Dilettante is a noun that refers to an amateur or someone who dabbles in a particular field.

The Italian word dilettare (dill ay TAR ay) means ‘to delight.’ A dilettante is someone who does a particular thing because they delight in it — not because they are seeking a career in it.

I enjoyed that band I played in during high school, mainly because I was only in it for the enjoyment — not the money. Being a dilettante has its upsides.

Allusive is an adjective that means made by hinting or suggesting.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ludere (LOO dair ay) which means ‘play.’ When we allude to something, we are being playful or hinting about it. An allusive comment is something usually hinted at instead of being stated directly.

When my co-workers made some allusive joke about how we might need less space in the office, I didn’t understand what they meant. I later learned they were alluding to the rumored upcoming layoffs at the company.

Clemency is a noun that refers to leniency or mercy.

The Latin word clementia (klay MEN see uh) means ‘calm’ or ‘mild.’ When someone remains calm when considering punishment, the result is usually mercy in the form of a less severe punishment.

The judge used clemency when sentencing the guilty man. He felt that considering the man’s difficult background, a certain amount of leniency was called for.

Turbid is an adjective that means murky or unclear.

The Latin word turba (TOUR buh) means ‘a crowd.’ When something is turbid, it is thick and muddy like a crowd.

As a kid I often experimented with mixing up all kinds of beverages into my milkshakes, but the results were so turbid, I didn’t dare take a drink. I was no doctor, but I knew anything that murky and unclear had no business in my belly.

Ocular is an adjective that means visual or related to the eye.

The Latin word oculus (OH coo loose) means ‘eye.’ The word may refer to vision as in: Seeing that documentary provided ocular proof to me that a career in sports journalism was possible.

But ocular may also mean ‘related to the eye’ in a way that doesn’t pertain to vision, as in: The patient suffered from ocular pain for weeks before getting treatment on his eyes

Approbation is a noun that refers to approval or praise.

The Latin word probus (PRO boose) means ‘good.’ You could think of something that has gotten approbation as something that has been deemed good.

After all the bad reviews I received for my first novel, it felt wonderful to get so much approbation for my second. Finally, the critics have approved of my writing.

Redound is a verb that means to contribute greatly to.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word redundare (ree done DAR ay) which means, ‘to overflow.’ This word later evolved into redound which is used to mean ‘to lead to’ or ‘contribute to.’

My daughter was frustrated by the ‘b’ she got on her science project, but I’m convinced that her hard work ethic will redound to her success.

Disquietude is a noun that refers to a state of anxiety.

The root word of disquietude is ‘quiet,’ a word of Latin origin that means ‘silent’ or ‘calm.’ When we disquiet a person or place, we disturb the peace and create uneasiness or disquietude.

I noticed a disquietude when I entered the office that morning. I didn’t know what had caused such anxiety, but I had a feeling the day wouldn’t be pleasant.

Synergy is a noun that refers to the interaction of more than one agent.

Our word of the day’s origin is from the Greek word sunergos (SUN er gose) which means ‘working together.’ The word is used to refer to cases when the sum of different people working together creates something greater than their separate effects. For example: Our first two albums were lots of fun, but our third album is when the synergy between us had peaked. With that album, all our combined worked created a masterpiece.

Furtive is an adjective that means attempting to avoid notice or attention.

The Latin word furtum (FOOR tomb) means theft. Our word of the day began with this meaning and, over time, evolved into its present meaning of ‘secretive’ or ‘hidden.’ Furtive can sometimes be used to convey a sense of guilty nervousness, as in: My diet prevents me from having anything loaded with sugar. But it didn’t stop me from taking many furtive glances at those cupcakes at the annual banquet last Monday.