Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose verboten
More about verboten
- First recorded in 1910–15 in English.
- Borrowed from German verboten, which, like the word forbidden, comes from a Proto-Germanic root meaning “to forbid or prohibit.”
EXAMPLES OF VERBOTEN
- They kept their gloves on while in the archive, as direct contact with the fossils was considered verboten.
- I like to keep a clean house, so glitter is strictly verboten in here.
vigilante
noun
a person who takes the law into their own hands
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Why Dictionary.com chose vigilante
More about vigilante
- First recorded in 1825–35.
- From Spanish vigilante, meaning “watchman.”
- Related to vigilance and vigil, from the Latin root vigil, meaning “awake or alert.”
EXAMPLES OF VIGILANTE
- A local vigilante confronted the suspects after gathering evidence on her own.
- Some considered Sir Cadwalader to be a misguided vigilante, while others saw him as a hero.
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Why Dictionary.com chose panache
More about panache
- First recorded in 1545–55 to describe the feathers that decorate a helmet.
- From French pennache, meaning “a plume of feathers.”
- Related to the word pinnacle, meaning “a peak or high point.”
EXAMPLES OF PANACHE
- The chef plated each dish with such panache that it felt like performance art.
- He ran the meeting with a kind of theatrical panache that kept everyone engaged.
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