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.
noun
an online test designed so that humans but not computers are able to pass it, used as a security measure and usually involving a visual-perception task.
Explanation
- CAPTCHA was first recorded around 2000–05.
- CAPTCHA comes from the words Completely Automated Public Turing (Test to Tell) Computers and Humans Apart.
- A Turing test is a test proposed by British mathematician Alan Turing that is often taken as a test of whether a computer has humanlike intelligence.
- If a panel of human beings conversing with an unknown entity (via keyboard, for example) believes that that entity is human, and if the entity is actually a computer, then the computer is said to have passed the Turing test.
- To ensure security, the website introduced a CAPTCHA feature that required users to complete a quick pattern recognition task before logging in.
- It is often more difficult than one would expect to correctly identify all the traffic lights in a CAPTCHA.
adjective
completely puzzled or perplexed by something unexpected.
Explanation
- Nonplussed was first recorded in 1600–10, and comes from the verb nonplus, "to render utterly perplexed by something unexpected."
- Nonplus comes from the Latin phrase nōn plūs, which literally means, “not more, no further,” as in, not much more can be done.
- More recently, nonplussed has been used to mean "indifferent or unexcited," a contradictory second meaning.
- One explanation for this is the analysis of nonplussed as non- “not” + plussed, interpreted as “not puzzled, perplexed, bothered, or impressed,” when in fact plussed has no meaning in English.
- The complex riddle posed by the professor left the students nonplussed, as they struggled to come up with a logical solution.
- Upon hearing the mind-boggling plot twist in the movie, I sat in silence, completely nonplussed by the unexpected turn of events.
noun
the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course.
Explanation
- Aberration was first recorded in 1585–95.
- Aberration comes from the Latin word aberrātiōn-, “distraction, diversion, relief (from pain or sorrow).”
- The Latin word aberrātiōn is equivalent to the past participle of the Latin verb aberrāre, meaning “to divert, forget for a time; to wander, deviate."
- The sudden outburst during his composed speech was an aberration from his typically calm demeanor.
- The painting stood out in the gallery due to its vibrant colors, acting as an aberration among the more muted tones of the other artworks.
adjective
strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, or fashion.
Explanation
- De rigueur was borrowed into English from French around 1825–35.
- De rigueur in French means "of rigor" or "of strictness in etiquette."
- Rigor entered English around 1350–1400 from the Latin word rigor, meaning "stiffness," as in the Latin phrase rigor mortis, "the stiffening of the body after death."
- Wearing black tie attire is de rigueur at formal galas and high-end restaurants.
- Exchanging business cards before a meeting is still de rigueur in many Asian cultures.
verb
to form in a line while waiting (often followed by up).
Explanation
- Queue was first recorded in English in 1585–95.
- Queue comes via Middle French from the Latin word cauda or cōda, meaning “tail.”
- Queue, in the highlighted sense, is more commonly used in British English.
- The first recorded meaning of queue in English was “a band of parchment attached to a document and bearing a seal.”
- The eager fans queued up outside the concert venue hours before the doors opened.
- The customers patiently queued behind the counter at the popular bakery to buy their favorite pastries.
