Word of the Day Archive
2012

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1. novation: the introduction of something new; innovation. (Sunday January 01)
2. truss: to tie, bind, or fasten. (Monday January 02)
3. solecism: a breach of good manners or etiquette. (Tuesday January 03)
4. fetial: concerned with declarations of war and treaties of peace. (Wednesday January 04)
5. gasconade: extravagant boasting; boastful talk. (Thursday January 05)
6. sprat: a small or inconsequential person or thing. (Friday January 06)
7. Cimmerian: very dark; gloomy; deep. (Saturday January 07)
8. profligacy: reckless extravagance. (Sunday January 08)
9. heterotelic: having the purpose of its existence or occurrence apart from itself. (Monday January 09)
10. paregmenon: the juxtaposition of words that have a common derivation, as in “sense and sensibility.” (Tuesday January 10)
11. expostulate: to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done. (Wednesday January 11)
12. bonny: pleasing to the eye. (Thursday January 12)
13. viscid: having a glutinous consistency; sticky; adhesive. (Friday January 13)
14. desinence: a termination or ending, as the final line of a verse. (Saturday January 14)
15. outrance: the utmost extremity. (Sunday January 15)
16. perspicacious: having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning. (Monday January 16)
17. alate: having wings; winged. (Tuesday January 17)
18. persnickety: overparticular; fussy. (Wednesday January 18)
19. shiv: a knife, especially a switchblade. (Thursday January 19)
20. deucedly: devilishly; damnably. (Friday January 20)
21. remora: an obstacle, hindrance, or obstruction. (Saturday January 21)
22. natheless: nevertheless. (Sunday January 22)
23. slimsy: flimsy; frail. (Monday January 23)
24. educe: to draw forth or bring out, as something potential or latent. (Tuesday January 24)
25. bleb: a bubble. (Wednesday January 25)
26. mettle: courage and fortitude. (Thursday January 26)
27. conciliate: to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over. (Friday January 27)
28. birr: force; energy; vigor. (Saturday January 28)
29. hotchpot: the bringing together of shares or properties in order to divide them equally. (Sunday January 29)
30. neoterism: an innovation in language, as a new word, term, or expression. (Monday January 30)
31. idoneous: appropriate; fit; suitable; apt. (Tuesday January 31)
32. doyenne: a woman who is the senior member of a group, class, or profession. (Wednesday February 01)
33. peroration: a long speech characterized by lofty and often pompous language. (Thursday February 02)
34. excogitate: to think out; devise; invent. (Friday February 03)
35. caprice: a sudden, unpredictable change, as of one's mind or the weather. (Saturday February 04)
36. pied: having patches of two or more colors, as various birds and other animals. (Sunday February 05)
37. filiopietistic: pertaining to reverence of forebears or tradition, especially if carried to excess. (Monday February 06)
38. crib: to pilfer or steal, especially to plagiarize. (Tuesday February 07)
39. piacular: expiatory; atoning; reparatory. (Wednesday February 08)
40. screed: a long discourse or essay, especially a diatribe. (Thursday February 09)
41. depone: to testify under oath; depose. (Friday February 10)
42. burled: having small knots that produce a distorted grain in wood. (Saturday February 11)
43. auscultation: the act of listening to sounds within the body as a method of diagnosis. (Sunday February 12)
44. exoteric: suitable for or communicated to the general public. (Monday February 13)
45. cordate: heart-shaped. (Tuesday February 14)
46. vilipend: to regard or treat as of little value or account. (Wednesday February 15)
47. mammonism: the greedy pursuit of riches. (Thursday February 16)
48. tramontane: being or situated beyond the mountains. (Friday February 17)
49. pachyderm: a person who is not sensitive to criticism, ridicule, etc. (Saturday February 18)
50. spruce: to make neat or dapper (often followed by up). (Sunday February 19)
51. morceau: piece; morsel. (Monday February 20)
52. bespeak: to show; indicate. (Tuesday February 21)
53. ad rem: without digressing; in a straightforward manner. (Wednesday February 22)
54. plenum: a full assembly, as a joint legislative assembly. (Thursday February 23)
55. adamantine: utterly unyielding or firm in attitude or opinion. (Friday February 24)
56. bandy: to pass from one to another or back and forth; give and take. (Saturday February 25)
57. hircine: of, pertaining to, or resembling a goat. (Sunday February 26)
58. flexuous: full of bends or curves; sinuous. (Monday February 27)
59. pettifog: to bicker or quibble over trifles or unimportant matters. (Tuesday February 28)
60. quadrennial: occurring every four years. (Wednesday February 29)
61. alembic: anything that transforms, purifies, or refines. (Thursday March 01)
62. cant: to talk hypocritically. (Friday March 02)
63. liege: loyal; faithful. (Saturday March 03)
64. oracular: ambiguous; obscure. (Sunday March 04)
65. profluent: flowing smoothly or abundantly forth. (Monday March 05)
66. appertain: to belong as a part, right, possession or attribute. (Tuesday March 06)
67. rutilant: glowing or glittering with ruddy or golden light. (Wednesday March 07)
68. pococurante: caring little; indifferent; nonchalant. (Thursday March 08)
69. furcate: to form a fork; branch. (Friday March 09)
70. esculent: something edible, especially a vegetable. (Saturday March 10)
71. antipode: a direct or exact opposite. (Sunday March 11)
72. remit: to slacken or relax. (Monday March 12)
73. astringent: sharply incisive; pungent. (Tuesday March 13)
74. dowager: an elderly woman of stately dignity, especially one of elevated social position. (Wednesday March 14)
75. iniquitous: characterized by injustice or wickedness; wicked; sinful. (Thursday March 15)
76. gasser: something that is extraordinarily pleasing or successful, especially a very funny joke. (Friday March 16)
77. selcouth: strange; uncommon. (Saturday March 17)
78. brisance: the shattering effect of a high explosive. (Sunday March 18)
79. carp: to find fault or complain querulously or unreasonably. (Monday March 19)
80. vernal: appearing or occurring in spring. (Tuesday March 20)
81. conniption: a fit of hysterical excitement or anger. (Wednesday March 21)
82. moschate: having a musky smell. (Thursday March 22)
83. ruck: a large number or quantity; mass. (Friday March 23)
84. adroit: cleverly skillful, resourceful, or ingenious. (Saturday March 24)
85. Tellurian: of or characteristic of the earth or its inhabitants; terrestrial. (Sunday March 25)
86. catechize: to question closely. (Monday March 26)
87. chelonian: belonging or pertaining to the order Chelonia, comprising the turtles. (Tuesday March 27)
88. luxate: to put out of joint; dislocate. (Wednesday March 28)
89. eudemonia: happiness; well-being. (Thursday March 29)
90. fugitive: fleeting, transitory, elusive. (Friday March 30)
91. boon: something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit. (Saturday March 31)
92. pyknic: having a rounded build or body structure. (Sunday April 01)
93. grouse: to grumble; complain. (Monday April 02)
94. zeitgeber: an environmental cue, as the length of daylight, that helps to regulate the cycles of an organism's biological clock. (Tuesday April 03)
95. sylph: a slender, graceful woman or girl. (Wednesday April 04)
96. ephebe: a young man. (Thursday April 05)
97. agley: off the right line; awry; wrong. (Friday April 06)
98. pleach: to interweave branches or vines for a hedge or arbor. (Saturday April 07)
99. apotropaic: intended to ward off evil. (Sunday April 08)
100. cumshaw: a present; gratuity; tip. (Monday April 09)
101. caparison: to dress richly; deck. (Tuesday April 10)
102. tony: high-toned; stylish. (Wednesday April 11)
103. macaronic: composed of a mixture of languages. (Thursday April 12)
104. approbate: to approve officially. (Friday April 13)
105. irriguous: well-watered, as land. (Saturday April 14)
106. palladium: anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard. (Sunday April 15)
107. aperçu: a hasty glance; a glimpse. (Monday April 16)
108. xenophilia: an attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs. (Tuesday April 17)
109. reconnoiter: to make an inspection or observation. (Wednesday April 18)
110. bona fides: good faith; the state of being exactly as claims or appearances indicate. (Thursday April 19)
111. agnomen: a nickname. (Friday April 20)
112. hsien: one of a group of benevolent spirits promoting good in the world. (Saturday April 21)
113. obtuse: not quick or alert in perception, feeling, or intellect. (Sunday April 22)
114. germinal: being in the earliest stage of development. (Monday April 23)
115. fard: to apply cosmetics. (Tuesday April 24)
116. barnburner: something that is highly exciting or impressive. (Wednesday April 25)
117. adenoidal: being characteristically pinched and nasal in tone quality. (Thursday April 26)
118. nosh: to snack or eat between meals. (Friday April 27)
119. littoral: pertaining to the shore of a lake, sea, or ocean. (Saturday April 28)
120. ensconce: to settle securely or snugly. (Sunday April 29)
121. aphotic: lightless; dark. (Monday April 30)
122. ort: a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. (Tuesday May 01)
123. kowtow: to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. (Wednesday May 02)
124. numen: divine power, especially one who inhabits a particular object. (Thursday May 03)
125. fulcrum: the support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns. (Friday May 04)
126. besot: to infatuate; obsess. (Saturday May 05)
127. mensch: a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person. (Sunday May 06)
128. sudorific: causing sweat. (Monday May 07)
129. pother: a heated discussion, debate, or argument; fuss; to-do. (Tuesday May 08)
130. cicatrix: new tissue that forms over a wound. (Wednesday May 09)
131. obtest: to supplicate earnestly; beseech. (Thursday May 10)
132. sibilant: hissing. (Friday May 11)
133. prorogue: to defer; postpone. (Saturday May 12)
134. matrilineal: inheriting or determining descent through the female line. (Sunday May 13)
135. intromit: to introduce; to send, put, or let in. (Monday May 14)
136. altiloquent: high flown or pretentious (of language). (Tuesday May 15)
137. spruik: to make or give a speech, especially extensively; spiel. (Wednesday May 16)
138. omphalos: the central point. (Thursday May 17)
139. pip: to peep or chirp. (Friday May 18)
140. phatic: denoting speech used to create an atmosphere of goodwill. (Saturday May 19)
141. gambit: a remark made to open or redirect a conversation. (Sunday May 20)
142. belabor: to explain, worry about, or work more than is necessary. (Monday May 21)
143. cumulus: a heap; pile. (Tuesday May 22)
144. chrestomathy: a collection of selected literary passages. (Wednesday May 23)
145. demiurge: the creator of a world. (Thursday May 24)
146. ingeminate: to repeat; reiterate. (Friday May 25)
147. betide: to happen to; come to; befall. (Saturday May 26)
148. ventose: given to empty talk; windy. (Sunday May 27)
149. asperse: to sprinkle; bespatter. (Monday May 28)
150. varlet: a knavish person; rascal. (Tuesday May 29)