Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose nigh
More about nigh
- Nigh was first recorded before 900.
- Nigh comes from the Old English word nēah, also spelled nēh.
- Nigh shares an origin with its synonym near, also first recorded before 900.
- Nigh, however, has significantly dropped in frequency since the 1890s and is considered archaic or poetic.
EXAMPLES OF NIGH
- With each passing day, the end of the week draws nigh and the weekend approaches.
- As the storm grew nigh, the sound of thunder grew louder.
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Why Dictionary.com chose jammy
More about jammy
- Jammy was first recorded in 1850–55.
- Jammy is an informal word primarily used in British English.
- Jammy was formed apparently from jam, “a preserve of whole fruit, slightly crushed, boiled with sugar.”
- Jammy, in the featured sense, is comparable to the idioms to have jam on it, meaning “to have something easy,” and real jam or pure jam, which means “something easy or pleasant.”
EXAMPLES OF JAMMY
- She found a parking spot right in front of the store, how jammy!
- I was running late for my flight, but luckily the airline held the gate open for me–talk about a jammy break!
avatar
noun
an image or other graphic representation that acts as a proxy for a person or is associated with a specific digital account or identity.
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Why Dictionary.com chose avatar
More about avatar
- Avatar, in its original sense of “the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape,” was first recorded in English in 1775–85.
- Avatar comes from the Sanskrit word avatāra, meaning “a passing down, descent.”
- Avatāra is formed from ava, “down,” and –tāra, “a passing over.”
- Avatar, in the digital technology sense, came about in the late 1980s to early 1990s.
EXAMPLES OF AVATAR
- His avatar in the game was a fierce warrior with golden armor.
- The website prompts you to upload an avatar to personalize your user profile.
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