Synesthesia is a noun that refers to a condition where one sense is replaced by another.

The Latin prefix S-Y-N means ‘with.’ While the rest of the word comes from the Greek word ‘asthesis’ (EYE es tha tease) which refers to ‘sensation.’ When someone has synesthesia they often replace one kind of sensation with another. This sometimes means they see certain colors when they hear certain words.

An example of its use is: Having synesthesia has definitely made my world more colorful. Listening to that sermon last Sunday created a rainbow in my mind.

Facticity is a noun that refers to the quality or being a fact.

Our word of the day simply comes from the word ‘fact’ and adds the sufix ‘I-C-I-T-Y.’ Together, they refer to the condition of being a fact. Example: Our team’s defeat may have been hard to accept, but we had to accept it. The facticity of the loss was something we simply had to deal with.

Consilience is a noun that refers to the overlap between different fields of study.

Our word of the day combines the Latin prefix C-O-N, meaning ‘together,’ and ‘silient,’ (SEE lee ant) meaning ‘to leap.’ Together they get a word that refers to ‘leaping’ or working together.

This book would not have been possible without the consilience of the science department and the art department. There’s no other way to understand the science of Renaissance sculpture without combining the efforts of these disciplines.

Megapolis is a noun that refers to a very large, heavy populated area.

Our word of the day comes from Greek words for ‘very large’ and ‘city.’ In fact, in Ancient Greece there was a city named megalopolis, a word that survives today and is another way of saying megapolis.

Either word may be used to describe a large city or a group of cities that when added together becomes very large.

Example: I had no idea how much of a megapolis the area had become. The population had grown to the point of now having four major sports teams.

Implacable is an adjective that means unstoppable or relentless.

The origin of our word of the day is the Latin word placare (pla CAR ay) which means ‘to calm’ or ‘to soothe.’ The prefix I-M is used to indicate ‘not’ or in this case, ‘cannot be.’ Something that cannot be calmed or soothed is implacable.

For example: Our team’s implacable spirit may have been the reason we won the championship. We may not have had much talent, but we compensated with our relentless drive.

Muliebrity is a noun that refers to womanly qualities.

The Latin word MOOL lee air) means ‘woman.’ It’s the origin of our word of the day which has been around since the late 16th century and although it is less commonly used today, it can be spotted in literary or poetic works or conversations.

For example: Nancy is the epitome of muliebrity. She has a sense of grace that lightens up any room.

Equipollent is an adjective that means equal in power and effect.

The Latin word pollere (poe LARE ay) means ‘to be strong.’ Our word of the day combines that with the prefix E-Q-U-I, which means ‘equally.’ When things or people are equipollent, they are equal in power. For example: The nations engaged in trade were not exactly equipollent. One was a third world country in desperate need of food. And the other was a wealthy empire.

Ordonnance is a noun that refers to the systematic arrangement of parts.

Our word of the day came from French, where it was basically a synonym of words like ‘configuration’ or ‘arrangement.’ An example of its use is: The ordonnance of the chapters in that book really confused me. It seemed like an odd way to arrange the story if you want it to make any sense.

Salvo is a noun that refers to a sudden, aggressive act or series of acts.

The Latin word salve (SOLVE ay) translates into ‘good health,’ but it was mainly used as a greeting — much like the Italian word salute (sah LOOT ay). Because the discharge of a gun became a way of saluting, salvo came to refer to a shot.

Today a salvo is most commonly used to refer to a metaphorical ‘shot’ someone takes, for example: When Daniela insulted the bell-bottomed jeans I was wearing, I understood this as a salvo. She wasn’t just critiquing my clothes, she was suggesting I was behind the times.

Balkanize is a verb that means to break into smaller regions.

The origin of our word of the day comes from the Turkish word ‘Balkan,’ which means ‘mountain.’ It came to refer to a region in Southeastern Europe that includes Albania, Greece, Romania and the European portion or Turkey.

The decline of the Ottoman Empire of the 18th century led to a series of revolts that fractured the region into instability.

Balkanize soon became a word that described a region or group being divided and weakened in some way. For example: I hope no one attempts to Balkanize the nations of that region. Breaking them up and creating division would foster sheer chaos.