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.
to prevent from happening or succeeding
To scupper something is to derail it, whether that means it's ruined, postponed, or canceled outright. In nautical language, a scupper is an opening on a ship used to drain water. In everyday use, though, it refers to plans that suddenly go off course. If your event gets scuppered, remain calm!
The rainy weather threatened to scupper our plans for a hike through the canyon.
relating to descent through the female line
When something is matrilineal, it traces descent through the female line. The term combines Latin roots meaning "mother" and "line," highlighting systems where ancestry and inheritance flow through mothers rather than fathers.
The community uses a matrilineal system where property and titles are inherited from the mother.
a language invented by an individual or small group
Idioglossia is a private language created and used by a person or a small group. Often formed between children, it turns everyday communication into something secretive and inventive. Think of it as part code, part creativity.
The preschoolers developed a complex idioglossia that their parents could not understand.
happy; blissful; carefree
Halcyon describes a time that's calm, happy, and worry-free. It often calls to mind the golden days of the past — those seasons we remember as simpler and sweeter. If a chapter of your life glows with fond memories, they might be your halcyon days.
The retired couple enjoyed the halcyon days of summer lounging by the quiet, sun-drenched lake.
to eat a light midday meal; lunch
To tiffin is to have a light midday meal — essentially, to eat a small lunch. The word comes from the British colonial period in India, likely from the English slang "tiffing," meaning "to take a little drink." Tiffin suggests something casual, quick, and pleasantly nourishing.
After finishing the morning meeting, the colleagues decided to tiffin at the cafe next door.
