Chanteuse is a noun that refers to a female singer, especially in a nightclub.
The French word for ‘sing’ is chanter (SHAWN tay). Our word of the day has been used by English speakers since roughly the mid-20th century. Here’s an example:

That chanteuse at the downtown jazz club is one great vocalist. The last time I heard a singer that gifted, she became a star.

Pleroma is a noun that refers to a state of perfect fullness. 

Coming directly from the Greek word that translates into ‘that which fills,’ pleroma has been with us since the mid-18th century. It may be used in a religious context or in a more secular sense, for example:

That glass of lemonade wasn’t just good. It was perfection itself. I would even go so far as to say it helped me reach a state of pleroma. 

Caliban is a noun that refers to a man having a savage, beastly nature. 

Derived from a character of the same name in the Shakespeare play ‘The Tempest,’ known for his rebellious and volatile nature, Caliban is often used to describe individuals of such a temperament. Example:

That Caliban behind the counter at the hot dog stand refused to give me extra mustard unless I paid an additional dollar. If I wanted that kind of hostility during a meal, I’d eat dinner at home. 

Calenture is a noun that refers to a fever or illness brought on by heat. 

The Latin word calere means ‘be warm.’ By the late 16th century, our word of the day had begun being employed to describe a fever often caught by sailors in the tropics. More recently, it’s been used to describe any kind of feverish delirium caused by heated temperatures. Example:

After one week, the Bahamas, I found myself suffering from calenture. I was so delirious I nearly passed up a fried fish sandwich — something I would never do in my right mind.

Fastidious is an adjective that means very attentive and concerned about accuracy. 

Coming from the Middle English period, our word of the day gets its origin from the Latin word fastidiosus (foss tee dee OH soose) which initially meant ‘disagreeable.’ By the late 17th century, the word shifted into fastidious and took on its current meaning. Here it is in use:

I can be pretty fastidious when it comes to doing my job as the local baseball team’s scorekeeper. If I wasn’t extremely careful and attentive to it, we could award a victory to the wrong team. 

Nomenclature is a noun that refers to the devising or choosing of names for things. 

Our word of the day comes from two Latin words. ‘nomen’ (KNOW men) which means ‘name,’ and clatura (claw TOUR ah) meaning ‘to call.’ Nomenclature has been used since the early 17th century to refer to the act of choosing a name. 

Cindy’s Nomenclature when it comes to naming her menagerie of pets can get pretty silly. She’s used up so many names for her cats that she’s started to name a few cats after some of her dogs. 

Twee is an adjective that means ‘excessively quaint or dainty. 

Our word of the day’s origin is from a child’s pronunciation of the word ‘sweet.’ It’s been used since the early 20th century to describe things that are a little too adorable. Here’s an example:

I know everybody’s crazy about that new show on Netflix, but I find it a little bit twee for my tastes. If it got any more full of sweetness, it would induce its viewers into diabetic shock.

Sitzkrieg is a noun that refers to a war or phase of war in which there is little or no active warfare. 

Our word of the day was based on the German-based word blitzkrieg. It was first coined to describe an intense bombing during World War Two and has since been used to describe any intense bombing intended to bring about a swift victory. But while blitzkrieg meant ‘lighting war,’ sitzkrieg means ‘sitting war.’ Here’s an example of sitzkrieg in use:

After a week of heavy bombing, the sitzkrieg that took place in April was considerably less intense. Sadly, this period without active warfare didn’t last.

Transmarine is an adjective that means passing over or crossing the sea. 

The Latin prefix TRANS means ‘across.’ We see it in words like ‘transatlantic’ or ‘transfer.’ Marine comes from the Latin word for ‘of the sea.’ It’s often used to describe sea animals, for example:

Those transmarine turtles sure do travel fast. It only takes them a few hours to reach the other side of the Lake we fish on. 

Temerarious is an adjective that means ‘reckless or rash.’

Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin word for ‘rashly.’ It’s been around since the mid-16th century. Here’s an example of it in use:

As a kid, my temerarious behavior was a problem from time to time. Throwing a tantrum because you didn’t get what you wanted was, in my house, the best way to get grounded for a week.