Tag: etymology
Word of the Day: Divest
Today’s word of the day, courtesy of the Word Guru email (their word was divestiture), is divest. Divest is a verb that means to “to strip of clothing, ornament, etc.,” […]
Word of the Day: Tenuous
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the New York Times, is tenuous. Tenuous is an adjective that means “lacking substance or significance,” “affording no ease or reassurance,” “very thin […]
Word of the Day: Expiation
Today’s word of the day is expiation. It is defined as “the act of expiating” or “the means by which atonement or reparation is made” (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/expiation). You know how annoying […]
Word of the Day: Throng
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the New York Times, is throng. Throng can be a noun or a verb, and as a verb it can be transitive (it […]
Word of the Day: Braggadocio
Today’s word of the day, thanks to Merriam-Webster, is braggadocio. Braggadocio “refers to brash and self-confident boasting—that is, the annoying or exaggerated talk of someone who is trying to sound […]
Word of the Day: Plummet
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the Britannica Dictionary, is plummet. Plummet is a verb which means “to fall suddenly straight down especially from a very high place” or […]
Word of the Day: Auxiliary
Today’s word of the day, thanks to Merriam-Webster, is auxiliary. Auxiliary can be either an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it can mean “additional; supplementary; reserve” or “used […]
Word of the Day: Facility
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the Brittanica Dictionary, is facility. Facility is a noun which means “readiness or ease due to skill, aptitude, or practice,” or “ready compliance” […]
Word of the Day: Vain
The word of the day today, thanks to the Brittanica Dictionary, is vain. Vain is an adjective with several possible meanings: “excessively proud of or concerned about one’s own appearance, […]
Word of the Day: Malleable
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the Brittanica Dictionary, is malleable. Malleable is an adjective that means “capable of being stretched or bent into different shapes” or “capable of […]
Word of the Day: Pedantic
Today’s word of the day, courtesy of Merriam-Webster, is pedantic. M-W’s dictionary website says, “Pedantic describes someone or something that exhibits the characteristics of a pedant—that is, a person who […]
Word of the Day: Mendicity
Today’s word of the day, thanks to the Dictionary Project, is mendicity, which looks an awful lot like yesterday’s word of the day but isn’t. Mendicity is a noun that […]