WORD OF THE DAY
fidelity \ fuh-DELL-uh-tee \ noun
Definition
1 : the quality or state of being faithful
2a: accuracy in details
2b: exactness
3 : the degree to which an electronic device (such as a record player, radio, or television) accurately reproduces its effect (such as sound or picture)
Examples
"Fidelity to promises is a civic virtue at least dating back to ancient Greek and Roman ethics, and probably to the origins of society.… The idea that promises ought to be kept is one of our most intuitive and widely shared moral beliefs."
— Khristy Wilkinson, The Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times Free Press, 29 Apr. 2017
"Perhaps some of you will recall that I didn't like Riverdale's pilot episode. Sometimes it's good to be proven wrong…. Perhaps fully suspending any sense of fidelity to the original comics allowed my opinion on the show to change."
— Deborah Krieger, Pop Matters, 15 May 2017
Did You Know?
You can have faith in fidelity, which has existed in English since the 15th century; its etymological path winds back through Middle English and Middle French, eventually arriving at the Latin verb fidere, meaning "to trust."
Fidere is also an ancestor of other English words associated with trust or faith, such as fiduciary (which means "of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust" and is often used in the context of a monetary trust) and confide (meaning "to trust" or "to show trust by imparting secrets").
Nowadays fidelity is often used in reference to recording and broadcast devices, conveying the idea that a broadcast or recording is "faithful" to the live sound or picture that it reproduces.
Friday, June 30, 2017
Thursday, June 29, 2017
Culminate
WORD OF THE DAY
culminate \ KUL-muh-nayt \ verb
Definition
1a: (of a celestial body) to reach its highest altitude; also
1b: to be directly overhead
2: to rise to or form a summit
3: to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point
Examples
"My son and I are very interested in science and discovery. We were privileged to hear a distinguished physicist describe his research in magnetic wave phenomenon…. His complex findings present all matter as series of circular waves culminating in one large magnetic center which connects the universe."
— Louise Bostic, The Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 21 Apr. 2016
"Unfortunately, segments of its plot lacked creativity and purpose, ultimately culminating in a mediocre final product."
— Nick Gavio, The Georgetown Voice (Georgetown University), 5 June 2017
Did You Know?
Culminate was first used in English in the 17th century in the field of astronomy. When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches the point at which it is highest above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground.
The word derives from the past participle of the Medieval Latin verb culminare, meaning "to crown," and ultimately from the Latin noun culmen, meaning "top." As something culminates it rises toward a peak. These days the word is most familiar to English speakers in its figurative usage meaning "to reach a climactic or decisive point."
culminate \ KUL-muh-nayt \ verb
Definition
1a: (of a celestial body) to reach its highest altitude; also
1b: to be directly overhead
2: to rise to or form a summit
3: to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point
Examples
"My son and I are very interested in science and discovery. We were privileged to hear a distinguished physicist describe his research in magnetic wave phenomenon…. His complex findings present all matter as series of circular waves culminating in one large magnetic center which connects the universe."
— Louise Bostic, The Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 21 Apr. 2016
"Unfortunately, segments of its plot lacked creativity and purpose, ultimately culminating in a mediocre final product."
— Nick Gavio, The Georgetown Voice (Georgetown University), 5 June 2017
Did You Know?
Culminate was first used in English in the 17th century in the field of astronomy. When a star or other heavenly body culminates, it reaches the point at which it is highest above the horizon from the vantage point of an observer on the ground.
The word derives from the past participle of the Medieval Latin verb culminare, meaning "to crown," and ultimately from the Latin noun culmen, meaning "top." As something culminates it rises toward a peak. These days the word is most familiar to English speakers in its figurative usage meaning "to reach a climactic or decisive point."
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Tristful
WORD OF THE DAY
tristful \ TRIST-ful \ adjective
Definition
: sad, melancholy
Examples
"Oberlus was at least an accomplished writer, and no mere boor; and what is more, was capable of the most tristful eloquence."
— Herman Melville, The Piazza Tales, 1856
"I've been dreading the moment I wake. Waking is a tristful business for the man who reflects."
— Howard Jacobson, The Independent (London), 27 Nov. 2010
Did You Know?
The Middle English word trist, from which tristful is derived, means "sad." Today, we spell this word triste (echoing the spelling of its French ancestor, a descendant of the Latin tristis), whereas tristful has continued to be spelled without the e.
Is there a connection between triste ("sad") and tryst ("a secret rendezvous of lovers")? No. Tryst also traces back to a Middle English trist, but it is a different word, a noun that is a synonym of trust.
This other word trist eventually fell into disuse, but before doing so, it may have given rise to a word for a station used by hunters, which in turn led to tryst.
tristful \ TRIST-ful \ adjective
Definition
: sad, melancholy
Examples
"Oberlus was at least an accomplished writer, and no mere boor; and what is more, was capable of the most tristful eloquence."
— Herman Melville, The Piazza Tales, 1856
"I've been dreading the moment I wake. Waking is a tristful business for the man who reflects."
— Howard Jacobson, The Independent (London), 27 Nov. 2010
Did You Know?
The Middle English word trist, from which tristful is derived, means "sad." Today, we spell this word triste (echoing the spelling of its French ancestor, a descendant of the Latin tristis), whereas tristful has continued to be spelled without the e.
Is there a connection between triste ("sad") and tryst ("a secret rendezvous of lovers")? No. Tryst also traces back to a Middle English trist, but it is a different word, a noun that is a synonym of trust.
This other word trist eventually fell into disuse, but before doing so, it may have given rise to a word for a station used by hunters, which in turn led to tryst.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Scapegrace
WORD OF THE DAY
scapegrace \ SKAYP-grayss \ noun
Definition
: an incorrigible rascal
Examples
"He embarks on an arduous ocean voyage to America, where he faces swindlers and scapegraces, and nearly dies of malaria—and maintains his sunny demeanor throughout."
— Scot Lehigh, The Boston Globe, 1 Jan. 2016
"Theodore Roosevelt styled himself an incorruptible politician untainted by scandal. But in his path to the White House lay a troubling obstacle: his scapegrace brother, Elliott."
— The Daily Beast, 19 Nov. 2016
Did You Know?
At first glance, you might think scapegrace has something in common with scapegoat, our word for a person who takes the blame for someone else's mistake or calamity.
Indeed, the words do share a common source—the verb scape, a variant of escape that was once far more common than it is today.
Scapegrace, which first appeared in English in the mid-18th century (over 200 years after scapegoat), arrived at its meaning through its literal interpretation as "one who has escaped the grace of God."
(Two now-obsolete words based on a similar notion are scape-thrift, meaning "spendthrift," and want-grace, a synonym of scapegrace.) In ornithological circles, scapegrace can also refer to a loon with a red throat, but this sense is rare.
scapegrace \ SKAYP-grayss \ noun
Definition
: an incorrigible rascal
Examples
"He embarks on an arduous ocean voyage to America, where he faces swindlers and scapegraces, and nearly dies of malaria—and maintains his sunny demeanor throughout."
— Scot Lehigh, The Boston Globe, 1 Jan. 2016
"Theodore Roosevelt styled himself an incorruptible politician untainted by scandal. But in his path to the White House lay a troubling obstacle: his scapegrace brother, Elliott."
— The Daily Beast, 19 Nov. 2016
Did You Know?
At first glance, you might think scapegrace has something in common with scapegoat, our word for a person who takes the blame for someone else's mistake or calamity.
Indeed, the words do share a common source—the verb scape, a variant of escape that was once far more common than it is today.
Scapegrace, which first appeared in English in the mid-18th century (over 200 years after scapegoat), arrived at its meaning through its literal interpretation as "one who has escaped the grace of God."
(Two now-obsolete words based on a similar notion are scape-thrift, meaning "spendthrift," and want-grace, a synonym of scapegrace.) In ornithological circles, scapegrace can also refer to a loon with a red throat, but this sense is rare.
Monday, June 26, 2017
Perspicuous
WORD OF THE DAY
perspicuous \ per-SPIK-yuh-wus \ adjective
Definition
: plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation
Examples
The author's perspicuous prose helps even the simple layman to follow his explanations of this complicated topic.
"The whole is less than the sum of its parts and does not add up to either a perspicuous account or a judicious analysis."
— Steven Marcus, The New York Times Book Review, 31 Mar. 1996
Did You Know?
Perspicuous is based on Latin perspicere, meaning "to see through," so that which is perspicuous is clear and understandable. Perspicuous has a close cousin, perspicacious, which is used of a person with astute insight. Both words come directly from Latin adjectives that mean the same thing they do: perspicuous from perspicuus, and perspicacious from perspicax.
Needless to say, it's possible to confuse the two. One easy way to keep out of trouble is to think of perspicUous as the "U" word, and remember that it means "Understandable"—in contrast to the "A" word, perspicAcious, which means "Astute."
Friday, June 23, 2017
Ascetic
WORD OF THE DAY
ascetic \ uh-SET-ik \ adjective
Definition
1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline
2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
Examples
The monks have taken a vow of poverty and maintain an ascetic lifestyle within the walls of the monastery.
"His house has no modern conveniences, and the clinic he soon goes to, staffed by slim women with light-colored eyebrows, is similarly ascetic."
— Glenn Kenny, The Kansas City Star, 8 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
Ascetic comes from askētikos, a Greek adjective meaning "laborious." Ultimately, it comes from the Greek verb askein, which means "to exercise" or "to work." There aren't many other English words from askein, but there's no dearth of synonyms for ascetic.
Severe and austere, for example, are two words that share with ascetic the basic meaning "given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint." Ascetic implies abstention from pleasure, comfort, and self-indulgence as spiritual discipline, whereas severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness (as in "severe military discipline").
Austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial (as in "living an austere life in the country").
ascetic \ uh-SET-ik \ adjective
Definition
1 : practicing strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline
2 : austere in appearance, manner, or attitude
Examples
The monks have taken a vow of poverty and maintain an ascetic lifestyle within the walls of the monastery.
"His house has no modern conveniences, and the clinic he soon goes to, staffed by slim women with light-colored eyebrows, is similarly ascetic."
— Glenn Kenny, The Kansas City Star, 8 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
Ascetic comes from askētikos, a Greek adjective meaning "laborious." Ultimately, it comes from the Greek verb askein, which means "to exercise" or "to work." There aren't many other English words from askein, but there's no dearth of synonyms for ascetic.
Severe and austere, for example, are two words that share with ascetic the basic meaning "given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint." Ascetic implies abstention from pleasure, comfort, and self-indulgence as spiritual discipline, whereas severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness (as in "severe military discipline").
Austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial (as in "living an austere life in the country").
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Bilious
WORD OF THE DAY
bilious \ BILL-yus \ adjective
Definition
1a : of or relating to bile
1b : marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive excretion of bile
1c : appearing as if affected by liver dysfunction
2 : of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition
3 : sickeningly unpleasant
Examples
"These two men, of hard, bilious natures both, rarely came into contact but they chafed each other's moods."
— Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849
"But [newspaper columnist Jimmy] Breslin's greatest character was himself: the outer-borough boulevardier of bilious persuasion."
— Dan Berry, The New York Times, 20 Mar. 2017
Did You Know?
Bilious is one of several words whose origins trace to the old belief that four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) control temperament.
Just like phlegmatic ("of a slow and stolid phlegm-driven character"), melancholy ("experiencing dejection associated with black bile"), and sanguine ("of a cheerful, blood-based disposition"), bilious suggests a personality associated with an excess of one of the humors—in this case, yellow bile.
Bilious, which first appeared in English in the mid-1500s, derives from the Middle French bilieux, which in turn traces to bilis, Latin for "bile." In the past, bile was also called choler, which gives us choleric, a synonym of bilious.
bilious \ BILL-yus \ adjective
Definition
1a : of or relating to bile
1b : marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive excretion of bile
1c : appearing as if affected by liver dysfunction
2 : of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition
3 : sickeningly unpleasant
Examples
"These two men, of hard, bilious natures both, rarely came into contact but they chafed each other's moods."
— Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849
"But [newspaper columnist Jimmy] Breslin's greatest character was himself: the outer-borough boulevardier of bilious persuasion."
— Dan Berry, The New York Times, 20 Mar. 2017
Did You Know?
Bilious is one of several words whose origins trace to the old belief that four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) control temperament.
Just like phlegmatic ("of a slow and stolid phlegm-driven character"), melancholy ("experiencing dejection associated with black bile"), and sanguine ("of a cheerful, blood-based disposition"), bilious suggests a personality associated with an excess of one of the humors—in this case, yellow bile.
Bilious, which first appeared in English in the mid-1500s, derives from the Middle French bilieux, which in turn traces to bilis, Latin for "bile." In the past, bile was also called choler, which gives us choleric, a synonym of bilious.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Duende
WORD OF THE DAY
duende \ doo-EN-day \ noun
Definition
: the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm
Examples
Her performances were said to be spellbinding: by all accounts she was a singer possessed of such duende that the audience seemed a single organism unable to look away.
"[The flamenco performers] may achieve the rare quality of duende—total communication with their audience, and the mark of great flamenco of any style or generation."
— The Rough Guide to Spain, 2015
Did You Know?
The word duende refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means "ghost" or "goblin" in Spanish. It is believed to derive from the phrase dueño de casa, which means "owner of a house." The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience.
The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behavior … a struggle and not a concept." Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one's unspoken charm or allure.
duende \ doo-EN-day \ noun
Definition
: the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm
Examples
Her performances were said to be spellbinding: by all accounts she was a singer possessed of such duende that the audience seemed a single organism unable to look away.
"[The flamenco performers] may achieve the rare quality of duende—total communication with their audience, and the mark of great flamenco of any style or generation."
— The Rough Guide to Spain, 2015
Did You Know?
The word duende refers to a spirit in Spanish, Portuguese, and Filipino folklore and literally means "ghost" or "goblin" in Spanish. It is believed to derive from the phrase dueño de casa, which means "owner of a house." The term is traditionally used in flamenco music or other art forms to refer to the mystical or powerful force given off by a performer to draw in the audience.
The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca wrote in his essay "Teoria y Juego del Duende" ("Play and Theory of the Duende") that duende "is a power and not a behavior … a struggle and not a concept." Nowadays the term appears in a broader range of contexts to refer to one's unspoken charm or allure.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Pervade
WORD OF THE DAY
pervade \ per-VAYD \ verb
Definition
: to become diffused throughout every part of
Examples
"While the editors and contributors are careful to avoid wading into nostalgic celebration, a wistful tone pervades almost every essay…."
— Lily Geismer, The Washington Post, 7 May 2017
"It is not uncommon for people to have a vague notion of something called 'energy' that could be likened to the Force in 'Star Wars'—some mystical quality that pervades everything, something that holds the universe together, something that can be tapped to heal or communicate or run a motor or see the future."
— David Hewitt, The Tulare (California) Advance-Register, 8 May 2017
Did You Know?
English speakers borrowed pervade in the mid-17th century from Latin pervadere, meaning "to go through." Pervadere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb vadere, meaning "to go." Synonyms of pervade include permeate, impregnate, and saturate.
Pervade stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). Permeate implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house").
Impregnate suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). Saturate is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("the cloth is saturated with water").
pervade \ per-VAYD \ verb
Definition
: to become diffused throughout every part of
Examples
"While the editors and contributors are careful to avoid wading into nostalgic celebration, a wistful tone pervades almost every essay…."
— Lily Geismer, The Washington Post, 7 May 2017
"It is not uncommon for people to have a vague notion of something called 'energy' that could be likened to the Force in 'Star Wars'—some mystical quality that pervades everything, something that holds the universe together, something that can be tapped to heal or communicate or run a motor or see the future."
— David Hewitt, The Tulare (California) Advance-Register, 8 May 2017
Did You Know?
English speakers borrowed pervade in the mid-17th century from Latin pervadere, meaning "to go through." Pervadere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix per-, meaning "through," with the verb vadere, meaning "to go." Synonyms of pervade include permeate, impregnate, and saturate.
Pervade stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). Permeate implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("the smell of freshly baked bread permeated the house").
Impregnate suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). Saturate is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("the cloth is saturated with water").
Monday, June 19, 2017
Animus
WORD OF THE DAY
animus \ AN-uh-muss \ noun
Definition
1: a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will
2a: basic attitude or governing spirit
2b: disposition, intention
3: an inner masculine part of the female personality in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung
Examples
Barney's newspaper editorial had been heartfelt, and he was shocked by the animus in one published response.
"The precise rationale for the District's animus toward chicken ownership is unclear."
— Peter Jamison, The Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
Animus has long referred to the rational or animating components of a person's psyche (it derives from Latin animus, which can mean "spirit," "mind," "courage," or "anger"). Since a key animating component of personality can be temper, the word came to mean animosity, especially ill will that is driven by strong prejudice.
The term is also used in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung in reference to an inner masculine part of the female personality.
The English animus is closely related to words such as animosity, magnanimous, and unanimous, but it is not as closely related to other similar-looking terms such as animal and animate.
Those latter terms derive from the Latin anima, a distinct term that means "soul" or "breath" and that suggests someone's physical vitality or life force—the breath of life.
animus \ AN-uh-muss \ noun
Definition
1: a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will
2a: basic attitude or governing spirit
2b: disposition, intention
3: an inner masculine part of the female personality in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung
Examples
Barney's newspaper editorial had been heartfelt, and he was shocked by the animus in one published response.
"The precise rationale for the District's animus toward chicken ownership is unclear."
— Peter Jamison, The Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
Animus has long referred to the rational or animating components of a person's psyche (it derives from Latin animus, which can mean "spirit," "mind," "courage," or "anger"). Since a key animating component of personality can be temper, the word came to mean animosity, especially ill will that is driven by strong prejudice.
The term is also used in the analytic psychology of C. G. Jung in reference to an inner masculine part of the female personality.
The English animus is closely related to words such as animosity, magnanimous, and unanimous, but it is not as closely related to other similar-looking terms such as animal and animate.
Those latter terms derive from the Latin anima, a distinct term that means "soul" or "breath" and that suggests someone's physical vitality or life force—the breath of life.
Friday, June 16, 2017
Yips
WORD OF THE DAY
yips \ YIPS \ noun
Definition
: a state of nervous tension affecting an athlete (such as a golfer) in the performance of a crucial action
Examples
"Golfers with the yips typically jerk the putter on short putts, occasionally knocking a five-foot putt ten feet past the cup."
— Mike Towle, I Remember Ben Hogan, 2000
"In 'The Phenomenon' …, written with Tim Brown, [Rick] Ankiel speaks of succumbing to the anxiety disorder commonly called the yips, then reclaiming his career as an outfielder."
— Daniel M. Gold, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
Who first dubbed an athlete's stress under pressure "the yips"? We're not sure. We also can't say for certain if the plural noun yips has anything to do with yip, a word of imitative origin that functions both as a verb meaning "to bark sharply, quickly, and often continuously" and as a noun meaning "a short bark (as of a dog)."
Some theories equate the "yip" sound made by a small dog with the unfortunate habit some athletes have of flinching or "hiccupping" when a steady hand is called for. What we do know for certain is that sportswriters have been using yips since the first half of the 20th century and that it most often appears in golf-related contexts.
yips \ YIPS \ noun
Definition
: a state of nervous tension affecting an athlete (such as a golfer) in the performance of a crucial action
Examples
"Golfers with the yips typically jerk the putter on short putts, occasionally knocking a five-foot putt ten feet past the cup."
— Mike Towle, I Remember Ben Hogan, 2000
"In 'The Phenomenon' …, written with Tim Brown, [Rick] Ankiel speaks of succumbing to the anxiety disorder commonly called the yips, then reclaiming his career as an outfielder."
— Daniel M. Gold, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
Who first dubbed an athlete's stress under pressure "the yips"? We're not sure. We also can't say for certain if the plural noun yips has anything to do with yip, a word of imitative origin that functions both as a verb meaning "to bark sharply, quickly, and often continuously" and as a noun meaning "a short bark (as of a dog)."
Some theories equate the "yip" sound made by a small dog with the unfortunate habit some athletes have of flinching or "hiccupping" when a steady hand is called for. What we do know for certain is that sportswriters have been using yips since the first half of the 20th century and that it most often appears in golf-related contexts.
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Loquacious
WORD OF THE DAY
loquacious \ loh-KWAY-shus \ adjective
Definition
1a: full of excessive talk
1b: wordy
2a: given to fluent or excessive talk
2b: garrulous
Examples
"We would sit together for about half an hour, the silent old lady and the loquacious little girl, while I babbled on at her and she smiled and nodded and patted my hand."
— Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985
"And although [Dwight Eisenhower's] syntax was sometimes twisted, he worked on his speaking ability, so much so that he was not afraid of having regular news conferences (he had 193 by the end of his second term, identical to the sum held by the more loquacious Bill Clinton)."
— Thomas V. DiBacco, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2017
Did You Know?
When you hear or say loquacious, you might notice that the word has a certain poetic ring. In fact, poets quickly snatched up loquacious soon after it made its first appearance in English in the 17th century and, with poetic license, stretched its meaning to include such things as the chattering of birds and the babbling of brooks.
In less poetic uses, loquacious usually means "excessively talkative." The ultimate source of all this chattiness is loqui, a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Other words descended from loqui include colloquial, eloquent, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.
loquacious \ loh-KWAY-shus \ adjective
Definition
1a: full of excessive talk
1b: wordy
2a: given to fluent or excessive talk
2b: garrulous
Examples
"We would sit together for about half an hour, the silent old lady and the loquacious little girl, while I babbled on at her and she smiled and nodded and patted my hand."
— Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985
"And although [Dwight Eisenhower's] syntax was sometimes twisted, he worked on his speaking ability, so much so that he was not afraid of having regular news conferences (he had 193 by the end of his second term, identical to the sum held by the more loquacious Bill Clinton)."
— Thomas V. DiBacco, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 May 2017
Did You Know?
When you hear or say loquacious, you might notice that the word has a certain poetic ring. In fact, poets quickly snatched up loquacious soon after it made its first appearance in English in the 17th century and, with poetic license, stretched its meaning to include such things as the chattering of birds and the babbling of brooks.
In less poetic uses, loquacious usually means "excessively talkative." The ultimate source of all this chattiness is loqui, a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Other words descended from loqui include colloquial, eloquent, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Moue
WORD OF THE DAY
moue \ MOO \ noun
Definition
1: a little grimace
2: pout
Examples
"I like … the way her eyes twinkle with mischief even as her mouth is set in a sulky fashionista moue."
— Judith Woods, The Daily Telegraph (London), 16 Sept. 2016
"But it's [Ian] McKellen we're always watching, with his twitches and moues and wistful … recollections…."
— Euan Ferguson, The Observer (London), 1 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Moue is one of two similar words in English that refer to a pout or grimace; the other is mow, which is pronounced to rhyme either with no or now. Mow and moue share the same origin—the Anglo-French mouwe—and have a distant relationship to a Middle Dutch word for a protruding lip. (They do not, however, share a relationship to the word mouth, which derives from Old English mūth.)
While current evidence of moue in use in English traces back only a little more than 150 years, mow dates all the way back to the 14th century.
Moue has also seen occasional use as a verb, as when Nicholson Baker, in a 1988 issue of The New Yorker, described how a woman applying lip gloss would "slide the lip from side to side under it and press her mouth together and then moue it outward…."
moue \ MOO \ noun
Definition
1: a little grimace
2: pout
Examples
"I like … the way her eyes twinkle with mischief even as her mouth is set in a sulky fashionista moue."
— Judith Woods, The Daily Telegraph (London), 16 Sept. 2016
"But it's [Ian] McKellen we're always watching, with his twitches and moues and wistful … recollections…."
— Euan Ferguson, The Observer (London), 1 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Moue is one of two similar words in English that refer to a pout or grimace; the other is mow, which is pronounced to rhyme either with no or now. Mow and moue share the same origin—the Anglo-French mouwe—and have a distant relationship to a Middle Dutch word for a protruding lip. (They do not, however, share a relationship to the word mouth, which derives from Old English mūth.)
While current evidence of moue in use in English traces back only a little more than 150 years, mow dates all the way back to the 14th century.
Moue has also seen occasional use as a verb, as when Nicholson Baker, in a 1988 issue of The New Yorker, described how a woman applying lip gloss would "slide the lip from side to side under it and press her mouth together and then moue it outward…."
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Engender
WORD OF THE DAY
engender \ in-JEN-der \ verb
Definition
1: beget, procreate
2a: to cause to exist or to develop
2b: produce
3a: to assume form
3b: originate
Examples
The annual company picnic featured activities, such as a scavenger hunt, meant to engender a sense of teamwork and camaraderie among employees.
"Whatever money they save is more than offset by the ill will they engender, particularly in an era when everyone has a smartphone and a way of sharing their outrage with the world."
— USA Today, 16 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
When engender was first used in the 14th century, it meant "propagate" or "procreate," but extended meanings soon developed. Engender comes from the Latin verb generare, which means "to generate" or "to beget."
Generate, regenerate, degenerate, and generation are of course related to the Latin verb as well. As you might suspect, the list of engender relatives does not end there.
Generare comes from the Latin noun genus, meaning "birth," "race," or "kind." From this source we have our own word genus, plus gender, general, and generic, among other words.
Monday, June 12, 2017
Oftentimes
WORD OF THE DAY
oftentimes \ AW-fun-tymez \ adverb
Definition
: often, repeatedly
Examples
Oftentimes, when children are in trouble, you will hear people say that it is all because of low self-esteem."
— Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill, 2000
"However, it's important to remember that taking a nap for too long can leave you feeling groggy and oftentimes worse than before."
— Bailey Jensen, The Daily Collegian (Pennsylvania State University), 1 May 2017
Did You Know?
Despite its archaic, literary ring, oftentimes is quite alive today. In fact, it seems to be more popular now than it was in past decades, appearing frequently both in written expression and in speech.
Oftentimes was first used in the 14th century (the same century that gave us often), and its meaning hasn't changed—as meanings oftentimes will—in all that time. It was formed as an extension of its slightly older synonym ofttimes.
Today ofttimes is less common, but oft (which comes from Old English and also means "often" or "frequently") is popular in combination with past participles, as in oft-praised.
oftentimes \ AW-fun-tymez \ adverb
Definition
: often, repeatedly
Examples
Oftentimes, when children are in trouble, you will hear people say that it is all because of low self-esteem."
— Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill, 2000
"However, it's important to remember that taking a nap for too long can leave you feeling groggy and oftentimes worse than before."
— Bailey Jensen, The Daily Collegian (Pennsylvania State University), 1 May 2017
Did You Know?
Despite its archaic, literary ring, oftentimes is quite alive today. In fact, it seems to be more popular now than it was in past decades, appearing frequently both in written expression and in speech.
Oftentimes was first used in the 14th century (the same century that gave us often), and its meaning hasn't changed—as meanings oftentimes will—in all that time. It was formed as an extension of its slightly older synonym ofttimes.
Today ofttimes is less common, but oft (which comes from Old English and also means "often" or "frequently") is popular in combination with past participles, as in oft-praised.
Friday, June 9, 2017
Mantissa
WORD OF THE DAY
mantissa \ man-tis-sah \ noun
Definition
1: the part of a logarithm to the right of the decimal point
1b: the logarithm of the significant digits, a decimal fraction between 0 and 1
2: the part of a floating-point number that represents the significant digits of that number, and that is multiplied by the base raised to the exponent to give the actual value of the number.
Examples:
Generally found in a table:
To find the logarithm of 358, one would look up log 3.58 ≅ 0.55388.
Therefore, log 358 = log 3.58 + log 100 = 0.55388 + 2 = 2.55388.
Did You Know?
The general popularity of "Mantissa" is in the bottom 20% of words! To understand mantissa, one needs to understand a bit about logarithms. The availability of logarithms greatly influenced the form of plane and spherical trigonometry. The procedures of trigonometry were recast to produce formulas in which the operations that depend on logarithms are done all at once. The recourse to the tables then consisted of only two steps, obtaining logarithms and, after performing computations with the logarithms, obtaining antilogarithms
The invention of logarithms was foreshadowed by the comparison of arithmetic and geometric sequences. In a geometric sequence each term forms a constant ratio with its successor; for example,
…1/1,000, 1/100, 1/10, 1, 10, 100, 1,000…
has a common ratio of 10. In an arithmetic sequence each successive term differs by a constant, known as the common difference; for example,
…−3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3…
has a common difference of 1. Note that a geometric sequence can be written in terms of its common ratio; for the example geometric sequence given above:
…10−3, 10−2, 10−1, 100, 101, 102, 103….
Multiplying two numbers in the geometric sequence, say 1/10 and 100, is equal to adding the corresponding exponents of the common ratio, −1 and 2, to obtain 101 = 10. Thus, multiplication is transformed into addition. The original comparison between the two series, however, was not based on any explicit use of the exponential notation; this was a later development. In 1620 the first table based on the concept of relating geometric and arithmetic sequences was published in Prague by the Swiss mathematician Joost Bürgi.
The Scottish mathematician John Napier published his discovery of logarithms in 1614. His purpose was to assist in the multiplication of quantities that were then called sines. The whole sine was the value of the side of a right-angled triangle with a large hypotenuse. (Napier’s original hypotenuse was 107.) His definition was given in terms of relative rates
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Penchant
WORD OF THE DAY
penchant \ PEN-chunt \ noun
Definition
1: a strong and continued inclination; broadly
2: liking
Examples
"The irony is that acting young kept me out of trouble, giving me a sense of focus and purpose. I had a penchant for adventure."
— Juliette Lewis, quoted in The Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2015
"Among the many school-year rituals, none stands out in my mind more than picture day.… Ever eager to look my best, I had a penchant for trying something different with my hair—with less-than-stellar results."
— Becky Kover, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 4 Aug. 2014
Did You Know?
Like its synonyms leaning, propensity, and proclivity, penchant implies a strong instinct or liking for something. But these four words, while similar, are also distinguished by subtle differences. Leaning usually suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable ("a student with artistic leanings"), whereas propensity tends to imply a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination ("a propensity to offer advice").
Proclivity frequently suggests a strong, natural proneness to something objectionable or evil ("a proclivity for violence"). Penchant, a descendant of Latin pendere (meaning "to weigh"), typically implies a strongly marked taste in the person ("a penchant for jazz music") or an irresistible attraction in the object ("a penchant for taking risks").
penchant \ PEN-chunt \ noun
Definition
1: a strong and continued inclination; broadly
2: liking
Examples
"The irony is that acting young kept me out of trouble, giving me a sense of focus and purpose. I had a penchant for adventure."
— Juliette Lewis, quoted in The Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2015
"Among the many school-year rituals, none stands out in my mind more than picture day.… Ever eager to look my best, I had a penchant for trying something different with my hair—with less-than-stellar results."
— Becky Kover, The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, 4 Aug. 2014
Did You Know?
Like its synonyms leaning, propensity, and proclivity, penchant implies a strong instinct or liking for something. But these four words, while similar, are also distinguished by subtle differences. Leaning usually suggests a liking or attraction not strong enough to be decisive or uncontrollable ("a student with artistic leanings"), whereas propensity tends to imply a deeply ingrained and usually irresistible inclination ("a propensity to offer advice").
Proclivity frequently suggests a strong, natural proneness to something objectionable or evil ("a proclivity for violence"). Penchant, a descendant of Latin pendere (meaning "to weigh"), typically implies a strongly marked taste in the person ("a penchant for jazz music") or an irresistible attraction in the object ("a penchant for taking risks").
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
Incoherent
WORD OF THE DAY
Incoherent \ -in-koh-HEER-unt \ adjective
Definition
1: lacking coherence, such as:
a : lacking cohesion : loose
b : lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance
c : inconsistent
d : lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought
Examples
I found myself unable to follow the movie's rambling and incoherent plot.
"All it really says is that people are expressing profound unease, even if they have incoherent or contradictory senses of why…."
— Nitsuh Abebe, The New York Times Magazine, 18 Apr. 2017
Did You Know?
Something that is coherent holds or sticks together firmly, with resistance to separation (that is, it coheres). Coherent, ultimately from the Latin co- ("together") and haerēre ("to stick or cling"), entered English in the 16th century and almost from the beginning was used both of physical things ("coherent stone") and of things which hold together in a much less palpable way ("coherent thoughts").
Its antonym, incoherent, entered the language some decades later. Like coherent, incoherent can be applied to both the tangible and the intangible. But, whether we are speaking of sand or logic, all things incoherent have one thing in common: they do not hold together, literally or figuratively, in a unified or intelligible whole.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Catercorner
WORD OF THE DAY
catercorner \ KAT-ee-kor-ner \ adverb or adjective
Definition
1: in a diagonal or oblique position
2: kitty-corner
Examples
The elaborate water fountain is catercorner to the building's entrance, so it's the first thing you see when you enter the foyer.
"A few doors down (near the sushi place in the same strip mall, catercorner from the spiral-cut ham shop) we stopped briefly at Euro Market."
— Bruce Dorries, The News Leader (Staunton, VA), 4 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Catercorner also has the variants kitty-corner and catty-corner, but despite appearances, no cats were involved in the creation of this word. Cater derives from the Middle French noun quatre (or catre), which means "four."
English speakers adopted the word to refer to the four-dotted side of a die—a side important in several winning combinations in dice games. Perhaps because the four spots on a die can suggest an X, cater eventually came to be used dialectically with the meaning "diagonal" or "diagonally." This cater was combined with corner to form catercorner.
catercorner \ KAT-ee-kor-ner \ adverb or adjective
Definition
1: in a diagonal or oblique position
2: kitty-corner
Examples
The elaborate water fountain is catercorner to the building's entrance, so it's the first thing you see when you enter the foyer.
"A few doors down (near the sushi place in the same strip mall, catercorner from the spiral-cut ham shop) we stopped briefly at Euro Market."
— Bruce Dorries, The News Leader (Staunton, VA), 4 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Catercorner also has the variants kitty-corner and catty-corner, but despite appearances, no cats were involved in the creation of this word. Cater derives from the Middle French noun quatre (or catre), which means "four."
English speakers adopted the word to refer to the four-dotted side of a die—a side important in several winning combinations in dice games. Perhaps because the four spots on a die can suggest an X, cater eventually came to be used dialectically with the meaning "diagonal" or "diagonally." This cater was combined with corner to form catercorner.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Adumbrate
WORD OF THE DAY
adumbrate \ AD-um-brayt \ verb
Definition
1a: to foreshadow vaguely
1b: intimate
2: to suggest, disclose, or outline partially
3: overshadow, obscure
Examples
"The opening scenes not only set forth the locale, the leading characters, and the first stage of the plot, but also adumbrate everything to come."
— Richard Alleva, The Commonweal, 11 Sept. 2015
"His temper and tendency to violence, adumbrated in the first part of the book, lead not only to his decline as a journalist but also his inability to maintain relationships with the various women he encounters."
— Gerald Early, The Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
You aren't likely to find adumbrate in children's stories or on the sports pages. That's not because this shady word is somehow off-color, but rather because it tends to show up most often in academic or political writing. In fact, some usage commentators find it too hard for "ordinary" use (although they are hard-pressed to define "ordinary").
Art and literary critics have long found it useful, and it's a definite candidate for those oft-published "lists of words you should know" (especially for vocabulary tests). You might remember adumbrate better if you know that it developed from the Latin verb adumbrare, which in turn comes from umbra, the Latin word for "shadow." To adumbrate, then, is to offer a shadowy view of something.
adumbrate \ AD-um-brayt \ verb
Definition
1a: to foreshadow vaguely
1b: intimate
2: to suggest, disclose, or outline partially
3: overshadow, obscure
Examples
"The opening scenes not only set forth the locale, the leading characters, and the first stage of the plot, but also adumbrate everything to come."
— Richard Alleva, The Commonweal, 11 Sept. 2015
"His temper and tendency to violence, adumbrated in the first part of the book, lead not only to his decline as a journalist but also his inability to maintain relationships with the various women he encounters."
— Gerald Early, The Washington Post, 10 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
You aren't likely to find adumbrate in children's stories or on the sports pages. That's not because this shady word is somehow off-color, but rather because it tends to show up most often in academic or political writing. In fact, some usage commentators find it too hard for "ordinary" use (although they are hard-pressed to define "ordinary").
Art and literary critics have long found it useful, and it's a definite candidate for those oft-published "lists of words you should know" (especially for vocabulary tests). You might remember adumbrate better if you know that it developed from the Latin verb adumbrare, which in turn comes from umbra, the Latin word for "shadow." To adumbrate, then, is to offer a shadowy view of something.
Friday, June 2, 2017
Plagieary
WORD OF THE DAY
Plagieary \ PLAY-jee-air-ee \ noun
Definition
1 : (archaic) one that plagiarizes
2 : plagiarism
Examples
"When Amy Heckerling updated and reworked Emma into her 1995 film Clueless, she was not plagiarising Jane Austen, she was creating an imaginary conversation with a classic novel. If I'd opened this piece by writing, 'To steal or not to steal, that is the question,' the only literary misconduct of which I would be guilty is cliche, not 'plagiary,' to use the word's older form."
— Sarah Churchwell, The Guardian, 30 May 2013
"… he's a natural essayist, parodist, satirist, punster, commentator and memoirist—the one literary field he fails at is fiction. His initial story ideas are unintentional plagiaries of renowned novels—of Don Quixote, The Giver, The Shining."
— Sherie Posesorski, The Vancouver Sun, 8 Nov. 2014
Did You Know?
Plagiarius, the Latin source of plagiary, literally means "kidnapper." Plagiarius has its roots in the noun plagium, meaning both "kidnapping" and "the netting of game," and ultimately in the noun plaga, meaning "net." The literal sense of plagiarius was adopted into English; in the 17th and early 18th century, a kidnapper might be referred to as a plagiary, and, in the legalese of the time, kidnapping as plagium.
Plagiarius also referred to a literary thief—and that sense was lifted into the English language in the word plagiary, which can be used for one who commits literary theft (now usually referred to as a plagiarist) or the act or product of such theft (now, more commonly, plagiarism).
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Valedictory
WORD OF THE DAY
valedictory \ val-uh-DIK-tuh-ree \ adjective
Definition
1: of or relating to an act of bidding farewell
2: expressing or containing a farewell
Examples
"During one of two valedictory addresses, Fredrick challenged her classmates to make a difference after graduation and took the time to thank all teachers."
— Nathan Thompson, The Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Examiner-Enterprise, 14 May
2017
"When Julian Wachner arrived in Washington to head the Washington Chorus, he was seething with unfocused energy: a man with a lot to prove. On Sunday, nearly 10 years later, he led his valedictory performance as the chorus's music director."
— Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 16 May 2017
Did You Know?
Valedictory addresses delivered by earnest young valedictorians at high school and college graduations are as much a sign of spring in the United States as baseball games and cookouts. Though we don’t know where the first valedictory address was given, we do know that the word was an institution at some colleges in the U.S. by the mid-1700s.
English speakers and writers have also used valedictory in non-academic settings since the mid-1600s. Since a valedictory speech is given at the end of an academic career, it is perfectly in keeping with the meaning of its Latin ancestor, valedicere, which means "to say farewell."
valedictory \ val-uh-DIK-tuh-ree \ adjective
Definition
1: of or relating to an act of bidding farewell
2: expressing or containing a farewell
Examples
"During one of two valedictory addresses, Fredrick challenged her classmates to make a difference after graduation and took the time to thank all teachers."
— Nathan Thompson, The Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Examiner-Enterprise, 14 May
2017
"When Julian Wachner arrived in Washington to head the Washington Chorus, he was seething with unfocused energy: a man with a lot to prove. On Sunday, nearly 10 years later, he led his valedictory performance as the chorus's music director."
— Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 16 May 2017
Did You Know?
Valedictory addresses delivered by earnest young valedictorians at high school and college graduations are as much a sign of spring in the United States as baseball games and cookouts. Though we don’t know where the first valedictory address was given, we do know that the word was an institution at some colleges in the U.S. by the mid-1700s.
English speakers and writers have also used valedictory in non-academic settings since the mid-1600s. Since a valedictory speech is given at the end of an academic career, it is perfectly in keeping with the meaning of its Latin ancestor, valedicere, which means "to say farewell."
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