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.
verb
to be fretfully discontented; fret; complain.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1520–30.
- Constituted of re-, "in the case of," and pine, "to yearn deeply."
- The slightly more common related word, unrepining means "not complaining."
- The disgruntled customer seemed to always repine about the service at the restaurant.
- It's hard to be around people who constantly repine without taking any action to improve their situation.
noun
a presumed encoding in neural tissue that provides a physical basis for the persistence of memory; a memory trace.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1905–10.
- Comes from the Greek combining forms en-, "to cause to be in," and -gram, "something written."
- Introduced by German researcher Richard Semon, while studying the formation of memory.
- Studies suggest that the formation of an engram involves complex processes within the neural network.
- Through advanced imaging techniques, researchers hoped to locate the precise engram responsible for a particular memory.
noun
keen insight; shrewdness.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1525–35.
- Comes from the Latin word acūmen, meaning “sharpness.”
- Acūmen comes from the stem of acuere, “to sharpen,” as does the English word acute, "sharp or severe."
- Her acumen in identifying profitable investments impressed everyone at the meeting.
- With his financial acumen, he was able to grow his small startup into a successful business empire.
noun
a dish of fermented cooked soybeans, often eaten for breakfast over white rice or with toppings such as soy sauce and mustard.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1870–75.
- Comes from Japanese, from na(t)- and tō, “bean.”
- Na(t) is ultimately from Middle Chinese, a cognate with Mandarin nà, “to bring into, receive.”
- For a traditional Japanese breakfast, many people enjoy a serving of natto over steamed white rice.
- Natto is known for its sticky texture, which is a result of the fermentation process.
adverb
to a sickening or disgusting degree.
Explanation
- First recorded around 1565.
- Comes from Latin.
- Means literally, "to seasickness."
- The catchy commercial jingle played on the tv ad nauseam, getting stuck in everyone's head.
- The company's logo was plastered ad nauseam on every surface in the city.
