vassal (noun) – 1 : a person under the protection of a feudal lord to whom he has vowed homage and fealty : a feudal tenant 2 : one in a subservient or subordinate position Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin vassallus “serf of the manor
The word for today is… arrive (verb) – 1a : to reach a destination b : to make an appearance : to come upon the scene 2 : to be near in time : 3 informal : to achieve success 4 archaic : happen Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English ariven, arriven “to reach the end of a
The word for today is… compel (verb) – 1 : to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly 2 : to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure 3 archaic : to drive together Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The prefix com- acts as a strengthener in this word; thus, to compel is to drive
The word for today is… moot (adjective, verb, noun) – adjective 1a : open to question b : subjected to discussion 2 : deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic verb 1a : to bring up for discussion b : debate 2 archaic : to discuss from a legal standpoint noun 1 : a deliberative assembly
The word for today is… infix (noun) – a derivational or inflectional affix appearing in the body of a word Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A word for the etymology purists today. Like prefixes and suffixes, infixes are part of the general class of affixes (“sounds or letters attached to or inserted
The word for today is… genuflect (verb) – 1a : to bend the knee b : to touch the knee to the floor or ground especially in worship 2 : to be humbly obedient or respectful Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Genuflect is derived from Late Latin genuflectere, formed from the noun “genu” (“knee”) and
The word for today is… berate (verb) – to scold or condemn vehemently and at length Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Berate and rate can both mean “to scold angrily or violently.” This sense of rate was first recorded in the 14th century, roughly two centuries before the now more familiar (and
hospital (noun) – 1 : a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young 2 : an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care 3 : a repair shop for specified small objects Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English hospital, ospitale “residence for pilgrims and travelers, charitable institution
The word for today is… nadir (noun) – 1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer 2 : the lowest point Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Nadir is part of the galaxy of scientific words that have come to us from Arabic,
The word for today is… dally (verb) – 1a : to act playfully b : to deal lightly : toy 2a : to waste time b : linger, dawdle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers have been playing with different uses of dally since the 14th century. They first started using the word with the meaning
The word for today is… pulchritude (noun) – : physical comeliness Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If English poet John Keats was right when he wrote that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever,” then pulchritude should bring bliss for many years to come. That word has already served English handsomely for
The word for today is… recrudescence (noun)- : a new outbreak after a period of abatement or inactivity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Recrudescence derives from the Latin verb recrudescere, meaning “to become raw again” (used, for example, of wounds). Ultimately, it can be traced back to the Latin word for raw,
The word for today is… bipartisan (adjective) – : of, relating to, or involving members of two parties – specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Bipartisan is a two-part word. The first element is the prefix bi-, which means “two”
The word for today is… wherefore (adverb, noun) – adverb 1 : for what reason or purpose : why 2 : therefore noun : an answer or statement giving an explanation : reason – wants to know the whys and wherefores Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A bit of a rarity this morning, an adverb. When Shakespeare’s
The word for today is… bivouac (noun, verb) – noun 1 : a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter 2a : encampment usually for a night b : a temporary or casual shelter or lodging verb 1 : to make a bivouac 2 : to take shelter often temporarily Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In
The word for today is… jeremiad (noun) – : a prolonged lamentation or complaint Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Jeremiah was a naysayer. That Jewish prophet, who lived from about 650 to 570 BC, spent his days lambasting the Hebrews for their false worship and social injustice and denouncing the king for his
