Word of the Day
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.
oleoresinous
adjective
consisting of drying oils and resins that usually have been cooked.
More about oleoresinous
Oleoresinous, “consisting of drying oils and resins,” is a compound of oleo-, “oil”; resin; and -ous, a suffix roughly meaning “full of, consisting of.” Oleo- comes by way of Latin oleum or olīvum, “oil, olive oil,” from Ancient Greek élaion (dialectal élaiwon), which derives from elaíā (dialectal elaíwā), “olive.” For the reason why these Ancient Greek words are inconsistent about the letter w, check out the recent Word of the Day oenology. Resin comes via Latin rēsīna from Ancient Greek rhētīnē, of uncertain origin. Oleoresinous was first recorded in English in the mid-1840s.
EXAMPLE OF OLEORESINOUS USED IN A SENTENCE
She distilled turmeric to create the oleoresinous varnish for the custom coatrack.