Word of the Day

williwaw
Pronunciation: \WILL-ih-waw\
Function: noun

1 a : a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes b : a sudden violent wind
2 : a violent commotion

Example Sentence:
The sailors had all heard stories of ships capsized by the williwaws that plagued the strait.

Did you know?
In 1900, Captain Joshua Slocum described williwaws as "compressed gales of wind . . . that Boreas handed down over the hills in chunks." To unsuspecting sailors or pilots, such winds might seem to come out of nowhere -- just like word "williwaw" did some 150 years ago. All anyone knows about the origin of the word is that it was first used by writers in the mid-1800s to name fierce winds in the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America. The writers were British, and indications are that they may have learned the word from British sailors and seal hunters. Where they got the word, we cannot say.

Word of the Day

ameliorate
ame·lio·rate
Pronunciation: \ə-ˈmēl-yə-ˌrāt, -ˈmē-lē-ə-\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): ame·lio·rat·ed; ame·lio·rat·ing
Etymology: alteration of meliorate
Date: 1767
transitive verb: to make better or more tolerable
intransitive verb: to grow better

Word of the Day

bifurcate
bi·fur·cate
Pronunciation : \ˈbī-(ˌ)fər-ˌkāt, bī-ˈfər-\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): bi·fur·cat·ed; bi·fur·cat·ing
Etymology: Medieval Latin bifurcatus, past participle of bifurcare, from Latin bifurcus two-pronged, from bi- + furca fork
Date: 1615

transitive verb : to cause to divide into two branches or parts intransitive verb : to divide into two branches or parts
— bi·fur·cate \(ˌ)bī-ˈfər-kət, -ˌkāt; ˈbī-(ˌ)fər-ˌkāt\ adjective

Word of the Day

While absorbing my daily dosage of news, I happened upon this particular word and wasn't familiar with it so I consulted the dictionary. Go figure... It's never too late to broaden your vocabulary!

querulous
quer·u·lous
Pronunciation : \ˈkwer-yə-ləs, -ə-ləs also ˈkwir-\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English querelose, from Latin querulus,
from queri to complain
Date: 15th century
1 : habitually complaining
2 : fretful, whining
— quer·u·lous·ly adverb
— quer·u·lous·ness noun