Word of the Day 123-150

Word of the Day 123~~February 1, 2010

Mondegreen \MON-di-green\
noun;
1. A word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard.


Origin:
Mondegreen was coined by Sylvia Wright, US writer, from the line laid him on the green, interpreted as Lady

Mondegreen, in a Scottish ballad.

Word of the Day 124~~February 2, 2010


Gelid \JEL-id\
adjective;
1.Extremely cold; icy.


Origin:
Gelid comes from Latin gelidus, from gelu, "frost, cold."

Word of the Day 125~~February 3, 2010


Aubade \oh-BAHD\
noun;
1. A song or poem greeting the dawn; also, a composition suggestive of morning.


Origin:
Aubade comes from the French, from aube, dawn + the noun suffix -ade: aube ultimately derives from Latin albus,

white, pale, as in "alba lux," the "pale light" of dawn.

Word of the Day 126~~February 4, 2010


Pecuniary \pih-KYOO-nee-air-ee\
adjective;
1.Relating to money; monetary.
2.Consisting of money.
3.Requiring payment of money.


Origin:
Pecuniary comes from Latin pecuniarius, "of money, pecuniary," from pecunia, "property in cattle, hence money,"

from pecu, "livestock, one's flocks and herds."

Word of the Day 127~~February 5, 2010


Distrait \dis-TRAY\
adjective;
1. Divided or withdrawn in attention, especially because of anxiety.


Origin:
Distrait is from Old French, from distraire, "to distract," from Latin distrahere, "to pull apart; to draw away; to

distract," from dis- + trahere, "to draw, to pull." It is related to distraught and distracted, which have the same Latin

source.

Word of the Day 128~~February 6, 2010


Eschew \es-CHOO\
transitive verb;
1. To shun; to avoid (as something wrong or distasteful).


Origin:
Eschew comes from Old French eschiver, ultimately of Germanic origin, scheuchen.

Word of the Day 129~~February 7, 2010


Ignoramus \ig-nuh-RAY-mus\
noun;
1. An ignorant person; a dunce.


Origin:
Ignoramus was the name of a character in George Ruggle's 1615 play of the same name. The name was derived from

the Latin, literally, "we are ignorant," from ignorare, "not to know," from ignarus, "not knowing," from ig- (for in-),

"not" + gnarus, "knowing, acquainted with, expert in." It is related to ignorant and ignore.

Word of the Day 130~~February 8, 2010


Approbation \ap-ruh-BAY-shuhn\
noun;
1. The act of approving; formal or official approval.
2. Praise; commendation.


Origin:
Approbation is from Latin approbatio, from approbare, "to approve or cause to be approved," from ap- (for ad-), used

intensively + probare, "to make or find good," from probus, "good, excellent, fine."

Word of the Day 131~~February 9, 2010


Vitiate \VISH-ee-ayt\
transitive verb;
1. To make faulty or imperfect; to render defective; to impair; as, "exaggeration vitiates a style of writing."
2. To corrupt morally; to debase.
3. To render ineffective; as, "fraud vitiates a contract."


Origin:
Vitiate comes from Latin vitiare, from vitium, fault. It is related to vice (a moral failing or fault), which comes from

vitium via French.

Word of the Day 132~~February 10, 2010


Tarradiddle \tair-uh-DID-uhl\
noun;
also taradiddle
1. A petty falsehood; a fib.
2. Pretentious nonsense.


Origin:
Tarradiddle is of unknown origin.

Word of the Day 133~~February 11, 2010


Coquetry \KOH-ki-tree; koh-KE-tree\
noun;
1. Dalliance; flirtation.


Origin:
Coquetry, French coquetterie, is from coquette, the feminine form of French coquet, "flirtatious man," diminutive of

coq, "rooster, cock." The adjective form is coquettish. The verb coquet (also coquette) means "to flirt or trifle with."

Word of the Day 134~~February 12, 2010


Quietus \kwy-EE-tuhs\
noun;
1. Final discharge or acquittance, as from debt or obligation.
2. Removal from activity; rest; death.
3. Something that serves to suppress or quiet.


Origin:
Quietus is from Medieval Latin quietus (est), "(it is) at rest" (said of an obligation that has been discharged), from

Latin quietus, "at rest."

Word of the Day 135~~February 13, 2010


Cupidity \kyoo-PID-uh-tee\
noun;
1. Eager or excessive desire, especially for wealth; greed; avarice.


Origin:
Cupidity ultimately comes from Latin cupiditas, from cupidus, "desirous," from cupere, "to desire." It is related to

Cupid, the Roman god of love.

Word of the Day 136~~February 14, 2010


Billet-doux \bil-ay-DOO\
noun;
plural billets-doux \bil-ay-DOO(Z)\
1. A love letter or note.


Origin:
In French, billet-doux means "sweet note;" or "short note" (billet, "note" + doux, "sweet," from Latin dulcis).

Word of the Day 137~~February 15, 2010


Vivify \VIV-uh-fy\
transitive verb;
1. To endue with life; to make alive; to animate.
2. To make more lively or intense.


Origin:
Vivify comes from French vivifier, from Late Latin vivificare, from Latin vivus, alive.

Word of the Day 138~~February 16, 2010


Inexorable \in-EK-sur-uh-bul; in-EKS-ruh-bul\
adjective;
1. Not to be persuaded or moved by entreaty or prayer; firm; determined; unyielding; unchangeable; inflexible; relentless.


Origin:
Inexorable comes from Latin inexorabilis, from in-, "not" + exorabilis, "able to be entreated, placable," from exorare, "to entreat successfully, to prevail upon," from ex-, intensive prefix + orare, "to speak; to argue; to pray."

Word of the Day 139~~February 17, 2010


Hypnagogic \hip-nuh-GOJ-ik; -GOH-jik\
adjective;
1. Of, pertaining to, or occurring in the state of drowsiness preceding sleep.


Origin:
Hypnagogic (sometimes spelled hypnogogic) ultimately derives from Greek hupnos, "sleep" + agogos, "leading," from agein, "to lead."

Word of the Day 140~~February 18, 2010


Duplicity \doo-PLIS-i-tee, dyoo-\
noun;
1. Deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech; also, an instance of deliberate deceptiveness; double-dealing.
2. The quality or state of being twofold or double.


Origin:
Duplicity comes from Middle English duplicite, from Old French, from Late Latin duplicitās, doubleness, from Latin duplex, duplic-, twofold.

Word of the Day 141~~February 19, 2010


Gastronome \GAS-truh-nohm\
noun;
1. A connoisseur of good food and drink.


Origin:
Gastronome is ultimately derived from Greek gaster, "stomach" + nomos, "rule, law."

Word of the Day 142~~February 20, 2010


Egregious \ih-GREE-juhs\
adjective;
1. Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.


Origin:
Egregious derives from Latin egregius, separated or chosen from the herd, from e-, ex-, out of, from + grex, greg-, herd, flock. Egregious was formerly used with words importing a good quality (that which was distinguished "from the herd" because of excellence), but now it is joined with words having a bad sense. It is related to congregate (to "flock together," from con-, together, with + gregare, to assemble, from grex); segregate (from segregare, to separate from the herd, from se-, apart + gregare); and gregarious (from gregarius, belonging to a flock).

Word of the Day 143~~February 21, 2010


Bombast \BOM-bast\
noun;
1. Pompous or pretentious speech or writing.


Origin:
Bombast comes from Medieval French bombace, "cotton, hance padding," from Late Latin bombax, "cotton."

Word of the Day 144~~February 22, 2010


Fractious \FRAK-shuhs\
adjective;
1. Tending to cause trouble; unruly.
2. Irritable; snappish; cranky.


Origin:
Fractious is from fraction, which formerly had the sense "discord, dissension, disharmony"; it is derived from Latin frangere, "to break."

Word of the Day 145~~February 23, 2010


Fructuous \FRUHK-choo-uhs\
adjective;
1. Fruitful; productive.


Origin:
Fructuous comes from Latin fructuosus, from fructus, "enjoyment, product, fruit," from the past participle of frui, "to enjoy."

Word of the Day 146~~February 24, 2010


Arcanum \ar-KAY-nuhm\
noun;
plural arcana \-nuh\
1. A secret; a mystery.
2. Specialized or mysterious knowledge, language, or information that is not accessible to the average person (generally used in the plural).


Origin:
Arcanum is from the Latin, from arcanus "closed, secret," from arca, "chest, box," from arcere, "to shut in."

Word of the Day 147~~February 25, 2010


Gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\
adjective;
1. Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.
2. Seeking and enjoying the company of others.


Origin:
Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."

Word of the Day 148~~February 26, 2010


Mulct \MULKT\
noun;
1. A fine or penalty.
transitive verb:
1. To punish for an offense or misdemeanor by imposing a fine or demanding a forfeiture.
2. To obtain by fraud or deception.
3. To defraud; to swindle.


Origin:
Mulct comes from Latin multa, "a fine."

Word of the Day 149~~February 27, 2010


Supplicate \SUP-luh-kayt\
intransitive verb;
1. To make a humble and earnest petition; to pray humbly.
transitive verb:
1. To seek or ask for humbly and earnestly.
2. To make a humble petition to; to beseech.


Origin:
Supplicate derives from the past participle of Latin supplicare, from supplex, "entreating for mercy." The noun form is supplication.

Word of the Day 150~~February 28, 2010


Quixotic \kwik-SOT-ik\
adjective;
1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals.
2. Capricious; impulsive; unpredictable.


Origin:
Quixotic refers to the eccentric, generous idealism of Don Quixote, the hero of a satiric romance by Miguel de Cervantes.