Word of the Day
rubberneck
verb
to look about or stare with great curiosity
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Why Dictionary.com chose rubberneck
More about rubberneck
- An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900.
- See rubber1 + neck. The idea being that the neck turns or twists back like rubber to continue watching something of interest unfold.
EXAMPLES OF RUBBERNECK
- I tried not to rubberneck at the commotion in the restaurant but found it difficult to resist.
- The highway traffic was caused by drivers slowing down to rubberneck at the accident.
zarzuela
noun
a Spanish opera having spoken dialogue and often a satirically treated, topical theme
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Why Dictionary.com chose zarzuela
More about zarzuela
- First used in English between 1885–90.
- From Spanish, after La Zarzeula, a palace near Madrid where the first performance took place (1629).
EXAMPLES OF ZARZUELA
- My favorite part of the zarzuela was the comedic interaction between the characters.
- The local arts festival included a zarzuela to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Spain.
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Why Dictionary.com chose lethargic
More about lethargic
- First recorded between 1350–1400.
- From the Latin lēthargicus, from the Greek lēthargikós.
- Replaced the Middle English litargik, which came from the Medieval Latin litargicus (see lethargy, -ic).
- Ultimately rooted in Greek words meaning “forgetfulness” and “idle.”
EXAMPLES OF LETHARGIC
- The hot weather made everyone lethargic, so we decided to postpone the hike.
- A heavy meal at lunch left me feeling lethargic and unmotivated to continue writing my novel.
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