New Game: What's the Word?

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What's the Word: DACTYLONOMY

pronunciation: [dak-til-AHN-ə-mi]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The practice of counting on one’s fingers, or otherwise representing numbers with one’s fingers.

 

Example:

"Instead of pulling out the calculator on my phone, I stick to dactylonomy."

"I preferred dactylonomy to memorizing math equations well into middle school."

 

About Dactylonomy

The term combines the Greek prefix “δάκτυλος” (or “dactylo,” meaning “finger”) with the suffix “-onomy,” meaning “a system of knowledge.” The suffix “-onomy” is also drawn from the Greek suffix “νόμος” (or “nómos,” meaning “law”).

 

Did You Know?

Dactylonomy is far more complicated than counting to ten on one’s fingers (or twenty with the toes). In fact, various systems of dactylonomy have appeared around the world dating back at least as far as first-century Persia. These versions offered the ability to count into the hundreds, thousands, and even greater numbers using the fingers and parts of the hand. It’s commonly believed that the decimal system was popularized because of the universal experience of counting to 10 on one’s fingers.

 

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What's the Word: LUNATE

pronunciation: [LOO-nayt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, late 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Crescent-shaped.

 

Example:

"The child drew the moon as yellow and lunate."

"The lunate shape of the boomerang makes it sail right back to the thrower."

 

About Lunate

This word comes from the Latin “lunatus,” meaning "half-moon shaped," stemming from “luna,” meaning "moon."

 

Did You Know?

While the adjective “lunate” means “crescent-shaped,” it can also be used as a noun with two definitions. The first is a crescent-shaped prehistoric stone implement. The second is a human bone — a crescent-shaped carpal bone found in the center of the wrist.

 

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What's the Word: CRUCIVERBALIST

pronunciation: [cru-sih-VER-bə-list]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: American English, 1970s

 

Meaning: 

1. A person who enjoys or is skilled at solving crosswords.

 

Example:

"The invention of Wordle has attracted both lifetime cruciverbalists and novice word game players."

"My mother, the cruciverbalist, still receives the daily newspaper so she can solve the crossword with her pen."

 

About Cruciverbalist

“Cruciverbalist” adds the Latin prefix “cruci-,” meaning “cross,” to the existing English word “verbalist,” meaning one who is interested and skilled in using words.

 

Did You Know?

In 1971, “Crossword” magazine held a contest asking subscribers to invent “a succinct word to describe people who regularly attempt to solve crossword puzzles.” The word “cruciverbalist” was chosen in response to suggestions from numerous subscribers and the magazine’s crossword designer, Jonathan Crowther. “Cruciverbian” was another popular submission.

 

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What's the Word: SCISSION

pronunciation: [SIH-zhən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Technical) The action or state of cutting or being cut; a division or split between people or parties.

2. (Biochemistry) Breakage of a chemical bond, especially one in a long chain molecule so that two smaller chains result.

 

Example:

"There was a scission between the two versions of events."

"The geneticist wanted to create a scission in the DNA sequence."

 

About Scission

This word comes from Middle English by way of Old French. It stems from the late Latin “scissio(n-),” from “scindere,” meaning “cut, cleave.”

 

Did You Know?

It’s natural to assume that “scission” and “scissors” have the same root. They’re both related to cutting, but they have different etymological paths. “Scissors” comes from the Latin verb “caedere,” meaning “to cut.” The Middle English term for “scissors” was “sisoures” or “cisours,” which stems from the French “cisoires.” A printing mistake in the 1700s resulted in the cutting tool’s current form, and “scissors” was assumed to derive from “scindere,” like the word “scission.”

 

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What's the Word: LORICATE

pronunciation: [LOR-ih-keit]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, early 19h century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Of an animal) having a protective covering of plates or scales; having a lorica (breastplate).

 

Example:

"Is a turtle a loricate animal?"

"The porcupine is a great example of a loricate creature."

 

About Loricate

This word comes from the Latin “loricatus,” from “lorica,” which is a breastplate. It stems from “lorum,” meaning “strap.”

 

Did You Know?

In addition to being an adjective, “loricate” can also be a transitive verb or a noun. In its verb form, it means “to enclose in or cover with a protecting substance.” When “loricate” is used as a noun, it means “any animal covered in bony scales,” such as a crocodile.

 

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What's the Word: PLANGENT

pronunciation: [PLAN-jənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, mid-17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Mainly literary) (of a sound) loud, reverberating, and often melancholy.

 

Example:

"The gong provided a plangent accompaniment to the meditation."

"The music producer chose plangent instrumentation for the somber scenes."

 

About Plangent

This word comes from the Latin “plangentem,” the present participle of “plangere,” meaning "to strike, beat."

 

Did You Know?

Several classic albums have been remastered using the Plangent Process Playback System, a state-of-the-art blend of digital and analog processing. For instance, when Errol Garner’s “Magician” album was remastered from its master tapes, this digitization process got closer to how Garner’s piano sounded in the room than any previous masters. Other albums that have undergone the Plangent Process include The Doors’ “Soft Parade,” The Rolling Stones’ “Charlie Is My Darling,” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town.”

 

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What's the Word: FIRSTLING

pronunciation: [FURS-tling]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old English, date unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. (Archaic; usually firstlings) The first agricultural produce or animal offspring of a season.

 

Example:

"The sheep’s firstling was adorable. "

"Eggplant was the firstling of the spring season."

 

About Firstling

This word stems from the Old English “fyrest,” originally from Proto-Germanic “furistaz,” meaning “foremost.” The Old English “-ling” comes from the Proto-Germanic “-lingaz,” meaning “small, immature, miniature” or “follower.”

 

Did You Know?

“Firstling” isn’t a commonly used word now, but it pops up in classic texts. There are several spots in the Bible’s Old Testament that mention firstlings, often referring to various animals’ offspring. And in the fourth act of “Macbeth,” the titular character says in an aside, “From this moment the very firstlings of my heart shall be the firstlings of my hand,” meaning his first thoughts will translate into his first, immediate actions.

 

 

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What's the Word: MEED

pronunciation: [meed]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old English, before the 12th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A deserved share or reward.

 

Example:

"The plaque was a way to show Lauren her meed."

"It’s natural for people to crave meed, especially those who are often unrecognized."

 

About Meed

This word stems from the Old English “mēd,” of Germanic origin. It comes from an Indo-European root shared by the Greek “misthos,” meaning “reward.”

 

Did You Know?

“Meed,” “mead,” and “Mede” are easily confused homophones. While “meed” is a reward or recognition, “mead” can either be an archaic term for a meadow or a fermented drink made of water and honey, malt, and yeast. And a “Mede” is a member of a group of people who lived in ancient Media, now Iran, during the seventh century BCE.

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by DarkRavie

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What's the Word: HIRRIENT

pronunciation: [HEER-ee-ənt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, date unknown

 

Meaning: 

1. (Phonology) Having a strongly trilled sound, like that of a cat purring.

 

Example:

"Sondra used hirrient exercises in her speech therapy."

"All of Tim’s pets make distinct, hirrient sounds."

 

About Hirrient

This word comes directly from the Latin “hirrient,” which comes from the verb “hirriō,” meaning “ to snarl.

 

Did You Know?

While “hirrient” often describes animal purring sounds, it can also describe certain words or sounds that humans make. Those sounds are more commonly described as “trilled.” For instance, the rapid vibration of the tongue or uvula that produces the rolling “r” in some languages is called an alveolar trill.

 

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What's the Word: EXONUMIA

pronunciation: [eks-ə-NOO-mee-ə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, first known use in 1962

 

Meaning: 

1. Coinlike objects.

2. Study and/or collection of coinlike objects.

 

Example:

"Tobias had a collection of exonumia he amassed over a decade."

"The arcade tokens were ever-present exonumia in her pocket."

 

About Exonumia

This word is comprised of “exo-” a prefix meaning “out of”, and the Latin “nummus,” meaning “coin.”

 

Did You Know?

Exonumia is the study or collecting of coinlike objects, but NOT coins themselves. For example, someone interested in exonumia might collect fair tokens or religious medallions. A penny that has been pressed and elongated into a souvenir in a vending machine would qualify for exonumia, but the funds used to pay for it would not.

 

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What's the Word: SMORGASBORD

pronunciation: [SMOR-ɡəs-bord]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Swedish, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A buffet offering a variety of hot and cold meats, salads, hors d'oeuvres, etc.

2. A wide range of something; a variety.

 

Example:

"The hungry travelers were delighted to discover their hosts had prepared a smorgasbord of meats, cheeses, breads, and spreads."

"Tanni’s vinyl collection was a smorgasbord of musical styles that reflected her varied tastes and moods."

 

About Smorgasbord

The term is taken directly from the Swedish “smörgåsbord,” formed by combining “smörgås” (“bread and butter”) and “bord,” meaning “table.”

 

Did You Know?

English speakers rarely use “smorgasbord” to describe a table stocked with different foods. Instead, this term is mostly figurative, to describe a variety of things in one place. While a Swedish restaurant might offer a literal smorgasbord of pickled herring, ham, meatballs, and mashed potatoes, a health spa might equally be said to offer a smorgasbord of steam rooms and dry saunas, whirlpools, ice baths, and massage rooms.

 

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What's the Word: DARG

pronunciation: [darg]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, early 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A day's work

2. A defined quantity or amount of work, or of the product of work, done in a certain time or at a certain rate of payment; a task.

 

Example:

"Seamus knew he had a darg of work to finish by 5 p.m."

"The teacher finished writing the darg of lesson plans by noon."

 

About Darg

This word comes from the Middle English “dawerk” or “daywork,” stemming from the Old English “dægweorc,” from “dæg,” meaning “day,” and “weorc” meaning “work.”

 

Did You Know?

Darg is also the name of a village in the Sughd Region of northern Tajikistan. It is part of the Shamtuch municipality in the Ayni district. Tajikistan is a Central Asian country surrounded by China, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Much of the country is mountainous, making it a popular locale for hiking and climbing.

 

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What's the Word: CHAUTAUQUA

pronunciation: [shə-TOK-wə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Iroquoian, late 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (North American) An institution that provided popular adult education courses and entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

Example:

"Elena wanted to visit a chautauqua community during her vacation."

"Leilani was instrumental in establishing her community’s first chautauqua."

 

About Chautauqua

This word stems from the New York town of the same name, where an annual Methodist summer colony featured lectures. The name originates from “ja'dahgweh,” a Seneca (Iroquoian) name, possibly meaning "one has taken out fish there." An alternative suggested meaning is "raised body."

 

Did You Know?

The Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly was organized at a campsite on the shores of New York’s Chautauqua Lake in 1874. It started as an experiment to provide education in a nontraditional format. For instance, The Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle was structured as a four-year correspondence course that provided the essential knowledge and skills of a college education to those who couldn’t afford the standard college experience. Today, the Chautauqua Institution offers a variety of lecture series, artistic resident programs, and more during the summer.

 

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What's the Word: NUTRIMENT

pronunciation: [NOO-trə-mənt]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Late middle English, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Nourishment; sustenance.

 

Example:

"My mother’s meals were simple but full of nutriment."

"Siobhan wanted wholesome nutriment after a weekend of eating junk food."

 

About Nutriment

“Nutriment” is taken from the Latin “nūtrīmentum,” meaning “nourishment.”

 

Did You Know?

The word “nourishment” is more common than “nutriment,” but “nutriment” often means the same thing. “Nutriment” describes both food (as a plural noun) and the nourishment that food contains in the form of vitamins, minerals, and energy. A person may eat nutriments, but they may also eat a food for its nutriment.

 

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What's the Word: PHILTER

pronunciation: [FIL-tər]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A drink supposed to arouse love and desire for a particular person in the drinker; a love potion.

 

Example:

"In many classic stage comedies, characters deploy philters with unexpected and hilarious results."

"Charles was so enraptured with Justina that he felt like he’d drunk a philter."

 

About Philter

“Philter” entered English in the 18th century through the Middle French “philtre,” also meaning “love potion.” However, the original basis for the word is the Ancient Greek “φῐ́λτρονm” (“phíltron,” meaning “love charm”).

 

Did You Know?

In Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the mischievous sprite Puck applies a philter to the eyes of sleeping fairy queen Titania. The proud and serious Titania wakes and falls desperately in love with the first living thing she sees: Nick Bottom, a weaver whose head Puck has turned into that of a donkey.

 

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What's the Word: AMBISINISTER

pronunciation: [am-bih-SIN-is-tər]

 

Part of speech: adjecive

Origin: Latin and Middle English

 

Meaning: 

1. (Rare) Awkward or clumsy with both hands.

 

Example:

"Jesse couldn’t play basketball because he was ambisinister."

"Arthritis made Phyllis feel ambisinister after years of working with her hands."

 

About Ambisinister

This word translates literally into “both sides left-handed.” “Ambi-” is a prefix originating from the Latin “ambo-,” meaning “both.” “Sinister” stems from the Middle English “sinistre,” meaning “unlucky.” It comes from the Old French “sinistra,” meaning “left,” from the Latin “sinestra,” which is “left hand.”

 

Did You Know?

“Ambisinister” goes hand in hand, so to speak, with “ambidextrous,” which means having strong and equal abilities in both hands. While ambisinister translates into “both sides left-handed,” the latter literally means “both sides right-handed,” — the dominant hand for most people.

 

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What's the Word: GAMBIT

pronunciation: [GAM-bət]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, mid-17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. An act or remark that is calculated to gain an advantage, especially at the outset of a situation.

2. (In chess) an opening move in which a player makes a sacrifice, typically of a pawn, for the sake of a compensating advantage.

 

Example:

"The campaign felt the opponent’s op-ed was more of a gambit than a heartfelt message."

"Otis liked to use different gambits against opponents when he played chess."

 

About Gambit

This word, originally spelled “gambett,” comes from the Italian “gambetto,” meaning “tripping up.” This stems from the Late Latin “gamba,” meaning “leg.”

 

Did You Know?

“The Queen’s Gambit” is a 1983 book that was recently adapted into a popular Netflix miniseries. Both iterations follow chess prodigy Beth Harmon’s journey to becoming an elite chess player during the mid-20th century while battling a host of personal obstacles. The title refers to a common chess opening where white appears to sacrifice the c-pawn. However, some consider this gambit to be a misnomer since black cannot retain the pawn without incurring a disadvantage.

 

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What's the Word: FERIATION

pronunciation: [fər-ee-EY-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Obsolete) The observation of a holiday; cessation from work.

 

Example:

"The July 4th feriation is typically accompanied by fireworks."

"Camila celebrated her feriation from work with a spa day."

 

About Feriation

This word stems from the Latin “ferior,” meaning “to keep holiday,” from “feriae,” meaning “holidays.”

 

Did You Know?

The pronunciation of “feriation” sounds extremely similar to a much more common word, “variation.” But that’s where the similarities end. While “feriation” is an obsolete word that means observation of a holiday, “variation” means “a change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically within certain limits.”

 

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What's the Word: ASSOIL

pronunciation: [ə-SOYL]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Middle English, late 12th century (earliest known reference)

 

Meaning: 

1. To absolve or release (someone) from blame or sin; to forgive, to pardon.

2. To clear up or resolve (a difficulty, doubt, problem, etc.); to absolve, to solve.

 

Example:

"After their apology, I assoiled my neighbor for driving over my flowers."

"Part of the clerk’s job is to assoil scheduling conflicts."

 

About Assoil

From Middle English “assoilen,” meaning “to absolve or release someone from bonds of sin, to free (a country or someone) from an ecclesiastical offense or excommunication; to free someone from a criminal charge or sentence. This stems from the Anglo-Norman “as(s)oiler” or “as(s)oilier” and the Old French “as(s)oille.”

 

Did You Know?

Although “assoil” is considered an archaic, obsolete term now, it was widely used in centuries past. It could refer to absolving someone of sin, resolving a doubt, refuting an argument, or someone atoning for wrongdoing. It also has a completely different definition: “to make (something) dirty or soiled; to soil; to stain; to sully. The possible etymology of this version of “assoil” is either “a-,” an intensifying prefix or “ad-,” a prefix meaning “to, toward,” or indicating an addition or tendency, plus‎ soil, meaning “to make dirty.”

 

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What's the Word: PASSIBLE

pronunciation: [PAS-əb-əl]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Late Middle English, late 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Capable of feeling or suffering.

2. Susceptible to sensation or emotion; impressionable.

 

Example:

"Quentin was a sweet, passible child."

"Amy’s compassionate, passible temperament made her a great confidante."

 

About Passible

It’s easy to mistake “passible” with “passable” since they sound alike, there is only one letter of difference in spelling, and they are both adjectives. While “passible” is rooted in Christian theology and means susceptible to heightened sensation and intense emotion, “passable” means either “just good enough to be acceptable; satisfactory” or a route that is “clear of obstacles and able to be traveled along or on.”

 

Did You Know?

This word stems from Middle English and comes from the Old French “passible.” It is a direct descendant of the Late Latin “passibilis,” meaning "capable of feeling or suffering."