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 cake, especially a very light sponge cake with a rich icing or filling.
Explanation
- Gâteau was first recorded in English in 1835–45.
- Gâteau came from French and has origins in the Old French word gastel.
- Gastel is possibly similar to the Old English, Old Saxon word wist, meaning "food or nourishment."
- As I took the first bite of the gâteau, its light and fluffy texture melted in my mouth, leaving behind the delightful flavors of almond and apricot.
- For her birthday, she requested a decadent gâteau with layers of moist vanilla sponge, luscious raspberry filling, and a smooth cream cheese icing.
adjective
so-called.
Explanation
- Soi-disant was first recorded in English in 1750–60.
- Soi-disant comes from the French term literally meaning, “calling oneself.”
- Soi-disant can also mean "self-styled" as in, "The soi-disant 'Man of Macaroni' made the best pasta in town."
- The soi-disant psychic predicted a financial windfall for her clients, but it turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.
- The soi-disant fashionista boasted about her unique sense of style, but her wardrobe consisted of outdated trends.
verb
to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken.
Explanation
- Enervate was first recorded in 1595–1605.
- Enervate is from the Latin word ēnervātus, meaning “weakened.”
- Ēnervātus is formed from ē-, meaning “from, out of,” and nerv(us), “sinew, tendon.”
- The monotonous routine of his desk job enervated his motivation, making it difficult for him to stay focused.
- The heatwave and high humidity enervated the athletes, hindering their performance on the field.
adjective
liable or threatening to cause the dizzying sensation of vertigo.
Explanation
- Vertiginous entered English around 1600–10.
- Vertiginous comes from the Latin word vertīginōsus, meaning "dizzy."
- Vertiginous shares the same stem as vertigo, "a dizzying sensation of tilting within stable surroundings or of being in tilting or spinning surroundings."
- Looking out from the observation deck, the city's skyscrapers seemed to rise endlessly into a vertiginous skyline.
- The towering roller coaster offered a vertiginous thrill to its riders as it plunged from dizzying heights.
plural noun
small pieces; bits.
Explanation
- Smithereens was first recorded in 1820–30.
- Smithereens may come from the dialectal variant smithers, "tiny pieces."
- Smithereens also contains the suffix -een similar to Irish -ín, which is used to emphasize the small size of something.
- Smithereens is always used in the plural form.
- She tore up the letter into tiny smithereens of paper before throwing them in the trash.
- The old building was demolished, reducing it to smithereens in a matter of seconds.
