The word for today is… scintilla (noun) : spark, trace Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Wonder what scintillas (or scintillae) are? It may help spark your memory to look up above the world so high at the tiny (to our eyes) stars twinkling like diamonds in the sky. Scintilla comes directly from
The word for today is… ponderous (adjective): 1: of very great weight 2: unwieldy or clumsy because of weight and size 3: oppressively or unpleasantly dull : lifeless Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Ponderous is ultimately from the Latin word for "weight," namely, "pondus" (which also gave us
The word for today is… placate (verb): : to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : appease Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The earliest documented uses of the verb placate in English date from the late 17th century. The word is derived from Latin placatus, the past participle of placare, and placate still
The word for today is… plaudit (noun): 1: an act or round of applause 2: enthusiastic approval, usually used in plural Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Plaudit is a word coined by shortening Latin plaudite, meaning "applaud". Plaudit had gained approval status in English by the first years of
The word for today is… nerd (noun): 1: a person devoted to intellectual, academic, or technical pursuits or interests, Also a person preoccupied with or devoted to a particular activity or field of interest 2: an unstylish or socially awkward person Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Dork, when used to refer
The word for today is… atrophy (noun, verb): noun 1: decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue also : arrested development or loss of a part or organ incidental to the normal development or life of an animal or plant 2: a wasting away or progressive
The word for today is… invidious (adjective): 1a: of an unpleasant or objectionable nature : obnoxious b: of a kind to cause harm or resentment 2: tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy 3: envious Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Fittingly, "invidious" is a relative of "envy." Both
The word for today is… eddy (noun, verb): noun 1a: a current of water or air running contrary to the main current, especially a circular current, whirlpool b: something moving similarly 2: a contrary or circular current (as of thought or policy) verb : to cause to move in an eddy
The word for today is… tenacious (adjective): 1a: not easily pulled apart : cohesive b: tending to adhere or cling especially to another substance 2a: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired b: retentive Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : For the more than 400 years that tenacious has
The word for today is… snivel (verb, noun): verb 1: to run at the nose 2: to snuff mucus up the nose audibly : snuffle 3: to cry or whine with snuffling 4: to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner noun 1 dialect : head cold
The word for today is… anxious (adjective): 1: characterized by extreme uneasiness of mind or brooding fear about some contingency : worried 2: characterized by, resulting from, or causing anxiety : worrying 3: ardently or earnestly wishing Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The fact that individual words can have multiple senses that are
The word for today is… apparatchik (noun): 1: a ember of a Communist apparat 2: a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (such as a corporation or political party) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In the context of the definition of "apparatchik" (a term English speakers
The word for today is… Xmas (noun): Informal Christmas - now used chiefly for brevity in advertisements, headlines, etc. Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : X (symbol for Christ, from the Greek letter chi (X), initial of Christos Christ) + -mas (in Christmas). First known use was in 1721 If you enjoyed this
The word for today is… induce (verb): 1a: to move by persuasion or influence b: to call forth or bring about by influence or stimulation 2a: effect, cause b: to cause the formation of c: to produce by induction 3: to determine by induction Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Middle English,
The word for today is… apropos (adjective, preposition, adverb): adjective : being both relevant and opportune preposition : with regard to (something) : apropos of adverb 1: at an opportune time : seasonably 2: by way of interjection or further comment : with regard to the present topic Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We get loads
The word for today is… denigrate (verb): 1: to attack the reputation of : defame 2: to deny the importance or validity of : belittle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The word denigrate has been part of English since the 16th century and can be traced back to the Latin nigrare, meaning "
