Word of the Day
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Why Dictionary.com chose wunderkind
More about wunderkind
- Wunderkind entered English around 1890–95.
- Wunderkind was adopted from German.
- Wunderkind, in German, is composed of the words Wunder, “wonder,” and Kind, “child.”
- Kind is also in another German loanword, kindergarten, which literally translates as “children’s garden.”
EXAMPLES OF WUNDERKIND
- The music industry was abuzz with talks of a new rising star, a wunderkind whose debut album took the charts by storm.
- The novel was written by a literary wunderkind who crafted captivating stories at a remarkably young age.
gauche
adjective
lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; tactless.
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Why Dictionary.com chose gauche
More about gauche
- Gauche entered English around 1745–55.
- Gauche comes from the French word meaning “awkward.”
- Gauche in French, is a derivative of the verb gauchir, “to turn, veer,” which has Germanic origins.
EXAMPLES OF GAUCHE
- Trying to fit in with his well-mannered colleagues, he couldn’t help but feel gauche in their refined presence.
- Despite her best efforts, her gauche attempt at small talk only made the conversation more awkward.
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Why Dictionary.com chose armillary
More about armillary
- Armillary was first recorded around 1655–65.
- Armillary comes from the Latin word armill(a), “bracelet, hoop,” which is typically worn on the arm.
- The Latin word armill(a) was formed from the Latin word arm(us), meaning “shoulder,” and the diminutive suffix –illa.
- Armillary is most often used in the term armillary sphere, “an ancient instrument consisting of an arrangement of rings used to show the relative positions of the celestial equator, ecliptic, and other circles on the celestial sphere.”
EXAMPLES OF ARMILLARY
- As I studied the antique armillary sundial, I marveled at the elegant combination of delicate rings that allowed for precise timekeeping.
- The museum displayed a stunning armillary globe, its metal rings forming a three-dimensional representation of the celestial sphere.
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