The word for today is… dichotomy (noun) - 1a: division into two especially mutually exclusive or contradictory groups or parts b: differentiation into two contrasted or sharply opposed groups 2: something with seemingly contradictory qualities 3 astronomy : the phase of the moon or of an inferior planet (such as Mercury or
The word for today is… sine qua non (noun) - : something absolutely indispensable or essential Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Sine qua non can be translated literally as "Without which, not." Though this may sound like gibberish, it means more or less "Without (something), (something else) won't
The word for today is… iridescence (noun) - 1: a lustrous rainbowlike play of color caused by differential refraction of light waves (as from an oil slick, soap bubble, or fish scales) that tends to change as the angle of view changes 2: a lustrous or attractive quality or effect Source
The word for today is… sciolism (noun) - : a superficial show of learning Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Sciolism comes from the Late Latin sciolus, which means "smatterer" (or "one who speaks with spotty or superficial knowledge"). "Sciolus" comes from the diminutive of Latin scius, meaning
The word for today is… extant (adjective) - 1a: currently or actually existing b: still existing : not destroyed or lost 2 archaic : standing out or above Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Latin exstant-, exstans, present participle of exstare to stand out, be in existence, from ex- + stare to stand. Middle English, from
The word for today is… southpaw (noun) - : left-hander, especially boxers and baseball pitchers Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Southpaw is of obscure origin. A popular theory holds that it comes from the onetime position of baseball parks in relation to the sun. Supposedly, late 19th-century ballparks were laid out
The word for today is… tilde (noun) - 1: a mark ˜ placed especially over the letter n (as in Spanish señor sir) to denote the sound \nʸ\ or over vowels (as in Portuguese irmã sister) to indicate nasality 2a: the mark used to indicate negation in logic and the geometric relation
The word for today is… calumet (noun) - : a highly ornamented ceremonial pipe used by some Indigenous American peoples Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : The calumet has long been an important component of the ceremonies of Native American groups, but the first inhabitants of the Americas did not give the venerated pipe
The word for today is… august (adjective, noun) - adjective : marked by majestic dignity or grandeur noun capitalised : the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : August comes from the Latin word augustus, meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the
The word for today is… sylph (noun) - 1: an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that inhabits air 2: a slender graceful woman or girl Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Paracelsus was a man with a vivid imagination. He concocted an elaborate theory of ruling "elemental spirits": gnomes
The word for today is… arriviste (noun) - : one that is a new and uncertain arrival (as in social position or artistic endeavor) Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : An arriviste is someone who is just beginning to "arrive," in the sense of achieving success or making a name for oneself.
The word for today is… catharsis (noun) - 1a: purification or purgation of the emotions (such as pity and fear) primarily through art b: a purification or purgation that brings about spiritual renewal or release from tension 2: elimination of a complex by bringing it to consciousness and affording it expression
The word for today is… oxymoron (noun) - : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness), broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : While we are loath to place restrictions on language use, oxymoron usually refers
The word for today is… zeugma (noun) - : the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words usually in such a manner that it applies to each word in a different sense (as "opened" in "opened the door and her heart to the stray
The word for today is… cuspidor (noun) - : spittoon Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Cuspidor entered English in the early 18th century via the Portuguese word cuspidouro, meaning "place for spitting." The Portuguese word, unsurprisingly, has its origins in Latin: the word conspuere comes from the prefix com- and spuere,
The word for today is… farrago (noun) - : a confused mixture : hodgepodge Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Farrago might seem an unlikely relative of farina (the name for the mealy breakfast cereal), but the two terms have their roots in the same Latin noun. Both derive from far, the Latin name for
