Word of the Day

Octothorpe

02 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Inculpate

01 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Futilitarian

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Noctilucent

29 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Internecine

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Prebuttal

27 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Evenfall

26 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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Pettifog

25 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pettifog is a verb that means to argue over minor points. Our word of the day comes from two early English words: petty, meaning ‘tiny and unimporta...

Fantod

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fantod is a noun that refers to an attack of nervousness. The origin of our word of the day is unclear, but it entered English around the mid 19th cen...

Vade mecum

23 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vade mecum is a noun that refers to something regularly carried by a person. Coming directly from a Latin phrase that translates to ‘come with me,’...

Tootle

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tootle is a verb that means to travel in a leisurely way. It can also be used as a noun that refers to a leisurely journey. The origin of ou...

Umami

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Umami is a noun that refers to a delicious meaty taste. Umami is also an adjective that means ‘meaty in taste.’ The Japanese word umami (ooh ...

Lese majesty

20 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Lese majesty is a noun that refers to an attack on a custom or tradition. The Latin phrase leasa majestas (la AYS uh ma JACE dus) translates to ‘inj...

Corollary

19 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Corollary is a noun that refers to something that follows naturally. The Latin word corolla (co ROLL uh) refers to a ‘gratuity’ or ‘bonus’ giv...

Abseil

18 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Abseil is a verb that means to lower with a rope. Our word of the day comes from the German word abseilen (ob SILE en) which means ‘to descend ...

Conlang

17 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conlang is a noun that refers to an artificially created language. Our word of the day came around in the 1990s. It is short for ‘constructed langua...

Recreant

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recreant is an adjective that means cowardly or unfaithful to duty. The word can also be used as a noun that refers to a coward. The Latin word ‘...

Organon

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Organon is a noun that refers to an instrument for acquiring knowledge. Our word of the day comes directly from Greek. Organon was the title of a phil...

Popinjay

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Popinjay is a noun that refers to a vain or supercilious person. Our word of the day comes indirectly from the Arabic word ‘babbagha’ (bob BOB ah)...

Hermitage

13 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hermitage is a noun that refers to a secluded hideaway. The word ‘hermit,’ meaning ‘a person living in solitude,’ comes from Middle Engli...

Appellative

12 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Appellative is a noun that refers to a descriptive name or designation. It can also be used as an adjective that means relating to or denoting th...

Egress

11 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Egress is a noun that refers to an exit or place to leave. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the Latin word egressus (eh GRESS oos) meani...

Infinitesimal

10 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Infinitesimal is an adjective that means immeasurably small. It is also a noun that refers to a very small amount. The root word of infinitesimal...

Avidity

09 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Avidity is a noun that refers to eagerness. Our word of the day is derived from the adjective avid, which comes from the Latin word avere (ah VAIR ay)...

Granular

08 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Granular is an adjective that means finely detailed. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word granum (GRAHN oom) which means ‘grain.’ When we...

Punditocracy

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Punditocracy is a noun that refers to an elite or influential group of political commentators. The word pundit comes from the Hindi word pandit (PON d...

Wiredraw

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Wiredraw is a verb that means to stretch or draw out forcibly. Our word of the day originally came about as a reference to a process done to steel. It...

Manque

05 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Manque is an adjective that means having failed at what one might have been. Coming directly from the French word for ‘to lack,’ our word of the d...

Hew

04 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Hew is a verb that means to conform or adhere to. Derived from the Latin word cudere (coo DARE ay) which means ‘to beat,’ our word of the day was ...

Diglossic

03 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Diglossic is an adjective that means tending to speak in different dialects in different settings. The Greek prefix D-I means ‘two,’ while glossa ...

Asseverate

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Asseverate is a verb that means to declare earnestly or solemnly. Asseverare (ah SAY ver are ay) is a Latin word that means ‘assert’ or ‘declare...

Volte-face

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Volte-face is a noun that refers to a reversal of opinion or position. Our word of the day comes directly from the French words ‘turn of face.’ Th...

Perfidious

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Perfidious is an adjective that means deceitful and untrustworthy. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word perfidia (pair FEE dee uh) meani...

Delphic

30 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Delphic is an adjective that means obscure or ambiguous. The Delphi in Greece was the site of a temple of Apollo. An oracle, or fortune teller, reside...

Vestige

29 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vestige is a noun that refers to a remaining trace of something that has disappeared. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vestigum (ves...

Recriminate

28 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recriminate is a verb that means to accuse someone who has made an accusation against you. The Latin word criminare (crim in ARE ay) means ‘accuse.’...

Watershed

27 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Watershed is a noun that refers to a turning point. In a literal sense, a watershed refers to a an area of land that separates waters flowing to diffe...

Tropism

26 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tropism is a noun that refers to a tendency to respond to a stimuli. The Greek word tropos (TRO pose) means ‘to turn.’ Our word of the day is freq...

Vaporous

25 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vaporous is an adjective that means vague or lacking substance. The root word of the vaporous is vapor, which comes from the Latin word ‘vaporum’ ...

Yahoo

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yahoo is a noun that refers to a noisy or violent person. The word yahoo was invented by novelist Jonathan Swift in 1726 satirical work Gulliver’s T...

Perfervid

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Perfervid is an adjective that means intense and impassioned. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word fervidus (FAIR vay doose) which means ‘f...

Zonk

22 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Zonk is a verb that means to stun or stupefy. Our word of the day seems to have no origin except that its basis is imitative, meaning the sound of the...

Remiss

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Remiss is an adjective that means neglectful of duty. The Latin word remissus (ray MEESE ooose) means ‘slack’ or ‘careless.’ Our word of the d...

Encumber

20 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Encumber is a verb that means to burden or weigh down. The French word Combre (comb) refers to ‘a river barrage formed by felled trees.’ This word...

Recompense

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Recompense is a verb that means to compensate or make amends. It can also be used as a noun that refers to the compensation or reward given for past h...

Rarefied

18 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Rarefied is an adjective that means of high class or caliber. The Latin word rarus (RAHR oos) means ‘thin’ or ‘rare.’ When something is rarefi...

Raiment

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Raiment is a noun that refers to clothing of the finest quality. Our word of the day originated in Middle English and usually refers to ornate or luxu...

Peccable

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Peccable is an adjective that means capable of sin. The Latin word peccare (peck CAR ay) means ‘to sin.’ Our word of the day simply means ‘capab...

Quaff

15 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Quaff is a verb that means to drink with gusto. The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but we can say that it entered the English language in t...

Popple

14 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Popple is a verb that means to flow in a tumbling or rippling way. Derived from Middle English, popple can also be used as a noun that refers to a rol...

Yare

13 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Yare is an adjective that means ready or set for action. Coming from Old English, our word of the day was originally a term used to describe a ship th...

Roister

12 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Roister is a verb that means to engage in boisterous revelry. The Latin word rusticus (ROOS tea coos) meaning ‘rustic’ or ‘rural.’ In tim...

Prima facie

11 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Prima facie is an adjective that means based on the first impression. It can also be used as an adverb that means ‘on the first impression.’ Our w...

Objurgate

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Objurgate is a verb that means to harshly criticize. The Latin word objugare (obe joo GARE ay) means ‘abuse’ or ‘rebuke.’ This word was import...

Mononym

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mononym is a noun that refers to a first name without a surname. The Prefix M-O-N-O comes from Greek and means ‘alone’ or ‘singular.’ When com...

Nouveau riche

08 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nouveau riche is an adjective that means a rich person who has recently acquired their wealth as opposed to having inherited it. Our word of the ...

Nostrum

07 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nostrum is a noun that refers to a quick fix. The latin word noster (KNOW ster) means ‘our.’ Nostrum, which evolved from this word is used in the ...

Vinculum

06 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Vinculum is a noun that refers to a unifying bond. The Latin word vincire (vin CHEER ay) means ‘bind.’ This word later evolved into our word ...

Nitid

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nitid is an adjective that means bright and lustrous. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word nitidus (KNEE tea deuce) which has also birthed th...

Mentation

04 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Mentation is a noun that refers to mental activity. Mens (MENS) is the Latin word for minds. It has given English such related words as ‘mental,’ ...

Conge

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Conge is a noun that refers to an unceremonious dismissal. Coming originally from the Latin word commeatus (comb may OT toos) which means ‘go and co...

Noxious

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Noxious is an adjective that means dangerous. The Latin word noxa (NOKES ah) means ‘harm.’ This word has evolved into a number of English words li...

Nimbus

01 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nimbus is a noun that refers to a luminous cloud surrounding something. The Latin word nimbus (NEEM boose) means ‘rainstorm,’ and, from this origi...

Devi

31 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Devi is a noun that refers to a Goddess and it is sometimes used as a title. Our word of the day comes from Sanskrit and is frequently used in Hundu c...

Laggard

30 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Laggard is an adjective that means the tendency to lag behind. It’s also a noun that refers to someone one lags behind. The exact origin of our...

Picayune

29 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Picayune is an adjective that means petty or meaningless and a noun that refers to an insignificant person or thing. Our word of the day comes di...

Squee

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Squee is a noun that means a delighted squeal and a verb that means to squeal. The origin of squee is unclear, but, as a noun it refers to a cry ...

Erumpent

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Erumpent is an adjective that means bursting forth. Our word of the day comes from the Latin erumpen (air ROOM pen) which means ‘erupting.’ It’s...

Felicitate

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Felicitate is a verb that means to congratulate. The Latin word Felix (FAY licks) means ‘happy,’ and it gave birth to our word of the day which is...

Jejune

25 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jejune is an adjective that means naive or simplistic. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word jejunus (jay JOO noose) which means ‘without fo...

Scunner

24 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Scunner is a noun that refers to a strong dislike. The exact origin of scunner is unknown but we can trace it back to Late Middle English when it was ...

Flexuous

23 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Flexuous is an adjective that means full of bends and curves. Our word of the day comes from the Latin flexus (FLECK soos) which means ‘bended.’ F...

Adventitious

22 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adventitious is an adjective that means happening by chance not design. The Latin word adventicius (odd VENT tee toose) means ‘coming to us fro...

Bunyip

21 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bunyip is a noun that refers to a counterfeit or imposter. It's also an adjective that means phony. Our word of the day comes directly from an Austral...

Clamant

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Clamant is an adjective that means forcing itself on the attention. Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word clamare (kla MAR ay) which mean...

Brummagem

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brummagem is an adjective that means cheap or counterfeit. In the 17th century, Birmingham, England was notorious for a proliferation of counterfeit c...

Impalpable

18 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Impalpable is an adjective that means not easily understood. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word palpare (pal PAR ay) which means ‘to feel...

Gamesome

17 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gamesome is an adjective that means playful and happy. Our word of the day combines the word ‘game’ a word of Old English origin with the suffix S...

Cannonade

16 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cannonade is a noun that refers to a continuous bombardment or effort. Our word of the day is derived from the word cannon, a large, heavy piece of ar...

Breviary

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Breviary is a noun that refers to a brief summary. The Latin word brevis (BRE vis) means ‘short’ or ‘brief.’ Our word of the day was initially...

Bildungsroman

14 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Bildungsroman is a noun that refers to a coming of age novel. Our word of the day comes from two German words. Bildung (BILL dung) means ‘education,...

Discommode

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Discommode is a verb that means to inconvenience. The Latin word commodus (COMB oh deuce) means ‘suitable’ or ‘convenient.’ The word accommoda...

Benignity

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Benignity is a noun that refers to kindness or tolerance toward others. The Latin word bene (BAY nay) means ‘good’ or ‘well’ and is the ancest...

Meliorism

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Meliorism is a noun that refers to the belief that the world tends to improve. Our word of the day is believed to have been been first coined by 19th ...

Asunder

10 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Asunder is an adjective that means divided or apart. Coming from the Old English word ‘sunder,’ which means ‘to break apart,’ our word of the ...

Esculent

09 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Esculent is an adjective that means fit to be eaten. Our word of the day has evolved from the Latin word esca (ACE cuh) which means ‘food.’ It is ...

Welter

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Welter is a noun that refers to a jumble or a confused mess. Coming from Middle English, our word of the day can be used a couple of ways. In addition...

Kvell

07 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kvell is a verb that means to be happy and proud. Our word of the day comes almost directly from Yiddish and is mostly used in informal contexts. Exam...

Philippic

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Philippic is a noun that refers to a bitter attack or denunciation. Our word of the day has its origin in ancient Greece, namely when a Greek orator m...

Plethoric

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Plethoric is an adjective that means inflated or overfull. Coming almost directly from a Greek word that means ‘fullness,’ plethora is a noun that...

Adulatory

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adulatory is an adjective that means excessive praising or admiring. The Latin word adulari (ad you LARE ay) means ‘fawning’ or ‘flattering...

Jabberwocky

03 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Jabberwocky is a noun that refers to meaningless language. A poem by Lewis Carroll called Through the Looking Glass gave birth to our word of the day ...

Susurration

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Susurration is a noun that refers to a soft murmur or whisper. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word susurrare (soo soo RARE ay) which means ‘...

Finagle

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Finagle is a verb that means to obtain something by devious means. Our word of the day was birthed in the 1920s, possibly related to the word ‘fiddl...

Dermic

30 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dermic is an adjective that means related to the skin. The Greek word derma (DER muh) means ‘skin.’ It’s related to English words like dermatolo...

Alimentation

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alimentation is a noun that refers to the provision of nourishment and other necessities of life. The Latin word alimentare (all ee men TAR ay) means ...

Pavlovian

28 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Pavlovian is an adjective that means having a conditioned or predictable response. Our word of the day was named after an early 20th century physiolog...

Nival

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nival is an adjective that means related to or growing in snow. The Latin word nivalis (knee VOLL ees) means ‘snow.’ Our word of the day may descr...

Fettle

26 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Fettle is a noun that refers to condition or working order. Coming from Old English, our word of the day is used to refer to the condition of a thing ...

Soniferous

25 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Soniferous is an adjective that means producing or conducting sound. Our word of the day shares an origin with words like ‘sonic’ and ‘sonata.’...