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.
adjective
secret or clandestine.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1520–30.
- An earlier form was hucker-mucker, a rhyming compound based on mucker.
- Mucker comes from the Middle English word mokeren, “to hoard.”
- Hugger-mugger can be a noun and verb, too.
- The spy communicated with her handler in a hugger-mugger manner to avoid detection.
- The meeting was very hugger-mugger, with everyone whispering and looking over their shoulders.
noun
a mark placed over a vowel to indicate a vowel sound different from that of the letter without it, especially as so used in German.
Explanation
- First recorded around 1835–45.
- Comes from German, equivalent to um-, "about, around" and Laut, "sound."
- When learning to spell in German, it's important to pay attention to the umlauts placed on vowels.
- The word über in German contains an umlaut over the letter u.
noun
a soft, white cheese similar to cream cheese, made from whole or partly skimmed milk in Neufchâtel, a town in N France.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1860–65.
- Comes from French, from the name of a town in Northern France where this type of cheese is made.
- She spread Neufchâtel on a baguette for a simple and delicious snack.
- Neufchâtel is a popular choice for cheese boards due to its mild flavor.
adjective
incapable of being limited; limitless; boundless.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1590–1600.
- Comes from the adjective limitable, which comes from limit.
- Limit comes from the Latin stem of līmes, “boundary, path between fields.”
- The ocean stretched out before us, its illimitable waves crashing against the shore.
- The illimitable beauty of the night sky left me in awe of the universe's vastness.
adjective
improvised; having the character of an improvisation.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1660–70.
- A bit ironically, impromptu comes via French from the Latin phrase in promptū, “in readiness.”
- Prompt, "done at once," also derives from the Latin word promptus “manifest, at hand, ready.”
- They decided to have an impromptu picnic in the park when the weather suddenly cleared up.
- There was no clear plan so the next steps felt a bit impromptu.
