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
the essential nature of a thing.
Explanation
- Quiddity is from the Latin word, quidditās, meaning “essence” or "whatness."
- Quintessence or quintessential refer to the perfect embodiment of something and also derive from the same Latin root, quid, meaning "what."
- Quiddity was first recorded in 1350–1400.
- Understanding the quiddity of the problem is key to finding a solution.
- She knew that the quiddity of her subject would come out in the final painting.
verb
to make something more lively and interesting, stylish, or appealing, as by a small change or addition.
Explanation
- Zhuzh first appeared in the mid-1960s in gay communities in the U.K. in the sense meaning “to improve the look of one’s clothing or outfit.”
- The current sense of zhuzh (also spelled zhoosh) was first recorded in 1975–80.
- Zhuzh possibly comes from a Polari word meaning “to fix or tidy” or the Romani word zhouzhou, meaning “clean, neat.”
- It's more likely that zhuzh is imitative of someone rushing around.
- She decided to zhuzh up her outfit with a colorful scarf and some bold jewelry.
- With just a few new throw pillows and some rearranging of furniture, they zhuzhed up the living room.
noun
mean dishonesty or trickery.
Explanation
- Skullduggery can also refer to an instance of dishonest behavior.
- Skullduggery is an Americanism dating back to 1865–70.
- It's a variant of sculduddery, a Scots word meaning “obscenity.”
- The politician was caught engaging in skullduggery to gain an unfair advantage over her opponent in the election.
- The company's CEO was fired after it was discovered he had been involved in skullduggery to cover up the company's financial losses.
adjective
affectedly dainty or quaint.
Explanation
- Twee comes from 20th century British baby talk.
- Twee was most likely reduced from tweet, mimicking a child's pronunciation of sweet.
- Twee is also a subgenre of indie pop music.
- The previously bland-looking café now sported a twee renovation, complete with pastel-colored chairs and floral wallpaper.
- The room was filled with the twee trinkets that he had collected over the years, giving it a quaint, old-world vibe.
noun
sleight of hand.
Explanation
- Legerdemain comes from a late Middle English word, legerdemeyn, meaning “skill in conjuring.”
- That word, in turn, comes from a Middle French phrase, léger de main, meaning "nimble" or "skillful" that's literally translated as “light of hand.”
- Legerdemain was first recorded between 1400–1450.
- The audience was mesmerized by the performer's legerdemain as he made a coin disappear and reappear from behind their ears.
- The pickpocket's legerdemain was so skillful that her victims had no idea their wallets were missing until much later.
