Troika is a noun that refers to a group of three united in power or acting in unison.

Our word of the day comes directly from Russian, where it refers to ‘a team of three horses.’ Its English cousin has a broader meaning and refers to any powerful group of three — regardless of species.

I was hoping to form a troika with two of my more powerful co-workers. But as it turns out, I wasn’t considered powerful to join the trio.

Occlude is a verb that means to obstruct or block.

The Latin word claudere (clow ooh DARE ay) means ‘to close off.’ By adding the prefix O — which means ‘in the way,’ we get a word that means ‘to get in the way.’ For example: All that construction on Hemming street has made my life very difficult. How can I possibly enjoy my summer as long as those guys occlude my path to the beach?

Dolor is a noun that refers to anguish or grief.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word dolere (doe LAIR ay) which means ‘to grieve’ or ‘feel pain.’ The basic meaning of dolor has remained much the same after evolving into the English word dolor.

After that big defeat of the Red Sox, I was inconsolable. The dolor from that game has stayed with me for many years.

Sublunary is an adjective that means relegated to Earth or mundane.

Our word of the day combines the Latin word luna (LOON uh) with the prefix S-U-B and the suffix A-R-Y. When combined we get a word that means ‘under the moon’ or ‘related to the terrestrial world.’ Used more metaphorically, it means ‘ordinary.’

When I saw that strange orb in the sky, I thought I was witnessing a UFO. But the incident was actually more sublunary. I had simply seen a weather balloon floating by.

Deciduous is an adjective that means ephemeral or temporary.

Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word cadere (cah DARE ay) which means ‘fall.’ The addition of the prefix D-E gets us to a word that means ‘fall off’ or ‘fall away.’ When something eventually falls off, it is considered temporary.

The success I had in ping pong was deciduous. It was only a matter of time before my skills deteriorated and I simply wasn’t a great player anymore.

Attenuate is a verb that means to weaken or reduce in force.

The Latin word attenuare (ah ten WAAR ay) means ‘to make thin’ or ‘to diminish.’ When we attenuate something, we reduce it, usually in terms of its power.

If it gets any hotter in here, we’ll need to call in the janitor to fix this central heating system. If he can’t attenuate the system’s heating power, I feel like I’ll explode.

Saponaceous is an adjective that means slippery.

The Latin word sapon (SOP on) means ‘soap.’ In time, this word evolved into our word of the day which means ‘soap.’ It may refer literally to something made of soap or, in a more figurative sense, it may mean ‘slippery’ as in ‘elusive.’ For example: When it comes to tracking him down, James can be a bit saponaceous. Just when you think you’ve found him, he eludes you once again.

Congruent is an adjective that means consistent.

Our word of the day comes directly from Latin where it means ‘come together.’ It shares its roots with words like ‘congress’ and ‘congregate.’ When two things come together in unison, they could be considered consistent or congruent.

Abby’s behavior may be weird, but at least her weirdness is congruent with the behavior of everybody else in the band. They all act as if they had lost their minds.

Recidivate is a verb that means to relapse into a previous condition.

The Latin word recidivus rech ay DEEV ose) means ‘recurring’ or ‘falling back.’ Our word of the day is often used in a context that refers to criminal behavior.

My client may have had something of a criminal past, but I can say with complete certainty that after this warning, he won’t recidivate to a life of crime anymore.

Perpetuity is a noun that refers to the state of being eternal.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word perpetuus (PAIR pay toos) which means ‘continual.’ Perpetuity is often, but not exclusively, used in a legal context. For example: Our contract stipulated that I will have the rights to my songs in perpetuity. That’s good news because I want my music to remain mine forever.