Word of the Day

Immensurable is easily confused with immeasurable, and the resemblance is no coincidence. Both come from Late Latin mēnsūrābilis, “that can be measured,” from earlier Latin mētīrī, “to measure.” Immensurable was first recorded in English around 1530, more than a century after immeasurable. EXAMPLE OF IMMENSURABLE USED IN A SENTENCE Without the use of sonar to detect distance, the furthest depths of the ocean would still seem immensurable to scientists today.

Snollygoster is a slang term of uncertain origin. It has been proposed that it is connected to snallygaster, a mythical monster from Maryland with a name derived from German schnelle Geister, “quick spirits.” One complication here is that snallygaster first appears in the 1940s, while snollygoster was first recorded in English a century earlier in the 1840s. EXAMPLE OF SNOLLYGOSTER USED IN A SENTENCE The snollygoster managed to convince much of the audience that his political rivals were responsible for his own errors in judgment.

Banderole comes by way of French from Italian banderuola, formed from bandiera, “banner,” and -uola, roughly meaning “little.” Bandiera and English banner both come from Late Latin bandum or bannum, a type of flag representing a monarch or nation. Banderole was first recorded in English around 1560. EXAMPLE OF BANDEROLE USED IN A SENTENCE The long, thin banderoles flapped in the breeze as the ship docked in the harbor.

Katabatic comes from Ancient Greek katá, meaning “down, through, against, towards,” and baínein, “to go.” Katá has several variants in English and also appears in catalog and cathedral. Meanwhile, baínein is the source of acrobat, basis, and diabetes. Katabatic was first recorded in English in the late 1910s. EXAMPLE OF KATABATIC USED IN A SENTENCE The katabatic gusts rushed down the mountain, burying the village with the snow they carried along.

From German, Jugendstil consists of Jugend, meaning “youth,” and Stil, meaning “style.” Jugend and English youth are distant relatives of Latin juvenis, “young.” Stil and English style both come from Latin stilus, “tool for writing.” Jugendstil was first recorded in English in the late 1920s. EXAMPLE OF JUGENDSTIL USED IN A SENTENCE The old movie theater’s lobby reflected Jugendstil, with bold curves and detailed flowers adorning the wallpaper.