Doyen is a noun that refers to ‘the most respected member of a particular field.’

The Latin word decanus (day CON oos) refers to ‘the chief of a group of ten.’ The word was later imported into French and eventually English when it dropped the association with the number ten and came to refer simply to ‘a chief or leader.’ It is related to the word ‘dean,’ as in the head of a college or university.

My uncle was a doyen in the bowling community. He was so respected that they had his elbow pads bronzed last week.

Inanition is a noun that refers to ‘exhaustion or a lack of enthusiasm.’

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word Inanis (ee NON ees) which means ‘empty’ or ‘void.’ When a person suffers from inanition, they are lacking in vigor or stamina.

It wasn’t easy to get work done in a state of inanition. Having no energy all day long has a way of slowing things down considerably.

Doddle is a noun that refers to ‘a very easy task.’

The origin or our word of the day is unknown, but we can say with some certainty that it crept into English around the 1930s and is an informal word to describe an easy thing to do.

When a rookie comes into the department, we usually start them off with a doddle to help them build their confidence. Giving them an easy task is a good way to keep them from getting too intimidated.

Venerate is a verb that means ‘to revere or hold in high regard.’

The Latin word venerari (ven air ARE ay) means ’to adore or revere.’ When venerari drifted into the English language in the early 17th century and became venerate, it retained its same basic meaning. An example of its use: Those in the popsicle industry have come to venerate my grandfather over the years — and for good reason. It make sense that they would hold the man who pioneered the use of a wooden stick at the end in such high regard.

Picaresque is an adjective that means ‘related to the adventures of a rogue.’ The word can also be used as a noun to refer to ‘a book or movie that features the adventures of a rogue.’

The Spanish word picaro means ‘rogue.’ Our word of the day is a style of fiction or film that tells the adventures of a roguish character, meaning someone who is rough and dishonest but appealing. The term and the style of literature became popular in the early 19th century.

Example: I enjoy many picaresque novels, but sometimes it’s nice to read about someone you actually admire. The adventures of a lovable rogue don’t give you someone whose behavior you want to emulate.

Vinous is an adjective that means ‘related to or fond of wine.’

The Latin word vinum (VEE noom) refers to ‘wine.’ If something is vinous, it resembles or is, in some sense, related to wine. For example: The vinous smell the restaurant made me thirsty right away. I had a feeling I’d be sipping wine all night long.

Sensei is a noun that refers to ‘a teacher.’

Our word of the day comes directly from Japanese. It began as a combination of the Japanese words for ‘previous’ and ‘birth.’ It is frequently used to refer to a teacher in martial arts.

My Taewando instructor has been pleased with my progress so far. My previous sensei got a little frustrated by my tendency to accidentally kick myself in the nose all the time.

Evert is a verb that means ‘to turn inside out.’

The Latin word evertere (EV er tear ay) provides the origin of our word of the day. It means to ‘upset’ or ‘overthrow.’ By the 18th century, the word had been imported into English and had its meaning shift. More recently, when we evert something, we turn it inside out.

Chuck had nothing at all to donate to the charity when they came asking last Thursday. To demonstrate how broke he was he even went so far as to evert his pockets, showing that they were empty.

Pyrrhic is an adjective that means ‘achieved at an excessive cost.’

The origin of the word pyrrhic comes Pyrrhus (PIER hoos) from an Ancient king of a region of Greece called Epirus. This king’s army defeated the Romans in a key battle in 279 BC, but sustained heavy losses. Our word of the day alludes to this.

My daughter’s win at the spelling bee may have been a pyrrhic victory. She won the contest, but lost a few friends out of envy.

Aphasia is a noun that refers to ‘a loss of the ability to speak.’

Our word of the day comes from the Greek word ahpatos (AH fah tose) which means ‘speechless.’ It entered the English language in the mid 19th century.

Aphasia is often used as a term for a medical diagnosis, but it may also be used more informally. For example: Meeting my favorite comedian was such an unnerving experience, I couldn’t put any coherent words together. That kind of aphasia has never happened to me before.