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
The word for today is… rebuff (verb): : to reject or criticize sharply : snub Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Many English verbs begin with the prefix re-, meaning “again” or “backward,” so we wouldn’t criticize you for drawing a connection between rebuff and buff, a verb meaning “to polish or shine.
The word for today is… efficacious (adjective): : having the power to produce a desired effect Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Efficacious came to English from the Middle French word efficace (or that word’s Latin source, efficāc- or efficāx), meaning “effective.” (These words ultimately trace back to the Latin verb efficere,
The word for today is… tractable (adjective): 1: capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled : docile 2: easily handled, managed, or wrought : malleable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : A frequentative is a form of a verb that indicates repeated action. The frequentative of the word sniff, for example, is sniffle,
The word for today is… consternation (noun): : amazement or dismay that hinders or throws into confusion Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Consternation and confusion are not synonymous, though it’s understandable that they are sometimes confused. Consternation refers not to confusion, but to a feeling of amazement or dismay that can
