layman - Word of the Day - 15/05/18

layman

noun

Pronunciation

LAY-mun
 

Definition

1 : a person who is not a member of the clergy

2 : a person who does not belong to a particular profession or who is not expert in some field

Did You Know?

Layman began its run in English as the open compound lay man. In this context, lay is an adjective that can mean "belonging or relating to those not in holy orders," "not of the clergy," and "not ecclesiastical." The origins of lay and layman can be traced back through French and Late Latin to Greek laikos, meaning "of the people." Layman was originally used to distinguish between non-clerical people and the clergy, but it was soon also being used to distinguish non-professionals from professionals in a field (such as law or medicine). The phrase layman’s terms is used to refer to simple language about a topic that even non-experts in the field can understand.

Examples

The Nobel laureate's book is an introduction to astrophysics that, despite its depth and detail, remains accessible to the layman.

"One of my favorite genres of Catholic literature is the book-length interview: the Pope or some other high-ranking churchman sits down with a reporter or other layman, both operating on the assumption that conversation tends toward truth." — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2018

Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of layman: CLEASRU.

Merriam-Webster

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transpire - Word of the Day - 14/05/18

transpire

verb

Pronunciation

tran-SPYRE
 

Definition

1 : to take place : go on, occur

2 a : to become known or apparent

   b : to be revealed

3 : to give off vaporous material

4: to pass off or give passage to (a fluid) through pores or interstices

Did You Know?

Transpire came to life in the late 16th century and was originally used in technical contexts to describe the passage of vapor through the pores of a membrane. From this technical use developed a figurative sense: "to escape from secrecy," or "to become known." That sense was often used in ambiguous contexts and could be taken to mean "to happen." (For example, Emily Dickinson wrote in a letter, "I long to see you once more ... to tell you of many things which have transpired since we parted.") Thus, the "to take place" sense developed. Around 1870, usage critics began to attack this sense as a misuse, and modern critics occasionally echo that sentiment. But the sense is commonly found today in serious and polished prose without concern.

Examples

Plants transpire more profusely under dry, hot weather conditions.

"The single best way to improve the vibe of a room is with candles. And for that you're going to want a good-looking set of candlesticks. They are … the easy upgrade, the little hint that something really fun is about to transpire." — Bon Appétit, December 2017

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the meaning of the verb suspire?

Merriam-Webster

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nascent - Word of the Day - 13/05/18

nascent

adjective

Pronunciation

 NASS-unt

Definition

: coming or having recently come into existence

Did You Know?

Nascent comes from nascens, the present participle of the Latin verb nasci, which means "to be born." It is a relative newcomer to the collection of English words that derive from that Latin verb. In fact, when the word nascent was itself a newborn, in the first quarter of the 17th century, other nasci offspring were already respectably mature. Nation, native, and nature had been around since the 1300s; innate and natal, since the 1400s. More recently, we picked up some French descendants of nasci: née in the 1700s and Renaissance in the 1800s. One of our newer nasci words is perinatology, which was first used in the late 1960s to name the specialized branch of medicine concerned with childbirth.

Examples

"At this point, the scholarly reexamination of the Bible met up with another movement, the nascent Protestant Reformation." — James L. Kugel, How to Read the Bible, 2007

"Bezos starts by upending the world of books with his start-up Amazon, using the nascent Internet to challenge brick-and-mortar book chains like Barnes and Noble." — Chris Impey, The Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2018

Quiz

What adjective related to Latin nasci begins with "c" and is used to describe words having the same origin, such as English eat and German essen?

Merriam-Webster

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collaborate - Word of the Day - 12/05/18

collaborate

verb

Pronunciation

 kuh-LAB-uh-rayt
 

Definition

1 : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor

2 : to cooperate with or willingly assist an enemy of one's country and especially an occupying force

3 : to cooperate with an agency or instrumentality with which one is not immediately connected

Did You Know?

The Latin prefix com-, meaning "with, together, or jointly," is a bit of a chameleon—it has a tricky habit of changing its appearance depending on what it's next to. If the word it precedes begins with "l," com- becomes col-. In the case of collaborate, com- teamed up with laborare ("to labor") to form Late Latin collaborare ("to labor together"). Colleague, collect, and collide are a few more examples of the com- to col- transformation. Other descendants of laborare in English include elaborate, laboratory, and labor itself.

Examples

"Everyone needs to know how to collaborate well, and you can practice that skill in many ways: by setting up working groups, lending a hand to your coworkers, and checking in to make sure your goals line up with your teammates." — Judith Humphrey, Fast Company, 21 Mar. 2018

"The friends—Todd Anderson, a printmaking professor at Clemson University, and Bruce Crownover, a master printer at Tandem Press at the University of Wisconsin-Madison—collaborated on the oversized art book 'The Last Glacier,' which was on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City earlier this year." — Carol Schmidt, The Billings (Montana) Gazette, 9 Apr. 2018

Name That Antonym

Fill in the blanks to complete an antonym of collaborate: s _ _ ne _ al _.

Merriam-Webster

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otiose - Word of the Day - 11/05/18

otiose

adjective

Pronunciation

 OH-shee-ohss

 Definition

1 : producing no useful result : futile

2 : being at leisure : idle

3 : lacking use or effect : functionless

Did You Know?

Otiose was first used in English in the late-18th century to describe things producing no useful result. By mid-19th century, it was being used in keeping with its Latin source otiosus, meaning "at leisure." There is also the noun form otiosity, which predates otiose by approximately three centuries. That noun is rarely found in writing today, but it makes an appearance on the occasional spelling bee word list.

Examples

"Ever since I was seven years old, I have been collecting books and articles on the Great Flood, hoping to write the full account myself. David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood (1968) was so brilliant that it rendered my own ambition otiose." — Michael Novak, National Review, 4 June 2014

"He did not have the patience for otiose people like Gibson, whom he put in the same category as those rude reporters who continued to pester him daily with inane queries and ridiculous suggestions." — Godfrey Wray, Beyond Revenge, 2008

Name That Synonym

What synonym of otiose begins with "v" and can also describe a person who is conceited?

Merriam-Webster

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slumgullion - Word of the Day - 10/05/18

slumgullion

noun

Pronunciation

SLUM-gull-yun 

Definition

: a meat stew

Did You Know?

Slumgullion may not sound like the most appetizing name for a dish, but that's part of its charm. The word's etymology doesn't necessarily do it any favors: while the origins of slumgullion are somewhat murky, the word is believed to derive from slum, an old word for "slime," and gullion, an English dialectical term for "mud" or "cesspool." The earliest recorded usages of slumgullion, including one from Mark Twain's Roughing It (1872), refer not to a stew but a beverage. The sense referring to the stew debuted a few decades later, and while there is no consensus on exactly what ingredients are found in it, that's the slumgullion that lives on today.

Examples

The slumgullion was hot, savory, and hearty, and on this rainy night we were all eager for seconds.

"She rode up a small dirt hill to a grassy clearing bordered by cabins, where she got a glimpse of the rock, big enough to seat at least a dozen campers, where she and her scouts had cooked slumgullion, a stew of meat and vegetables, over a camp fire." — Jodi Weigand, The Pittsburgh Tribune Review, 9 Aug. 2007

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to complete the name for a beef stew cooked in beer: ca _ _ o _ n _ de.

Merriam-Webster

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jocose - Word of the Day - 09/05/18

jocose

adjective

Pronunciation

joh-KOHSS
 

Definition

1 : given to joking : merry

2 : characterized by joking : humorous

Did You Know?

When you need a word to describe something (or someone) that causes or is intended to cause laughter, you might pick jocose or a synonym such as humorous, witty, facetious, or jocular. Of those terms, humorous is the most generic and can be applied to anything that provokes laughter. Witty suggests cleverness and a quick mind, while facetious is a word for something that is not meant to be taken seriously. Jocose and jocular both imply a habitual waggishness and a fondness for joking.

Examples

"Mr. Battle has a pleasant, jocose style of public address, but Ms. Jamison's is without equal, exciting in rhythm and phrasing, hilarious in off-the-cuff remarks, generous in spirit." — Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2015

"His natural sound, the tone that rises when he is writing unself-consciously to friends, is nothing like the voice of his good fiction. He was naturally garrulous and jocose—indeed, by the time he was a celebrity he was so garrulous and jocose that it shocked people, though he was just being himself." — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 3 July 2017

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to complete a verb that means "to say or do something jokingly": _ _ pe.

Merriam-Webster

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