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
a light, brittle flatbread from South Asia, usually made of lentil flour and often topped with chutney or various dips or salsas.
Explanation
- Papadum was first recorded in English in 1820–30.
- Papadum comes from the Tamil word pappaṭam.
- Papadum is also known as poppadom or papad.
- The restaurant was known for its plates of papadum accompanied by a flavorful mint salsa.
- She savored each bite of the gluten-free, lentil-based papadum, which had a pleasing crunch as she chewed it.
adjective
recklessly extravagant.
Explanation
- Profligate was first recorded around 1525–35.
- Profligate comes from the Latin word prōflīgātus, meaning "broken down in character, degraded."
- The Latin word prōflīgātus was originally a past participle of prōflīgāre, meaning "to shatter, debase, ruin."
- An obsolete definition of profligate was "defeated."
- The company's profligate spending habits eventually led to its downfall, as it couldn't sustain its reckless financial decisions.
- His profligate shopping spree left him with an empty bank account and a pile of credit card debt.
noun
a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
Explanation
- Interlocutor was first recorded in 1505–15.
- Interlocutor comes from a stem of the Latin word interloquī, meaning “to speak between.”
- The loqui part, which means "to speak," also appears in loquacious, eloquent, and circumlocution.
- The television show featured a lively discussion between the host and an interlocutor, in which they explored various perspectives on a controversial topic.
- During the language exchange program, students are assigned interlocutors who help them practice speaking more fluently.
adjective
brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression.
Explanation
- Pithy is a Middle English word dating back to 1300–50.
- It comes from pith, the white, spongy part of a citrus fruit between the rind and the thin skin of individual segments.
- Pith can also refer to the important or essential part of something.
- Pith was first recorded before 900 and comes from the Old English word pitha, a cognate of the Dutch word pit.
- In one pithy statement, she encapsulated the essence of the entire debate.
- The speaker's pithy remark resonated with the audience, leaving a lasting impression.
adjective
foamy; foamlike; frothy.
Explanation
- Spumescent was first recorded in 1855–60.
- Spumescent comes from the word spume, which means "to froth" or which can refer to the foam or froth itself.
- Spume comes from the Latin word spūma, meaning "foam, froth."
- The ending -escent is borrowed from Latin, where it expresses the beginning of an action or process and often corresponds to verbs ending in -esce and nouns ending in -escence.
- Other examples with this ending are luminescent, adolescent, and frondescent.
- The barista skillfully poured steamed milk into the espresso, creating a spumescent layer of foam on top.
- The bubbling jacuzzi produced a relaxing and spumescent experience for the tired travelers.
