Word of the Day: Nom de plume


noun
1. An assumed name used by a writer instead of their real name; a pen name.

Example Sentences.
1."I'm thinking of using a nom de plume for my romance novels since I also write children's books."

2."The journalist's controversial articles were written under a nom de plume to protect their identity."

3. "She chose a different nom de plume for each new genre she experimented with."


Word Origin.
French, mid-19th century

Translated directly from French, "nom de plume" means "pen name," which is the chosen name an author might publish under, instead of their real name. Sometimes an author might want to maintain anonymity — perhaps the writing is of a sensitive nature — and other times …

Word Of The Day.
Corniche.

Noun
A road cut into the edge of a cliff, especially one running along a coast.

Example Sentences
“The luxury condos being built along the corniche offer breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean.”

“The new development plan includes extending the area along the corniche to create a public park.”

“Restaurants along the corniche are always packed during summer evenings.”

Word Origin
French, mid-19th century
Have you ever driven along a picturesque seaside highway where hills rise up along one side of the road and cliffs drop to the beach on the other? That roadway is a classic corniche. The word “corniche” is related to a French architecture term, “cornice,” which is an ornamental molding around the top of a ceiling or, traditionally, crowning the top of a building. The cornice was inspired by classical Greek architecture, namely the “korōnis,” or the coping stone, which is still used in modern masonry. It’s the flat stone that sits atop brickwork or stonework to protect it from the elements. The next time you’re driving along a corniche and admiring the views, remember these architecture terms that inspired the name of the road perched along the edge of a cliff.

Word of the Day: Asyndeton.


Noun
1. The omission or absence of a conjunction between parts of a sentence.

Example Sentences.
1. "A famous example of asyndeton is Julius Caesar's line, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'"
2. "The poet created a sense of urgency with asyndeton in the last few lines of the sonnet."
3. "The asyndeton was intentional, but my editor thought I forgot the conjunction."

Word Origin.
Greek, mid-16th century

A conjunction is a part of speech that joins two words, phrases, or clauses. Coordinating conjunctions ("for," "and," "nor," "but," "or," "yet," and "so") join parts of equal importance. Subordinating conjunctions ("because," "although," "if," "unless," etc.) show a relationship between independent and dependent clauses. Now that we've gotten the grammar lesson out of the way, let's talk about asyndeton, which throws conjunctions out the window.

Word Of The Day: Dalliance.

Noun
1. A casual romantic or sexual relationship.
2. Brief or casual involvement with something.

Example Sentences.
1. "I had a brief dalliance with pottery, but I was never skilled enough to make anything that survived the kiln."
2. "My sister is having a dalliance on our vacation, but it doesn't seem like it will last beyond our plane ride home."
3. "Her dalliance with baking turned into a full-fledged operation where she delivers dozens of pastries to local coffee shops every morning."

Word Origin: English, 14th century

The Old French root of this flirtatious word is benign: It comes from "dalier," meaning "to chat." In Middle English, "to dally" took on a more amorous quality, and "dalliance" became the noun for a casual fling.

Word of the Day: De rigueur


Adjective
1. Required by etiquette or current fashion.

Example Sentences.
1. "It's de rigueur to wear a dinner jacket at this restaurant, but my husband thinks he'll get
away with a shirt and tie."
2. "In the 1970s, bell-bottoms and sequins were de rigueur for the disco."
3. "When traveling to a foreign country, ask what's de rigueur for tipping before you arrive."

Word Origin.
French, mid-19th century

In the late 19th century, French culture was seen as the height of sophistication, and it was de rigueur to adopt French terms into English, wear Parisian fashion, and look to France for cues in art, food, and literature. "De rigueur" has remained in English, meaning "required by etiquette or current fashion.

Word of the Day: Sward.

Noun
1. An expanse of short grass.
2. The upper layer of soil, especially when covered with grass.

Example Sentences.
1. "The cottage was situated on a simple sward in the English countryside."
2. "Taylor wanted to clear the sward and plant a vegetable garden instead."
3. "We need a riding mower to take care of a sward this large."

Word Origin.
Old English, early 17th century

"Sward" can easily be mistaken for the word "sword," but the former is a word for a grassy patch of land, and the latter is a blade.

Word of the Day: Compère.

Noun 1. A person who introduces the performers or contestants in a variety show; host.
Verb 1. Act as a compère for (such a show).

Example Sentences.
1. "Sam's bubbly personality made him a great compère for the talent show."
2. "The compère introduced all of the contestants with a nickname."
3. "I'll be compèring the charity fashion show next weekend."

Word Origin.
French, early 20th century

"Compère" — used as either a noun or a verb — refers to hosting a show.

Word of the Day: Vertiginous.

Adjective
1. Causing vertigo, especially by being extremely high or steep.
2. Relating to or affected by vertigo.

Example Sentences.
1. "The roller coaster had a vertiginous effect on many who rode it."
2. "Ray's dog gets vertiginous on car rides through the mountains."
3. "High balconies can make someone who's afraid of heights feel vertiginous."

Word Origin.
Latin, early 17th century

This word comes from the Latin "vertiginosus," meaning "suffering from dizziness." "Vertiginous" describes something that causes vertigo, also known as being woozy.

Word of the Day: Izzat.

Noun
1. Honor, reputation, or prestige.

Example Sentences.
1. "The new president's experience increased the izzat of the nonprofit organization."
2. "The long-lasting diplomatic relationship has a great deal of izzat on both sides."
3. "Izzat was one of the values taught to the schoolchildren."

Word Origin.
Urdu, mid-19th century

This word — referring to the values of honor and prestige — comes from Persian and Urdu, by way of the Arabic "izza," meaning "glory." The concept of izzat as a cultural value is prevalent across Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh communities.

Word of the Day: Unbosom.

Verb
1. Disclose (one's thoughts or secrets).

Example Sentences.
1. "Caroline unbosomed her concerns to her best friend."
2. "Do you have someone you can unbosom your personal thoughts to?"
3. "Mental health professionals are used to clients who unbosom their secrets."

Word Origin.
Dutch, late 16th century

"To unbosom" means "to disclose information," especially secrets...