The word for today is… infix (noun) – a derivational or inflectional affix appearing in the body of a word Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A word for the etymology purists today. Like prefixes and suffixes, infixes are part of the general class of affixes (“sounds or letters attached to or inserted
The word for today is… genuflect (verb) – 1a : to bend the knee b : to touch the knee to the floor or ground especially in worship 2 : to be humbly obedient or respectful Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Genuflect is derived from Late Latin genuflectere, formed from the noun “genu” (“knee”) and
The word for today is… berate (verb) – to scold or condemn vehemently and at length Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Berate and rate can both mean “to scold angrily or violently.” This sense of rate was first recorded in the 14th century, roughly two centuries before the now more familiar (and
hospital (noun) – 1 : a charitable institution for the needy, aged, infirm, or young 2 : an institution where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care 3 : a repair shop for specified small objects Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English hospital, ospitale “residence for pilgrims and travelers, charitable institution
The word for today is… nadir (noun) – 1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer 2 : the lowest point Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Nadir is part of the galaxy of scientific words that have come to us from Arabic,
The word for today is… dally (verb) – 1a : to act playfully b : to deal lightly : toy 2a : to waste time b : linger, dawdle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers have been playing with different uses of dally since the 14th century. They first started using the word with the meaning
The word for today is… pulchritude (noun) – : physical comeliness Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If English poet John Keats was right when he wrote that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever,” then pulchritude should bring bliss for many years to come. That word has already served English handsomely for
The word for today is… recrudescence (noun)- : a new outbreak after a period of abatement or inactivity Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Recrudescence derives from the Latin verb recrudescere, meaning “to become raw again” (used, for example, of wounds). Ultimately, it can be traced back to the Latin word for
The word for today is… bipartisan (adjective) – : of, relating to, or involving members of two parties – specifically : marked by or involving cooperation, agreement, and compromise between two major political parties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Bipartisan is a two-part word. The first element is the prefix bi-, which means “two”; the
The word for today is… wherefore (adverb, noun) – adverb 1 : for what reason or purpose : why 2 : therefore noun : an answer or statement giving an explanation : reason – wants to know the whys and wherefores Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A bit of a rarity this morning, an adverb. When Shakespeare’s
The word for today is… bivouac (noun, verb) – noun 1 : a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter 2a : encampment usually for a night b : a temporary or casual shelter or lodging verb 1 : to make a bivouac 2 : to take shelter often temporarily Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In
The word for today is… jeremiad (noun) – : a prolonged lamentation or complaint Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Jeremiah was a naysayer. That Jewish prophet, who lived from about 650 to 570 BC, spent his days lambasting the Hebrews for their false worship and social injustice and denouncing the king for his
The word for today is… urbane (adjective) – : notably polite or polished in manner Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate.
The word for today is… hagiography (noun) – 1 : biography of saints or venerated persons 2 : idealizing or idolizing biography Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Like “biography” and “autograph,” the word hagiography has to do with the written word. The combining form “-graphy” comes from Greek graphein, meaning “to write.” “Hagio-” comes
The word for today is… expropriate (verb) – 1 : to deprive of possession or proprietary rights 2 : to transfer (the property of another) to one’s own possession Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you guessed that expropriate has something in common with the verb appropriate, you’re right. Both words ultimately
The word for today is… guttural (adjective) – 1 : articulated in the throat 2 : being or marked by utterance that is strange, unpleasant, or disagreeable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Though it is now used to describe many sounds or utterances which strike the listener as harsh or disagreeable, the adjective guttural
