Autumnal is an adjective that means ‘characteristic of autumn. 

The word autumn comes from Latin and has always meant ‘the fall,’ as in the season that follows summer. Our word of the day ads and N-A-L to give us an adjective to describe anything related to this season. Here’s an example:

Football has always been my favorite autumnal activity. As soon as those leaves hit the ground, I’m ready to hear somebody’s ankle snap on the field.

Favonian is an adjective that means ‘related to the west wind’ or ‘mild wind.’

Coming from Roman mythology, our word of the day gets its origin from Favonius (fay VONE ee us), the Roman personification of the west wind. It breezed into English in the late 16th century and came to refer to a gentle gust of wind. Here’s an example:

My daughter’s flute playing has a gentle favonian quality. It hits my ears like a gentle breeze.

Terricolous is an adjective that means ‘living in or on the ground.’

Our word of the day comes from the Latin words ‘terra,’ (TEAR uh) meaning ‘land’ or ‘the earth,’ and colore (coe LOW air) which means ‘to inhabit.’ It’s often used to describe various animals that live underground.

My favorite part about fishing is digging for worms. I’ve always been fascinated by the creepy little terricolous creatures I’d encounter when plowing into the earth.

Gerund is a noun that refers to a verb that functions as a noun. 

Our word of the day has its origin in 16th century Latin and is derived from the word ‘gerere’ (jer AIR ay) which means ‘do.’ Gerunds typically end in I-N-G. Here’s an example:

The hardest part about teaching my friend Tanja about English was helping her understand how to use a gerund. She struggled with understanding how ‘swim’ was a verb, but ‘swimming’ could be a noun.

Clowder is a noun that refers to a group of cats. 

Coming from a Middle English word for ‘a mass’ or ‘a rock,’ our word of the day is used in the same way the word ‘pack’ is used to describe a gathering of wolves. Here’s an example of clowder in use:

That large clowder of cats outside made me a little uneasy at first, but there’s something about cats that just melt my heart even when they’re feral and trying to nip at your ankles. 

Prelusive is an adjective that means ‘introductory.’ 

The prefix P-R-E means before. If something is preslusive. If something is prelulusive it relates to a prelude or an introduction.

Here’s an example of prelusive in use:

The mayor’s prelusive statements suggested he’d be answering questions related to his current scandal. But his early remarks were the only time he addressed his recent troubles. Instead, he spent the hour extolling those in attendance to get out and vote for him in the next election. 

Daphnean is an adjective that means shy or bashful. 

Taking its name from a beautiful but demure muse, Daphnean has been around since the Late Middle English period to describe anyone who embodies the qualities of this mythical figure. Example:

That librarian was awfully Daphnean when I first met her. She was so shy and retiring that after knowing her for three weeks, I still don’t know her name. 

Postcenal is an adjective that means ‘occurring after dinner.’ 

The prefix P-O-S-T means ‘after,’ while the Latin word for dinner is cena (KEN uh). Together we get our word of the day which refers to activities taking place after dinner. Here’s an example of postcenal in use:

The postcenal political arguments at our dinner table could get pretty heated. It’s probably just as well that we saved those talks until after dinner. That way, people could get up and leave without missing a meal.  

Chirk is a verb that means to make cheerful or lively.

Precariat is a noun that refers to someone whose employment and income are considered unstable. 

Our word of the day came around in the 1980s as a blend of the words ‘precarious,’ meaning ‘insecure’ or ‘likely to collapse’ and ‘proletariate’ meaning ‘a member of the working class.’ As with proletariat, our word of the day is often used to describe the precariat collectively. Here’s an example:

Back in my days as a waiter in a greasy spoon diner, it was often tough to watch those wealthy businessmen come in wearing expensive tailored suits while those of us in the precariat weren’t sure if we’d have a job the next week.