Word of the Day

Pernoctate (verb) per-nok-tait Pass the night (somewhere). Early 17th century: from Latin pernoctat- ‘spent the…

autochthon (noun) aw-tok-thun An original or indigenous inhabitant of a place; an aborigine. Late 16th…

Lustrum (noun) (literary) lus-trum A period of five years. Late 16th century: from Latin, originally…

Circumambulate (verb) (formal) sur-kum-am-boo-lait Walk all the way around (something) (more…)

Suffragette (noun) (historical) suff-ra-jet A woman seeking the right to vote through organized protest. Late…

Peradventure (adv) per-ad-ven-tchu Perhaps. Middle English: from Old French per (or par) auenture ‘by chance’.…

Dactylogram (noun) dak-til-o-gram A fingerprint. Via Latin from Greek daktulos, literally ‘finger’ (more…)

Expostulate (verb) eks-poss-too-layt Express strong disapproval or disagreement. Mid 16th century (in the sense ‘demand…