Word of the Day

Lurdane

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lurdane is a noun that refers to an idle or incompetent person. The Latin word luridus (loo READ oos) means ‘lurid.’ Over time our word of the day...

Belvedere

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Belvedere is a noun that refers to a rooftop view. Our word of the day comes from the Italian words bel for ‘beautiful’ and vedere (vay DARE ay) w...

Whilom

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Whilom is an adverb that means formerly or in the past. Coming from Old English with the meaning of ‘at times,’ our word of the day could be thoug...

Penman

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Penman is a noun that refers to an author. Derived from two common English words, ‘pen’ and ‘man,’ Penman can be used as a synonym of ‘write...

Passim

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Passim is an adverb that means scattered throughout the text. The Latin word passus (PAAH soos) means ‘scattered.’ When used in a modern context, ...

Tsuris

24 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tsuris is a noun that refers to trouble or woe. Our word of the day comes from Yiddish. Here’s an example to illustrate the best way to use it: It’...

Alliaceous

23 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alliaceous is an adjective that means smelling or tasting like onions or garlic. The Latin word allium (AH lee oom) refers to garlic. Since joining th...

Clicktivism

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Clicktivism is a noun that refers to the practice of supporting a cause through the internet. Our word of the day is a 21st century variant of activis...

Myology

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Myology is a noun that refers to the muscular anatomy of a person or animal. The Latin prefix M-Y means muscles, while O-L-O-G-Y is a Greek suffix tha...

Tyro

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tyro is noun that refers to a beginner or novice. Tyro comes from the Latin tiro (T-I-R-O), which means "young soldier," "new recruit," or more genera...

Litterateur

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Litterateur is a noun that refers to a professional who makes a living in the world of literature. Our word of the day comes directly from the French....

Castigatory

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Castigatory is an adjective that means punitive or intended to punish. The Latin word castus (cos toose) means ‘pure’ or ‘chaste.’ When we cas...

Quietive

17 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Quietive is a noun that refers to something that has a soothing effect. The root word of quietive is quiet, from a Latin word which, of course, means ...

Calumny

16 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Calumny is a noun that refers to a false and slanderous statement. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word calumnia (kah LOOM nee uh) which mean...

Manavelins

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Manavelins is a noun that refers to odds and ends left over. The origin of our word of the day is unknown. It’s frequently used as a slang for lefto...

Extraterritoriality

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Extraterritoriality is a noun that refers to an exemption from the application of local laws. Our word of the day combines the prefix E-X-T-R-A with t...

Casuist

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Casuist is a noun that refers to a person who uses clever but unsound reasoning. The Latin word casus (KAH soose) means ‘case,’ and you could thin...

Docent

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Docent is a noun that refers to a guide in a museum, gallery or zoo. The Latin word docere (doe SAIR ay) means ‘to teach.’ Our word of the day can...

Chortle

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chortle is a verb that means to laugh in a breathy, gleeful way. Our word of the day is one of many words that come to us from the 19th century author...

Rend

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rend is a verb that means to tear into into two or more pieces. Our word of the day comes from Old English and is used with an object. Here’s an exa...

Lapsus calami

09 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lapsus calami is a noun that refers to a slip of the pen. Our word of the day comes directly from a Latin phrase that translates into “slip of the p...

Ken

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ken is a noun that refers to one’s range of knowledge. Our word of the day has its roots in the German word kennen (KEN en) which means ‘to know’...

Pied

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pied is an adjective that means consisting of more than one color. Our word of the day has its origin in Middle English and was initially used to desc...

Ruritanian

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ruritanian is an adjective that means filled with romantic adventure and intrigue. The 1894 novel, the Prisoner of Zenda is set in the imaginary kingd...

Dissilient

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dissilient is an adjective that means springing apart. Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix D-I-S, for ‘apart’ with salire (suh LEER ay) ...

Inspissate

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inspissate is a verb that means to thicken or congeal. The Latin word spissus (SPEE soos) means ‘think’ or ‘dense.’ Inspissate has been with E...

Caducous

03 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Caducous is an adjective that means easily detached and shed. The Latin word caducus (cah DOO coos) means ‘liable to fall.’ Our word of the day en...

Obtestation

02 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Obtestation is a noun that refers to the act of protesting. The word obtest is a synonym of protest. Our word of the day is the noun variation of this...

Ravelment

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ravelment is a noun that means confusion or entanglement. The word ravel is of middle English descent and it means to tangle something. When we ravel ...

Perambulate

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Perambulate is a verb that means to travel around in a leisurely way. The Latin word ambulare (ohm boo LAR ay) means walk, while the prefix P-E-R mean...

Glottal

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Glottal is an adjective that means producing a sound from the glottis. The Greek word glottis refers to ‘the tongue.’ After being imported into En...

Osculate

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Osculate is a verb that means to kiss. The Latin word osculum (OH skew loom) means ‘little mouth’ or ‘kiss.’ Although it has a more formal, se...

Bumptious

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bumptious is an adjective that means self-assertive to annoying degree. It’s no coincidence that the first four letters in our word of the day come ...

Selenography

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Selenography is a noun that refers to the mapping of the moon. In Greek mythology Selene is the goddess of the moon. In recent years her name has been...

Banausic

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Banausic is an adjective that means serving utilitarian purposes only. Our word of the day comes from a Greek word banausikos (bah NO see kose) which ...

Pyrite

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pyrite is a noun that refers to a ‘fools’ gold’ or something that appears valuable but is worthless. The Greek word pur (PU er) means fire. In a...

Scattergram

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Scattergram is a noun that refers to a diagram used to compare two variables. Coming from two common English words, scattergram is a synonym of a scat...

Guttle

22 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Guttle is a verb that means to eat or drink greedily or noisily. The word gut is of Old English descent and refers to the bowels or digestive tract. W...

Deliquesce

21 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Deliquesce is a verb that means to melt away or become liquid. The Latin word liquere (luh KWARE ay) refers to liquid. By adding the prefix D-E for ‘...

Ultimo

20 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ultimo is an adjective that means of last month. Our word of the day comes directly from Latin, maintaining the same pronunciation and meaning. Here’...

Interlard

19 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Interlard is a verb that means to embellish with different material. Stemming from a Latin word, the prefix I-N-T-E-R means ‘between’ or ‘among....

Stillicide

18 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Stillicide is a noun that refers to a continual dripping. The Latin prefix S-T-I-L-L-A means ‘drop,’ while the Latin word cedere (say DARE ay) mea...

Remembrancer

17 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Remembrancer is a noun that refers to a souvenir. Coming from the root word memory, which is Latin in origin, remembrancer can be used to describe a s...

Adduce

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Adduce is a verb that means to cite as evidence. The Latin word adducere (ah doo SER ay) means to lead towards. When we lead someone toward a conclusi...

Ochlophobia

15 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ochlophobia is a noun that refers to an extreme fear or dislike of crowds or mobs. The prefix O-C-H-L-O is Greek in origin and it means crowds. P-H-O-...

Quincunx

14 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Quincunx is a noun that refers to an arrangement of five objects with four at the corners and the fifth at the its center. The literal translation of ...

Skylark

13 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Skylark is a verb that means to frolic or pass the time with nonsense. Our word of the day is a variation on the word lark, a word of Old Norse descen...

Bovarism

12 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bovarism is a noun that refers to an exaggerated estimation of oneself. Madame Bovary was a 19th century novel that featured a character — Madame Bo...

Bosh

11 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Bosh is a noun that means something regarded as absurd or nonsense. Our word of the day is an informal word that comes from the Turkish word for ‘em...

Silviculture

10 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Silviculture is a noun that refers to the growing and cultivation of trees. Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin word for ‘a wood.’ I...

Olivaceous

09 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Olivaceous is an adjective that refers to a dusky, yellowish green color. The root word of olivaceous is ‘olive,’ word Greek word for ‘oil.’ O...

Lacustrine

08 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lacustrine is an adjective that means related to lakes. The latin word lacus (LAH coos) means lake. Our word of the day is a variation on this which i...

Dentifrice

07 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dentifrice is a noun that refers to a paste or powder for cleaning the teeth. Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix D-E-N-T, meaning ‘tooth,...

Parturient

06 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Parturient is an adjective that means about to give birth. The Latin verb parere (pa RARE ay) means ‘to bring forth.’ Our word of the day can be u...

Heliacal

05 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Heliacal is a word that means related to or near the sun. The Greek word helios (He lee ose) means ‘sun,’ is a catch-all term that can mean regard...

Plenipotent

04 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Plenipotent is an adjective that means invested with or possessing full power. The Latin word plenus (PLAY noose) means ‘full,’ while pontentia (p...

Hoyle

03 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hoyle is a noun that refers to the rules. Our word of the day is an eponym, which means it’s a word named after a person. The person who inspired Ho...

Astir

02 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Astir is an adjective that means in a state of excited movement. Derived from the Germanic word stir, meaning ‘to disturb,’ our word of the day en...

Moonshot

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Moonshot is a noun that refers to an extremely ambitious and innovative project. Coming from two well-known English words, our word of the day is ofte...

Complaisant

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Complaisant is an adjective that means willing to please others. The Latin word complacere (com pla SER ay) means ‘to please.’ In addition to our ...

Accede

30 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Accede is a verb that means to assent or agree to a demand. The Latin word cedere (say DARE ay) means ‘to give away’ or ‘yield.’ The word can ...

Divers

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Divers is an adjective that means of varying types or several. Coming from the Latin word diversus (die VER suess) our word of the day shares it origi...

Unshirted

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Unshirted is an adjective that means undisguised or plain. Coming from two common English words, unshirted can simply mean ‘not wearing a shirt,’ ...

Abstruse

27 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Abstruse is an adjective that means difficult to understand or obscure. Abstrusus (ab STREW soos) is a Latin word for ‘put away hidden.’ From this...

Sine Die

26 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sine Die is an adverb that means without plans for resumption. Our word of the day is derived from a Latin phrase that literally translates to ‘with...

Imprimatur

25 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Imprimatur is a noun that refers to a person’s acceptance or guarantee that something is of a good standard. The Latin verb imprimere (Im pre MEER a...

Countervail

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Countervail is a verb that means to offset the effect of something. The Latin phrase contra Valere (CONE tra vah LARE ay) means ‘be of worth against...

Ubiety

23 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ubiety is a noun that refers to the quality or state of being in a place. The Latin word ubi (OOH bee) means ‘where’ and the suffix I-E-T-Y means ...

Oligopoly

22 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Oligopoly is a state of limited competition. The root word of oligopoly, oligarch means a very rich business leader with a great deal of political inf...

Shrive

21 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Shrive is a verb that means to free from guilt. The Latin word scribere (scri BEAR ay) means ‘to write.’ Over centuries, the meaning of our word o...

Dataveillance

20 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dataveillance is a noun that refers to the practice of monitoring digital data. Originating in the 1970s, dataveillance is a recent addition to Englis...

Corrigendum

19 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Corrigendum is a noun that refers to an error. The origin of corrigendum is in the Latin word corrigere (core ee GARE ay) which means ‘to bring into...

Conurbation

18 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Conurbation is a noun that refers to an extended urban area. The Latin prefix C-O-N means ‘together.’ Combined with U-R-B for ‘city,’ we get o...

Fustian

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Fustian is a noun that refers to pompous or pretentious speech or writing. Coming from the Latin word fustaneum (foo STAN ee oom) which refers to a sp...

Inunction

16 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Inunction is an adjective that means the act of rubbing on an oil or ointment. The Latin word inunguare (in un GWARE ay) means ‘to smear.’ Our wor...

Arboreal

15 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Arboreal is an adjective that mans resembling or related to a tree. The Latin word arbor (ARE bore) means tree. Our word of the day describes anything...

Dross

14 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dross is a noun that refers to something of low value. Our word of the day comes from Old English where it referred to molten metal. More recently the...

Carapace

13 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Carapace is a noun that refers to a protective covering. The Spanish word carapacho (cah ra POCH oh) provides the origin of our word of the day. Altho...

Crepitate

12 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Crepitate is a verb that means to make a crackling sound. The latin word crepitare means ‘to crackle.’ It entered English in the Early 17th centur...

Solatium

11 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Solatium is a noun that refers to something given as compensation. Our word of the day is derived from Latin, meaning ‘solace.’ Solatium is often ...

Sumpsimus

10 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sumpsimus is a noun that refers to a strictly correct usage of words. Coming directly from Latin, where its translation is ‘we have taken,’ sumpsi...

Enflesh

09 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Enflesh is a verb that means ‘to give bodily form to’ or ‘to make real.’ The root word of enflesh is flesh, a word of Old English origin, refe...

Lossless

08 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lossless is an adjective that means having no dissipation of electrical energy. Commonly used in computing, our word of the day entered English in the...

Apotheosize

07 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Apotheosize is a verb that means to idolize or elevate to the rank of a god. The Root word of apotheosize is apotheosis, a noun, coming directly from ...

Rostrum

06 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Rostrum is a noun that refers to a raised platform for public speech. Our word of the day comes directly from Latin and had exactly the same meaning a...

Tropology

05 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tropology is a noun that refers to the figurative language. Coming from the Greek word, tropos (TRO pose) which means ‘style’ or ‘manner,’ Tro...

Parnassian

04 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Parnassian is an adjective that means ‘related to poetry.’ Our word of the day was born in Greece, having been named after a mountain in that nati...

Alfresco

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Alfresco is an adjective that means in the open air. Our word of the day comes directly from Italian and translates to ‘in the air.’ Here’s an e...

Hyaline

02 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Hyaline is an adjective that means having a glassy, translucent appearance. Coming from the Greek word hualos (WHO ah lose) meaning ‘glass,’ our w...

Purloin

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Purloin is a verb that means to steal. Our word of the day is derived from the French word for ‘put away.’ Purloin is often used in an informal or...

Confrere

30 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Confrere is a noun that refers to a fellow member of a profession. Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix C-O-N with the Latin word frater (FRA...

Vulnerary

29 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Vulnerary is an adjective that means something used for healing. It can also be used as a noun that refers to a medicine used in the healing of w...

Insuperable

28 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Insuperable is an adjective that means impossible to overcome. The Latin word superare (soo pair ARE ay) means ‘to overcome.’ The addition of the ...

Degringolade

27 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Degringolade is a noun that refers to a rapid decline or downfall. Coming directly from French, our word of the day is an erudite synonym of the word ...

Winkle

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Winkle is a verb that means to obtain with great difficulty. Our word of the day began as an abbreviated version of the word periwinkle, whose origin ...

Connatural

25 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Connatural is an adjective that means belonging together naturally. Our word of the day is related to the Latin-derived word natural. It adds the Lati...

Cockalorum

24 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Cockalorum is a noun that refers to a self-important person. Our word of the day is derived from the word cock, a rooster. When a person of little imp...

Sockdolager

23 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Sockdolager is a noun that refers to an exceptional person or thing. Our word of the day seems to have originated from the word sock, a euphemism of p...

Apgar

22 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Apgar is a noun that refers to a test to determine a newborn’s health. Originating in the 1960s, our word of the day is named after Virginia Apgar, ...

Pythonic

21 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pythonic is an adjective that means able to predict the future. The word python, best known as a deadly type of snake, comes directly from Greek. It m...