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.
the position of the narrator in relation to the story, as indicated by the narrator's outlook from which the events are depicted and by the attitude toward the characters.
Explanation
- POV was first recorded in 1965–70.
- POV came about by abbreviation from the phrase point of view, which was first recorded around 1720.
- POV, as used in social media, indicates that a video is meant to be watched as if the viewer were present or the viewer is in a specific situation.
- POV videos are a popular video format on social media platforms.
- For her video of the children running amok in a messy house, the mother wrote that the POV was "Just our usual quiet morning routine."
- The influencer wanted to make sure the POV of "When dad sees his buddy out in public" was clear in his new video so he put it in the text over the video.
verb
to vibrate violently.
Explanation
- Judder was first recorded in 1925–30.
- Judder is of uncertain origin, but it may have come from a combination of the words j(olt) or j(erk) and (sh)udder.
- Both jolt and jerk are also of uncertain origin, but shudder comes from the Middle English verb shodderen, meaning "to tremble."
- The malfunctioning washing machine made an unsettling noise and began to judder during the spin cycle.
- The earthquake caused the ground to judder beneath our feet, sending everyone into a state of panic.
adjective
faultless; flawless; irreproachable.
Explanation
- Impeccable was first recorded in 1525–35.
- Impeccable is from the Latin word impeccābilis, meaning “faultless, sinless.”
- The first part, im-, is a variant of the Latin prefix in- when it occurs before a b, m, or p, giving the word a negative force.
- The adjective peccable comes from the Latin verb peccāre, "to sin."
- The chef's culinary skills were impeccable, as every dish that came out of the kitchen was faultless in presentation and taste.
- Her impeccable taste in fashion was evident by the way she effortlessly combined colors and patterns to create stunning outfits.
noun
a skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain.
Explanation
- Glissade entered English around 1830–40.
- Glissade comes from French, and is composed of the verb glisser, meaning "to slip, slide," and -ade, a noun suffix that denotes an action or process or a person or persons acting.
- The -ade suffix also appears in other loanwords from French and sometimes from Spanish, such as cannonade, fusillade, and renegade.
- The children squealed with delight as they took turns on the toboggan, experiencing the exhilaration of a glissade down the icy hill.
- The experienced mountaineer utilized their impressive skills to execute a flawless glissade, swiftly navigating the treacherous snowy terrain.
verb
to emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam.
Explanation
- Coruscate was first recorded around 1695–1705.
- Coruscate comes from the past participle of the Latin word coruscāre, “to quiver, flash.”
- The related adjective coruscant, "sparkling or gleaming; scintillating," entered English much earlier, in the late 15th century.
- The dewdrops on the grass coruscated in the morning sunlight, creating a mesmerizing scene.
- The candles seemed to coruscate with every slight movement of the air, catching everyone's attention.
