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 bristling of the hair on the skin from cold or fear; goosebumps.
Explanation
- Horripilation was first recorded in English in the 1650s.
- Horripilation comes from the Late Latin word horripilāre, "to become bristly," which is also the source of words such as horrendous, horrify, and horror.
- Unlike terror, which literally has to do with being frightened, the root of horror is all about hair standing on its end!
- The -pil- part of horripilation is a Latin stem meaning “hair.”
- The chilling horror movie gave me such a fright that I felt horripilation ripple through my entire body.
- The eerie silence and dark atmosphere of the abandoned house sent waves of horripilation down her arms and legs.
noun
a celebrity with a parent who is also famous, especially one whose industry connections are perceived as essential to their success.
Explanation
- Nepo baby was first recorded in 2022, even though the term has been used in social media since at least 2018.
- The word nepo is an informal shortening of nepotism, which refers to favoritism that a person receives due to a family relation.
- Nepotism comes from the Italian word nepotismo, based on the word for "nephew."
- The word baby indicates the familial relationship and comes from babe, which entered English around 1150–1200.
- The media often criticizes nepo babies and their perceived lack of talent, but it's important to acknowledge that connections can only take you so far.
- Many aspiring actors struggle to make it in Bollywood without connections, while some argue that nepo babies have an unfair advantage in the industry.
noun
a light, brittle flatbread from South Asia, usually made of lentil flour and often topped with chutney or various dips or salsas.
Explanation
- Papadum was first recorded in English in 1820–30.
- Papadum comes from the Tamil word pappaṭam.
- Papadum is also known as poppadom or papad.
- The restaurant was known for its plates of papadum accompanied by a flavorful mint salsa.
- She savored each bite of the gluten-free, lentil-based papadum, which had a pleasing crunch as she chewed it.
adjective
recklessly extravagant.
Explanation
- Profligate was first recorded around 1525–35.
- Profligate comes from the Latin word prōflīgātus, meaning "broken down in character, degraded."
- The Latin word prōflīgātus was originally a past participle of prōflīgāre, meaning "to shatter, debase, ruin."
- An obsolete definition of profligate was "defeated."
- The company's profligate spending habits eventually led to its downfall, as it couldn't sustain its reckless financial decisions.
- His profligate shopping spree left him with an empty bank account and a pile of credit card debt.
noun
a person who takes part in a conversation or dialogue.
Explanation
- Interlocutor was first recorded in 1505–15.
- Interlocutor comes from a stem of the Latin word interloquī, meaning “to speak between.”
- The loqui part, which means "to speak," also appears in loquacious, eloquent, and circumlocution.
- The television show featured a lively discussion between the host and an interlocutor, in which they explored various perspectives on a controversial topic.
- During the language exchange program, students are assigned interlocutors who help them practice speaking more fluently.
