TUESDAY, MARCH 3

Inveigle

[in-VAY-ɡəl]Part of speech: verbOrigin: french, late 15th century

• Persuade (someone) to do something by means of deception or flattery.
• Gain entrance to (a place) by persuading (someone) with deception or flattery.

Examples of Inveigle in a sentence

• We must inveigle him into participating in the auction.
• Her name wasn't on the guest list, but she still inveigled her way into the party.

About Inveigle

Inveigle is a verb that can be used with an object — "She inveigled him into giving her a better table." Or it can be used in a sense specifically related to gaining entry to a place — "He inveigled himself into the meeting room." Either way, there's some trickery afoot.

Did you Know?

You might claim that you made a good case for your request, but if your persuasion involved deception or flattery, you need to learn the verb "inveigle." It comes from an Old French verb "aveugler," meaning to blind. Just don't turn a blind eye to your true motivations.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29

Bissextile

[bi-SEKS-tile]Part of speech: adjective

Origin: latin, late 16th century

• (of a year) having the extra day (29 February) of a leap year.
• Anything related to the extra day of a leap year.

Examples of Bissextile in a sentence

• Since he was born in a bissextile year, his mother joked that he got his driver’s license when he was 4 years old.
• Embrace the bissextile day every four years, and do something fun and out of the ordinary.

About Bissextile

Bissextile can be used to describe the day (February 29) or the full year that occurs every four years, also known as Leap Year. Earth travels around the Sun in 365 days and a little less than ¼ of a full day. Instead of adding on a random quarter of an afternoon every year, the Gregorian calendar accounted for the extra time by inserting an extra day into February.

Did you Know?

The word bissextile comes from Latin, with “bis” meaning twice and “sextus” meaning sixth. On February 29 the “sixth” might not make much sense, but in the previous Julian calendar, the extra day was the sixth day before the beginning of March. If February 24 was a bad day for you, you had a chance to do it over with a second February 24.

Nadir

[NAY-dər]Part of speech: noun

Origin: arabic, 15th century

• The lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization.
• The point on the celestial sphere directly below an observer.

Examples of Nadir in a sentence

• At the nadir of his sales career, he decided to try a new path and go back to school.
• I couldn’t find the Ursa Major constellation, because it was positioned at my nadir.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Bromide

[BRO-miyd]Part of speech: noun

Origin: english, 19th century

• A trite and unoriginal idea or remark, typically intended to soothe or placate.
• A compound of bromine with another element or group.

Examples of Bromide in a sentence

• She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the expected bromide coming from her father.
• His upcoming chemistry test was sure to cover the chapter on compounds of bromide. 

About Bromide

Bromine (symbol Br) is a chemical element discovered in the early 1800s. Its sharp and pungent aroma earned its name from the Greek word for stench. Creating a compound of bromine and another element will give you a solution named (other element) bromide. Silver bromide is commonly used in photographic development.

Did you Know?

We can thank the magic of chemistry for the definition of bromide as a commonplace, overused figure of speech. The sedative potassium bromide is no longer used as such today, but we can describe anything that is so dull it might put you to sleep as a bromide.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Fabulist

[FAB-yə-list]Part of speech: noun

Origin: latin, late 16th century

• A person who composes or relates fables.
• A liar, especially a person who invents elaborate, dishonest stories.

Examples of Fabulist in a sentence

• Her fantastical debut novel earned her the reputation of a skilled fabulist.
• He seemed to be a born fabulist, which only got him in trouble when his fibs were discovered.

About Fabulist

Fabulist is certainly related to the more easily recognizable adjective fabulous. While fabulous is now used to describe anything fashionable and glamorous, the original meaning was meant for anything related to fable, myth, or legend. A fabulist might tell fabulous stories of dragons and mermaids.

Did you Know?

The original root of fabulist is the Latin “fābula,” meaning talk or account. But English speakers acquired this word from the French “fabuliste,” with the same definition. In either French or English, there’s surely a fabulous tale coming from the fabulist.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Effloresce

[ef-lə-RESS]Part of speech: verb

Origin: latin, late 18th century

• Reach an optimum stage of development; blossom.
• (of a substance) lose moisture and turn to a fine powder on exposure to air.

Examples of Effloresce in a sentence

• The song starts out slowly, but it will effloresce when you reach the chorus. 
• You must keep the package sealed until you’re ready to use it, because it will effloresce when opened. 

About Effloresce

When you break this word down into its Latin roots, one definition becomes quite clear. The prefix “E” means out and “florescere” means begin to bloom. However, effloresce is not usually referring to literal blooming flowers, but it’s a more figurative description of something developing and coming into maturity or peak performance.

Did you Know?

When using the second definition here of effloresce, it has a specific chemical usage. When the substance effloresces upon contact with the air, it will produce salt particles. The word can also be used to describe rocks or brickwork with a salt content that can crystallize on the surface.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Limpid

[LIM-pid]Part of speech: adjective

Origin: latin, early 17th century

• (of a liquid) free of anything that darkens; completely clear.
• (of a person's eyes) unclouded; clear.

Examples of Limpid in a sentence

• The pictures showing limpid pools and endless rows of lounge chairs made her want to book a vacation immediately.
• She knew her son was over his bout of flu when she saw his limpid eyes.

About Limpid

Limpid is an adjective used to clearly describe anything translucent or free from clouds and darkness. It’s most often used to describe liquid, but can also be used when someone has a clear and direct way with words. Just don’t fall guilty to the cliché in writing and describe your heroine as having “eyes like deep, limpid pools.”

Did you Know?

This word can easily be traced back to the Latin word “limpidus,” meaning clear. But there’s also a link to the Latin word “lymph,” for clear water. You just might find a nymph frolicking in the limpid lymph.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Funicular

[fyoo-NIK-yə-lər]

Origin: latin, mid-17th century

• Relating to a rope or its tension.
• (of a railway, especially one on a mountainside) operating by cable with ascending and descending cars counterbalanced.
• Examples of Funicular in a sentence
• The funicular pulley system in the barn let him hoist the large bales of hay by himself.
• I don’t know how to ski, but I still enjoy taking the funicular tram to the top of the mountain.

About Funicular

Funicular comes from the Latin “funiculus,” which means rope. The adjective can be applied to any description of a rope and its tension, but it is most commonly used to describe a specific type of railway. Funicular can also be used as a noun, to name such a railway.

Did you Know?

The adjective funicular is commonly placed before railway to refer to a type of train system in which counterbalanced cars are propelled up a steep incline on a cable and pulley system. The first public funicular railway was the Funiculaires de Lyon, which opened in France in 1862. The first funicular railway in the United States was the Telegraph Hill Railroad, which was in operation in San Francisco from 1884 through 1886.