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.
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.
noun
a residual hill or mountain standing well above the surface of a surrounding area.
Explanation
- Monadnock entered English around 1735–45.
- Monadnock came from the name of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
- Mount Monadnock was first named Grand Monadnock after an Algonquian name from one of the Abenaki peoples' languages that meant "isolated mountain."
- Hikers flock to the monadnock, eager to conquer its towering peak and experience its rugged beauty.
- As I reached the top of the monadnock, I couldn't help but marvel at nature's ability to shape such impressive landforms.
verb
to totter or stagger.
Explanation
- Dacker was first recorded in 1625–35.
- Dacker is primarily used in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Dacker possibly came from the early Dutch word daeckeren, which means "to flutter, vibrate."
- As the hiker reached the summit, exhaustion took over, and they began to dacker down the steep slope.
- The toddler, still unsteady on his feet, would dacker and stumble as he tried to walk across the room.
adjective
shining brightly; radiant; gleaming.
Explanation
- Refulgent was first recorded in 1500–10.
- Refulgent comes from a form of the Latin word refulgēre, “to radiate light.”
- The first part of refulgent, re-, means "again and again" and intensifies the second part, fulgent.
- Fulgent, "shining brightly; dazzling," comes from the Latin word fulgēre with the stem fulg-, meaning "flash."
- The sunsets here are refulgent, painting the sky with vibrant hues of orange and pink.
- The fireworks lit up the night sky with refulgent colors, captivating everyone's attention.
