Word of the Day

Brunneous is an adjective that means dark brown. Our word of the day comes almost directly from the Latin word brunneus (broo NAY oose) which means ‘brown.’ Here’s an example of brunneous in use: The brunneous color of the trees is very different from my surroundings during the week. It would be nice to have that shade when I wake up each day, but it would take forever to paint all the concrete and steel brown.

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 other locations.

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 chemistry.

Simpatico is an adjective that means having shared characteristics or attributes. Our word of the day is a loan word that has been borrowed from Italian since the early 20th century. Here’s an example of it. I had a feeling I’d be simpatico with my new neighbors the minute I saw their lawn sign that declared ‘no Yankees fans’ in front of their door. Nothing brings together strangers like a hatred of a sports team.

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 joy, just a simple, ‘mmmmm.’

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 variform diet served him well from the standpoint of health. Eating the same food all the time isn’t always going to yield the best outcomes.

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 too much to do around the house to be lazy.

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 engaged in benthic activity.

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 decision.

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 communique to every media outlet I could find announcing that I was now available for employment. The only problem was that none of these outlets had the slightest bit of interest in my announcement.

Skookum is an adjective that means strong, brave or impressive. Our word of the day has its origin in the language of the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest. It’s been used since the late 19th century. Here’s an example of skookum in use: I found our boss particularly skookum last Thursday when he stood up to his supervisor in defense of his parking spot. He might have impressed me as even braver if he’d defended all of our parking spaces, but I guess you can’t have everything.

Virago is a noun that refers to a screaming woman or a hellcat. The Latin word uirago (we RAHG oh) means ‘female warrior.’ Its descendent, virago, dates back to the Old English period. Here’s an example: When my daughter dressed up as a virago for Halloween, she frightened everybody in the neighborhood. On top of everything else, my little hellcat got more candy than anybody else.

Audiology is a noun that refers to the medicine concerned with the sense of hearing. Our word of the day combines the Latin word ‘audire,’ (OW dee ray) which means ‘hear’ with the Greek suffix O-L-O-G-Y, meaning ‘study of.’ A fairly recent addition to the language, audiology is a study that can assist someone hoping to learn more about the science of hearing. Even after all those classes in audiology, I never could understand what makes some songs sound better than others. But maybe my preference for late nineties hip-hop polka is destined to remain a mystery.