Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

Word of the Day

Word of the day

thewless

[ thyoo-lis ]

adjective

lacking in mental or moral vigor; weak, spiritless, or timid.

learn about the english language

More about thewless

First recorded in 1300-50, thewless is from the Middle English word theweles.

how is thewless used?

For indeed they were but thewless creatures, pallid with the damp caves of the moors, and so starved that they seemed to have eaten grass like Nebuchadnezzar.

S. R. Crockett, The Cherry Ribband, 1905

Here I stand amid my clan / Spoiled of my fame a thewless man.

J. Stuart Blackie, "Is the Gaelic Ossian a Translation from the English?" The Celtic Magazine, July 1876
quiz icon
WHAT'S YOUR WORD IQ?
Think you're a word wizard? Try our word quiz, and prove it!
TAKE THE QUIZ
arrows pointing up and down
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
Double your word knowledge with the Synonym of the Day!
SEE TODAY'S SYNONYM
Word of the Day Calendar

Word of the day

bossdom

[ baws-duh m, bos- ]

noun

the status, influence, or power of a boss, especially a political boss.

learn about the english language

More about bossdom

Bossdom has a crude, graceless sound. It is originally an Americanism referring to the bosses of political machines at the municipal and state level. Bossdom first entered English in the late 19th century.

how is bossdom used?

Señor So-and-so is the most powerful boss in the province of Tarragona, and even at that there are those who dispute his bossdom.

Pío Baroja, Caesar or Nothing, translated by Louis How, 1919

This was Lepke’s first bid for bossdom. He was ready to try his theories.

Meyer Berger, "Lepke," Life, February 28, 1944
Word of the Day Calendar

Word of the day

glissade

[ gli-sahd, -seyd ]

noun

a skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain, as on skis or a toboggan.

learn about the english language

More about glissade

The English noun glissade shows its obviously French origin. The French noun means “glide, slide, slip, faux pas” and derives from the verb glisser ”to slip, slide.” The French verb comes from Old French glicier, an alteration of glier “to glide,” a verb of Germanic (Frankish) origin, related to Old English glīdan and Old High German glītan “to glide.” Glissade entered English in the 19th century.

how is glissade used?

A rapid scramble down the shattered ridge to the col, and a careful kicking of steps along the first two or three hundred feet of the glacier which led northwards to our picnic place, then a glissade … gradually easing off into a run down.

T. Howard Somervell, After Everest: The Experiences of a Mountaineer and Medical Missionary, 1950

“Don’t worry,” she cheerily assured us over her shoulder. “In some places glissade is just about the only thing you can do. Plus, it’s fun.”

Paul Schneider, "On Snowshoes in New Hampshire, Shuffling Off to Lonesome Lake," New York Times, March 5, 2009
Word of the Day Calendar
Word of the Day Calendar