The word for today is… force majeure (noun): 1: superior or irresistible force 2: an event or effect that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Force majeure translates literally from French as superior force. In English, the term is often used in line with its literal
The word for today is… portend (verb): 1: to give an omen or anticipatory sign of 2: indicate, signify Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : It may seem like a stretch to say that portend, beloved verb of seers, soothsayers, and meteorologists alike, is related to tendon—the word we use to
The word for today is… eleemosynary (adjective): : of, relating to, or supported by charity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A word today I had never heard of – what a little bonus. A grammarian once asserted in reference to eleemosynary that “a long and learned word like this should only be used
The word for today is… aphorism (noun): 1: a concise statement of a principle 2: a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : adage 3: an ingeniously terse style of expression : aphoristic language Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Aphorism was originally used in the world of medicine. Credit Hippocrates, the Greek
The word for today is… savant (noun): 1: a person of learning 2: a person affected with a developmental disorder (such as autism or intellectual disability) who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field (such as mathematics or music) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Word-loving Homo sapiens will appreciate
The word for today is… adapt (verb): : to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “Nothing in this world is as reliable as change” is a common aphorism and one we can certainly attest to as lexicographers. English speakers adapted adapt, for example,
The word for today is… doctrinaire (adjective, noun): adjective : stubbornly or excessively devoted to a doctrine or theory without regard to practical considerations noun : one who attempts to put into effect an abstract doctrine or theory with little or no regard for practical difficulties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The noun
The word for today is… carnival (noun, adjective): noun 1: a season or festival of merrymaking before Lent 2a: an instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading b: an instance of riotous excess 3a: a traveling enterprise offering amusements b: an organized program of entertainment or exhibition adjective : suggestive of or
The word for today is… imminent (adjective): : ready to take place : happening soon – often used of something bad or dangerous seen as menacingly near Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling. No
The word for today is… plagiarism (noun): 1: an act or instance of plagiarizing 2: something plagiarized Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin
The word for today is… wangle (verb): 1: to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends 2: to make or get by devious means Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :You may have noticed a striking resemblance between wangle and wrangle, both of which have a sense meaning “to obtain or
The word for today is… knackered (adjective): : tired, exhausted Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :An apt synonym for knackered might be the phrase “dead tired” for more than one reason. Knackered comes from the past participle of knacker, a slang term meaning “to kill,” as well as “to tire, exhaust, or
The word for today is… marginalia (plural noun): 1: marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) 2: nonessential items Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In the introduction to his essay titled “Marginalia,” Edgar Allan Poe wrote: “In getting my books, I have always been solicitous of an ample margin; this
The word for today is… balkanise (verb): 1: to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units 2: divide, compartmentalize Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe is lapped by the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Black Sea in the
The word for today is… endemic (adjective, noun): adjective 1a: belonging or native to a particular people or country b: characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment 2: restricted or peculiar to a locality or region noun : an organism that is restricted or peculiar to a
The word for today is… short shrift (compound noun): 1: barely adequate time for confession before execution 2a: little or no attention or consideration b: quick work—usually used in the phrase make short shrift of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :A rare entry this morning, a compound noun. The earliest
