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.
pleasure; enjoyment.
Jouissance is a borrowing from Old French based on the verb jouir (stem jouiss-), “to enjoy.” Old French jouir comes from Latin gaudēre, “to be glad,” which is the source of gaudery and gaudy as well as joy and rejoice. Jouissance was first recorded in English in the late 15th century. EXAMPLE OF JOUISSANCE USED IN A SENTENCE The children’s jouissance in reading only grew when they entered the library for the first time and saw the endless stacks of books in front of them.
extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or impracticable.
Quixotic is the namesake of Don Quixote, now spelled Quijote in modern Spanish, who is the titular hero of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s most well-known novel. The character Don Quixote’s original surname was Quijano, which is the name of a community in Cantabria, Spain. Quixotic was first recorded in English around 1810. Learn synonyms for quixotic here! EXAMPLE OF QUIXOTIC USED IN A SENTENCE Though the couple would have loved a romantic getaway to Paris, they settled for a far less quixotic evening of a candlelit dinner at home.
the main trunk of the arterial system, conveying blood from the left ventricle of the heart to all of the body except the lungs.
Aorta comes by way of Latin from Ancient Greek aortḗ, “the great artery” or, literally, “something hung, carried.” Aortḗ comes from the verb aeírein, “to lift, carry,” which is also the source of meteor and may be related to the Word of the Day arioso. Aorta was first recorded in English in the 1570s. EXAMPLE OF AORTA USED IN A SENTENCE The surgeon replaced the patient’s heart valve so his aorta could function normally again.
a football field.
Gridiron originally meant “griddle” and evolved to refer to things resembling griddles and, ultimately, to sports fields that prominently feature intersecting lines. The term comes from Middle English gridirne, which became gridiron because of a false association with the unrelated word irne, “iron,” perhaps because of the metal rods used in griddles. Gridiron was first recorded in English in the late 13th century. EXAMPLE OF GRIDIRON USED IN A SENTENCE The staff worked all morning to clear the gridiron of snow so the game could begin.
a small Spanish or Portuguese sailing vessel of the Middle Ages and later, usually with triangular sails that allowed for tacking upwind.
Caravel comes from Portuguese caravela, which is formed from cáravo, a kind of ship. Cáravo comes via Latin from Ancient Greek kárabos, “skiff, crayfish, type of beetle,” which likely shares an origin with scarab. For another potential (if unlikely) connection, compare the Word of the Day carapace. Caravel was first recorded in English in the 1520s. EXAMPLE OF CARAVEL USED IN A SENTENCE The cresting waves broke over the caravel as it left the harbor on a windy day.
