Word Of The Day

• cheeseparing
• 
• \CHEEZ-pair-ing\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: something worthless or insignificant

2

: miserly economizing

• EXAMPLES

"My wants were few, and I had no more desire for personal spending than had Ambrose, in his time, but this cheeseparing on the part of my godfather induced in me a sort of fury that made me determined to have my way and use the money that was mine." — From Daphne du Maurier's 1951 novel My Cousin Rachel

"While many charities have undergone painful downsizing, they fear that their operating model won't survive the relentlesscheeseparing the government is indulging in." — From an article by Randeep Ramesh in The Guardian (London), May 15, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

Those familiar with William Shakespeare's history play Henry IVmay recall how the portly Falstaff remembered the thin Justice Shallow "like a man made after supper of a cheese-paring." Falstaff's unusual food simile is one not easily forgotten, and people began to associate "cheese-parings" (bits of cheese trimmed off a larger portion) with other things of little significance and value. In the 19th century, the meaning of "cheeseparing" was extended to "miserly economizing." (Presumably, the practice of paring off the rind so as to waste the minimum of cheese was viewed as an excessive form of frugality.)

Word Of The Day

• zeitgeber
• 
• \TSYTE-gay-ber\

• DEFINITION

noun

: an environmental agent or event that provides the stimulus setting or resetting a biological clock of an organism

• EXAMPLES

"Food availability seems to be a weaker zeitgeber than light. Although food is more essential than light for an animal's survival, light exerts a finer control than food availability over the activity rhythm." — From Roberto Refinetti's 2006 book Circadian Physiology, Second Edition

"Night-shift workers also struggle, he says, because they don't get the environmental and social cues that help adjust the circadian clock. The most important of these cues, calledzeitgebers … is sunlight. But a zeitgeber could also be a scrambled-egg breakfast or children coming home from school in the afternoon." — From an article by Tara Parker-Pope in New York Times Magazine, November 20, 2011

• DID YOU KNOW?

Zeitgebers are nature's alarm clocks—both biologically and etymologically. The word "zeitgeber" derives from a combination of two German terms, "Zeit," which means "time," and "Geber," which means "giver"—so a "zeitgeber" is literally a "time giver." In nature, zeitgebers tend to be cyclic or recurring patterns that help keep the body's circadian rhythms operating in an orderly way. For plants and animals, the daily pattern of light and darkness and the warmer and colder temperatures between day and night serve as zeitgebers, cues that keep organisms functioning on a regular schedule. For humans, societally imposed cycles, such as the schedule of the work or school day and regular mealtimes, can become zeitgebers as well.

Word Of The Day

• picayune
• 
• \pik-ee-YOON\

• DEFINITION

adjective

: of little value : paltry; also : petty, small-minded

• EXAMPLES

Jeanne only had picayune criticisms in regard to the new ad campaign, but that didn't stop her from voicing them at the meeting.

"Currently, in our gridlocked federal government, we've read numerous accounts about legislators who won't work together because they don't like one another or suffered some kind ofpicayune slight." — From an article in Suburban Trends (Morris, New Jersey), January 12, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

In the 19th century, in Louisiana and other southern states, a picayune was a small coin (specifically, a Spanish half real) with a low monetary value. The coin's name derives from "picaioun," a word that means "small coin" in Occitan (a language spoken in Southern France). It ultimately derives from the Occitan word "pica," which means "to jingle" and which was created to mimic the sound of coins jingling. The real as a monetary unit fell out of use, however, and "picayune" joined "two bits" in the category of small amounts of money whose name eventually came to be used instead for things that are paltry and small.

Word Of The Day

• solatium
• 
• \soh-LAY-shee-um\

• DEFINITION

noun

: a compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings

• EXAMPLES

The judge ordered the company to pay a solatium to each of the unjustly fired workers.

"The amount of cash a politician was required by tradition to dispense regularly in the form of wedding gifts and funeralsolatiums for people in his ever-expanding constituency was now, by itself, enough to bankrupt most wealthy men." — From Robert Whiting's 1999 book Tokyo Underworld : The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan

• DID YOU KNOW?

In legal circles, a solatium is a payment made to a victim as compensation for injured feelings or emotional pain and suffering (such as the trauma following the wrongful death of a relative), as distinct from payment for physical injury or for damaged property. Like many legal terms, "solatium," which first appeared in English in the early 19th century, is a product of Latin, where the word means "solace." The Latin noun is related to the verb "solari," which means "to console" and from which we get our words "solace" and "console."

Word Of The Day

• sashay
• 
• \sa-SHAY\

• DEFINITION

verb

1

: to make a chassé

2

a : walk, glide, gob : to strut or move about in an ostentatious or conspicuous mannerc : to proceed or move in a diagonal or sideways manner

• EXAMPLES

A parade of fashion models sashayed down the catwalk in the designer's latest creations.

"Marching bands, such as the Baltimore City Entertainers, brought cheers from the crowd as dancers clad in white, turquoise and purple sashayed through the street." — From an article by Julie Scharper in The Baltimore Sun, January 21, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The French verb "chassé" ("to make a sliding dance step") danced into English unaltered in the early 19th century, but as the word gained popularity in America people often had difficulty pronouncing and transcribing its French rhythms. By 1836, "sashay" had begun to appear in print in American sources. Authors such as Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, and John Updike have all since put their names on the word's dance card and have enjoyed the liveliness and attitude "sashay" adds to descriptions of movement. They and many, many others have helped "sashay" slide away from its French dance origins to strut its stuff in descriptions of various walks and moves.

Word Of The Day

• tangerine
• 
• \TAN-juh-reen\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

a : any of various mandarin oranges that have usually deep orange skin and pulp; broadly : the fruit of a mandarinb : a tree producing tangerines

2

: a moderate to strong reddish orange

• EXAMPLES

The room was painted a cool gray color and the floor was a darker gray, but in the corner were two chairs upholstered in a bold tangerine.

"There's not much seasonal produce in Ohio in January, but in Florida and California, this month is the height of the citrus season. Oranges, grapefruits and tangerines are not just for breakfast and snacks." — From an article by Harry S. Conte in the Newark Advocate (Ohio), January 21, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

When today's Word of the Day was first used in the early 18th century it was an adjective we'd borrowed from French to describe people or things from or relating to the Moroccan city of Tangier. (The French name for "Tangier" is "Tanger.") Within about a hundred years the noun "tangerine" was being used to refer to the fruit we now know by that name. Although tangerines were at one time thought to be native to Morocco, they are now thought to be indigenous to southeast Asia. As our definition explains, tangerines are technically a kind of mandarin orange—and "mandarin" is another word we got from the French. The French "mandarine" is most likely originally from the Portuguese word "mandarim," which etymologists believe is probably from the color of a Chinese mandarin's robes.

Word Of The Day

• teem
• 
• \TEEM\

• DEFINITION

verb

1

: to become filled to overflowing

2

: to be present in large quantity

• EXAMPLES

By mid-morning the theme park will already be teeming with visitors.

"Dispensing with the last installment's cumbersome mythology, this one gets back to basics, dumping the hero on a desert planet teeming with lethal critters and determined bounty hunters." — From a movie review by Tom Russo in The Boston Globe, January 12, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The verb "teem" and the noun "team" are not just homophones, they are also etymological kin. "Teem" is derived from Old English "tīman" or "tæman," which originally meant "to bring forth offspring" or "to become pregnant" and which is related to the ancestor of "team," the Old English noun "tēam," meaning "offspring, lineage, or group of draft animals." "Team" can still be used to refer to a brood of young animals, especially pigs or ducks, but both "teem" and "team" have otherwise largely left their offspring-related senses behind.

Word Of The Day

• small beer
• 
• \SMAWL-BEER\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: weak or inferior beer

2

: something of small importance : trivia

• EXAMPLES

The money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month.

"The main drink was 'small beer', which had a low alcohol content—just enough to preserve it—and was drunk by almost everyone, from children to old men, instead of water." — From an article by Alex Fensome in The Dominion Post (New Zealand), January 13, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Small beer" dates from Shakespeare's day. The Bard didn't coin it (he would have been just a child in 1568, the date of the first documented instance of "small beer"), but he did put the term to good use. In Henry VI, Part 2, for example, the rebel Jack Cade declares that, when he becomes king, he will "make it felony to drink small beer." In Othello, Desdemona asks Iago to describe a "deserving woman." Iago responds by listing praises for ten lines, only to conclude that such a woman would be suited "to suckle fools, and chronicle small beer"; in other words, to raise babies and keep track of insignificant household expenses. Desdemona quickly retorts, declaring Iago's assertion a "most lame and impotent conclusion."

Word Of The Day

• senescence
• 
• \sih-NESS-unss\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: the state of being old : the process of becoming old

2

: the growth phase in a plant or plant part (as a leaf) from full maturity to death

• EXAMPLES

Vera avoids the pitfalls of senescence by exercising daily and staying active in her community.

"Butler's book grew out of the experience of her father's long-drawn-out senescence, enabled primarily by the installation of a pacemaker in his heart that kept it beating long after his other faculties withered." — From a book review by Michelle Dean inThe Christian Science Monitor, October 24, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Senescence" can be traced back to Latin "senex," meaning "old." Can you guess which other English words come from "senex"? "Senile" might come to mind, as well as "senior." But another one might surprise you: "senate." This word for a legislative assembly dates back to ancient Rome, where the "Senatus" was originally a council of elders composed of the heads of patrician families. There's also the much rarer "senectitude," which, like "senescence," refers to the state of being old (specifically, to the final stage of the normal life span).

Word Of The Day

• arch
• 
• \AHRCH\

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: principal, chief

2

a : mischievous, saucyb : marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence

• EXAMPLES

The novel is never mocking or arch in its tone—a marked departure from the writer's usual style.

"Bloomberg was harshly criticized for the slow response, especially in Queens and Brooklyn, to a December 2010 blizzard that dumped 20 inches (50 centimeters) of snow on the Big Apple, three times more than on Friday. De Blasio had been among his arch critics at the time." — From an article on TheRawStory.com by Agence France-Presse, January 4, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

As a prefix, "arch-" appears in a number of titles referring to positions of superiority, such as "archduke" and "archbishop." Ultimately deriving (via Latin and French) from the Greek verb "archein" ("to begin, rule"), it can also mean "chief " (as in "archnemesis") or "extreme" (as in "archconservative"). In the 17th century, as the "extreme" sense of "arch" came to be used frequently to describe rogues, knaves, and other clever and mischievous sorts, "arch" eventually settled into use as an adjective to describe one with impish or playful qualities. Use of the word has since extended to describe actions or remarks meant to be ironic, cutting, or condescending.

Word Of The Day

• redoubtable
• 
• \rih-DOUT-uh-bul\

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: causing fear or alarm : formidable

2

: illustrious, eminent; broadly : worthy of respect

• EXAMPLES

The theater has hired a redoubtable director to direct its upcoming production.

"The study's authors—Jason Grissom, Benjamin Master, and theredoubtable Susannah Loeb—assigned researchers to shadow 100-plus principals in the Miami-Dade school district and document their actions in five-minute intervals." — From an article by Karin Chenoweth in the Huffington Post, January 16, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The word "redoubtable" is worthy of respect itself, if only for its longevity; it has been used in English for things formidable since at least the 15th century. This "dread"-ful term comes to us through Middle English from the Anglo-French verb "reduter," meaning "to dread," and ultimately derives from "duter," meaning "to doubt." Things or people that are formidable and alarming can also inspire awe and even admiration, however, and it wasn't long before the meaning of "redoubtable" was extended from "formidable" to "illustrious" and "worthy of respect."

Word Of The Day

• probity
• 
• \PROH-buh-tee\

• DEFINITION

noun

: adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness

• EXAMPLES

The tale of young George Washington's refusal to tell a lie after cutting down his father's cherry tree was told to us as grade schoolers to illustrate his probity.

"The Senate has confirmed Jeh Johnson, once the Pentagon's top lawyer, to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Johnson brings a sharp legal mind and reputation for probity to the job." — From an editorial in The New York Times, December 26, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Probity" and its synonyms "honesty," "honor," and "integrity" all mean uprightness of character or action, with some slight differences in emphasis. "Honesty" implies a refusal to lie or deceive in any way. "Honor" suggests an active or anxious regard for the standards of one's profession, calling, or position. "Integrity" implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a trust, responsibility, or pledge. "Probity," which descends from Latin "probus," meaning "honest," implies tried and proven honesty or integrity.

Word Of The Day

• lorn
• 
• \LORN\

• DEFINITION

adjective

: desolate, forsaken

• EXAMPLES

"One large saucepan lay lorn near the doorstep, a proof that Foster was human." — From Arnold Bennett's 1910 novelClayhanger

"It's a bit unsettling here seeing slides, climbing structures, and the like lost in lone, lorn decay." — From a photography exhibit review by Mark Feeney in The Boston Globe, December 2, 2011

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Lorn" and "forlorn" are synonyms that can both mean "desolate" or "forsaken." The similarity in form and meaning of the two words is hardly a coincidence. "Lorn" comes down to us from "loren," the Middle English past participle of the verb "lesen" ("to lose"), itself a descendent of the Old English "lēosan." Similarly, "forlorn" comes from the Middle English "forloren," a descendent of Old English verb "forlēosan," which also means "to lose." The "for-" in "forlorn" is a no longer productive prefix meaning, among other things, "completely," "excessively," or "to exhaustion." Nowadays, "forlorn" is considerably more common than "lorn." "Lorn" does, however, appear as the second element in the compound "lovelorn" ("bereft of love or of a lover").

Word Of The Day

• crepitate
• 
• \KREP-uh-tayt\

• DEFINITION

verb

: to make a crackling sound : to make a series of short, sharp noises

• EXAMPLES

Most of the tiny town's residents had something to contribute to the bonfire, and it burned brightly and crepitated loudly late into the night.

"A familiar synthetic beat starts the disc…. The band slowly fills in around the pulse, wind blowing through tunnels, factories moaning, yawning infrastructure, broken, creaking. Embers of some final blast crepitating." — From a music review by David King in Metroland, October 17, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Crepitate" comes from the Latin word "crepitare," meaning "to crackle." It has been used with this meaning since the late 1820s, but it had a previous life: about 200 years prior it was used to mean "to break wind." That meaning is now obsolete, and the word has no embarrassing remnants. In addition to its general use as a synonym of "crackle," "crepitate" also has a specific medical meaning—"to produce or experience crepitation." "Crepitation" here refers to a grating or crackling sound or sensation, such as that produced by the fractured ends of a bone moving against each other.

Word Of The Day

• Cupid
• 
• \KYOO-pid\

• DEFINITION

noun

: the Roman god of erotic love 2 not capitalized : a figure that represents Cupid as a naked usually winged boy often holding a bow and arrow

• EXAMPLES

I purchased a large Valentine's Day card decorated with hearts and cupids.

"Ever since opening Seventh Sister Bakery at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue three years ago, Ms. Lang has beenplaying cupid with her regulars…." — From an article by Zosia Bielski in The Globe and Mail (Canada), January 11, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

According to Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Mercury, the messenger god, and Venus, the goddess of love. In Roman times, the winged "messenger of love" was sometimes depicted in armor, but no one is sure if that was intended as a sarcastic comment on the similarities between warfare and romance, or a reminder that love conquers all. Cupid was generally seen as a good spirit who brought happiness to all, but his matchmaking could cause mischief. Venus wasn't above using her son's power to get revenge on her rivals, and she once plotted to have the beautiful mortal Psyche fall in love with a despicable man. But the plan backfired: Cupid fell in love with Psyche, and she eventually became his immortal wife.

Word Of The Day

• serendipity
• 
• \sair-un-DIP-uh-tee\

• DEFINITION

noun

: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this

• EXAMPLES

We found the restaurant by pure serendipity, rather than careful research, but it turned out to be the best deal in town.

"Many young people today have never had the experience of getting lost.… They have not experienced the pleasure of wandering while lost and discovering by serendipity interesting new places." — From an op-ed by Katie Davis and Howard Gardner in the Seattle Times, January 7, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

In the mid-1700s, English author Horace Walpole stumbled upon an interesting tidbit of information while researching a coat of arms. In a letter to his friend Horace Mann he wrote: "This discovery indeed is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word, which as I have nothing better to tell you, I shall endeavor to explain to you: you will understand it better by the derivation than by the definition. I once read a silly fairy tale, called 'The Three Princes of Serendip': as their highnesses travelled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of…." Walpole's memory of the tale (which, as it turns out, was not quite accurate) gave "serendipity" the meaning it retains to this day.

Word Of The Day

• deracinate
• 
• \dee-RASS-uh-nayt\

• DEFINITION

verb

1

: uproot

2

: to remove or separate from a native environment or culture; especially : to remove the racial or ethnic characteristics or influences from

• EXAMPLES

The old-fashioned gardening book recommended deracinatingevery other plant in the row to allow the survivors room to grow.

"My dilemma was that, on one hand, I am one of those who, by accident of birth, finds herself the daughter of an earl and has insider knowledge of the framework the bill is trying to overhaul. On the other hand, I don't use my title and am deracinated from that life." — From an article by Liza Campbell in The Guardian, January 14, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

There is a hint about the roots of "deracinate" in its first definition. "Deracinate" was borrowed into English in the late 16th century from Middle French and can be traced back to the Latin word "radix," meaning "root." Although "deracinate" began life referring to literal plant roots, it quickly took on a second metaphorical meaning suggesting removal of anyone or anything from native "roots" or culture. Other offspring of "radix" include "eradicate" ("to pull up by the roots" or "to do away with as completely as if by pulling up by the roots") and "radish" (a crisp edible root). Though the second sense of "deracinate" mentions racial characteristics and influence, the words "racial" and "race" derive from "razza," an Italian word of uncertain origin.

Word Of The Day

• filch
• 
• \FILCH\

• DEFINITION

verb

: to appropriate furtively or casually : to steal (something that is small or that has little value)

• EXAMPLES

After Devin admitted to filching a candy bar from the convenience store, he apologized to the owner but was not allowed in the store again.

"(Shia) LaBeouf directed a 2012 short film, HowardCantour.com. Until Dec. 16, one would have imagined that he wrote the film, too. But no, as BuzzFeed revealed (as though the saga lacked intellectual-property intrigue!), he had filched the plot from 'Justin M. Damiano,' a 2007 comic by artist Daniel Clowes." — From a post by Jack Dickey on TIME.com, December 23, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

"I am glad I am so acquit of this tinder-box: his thefts were too open; his filching was like an unskilful singer—he kept not time." So says Falstaff in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor. The Bard was fond of "filch" in both its literal and figurative uses; Iago says to Othello, "he that filches from me my good name / Robs me of that which not enriches him / And makes me poor indeed." "Filch" derives from the Middle English word "filchen" ("to attack" or "to steal") and perhaps from Old English "gefylce" ("band of men, troop, army"). As a noun, "filch" once referred to a hooked staff used by thieves to snatch articles out of windows and from similar places, but this use is now obsolete.