The word for today is… purport (verb) – To have or present the often false appearance of being or intending; claim or profess. (noun) – 1. Meaning that is presented, intended, or implied. 2. Intention; purpose. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The verb purport may be more familiar nowadays, but purport exists
The word for today is… plaudit (noun) – Enthusiastic expression of praise or approval. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : You earn plaudits for your etymological knowledge if you can connect plaudit to words besides the familiar applaud and applause. A word coined by shortening Latin plaudite, meaning “applaud,” plaudit had gained
The word for today is… pediculous (noun) – Infestation with lice. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Count on the English language’s Latin lexical options to pretty up the unpleasant. You can have an entire conversation about lice and avoid the l-word entirely using pediculous and its relatives. None of the
I have recently been diagnosed with a nasty cancer which, because of my dicky ticker, is probably untreatable. I’m not seeking your pity, but rather help to enable me to wrap up some of my affairs. I’ve had a good life, a long and successful marriage and don’
The word for today is… meander (verb) – 1. To follow a winding and turning course. 2. To move aimlessly and idly without fixed direction. 3. To speak or write in sustained fashion on a number of loosely connected topics. 4. To be directed in various directions or at multiple objects.
The word for today is… matriculate (verb) – To admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university. I can remember as a young child hearing my father talking about matriculating. I worried that it was some form of removal of his manhood, only later to discover that
The word for today is… manipulate (verb) – 1. To move, arrange, operate, or control by the hands or another body part or by mechanical means, especially in a skillful manner. 2. To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously. 3. To tamper with or falsify for personal gain. 4. Medicine To
The word for today is… longanimity (noun) – Calmness in the face of suffering and adversity. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Longanimity is a word with a long history. It came to English in the 15th century from the Late Latin adjective longanimis, meaning “patient” or “long-suffering.” Longanimis, in turn, derives
The word for today is… kindred (adj) – 1. Of the same ancestry or family. 2. Having a similar or related origin, nature, or character. (noun) – 1. A group of related persons, as a clan or tribe. 2. (used with a pl. verb) A person’s relatives; kinfolk. Source : The Free
The word for today is… impregnable (adj) – 1. Impossible to capture or enter by force. 2. Difficult or impossible to attack, challenge, or refute with success. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Impregnable is one of the many English words that bear a French ancestry, thanks to the Norman conquest of
The word for today is… honorable (UK English honourable ) (adj) – 1. Deserving or winning honor and respect. 2. Bringing distinction or recognition. 3. Possessing and characterized by honor. 4. Consistent with honor or good name. 5. Distinguished; illustrious. 6. Attended by marks of recognition and honor. 7. Honorable Abbr. Hon.
The word for today is… foment (verb) – Incite; instigate rebellion. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : If you had sore muscles in the 1600s, your doctor might have advised you to foment the injury, perhaps with heated lotions or warm wax. Does this sound like an odd prescription? Not if you
The word for today is… heyday (noun) – The period of greatest popularity, success, or power; prime. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, heyday was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to our word hey, from which it
This series is designed to help people to understand modern technology, and become more confident in using computing devices. It is not designed to educate experts. The author is involved in tutoring older students at SeniorNet, a New Zealand wide organisation. SeniorNet hopes that students will feel more confident in
The word for today is… encumber (verb) – 1. To cause to have difficulty in moving or in accomplishing something; burden. 2. To hinder or impede the action or performance of. 3. To burden with legal or financial obligations. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : In Old French, the noun combre meant
This series is designed to help people to understand modern technology, and become more confident in using computing devices. It is not designed to educate experts. The author is involved in tutoring older students at SeniorNet, a New Zealand wide organisation. SeniorNet hopes that students will feel more confident in
