presumptive - Word of the Day - 07/05/16

presumptive 

adjective

Pronunciation

pre·sump·tive \-ˈzəm(p)-tiv\

Definition 

 - based on probability or presumption <the presumptive nominee>
 - giving grounds for reasonable opinion or belief
 - giving reasonable ground for belief: presumptive evidence
 - based on probability; presumed: an heir presumptive

Usage Note

Presumptive is sometimes used with the meaning of “arrogant, presumptuous,” as in It was very presumptive of you to speak to the senator in such an offhand manner. The Usage Panel overwhelmingly disapproves of this usage, with 83 percent rejecting the previous sentence and a similar example as well in our 2009 survey.

Examples 

In that climate of fear, an accusation alone was presumptive evidence of guilt.

Both King Victor Emmanuel and his brother Charles Felix had no sons, and the heir presumptive to the throne was Prince Charles Albert, of the Carignano branch of the house of Savoy.

First Known Use 

15th century

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tranche - Word of the Day - 06/05/16

tranche 

noun

Pronunciation

TRAHNSH

Definition

- a division or portion of a pool or whole

Examples

"JPMorgan Chase must retain 5% of each tranche, or class, of notes to be issued by the trust…. The bank must also comply with disclosure and reporting requirements introduced for securitization…." — Allison Bisbey, The American Banker, 17 Mar. 2016

"The sale of a first tranche of shares to private investors via an initial public offering (IPO) … could start as soon as next year, with the eventual aim of being big enough to potentially buy some of the world's largest companies…." — Terry Macalister, The Guardian, 1 Apr. 2016

Did You Know?

In French, tranche means "slice." Cutting deeper into the word's etymology, we find the Old French word trancer, meaning "to cut." Tranche emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to describe financial appropriations. Today, it is often used specifically of an issue of bonds that is differentiated from other issues by such factors as maturity or rate of return. Another use of the French word tranche is in the French phrase une tranche de vie, meaning "a cross section of life." That phrase was coined by the dramatist Jean Jullien (1854-1919), who advocated naturalism in the theater.

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gormandize - Word of the Day - 05/05/16

gormandize

verb

Pronunciation

GOR-mun-dyze

Definition

 -  to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously
 

Examples

"People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night." — Philippe Sagant, The Dozing Shaman, 1996

"While my ability to gormandize has slackened over the years, my enthusiasm for cooking big has only grown." — Henry Miller, The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), 19 Dec. 2013

Did You Know?

Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym of glutton. The meaning of gourmand softened over time, developing in the mid-18th century a sense referring to one who is "heartily interested in good food and drink." It wasn't until the early 19th century that the wholly positive gourmet became established. Whether that now-common word encouraged the adoption of or was influenced by the softer meaning of gourmand is unknown. Gormandize, too, has softened over time, but only slightly: it can now also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word meaning "an immoderate indulgence in food or drink" or "an overabundant supply": s _ r _ e _ t.

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wisenheimer - Word of the Day - 04/05/16

wisenheimer 

noun

Pronunciation

WYE-zun-hye-mer

Definition

 - smart aleck

Examples

Leslie delivered a flawless presentation even in spite of interruptions from the wisenheimers in the back of the classroom.

"… we both come from incredibly saucy families who love to sling it every which way, so it just seemed natural for us to cross our fingers that any children we had would be little wisenheimers." — Lisa Sugarman, The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Oklahoma), 20 Dec. 2015

Did You Know?

We wouldn't joke around about the origin of this witty word. In the early 20th century, someone had the smart idea to combine the adjective wise (one sense of which means "insolent, smart-alecky, or fresh") with -enheimer, playing on the pattern of family names such as Oppenheimer and Guggenheimer. Of course, wisenheimer isn't the only "wise-" word for someone who jokes around. There's also wiseacre, wisecracker, and wise guy. All of these jokesters are fond of making wisecracks.


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callow - Word of the Day - 03/05/16

callow 

adjective

Pronunciation

KAL-oh

Definition

 - lacking adult sophistication : immature

Examples

"So callow was Williams that there was a clause in his first contract, which he signed at the age of 18, that stipulated the team would pay for his mother to be with him at least one week of every month." — Steve Hummer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Dec. 2012

"At 5-10, 145 pounds, Justin Thomas, 22, seems too slight and callow to be a good example … of the foundational act on which modern professional golf is built. At least until he springs into his downswing with a driver." — Golf Digest, February 2016

Did You Know?

You might not expect a relationship between the word callow and baldness, but that connection does in fact exist. Callow comes from calu, a word that meant "bald" in Middle English and Old English. By the 17th century, callow had come to mean "without feathers" and was applied to young birds not yet ready for flight. The term was also used for those who hadn't yet spread their wings in a figurative sense. Callow continues to mean "inexperienced" or "unsophisticated" today.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of callow: _ nfl _ d _ _ d.

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moil - Word of the Day - 02/05/16

moil

verb

Pronunciation

MOYL

Definition

 -  to work hard : drudge
 - to be in continuous agitation : churn, swirl

Examples

Revelations that the popular motivational speaker was born into a wealthy family cast further doubts on his claims that he holds the secret to finding wealth without the need to toil and moil.

"Playwright Eugene O'Neill moiled over several works, including 'Strange Interlude,' in a summer rental cottage you'll pass if you're on the historical walking tour." — Susan Bayer Ward, The Chicago Daily Herald, 15 May 2005

Did You Know?

Moil may mean "to work hard" but its origins are the opposite of hard; it ultimately derives from Latin mollis, meaning "soft." (Other English derivatives of mollis are emollient, mollify, and mollusk.) A more immediate ancestor of moil is the Anglo-French verb moiller, meaning "to make wet, dampen," and one of the early meanings of moil in English was "to become wet and muddy." The "work hard" sense of moil appears most frequently in the pairing "toil and moil." Both moil and toil can also be nouns meaning "work." Moil implies work that is drudgery and toil suggests prolonged and fatiguing labor.

Name That Synonym

What 4-letter verb beginning with "g" is a synonym of moil that can also mean "to dig in the ground for something"?


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illimitable - Word of the Day - 01/05/16

illimitable 

adjective

Pronunciation

il·lim·it·able \(ˌ)i(l)-ˈli-mə-tə-bəl\

Definition

 - incapable of being limited or bounded :  measureless <the illimitable reaches of space and time>

Example  

 - the illimitable expanse of the universe

First Known Use of illimitable

1596

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