one really minds," or "You are so charming that no one really minds your mendacious fairy-tales." Etymology: Latin mendax "lie" from Proto-Indo-European *mend- "physical defect, fault." Interestingly, the word mendicant "beggar" from Latin "mendicus" also comes from *mend-, where the original sense was "physical defect." (For more on Proto-Indo-European, read "Words: Where do they Come from?" in yourDictionary's library.) Mondegreen Pronunciation: ['mahn·dê·green] Definition 1: A structural reanalysis of a word or phrase that results in a different interpretation, as the child's mistaking the song, "Gladly, the cross I'd bear" as one about "Gladly, the cross-eyed bear." Usage 1: Not yet recognised by the OED, or Websters. Most of the over 3500 instances found on Internet searches seem to be explanations of the word, not unself-conscious uses-raising the question of whether 'mondegreen' is yet really an English word. Many people seem not to have yet heard it, though everyone immediately grasps what it means (or would mean, were it to become a word). Suggested usage: "Excuse me while I kiss the sky" is from the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze". Mr Hendrix was himself aware that he had been mondegreened, and would occasionally, in performance, actually kiss a guy after singing that line. (Jon Carroll) Thinking that "the die is cast" was about putting hot metal into a mold rather than throwing one of a pair of dice was my childhood misunderstanding, not exactly a mondegreen but close. Etymology: The fourth line of the 17th century Scottish ballad "The Bonny Earl of Murray" (http://www.bartleby.com/101/386.html) which goes, "(They hae slain the Earl of Murray) And hae laid him on the green." Sylvia Wright's article "The Death of Lady Mondegreen," Harper's 1954, describes her misconstrual of the line as "the Lady Mondegreen." Popularised by William Safire's 1981 book 'On Language', and by Jon Carroll, a San Francisco columnist.
Pronunciation: [pyu-si-'læ-nê-mês] Definition 1: Faint-hearted, lacking courage. Usage 1: The meaning of this adjective is weaker and less offensive than "cowardly." The noun is pusillanimity [pyu-sê-læ-'ni-mê-tee]. Suggested usage: Don't be too pusillanimous to use today's word; it isn't all that long and stands in nicely for "faint-hearted" when you need a weaker term than "cowardly." "This roller-coaster is not for the pusillanimous," is less offensive with "pusillanimous" than with "cowardly" in the same position. It helps you avoid "fear" too: "Only his pusillanimity with women has prevented Carlton from asking Meredith to marry him." Etymology: Late Latin pusillanimis from Latin pusillus "weak," diminutive of pullus "young (animal)" + animus "soul, spirit, mind." "Pullus" is related to English "pullet" and comes from pusus "boy," related to puer "boy" which gave English "puerile." Latin "animus" is related to Greek anemos "wind" whence English anemone. "Pullus" comes from the underlying root pau- "small, few" which turns up in English "few" and "foal." Ubiquitous Pronunciation: [yu-'bi-kwê-tês] Definition 1: Present everywhere. Usage 1: Regular adjective: "ubiquitously" adverb, "ubiquity" noun Suggested usage: The English word "everywhere" doesn't have a noun, so you can't say things like "I was struck by its 'everywhereness' in England." Now you can; just use 'ubiquity' instead: "I was struck by its ubiquity in England." You can also use this word family where "everywhere" doesn't fit: "Is the ubiquitous cell phone a threat to society?" Etymology: Latin ubi-que "everywhere", from ubi "where" + -que "and, or" + -ous. Inglorious Pronunciation: [in-'glo-ri-yês] Definition 1: Lacking in glory or pride hence shameful or dishonorable. Usage 1: The word is not used as widely as its positive counterpart, glorious, which explains why its meaning has strayed slightly off course. Suggested usage: It may be used literally, as in "an inglorious battle in British history"; however, it may be used metaphorically in interesting ways to refer to any event you might wish to erase from memory, e.g. "a rather inglorious moment in the company's history." It belongs to elevated style, so you wouldn't want to refer to "the inglorious negotiations over who pays the tab", though, at a high-stakes business dinner, it might crack a reluctant smile or two. Etymology: From Latin negative prefix in- "not" plus gloria "glory". Probity Pronunciation: ['pro-bê-ti] Definition 1: Honesty, integrity, moral perfection. Suggested usage: Probity is characterized by an absoluteness beyond that of ordinary morality and integrity. Use this term when you wish to express such absoluteness, e.g. "Mother Teresa's moral probity led her into a life of complete self-sacrifice" or "A company of anything less than absolute financial probity risks the loss of stockholder confidence." Etymology: Latin probitas, from probus "good, upright" derived from Indo-European *per- "in front of" which appears in English "fore", as in "forefront". Bloviate Pronunciation: ['blo-vee-eyt] Definition 1: (U.S. Slang) To speak or write verbosely and windily. Usage 1: This is not a legitimate word (see Etymology), so we recommend you avoid using it. It is the case that illegitimately derived words are occasionally accepted by the speech community, as "stick-to-itativeness," "discombobulation," and "whachamacallit" illustrate. If "bloviate" sticks, "bloviation," "bloviating," "bloviator"-indeed the full panoply of derivations available to the Latinate verbs ending on -ate will be available to it. Suggested usage: yourDictionary.com recommends that you not use this pseudo-word. We have plenty of words for boasters, bragging and bluster, including "vaunter," "braggadocio," and our recent Word of the Day, "fanfaronade." Etymology: A mock-Latin nonce word based on the English verb "blow" associated with blow-hard "braggart" and blow smoke "brag, deceive." The English word "blow" developed naturally via Old English blawen from PIE bhle(w)- that underlies "bladder," "blister," and "blast," which originally meant a strong gust of wind. So the root has nothing to do with Latin. For more about PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in our library. (Thanks to Phyllis Stabler for waking us to this new lexical virus posing as an English word.) Herbivore Pronunciation: ['hêr-bê-vor] Definition 1: Any creature that eats only plants and vegetables. Usage 1: This word is sometimes pronounced without the initial "h" ['êr-bê-vor] in the US because the one word preserving the English Cockney loss of initial "h" in the US the word "herb", pronounced [êrb]. Using "an" before "historical" and dropping the initial "h" in that word (but not "history") is a similar error that has also crept into US spoken English. The "h" should be pronounced in all these words, as they are in most other dialects of English. Suggested usage: You can use this word to refer to any animal that eats only vegetation, e.g. "cows and giraffes are herbivores." The term also applies to vegetarians, who are, after all, human herbivores. Etymology: Latin herb- "vegetation, grass" and vor-o "I swallow", also found in voracious "very hungry, having a strong appetite", and devour "eat greedily". Beatific Pronunciation: [bee-ê-'tif-ik] Definition 1: Exhibiting ultimate serenity, imparting or experiencing a state of utmost bliss (beatitude), usually associated with a religious experience. Usage 1: This word family is used almost exclusively in a religious sense. The Christian "beatific vision" is the bliss aroused by the direct contact with God enjoyed by angels and other souls in heaven. "Beatific smiles" reflect that serenity and contentedness. The noun, beatitude, is associated with the list of blessings in Christ's Sermon on the Mount, commonly referred to as "The Beatitudes." Suggested usage: There is no reason why religion should usurp the services of this word family. There are secular situations where it might be used in the sense of a serene self-confidence like that of a religious faith. For example, "Louella entered the room with a beatific air that inspired confidence in every word she uttered," suggests the serence confidence inspired by the knowledge that the gods are watching over her. The noun is subject to similar application, "Manfred's attitude suggested beatitude more than mere self-confidence." Etymology: Latin beatificus "making happy" from beatus "happy" (past participle of beare "to bless") + -fic (from fac-ere "make, do") + case ending -us. The ultimate root also underlies Latin bonus "good," bene "well" found in "benefit," "benevolent," and "benign," not to mention bellus "beautiful" from which we get "beauty" and "belle (of the ball)." Kilter Pronunciation: ['kil-têr] Definition 1: (Slang) Alignment, balance, good general condition. Usage 1: Another slang word with a meaning similar to that of "kilter" is "whack." If something is out of kilter, it is somehow misaligned, out of balance. If it is out of whack it is not working correctly, possibly not working at all. You can bring something back into kilter but we cannot say that we have brought something back into whack or that it is in whack. "Out of whack" is an absolute idiom allowing no variation. Now, let me take a whack at distinguishing between "kilter" and "whack." Suggested usage: "Kilter" tends to be favored in reference to abstract objects: "The number of seats in Congress occupied by women is out of kilter with their proportion of the general population." You could say, "Your job is to keep the car engine in good kilter." In the U.S. "whack" is preferred with concrete objects, "I can't mow the lawn today; my back is out of whack." Etymology: U.S. variant of "kelter," dialectal term found from Northumberland and Cumberland to Cornwall since the late 17th century (OED). The origin is unknown. Is it relevant that another meaning of "kelter" in the North Country is "money"? "Whack" is probably onomatopoetic (imitative) given its frequent expletive use: "Whack! The ball sailed deep into left field." The idiom "out of whack" is probably the origin of wacky "crazy" since both "out of whack" and "wacky" originate in the U.S. Commute Pronunciation: [kê-'myut] Definition 1: This verb originally meant "to exchange," e.g. to commute currency from pounds to francs. In particular, it meant to exchange for a reduction, as "commute the price of several tickets for a lower single fare" or "commute a life sentence to house arrest in the home of your mother-in-law." Usage 1: In this sense the word is used mostly in courts today in reference to reducing sentences. But in 1856 a commutation ticket was a reduced fare for people who rode the train over the same route repeatedly, a kind of season rail pass. Definition 2: To travel back and forth between home and work over a long distance (1889, Century Dictionary, though not in 1913 Webster's). Usage 2: A person who commutes in this sense is a commuter and the activity is commuting. One round trip would be "a commute." This sense of the word is apparently related to "commutation ticket" and "commutation trains." Suggested usage: Kids, this is a cool term to impress your parents with, "Mom, would you commute my yard chores this weekend to taking the car to the carwash tonight?" There are household uses of the second meaning, too: "Buffy, as you commute between your room and the refrigerator, could you bring down your dirty clothes and take the clean ones back?" Etymology: Latin commutare "to change, exchange" from con "with" + mutare "change." The same root turns up in Latin mutuus "in exchange" on which "mutual" is based. English "mad" shares the same origin via Germanic ga-maid-yan "changed" underlying Old English *gemædan "made foolish or insane." (Michael Bernet, who may commute from New Rochelle, NY, provided us with today's lexical challenge.) Toast Pronunciation: ['tost] Definition 1: The act of proposing to drink in honor of someone or something special. Usage 1: Around 1700 the British upper class began referring to the most popular lady at a party or a social circle in terms of a habit of putting buttered toast, often with sugar and nutmeg in the butter, in a glass of wine to make it special. Once popular young ladies became the toast of the party, or of the town, raising your glasses to them became "toasting." The toaster or toast-master proposes toasts while the one toasted is the toast or toastee. Suggested usage: Use this word to indicate someone or something special. "I would like to toast the day your grades rise to the point that we can skip summer school." Objects may be toasted, too, "Bourbon Street is the toast of New Orleans." This does not mean that the word has no place at work: "His managerial style is nothing to toast." Etymology: The verb "toast" derives from Old French toster "to roast or grill" from Latin *tostare, based on tost-, the supine stem of torrere "to parch." The earlier root underlying "torrere" also provided the Latin basis of "torrid" and "torrent" (from Latin for "boiling"), as well as terra "dry land," underlying "territory," "terrain," and "terrier," a hunting dog that pursues its quarry into its burrow. In English, the same root turns up as thirst "dryness, thirst." Diffident Pronunciation: ['di-fi-dênt] Definition 1: Shy, bashful, or hesitant as a result of a lack of self-confidence. Usage 1: Although OED accepts "distrustful" as an alternate meaning of "diffident," this meaning is surely archaic in the States and probably elsewhere. The antonym of today's word is "confident," whose meaning has changed in the same direction as "diffident" (compare Etymology below). The noun is "diffidence." Suggested usage: This word's uses in limning matters of the heart are legion: "Reginald's diffident touch when their hands brushed was the quality that made Dorothea love him." Certainly, we all know someone who seems to be inhibited until more layers of her personality are revealed: "Don't be fooled by Althea's diffident manner when you first meet her - she will soon enough have you doubled over in laughter." On the other hand, "Carlos works at being a wonderful audience for friends because his diffidence prevents his taking center stage alone." Etymology: Middle English from the Latin present participle of diffidere, "to mistrust:" dis-, dis- + fidere, "to trust." The Indo-European root of "fidere" is bheidh-, "to confide, persuade, trust" and it gives us words that have to do with emotional warmth and closeness: abide, fiancé, confide and confidant, faith and fidelity. Put a negative prefix on the derivations from "bheidh-" and you get infidel, defiance and perfidy -- fightin' words about betrayal. Propinquity Pronunciation: [prê-'ping-kwê-ti] Definition 1: Nearness, as in nearness in location or time (proximity), nearness in relationship (kinship), or nearness in character. Usage 1: Look out for the false cognate "propensity", as in "He has a propensity for overeating." You cannot substitute "propinquity" for "propensity" here. Suggested usage: Here are some examples of how the term may be used effectively. "The propinquity of the teacher undermined the effectiveness of his crib sheets." "The propinquity of their minds kept them together much of the time." Etymology: Latin propinquum "neighborhood, vicinity" from prope "near". Non sequitur Pronunciation: [nahn 'se-kwi-têr] Definition 1: Literally, not following (logically), illogical, not connected to anything previously said or (as a noun) a statement not following logically from what was previously said. Usage 1: It originates in logic, where it refers to an inference not following from the premise. Suggested usage: This is a pretty harsh criticism of someone's logical powers, so it should be applied directly only in extreme circumstances and indirectly only with cause. "What she is saying sounds fine but if you think for a minute, you see that it is non sequitur." Or, as a noun: "If his non sequiturs weren't so funny, he would be a detriment to the negotiations." Etymology: Latin non "not" + sequo "follow", from which we get "sequence", "consequent", "sequacious", "sequel", "sequester". From PIE *sekw-, which also underlies "sec-ond", "sect", "seal", "sign" and, in its "o" variant (*sokw-), "social" and "society" (Pokorny). Diaphanous Pronunciation: [dI-'æ-fê-nês] Definition 1: Thin and fragile, translucent, filmy or flimsy. Usage 1: Look out for the Greek spelling of "f" via "ph" and the suffix "-ous" with the "o". Suggested usage: This word is usually associated with very thin fabric such as silk which is translucent and flimsy in the original sense. However, the 'flimsiness' in its meaning makes it conducive to a range of colorful metaphoric uses, e.g. "The lie was so diaphanous the dog could see through it" or "a plan that diaphanous (thin, lacking in substance) could never work." Etymology: From Greek dia- "through" + phainein "to show". The latter underlies "photo-" and "fantasy", borrowed from Greek and itself is derived from Indo-Eropean *bhaa- from which French "bouy" and English "beckon", "beacon", "banner", and "berry" (!) are derived via various historical suffixes. Anfractuous Pronunciation: [æn-'fræk-chu-wês] Definition 1: Tortuous, full of twists and turns and hence (unnecessarily) complicated. Suggested usage: This is a word that can be used to describe anything from avenues to arguments. It might be "an anfractuous dirt road that leads to a mountain cabin" or "an unnecessarily anfractuous explanation" of something, one that is difficult to follow because it is not straightforward. Minds can be anfractuous, too. Etymology: Latin anfractus "coil, bend", the past participle (-t-us) from frang-ere "to break", itself from am(bi)- "around" + -fractus "broken", from the Proto-Indo-European stem *bhreg. The initial PIE *bh became "f" in Latin. In Germanic languages like English it became b everywhere, while "g" became "k", following a law discovered by Jakob Grimm. So the same stem turns up in Modern English as "break". Sinecure Pronunciation: ['si-nê-kyur] Definition 1: Any position with compensation but few or even no duties. A sinecure is often the result of a "transmotion", the horizontal correlate of a promotion. Suggested usage: Everyone knows someone in such a position. Here is a word you can use to refer to their positions that they probably will not understand. The possibilities for fun are limitless: "John is absolutely perfect for his sinecure!" "Lucille is too good for her position; she deserves a major sinecure somewhere in this organization!" Etymology: Latin sine "without" cura "care, thought, concern". English derives "cure" and "curator" from the same root via various anfractuous routes.
Pronunciation: [mê-'li-flu-wês] Definition 1: Pleasant to hear. Usage 1: This word, or its synonym, mellifluent, perfectly refers to someone speaking as though honey were dripping from the tongue, that is, speech approaches poetry: "I have never heard such mellifluous (mellifluent) Afrikaans in my life." Suggested usage: This word may be applied to any reference to perfectly, even poetically articulated language: "please translate the passage into idiomatic mellifluous Swahili"; "she spoke in mellifluous swells that bound her audience in a collective spell"; "he is a mellifluent persuader." An onomatopoetic word that will find widened application among those receiving yourDictionary's Word of the Day. Etymology: From Latin mellifluus "flowing or dripping with honey" (from mel 'honey' + flu-e-re "to flow") + us (Adj. ending). Latin mel is derived from the same Proto-Indo-European root at English mead "fermented honey" and flu- is a cognate of flow. Hieroglyphic Pronunciation: [hI-rê-'gli-fik] Definition 1: Related to a system of writing in pictorial characters known as hieroglyphics. Usage 1: Hieroglyphic is one of the words that follows the spelling rule: "i" before "e" except after "c". Many others don't: their, heir, deity, leisure, seizure. The truth of the matter is, while it is true that the letters "c+e+i" in words borrowed from French are written in that order, there is no reliable rule for ordering "e" and "i" elsewhere. Suggested usage: "His hand-writing is positively hieroglyphic" reflects a common use of the word. Instead of that old cliché, "it's all Greek to me", try something with hieroglyphic: "It might as well be hieroglyphic(s)" or "Everything she writes is hieroglyphic (incomprehensible to the layman)." Etymology: Various peoples have used hieroglyphics including the ancient Egyptians and the Mayans of South America. The word itself comes from Greek hieroglyphikos, from hieros "sacred" + glyphe "carving". Obstreperous Pronunciation: [ahb-'stre-pê-rês] Definition 1: Uncontrollably loud hence unruly, uncontrollable. Also boisterously defiant. Suggested usage: Impress the boys at the poker game by substituting this expressive adjective for clichés like 'raise hell', 'raise Cain': If you guys get any more obstreperous, you'll have to leave. I wonder why the bartender seldom says things like: If things get any more obstreperous, I'll have to bring out me baseball bat? Wouldn't it add to the local pub's atmosphere? Etymology: Latin obstreperus (from obstrepere-: ob- 'against' + strepere 'make a noise') + -us. Petrichor Pronunciation: ['pe-trê-ko(r) or -tri-] Definition 1: A pleasant distinctive smell of rain falling on dry ground. The original reference is to an odor produced in certain regions by yellowish, oily globules, rather like perfume, absorbed into the ground from the air. Usage 1: Here is a new conceptual opportunity for lexiphiliacs. Although introduced by geologists in 1964 (Nature 993/2) to refer to a specific aroma, we have all experienced the pleasure of the smell of rain on a dry earth. Now, thanks to the sharp ear (or eye) of Word-of-the-Day subscriber Gregory Rutter, we can all express it. Suggested usage: This word certainly fits anywhere aromas are discussed, "I love this chardonnay for the petrichor underlying its complex bouquet." But once we are comfortable with it, we can unleash our metaphoric creativity, "Her entrance into his life was a refreshing petrichor ending a long, stale season of relationships." Etymology: Greek petros "stone" or petra "rock" + ichor, the mythical rarified fluid that flowed in the veins of the gods. ("Ichor" now refers literally to any watery, perhaps blood-tinged discharge.) Petros also underlies the name "Peter," so Rock Hudson's first name was simply a translation of the Greek "Peter." Petro- has taken a sharp semantic turn of late, resulting from the clipping of "petroleum" (from petro "rock" + oleum "oil"). Neologisms like "petrodollars" and "petropower" refer to the money and power of oil, not of rocks. Sartorial Pronunciation: [sah(r)-'tor-i-yêl] Definition 1: Related to tailors and tailoring and, more broadly, to clothes. Usage 1: The English noun "sartorius" refers to the longest muscle in the human anatomy, stretching from the hip to the inside of the tibia. The name is related to the cross-legged position assumed by tailors during fittings. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the use of "sartor" to refer to a tailor is "humorously pedantic." (I am not sure who would laugh.) Suggested usage: This word begs for utterance on dressy occasions, "You look so elegant, I can't imagine the Duke of Wales bedecked in more sartorial splendor" or, "Her sartorial sense reflects a woman of intelligence and impeccable taste." However, it may be used to refer to changes in sartorial fashion or ill-fitting suits that evidence sartorial abuse. Etymology: From Medieval Latin sartorius, pertaining to a sartor "clothes mender or tailor" (in classical Latin "a hoer, cultivator"). (YDC's sartorially correct friend, Gregory Franklin, fitted us with today's Word of the Day.) Casino Pronunciation: [kah-'zee-no] Definition 1: This is another of YDC's occasional foreign words, an ordinary unassuming word with interesting developments in Italian where it means "a mess, bungle, screw-up," or "trouble." This is NOT the English word "casino". Usage 1: The word belongs to the spoken register, where it means "mess," as in "Che casino hai fatto!" (What a mess you've made!). It can also mean trouble, "Ha dei casini con la polizia" (S/he is in trouble with the police) or "mettersi nei casini" (to get into trouble). The derived verb incasinare [in-kah-zee-'nah-re] means "mess up, bungle": "Ha incasinato tutto il lavoro" (S/he bungled her/his work). There is also a derived agent noun, casinista [kah-zee-'nees-tah] "a bungler" as in "Non farti aiutare da Giovanni, è un casinista" (Don't ask John for help, he is a bungler). Definition 2: A fuss, racket, loud annoying noise. Usage 2: The word is always used in a negative sense, to refer to an annoying noise, "C'è troppo casino, non ti sento" (There is too much racket, I can't hear you). Suggested usage: Until a couple of decades ago, the word was considered vulgar, and was not used freely by speakers even on the colloquial level. Now it is accepted in almost any situation, including formal spoken registers, such as academic discussions. Foreigners speaking Italian are encouraged to use it in order to sound native (unless they are speaking to a judge in court). Etymology: This diminutive of the word casa [kah-'zah] "house" took on the meaning of a leisure house in the XVI century, as "casino di caccia" (hunting lodge). The phrase "casino da gioco" (gaming house) then shortened to "casino" and became the international term for a gambling house. (Italian borrowed the word back from French, pronounced [kah-zee-'no] for this usage.) The meaning of the original word next shifted to "brothel" from which the current meanings "mess" and "racket" developed. (Another of yourDictionary.com's occasional foreign words with interesting stories.) Venery Pronunciation: ['ve-nê-ri or -ree] Definition 1: Hunting or the game hunted. Definition 2: The pursuit of sexual pleasure Usage 2: Obviously, the differences in meanings are so great as to require caution with the contexts in which this word is used. "Venereal" is the only adjective widely used and it refers to sexual activity or to the character of someone given to the pleasures of Venus. Suggested usage: The sense of "hunting" has been greatly subdued by this word's association with Venus, the Roman goddess of passionate love, so using the term to refer to the hunt is probably ill-advised. Even "Carlton loves his summer venery in the woods" is ambiguous and semantic stand-offs always defer to the most socially damaging meaning. So, unless Carlton is wont to walk with wanton women to the woods for wicked pleasures, avoid such locutions. Etymology: From Latin venor "to hunt, chase" via Medieval Latin venaria "a hunt, chase" and French. "Venison" derives via French from the original Latin venatio(n) "hunting" and originally referred to any game meat (an example of semantic narrowing). The other meaning of "venery" derives from Venerius "pertaining to Venus, sexual love." All of these Latin words share a common source with English "win," "wish," "winsom" and Sanskrit vanam "forest." (Thanks to Nick King of Hartford for hunting down today's word for us.) Compunction Pronunciation: [kêm-'pêngk-shên] Definition 1: A feeling of slight regret or remorse; a qualm. Usage 1: The adjective is "compunctious." "Compunction," "remorse," and "contrition" cover a continuum of penitent feelings from slight to powerful. A compunction is a slight twinge of conscience while remorse is an extended, sincere feeling of guilt. Contrition is a sense of crushing regret for a misdeed and a sincere desire for pardon. Suggested usage: This is the term for referring to the low end of regret: "Gabor has no compunctions about taking candy from a baby." "Lorraine showed not the slightest compunction in inviting her old boyfriend to dinner with her husband." Etymology: Via Old French from Late Latin compunctio(n), the noun from compungere "to prick hard, sting" from com- "with, together" + pungere "to prick." English "pungent" is derived from the same verb, which is akin to Latin pugnus "fist," pugnare "to fight" (as in pugnacious) and Greek pygme "fist, dwarf." Other words derived from the same root: "expunge," "pink," "point." (Our thanks today to Kevin Farris of Chicago, who suggested today's word without any compunction whatsoever.) Salubrious Pronunciation: [sê-'lu-bri-ês or (British) sê-lyu-bri-ês] Definition 1: Favourable or conducive to health; attractive and prosperous (Australian). Usage 1: The Oxford English Dictionary allows "unsalubrious" and the noun in all dialects is "salubrity." Suggested usage: Of course we all prefer living in a salubrious climate and avoid foods with unsalubrious fats and cholesterol (some fats are salubrious). A weekend with the children might be a salubrious respite from work but then a night at the opera could be a salubrious respite from the kids. According to Macquarie's Dictionary, one may live in a salubrious suburb in Australia if it is but attractive and prosperous. Of course, prosperity does promote health. Etymology: Latin salubris, from salus "health." "Salus" is the source of "salvation," "salvage," "safe," "salutary," and "salute." It is akin to Greek holos "whole" as in "hologram" and Latin solidus "solid" developed from the same underlying root. (Thanks today to Gregory Franklin for reminding us of this lexically salubrious member of our vocabularies.) Sanguine Pronunciation: ['sæng-gwin or 'sæng-win] Definition 1: The meaning of today's word has come a long way over the years. First, it meant "bloody," i.e. involving blood or the color of blood (ruddy). From this sense it shifted to "cheery, courageous, hopeful," the disposition effected by the medieval humor, blood (of the four: blood, phlegm, choler, and black bile, believed in the middle ages to control one's personality), and, finally, today it means simply "hopeful, optimistic." Usage 1: Not to be confused with sanguinary "blood-thirsty," which is based on the same Latin stem as today's, much more pleasing word. The noun is "sanguinity" and the adverb "sanguinely." Suggested usage: "Sanguine" is a general purpose word, applicable in domestic situations, "How can she be so sanguine about the future of this, her fourth marriage?" as well as financial ones, "After filing for bankruptcy, he still spoke sanguinely about his financial future." Etymology: Latin sanguineus "bloody, blood-red" from sanguis "blood." (We thank Deborah Gordon for today's "bloody" word.) Namby-pamby Pronunciation: ['næm-bi-'pæm-bi (or -bee)] Definition 1: Sentimental, insipid (British); weak and indecisive (U. S.) Usage 1: Odd as it might seem, this word has begged for whimsical derivations. All of the following have been recorded by the grand old Oxford English Dictionary (OED): namby-pambyish "somewhat namby-pamby," namby-pambiness "namby-pamby quality," namby-pambical "of a namby-pamby nature," and my personal favorite, namby-pambics "namby-pamby behavior, especially writing." Suggested usage: What attracts us to this word is all the grossly underexplored derivational possibilities lurking within it: "If you want to see some absolutely masterful namby-pambics, watch George tell his daughter how she must reduce the charges to her credit card." "Your wife is seeing another man and you bought her a new dress so she wouldn't embarrass you? That is the most namby-pambical idea I've ever heard of!" Etymology: A fanciful rhyming pair based on the name of Ambrose Philips, author of sentimental (namby-pamby) pastorals ridiculed by Carey and Pope, including Carey's 1726 work, 'Namby Pamby.' (Our thanks to John Prusinski of S2N Media, whose vocabulary isn't even namby-pambyish, for today's word Acuminate Pronunciation: [ê-'kju-mi-nêt] Definition 1: Pointed or pointy, coming to a sharp point. Usage 1: The verb is acuminate [ê-'kyu-mi-neyt] "to sharpen (an object or point in discourse)." The adjective is very common in the description of leaves that taper to a point (an acuminate leaf). But it may be used to refer to anything, concrete or abstract, that comes to a point. Suggested usage: Have you ever wanted to call your boss a pointy-head without getting fired? Boy, do we have the word for you today! Because this word sounds like "acumen," unless your chief is too smart to deserve this epithet, his chest will swell with pride when you say, "Learning from someone with such an acuminate head on his shoulders as you have is so rewarding." The reward is hearing yourself tell off your boss without repercussion. Of course, you may enjoy this word in the usual way, too: "I thought it was a very acuminate point she developed; it could not have been clearer." Etymology: Latin acuminat-us past participle of acumina-re "to make pointed, sharpen," akin to acumen, "a point, acuteness, cunning." Acumen is derived from acuere "to sharpen" itself from acus "needle" (Greek akis "needle"). Going back farther, the underlying root *ak- developed via Germanic into English "edge" and "ear" (ear or spike of grain). This root also metathesized to *ka- and acquired the suffix -men. The stem *ka-men turns up in English "hammer" and Russian kamen' "stone." Noisome Pronunciation: ['noy-sêm] Definition 1: Offensive, disgusting, foul. Usage 1: Another lexicological curve ball: "noisome" has nothing to do with "noise" (which comes from Vulgar Latin nausea "seasickness" and, later, "discomfort") or the pronominal quantifier "some." Definition 2: Harmful or dangerous. Suggested usage: "Noisome's" meaning ranges from just disgusting to positively dangerous, so "noisome advances" would be advances one finds repulsive while "noisome fumes" could be toxic. A mother might ask her son to put his noisome socks in the hamper immediately without making the distinction. Etymology: Middle English noie "harm" (shortened from Old French anoi "annoyance" which also was borrowed by English as "annoy") + -som, an adjective suffix meaning "having X or characterized by X" (from Old English -sum "like X, characterized by X"). Undervote Pronunciation: ['ên-dêr-vot] Definition 1: A ballot missing one or more votes for specific offices that (usually) do not invalidate voting for other offices on the same ballot. Usage 1: The antonym of "undervote" is "overvote": voting for more than one candidate for the same office, either by marking the ballot for candidates of two different parties or by adding a write-in candidate and marking a listed candidate for the same office. The same words may be used as verbs: "to undervote" and "to overvote." Suggested usage: The term has been used quite frequently in the discussion of the Florida presidential election in which the presidential votes on tens of thousands of ballots were not counted, presumably because those voters chose not to cast a vote for any presidential candidate. The Gore campaign argued that many intended votes were not counted because of mechanical failure and were hence erroneously included in the undervote count. Etymology: A derivation based on "under" (less than maximum) + "vote" (cast a ballot in an election and/or referendum). Pandemic Pronunciation: [pæn-'de-mik] Definition 1: Widespread; occurring throughout all or almost all of a population. Usage 1: Not to be confused with "epidemic", which means "spreading rapidly and extensively by infection." While it is usually applied to medical and public health problems, it needn't be restricted to this semantic field. Like "epidemic," this word may be used as a noun, too. Suggested usage: "The influenza epidemic is threatening to become pandemic this winter," would be a common use of the word. But it begs to be applied elsewhere: "The problem of inarticulate speech has become pandemic," or "Handguns have become a pandemic (epidemic, too) problem in the U.S." Etymology: Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandemos "of all the people," from pan- "all" + demos "people." Pan-demon-ium, (pan- + daimon "demon"), "panoply" (Greek panopli, pan- + hoopla "arms, armor"), panacea (Greek pan- + akos [as in "ache")] cure"). Demos, of course, also appears in "democracy," "demography," and "demagogue."
Gybe, gibe, jibe Pronunciation: ['jIb] Definition 1: 1. Spelled: "gybe": To swing a fore-and-aft sail or its boom from one side of the vessel to the other when the wind is behind you or (intransitive) the action itself. 2. Spelled "gibe": To taunt or jeer someone 3. Spelled "jibe" and used mostly in the U.S.: To agree, or fit; to correlate or be in alignment with. Usage 1: Here are three words with three distinct origins ending up coincidentally with the same pronunciation. They are more and more often (mis)spelled the same way in the U. S.: j-i-b-e. In the meaning of (3), the word "jive" is often (mis)used in the U. S. "Your figures don't jive with mine." This word is colloquial and probably should be avoided in favor of "agree," "concur," or "align." Suggested usage: You would have to be talking to a sailor to say: "Don't gibe me for not gybing the sail properly." But in an informal setting, anyone should appreciate: "Why do you go out with him? Somehow the two of you don't jibe." Etymology: (1) Gybe: Dutch "gijpen" (originally "gijben") with the same meaning. (2) Gibe: Possibly from Old French giber "to handle roughly, engage in horse play." (3) Jibe: Probably related to "jive," though it is difficult to say which came first. The origins of both are shrouded in mystery.
Objurgate Pronunciation: ['ahb-jur-geyt] Definition 1: To rebuke harshly. Usage 1: Cliches like "chew out", "cuss out", "dress down", "call on the carpet" in contemporary American English have all but obliterated more subtly articulated terms like "censure", "chide", "reproach", "upbraid", "rebuke", "scold", "berate", and "objurgate". Suggested usage: Take advantage of all the subtle semantic differences in all these near synonyms while avoiding cliches. "He didn't just berate me, he completely objurgated me!" "I prefer dad's objurgation to Mom's berating me over the condition of my room." Etymology: Latin objurgare "to scold, rebuke" from ob- "to, against" and jurgo "quarrel, dispute, rebuke" itself probably related to jus, jur- "law, right" from which we derive "justice" and "jury". Niveous Pronunciation: ['niv-ee-ês] Definition 1: Resembling snow, snow-like. Usage 1: The noun is nivosity. (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary for today's word.) Suggested usage: For those of you with a musical ear, try bringing niveous into your caroling this winter: "It's beginning to look quite niveous outside (tra la tra la)." Also, "I bought my niece a glass sphere filled with water and a niveous flakes for a Christmas gift" (translation: snow globe). If the substance on your windshield no longer is snow but originated as such, try: "The wipers couldn't clear the nivosity quickly enough, so we pulled over until the blizzard died down." Etymology: From Latin niveus, from nix (nig-s), niv- "snow" which developed into French neige, Spanish nieve, and Italian neve. The underlying PIE from, believe it or not, is *sneigwh-, with several sounds that have worn off over the years. So the same PIE root gave us English "snow" and Slavic (Russian, Bulgarian, Serbian) sneg "snow." Baleful Pronunciation: ['beyl-fêl] Definition 1: Threatening harm, ominous or sinister. Usage 1: "Baleful" and "baneful" are close cousins, but do have different uses. "Baleful" is said of something that seems to assure danger; "baneful" refers to something that has already caused harm. "I'm not going to have those baleful eggs; they look runny" versus "The baneful effect of the undercooked eggs was sour after-breakfast moods and conversations." Suggested usage: The uses are endless. "The construction crew became more active when baleful clouds appeared overhead." "My little sister responded quickly to the baleful expression on Mom's face this afternoon." Etymology: Old English balu, Middle English bale "evil, perniciousness, harm" + -ful. Archaic by the 16th century. Probably related to Slavic bol- "pain, affliction" as in Russian bol'nyi "painful." Arcane Pronunciation: [ahr-'keyn] Definition 1: Known or understood by only a few. Usage 1: This is an uncomplicated adjective with a broad range of applications. Suggested usage: This is a good word to refer to rarities of all sorts: "Phil has arcane reading habits" or "Sarah's knowledge of arcane economic principles occasionally pays off." You might even try something like "Lucy likes to go to arcane cafes with unusual menus in New York." Etymology: Latin arcânus "shut up, closed" hence "secret" from arca "a chest, box", as in Ark (Arc) of the Covenant. Unrelated to arcade, which derives from Latin arcus "arch".
Urbane Pronunciation: [êr-'beyn] Definition 1: Suave, polite, sophisticated. Usage 1: This is a straight-forward word with no pitfalls to look out for: "His urbane manner impressed everyone at dinner." Suggested usage: Use this term to refer to people who are sophisticated as a result of education, travel, and intelligent experience: "Lucy's travels have left her an urbane commentator on world politics." "She also has urbane tastes in cuisine." Etymology: Latin urbanus "pertaining to the city; refined, polished, elegant" from urbs "city". (The idea of the city-slicker goes way back Locution Pronunciation: [lo-kyu-shên ] Definition 1: A style or way of speaking. Usage 1: The term "accent" is grossly overused when referring to differences in speech patterns. Accent refers only to the way words are pronounced, their sounds. "Locution" refers to the entire speech pattern, including differences in idioms, adages, vocabulary, phraseology, and so on. Definition 2: A turn of phrase, a verbal or written expression. Suggested usage: "Her Australian locution impresses North Americans," goes far beyond reference to her accent. The same is true of: "I'm impressed much more with English Cockney locution than with that of the British upper class." Here is an example of the second meaning: "I thought 'to suffocate all tries at reform' was a peculiar locution even for Randolph." Etymology: From Latin locution- (via French), from "loctus" past participle of loqu- "to speak." Akin to "eloquent" and "loquacious" (talkative) but not to "location." The Latin stem came from the same PIE stem, *tolkw- which metathesized to *tlokw-. (Metathesis occurs when two sounds in a word switch places, e.g. pronouncing "pretty" [pêrti].) So the Latin stem developed from the same root that gave Russian tolkat' "interpret." (Thanks and a wink through Dr. Language's lexiscope to Daniel Hebert for suggesting today's word.) Puerile Pronunciation: ['pwe-rêl or 'pwe-rIl] Definition 1: Related to early childhood; juvenile, childish, immature. Usage 1: This term is not so much scholarly as simply widely overlooked. It refers to a younger stage than immature or even juvenile. It specifically refers to very young children. Suggested usage: This word is an emphatic substitute for "childish" or immature': "don't be so puerile, Buffy! It can also be used simply to refer to childhood: "In his puerile world, Ralphy was king." Etymology: Latin puer "boy" and puera "girl". Originally from PIE *pou- "little, few" which gave both English few and paucity borrowed from Latin paucus "little, few". Paucus also underlies Spanish poco, and with the diminutive suffix, l, gives the Latin paulus "small, Paul Quixotic Pronunciation: [kwik-'sah-tik] Definition 1: Naively idealistic; erratic, unpredictable. Usage 1: This is a word whose meaning is changing from "naively idealistic" to "erratic, unpredictable." The former meaning is used considerably less often than the latter today. Suggested usage: "Brandon has the quixotic idea that he can convince the boss to give us all a raise this year," reflects a solid skepticism on the part of the speaker that Brandon will succeed. However, you may also say that Brandon's quixotic attendance habits cost him a passing grade in the course, meaning that he attended erratically, missing classes for no apparent reason. Etymology: A commonization (conversion of a proper noun to a common one) from the English pronunciation of Quixote [kwik-sot] "a naive visionary" after Don Quixote [kee-'ho-tee], hero of the Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. (Don Quixote is the eponym of "quixotic" and Michele Kayen, a Civil Engineer from Denver, is recipient of today's gratitude for suggesting it.) Levant Pronunciation: [lê-'vahnt] Definition 1: To leave hurriedly and secretly to avoid unpleasantness. Usage 1: This is chiefly a British word, but deserves to be brought into wider use among English speakers. It inhabits a higher lexical plane than the US term of the 40's and 50's: "take it on the lam," though the meanings are similar. Suggested usage: There really is no other term to replace this useful little verb: "After the messy divorce, Giles felt he had to levant to the Continent in order to make a fresh start." "His ramblings became so garrulous that he began dozing off himself; I finally availed myself of the opportunity to levant the premises." "Jules and Marguerita took advantage of their parents' temporary absence and levanted to Las Vegas to get married." Etymology: From Spanish levantar as in levantar el campamento "to break camp." The word derives from Latin levare "to lift, raise" akin to "alleviate," "elevate," and "levitate." The root of the Latin verb is levis "light, not heavy." Forlorn Pronunciation: [for-'lorn] Definition 1: Sad or mournful as a result of a loss or deprivation of something. Definition 2: Deprived of something. Usage 2: This adjective usually refers to appearance or feeling of deprivation, as "a forlorn expression on one's face" or "forlorn forest after the fire" rather than deprivation itself. Usage such as "forlorn of all hope," seldom occurs currently. Suggested usage: You may be forlorn if you have been stood up by someone whom you wanted very much to see. Conditions can also make one forlorn: "When we saw her standing there, forlorn, in the rain, without an umbrella, we had to take her in." Etymology: From the past participle of Old English forleosan "to lose, forfeit" from for- + leosan "to lose." Akin to German verlieren "to lose" (past participle "verloren"), as well as Modern English "lose," and Greek luein "to loosen, release, untie." Prepone Pronunciation: [pree-'pon ] Definition 1: To advance a date or appointment. Usage 1: Usage of this term seems to be rising in the medical profession, especially in Canada. Suggested usage: The new usage goes something like this: "We don't have any appointments for a later date; could we prepone your present appointment a week?" meaning move it forward a week. We need to find uses for this word to launch it properly. "Could we prepone lunch? I don't think I can wait until 12." Eventually people will be saying things like, "The nursery wasn't ready because the baby preponed itself two weeks," don't you think? Etymology: yourDictionary is happy to announce the birth of a new word, brought to our attention by C. R. Smith of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It is derived from English's bottomless pit of Latin lexical constituents, the prefix pre- "before" and ponere "to place, put" by analogy with "postpone." Claque Pronunciation: ['klæk] Definition 1: People at the theatre paid to applaud or react in the way the producers want the audience to react, a kind of crowd seeding; a clique of subservient supporters. Usage 1: A "clique" is an exclusive group of people united by a common interest. A "claque" is an exclusive group whose interest is provided by those who rent them. Suggested usage: "Tom and Ray Magliozzi of 'Car Talk' have a clique and a claque following their radio show in France," would mean that some of the people who follow the Tappet Brothers are independent-minded, just united by their love of the brothers' lubricating wit, while others follow them blindly. "We were having a substantive discussion when the boss and his claque of toadies came in and derailed it." Etymology: French claque "a clap" itself of onomatopoetic (imitative) origin. (Our thanks to Ken Bolstrum for reminding us of this, unfortunately, still useful noun.) Fulsome Pronunciation: ['fêl-sêm] Definition 1: Abundant, plentiful, copious (as a fulsome meal or harvest) hence, of a body, overly plump, fat and, perhaps, repugnantly so. Definition 2: Exceeding the bounds of good taste, excessive in flattery and hence offensive, repugnant, repulsive in general. Usage 2: This is a word with two widely disparate meanings, one positive, and the other negative. Moreover, the derivation from "full" is misleading in the latter case. For this reason it must be used with the utmost care. A "fulsome meal" could be large meal, a repugnant one, or both-a repugnantly large meal. Suggested usage: Since the pejorative sense of this word is so powerful, you should be careful using it alone: "His rather fulsome description of his honeymoon at dinner made swallowing difficult." To be safe, add a qualifier such as, "She was a fulsome lass in the positive sense of the word." If the context is not ambiguous, qualifiers are not necessary: "A fulsome light from the new spring sun brought unexpected warmth to the room." Etymology: Derivation from "full" via the suffix "-some" (awesome, frolicsome, and handsome). The root, "full," derives from the PIE root *pel-/*pol- which also developed into Russian "polnyi," Sanskrit "purna," and Latin "plenus"-all meaning "full." It is also found in Greek plethos "multitude" whence the English "plethora." There may have been a Middle English word fulsum (ful = "foul") that coalesced with "fulsome" but no written evidence of it has been found. (Our gratitude today is due Harvey S. Frey of UCLA and Allana Elovson for guiding us to this Germanic gem and its pitfalls.)
Panty-waist Pronunciation: ['pæn-ti-weyst] Definition 1: A sissy, a coward; as an adjective: effeminate, weak. Usage 1: The word may still refer to the article of clothing though it is no longer used. The current usage probably originated in a phrase such as, "He wears a panty-waist." Suggested usage: The term is usually an insult aimed a males: "Alec is such a panty-waist, he'll never ask for a raise." But there is no reason why it can't be used to describe women: "Marcie is a political panty-waist who would never sign a petition." This word is an excellent insult. Though it means "coward," panty-waist is such a lexical oddity that even the recipient of this insult is more likely to laugh than take offense. Etymology: Originally an undergarment worn by children comprising a "waist," an upper garment coming to the waist, to which panties were buttoned to keep kids from losing them. This arrangement required an adult to unbutton the panties (originally pants for kids) in order for the child to go to the bathroom. "Pants" goes back to "pantaloons" whose eponym is Saint Panteleone (all + lion), the patron saint of doctors, beheaded by the Romans in 305. The saint's name was slightly modified for the buffoon in the 15th-century Italian Comedia dell'arte, who wore spectacles and blousy breeches that inherited his name, Pantaloon. (Our gratitude to Joan Endres of S2N Media for mentioning this oft overlooked insult, so disarmingly quaint as to lose any offensive force.) Lilt Pronunciation: ['lilt ] Definition 1: To move or speak musically, in a lively, pleasant, and cheerful fashion. Usage 1: Wow! An English word spelt the way it is pronounced. How did it slip by? (See "English is Tough Stuff" on our Fun & Games page for the basis of this comment.) The noun is identical: a lilt means "rhythmical musical movement," so one can walk, talk, or hammer nails with a lilt (though the last is harder to do). This word has very pleasant connotations. Suggested usage: "She has a lovely, lilting smile" could mean simply that it makes you feel good. "She lilted down the stairs," means that she bounced down lightly, in a way that pleased everyone. Most folks lilt with an infectious smile on their face that everyone catches. Etymology: The origin of this word is passing obscure. It derives directly from Middle English lulten, lilten "to sound an alarm" and is possibly related to Dutch lullepijp "lilt-pipe, bagpipe" or Norwegian lilla "sing." Sunder Pronunciation: ['sên-dêr] Definition 1: To separate, break apart or cleave in two, especially by force. Usage 1: Shakespeare Troilius and Cressida, V. "No space of Earth shall sunder our two hates." The adjective is "asunder" and may be used only in the predicate (The pieces were all asunder when I found them) or as an adverb (It required considerable effort to tear the cat and dog asunder). Suggested usage: When you are in a Germanic mood and want to avoid the sea of Latin borrowings, like "separate," in English, you might shift to something like this: "To make any progress here we have to sunder the two issues and deal with each independently." On the other hand, if you have young kids who are always fighting, you might want to say, "If you two don't break it up yourselves, I'm going to have to sunder you." This verb packs much more intimidation than "separate" and is likely to be more effective. (Hide the dictionary before using "sunder" to maximally extend the effect.) Etymology: From Old English sundor "apart" (verb gesundrian, syndrian); akin to Old High German suntaron "to sunder" akin to Latin sine "without." and Sanskrit sanutar "away." (Kat Ruter was kind enough to recommend this lovely but sadly withering Germanic word for our Word of the Day series.) Doughty Pronunciation: ['dæw-di or 'daw-ti ] Definition 1: Stouthearted, (unexpectedly) valiant, courageous, often said of physically small or unassuming people. Usage 1: Not to be confused with dowdy "unattractively dull, old-fashioned," which is pronounced almost identical with "doughty" in most English dialects. Suggested usage: This word is slightly archaic but should not be allowed to slip from our lexical grasp. "Harry was a doughty little man in dowdy clothes who stood up to the Board and brought more changes to this company than all his predecessors combined." "Marty was a housewife for 25 years but was doughty enough to survive in a man's world when her husband left her." Etymology: The Old English form was dyhtig, akin to Old High German *tuhtîg and German tüchtig with the same meaning. (Gregory Gallardo thought we would all like to be reminded of "doughty" before it fades away forever. Let's help him keep it alive.) Fetish Pronunciation: ['fe-dish (North America) or 'fe-tish (Britain)] Definition 1: An amulet or other artifact believed to have magical power to protect its owner; any object treated with superstitition or obsession; an extremely strong fixation. Usage 1: The word is used almost exclusively these days as a synonym for "obsession," implying sexuality might be involved. Suggested usage: We suggest you steer clear of fetishes, physical and metaphysical, so you won't need the word. However, if you do, say things like this: "Wolfgang keeps a fetish of Thor on his dashboard to protect him on the Autobahn." In the figurative sense: "Old hats are his fetish and she has one for older men, who often give her their hats." Etymology: From Portuguese feitiço "witchcraft, sorcery". Portuguese later re-borrowed the English word "fetish" as fetiche, with the same meanings as in English: (a) a superstitious amulet and (b) a sexual fetish. "Feitiço" devolved from Latin factitius "artificial, factitious" from the past participle of Latin facere "make, do," factum "made, done," also the source of English "fact," Portuguese "facto" (Brazilian "fato"), Spanish "hecho" and French "fait" (as in "fait accompli"). (Our gratitude to António Natividade for today's word and its fascinating etymology.) Contumely Pronunciation: [kên-'t(y)u-mê-lee or kên-'t(y)um-lee] Definition 1: Rudeness whose roots are in arrogance; an arrogant remark or action. Usage 1: This is a noun that ends on a syllable [lee] that coincidentally happens to be an adverbial suffix in English. It is almost physically difficult to use as a noun but that is what it is! Questions of taste in aesthetic matters (music preferences, clothing favorites, and so on) often bring out contumely in people. Suggested usage: This word will require some struggle to restore but it is worth the effort. "Don't react with contumely to the answer after you asked me which fast food restaurant I like!" "She responded to my suggestion with such contumely that she was mistaken for the queen." Etymology: Middle English contumelie via Old French from Latin contumelia "abuse, insult, affront," a variant of contumia. Probably related to tumere "swell up; become excited, violent" which is, in turn, akin to "tumid" and "tumor." (Thanks to Taner Baybars for suggesting today's word.) Chthonic Pronunciation: ['thah-nik] Definition 1: Dwelling in or under the earth. Usage 1: This is the only English word with a silent "c" and "h". However, they return if the word is prefixed, e.g. "The Ainu are the autochthonous people of Japan." Autochthonous [a-'tahk-thah-nês] (or "autochthonic") means "aboriginal, native to the soil, indigenous" but suggesting rights as old as the land. Suggested usage: We would not recommend such pedestrian usage as, "My daffodils succumbed to an attack by some chthonic vermin." Rather, it should be used to distinguish the spiritual or celestial from the earthly: "The chthonic imagery of Norine's apartment, which . . . was black as a coalhole and heated by the furnace of the hostess' unslaked desires" (Mary McCarthy, "The Group," Chapter IV). Etymology: From Greek khthonios "of the earth" from khthon "earth." The PIE root *dhghem- also lies behind the Greek origins of "chameleon" (from chamai "ground" + leon "lion") and "chamomile" (= camomile from chamai + mel "ground apple."). In Latin this root evolved into two words: (a) humus "earth," from which we derived "humus," "humble," "humid", and (b) homo "person, man," from which we get "homage" and "homicide," French homme, and Spanish hombre. (Thanks to Ben St. John for bringing this ruefully overlooked little gem with its rich lexical heritage to our attention.)
Pronunciation: ['pæ-lêm(p)-sest or pê-'lim(p)-sest] Definition 1: Writing material, e.g. parchment, that has been written on more than once, with the earlier writing incompletely erased and often legible. Usage 1: This word may be used as a noun or adjective (palimpsestic [pæ-lim(p)-'ses-tik]) to describe something having diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface, i.e. an object, place, or area that reflects its history. Suggested usage: "Palimpsest" effortlessly applies itself to written matter as in "'The Little Prince' is no mere children's story, but rather a metaphorical palimpsest cloaking the author's adulterous affairs, tempestuous marriage, and perhaps even a covert suicide note." Places or people whose history shows through a modern facade beg for it: "Rome is a palimpsest; everywhere modern chic overlays a bygone barbarism." However, it truly blossoms in its allegorical use: "Chip's palimpsestic mind was simultaneously regaling his date with historical trivia, calculating the dinner cheque, and taking an inventory of his liquor cabinet." Etymology: Latin palimpsestus, from Greek palimpsestos "scraped again" from palin "again" + psen "to rub or scrape." Greek palin derives from Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *kwel-/kwol "turn" from which Latin collum "neck" hence English "collar" derives. "Psen" is akin to Sanskrit psati "eat" and Russian pisat' "write." (For more about PIE, read "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather?" in the yourDictionary library.) Callous Pronunciation: ['kæ-lês] Definition 1: Having calluses hence hardened and thickened. Usage 1: Take care not to confuse the adjective callous with the noun, callus "a hard, thickened area on skin or bark." Although not common, both forms can also function as verbs: callous "to make or become callous," and callus "to develop hardened tissue." Definition 2: Feeling no emotion or having no sympathy for others. Suggested usage: You might subtly go back to the original source by saying, "I don't mean to be thin skinned, but your constant harping leaves me callous." Then, you might follow it up by saying, "On second thought, I guess I'm being thick skinned because my ears developed a callus from your constant harping." Etymology: Not surprisingly, both "callous" and "callus" descend from the same source, Middle French calleux, from Latin callosus, in turn, from callus "hard skin." The difference in spelling is attributable to the fact that -ous is typically an adjectival ending Lexiphanic Pronunciation: [lex-ê-'fahn-ik] Definition 1: Employing pretentious words; using overblown language in speech or writing. Usage 1: Lexiphanic has a lot of synonyms: bombastic, pompous, ostentatious, affected, showy and splashy are just a few. With such a wide variety of similar meanings to choose from, we run the risk of sounding lexiphanic ourselves if we use this rare word to talk about somebody else's fustian language. Suggested usage: "Lexiphanic" is a word pretty much restricted to describing the way we write and talk. "The content of Richard's paper was simple enough, but the way he put his ideas was lexiphanic." "A lexiphanic choice of words doesn't necessarily impress people, but often confuses them." Etymology: From Greek lexifanis "a phrase monger." Lexis "speech" comes from the PIE root leg-, which gives us the word lexicon "dictionary," of course. It also lends us dialect, dialogue, allege, delegate, prologue, and syllogism-all of which have to do with language use. For more on PIE, see "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather?" in yourDictionary's library. (YDC's thanks to Jonathan Powers for pointing us in the direction of this word about big words Penultimate Pronunciation: [pen-'ul-tê-mêt] Definition 1: Next to the last (the last being the "ultimate"). Third from the last is "antepenultimate." Usage 1: "Penultimate" is used when referring to a penult, a noun meaning "the next to the last item in a series." The word is used often in linguistics: "In the Polish language, the accent always falls on the penultimate syllable." (In French, it always falls on the ultimate syllable.) Suggested usage: A useful word and chances to bring it into play abound. "This is the penultimate warning you get to clean up your room-next time, I'm wheeling in a garbage can and doing it myself" is a handy threat to keep in mind. These words can make the worst situations sound good: "Two years now I've coached the ultimate team in the league; with more work, next year we can be the penultimate!" Etymology: From Latin paenultimus: paene, "almost" and ultimus, "last." Latin "ultimare," the root of ultimus, means "to come to an end." The Indo-European root of "ultimare" is al-, "beyond." By the same route (get the pun?), we get the "El" in Spanish "El Niño" via Latin ille "that, he, it" and the French interjection "voilà" (used to call attention to something pleasing). (Our thanks to YDC reader Jane Gobus for sending today's word in our direction with a "voilà" of her own.) Petard Pronunciation: [pê-'tahrd] Definition 1: A military incendiary device for blowing up gates and city walls. Definition 2: A firecracker that explodes with a loud report. Usage 2: It is common to repeat Shakespeare's famous metaphor from Hamlet, "hoist with one's own petar(d)" (to be hurt by one's own schemes) without knowing exactly what a "petard" is. We bet the image is funnier than most English-speakers think. Suggested usage: Remember that a petard is an explosive device and you will be able to create innovative and creative metaphors with it: "Abner's comment was the petard that broke down the negotiations and soured the two sides permanently." "Rosa Parks' 1955 bus ride in Montgomery, Alabama was the petard that breached the wall of segregation in the South and rallied the nation to the cause of racial equality." Etymology: French pétard "firecracker" from Old French from peter "to break wind" plus the usually pejorative suffix -ard: "coward," "wizard," "buzzard," "drunkard," "laggard". (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary for today's word.)
Smush Pronunciation: ['smêsh] Definition 1: To smash and crush into mush. (A blend-see Etymology-always rhymes with its definition.) Usage 1: In the U.S. mostly children and young people (who eventually grow up) use this word. Nouns and adjectives are regularly derived: smushing, a (good) smush, smushing(ly). It is all too often (mis)used to mean simply "crash" or "crush." It is a much stronger verb than either, since it is a blend (see Etymology) of both. Suggested usage: "Izzy crushed the Coke can with one finger" but "Hondo smushed the apple when he stepped on it." "Frederick smashed the window with his football" but "He smushed the window pane into powder when he drove his car over it." Etymology: Today's word was recorded first in 1824 although it was repopularized in the U.S. in the early 70's. It is a blend of two words, "smash" and "crush" and/or "mush." Blends are as respectable as "smog (smoke+fog)," "motel (motor+hotel)." (Today's word was suggested by Shaheen Haunschild and Todd Sullivan of Indiana State University, whose 8-year-old daughter uses the verb correctly Inspissate Pronunciation: [in-'spi-seyt] Definition 1: To thicken or condense (a liquid) through evaporation Usage 1: The verb itself is hardly used. The participle "inspissated" appears metaphorically as an adjective in the cliché "(an atmosphere of) inspissated gloom." Suggested usage: Most suggestions about usage in Word of the Day involve metaphorical uses of a word whose usual sense is literal. Here there is scope for the reverse innovation: in cookery recipes, the instruction, "Reduce over a low heat," could be abbreviated to the single word "Inspissate." New metaphorical uses also suggest themselves, e.g. to describe retaining the substance of a piece of writing but shortening its expression: "At 3000 words, this article is much too long. Please inspissate it to 1500." Etymology: Latin inspissare from spissus "thick, dense, tightly packed" (the word from which French épais "thick" and Italian spesso "often" are also derived).
Curmudgeon Pronunciation: [kêr-'mêd-jên] Definition 1: An ill-tempered, irascible person full of stubbornly held opinions. Usually said of (older) men. Formerly, "curmudgeon" meant a miserly person, but that part of the definition has fallen from use during the four and a half centuries that this word has been with us. Usage 1: The adjective is "curmudgeonly." "Curmudgeonry" is a rarely used noun that refers to the actions of a curmudgeon. Suggested usage: A curmudgeon is often taken to be a person who goes against popular or sentimentally held notions. Thus, "When his wife suggested that they have friends over to dinner, 'just because we like them,' Jack's curmudgeonly answer was 'What wretched nonsense.'" The miserly part of the definition should be revived and used along with the notion of a contrary person: "Andrew's latest bit of curmudgeonry was refusing to buy his wife flowers for Valentine's Day because-he said-the prices were inflated." Etymology: No one knows for sure where this word comes from. It first appeared in Richard Stanyhurst's "Description of Ireland" (1577) as "Curmudgen." In 1600 Philemon Holland used the word "cornmudgin" in his translation of Livy, suggesting that "curmudgeon" was derived from "cornmudgin" meaning someone who hoards corn (from Middle English much-en "to pilfer or hide"). However, since "curmudgeon" was in use 25 years before Holland's "cornmudgin," Holland probably formed his word from the older one. In his 1755 dictionary, Samuel Johnson credited the idea for the etymology of "curmudgeon," based on the French "coeur méchant" ("spiteful heart"), to an unknown correspondent. Working from Johnson, John Ash made one of the most famous blunders in etymological history. In 1775, he wrote that curmudgeon was from the French coeur "unknown" and méchant "correspondent." (Thanks to our known correspondent, who is not a curmudgeon according to Ash's definition, Charles Insler of Princeton University, USA, for suggesting this word to us.)
Gazump Pronunciation: [gê-'zêmp] Definition 1: 'John gazumped Martha' = 'John rejected the price for his house offered by Martha, a would-be buyer, despite having originally accepted her offer, because he decided to accept a subsequent higher offer.' Usage 1: Often used in the passive: "I had been looking forward to moving to Kensington, but I was gazumped at the last moment." This word presupposes a legal framework for house purchase, such as obtains in England, where the seller's acceptance of the purchaser's offer price is not binding on the seller until the 'exchange of contracts', usually 30 days before completion of the sale. Suggested usage: "I had arranged to help Andrea with her algebra homework, but that nerd Norman, who is always top in math, has gazumped me." "We were in negotiation with a famous pianist to play at to our local musical festival next October, but now we've been gazumped by Carnegie Hall-he's got an engagement there instead." Etymology: From Yiddish gezumph "overcharge." It was adapted to real estate dealings in London in the 1970s, at a time of rapidly rising house prices. Razdumat' Pronunciation: [rahz-'du-mêt' (t' = ty)] Definition 1: Today's is a Russian word, meaning "change one's mind"-literally, "unthink" or "unplan." Usage 1: The prefix correlates most closely with the English prefix un-: raz-vyazat' "untie", raz-vernut' "unwrap", raz-stegnut' "unbutton, unzip". But it may be attached to several interesting verbs whose English correlates do not permit un-: raz-uchit'sya "unlearn (= forget how to)", raz-lyubit' "unlove (= fall out of love with)," and today's little gem. This is a usage of the concept behind "un-" that English speakers do not exploit. Suggested usage: If you are speaking Russian, these are normal words that fit into conversations in any social register, any time the reverse action is indicated. They are quite usual. We thought you might like, just occasionally, to compare English vocabulary with interesting words from other languages. Let us know what you think. Etymology: From Russian raz- "un-" and dumat' "think, plan", e.g. ya tak ne dumayu "I so not think = I don't think so" and ya dumayu idti v kino "I think go(ing) to movie = I'm planning to go to the movies." Ironically, dumat' is related to the word for the Russian parliament, the Duma, the legislative planning branch of the government Velleity Pronunciation: [vê-'lee-ê-tee or -ti] Definition 1: The lowest degree of volition or desire. Usage 1: This word allows your vocabulary a wider gradation of volition: velleity, volition, desire, passion (for). It is used far too little. Suggested usage: Now you have a word to express the lower end of your desires: "I haven't the least velleity for trying chitterlings, knowing what they are." "I do have some velleity to continue this conversation elsewhere," lets the hearer know the idea does not excite you. Etymology: Latin velleitas from Latin velle "to wish." From the Proto-Indo-European root *wel-/*wol- which devolved into English "well (as one wishes)" and "will." The O-form also appears in Latin: "voluntary," "benevolent," "malevolent," Russian volya "will," and Serbian volim "I love." For more on PIE, see "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather" in the yourDictionary library. (Thanks a tip of Dr. Language's lexoscope to Alva Fincher for today's ruefully overlooked noun.) Ironic Pronunciation: [I-'rah-nik] Definition 1: Pertaining to a surprising state of affairs opposite to what would naturally be expected (irony), e.g. it would be ironic for a car dealer to have to walk to and from work (unless he does it intentionally for the exercise). Usage 1: It is coincidental (not ironic) that today's game will be played in the same stadium that the same two teams played in exactly 10 years ago today. It is neither coincidental nor ironic that President-elect Bush was standing on the inaugural podium as the son of the newly sworn President Bush only 12 years earlier-just a fact. Now, I am at a loss for a good example of irony. After all my talk about irony, that is ironic. Definition 2: Pertaining to a figure of speech (irony) in which the intended meaning is the opposite of the literal meaning: "Oh, no, John isn't musically inclined at all" (knowing he graduated with honors from Juilliard). Suggested usage: Despite its overuse, this is a concept describing some of the more entertaining events of life. "It isn't ironic that the chef at Pierre's always eats at Sam's Diner; he knows what he's doing." "Ironically, Adelaide's mom found her car keys in the car after searching the house an hour for them." Etymology: Latin ironia "irony" from Greek eironeia "feigned ignorance to confound an antagonist," from eiron "dissembler," possibly going back to eirein "to say." (Thanks and a tip of Dr. Language's lexoscope to that astute and witty observer of English, Air Force Major David Long for today's word and much of the text.) Pulchritudinous Pronunciation: [pêl-kri-'tud-nês or -tyud-nês] Definition 1: Possessing physical beauty. Usage 1: Doesn't sound like its meaning, does it? But this word can be used to describe anything that is exceedingly beautiful. Suggested usage: The natural world offers a lot of inspiration. A beautiful sunset, for example, is usual enough, but a remarkable one deserves to be called pulchritudinous. "My favorite resort is on Mt Pisgah in the Smokies. It offers a pulchritudinous view over the rolling mountains." Of course, you could confound people who don't subscribe to our WotD feature of YDC. Tell those colleagues to "have a pulchritudinous day." But always say it with a smile! Etymology: Latin pulchritudin-, from pulcher "beautiful, fair or handsome in shape and appearance." In a spiritual or moral sense, pulcher means "fine, noble, honorable." Also, it's akin to the Latin parere "bright or shining." In light of the Latin connotations, pulchritudinous amounts to the highest praise that one can give a beautiful object or person. Akimbo Pronunciation: [ê-'kim-bo] Definition 1: With hands on hips and elbows out. Usage 1: This adjective is unusual in two respects: it follows its noun, rather than preceding it, and its use is almost entirely restricted to the expression "with arms akimbo." Suggested usage: The "arms akimbo" posture usually connotes truculence or defiance. Ken Strongman, TV reviewer for the Christchurch (New Zealand) Press, coined the expression "with nipples akimbo" when discussing Marlon Brando's performance as Stanley Kowalski in the film version of "A Streetcar Named Desire." In males, sitting with knees wide apart can carry the same connotation, so there is an obvious use for the expression "with legs akimbo." It is a short step from there to a wider range of contexts, e.g. "With eyes akimbo, Paula confronted her erring husband." Etymology: 15th century: "in kenebowe" probably from Old Norse i keng boginn "bent in a curve." Literal Pronunciation: ['li-dê-rêl (US) or 'li-trêl (British)] Definition 1: Factual, exact, free of any elaboration or metaphor, at face value. It should not be substituted for "actual(ly)" or "real(ly)," which are tossed about freely when we wish to simply say, "Would you believe that . . . ." The antonym is figurative "metaphoric, not to be taken at face value." Usage 1: The point is to avoid misusage: "The boss called me into his office and literally slapped me on the wrist." As Major David Long, to whom we are indebted for today's word, points out, if the slapping were literal, bruise marks about the wrist should be clearly visible. A "slap on the wrist" is a figurative expression meaning "mild reprimand." You try one: "John flew off to New York" versus "John flew off the handle." Which "flew off" is literal and which, figurative? Suggested usage: The term is often used in reference to people lacking a sense of humor or irony: "Be careful when you speak with Alvin; he has a literal mind and will take every word you say at face value." As usual, though, a garden of new uses awaits those daring enough to experiment: "My boyfriend is a dermatologist who literally gets under my skin." Etymology: Latin litera "letter (of the alphabet);" thus, the term is semantically parallel to the expressions "follow these instructions to the letter" and "letter of the law." The origin of "litera" is unknown, possibly Etruscan. Mendacious Pronunciation: [men-'dey-shês ] Definition 1: A Latinate form for "lying" or "untruthful." Usage 1: It would be impolite or downright rude to call someone a "lying crook," but the Latinate equivalent "mendacious offender" could soften the effect. While "mendacious" is an adjective, it has nominal counterpart mendacity "untruthfulness." Suggested usage: Both "mendacious" and "mendacity" have ready Anglo-Saxon counterparts, "untruthful" and "untruthfulness." If you want to impress the person you are calling a fraud, you might say, "You are so charming in your mendacity that no one really minds," or "You are so charming that no one really minds your mendacious fairy-tales." Etymology: Latin mendax "lie" from Proto-Indo-European *mend- "physical defect, fault." Interestingly, the word mendicant "beggar" from Latin "mendicus" also comes from *mend-, where the original sense was "physical defect." (For more on Proto-Indo-European, read "Words: Where do they Come from?" in yourDictionary's library.) Valentine Pronunciation: ['væ-lên-'tIn] Definition 1: A gift or card sent to someone beloved on St. Valentine's Day, February 14, or the person to whom the card is sent. Usage 1: The verb, "to valentine," meaning to serenade a prospective mate (said of birds) has fallen into disuse, as has, alas, the blend Valentide = "St. Valentine's Day" from "Valentine + tide." So we are left to send valentines to our valentines on St. Valentine's Day. Suggested usage: Although this word is used as a common noun, because it is so closely associated with St. Valentine's Day, the range of its possible uses is limited. Its association with the courtship of birds suggests we might revive the verb in figurative expressions like this one: "Fenwick has been valentining Maudy rather seriously of late." Etymology: February 14 was a Roman feast day that mysteriously became associated with two saints named Valentine in the 3rd century. One was a Roman priest and physician killed during the persecution of Christians by Claudius II. The other St. Valentine was a bishop of Terni, also martyred in Rome but his relics were remanded to Terni. (It is possible the two saints were the same person.) The association with love derives from the fact that February 14 was traditionally taken as the beginning of the mating season of birds. As Chaucer noted in "Parliament of Foules" (1381): "For this was on seynt Volantynys day Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make." (For this was on Saint Valentine's day when every bird comes there to choose his mate.) Ostentatious Pronunciation: [ahs-ten-'tey-shês] Definition 1: Spectacular, gaudy and superficial in appearance or behavior for display. Usage 1: "Meretricious," one of our former Words of the Day, focuses on ridiculous appearance; this word calls to mind flamboyant or gaudy appearance. The noun is "ostentation." A related adjective, ostensible, means "visible, apparent" but can also mean "apparent but not real." Suggested usage: "Max makes an ostentatious annual gift to the needy, then returns to his stinginess for the rest of the year." "The party was an ostentatious affair designed to take our minds off the threat of war." Etymology: Latin ostentatio, -onis "vain, pompous, or deceitful display" from ob- "before, about, over" + tendere "to stretch." The PIE stem, *ten(d)- "stretch" also shows up in the Latin words underlying "tendon," "tend," "extend," Sanskrit tantram "loom," sitar from Persian tar "string," and Greek tetanos "stiff, rigid." The English reflex of the root, without the -d extension, is "thin." (For more on Proto-Indo-European, PIE, read "Words: Where do they Come from?" in yourDictionary's library.) Fanfaronade Pronunciation: [fæn-fæ-rê-'neyd] Definition 1: Verbal fanfare: boasting or blustering boisterously. Usage 1: A person given to fanfaronades is a "fanfaron." Suggested usage: "Emile is quite an amiable fellow but a fanfaron par excellence." The great advantage of fanfaron over "blusterer, boaster," or "braggart" is its connotative association with "fanfare." "He introduced his daughter with a fanfaronade that embarrassed her so much she interrupted him." Etymology: French fanfaronnade, from Spanish fanfarronada "bluster" from fanfarrón "braggart." Spanish may have borrowed it from the Arabic farfar "talkative" from farfara "to become agitated or talkative." (Chlyde Russano put us on the trail of "fanfaronade," a far more fetching word than "boasting" or "bragging Plenipotentiary Pronunciation: [ple-ni-pê-'ten-chi-e-ri or -'ten-chê-ri ] Definition 1: Invested with full power to reach decisions. Usage 1: This adjective may also be used as a noun: "Ask Frederico; he is our plenipotentiary in Zimbabwe." As an adjective, it is often placed after the noun it modifies: "ambassador plenipotentiary." Suggested usage: This term is usually associated with diplomacy: "The U. S. sent an ambassador plenipotentiary to settle the dispute in Rongo-Rongo." It is ripe for extension, however: "Reynaldo zips through decisions as though he were the royal plenipotentiary of the universe." (Ouch! That sounds a bit snippy, doesn't it?) Etymology: Medieval Latin plenipotentiarius "invested with full power" from Latin plenus "full" + potens "powerful." "Plenus" derives from *pel- which also gave English "full" and, via Latin, "plenty," not to mention Russian "polnyi." "Potens" is related to "possible" from Latin posse "to be able" and Persian pasha "master, lord." (Thanks to Herman Britt, seal-coat plenipotentiary of Beard, North Carolina for today's word.) Expatriate Pronunciation: [eks-'pey-tree-eyt] Definition 1: To leave one's native land and live elsewhere; to renounce allegiance to one's native land. Usage 1: Historically, writers have expatriated: Percy Bysshe and Mary Shelley left England for Italy, T. S. Eliot left the US for England, Samuel Beckett left Ireland for France, Gertrude Stein left the US for France, James Joyce left Ireland for practically anywhere else, and Ernest Hemingway did likewise from the US. The list goes on; many studies have been done of the expatriate [eks-'pey-tree-yêt] writers' habits of expatriation [eks-pey-tree-'ey-shên]. Suggested usage: Usually, "to expatriate" is taken to mean an ideological difference with one's homeland, but many people expatriate for economic reasons. Russians expatriated to Europe for economic reasons after the Gorbachev revolution. Many expatriate Americans lived in Paris in the '20's because Paris was more fun. Etymology: Medieval Latin expatriare "to leave one's country" from Latin ex- "from, out of" + Latin patria "native land." "Patria" is derived from pater "father". The same Proto-Indo-European root *pêter emerged in English as "father," French père, Spanish "padre," and Sanskrit as "pitR," and Persian (Farsi) "pedar." (For more on Proto-Indo-European read "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather" in the yourDictionary library.) Peripatetic Pronunciation: [pe-rê-pê-'te-tik] Definition 1: On foot, walking from place to place. Usage 1: This word stays the same in both adjective and noun forms. Also, peripatetics are journeys on foot. Definition 2: Relating to the methods and thought of Aristotle, who conducted discussions while walking. Usage 2: The word gains a capital when you're talking about philosophy. A peripatetic is someone who rambles on foot; a Peripatetic is an adherent of Aristotle. Suggested usage: Since the word remains the same whether it's an adjective or noun, there are a lot of applications. With a focus on health, one might say "I've taken up peripatetics as part of my exercise regime." On the contrary, "I told the guy at the garage to get my car ready quickly-I'm no peripatetic." The philosophical use would look something like "Eighteenth-century French dramatists had a largely Peripatetic approach to crafting plays." Etymology: Greek peripatetikos from peripatein "to walk up and down," from -patein "to tread." Akin to Sanskrit patha "path, way." The Proto-Indo-European root is pent- "to go." It gives us words like Russian sputnik "fellow traveler," from put- "way or path." Peripatetic also keeps company with "pontiff." This word comes from the same PIE root by way of the Latin pons, pontis "bridge" and means "one who prepares the way." (YDC's thanks to James Cockburn for calling this word to our attention; he finds more use for the itinerant sense than the Aristotelian.) Ensure Pronunciation: [en-'shur] Definition 1: To make sure (just as ennoble means "make noble"). Usage 1: The trick is not to confuse today's word with insure "take out insurance on." There is room for both in the same sentence: "John ensured that his house was insured before he left on vacation." The noun for "insure" is "insurance" and for "ensure" it is "ensuring." Suggested usage: yourDictionary would like to ensure that you always spell this word properly. You can ensure that you always use words properly by reading our Words of the Day carefully. If you do, you will be able to express yourself thus at dinner table: "How can we ensure that you will eat your vegetables short of withholding your dessert if you don't?" Etymology: The affix "en," which creates verbs from adjectives in English, is interesting because while it is usually a suffix: dark-en, sick-en, quick-en, it also serves as a prefix: en-able, en-noble, en-large, em-bitter. Odder yet, it can be both at the same time: en-liv-en, en-light-en, and em-bold-en. "Sure" was borrowed from Old French, where it derived from Latin securus "safe, secure." (Thanks to Mitchell Makrory for sharing his pet spelling problem with us.) Sentient Pronunciation: ['sen-chent or 'sent-shee-ênt] Definition 1: Having sensation or feeling; finely attuned to sensation or feeling; aware. Usage 1: This word is like "unique." It means finely sensitive to physical stimuli, so there's no need to put an intensifier with it. In addition, we at yourDictionary.com have noticed that "sentient" is sometimes used to mean "conscious of oneself or one's existence." That's not completely correct, as the definition shows. Suggested usage: "The spate of cold weather made me sentient to my flannel sheets and reluctant to get out of bed." "I was sentient of a movement, as if a mouse had shuffled behind the chair." Etymology: Latin sentient-, present participle of sentire "to sense, perceive." Akin to "scent," "sense," "sentence," "sentiment," and, possibly, to "send." Manchester Pronunciation: ['mæn-chis-têr] Definition 1: (In New Zealand and Australia): cotton goods, or goods traditionally made of cotton, such as sheets and pillowcases Usage 1: In a large store, 'manchester department' is a traditional New Zealand and Australian term for the area where bedlinen, towels etc. are sold. Suggested usage: The principle of using the name of a place to refer to the product with which it is traditionally associated is ripe for extension. Examples: "After that freak blizzard, the roads were littered with abandoned detroit." "Marvin doesn't mind how he has his idaho-mashed, baked or french-fried, it's all the same to him." "After this spate of plane crashes, officials are increasingly worried about the amount of aging seattle still in service." "For vitamin C, doctors recommend a regular daily intake of california (or florida)." Etymology: Manchester, English city, center of textile manufacture. From Man + chester "walled city (that was originally a Roman camp)"; Old English ceaster from Latin castra "camp Salmagundi Pronunciation: [sæl-mê-'gên-di] Definition 1: A dish made of chopped anchovies, smoked herring, or other meat and onions mixed with condiments in oil (varying from region to region); any disorganized hodge-podge or confusion of ingredients. Usage 1: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, spelling today's word has presented problems since its introduction in the 17th century. The following variations have been recorded; sallad-magundy, Solomon Gundy, salamongundy, salmagundy. The spelling we list has become the standard form. Now, the usage of salmagundi itself is varied: it makes an excellent hors d'oeuvre topping for crackers and bread, as a condiment or a main course for lunch if prepared mild. Suggested usage: Trinidadian Salmagundi (Dr. Language's favorite) makes a great cracker spread or dip with sherry or a garnish for red meat, particularly if barbecued or jerked. But the word's metaphorical versatility is what lexical legends are made of: "The parade was a salmagundi of colors and sounds." "Her broken sentences created an almost incomprehensible salmagundi of words." I could go on but you get the idea. Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French salmingondis, itself from salmingondin, a compound probably based on salemine "salted food" and condir "to season." (Dr. Language thanks Yvonne Smith of Guyana for introducing him to salmagundi-the word and the gastronomic delight.) Calumniate Pronunciation: [kê-'lêm-nee-eyt] Definition 1: To make malicious statements known to be false in an effort to harm someone's reputation or character. Usage 1: Our language can damage others in several ways: we may defame (to focus an attack on the victim's reputation), malign (to attack someone's character by speaking badly of him or her), or vilify (to grossly criticize someone to undermine their character and reputation). "Calumniate" implies an attack on character or reputation that is knowingly incorrect. Benjamin Disraeli, a 19th-century British Prime Minister, said that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. Calumniating falls under Disraeli's second category. The noun is "calumny." Suggested usage: Unfortunately, we find this behavior on all levels: "After a period of scandal, politicians sometimes become more careful about calumniating their opponents." "Humans are basically sadistic; watch how toddlers calumniate their siblings, just to watch the spectacle of the punishment." Etymology: Latin calumnia "trickery, chicanery" from calvor "to deceive." Halcyon Pronunciation: ['hæl-si-ên ] Definition 1: A fabled bird that nested around the winter solstice, building its nest on the seas, which it charmed into calmness until its eggs hatched; the kingfisher. As an adjective it means "calm, tranquil." Usage 1: It is heard almost exclusively in the phrase "halcyon days" referring to days of unperturbed solace and contentment. Suggested usage: Here is a beautiful word that could make our language more mellifluous if used more often: "After a halcyon vacation in the wilderness, Fritz adjusted slowly to the frenetic pace of the office." Some people have a look suggesting the halcyon: "Her halcyon gaze allayed all his anxieties in a moment." Etymology: Greek (h)alkuon "kingfisher, halcyon" possibly from hals "salt, sea" + kuon, the present participle of kuo "conceive." Usurp Pronunciation: [yu-'sêrp] Definition 1: To take over property or power wrongly by misusing one's own power(s). Usage 1: The term is usually used in a political sense, e.g. "usurp someone's authority" or "usurp the throne." The noun is usurpation. "Usurpative" and "usurpatory" work as adjectives. Suggested usage: "Usurp" hardly seems like a household term, does it? Guess again: "The exchange student usurped my bedroom and now I'm sleeping in the den." "Don't you even try to usurp Mom's favor by washing her car a few times!" It is just a matter of vocabulary power and nerve. Raccoons have even usurped Christine Thompson's attic. The choice between "acquire" and "usurp" depends entirely upon your interpretation of "wrongly." Etymology: from Latin usurpare "to make use of (illegally)" from usus "use" + rapere "to seize." Rap-ere (whence "rape") derives from PIE *reup- "seize, grasp." In the Germanic languages *raub- "rob" had a variant raubo meaning "booty" or "captured clothing" and was borrowed by French where it came to refer clothing in general (robe), not just captured clothing. Then the meaning of French "robe" changed from "clothing" to "dress" whereupon it was borrowed back into English as the special kind of dress "robe" means today. For the linguist, then, "usurp" contains robbers, clothing, and other marvelous things. (Our thanks to Len Cotton of Ottawa, Canada, for today's word.) Pedestrian Pronunciation: [pê-'des-tri-yên] Definition 1: Traveling on foot. Also a noun: someone traveling on foot. Definition 2: Commonplace, mundane, ordinary. Usage 2: The normal usage of this word, referring to walkers, is, well, pedestrian when compared to the metaphorical sense. "Ordinary" and "commonplace" are so predictable in their meaning; "pedestrian" packs a surprise well worth exploiting occasionally. The verb is "pedestrianize." Suggested usage: Today's extraordinary ordinary word does not have quite the sting of "mundane," "ordinary," or "so-so" but that is what it means: "He may be a perfect conversationalist but his poetry is pedestrian at best." "Lunch was a pedestrian affair of chicken salad and potato crisps." This is not to say that the pedestrian sense of the word cannot be put to creative use: "I feel less like a hiker today than a misplaced pedestrian." Etymology: Latin pedester (adj.) "on foot, pedestrian" from pedes "a pedestrian" from pes, pedis "foot". The PIE root *pod-/ped/pd- also underlies Sanscrit pad "foot," Greek pod- "foot" (as in "tripod"), Russian pod "under," German Fuss "foot," and English "foot." For more on Proto-Indo-European (PIE) read "Words: Where do they Come from?" in the yourDictionary library. Ephemeral Pronunciation: [ê-'fe-mê-rêl] Definition 1: Lasting one day only; very short-lived [-lajvd], passing very quickly, fleeting. Usage 1: "Ephemeral" is still marginally used in the original sense referring to insects that live for only a day and diseases such as an ephemeral fever or the ephemeral ague "bad hair day" which last a day but less than a nychthemeron (or "nichthy"). Suggested usage: The basic use of the word is to refer to events of exceedingly short duration: "An ephemeral smile jostled her lips at his joke; then her attention quickly returned to the filet." Because of the beauty of the word itself, it usually refers to pleasant things: "Her ephemeral romance with the president left her even lonelier and more famous." However, "His ephemeral salary was not enough to make ends meet," also works. Etymology: Greek ephemeros "lasting a day, daily" from epi- "on" + hemera "day." (Our thanks to Chris Cowles for suggesting this lilting fixture of the English vocabulary.) Imbibe Pronunciation: [im-'bIb] Definition 1: To take in liquid; the transitive form of the verb means to drink alcoholic beverages, specifically. Definition 2: To absorb anything. Usage 2: This word goes beyond simply drinking or eating to absorbing anything that one finds essential or pleasurable. Suggested usage: Anywhere you would use "drink"or "absorb" you may embellish your speech with this more eloquent term: "Teachers enjoy seeing a student imbibe knowledge with passion." "Meeting Hortense at the party was enjoyable; I imbibed her understanding of the Japanese economy, as well as a few glasses of burgundy." "After two humid, suffocating hours of tennis, let's off to the pub and imbibe a few." Etymology: Middle English embiben "to saturate," from Latin imbibere "to drink in" from in- "in" + bibere "to drink." The Proto-Indo-European root underlying bib-ere was *po(i)-, cf. Russian pi-ti "drink" and Sanskrit pa "drinking." See "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather?" in YD's library for more on Proto-Indo-European. (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary for today's word.) Homunculus Pronunciation: [hê-'mên-kyê-lês ] Definition 1: A very small man. Usage 1: The plural is "homunculi" [hê-mên-kyê-lee] or [hê-mên-kyê-lI]. The Oxford English Dictionary for some reason prefers homuncule [hê-'mên-kyul]. Until modern medicine, it was believed that a human sperm cell contained a "preformed" complete homunculus that began growing in the womb. We recommend that you avoid this usage. Suggested usage: The term once substituted for "midget" and "pygmy" but is considered pejorative today. Its use should be restricted to science fiction or insults, which we are sure you never use: "A squad of homunculi exited the flying saucer and carried me into their medical examination room." You, of course, would never say things like this: "If his brother is a giant in his field, he is a homunculus in his." Etymology: From the Latin diminutive (a word referring to something small or beloved) of homo, hominis "man." Germanic languages like English marked diminutives with -kin (lambkin, pumpkin, catkin). In fact, English has an old diminutive with the same meaning as homunculus: "manikin." This word was borrowed by French then borrowed back by English as "mannequin" with a different meaning. (Our thanks to Lisa Giarelli for recommending today's word Forbear Pronunciation: [for-'ber] Definition 1: Restrain oneself in order to endure something unpleasant. To avoid. Usage 1: The verb sounds a bit archaic these days but the noun, "forbearance," is not only current, it very much befits the times: we could use a bit more forbearance around the globe. The verb is irregular: forbore (past tense), forborne (past participle). (The noun "forbear" or "forebear" refers to ancestors: "our forbears founded this nation over 200 years ago.") Suggested usage: Do you feel your spouse pays less attention to what you say than before you were married? This is a common social malady for which today's word is the perfect pill. Never molly-coddle a spouse; rather, try something like this: "I shall no longer forbear the insult of your muddy shoes on the hardwood floors! Out with them! Out! Out! Out!" Your spouse will never look at you the same. Today's word also fits every conversation about eating: "I've tried to forbear the torments of fat-free diets but memories of the delicious flavor of cholesterol always overwhelm me." Etymology: Old English for(e)- "before, away, reject" which derives from the same source as Greek peri-, Russian pere-, and Latin per-. The origins of "bear" we have discussed before; see "odoriferous" (01/04/2001). (Our gratitude to Shawn Foucher for suggesting today's Germanic word.) Dag Pronunciation: [dæg] Definition 1: A clot of matted wool and excrement found on (or cut from) the hindquarters of a sheep (often plural: dags). Usage 1: A term widely used in Australia and New Zealand, where it also occurs as a verb (to dag a sheep = to cut the dags from a sheep). There is a related adjective: daggy = with dags on its hindquarters or, by extension, "unkempt," "messy." Common in the expression, Rattle your dags! meaning "Hurry up, get a move on!" Suggested usage: "This essay is OK but it gets a bit daggy towards the end. You'll need to tidy it up if you want a good grade." "The rehearsals are going well, but the change of scene in Act II is still daggy-we're working on that." This word may be used to refer to people, too: "He's a bit of a dag" can mean he is something of a clown, a joker, a little eccentric. Etymology: Middle English dagge, 14th century: 1. a hanging end or shred, 2. matted or manure-coated wool Maleficent Pronunciation: [mê-'le-fi-sint] Definition 1: Evil, intensely spiteful, causing harm to others. Usage 1: This adjective is a synonym of "malefic" [mê-'le-fik]. "Maleficence" is the noun. The meaning is not quite that of "malevolent," which means "intending or wishing harm," though it, too, is often used in the sense of actually causing harm. We think the two meanings should be kept distinct. The antonym of "maleficent is "beneficent" and that of "malevolent" is "benevolent." Suggested usage: This is a word to use sparingly and in extreme cases: "After his crime, he maleficently planted the murder weapon in her handbag." It should be reserved for genuinely dastardly events: "Even though Spoffard loved the play by his significant other's new boyfriend, he wrote a maleficent review harshly critical of it." Etymology: Latin malefic-us from male "ill, evil" + -ficus "-making, -doing," from facere "to make, do." Also found in French maléfique, Italian malefico, Spanish maléfico. The stem "male" also appears in "malady," malevolent," "malnutrition." (Thanks and a tip of Dr. Language's lexoscope for today's word go to Susan Sklar, who thinks of it at the image of Cruella Deville.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Sesquipedalian Pronunciation: [ses-kwê-pê-'dey-lyên] Definition 1: Long (said of words), made up of many syllables. Also, a sesquipedalian word. Containing or given to using such words Usage 1: Very few words in the English language illustrate their own meaning as this one does. "Sesquipedalian" is sesquipedalian and you commit sesquipedalianism (or sesquipedality) every time you utter it. It refers to words with long prosodic feet, i.e. a high syllable count. Suggested usage: Using a good, strong vocabulary is not the same as sesquipedalianism. The goal is to choose words that are maximally descriptive of what you wish to express regardless of length. Sesquipedalian words are not to be revered or feared, but, like all other words, to be used with precision, as in these examples: "His sesquipedalian tirades do not impress me" and "We tend to wax sesquipedalian or pedestrian in our speech depending on the social situation." Etymology: From Horace's phrase sesquipedalia verba "words a (prosodic) foot and a half long." Latin sesqui- or sesque- "one and a half" is a contraction of semis "half" + que "and, also" as in sesquicentennial "150 year (celebration)". Latin pedalis "pertaining to a/the foot" is from pes, pedis "foot." This word derives from the root *pod-/ped-/pd- which also underlies English "foot," "fetter," "fetlock." The Latin stem is also found in English "pedestrian," "pedal," and "peon." The Greek reflex of the same root, "pous (pod-), emerges in "octopus," "tripod," and "podiatrist." (Our gratitude to Scott Gressitt, who reads his (or our) dictionary every day, for today's word.) Sanction Pronunciation: ['sængk-shên] Definition 1: This word has two contradictory meanings: approval for or prohibition against doing something. It also may refer to a specific law prohibiting something or the penalty for violating such a law. Usage 1: When you sanction the use of something you either approve of it or effectively prohibit it. The meanings are distinguished by the prepositions used with the word: sanction to (approval) versus sanction against (prohibition). "Sanction" is also a verb but the prepositional distinction is not maintained with the verb: "Mom sanctioned milk and cookies after school" could mean she approved of them or prohibited them. Suggested usage: This is a word that can be used everywhere from the home to international relations: "We need Mom and Dad's sanction (approval) to pull stumps in the back yard with the Volvo" but "The US established sanctions against non-essential exports to Cuba in the 1960." Etymology: Latin sanctio "establishing as inviolable" from sancire "to make holy." The Proto-Indo-European root, sak-, which was rendered "sanc-" when nasalized, also underlies "saint" (sank-t-) with the "t" suffix and simplification of the consonant cluster (loss of the "k" sound). Unnasalized, it produced "sacred." Read "How is a Hippopotamus like a Feather" in the yourDictionary library for more on Proto-Indo-European. (Our thanks to Gene Soto of Baker Oil Tools for suggesting today's word that is its own antonym.) Fossick Pronunciation: ['fa-sik] Definition 1: To search for gold in a disorganized manner, especially in abandoned mines. Definition 2: To fossick about: to rummage around for something, to nose about. Usage 2: Here is a concept susceptible to quite a bit of regional variation. In the northern and western U.S. the term is "rummage." In Australia and New Zealand today's word seems to prevail. In the southeastern states "plunder" is widespread. Suggested usage: Well, one can fossick about in a drawer for a sharpened pencil or fossick about the shells on the beach for sharks' teeth. Even dogs may fossick about the yard for yesterday's bone. Closets are a good place to fossick about for just about anything (if yours are like mine). Etymology: The origins of this word are passing mysterious. It apparently comes from a British dialect, probably Cornish Ecotype Pronunciation: ['e-kê-tIp or 'e-ko-tIp] Definition 1: In an ecospecies, the smallest taxonomic subdivision. Individuals in an ecotype are highly evolved to suit their environment. For example, in climatically severe areas, some trees, like the Pacific madrone, grow as a bushy ecotype. Usage 1: This word stems from biology, but like many of our Words of the Day, it just begs to be used metaphorically. Suggested usage: The word is occasionally useful in the literal sense: "Stop feeding the animals-you will contribute to the growth of an ecotype that depends on microwave popcorn for life!" It is nonetheless very effective metaphorically: "It's a shame that Dale lost his job; he's such an ecotype, it will be hard for him to match his résumé to any another position." Etymology: A blend of "ecology" + "type." (A blend is a word comprising parts of two other words smushed together rather than conjoined, e.g. "smoke" + "fog" = "smog.") "Ecology" is from Greek oik-os "house, household" + the quasinoun -ology "study" from Greek -logia from logos "word, idea Redeem Pronunciation: [ree-'deem] Definition 1: To buy or win back out of captivity (sin, pawnage, etc); to get or win back as to redeem a pawn ticket or redeem a hostage. To cash in stock or shares of an investment. Usage 1: The noun is "redemption" and the adjective, "redemptive." 'Redeem the surrogate goodbyes; The sheet astream in your hands; Who have no more for the land; Or the glass unmisted above your eyes.' (Sam Beckett's "Da Tagte Es," on the death of his father). Definition 2: To atone for or expiate, to offset the bad effect of as to redeem oneself for an act of cowardice. Suggested usage: Redemption plays a major role in the Christian churches, of course. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is believed to have redeemed all humanity of its sins. In another sense, we can redeem objects left in pawnshops by paying off the sum loaned to us by the pawnshop broker. But we often need the redemptive powers of kindness to offset the impact on others of the thoughtless acts we all commit from time to time. Etymology: From Latin redimere from re(d)- + emere, to buy. The PIE root *em- also turns up in "example," "sample," "prompt," and "vintage." (Thanks to Phil Rigg for pointing out the intricacies of this ostensibly common word--and his favorite poem using it.) Unremacadamized Pronunciation: [ên-ree-mê-'kæ-dê-mIzd] Definition 1: Having not been covered again with MacAdam stone layers or contemporary macadam. Usage 1: John Loudan MacAdam (1756-1836) invented a method of surfacing roads consisting of laying down successive layers of broken stone, each layer compacted and bonded to the previous by the pressure of ordinary wheel traffic. Today, each layer is bonded by tar, asphalt, or some other bituminous material and is usually compacted by heavy equipment. MacAdam has become the eponym of the new process (see Word of the Day for 01/03/2001 for "eponym"). Suggested usage: Today's word was selected because it reflects the extent to which English-speaking nations are cultural "melting pots" (see "Etymology"). The mixtures of cultures in English-language societies contribute wholesale to the English language, leaving a permanent, indelible imprint on our speech. Conceivable situations calling for this word are imaginable, however: "Our road remained unremacadamized for 20 years." Etymology: Today we have a lexical Dagwood sandwich for you: an English prefix and suffix surrounding bits and pieces of four other languages. The prefix un- "not" and the past participle suffix -ed are pure English. Between them we find the Latinate prefix re- "again", the Scots Gaelic prefix mac "son of" from "MacAdam," the inventor of macadam, the Hebrew word adam "man," and, finally, -ize from the Greek verbal suffix -iz as in archa-iz-ein "to be old fashioned." Serendipity Pronunciation: [se-rên-'dip-i-tee] Definition 1: The act of making a fortunate discovery by capricious or quixotic accidence or such accidence (fortuity) itself. Usage 1: "Serendipitous" is the adjective; "serendipitously," the adverb. A person given to serendipitous discovery is a "serendipitist." "Serendipity" is a word that is a bit ironic and often slightly misused: for a discovery to be serendipitous, one must not be looking for it in any way. Suggested usage: It is not serendipitous that a C++ book you had on backorder from a publisher arrived in the mail on the same day you start programming. That is simply a coincidence because you had, indeed, ordered the book. However, if you have not breathed a word about your plans to learn C++ and your spouse brings home a book on the subject because she or he is interested in it, too, you have, indeed, dipped into serendipity. Etymology: This word was coined by Horace Walpole, an 18th-century British author, from a fairy tale called "The Princes of Serendip" ("Serendip" was the former name of Sri Lanka). In the story, the eponymous heroes wander around, making unlooked-for discoveries. (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary for today's word.) Imprimatur Pronunciation: [im-'prim-ê-tyUr] Definition 1: The official stamp of a censorial authority allowing a publication to go to press hence any stamp of approval from an authority. Usage 1: It is still used in the literal sense in those states practicing censorship and in most churches. The imprimatur of the Roman Catholic censor in approving a book or motion picture, for example, is nihil obstat "nothing objected to." The Motion Picture Association of America uses several imprimaturs, G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17, to restrict the ages of people viewing a motion picture. Suggested usage: The word implies approval by a very strong authority. "Nothing reaches the desk of the coach without Reilly's imprimatur," means that Reilly has absolute approval over whatever crosses the coach's desk. It may also be stretched to simply mean "mark": "The glass with traces of chocolate milk is your imprimatur, Frieda; I suggest you were the one who raided the refrigerator last night." Etymology: New Latin imprimatur "let it be printed," third person singular present subjunctive passive of Latin imprimere "to press, print" from in "in(to) + primere "press." Before [l], "in-" assimilates to "il-," before [r] to "ir-," and before [b], [p], and [m], to "im-." It is a variant of "en" and both share the same source as English "in" and Russian v "in(to)!" "Primere" is akin to "press," "pressure," "pregnant," and "espresso," the delightful little caffeinated potable brewed under pressure. (Tom Iggulden of the Australian Financial Review has placed his imprimatur on today's Word for which we owe him our gratitude.) Camp Pronunciation: ['kæmp] Definition 1: Effeminate, homosexual hence ostentatious, theatrical and hence outlandish or vulgar to the point of being amusing. Usage 1: The adjective is derived from the noun "camp" which originally referred to exaggerated effeminate behavior of homosexuals or to such homosexuals themselves. Currently the word is used more frequently in reference to anything outlandishly and tastelessly artificial, out of fashion, or otherwise inappropriate. Some speakers add the adjective suffix -y to form, "He may be straight but he sure has a campy walk." In some regions you will encounter a verb: "What are you camping it up for? Don't your clothes attract enough attention?" Suggested usage: The term is not flattering, so apply it gingerly, "Oh, do invite Lois; without one of her camp outfits to snip at it won't be a party!" It applies to either sex in its more recent metaphorical sense: "How camp can you get? I saw him driving a pink Cadillac with silver cow horns mounted on the hood." Etymology: The origin of today's word has been consumed by collective forgetfulness so all we can do is thank Silvia Simon for reminding us of this mysterious lexical oddity. Erstwhile Pronunciation: ['êrst-hwIl] Definition 1: Former, in the past; formerly. Usage 1: This word also functions as an adverb: "She worked erstwhile in a candy factory but her fondness for chocolate undermined her position there." Suggested usage: Today's word has slipped from popularity but is still alive and afloat in the language. It is much more elegant than "ex-" in sentences like, "Unlike my erstwhile friend, Reynaldo, Alfred doesn't comment on my weight." Zsa Zsa Gabor thought herself a marvelous house-keeper because she kept the houses of all her erstwhile husbands. Etymology: Old English "ærest" superlative of "ær," Middle English ere "early, soon" whence the adverb "ear-ly" itself. "While" comes from PIE *kwi- + lo- which would result in Proto-Germanic *whilo- found in "while" and older "whilom," German Weile "while," Dutch (ter)wijl "while," and Danish hvile "repose, refreshment." A variant of the same root (*kwye-) without the suffix -lo emerged in Latin as quies, quietus "rest" and tranquillus "quiet, calm." It also underlies "quit" and the stem in "acquiesce" and "quiescent." Zombie Pronunciation: ['zahm-bee] Definition 1: One of the undead or the walking dead, an animated soulless corpse controlled by a voodoo deity. Usage 1: According to voodoo (from Yoruba vodun "spirit") belief, the spirits can be called to reanimate a corpse so that it moves about without its soul and under someone else's control. The plural is "zombies" and the exotic adjectives "zomboid" and "zombiesque" are used less often than the pedestrian compound "zombie-like." (There is also a mixed drink comprising several kinds of rum and fruit juices called "a zombie.") Suggested usage: This word is used metaphorically far more than it is used in its literal sense throughout the English-speaking world, "Fred looked like a zombie this morning after partying all night." It may also be used to refer to those who think more slowly and on a lower level than others: "We could have had a championship team if the zombies who own it could understand 'heart' or 'team spirit'." Etymology: The origin is unclear but it apparently comes from the Bantu languages, e.g. Kimbundu -zumbi "ghost, departed spirit," Lingala Nzámbe "god," Kongo -nzambi "god," or -zumbi "fetish." (Our thanks to the living spirit of Phyllis C. Murray for suggesting today's insight into the African contribution to English.) Atramentous Pronunciation: [æ-trê-'men-tês] Definition 1: Inky, black as ink. Usage 1: The noun, atrament "ink, blackening" has a family of 6 adjectives according to the Oxford English Dictionary, of which today's word is the preferred. Atrament itself refers to the ink used for writing as well as that ejected by cuttlefish and octopuses in defense of their liberty. Suggested usage: Today's word has positive connotations, "The atramentous soil boded well for his gardening." It also has pejorative connotations: "It was a bright smile that could not quite conceal the atramentous heart beneath it." It can fall somewhere in between: "Her atramentous hair showered her shoulders with suggestions of her origin without revealing it." Etymology: Late Latin atramentum "black liquid, ink" is the noun from *atr-are "to blacken," in turn from *ater "black." "Ater" and "atrare" are not found in written Latin texts but derivations from them attest to their potential existence, e.g. "atratus" meant "wearing black (in mourning)." Elsewhere among Indo-European languages the root refers to fire, so it may have entered Latin meaning "soot" from which black liquid was made. In Old Persian, for example, atar meant "fire," and "vatra" means "fire" in Serbian and "hearth" in Romanian today. "Atrium" is also a derivative of "atar" though the semantic connection is a mystery. Threnody Pronunciation: ['thre-nê-di] Definition 1: An elegy, dirge, or threne; a song of lamentation, usually for the dead. Usage 1: This is a regular noun with the same meaning as "threne" [threen] from the same Greek source. The adjective is either "threnodic" [thrê-'nah-dic] or "threnodial" [thrê-'no-di-yêl] and the agent noun is "threnodist" ['thre-nê-dist]. Suggested usage: "Threnody" may be used to refer to any sort of lamentation, "Gladys' threnodies of her wasted life with Gordon left me exhausted." However, it is usually a lamentation over the dead, "Kirsten's threnody at her husband's funeral made me wonder if I was in the right chapel." As usual, however, there is room for metaphorical play: "He discussed the project in such threnodic tones as to leave no doubt that it was dead." Etymology: Greek "threnoidia" from threnos "dirge" + oide "song." Greek "oide" underlies English "ode" and derives from the root also found in "comedy" and probably "tragedy." "Threnos" derives from the same ancient root as English "drone." (Our gratitude to Don Trimmer, CSO of Alacritus, Inc. for today's somber change of pace.) Poltroon Pronunciation: [pêl-'trun] Definition 1: An abject coward. Usage 1: The noun is "poltroonery" and the adjective, "poltroonish." Sometimes we need a way to dull the edge of an offensive term; other times, we need a whet to sharpen it. "Poltroon" makes a deeper cut than mere "coward," though its effect is undermined by its funny sound. Suggested usage: U.S. football enthusiasts might say, spraying the TV with pretzel bits, "What a gaggle of poltroons those line-backers are! Won't they ever charge the line?" But poltroonery is no more appalling on the playing field than in the workplace: "Don't you think calling five rounds of lay-offs 'right-sizing' a bit poltroonish? Wouldn't 'results of managerial fallibility' be more manly?" Etymology: From French poltron "a knave, rascal" itself from Italian poltrone "idler, loafer" from Old Italian poltro "bed, couch," (poltrona = "armchair" in Modern Italian). Conceivably a facetious play on some other word, like padrone "master, proprietor." (Ed Sundt of Bethesda, Maryland exhibited no hint of poltroonery in submitting today's word Quasquicentennial Pronunciation: [kwah-skwê-sin-'te-ni-yêl] Definition 1: Pertaining to 125 or 125th; the celebration of 125 years. Usage 1: Other members of this family include: semicentennial "50th," centennial "100," sesquicentennial (not sasquatch's birthday but) "150th," bicentennial "200th," tercentennial "300th," quadricentennial "400th," quincentennial "500th." Suggested usage: Because this word is an oddity among oddities [see Etymology], we would not recommend parents saying anything like, "Arnie, this is the quasquicentennial time I've requested that you to clean up your room," even if it is literally true. "Today we sold our quasquicentennial car of the year!" probably would not impress your customers or sales staff unless they subscribe to our Word of the Day. Etymology: Apparently, introduced for the city of Delavan, Illinois' rather odd 125th anniversary of its founding in celebrated around 1962. Today's word is queerly contrived from qua(dran)s "quarter" + que "and" + cent "hundred" + ann- "year" + the suffix -ial. Rather than simply nicking the Latin word in the usual way, which would be "+centenary" from Latin +centenarius "+hundredth," Latin cent-um (100) has been attached to English -ennial, retrieved from "biennial," then prefixed with often questionable prefixes like "quasqui-." (Our thanks to Lynda Burton for today's word and our sincere hope that one day she enjoys her quasquicentennial birthday.) Eschew Pronunciation: [e-'shu] Definition 1: Shun, avoid, shy away from. Usage 1: We were reminded of this word when "obfuscation" was our Word of the Day. Several readers mentioned having seen "Eschew obfuscation" at various intervals in their lives. While the sign is intended as a self-contradiction, no one at any point misunderstood it. Neither "eschew" nor "obfuscation" is an obfuscating vocabulary item; rather, both enrich any sensitive vocabulary. "Eschewal" is the noun and the one who eschews something is an eschewer. Suggested usage: This is a word with hundreds of uses around the house, for example, "No, actually I'm not ready. I eschew association with men who pick up their dates with a six-pack in each hand." It also is handy around the workplace: "I would ask Pinkerton to do it but he eschews work of any kind when the sun is shining." Etymology: "Eschew" is English "shy" in French clothing! "Eschew" originated in Common Germanic as something like *skeuhwo- "shy; avoid" and was borrowed by Common Romanic as, roughtly, *skiva-. As Old Romanic broke up into individual Romance languages, the stem acquired an epenthetic initial "e" because it begins with [s] + a consonant (cf. Spanish escuela "school," estado "state," estúpido "stupid"). When Old English borrowed its own word back from Old French, the [k] had palatalized (became [ch] then [sh], a common shift before [i] and [e] in Indo-European languages) hence "eschew." Fenestration Pronunciation: [fe-nê-'strey-shên] Definition 1: The arrangement and design of windows and doors in a building. Definition 2: Any opening in a surface such as a wall or membrane. Usage 2: This is usually an architectural term referring to the disposition or addition of windows in a building or building design. Suggested usage: The term may be used to refer to making any sort of opening in any surface: "a wall (re)fenestrated by the night's shelling" or metaphorically: "a dense presentation fenestrated only by quips from the audience." Etymology: Latin fenestra 'window, opening in a wall', itself from phainô with the same meaning. Embrocation Pronunciation: [em-brê-'key-shên] Definition 1: The act of rubbing a part of the body with liniment or lotion. Definition 2: The liniment, ointment or other substance used to embrocate a body part. Usage 2: An embrocation would have to be a champagne of lotions, not an ordinary one. Suggested usage: Let's say the topic of conversation is golf, yard work, or some other physical activity and someone says, "My muscles were so sore I had to rub them down afterwards." Establish your place (if not dominance) in the conversation by replying, "And what sort of embrocation did you apply to that lithe body of yours?" Guaranteed to change everyone's attitude toward you immediately. Etymology: This is obviously a borrowing from French. French picked it up from Late Latin embrocare "to rub with lotion". The Romans got it from the Greek embroche "lotion", from en- "in(to)" + brechein "to wet". Supercilious Pronunciation: [su-pêr-'si-li-yês] Definition 1: Overly haughty and condescending, disdainful, toplofty. Usage 1: The word is used when hubris leads to condescension to others. Look out for the -ous ending and the single "l". It sounds "silly" but it has nothing to do with this word. Suggested usage: The term has pejorative connotations, implying that someone has taken pride beyond its justification to a lack of esteem for others: "His supercilious demeanor undermines his interaction with colleagues in his department." Etymology: From Latin super-cilium "eye-brow", in turn from super "above, over" (adj. superus "higher, upper") and cilium "eyelid". Probably semantically related to the concept "high-brow". Pejorative Pronunciation: [pê-'jah-rê-tiv or pê-'jo-rê-tiv] Definition 1: Having negative connotations, deprecatory, usually in reference to words or phrases. Usage 1: "Pejorative" is the linguistic term for "politically incorrect". It usually refers to profanity. "Don't use such pejorative words when talking to me!" not only makes it clear you don't like to hear profanity, but also sets a high standard for what you do like. Suggested usage: The word may also refer to any term or attitude considered politically incorrect: "He has such a pejorative attitude toward women I doubt he will ever marry." Etymology: Latin pejoratus "having been made worse" (pejorare "to make worse), based on the comparative of the word for "bad", pêjor "worse" (malus, pejor, pessimus "bad", "worse", "worst"). Hence it is semantically related to the stems underlying "malady" and "pessimism". Levirate Pronunciation: ['le-vê-reyt, -rêt, le-'vi-rêt] Definition 1: The practice of marrying the widow of one's brother, as required by ancient Hebrew law or followed by some native North American nations. Usage 1: Not very common any more in the English-speaking world, which explains the uncertainty about the pronuciation. Suggested usage: Best used when you want to talk about marrying your brother's wife and only want subscribers to yourDictionary.com's Word of the Day to understand what you are talking about. See also sororate (sê-'ro-rêt) "to marry your wife's sister or sisters, usually after the wife has died or proven barren." Terms like these should allay any concerns that women are making no headway in their struggle for equal rights. Etymology: Latin lêvir "husband's brother, brother-in-law", oddly developed from dêvir, and hence related to Sanskrit devaraH "husband's younger brother". Older Indo-European languages made much finer distinctions among relatives. Gravitas Pronunciation: ['græ-vi-tahs or 'græ-vi-tæs] Definition 1: Solemnity or seriousness eliciting the respect of others. Suggested usage: The word is usually used to refer to politicians in utterances like: "He has the gravitas for a successful vice-presidential candidate" meaning a demeanor that will be taken seriously. However, it might just as well refer to an prominent person lacking a sense of humor: "Our jokes were no match for his gravitas." Etymology: Latin gravitas (from gravis "heavy") "weight, heaviness". Obviously realated to "gravity" and "grave" (in the sense of "serious" but not "burial site"); also "grieve" and "aggravate" (make more serious). The same underlying Proto-Indo-European (PIE) stems, *gwerê- evolved into Greek baros "weight" from which we get "baritone" and "barometer". In the Eastern PIE language, Sanskrit, the stem evolved into guru "heavy, venerable". It has been very popular root among us Indo-Europeans. Evapotranspiration Pronunciation: [ê-væ-pê-træns-pê-'rey-shên] Definition 1: The process or amount of water passing into the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and surface water, and transpiration from vegetation. Usage 1: Evapotranspiration figures come from the measurement of precipitation and from satellite surveys. They are used to estimate the need for irrigation on farms, golf courses, sports fields, and the lawns of those who conduct the surveys. Suggested usage: This term is narrowly used to refer to the combined loss of liquid from a geographical location. One can imagine broader applications, however. Don't let your neighbor's beautiful lawn drive you to depression. Yours probably gets too much sun and hence suffers from excess evapotranspiration. You might even say "hyperevapotranspiration" if he will wait for you to finish pronouncing it. Etymology: From evaporation and transpire. The former is from Latin e(x)-vaporo "evaporate", itself from vapor "steam, exhalation, vapor". Related to Sanskrit kapis "incense"; Greek kapuo "smoke." "Transpire" is from Latin preposiiton-prefix trans "across, over, beyond" plus the stem spir- "breathe." Trans- derives from PIE *ter- "cross over, break through" and spir- "breathe, blow" of unknown origin but related to spir-it-us "breathing, puff of air, breeze". (For more on "PIE" see "Words: Where do they come from" in the YDC library.) Perspicacity Pronunciation: [pêr-spê-'kæ-si-ti] Definition 1: The ability to see things clearly and make sound judgements based on that vision. Usage 1: The adjective is "perspicacious" [pêr-spê-'key-shês]. Fred is a perspicacious golfer if he reads up on golf as well as reads the lays and makes good judgements based on all the information he can get. Suggested usage: This word refers to shrewdness and astuteness based on accurate, wide-ranging observation, as in "He showed considerable marital perspicacity in not introducing the new secretary to his wife." Etymology: Latin perspicax, -acis, (adj.) "sharp-sighted, penetrating", from the prefix-preposition per "through, over, along" and specio "look", also found in "inspect", "frontispiece", "spectator", "suspect", "species", "specious". The root is of the same origin (PIE *spek- / *spok-) as Greek skop-os "one who watches" (via metathesis of "p" and "k"), which underlies "bishop", "episcopal", "skeptic", plus all the words on "scope". Mitigate Pronunciation: ['mi-tê-geyt] Definition 1: Reduce the severity of something, mollify, alleviate. Usage 1: A common false cognate is "militate". Look out for the confusion. Suggested usage: The common idiom is "mitigating circumstances", circumstances that makes a crime more palatable, acceptable. But there is a plethora of circumstances where it applies. "I need something to mitigate the bad news I'm bringing home." Etymology: From Latin mitigatus, past participle of mitigare "to soften", from mitis "soft" + -igare, related to agere to "go, drive, do", cf. "agent", "agile", and all stems on "act". Epicure Pronunciation: ['e-pi-kyur] Definition 1: A person with discriminating tastes, especially in food or wine (Adj. epicurean). Usage 1: Careful of the various pseudosynonyms of this word, "gourmet", "gourmand", and "gastronome". "Epicure" implies fastidiousness and voluptuousness of taste. A "gourmet" is a connoisseur in food and drink while "gourmand" implies a hearty if less discerning appetite for good food and drink, somewhere between a gourmet and glutton. "Gastronome" is a more scholarly appellation; it implies a fairly extensive study of cuisine. Suggested usage: The implication is for a combination of enjoyment and discernment, so one might say, "Jack is an epicure of office gossip" or "Jill is a veritable epicure of words." One could imagine an epicure of comedy, who enjoys comedy of the highest quality. Etymology: A commonization (change of a proper noun to a common noun) of the name of the Greek philosopher, Epicurus (341-270 B.C.), who taught that pleasure was the ultimate goal of life. Replete Pronunciation: [ree-'pleet or rê-'pleet] Definition 1: Abundantly provided with parts that complete the whole. Usage 1: Full refers to containing the full amount while complete implies that all parts are present. Replete implies the presence of what is an integral part in sufficient or even more than sufficient supply. Suggested usage: Use this adjective to indicate an integral part of something that is abundantly or visibly present: "The job came replete with long hours and short tempers." Etymology: From Latin repletus "filled up" from re- + ple-n-us "full". Related to replenish. Latin plenus is an Indo-European cognate of English full and Russian pol-nyj "full". The "p" original PIE *pel-/pol would be realized in Germanic languages like English as "f" as a result of (Jakob) Grimm's Law, discovered by the man of fairy tales. Pernicious Pronunciation: [pêr-'ni-shês] Definition 1: Very harmful, destructive or threatening harm or destruction. Usage 1: The word should not be used in the sense of "wicked, evil". Suggested usage: This is a good word to express extreme threat of harm or destruction. You would more likely meet a harmful remark but a pernicious virus. Of course, any remark that is likely to do severe damage to someone else or an enterprise would be pernicious. Etymology: Latin per-nic-iosus the adjective of pernicis "destruction". The stem comprises the prefix per- and the root nex- (neks-) or nec- "violent death". The root is related to Latin noxa (noks-a) "harm, injury, crime" which underlies nox-ius "harmful, injurious, noxious" and ob-nox-ius "punishable, liable, addicted, guilty", both of which have also been borrowed into English with related meanings. Obtund Pronunciation: [ahb-'tênd] Definition 1: Make dull or blunt, deaden Usage 1: The adjective is obtundent "blunting, deadening"; obtundity is the noun. Suggested usage: There are many ways to use this word around the house: "Mom, typing my homework obtunds my nails radically." You wouldn't want to invite an obtundent party-goer for an evening of seriouis merriment but an air-bag that obtunds the blow of a crash is certainly a welcome visitor. Etymology: Latin obtundere "strike against" or "dull, deaden", from the prefix ob-, "against" and tund-ere, "to beat, strike". Discrete Pronunciation: [di-'skreet] Definition 1: Separate and distinct, with clearly individuated parts. Usage 1: Easily confused with discreet "prudent, careful, unobtrusive". Watch the spelling variation. Suggested usage: This is the perfect word to use instead of "separate" or "distinct" when you wish to emphasize the individuality of the pieces separated: "The problem may be reduced to three discrete issues" or "The company comprises three discrete divisions", implying some autonomy in each division. Etymology: Latin discretus, past participle of discern-ere "to separate, take apart", in turn from the prefix dis- "asunder" and cern-ere "to separate, distinguish by the senses (especially the eyes)". Vilify Pronunciation: ['vi-lê-fI] Definition 1: Defame, malign, utter slanderous statements against someone. The noun is "vilification". Usage 1: A clear indicator of how we can lose our sense of language is the recent emergence of the term "bad-mouth". This compound verb suggests a curse of bad breath more than vilification or defamation. Suggested usage: Here is a much more poignant term for expressing the same idea as "bad-mouth": "How could you vilify me like that for accidentally locking the key and the dog in the car?" Etymology: A verb derived from Latin vilis "cheap, common, worthless" (from which vile also originates). Arcane Pronunciation: [ahr-'keyn] Definition 1: Known or understood by only a few. Usage 1: This is an uncomplicated adjective with a broad range of applications. Suggested usage: This is a good word to refer to rarities of all sorts: "Phil has arcane reading habits" or "Sarah's knowledge of arcane economic principles occasionally pays off." You might even try something like "Lucy likes to go to arcane cafes with unusual menus in New York." Etymology: Latin arcânus "shut up, closed" hence "secret" from arca "a chest, box", as in Ark (Arc) of the Covenant. Unrelated to arcade, which derives from Latin arcus "arch". Caddy Pronunciation: ['kædi] Definition 1: (Noun and verb) Someone who carries a golfer's clubs and provides assistance during a match or the activity of performing a caddy's duties. Usage 1: "Caddie" is also an acceptable spelling, though the trend these days is to use "caddy" in the singular and "caddies" in the plural. The word is often used in a demeaning sense: "He couldn't caddy for Lucy." Definition 2: From Malaysian kadi "a box or holder for objects when not in use", as in "tea caddy". Suggested usage: It might be used to refer to someone who tags along behind another person, helping that person fulfill his duties: "George couldn't get through the day without his office caddy, Phil." You probably know someone with a "pen caddy" on his shirt. Etymology: From Scots English, mid 17th century. Originally from the French adjective cadet 'younger', which also referred to a student in a military academy or candidate for commissioning in the army. In Scotland it came to mean 'handyman, a person looking for odd jobs'. Objurgate Pronunciation: ['ahb-jur-geyt] Definition 1: To rebuke harshly. Usage 1: Cliches like "chew out", "cuss out", "dress down", "call on the carpet" in contemporary American English have all but obliterated more subtly articulated terms like "censure", "chide", "reproach", "upbraid", "rebuke", "scold", "berate", and "objurgate". Suggested usage: Take advantage of all the subtle semantic differences in all these near synonyms while avoiding cliches. "He didn't just berate me, he completely objurgated me!" "I prefer dad's objurgation to Mom's berating me over the condition of my room." Etymology: Latin objurgare "to scold, rebuke" from ob- "to, against" and jurgo "quarrel, dispute, rebuke" itself probably related to jus, jur- "law, right" from which we derive "justice" and "jury". Obviate Pronunciation: ['ahb-vi-yeyt] Definition 1: To make unnecessary or prevent (an action). Usage 1: There is no semantic relation with "obvious"-beware! Suggested usage: This woefully underused verb is a convenient replacement for much longer and less specific phrases. Try expressions like "Lorraine's introductory remarks obviated most of my speech" or "The new software obviated most of the jobs in his division." Etymology: Latin obviare "meet, withstand, prevent" from the preposition-prefix ob "to, toward" and via-re "go, travel". Related to via "road, way" and derived from the same Indo-European source as German "Wag-en", English "wag-on" and "way", as well as the veh- of "vehicle". Ailurophile Pronunciation: [I-'lu-rê-fIl] Definition 1: A cat fancier; a lover of cats. Usage 1: It is amazing that in a land of so many ailurophiles, the word is used so rarely. "Cat-lover" is a more straghtforward term but it is also ambiguous and potentially misleading. Play it safe and use today's word. And don't forget: an "ailurophobe" is someone who hates or fears cats. Suggested usage: An advantage of a rarely used word is that metaphorical usage has yet to be explored. You might try, "She's a bit to the catty side and I'm not an ailurophile." Etymology: First printed 1927. From Greek ailour-os "house cat" and phil-e-o "love". Rubefacient Pronunciation: [ru-bê-'fey-shênt] Definition 1: Causing redness (usually in the skin); an agent that causes redness (Noun). Usage 1: The term is usually used in the medical sense, but why stop there Suggested usage: Certain allergens are rubefacient but so is an embarrassing remark if it results in blushing. "Rubefacient language" or "remark" is a nice euphemism for "profanity" or anything spoken out of place. "The document was a rubefacient for all who worked on it." Etymology: Latin rubefacere "to make red", itself from rubeus "reddish" + facere "to make". Rubeus is from PIE reudh-, the origin of ruby, red, robust, corroborate, rambunctious, ruddy, rust, and rouge. From facere (PPart fact-us) fact, faction, factor, fashion, feasible, feat, and feature are derived. Gambit Pronunciation: ['gæm-bit] Definition 1: A daring opening move in chess that sacrifices a piece for a future advantage. Usage 1: Applied first and foremost to the game of chess. Suggested usage: Of course, it can be applied to any daring opening move, such as a provocative statement to open a conversation or a risky business maneuver that promises long-term gains. "Buying so much of the flood plain was a risky gambit that could pay off if fish-farming becomes profitable." Etymology: Italian gambetto "gambit", originally "tripping (up)" from gamba "leg". The same PIE root devolved into Greek kampê "bend, twist" and Lithuanian kampas "corner". Cacodylic Pronunciation: [kæ-kê-'di-lik] Definition 1: Belonging to the arsenic group of poisons. Definition 2: Foul-smelling. Usage 2: Used almost exclusively to refer to arsenics and foul-smelling poisons. But the word's origins have nothing to do with poison. Suggested usage: The word's historical meaning suggests only "foul-smelling" and we are perfectly at will to use it in this sense. We could find a cacodylic stream running through the park or cacodylic kids who just played in it. A cacodylic substance clinging to one's shoes or an undistinguished cacodylic heap in the corner of the basement are not far-fetched. Etymology: Greek kakos "bad, ugly" + od from od-ein "to smell" + yl + ic. Kakos is related to kakka, a common word floating about the Indo-European languages. The English variant begins with "h" and has a diminutive ending. Also the source of "poppycock" (from Dutch pap, possibly from Latin pappa "food" + kak "feces"), not to mention "cacophony" (bad-sounding). Polygyny Pronunciation: [pê-'li-jê-ni] Definition 1: Having several wives at one time. Usage 1: Although it is more often used to refer to men with multiple wives, polygamy in fact refers to multiple spouses of either sex. Polygyny refers specifically to men with multiple wives. This term allows an antonym, polyandry 'having several husbands at one time,' a less common practice but found in several societies. Suggested usage: "Polygynous man" or "polyandrous woman" might be stretched to fit someone simultaneously with a spouse and several paramours. I leave the examples up to you here. Etymology: Greek polus "many" and gyne "woman". Polus comes from PIE *pol-/*pel- from which English "full" and, via French plein "full", "plenty"; also Russian polnyi "full". "Gyne" occurs in "gynecology" and "misogyny". From the same PIE root *gwen- whence Old English cwene "woman, prostitute, wife" and cween "woman, wife, queen". Also found in Greek gen- "give birth" underlying "generate". Subliminal Pronunciation: [sêb-'li-mê-nêl] Definition 1: Operating below the threshold of consciousness. Definition 2: Visually imperceptible but capable of evoking a psychological or physical response. Usage 2: Most commonly used in reference to a discredited study in the 50's in which suggestive pictures or words hidden in a single frame of a motion picture, invisible to the eye, motivated people to make purchases they were unconscious of even desiring. Suggested usage: The term should not be used in reference to the visible flash of "rats" in political ads about the opposition party, as recently occurred in the U.S. A "subliminal desire" is one we are unconscious of and a "subliminal message" is one we are unaware of receiving. Do kids avoid cleaning their rooms in response to a subliminal longing for fungi? One possibility. Etymology: Latin sub "below" + limen "threshold, door". Related to Latin limes "limit" and English lintel. (Probably unrelated to Latin Limus "the god of oblique glances", but who knows?) Olympics Pronunciation: [ê-'lim-piks or o-'lim-piks] Definition 1: Ancient Panhellenic festival held roughly every four years from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D. comprising sports, (choral) music, and literature contests. Usage 1: The ancient games were based on the Greek pedagogical ideal of balanced mental and physical abilities. Definition 2: A modern festival of international athletic games exclusively held in the summer and winter at four-year intervals. Suggested usage: The Olympics, like Mount Olympus, are considered the ultimate pinnacle of power and success. The Academy Awards might be called the "Olympics" of film and the World Cup Finals, the "Olympics" of soccer. "It doesn't look like Olympus," might be said of the home of an unassuming but undeniable pace-setter in any field of endeavor. Etymology: The original games were held in the district of Olympia in honor of the god of Mount Olympus, Zeus. The origin of "Olympus" is lost in the annals of time. Oscitancy Pronunciation: ['ah-si-tên-si] Definition 1: Yawning or a yawn, hence the drowsiness or dullness associated with yawning. Usage 1: Rare but unvexed. Suggested usage: It might be a bit ostentatious to say that the audience responded with more oscitancies than applause but one might note oscitancy from the grape in someone of slow response who has been imbibing spirits for a while. "I think his oscitancy comes less from lack of sleep than from lack of interest." Etymology: Latin oscitare "yawn" from os- "mouth" and citare "to move". The stem cit- is also found in "cite" and "excite". It comes from Proto-Indo-European *kei(d)/koi(d) which gave English hest "command, bidding" as in "behest" and, with the suffix -n, the Greek root kin- in kin-ein "to move" that underlies "cinema" and "kinetic". Trampoline Pronunciation: ['træm-pê-leen] Definition 1: A unit of athletic equipment comprising a piece of resilient cloth or netting stretched across a frame and used for acrobatic jumping and tumbling. Usage 1: The term is used for the first time in the Olympics this year, since trampoline gymnastics is one of the two new Olympic competitions this year (taek wan do is the other). Suggested usage: Here is another word that could be used more: "My life has been a trampoline act" suggests many high and low spots, not to mention flip-flops. "If you go to work for that company, you're putting your career on a trampoline," suggests the opposite of smooth sailing. On the other hand, you might say that her father tampolined her to a high position in his company. Etymology: From Italian trampolino "trampoline", in turn from trampoli "stilts". Apparently the semantics are from the common acrobatic performance above everyone else. Italian trampoli is derived from Middle German trampeln "stomp, trample". Opprobrium Pronunciation: [ê-'pro-bri-êm] Definition 1: Disgrace or reproach brought on by extremely shameful conduct. The action causing such reproach. Usage 1: Opprobrium is due Stalin and Hitler for their destruction of their societies; companies that pollute air and water deserve a certain amount. Suggested usage: The term is usually reserved for situations where words like "reproach", "censure", and "reprehension" are too mild. "Opprobrium" is reserved for murderers and serial killers. However, it, too, is subject to metaphoric usage: "The opprobrium of pulverizing a row of father's roses with the lawn mower cost me a week of freedom of movement." Etymology: Latin opprobrare "to reproach", from ob- "against, toward" + probum "reproach". Probrum is derived from Indo-European *pro- "before" + *bhr- the zero grade of *bher-/*bhor- "bear, carry, bring", found in many I-E languages, such as English "bear, burden, bearn", the "barrow" in "wheelbarrow", and Latin stems on fer- (fero "I carry Billabong Pronunciation: ['bi-lê-bang] Definition 1: A waterhole near a stream filled only during floods. Definition 2: A part of a river or creek that dries up after the rainy season. Usage 2: A common term in Australia but not used in Great Britain or North America. Suggested usage: Usage in Australia is usually pretty narrow and usage elsewhere in the English-speaking world would be a ground-breaking event. If you really want to break new ground, test something like: "1985 was a positive billabong for Fran in an otherwise gushing career." Be ready to explain. Etymology: From Wiradjuri (Australian Aboriginal): "an arroyo, a stream that runs only when it rains", from bila "river" + -bang. Minacious Pronunciation: [mi-'ney-shês] Definition 1: Menacing, threatening. Usage 1: The perfect synonym of minatory. The noun is "minacity". Suggested usage: Minacious clouds could spoil a picnic and a minacious look from mom could deter all kinds of mischief lurking among an offspring's intentions. Minacious memos could undermine a workplace. Here is a word we can all derive good mileage from. Etymology: Latin minax, minacis "jutting out; threatening". Also minatorius "threatening" from which English borrowed "minatory". From Indo-European *men- which underlies Latin mentum "chin, beard" and English "mental", borrowed from it. The same root evolved into English "mountain" and "mouth" from Old Germanic *munthaz. Concupiscence Pronunciation: [kahn-kyê-'pi-shênts] Definition 1: A powerful lust, especially sexual, for something. Usage 1: The word is often used as the antonym of Platonic love. St. Augustine wrote on marriage and concupiscence, noting that the avoidance of concupiscence toward the spouses of others is not enough; married couples should extirpate it from their relationship, too. Suggested usage: The word may be used metaphorically to express a strong, visceral desire for anything: "Her concupiscence for chocolate keeps her in Tae Bo classes constantly." You might also say, "His concupiscence for work left his family in despair," instead of calling him a workaholic. Etymology: Latin concupiscere "to desire ardently", from com- "with" + cupere "to desire". The stem cup- underlies "Cupid" and "cupidity", from cupido "desire". Migrate Pronunciation: ['mI-greyt] Definition 1: To move from one location or locality to another. Usage 1: The noun is "migration," the adjective, "migratory," and the agent noun, "migrant." The suffix -ant (or -ent) is used to mark the agent (person doing something) of intransitive Latinate verbs. "Migrate" is intransitive and derives from Latin (see Etymology), so migrants are called "migrants" rather than "migrators." "Resident," "descendent," and "dependent" are other examples. Reference of the more specific forms, immigrate ['im-ê-greyt'] "to migrate to a place" and emigrate ['em-ê-greyt] "migrate from a place," is usually limited to people making permanent changes of residence. Suggested usage: The metaphoric side of this verb is only seldom mined for its exquisite expressivity: "The band's style has migrated over the years from a sort of smooth jazz to blatant New Wave." It is perfect lexical choice for any slow transition, "Mindy's primary interest has slowly migrated from shopping for clothes to repairing trucks." The more specific forms, immigrate ['im-ê-greyt'] "to migrate to a place" and emigrate ['em-ê-greyt] "migrate from a place," refer mostly to people making permanent changes of residence. Etymology: From Latin migrare "to migrate." From the PIE stem *mei-gw- "move" based on *mei/moi "to change or move." With the suffix -to the same root turns up in Latin mutare "to change" and mutuus "in exchange" on which "mutual" is based. English "mad" shares the same origin via Germanic ga-maid-yan "changed" underlying Old English *gemædan "made foolish or insane." For more on PIE, check our new FAQ sheet, linked to the front page. (All hats at YDC are tipped to Olga Shun for today's word.)
Pronunciation: [kæ-tê-'kree-sis] Definition 1: The abuse of words or phrases; the perversion of a trope or metaphor. Usage 1: The adjective, "catachretic(al)" is used more frequently in reference to speech errors in general: "Nothing threatens our neighborhoods more than catachretical expressions like 'is comprised of,' 'take for granite,' and the confusion of 'noisome' and 'noisy.'" Suggested usage: Don't you wish today's youth would use words like today's? "Like, I've had it with you catachretic cretins! Like, lose that devil-make-hair attitude and correctify the way you talk, dudes, or, like, I'm out of here, dudes." But then chronic catachresis has proved no obstacle to some of the highest positions in the U.S. Etymology: From Greek katakhresis "misuse (of words)" from kata "down, mis-" + khresthai "to use." The PIE root that gave rise to Greek "kresthai" (*gher-) also underlies Germanic *grediga "hungry" that evolved into English "greedy." It also produced Old English giernan "strive, desire" which today is "yearn" and Greek kharis "grace" which provides us with "charisma." (Read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in the YDC library for more on PIE.) Pronunciation: [long-gê-'ni-mê-tee ] Definition 1: Patience, forbearing, long-suffering. Usage 1: We have already done "equanimity," "magnanimity," and "pusillanimity," now here is another sister in this family. This word has been confused with "longevity" and "long-windedness." It means neither. The adjective is "longanimous" [long-'gæ-nê-mês] and the adverb is "longanimously." Suggested usage: You may avoid the potentially embarrassing ambiguity of "Dr. Livingstone seems to have no patience (patients) today" by attributing a lack of longanimity to him. (If he does have patients, they probably exhibit considerable longanimity in his waiting room.) Also keep in mind that today's word applies to all animate beings, "Fido waited by his dish for his evening meal with longanimous enthusiasm." Etymology: Late Latin longanimitas "patience," from long-us "long" + animus "soul" + noun suffix -itas. "Long" probably originates in the PIE stem *dlongho- underlying Old Persian "dranga" and akin to *dlgho- found in Old Slavic "dulugu" and Russian dolgiy "long (time)," not to mention Greek "dolichos," Old Persian "darga," Sanskrit. "dirghas" all meaning "long." The same root emerges in Greek en-delech-es "perpetual," Gothic tulgus "firm, persistent," and Old Saxon tulgo "very." For more PIE, check our new FAQ sheet linked to the front page of the website. (Our thanks to the Florian Ptak-Polish for "bird"-for longanimously waiting to see her suggestion as today's word.) Tsunami Pronunciation: [su-'nah-mee ] Definition 1: An enormous sea wave induced by a submarine earthquake, volcanic eruption, or a landslide. Usage 1: Erroneously thought of as a "tidal wave", tsunamis have nothing to do with tides. They can severely damage coastal areas by pounding beachfront property and unleashing a sudden flood. Suggested usage: Whenever you need to refer to an enormous catastrophic wave of anything: "The company was hit by a tsunami of lawsuits"; a "tidal wave of contributions" sounds better because of the negative connotation of "tsunami Copacetic Pronunciation: [ko-pê-'se-tik] Definition 1: More than satisfactory, fine, running very smoothly, going quite well. Usage 1: This term is rarely used outside North America. It was popularized by Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and later spread among developers of the U.S. space program. Its profile has lowered since then. Also spelled "copasetic." Suggested usage: The term is perfect if you want to express an intensified "O.K." without saying "excellent" or "outstanding." "That solution isn't just good, it's positively copacetic." "Things are not so copacetic at the office right now; the new director is a bit overbearing." Etymology: Entered the language circa 1919 among black jazz musicians, but its etymology is unknown. Speculations are that it comes from southern U.S. Black English, from the Yiddish phrase kol b'tzedek "all with justice," the Creole French word coupersètique "able to cope with things," or from the Chinook word copasenee, "everything is satisfactory." Word: Pronunciation: ['kæch 'twen-ti 'tu (U.S.: 'twe-ni or 'twi-ni)] Definition 1: A paradoxical rule; a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem itself or by another rule; also, the circumstance or rule that denies a solution. Usage 1: In Heller's usage, Catch 22 was one of the traps preventing soldiers from leaving the army. Insanity was sufficient reason for discharge; however, to ask for such a discharge proved your sanity since only a sane person would want to leave military service. Suggested usage: Here is one example: "I moved to a new city and wanted to get a bank account and set up my utilities. The utility companies told me that they had to see local checks as proof of my ability to pay; the bank told me that I must present them with utility bills as proof of address. There I was, standing in the middle of a Catch-22." Etymology: From the novel of the same name (1961) by Joseph Heller, U.S. author (1923-1999). Chicane Pronunciation: [shi-'keyn] Definition 1: [Noun] An obstacle in a race course or a series of tight turns in opposite directions in a road-racing course. Usage 1: This is another of those French words like chic in which the "ch" is pronounced "sh". Definition 2: [Verb] To trick, cheat; to use chicanery. Suggested usage: This is a good term to replace "obstacle" when you have in mind a complication or complicated, back-and-forth negotiations. "It seems as though every time we start to make progress, a telephone call introduces another chicane we have to negotiate." Etymology: From the French chicane "zig-zag, squabble". How it came into French is unknown but the verb, chicaner, quickly came to mean "quibble, obstruct justice." This is how chicanery "devious, deceitful trick or trickery" evolved. Contemn Pronunciation: [kên-'tem] Definition 1: To view with contempt; despise. Usage 1: An endangered verb used far less widely than the noun, contempt, derived from it. Suggested usage: Give "hate" and "despise" a rest and try "I contemn everything he stands for," carefully articulating the "t". "Mary contemns the way her neighbors reduplicate her garden in theirs." Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French contempner "despise", from Latin contemnere "to despise": com- + tem(p)nere. Bemuse Pronunciation: [bi-'myuz] Definition 1: To confuse, daze, bewilder; to cause someone to be absorbed in thought. Usage 1: In the first usage, "bemuse" is synonymous with "benumb," "daze," "stun" and "stupefy." They all share the meaning "to dull by means of a shock." The relation of the second sense to the first relies on the quality of those thoughts one is absorbed in. The important thing to remember is that it does not mean "cause to be amused." The noun is "bemusement," the adverb is "bemusedly," the adjective is "bemused." Suggested usage: The two meanings of this word still overlap: "Karl was bemused by his date's suggestion that they call it an early night." He could be dazed from the realization that she wasn't having a good time, or he could become thoughtful, deciding if it should be his place or hers. Don't forget that "bemused" is the participle of a lively verb: "Madeleine bemused her audience in the middle of her performance with the request that everyone applaud." Etymology: The root of "bemuse" is muse "to be absorbed in thought" from Old French muser "to waste time, muse" akin to Italian musare "waste time, loiter." The prefix, "be-" is a variant of "by," from Old English be-, bi-, probably from the second syllable of the word that produced Greek amphi "on both sides (amphora), around" and Latin ambi- "both (ambidextrous), around, about." German um "around, about" is a reduction of the same underlying word. "Be-" was used several different ways in Old English, to mean "at" (below, behind, beneath) and as a transitive prefix: stir: bestir "make stir." "Bemuse" apparently originated as "to make hesitate, waste time" similar to "amuse," which originally meant "cause someone to stop and assume a stupid stare." Moiety Pronunciation: ['moy-ê-tee] Definition 1: One of two equal parts; one's spouse ('better half'). Usage 1: Use today's word when discussing something that is or should be divided into equal halves. "I'd split this éclair and give you a moiety, but you're really sticking to that diet, aren't you?" The plural is "moieties" and there are no adjectives or verbs. Definition 2: In cultural anthropology, one of the two subdivisions of a society with a dual organizational structure; more specifically, one of the two units that make up a tribe on the basis of unilateral descent. Suggested usage: This is a deflective term for talking about no-fault divorces and property reassignment in a clinical tone. "When Harold left Calliope, he took more than a moiety of their property and chattel," sounds less bitter than "That cad made off with much more than he deserved!" You might stretch definition two to talk about your in-laws (or outlaws, as the case might be), combining the first definition with the second, "My moiety's moiety is hosting a pig roast and truck pull this August," if it doesn't strike you as a bit repetitious. Etymology: From Middle English "moite" from Old French moitie "middle," a reduction of Latin medius "middle" via Late Latin medietas. The PIE root was *medhyo- from which English gets the words "mid," "middle," and "mean," plus "medial," "median," "medium," "intermediate," and "mediocre" via Latin-all terms that cut right down the middle. Russian mezdu "between" derives from the same source. For more PIE, see "How Is A Hippo Like A Feather?" in YDC's library. (Lynda Burton gets our undivided thanks for suggesting today's word.) Today's Word: Pronunciation: [blah-'zey] Definition 1: Sophisticatedly indifferent; superciliously casual in one's attitude, especially toward exciting things. Usage 1: Since this word has retained all its "Frenchiness," there are no corresponding adverbs or nouns. It may be compared, though: "more blasé," "most blasé." Suggested usage: When you need a sophisticated way to express "indifferent," today's word is your ticket, "Since Richfield left Margaret she has been much more blasé about housekeeping." Use it at work, "I wouldn't be so blasé about their changing the lock on your office door, Lance; I think it means something," or at play, "Ray was utterly blasé about his roller-coaster ride; nothing ruffles him." Etymology: Past participle of French dialectal verb blaser "to exhaust enjoyment of" or "be chronically hung over." The French probably borrowed the verb from Middle Dutch blasen "to blow up, swell." If so, it goes back to PIE *bhle- which underlies English "blow," "bladder," and "blaze. "Blather" came into English from the Old Norse (Viking) variant bladhra "to prattle." The initial PIE "bh" converts to "f" in Latin, where the root turns up in flare "to blow" whose past participle, flat-, is found in "inflate," "flatulent," "flavor," and, believe it or not, French "soufflé" from Latin sub "under" + flare. Latin "flare" [flah-rey] appears to be unrelated to English "flare" [fleyr]. - Noir Pronunciation: ['nwa(r) ] Definition 1: Gloomy crime fiction or film featuring cynical characters in sleazy settings. Usage 1: This adjective has not been completely assimilated by English as it occurs only in a few French phrases, as in French, always after the noun it modifies: "film noir" and "roman noir." The adjective is "noirish" with the "r" pronounced. For a parody of the genre noir, listen to the adventures of Guy Noir on Prairie Home Companion. Not directly related to café noir "black coffee" or pinot noir the "black Pinot" grape that produces the hearty red wine of the same name. Suggested usage: Weaving the expressions that "noir" occurs with into casual conversation calls for considerable lexical dexterity, "I feel sorry for him; his life is a kind of roman noir that he can't seem to brighten up." It is easier to use it literally: "The film set out a tantalizing detective mystery but midway evolved into a sort of film noir that could not sustain even a passing glint of optimism." Etymology: French noir "black" from Late Latin "negro," Latin niger, nigr- "black" found in "Nigeria" and "denigrate." From PIE nekw-, also underlying English "night" and Greek nix, niktos "night". This root also had an O-grade form, nokw-, that produced Latin nox, noctis, German Nacht, Russian noch', Albanian natë-all meaning "night." The sounds [k] and [g] are identical except for the voicing of [g], i.e. the vibration of the vocal folds. (Our thanks Max Schneiter, journalism student at Arizona State University in Phoenix, for today's dark word of the night.) Jejune Pronunciation: [ji-'jun] Definition 1: Lacking in nutrient content, hence insipid, dull, lacking in intellectual content. Usage 1: This is another word that has recently picked up an illegitimate meaning that has become so widespread that it now appears in many dictionaries. Because of its resemblance to French jeune "young" and Latin juvenilus (whence "jeune"), it is occasionally used in the sense of "puerile, childish." We recommend you use "puerile" and "childish" for those meanings and limit "jejune" to the work it was designed for. However you use it, "jejunely" is the adverb and "jejuneness" is the noun. Suggested usage: Do not forget that today's word may refer to physical lack of nutrients, "Their promise of a feast brought us to a dinner of unidentifiable meat surrounded by jejune vegetables boiled of all their taste and bodily good." The promise itself turns out a bit jejune in this example. This is the word to use where less careful speakers would ask, "Where's the meat?" "His first novel is so jejune I read only half of it. There is more content in the telephone directory." Etymology: Latin jejunus "empty of food, hungry, meager." (Our thanks to Thomas Nixon for today's word that provides us respite from the jejuneness of the rest of today's e-mail.) Brontophobia Pronunciation: [bran-tê-'fo-bi-ê] Definition 1: The fear of thunder or thunderstorms. Usage 1: Very rare despite the fact that the phenomenon is rather common, especially among children. A person fearing thunder is a brontophobe because they are brontophobic. Suggested usage: Perhaps we should ignore this word because it is so rarely needed, "Percy, I'm not sure brontology is the right field for a brontophobe like yourself. Why don't you try nuclear physics?" But, no, add it to your vocabulary for moments like this: "You know, Mavis, there is nothing like a brontophobic girl to pass a stormy night with." Etymology: From Greek bronté "thunder" + phobía "fear." The brontosaur, or "thunder lizard," now bears its original name, apatosaur or "untrue lizard," lost for years but recently rediscovered. "Bronto-" rarely emerges in English: brontology is the study of thunderstorms and a brontometer is a device for rating them. "Phobia" and "phobe" are widely used: "claustrophobia" and "agoraphobia" are antonyms, and lexiphobia "the fear of words," is one of the most common afflictions treated by Dr. Language at yourDictionary.com. (Thanks to Fran Hamilton, author of "Hands-On English," no doubt a brontophile, for today's rather surprising word.) Opsimathy Pronunciation: [ahp-'si-mê-thi] Definition 1: (Literary) Late learning, learning late in life. Usage 1: The word is a rare literary form but we predict an imminent come-back. A person who takes on learning late in life is an "opsimath" ['ahp-si-mæth], as a "polymath" (poly "many" + math) is someone of encyclopedic learning or polymathy [pa-'li-mê-thi]). Suggested usage: As the English-speaking population ages and the limits of life expectancy advance, opsimathy promises to become more prominent and the word less literary and more colloquial. Opsimathy was once frowned upon, considered less effective by educators than early learning. However, any university administrator will tell you that the opsimath population is growing in the U.S. Etymology: Greek opse "late" + math- "learning." "Mathematics" shares the same origin; it derives from the adjective of mathema "science, learning" from manthanein "to learn." The PIE stem *men-dhe- also underlies Russian mudry "wise," Avestan mazda "wise," Sanskrit mantrah "counsel, prayer," and Albanian mund "can." Akin to Latin mens, mentis "mind" in "mental," Greek "mentor," and the Latin suffix -ment. The initial constituent, "opsi-," is also used in the rare word, "opsigamy" [op-'si-gê-mi] which means "marriage late in life." For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in yourDictionary's library. (Our thanks to exemplary optimaths Howard Rogers and Terry Light, author of "Shades of Meaning"-see our "Fun & Games" page.)
9-28-2000 Bedlam Pronunciation: ['bed-lêm] Definition 1: A mental hospital; a state of total social chaos, a wild uproar involving people or animals. Usage 1: "Bedlam" is an orphan word, with no other family members (adjectives, verbs, etc.) The word itself may be used as an adjective, as in "a bedlam house," "a bedlam storm," "a bedlam man," but rarely is. Suggested usage: The term works every where a term for extreme confusion is needed, at work, "When the blast went off in the executive bathroom, it was bedlam here for the rest of the day," at home, "This bedlam must cease, boys, or you'll have to go to bed," or in platitudes, "Bedlam minds make bedlam lives." Etymology: One of the most renowned of the original institutions for the mentally ill was St. Mary of Bethlehem, better known as Bedlam (from Bedlem), located outside London. Mental patients were first accepted in 1403 and by 1547 it was totally devoted to the care of the insane. Bedlam was so famous, its name became the term referring to any asylum. As in the United States, British mental patients were placed on public display every Sunday for the curious to view. ("Bedlam" is not related to "batty," which comes from "bats in the belfry," as Lawrence Brady, the contributor of today's word, no doubt already knows.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Dyspeptic Pronunciation: [dis-'pep-tik] Definition 1: Suffering from indigestion or morose or disgruntled as if suffering from an upset stomach. Usage 1: The cause of ill temper conveyed by today's word could be bad digestion, otherwise known as "dyspepsia" (see Etymology.) The adjective may also be used as a noun to mean a person suffering dyspepsia: "Don't let Phil irk you; he is a chronic dyspeptic." The adverb is "dyspeptically" (don't forget the -al- before the -ly). Suggested usage: Today's word provides us with a means of referring to the sense of indigestion distinct from the dysfunction itself. "Murray grumbled dyspeptically as he left work for home," suggests that Murray's sulkiness is not the direct result of indigestion. On the other hand, "Teresa waxed dyspeptic after the baby vented her dyspepsia on her velvet party frock," demonstrates both meanings of today's word Etymology: Today's word derives from a mixture of bodily functions and gastronomy: Greek dys- "bad, wrong" + pepsis "digestion." Digestion to our forebears was just another form of cooking, since "pepsis" derives from pepein "to cook, ripen" (cf. Russian pishchevarenie "digestion," literally "food-cooking"). The same root, *pekw-, gave Russian pech' "bake, roast" and Sanskrit pakva "ripe." In the dys- family we find dyscrasia "abnormal blood condition" from dys- + krasis "mixing" and dyslexia "impaired reading ability" from dys- + lexis "speech." (No belly-aching today as we thank Rolf Hertzman of Stockholm for sending us this word.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Oxymoron Pronunciation: [ahk-see-'mo-rahn] Definition 1: A phrase comprising two mutually contradictory words. Usage 1: We often understand phrases that, when interpreted logically, actually contradict themselves! What do you think passes through the mind of an English-learner when they first hear: "a long brief," "the living dead," or "freezer burn?" A shot fired at me was a "near miss," does this mean I was partially hit? What could "old news" possibly mean? An old story cannot be news of any kind. Suggested usage: Now, see how many you can find in this paragraph: "It was a pretty ugly situation: we were alone together with a pitcher of beer almost exactly half full listening to soft rock. I was half naked in a pair of tight slacks and Lucy wore a pair of slack tights. Suddenly we had an urge for some jumbo shrimp but when I put on my plastic glasses to look for them, we found our car keys missing." Other candidates are a matter of interpretation. What do you think: bureaucratic efficiencies, British cuisine, American taste, Russian political organization, golf fashion, holy war, Microsoft Works, political science, rap music? Etymology: From Greek oxus "sharp" and moros "dull, stupid." Greek "oxus" is also found in "oxygen" and shares an origin with Latin acus "needle" underlying "acuity," "acid," "acupuncture," and "acute." In Germanic it became *agjo which developed into Old Norse eggja, "to incite, egg on," borrowed later by English "egg (on)" which thus has nothing to do with the avian reproductive system. The same Germanic stem developed into English "edge." (Rolf Hertzman of Stockholm egged us to send out today's word; we owe a word of gratitude to him.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com
Gulag Pronunciation: ['gu-lahg] Definition 1: One of the prison camps spread across the Soviet Union from Vladimir, Russia eastward used ostensibly to reeducate criminals, most of whom were political prisoners until the rise of Khrushchev. A particularly harsh prison. Usage 1: Popularized in Alexander Solzhenitsyn's "Gulag Archipelago" (1973), a historical documentation of many of the prisoners in these camps. After the death of Stalin, Khrushchev released most surviving political prisoners but the Soviet Union continued to use psychiatric wards and internal exile to punish citizens who simply wished to express a contrary opinion of the government. Suggested usage: This is a word that does not invoke pleasant connotations, "I don't work with a company; I work at a gulag where you lose all your rights the moment you step through the door." The assumption is that a gulag is worse than the worst prison: "I think Cyril would make a better gulag commandant than customer relations manager." Etymology: Russian acronym from Glavnoe Upravlenie (ispravitel'no-trudovykh) LAGerei "chief administration of (corrective-labor) camps." For more insight into these camps, read Solzhenitsyn's "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" or see http://members.aol.com/KatharenaE/private/Alsolz/Gulag.html. (We thank Margot Fraser for her concern that we might lose sight of this word with the demise of the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, its relevance persists.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Byzantine Pronunciation: ['bi-zên-teen] (US) or (British) [bi-'zæn-tayn ] Definition 1: Pertaining to Byzantium; highly complicated and intricate; characterized by a manner that relies on intrigue, scheming and labyrinthine machinations. Usage 1: "Byzantine" with a capital "B" can be used to refer to a citizen of ancient Byzantium or its art or architecture but "byzantine" is the form we use for the metaphoric sense of the word. The latter, but not the former, may be compared. The adverb of the latter would be "byzantinely" and the noun, but they are rarely encountered. Suggested usage: The common adjective "byzantine" has two levels of meaning. The first one is for something that's merely complicated: "Let's forget these byzantine travel arrangements and sign up for a group tour." The other connotes underhanded business: "Rudolf resorted to byzantine machinations behind the scenes to wreck the reputations of his enemies." Etymology: From "Byzantium," later known as Constantinople, today's Istanbul. The origin of "Byzantium" is unclear but as the capital of the Byzantine Empire, it was known for the complex political intrigues of its leaders. In "The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" (1776), Edward Gibbon claims that Byzantium contained so many labyrinthine connections that it was impossible to separate or simplify any element of the bureaucracy. (Our gratitude to Cliff Shin for today's word is anything but byzantine; just a simple, but heartfelt "Thanks!") -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Attrition Pronunciation: [ê-'tri-shên] Definition 1: The friction from rubbing two things together; the grinding down of an object from rubbing, hence any slow loss caused by pressure of any kind. Usage 1: A noun with the suffix -ion should be based on a verb but there is no verb underlying this stem meaning "wear down." An adjective, "attrite," is available: "The tire was more attrite on one side than the other, suggesting it was out of balance." The meaning has extended in most areas to mean simply "(slow) loss," e.g. "The attrition rate of college enrollment rises after spring break." Suggested usage: We should not ignore the original meaning of this word for it is useful in myriad situations. "The attrition between Franz and Colleen is undermining morale in the office," offers a bit of respite from "friction." In other situations, "attrition" is the only word that fits, "Brenda's strategy is to wait Porter out and overcome his objections by attrition," that is, wearing away his objections one by one. Etymology: Old French attrition "abrasion" from Late Latin "attritio, attritionis" and Latin "attritus" past participle of atterere "to rub against" comprising ad- "up to, against" + terere "to rub." Latin "ad" comes from the same source as English "at." Latin "terere" comes from PIE *t(e)r- "turn, twist, rub" the origin of Russian teret' "to rub, wipe" but also English "thread" (made by twisting), "drill" borrowed from Dutch "drillen" from Germanic *thr-l and "trout," Old English "truht" borrowed from Latin "tructa" that originated in Greek "troktes" a toothy fish whose name derives from trogein "to gnaw." (There is no attrition between Dr. Language and Christina Liptak, who sent in today's word. Thanks, Christina.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com
Cynosure Pronunciation: ['si-nê-shur or 'sI-] Definition 1: Ursa minor or the North Star which it contains, hence that which provides guidance or attracts attention by its brilliance. Usage 1: Here is another exorbitantly beautiful word grossly underutilized. We should take a cue from Milton, who wrote in "L'Allegro" (1645), " Where perhaps some Beauty lies, / The Cynosure of neighbouring eyes. " The adjective is "cynosural." Suggested usage: As in Milton's lines, "cynosure" is usually associated with something or someone lustrous. "Letitia lilted down the stairs in a gown of silver and white damask that made her the immediate cynosure of the party." But we can widen the meaning, as well, since the word also refers to a constellation used to find direction: "Vadim's house sat at the junction of three roads, a cynosure for anyone trying to find their way through the mountains." Etymology: From Greek kynosoura "dog-tail," from kuon, kynos "dog" + oura "tail." The PIE root *kwon-, from which "kuon" derives, made it to English as "hound." In Latin it became canis "dog" from which we get "canine" and "canary," as in "Canary Islands" (based on Latin Canariae Insulae "Islands of Dogs"). The root *ors- "tail," which produced the second constituent in Greek, became (Harrumph!) "arse" in English. So the roots of today's word spans the celestial and the profane-quite a historical embrace. For more on PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather in YDC's library. (The cynosure of today's word is Stewart Black, who suggested to us this astronomical word.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Pale Pronunciation: ['peyl] Definition 1: (1) A stake (as in "impale"); (2) a fence made of such stakes (= a palisade); (3) an area enclosed by a fence; (4) a restricted area where special laws apply. In Irish history, the Pale was a district around Dublin where English law applied. The prerevolutionary Russian Pale included the regions where Jews were allowed to live and work. Usage 1: Today's word is a perfect example of what linguists call 'semantic broadening,' a word that wanders beyond the, well, pale of its original meaning to a broader, more encompassing sense. Now it is used primarily in the phrases "beyond the pale" which means "outside the bounds of safe ground" and within the pale, meaning the exact opposite. Suggested usage: This is a great word for startling those around you. "I have decided to impale my garden with a vine-covered trellis," would add a pungent punch to your gardening tales. You might want to keep a pale by the door during the full moon if there are vampires or even suspiciously large bats in your neighborhood. (Only a wooden pale stops Transylvanian vampires.) If your friends express skepticism, tell them that you do not consider the existence of werewolves beyond the pale of possibility. Etymology: Latin palus "stake" from *pak-slo-. Without the suffix -slo, the same root (*pag-) provided for "pagan" and "peasant" from Latin pagus "place with fixed boundaries, district." ("Page" shares the same source.) Nasalized (with an [n]), it made it to English as "fang" and German fangen "catch." Old English had a similar verb fangian "catch, get, acquire," whose root remains in the old-fangled word "new-fangled," used by Chaucer already in the 14th century. (Mark Carey of New South Wales is the student of semantic broadening who brought today's word into the pale of scrutiny.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Quintessence Pronunciation: [kwin-'tes-êns] Definition 1: The purest essence of something. Originally it was-aside earth, air, fire, and water-Aristotle's fifth element (thus "fifth essence;" see Etymology) of which the heavenly bodies were made and which was latent in all earthly things. Usage 1: The adjective form of this word is "quintessential" [kwin-tê-'sen-chêl] and it is used to intensify a description. Suggested usage: A person can embody a trait or concern so completely that they become quintessential: "Raquel is the quintessence of a soccer mom; she takes her team out for ice cream after every game and grills hamburgers for it on the weekend." Using today's word as an adjective, we might say that "Pierre is the quintessential bore; his idea of a late night out is a long nocturnal read in the library." Etymology: Literally, "fifth essence" from Old French quinte essence "fifth essence" and Latin quinta "fifth" and essentia "essence." The root of "essentia" is esse "to be." Latin-speaking philosophers took the term "quinta essentia" and the idea of quintessence directly from the Greek pempte ousia "fifth being." The word for "be" also underlies Sanskrit "bodhisattva," the Buddhist being that sacrifies his opportunity to nirvana for others, from bodhi "enlightenment" + sattva "being." Aside from "is," the same root, *es-, gave us "entity," "absent,"present," and, forsooth, Old English soth underlying "sooth," the archaic but beautiful word for "true" and "truth." -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Punctilious Pronunciation: [pêngk-'ti-lee-ês] Definition 1: Strict about or attentive to details of proper conduct and conventional matters. Usage 1: Today's word has something in common with "meticulous," but the two are not interchangeable. "Meticulous" means careful and precise about details. "Punctilious" adds the dimension of being careful and precise about the details of conventional conduct. Suggested usage: Consternation about the difference between "business formal" and "informal" gives us a chance to use this word: "Barclay was punctilious in his attention to wardrobe for every Wednesday meeting at the firm." Judging from the connotations of that sentence, he was careful in his choice of suit, tie and cufflinks. Turning to a different age group, we might say, "I don't know how Gunda's going to fare in toddler ballet; she's not very punctilious about other people's space." Etymology: Today's word is the adjective of punctilio "a detail of ceremony; a point of honor or etiquette." Thus, punctilious literally means "attentive to punctilios." Both forms go back to Old Italian punctiglio "small point" from Latin punctum "prick, small hole, point," the noun form of pungere "to prick, puncture." "Punctum" also gives us "puncture," "compunction," and "punctuation," about which many people are punctilious. (We would be remiss if we were not punctilious in thanking our reader-correspondent, Bea Goldsmith, for suggesting today's word.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Fescue Pronunciation: ['fes-kyu] Definition 1: Any of various grasses with pointed blades cultivated for pasture. Definition 2: (Archaic) A stick or pointer used to direct children's attention in learning (used especially to point out letters in reading classes). Usage 2: The memorable lines from the song School Days, " Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic/Taught to the tune of the hickory stick," made clear the dual purpose of the fescue in the classrooms of the past. However, a finger is a pointer, maybe even a head; we need a word to distinguish the specific object used to point during a lecture or multimedia presentation whether physical or virtual. Let's rescue "fescue" from the word dump of English! Suggested usage: The second definition is archaic but with a little coaxing it could serve well in the world of multimedia presentations, "Genevra used a laser fescue to guide her audience from point to point." Why should a fescue be a physical stick? "A virtual fescue danced across the screen, instructing the students on which buttons to click and when." We could even use it as a metaphor for overly detailed explanations or lectures, "Don't take out your fescue, Sharon; I understand what you are saying." Etymology: The origin of today's word is hazy. We can trace it back only as far as Latin. It comes to us via the Middle English festu "stalk or straw" from Old French that inherited it from Latin festuca "stalk, stem, straw." Rally 'round our battle cry: "Rescue 'fescue' without a miscue!" It has the distinction of containing all the words ending on -scue in English. (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes of yourDictionary.com for helping with today's word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Excruciate Pronunciation: [ek-'skru-shi-eyt] Definition 1: To inflict severe physical or mental pain on; torture physically or mentally. Usage 1: Here is another instance of a participle that has all but become an adjective unto itself, abandoning the verb it derives from. The participle, "excruciating," as in "excruciating pain," is used far more often than the verb it is based on-unjustly, we think. Suggested usage: Tired of hearing "torment" and "torture?" Here is an impressive alternative, "His initial lectures excruciated a lively stream of questions from his students throughout the remainder of the semester." Take this word home with you, too, "Although I actually swallowed several mouthfuls, every bite of Peg's experimental sushi soufflé excruciated my palate to the extent of its endurance." Etymology: Latin excrucire "torture" from ex- intensifier + crucire "to crucify, torture," itself derived from crux (cruc-s) "cross." The origin of Latin crux "crucifix" is difficult to trace. The root seems to be related to Irish cruach "hill, pile" and English "(hay)rick," i.e. something rounded. "Excruciate" originally meant to put to the rack, to torture by stretching. (Our thanks for today's word is owed Thomas W. Horton, who has retired from all excruciation.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Berserk Pronunciation: [bê(r)-'sêrk] Definition 1: Frenzied; acting in a crazy, reckless manner. Usage 1: The noun form, a "berserk," refers to a person whose actions are desperate, defiant and committed without regard for physical welfare. As its etymology (see below) suggests, "berserk" is about serious lapses in acceptable behavior. Reserve it for noteworthy temper tantrums or emotional displays. Suggested usage: This is a fairly common household word already: "A good way to send Naomi berserk is to offer parenting advice when her two brats are screaming." However, sports seem to bring on this state more than other human activities, "I'd tell Dad what made his golf clubs slide into the pond, but he'd go berserk and hit me with one." Etymology: This word comes from the name of an Old Norse warrior, "berserkr," a compound from an ancestor of bjørn "bear" (possibly *bera) + serkr "shirt." The berserkrs wore bearskin hides and went into battle screaming, foaming at the mouth, and gnawing at their shields (not unlike Mel Gibson in "Braveheart"). Even though this word is Old Norse, suggesting that it might have entered English with the Viking invasions of the late 700's, it oddly doesn't appear in print until the early 19th century. (We hope Jim Olsen can bear the weight of our gratitude for his submitting this word with its interesting animal etymology to us.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Droll Pronunciation: ['drol] Definition 1: Quaintly amusing, mischievously facetious, exhibiting the qualities of a droll. Usage 1: This is a qualitative adjective, which means it may be compared: droll, droller, drollest. It has borne three nouns meaning essentially the same thing, "drollery," "drollity," and "drollness," plus the adverb is "drolly." A person who is habitually droll is a droll (the origin of the adjective) and what a droll does is, well, droll around with his friends. Suggested usage: Although "droll" is often listed as a synonym of "funny," "facetious," "amusing," it has a personality of its own. It refers to harmlessly mischievous humor, humor with a dexterity that skirts affrontery: "Hans is a droll creature who enjoys everyone he meets. His droll laughter brightens up any conversation." Remember, though, this makes Hans himself a droll. The noun is slipping ever deeper into obscurity, so let us use it more: "Frieda isn't all that funny; she's just a simple droll." Etymology: This is another word laundered for us by the French. The English adjective was borrowed directly from French drôle "buffoon." Originally, however, it probably was borrowed by the French from Old Dutch drol "goblin," a close relative of English (via Old Norse) troll "a mischievous dwarf living in a cave." We have now seen several words that circulated back and forth between the Germanic and Romance languages. The process is not a rare one. (Our gratitude today to the no doubt droll Debra Deininger, for today's playful word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Epiboly Pronunciation: [i-'pi-bê-lee] Definition 1: The growth of one part about another, as rapidly dividing cells grow around a more slowly dividing group. Usage 1: Today's word comes to us from embryology, a specialization of biology engaged in research on the prenatal development of organisms. Its use is usually restricted to the medical profession but today we are going to suggest kidnapping it for the linguistic benefit of the general population. The adjective is epibolic [e-pê-'bah-lik]. Suggested usage: The metaphorical applications of the broad concept explode on the fertile mind: "Giles is rarely seen without his new epiboly, Gladys, with her arms wrapped around his neck." Abstract epibolies are not difficult to spot, either, "Daria's new train-spotting hobby has turned out to be a heavy epiboly on her already busy schedule!" Etymology: From Greek epibole "addition" from epiballein "to thrown on." Epiballein results from epi- "on, over, at" + ballein "to throw." Before you ask, yes, we do get "ball" from the same origin but the one meaning the dance you throw. The round object, ball, devolved from the same source as English "blow," "balloon," "boulevard," and, of course, "bull." Here we see how etymological change can lead to identical unrelated words as surely as it can lead to radically different related words. -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Quisling Pronunciation: ['kwiz-ling] Definition 1: A traitor who turns against his or her own country to serve an invader. Usage 1: This is a relatively new word so far without lexical offspring. The adjective would be "quislingly" which sounds odd. Better use the compound "quisling-like." It sounds queer as a verb, too, though its meaning lends itself readily to verbalization in the sense of "betray to an invader." Suggested usage: For those of us who remember World War II, today's word is a powerful condemnation in its literal sense, "The French partisans were always at risk of betrayal by quislings in their area." But as time scrapes on, "quisling" will no doubt take on a more general, diluted sense, "I knew the issue was dead when the new manager and his gang of quislings entered the conference room." Etymology: A commonization of the last name of Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), head of Norway's government during the Nazi occupation of World War II. Of all the heads of European states who chose to subserve the Nazi regime in World War II, Quisling was the misfortunate one commemorated for his weakness throughout the European languages. To use a past Word of the Day, Vidkun Quisling is the eponym of today's word. (Our gratitude to the staunch loyalty of Kit La Touche for today's commonized word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Pansophist
Pronunciation: [pæn-'so-fist] Definition 1: Someone who leaves the impression that s/he knows everything; a "know-it-all." Usage 1: Today's noun may be used as an adjective, too; the noun is "pansophy" ['pæn-sê-fi]. Like pansophists themselves in the era of specialization, this word has become a rarity. It does retain a certain usefulness though and, like all our words, provides a few more threads about where we come from and how we have changed. Suggested usage: Don't you hate to hear yourself use hyperhyphenated words like "over-the-hill," "stick-to-itiveness," "johnny-come-lately"-ugh! Now you have a subtle cerebral substitute for that old hyperhyphenated "know-it-all:" "That supercilious pansophist doesn't impress me at all with his encyclopedia of trivia." Unfortunately, the age of pansophy and Renaissance men has passed; there is simply too much knowledge today. Etymology: Greek pansophos "all-wise" from pan "all" + sophos "wise." The noun from the latter, sophia "knowledge, wisdom," appears in "philosophy" from Greek philosophia "love of knowledge." We have long since forgotten that "sophisticated" is supposed to mean "knowledgeable." Interesting fact: the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Church is the masculine St. Peter (the rock) while the Eastern Orthodox Church's patron saint is the feminine St. Sophia (wisdom). (We thank Michelle Harvey of Dana Communication, a sophisticated reader in the original sense of the word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Ajar Pronunciation: [ê-'jahr] Definition 1: Referring to a door: barely open, cracked. Usage 1: Today's word is an odd kind of adjective used only in the predicate after connective verbs like "be," "seem," "become," and "remain" but nowhere else normal adjectives are used. "Fritz left the door ajar," is acceptable but NOT "an ajar door." It also does not compare and, though it may be used as an adverb, the suffix -ly is never attached: "He pushed the door ajar." All English adjectives bearing the prefix a- exhibit the same behavior: "aglow," "afloat," "aboard," "adrift," etc. Suggested usage: One of the jokes that makes 3rd grade (form) worth attending is this: Question, "Is the door ajar?" Answer, "No, it is a regular door." But today's word has nothing to do with the noun "jar." Even the "ajar" that means "at odds" ("Sheila is ajar with her friends since piercing her eyelids"), comes from the verb "jar" in the sense of "jarred loose." So where does today's odd little lexical creature come from? Etymology: As the Oxford English Dictionary quaintly puts it, the prefix a- is a "worn-down form" of the Old English an "on." The root comes from Middle English word char(e) "turn, do (work)" as in "charwoman." Work was turned (chared) and one did turns (chares) of work as late as the 19th century. "Ajar" was originally on char "aturn." Another pronunciation of "chare" is "chore," which still means a turn of work. The noun "jar" comes from French "jarre" via Spanish "jarra," borrowed from Arabic jarrah "earthenware vessel." (Our thanks today is due Mickay Miller for setting our minds ajar for exploring this word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Slave Pronunciation: ['sleyv] Definition 1: A person or object (e.g. computer disk) under the absolute control of another. Usage 1: The Western European desire to enslave the Slavic peoples (Russians, Poles, Czechs, and others) did not originate in Hitler's concept, "Lebensraum," that motivated World War II. The etymology of today's word demonstrates that this sad idea originates in the Middle Ages. The point of today's word is this: long after the stigma of social racism washes from a word, its history carries on its miserable origins. We should keep this in mind in prolonging the life of other racially motivated words in our language. Suggested usage: Please use "slave" in its generic meaning; we no longer have viable alternates for "slavery," "slaver," "slavish." But why inscribe past racial biases into the histories of even more words? We should think more critically before using words like "jew (down) or "gyp" (from "gypsy"). These two words are halfway to respectability now, carrying with them their sad histories. There are, however, alternates in these cases: "bargain (down)," "talk (down)," "negotiate," and "cheat," "defraud," "bilk," and "swindle." Etymology: "Slave" first appears in 1290 spelled "sclave," taken from Old French "esclave" inherited from Medieval Latin sclavus "Slav, slave." "Sclavus" comes from Byzantine Greek sklabos "Slav," similar to the Slavs' name for themselves, "Slovenci" or "Slavyane." The Slavic word itself originates in the ancient root meaning "to hear" e.g. Russian slyshat' "hear," slushat' "listen," which extended to "heard of, famous." The Slavic word "slava," the origin of our word "slave," means "glory." -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Judicious Pronunciation: [ju-'di-shês] Definition 1: Wise in a particular instance, showing sound judgement. Usage 1: "Judiciously" is the adjective and "judiciousness," the noun. The near synonym, "prudent," implies judicious restraint, "I think it would be prudent to invest less in real estate in this town now that we know it sits on a toxic waste site." It would be judicious, not prudent, to invest more in a project. Suggested usage: "Judicious" may be applied on a wide scale, "I think it would be judicious to pay off the national debt before rewarding ourselves with tax rebates." However, narrow scale applications abound: "Now that I see the bull standing there, I think the red tablecloth might not have been a judicious choice for our picnic in this particular field." Etymology: From French judicieux, a derivative of Latin iudici-um "judgement" from iudex, iudic-, "judge." "Iudex" comes from ius (stem iur-) "law" + dic- "say, pronounce," someone who pronounces the law. The PIE root behind "ius" is *yewes-, which also gave us "jurist," "jury," "abjure," "conjure," and "injury." The suffixed form *yewes-to- resulted in Latin iustus, the origin of English "just." The root behind dic- is *deik- which shows up in Latin dicere "say" and digitus "finger (i.e. indicator)." In English it developed into "teach." (For more on PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Counterpoint Pronunciation: ['kawn-ter-poynt] Definition 1: Polyphonic music involving the simultaneous sound of two or more independent melodies; a contrasting but parallel element or theme in a work of art or, by extension, any contrastive parallel element. Usage 1: Belying its Italian roots (see Etymology), the adjective of today's word is "contrapuntal" and the adverb "contrapuntally." Today's word may also be used as a verb meaning to heighten by means of contrast: "Phil's constant drollery just counterpoints the sadness of his life-or maybe it disguises it." Suggested usage: When two or more streams of conversation fit together thematically, today's word can describe the process and hint at the effects: "Genetta's observations on the climate in southern Italy offered a counterpoint to Rab's monologue on wines." And "counterpoint" can find a home in any discussion of art: "Mondrian's blocks of primary colors are a counterpoint to the lines of his compositions." Etymology: Like most words in the musical lexicon, today's feature originates in Italian. It comes into English by way of French "contrepoint" from the Italian "contrappunto." The Medieval Latin origin is contra "against" + punctus "pointed." "Punctus" comes from the Latin pungere "to prick, mark" ostensibly because of the connection with musical notation. Clearly "punctus" underlies English "puncture" and "punctuate" but it is also akin to "pugnacious" and "pugilist." -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com
Tachycardia Pronunciation: [tæ-kê-'kahr-di-yê] Definition 1: Rapid heartbeat Usage 1: The term is medical and seldom used outside discussion of the physical condition of the heart. Suggested usage: This is a medical term probably not suited for romantic encounters: "Marilyn, your eyes give me a profound tachycardia" will probably not melt Mariyn's affections as much as "you make my heart beat faster" (unless Marilyn is a cardiologist). "I suggested they call their new coffee 'Tachycardia' or reduce its caffeine content." Etymology: Greek tachy- "swift" + kardia "heart." Greek "kardia" is a perfect example of the unity of Indo-European languages. In German it is "Herz," in Russian "serd-ce," Hindi "hridaya," Kurdish "cerg," Khowar "hardi," and in Latin cordis "of the heart." The original PIE [k] sound changed to [h] in many languages and to [s] in Slavic. Metathesis, the switching of the positions of [r] and the vowel seen in Hindi, occurs in several languages. The origin of all these words is obviously the same, some root *krd- in the original or "mother" language, Proto-Indo-European. (We owe Simon Ross our gratitude today to for the slight tachycardia brought on by today's lexical thrill.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Dishevel Pronunciation: [di-'shev-êl] Definition 1: To disorder or tousle, especially hair or clothing. Usage 1: This is one of those negated words without a positive correlate, e.g. "disgruntled," "unkempt," "nonchalant." If I am disheveled and tidy up, why am I not then "sheveled?" (Do kempt people make you gruntled or chalant?) In current American usage, "dishevel" takes the endings -ing and -ed without any changes to the stem; in British usage, the "l" is doubled: "dishevelled," "dishevelling." Suggested usage: Disheveledness can be irksome or disarmingly attractive: "He looked up from the garden, a streak of dirt across his forehead and hair on end, and his disheveled appearance endeared him to her all the more." The word for it also slips comfortably into the metaphorical, "Watching five kids and a Labrador Retriever for a day completely disheveled Mia's sense of humor." (Thanks to Dr. Audra Himes for helping with today's word.) Etymology: The origin of today's word is Old French "deschevele," past participle of descheveler "to muss the hair," itself from des- "apart" + chevel "hair." "Chevel" (Modern French "cheveu") is capillus "hair" munched from Latin to French. The original meaning of English "capillary" is "hair-like" and a "capillature" in the 17th century was the natural state of hair on a head. (We offer a very neat and tidy "thanks" to Yocheved Lavon of Modiin Ilit, Israel for bringing up today's word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Facetious Pronunciation: [fê-'see-shês] Definition 1: Humorous or meant to be humorous but actually mildly sarcastic or slightly inappropriate. Usage 1: Today's word means funny or witty on the surface, but oftentimes it carries the extra weight of joking in the wrong setting or on the wrong subject. The adverb is "facetiously;" the noun, "facetiousness." Suggested usage: Here is a facetiously posed question that would go over like a lead zeppelin at an international Scrabble meet: "Can you think of a word that has all six vowels in alphabetical order?" And here is an example of the clever sort we would all like to slap: "The man next to me on the plane had a facetious comment about every country I planned to visit during my European holiday." Etymology: This word comes into English from the Latin facetus "graceful, pleasing, witty" by way of French facétieux "mischievous." The Latin word is possibly related to fax, faces "torch" and Russian svecha "candle" but problems surround the connection. (Sincere thanks go out to Bruce Combs for bringing up today's word and for offering the humorous but not at all facetious "six vowels" example in the Suggested Usage.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Thalassic Pronunciation: [thê-'læ-sik] Definition 1: Pertaining to the sea; marine. Usage 1: This is a euphonic onomatopoeic alternative to "marine." The liquid [l] and hissing [s] give the word more semblance of sea sounds than does "marine." The mind swoons at the thought of the illustrious members of the thalass- word family: "When England ruled the seas, it was a thalassocracy," "In college Mary is studying endangered thalassians-sea turtles," and "It's cool to study thalassography by walking along the seashore." Suggested usage: We may speak of thalassic smells or colors and the thalassic civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea. Thalassic rocks are those composed of sediments of the sea. We can dream thalassic dreams until the occasion for a thalassic respite from work presents itself. Wouldn't you much prefer a thalassic respite to shelling out for a vacation at the shore? Etymology: The adjective "thalassic" goes back to Greek thalassa "sea." It was made memorable by Xenophon in his "Anabasis" as the cry of the Greek mercenaries recruited by Cyrus the Younger to fight in Persia. Upon return to their homeland, when they first saw the Black Sea that would lead them to Greece, they shouted, "Thalassa, thalassa." (Robert G. Collmer, Emeritus Distinguished Professor of English, Baylor University, made the wave that brought us today's word.) Condolence Pronunciation: [kên-'do-lêns] Definition 1: Feeling or empathy for another's pain and suffering or an expression thereof. Usage 1: "Condolence" is the noun of the old verb "condole (with)." The adjective is "condolent" meaning, roughly, "sympathetic" in the literal sense. The verb and adjective are rarely used in the U.S. today, and the noun is most often used in the plural: "to send one's condolences." Suggested usage: The pain we feel for those who suffered the terrorist attacks of Tuesday is an ancient human sentiment, the ability to feel-no doubt by analogy with our own experiences-the emotions of others. All of us at yourDictionary condole and sympathize with the victims and the families of those who perished in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in precisely this sense, and send them herewith our most compassionate condolences. Etymology: Latin condolere "to suffer with another" from Latin con- "with" + Latin dolere "to suffer." Another 'suffering with' variant is "compassio, compassionis" from con "with" + passio "suffering." Virtually every European language has a similar construction: Greek sympatheia" from syn "with" + pathos "feeling," German "Mitleid" from mit "with" + Leid "suffering," Russian "sostradania" from so "with" + stradanie "suffering." We are sure most people around the world join us in our condolence. -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com La-di-da Pronunciation: ['lah-dee-'dah] Definition 1: (Slang) A derisive term for someone supercilious, someone who affects superiority or a condescending demeanor toward others. Usage 1: Today's word is one we utter more often than write so the spelling variations are legion. This is the way it should be spelled. The term has been around since the end of the 1880's but most recently it has assumed the role of a pejorative interjection: "Well, la-di-da, aren't we a bit dressy for the occasion?" It may, however, still be used as a noun: "Sharon is such a la-di-da she doesn't talk to those of my station any more." Suggested usage: "La-di-da" is probably too colloquial for wordsmiths like us except in a situation where the odd bit of slang might be used for effect: "Her friend, the Parisian la-di-da, speaks without a trace of accent at home but, when someone else walks in, she sounds as though she just stepped off the boat." Today's word may also function as a verb: "He la-di-dahed his way through Harvard but I suspect the job on Wall Street will reduce his hat size." (Notice the "h" is used only before suffixes.) Etymology: Some of us recall the 30's when good things were called "swell." "Gee, Mabel, it's swell of you to come" or "What a swell gal Ernestine is." "Swell" was originally derogatory, referring to those of the upper class who "swell themselves up," i.e. act superior or condescending to others. In 19th-century England, where r's are seldom heard, this type of swell was often called a "lardy-dardy" (a rhyme compound like "roly-poly" and "willy-nilly"), since lard is the most common cause of human swelling. -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Mardy Pronunciation: ['mahr-dee] Definition 1: (Dialectal, slang) Spoilt, sulky, whinging (['win-jing]-that's "whining" to North Americans). In the northern counties and Midlands of Great Britain, and in Australia and New Zealand, it is also used to refer to someone who's easily scared or upset. Usage 1: The stem of this adjective has swallowed its past tense suffix (see Etymology) and become an independent verb: "to mard" means to spoil someone, usually, but not necessarily, a child. The noun is "mardiness" and "mardily," the adverb. Suggested usage: Competitive pursuits have been known to cause this type of distemperate humor: "Waylan turned into a mardy baby after he lost the chess match to his much younger cousin." But anything can set off a fit of mardiness, "Nobody ate her whipped cream and fruit concoction at the picnic, so Narcissa grumbled mardily the rest of the afternoon." Etymology: In the 14th century, a marred child (from the verb "mar") was a spoiled child. Since the term was mostly spoken and rarely written, by the early 20th century it had picked up a new spelling and the suffix -y. (We thank Rowena Cave for reporting it alive and thriving in New Zealand.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Boycott Pronunciation: ['boi-kaht] Definition 1: A concerted refusal to do business with a person or organization, usually to express disapproval of conditions or policies. Usage 1: The noun and verb of today's word are the same: "boycott." A person who refuses to do business because of principles is a boycotter. Suggested usage: The literal use of this word, as in, "So long as the Almighty Dollar speaketh, the boycott will remain an effective way of getting a company's attention," is always available. But in the spirit of "think global, nag local," one could say, "Jacob is boycotting the company of his grandchildren until they stop listening to hip-hop" (he won't be seeing them for awhile). Etymology: Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott, a land agent in County Mayo, Ireland in the 1880s, is the eponym of today's word. Boycott worked for an absentee English landlord and was ruthless in his treatment of tenants. He became the target of Charles Parnell, an Irish activist set on reforming the laws of land ownership. Parnell incited Boycott's native employees to refuse to cooperate, next stores refused to serve his family, then the post refused to deliver mail, until finally the entire community shunned the Boycott family in the manner now manifest in today's word. Today's word, by the way, appears in virtually every European and in many other languages around the world. -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Offing Pronunciation: ['a-fing or 'ah-fing] Definition 1: The visible sea at a distance from the shore, beyond the anchorage. Usage 1: This is another word crystallized in a single phrase, "in the offing" meaning "occurring soon." Only rarely is it used any other way. The original sense was "away from shore but visible," referring to in-bound ships that would arrive very soon. This word is an orphan lacking any other members (adjectives, verbs, etc.) of its familty. Suggested usage: We usually suggest metaphoric ways to use the Word of the Day. Since today's word is used almost exclusively in one metaphor, we would like to propose using this one literally, "I think I see a shark out there in the offing," could be beta-tested along the eastern coast of the U.S. this summer. It is also comfortable in the description of a romantic moment: "We spent the afternoon on the porch of our cabaña sipping piña coladas and watching the dolphins play with the sailboats in the offing." Etymology: Originally a variant spelling of "of," after 1600 it began to differentiate itself as a pure adverb since the unstressed version, "of," had become a preposition. The original meaning of both was "away, away from," retained by "off" (itself now becoming a preposition, e.g. "Dad just fell off the porch, mom"). The suffix -ing is a common Germanic suffix, showing up as -ung in German and -ing in Danish. (Mark Carey of the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority thought the meaning of today's word might surprise some of us.) Mandarin Pronunciation: ['man-dê-rên or -rin] Definition 1: In Webster's 1828 dictionary, a mandarin was a magistrate or governor of a province in China. (Mind your history, now-Webster's was speaking of the imperial government, long before Mao Zedong). From that root, the meaning of "mandarin" took on a disapproving tone in modern English until it came to refer to a behind-the-scenes powerbroker in government. It also means a member of an elite intellectual group or one who believes in rule by the cultural elite. Usage 1: Calling someone a "mandarin" with a small "m" usually is not flattering. However, "Mandarin," capital "M," refers to a group of Chinese dialects spoken in about 4/5 of China and centering on Beijing. The mandarin orange uses the same name because it is native to the same general area (southeastern Asia). Suggested usage: In discussions of national and local politics, today's word often comes in handy: "Tanisha's squad of mandarin mommies overthrew the librarian to gain control of Children's Book Week." You might want say "I know a couple of linguistic mandarins who use their Word of the Day to fight what they perceive is catachresis (pronunciation and usage errors)." But please, say it with a smile! Etymology: Believe it or not, today's word has nothing to do with Chinese. It comes from the Portuguese "mandarim" by way of Malay "menteri" from the Sanskrit mantrin "counsel" from mantrah "counsel, prayer, hymn." The PIE root is men- "to think" which also turns up in English "mind." In Greek we find it as mania "madness" and -matos "willing" as in automatos "self-willing." Of course, the "ment" in Latinate "mental" is of the same origin but did you know the same root gives us the suffix -ment in "statement," "argument," and so on? For more on PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in our library. (Thanks today to Cliff Shin's mental acumen for spotting this accidental oriental-occidental oddity.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Panoply Pronunciation: ['pæ-nê-plee or -pli] Definition 1: A full suit of armor; an impressive array of something rich and lustrous. Usage 1: Today's word is an orphan except that it may be used as a verb. Mark Twain in "The Gilded Age" (1873) wrote, "It would be…judicious to send her forth well panoplied for her work. So he had added new and still richer costumes to her wardrobe, and assisted their attractions with costly jewelry." Suggested usage: Keep in mind that Greek pan- means "full" so "full panoply" is redundant ("in full panoply" meaning "in full dress" is idiomatic and escapes this caveat): "Herbert supports a panoply of good causes, all of which benefit him in some direct or indirect way." The referent should be at least nominally bright and shining. "A panoply of rotten vegetables" doesn't work but, "The hall was bedecked with photographs of the presidential panoply that had brought the company to its current sorry pass," works better, apparently, than did the presidents it mentions. Etymology: We found little on the history of this word. It comes from the Greek panoplia "complete set of armor" from pan "all" + hopla "armor (pl.)" Where these two came from, who knows? (Our thanks today to Atul Bhatt of Raleigh, North Carolina, for plucking this gem from his lexical armor and sending it to us.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Prelapsarian Pronunciation: [pree-læp-'ser-ee-ên] Definition 1: Characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of mankind. Usage 1: Today's word takes us back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived in their primeval state. Its only use is adjectival, and it usually evokes images of unspoiled, unpolluted innocence: "Virginia had the vim and vitality of a prelapsarian country girl, unspoiled by city life." Suggested usage: "Prelapsarian" is a word that refers just as readily to conditions of the environment as it does to qualities of people. One might say, "A five minute walk brought Pricilla to a prelapsarian spot so pristine and undisturbed it struck her that Adam and Eve might have just abandoned it." But it does apply readily to people: "Glenda Jackson's evocation of poet Stevie Smith suggests a woman of prelapsarian innocence" (Daily Telegraph, March 24, 2001). Etymology: The invention of this word is relatively recent. Its first attested use was in 1879. Its etymology is transparent since its parts come from words and affixes that are familiar to everyone. Pre- "before" + lapse (from Latin lapsare "to slip, stumble, fall" + -arian, based on the suffixes -ary + -an, also found in "humanitarian," "necessitarian," "utilitarian," etc. If Noah lived before the flood, we say that he was "antediluvian" so, if Adam and Eve lived before the fall, we can as easily say they were "prelapsarian." -John Robertson, Brigham Young University Alcohol Pronunciation: ['æl-kê-hol] Definition 1: A colorless, volatile liquid, C[2]H[5]OH (and others), also known as ethanol. "Alcohol" is the term used for the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors or a liquid used for sterilization. Ethanol refers to the gasoline additive. More broadly, "alcohol" refers to any drink containing ethanol as the agent of intoxication. Usage 1: The adjective is "alcoholic," used also to refer to people who abuse alcoholic beverages. "Alcoholism" refers to such abuse. Suggested usage: Astound friends with your knowledge at the local bar or pub: "Grapes are fermented to make alcohol, so its origins make it a food." Alcoholic beverages are still restricted in many places. In Pennsylvania the state liquor stores do not accept checks, so when you go to buy alcohol, take cash! Etymology: Since most Arabs are now Muslims who do not drink alcohol, it is ironic that this word comes from Arabic al-kuhul "coryllium," used for painting the eye-lids in the Middle East, from al- "the" and *khl (the vowels vary) "antimonium," related to Hebrew kakhal "stain, paint." Arabic chemists extended "al-kuhul" to any fine powder produced by heating a substance to a gaseous state, then cooling it. Substances obtained by distillation were later called "al-kuhul." It came to Late Latin as "alcohol" whence our word. (Sober thanks to YDC's friend Dennis Anderson for today's word.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Prelapsarian Pronunciation: [pree-læp-'ser-ee-ên] Definition 1: Characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of mankind. Usage 1: Today's word takes us back to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve lived in their primeval state. Its only use is adjectival, and it usually evokes images of unspoiled, unpolluted innocence: "Virginia had the vim and vitality of a prelapsarian country girl, unspoiled by city life." Suggested usage: "Prelapsarian" is a word that refers just as readily to conditions of the environment as it does to qualities of people. One might say, "A five minute walk brought Pricilla to a prelapsarian spot so pristine and undisturbed it struck her that Adam and Eve might have just abandoned it." But it does apply readily to people: "Glenda Jackson's evocation of poet Stevie Smith suggests a woman of prelapsarian innocence" (Daily Telegraph, March 24, 2001). Etymology: The invention of this word is relatively recent. Its first attested use was in 1879. Its etymology is transparent since its parts come from words and affixes that are familiar to everyone. Pre- "before" + lapse (from Latin lapsare "to slip, stumble, fall" + -arian, based on the suffixes -ary + -an, also found in "humanitarian," "necessitarian," "utilitarian," etc. If Noah lived before the flood, we say that he was "antediluvian" so, if Adam and Eve lived before the fall, we can as easily say they were "prelapsarian." -John Robertson, Brigham Young University Alcohol Pronunciation: ['æl-kê-hol] Definition 1: A colorless, volatile liquid, C[2]H[5]OH (and others), also known as ethanol. "Alcohol" is the term used for the intoxicating agent in fermented and distilled liquors or a liquid used for sterilization. Ethanol refers to the gasoline additive. More broadly, "alcohol" refers to any drink containing ethanol as the agent of intoxication. Usage 1: The adjective is "alcoholic," used also to refer to people who abuse alcoholic beverages. "Alcoholism" refers to such abuse. Suggested usage: Astound friends with your knowledge at the local bar or pub: "Grapes are fermented to make alcohol, so its origins make it a food." Alcoholic beverages are still restricted in many places. In Pennsylvania the state liquor stores do not accept checks, so when you go to buy alcohol, take cash! Etymology: Since most Arabs are now Muslims who do not drink alcohol, it is ironic that this word comes from Arabic al-kuhul "coryllium," used for painting the eye-lids in the Middle East, from al- "the" and *khl (the vowels vary) "antimonium," related to Hebrew kakhal "stain, paint." Arabic chemists extended "al-kuhul" to any fine powder produced by heating a substance to a gaseous state, then cooling it. Substances obtained by distillation were later called "al-kuhul." It came to Late Latin as "alcohol" whence our word. (Sober thanks to YDC's friend Dennis Anderson for today's word.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.comBung Pronunciation: ['bêng] Definition 1: A stopper or plug for a barrel, making a "bung-hole" not what you are thinking, but the hole in a barrel where the bung goes. In some parts it also means "a bribe" and in still others, "a lie." Usage 1: Since we use barrels so seldom around the house, this word is being taken over by the word it rhymes with. The verb means "to close up." You can bung up a cask or the eye of someone who gives you too much lip. As an adjective it means "bankrupt, dysfunctional," so a business that has gone bung no longer functions. This may be the origin of the U.S. English adjective "bum," as in "a bum leg," a leg that doesn't function correctly. You can also say "a bung leg." Suggested usage: Here are a few ways you can have some effective fun with this word. "Don't bung up the works," can suggest that someone not clog the workings of your business or that they not lay it to ruin. If "Put a cork in it," fails to convince Lester to stop talking, try, "Put a bung in it." If you want to crawl further out on the limb of creative insults, you could ask, "Don't they make head bungs, Charlene? You could use one now." Etymology: Middle Dutch bonge from Late Latin puncta "hole," the feminine past participle of pungere "to prick, puncture." In English it turns up as "pink" and "pounce" without help from Latin, and in "point," "pugilist," and "impugn" with the help of Latin (and French). In Greek we find a cousin pygme "fist" which we borrowed as "pygmy." (Our thanks to Tom Bruner, who let today's word out of the barrel.) Parergy Pronunciation: [pê-'rer-jee or 'pæ-rê-jee] Definition 1: Something unimportant, incidental or superfluous. Usage 1: An obsolete word, perhaps, but one that deserves to be brought back into the English lexical fold, especially since so many of us practice parergies (the plural form), like surfing the Web at work. Related to "parergon" [pa-'rer-gan] a subordinate accessory to the main subject in a work of art; hence, an ornamental accessory or embellishment, or a second, incidental job. Suggested usage: We hope you don't feel that you are a parergy where you work but we have heard that some people feel that way. If so, however, you might consider a parergon where you are taken more seriously, "Quinn's tomahawk-throwing at the county fairs is a parergon to his job as a tax attorney." Etymology: From the Greek parergon "by-work, secondary business" from parergos, "incidental, subordinate, incidental," itself based on para "beside" + ergon "work." "Para" shares a source with Russian prefix pere- "over, across," English "for," Latin per "through, by." "Parergy" and "parergon" are not directly related to paragon "model of perfection," which comes from the Greek parakonan "to sharpen" from para "beside" + akon "whetstone." (Thanks, Patricia Tancred, for today's nonetheless intriguing lexical parergon.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Islam Pronunciation: ['is-lahm or 'iz-lahm] Definition 1: The religious faith of Muslims according to which Allah is the sole deity and Muhammad, his major prophet or messenger. Moses, Jesus, and other Old Testament figures are considered lesser prophets of the same God. Usage 1: There are two adjectives, "Islamic" and "Muslim." A person who practices the religion is a "Muslim." The Islamic holy scriptures are contained in the Qur'an (formerly Koran). The Qur'an teaches, among much else, that "Whosoever kills a human being for other than manslaughter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed all mankind, and whosoever saves the life of one, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind" (Al-Ma'dah: 32). For this reason most Muslims do not sympathize with terrorism. Suggested usage: The Nation of Islam and the American Muslim Mission are African-American organizations that resulted from the 1976 bifurcation of the Black Muslim movement, founded by Wali Farad in Detroit in 1930. The belief that Farad was Allah in person distinguished that group from traditional Muslim denominations such as the Sunni and Shi'ite. Etymology: Arabic islam "surrender (to the will of God)." Arabic is a language in which all the vowels of a word change to indicate changes in meaning, so muslim "one who surrenders" is the same word [*s-l-m] with the prefix mu- and a vowel change. With other vowels we get salaam "peace," which is used, like its Hebrew cousin, "shalom," as a greeting. (Arabic and Hebrew are closely related Semitic languages.) All variants come from Aramaic 'ashlem "make peace, surrender." Other Hebrew words from the same source include Absalom "Father's peace," Solomon, Salomé, and schlemiel (originally, "my peace-God"). -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com
Taliban Pronunciation: ['tal-ê-bahn or 'tal-i-bahn] Definition 1: A Sunni Islamic student group organized in 1994 by an Islamic mullah (teacher), Muhammad Omar, that has ruled Afghanistan since September 27, 1996. Usage 1: Taliban "students" is the plural of talib "student (of Islamic theology)" so some say the "Taliban are" rather than "is." No adjectives or verbs have been derived from this word (yet). Suggested usage: The Taliban rule a country of 25 million people about the size of Texas, despite continuing opposition from two other Mujahideen factions, one of which attacked the Kabul airport recently. The Taliban hold sway over a country where 25% of all children do not live to their 5th birthday and the average life expectancy is 44 years. The Taliban accept only rigid, conservative interpretations of shari'a (Islamic law), thereby ruling out discussion of modern developments (bid'a). Etymology: From Pashto (or Farsi) taliban, comprising talib "theological student" + -an, animate plural marker. "Talib" comes from Arabic "talib" based on the root *tlb "to search for, seek." After the Soviet withdrawal on February 15, 1989, the various Mujahideen factions turned against one another and the Taliban arose from the prevailing chaos to garner control of the country. "Mujahid" is someone engaged in a holy war (jihad) and "mujahideen" or "mujahidin" is the plural. (Many thanks to YDC expert advisor George Cardona of the University of Pennsylvania, Professor Robert Hoberman of SUNY Stony Brook, and Dr. Language for help on today's etymology.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary Proscribe Pronunciation: [pro-'skrIb ] Definition 1: Originally the word meant to publish the name of someone convicted of a crime, an act which usually caused him to be ostracized, a second meaning. From there the current sense is but a short hop (or two): to prohibit or forbid as a bad practice. Usage 1: The adjective is "proscriptive" and the noun, "proscription." Not to be confused with prescribe "lay down a rule or write a medical prescription." Suggested usage: We no longer say things like, "Despite his criminal rampage, Julius was not proscribed in the newspapers because of his age." Rather, English speakers currently prefer the extended meaning, "New security regulations proscribe curbside check-in at airports." Limited proscriptions are useful around the house: "Lucille, for that report card MTV will be proscribed in this household for two weeks." Etymology: Latin proscribere "publish someone's name" from pro "before" + scribere "write." "Scribere" is akin to Greek skariphos "scratching, sketch, pencil" and is based on the same root behind "scribble," "scribe," "script," and "scripture." The PIE stem *(s)kerb originally meant "cut, scratch," so "scratch," "scrape," and "scrap" are all off-spring. The same root turns up in Russian skorb "sorrow." Apparently, the first writing was done by scratching clay or wood. Scratching a Russian, unsurprisingly, made him sad. (For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in our library.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Filibuster Pronunciation: ['fi-lê-bê-stêr] Definition 1: Pirate, free-booter, or a military irregular or adventurer who lives outside the law. Definition 2: An obstructionist tactic, especially in the conduct of political government. Usage 2: In the U.S. the term today is used almost exclusively to refer to the tactic for preventing vote on a bill in Congress by mounting a non-stop speech marathon, while refusing to yield the floor. A vote may be taken only when debate has ended but to force the end of a debate requires the approval of two thirds of those voting. A filibuster is successful when the two-thirds vote to cut off debated cannot be mustered. Suggested usage: Americans engaged in fomenting insurrections in Latin America in the last century were referred to as filibusters in the old sense of the word. But there are plenty of apolitical uses for this word: "Margot is a verbal bully who thinks she can filibuster her way into everyone's heart." Here is another, "It was less an interview than a filibuster-the interviewee couldn't get a word in edgewise." Etymology: Dutch vrijbuiter "free-booter = pirate," which entered English via the late 18th century French variant "flibustier." In the mid-19th century, the word changed to "filibuster," possibly under the influence of Spanish filibustero. The confusion of the [r] and [l] may be due the Dutch word vlieboot "flyboat" but the connection is unclear. The "boot" in "free-booter" is related to "booty" and the phrase "(receive X) to boot," i.e. in addition. It means "advantage, profit." (Our thanks to Flemish speaker Hendrik De Vloed for spotting this Dutch-Flemish contribution to several European languages.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Putative Pronunciation: ['pyu-tê-tiv] Definition 1: Commonly supposed; assumed without conclusive grounds for belief. Usage 1: The only other derivational relative today's word has is the adverb "putatively." "Putative" is nearly synonymous with "reputed" but carries a strong connotation of untruth much more like "supposed." Suggested usage: Today's word suggests itself when any sort of reputation is at issue: "His putative expertise in car repair evaporated quickly in the heat of an actual motor under the hood of my car." The reputation does not have to be a human one, "My dog is the putative father of their dog's puppies, but, well, he was broken awhile ago so we had him fixed." Etymology: From Old French "putatif," from Latin putare "to prune, think, reflect." The underlying root is *peu- "to cut, strike, stamp." It rendered other words a bit like "putative" in that they have to do with thinking or believing: "dispute" from Latin disputare "to think contentiously," "impute" from Latin imputare "to charge," and repute from Latin reputare "to examine repeatedly." (Certain thanks go to Rolf Hertzman of Stockholm for an uncertain word for uncertain times.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Assassin Pronunciation: [ê-'sæ-sin] Definition 1: A person who commits murder by surprise attack, especially one who murders a politically important figure either for hire or from fanatical motives. Usage 1: Many languages have contributed violence to the English lexicon: "berserk" from Old Norse, "kamikaze" from Japanese, and today's word from Arabic, as though we do not have enough of our own. The action noun from today's word stem is "assassination" and "assassinous" is the adjectival form. The latter refers to something that has the qualities of an assassin or an assassination. Suggested usage: Someone who assassinates the character of an acquaintance is a "character-assassin" for trying to destroy that reputation. Such behavior is an assassinous act. We should heed Benjamin Disraeli, British Prime Minister (1868, 1874-1880), who reminded us, "Assassination has never changed the history of the world." Etymology: French and Italian from Medieval Latin "assassinus" from Arabic "hashshash-in," plural of hashish-ash "hashish user" from hashish "hashish." During the Crusades, fanatics sent out to kill Christian leaders were promised paradise in return for dying the death of a martyr. To enhance the appeal of this arrangement, they were treated to the earthly pleasures of hashish before setting out. (Thanks to Trevor Wilcock of Halifax, England for pointing out this less than savory lexical contribution to English from Arabic.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Gentrification Pronunciation: ['jen-trê-fê-key-shên] Definition 1: Urban renewal that results in an influx of middle-class residents into an economically deprived, dilapidated neighborhood. The return of the middle and upper class to the inner city that it abandoned in the 60's. Usage 1: Today's term has taken on a slightly pejorative meaning since the gentrification of a previously neglected district often displaces the poorer current residents. The verb is "to gentrify." Suggested usage: You know gentrification is proceeding on schedule when the distance between coffee shops corresponds to the time it takes to finish a large latté. Those who see the beginnings of middle-class gentrification where they live might well say, "Here comes the neighborhood!" Etymology: The root is gens, gent- "clan" from PIE gen- "give birth," as in Greek gignomai "be born" akin to genos "race, stock." Gentry originally referred to landowners immediately below the nobility but still of genteel breeding. Other words based on the same root: "gentile," "genteel," "gentle," and "gentleman." (Our heartfelt thanks to a lexically rich gentlewoman, Margot Fraser, for a word not as genteel as it once was.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Maverick Pronunciation: ['mæ-vêr-ik] Definition 1: An orphan calf or other animal that leaves the pack or herd. An outsider, an iconoclast or self-oriented person who lives by his or her own rules, often perceived as a danger or threat. Usage 1: "Maverick" is itself a maverick word, a lonesome lexical orphan. Though no adjective, adverb or verb may be derived from it, it may be used itself as an adjective, "Trimble is a maverick CEO who takes his company where others fear to tread." Suggested usage: The quintessential mavericks were Bret (James Gardner) and Bart (Jack Kelly) Maverick on the U.S. TV show "Maverick" in the 1960's. They were cowboys who lived just outside the law and, breaking the mold of Western heroes, displayed a marked lack of courage. However, Galileo and Charles Darwin were among the scientific mavericks who led our understanding to the modern world. Etymology: The eponym of today's word is Texas cattleman, Samuel Maverick (1803-1870), who let his unbranded cattle roam wild. Other ranchers, who "adopted" them, called them "mavericks" (Maverick's"?) While serving in the U.S. Congress (1935-1939), Sam's grandson, Maury Maverick, coined the word "gobbledygook" to describe bureaucratic doubletalk. He later explained that the word is onomatopoeic, based sound turkeys make, "...always gobbledygobbling and strutting with ludicrous pomposity." At the end of their gobble, they give out a sort of "gook." (Many thanks to Dutch maverick, Gerrit van Uitert of Leiden, the only person to suggest today's word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Yom kippur Pronunciation: ['yahm kip-'pur] Definition 1: Yom Kippur means "Day of Atonement" in Hebrew. It is one of the holiest of Jewish holidays. It is a day of confession, marked by fasting and prayers for forgiveness of one's sins. Usage 1: Yom Kippur is the culmination of the High Holidays that begin with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah ("Head of the Year") on the 1st of Tishrei (September 17). Yom Kippur begins at sunset on the evening of the 10th of Tishrei (Sept 26). The 10 days in between are known as "The Days of Awe." Suggested usage: Historically, Yom Kippur was a day on which the high priest (Cohen HaGadol) of ancient Israel sacrificed a bull, two rams, and seven lambs for the sins of the Israelites (Leviticus 16). Two goats were also selected. One was sacrificed but the priest laid his hands on the head of the other, transmitting to it all the sins of the Israelites. That goat, the azazel "scapegoat," became a kind of devil set free to wander into the wilderness carrying with him the sins of all. William Tindale (1530) seems to have created "scapegoat" to translate the Hebrew "azazel," the animal chosen to bear the sins of others. Etymology: Yom is from Common Semitic *yawm "day" akin to Babylonian umu "day." Kippur is from the verb kipper "to cover, atone." -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Solidarity Pronunciation: [sah-lê-'dæ-rê-tee] Definition 1: A unity of interests, objectives, standards and sympathy that results in community. Usage 1: "Solidarity" does not really have any family. An old form of the word is "solidarism," and from that beginning, we get the words solidarist "one in who stands in unity with others" and "solidaristic," the adjective for a group based on common beliefs, goals and sympathies. Suggested usage: "When we were kids, my brother and I worked in solidarity to whine and beg until Mum let us use her car"-that sentence shows us that oppression is often a galvanizing factor that creates solidarity. So is a desire to accomplish goals, "Good people of all backgrounds and faiths must come together in solidarity to resist terrorism." Etymology: The word "solidarity" has long been associated with the labor movement. It acquired new meaning in 1980's when Lech Walesa led Polish workers to form self-governing labor unions and went on strike against the socialist government of their country. The name of unions' coordinating organization was Solidarnosc "Solidarity." Today's word comes from the Latin root is solidus "solid, whole, a suffixed form of *sol- "whole" which underlies "soldier" and Latin "salvus" that came to us via French as "salve," "save," "safe." -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Misocapnist Pronunciation: [mi-sah-'kæp-nist ] Definition 1: A smoke-hater. Usage 1: The word has only rarely been used in the past but perhaps its time has come. The extreme opposite of "smoker," who is presumably a smoke-lover, is not captured in "non-smoker." A non-smoker merely eschews smoking; a misocapnist is someone who despises and fights it. The hatred itself of smoke is "misocapny." Suggested usage: At last, smokers, a name for your adversary, "All the managerial misocapnists have decided to make the building smoke-free." But the implication is broader than merely tobacco smoke, "My misocapnist neighbor calls the police every time I try to burn leaves in my yard." Etymology: Greek misos "hatred" + kapnos "smoke." "Miso-" is also found in misogynist "woman-hater," misanthrope "person-hater," misandrist "man-hater," misarchist "government hater," misopolemicist "war-hater," misopedist "child-hater," misocynist "dog-hater," misogrammatist "hater of letters or learning," misogamist "marriage-hater"--to mention the tip of the iceberg. Of course, the native English compounds work just as well. (Many thanks and a synchronized tip of all our hats to misocapnist Eileen von Dadelszen of Hawke's Bay, New Zealand for today's word.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Schadenfreude Pronunciation: ['shahd-n-froi-dê] Definition 1: Mischief-joy, pleasure in the misfortune of others. Usage 1: This word is so typically German, that there is little to be done with it. It doesn't even double as its own adjective felicitously. Just keep in mind that "sh" in German is spelled "sch" and that "Freude" is pronounced like "Freud." Suggested usage: We suggest avoidance this word and the experience that accompanies it. Schadenfreude is a base substitute for pity, much more the human reaction to the misfortune of others. However, the driver of an old Ford pickup might get a twinge of schadenfreude at the sight of two Mercedes colliding. And if someone fell and broke their arm in the process of robbing your house, a modest touch of schadenfreude should do little damage to the soul. Etymology: German schaden "to hurt" + Freude "joy." "Schaden" comes from Old High German "skado," which also devolved into English scathe "harm, hurt" via Old Norse "skaða." "Freude" comes from Old High German "frewida," akin to the same fro "happy" found in contemporary German fröhlich "happy." Greek is one of the few other Indo-European languages with a native word expressing this unsavory emotional reaction: epichaikakia from epi- "on, over" + chai- "joy" + kakia "hurt, vice." (We owe a double debt of gratitude for today's word to Trevor Wilcock of Halifax, England and Margot Fraser.) -Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com Streel Pronunciation: ['streel] Definition 1: (Mainly Irish) A slovenly person, especially a disreputable woman. Usage 1: The verb "streel" means "to idle aimlessly, to trail or float." There's an adjective form, as well: "streely" which means "unkempt, slovenly." James Joyce wrote in "Ulysses" (1922), "She did look a streel tugging the two kids along with the flimsy blouse…like a rag on her back and a bit of her petticoat hanging like a caricature." Suggested usage: This isn't a complimentary epithet; still, it has its uses, especially since it is rather picturesque: "The streely bits on the newlyweds' car blew off disconcertedly in the couple's race to the hotel." We do not recommend employing today's word to describe the appearance of others. However, since so many resist our attempts to elevate our speech, someone is bound to use today's word in such a construction as, "She looked the perfect streel, opening the door in her nightgown and all her make-up on." Tsk! Tsk! Etymology: From the Irish straoill- and sraoill- "to tear apart, trudge," from Old Irish sroiglid "he scourges," from sroigell "scourge." (Our warmest thanks to Jim Wallace for recalling to us today's colorful Irish contribution to English.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com
Today's Word: Imply Pronunciation: [im-'plI] Definition 1: To indicate by necessary entailment rather than a direct statement; to occur as a logical consequence, as a garage implies ownership of an automobile. Usage 1: Today's word is the antonym of "infer," which makes it odd that the two are often confused. Here is how the two words work together: the speaker implies, the listener infers. "When Marquart said that he could not join her at the restaurant, Belinda (rashly) inferred that he didn't want to be seen in public with her." The speaker suggested a fact; the listener came to a conclusion based on evidence not explicitly stated. The noun is "implication" [im-plê-'key-shên] and the adjective, "implicative" ['im-plê-key-tiv] or [im-'pli-kê-tiv]. Suggested usage: Remember to keep the direction of the logical inference from giver to recipient straight, "Are you implying that I'm an idiot?" "Why would you infer that from my saying, 'I think you are wrong on this?'" Implications are subtle and not restricted to speech: "I don't like the implication of the smile on your face. Did I say something wrong?" Etymology: From Latin implicare "to entangle, unite." The roots of "implicare" are in "in(to)" + plicare "to fold." The PIE root is *plek- "fold, weave," and extension of *pel- "fold." Suffixed as *plek-to-, the same root wound up in the words on "plex," as "perplex," and "complex," as well as "pleat" and "plait." With the suffix -so, the o-grade, *plok-so- is the origin of English "flax." For more PIE, see "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" in YDC's library. (Infer what you will, but using his suggestion for today's word implies our intense gratitude to Herb Bohler of Flemington, New Jersey.) -Audra Himes, yourDictionary.com Palindrome Pronunciation: ['pæ-lin-drom] Definition 1: A number, word, or phrase that reads the same forwards as backwards, e.g. "2002" (number), "don't nod" (letters) or "food is food" (words). Usage 1: This week we celebrated a rare palindrome date. October 10, 2001 (10 02 2001) was the first such since August 31, 1380 (08 31 1380). The next will be February 1, 2010 (01 02 2010). Of course, in Europe, where the day precedes the month in writing dates, other dates will be palindromic (the adjective of today's word). Suggested usage: There are letter palindromes: Senile felines; Dennis sinned; Dee saw a seed; Norma is as selfless as I am, Ron; Mr. Owl ate my metal worm. There are palindromes in foreign languages-Elu par cette crapule "Elected by this creep;" German: Ein leder Gurt trug Redel nie "Redel never wore a leather belt;" Latin: Subi dura a rudibus "Endure rough treatment from uncultured brutes." Finally, there are word palindromes, such as "All for one and one for all" (Alexandre Dumas, 'The Three Musketeers', 1844). "So patient a doctor to doctor a patient so." See yourDictionary's Fun & Games pages for more palindromes. Etymology: From Greek palindromos "running back again" from palin "back, again" + dromos "race, running." Related to hippodromos "chariot road" from hippos "horse" + dromos "running, race(-course)." Akin to "syndrome" from Greek sundromos "running together" made up of sun-, syn- "with, together" + dromos." (Our thanks to Peter DePuy for suggesting we celebrate this week's famous date with today's word.) Haywire Pronunciation: ['hey-wIr] Definition 1: (Colloquial) Crazy, out of control. Usage 1: Today's word represents an unusual though not rare situation in which an adjective derived from the noun exhibits a wholly different sense and use than the noun. The noun still refers to wire used in baling hay (though hay is generally rolled and plastic-wrapped today) but the adjective means "crazy!" There is no adverb form nor verbal use available. Suggested usage: Today's term is colloquial if not slang, which means its usage is restricted to casual conversation and circumscribed from formal writing. It is used mostly in the phrase "go haywire:" "My car has gone completely haywire. When I switch on the heater, the windshiled wipers flap." It is an adjective, however, with the usual sorts of adjectival applications, "My cat had a haywire moment this weekend and started chasing dogs." Etymology: The origin of today's word is a story of semantics gone haywire. "Haywire" originated as a normal compound of the words "hay" and "wire" denoting the wire used to bale hay. However, in the days before duct tape (no, it wasn't originally used to tape ducks), clueless toolless people made the same repairs with haywire. As early as 1905 the term "haywire outfit" was used to refer to a poorly equipped work crew, already taking on the adjectival meaning "makeshift" or "jury-rigged" (the original spelling of "jerry-rigged"). Next it made the semantically unexpected leap from "makeshift" to the purely adjectival sense "crazy, out of control" in the common phrase "to go haywire" where it rests, improbably, today. (Thanks to Howard Rogers for noticing that something was haywire with today's word and mentioning it to us.) Riparian Pronunciation: [ri-'pæ-ri-yên] Definition 1: Pertaining to the banks of a river or stream, on a riverbank. Usage 1: Here's a word that is as lyrical as the sound of "lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore," and its usefulness is as important as its beauty. We have many words in English for running water ("cataract," "sluice," "stream," "current" and "tide," just to name a few); we also have a term for the ground that shapes the water's course. Suggested usage: First, today's word is used the legal sense of riparian rights to fishing the waters from the bank of a river or lake on property you own. But any time you are near a river, you can massage the conversation with this old lexical glove: "Every Fourth of July we stage a riparian repast by the susurrous Susquehanna and wave at the passing boats." The word's pleasant sound evokes only comfort and tranquility, "Don spent his childhood summers on riparian quests for the perfect fishing spot." Etymology: From Latin riparius "pertaining to a bank" from ripa, "bank." The same original root is responsible for English "rift" and "reef," Dutch rif "reef" and German Riff "reef." (Profound gratitude flows to Janelle Sommerville for a moment of tranquility among the current nerve-racking events.) Susurrous Pronunciation: [sê-'su-rês] Definition 1: Pertaining to a susurrus (whispering sound), having or similar to whispering or rustling sounds. Usage 1: Most languages have an onomatopoeic word for "whisper" since it is a prominent sound. The Latin word has more whispering sounds [s] than our native Germanic "whisper" and, perhaps, conveys the sense better as a result. If you don't like "susurrous" you may also use "susurrant" as the adjective. The verb is susurrate "make a whispering, rustling sound" with its own family: "susurration," "susurrating," "susurrational," etc. Suggested usage: In a recent word of the day, we mentioned the "susurrous Susquehanna," an apt epithet for that or any other noisy stream. It obviously associates well with voices, "Lila's susurrous voice drove all men mad-some with lust, others with disgust." But then leaves become susurrous when the wind rakes them in the fall and the susurrous stockings on women walking speak to some men, while others prefer the susurrous banter of a steak on the grill. Etymology: From Latin susurrus "whisper;" onomatopoeic, that is, a sound imitation. Patriotism Pronunciation: ['pey-tri-ê-tiz-êm] Definition 1: Devotion to one's nation, its land and people, its real and ideal interests. Usage 1: Our definition differs from those of some very famous people. Samuel Johnson claimed that patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels and G. Bernard Shaw called it "a pernicious, psychopathic form of idiocy." Albert Einstein wrote, "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind." Einstein's remark suggests that these men were thinking more of "nationalism" than "patriotism." Is there a difference? Suggested usage: Charles de Gaul put it this way: "Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first." The true patriot understands the ideals of his or her national heritage and can distinguish between those worth defending and those worth working to improve. ("Nationalism" also refers to the sense of national identity that unites the people of a single culture who have no country, such as the Kurds, divided between Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran, and longing for their own Kurdistan.) Etymology: Late Latin patriota, from Greek patriotes "of one's fathers" from patrios "father." The PIE root *pêter, patr- ([ê] = schwa) resulted in Latin pater "father," which devolved into Spanish and Italian "padre" and French "père" after elision of the [t]. PIE [p] became [f] and [t] become [th] in Germanic languages, so English "father" is a perfectly predictable descendant of the same PIE root. (For a larger slice of PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" by the Phantom Linguist in yourDictionary's library.) Argle-bargle (Noun) Pronunciation: ['ar-gêl-'bar-gêl] Definition 1: (British slang) Contentious wrangling, heated argument (perhaps with a touch of pushing and shoving). Usage 1: Today's word has so many variants as to suggest speakers may be trying to avoid using it: "Argle" (the verbal form), "argy," "bargy," "argue-bargue," "argy-bargy," "argie-bargie." "Argy-bargy" suggests a sort of diminutivization or reduction to baby-talk. Perhaps avoidance is justified, though, since there is seldom cause for the phenomenon it names. Suggested usage: Because this is a slang word, we recommend you use it only in informal conversations and not in serious writing. However, you may get the urge to tell your kids to cut out the argy-bargy when it reaches the touchy-feely stage. (If you are from North America, they will at least have to stop to ask you what the word means.) A bit of mild verbal argle-bargle after dinner could aid digestion unless it goes haywire, of course, in which case it could lead to dyspepsia. Etymology: "Argle" is a blend of "argue" + "haggle" and "argle-bargle" is a nonsense rhyme compound based on the random sound [b]. "Argle" has been around since 1589 according to the Oxford English Dictionary. "Bargle" emerged in the 1820's. (Thanks to Denise Ryan of the Emerald Isle for today's unusual double derivation, used perhaps a bit too frequently on the Gaelic football and hurling fields, she tells us.) Jihad Pronunciation: ['jee-hahd] Definition 1: A Muslim holy struggle against the evil within oneself but also a militant crusade against threats to Islam from without. More recently, in English, it has come to mean a passionate crusade against anything. Usage 1: Someone who participates in a Muslim holy war is a "mujahid" from mu- "one who" + jahid "holy struggle." The plural is mujahidin or mujahideen from mujahid + in/een, an Arabic plural ending. "Holy struggle" alone is "jihad" but vowels change with changes in Arabic word forms. In Arabic, different forms of the same word are created by prefixes and suffixes, as in English, but also by varying the vowels in the stem itself, similar to English strong verbs like sing : sang : sung. That explains the differences between "jahada" (to struggle), "jihad," and the "jahid" in "mujahid." Suggested usage: Today's word is slowly becoming a colloquial noun in English. Fortune magazine recently wrote, "The war against smoking is turning into a jihad against people who smoke." But for most North Americans the jihad is ineluctably linked to the tragedies of September 11. Some Muslim leaders have declared a guerilla war against European civilian populations in the name of Allah (= Jehovah, God) and they call that war a "jihad." Etymology: From the Arabic root *ghd "strive," contemporary Arabic jahada "to strive, struggle, fight (for)." The Arabic word for war is "harb." For a complete vocabulary of terrorism, bioterrorism, the geography of terrorism, and allied counterterrorist weaponry, see our new counterterrorism glossaries in the library, linked to the front page. (Many thanks to the peaceful curiosity of Joyce Cook for today's topical term.) Sedentary Pronunciation: ['se-dn-te-ri or 'se-dên-te-ri] Definition 1: Not migratory, settled, as "sedentary birds;" doing or requiring much sitting, as "a sedentary job;" attached, as "sedentary barnacles." Usage 1: The adverb is "sedentarily" and the noun, "sedentariness." The word is obviously related to "sediment," "sit," "seat," and "settle," as well. It is a near antonym of "active" when referring to people. Suggested usage: Some of us lead sedentary lives or work at sedentary jobs (that require long spells of sitting), but today's word may be stretched to, "An around-the-world cruise sounds good but your mom and I have become sedentary birds who don't migrate very far any more." Indeed, it can even reach sentences like, "Riddley travels a lot but he has such a sedentary mind that he only visits the haunts of English-speakers when he is abroad." Etymology: Latin sedentarius, from sedent- "sitting," present participle of sedere "to sit." The English words from this root are legion: sit, soot, séance, siege, obsess, subside, soil, and chair. "Chair" comes from Old French "chaiere" from Greek (via Latin) "kathedra," based on kata "down" + hedra "seat," the Greek variant of *sed-. "Upanishad" comes from Sanskrit upa "under, near" + ni "down" + Sadati "he sits." "Banshee" derives from Irish Gaelic bean sídhe "woman of the fairies" from bean "woman" + sídhe "of fairies", sídhe from Old Irish sid "fairy mound or seat." Opportunistic Pronunciation: [ah-pêr-tyu-'nis-tik] Definition 1: Exploiting opportunities presented by some weakness; taking advantage of weaknesses in others. Usage 1: We hear today's word increasingly confused with "opportune." "Opportune" means "suitable or convenient in time or circumstance." It would be opportune to buy a new car during a sale but it would be opportunistic for the salesman to take advantage of an inexperienced customer to sell him a more expensive model than he needs. The noun is "opportunism" and the adverb, "opportunistically." An opportunistic person is an "opportunist." Suggested usage: Tabby, our cat, is such an opportunist that every time our schnauzer goes out, she takes the opportunity to eat any food left in his bowl. It would not be opportune for Rover to go outside when he is hungry. I once had an equally opportunistic colleague who collected furniture from others' offices when it was placed in the hall in order to clean the carpets. Etymology: Latin opportunus, from ob- toward + portus "port, harbor." PIE [p] becomes [f] in Germanic languages (Grimm's Law), so this same stem *per-t/*por-t becomes "ford" in English and "fjord" in Norwegian. Latin portare "to carry" comes from the same source. The root without the suffix -t also underlies Modern German fahren "to go by conveyance" and English fare "travel by conveyance" found in Modern English "thoroughfare" (a through-pass), "How did you fare?" and "farewell." Greek peran "to pass through" and poros "passageway" (borrowed as "pore" in English) also devolved from the same root. For more PIE, read "How is a Hippo like a Feather" in yourDictionary's library. (Thanks to Eric Snyder II, who though it an opportune moment to allow us the opportunity to explore "opportunistic.") Marque Pronunciation: ['mah(r)k] Definition 1: Used only in the phrase "letter of marque and reprisal," a license granted by a sovereign to a subject, authorizing him to make reprisals on any national of a hostile state for damages alleged against the enemy's army. Later it became a license to employ an armed vessel to capture shipping belonging to subjects of an enemy state. Holders of such a letter were called "privateers" or "corsairs." On land, a letter of marque was permission for reprisals after a border incursion (see "Etymology"). Usage 1: Originally, the letter of marque and reprisal was intended as an instrument of last resort when a hostile nation or one of its nationals failed to pay for goods obtained by whatever means. By 1700, the letter of marque had become an instrument by which a government could expand its naval power during war. "Letters of marque and reprisal" distinguished the privateer from a pirate, but not by much. They were outlawed by European nations in the Paris Convention of 1856. The U.S. government, however, never ratified that convention, so Congress may have the opportunity to resort to this legal step in the coming months. Article I, Section VIII, paragraph 11 of the Constitution grants Congress the power "to declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water." Suggested usage: In this phrase, marque means "border," so, the letter of marque allows its holder to go beyond a border or boundary. This broad meaning has many household uses; for example, "The neighborhood gave my dog letters of marque and reprisal to settle accounts with the rabbits eating everybody's lettuce." Etymology: From Old French marque "mark, seizure, reprisal" from Latin marca "border, boundary." Akin to Germanic markja- "mark, border" as in Old Norse merki "a mark." The PIE root of all these words is *merg-/*morg- "boundary, border." A marquis was originally a nobleman appointed by his king to prevent border incursions. Need more PIE? Visit YD's library and read "How is a Hippo like a Feather?" (Thanks to YD's friend, Lawrence Brady, for spotting the imminent potential of today's word among the current political storms.) Attaint Pronunciation: [ê-'teynt] Definition 1: To disgrace, sully, or taint something or someone's reputation. Originally, the act of attainting meant conviction of a crime but later it was used to refer to conviction by legislation without benefit of trial. Usage 1: Today's word is used almost exclusively in connection with the term "bill of attainder," a legislative act that pronounces a person or group of people guilty of a capital crime (usually treason) without a trial. A person so designated is subject to capital punishment, confiscation of all property, and a prohibition against inheritance. Since a bill of attainder violates the separation of powers (judicial versus legislative), such acts are prohibited by the U.S. Constitution (Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3). Suggested usage: You may use the verb to occasionally relieve "sully" and "disgrace" of their duties: "Nothing you can say can attaint the reputation of our president these days." There may even be ways to use "bill of attainder" metaphorically: "This department has a bill of attainder against me-I am blamed for everything that goes wrong here." Etymology: Old French "ataint" past participle of ataindre "to affect, convict." Originally, "attaint" was the past tense of "attain" but subsequently became a word unto itself used only the negative sense. "Taint" is an aphetic (dropping an initial vowel) form of "attaint" in its new sense. Originally, the past participle of Latin attingere "touch upon, attack" from ad- "to" + tangere "to touch" from the nasalized form of *tag- "touch" which also underlies "tangible," "tangent" and, without [n], "tax," as when the government 'touches' you for a few bucks. "Contaminate" is from Latin contaminare: con- "together" + tag-men- (suffixed form of *tag-) "contact" + are.
|
learn_english_here Moderator [learn_english_here-owner@yahoogroups.com] |
.jpg )
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar