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
someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technological change.
Explanation
- Luddite was first recorded between 1805 and 1815.
- Workers in Leicestershire, England who didn’t want mechanical knitting machines taking over their jobs revolted in the early 19th century. They referred to themselves as Luddites, supposedly after their leader Ned Ludd, who was said to have broken two knitting machines in a fit of rage.
- Being a luddite can be an insult, or it can just be a matter of fact.
- Despite living in the digital age, my grandfather proudly wears the title of a luddite, as he prefers reading books in their physical form rather than using e-readers or tablets.
- The company's CEO, who shunned advancements in automation and insisted on keeping outdated systems, was often criticized as being a luddite by the tech-savvy employees.
adjective
noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.
Explanation
- Obstreperous was first recorded between 1590-1600.
- It comes from the Latin word obstreperus, “clamorous,” which is similar to the verb obstrepere, “to make a noise at.”
- Obstropolous is a rare and obsolete variant of obstreperous.
- A more recent British English variant is stroppy, "bad-tempered or hostile."
- The obstreperous crowd at the concert drowned out the performer's voice.
- The children's obstreperous laughter echoed through the house, leaving no doubt they were having a great time.
noun
a feeling of fear, apprehension, or nervousness.
Explanation
- Collywobbles was first recorded around 1815-25.
- Collywobbles is most likely a coinage based on the words colic and wobble.
- Wobble comes from Low German wabbeln, which is akin to Middle High German wabelen, "to waver."
- Colic comes from Middle French colique, from Latin colica (passiō), “(suffering) of the colon.”
- As the roller coaster climbed higher and higher, a wave of collywobbles washed over her, making her heart race with fear.
- Before going on stage for his first solo performance, the young dancer experienced a case of collywobbles, his stomach fluttering with nervous anticipation.
adjective
third from the end.
Explanation
- Antepenultimate was first recorded in 1670-80.
- It comes from the Latin word antepaenultima, the second (syllable) from the last, or literally "before the penult."
- The penult is the next-to-last syllable in a word. It comes from a contraction of paene ultima, "almost the last."
- Taking it to the final step, the ultima is the last syllable in a word and comes from the Latin word ultimus, "farthest."
- The antepenultimate episode of the thrilling TV series kept viewers on the edge of their seats.
- As the show was winding down, the antepenultimate firework exploded into a dazzling display of colors in the night sky.
adjective
physically beautiful; comely.
Explanation
- Pulchritudinous comes from the Latin word pulchritūdō, meaning “beauty.”
- Pulchritūdō also gives us pulchritude, meaning “physical beauty,” which was first recorded in the 1400s.
- Pulchritudinous began to appear in the early 1700s and gained popularity in the 1800s with American authors who started using the word because it was humorously long and overly complicated.
- Washington Irving employed it in The Crayon Miscellany (1835) alongside other unnecessarily complex words to make fun of an advertisement for ginger ale.
- The sunset painted the sky with pulchritudinous hues of pink and gold.
- The ballerina's graceful movements were enhanced by her pulchritudinous form.
