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
affectedly dainty or quaint.
Explanation
- Twee comes from 20th century British baby talk.
- Twee was most likely reduced from tweet, mimicking a child's pronunciation of sweet.
- Twee is also a subgenre of indie pop music.
- The previously bland-looking café now sported a twee renovation, complete with pastel-colored chairs and floral wallpaper.
- The room was filled with the twee trinkets that he had collected over the years, giving it a quaint, old-world vibe.
noun
sleight of hand.
Explanation
- Legerdemain comes from a late Middle English word, legerdemeyn, meaning “skill in conjuring.”
- That word, in turn, comes from a Middle French phrase, léger de main, meaning "nimble" or "skillful" that's literally translated as “light of hand.”
- Legerdemain was first recorded between 1400–1450.
- The audience was mesmerized by the performer's legerdemain as he made a coin disappear and reappear from behind their ears.
- The pickpocket's legerdemain was so skillful that her victims had no idea their wallets were missing until much later.
verb
to talk incessantly; chatter.
Explanation
- Natter can also mean "a conversation or a chat."
- Natter was first recorded in 1820–30.
- It's most likely a variant of an earlier word gnatter from a Northern England dialect.
- She was soothed by her friends nattering away in the background.
- The old couple would often sit outside and natter on about the weather or their grandchildren.
a child of one’s sibling.
Explanation
- Nibling was coined by U.S. linguist Samuel E. Martin in 1951.
- It was formed by replacing the s in sibling with the n from niece and nephew.
- Nibling is especially used in the plural or as a gender-neutral term.
- My niblings are coming to visit us next week, and we are taking them to a water park.
- During the family reunion, I enjoyed playing with my nibling and teaching them some new jokes.
verb
to charm or divert.
Explanation
- Beguile can also mean "to mislead through trickery or flattery."
- Beguile contains the word guile, which can mean "cleverness," "craftiness," or "deceptiveness."
- It was first recorded in English in 1175–1225.
- The magician's ability to beguile the audience with her illusions was impressive.
- He used his charming personality to beguile his way into the exclusive party.
