Chthonian is an adjective that means related to or resembling something from the underworld. Coming from the Greek word for ‘earth,’ our word of the day has been with us since the late 19th century, usually as a reference to the goings on in Greek mythology, for example: As a kid, I loved Greek mythology, but I didn’t want the stories to get too chthonian. Any reference to the Ancient underworld would scare me away from Greek tales for weeks.
Litterateur is a noun that refers to a professional who makes a living in the world of literature. Our word of the day comes directly from the French. Our word of the day may refer to either a professional writer or someone who has a great interest and knowledge of literature. Here’s an example of the former. My career as a litterateur really took off with my last book. From that point on, I could quit my job as a heart surgeon
Today’s word of the day is giant, R-I-A-N-T. Riant is an adjective that means cheerful or happy. Riant comes directly from France where it means ‘laughing.’ The word happy may refer to a long-term condition as in ‘he lived a happy life’ or it may simply mean laughing or mirthful at a particular time. Riant is best used to refer to the latter, as in: In spite of her current problems, Shelly seemed pretty riant. It looked as though she was laughing through the pain. Riant is spelled RIANT.
Today’s word of the day is impute, I-M-P-U-T-E. Impute is a verb that means to lay the responsibility or blame for. The latin word imputo (eem POO toe) means to lay to a charge. Impute is similar to words like ascribe and attribute, but it is typically used in different contexts. You can attribute or ascribe a successful venture to someone, but you wouldn’t impute it. Our word of the day is saved for accusations that would discredit a person, for example: the mayor held a press convince to deny his involvement in the incident. He insisted that his opponent’s attempts to impute him were nothing more than mudslinging. Once again, impute is spelled I-M-P-U-T-E.
Today’s word of the day is marginalia, M-A-R-G-I-N-A-L-I-A. Marginalia is a noun that means nonessential items. You probably recognize the word margin, a word that, when used figuratively, may refer to a line that separates inclusion and exclusion from a group. Think of marginalia as the place someone or something winds up after being marginalized. President Arthur was a figure of enormous importance. That’s why it pains me to see historians relegate his contributions to marginalia. Once again, marginalia is spelled M-A-R-G-I-N-A-L-I-A.
Brunneous is an adjective that means dark brown. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the Latin word brunneus (broo NAY oose) which means ‘brown.’ Here’s an example of brunneous in use: The brunneous color of the trees is very different from my surroundings during the week. It would be nice to have that shade when I wake up each day, but it would take forever to paint all the concrete and steel brown.
Cerulean is an adjective that means sky blue. Our word of the day dates back to the mid 17th century and the Latin word caelum (KY loom) which means ‘sky.’ Here’s an example of cerulean in use: Andrea’s striking cerulean eyes were the first thing I noticed when I regained consciousness in the hospital. The second thing I noticed is the way her blue eyes matched her dress.
Rubricate is a verb that means to color red. The Latin word rubrica (ROO brick uh) means ‘red.’ By the Late 16th century, this word had been imported to English and turned into a verb which meant to turn something red.’ Here’s an example: The author decided to rubricate the letters that indicated the location of the main character. By having this information in red, there was no chance the reader could confuse his location with other locations.
Castaneous is an adjective that means chestnut colored. The Latin word for ‘chestnut’ is castanea (cass TAN ee uh). By the 17th century, this would branch off into several English words, including ‘castanets,’ a small musical instrument made of wood and our word of the day, an adjective to describe something ‘chestnut colored.’ Here’s an example of castaneous in use: The castaneous tan I acquired last summer took three weeks in Italy and a lot of laying around in the sun. If we had visited Norway, as we first planned to do, my chestnut-colored complexion would have been a lot closer to pale white.
Heterogenous is an adjective that means ‘diverse in character and content.’ Our word of the day is from the Latin word ‘heteros,’ (HET er ose) which means ‘different’ or ‘other.’ It’s been around since the early 17th century. Here’s an example: The heterogenous nature of the animals in that area makes it difficult for them to get along. By putting together those creatures from such diverse backgrounds, they threaten to harm the chemistry.
Handsel is a noun that refers to a gift for good luck. Our word of the day dates back to the Middle English period and is occasionally used as a verb just like its synonym ‘gift.’ Here’s an example: When my parents gave me a car as a handsel on my 18th birthday, they didn’t know they were changing my life. That new Toyota may not have given me good luck, but it certainly brought good times.
Simpatico is an adjective that means having shared characteristics or attributes. Our word of the day is a loan word that has been borrowed from Italian since the early 20th century. Here’s an example of it. I had a feeling I’d be simpatico with my new neighbors the minute I saw their lawn sign that declared ‘no Yankees fans’ in front of their door. Nothing brings together strangers like a hatred of a sports team.
Umbra is a noun that refers to a shadow or darkness. Our word of the day began life as a Latin word for ‘shade.’ Since the late 16th century, it’s been an English word for ‘shade’ or ‘shadow.’ Here’s an example: The long umbra cast along the lake is a sight to behold. The fact that it’s a shadow of a port-o-potty makes the image a little less romantic.
Vocable is a noun that refers to a single syllable that carries a meaning despite not being a ‘real’ word. The Latin word vocabulum ( vo COB oo loom) has given us such English words as ‘vocal’ and ‘vocabulary.’ Our word of the day has been around since the Middle English period. Here’s an example: When my kids are enjoying a meal, they tend to express it in the most vocable terms. They don't use actual words to convey their joy, just a simple, ‘mmmmm.’
Lawfare is a noun that refers to the use of lawsuits as a means of intimidation and combat. Our word of the day is a very recent addition to the English language that combines the common English words ‘law’ and ‘warfare.’ here’s an example: After getting laid off, I tried to bully my former boss Stan with a series of excessive lawsuits, but in retrospect, I may have made a bad decision. It wasn’t such a smart move to use lawfare against a practicing attorney.
variform is an adjective that means ‘being different from another in form. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word varius (VAR ee oos) which means ‘diverse.’ Since the mid-17th century, this word has given birth to a diverse range of descendants, including ‘various,’ ‘variation,’ and the less commonly used variform which could be thought of as a synonym for ‘disparate’ or ‘assorted.’ Here’s an example of its use: Todd’s variform diet served him well from the standpoint of health. Eating the same food all the time isn’t always going to yield the best outcomes.
Borborygmus is a noun that refers to the rumbling or gurgling noise made in the stomach. Our word of the day comes almost directly from a Greek noun that holds the same meaning. It’s been used mostly in medical circles since the early 18th century. Here’s an example: There’s nothing more embarrassing than having a grumbling stomach in a quiet setting. A few weeks ago, I was in a bookstore when my borborygmus announced my hunger to the world — or at least everybody in the history section.
Vegetate is a verb that means to live or spend time in a dull, inactive way. Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vegere (way GARE ay) which means ‘to be active.’ By the early 17th century, the word had morphed into the English word vegetable. More recently, vegetate has come to mean ‘to be inactive.’ Here's an example: I was so tired from running that marathon, I wanted to vegetate all weekend. The problem was I had too much to do around the house to be lazy.
Comely is an adjective that means pleasant or attractive to look at. Our word of the day comes from the Old English period and once meant ‘frail’ or ‘weak.’ Its meaning has been modified more recently and it can now be thought of as a synonym for handsome or beautiful. When I entered the ballroom, I thought all those people were gawking at me because my tuxedo made me look particularly comely. It turned out that all those stares had less to do with my appearance than with the fact that I had forgotten to remove the tag from my jacket.
Benthic is an adjective that means occurring at the bottom of a body of water. The Greek word ‘benthos.’ (VEN thos) means ‘depth of the sea.’ Since the early 20th century, our word of the day has been used to describe the landscape and activity at those depths. Here’s an example: One of the joys of diving is being able to observe all those creatures on the ocean floor. You’d be shocked at all the strange-looking animals you’d find engaged in benthic activity.