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 confuse or disconcert; confound; bewilder.
Explanation
- An Americanism first recorded in 1825–35.
- An earlier form, discomboberate, was recorded in the early 1800s.
- Apparently originated as a humorous imitation of fancy Latin words and is an alteration of discompose or discomfort.
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- The sudden change in schedule discombobulated the students, throwing off their rhythm for the day.
- The loud noise and flashing lights discombobulated the performers, causing them to stumble through their routine.
noun
unconditional authority; full discretionary power.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1655–65 as blank, blanck, or blanche (without carte) in the card game sense.
- First recorded in 1700–10 in the sense “blank, signed document,” and in 1760–70 in the more general sense highlighted here, “discretionary power.”
- Comes from French and translates literally as “blank document.”
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- The director gave the lead actor carte blanche to improvise during certain key scenes.
- As the team captain, she had carte blanche to choose the starting lineup for each game.
adjective
daily.
Explanation
- First recorded around 1300–50.
- Comes from Latin quotīdiānus, "daily," which is similar to cottīdi(ē) "every day."
- Quotīdiānus is formed from quot, "however many occur, every" and diē, a form of diēs, "day."
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- The journalist's task is to uncover the hidden stories within the fabric of quotidian life and shed light on important societal issues.
- As an astronomer, I study the celestial bodies that shine in the sky each night, but it's the quotidian beauty of a fading sunset that always captivates me.
verb
to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1635–45.
- Formed from amalgam, "an alloy of mercury with another metal."
- Amalgam came from the combination of Arabic al, "the," and malgham, from Greek málagma, "softening agent."
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- The artist chose to amalgamate different art styles in her painting, resulting in a truly original piece.
- The chef amalgamated various flavors to create a unique culinary masterpiece.
adjective
(of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness.
Explanation
- First recorded in 1785–95.
- Comes from a contraction of the Latin phrase ōre rotundō, meaning "with round mouth."
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- The opera singer's orotund vocals soared through the air, enveloping the concert hall in a wave of rich and sonorous melody.
- The actor's orotund voice captivated the audience with its powerful resonance.
