New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EXISTENTIAL

pronunciation: [eg-zi-STEN-shəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Relating to existence.

2. Based on subjective experience.

 

Example:

"An afternoon this hot poses an existential threat to any ice cream we buy."

"Teenagers often begin asking existential questions about the meaning of life."

 

About Existential

“Existential” is based on the Latin “existentia,” meaning “existence.”

 

Did You Know?

“Existential” is most closely associated with the Existentialist movement in philosophy. Existentialism is fundamentally about seeking to determine meanings in human existence and can be summed up with the expression, “existence precedes essence.” This approach presumes there is no core essence to being alive decided before a person is born. Because of this, many existentialists believe meaning in life is created by maintaining high standards of ethical conduct, while fostering kindness to others. Though existentialism has often been associated with non-religious thinkers such as Jean-Paul Sartre, there were also important Christian and Jewish existentialist philosophers, namely Søren Kierkegaard and Martin Buber.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: AFFIRM

pronunciation: [ə-FURM]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: French, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. State as a fact; assert strongly and publicly.

 

Example:

"The company’s headquarters affirmed the new vacation policies put into place by the Michigan office."

"My sister affirmed that she had been studying at the library all night and couldn’t possibly have had a party."

 

About Affirm

“Affirm” is based on the Middle English word “affermen” (meaning “to decide upon”), as well as the Old French “afermer,” meaning “to make firm.” That word is based on the Latin “affirmāre,” meaning “to strengthen.”

 

Did You Know?

“Affirm” and “confirm” are very similar words, and their Latin roots are likewise similar — both “affirmāre” and “confirmāre” (the Latin root of “confirm”) mean “to make firm.” The two terms can be used in similar situations, such as judging something to be valid, however their crucial difference is that “affirm” can also be used to describe the action of declaring or saying positively. By contrast, “confirm” has a second meaning in which it provides proof that something — a statement, or an official document — is valid. As a result, someone in court might be asked to affirm that they had confirmed the validity of a signature.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SPINDRIFT

pronunciation: [SPIN-drihft]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Scots, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind.

2. Driving snow or sand.

 

Example:

"The wind was so strong that our canoe was splashed with spindrift from the huge waves."

"The blizzard blasted spindrift into my eyes from all angles."

 

About Spindrift

“Spindrift” is from the Scots language, likely a variation on the word “spoondrift.” “Spoondrift” is the combination of the obsolete nautical verb “spoon” (meaning “to sail ahead of the wind”) and the rare noun “drift” (meaning “driving”).

 

Did You Know?

“Spindrift” is a maritime phenomenon in which high winds blow the crests off the tops of waves, associated with conditions of 8 (“gale-force”) and above on the 12-level Beaufort Wind Scale. Accordingly, spindrift is a product of extreme weather and does not appear in gentler climes. As a weather condition, spindrift is characterized not just by low visibility, but by an inability to see caused by heavy spray. As a result, the original maritime definition has been expanded to include not only water, but also fine blowing snow or sand. The fine particles airborne in snowstorms and sandstorms are as challenging to visibility as spindrift from a gale on the water.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: COMPLEMENT

pronunciation: [KAM-plə-mənt]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A thing that completes or brings to perfection.

2. A number or quantity of something, especially that required to make a group complete.

 

Example:

"Sometimes a pinch of salt is the perfect complement to a sweet recipe."

"The home’s proximity to the lake is a complement to its beautiful view of the mountains."

 

About Complement

“Complement” is taken directly from the Latin “complēmentum,” meaning “that which fills up or completes.” That word’s past participle, “complētus,” meaning “to be finished,” is the root of the English word “complete.”

 

Did You Know?

“Complement” is easily confused with its homonym, “compliment,” a noun meaning an expression of praise or admiration, or a verb meaning to give praise. Both words are based on the same Latin root, “complēmentum,” meaning to fill up or complete, and “complement” remains close to this meaning with its implied completion or perfection. By contrast, in the late 1600s, “compliment” appeared in French and Italian with the specific meaning of completing the courteous actions expected of a well-mannered person. For these reasons, a “complement” completes, while a “compliment” expresses politeness.

 

[DarkRavie]

Friday's Word

 

What's the Word: TRUNCATE

pronunciation: [trəNG-keyt]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Shorten the duration or extent of.

2. Shorten by cutting off the top or end.

 

Example:

"The director cut out more than a dozen scenes in order to truncate the film."

"Our manager insists we truncate any meeting before it runs over an hour."

 

About Truncate

“Truncate” is based on the Latin “truncat-” which means “maimed,” from the verb “truncare.”

 

Did You Know?

The verb “truncate” is closely associated with the noun “trunk,” referring to the central part of a thing (such as a tree). To “truncate” means to “reduce to a trunk” (in the case of a tree by removing branches). The modern definition of “truncate” is rarely applied to physical objects; instead, we truncate time, or truncate things demanding time. For example, someone may truncate a trip in order to return home more quickly.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: VIGNETTE

pronunciation: [vin-YET]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A brief evocative description, account, or episode.

2. A small illustration or portrait photograph which fades into its background without a definite border.

 

Example:

"Sandra’s stories from her college years were a perfect vignette of life in the Midwest."

"Ernest Hemingway’s book of untitled vignettes, “In Our Time,” captured life during and after the First World War."

 

About Vignette

“Vignette” is based on the same word in French, which was composed by fusing “vigne” (meaning “vine”) with the diminutive suffix “-ette,” in order to indicate “little vine.”

 

Did You Know?

The word “vignette” — meaning “little vine” — was originally used as an architectural term to describe ornamental vine carvings, but was then used in book publishing in the mid-18th century for the botanical-inspired ornamental drawings on chapter headings. Then the term was adopted by artists to describe borderless sketches. By the 20th century, “vignette” was most closely associated with short literary works or anecdotes evocative of a particular time and situation. Such literary vignettes (which can also be described as sketches) are often collected together with similarly themed material, such as in Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam War meditation “The Things They Carried.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: NETHERMOST

pronunciation: [NEH-thər-mohst]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: English, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Lowest in position.

 

Example:

"We had a hard time finding our car on the nethermost parking level at the stadium."

"Helen almost missed the macadamia nuts, because they were on the nethermost shelf of the baking section."

 

About Nethermost

“Nethermost” was formed in English by combining “nether,” meaning “under” or “lower,” and the suffix “-most,” meaning “furthest.”

 

Did You Know?

The nethermost point on Earth is Challenger Deep, located nearly 7 miles below sea level at the bottom of Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean near Guam. If Marianas Trench were inverted, and it became a mountain almost 36,000 feet in height, and its uppermost points would be significantly taller than any of the highest mountains on earth — Mount Everest is approximately 29,000 feet tall, while K2 is over 28,000 feet. The lowest points of Marianas Trench are fascinating to humans perhaps because they are so unknown: Only three people have reached the nethermost areas of Challenger Deep by submarine, compared with about 4,000 people who have reached the uppermost point of Mount Everest.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: INCEPT

pronunciation: [in-SEPT]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Graduate from a university with an academic degree.

 

Example:

"Zander’s plan is to incept with his business degree as quickly as possible and begin working immediately."

"Though I incepted from university with a degree in philosophy, it was quite difficult to find a job that called for that field of study."

 

About Incept

“Incept” is based on the Latin prefix “incept-” and the verb “incipere,” both of which refer to beginnings. The term became explicitly about graduating from a university in the 19th century.

 

Did You Know?

Even before the 2010 film “Inception,” the noun was far more common in English than the verb “to incept.” “Inception” describes “the beginning” or “the creation” of something, so it makes sense to guess “incept” means “to begin” or “to create,” and the word DID carry this meaning until the early 19th century. However, from the 19th century on, “to incept” means specifically to complete a university degree — in particular, a degree of Master or Doctor from Oxford or Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. Today “incept” is only used to describe graduation from a university with a degree.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ORGANON

pronunciation: [or-ɡə-nän]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A tool or instrument used to gain knowledge

2. A set of guiding principles for a particular science, philosophy, or discipline

 

Example:

"The internet was my organon of choice when doing research for school."

"The scientist abided by an organon of peer-reviewed documents, books, and studies to inform her work."

 

About Organon

An organon is something (such as a textbook) used to help someone acquire knowledge, and the word stems from the Greek language. In fact, the "Organon" is a collection of six books by Greek philosopher Aristotle dealing with logic, all combining to create a definitive lecture still referenced today.

 

Did You Know?

Some scholars argue that we are living in the era of the greatest organon in human history: the internet. You're using it to gain knowledge right now!

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: WITHAL

pronunciation: [with-AWL]

 

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: Middle English, 12th century

 

Meaning: 

1. In addition; as a further factor or consideration.

2. All the same; nevertheless (used when adding something that contrasts with a previous comment).

 

Example:

"Anthony’s new electric car is cheap to fuel, and fast withal."

"The weather called for sunny skies, but it rained withal."

 

About Withal

“Withal” arose out of the English expression “with all.”

 

Did You Know?

In its most basic meaning, “withal” is similar in its function as an adverb to the expressions “as well,” “also,” and “too.” Like those adverbs sometimes do, “withal” tends to occur at the end of a sentence. It can also be used similarly to “nevertheless” or “however” to indicate that the information it is adding contrasts with any expectations arising from the preceding information. It was used more frequently in English from the 12th century on through the end of the middle ages, but it dropped out of use around the beginning of the 20th century.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ALLOCUTION

pronunciation: [al-ə-KYOO-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A formal speech giving advice or a warning.

 

Example:

"Before I left for college, my father sat me down for an allocution full of advice from his own student days."

"After several practical jokes disrupted school events, the principal gave an allocution cautioning against future student pranks."

 

About Allocution

From the Latin allocutio(n-), from alloqui, (speak to).

 

Did You Know?

“Allocution,” meaning a formal address sometimes taking the form of an instructive lecture, is easily confused with its homophone “elocution.” The spoken words sound very similar, though they bear no similarity in definition, as “elocution” refers not to a formal speech but rather to the ability to express one’s self with practiced skill in public speaking. The difference between the two words is clear in their roots: “Elocution” is based on the Latin “ēlocūtiō,” meaning “oratorical delivery,” while “allocution” is from the Latin “allocūtiō,” meaning “address.” In modern English, “allocution” is the rarer of the two words, while “elocution” is still used to denote a speaker’s ability.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EVENTUATE

pronunciation: [ih-VEN-choo-eyt]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Occur as a result.

2. (Eventuate in) lead to as a result.

 

Example:

"The arrival of many new guests to the party eventuated a second trip to the supermarket for more drinks and snacks."

"A quick review of study skills ahead of midterms can eventuate in better grades for students."

 

About Eventuate

“Eventuate,” in the sense of “bring about,” is formed from “event,” styled off the pattern of “actuate.” “Event” comes from the Latin “eventus,” from “evenire,” or “result, happen.”

 

Did You Know?

“Eventuate” is a verb indicating actions that become necessary or inevitable as a result of other things occurring. Generally speaking, no one plans to eventuate an action. Instead, they may plan other actions and recognize those actions will eventuate further outcomes. For example, a school district that plans to admit more students knows that will eventuate in changes to both classroom sizes and cafeteria demands. As a result, aiming for one goal often requires planners to consider which other things will be eventuated as they achieve that goal, and planning for those outcomes as well.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FABULATION

pronunciation: [fab-yə-LEY-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The act or result of fabulating; a fabrication.

2. (literary criticism) A style of modern fiction, similar to magical realism and postmodernism.

 

Example:

"My grandson came home from school full of wild tales of kindergarten adventures I suspected were fabulations."

"The fantasy movie presented an image of modern-day Athens that was pure fabulation."

 

About Fabulation

“Fabulation” is based on the Latin “fābula,” meaning “narrative,” and the Latin verb “fābulor,” meaning “to talk” or “to create a story.”

 

Did You Know?

“Fabulation” describes the action of “fabulating,” a verb associated with creating fables. (Both “fabulation” and “fable” share the Latin root “fābula.”) As a result, “fabulation” has always referred to the telling or creating of mythical or fictional stories, though over time the term began to refer to any invented story — including stories told as lies. In modern language, “fabulation” is a loaded term: It can be used to accuse the storyteller of inventing stories without a basis in fact in the same way as it can be used to describe a children’s story full of magic and imaginary creatures.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: SPRECHGESANG

pronunciation: [SHPREK-guh-zahng]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: German, 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A style of dramatic vocalization intermediate between speech and song.

 

Example:

"The singer of the opening band didn’t so much sing as engage in sprechgesang, varying between singing and talking over the music."

"My father doesn’t care much for sprechgesang, and says he’d prefer singers just sing and not talk."

 

About Sprechgesang

“Sprechgesang” is taken from the same word in German, literally meaning “speech song.”

 

Did You Know?

While sprechgesang emerged out of the world of German opera, today, it is a style closely associated with pop music. Bob Dylan, whose vocal style runs the gamut from nearly talking to singing melodically, is the figure most closely associated with sprechgesang in the American songbook. In his wake, wry figures such as Lou Reed and the B-52s helped popularize sprechgesang in alternative music. Today, Billie Eilish is the most visible artist to fold sprechgesang into her music, and she uses the style to underline the intimacy and personal content of her lyrics.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PALMARY

pronunciation: [PAL-mə-ree]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Worthy of the palm; preeminent; superior.

2. Principal; chief.

 

Example:

"Madison’s palmary performance during the spelling bee won her the grand prize."

"As a teacher, her palmary role was educational, but she considered the emotional development of her students to be equally important."

 

About Palmary

From the Latin “palmarius,” meaning “deserving of the palm.”

 

Did You Know?

Today, palms are sometimes associated with prizes, such as the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or and the French Order of the Academic Palms. Fittingly, earlier in history, palm fronds were synonymous with honor. The adjective “palmary” refers to anything worthy of the honor of the palm — that which is palmary is exemplary and superior.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: HYPONYM

pronunciation: [HAHY-pə-nim]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A word of more specific meaning than a general or superordinate term applicable to it. For example, “spoon” is a hyponym of “cutlery.”.

 

Example:

"Human being” is a hyponym of many things, including “animal,” “earthling,” and “primate."

"Tabby,” “tortoise-shell,” and “Siamese” are three of the many hyponyms of the word “cat."

 

About Hyponym

“Hyponym” was formed by combining two ancient Greek terms: “ὑπό” (“hupó,” meaning “under”) and “ὄνυμα” (“ónuma,” meaning “appellation”).

 

Did You Know?

A “hyponym” is a complicated idea: It describes a thing that is a subgrouping or sub-class of another greater thing. For example, “man,” “woman,” and “child” are all hyponyms of “person,” and “person” is a hyponym of “animal” and “primate.” In order for something to be a hyponym, it must belong to a more specific group than the larger group described by the original term. “Baseball player” is a hyponym of “professional athlete,” while “pitcher,” “catcher,” “fielder,” and “batter” are all hyponyms of “baseball player.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: FLAMBEAU

pronunciation: [FLAM-bo]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A flaming torch, especially one made of several thick wicks dipped in wax.

2. A large candlestick with several branches.

 

Example:

"Processions illuminated by flambeaus are common during seasonal holidays in both Europe and Asia."

"The guides led us down the forest path with a flambeau, instead of a flashlight, to make the adventure feel more authentic."

 

About Flambeau

“Flambeau” is taken directly from the French, where it referred originally to a “small flame.”

 

Did You Know?

“Flambeau” is based on the Old French word “flambe,” meaning “a flame,” from the Latin root “flamma,” the basis of the English word “flame.” The French word is the root of other familiar English words, including “flamboyant,” which was initially used to describe the vivid light of a burning flambeau, but today it describes anything bright, bold, or audacious. Another related word is “flambé,” once again from the French, meaning “to cook by adding a spirit, like brandy, and setting alight.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ASWARM

pronunciation: [ə-SWARM]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: English, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Crowded; full of moving beings or objects

 

Example:

"The hive was aswarm with bees, but the beekeeper was protected by a heavy veil and thick clothing."

"So many people arrived for the store’s sale that the parking lot was aswarm with customers and cars."

 

About Aswarm

“Aswarm” was formed in English by adding the prefix “a-,” indicating increasing intensity, to the English word “swarm.”

 

Did You Know?

The key component of “aswarm” is “swarm,” which is connected to a variety of similar terms in several languages, including Old English (“swearm”), proto-Germanic (“swarmaz”), Saterland Frisian (“swoorm”), Danish (“sværm”), Swedish (“svärm”), and Icelandic (“svarmur”). All these terms are synonymous with “swarm” in English — meaning “multitude” or “a mass of individuals,” as well as the verb describing a multitude acting as one. The English addition of the prefix “a-” to “swarm” is intended to emphasize the activity and intensity of the swarm, and is similar to the adjective “swarming,” which means “moving in or forming a large or dense group.”

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: THITHER

pronunciation: [THI-thər]

 

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: Middle English, 10th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Middle English, 10th century

 

Example:

"We drew the stranger directions to the service station and sent him thither."

"I enjoyed Scotland when I went thither as a child."

 

About Thither

Based on the Middle English “thider,” and the Old English “þider,” both meaning “there.”

 

Did You Know?

The best way to understand “thither” is as an archaic version of “there” or “to that place,” since it’s often heard as part of the poetic expression “hither and thither” — an old and ornate way of saying “here and there.” “Thither” is often associated with “yonder,” meaning “there in the distance,” as both are charming replacements for the more common expressions “there” and “over there.” “Yonder” does not share any roots with “thither,” however, and while “yonder” appeared early in English (during the 14th century), “thither” is significantly older, having been first recorded in the early 10th century.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CHRONOMETRY

pronunciation: [krə-NOM-ih-tree]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. The science of accurate time measurement.

 

Example:

"Charles, an expert in chronometry, has set all the clocks in his house to the exact atomic time."

"The advent of electricity was a gift to chronometry, as it allowed scientists to make even more precise measurements of time."

 

About Chronometry

“Chronometry” is a combination of the ancient Greek “χρόνος” (“khrónos”), meaning “time,” and the suffix “-metry,” from the Ancient Greek “μέτρον” (“métron”), meaning “measure.”

 

Did You Know?

The term “mental chronometry” refers to the study of the speed of cognitive processing. It is the scientific study of reaction time and the time it takes to solve simple cognitive tasks. While chronometry on its own describes the process of accurately measuring time in general, mental chronometry studies the speed of the nervous system in processing information. A basic measure of mental chronometry is the time it takes for a person to respond when presented with a stimulus. For example, a person might be told to press a button when a screen shows them a picture, and chronometry studies the time it takes between first seeing the picture and then pressing the button.