The word for today is… perspicacious (adjective): of acute mental vision or discernment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Perspicacious is similar in meaning to shrewd and astute, but a sharp mind will also discern subtle differences among them. All three denote being acute in perception and sound in judgment, but shrewd
The word for today is… carte blanche (noun): : full discretionary power Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Carte blanche is much like a blank check. In French, carte means “document” and blanche means “blank,” so the phrase means “blank document.” English retained that literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document
The word for today is… livid (adjective): 1 : discolored by bruising 2 : ashen, pallid 3 : reddish 4 : very angry Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means “dull, grayish, or leaden blue.” From this came the French livide, which English borrowed as livid. The
The word for today is… adventitious (adjective): 1 : coming from another source and not inherent or innate 2 : arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Adventitious comes from Latin adventicius, meaning “coming from outside,” which, in turn, is from advenire, “to arrive.
The word for today is… congenial (adjective): 1a : pleasant especially : agreeably suited to one’s nature, tastes, or outlook b : sociable, genial c : existing or associated together harmoniously 2 : having the same nature, disposition, or tastes Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : According to ancient mythology, each person at birth was assigned
The word for today is… extradite (verb): 1 : to deliver up to extradition 2 : to obtain the extradition of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Some countries have a tradition of extradition—a fact which might concern criminals. Likely of significantly less concern to most criminals is the fact that extradition and
The word for today is… venerate (verb): 1 : to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference 2 : to honor (an icon, a relic, etc.) with a ritual act of devotion Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Venerate comes from the Latin root venerari, which has the various meanings of “to solicit
The word for today is… talisman (noun): 1 : an object held to act as a charm to avert evil and bring good fortune 2 : something producing apparently magical or miraculous effects Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The English language may have borrowed talisman from French, Spanish, or Italian; all three include
The word for today is… flippant (adjective): 1 : lacking proper respect or seriousness 2 archaic : glib, talkative Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Flippant is believed to come from flip, which, in turn, is a supposed imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective are “nimble” and
The word for today is… beleaguer (verb): 1 : besiege – a town beleaguered by an army a beleaguered city 2 : trouble, harass Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers created “beleaguer” from the Dutch word belegeren in the 16th century. “[Military men] will not vouchsafe . . . to use our ancient terms belonging to
The word for today is… enigma (noun): 1 : something hard to understand or explain 2 : an inscrutable or mysterious person 3 : an obscure speech or writing Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A person who is described as an enigma is a bit of a mystery. You never know what that person
The word for today is… palisade (noun): 1a : a fence of stakes especially for defense b : a long strong stake pointed at the top and set close with others as a defense 2 : a line of bold cliffs Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Palisade derives via French from the Latin noun
The word for today is… rankle (verb): 1 : to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness 2 : to feel anger and irritation Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The history of today’s word is something of a sore subject. When rankle was first used in English, it meant “to fester,” and that
The word for today is… milquetoast (adjective): 1 : of a person : timid, meek, or unassertive 2 : lacking in character or vigor Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Caspar Milquetoast was a comic strip character created in 1924 by the American cartoonist Harold T. Webster. The strip, called “The Timid Soul,” ran every
The word for today is… ostracize (verb): 1 : to exile by ostracism 2 : to exclude from a group by common consent Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In ancient Greece, prominent citizens whose power or influence threatened the stability of the state could be exiled by a practice called ostracism. Voters would
The word for today is… fomite (noun): an object (such as a dish, doorknob, or article of clothing) that may be contaminated with infectious agents (such as bacteria or viruses) and serve in their transmission Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Disinfectant on your hands keeps us healthier and fomites no longer
