WORD OF THE DAY
solicitous \ suh-LIS-uh-tus \ adjective
Definition
1a: showing attentive care or protectiveness
1b: manifesting or expressing solicitude
2a: full of concern or fears
2b: apprehensive
3: meticulously careful
4a: full of desire
4b: eager
Examples
Lyle has developed a reputation as one of the best tailors in the area because he is solicitous of his customers and their needs.
"Any given meal included a plethora of delectable choices, including barbecued ribs, schnitzel, ice cream and German chocolate cake, served up by solicitous staff."
— Erica Rosenberg, The Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
If you're solicitous about learning the connections between words, you'll surely want to know about the relationship between solicitous and another word you've probably heard before—solicit. Solicitous doesn't come from solicit, but the two words are related. They both have their roots in the Latin word sollicitus, meaning "anxious." Solicitous itself came directly from this Latin word, whereas solicit made its way to English with a few more steps. From sollicitus came the Latin verb sollicitare, meaning "to disturb, agitate, move, or entreat." Forms of this verb were borrowed into Anglo-French, and then Middle English, and have survived in Modern English as solicit.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Beleaguer
WORD OF THE DAY
beleaguer \ bih-LEE-gur \ verb
Definition
1a: to cause distress to
1b: besiege
2 : trouble, harass
Examples
Despite being beleaguered by injuries, the scrappy football team fought hard and managed to make the playoffs.
"We must work to implement reforms like the Baltimore Metropolitan Council's Plan for Sustainable Development that offer practical remedies for the extensive pockets of generational poverty that beleaguer our region."
— Elijah E. Cummings, The Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
English speakers created beleaguer from the Dutch word belegeren in the 16th century. "[Military men] will not vouchsafe … to use our ancient terms belonging to matters of war, but do call a camp by the Dutch name," commented the English soldier and diplomat Sir John Smyth in 1590. The word for "camp" that he was referring to is leaguer.
That term in turn comes from Dutch leger, which is one of the building blocks of belegeren (literally, "to camp around"). But neither leaguer nor beleaguer were in fact utterly foreign. Old English leger, the source of our modern lair, is related to the Dutch word. And Old English be- ("about, around"), as seen in besiege and beset, is related to the Dutch prefix be- in belegeren.
beleaguer \ bih-LEE-gur \ verb
Definition
1a: to cause distress to
1b: besiege
2 : trouble, harass
Examples
Despite being beleaguered by injuries, the scrappy football team fought hard and managed to make the playoffs.
"We must work to implement reforms like the Baltimore Metropolitan Council's Plan for Sustainable Development that offer practical remedies for the extensive pockets of generational poverty that beleaguer our region."
— Elijah E. Cummings, The Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
English speakers created beleaguer from the Dutch word belegeren in the 16th century. "[Military men] will not vouchsafe … to use our ancient terms belonging to matters of war, but do call a camp by the Dutch name," commented the English soldier and diplomat Sir John Smyth in 1590. The word for "camp" that he was referring to is leaguer.
That term in turn comes from Dutch leger, which is one of the building blocks of belegeren (literally, "to camp around"). But neither leaguer nor beleaguer were in fact utterly foreign. Old English leger, the source of our modern lair, is related to the Dutch word. And Old English be- ("about, around"), as seen in besiege and beset, is related to the Dutch prefix be- in belegeren.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Ultima
WORD OF THE DAY
ultima \ UL-tuh-muh \ noun
Definition
: the last syllable of a word
Examples
For the last line of her poem, Sheila needed a word with an ultima that rhymed with "green," so she tried "magazine."
"A grave accent can occur only on the ultima."
— Rodney J. Decker, Reading Koine Greek, 2015
Did You Know?
In Latin, ultima is the feminine form of the adjective ultimus ("farthest or last"), the superlative form of ulter, meaning "situated beyond."
The ultima is the last syllable of a word; the second-to-last syllable in a word is called the penult or penultima (literally, "that which is almost last"); and the third-to-last syllable is called the antepenult or antepenultima ("that which comes before what is almost last").
The related word ultimate, while known to most people as meaning "the best or most extreme of its kind" (as in "surfers finding the ultimate wave"), has an original meaning referring to the last of something in a series.
ultima \ UL-tuh-muh \ noun
Definition
: the last syllable of a word
Examples
For the last line of her poem, Sheila needed a word with an ultima that rhymed with "green," so she tried "magazine."
"A grave accent can occur only on the ultima."
— Rodney J. Decker, Reading Koine Greek, 2015
Did You Know?
In Latin, ultima is the feminine form of the adjective ultimus ("farthest or last"), the superlative form of ulter, meaning "situated beyond."
The ultima is the last syllable of a word; the second-to-last syllable in a word is called the penult or penultima (literally, "that which is almost last"); and the third-to-last syllable is called the antepenult or antepenultima ("that which comes before what is almost last").
The related word ultimate, while known to most people as meaning "the best or most extreme of its kind" (as in "surfers finding the ultimate wave"), has an original meaning referring to the last of something in a series.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Veridical
WORD OF THE DAY
veridical \ vuh-RID-ih-kul \ adjective
Definition
1 : truthful, veracious
2a : not illusory
2b : genuine
Examples
"All psychotherapies are based on the fact that memory is not veridical, that unconscious desires and fantasies exert their force on us all.…"
— Henry Kaminer, The Weekly Standard, 31 July 2000
"In this book, therefore, 'perception' is used to cover all sensory experience, whether veridical or not."
— Jeffrey Gray, Consciousness: Creeping Up on the Hard Problem, 2004
Did You Know?
We'll tell only the truth here: veridicalcomes from the Latin word veridicus, which itself is from two other Latin words: verus, meaning "true," and dicere, meaning "to say."
Verus is an ancestor of several English words, among them verify and very (which originally meant "true"). The word verdict is related to veridical on both sides of the family: it also traces back to verus and dicere. Veridical itself is the least common of the veruswords. You're most likely to encounter it in contexts dealing with psychology and philosophy.
veridical \ vuh-RID-ih-kul \ adjective
Definition
1 : truthful, veracious
2a : not illusory
2b : genuine
Examples
"All psychotherapies are based on the fact that memory is not veridical, that unconscious desires and fantasies exert their force on us all.…"
— Henry Kaminer, The Weekly Standard, 31 July 2000
"In this book, therefore, 'perception' is used to cover all sensory experience, whether veridical or not."
— Jeffrey Gray, Consciousness: Creeping Up on the Hard Problem, 2004
Did You Know?
We'll tell only the truth here: veridicalcomes from the Latin word veridicus, which itself is from two other Latin words: verus, meaning "true," and dicere, meaning "to say."
Verus is an ancestor of several English words, among them verify and very (which originally meant "true"). The word verdict is related to veridical on both sides of the family: it also traces back to verus and dicere. Veridical itself is the least common of the veruswords. You're most likely to encounter it in contexts dealing with psychology and philosophy.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Kwanzaa
WORD OF THE DAY
Kwanzaa \ KWAHN-zuh \ noun
Definition
: an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1
Examples
A joyous family spirit pervaded the Allen family's Kwanzaa celebration as three generations came together for a delightful meal and a beautiful candle-lighting ceremony.
"The dynamic, multicultural Forces of Nature Dance Company celebrates Kwanzaa with dance, music, drumming and audience-engaging activities."
— Jill Schensul, NorthJersey.com, 21 Nov. 2016
Did You Know?
In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits."
The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Kwanzaa \ KWAHN-zuh \ noun
Definition
: an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1
Examples
A joyous family spirit pervaded the Allen family's Kwanzaa celebration as three generations came together for a delightful meal and a beautiful candle-lighting ceremony.
"The dynamic, multicultural Forces of Nature Dance Company celebrates Kwanzaa with dance, music, drumming and audience-engaging activities."
— Jill Schensul, NorthJersey.com, 21 Nov. 2016
Did You Know?
In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits."
The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.
Friday, December 23, 2016
Vulpine
WORD OF THE DAY
vulpine \ VUL-pine \ adjective
Definition
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox
2 : foxy, crafty
Examples
"There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer."
— Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2009
"Flashing a vulpine grin, he's not a typical hunk—but like Casanova, a maestro of stylish manners and clever entrapment, an incorrigible cad proud of his powers of improvisational manipulation."
— Misha Berson, The Seattle Times, 30 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated."
Thoreau's was far from the first use of vulpine; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, vulpinus (from the noun vulpes, meaning "fox"), was around long before that.
vulpine \ VUL-pine \ adjective
Definition
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox
2 : foxy, crafty
Examples
"There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer."
— Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2009
"Flashing a vulpine grin, he's not a typical hunk—but like Casanova, a maestro of stylish manners and clever entrapment, an incorrigible cad proud of his powers of improvisational manipulation."
— Misha Berson, The Seattle Times, 30 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated."
Thoreau's was far from the first use of vulpine; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, vulpinus (from the noun vulpes, meaning "fox"), was around long before that.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Lave
WORD OF THE DAY
lave \ LAYV \ verb
Definition
1a : wash, bathe
1b: to flow along or against
2 : pour
Examples
"The captain walked up past the horses holding his arm and he knelt and drank and laved water over the back of his neck with his good hand."
— Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, 1992
"On that first day she rode out to the beach on the ocean side of the island, dismounted to walk along the sand and watch the breakers lave the shore, and felt, for a moment, wholly content."
— Sara Taylor, The Shore, 2015
Did You Know?
Lave is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew when Gremio assured the father of his beloved Bianca that she would have "basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands."
And in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell "laved her hands and face, and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again." The poetry of lave is also heard when describing water washing against the shore, or even the pouring of water. Before washing our hands of lave, we'll tell you that it comes from the same root as our word lavatory: the Latin verb lavare, meaning "to wash."
lave \ LAYV \ verb
Definition
1a : wash, bathe
1b: to flow along or against
2 : pour
Examples
"The captain walked up past the horses holding his arm and he knelt and drank and laved water over the back of his neck with his good hand."
— Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, 1992
"On that first day she rode out to the beach on the ocean side of the island, dismounted to walk along the sand and watch the breakers lave the shore, and felt, for a moment, wholly content."
— Sara Taylor, The Shore, 2015
Did You Know?
Lave is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew when Gremio assured the father of his beloved Bianca that she would have "basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands."
And in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell "laved her hands and face, and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again." The poetry of lave is also heard when describing water washing against the shore, or even the pouring of water. Before washing our hands of lave, we'll tell you that it comes from the same root as our word lavatory: the Latin verb lavare, meaning "to wash."
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Gallimaufry
WORD OF THE DAY
gallimaufry \ gal-uh-MAW-free \ noun
Definition
1: a heterogeneous mixture
2: jumble
Examples
The essay collection covers a gallimaufry of subjects, from stamp collecting to Portuguese cooking.
"Upon entering the gallery, one of the first things that catches my eye is a gallimaufry of vibrant, oversized collages." \
— Rosalie Spear, The Las Vegas Weekly, 29 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
If the word gallimaufry doesn't make your mouth water, it may be because you don't know its history. In the 16th century, Middle-French speaking cooks made a meat stew called galimafree.
It must have been a varied dish because English speakers chose its name for any mix or jumble of things. If gallimaufry isn't to your taste, season your speech with one of its synonyms: hash (which can be a muddle of chopped meat and potatoes), hotchpotch (a stew or a hodgepodge), or potpourri (another stew turned medley).
gallimaufry \ gal-uh-MAW-free \ noun
Definition
1: a heterogeneous mixture
2: jumble
Examples
The essay collection covers a gallimaufry of subjects, from stamp collecting to Portuguese cooking.
"Upon entering the gallery, one of the first things that catches my eye is a gallimaufry of vibrant, oversized collages." \
— Rosalie Spear, The Las Vegas Weekly, 29 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
If the word gallimaufry doesn't make your mouth water, it may be because you don't know its history. In the 16th century, Middle-French speaking cooks made a meat stew called galimafree.
It must have been a varied dish because English speakers chose its name for any mix or jumble of things. If gallimaufry isn't to your taste, season your speech with one of its synonyms: hash (which can be a muddle of chopped meat and potatoes), hotchpotch (a stew or a hodgepodge), or potpourri (another stew turned medley).
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
Eternize
WORD OF THE DAY
eternize \ ih-TER-nyze \ verb
Definition
1a : to make eternal
1b : to prolong indefinitely
2 : immortalize
Examples
The photograph eternizes the joy that Colin felt when he held his daughter in his arms for the first time.
"Sometimes it seems that Hopper (1882-1967) could have eternized almost any undistinguished moment of introspection or inaction in anyone's life. That's why his paintings can make us wonder about the opportunities for consciousness and revelation we have been blind to in ourselves."
— Roberta Smith, The New York Times, 6 June 2013
Did You Know?
Eternize shows up in the works of literary greats, such as John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Herman Melville, and it sees occasional use in modern-day sources, but it is far from common.
The same can be said of its slightly longer and related synonym eternalize. Eternize is the older of the two; our earliest evidence of the word dates to 1566, while evidence of eternalize dates to 1620.
But there's a third relative that predates them both, and it's far more common than either of them. That would be eternal, which has been with us since the 14th century. All three words are ultimately rooted in Latin aevum, meaning "age" or "eternity."
eternize \ ih-TER-nyze \ verb
Definition
1a : to make eternal
1b : to prolong indefinitely
2 : immortalize
Examples
The photograph eternizes the joy that Colin felt when he held his daughter in his arms for the first time.
"Sometimes it seems that Hopper (1882-1967) could have eternized almost any undistinguished moment of introspection or inaction in anyone's life. That's why his paintings can make us wonder about the opportunities for consciousness and revelation we have been blind to in ourselves."
— Roberta Smith, The New York Times, 6 June 2013
Did You Know?
Eternize shows up in the works of literary greats, such as John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Herman Melville, and it sees occasional use in modern-day sources, but it is far from common.
The same can be said of its slightly longer and related synonym eternalize. Eternize is the older of the two; our earliest evidence of the word dates to 1566, while evidence of eternalize dates to 1620.
But there's a third relative that predates them both, and it's far more common than either of them. That would be eternal, which has been with us since the 14th century. All three words are ultimately rooted in Latin aevum, meaning "age" or "eternity."
Monday, December 19, 2016
Nosocomial
WORD OF THE DAY
nosocomial \ nah-suh-KOH-mee-ul \ adjective
Definition
: acquired or occurring in a hospital
Examples
A minor nosocomial outbreak of the disease occurred when doctors failed to diagnose the infected patient's illness in time.
"… there are things we handle a lot and never really clean. One study, for instance, found that about 95 percent of mobile phones carried by health care workers were contaminated with nosocomial bacteria."
— Aaron E. Carroll, The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
Nosocomial is a word that usually occurs in formal medical contexts—specifically, in reference to hospital-acquired sickness. We hope you never encounter nosocomial as part of your own medical diagnosis, but if you do, you might want to remember that the term descends from nosocomium, the Late Latin word for "hospital." Nosocomium in turn traces to the Greek nosos, meaning "disease." That root has given English other words as well, including zoonosis ("a disease communicable from animals to humans under natural conditions") and nosology ("a classification or list of diseases" or "a branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases").
nosocomial \ nah-suh-KOH-mee-ul \ adjective
Definition
: acquired or occurring in a hospital
Examples
A minor nosocomial outbreak of the disease occurred when doctors failed to diagnose the infected patient's illness in time.
"… there are things we handle a lot and never really clean. One study, for instance, found that about 95 percent of mobile phones carried by health care workers were contaminated with nosocomial bacteria."
— Aaron E. Carroll, The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
Nosocomial is a word that usually occurs in formal medical contexts—specifically, in reference to hospital-acquired sickness. We hope you never encounter nosocomial as part of your own medical diagnosis, but if you do, you might want to remember that the term descends from nosocomium, the Late Latin word for "hospital." Nosocomium in turn traces to the Greek nosos, meaning "disease." That root has given English other words as well, including zoonosis ("a disease communicable from animals to humans under natural conditions") and nosology ("a classification or list of diseases" or "a branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases").
Friday, December 16, 2016
Impetuous
WORD OF THE DAY
Impetuous \ im-PECH-uh-wus \ adjective
Definition
1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action
Examples
The impetuous winds forced the hikers to postpone their expedition to the mountain's peak.
"… you care so much that you want to get it right and you're not going to indulge in either impetuous or, in some cases, manufactured responses that make good sound bites but don't produce results. The stakes are too high to play those games."
— Barack Obama, quoted in The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
When we borrowed impetuous in the late 14th century, we used it of people and their actions. About a hundred years later, we added another sense to describe physical things like wind or storms or seas—this second sense we don't use much anymore.
The word comes via Anglo-French from Late Latin impetuosus, which is from impetus. Latin impetus (which of course gave us our own impetus, meaning "driving force") essentially means "assault," but it also has figurative senses ranging from "violence" to "ardor." Our impetuous has a similar range of meaning, from "violent" to "passionate."
It also carries the suggestion of impulsiveness. Often, we put a light touch on the word, as when we refer—somewhat longingly, perhaps—to our "impetuous youth."
Impetuous \ im-PECH-uh-wus \ adjective
Definition
1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action
Examples
The impetuous winds forced the hikers to postpone their expedition to the mountain's peak.
"… you care so much that you want to get it right and you're not going to indulge in either impetuous or, in some cases, manufactured responses that make good sound bites but don't produce results. The stakes are too high to play those games."
— Barack Obama, quoted in The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
When we borrowed impetuous in the late 14th century, we used it of people and their actions. About a hundred years later, we added another sense to describe physical things like wind or storms or seas—this second sense we don't use much anymore.
The word comes via Anglo-French from Late Latin impetuosus, which is from impetus. Latin impetus (which of course gave us our own impetus, meaning "driving force") essentially means "assault," but it also has figurative senses ranging from "violence" to "ardor." Our impetuous has a similar range of meaning, from "violent" to "passionate."
It also carries the suggestion of impulsiveness. Often, we put a light touch on the word, as when we refer—somewhat longingly, perhaps—to our "impetuous youth."
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Objurgation
WORD OF THE DAY
objurgation \ ahb-jer-GAY-shun \ noun
Definition
: a harsh rebuke
Examples
"I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern."
— Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847
"It always amazes me to sit at a sporting event and hear members of the audience shout objurgations at a pro player who has just dropped a ball or made some other error."
— R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The New York Sun, 25 Apr. 2003
Did You Know?
Objurgation traces to the Latin objurgare ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from ob- ("against") and jurgare ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law"—in other words, "to bring a lawsuit").
Jur- in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to objurgation that have legal implications, including perjury, abjure, jurisprudence, and even injury.
But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word objurgation carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding.
objurgation \ ahb-jer-GAY-shun \ noun
Definition
: a harsh rebuke
Examples
"I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern."
— Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847
"It always amazes me to sit at a sporting event and hear members of the audience shout objurgations at a pro player who has just dropped a ball or made some other error."
— R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The New York Sun, 25 Apr. 2003
Did You Know?
Objurgation traces to the Latin objurgare ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from ob- ("against") and jurgare ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law"—in other words, "to bring a lawsuit").
Jur- in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to objurgation that have legal implications, including perjury, abjure, jurisprudence, and even injury.
But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word objurgation carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Kapellmeister
WORD OF THE DAY
Kapellmeister \ Kuh-PELL-mye-ster \ noun
Definition
: (often capitalized Kapellmeister) the director of a choir or orchestra
Examples
The Kapellmeister brought his hands up slowly to signal to the musicians a shift to a slower tempo.
"Schwader joined them onstage for an account of the apparently dagger-toting Johann Sebastian Bach's tussle with a bassoonist he allegedly insulted. Using a humorous German accent during dialogue, it was an amusing anecdotal introduction to the portly bewigged Kapellmeister we recognize from portraits and intricate counterpoint…."
— Libby Hanssen, The Kansas City Star, 13 November 2016
Did You Know?
As you may have guessed, Kapellmeister originated as a German word—and in fact, even in English it is often (though not always) used for the director of a German choir. Kapelle once meant "choir" in German, and Meister is the German word for "master."
The Latin magister is an ancestor of both Meister and master, as well as of our maestro, meaning "an eminent composer or conductor." Kapelle comes from cappella, the Medieval Latin word for "chapel." As it happens, we also borrowed Kapelle into English, first to refer to the choir or orchestra of a royal or papal chapel, and later to describe any orchestra. Kapellmeister is used somewhat more frequently than Kapelle in current English, though neither word is especially common.
Kapellmeister \ Kuh-PELL-mye-ster \ noun
Definition
: (often capitalized Kapellmeister) the director of a choir or orchestra
Examples
The Kapellmeister brought his hands up slowly to signal to the musicians a shift to a slower tempo.
"Schwader joined them onstage for an account of the apparently dagger-toting Johann Sebastian Bach's tussle with a bassoonist he allegedly insulted. Using a humorous German accent during dialogue, it was an amusing anecdotal introduction to the portly bewigged Kapellmeister we recognize from portraits and intricate counterpoint…."
— Libby Hanssen, The Kansas City Star, 13 November 2016
Did You Know?
As you may have guessed, Kapellmeister originated as a German word—and in fact, even in English it is often (though not always) used for the director of a German choir. Kapelle once meant "choir" in German, and Meister is the German word for "master."
The Latin magister is an ancestor of both Meister and master, as well as of our maestro, meaning "an eminent composer or conductor." Kapelle comes from cappella, the Medieval Latin word for "chapel." As it happens, we also borrowed Kapelle into English, first to refer to the choir or orchestra of a royal or papal chapel, and later to describe any orchestra. Kapellmeister is used somewhat more frequently than Kapelle in current English, though neither word is especially common.
Fillip
WORD OF THE DAY
fillip \ FIL-up \ verb
Definition
1a: to strike by holding the nail of a finger against the ball of the thumb and then suddenly releasing it from that position
1b: to make a filliping motion with
2a: to project quickly by or as if by a filliping motion
2b: snap
3 : to urge on : stimulate
Examples
As their parents finished up dinner, the two boys entertained themselves at the table by filliping crumbs into an overturned cup.
"He leaves behind a business … which senior sources say will deliver record pre-tax profits in the region of [euros] 30 million this year, filliped by strong fundraising and private client business and surging stock markets."
— Róisín Burke, The Sunday Business Post (Ireland), 7 Dec. 2014
Did You Know?
Like flip and flick, fillip is considered a phonetic imitation of the sharp release of a curled-up finger aimed to strike something. Language history suggests that people were filliping in the 15th-century, well before they were flipping and flicking. Specifically, fillip describes a strike or gesture made by the sudden straightening of a finger curled up against the thumb—a motion commonly referred to as a flick.
It didn't take long before the sensational stinging smartness of filliping was extended to figurative use. "I mark this in our old Mogul's wine; it's quite as deadening to some as filliping to others," observes Herman Melville's Dutch sailor of wine's "stimulating" effect in Moby Dick.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Objurgation
WORD OF THE DAY
objurgation \ ahb-jer-GAY-shun \ noun
Definition
: a harsh rebuke
Examples
"I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern."
— Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847
"It always amazes me to sit at a sporting event and hear members of the audience shout objurgations at a pro player who has just dropped a ball or made some other error."
— R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The New York Sun, 25 Apr. 2003
Did You Know?
Objurgation traces to the Latin objurgare ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from ob- ("against") and jurgare ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law"—in other words, "to bring a lawsuit").
Jur- in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to objurgation that have legal implications, including perjury, abjure, jurisprudence, and even injury. But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word objurgation carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding.
objurgation \ ahb-jer-GAY-shun \ noun
Definition
: a harsh rebuke
Examples
"I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern."
— Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847
"It always amazes me to sit at a sporting event and hear members of the audience shout objurgations at a pro player who has just dropped a ball or made some other error."
— R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The New York Sun, 25 Apr. 2003
Did You Know?
Objurgation traces to the Latin objurgare ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from ob- ("against") and jurgare ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law"—in other words, "to bring a lawsuit").
Jur- in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to objurgation that have legal implications, including perjury, abjure, jurisprudence, and even injury. But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word objurgation carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding.
Monday, December 12, 2016
Methuselah
WORD OF THE DAY
Methuselah \ muh-THOO-zuh-luh \ noun
Definition
1 : an ancestor of Noah held to have lived 969 years
2 : an oversize wine bottle holding about six liters
Examples
The winery has started bottling their champagne in Methuselahs.
"People still write of the Krug 1928 as the best bottle of wine made in the last century. A bottle of it sold in 2009 for $21,200, and that wasn't a 6-liter Methuselah. It was a standard 750 milliliters of amazing."
— Julie Glenn, The News-Press (Fort Myers, FL), 21 Jan. 2015
Did You Know?
What do Jeroboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar, and Nebuchadnezzar have in common? Larger-than-life biblical figures all, yes (four kings and a venerable patriarch), but they're all also names of oversized wine bottles.
A Jeroboam is usually the equivalent of about four 750-milliliter bottles (about 3 liters). One Methuselah holds about eight standard bottles' worth, a Salmanazar 12, a Balthazar 16, and a Nebuchadnezzar a whopping 20. (Each of these terms is also sometimes styled lowercase.)
No one knows who decided to use those names for bottles, but we do know that by the 1800s Jeroboam was being used for large goblets or "enormous bottles of fabulous content." It wasn't until sometime early in the 20th century that Methuselah and all the other names were chosen for specific bottle sizes.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Daedal
WORD OF THE DAY
daedal \ DEE-dul \ adjective
Definition
1 a : skillful, artistic
1b : intricate
2 : adorned with many things
Examples
The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere.
"Applying makeup on trains … is not easy. That innumerable Japanese women choose to do so while commuting should, therefore, be seen as a testament to their steady hands as well as that country's steady trains. Indeed, undertaking such a daedal exercise on the Indian railway system—or any other public transport—would be foolhardy unless the intention is to emerge looking like Heath Ledger as the Joker."
— The Economic Times, 29 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
You might know Daedalus as the mythological prisoner who fashioned wings of feathers and wax to escape from the island of Crete with his son Icarus.
But it was as architect and sculptor, one said to have designed a labyrinth for King Minos on Crete, that he earned his name. Daedalus (from Greek daidalos) is Latin for "skillfully wrought."
The same "skillful" Latin adjective gave English the adjectives daedal (in use since the 16th century) and Daedalian (or Daedalean), a synonym of daedal.
daedal \ DEE-dul \ adjective
Definition
1 a : skillful, artistic
1b : intricate
2 : adorned with many things
Examples
The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere.
"Applying makeup on trains … is not easy. That innumerable Japanese women choose to do so while commuting should, therefore, be seen as a testament to their steady hands as well as that country's steady trains. Indeed, undertaking such a daedal exercise on the Indian railway system—or any other public transport—would be foolhardy unless the intention is to emerge looking like Heath Ledger as the Joker."
— The Economic Times, 29 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
You might know Daedalus as the mythological prisoner who fashioned wings of feathers and wax to escape from the island of Crete with his son Icarus.
But it was as architect and sculptor, one said to have designed a labyrinth for King Minos on Crete, that he earned his name. Daedalus (from Greek daidalos) is Latin for "skillfully wrought."
The same "skillful" Latin adjective gave English the adjectives daedal (in use since the 16th century) and Daedalian (or Daedalean), a synonym of daedal.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Qui Vive
WORD OF THE DAY
qui vive \ kee-VEEV \ noun
Definition
: alert, lookout
Examples
"All right. Lieutenant Howard, go see how the artillery wagons are managing, and on the way tell Major Mason that I need him again. Stay on the qui vive; you may find evidence of liquor."
— William T. Vollmann, The Dying Grass: A Novel of the Nez Perce War, 2015
"Pasadena Heritage staged its Colorado Street Bridge Party July 16, and Police Chief Phillip Sanchez was clearly on the qui vive at the entrance to the bridge."
— Patt Diroll, The Pasadena Star News, 24 July 2016
Did You Know?
When a sentinel guarding a French castle in days of yore cried, "Qui vive?," your life depended upon your answer. The question the sentinel was asking was "Long live who?"
The correct answer was usually something like "Long live the king!" Visitors not answering the question this way were regarded as suspect, and so to be "on the qui vive" meant to be on the alert or lookout, and qui vive came to mean "alert" or "lookout" soon afterward.
Nowadays, the term is most often used in the phrase "on the qui vive," meaning "on the lookout."
qui vive \ kee-VEEV \ noun
Definition
: alert, lookout
Examples
"All right. Lieutenant Howard, go see how the artillery wagons are managing, and on the way tell Major Mason that I need him again. Stay on the qui vive; you may find evidence of liquor."
— William T. Vollmann, The Dying Grass: A Novel of the Nez Perce War, 2015
"Pasadena Heritage staged its Colorado Street Bridge Party July 16, and Police Chief Phillip Sanchez was clearly on the qui vive at the entrance to the bridge."
— Patt Diroll, The Pasadena Star News, 24 July 2016
Did You Know?
When a sentinel guarding a French castle in days of yore cried, "Qui vive?," your life depended upon your answer. The question the sentinel was asking was "Long live who?"
The correct answer was usually something like "Long live the king!" Visitors not answering the question this way were regarded as suspect, and so to be "on the qui vive" meant to be on the alert or lookout, and qui vive came to mean "alert" or "lookout" soon afterward.
Nowadays, the term is most often used in the phrase "on the qui vive," meaning "on the lookout."
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Bamboozle
WORD OF THE DAY
bamboozle \ bam-BOO-zul \ verb
Definition
1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink
2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely
Examples
"Some consumers are so bamboozled by slick sales talk that they pay extra for amazingly bad deals. Just one example, a $49.99, four-year service plan on a DVD player that sells for $39.99."
— Mike McClintock, The Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2009
"We agree with those who filed the suits challenging the wording of the ballot question. We believe it is deceitful—and deliberately so, designed to bamboozle voters into thinking they are voting on a minor issue that simply codifies existing law instead of adding five years to a judge's term."
— The Philadelphia Daily News, 10 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on "the continual Corruption of our English Tongue" in which he complained of "the Choice of certain Words invented by some pretty Fellows." Among the inventions Swift disliked were bamboozle, bubble (a dupe), put (a fool), and sham. (Perhaps he objected to the use of sham as a verb; he himself had used the adjective meaning "false" a couple of years previously.)
What all these words appear to have in common is a connection to the underworld as jargon of criminals. Other than that, the origin of bamboozle remains a mystery, but the over-300-year-old word has clearly defied Swift's assertion that "All new affected Modes of Speech . . . are the first perishing Parts in any Language."
bamboozle \ bam-BOO-zul \ verb
Definition
1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink
2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely
Examples
"Some consumers are so bamboozled by slick sales talk that they pay extra for amazingly bad deals. Just one example, a $49.99, four-year service plan on a DVD player that sells for $39.99."
— Mike McClintock, The Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2009
"We agree with those who filed the suits challenging the wording of the ballot question. We believe it is deceitful—and deliberately so, designed to bamboozle voters into thinking they are voting on a minor issue that simply codifies existing law instead of adding five years to a judge's term."
— The Philadelphia Daily News, 10 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on "the continual Corruption of our English Tongue" in which he complained of "the Choice of certain Words invented by some pretty Fellows." Among the inventions Swift disliked were bamboozle, bubble (a dupe), put (a fool), and sham. (Perhaps he objected to the use of sham as a verb; he himself had used the adjective meaning "false" a couple of years previously.)
What all these words appear to have in common is a connection to the underworld as jargon of criminals. Other than that, the origin of bamboozle remains a mystery, but the over-300-year-old word has clearly defied Swift's assertion that "All new affected Modes of Speech . . . are the first perishing Parts in any Language."
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Salient
WORD OF THE DAY
salient \ SAIL-yunt \ adjective
Definition
1 : moving by leaps or springs : jumping
2 : jetting upward
3a : standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially
3b: of notable significance
Examples
The speech was filled with so much twisted rhetoric that it was hard to identify any salient points.
"Among the projects: … an $18 million makeover of Freedom Hall, substantial new meeting and storage space, a new ballroom and a new $70 million exhibit hall…. Those were the salient recommendations of a new master plan for the Kentucky Exposition Center…."
— Sheldon Shafer, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), 28 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
Salient first popped up in English in the 16th century as a term of heraldry meaning "rampant but leaning forward as if leaping." By the mid-17th century, it had leaped into more general use in the senses of "moving by leaps or springs" or "spouting forth." Those senses aren't too much of a jump from the word's parent, the Latin verb salire, which means "to leap."
Salire also occurs in the etymologies of some other English words, including somersault and sally, as well as Salientia, the name for an order of amphibians that includes frogs, toads, and other notable jumpers. Today, salient is usually used to describe things that are physically prominent (such as a salient nose) or that stand out figuratively (such as the salient features of a painting or the salient points in an argument).
Monday, December 5, 2016
Ziggurat
WORD OF THE DAY
ziggurat \ ZIG-uh-rat \ noun
Definition
: an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form
Examples
"The building itself is certainly distinctive: The bronze-meshed ziggurat moves upwards toward the sky and into the light."
— Lisa Benton-Short, GWToday (gwtoday.gwu.edu, George Washington
University), 10 Oct. 2016
"The opulence remains in Barbara de Limburg's expansive sets, but the dramatic point is the contrast of the family's poverty with the consumerist rapacity suggested by the Witch's lair—not the usual gumdrop-bedecked gingerbread house but a towering ziggurat of brightly packaged junk food…."
— Gavin Borchart, The Seattle Weekly, 19 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
French professor of archaeology François Lenormant spent a great deal of time poring over ancient Assyrian texts. In those cuneiform inscriptions, he recognized a new language, now known as Akkadian, which proved valuable to the understanding of ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Through his studies, he became familiar with the Akkadian word for the towering Mesopotamian temples: ziqqurratu.
In 1877 he came out with Chaldean Magic, a scholarly exposition on the mythology of the Chaldeans, an ancient people who lived in what is now Iraq. In his work, which was immediately translated into English, he introduced the word ziggurat to the modern world in his description of the ziggurat of the Iraqi palace of Khorsabad.
ziggurat \ ZIG-uh-rat \ noun
Definition
: an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form
Examples
"The building itself is certainly distinctive: The bronze-meshed ziggurat moves upwards toward the sky and into the light."
— Lisa Benton-Short, GWToday (gwtoday.gwu.edu, George Washington
University), 10 Oct. 2016
"The opulence remains in Barbara de Limburg's expansive sets, but the dramatic point is the contrast of the family's poverty with the consumerist rapacity suggested by the Witch's lair—not the usual gumdrop-bedecked gingerbread house but a towering ziggurat of brightly packaged junk food…."
— Gavin Borchart, The Seattle Weekly, 19 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
French professor of archaeology François Lenormant spent a great deal of time poring over ancient Assyrian texts. In those cuneiform inscriptions, he recognized a new language, now known as Akkadian, which proved valuable to the understanding of ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Through his studies, he became familiar with the Akkadian word for the towering Mesopotamian temples: ziqqurratu.
In 1877 he came out with Chaldean Magic, a scholarly exposition on the mythology of the Chaldeans, an ancient people who lived in what is now Iraq. In his work, which was immediately translated into English, he introduced the word ziggurat to the modern world in his description of the ziggurat of the Iraqi palace of Khorsabad.
Friday, December 2, 2016
Wane
WORD OF THE DAY
wane \ WAYN \ verb
Definition
1 : to decrease in size, extent, or degree
2 : to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence
Examples
"Last year, the station offered fans the chance to buy the CD online for the first time and also sold it in Target stores as usual. But unlike previous years, the limited-run compilation didn't sell out immediately, suggesting its popularity may be waning."
— Ross Raihala, The Pioneer Press (TwinCities.com), 14 Oct. 2016
"And as public and political interest in space exploration waxed and waned over the following decades, the funding for the space program did too."
— Dianna Wray, The Houston Press, 26 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour / Draws on apace four happy days bring in / Another moon: But oh, methinks how slow / This old moon wanes!" So Theseus describes his eagerness for his wedding night in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
As illustrated by Theseus' words, wane is a word often called upon to describe the seeming decrease in size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of wane is wax, a once common but now infrequently used synonym of grow. Wane and wax have been partnered in reference to the moon since the Middle Ages.
wane \ WAYN \ verb
Definition
1 : to decrease in size, extent, or degree
2 : to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence
Examples
"Last year, the station offered fans the chance to buy the CD online for the first time and also sold it in Target stores as usual. But unlike previous years, the limited-run compilation didn't sell out immediately, suggesting its popularity may be waning."
— Ross Raihala, The Pioneer Press (TwinCities.com), 14 Oct. 2016
"And as public and political interest in space exploration waxed and waned over the following decades, the funding for the space program did too."
— Dianna Wray, The Houston Press, 26 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
"Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour / Draws on apace four happy days bring in / Another moon: But oh, methinks how slow / This old moon wanes!" So Theseus describes his eagerness for his wedding night in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
As illustrated by Theseus' words, wane is a word often called upon to describe the seeming decrease in size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of wane is wax, a once common but now infrequently used synonym of grow. Wane and wax have been partnered in reference to the moon since the Middle Ages.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Thaumaturgy
WORD OF THE DAY
thaumaturgy \ THAW-muh-ter-jee \ noun
Definition
1a: the performance of miracles; specifically
1b: magic
Examples
"The place is still a favourite pilgrimage, but there seems to be some doubt as to which Saint John has chosen it as the scene of his posthumous thaumaturgy; for, according to a local guide-book, it is equally frequented on the feasts of the Baptist and of the Evangelist."
— Edith Wharton, Italian Backgrounds, 1905
"Indeed, so keen was the horror at the hysteria that had taken hold in Salem that the mere mention of the place was sufficient to cool any passions that looked in danger of spiraling into outmoded and dangerous thaumaturgy."
— Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 16 Dec. 2011
Did You Know?
The magic of thaumaturgy is miraculous. The word, from a Greek word meaning "miracle working," is applicable to any performance of miracles, especially by incantation.
It can also be used of things that merely seem miraculous and unexplainable, like the thaumaturgy of a motion picture's illusions (aka "movie magic"), or the thaumaturgy at work in an athletic team's "miracle" comeback.
In addition to thaumaturgy, we also have thaumaturge and thaumaturgist, both of which mean "a performer of miracles" or "a magician," and the adjective thaumaturgic, meaning "performing miracles" or "of, relating to, or dependent on thaumaturgy."
thaumaturgy \ THAW-muh-ter-jee \ noun
Definition
1a: the performance of miracles; specifically
1b: magic
Examples
"The place is still a favourite pilgrimage, but there seems to be some doubt as to which Saint John has chosen it as the scene of his posthumous thaumaturgy; for, according to a local guide-book, it is equally frequented on the feasts of the Baptist and of the Evangelist."
— Edith Wharton, Italian Backgrounds, 1905
"Indeed, so keen was the horror at the hysteria that had taken hold in Salem that the mere mention of the place was sufficient to cool any passions that looked in danger of spiraling into outmoded and dangerous thaumaturgy."
— Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 16 Dec. 2011
Did You Know?
The magic of thaumaturgy is miraculous. The word, from a Greek word meaning "miracle working," is applicable to any performance of miracles, especially by incantation.
It can also be used of things that merely seem miraculous and unexplainable, like the thaumaturgy of a motion picture's illusions (aka "movie magic"), or the thaumaturgy at work in an athletic team's "miracle" comeback.
In addition to thaumaturgy, we also have thaumaturge and thaumaturgist, both of which mean "a performer of miracles" or "a magician," and the adjective thaumaturgic, meaning "performing miracles" or "of, relating to, or dependent on thaumaturgy."
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