New Game: What's the Word?

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: REGENT

pronunciation: [REE-jənt]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. A person appointed to administer a country because the monarch is a minor or is absent or incapacitated.

2. A member of the governing body of a university or other academic institution.

 

Example:

"Until the young king reached his 18th birthday, his cousin was appointed regent."

"As a regent of the university, she directed the endowment to grant more scholarships to low-income students."

 

About Regent

The Latin word "regent," which comes from the verb "regere," means "ruling." The spelling and meaning are easy enough that they have been retained in English. A regent is a leader who rules when a monarch is unable to, and in North America the word has been borrowed to describe the people who govern a university.

 

Did you Know?

Flip through European history books and you’ll find details of regents serving when a monarch could not — George IV of Great Britain, Phillippe II of France, to name two. But as monarchies have faded, so have regents. As of 2023, only one country has an active regent: Alois, Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein, who is regent for his father, Sovereign Prince Hans-Adam II.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: MULTIVERSE

pronunciation: [MULL-tee-vərs]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 1960s

 

Meaning:

1. An infinite realm of being or potential being of which the universe is regarded as a part or instance.

 

Example:

"My favorite sci-fi series explores the different realities possible in a multiverse."

"The physics department seems to be split into those who believe in a multiverse theory, and those who do not."

 

About Multiverse

If you’re a physicist, a comic book writer, a psychologist, or a theologian, you'll probably be familiar with the concept of a multiverse. The philosophy that there are multiple, or even infinite, states of being in the universe has long been a topic of debate.

 

Did you Know?

Fans of "The Big Bang Theory" are probably familiar with one example of a multiverse: Schrödinger's cat. On the TV show, Sheldon explained the hypothetical situation where a cat is inside a box, and, until you open the box, the cat could be alive or dead. There are two potential universes in that scenario, which is also the many-worlds interpretation of a multiverse.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PROBOSCIS

pronunciation: [prə-BAH-skəs]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. The nose of a mammal, especially when it is long and mobile such as the trunk of an elephant or the snout of a tapir.

2. (In many insects) An elongated sucking mouthpart that is typically tubular and flexible.

 

Example:

"At the zoo, I watched an anteater use its proboscis to stir up the dirt and eat insects."

"The botanical garden is planted with flowers known to have pollen to attract bees and other insects with a proboscis."

 

About Proboscis

You'll recognize the long snout called a proboscis on animals such as the elephant, tapir, and anteater, but it also exists in the insect world. On a lepidoptera, or butterfly, the proboscis is also called a haustellum, and it's used to reach down deep into flowers for pollen and nectar.

 

Did you Know?

Many mammals have a nose or snout that could be called a proboscis, but one species of monkey earned a special designation. The proboscis monkey is endemic to Borneo, and is one of the largest species of Asian monkeys. Females and babies have smaller, pointier proboscises, while the males have a more pronounced and bulbous feature.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BLITHESOME

pronunciation: [BLITH-səm]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old English, 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Of a person) Having a cheerful disposition.

2. Filled with, marked by, or causing pleasure.

 

Example:

"Waking up to sunny weather put me in a blithesome mood."

"The blithesome shouts from the playground were welcome background noise."

 

About Blithesome

"Waking up to sunny weather put me in a blithesome mood."

"The blithesome shouts from the playground were welcome background noise."

 

Did you Know?

When "some" is added as a suffix to nouns, adjectives, and verbs, it creates a new adjective that means "tending to or causing." Troublesome: causing trouble. Adventuresome: tending toward adventure. For "blithesome," you'll need know the meaning of "blithe." Hint: It will put a smile on your face.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EXOPLANET

pronunciation: [EKS-oh-plan-ət]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Ancient Greek, 1990s

 

Meaning:

1. A planet that orbits a star outside the solar system.

 

Example:

"You will need an instrument much stronger than your backyard telescope to see an exoplanet."

"Astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets outside the Milky Way."

 

About Exoplanet

As technology and science advances, so must the language used to describe it. The term "exoplanet" has only been in common use since the 1990s, when discoveries of such planets were made, but the term comes from Greek. "Exo" means "outside" and "planḗtai" means "wandering star."

 

Did you Know?

The first confirmed exoplanet was discovered by Canadian astronomers in 1988, but scholars have suspected these worlds for hundreds of years. Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher, was an early supporter of the theory that Earth revolves around the sun, and he speculated that the stars in the sky were accompanied by similar planets.

 

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: NONPAREIL

pronunciation: [nahn-pə-REL]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, early 16th century

 

Meaning:

1. An unrivaled or matchless person or thing.

2. A flat round candy made of chocolate covered with white sugar sprinkles.

 

Example:

"In my opinion, the 1961 version is the nonpareil of 'The Parent Trap' movies."

"I always indulge in a box of nonpareils when I go to the movies."

 

About Nonpareil

The Latin breakdown of this word is pretty simple. "Non" means "not," and "pareil" is "equal." The description means that the nonpareil is leaps and bounds better; it's so good that there can be no equal.

 

Did you Know?

We agree that nonpareils are quite unparalleled when it comes to chocolate treats, and you might love them even more when you find out how easy they are to make. Melt some bittersweet chocolate and mix it with a dab of vegetable shortening. Then spoon coin-sized circles of chocolate onto a baking sheet. Top with sprinkles, then cool until hard. Now you have your very own stash of nonpareils.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DECLIVITY

pronunciation: [də-KLIV-ə-dee]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A downward slope.

 

Example:

"The landscape architect designed the garden to complement the natural declivity."

"There was no longer a creek, but the bridge still spanned over a large declivity."

 

About Declivity

Does your friend Clive know his name means "slope"? Thanks to this Latin root, "declivity" refers to a downward slope. But if you're walking the opposite direction, "acclivity" describes an upward slope. Coming or going, it's a matter of perspective.

 

Did you Know?

Have you ever described someone as having a proclivity for hard work? "Proclivity" and "declivity" share the same Latin root, "clivus," meaning "slope." And technically the prefixes "pro-" and "de-" both mean "down," but the usages of each word are different. "Proclivity" means "to have a tendency toward," and "declivity" means "a physical downward slope."

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: AXIOMATIC

pronunciation: [ak-see-ə-MAD-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, late 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Self-evident or unquestionable.

2. (Mathematics) Relating to or containing axioms.

 

Example:

"You might think the solution is axiomatic, but I need more evidence."

"The suggestion to extend the deadline was axiomatic, and the vote was unanimous."

 

About Axiomatic

We hold these truths to be axiomatic. Doesn't have quite the same ring, does it? "Axiomatic" means "self-evident," or so obvious that no evidence is needed. The Founding Fathers found life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to be axiomatic, but it was important to document them in the Declaration of Independence.

 

Did you Know?

We're not teaching math, but "axiomatic" is a helpful word to learn. Much of mathematical theory is built upon axioms. An axiom is a statement that is accepted to be true — a starting point. For example, Euclidean geometry starts with five axioms, and all theorems come from these simple axiomatic rules.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: KAFFEEKLATSC

pronunciation: [KAH-feh-klach]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: German, late 19th century

 

Meaning:

1. An informal social gathering at which coffee is served.

2. Talking or gossip at an informal gathering where coffee is served.

 

Example:

"The highlight of the neighborhood meetings is the kaffeeklatsch that always follows."

"My grandmother loved nothing more than a good kaffeeklatsch with her friends."

 

About Kaffeeklatsc

Here's a loanword from German — it translates literally to "coffee gossip." "Kaffeeklatsch" can refer to any social gathering with coffee, or it can describe the actual gossip that tends to occur at such an event. Either way, pull up a chair and stay a while.

 

Did you Know?

The "Coffee Talk" sketch on "Saturday Night Live" in the early 1990s is a perfect example of a kaffeeklatsch. Mike Myers, playing a stereotypical New York woman, was joined by Madonna and Roseanne Barr for coffee and gossip. As Linda Richman, Myers would sometimes get "all verklempt" and encourage guests to "talk amongst yourselves."

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EXHORTATION

pronunciation: [EKS-or-tay-shən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 15th century

 

Meaning:

1. An address or communication emphatically urging someone to do something.

 

Example:

"A stern exhortation to 'drop it!' usually gets my dog's attention."

"When the exhortation was paired with three short claps, the kids knew that was the signal recess was over."

 

About Exhortation

In Latin, the prefix "ex-" means "thoroughly," and "hortari" means "to encourage." So as a verb, "to exhort" means "to quite thoroughly encourage someone to do something." That command turns into the noun "exhortation." Disobey at your own risk.

 

Did you Know?

Exhortation is sometimes confused with "extortion," but besides having an extra syllable, "exhortation" is much more pleasant. With an exhortation there's a plea, a request, or an encouragement. You want to help someone who is giving you an exhortation — there's no bribery involved.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: CAPRICIOUS

pronunciation: [kə-PREE-shəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: French, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior.

 

Example:

"During the autumn months, the weather can be quite capricious."

"I had to stay on my toes when working with the capricious chef."

 

About Capricious

Capricious is the adjective form of the noun "caprice," which means "a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior." A capricious person might be described as flighty, changeable, or just plain indecisive. But you could also embrace your capriciousness by being willing to learn and change your mind.

 

Did you Know?

Capricious and the astrological sign Capricorn have little in common. The easily changeable adjective comes from the French word "capricieux," but "Capricorn" comes from the Latin words for "goat horn." This astrological sign has a reputation of seriousness and responsibility — characteristics at odds with capriciousness.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: BÉCHAMEL

pronunciation: [bey-shə-MEL]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: French, late 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A rich white sauce made with milk infused with herbs and other flavorings.

 

Example:

"The secret to homemade mac and cheese is a good béchamel."

"To pass the French sauces class, each student had to make a perfect béchamel."

 

About Béchamel

Béchamel is a standard white sauce, made with butter, flour, and milk. As basic as the ingredients are, it can add a lot of depth to your cooking. It's usually spelled with an accent mark over the first "e," thanks to its French roots. The inventor of the sauce was the Marquis Louis de Béchamel, the steward to King Louis XIV of France.

 

Did you Know?

You might be able to whip up a mean pancake breakfast, sear a perfect steak, or have a secret recipe for your chocolate chip cookies, but what about sauces? Professional chefs swear by the five French "mother sauces" — béchamel, velouté, espagnole, hollandaise, and tomato. Master these, and you'll have the basic building blocks for all other sauces.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EMERITUS

pronunciation: [ə-MER-ə-dəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, mid-18th century

 

Meaning:

1. (Of the former holder of an office, especially a college professor) Having retired but allowed to retain their title as an honor.

 

Example:

"The banquet was held every year to honor the emeritus professors."

"As an emeritus member, she was welcome to sit in on lectures."

 

About Emeritus

Academia is a career path unlike any other. Most people earn their degree and move on, but some folks remain on campus for the rest of their lives, from undergraduate to graduate school, after which there are positions in teaching and research. Tenure provides job security, but when a professor is ready for retirement, they can maintain privileges with an emeritus role.

 

Did you Know?

In Latin, the verb "emereri" means "to earn one's discharge by service." "Emeritus" comes from that, meaning you earned your retirement, so you're still entitled to the honor and title. The female form is "emerita," but you're unlikely to see that out-of-date usage anymore.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: ARCHETYPE

pronunciation: [ARK-ə-taip]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, mid-16th century

 

Meaning:

1. A very typical example of a certain person or thing.

2. (In Jungian psychology) A primitive mental image inherited from the earliest human ancestors, and supposed to be present in the collective unconscious.

 

Example:

"Her prized tulips appeared to be the perfect archetype of the species."

"He was studying how children's drawings could represent certain archetypes."

 

About Archetype

In Greek, "arkhetupon" means "something moulded first as a model." This definition transfers to the English word "archetype," describing a standard example, or an imitation of the original. In literature, art, and mythology, an archetype is a recurrent symbol. If it's immediately recognizable, it just might be an archetype.

 

Did you Know?

Swiss psychologist Carl Jung believed that humans share a collective unconscious, represented by archetypes, or primitive mental images. Jungian archetypes include the wise old man, the child, the mother, and the maiden.

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by DarkRavie

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: RUMBUSTIOUS

pronunciation: [rəm-bəs-chəs]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: British English, late 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Boisterous or unruly.

 

Example:

"The kids were being too rumbustious, so I shooed them outside to play."

"Expect the litter of puppies to be rumbustious when they hit 6 weeks old."

 

About Rumbustious

A picture might be worth a thousand words, but in the case of "rumbustious," the word produces a vivid mental image. Think of a pile of squirming kittens, or recess on the playground. That carefree playfulness is downright rumbustious.

 

Did you Know?

In the course of printing newspapers and books, spelling mistakes have occurred, and sometimes new words have been created. "Rumbustious" is one such neologism (new word). At some point in the late 18th century, someone was trying to use the archaic word "robustious," meaning "boisterous and robust," and they actually used "rumbustious." The error stuck, and now the unruly word is recorded in the dictionary.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: DOCTRINE

pronunciation: [DAHK-trən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 14th century

 

Meaning:

1. A belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group.

2. A stated principle of government policy, mainly in foreign or military affairs.

 

Example:

"Some old-fashioned doctrines need to be updated for modern times."

"Presidents are often remembered for notable policies or actions, which can be called their doctrine."

 

About Doctrine

Today you go to the doctor for medical concerns, but in the original Latin, "doctor" meant "teacher." Drawing from that, "doctrina" meant "teaching." As the word moved from Old French into Middle English, "doctrine" turned into a set of beliefs stated by a church or political party.

 

Did you Know?

The Monroe Doctrine, announced by President Monroe during his 1823 address to Congress, was a cornerstone of American foreign policy for many decades. The basic premise of it was that the United States would not interfere with European affairs, nor accept European intervention in the Americas.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: TRIPTYCH

pronunciation: [TRIP-tik]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, mid-18th century

 

Meaning:

1. A picture or relief carving on three panels, typically hinged together side by side and used as an altarpiece.

2. A set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together.

 

Example:

"The middle panel of the triptych was lost at least 50 years ago."

"If you listen to the first piece of the triptych, you have to listen to all three."

 

About Triptych

Before there was the triptych, there was the diptych. In Late Greek, "diptukha" referred to a pair of writing tablets. This description was applied to painted hinged wooden panels, used as an altarpiece. When the style expanded to have a third panel, it became a triptych.

 

Did you Know?

Lemony Snicket describes a triptych perfectly: "If you have walked into a museum recently — whether you did so to attend an art exhibition or to escape from the police — you may have noticed a type of painting known as a triptych. A triptych has three panels, with something different painted on each of the panels. For instance, my friend Professor Reed made a triptych for me, and he painted fire on one panel, a typewriter on another, and the face of a beautiful, intelligent woman on the third. The triptych is entitled 'What Happened to Beatrice' and I cannot look upon it without weeping."

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: PERGOLA

pronunciation: [pər-ɡə-lə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, mid-17th century

 

Meaning:

1. An arched structure in a garden or park consisting of a framework covered with climbing or trailing plants.

 

Example:

"The wedding took place under the pergola covered in ivy and white flowers."

"The only thing left in the garden was the wooden pergola."

 

About Pergola

In the 17th century, "pergola" was borrowed from the Italians, but the word was originally Latin — "pergula" meant "projecting roof."

 

Did you Know?

You might know your landscaping as the bushes, trees, and flowers around your yard, but what about hardscaping? A hardscape is a human-made feature used in landscape architecture, such as a path or a wall. You can also have structures, including pergolas, arbors, or gazebos.

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: EPOCH

pronunciation: [EH-pək]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, early 17th century

 

Meaning:

1. A period of time in history or a person's life, typically one marked by notable events or particular characteristics.

2. The beginning of a distinctive period in the history of someone or something.

 

Example:

"My field of study focuses on the epoch in which dinosaurs lived."

"A British epoch is defined by the ruling monarch: Elizabethan, Georgian, Victorian, and Edwardian."

 

About Epoch

Epoch has been through a bit of an etymological journey. In ancient Greek, "epekhein" meant "stop, take up a position." That turned into "epokhē," which is a fixed point in time. Then, in Latin, "epocha" meant "a date from which succeeding years are numbered" (as in 0 CE). "Epoch" still refers to that beginning point, but it also describes spans of time defined by notable events (such as the Renaissance or the Industrial Revolution).

 

Did you Know?

In a general sense, an epoch is a period of time, but there are specific definitions for certain fields. In geology, an epoch is "a division of time that is a subdivision of a period and is itself subdivided into ages, corresponding to a series in chronostratigraphy." If you're an astronomer, an epoch is "an arbitrarily fixed date relative to which planetary or stellar measurements are expressed."

 

[DarkRavie]

What's the Word: OSCILLATE

pronunciation: [AH-sə-leit]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Latin, early 18th century

 

Meaning:

1. Move or swing back and forth at a regular speed.

2. (Physics) Vary in magnitude or position in a regular manner around a central point.

 

Example:

"I could oscillate on the porch swing all day long."

"The light made the electrons in each atom oscillate back and forth."

 

About Oscillate

As a verb, "to oscillate" means "to move back and forth like a pendulum." If you're a physicist, you can use it to describe atoms or voltage varying around a central point. And if you're feeling flighty, your emotions might oscillate throughout the day.

 

Did you Know?

Your old tabletop fan can be traced back to German American inventor Philip Diehl, who invented the electric ceiling fan when he worked for the Singer Company. He took a motor from a sewing machine and mounted it to the ceiling with blades. After several iterations, the oscillating fan was born. The first electric fan for household use was introduced by Westinghouse in 1910.