WORD OF THE DAY
circadian / adjective / ser-KAY-dee-un
Definition
: being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function)
Examples
The presence and absence of light can greatly influence an organism's circadian rhythms.
"The circadian cycle is a period of approximately 24 hours. During that time, and keyed to the daily shift from light to dark and back again, the circadian clock influences rhythmic changes in both physiology and behavior."
— Eve Glazier and Elizabeth Ko, The Bismarck Tribune, 3 July 2018
Did You Know?
In 1959, a scientist formed the word circadian from the Latin words circa ("about") and dies ("day"), and it caught on quickly.
Most often, it's seen and heard in the term circadian rhythm, which refers to the inherent cycle of about 24 hours that appears to control various biological processes, such as sleep, wakefulness, and digestive activity.
If you want to impress your friends, you can also use the term circadian dysrhythmia, a fancy synonym of jet lag.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Monday, April 29, 2019
Accolade
WORD OF THE DAY
accolade / noun / AK-uh-layd
Definition
1a: a mark of acknowledgment
1b: award
1c: an expression of praise
2a: a ceremonial embrace
2b: a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood
3: a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts
Examples
"Black Panther has become the No. 1 movie of the year in North America ($700 million) and No. 2 worldwide ($1.35 billion) and has earned a slew of accolades including Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations."
— Joi Childs, Hollywoodreporter.com, 7 Jan. 2019
"One by one, members around the table gave accolades to Smedley for his assistance over the years in a number of areas, including grant writing, training and community events."
— Linda Hall, The Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), 8 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Accolade was borrowed into English in the 16th century from French. The French noun, in turn, derives from the verb accoler, which means "to embrace," and ultimately from the Latin term collum, meaning "neck." (Collum is also an ancestor of the English word collar.)
When it was first borrowed from French, accolade referred to a ceremonial embrace that once marked the conferring of knighthood.
The term was later extended to any ceremony conferring knighthood (such as the more familiar tapping on the shoulders with the flat part of a sword's blade), and eventually extended to honors or awards in general.
accolade / noun / AK-uh-layd
Definition
1a: a mark of acknowledgment
1b: award
1c: an expression of praise
2a: a ceremonial embrace
2b: a ceremony or salute conferring knighthood
3: a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts
Examples
"Black Panther has become the No. 1 movie of the year in North America ($700 million) and No. 2 worldwide ($1.35 billion) and has earned a slew of accolades including Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations."
— Joi Childs, Hollywoodreporter.com, 7 Jan. 2019
"One by one, members around the table gave accolades to Smedley for his assistance over the years in a number of areas, including grant writing, training and community events."
— Linda Hall, The Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio), 8 Feb. 2017
Did You Know?
Accolade was borrowed into English in the 16th century from French. The French noun, in turn, derives from the verb accoler, which means "to embrace," and ultimately from the Latin term collum, meaning "neck." (Collum is also an ancestor of the English word collar.)
When it was first borrowed from French, accolade referred to a ceremonial embrace that once marked the conferring of knighthood.
The term was later extended to any ceremony conferring knighthood (such as the more familiar tapping on the shoulders with the flat part of a sword's blade), and eventually extended to honors or awards in general.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Putsch
WORD OF THE DA Y
putsch / noun / PUTCH
Definition
: a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government
Examples
The graduate-level seminar focuses on the events surrounding the August 1991 putsch against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"[Christian Petzold's] thriller Transit twists modern concerns about national identity, immigration, and fascism into a personal, artsy mystery. Petzold starts with Georg …, an emotionally wounded German living in France, during a spookily contemporary, unspecified putsch, who seeks refuge in the Americas."
— Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
In its native Swiss German, putsch originally meant "knock" or "thrust," but these days both German and English speakers use it to refer to the kind of government overthrow also known as a coup d'état or coup.
Putsch debuted in English shortly before the tumultuous Kapp Putsch of 1920, in which Wolfgang Kapp and his right-wing supporters attempted to overthrow the German Weimar government.
Putsch attempts were common in Weimar Germany, so the word appeared often in the stories of the English journalists who described the insurrections.
Adolf Hitler also attempted a putsch (known as the Beer Hall Putsch), but he ultimately gained control of the German government via other means.
putsch / noun / PUTCH
Definition
: a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government
Examples
The graduate-level seminar focuses on the events surrounding the August 1991 putsch against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"[Christian Petzold's] thriller Transit twists modern concerns about national identity, immigration, and fascism into a personal, artsy mystery. Petzold starts with Georg …, an emotionally wounded German living in France, during a spookily contemporary, unspecified putsch, who seeks refuge in the Americas."
— Armond White, National Review, 13 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
In its native Swiss German, putsch originally meant "knock" or "thrust," but these days both German and English speakers use it to refer to the kind of government overthrow also known as a coup d'état or coup.
Putsch debuted in English shortly before the tumultuous Kapp Putsch of 1920, in which Wolfgang Kapp and his right-wing supporters attempted to overthrow the German Weimar government.
Putsch attempts were common in Weimar Germany, so the word appeared often in the stories of the English journalists who described the insurrections.
Adolf Hitler also attempted a putsch (known as the Beer Hall Putsch), but he ultimately gained control of the German government via other means.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Nonpareil
WORD OF THE DAY
nonpareil / adjective / nahn-puh-REL
Definition
: having no equal
Examples
The chef is well-known for his mastery at creating savory entrées, but it is his dessert creations that are nonpareil.
"Louis Armstrong was a God-gifted cultural amalgamation of all the best that America has to offer: He was an artist and humanitarian of the highest order.… [He] broke down artistic, racial, social, and cultural barriers. Using his nonpareil trumpet ability, he reinvented American music."
— Jon Batiste, quoted in Billboard, 31 May 2017
Did You Know?
Trace nonpareil back to its Middle French origins, and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning "not equal." Pareil itself comes from a Vulgar Latin form of par, which means "equal."
Nonpareil has served as an English adjective since the 15th century, and since about the turn of the 16th century, it has also functioned as a noun describing an individual of unequaled excellence.
In 1612, Captain John Smith used the term in that noun sense (but with a now-archaic spelling): "Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter ... was the very Nomparell of his kingdome, and at most not past 13 or 14 years of age."
And as you may know, nonpareil is also the name of a chocolate candy covered with white sugar pellets.
nonpareil / adjective / nahn-puh-REL
Definition
: having no equal
Examples
The chef is well-known for his mastery at creating savory entrées, but it is his dessert creations that are nonpareil.
"Louis Armstrong was a God-gifted cultural amalgamation of all the best that America has to offer: He was an artist and humanitarian of the highest order.… [He] broke down artistic, racial, social, and cultural barriers. Using his nonpareil trumpet ability, he reinvented American music."
— Jon Batiste, quoted in Billboard, 31 May 2017
Did You Know?
Trace nonpareil back to its Middle French origins, and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning "not equal." Pareil itself comes from a Vulgar Latin form of par, which means "equal."
Nonpareil has served as an English adjective since the 15th century, and since about the turn of the 16th century, it has also functioned as a noun describing an individual of unequaled excellence.
In 1612, Captain John Smith used the term in that noun sense (but with a now-archaic spelling): "Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter ... was the very Nomparell of his kingdome, and at most not past 13 or 14 years of age."
And as you may know, nonpareil is also the name of a chocolate candy covered with white sugar pellets.
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Writhe
WORD OF THE DAY
writhe / verb / RYTHE
Definition
1: to move or proceed with twists and turns
2: to twist from or as if from pain or struggling
3: to suffer keenly
Examples
Kelly watched the earthworm writhe across the driveway and toward the garden.
"When the coast is clear, start peeling off your wetsuit. This is easier said than done because sweat-soaked neoprene clings to your flesh like a second skin. So, as you writhe and squirm to free yourself, think of a beautiful butterfly emerging from its chrysalis."
— Irv Oslin, The Ashland (Ohio) Times-Gazette, 21 Feb. 2019
Did You Know?
Writhe wound its way into English from the Old English verb wrīthan ("to twist") and is akin to the Old English verb wrigian ("to turn or go").
Wrigian gave us our words wriggle, awry, and wry. When something wriggles, it twists from side to side with quick movements, like an earthworm. When something goes awry, it twists or winds off course, often toward catastrophe.
Wry can mean "bent or twisted" but usually implies clever, ironic humor. These days, writhe often suggests the physical contortions one makes when enduring crippling pain or when trying to extract oneself from a tight grasp (as an animal from a predator's claws).
Alternatively, it can imply an emotionally wrenching feeling (as of grief or fear) from which one seeks relief.
writhe / verb / RYTHE
Definition
1: to move or proceed with twists and turns
2: to twist from or as if from pain or struggling
3: to suffer keenly
Examples
Kelly watched the earthworm writhe across the driveway and toward the garden.
"When the coast is clear, start peeling off your wetsuit. This is easier said than done because sweat-soaked neoprene clings to your flesh like a second skin. So, as you writhe and squirm to free yourself, think of a beautiful butterfly emerging from its chrysalis."
— Irv Oslin, The Ashland (Ohio) Times-Gazette, 21 Feb. 2019
Did You Know?
Writhe wound its way into English from the Old English verb wrīthan ("to twist") and is akin to the Old English verb wrigian ("to turn or go").
Wrigian gave us our words wriggle, awry, and wry. When something wriggles, it twists from side to side with quick movements, like an earthworm. When something goes awry, it twists or winds off course, often toward catastrophe.
Wry can mean "bent or twisted" but usually implies clever, ironic humor. These days, writhe often suggests the physical contortions one makes when enduring crippling pain or when trying to extract oneself from a tight grasp (as an animal from a predator's claws).
Alternatively, it can imply an emotionally wrenching feeling (as of grief or fear) from which one seeks relief.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Inexorable
WORD OF THE DAY
inexorable / adjective / i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul
Definition
1: not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped
2: relentless
Examples
"The question is, what is Nashville anymore, if not gritty joints that nurtured musicians and songwriters? Yes, change is the inexorable constant, but at such an accelerated pace, we are seeing the fabric of Nashville culture being ripped away and replaced with the glitz not of rhinestones, but of klieg lights and slick outsiders spoiling for a deal."
— Jim Myers, The Nashville Ledger, 1 Mar. 2019
"As the cost of public school leadership continues its inexorable rise, so do the taxpayer-funded pensions received by educators when they retire."
— David McKay Wilson, lohud.com, 7 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
The Latin antecedent of inexorable is inexorabilis, which is itself a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "not," plus exorabilis, meaning "pliant" or "capable of being moved by entreaty."
It's a fitting etymology for inexorable. You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable.
Inexorable has been a part of the English language since the 1500s. Originally, it was often applied to people or sometimes to personified things, as in "deaf and inexorable laws."
These days, it is usually applied to things, as in "inexorable monotony" or "an inexorable trend." In such cases, it essentially means "unyielding" or "inflexible."
inexorable / adjective / i-NEK-suh-ruh-bul
Definition
1: not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped
2: relentless
Examples
"The question is, what is Nashville anymore, if not gritty joints that nurtured musicians and songwriters? Yes, change is the inexorable constant, but at such an accelerated pace, we are seeing the fabric of Nashville culture being ripped away and replaced with the glitz not of rhinestones, but of klieg lights and slick outsiders spoiling for a deal."
— Jim Myers, The Nashville Ledger, 1 Mar. 2019
"As the cost of public school leadership continues its inexorable rise, so do the taxpayer-funded pensions received by educators when they retire."
— David McKay Wilson, lohud.com, 7 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
The Latin antecedent of inexorable is inexorabilis, which is itself a combination of the prefix in-, meaning "not," plus exorabilis, meaning "pliant" or "capable of being moved by entreaty."
It's a fitting etymology for inexorable. You can beseech and implore until you're blue in the face, but that won't have any effect on something that's inexorable.
Inexorable has been a part of the English language since the 1500s. Originally, it was often applied to people or sometimes to personified things, as in "deaf and inexorable laws."
These days, it is usually applied to things, as in "inexorable monotony" or "an inexorable trend." In such cases, it essentially means "unyielding" or "inflexible."
Monday, April 22, 2019
Intoxicate
WORD OF THE DAY
intoxicate / verb / in-TAHK-suh-kayt
Definition
1: poison
2a: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished
2b: to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy
Examples
"But, even as a child, [George] Benjamin preferred classical music: Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring,' Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain,' Dukas's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' and Beethoven above all. He was 'intoxicated by music,' he told me, noting, 'If I had an afternoon off, I would spend it looking at scores, practicing the piano, writing music….'"
— Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Sept. 2018
"I ate the berries myself, my tongue carefully and eagerly pressing each one to my palate. The sweet, aromatic juice of each squashed berry intoxicated me for a second."
— Varlam Shalamov, "Berries" in Kolyma Stories, 2018
Did You Know?
For those who think that alcohol and drugs qualify as poisons, the history of intoxicate offers some etymological evidence to bolster your argument.
Intoxicate traces back to toxicum, the Latin word for "poison"—and the earliest meaning of intoxicate was as an adjective describing something (such as the tip of an arrow or dart) steeped in or smeared with poison.
That meaning dates to the 15th century; the related verb, meaning "to poison," occurs in the 16th. Both senses are now obsolete. Today, we talk about such harmless things as flowers and perfume having the power to intoxicate.
Toxicum turns up in the etymologies of a number of other English words including toxic ("poisonous"), intoxicant ("something that intoxicates"), and detoxify ("to remove a poison from"), as well as a number of names for various poisons themselves.
intoxicate / verb / in-TAHK-suh-kayt
Definition
1: poison
2a: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished
2b: to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy
Examples
"But, even as a child, [George] Benjamin preferred classical music: Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring,' Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain,' Dukas's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' and Beethoven above all. He was 'intoxicated by music,' he told me, noting, 'If I had an afternoon off, I would spend it looking at scores, practicing the piano, writing music….'"
— Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Sept. 2018
"I ate the berries myself, my tongue carefully and eagerly pressing each one to my palate. The sweet, aromatic juice of each squashed berry intoxicated me for a second."
— Varlam Shalamov, "Berries" in Kolyma Stories, 2018
Did You Know?
For those who think that alcohol and drugs qualify as poisons, the history of intoxicate offers some etymological evidence to bolster your argument.
Intoxicate traces back to toxicum, the Latin word for "poison"—and the earliest meaning of intoxicate was as an adjective describing something (such as the tip of an arrow or dart) steeped in or smeared with poison.
That meaning dates to the 15th century; the related verb, meaning "to poison," occurs in the 16th. Both senses are now obsolete. Today, we talk about such harmless things as flowers and perfume having the power to intoxicate.
Toxicum turns up in the etymologies of a number of other English words including toxic ("poisonous"), intoxicant ("something that intoxicates"), and detoxify ("to remove a poison from"), as well as a number of names for various poisons themselves.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Adversary
WORD OF THE DAY
adversary / noun / AD-ver-sair-ee
Definition
1: one that contends with, opposes, or resists
2: an enemy or opponent
Examples
Despite the fact that they have been political adversaries for years, the two state senators worked together to rally bipartisan support for the bill.
"Try these strategies to engage your boss as a partner in your success rather than an adversary who's getting in your way."
— Nate Regier, The Wichita Eagle, 7 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
If you've ever had someone turn on you and become your adversary, you've inadvertently lived out the etymology of adversary.
The word is from the Latin adjective adverāsarius ("turned toward" or "antagonistic toward"), which in turn can be traced back to the verb advertere, meaning "to turn toward."
Advertere itself derives from ad- and vertere ("to turn"), and vertere is the source of a number of English words.
Along with obvious derivatives, like inadvertent and adverse, are some surprises, including anniversary, vertebra, and prose—the last of which traces back to the Latin prosus, a contraction of proversus, the past participle of provertere ("to turn forward").
adversary / noun / AD-ver-sair-ee
Definition
1: one that contends with, opposes, or resists
2: an enemy or opponent
Examples
Despite the fact that they have been political adversaries for years, the two state senators worked together to rally bipartisan support for the bill.
"Try these strategies to engage your boss as a partner in your success rather than an adversary who's getting in your way."
— Nate Regier, The Wichita Eagle, 7 Mar. 2019
Did You Know?
If you've ever had someone turn on you and become your adversary, you've inadvertently lived out the etymology of adversary.
The word is from the Latin adjective adverāsarius ("turned toward" or "antagonistic toward"), which in turn can be traced back to the verb advertere, meaning "to turn toward."
Advertere itself derives from ad- and vertere ("to turn"), and vertere is the source of a number of English words.
Along with obvious derivatives, like inadvertent and adverse, are some surprises, including anniversary, vertebra, and prose—the last of which traces back to the Latin prosus, a contraction of proversus, the past participle of provertere ("to turn forward").
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Gullible
WORD OF THE DAY
gullible / adjective / GULL-uh-bul
Definition
: easily duped or cheated
Examples
"I'm not so gullible as to think I really won this cash sweepstakes," said Aunt Mary, though she went ahead and opened the envelope that told her she had won, just in case it wasn't a scam.
"The conclusion that some people are more gullible than others is the understanding in popular culture—but in the scientific world it's pitted against another widely believed paradigm, shaped by several counterintuitive studies that indicate we're all equally biased, irrational and likely to fall for propaganda, sales pitches and general nonsense."
— Faye Flam, The Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
Don't fall for anyone who tries to convince you that gullible isn't entered in the dictionary. It's right there, along with the run-on entries gullibility and gullibly.
All three words descend from the verb gull, meaning "to deceive or take advantage of." The verb was borrowed into English from Anglo-French in the mid-16th century.
Another relative is the noun gull, referring to a person who is easy to cheat—a word which is unrelated to the familiar word for a seabird, which is of Celtic origin.
gullible / adjective / GULL-uh-bul
Definition
: easily duped or cheated
Examples
"I'm not so gullible as to think I really won this cash sweepstakes," said Aunt Mary, though she went ahead and opened the envelope that told her she had won, just in case it wasn't a scam.
"The conclusion that some people are more gullible than others is the understanding in popular culture—but in the scientific world it's pitted against another widely believed paradigm, shaped by several counterintuitive studies that indicate we're all equally biased, irrational and likely to fall for propaganda, sales pitches and general nonsense."
— Faye Flam, The Chicago Tribune, 4 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
Don't fall for anyone who tries to convince you that gullible isn't entered in the dictionary. It's right there, along with the run-on entries gullibility and gullibly.
All three words descend from the verb gull, meaning "to deceive or take advantage of." The verb was borrowed into English from Anglo-French in the mid-16th century.
Another relative is the noun gull, referring to a person who is easy to cheat—a word which is unrelated to the familiar word for a seabird, which is of Celtic origin.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Cubit
WORD OF THE DAY
cubit / noun / KYOO-bit
Definition
: any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters)
Examples
The teacher explained that the ancient Egyptians did not measure things in feet and yards as we do but rather calculated measurements using the cubit.
"Noah's big boat, 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide by 30 cubits high and jammed to its gunwales with wildlife, has been a favorite metaphor among books about biological diversity."
— David Quammen, The New York Times Book Review, 23 Apr. 1995
Did You Know?
The cubit is an ancient unit of length that may have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago. Cubit can refer to various units used in the ancient world, the actual length of which varied from time to time and place to place, but which was generally equivalent to the length of the human arm from elbow to fingertip—roughly about a foot and a half. (Appropriately, the word's source is a Latin word meaning "elbow.")
Starting with the Wycliffe Bible in 1382, cubit has been used as the English translation for the measurement known in Biblical Hebrew as the "ammah" and in Koine as the "péchus."
cubit / noun / KYOO-bit
Definition
: any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters)
Examples
The teacher explained that the ancient Egyptians did not measure things in feet and yards as we do but rather calculated measurements using the cubit.
"Noah's big boat, 300 cubits long by 50 cubits wide by 30 cubits high and jammed to its gunwales with wildlife, has been a favorite metaphor among books about biological diversity."
— David Quammen, The New York Times Book Review, 23 Apr. 1995
Did You Know?
The cubit is an ancient unit of length that may have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago. Cubit can refer to various units used in the ancient world, the actual length of which varied from time to time and place to place, but which was generally equivalent to the length of the human arm from elbow to fingertip—roughly about a foot and a half. (Appropriately, the word's source is a Latin word meaning "elbow.")
Starting with the Wycliffe Bible in 1382, cubit has been used as the English translation for the measurement known in Biblical Hebrew as the "ammah" and in Koine as the "péchus."
Monday, April 15, 2019
Katzenjammer
WORD OF THE DAY
katzenjammer / noun / KAT-sun-jam-er
Definition
1: hangover
2: distress, depression, or confusion resembling that caused by a hangover
3: a discordant clamor
Examples
"I drank too much that night and woke up submerged in a post-wine katzenjammer the next morning. My head was buzzing, and every fiber of my body slowly shriveled and wilted as the alcohol exited it."
— Mac Lethal, Texts from Bennett, 2013
"The highest purpose of bar food, in all its cheesy, starchy, pinguid, deep-fried trashiness, is to sponge up as many bad decisions as possible before you wake up with a katzenjammer."
— Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 22 Mon. 2015
Did You Know?
Have you ever heard a cat wailing and felt that you could relate? Apparently some hungover German speakers once did. Katzenjammer comes from German Katze (meaning "cat") and Jammer (meaning "distress" or "misery").
English speakers borrowed the word for their hangovers (and other distressful inner states) in the first half of the 19th century and eventually applied it to outer commotion as well.
The word isn't as popular in English today as it was around the mid-20th century, but it's well-known to many because of The Katzenjammer Kids, a long-running comic strip featuring the incorrigibly mischievous twins Hans and Fritz..
katzenjammer / noun / KAT-sun-jam-er
Definition
1: hangover
2: distress, depression, or confusion resembling that caused by a hangover
3: a discordant clamor
Examples
"I drank too much that night and woke up submerged in a post-wine katzenjammer the next morning. My head was buzzing, and every fiber of my body slowly shriveled and wilted as the alcohol exited it."
— Mac Lethal, Texts from Bennett, 2013
"The highest purpose of bar food, in all its cheesy, starchy, pinguid, deep-fried trashiness, is to sponge up as many bad decisions as possible before you wake up with a katzenjammer."
— Mike Sula, Chicago Reader, 22 Mon. 2015
Did You Know?
Have you ever heard a cat wailing and felt that you could relate? Apparently some hungover German speakers once did. Katzenjammer comes from German Katze (meaning "cat") and Jammer (meaning "distress" or "misery").
English speakers borrowed the word for their hangovers (and other distressful inner states) in the first half of the 19th century and eventually applied it to outer commotion as well.
The word isn't as popular in English today as it was around the mid-20th century, but it's well-known to many because of The Katzenjammer Kids, a long-running comic strip featuring the incorrigibly mischievous twins Hans and Fritz..
Friday, April 12, 2019
Thole
WORD OF THE DAY
thole / verb / THOHL
Definition
chiefly dialectal : endure
Examples
"There was now temptation to resist, as well as pain to thole."
— Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, 1886
"They view bad weather—whether it be a temperature of minus 14 or the northerly wind that comes howling down the loch—as a pleasurable challenge rather than something to be tholed."
— Peter Ross, The Scotsman, 1 Oct. 2012
Did You Know?
Thole has a long history in the English language. It existed in Middle English in its current form, and in Old English in the form tholian, but in these modern times, it tholes only in a few of England's northern dialects.
It has, however, a linguistic cousin far more familiar to most English speakers: the word tolerate traces back to Latin tolerare, meaning "to endure, put up with," and tolerare and tholian share a kinship with the Greek verb tlēnai, meaning "to bear."
Unrelated to our featured word thole, there is another (also very old) thole, which can be used as a synonym of peg or pin, or can refer to either of a pair of pins set in the gunwale of a boat to hold an oar in place.
thole / verb / THOHL
Definition
chiefly dialectal : endure
Examples
"There was now temptation to resist, as well as pain to thole."
— Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, 1886
"They view bad weather—whether it be a temperature of minus 14 or the northerly wind that comes howling down the loch—as a pleasurable challenge rather than something to be tholed."
— Peter Ross, The Scotsman, 1 Oct. 2012
Did You Know?
Thole has a long history in the English language. It existed in Middle English in its current form, and in Old English in the form tholian, but in these modern times, it tholes only in a few of England's northern dialects.
It has, however, a linguistic cousin far more familiar to most English speakers: the word tolerate traces back to Latin tolerare, meaning "to endure, put up with," and tolerare and tholian share a kinship with the Greek verb tlēnai, meaning "to bear."
Unrelated to our featured word thole, there is another (also very old) thole, which can be used as a synonym of peg or pin, or can refer to either of a pair of pins set in the gunwale of a boat to hold an oar in place.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Despot
WORD OF THE DAY
despot / noun / DESS-putt
Definition
1a: a ruler with absolute power and authority
1b: one exercising power tyrannically
1c: a person exercising absolute power in a brutal or oppressive way
2a: a Byzantine emperor or prince
2b (Christianity): a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church
2c: an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance
Examples
"We like to think that, in a tyrannizing world, the best and the bravest thing is to beat the despots down. The worst thing, though, is that you become a tyrant yourself."
— Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 July 2017
"Throughout the world, despots are … probably monitoring Internet traffic, communications and behavior—in many cases using surveillance technology supplied by U.S. and other Western companies."
— Robert Morgus and Justin Sherman, The Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
In his 1755 dictionary, Samuel Johnson said of despot, "the word is not in use, except as applied to some Dacian prince; as the despot of Servia."
Indeed at that time, the word was mainly used to identify some very specific rulers or religious officials, and the title was an honorable one: it comes from a Greek word meaning "lord" or "master" and was originally applied to deities.
That situation changed toward the end of the century, perhaps because French Revolutionists, who were said to have been "very liberal in conferring this title," considered all sovereigns to be tyrannical.
When democracy became all the rage, despot came to be used most often for any ruler who wielded absolute and often contemptuous and oppressive power.
despot / noun / DESS-putt
Definition
1a: a ruler with absolute power and authority
1b: one exercising power tyrannically
1c: a person exercising absolute power in a brutal or oppressive way
2a: a Byzantine emperor or prince
2b (Christianity): a bishop or patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox Church
2c: an Italian hereditary prince or military leader during the Renaissance
Examples
"We like to think that, in a tyrannizing world, the best and the bravest thing is to beat the despots down. The worst thing, though, is that you become a tyrant yourself."
— Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 July 2017
"Throughout the world, despots are … probably monitoring Internet traffic, communications and behavior—in many cases using surveillance technology supplied by U.S. and other Western companies."
— Robert Morgus and Justin Sherman, The Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2019
Did You Know?
In his 1755 dictionary, Samuel Johnson said of despot, "the word is not in use, except as applied to some Dacian prince; as the despot of Servia."
Indeed at that time, the word was mainly used to identify some very specific rulers or religious officials, and the title was an honorable one: it comes from a Greek word meaning "lord" or "master" and was originally applied to deities.
That situation changed toward the end of the century, perhaps because French Revolutionists, who were said to have been "very liberal in conferring this title," considered all sovereigns to be tyrannical.
When democracy became all the rage, despot came to be used most often for any ruler who wielded absolute and often contemptuous and oppressive power.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Parthian
WORD OF THE DAY
Parthian / adjective / PAR-thee-un
Definition
1: of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient Parthia or its people
2: relating to, being, or having the effect of a shot fired while in real or feigned retreat
Examples
After being fired, the coach gave a Parthian shot to the general manager informing him that he was a churlish miser.
"Although the exact origins of polo are unknown, it earned its reputation as 'the sport of kings' in the Parthian Empire in Persia and the Byzantine Empire…"
— Town & Country, May 2018
Did You Know?
The adjective Parthian, which often shows up in the phrase "Parthian shot," has its roots in the military strategies of the ancient Parthians.
One of the fighting maneuvers of Parthian horsemen was to discharge arrows while in real or feigned retreat. The maneuver must have been memorable because "Parthian shot" continues to be used for a "parting shot," or a cutting remark made by a person who is leaving, many centuries after the dissolution of the Parthian empire.
Parthian / adjective / PAR-thee-un
Definition
1: of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient Parthia or its people
2: relating to, being, or having the effect of a shot fired while in real or feigned retreat
Examples
After being fired, the coach gave a Parthian shot to the general manager informing him that he was a churlish miser.
"Although the exact origins of polo are unknown, it earned its reputation as 'the sport of kings' in the Parthian Empire in Persia and the Byzantine Empire…"
— Town & Country, May 2018
Did You Know?
The adjective Parthian, which often shows up in the phrase "Parthian shot," has its roots in the military strategies of the ancient Parthians.
One of the fighting maneuvers of Parthian horsemen was to discharge arrows while in real or feigned retreat. The maneuver must have been memorable because "Parthian shot" continues to be used for a "parting shot," or a cutting remark made by a person who is leaving, many centuries after the dissolution of the Parthian empire.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Opusculum
WORD OF THE DAY
opusculum / noun / oh-PUSK-yuh-lum
Definition
: a minor work (as of literature) — usually used in plural
Examples
The book is a collection of opuscula written by the author between her two major novels.
"[Maria] Artamonova offers short summaries of most of Tolkien's satellite opuscula in roughly their order of composition—The Father Christmas Letters, Roverandom, Mr. Bliss, Farmer Giles of Ham, "Leaf by Niggle," and Smith of Wootton Major."
— Jason Fisher, Mythlore, 22 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Opusculum—which is often used in its plural form opuscula—comes from Latin, where it serves as the diminutive form of the noun opus, meaning "work."
In English, opus can refer to any literary or artistic work, though it often specifically refers to a musical piece. Being a diminutive of opus, opusculum logically refers to a short or minor work. Unlike its more famous relation, however, opusculum is most often used for literary works. The Latin plural of opus is opera, which gave us (via Italian) the word we know for a musical production consisting primarily of vocal pieces performed with orchestral accompaniment.
opusculum / noun / oh-PUSK-yuh-lum
Definition
: a minor work (as of literature) — usually used in plural
Examples
The book is a collection of opuscula written by the author between her two major novels.
"[Maria] Artamonova offers short summaries of most of Tolkien's satellite opuscula in roughly their order of composition—The Father Christmas Letters, Roverandom, Mr. Bliss, Farmer Giles of Ham, "Leaf by Niggle," and Smith of Wootton Major."
— Jason Fisher, Mythlore, 22 Sept. 2016
Did You Know?
Opusculum—which is often used in its plural form opuscula—comes from Latin, where it serves as the diminutive form of the noun opus, meaning "work."
In English, opus can refer to any literary or artistic work, though it often specifically refers to a musical piece. Being a diminutive of opus, opusculum logically refers to a short or minor work. Unlike its more famous relation, however, opusculum is most often used for literary works. The Latin plural of opus is opera, which gave us (via Italian) the word we know for a musical production consisting primarily of vocal pieces performed with orchestral accompaniment.
Monday, April 8, 2019
Cerebral
WORD OF THE DAY
cerebral / adjective / suh-REE-brul
Definition
1a: of or relating to the brain or the intellect
1b: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
2a: appealing to intellectual appreciation
2b: primarily intellectual in nature
Examples
"All exercise is good for the brain. Physical activity increases cerebral blood flow, reduces brain-damaging plaques and works to promote brain health at a cellular level."
— Marilynn Preston, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2019
"[Sally] Rooney poses far more questions than answers in her tart, cerebral book about young anti-establishment poets and writers attempting to transcend their own glibness."
— Katy Waldman, Slate, 12 Dec. 2017
Did You Know?
English borrowed its word cerebrum directly from the Latin word for "brain," but the adjective cerebral, though from the same source, took a slightly more circuitous route, making its way into English by way of French.
Cerebrum has been used in our language as a name for the upper part of the brain since at least the 1570s.
Cerebral has been appearing in print in English since the beginning of the 19th century, when it initially described the brain generally or the intellect.
Other brainy descendants of cerebrum in English include cerebellum (the part of the brain between the brain stem and the back of the cerebrum) and cerebrate, a verb meaning "to use the mind" or "to think."
cerebral / adjective / suh-REE-brul
Definition
1a: of or relating to the brain or the intellect
1b: of, relating to, affecting, or being the cerebrum
2a: appealing to intellectual appreciation
2b: primarily intellectual in nature
Examples
"All exercise is good for the brain. Physical activity increases cerebral blood flow, reduces brain-damaging plaques and works to promote brain health at a cellular level."
— Marilynn Preston, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2019
"[Sally] Rooney poses far more questions than answers in her tart, cerebral book about young anti-establishment poets and writers attempting to transcend their own glibness."
— Katy Waldman, Slate, 12 Dec. 2017
Did You Know?
English borrowed its word cerebrum directly from the Latin word for "brain," but the adjective cerebral, though from the same source, took a slightly more circuitous route, making its way into English by way of French.
Cerebrum has been used in our language as a name for the upper part of the brain since at least the 1570s.
Cerebral has been appearing in print in English since the beginning of the 19th century, when it initially described the brain generally or the intellect.
Other brainy descendants of cerebrum in English include cerebellum (the part of the brain between the brain stem and the back of the cerebrum) and cerebrate, a verb meaning "to use the mind" or "to think."
Friday, April 5, 2019
Brummagem
WORD OF THE DAY
brummagem / adjective BRUM-ih-jum
Definition
1a: not genuine
1b: spurious
2: cheaply showy
3: tawdry
Examples
The members of the bachelorette party stumbled out of the limousine with the bride wearing a brummagem tiara and sash.
"Just as critics … conceived high culture in some antithetical relationship to 'middlebrow' or 'kitsch,' which imitated the intelligentsia's culture and blurred the distinction between commodity and art, so too, they warned, the spirit of Christianity now had to be preserved from its brummagem versions…."
— Jason W. Stevens, God-Fearing and Free, 2010
Did You Know?
Brummagem first appeared in the 17th century as an alteration of Birmingham, the name of a city in England. At that time Birmingham was notorious for the counterfeit coins made there, and the word brummagem quickly became associated with things forged or inauthentic.
By the 19th century, Birmingham had become a chief manufacturer of cheap trinkets and gilt jewelry, and again the word brummagem followed suit—it came to describe that which is showy on the outside but essentially of low quality.
Perhaps the term was something of an annoyance to the people of Birmingham way back when, but nowadays when brummagem is used (which isn't often) it's usually without any conscious reference to the British city.
brummagem / adjective BRUM-ih-jum
Definition
1a: not genuine
1b: spurious
2: cheaply showy
3: tawdry
Examples
The members of the bachelorette party stumbled out of the limousine with the bride wearing a brummagem tiara and sash.
"Just as critics … conceived high culture in some antithetical relationship to 'middlebrow' or 'kitsch,' which imitated the intelligentsia's culture and blurred the distinction between commodity and art, so too, they warned, the spirit of Christianity now had to be preserved from its brummagem versions…."
— Jason W. Stevens, God-Fearing and Free, 2010
Did You Know?
Brummagem first appeared in the 17th century as an alteration of Birmingham, the name of a city in England. At that time Birmingham was notorious for the counterfeit coins made there, and the word brummagem quickly became associated with things forged or inauthentic.
By the 19th century, Birmingham had become a chief manufacturer of cheap trinkets and gilt jewelry, and again the word brummagem followed suit—it came to describe that which is showy on the outside but essentially of low quality.
Perhaps the term was something of an annoyance to the people of Birmingham way back when, but nowadays when brummagem is used (which isn't often) it's usually without any conscious reference to the British city.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Rowel
WORD OF THE DAY
rowel /verb / ROWL
Definition
1: to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur
2: vex, trouble
Examples
"He folded the book shut, touched his hat, moved to the wagon, and roweled the horses around."
— Colum McCann, TransAtlantic, 2013
"Then suddenly he found himself at the end of his money.… Hunger rode him and roweled him. He was no longer well fed, comfortable."
— Frank Norris, McTeague, 1899
Did You Know?
If you've seen Western movies, you've seen rowels. The noun rowel names the circular, point-covered disk on the end of a spur that is used to urge powerful steeds to maximum speeds. But cowboys didn't invent rowels; knights in shining armor were sporting them even before the 12th century.
English speakers of yore picked up the noun rowel from the Anglo-French roele, meaning "small wheel." It wasn't until the 16th century that rowel began to be used as a verb for the act of spurring a horse with a rowel.
By the 19th century, rowel was being used as a verb for any process of prodding or goading that was as irritating as being poked in the side with a rowel.
rowel /verb / ROWL
Definition
1: to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur
2: vex, trouble
Examples
"He folded the book shut, touched his hat, moved to the wagon, and roweled the horses around."
— Colum McCann, TransAtlantic, 2013
"Then suddenly he found himself at the end of his money.… Hunger rode him and roweled him. He was no longer well fed, comfortable."
— Frank Norris, McTeague, 1899
Did You Know?
If you've seen Western movies, you've seen rowels. The noun rowel names the circular, point-covered disk on the end of a spur that is used to urge powerful steeds to maximum speeds. But cowboys didn't invent rowels; knights in shining armor were sporting them even before the 12th century.
English speakers of yore picked up the noun rowel from the Anglo-French roele, meaning "small wheel." It wasn't until the 16th century that rowel began to be used as a verb for the act of spurring a horse with a rowel.
By the 19th century, rowel was being used as a verb for any process of prodding or goading that was as irritating as being poked in the side with a rowel.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Arduous
WORD OF THE DAY
arduous / adjective / AHR-juh-wus
Definition
1a : hard to accomplish or achieve
1b: difficult
1c: marked by great labor or effort
1d: strenuous
2a: hard to climb
2b: steep
Examples
Every summer, right before the beginning of the new school year, the football team begins its season with "Hell Week," an arduous six days of conditioning and training.
"The mission has been long and the road arduous for Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL, which has, in some iteration or another, been working on the concept of a lunar lander for nearly a decade."
— Chabeli Herrera, The Orlando (Florida) Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2019
Did You Know?
"To forgive is the most arduous pitch human nature can arrive at." When Richard Steele published that line in The Guardian in 1713, he was using arduous in what was apparently a fairly new way for English writers in his day: to imply that something was steep or lofty as well as difficult or strenuous.
Steele's use is one of the earliest documented in English for that meaning, but he didn't commit it to paper until almost 150 years after the first uses of the word in its "strenuous" sense.
Although the "steep" sense is newer, it is still true to the word's origins; arduous derives from the Latin arduus, which means "high," "steep," or "difficult."
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
Fantod
fantod / noun / FAN-tahd
Definition
1(plural, fantods) a: a state of irritability and tension
1b: fidgets
2a: an emotional outburst
2b: fit
Examples
The movie's graphic imagery gave me the fantods—I had to turn it off.
"Orin's special conscious horror, besides heights and the early morning, is roaches. There'd been parts of metro Boston near the Bay he'd refused to go to, as a child. Roaches give him the howling fantods."
— David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, 1996
Did You Know?
"You have got strong symptoms of the fantods; your skin is so tight you can't shut your eyes without opening your mouth." Thus, American author Charles Frederick Briggs provides us with an early recorded use of fantods in 1839. Mark Twain used the word to refer to uneasiness or restlessness as shown by nervous movements—also known as the fidgets—in Huckleberry Finn:
"They was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn't somehow seem to take to them, because … they always give me the fantods." David Foster Wallace later used "the howling fantods," a favorite phrase of his mother, in Infinite Jest.
The exact origin of fantod remains a mystery, but it may have arisen from English dialectal fantigue—a word (once used by Charles Dickens) that refers to a state of great tension or excitement and may be a blend of fantastic and fatigue.
Definition
1(plural, fantods) a: a state of irritability and tension
1b: fidgets
2a: an emotional outburst
2b: fit
Examples
The movie's graphic imagery gave me the fantods—I had to turn it off.
"Orin's special conscious horror, besides heights and the early morning, is roaches. There'd been parts of metro Boston near the Bay he'd refused to go to, as a child. Roaches give him the howling fantods."
— David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, 1996
Did You Know?
"You have got strong symptoms of the fantods; your skin is so tight you can't shut your eyes without opening your mouth." Thus, American author Charles Frederick Briggs provides us with an early recorded use of fantods in 1839. Mark Twain used the word to refer to uneasiness or restlessness as shown by nervous movements—also known as the fidgets—in Huckleberry Finn:
"They was all nice pictures, I reckon, but I didn't somehow seem to take to them, because … they always give me the fantods." David Foster Wallace later used "the howling fantods," a favorite phrase of his mother, in Infinite Jest.
The exact origin of fantod remains a mystery, but it may have arisen from English dialectal fantigue—a word (once used by Charles Dickens) that refers to a state of great tension or excitement and may be a blend of fantastic and fatigue.
Monday, April 1, 2019
Hoodwink
WORD OF THE DAY
hoodwink / verb / HOOD-wink
Definition
1: to deceive by false appearance
2: dupe
Examples
All would be wise to remember that we're especially likely to be hoodwinked on April Fools' Day.
"Madsen's fascination with space and rockets and technology could hoodwink you into thinking he was a man of the future; you could miss the fact that his obsession was rooted in nostalgia."
— Jeong May Sori, Wired, March 2018
Did You Know?
A now-obsolete sense of the word wink is "to close one's eyes," and hoodwink once meant to cover the eyes of someone, such as a prisoner, with a hood or blindfold. (Hoodwink was also once a name for the game of blindman's buff.)
This 16th-century term soon came to be used figuratively for veiling the truth. "The Public is easily hood-winked," wrote the Irish physician Charles Lucas in 1756, by which time the figurative use had been around for quite a while—and today, the meaning of the word hasn't changed a wink.
hoodwink / verb / HOOD-wink
Definition
1: to deceive by false appearance
2: dupe
Examples
All would be wise to remember that we're especially likely to be hoodwinked on April Fools' Day.
"Madsen's fascination with space and rockets and technology could hoodwink you into thinking he was a man of the future; you could miss the fact that his obsession was rooted in nostalgia."
— Jeong May Sori, Wired, March 2018
Did You Know?
A now-obsolete sense of the word wink is "to close one's eyes," and hoodwink once meant to cover the eyes of someone, such as a prisoner, with a hood or blindfold. (Hoodwink was also once a name for the game of blindman's buff.)
This 16th-century term soon came to be used figuratively for veiling the truth. "The Public is easily hood-winked," wrote the Irish physician Charles Lucas in 1756, by which time the figurative use had been around for quite a while—and today, the meaning of the word hasn't changed a wink.
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