Word of the Day
bellwether
noun
a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index.
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Why Dictionary.com chose bellwether
More about bellwether
- First recorded around 1400–50.
- A bellwether originally meant “a male sheep that leads the flock, usually bearing a bell.”
- Formed from the words bell and wether, “a castrated male sheep,” both with Old English origins.
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EXAMPLES OF BELLWETHER
- The sudden surge in tech stocks is often seen as a bellwether for the overall market sentiment.
- Her fashion choices are considered a bellwether of upcoming trends in the industry.
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Why Dictionary.com chose grok
More about grok
- Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in the science-fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land, published in 1961.
- Can also mean “to communicate sympathetically.”
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EXAMPLES OF GROK
- After reading the novel multiple times, he finally grokked the underlying themes and symbolism.
- As a seasoned detective, she had the ability to grok people’s intentions from their body language alone.
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Why Dictionary.com chose bissextile
More about bissextile
- First recorded in 1585–95.
- From the word bissextus, which refers to February 29th.
- Bissextus means literally “the second sixth,” so called because the 6th day before the first day of March in the ancient Roman calendar appeared a second time once every leap year.
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EXAMPLES OF BISSEXTILE
- The extra day in a bissextile helps keep the calendar in sync with the solar year.
- February 29th is an occurrence that only happens in a bissextile.
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