The word for today is… nostrum (noun) – : a medicine of secret composition recommended by its preparer but usually without scientific proof of its effectiveness 2 : a usually questionable remedy or scheme : panacea Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In those thrilling days of yesteryear, declared a 1990 Consumer Reports article, “patent-medicine pitchmen
The word for today is… absolve (verb) – 1: to set (someone) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt 2 : to pardon or forgive (a sin) : to remit (a sin) by absolution Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The act of absolving can be seen as releasing someone from blame or
The word for today is… quisling (noun, often attributive) – one who commits treason: traitor, collaborator Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer who in 1933 founded Norway’s fascist party. In December 1939, he met with Adolf Hitler and urged him to occupy Norway. Following the
The word for today is… itinerant (adjective) – : traveling from place to place Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Latin, iter means “way” or “journey.” That root was the parent of the Late Latin verb itinerari, meaning “to journey.” It was that verb which ultimately gave rise to today’s English word
The word for today is… risible (adjective) – 1a : capable of laughing b : disposed to laugh 2 : arousing or provoking laughter especially 3 : associated with, relating to, or used in laughter Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If someone makes a ridiculous remark about your risible muscles, he or she is not necessarily
The word for today is… fettle (noun, transitive verb) – (n) : state or condition of health, fitness, wholeness, spirit, or form —often used in the phrase in fine fettle, (v) : to cover or line the hearth of (something, such as a reverberatory furnace) with loose material (such as sand or gravel)
The word for today is… anathema (noun) – 1a : someone or something intensely disliked or loathed —usually used as a predicate nominative b : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority 2a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b : the denunciation of something as accursed
The word for today is… effluent (adjective, noun) – : (adjective) flowing out, (noun): something that flows out: such as a : an outflowing branch of a main stream or lake b : waste material (such as smoke, liquid industrial refuse, or sewage) discharged into the environment especially when serving as a pollutant Source
The word for today is… tort (noun) – : a wrongful act other than a breach of contract for which relief may be obtained in the form of damages or an injunction Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Tort came into English straight from French many centuries ago, and it still looks a little
The word for today is… obeisance (noun) – 1 : a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow 2 : acknowledgment of another’s superiority or importance : homage Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : When it first appeared in English in the 14th century, obeisance shared the same meaning as
The word for today is… mountebank – (noun) 1 : a person who sells quack medicines from a platform 2 : a boastful unscrupulous pretender Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Mountebank derives from the Italian montimbanco, which was formed by combining the verb “montare” (“to mount”), the preposition “in” (converted to im, meaning “in”
The word for today is… insouciance (noun) – : lighthearted unconcern Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Don’t worry – be insouciant. Perhaps your mind will rest easier if we explain that English speakers learned “insouciance” from the French in the 1700s (and the adjective “insouciant” has been part of our language since the
The word for today is… phlegmatic (adjective) – 1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm 2 : having or showing a slow and stolid temperament Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : According to the ancient Greeks, human personalities were controlled by four bodily fluids or semifluids called humors: blood, black bile, yellow
The word for today is… pabulum – (noun) 1 : food especially : a suspension or solution of nutrients in a state suitable for absorption 2 : intellectual sustenance 3 : something (such as writing or speech) that is insipid, simplistic, or bland Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : Pabulum derives from the Latin term for “food”
The word for today is… destine (verb) – 1 : to decree beforehand 2a : to designate, assign, or dedicate in advance b : to direct, devise, or set apart for a specific purpose or place Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English, from Anglo-French destiner, from Latin destinare, from de- + -stinare (akin to Latin
The word for today is… tribute (noun) – 1a : something given or contributed voluntarily as due or deserved especially : a gift or service showing respect, gratitude, or affection b : something (such as material evidence or a formal attestation) that indicates the worth, virtue, or effectiveness of the one in question 2a
