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
green vegetation, especially grass or herbage.
Explanation
- Verdure entered English around 1250–1300.
- Verdure comes via Middle English from the Middle French word verd, which means "green."
- Related words with the same root include verdant, "green with vegetation," and verdurous, "rich in verdure; freshly green."
- The painter captured the essence of summer by depicting a field of verdure in his masterpiece.
- Walking through the park, I couldn't help but admire the lush verdure that adorned every corner.
adjective
of huge size; gigantic; tremendous.
Explanation
- Brobdingnagian was first recorded in 1725–30.
- Brobdingnagian comes from the name Brobdingnag, a fictional place from Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels.
- In Brobdingnag, everything was of enormous size.
- Its opposite in the book was Lilliput, where everything was tiny. Something Lilliputian is extremely small.
- As we hiked through the forest, we came across a Brobdingnagian oak tree that towered above all others.
- The construction of the skyscraper required a Brobdingnagian crane to lift and place each massive steel beam.
adverb
in abundance; in plentiful amounts.
Explanation
- Galore was first recorded around 1660–70.
- Galore comes from the Irish phrase, go leór, meaning "enough, plenty."
- The go element roughly translates as "to," and leór, which comes from the Old Irish word lour, means "sufficiency."
- The party decorations were vibrant and colorful, with balloons, streamers, and confetti galore.
- When I entered the bakery, my senses were greeted with the delightful aroma of freshly baked goods galore.
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.
