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 change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grotesquely; transform.
Explanation
- Transmogrify entered English around 1650–60.
- Earlier, transmogrify was also written transmigrify or transmography.
- Transmogrify is apparently a pseudo-Latinism, which is a word formed from or imitative of Latin.
- The old, rusty car magically transmogrified into a sleek, futuristic vehicle at the touch of a button, leaving bystanders in awe.
- The caterpillar underwent a remarkable transformation as it transmogrified into a vibrant butterfly, spreading its colorful wings for the first time.
verb
to make or become jolly or merry.
Explanation
- Jollify was first recorded in 1815–25.
- Jollify comes from the word jolly, "in good spirits; lively; merry," which entered English in 1275–1325.
- Jolly comes from the Middle English word joli, probably originally from the Old Norse word jōl, from which we get Yule.
- Yule entered English before 900 and means “Christmas day” or “Christmastide” (a word for the period from Christmas Eve to related feast days in early January).
- The comedian's hilarious performance jollified the audience, filling the room with laughter and joy.
- The cheerful decorations and lively music jollify the atmosphere at the holiday party.
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.
