Word Of The Day

• preterit
• 
• \PRET-uh-rut\

• DEFINITION

noun

: past tense

• EXAMPLES

While the past tense form of "sneak" is traditionally "sneaked," the alternate preterit "snuck" is increasingly common.

"The next chapter introduces Elwin Cross Jr., a professor of linguistics at Marasmus State College…. He's in his 50s, directionless, nearing a point in his life when 'what is becomes what was and all the other verbs defining your existence go slumping into the preterite….'" — From a review of Jonathan Miles' Want Not by Dave Eggers in the New York Times, November 10, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

The original form of today's word, which dates to Middle English, has no final "e," but "preterite," as it appears in our second example, is another accepted styling of the word. Like many technical linguistic terms, "preterit" is ultimately Latin in origin: it comes from "praeter," meaning "beyond, past, by." (This meaning is also apparent in the now-archaic adjectival use of "preterit" to mean "bygone" or "former.") Another word from "praeter" is "preternatural," from the Latin phrase "praeter naturam," meaning "beyond nature." That word is typically used to describe what is so unusual or extraordinary as to seem outside of what can be accounted for by nature.

Word Of The Day

• speculate
• 
• \SPEK-yuh-layt\

• DEFINITION

verb

1

a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflectb : to think or theorize about something in which evidence is too slight for certainty to be reached

2

: to assume a business risk in hope of gain; especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations

• EXAMPLES

Mia's abrupt firing caused her coworkers to speculate endlessly about what she might have done wrong.

"In fact, he refused to comment when asked whether any negotiations even have been held recently. He also would notspeculate on the odds of a pre-trial settlement."— From an article by Roger Phillips in The Record (Stockton, California), May 1, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Speculate" was adopted into English in the late 16th century from Latin "speculatus," the past participle of the verb "speculari," which means "to spy out" or "to examine." "Speculari," in turn, derives from "specula," meaning "lookout post," and ultimately from the Latin verb "specere," meaning "to look (at)." Other conspicuous descendants of "specere" are "inspect" and "suspect." Some less obvious descendants are the words "despise," "species," "specimen," and, as you may have speculated, "conspicuous."

Word Of The Day

• offal
• 
• \AW-ful\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

a : the waste or by-product of a process: asb : trimmings of a hidec : the by-products of milling used especially for stock feedsd : the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in dressing : the edible parts of a slaughter animal other than skeletal muscle

2

: rubbish

• EXAMPLES

The city's offal-strewn alleyways were often a haven for stray dogs and vermin.

"The menu continues to stick to a general theme of upscale bar food, but it has more wild game on it, and offal." — From an article by Sarah Blaskovich in The Dallas Morning News, April 11, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

In its original sense, "offal" refers to something that has fallen or been cast away from some process of preparation or manufacture, and it has been used to describe such things as the stalks and dust from tobacco leaves, the less valuable portions of an animal hide, the by-products of milling grain, and the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal. The word "offal," however, is not an etymological cast-off, but is an English original that arose in the late 14th century as a combination of "of" (the Middle English spelling of "off") and "fall," aptly naming that which "falls off" or is cast aside from something else. Since the late 16th century, "offal" has also been used as a synonym for "trash," "garbage," and "rubbish."

Word Of The Day

• amiable
• 
• \AY-mee-uh-bul\

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

: generally agreeable

2

: being friendly, sociable, and congenial

• EXAMPLES

"Aside from being amiable, Mickey Mouse has no discernible personality of any kind, yet he has captivated the world, appeared in hundreds of films, and sold billions of dollars' worth of merchandise." — R. L. Stine, quoted in The Atlantic, March 19, 2014

"In person, … he was amiable and just plain funny as he discussed everything from the growing appeal of TV for movie actors to playing a character that's 'sort of God and the Devil wrapped into one.'" — From an article by Jeanne Jakle in the San Antonio Express-News, April 13, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Amiable" derives from the Late Latin adjective "amicabilis," meaning "friendly," which in turn comes from the Latin word for "friend" and can ultimately be traced back to "amare," meaning "to love." When "amiable" was adopted into English in the 14th century, it meant "pleasing" or "admirable," but that sense is now obsolete. The current, familiar senses of "generally agreeable" ("an amiable movie") and "friendly and sociable" came centuries later. "Amare" has also given English speakers such words as "amative" and "amorous" (both meaning "strongly moved by love"), "amour" ("a usually illicit love affair"), and even "amateur" (which originally meant "admirer").

Word Of The Day

• mélange
• 
• \may-LAHNZH\

• DEFINITION

noun

: a mixture often of incongruous elements

• EXAMPLES

We encountered a mélange of architectural styles as we strolled through the neighborhood.

"Crisp and white as a chef’s toque, the newest artwork at the Culinary Institute of America made its debut last month as the perfect backdrop for commencement snapshots. Graduates and family members almost instinctively posed before the mural, a sculptural mélange of food-related words and objects."— From an article by David W. Dunlap in the New York Times, April 15, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Mélange" was added to the mixture of English back in the 1600s. It derives from the Middle French verb "mesler," which means "to mix." "Mélange" is actually one of several French contributions to the English body of words for miscellaneous mixtures. "Pastiche" (meaning "a composition made up of selections of different works," or broadly, "a disorderly mixture, hodgepodge") is borrowed from French, and "medley" and "potpourri" have roots in French, too. There's also the lesser known "gallimaufry" (meaning "hodgepodge"), which comes from the Middle French "galimafree" (meaning "stew").

Word Of The Day

• sully
• 
• \SUL-ee\

• DEFINITION

adjective

: to make soiled or tarnished : defile

• EXAMPLES

The mayor worried that the latest scandal had hopelessly sulliedhis good name.

"The bank's reputation was sullied when its former chairman … was caught on tape in November discussing an alleged drug purchase." — From an article by Max Colchester in the Wall Street Journal, April 11, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The spelling of today's word has shifted several times since it was "sylian" in Old-English, but its meaning has remained essentially the same: "to soil." If you're looking for other words that mean "to soil," you can try out "befoul," "besmirch," "blacken," "foul," "grime," "stain," or simply "dirty." You might wonder if the English word "sullen" (meaning "gloomy or morose") is a relative of "sully," and the answer is no. "Sullen" traces back by way of Anglo- and Old French to Latin "solus," meaning "alone."

Word Of The Day

• sartorial
• 
• \sahr-TOR-ee-ul\

• DEFINITION

adjective

: of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes

• EXAMPLES

Since Daniel was well-known for his impeccable sartorial taste, I asked him for help in upgrading my own wardrobe.

"Her truck, specializing in clothes for plus-size women, is one of the mobile fashion retailers—the sartorial cousins to food trucks—that have taken to Washington area streets over the past year and a half." — From an article by Stephanie Merry in The Washington Post, April 16, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

It's easy to uncover the root of "sartorial." Just strip off the suffix "-ial" and you discover the Latin noun "sartor," meaning "tailor" (literally, "one who patches or mends"). Sartorial splendor has been the stuff of voguish magazines for years, and even "sartor" itself has occasionally proven fashionable, as it did in 1843, when Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote of "coats whose memory turns the sartor pale," or in the 1870 title The Sartor, or British journal of cutting, clothing, and fashion. "Sartorial" has been in style with English speakers since at least 1823.

Word Of The Day

• bijou
• 
• \BEE-zhoo\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship : jewel

2

: something delicate, elegant, or highly prized

• EXAMPLES

Bijoux from around the world will be on exhibit and later auctioned off.

"Bauble Bar has loads of gorgeous bijoux that won't break the bank…. The Radiant Orchid Collar Necklace is among my favorites…." — From an article by Gretta Monahan in the Boston Herald, January 23, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Bijou" (which can be pluralized as either "bijoux" or "bijous") has adorned English since the late 17th century. We borrowed it from French, but the word ultimately traces to Breton, a Celtic language (one closely related to Cornish and Welsh) spoken by inhabitants of the Brittany region of northwest France. Our modern English word derives from Breton "bizou," which means "ring." That history makes "bijou" a rare gem in English because, although the Breton people occupied part of England for many years before they were pushed into France by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries, very few Breton-derived words remain in our language. (Another Breton descendant is "menhir," a term for a kind of monolith.)

Word Of The Day

• shinplaster
• 
• \SHIN-plass-ter\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: a piece of privately issued paper currency; especially : one poorly secured and depreciated in value

2

: a piece of paper money in denominations of less than one dollar

• EXAMPLES

It was the same during the Civil War when the government again turned to the printing press to finance the war. So-called 'greenbacks' … and 'shinplasters,' paper 5-, 10-, 25- and 50-cent pieces, were printed by the thousands to help pay Union soldiers and relieve a coin shortage caused by hoarding." — From an article by John Schmeltzer in the Chicago Tribune, May 12, 1995

"'Some Canadians consider the penny more of a nuisance than a useful coin,' the budget documents said. And so the coin will go the way of the old 25-cent shinplaster." — From an article by John Ward of The Canadian Press, March 29, 2012

• DID YOU KNOW?

In the past, "shinplaster" referred to a small, square patch of paper that was used as a plaster in treating sore legs. In 19th-century America, the term "shinplaster" was applied to another paper Band-Aid fix: the privately-issued, poorly-secured notes substituted for the coins withdrawn from current circulation. The lexical currency of "shinplaster" spiked when it began being used for the paper money in denominations of less than a dollar—a.k.a. "fractional currency"—issued by the United States government after the depression of 1837 and during the Civil War. In 1870, the U.S.'s neighbor to the north, Canada, issued its own shinplaster, a 25-cent note, which fell into disuse in the early 20th century.

Word Of The Day

• eidetic
• 
• \eye-DET-ik\

• DEFINITION

adjective

: marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images

• EXAMPLES

Thanks to her eidetic memory, Kirsten was able to recall every last detail of what happened that night, including the colors of each person's outfit.

"Jason Bateman, making his feature directing debut after directing episodes of his 'Arrested Development' series, plays an adult who uses a loophole to enter a spelling bee and whoseeidetic memory all but guarantees he will win if he chooses." — From a movie review by Duane Dudek in the Journal Sentinel(Milwaukee), March 27, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Eidetic" is the technical adjective used to describe what we more commonly call a photographic memory. The word ultimately derives from the Greek noun "eidos," meaning "form." The ability of certain individuals to recall images, sounds, or events with uncanny accuracy is a subject of fascination for researchers in the field of psychology. Among notable people who were reputed to have eidetic memories is the late television comic Jackie Gleason, who reportedly was able to memorize an entire half-hour script in a single reading.

Word Of The Day

• yokel
• 
• \YOH-kul\

• DEFINITION

noun

: a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town

• EXAMPLES

The yokels at the gas station looked at us funny when we walked in, but they were friendly and obliging when we asked them for directions.

"Who stumbles across him but the thugs that ransacked the house Rick was staying in just a few episodes ago. They surround him and attempt to rob him of his crossbow (and the vest - 'I like them wings' one yokel says), but Daryl manages to bloody the leader's nose and aim his crossbow at him, forcing them all into a standoff." — From an episode recap by Nicole Pesce on the New York Daily News's Channel Surfer blog, March 24, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The origins of "yokel" are uncertain, but it might have come from the dialectal English word "yokel," meaning "green woodpecker." Other words for supposedly naive country folk are "chawbacon" (from "chaw," meaning "chew," and "bacon"), "hayseed" (which has obvious connections to country life), and "clodhopper" (indicating a clumsy, heavy-footed rustic). But city slickers don't always have the last word: rural folk have had their share of labels for city-dwellers too. One simple example from current use is the often disparaging use of the adjective "citified." A more colorful (albeit historical) example is "cockney," which literally means "cock's egg," or more broadly "misshapen egg." In the past, this word often designated a spoiled or foppish townsman—as opposed to the sturdy countryman, that is.

Word Of The Day

• snivel
• 
• \SNIV-ul\

• DEFINITION

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

• EXAMPLES

Mom told Jenny to stop sniveling about how mistreated she was and just do her chores.

"Clearly director Alan Taylor, whose previous work has mostly been in classy series television (lately, 'Game of Thrones' and 'Boardwalk Empire'), likes this character best, because he snivelsmost." — From a movie review by Michael Phillips in The Baltimore Sun, November 8, 2013

• DID YOU KNOW?

There's never been anything pretty about sniveling. "Snivel," which originally meant simply "to have a runny nose," was probably "snyflan" in Old English. It's likely related to "sniffle," not surprisingly, and also to an Old English word for mucus, "snofl." It's even related to the Middle Dutch word for a cold, "snof," and the Old Norse word for "snout," which is "snoppa." There's also a connection to "nan," a Greek verb meaning "flow." Nowadays, we mostly use "snivel," as we have since the 1600s, to refer to self-pitying whining, whether or not such sniveling is accompanied by unchecked nasal flow.

Word Of The Day

• abrupt
• 
• \uh-BRUPT\

• DEFINITION

adjective

1

a : characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : unexpectedb : unceremoniously curtc : lacking smoothness or continuity

2

: giving the impression of being cut or broken off; especially :involving a sudden steep rise or drop

• EXAMPLES

Although Kevin liked working at the auto dealership, his abruptmanner of speaking made him a poor match for a job in customer service.

"Investigators are combing a remote area of the Indian Ocean for possible debris from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, but the mystery around its abrupt disappearance grows with each passing day." — From an article by Ginger Adams Otis in theDaily News (New York), March 23, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

We'll break it to you gently: "abrupt" first appeared in English in the 16th century and can be traced back to a combination in Latin of the prefix "ab-" and the verb "rumpere," which means "to break." "Rumpere" forms the basis for several other words in English that suggest a kind of breaking, including "interrupt," "rupture," and "bankrupt." Whether being used to describe a style of speaking that seems rudely short (as in "an abrupt answer"), something with a severe rise or drop (as in "abrupt changes in temperature"), or something that seems rash and sudden (as in "an abrupt decision to quit college"), "abrupt" implies a kind of jarring unexpectedness that catches people off guard.

Word Of The Day

• retinue
• 
• \RET-uh-noo\

• DEFINITION

noun

: a group of retainers or attendants

• EXAMPLES

"The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." — From an article by Anthony Rieber in Newsday, March 28, 2014

"Eight men made its retinue, and two of the eight were armed with rusty sabres—sure signs that they followed a person of distinction, for the common folk do not bear arms." — From Rudyard Kipling's 1901 novel Kim

• DID YOU KNOW?

"Retinue" derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb "retenir," meaning "to retain." Another word deriving from "retenir" is "retainer," which means, among other things, "one who serves a person of high position or rank." In the 14th century, that high person of rank was usually a noble or a royal of some kind, and "retinue" referred to that person's collection of servants and companions. Nowadays, the word is often used with a bit of exaggeration to refer to the assistants, guards, publicists, and other people who accompany an actor or other high-profile individual in public. You might also hear such a collection called a "suite" or "entourage," two other words derived from French.

Word Of The Day

• mien
• 
• \MEEN\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor

2

: appearance, aspect

• EXAMPLES

The minister projected a stern and serious mien from the pulpit, but we found him to be friendly and welcoming when we spoke with him in the social hall after the service.

"Cooking in a Seattle Seahawks cap, McClenahan's mien is methodical, his moves practiced and precise." — From an article by Nancy Leson in the Seattle Times, March 31, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

Like its synonyms "bearing" and "demeanor," "mien" means the outward manifestation of personality or attitude. "Bearing" is the most general, but now usually implies characteristic posture, as in "a woman of regal bearing." "Demeanor" suggests attitude expressed through outward behavior in the presence of others; for example, "the manager's professional demeanor." "Mien" is a somewhat literary term referring to both bearing and demeanor. "A mien of supreme self-satisfaction" is a typical use. "Mien" and "demeanor" are also linked through etymology. "Mien" arose through the shortening and alteration of the verb "demean," which comes from Latin "mener" ("to lead") and is also the root of "demeanor." In this case, "demean" means "to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner," not "to degrade." That other "demean" is a distinct word with a different etymology.

Word Of The Day

• cataract
• 
• \KAT-uh-rakt\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: a clouding of the lens of the eye or of its surrounding transparent membrane that obstructs the passage of light

2

a : waterfall; especially : a large one over a precipiceb : steep rapids in a riverc : downpour, flood

• EXAMPLES

"Kale contains tons of beta-carotene and lutein which can ward off blindness and cataracts caused by UV rays." — From an article by Brian Arola in the Hibbing Daily Tribune (Minnesota), April 3, 2014

"After a broken cataract of about twenty feet, the stream was received in a large natural basin filled to the brim with water, which, where the bubbles of the fall subsided, was so exquisitely clear that … the eye could discern each pebble at the bottom." — From Sir Walter Scott's 1814 novel Waverley

• DID YOU KNOW?

The meaning of "cataract" we're most familiar with is also the oldest. It dates to the 14th century and comes from the Latin word "cataracta," meaning "portcullis," probably because the ocular cataract obstructs vision in a way reminiscent of the way the portcullis's heavy iron grating obstructs passage into a fortress or castle. Latin "cataracta" has another meaning, however—"waterfall"—and that meaning gave us the water-related meanings that came in later centuries. The connection between the two Latin meanings can be seen in "katarassein," the Greek source of "cataracta." It means "to dash down"—an action we see in both the slamming portcullis and the cascading waterfall.

Word Of The Day

• lionize
• 
• \LYE-uh-nyze\

• DEFINITION

verb

: to treat as an object of great interest or importance

• EXAMPLES

In his letter to the editor, Jeremy denounced the mass media's tendency to lionize accused murderers.

"More than a music hall, the beloved nightclub in the space now occupied by The Social was a pop-culture salon. It was the place to see musicians later lionized in indie-rock—singer-songwriters such as Elliott Smith, bands such as Guided By Voices—in a room painstakingly devoted to the experience." — From an article by Jim Abbott in the Orlando Sentinel, April 1, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

The lion is traditionally regarded as the king of beasts—perceived as brave, stately, and ferocious. Those qualities were probably in people's minds when, in the 18th century, "lion" came to be used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field. A veteran lawmaker might be considered one of the lions of the Senate; a literary lion has enjoyed a long career as a successful writer. This sense of "lion" forms the basis of "lionize," which first appeared in English in the early 19th century.

Word Of The Day

• gist
• 
• \JIST\

• DEFINITION

noun

1

: the ground of a legal action

2

: the main point or part : essence

• EXAMPLES

I didn't catch every word, but I heard enough to get the gist of the conversation.

"If you have seen the animated children's movie Balto, you know the gist of the Iditarod story; however, there is more to the story than a mysterious wolf/dog who beat the odds, carried the antitoxin across the tundra and got the girl." — From an article by Victoria Burris in The Omnibus (Southwest Baptist University), March 5, 2014

• DID YOU KNOW?

"The gist of the conversation was that ...." The word "gist" often appears in such contexts to let us know that what follows will be a statement or summary that in some way encapsulates the main point or overarching theme. The gist of a conversation, argument, story, or what-have-you is what we rely on when the actual words and details are only imperfectly recalled, inessential, or too voluminous to recount in their entirety. "Gist" was borrowed from the Anglo-French legal phrase "[cest] action gist" ("[this] action lies") in the early 18th century, and was originally used in legal contexts as a term referring to the foundation or grounds for a legal action without which that action would not be legally sustainable.