Word of the Day Blog

Word of the Day

Unctuous

Pronunciation 

[uhngk-choo-uh s]                                                                                                            

Part of speech

Adjective                                                                                                                                             

Origin

Middle English, 14^th century

History and Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French or Medieval Latin; Middle French unctueus, from Medieval Latin unctuosus, from Latin unctus act of anointing, from unguere to anoint.                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. Excessively ingratiating or insincerely earnest: was annoyed by the unctuous waiter.

      2a. Containing or composed of oil or fat.

      2b. Having the quality or characteristics of oil or ointment; slippery.

3. Abundant in organic materials; soft and rich: unctuous soil.                             

Used in a sentence           

1. More romantic loneliness followed in the encore, the unctuous slow movement of Rachmaninoff’s Cello Sonata.
2. The earthiness in the cheese meets the unctuous fruitiness of the wine in a way that enhances the flavors of both.                                                                                  

About the Word (Is it positive or negative?)

Nowadays, unctuous usually has a negative connotation, but it originated as a term describing a positive act, that of healing. The word comes from the Latin verb unguere ("to anoint"), a root that also gave rise to the words unguent ("a soothing or healing salve") and ointment. The oily nature of ointments may have led to the application of unctuous to describe things marked by an artificial gloss of sentimentality. An unctuous individual may mean well, but his or her insincere earnestness can leave an unwelcome residue with others, much like some ointments.                 

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Word of the Day

Nonpareil

Pronunciation 

[nahn-pə-REL]                                                                                                                  

Part of speech

Adjective or Noun                                                                                                                                            

Origin

French, early 16^th century                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

Adjective

1. Having no equal; peerless: the Pirates' nonpareil center fielder.
2. Designating the smallest, most flavorful variety of pickled caper.

Noun

1. A person or thing that has no equal; a paragon

      2a. A small pellet of variously colored sugar used to decorate or give texture to sweets.

      2b. A small, flat chocolate drop covered with these pellets.

Used in a sentence           

1. In my opinion, 'The Prisoner of Azkaban' is the nonpareil of the Harry Potter series.
2. I always indulge in a box of nonpareils when I go to the movies.                     

About the Word

The Latin breakdown of this word is pretty simple. “Non” means not, and “pareil” is equal. But the unequal description means that the nonpareil is leaps and bounds better; it’s so good that there can be no equal.                                                                                 

Did you know?

We agree that the nonpareil is quite unparalleled when it comes to chocolate treats, and you might love them even more when you find out how easy they are to make. Melt some bittersweet chocolate and mix it with a dab of vegetable shortening. Then spoon coin-sized circles of chocolate onto a baking sheet. Top with sprinkles, then cool until hard. Now you have your very own stash of nonpareils.                                                                                                                         

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Morphology

Pronunciation 

[mor-FAH-lə-jee]                                                                                                                

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                           

Origin

Greek, mid-19^th century                                                                                                                                          

Definition(s)

      1a. The branch of biology that deals with the form and structure of organisms without consideration of function.

        b. The form and structure of an organism or one of its parts: the morphology of a cell; the morphology of vertebrates.

      2.   Linguistics: The study of the structure and form of words in language or a language, including inflection, derivation, and the formation of compounds.

Used in a sentence           

1. The biologists were particularly concerned with the changes in morphology between species.
2. Learning a foreign language will likely help you understand the morphology of your native language better.                                                                                                        

About the Word

What do biologists and linguists have in common? No punchline here, but they both study morphology, or the shape of things. A biologist would be interested in how the shape of a certain plant’s leaves or how the wing structure of bees have changed over time. The linguist will study morphemes, or the parts of words and how they combine to form words, sentences, and language.                                                                                                                                             

Did you know?

Remember the character Morpheus from “The Matrix”? Turns out that name had a hidden meaning. In Greek, “morphē” means form — the Greek god Morpheus was known for creating and shaping dreams, as well as waking people from illusions. Morphology doesn’t have anything to do with sleep, but it does concern the forms and shapes of things in reality.                          

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Scilicet

Pronunciation 

[sil-uh-set]                                                                                                                          

Part of speech

Adverb

Origin

Middle English, 14^th century

Definition(s)

That is to say; namely.                                                                                                         

Used in a sentence           

1. The journal cites the spot, scilicet present-day Provincetown, as the location of the Pilgrims' first landfall.
2. What persuades me that an independent obligation was intended here is the reference in the sale contract, scilicet in its printed form.                                                                

Did you know?

Scilicet is a rare word that most often occurs in legal proceedings and instruments. It is from Latin scire ("to know") and "licet" ("it is permitted"), which is also a root of "videlicet" - a synonym of "scilicet." Licet," in turn, descends from the Latin verb licēre, which means "to be permitted" and is the ultimate source of the English words "leisure" and "license." "Scire" has also made other contributions to English, giving us such words as "conscience," "conscious," and "science.".                                            

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Word of the Day

Proboscis

Pronunciation

[prə-BAH-skəs]                                                                                                                  

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                           

Origin

Greek, early 17^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. A long flexible snout or trunk, as of an elephant.
2. A slender, tubular organ in the head region of an invertebrate, such as certain insects and worms, usually used for sucking or piercing.
3. A human nose, especially a prominent one.                                                        

Used in a sentence           

1. At the zoo I had the chance to watch an anteater use its proboscis to stir up the dirt and eat insects.
2. The garden was planted with flowers known to have pollen to attract bees and other insects with a proboscis.                                                                                                        

About the Word

You’ll recognize the long snout called a proboscis on animals such as the elephant, tapir, and anteater, but they’re also in the insect world. On a lepidoptera, or butterfly, the proboscis is also called a haustellum, and it’s used to reach down deep into flowers for pollen and nectar.            

Did you know?

Many mammals have a nose or snout that could be called a proboscis, but one species of monkey earned special designation. The proboscis monkey is endemic to Borneo, and is one of the largest species of Asian monkeys. Females and babies have smaller, pointier proboscises, while the males have a more pronounced and bulbous feature.                                                               

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Soupçon

Pronunciation

[süp-ˈsōⁿ]                                                                                                                            

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                            

Origin

French, 1766                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

A very small amount; a trace.                                                                                              

Used in a sentence           

1. Add just a soupçon of salt.
2. The book is filled with cynicism and sarcasm, along with a soupçon of existentialist angst.                          ​

Did you know?

Culinary enthusiasts may think "soupçon" originated with a dash of garlic in the coq au vin or a splash of vanilla in the crème anglaise, but the etymology of the word has more to do with inklings and suspicions than with food. Sometime in the 18th century, English speakers borrowed "soupçon" from the French, who were using the word to mean "drop," "touch," or "suspicion." The Old French form of the word was "sospeçon," which in turn comes from the Latin forms suspection- and suspectio. Etymologists have further traced the word's Latin ancestry to the verb suspicere, meaning "to suspect." "Suspicere," as you might expect, is also the source of the English words "suspect" and "suspicion."                                                                                               

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Word of the Day

Fiduciary

Pronunciation

[fə-ˈdü-shē-ˌer-ē]                                                                                

Part of speech

Adjective or Noun

Origin & First Known Use

Latin, circa 1641 (Adjective); 1631 (Noun)

Definition(s)

Adjective

1. of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust: such as

• held or founded in trust or confidence
• holding in trust
• depending on public confidence for value or currency

Noun

2. one that holds a fiduciary relation or acts in a fiduciary capacity.                

Used in a sentence           

1. For example, individual writers who are part of WGA’s lawsuit can continue with their claim that the agencies breached their fiduciary duties by not being fully transparent about the use of packaging fees.
2. Their ethical duty is to do justice, and their fiduciary obligations are owed to the public.   

Did you know?

Noun

Fiduciary relationships often concern money, but the word fiduciary does not, in and of itself, suggest financial matters. Rather, fiduciary applies to any situation in which one person justifiably places confidence and trust in someone else and seeks that person's help or advice in some matter. The attorney-client relationship is a fiduciary one, for example, because the client trusts the attorney to act in the best interest of the client at all times. Fiduciary can also be used as a noun for the person who acts in a fiduciary capacity, and fiduciarily or fiducially can be called upon if you are in need of an adverb. The words are all faithful to their origin: Latin fidere, which means "to trust.".                                                              

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Word of the Day

Dynamism

Pronunciation

[DY-nə-miz-əm]                                                                                                                 

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                             

Origin

Greek, mid-19^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. The quality of being characterized by vigorous activity and progress.
2. (Philosophy) The theory that phenomena of matter or mind are due to the action of forces rather than to motion or matter.                                                                               

Used in a sentence           

1. The dynamism of the auto industry brought great prosperity to Detroit in the early 20th century.
2. The professor became known primarily for his writings on the philosophy of dynamism.                             

About the Word

In Greek, “dunamis” means power, but English actually borrowed dynamism from the French word “dynamisme.” In French it means having vitality and energy, and the English usage closely follows. You can describe activity and progress as having dynamism, but you might also describe a person with a vigorously positive attitude as having dynamism.                                                

Did you know?

Dynamism is a philosophy first expressed in the 17th century by Gottfried Leibniz. His theories on the action of forces on matter and mind went against previous theories from other scientists and opened up new areas of experimentations in physics. Even if you’re not a student of his philosophies, just remember, dynamism = motion.                                                         

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Conlang

Pronunciation

[kän-ˌlaŋ]                                                                                                                            

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                             

Origin

English, 20^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. A fully functional but artificially created language.
2. An imaginary language that has entered real-world use.                                   

Used in a sentence           

1. There have been many conlangs created throughout history, but few have caught on with wider audiences.
2. My sister and I once created a bit of a conlang we used to keep secrets from our parents.                         

​About the Word

The conlang of Esperanto was developed in the 1880s by L.L. Zamenhof. It was designed to be an international language that would foster peace and greater understanding among people and governments worldwide. While it didn't catch on quite as Zamenhof hoped, it continues to grow and be spoken among niche groups today.                                                                             

Did you know?

Conlang is actually a portmanteau, a word made from combining multiple words, of "constructed language.".                

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Word of the Day

Heyday

Pronunciation

[HEY-dey]                                                                                                                              

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                             

Origin

English, late 16^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. The period of a person's or thing's greatest success, popularity, or vigor.
2. An exclamation of joy, surprise.

Used in a sentence           

1. The heyday of the silent film ended in the late 1920s.
2. Michael Jordan was unstoppable in his heyday.

About the Word

Teenagers might think the heyday of their life is in high school, but with age comes wisdom. It might be your career, or your family, or some other sort of accomplishment — enjoy your heyday, or time of greatest success.                                                                     

Did you know?

We can thank Shakespeare once again for this evolution in the English language. “Heyday!” was originally a short interjection of surprise or wonder. Then it gained a definition of high spirits in “Hamlet.” "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame…."                                                  

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Stymie

Pronunciation

[stahy-mee]                                                                                                                       

Part(s) of speech

• Noun
• Verb (when used with object)                                                                                                

​Origin

Unknown, 1902 (possible first known use)

Definition(s)

Noun

1. Golf. (on the putting green) an instance of a ball’s lying on a direct line between the cup and the ball of an opponent about the putt.
2. A situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it.

Verb (used with object) [stymied or stymieing]

3. To hinder, block or thwart.                              

Used in a sentence           

1. Staying at home during the current pandemic was supposed to stymie the virus.
2. Tiger Woods avoided a stymie on the 18^th hole with a perfectly placed shot.          

Did you know?

Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word stymie entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, stymie came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts.             

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Word of the Day

Epithalamium

Pronunciation

[ep-uh-thuh-ley-mee-uh m]                                                                                                  

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                             

Origin

Latin & Greek, 1588                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

A song or poem in honor of a bride and bridegroom.                                                     

Used in a sentence           

1. Her abandonment and awakening are celebrated in the beautiful Epithalamium of Catullus..
2. Of course, the "Epithalamium" she was going to sing was as florid as it could be..            

About the Word

A poem written to celebrate a wedding. Many ancient poets (Pindar, Sappho, Theocritus, and Calullus) as well as modern poets (the French Ronsard and the English Spenser) have cultivated the form. Perhaps Spenser’s Epithalamion (1595)—written to celebrate his own marriage—is the finest English example. The successive stanzas treat such topics as invocation to the muses to help praise his bride; awakening the bride by music; decking of the bridal path with flowers; adorning of the bride by nymphs; assembling of the guests; description of the physical and spiritual beauty of the bride; the bride at the altar; the marriage feast; welcoming the night; asking the blessing of Diana, Juno, and the stars. Any number of later works—from Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner to Salinger’s “Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters”—exploit various engaging features of the tradition of the epithalamium.[1]                                                                                                                                           

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Word of the Day

Pelagic

Pronunciation

[puh-LAJ-ik]                                                                                                                       

Part of speech

Adjective                                                                                                                                            

Origin

Greek                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

Of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea.                                                     

Used in a sentence           

1. Visitors will not only explore submarine feeding stations attracting large pelagic fish like manta rays and pilot whales, but gain a deeper understanding of one of the world’s most isolated societies.
2. Only one pelagic cormorant nest was found — and later abandoned by the parents — when researchers typically see 150 nests.                                                                      

Synonyms

• Marine
• Maritime
• Oceanic

Did you know?

Pelagic comes to us from Greek, via Latin. The Greek word pelagikos became "pelagicus" in Latin and then "pelagic" in English. ("Pelagikos" is derived from "pelagos," the Greek word for "sea," plus the adjectival suffix -ikos.) "Pelagic" first showed up in dictionaries in 1656; a definition from that time says that Pelagick meant "of the Sea, or that liveth in the Sea." A full 350 years later, writers are still using "pelagic" with the same meaning, albeit less frequently than its more familiar synonym "oceanic.                    

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Word of the Day

Extramundane

Pronunciation

[eks-trə-mən-DEYN]                                                                                                         

Part of speech

Adjective

Origin

Latin, 17^th century

Definition(s)

Outside or beyond the physical world.                                                                              

Used in a sentence           

1. She loved to pretend she was playing with fairies and other extramundane creatures.
2. Mythology from almost every culture contains extramundane stories and folklore.            

About the Word

Today if you call someone “extra” it means they’re over the top and dramatic. Think the Real Housewives. The Latin origin doesn’t concern being too much; it just means outside. Paired with “mundus” for the world, extramundane means something not of this physical world.                    

Did you know?

Humans have always had an interest in what lies beyond our world. As an adjective, extramundane can be used to describe anything outside the earthly world. Lightning, seasons, animal discoveries — we have many modern scientific explanations for phenomena that in the past was attributed to the supernatural.                                                                                                              

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Sagacious

Pronunciation

[sə-GEY-shus]                                                                                                                   

Part of speech

Adjective                                                                                                                                             

Origin

Latin, early 17^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

1. Having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgement.
2. Wise or shrewd.                                                                                                        

Used in a sentence           

1. She could always rely on her mentor to provide sagacious feedback.
2. The op-ed provided a sagacious viewpoint on the recent controversy.           

About the Word

To be sagacious means to be wise, but specifically showing keen judgment. It’s not just about intelligence, but it’s showing discernment. It could be described as using “street smarts” in addition to “book smarts.”                                                                       

Did you know?

You probably know sage as the spice that makes an appearance at Thanksgiving, but the Latin word “sagax” also means wise. Use sage as an adjective, or it can be a noun for a wise person. Sagacious can also be used for the adjective if you feel like it’s wise to use a longer word.                                               

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Chatelaine

Pronunciation

[SHAD-ə-leyn]                                                                                                                   

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                           

Origin

French, mid-19^th century                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

1. A woman in charge of a large house.
2. A set of short chains attached to a woman's belt, used for carrying keys or other items                              

Used in a sentence           

1. As chatelaine of the house, she was responsible for making sure all the gardening was done on schedule.
2. I found an antique chatelaine and have been wearing it as a piece of jewelry.                   

About the Word

Chatelaine can describe either the housekeeper of a large home, or the dangle of useful objects carried around her waist. It comes from the French “châtelaine,” which is the feminine of châtelain. This word can be traced back to the Latin “castellanus,” which basically means keeper of the castle.                                                                    

Did you know?

Isn’t it a pain to dig through your bag for your keys? What if you don’t have pockets? Bring back the chatelaine. This is a set of chains worn around the waist, used for carrying keys, sewing items, watches — anything a good housekeeper might need throughout the day. Some were as decorative as a piece of jewelry, but they were all useful.                                                                                                

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Trove

Pronunciation

[trohv]                                                                                                                                  

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                             

Origin

French, late 19^th century                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

A store of valuable or delightful things.                                                                             

Used in a sentence           

1. The kids were pretending to be pirates, on a hunt for the secret treasure trove.
2. His wine cellar was a trove of rare vintages.                                                        

About the Word

Historically, trove should be paired with treasure. The phrase comes from the French “tresor trové,” literally found treasure. The French verb “trover” means to find, but in English, the noun just means a stash of valuables.

Did you know?

Under British law, when hidden valuables are discovered, these found items are property of the Crown. Treasure hunters may not care about the words, but the Treasure Act of 1996 officially referred to these finds as “treasure,” not a “treasure trove.”                                                                                    

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Word of the Day

Chiffonade

Pronunciation

[shif-ə-NAHD]                                                                                                                    

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                         

Origin

French, late 19^th century                              

Definition(s)

A preparation of shredded or finely cut leaf vegetables, used as a garnish for soup.         

Used in a sentence           

1. Sprinkle the soup with a chiffonade of basil before you serve it.
2. The chef assigned his assistant to chop the chiffonade needed for the day.           

About the Word

A chiffonade is a quick way to add a splash of color and flavor to your food. Stolen from the French verb "chiffonner," meaning to crumble, chiffonade is a noun for delicate strips of herbs. It can also be used as a verb to describe the process of slicing the greens.                                 

Did you know?

Even if you haven't heard the word, foodies will recognize a chiffonade — it's the finely chopped preparation of herbs or greens sprinkled on top of your food. It looks fancy, but it's quite easy to do. Stack the leaves, roll into a thin cigar shape, then slice across the roll to form thin ribbons.         

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Zeitgeist

Pronunciation

[ZAIT-gaist]                                                                                                                         

Part of speech

Noun                                                                                                                                           

Origin

German, mid-19^th century                                                                                                                                             

Definition(s)

The defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.                                            

Used in a sentence           

1. She wanted to embrace the zeitgeist of the 1980s for her birthday party.
2. The bestselling book captured the zeitgeist of the college experience.          

About the Word

It seems like there’s always a German word to express what we don’t have a word for in English. In the case of zeitgeist, you’re capturing a particular mood or characteristics of a certain era. In German, “zeit” means time and “geist” is the spirit.                                                         

Did you know?

If you see a flapper dress you think of the 1920s. Hippie bell bottoms bring to mind the 1960s. Hoop skirts will place a woman in the mid-19th century. Articles of clothing can quickly identify a period of time, but other things such as music, political ideas, and philosophies will also define the zeitgeist of a generation.                                               

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Deterge

Pronunciation

[də-tərj]                                                                                                                                

Part of speech

Verb                                                                                                                                          

Origin

Latin, early 17^th century                                                                                                                                            

Definition(s)

Cleanse thoroughly.                                                                                                         

Used in a sentence           

1. After cooking the family dinner, he needed to deterge the kitchen.
2. Once the paint dries, nothing will deterge it from the surface.                          

About the Word

You likely have detergent for cleaning dishes, clothes, and many other things in your home, but this is the verb form. Deterge means to clean thoroughly, coming from the French verb “déterger,” and the Latin “detergere,” meaning wipe away.                                                                      

Did you know?

You’re not likely to hear deterge used to describe tidying up or organizing your closet. This type of cleaning is a more intensive cleansing. It can be used to describe a thorough cleaning using soap or special chemicals, but it might also be used for a more ritualistic cleansing. 

Popularity Over Time

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Word of the Day

Thalassophile

Pronunciation

[/THəˈlasəˌfīl/]

Part of speech

Noun

Origin

Greek

Definition(s)

1. One who loves the sea.
2. A person drawn to the ocean in particular and bodies of water in general.

Used in a sentence

1. Moby-Dick' has turned many a reader into a thalassophile.
2. He simply disliked seaweed too much to ever become a thalassophile.

About the Word

Whether it be Ahab, Odysseus, or Kevin Costner, man has always been drawn to the sea. Thalassophiles know this better than anyone, as they can't resist the ocean's siren song — even if heeding that song didn't work out so well for some of their heroes.

Did you know?

We know more about space than we do about the ocean, only about 5% of which has been explored.

The Word of the Day can also be found in the following places:

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