Trouvaille is a noun that means a lucky find.

Our word of the day comes to us directly from the French word trouver (true VAY) meaning ‘find.’ But a trouvaille is lucky, which in some cases means something found that wasn’t being looked for.

The old book I found at the yard sale turned out to be quite a trouvaille. I later discovered it was worth thousands of dollars.

Eleemosynary is an adjective that means related to charity.

The Greek word eleimosýni (el lee Moe SEE nee) means alms or charity. From there we get our word of the day which may refer to charity in a neutral sense or it may mean ‘dependent on charity.’

The church’s eleemosynary work is usually taken care of during the summer. There’s something about that warm weather that puts people in a charitable mood.

Mien is a noun that means a person's appearance or manner.

Mien originated in Middle French, where it meant “appearance” or “facial expression.” As the word shifted to modern English, its spelling changed a little, but its definition is roughly the same. A person’s mien is basically a reference to their manner — physically and otherwise.

I could somehow tell that Andrew wasn’t guilty of the crimes he was accused of. There was something in his mien that suggested a man to innocent to have committed fraud.

Effigy is a noun that refers to a sculpture or a model of a person.

Our word of the day began with the Latin effingere (EFF in jare ay) meaning ‘to shape.’ In time effigy came to refer something being shaped, namely a sculpture designed to resemble something else.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the statue, it just doesn’t resemble the General as it was intended to. It’s lovely, but as an effigy, it has failed.

Cachet is a noun that means prestige or the state of being respected or admired.

The Latin word for ‘constrain’  or ‘press’ is (co act TEAR ay). As our word of the day evolved through French it came to refer to a ‘stamp’ or ‘seal’ — as in a stamp or seal of approval.

My big sale on Monday earned me lots of cachet in the office. From that point on, I had the respect and admiration of all the senior salesmen.

Harlequin is an adjective that means of varied colors.

Based on an obsolete French word, harlequin got its name from the leader of a legendary troop of demon horsemen. Soon it became a name used for a character in traditional pantomime. A harlequin was usually masked and dressed in a diamond-patterned costume. Its flamboyant, colorful costume gave birth to the word harlequin as an adjective that means ‘in varied colors.’

My daughter loves to decorate things wildly and flamboyant. So when I tasked her with painting the doghouse, she came up with a lovely, harlequin scheme.

Ensconce is a verb that means to establish or settle something in a comfortable place.

The Latin word for hide is abscondere (ab SKON dere ay), but our word of the day isn’t strictly a synonym of hide. When someone or something is ensconced in a comfortable place, it is not necessarily done in secret.

I enjoyed my job at the recording studio. I felt that for the first time in my life, I was making a living while ensconced in a comfortable place.

Miasma is a noun that means an unpleasant smell or vapor.

Our word of the day has been around since the Mid-17th century, but its roots go back to the Greeks. Defilement in Greek is mólynsi moe EES ee). Keep in mind that while miasma means unpleasant smell, it usually represents more than just your ordinary bad smell.

The miasma coming from the dumpster outside was a clue that there were dangerous chemicals around. The smells Mr. Brooks discerned were far more toxic than the typical dumpster scents.

Abditory is a noun that refers to a hiding place.

The Latin word abdit refers to a storage room. An abditory, more specifically refers to a place for hiding things.

When I told Scott about the room in the back, I had no idea he would use it as an abditory. But you wouldn’t believe the things I found in there.

Afflated is an adjective that means inspired, especially by spiritual or divine means.

Our word of the day’s earliest record use is from 19th century poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The word afflate — meaning ‘blow up’ as in something done to a balloon — had already been in use, but in Barrett’s hands, the word took on a new spiritual meaning.

I love gospel music. After spending a few hours listening to that divinely inspired music, I feel alllated by a higher power.