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
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.
noun
a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration.
Explanation
- Reverence was first recorded around 1250–1300.
- Reverence comes via Middle English from the Latin word reverentia, meaning “respect, fear, awe.”
- Reverence can also be a verb, which is a synonym of revere.
- The young boy watched in reverence as his grandfather performed a traditional ceremony.
- The painting evoked a sense of reverence in its viewers, who were captivated by its beauty and meaning.
