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.
a preliminary discussion; introductory essay; a prologue.
Prolegomenon comes from the Ancient Greek prolegómenon, literally “being said beforehand.” The -legómenon element is closely related to several stems in English pertaining to counting, speech, and words, such as lect- (as in dialect), lex- (lexicon), and log- (catalog). Prolegomenon was first recorded in English around 1650. EXAMPLE OF PROLEGOMENON USED IN A SENTENCE A prolegomenon in The Fellowship of the Ring introduces readers to the nature and customs of hobbits.
an ancient Irish and Scottish harp.
Clarsach is an adaptation of either the Irish Gaelic cláirseach or the Scottish Gaelic clàrsach, both meaning “harp.” These two words likely come from the Old Irish clár, which variously means “board, plank” or “table, tablet.” Clarsach may be related through Ancient Greek to clergy, cleric, clerk, and the name Clark. Clarsach was first recorded in English around 1805. EXAMPLE OF CLARSACH USED IN A SENTENCE The golden clarsach shines against a dark green background on the flag of Leinster.
of, relating to, or based on twenty.
Vigesimal comes from Latin vīcēsimus, “twentieth.” While English and its Germanic relatives base their words for “twenty” on a combination of “two” and “ten,” Latin vīgintī is distantly related to Ancient Greek eíkosi (as in icosahedron, a twenty-sided figure) and Sanskrit viṃśatí (as in pachisi, a game in which twenty-five is the highest score). Vigesimal was first recorded in English in the 1650s. EXAMPLE OF VIGESIMAL USED IN A SENTENCE French now uses a vigesimal system for numbers over 60, representing 80 as “4 × 20” and 90 as “4 × 20 + 10.”
a brown or amber tea grown in China and Taiwan and partially fermented before being dried.
Oolong is an adaptation of a Chinese word, most likely Mandarin wūlóng, which literally translates to “black dragon.” The wū element means “crow” or “black,” while lóng means “dragon.” Oolong was first recorded in English in the early 1850s. EXAMPLE OF OOLONG USED IN A SENTENCE The oolong let off an earthy smell as it slowly diffused throughout the cup.
to assail by criticism, argument, or action.
Oppugn comes from Latin oppugnāre, “to oppose, attack,” which is based on the noun pugnus, “fist.” Pugnus is the source of numerous fighting-related words in English, including impugn and pugnacious. Oppugn was first recorded in English in the early 15th century. EXAMPLE OF OPPUGN USED IN A SENTENCE The neighbors oppugned the dog owner who let their dog run freely around the park for hours.
