The word for today is… colonel (noun) - : a commissioned officer in the army ranking above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : English colonel is pronounced the same as kernel. This seems odd, but there is an explanation. In many languages when a word contains
The word for today is… libertine (noun) - 1 disparaging : a freethinker especially in religious matters 2: a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality, specifically : one leading a dissolute life Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : "I only ask to be free," says Mr. Skimpole in Charles Dickens'
The word for today is… Spartan (noun, adjective) - noun 1: a native or inhabitant of the ancient city of Sparta 2: a person of great courage and self-discipline adjective 1: of or relating to Sparta in ancient Greece 2a often spartan : marked by strict self-discipline or self-denial
The word for today is… exult (verb) - 1: to be extremely joyful : rejoice 2 obsolete : to leap for joy Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Exult leaped into English in the 16th century as a verb meaning "to leap for joy." George Chapman used it that way in a translation
The word for today is… nomothetic (adjective) - : relating to, involving, or dealing with abstract, general, or universal statements or laws Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Nomothetic is often contrasted with idiographic, a word meaning "relating to or dealing with something concrete, individual, or unique." Where idiographic points to the
The word for today is… valuable (adjective, noun) - adjective 1a: having monetary value b: worth a good price 2a: having desirable or esteemed characteristics or qualities b: of great use or service noun : a usually personal possession (such as jewelry) of relatively great monetary value — usually used in plural Source
The word for today is… perfervid (adjective) - : marked by overwrought or exaggerated emotion : excessively fervent Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : The adjectives "fervent," "fervid," and "perfervid" all derive from the Latin verb fervēre, meaning "to boil," and suggest a bubbling up of intense
The word for today is… affable (adjective) - 1: being pleasant and at ease in talking to others 2: characterized by ease and friendliness Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : One of the peculiarities of the English language is that ungendered words (especially nouns) may occasionally take gendered pronouns or modifiers. A ship,
The word for today is… millennium (noun) - 1a: the thousand years mentioned in the book of Revelation in the Christian Bible during which holiness is to prevail and Christ is to reign on earth b: a period of great happiness or human perfection 2a: a period of 1000 years, especially
The word for today is… ennead (noun) - : a group of nine Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Since ancient times, various groups of people have considered nine to be a very special and sacred number. Legends and literature have long characterized groups of nine as having a special, in some cases magical,
The word for today is… catechresis (noun) - 1: use of the wrong word for the context 2: use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech (such as blind mouths) Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : As you might have guessed, catachresis is a word favored by grammarians. It can sometimes
The word for today is… congruous (adjective) - 1a: being in agreement, harmony, or correspondence b: conforming to the circumstances or requirements of a situation : appropriate 2: marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among constituent elements Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Congruous had only been part of the English language for a
The word for today is… nettle (noun, verb) - noun : any of a genus (Urtica of the family Urticaceae, the nettle family) of chiefly coarse herbs armed with stinging hairs verb 1: to strike or sting with or as if with nettles 2: to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or
The word for today is… umpteen (adjective) - : very many : indefinitely numerous Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : There may not be a gazillion ways in English to refer to a large, indefinite number, but there are definitely more than a soupçon. Many of these, such as zillion, bazillion, kazillion, jillion, and bajillion,
The word for today is… impel (verb) - 1: to urge or drive forward or on by or as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure : force 2: to impart motion to : propel Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Impel is very similar in meaning to compel, and often a perfect synonym,
The word for today is… equanimity (noun) - 1: evenness of mind especially under stress 2: right disposition : balance Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : If you think "equanimity" looks like it has something to do with "equal," you've guessed correctly. Both "equanimity" and "
