Word of the Day - FDAO

05/09/2020

heyday

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 5, 2020 is:

heyday • \HAY-day\ • noun

: the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity

Examples:

"The theater engaged Mr. Leslie ‘Les' Jones to build and paint the sets. He was in his early sixties when I arrived—he'd been a legendary scene painter during the heyday of vaudeville." — Kate Bornstein, A Q***r and Present Danger, 2012

"But there are few drive-in theaters left. They've dwindled to just a handful in the Twin Cities since their heyday in the 1950s and '60s. There are only six left in Minnesota." — Kathy Berdan, TwinCities.com (St. Paul, Minnesota), 26 July 2020

Did you know?

In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, heyday was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to our word hey, from which it derives). Within a few decades, heyday was seeing use as a noun meaning "high spirits." This sense can be seen in Act III, scene 4 of Hamlet, when the Prince of Denmark tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame…." The word's second syllable is not thought to be borne of the modern word day (or any of its ancestors), but in the 18th century the syllable's resemblance to that word likely influenced the development of the now-familiar use referring to the period when one's achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.

In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, heyday was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to our word hey. Within a few decades, heyday was seeing use

05/09/2020

bird colonel, n.
OED Word of the Day: bird colonel, n. A full colonel, as distinct from a lieutenant colonel.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

05/09/2020

Word of the day for September 5

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Word of the day
for September 5

gormy adj

(Britain, chiefly Northern England, US, chiefly New England) Awkward, clumsy, klutzy, ungainly.

[...]

(Britain, US, chiefly Southern US) Alternative spelling of gaumy (“sticky, smeared with something sticky; grimy”)

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04/09/2020

Agnostic

Agnostic [ag·nos·tic] n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

Agnostic [ag·nos·tic] n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena.

04/09/2020

docile

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2020 is:

docile • \DAH-sul\ • adjective

1 : easily taught

2 : easily led or managed : tractable

Examples:

"The zoo has one bearded dragon, dubbed Six because that number was painted on its back when it arrived…. Six is not on public exhibit but because it's friendly and docile, the bearded dragon is an ambassador in the zoo's Wild Connections animal encounter program." — Meg Jones, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2020

"I hate the idea that we have to be polite as women, or we have to be docile. It's good to be kind, of course, but that we have to be agreeable, and if we're anything else we're labeled difficult." — Elisabeth Moss, quoted in Elle, 8 July 2020

Did you know?

Docile students can make teaching a lot easier. Nowadays, calling students "docile" indicates they aren't trouble-makers; however, there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to teachability. The original meaning of docile is more to the point: "readily absorbing something taught." "The docile mind may soon thy precepts know," rendered Ben Jonson, for example, in a 17th-century translation of the Roman poet Horace. Docile comes from Latin docēre, which means "to teach." Other descendants of docēre include doctrine (which can mean "something that is taught"), document (an early meaning of which was "instruction"), and doctor and docent (both of which can refer to college teachers).

Docile students can make teaching a lot easier. Nowadays, calling students 'docile' indicates they aren't trouble-makers; however, there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to

04/09/2020

cock-horse
adverb: Mounted with a leg on each side. noun: A hobby horse.

adverb: Mounted with a leg on each side. noun: A hobby horse.

04/09/2020

chin-stroking, n.
OED Word of the Day: chin-stroking, n. The action of stroking one’s chin, esp. while deliberating or reflecting on a question. Hence: excessive deliberation or pondering.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

04/09/2020

Word of the day for September 4

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Word of the day
for September 4

glaive n

(obsolete, historical) A light lance with a long, sharp-pointed head.

(historical) A weapon consisting of a pole with a large blade fixed on the end, the edge of which is on the outside curve.

(loosely or poetic, archaic) A sword, particularly a broadsword.

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03/09/2020

Juxtapose

Juxtapose [jux·ta·pose] tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. “The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso’s early drawings with some of his later works.”

Juxtapose [jux·ta·pose] tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. “The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso’s early drawings with some of his later works.”

03/09/2020

matriculate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2020 is:

matriculate • \muh-TRIK-yuh-layt\ • verb

1 : to enroll as a member of a body and especially of a college or university

2 : to be enrolled at a college or university

Examples:

A spokesperson for the college said the school is expected to matriculate approximately 1,000 students for the fall semester.

"Vince Carter, the player who would come to be known as 'Half-Man, Half-Amazing,' matriculated at the University of North Carolina in the fall of 1995." — Ben Golliver, The Washington Post, 28 June 2020

Did you know?

Anybody who has had basic Latin knows that alma mater, a fancy term for the school you attended, comes from a phrase that means "fostering mother." If mater is mother, then matriculate probably has something to do with a school nurturing you just like good old mom, right? Not exactly. If you go back far enough, matriculate is distantly related to the Latin mater, but its maternal associations were lost long ago—even in terms of Latin history. It is more closely related to Late Latin matricula, which means "public roll or register." Matricula has more to do with being enrolled than being mothered, but it is the diminutive form of the Latin matrix, which in Late Latin was used in the sense of "list" or "register" and earlier referred to female animals kept for the purposes of breeding.

Anybody who has had basic Latin knows that alma mater, a fancy term for the school you attended, comes from a phrase that means 'fostering mother.' If mater is mother, then matriculate probably has

03/09/2020

chivalrous
adjective: Having quality of chivalry, such as courtesy, honor, bravery, gallantry, etc.

adjective: Having quality of chivalry, such as courtesy, honor, bravery, gallantry, etc.

03/09/2020

smack talk, n.
OED Word of the Day: smack talk, n. Ostentatiously boastful or insulting banter, often delivered with the intention of demoralizing, intimidating, or humiliating an opponent…

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

03/09/2020

Word of the day for September 3

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Word of the day
for September 3

gular adj

(chiefly zoology) Particularly of an animal: of, pertaining to, or located at the gula (“the upper front of the neck next to the chin”) or the throat.

gular n

(zoology) A plate or scale in the throat region of the body of a fish or reptile (especially a snake).

[...]

(India) Synonym of cluster fig (“Ficus racemosa, a species of plant in the family Moraceae; the edible fruit of this plant”).

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02/09/2020

Pundit

Pundit [pun·dit] n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. “The election results threw the political pundits into confusion.” 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom.

Pundit [pun·dit] n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. “The election results threw the political pundits into confusion.” 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom.

02/09/2020

pediculous

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2020 is:

pediculous • \pih-DIK-yuh-lus\ • adjective

: infested with lice : lousy

Examples:

All of the campers in the cabin had to be checked for lice when one boy’s sleeping bag was discovered to be pediculous.

"They say pediculous humors and flyborne air are culprits of plague, so the townsmen make a pyre of flowers and brush, attar and spikenard, by way of purging the air of offense." — Fiona Maazel, Last Last Chance, 2008

Did you know?

Count on the English language's Latin lexical options to pretty up the unpleasant. You can have an entire conversation about lice and avoid the l-word entirely using pediculous and its relatives. None of the words (from pediculus, meaning "louse") is remotely common, but they're all available to you should you feel the need for them. There's pediculosis, meaning "infestation with lice," pedicular, "of or relating to lice," and pediculoid, "resembling or related to the common lice." Pediculid names a particular kind of louse—one of the family Pediculidae. And if you'd like to put an end to all of this you might require a pediculicide—defined as "an agent for destroying lice."

Count on the English language's Latin lexical options to pretty up the unpleasant. You can have an entire conversation about lice and avoid the l-word entirely using pediculous and its relatives. None

02/09/2020

horse's mouth
noun: The original or authentic source of some information.

noun: The original or authentic source of some information.

02/09/2020

situla, n.
OED Word of the Day: situla, n. Any of various bucket-shaped vessels, usually elaborately decorated.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

02/09/2020

Word of the day for September 2

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Word of the day
for September 2

toothcomb n

(Britain, figurative, sometimes proscribed) A comb with finely spaced teeth, chiefly as a metaphorical means of making a thorough search. [...]

(zoology) A comb-like dental structure found in certain primates consisting of long, flat front teeth with microscopic grooves, which are used for grooming fur. [...]

toothcomb v

(Britain, transitive, figurative, sometimes proscribed) To search (something) thoroughly.

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01/09/2020

Tenacious

Tenacious [te·na·cious] adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: “A tenacious hold.” 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: “A tenacious legend.”

Tenacious [te·na·cious] adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: “A tenacious hold.” 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: “A tenacious legend.”

01/09/2020

allusion

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2020 is:

allusion • \uh-LOO-zhun\ • noun

1 : an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; also : the use of such references

2 : the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something

Examples:

"The learning by rote and the endeavours to remember the complex prosodic structures of Shakespearean verses also stretch the muscles of the mind. The speeches are all dramatic, full of emotional appeal and inclusive of several allusions to Greco-Roman mythology. One thinks of these allusions and wonders about their meanings or metaphoric resonances." — Sophie Barry, Business World, 17 June 2020

"Other than a bunch of cryptic allusions to a masterplan scattered throughout the season, her plan was never made clear. It didn't help that she seemed to vacillate between cold-blooded killer and teary-eyed sentimentalist several times an episode." — Sean T. Collins, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2020

Did you know?

Allusion was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning "to play with," "to jest," or "to refer to," as does its cousin allude, meaning "to make indirect reference" or "to refer." Alludere, in turn, derives from a combination of the prefix ad- ("to or toward") and ludere ("to play"). Ludere is a Latin word that English speakers have enjoyed playing with over the years, creating collude, delude, elude, and prelude, just to name a few.

Allusion was borrowed into English in the 16th century. It derives from the Latin verb alludere, meaning 'to play with,' 'to jest,' or 'to refer to,' as does its cousin allude, meaning 'to make

01/09/2020

caballine
adjective: 1. Giving inspiration. 2. Relating to horses.

adjective: 1. Giving inspiration. 2. Relating to horses.

01/09/2020

delibation, n.
OED Word of the Day: delibation, n. A brief or slight knowledge or experience of something; a taste of something.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

01/09/2020

Word of the day for September 1

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Word of the day
for September 1

screed v

(transitive, chiefly Northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, dated) To rend, to shred, to tear.

(transitive, Scotland, also figurative, dated) To read or repeat from memory fluently or glibly; to reel off.

(transitive, construction, masonry) To use a screed to produce a smooth, flat surface of concrete, plaster, or similar material; also (generally) to put down a layer of concrete, plaster, etc.

(intransitive, Scotland) To become rent or torn.

[...] (Northern Ireland, Scotland)

(intransitive, chiefly humorous) To play bagpipes, a fiddle, or a pipe.

(intransitive) To make a discordant or harsh scratching or tearing sound.

(transitive, chiefly humorous, obsolete) To play (a sound or tune) on bagpipes, a fiddle, or a pipe.

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31/08/2020

Vacillate

Vacillate [vac·il·late] v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. “Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director.”

Vacillate [vac·il·late] v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. “Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director.”

31/08/2020

ambuscado, n.
OED Word of the Day: ambuscado, n. A positioning of soldiers, etc., in a concealed place, in order to surprise and attack an enemy; the surprise attack itself.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

31/08/2020

longanimity

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2020 is:

longanimity • \long-guh-NIM-uh-tee\ • noun

: a disposition to bear injuries patiently : forbearance

Examples:

The fans continue to show their longanimity by coming back year after year to cheer on the perpetually losing team.

"Most of the conspirators were gentlemen in their early thirties and the majority had wild pasts. They were frustrated men of action, 'swordsmen' the priests called them, and 'they had not the patience and longanimity to expect the Providence of God.'" — Jessie Childs, God's Traitors: Terror & Faith in Elizabethan England, 2014

Did you know?

Longanimity is a word with a long history. It came to English in the 15th century from the Late Latin adjective longanimis, meaning "patient" or "long-suffering." Longanimis, in turn, derives from the Latin combination of longus ("long") and animus ("soul"). Longus is related to English's long and is itself an ancestor to several other English words, including longevity ("long life"), elongate ("to make longer"), and prolong ("to lengthen in time"). Now used somewhat infrequently in English, longanimity stresses the character of one who, like the figure of Job in the Bible, endures prolonged suffering with extreme patience.

Longanimity is a word with a long history. It came to English in the 15th century from the Late Latin adjective longanimis, meaning 'patient' or 'long-suffering.' Longanimis, in turn, derives from the

31/08/2020

wheel horse
noun: 1. Someone responsible and diligent, especially one who bears the biggest share of burden in a group. 2. A horse harnessed closest to the front wheel(s) of a carriage.

noun: 1. Someone responsible and diligent, especially one who bears the biggest share of burden in a group. 2. A horse harnessed closest to the front wheel(s) of a carriage.

31/08/2020

Word of the day for August 31

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Word of the day
for August 31

peewah n (Trinidad and Tobago)

The peach palm (Bactris gasipaes), a South American palm tree.

The edible fruit of this plant, which has an orange or red skin when ripe, orange pulp which turns floury when cooked, and a single large seed.

Today is the Independence Day of Trinidad and Tobago.

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30/08/2020

Fastidious

Fastidious [fas·tid·i·ous] adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: “A fastidious eater.” 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness.

Fastidious [fas·tid·i·ous] adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: “A fastidious eater.” 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness.

30/08/2020

cadge

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2020 is:

cadge • \KAJ\ • verb

: beg, sponge

Examples:

"Reiner had his car and was driving to Manhattan to drop the book off to his editor. Wouk cadged a ride in, and Reiner took him up on his polite offer to read it." — Frank Lovece, Newsday (Long Island, New York), 30 June 2020

"A friend ordered the Burrito Grande, easily the biggest burrito I’ve ever seen. I cadged a bite, and the flavors were delicate, but tasty, complemented by the creamy cheese sauce on top." — Leslye Gilchrist, The Shreveport (Louisiana) Times, 27 Sept. 2019

Did you know?

As long ago as the 1400s, peddlers traveled the British countryside, each with a packhorse or a horse and cart—first carrying produce from rural farms to town markets, then returning with small wares to sell to country folk. The Middle English name for such traders was cadgear; Scottish dialects rendered the term as cadger. Etymologists are pretty sure the verb cadge was created as a back-formation of cadger (which is to say, it was formed by removal of the "-er" suffix). At its most general, cadger meant "carrier," and the verb cadge meant "to carry." More specifically, the verb meant to go about as a cadger or peddler. By the 1800s, it was used when someone who posed as a peddler turned out to be more of a beggar, from which arose our present-day use.

As long ago as the 1400s, peddlers traveled the British countryside, each with a packhorse or a horse and cart—first carrying produce from rural farms to town markets, then returning with small wares

30/08/2020

nudum pactum, n.
OED Word of the Day: nudum pactum, n. An unenforceable agreement; spec. a contract which is void through lack of consideration.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

30/08/2020

Word of the day for August 30

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Word of the day
for August 30

unmannerly adj

(also figurative) Not mannerly (“polite; having good manners”).

unmannerly adv

(archaic) In a way that is not mannerly; discourteously, rudely.

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29/08/2020

Assuage

Assuage [uh·sweyj] v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: “to assuage one’s pain.” 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: “To assuage one’s hunger.” 3. to soothe or calm: “To assuage his fears;” “To assuage her anger.”

Assuage [uh·sweyj] v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: “to assuage one’s pain.” 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: “To assuage one’s hunger.” 3. to soothe or calm: “To assuage his fears;” “To assuage her anger.”

29/08/2020

asunder

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2020 is:

asunder • \uh-SUN-der\ • adverb or adjective

1 : into parts

2 : apart from each other

Examples:

"Though they sip their port in close contiguity, they are poles asunder in their minds and feelings." — Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington, 1862

"Anna Andrews is the 'she' in the story…. As an adult, Anna's private life is in tatters, but at least she has a prestigious job as a BBC news anchor. In the space of 48 hours, even that's torn asunder." — Carole E. Barrowman, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 31 May 2020

Did you know?

Asunder can be traced back to the Old English word sundor, meaning "apart." It is a relative of the verb sunder, which means "to break apart" or "to become parted, disunited, or severed." The "into parts" sense of asunder is often used in the phrase "tear asunder," which can be used both literally and figuratively (as in "a family torn asunder by tragedy"). The "apart from each other" sense can be found in the phrase "poles asunder," used to describe two things that are as vastly far apart as the poles of the Earth.

Asunder can be traced back to the Old English word sundor, meaning 'apart.' It is a relative of the verb sunder, which means 'to break apart' or 'to become parted, disunited, or severed.' The 'into

29/08/2020

artotyrite. n.
OED Word of the Day: artotyrite. n. A member of a sect originating in Galatia in the 2nd cent. A.D. who celebrate the Eucharist with bread and cheese.

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.

29/08/2020

Word of the day for August 29

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Word of the day
for August 29

pushbike n

(Australia, New Zealand, Britain, informal) A pedal bicycle, as distinguished from a motorized bicycle.

pushbike v

(intransitive, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, informal) To travel by pushbike.

The Grand Départ or start of the Tour de France long-distance bicycle race is scheduled to take place in Nice, France, on this date in 2020, after being postponed from 27 June due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

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The Grand Départ or start of the Tour de France long-distance bicycle race is scheduled to take place in Nice, France, on this date in 2020, after being postponed from 27 June due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

28/08/2020

Vicarious

Vicarious [vi·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: “A vicarious thrill.” 2. Acting or done for another: “A vicarious atonement.”

Vicarious [vi·car·i·ous] adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: “A vicarious thrill.” 2. Acting or done for another: “A vicarious atonement.”

28/08/2020

undertaker

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2020 is:

undertaker • \UN-der-tay-ker\ • noun

1 : one who undertakes : one who takes the risk and management of business : entrepreneur

2 : one whose business is to prepare the dead for burial and to arrange and manage funerals

3 : an Englishman taking over forfeited lands in Ireland in the 16th and 17th centuries

Examples:

The undertaker offered the family several choices of coffins for the burial service.

"The movement towards home-thrown funerals is being spearheaded by Heidi Boucher, a self-proclaimed home death-care guide. Boucher is what could best be described as half holistic hippie, and half 19th century undertaker." — Rob Hoffman, The Times Union (Albany, New York), 24 Feb. 2020

Did you know?

You may wonder how the word undertaker made the transition from "one who undertakes" to "one who makes a living in the funeral business." The latter meaning descends from the use of the word to mean "one who takes on business responsibilities." In the 18th century, a funeral-undertaker was someone who undertook, or managed, a funeral business. There were many undertakers in those days, undertaking all sorts of businesses, but as time went on undertaker became specifically identified with the profession of arranging burial. Today, funeral director is more commonly used, but undertaker still appears.

You may wonder how the word undertaker made the transition from 'one who undertakes' to 'one who makes a living in the funeral business.' The latter meaning descends from the use of the word to mean '

28/08/2020

equipollent
adjective: Equal in power, force, effect, etc.

adjective: Equal in power, force, effect, etc.

28/08/2020

coopetition, n.
OED Word of the Day: coopetition, n. Collaboration between rival organizations in the hope of mutually beneficial results…

The OED is the definitive record of the English language, featuring 600,000 words, 3 million quotations, and over 1,000 years of English.