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
clearness or lucidity, as of a statement.
Explanation
- Perspicuity comes from the Latin word perspicuitās, "transparency; clarity," and dates back to 1470–80.
- A related word, perspicacity, meaning "keen vision" and later "keenness of mental perception and understanding," entered English in 1540–50 from the Late Latin word perspicācitās, “sharpness of sight,” which also gave us the adjective perspicacious.
- Also related, perspicuous, "clearly expressed or presented," came from the Latin word perspicuus, which means “transparent, clearly visible,” and entered English around 1570-80.
- The author's use of simple language enhanced the perspicuity of her argument, making it accessible to readers of all backgrounds.
- The lawyer presented their case with remarkable perspicuity, leaving no room for doubt in the minds of the jury.
noun
a general feeling or sensation that someone gets or has about something.
Explanation
- Vibe is an Americanism that dates back to 1965–70.
- Vibe in the highlighted sense is often used in the plural as in, good vibes.
- Vibe was created by shortening the word vibration(s) in the sense of "instinctive feelings supposedly influencing human communication," perhaps most famously used in the popular 1966 Beach Boys song, "Good Vibrations."
- Watching the sunrise, they contemplated embracing a more relaxed vibe in the coming year.
- As soon as she entered the art gallery, a sense of calm and tranquility washed over her, giving her peaceful vibes.
noun
the detailed standard wording of a contract or warranty.
Explanation
- Boilerplate, also spelled boiler plate, was first recorded in 1855–60.
- Boilerplate is a combination of boiler, “a vessel for boiling and heating,” and plate, “a flat or curved sheet of metal.”
- Boilerplate was originally used to refer to the plates made for boilers.
- The use of boilerplate to refer to reusable text is likely based on the fact that the first boilerplate text was stamped into the metal to be used in the printing press.
- Now boilerplates are used in all kinds of documents for all kinds of industries, most notably journalism and computer programming.
- The warranty for the product had a section that was all boilerplate, outlining its limitations and exclusions.
- The company's terms and conditions included a boilerplate clause that protected their intellectual property rights.
adverb
all together; as a whole.
Explanation
- En masse was borrowed into English from French around 1795–1805.
- En masse in French means "in a body," literally "in a mass."
- The English word mass comes from the Latin word massa, meaning “mass,” which came from the Greek word mâza, “barley cake.”
- Mâza is related to the Greek verb mássein, “to knead.”
- After the game ended, fans left the stadium en masse, discussing their favorite plays and memorable moments.
- The birds took flight from their nests en masse, filling the sky with a mesmerizing display of synchronized movement.
adjective
conspicuous; easily seen or recognized.
Explanation
- Kenspeckle was first recorded around 1705–15.
- Kenspeckle features in Scottish and Northern English and derives from kenspeck, which is of Scandinavian origin.
- Norwegian has a similar word, kjennespak, "quick at recognizing," literally, "know-clever."
- The English word ken, "knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception," is also related.
- The kenspeckle neon sign outside the store attracted customers from afar.
- Her kenspeckle sense of style made her stand out in a crowd.
