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.
adjective
large; powerful; impressive.
Explanation
- Skookum was first recorded around 1825-35.
- Skookum comes from a word in Chinook Jargon that means “fearsome, powerful,” from Lower Chehalis skwəkwə́m, "ghost, spirit, monster."
- Chinook Jargon and Lower Chehalis are Salishan languages spoken in the Pacific Northwest.
- One might say, "Is that skookum with you?" when looking for affirmation.
- Skookum on its own can also mean "really awesome!"
- The skookum grizzly bear roamed through the forest, its massive size and strength commanding respect.
- The skookum oak tree stood tall and majestic in the middle of the clearing, casting a shadow over the entire meadow.
noun
satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
Explanation
- Schadenfreude entered English around 1890-95.
- Schadenfreude comes from German. It's formed from the words Schaden, "harm," and Freude, "joy."
- Schaden is related to the English word scathe, meaning "to hurt, harm, or injure."
- Freude and the English word frolic, meaning "to have fun," share the same root as well.
- Whenever her annoying neighbor's car got a flat tire, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of schadenfreude.
- Watching his rival slip and fall on the ice brought him a sense of schadenfreude.
noun
a change or variation occurring in the course of something.
Explanation
- Often used in the plural, vicissitude was first recorded in 1560-70.
- Vicissitude comes via Middle French from Latin vicissitūdō, “in turn.”
- The first part of vicissitude is from the same root as vice, “in the place of,” as in vice president.
- The middle part comes from the Latin word cessim, “giving way," and the last part from -tūdō, which indicates state or condition, as in attitude.
- Life is full of vicissitudes, with unexpected twists and turns that shape our journey.
- The relationship went through many vicissitudes as their feelings for each other grew and evolved over time.
noun
any of several large Central and South American birds of the trogon family, having golden-green and scarlet plumage.
Explanation
- Quetzal was first recorded in English around 1820-30.
- Quetzal comes via Latin American Spanish from the Nahuatl word quetzalli, meaning “plumage of the quetzal bird.”
- While now endangered, the quetzal was revered as a sacred bird by the Maya and Aztec peoples, who used the tailfeathers in ceremonial dress as symbols of freedom and wealth.
- Today, the resplendent quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, even featured as their monetary unit, also called the quetzal.
- The quetzal, with its vibrant golden-green and scarlet plumage, soared gracefully through the rainforest canopy.
- As I hiked through the dense jungle, I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a glittering quetzal perched on a branch.
noun
a roundabout or indirect way of speaking.
Explanation
- Circumlocution was first recorded in English in 1375-1425.
- Circumlocution comes from the Latin word circumlocūtiō, "the act of speaking around; periphrasis."
- Circum- is a prefix with the meaning “round about, around,” found in many Latin loanwords, like circumnavigate or circumstance.
- Locution comes from the Latin word locūtiō, meaning “speech, style of speech,” also present in interlocutor and eloquent.
- Instead of answering the simple question with a yes or no, he resorted to circumlocution, confusing everyone in the room.
- She was known for her tendency to use circumlocution, often taking a meandering path to reach her point in the conversation.
