The word for today is… timorous (adj) – Full of apprehensiveness; timid. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Timid and timorous don’t just have similar spellings and meanings; they are etymologically related as well. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin verb tim?re, meaning “to fear.” The immediate ancestor of
The word for today is… quixotic (adj) – 1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality. 2. Capricious; impulsive. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : If you guessed that quixotic has something to do with Don Quixote, you’re absolutely
The word for today is… palpate (verb) – To examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Palpate has been part of the English language since the 19th century. It was probably coined from the preexisting noun
For someone so completely obsessed with ‘image’, perhaps, Chris Comeskey has finally found his calling. With a failed dental supply business behind him and no chance of resurrecting his chequered legal career, the former headline-grabbing lawyer now has reinvented himself as Sydney’s answer to Tim ‘the Tool Man’
The word for today is… ninja (noun) – A member of a class of medieval Japanese mercenary agents who were trained in the martial arts and hired for covert operations such as assassination and sabotage. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Ninjas may seem mysterious, but the origin of their name is
The word for today is… minutia (noun) – Usually minutiae. precise details; small or trifling matters. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Minutia was borrowed into English in the 18th century from the Latin plural noun minutiae, meaning “trifles” or “details,” and derived from the singular noun minutia, meaning “smallness.” In English,
Nick Stewart Stewart Group COVID-19 has got the attention of the world, and a great deal of information has been published about the pandemic in recent months. As a nation, we did everything in our power to slow down the COVID-19 spread, and at the end of level
The word for today is… lampoon (verb) – To ridicule or satirize in a lampoon. (noun) – A written attack ridiculing a person, group, or institution. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Lampoon can be a noun or a verb. The noun lampoon (meaning “satire” or, specifically, “a harsh satire usually directed against
The word for today is… incommunicado (adverb) – Without the means or right of communicating with others. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Incommunicado ultimately comes from Latin but made its way into English via the Spanish incomunicado. We borrowed the word (with a slightly modified spelling) from the past participle of
The word for today is… gibe (verb) – Jeer; taunt; deride. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Confused about jibe and gibe? The distinction actually isn’t as clear-cut as some commentators would like it to be. Jibe is used both for the verb meaning “to be in accord” or “agree”
The word for today is… fusty (adj) – 1. Smelling of mildew or decay; musty. 2. Old-fashioned; antique. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Fusty probably derives from the Middle English word foist, meaning “wine cask,” which in turn traces to the Medieval Latin word fustis, meaning “tree trunk” or “wood.
On Monday we published emails leaked to us that showed that the Police had sought and obtained a Crown Law legal opinion on precisely what they could and could not do under the Governments pandemic lockdown edicts. The emails showed that Police believed, on the advice from Crown Law that
The word for today is… derogate (verb) – 1. To take away; detract. 2. To deviate from a standard or expectation; go astray. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Most of us encounter derogatory, the adjective meaning “expressing a low opinion,” more frequently than we do derogate, its less common verb relation,
The word for today is… cordial (adj) – 1. (a) Warm and sincere; friendly. (b) Polite and respectful; formally pleasant. 2. Strongly felt; fervent. 3. (Archaic) Invigorating; stimulating. Used especially of a beverage. (noun) – 1. A liqueur. 2. An invigorating or medicinal drink; a tonic. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Cordial
The word for today is… abbreviate (verb) – To shorten by contraction or omission, such as agcy., corp., Gov., Dr., Rev. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Abbreviate and abridge both mean “to make shorter,” so it probably will come as no surprise that both derive from the Latin verb brevis, meaning
The word for today is… retronym (noun) – A word or phrase created because an existing term that was once used alone needs to be distinguished from a term referring to a new development, as acoustic guitar in contrast to electric guitar or analog watch in contrast to digital watch. Source
