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
a brown seaweed of coastal Japan, Korea, and other areas, usually dried for use in soups, salads, and side dishes.
Explanation
- Wakame was first recorded in English in 1950–55.
- Wakame comes from the Japanese word, wakame.
- Wakame, in Japanese, is composed of the elements waka, meaning “young,” and me, a kind of edible seaweed.
- The miso soup was enhanced with a sprinkle of dried wakame, adding a delightful oceanic flavor to the dish.
- The seaweed salad was adorned with strips of savory wakame, giving it a vibrant and refreshing taste.
noun
green vegetation, especially grass or herbage.
Explanation
- Verdure entered English around 1250–1300.
- Verdure comes via Middle English from the Middle French word verd, which means "green."
- Related words with the same root include verdant, "green with vegetation," and verdurous, "rich in verdure; freshly green."
- The painter captured the essence of summer by depicting a field of verdure in his masterpiece.
- Walking through the park, I couldn't help but admire the lush verdure that adorned every corner.
adjective
of huge size; gigantic; tremendous.
Explanation
- Brobdingnagian was first recorded in 1725–30.
- Brobdingnagian comes from the name Brobdingnag, a fictional place from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
- In Brobdingnag, everything was of enormous size.
- Its opposite in the book was Lilliput, where everything was tiny. Something Lilliputian is extremely small.
- As we hiked through the forest, we came across a Brobdingnagian oak tree that towered above all others.
- The construction of the skyscraper required a Brobdingnagian crane to lift and place each massive steel beam.
adverb
in abundance; in plentiful amounts.
Explanation
- Galore was first recorded around 1660–70.
- Galore comes from the Irish phrase, go leór, meaning "enough, plenty."
- The go element roughly translates as "to," and leór, which comes from the Old Irish word lour, means "sufficiency."
- The party decorations were vibrant and colorful, with balloons, streamers, and confetti galore.
- When I entered the bakery, my senses were greeted with the delightful aroma of freshly baked goods galore.
adverb
repeated from the beginning (used as a musical direction).
Explanation
- Da capo entered English around 1715–25.
- Da capo comes from Italian and literally means "from the head."
- You may hear da capo used in music with al fine, which means “to the end” as in, da capo al fine.
- In sheet music, da capo is often abbreviated d.c. and can also be used with al coda, meaning “to the tail.”
- The violinist knew she would have to go on playing the song through again da capo until the guest of honor appeared.
- That particular piece of music sounded better when played da capo al fine.
