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 skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain.
Explanation
- Glissade entered English around 1830–40.
- Glissade comes from French, and is composed of the verb glisser, meaning "to slip, slide," and -ade, a noun suffix that denotes an action or process or a person or persons acting.
- The -ade suffix also appears in other loanwords from French and sometimes from Spanish, such as cannonade, fusillade, and renegade.
- The children squealed with delight as they took turns on the toboggan, experiencing the exhilaration of a glissade down the icy hill.
- The experienced mountaineer utilized their impressive skills to execute a flawless glissade, swiftly navigating the treacherous snowy terrain.
verb
to emit vivid flashes of light; sparkle; scintillate; gleam.
Explanation
- Coruscate was first recorded around 1695–1705.
- Coruscate comes from the past participle of the Latin word coruscāre, “to quiver, flash.”
- The related adjective coruscant, "sparkling or gleaming; scintillating," entered English much earlier, in the late 15th century.
- The dewdrops on the grass coruscated in the morning sunlight, creating a mesmerizing scene.
- The candles seemed to coruscate with every slight movement of the air, catching everyone's attention.
noun
a cooked mixture of butter or other fat and flour used to thicken sauces, soups, and other dishes.
Explanation
- Roux entered English around 1805–15.
- Roux was borrowed from French, and comes from the phrase (beurre) roux, which means "brown (butter)."
- Roux came from the Latin word russus, "red-brown, red-haired," which is similar to ruber, "red."
- The chef prepared a velvety smooth sauce by slowly whisking a roux made with equal parts butter and flour into the simmering broth.
- The secret to the perfect gravy lies in achieving just the right color and consistency of the roux.
noun
a wonder child or child prodigy.
Explanation
- Wunderkind entered English around 1890–95.
- Wunderkind was adopted from German.
- Wunderkind, in German, is composed of the words Wunder, "wonder," and Kind, "child."
- Kind is also in another German loanword, kindergarten, which literally translates as "children's garden."
- The music industry was abuzz with talks of a new rising star, a wunderkind whose debut album took the charts by storm.
- The novel was written by a literary wunderkind who crafted captivating stories at a remarkably young age.
adjective
lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; tactless.
Explanation
- Gauche entered English around 1745–55.
- Gauche comes from the French word meaning "awkward."
- Gauche in French, is a derivative of the verb gauchir, "to turn, veer," which has Germanic origins.
- Trying to fit in with his well-mannered colleagues, he couldn't help but feel gauche in their refined presence.
- Despite her best efforts, her gauche attempt at small talk only made the conversation more awkward.
