The word for today is… dander (noun): 1 : dandruff – minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may be allergenic 2 : anger, temper – especially in the phrase “get someone’s dander up.” Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : How did dander acquire its “temper” sense? There are several theories, though the evidence
The word for today is… mercurial (adjective): 1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury 2 : having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or to the influence of the planet Mercury 3 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood 4 : of, relating
The word for today is… galumph (verb): to move with a clumsy heavy tread Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Galumph first lumbered onto the English scene in 1872 when Lewis Carroll used the word to describe the actions of the vanquisher of the Jabberwock in Through the Looking Glass: “He left
The word for today is… paradox (noun): 1 : one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases 2a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true c
The word for today is… adhoc (adverb, adjective): adverb: for the particular end or case at hand without consideration of wider application adjective: 1a : concerned with a particular end or purpose b : formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs 2 : fashioned from whatever is immediately available : improvised
The word for today is… fiat (noun): 1 : an authoritative or arbitrary order : decree – government by fiat 2 : an authoritative determination 3 : a command or act of will that creates something without or as if without further effort Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Latin, let it be done, 3rd singular present
The word for today is… bucolic (adjective): 1 : of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral 2a : relating to or typical of rural life b : idyllic Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We get bucolic from the Latin word bucolicus, which is ultimately from the Greek word boukolos, meaning “cowherd.” When bucolic
The word for today is… stygian (adjective – often capitalised): 1 : of or relating to the river Styx 2 : extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Stygian comes to us (by way of Latin stygius and Greek stygios) from Styx, the name of the principal river in Hades, the
The word for today is… avoirdupois (noun, adjective): noun: 1 : avoirdupois weight 2 : weight, heaviness adjective: expressed in avoirdupois weight Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : When “avoirdupois” first appeared in English in the 15th century, it carried a meaning of “goods sold by weight,” which is also the meaning of its
The word for today is… kibosh (noun): something that serves as a check or stop – usually used in the phrase put the kibosh on Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Evidence of kibosh dates the word to only a few years before Charles Dickens used it in an 1836 sketch, but despite
The word for today is… indoctrinate (verb): 1 : to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle 2 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Indoctrinate means “brainwash” to many people, but its meaning isn’t always so negative. When the
The word for today is… nonpareil (adjective, noun): adjective: having no equal noun: an individual of unequaled excellence Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Trace nonpareil back to its Middle French origins and you’ll find that it comes from a term meaning “not equal.” Pareil itself comes from a Latin par,
The word for today is… epithet (noun): 1a : a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing b : a disparaging or abusive word or phrase c : the part of a taxonomic name identifying a subordinate unit within a genus 2 obsolete
The word for today is… hark back (verb): 1 : to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance 2 : to go back to something as an origin or source Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Hark, a very old word meaning “to listen,” was used as a cry in hunting. The master
The word for today is… verdant (adjective): 1a : green in tint or color b : green with growing plants verdant fields 2 : unripe in experience or judgment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers have been using verdant as a ripe synonym of green since at least the 16th century, and as
The word for today is… turpitude (noun): Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Turpitude comes from Latin turpis, meaning “vile” or “base.” The word is often heard in the phrase “moral turpitude,” an expression used in law to designate an act or behavior that gravely violates the sentiment or accepted standard of
