The word for today is… subpoena (noun, verb): noun : a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure verb : to serve or summon with a writ of subpoena Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :If you think you recognize the sub- in subpoena as
The word for today is… transmogrify (noun): : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :We know that the prefix trans-, meaning “across” or “beyond,” appears in many words that evoke change, such as transform and transpire, but mogrify is a bit
The word for today is… decorous (noun): : marked by propriety and good taste Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :One of the earliest recorded uses of decorous appears in a book titled The Rules of Civility (1673): “It is not decorous to look in the Glass, to comb, brush, or do any
The word for today is… rabble (noun, verb): noun 1 : a disorganized or confused collection of things 2a : a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people : mob b : the lowest class of people verb : to insult or assault by or as a mob Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Rabble has been with
The word for today is… avuncular (adjective): 1 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality 2 : of or relating to an uncle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Not all uncles are likeable fellows (Hamlet’s villainous Uncle Claudius, for example, isn’t exactly Mr. Nice Guy in Shakespeare’s
The word for today is… spiel (verb, noun): verb 1 : to play music 2 : to talk volubly or extravagantly noun : a voluble line of often extravagant talk Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Spiel is well-known as a noun, and you may also be aware that spiel can be used as
The word for today is… disparity (noun): : a noticeable and usually significant difference or dissimilarity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Disparity contains the Latin dis, meaning “apart” or “non-“, so a disparity is a kind of “nonequality”. The word is often used to describe a social or economic condition that’s
The word for today is… defamation (noun): : the act of communicating false statements about a person that injure the reputation of that person Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Harming someone’s reputation in speech with falsehoods is known as slander, and doing the same thing in writing is known as libel
The word for today is… atone (verb): : to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome —usually + for Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at on
The word for today is… proffer (verb): : to present for acceptance Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :As rhyming synonyms, proffer and offer are quite the pair, and we can proffer an explanation as to why: both come ultimately from Latin offerre, meaning “to present, tender, proffer, offer.” Offer had been part
The word for today is… gargantuan (adjective): : tremendous in size, volume, or degree Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Gargantua is the name of a giant king in François Rabelais’s 16th-century satiric novel Gargantua, the second part of a five-volume series about the giant and his son Pantagruel. All
The word for today is… expiditious (adjective): : marked by or acting with prompt efficiency Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Expeditious has had quite the journey through the English language. It comes to us from the related noun expedition, which in turn comes from the Latin verb expedire (“to set free” or
The word for today is… atone (verb): : to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome —usually + for Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at on
The word for today is… languid (adjective): 1 : drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion 2 : sluggish in character or disposition 3 : lacking force or quickness of movement Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Depending on its context, languid can suggest a lack of strength, lack of energy, or lack
The word for today is… emblazon (verb): 1a : to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices b : to inscribe (something, such as heraldic bearings) on a surface 2 : celebrate, extol Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Blazon is a less commonly used synonym of the more familiar
The word for today is… critique (noun, verb): noun : an act of criticizing verb : to examine critically, review Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :What’s the difference between criticism and critique? There’s some overlap in meaning, but they’re not the same in every situation. Criticism is most often used
