Word of the Day

Rubricate is a verb that means to color red. 

The Latin word rubrica (ROO brick uh) means ‘red.’ By the Late 16th century, this word had been imported to English and turned into a verb which meant to turn something red.’ Here’s an example:

The author decided to rubricate the letters that indicated the location of the main character. By having this information in red, there was no chance the reader could confuse his location with ot...

Castaneous is an adjective that means chestnut colored. 

The Latin word for ‘chestnut’ is castanea (cass TAN ee uh). By the 17th century, this would branch off into several English words, including ‘castanets,’ a small musical instrument made of wood and our word of the day, an adjective to describe something ‘chestnut colored.’ Here’s an example of castaneous in use:

The castaneous tan I acquired last summer took three weeks in It...

Heterogenous is an adjective that means ‘diverse in character and content.’ 

Our word of the day is from the Latin word ‘heteros,’ (HET er ose) which means ‘different’ or ‘other.’ It’s been around since the early 17th century. Here’s an example:

The heterogenous nature of the animals in that area makes it difficult for them to get along. By putting together those creatures from such diverse backgrounds, they threaten to harm the ch...

Vocable is a noun that refers to a single syllable that carries a meaning despite not being a ‘real’ word. 

The Latin word vocabulum ( vo COB oo loom) has given us such English words as ‘vocal’ and ‘vocabulary.’ Our word of the day has been around since the Middle English period. Here’s an example:

When my kids are enjoying a meal, they tend to express it in the most vocable terms. They don't use actual words to convey their jo...

Lawfare is a noun that refers to the use of lawsuits as a means of intimidation and combat. 

Our word of the day is a very recent addition to the English language that combines the common English words ‘law’ and ‘warfare.’ here’s an example:

After getting laid off, I tried to bully my former boss Stan with a series of excessive lawsuits, but in retrospect, I may have made a bad decision. It wasn’t such a smart move to use lawfare a...

variform is an adjective that means ‘being different from another in form. 

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word varius (VAR ee oos) which means ‘diverse.’ Since the mid-17th century, this word has given birth to a diverse range of descendants, including ‘various,’ ‘variation,’ and the less commonly used variform which could be thought of as a synonym for ‘disparate’ or ‘assorted.’ Here’s an example of its use:

Todd’s vari...

Borborygmus is a noun that refers to the rumbling or gurgling noise made in the stomach. 

Our word of the day comes almost directly from a Greek noun that holds the same meaning. It’s been used mostly in medical circles since the early 18th century. Here’s an example:

There’s nothing more embarrassing than having a grumbling stomach in a quiet setting. A few weeks ago, I was in a bookstore when my borborygmus announced my hunger to...

Vegetate is a verb that means to live or spend time in a dull, inactive way. 

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vegere (way GARE ay) which means ‘to be active.’ By the early 17th century, the word had morphed into the English word vegetable. More recently, vegetate has come to mean ‘to be inactive.’ Here's an example:

I was so tired from running that marathon, I wanted to vegetate all weekend. The problem was I had ...

Comely is an adjective that means pleasant or attractive to look at. 

Our word of the day comes from the Old English period and once meant ‘frail’ or ‘weak.’ Its meaning has been modified more recently and it can now be thought of as a synonym for handsome or beautiful. 

When I entered the ballroom, I thought all those people were gawking at me because my tuxedo made me look particularly comely. It turned out that all those stares ...

Benthic is an adjective that means occurring at the bottom of a body of water. 

The Greek word ‘benthos.’ (VEN thos) means ‘depth of the sea.’ Since the early 20th century, our word of the day has been used to describe the landscape and activity at those depths. Here’s an example:

One of the joys of diving is being able to observe all those creatures on the ocean floor. You’d be shocked at all the strange-looking animals you’d find...

Kairos is a noun that refers to a propitious moment for a decision or action. 

Our word of the day comes directly from the Greek word that means ‘opportunity.’ It’s been around since the 1930s. Here’s an example of kairos in use:

When the mayor faced a kairos in his first term, the result was a catastrophic failure to act. If the same happens in his second term, he may not get a second opportunity to prove he can make a key decisio...

Communique is a verb that refers to an official announcement or statement, especially one made to the media. 

The Latin word communis (KOE moo noose) means ‘common,’ and it’s given us words as wide-ranging as ‘Communism’ and ‘communication.’ It’s also given us our word of the day which refers to a specific communication made to one or many media outlets. Here’s an example:

When I quit my job at Paul’s Chicken Shack, I sent out a co...