The word for today is… soupçon (noun): : a little bit : trace Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Culinary enthusiasts may think "soupçon" originated with a dash of garlic in the coq au vin or a splash of vanilla in the crème anglaise, but the etymology of the word has more
The word for today is… coterie (noun): : an intimate and often exclusive group of persons with a unifying common interest or purpose Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A coterie today is, in essence, a clique—that is, a tight-knit group sharing interests in common. Historically, however, coteries hung around agricultural
The word for today is… functionary (noun): 1: one who serves in a certain function 2: one holding office in a government or political party Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : For most of us, being described as a functionary wouldn't be a compliment. The word refers especially to a
The word for today is… haughty (adjective): : blatantly and disdainfully proud : having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Someone who is haughty looks down on others—and that position high above everyone else is present in
The word for today is… fountainhead (noun): 1: a spring that is the source of a stream 2: principal source : origin Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Walden, widely considered Henry David Thoreau’s masterwork, the poet-philosopher extolled one major—nay, transcendent—perk of being an early bird: “Morning air!
The word for today is… respite (noun, verb, adjective): noun 1: a period of temporary delay 2: an interval of rest or relief verb 1: to grant a temporary period of relief to : grant a respite to 2: put off, delay adjective : providing or being temporary care in relief of
The word for today is… dicker (noun, verb, noun): noun : the number or quantity of 10 especially of hides or skins verb : bargain noun 1: barter 2: an act or session of bargaining Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The origins of the verb dicker likely lie in an older dicker, the
The word for today is… insuperable (adjective): : incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Insuperable is a super word: that is, it belongs to a family of English terms that come from the Latin word super, meaning "over." It first appeared in
The word for today is… glade (noun): : an open space surrounded by woods Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In his poem “After the Winter,” Jamaican-born poet and novelist Claude McKay writes of a “summer isle / Where bamboos spire to shafted grove / And wide-mouthed orchids smile,” declaring that “… we will
The word for today is… kudos (noun): 1: praise given for achievement 2: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement : prestige Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Kudos looks like it means “more than one kudo,” but it didn’t begin that way. Kudos is one of a number of
The word for today is… fecund (adjective): 1: fruitful in offspring or vegetation : prolific 2: intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Fecund has been flourishing in the English language and describing fructuous things since the 15th century. It ultimately made its way into the
The word for today is… zero-sum (adjective): : of, relating to, or being a situation (such as a game or relationship) in which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Does game theory sound like fun? It can be—if
The word for today is… cardinal (noun, adjective): noun 1: a high ecclesiastical official of the Roman Catholic Church who ranks next below the pope and is appointed by him to assist him as a member of the college of cardinals (see college sense 4) 2: cardinal number - usually used
The word for today is… jubilee (noun, adjective): noun 1a: a special anniversary - especially : a 50th anniversary b: a celebration of such an anniversary 2a: jubilation b: a season of celebration 3 often Jubilee : a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50
The word for today is… apocryphal (adjective): 1: of doubtful authenticity : spurious 2 often capitalized : of or resembling the Apocrypha Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In biblical study, Apocrypha refers to books outside an accepted canon of scripture. In modern use, the term refers specifically to a group of ancient Jewish
The word for today is… unbeknownst (adjective): 1: happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified - usually used with to 2: unknown Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Unbeknownst has the ring of a true archaism, what with that -st ending we know from such Shakespearean gems as “thou dost snore
