Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
feeding on only one kind of food
Something monophagous sticks to a single kind of food, whether by biology or preference. Some insects, for example, will only feed on one plant species and refuse everything else. The word comes from Greek roots meaning "one" and "eating," highlighting a narrow dietary focus.
The koala is a monophagous animal because it only eats leaves from eucalyptus trees.
a rascal; mischievous jokester
Do you know someone who's a real rascal? Try calling them a rapscallion instead! It's a playful name for the kind of troublemaker who's more charming than threatening. If you're a big fan of April Fools' Day, you might be a rapscallion at heart.
The little rapscallion hid his sister's shoes right before she had to leave for school.
the plants growing beneath the main canopy of a forest
The understory is the layer of vegetation growing beneath a forest's treetops. Though it's overshadowed by towering trees, it can be rich with shrubs, saplings, and ferns. Having a hard time seeing the forest for the trees? Well, maybe you're just enchanted by a lush, beautiful understory instead!
The ecologists walked through the dense understory, taking note of every plant species they observed.
short and stout
If something is fubsy, it's short and stocky, but the word has a warm, affectionate quality that makes it feel more endearing than critical. Think of Shetland ponies and overstuffed armchairs. Could a teapot be fubsy? If it's short and stout, then sure!
The fubsy little bulldog waddled through the park on its short, thick legs.
to take off or tip a hat as a greeting
To doff is to briefly remove or tip a hat as a friendly or respectful gesture. The word began as a contraction of "do off," just as "don" is from "do on." While hats no longer play quite the role in social conventions that they once did, doff still offers a glimpse into the rituals of everyday courtesy from an earlier era.
The polite gentleman doffed his cap as his neighbor walked past him.
