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...

Word of the Day: Humectant.

Adjective
1. Retaining or preserving moisture.
Noun
1. A substance, especially a skin lotion or a food additive, used to reduce the loss of moisture.

Example Sentences.
1. "I need to buy a new daily humectant for my dry skin."
2. "Wyatt's tangled hair requires a conditioner with more humectant ingredients."
3. "Cocoa butter is the main humectant in this lotion, but it makes it smell good, too."

Word Origin.
Latin, early 19th century

This word stems from the Latin "humectant-," meaning "moistening," from "humēre," which means "to be moist." As a noun, "humectant" refers to a substance that reduces loss of moisture.

Word of the Day: Maquillage.

Noun
1. Makeup; cosmetics.

Example Sentences.
1. "Andrea watched YouTube videos to learn new techniques for her maquillage."
2. "Theater performers usually wear thick layers of maquillage to ensure the audience can see
their features."
3. "I've been practicing a new maquillage style inspired by Japanese anime."

Word Origin.
French, late 19th century

"Maquillage" comes directly from the French "maquillage," meaning "makeup." The verb "maquiller," meaning "to apply makeup to one's face," entered English through theatrical vernacular in the 1840s, and "maquillage" was recorded shortly after, in the 1850s.