Copper-bottomed is an adjective that means reliable.

Our word of the day combines two common English words ‘copper’ and ‘bottomed.’ In a literal sense it simply refers to something that is coated with copper — a very firm metal — on the bottom. But in a more metaphorical sense it refers to something that is solid like Copper and that comes with a guarantee.

I was told I had just purchased a copper-bottomed stock. As guaranteed, the stock shot up shortly after my buying it.

Senectitude is a noun that refers to old age.

Our word of the day is an appropriately old word. The Latin word senectus (SEN eck toos) means old age.

As my parents near their senectitude, we are contemplating the best way to take care of them. These are the kinds of decisions that must be made for the elderly.

Satisfice is a verb that means to accept an available option as satisfactory.

Our word of the day is a blend of satisfy and suffice, two English words of Latin origin.Understanding satisfice as a mix of these words may help understand its best use.

I told my kids never to safistice with their education. They should always press to learn way more than the bare minimum.

Superlunary is an adjective that means beyond the moon.

From the Latin Luna (LOO nah) we get moon. And from the Latin super (SOO pair) we get ‘above’ or ‘beyond.’

As a kid, I wondered if we’d ever put an astronaut any place beyond the moon. Today superlunary space travel is very much within reach.

Argot is a noun that refers to the jargon or slang of a particular group.

Borrowed from the French in the mid 19th century, our word of the day refers to the ‘language’ of a particular group. But don’t be misled by the term ‘language.’ German is not an argot, but cyberspeak is.

Ed tends to get confused by the argot his grandkids use. When he heard that Tommy’s house was ‘lit,’ he called the fire department.

Nisus is a noun that refers to a mental or physical effort to attain an end.

Nisus comes directly from the Latin (NEEZ zoos) where its pronunciation may differ a little from its English   descendant, but its meaning has remained roughly the same. A nisus is an effort, but more specifically, it one to reach a particular goal.

No matter what nisus he employed, Larry simply couldn’t finish the race. It bothered him to fall short of his goal in spite of his best efforts.

Evince is a verb that means to display.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vincere (VEEN chair ay) which means ‘conquer’ or ‘win.’

But before you get carried away, keep in mind that the victories evince indicates take place not on a battlefield, but in the realm of a conversation or perhaps a legal trial. A person may ‘win’ a dispute when information is evinced.

When those cookies went missing, we weren’t sure who the culprit was. But the smell of chocolate chip on our little puppy’s breath evinced his guilt.

Fulgurant is an adjective that means flashing like lighting.

The Latin fulgur (FOOL goor)  means ‘lightning.’ Our word of the day is usually used metaphorically to refer to a powerful brilliant flash — but not necessarily to refer to actual lightning.

The coach’s words struck me with fulgurant force. Those five words — ‘you’re cut from the team’ — didn’t take long to say, but their powerful impact wounded me deeply.

Edenic is an adjective that means Like a paradise.

Coming from Hebrew, our word of the day has its origin in the Biblical Garden of Eden, a place of great happiness and unspoiled paradise. Our word of the day may describe something that refers specifically to the Garden of Eden, or more broadly, to anything that resembles paradise.

I found that beach property to be edenic. Everything about it was perfect in every way.

Sinewy is an adjective that means tough or forceful.

In anatomy, a sinew is a piece of tough fibrous tissue uniting muscle to bone or bone to bone. When used figuratively, sinewy may simply mean ‘lean’ or ‘spare’ as in the novelist’s writing wasn’t littered with unnecessary words. When done well, hat type of sinewy prose can captivate a reader.