Word of the Day
dwy
noun
a gusty flurry or shower; a brief squall or storm accompanied by precipitation.
More about dwy
Dwy, “a gusty flurry,” is used in the Newfoundland dialect of English, and it may be linked originally to dwyes, “eddies,” in the dialect of the Isle of Wight (off the coast of southern England) or twy, “coastal squall,” in the dialects of Hampshire and Wiltshire (in southern England). Newfoundland is well known for its unique variety of English, which exhibits heavy influence from the English dialects of southern/southwestern England, southeastern Ireland, and both Highland and Lowland Scotland, despite its location in Atlantic Canada, because of longtime immigration from those regions. Dwy was first recorded in English in the early 1860s.
EXAMPLE OF DWY USED IN A SENTENCE
The lighthouse keeper knew that she had to prepare for the dwies of winter.
momentous
adjective
of great or far-reaching importance or consequence.
Why Dictionary.com chose momentous
Today we reveal the 2022 Word Of The Year!
More about momentous
Momentous, “of great or far-reaching importance or consequence,” is based on the noun moment and the adjective-forming suffix -ous. Moment comes from Latin mōmentum, literally meaning “motion” and figuratively signifying an influential element, such as a point in time. The mō- element of mōmentum comes from the verb movēre, “to move.” Movēre is the direct source of move, while its stem mōt- is found in motion and motor, and mō- also appears in mobile. Momentous was first recorded in English circa 1650.
EXAMPLE OF MOMENTOUS USED IN A SENTENCE
Serena Williams has achieved many momentous wins in her historic career, including a record setting number of Grand Slam titles.
For another momentous word, find out what we chose as the 2022 Word Of The Year!
utilidor
noun
an insulated network of pipes and cables, used to convey water and electricity in communities situated in areas of permafrost.
More about utilidor
Utilidor, “an insulated network that conveys water and electricity in frozen areas,” is a portmanteau of utility and corridor. Utility ultimately comes from Latin ūtī (stem ūs-), “to use,” which is also the source of usual, usurp, and utensil. Corridor comes from Italian corridore (also corridoio), based on correre, “to run,” from Latin currere; for more examples of currere’s descendants in English, check out the Word of the Day corsair. Utilidor was first recorded in English in the late 1950s.
EXAMPLE OF UTILIDOR USED IN A SENTENCE
In northern cities such as Iqaluit, Utqiagvik, and Yellowknife, utilidors provide a useful lifeline during the dark, frozen winter months.