Suppliant is an adjective that means ‘making or expressing a plea to someone in power.’ it is also a noun that refers to a person making a humble plea to someone in power. 

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word supplicare (soop lee CAR ay) which means to ‘plea’ or ‘beg.’ Suppliant may refer to a person inclined to be to someone in power or it may describe the person doing the begging. Here’s an example of the latter:

Tommy’s suppliant conversations with his boss got pretty embarrassing after a while. You can only watch a man beg so much before you truly pity him.

Cantrip is a noun that refers to a mischievous or playful act or trick.

The origin of our word of the day is not clear, but we can say with certainty that it’s been around since the late 16th century and it’s used as a synonym for prank. Here’s an example:

I’ve been known to play a cantrip or two on co-workers from time to time. It’s gotten to the point where every time somebody sits down they have to check the seat to make sure they’re not getting victimized by another prank.

Sociometry is a noun that refers to the quantitative study and measurement of relationships within a group of people. 

Stemming from the Latin words socius (SO see oos) meaning ‘companion’ or ‘associate’ and metrum (MET room) meaning ‘measurement,’ our word of the day has been with us since the early 20th century. Here’s an example:

If someone had done a sociometry of our high school football team, they might have been troubled by what they would have found. Some of those guys were so weird their behavior would have puzzled the sociologists of the world. 

Corporeal is an adjective that means ‘consisting of material as opposed to spiritual objects.’

Our word of the day has been around since the late Middle English period. It comes from the Latin word corpus (CORE poos) which means ‘body.’ Here’s an example:

No matter how spiritual a person is, when they find themselves in shark-infested waters, their corporeal concerns tend to take centre stage. Nothing is scarier than having your body attacked by a great white shark. 

Erewhonian is an adjective that means ‘opposed to machinery or technological progress.’

Our word of the day gets its origin from an 1872 speculative fiction novel called ‘Erewhone.’ The title is roughly ‘nowhere’ spelled backwards and the novel is about a fictional utopian society in which technology runs amok. Erewhon could be thought of as a synonym of luddite. 

I’m no erewhon, but I strongly believe we should limit the progress of technology. If we don’t, there’ll be nothing left for humans to mess up in the future.

Hoke is a verb that means ‘to give a false or artificial quality to.’ 

Our word is of an unknown origin. All we know is that it’s been around since the early 20th century — along with its close relative the noun ‘hokum.’ Initially used to describe bad acting or writing, hoke has more recently been used to describe anything that rings false. Here’s an example:

My lawyer warned me not to hoke it up when my case went to trial. He feared that if the jury sensed my injury was fake, I’d have no chance to win the lawsuit

Schematic is an adjective that means symbolic or simplified. 

The root word of our word of the day, scheme, came from the Latin word schema (SKEH ma) and arrived in English in the mid 16th century. It referred to a celestial diagram. In time, its offspring came to refer to a diagram of any kind. Schematic could be thought of as the adverb version of it. It can also be used as a noun that refers to a diagram. Here’s an example:

The schematic Paul showed us was very helpful. It was great to be able to see a diagram of the pool before the crew began building it.

Craic is a noun that refers to an enjoyable social activity, or a good time. 

Our word of the day began as the German word for crack. After it drifted into Old English, it meant ‘to make an explosive noise.’ In time, it took on its current meaning. Here’s an example of it:

The craic at Jeff’s house was the most fun I’ve had in years. His parties always were a blast. 

Sanctum is a noun that refers to a private place from which most people are excluded. 

The Latin word sanctus (SONG toose) means ‘holy.’ Our word of the day emerged in the late 16th century, taking with it a religious connotation. A sanctum is not necessarily holy, but it is often treated as if it were. 

My dad’s study was a sanctum around our house and he treated it like a shrine. No one was allowed to enter except him. 

Quash is a verb that means ‘to put an end to.’

The Latin word cassus (cah SOOSE) means ‘null and void.’ Our word of the day emerged during the middle English period and has since been used as a verb and often in a legal context. Here’s an example:

The lawsuit was quashed when it became clear the plaintiff had no evidence. I’m no lawyer, but even I know that if you have no evidence, you have no case.