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.
the ornamentation of a melody, often improvised by the performer, as in Italian opera during the 18th century.
Fioritura is a borrowing from Italian that literally means “floweriness” and ultimately comes from Latin flōs, flōr-, “flower.” L in Latin often becomes Italian i, which we see in the Italian borrowings piano (from Latin plānus, “plain”) and piazza (from Latin plātea, “courtyard”). Fioritura was first recorded in English around 1840. EXAMPLE OF FIORITURA USED IN A SENTENCE In an attempt to wow the audience, the opera singer added several fioriture to each verse she sang.
resounding or reverberating loudly.
Reboant comes from Latin re-, “back, again,” and boāre, “to cry aloud.” Boāre is either related to or derived from Ancient Greek boân, of the same meaning, and these words may be of onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sounds of a cry. Though not related to reboant, English boohoo was formed in roughly the same way. Reboant was first recorded in English in the 1820s. EXAMPLE OF REBOANT USED IN A SENTENCE Her reboant calls of “Echo!” created a cacophony in the cave.
a Creole dish consisting of rice cooked with ham, sausage, chicken, or shellfish, plus herbs, spices, and vegetables.
Jambalaya is a borrowing from the dialect of French spoken in Louisiana. Before French, jambalaya appears to have come from Occitan, a language from southern France. The explanation that jambalaya contains the name Jean or French jambon, “ham,” plus balayer, “to sweep,” is false. Jambalaya was first recorded in English in the 1740s. EXAMPLE OF JAMBALAYA USED IN A SENTENCE A savory, simmering jambalaya was the centerpiece of the New Orleans-themed buffet.
moving backward; having a backward motion or direction; retiring or retreating.
Retrograde comes from Latin retrōgradus, meaning “going back,” which is based on retrō, “back, backward,” and gradī, “to step, go.” While retrō can be found in many words indicating backward movement, both in space and in time, gradī is related to centigrade and graduate. Retrograde was first recorded in English in the late 14th century. EXAMPLE OF RETROGRADE USED IN A SENTENCE Mercury’s arc in the sky turned retrograde, becoming more of an S shape as the planet moved among the constellations.
divination through dreams.
Oneiromancy is based on Ancient Greek óneiros, “dream,” and manteía, “divination.” Óneiros is of uncertain origin, with relatives in Albanian and Armenian but in no other languages. Manteía comes from mántis, “prophet,” which is also the source of praying mantis. Oneiromancy was first recorded in English circa 1650. EXAMPLE OF ONEIROMANCY USED IN A SENTENCE Though oneiromancy doesn’t quite have a scientific basis, dreams may serve as windows not into the future but rather into the subconscious.
