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.
a large, flat cushion, used in Japan for sitting or kneeling on the floor.
Zabuton is borrowed from Japanese and formed from za, “seat,” and -buton, a form related to futon. Za as well as both the fu and ton elements in futon are all derived from Middle Chinese. In modern Mandarin, za has the cognate zuò, “seat,” fu is related to bù, “cloth,” and ton shares an origin with Mandarin tuán, “ball, circle, mass.” Zabuton was first recorded in English in the late 1880s. EXAMPLE OF ZABUTON USED IN A SENTENCE The guests each picked up a zabuton upon entering the room so they could sit around the low table in comfort.
a large volcanically active moon of the planet Jupiter.
Io is named after Īṓ, one of Zeus’s mortal lovers in Greek mythology. The name Īṓ, along with many Ancient Greek names, most likely comes from a lost language of the Mediterranean and is of uncertain origin and meaning. German astronomer Simon Marius gave the moon Io its name in the 1610s. EXAMPLE OF IO USED IN A SENTENCE Photos from the spacecraft revealed an ongoing eruption on the surface of Io.
any of a number of timbers forming the lower, more curved portion of the frame in a wooden hull.
Futtock may be an alteration of foothook, the ribs in a boat frame that one could hook one’s foot under for stability while on board. Similarly formed words include baloney from bologna, and cockamamie from the Word of the Day decalcomania. Futtock was first recorded in English around 1610. EXAMPLE OF FUTTOCK USED IN A SENTENCE The futtocks creaked and groaned as the boat was tossed about in the stormy sea.
stately; regal.
Junoesque is formed from Juno, the name for the Roman goddess known as the queen of the gods. The name Juno (Latin Jūnō) may be related to Latin juvenis, “young,” the source of English junior, juvenile, and the Word of the Day rejuvenate. This connection may come from Juno’s ancient association with the new moon. Junoesque was first recorded in English in the late 1880s. EXAMPLE OF JUNOESQUE USED IN A SENTENCE The Junoesque attorney addressed the court with composure and elegance.
a loanword borrowed from one language and established in many unrelated languages, usually in a chain determined by established trade routes, and sometimes undergoing changes through contact with the dominant language where the word is adopted.
Wanderwort is a borrowing from German and literally translates as “wander word.” German wander shares an origin with the English verbs wander, wend, and wind. Meanwhile, German Wort is related to English word. Wanderwort was first recorded in English in the early 1910s. For examples of Wanderwörter in English, check out the Words of the Day caterwaul and matcha. EXAMPLE OF WANDERWORT USED IN A SENTENCE His joy in researching the wanderwort led him to pursue a degree in historical linguistics.
