Word of The Day List #2 (10/4/26 - 10/24/26)

9/4/26 adventitious [adj.]

• Comes from an outside source, and is neither inherent nor innate; (botanical context) something that arises or occurs sporadically, or not in the usual/expected location.

• (“The house is like a museum—beautifully restored, full of period pieces, and with no adventitious elements in view.”)

• Comes from Latin word “coming from outside; external, foreign.”

9/5/26 perseverate [v.]

• To intently focus one’s attention on thought(s); to recur or repeat continually

• (“They teach that there is no use in perseverating about past regrets.”)

• Comes from German for act of repeating a behavior over and over again.

9/6/26 regimen [n.]

• Plan or set of rules about to make someone become/stay healthy.

• (“Sherry’s personal trainer started her on a workout regimen of 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of weight training.”)

• Comes from Latin verb meaning “to direct” and Medieval Latin word meaning a set of rules.

9/7/26 discreet [adj.]

• Someone careful about not allowing something to be known/noticed by many; something not likely to be seen/noticed by many.

• (“She was always very discreet about her personal life.”)

• Comes from Latin verb meaning “to sift, discern, decide, determine”.

9/8/26 etiquette [n.]

• Rules/customs that dictate what behavior is appropriate and expected in a setting.

• (“Her failure to respond to the invitation was a serious breach of etiquette.”)

• Comes from French word meaning “ticket” and label attached to something for desc./identification.

9/9/26 inscrutable [adj.]

• Not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood; mysterious or difficult to comprehend.

• “His professor wore an inscrutable expression throughout the oral exam.”)

• Comes from Latin word meaning “to search or examine.

9/10/26 luddite [n.]

• Someone who is opposed to change, esp. technological change.

• (“My friends call me a Luddite for refusing to use chat bots.”)

9/11/26 galore [adj.]

• Being in large numbers or amounts; always used postpositively (after a noun).

• (“The store promises bargains galore on Black Friday.”)

• Comes from Irish word meaning “enough”.

9/12/26 nexus [n.]

• A relationship/connection btwn ppl/things; a connected group or series or to the center/focus of something.

• (“The cultural district serves as a nexus for art and cuisine.”)

9/13/26 abscond [v.]

• To leave, flee, or escape a place in secret and go into hiding; often, someone said to have absconded w/ something.

• (“It was mid-semester, when fantasies about absconding from school and leaving the stress of exams behind abound.”)

• Comes from Latin words meaning “to hide away” and “to conceal”.

9/14/26 deportment [n.]

• The one conducts oneself especially in a formal setting.

• (“The new students were instructed in proper dress and deportment.”)

• Comes from Latin word meaning “to carry”.

9/15/26 outlandish [adj.]

• Strikingly strange/unusual (bizarre); things (e.g., claims, rumors, accusations) that go beyond reasonable limits or standards

• (“When asked to back up his outlandish claims, the mayor quickly changed the subject, all but admitting that he had no proof for his allegations.”)

9/16/26 zenith [n.]

• The strongest or most successful period of time for a person/thing.

• (“At its zenith in the 1980s, the company employed more than 300 people.”)

• Comes from Spanish modification of Arabic phrase meaning “the way over one’s head”.

9/17/26 syncretic [adj.]

• Things characterized/brought about by a combination of different forms of beliefs/practice.

• (“We were raised with a syncretic religion that combined practices from various faiths.”)

• Comes from Greek noun meaning a federation of cities on the island of Crete (“together with” + “Cretan”).

9/18/26 bon vivant [n.]

• A sociable person who has refined tastes especially with respect to food and drink.

• (“She has become something of a bon vivant since moving to Paris, going out most nights and delighting in the city's many restaurants.”)

• Means “good liver” in French.

9/19/26
fervid [adj.]

• Ppl/things that express or are expressive of strong feelings

• (“The core of the book is the fervid letters the friends exchanged during the years they were apart.”)

• Comes from Latin verb meaning “to boil”.

9/20/26
compunction [n.]

• (Negative connotation) Feeling of misgiving (doubt/suspicion) especially concerning a future event; guilt/regret

• (“They felt no compunctions about their crimes.”)

• Comes from Latin words meaning “to prick hard” or “to sting” & “to prick”.

9/21/26
jilt [v.]

• To abruptly end a romantic relationship w/ someone; types of abrupt rejection

• (“The novel begins with the hero, having just been jilted by his fiancée, setting off to hike the Appalachian Trail.”)

9/22/26
vocation [n.]

• An occupation, or strong calling to pursue a particular kind of work/course of action.

• (“Since he was a teenager, he knew that he would find his vocation in marine biology.”)

• Comes from Latin words meaning “summons” & “to call”.

9/23/26

asunder [adv./adj.]

• (adv., often w/ verb like tear/rip) apart or into pieces; (adj.) apart from each other. 

• (“The park was torn asunder by yesterday's microburst, and many of its trails have been blocked by fallen trees.”)

• Comes from root meaning “to break apart” or “to become parted, disunited, or severed”. Also comes from Old English word meaning “apart”