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.
Check out the Word of the Yearpermanently attached; not freely moving
Something that stays fixed in one spot and doesn't move freely can be described as sessile. This adjective is used in biology for organisms, or parts of them, that are permanently attached to an object. Sessile comes from a Latin term meaning "to sit," fitting for an object or creature that's stuck in place.
The sessile organisms remain anchored to ocean rocks for their entire lives.
soap opera
If you're looking for another fun word for "soap opera," may we suggest sudser? The word draws on "suds," a term for soapy water, and calls to mind the soap products once advertised during daytime serials. So next time you watch a soap opera, go ahead and call it a sudser. It's just more fun!
My aunt spent the afternoon watching classic daytime sudsers on television.
well-deserved; fitting
When a consequence is well-deserved, it might be described as condign. This adjective means "well-deserved or fitting," and it's especially associated with punishment that matches an offense. Condign comes from a Latin root meaning "worthy," reflecting the idea of something being appropriate or justified.
After years of deceit, the corrupt official finally received condign punishment for his actions.
to subject to two opposing forces at the same time
When you're caught between two competing demands, you can say you're being whipsawed. The word originally referred to a type of saw operated by two people pulling it back and forth, an apt image for feeling pulled in different directions. If you're being whipsawed, it may leave you unsure of which way to turn.
Conflicting orders from both managers continued to whipsaw the team throughout the frantic week.
red; crimson
A sunset can paint the sky, turning it a dramatic incarnadine shade. You might also find this color in the jewel-like seeds of a ripe pomegranate, the velvet folds of a theater curtain, or the bright plumage of a cardinal. Wherever you see an incarnadine hue, it's bound to be a showstopper.
The sky turned a rich incarnadine color as the sun dipped below the horizon.
