The word for today is… feint (noun, verb) – (n) : something feigned (v) 1 : to lure or deceive with a feint 2 : to make a pretense of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Noun: borrowed from French feinte, going back to Middle French fainte, feinte “act of dissembling, subterfuge,” noun derivative from feminine
The word for today is… sarcophagus (noun) – a stone coffin Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Body-eating coffins might sound like something out of a horror film, but flesh-eating stone? The latter plays a role in the etymology of sarcophagus; it is the literal translation of líthos sarkóphagos, the Greek phrase that
I was out chatting to some friends when the news filtered through that we had been handed our latest dose of house arrest. I have been handed this sentence for the crime of living nominally in Auckland even though I can not even see another house from my property. One
The word for today is… charlatan (noun) – A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud. Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In medieval times, people claiming medical skills they did not have roamed throughout Italy, selling “medicine” that was often completely without
The word for today is… pariah (noun) – 1 : a member of a low caste of southern India 2 : one that is despised or rejected Source : Online Etymology Dictionary Etymology : 1610s, “member of a low caste in southern India, shunned as unclean,” from Portuguese paria or directly from Tamil (Dravidian) paraiyar,
The word for today is… vituperative (adjective) – uttering or given to censure : containing or characterized by verbal abuse Source : Wordsmith Etymology : From Latin vituperare (to blame), from vitium (fault) + parare (to make or prepare). Earliest documented use: 1727. If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing
The word for today is… modicum (noun) – a small portion; a limited quantity Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : What does “modicum” have to do with a toilet? It just so happens that “modicum” shares the same Latin parent as “commode,” which is a synonym of “toilet.” “Modicum” and “commode” ultimately derive
The word for today is… ersatz (adjective) – being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : Ersatz can be traced back in English to 1875, but it really came into prominence during World War I. Borrowed from German, where Ersatz is a noun meaning “substitute,” the
The word for today is… polemic (noun) 1a : an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another b : the art or practice of disputation or controversy —usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction 2 : an aggressive controversialist : disputant Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : When
The word for today is… spindrift (noun) – 1 : sea spray especially : spray blown from waves during a gale 2 : fine wind-borne snow or sand Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : Spindrift first set sail in the mid-18th century under Scottish command. During its first voyage, it was known by the Scottish moniker
The word for today is… effusive (adjective) – 1 : marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm effusive praise – 2 archaic : pouring freely – 3 : characterized or formed by a nonexplosive outpouring of lava effusive rocks Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : We’ve used “effusive” in English to describe excessive
The word for today is… vulcanize (transitive verb) : to subject to vulcanization Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : Vulcanization involves heating rubber in combination with sulfur. The Roman god Vulcan (whose Greek counterpart is Hephaestus) was the god of fire and of skills that used fire, such as metalworking. So when Charles
The word for today is… ad hominem (adjective)) – 1 : appealing to feelings or prejudices rather than intellect 2 : marked by or being an attack on an opponent’s character rather than by an answer to the contentions made Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Ad hominem literally means “to the person” in
The word for today is… eclectic (adjective) 1 : composed of elements drawn from various sources 2 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : Eclectic comes from a Greek verb meaning “to select” and was originally applied to ancient philosophers who were
The word for today is… gibbous (adjective) – 1a : marked by convexity or swelling, 1b of the moon or a planet : seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated 2 : having a hump : humpbacked Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : The adjective “gibbous” has its origins in the Latin
The word for today is… haptic (adjective) 1 : relating to or based on the sense of touch 2 : characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch a haptic person Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Haptic (from the Greek haptesthai, meaning “to touch”) entered English in the late 19th century as a
