Galvanic is an adjective that means sudden and dramatic.

An 18th century Italian physicist Luigi Galvini made a number of key discoveries in the field of biolelectricity. The French word gavanique (gal van EEK) was first coined in his honor. It may help to think of a galvanic experience as sudden like a charge of electricity. 

I was stunned by Tyler’s announcement that we had won first prize. The news hit my like an electrical shock.

Rigmarole is a noun that means a lengthy or complicated process. 

In the Mid 18th century, a document that contained a list of offenses was referred to as a ragman’s role. In time, this evolved into our word of the day that has evolved into having a broader meaning.

I can’t believe how long it took to have my name legally changed. The rigmarole I went through was endless.

Orbicular is an adjective that means having a rounded shape.

The Latin word orbiculus (OR bee coo loose) translates roughly to ‘ball.’ And its descendant, our word of the day may refer to anything rounded in shape. Orbicular is often used by geologists to refer to rocks that are spherical in shape, but the word may be used in more informal contexts. 

As a kid, I always wondered how planets developed their orbicular nature. Now as an astrophysics major, I’m getting closer to an answer. 

Convoke is a verb that means to call together or summon.

Our word of the day combines the prefix C-O-N meaning ‘together’ with the Latin vocare (vo CAR ay) which means ‘call.’Convoke is typically used in a formal sense. A person is more likely to convoke a meeting or a council than, say, a party.

We knew something important was happening when the head of the department convoked an emergency conference. The need to summon those people urgently indicated something dire.

Capacious is an adjective that means roomy or having a lot of space.

Capacious comes from the Latin word capax (cap AXE) which roughly translates to ‘capacity.’ It may help to think of a large room as having a capacity to hold many people or things, so a capacious room would be a room with lots of space. 

I love the capacious kitchen in my new apartment. It’s so nice to have enough space for everything I need to cook.

Gustatory is an adjective that means related to the sense of taste.

The Latin word gustare (goo STAR ay) means ‘to taste’ and it has given us many words related to tasting, including our word of the day. Gustatory is a neutral word that refers to anything involving the sense of taste. 

Whenever I taste seafood, I’m reminding of my childhood in New Orleans. Those gustatory sensations of fried shrimp on French bread immediately take me back to my favorite cafe on bourbon Street.

Pangloss is a noun that refers to a person who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances.

Panglass was a character in an 18th century novel by Voltaire called Candide. The character was known for remaining upbeat and optimistic even when things were going catastrophically wrong. It’s important not to use the word to describe an ordinary optimist, but someone whose optimism has reached foolish levels.

I like Janet, but she can be something of a pangloss. No matter how badly things are going, she always thinks they’ll work out for the best.

Galumph is a verb that means to move in a clumsy way. 

19th century English author Lewis Carrol is best known for the book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, but he’s also widely been credited with adding to the vernacular by combining common words in a humorous way. 

In the sequel to Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland called Through the Looking Glass, he created the word ‘galumph’ by apparently combining Gallup and triumph. The result is our word of the day and although its meaning has shifted a little over the years to mean ‘to move in clumsily,’ it’s still almost never used as flattery.

I can hear Jimmy galumph into the office all the way from my cubicle. That kind of clumsiness is hard to keep quiet.

Raconteur is a noun that refers to a skilled storyteller. 

Raconteur comes directly from the French word raconter (RACK on tay) meaning ‘relate.’ But don’t let the word’s simple origin trick you. A raconteur isn’t just someone who relates a story. They do so in an engaging, entertaining way. 

Some people doubted the veracity of Eddie’s wild stories, but personally, I found him such an extraordinary raconteur that I didn’t care whether his tales were true or not.

Enigmatic is an adjective that means mysterious. 

Enigma comes to us directly from Greece, where it means ‘riddle.’ Comic book fans may recall a character named Ed Nygma, the alter ego of the Batman villain known as The Riddler. Not everyone called enigmatic has such a direct connection to riddles, but the word generally refers to those who are — like a riddle — difficult to figure out. 

Having Eric as a boss can be a challenge. It’s hard to figure out the needs of someone so enigmatic.