DarkRavie Posted February 11 Author Report Share Posted February 11 What's the Word: DISQUISITION pronunciation: [dis-kwə-ZIH-shən] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. A long or elaborate essay or discussion on a particular subject. Examples: "Lucian submitted a disquisition of poetry inspired by Shakespeare for his thesis." "I don't just love cheese — I wrote a disquisition on the origins of cheesemaking." About Disquisition While "disquisition" developed in French, it originally comes from the Latin words "disquisito" ("investigation") and "quaerere" ("to seek"). Did you Know? True crime is having a moment in pop culture. This genre is finding new life on podcasts and streaming services, mediums that allow for a deep disquisition of a particular case or famous figure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 12 Author Report Share Posted February 12 What's the Word: RATIOCINATE pronunciation: [rash-ee-OH-sin-ate] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Form judgments by a process of logic; reason. Examples: "To solve the murder-mystery game, you must ratiocinate based on all the clues." "Don't make a snap judgment; stop and ratiocinate first." About Ratiocinate This verb comes from the Latin word "ratiocinat-," which means "deliberated; calculated." Did you Know? To ratiocinate, you must develop your critical and logical thinking skills. One way to do that is by building your vocabulary and discovering the meaning behind words — which means you are practicing ratiocination right now. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 13 Author Report Share Posted February 13 What's the Word: ANOMALOUS pronunciation: [ə-NAM-ə-ləs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. Examples: "The instrument's readings were anomalous, so the captain decided to radio for help." "The results were anomalous, leading the scientists to revise their experiment from the beginning." About Anomalous Anomalous comes from the Greek word "anōmalos," which translates to "not even." Did you Know? Anomaly is the noun form of the adjective "anomalous." If you call something an anomaly, it implies that it's out of the norm. To dig a little deeper, use the adjective to describe exactly what is anomalous. Is it the color? The way it makes you feel? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 14 Author Report Share Posted February 14 What's the Word: DIEGESIS pronunciation: [di-ə-JEE-sis] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, early 19th century Meaning: 1. A narrative or plot, typically in a movie. Examples: "The film's diegesis was full of twists and turns." "The audience was captivated by the Best Picture winner's intense diegesis." About Diegesis Diegesis originates from the Greek word "diēgēsis," which means "narrative." Digesting a good diegesis is a pleasurable way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Did you Know? Do you ever feel a rush of satisfaction when a particularly good movie ends? There's an explanation for that feeling — when you hear a good story, your brain releases feel-good chemicals in the pleasure centers of your brain. Experiencing a good diegesis can be similar to consuming a delicious meal (and just as satisfying). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 15 Author Report Share Posted February 15 What's the Word: RETROJECT pronunciation: [reh-trə-JEKT] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. Project backwards. Examples: "He presented a hypothesis that retrojected onto the previous learnings." "He was reminiscing about his youth, retrojecting with his past accomplishments." About Retroject Retroject originated in the mid-19th century from the combination of the Latin words "retro" ("backward") and "project" ("to throw forth"). It's a bit of an oxymoron, but as a portmanteau, it works. Did you Know? Have you heard of the psychological term "projection"? It means to attribute your feelings or opinions to someone else. "Retroject" means to apply current beliefs or learnings to the past. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 16 Author Report Share Posted February 16 What's the Word: MULTIVOCAL pronunciation: [muhl-TIH-və-kəl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. Having or open to many different meanings, interpretations, or applications. Examples: "The issue was truly multivocal, which gave the scientists multiple possible solutions." "Since one of the math problems was multivocal, the teacher decided to give the point to every student." About Multivocal Multivocal developed from the Latin word "multivocus" ("expressed by many words"), recorded by 19th-century poet, critic, and philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Did you Know? If you encounter a word that is multivocal, you are looking at a homonym. Homonyms are pronounced alike (and often spelled alike), but have different meanings — such as "aunt" and "ant," "byte" and "bite," and "flow" and "floe." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 17 Author Report Share Posted February 17 What's the Word: EMULOUS pronunciation: [EM-yə-ləs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. Seeking to emulate someone or something. 2. Motivated by a spirit of rivalry. Examples: "His short stories are emulous of Stephen King." "Her paintings started off as emulous of great masters, but she soon found a style of her own." About Emulous Emulous comes from the Latin word "aemulus" ("rival") via Late Middle English, but the idea of it as a description of emulating another person developed over the 16th century. Did you Know? The Beatles might be one of the most-imitated bands in music history. If you're a fan of the Eagles, the Beach Boys, Heart, Billy Joel, the Mamas and the Papas, KISS, Bruce Springsteen, or even Nirvana — they've all claimed to be emulous of the Beatles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 18 Author Report Share Posted February 18 What's the Word: SAPID pronunciation: [SA-pihd] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, early 17th century Meaning: 1. Having a strong, pleasant taste. 2. (Of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Examples: "Lunch consisted of finger sandwiches and a sapid tea." "The cheese was sapid and savory, and paired well with freshly baked bread." About Sapid Sapid originated from the Latin word "sapidus," from the verb "sapere," which means "to taste." Did you Know? Here's a memory trick: Syrup is made from the sap of a tree. It has a strong, pleasant taste, which is the exact definition of the adjective "sapid." If you're using the adjective to describe pleasant words, they're pretty sweet, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 19 Author Report Share Posted February 19 What's the Word: WIDDERSHINS pronunciation: [WIH-dər-shinz] Part of speech: adverb Origin: Scottish, early 16th century Meaning: 1. In a direction contrary to the sun's course, considered as unlucky. 2. Counterclockwise. Examples: "The first thing my dog does when he gets home is run widdershins three times around the backyard." "Despite dancing widdershins when everyone else went clockwise, Martha was the highlight of the Christmas musical." About Widdershins This adverb developed from a mix of the Middle Low German word "weddersins" and the Middle High German word "widersinnes." Despite being spelled differently, both of these words came from the same roots — "wider" ("against") and "sin" ("direction"). Did you Know? If you've traveled anywhere south of the equator, you've probably noticed something odd about draining water — it travels widdershins, or counterclockwise, down the drain, compared to clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 20 Author Report Share Posted February 20 What's the Word: AGLET pronunciation: [AG-lət] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, late 15th century Meaning: 1. A metal or plastic tube fixed tightly round each end of a shoelace. Examples: "The company recreates historical shoes to the most minute of details, right down to the color of the aglet." "Dash was delighted to discover a colorful array of aglets he could use to switch up his shoelaces." About Aglet Aglet came from the French word "aiguillette," meaning "small needle" — which makes sense, given the way they look on the end of a shoelace. Did you Know? The children's show "Phineas and Ferb" featured a song called "A-G-L-E-T" about — what else — the little, round, metallic or plastic tubes on the end of your shoelaces. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 21 Author Report Share Posted February 21 What's the Word: SUPERFICIES pronunciation: [soo-per-FISH-eez] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. A surface. 2. (Literary) An outward part or appearance. Examples: "The sculptor created a superficies that seemed so realistic, you would expect the marble body to be warm to the touch." "While he exhibited an uncaring superficies in public, he was very sensitive with people in his private life." About Superficies Superficies developed from the Latin words "super" ("above") and "facies" ("face"). Did you Know? You're probably already familiar with the concept of "superficies" due to the adjective "superficial" — a word that describes something that exists or occurs on a surface level. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 22 Author Report Share Posted February 22 What's the Word: MIRIFIC pronunciation: [mih-RIH-fik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, late 15th century Meaning: 1. (Literary) Working wonders; wonderful. Examples: "The painting's reputation was so mirific, it attracted a record number of visitors to the museum." "Yolanda's first glance at the mountains gave her a feeling so mirific, it nearly took her breath away." About Mirific Mirific first developed from the Latin word "mirificus" ("wonderful"). Then it transitioned into its modern usage through the Middle French adaptation "mirifique," which means "causing wonder and admiration." Did you Know? It might sound cliché, but there are few things as mirific as watching a sunrise or sunset over the mountains; the feeling of astonishment at the sight can be overwhelming. Many natural marvels provide this type of thrill — "mirific" is an adjective that can be applied to anything that instills a sense of wonder or awe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 23 Author Report Share Posted February 23 What's the Word: INNOMINATE pronunciation: [in-AH-mən-ət] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. Not named or classified. Examples: "The forthcoming book was still innominate, but it had already gathered positive reviews from critics." "Clint and Dana had such a long list of potential names that their first baby was innominate for a full month." About Innominate Innominate originated from the Latin word "innominatus" — which can be broken down into the words "in" ("not") and "nominatus" ("named"). Did you Know? Many scientists dream of finding an innominate species, or one that hasn't been named or classified yet. After all, there's always the potential that the finder can name the new species after themselves. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 SATURDAY'S WORD What's the Word: OPUSCULE pronunciation: [oh-PUH-skyool] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. A small or minor literary or musical work. Examples: "While this book could be considered an opuscule, it means a lot to me personally." "The opuscule doesn't even sound like it was written by the famous poet." About Opuscule This noun originally comes from the Latin word "opusculum," a dimunutive of the word that means "work." If you are working on a project, no matter how big or small it is, you can refer to it as your "opus." Did you Know? A magnum opus is the complete opposite of an opuscule work. The former term refers to the most important work of an artist's career, often one that they are most recognized for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 25 Author Report Share Posted February 25 What's the Word: HOUSEWRIGHT pronunciation: [HAUS-rite] Part of speech: noun Origin: North America, mid-16th century Meaning: 1. A builder of houses, especially those constructed largely of timber; a house carpenter. Examples: "After working with Habitat for Humanity, Rachel felt like a bona fide housewright." "We hired a housewright to help us rehab our 19th-century wooden cottage." About Housewright Housewright developed as an American word in the 16th century through the combination of the words "house" and "wright" (an old Germanic word that means "maker or builder"). Did you Know? You could hire a handyman to do general repairs around your house, but if you have a historic wooden home, you'll want a housewright. This term was popular in 18th-century colonial America to refer to craftsmen who cut timber and assembled it into houses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 26 Author Report Share Posted February 26 What's the Word: PERSONALIA pronunciation: [pur-sə-NEY-lee-ə] Part of speech: noun Origin: North America, mid-19th century Meaning: 1. AAll the personal belongings, writings, and information of an individual. Examples: "The Edgar Allan Poe House contains much of his personalia." "Robert had to make many treks back to his childhood home to collect all of his personalia." About Personalia Personalia developed from the classical Latin word "personālia" ("personal"); however, its first use in this definition's context was found in the magazine "The North American Review" in the mid-19th century. Did you Know? Pop artist Andy Warhol was obsessed with keeping all the miscellaneous objects of his life. He kept "time capsules" filled with notes, receipts, letters, toys, coins — anything and everything. These collections of personalia can be seen on display at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 27 Author Report Share Posted February 27 What's the Word: CAMBER pronunciation: [KAM-bər] Part of speech: noun Origin: Late Middle English, unknown Meaning: 1. The slightly convex or arched shape of a road or other horizontal surface. Examples: "The camber of the sidewalk allowed for easy drainage after it rained." "You'll notice that the new highway was built with a camber to its surface." About Camber Camber developed in Middle English but finds its roots in the Old French word "chambre" ("arched") and the Latin word "camurus" ("curved inward"). Did you Know? Isn't a road supposed to be flat? Many paths are; however, modern roads are built with a camber for several important reasons, including easy drainage during rainstorms. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 28 Author Report Share Posted February 28 What's the Word: INDITE pronunciation: [in-DITE] Part of speech: verb Origin: Latin, 14th century Meaning: 1. Write; compose. Examples: "I try to indite a brief message in every Christmas card I send." "My grandfather kept a journal in which he would indite a few thoughts at the end of every day." About Indite Variations of "indite" developed in Middle English ("endite") and French ("enditier"). However, its origins can be traced back to the Latin word "indicere" ("to proclaim"). Did you Know? Would you like to be a better writer? Beyond all the courses, books, and podcasts that promise to make it easier to indite your thoughts, one of the best ways to improve is to establish a daily writing habit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted February 29 Author Report Share Posted February 29 What's the Word: LAGOM pronunciation: [LAH-gawm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Swedish, early 19th century Meaning: 1. The principle of living a balanced, moderately paced, low-fuss life. Examples: "My goal for the summer is to slow down and embrace the principle of lagom." "Renee is a model of lagom — I've never seen her the slightest bit perturbed." About Lagom Lagom developed in the 1830s as a Swedish word meaning "moderation." It possibly developed in some part from the Swedish word "lag," which means "law." Did you Know? Our hectic lives seem to revolve around work, and you might find yourself getting burnt out as a result. Think about establishing a lifestyle based more on lagom for yourself. Your work-life balance will improve, and your future self will thank you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 1 Author Report Share Posted March 1 What's the Word: FARRAGO pronunciation: [fə-RAH-go] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, mid-17th century Meaning: 1. A confused mixture. Examples: "Stephanie's junk drawer was a farrago of tools, bills, and forgotten office supplies." "The movie was a farrago of pop culture and classic Hollywood references." About Farrago Farrago is a Latin word that originally meant "mixed fodder" or "corn." This catchall word for getting a grain stock mixed up eventually came to refer to a confused mixture of anything. Did you Know? The household junk drawer is ubiquitous — nearly everyone has one. While it is nice to have a place to store every miscellaneous item without a home, it's probably better to organize that drawer every once in a while, throw away unneeded trash, and take stock of your supplies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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