Vivify is a verb that means to enliven or bring to life. 

Vivus (VEE voos) the Latin word for life has, appropriately, given life to many common words in English. There’s vivid, vital, vitamin, vivacious and, of course, our word of the day, vivify. It’s usually applied metaphorically to refer to something made to seem alive. 

Mrs. Brailey was such an extraordinary history teacher. I’ve known anyone better at vivifying the past.

Pawky is an adjective that means showing a sardonic wit. 

The word pawk comes from Scottish and Northern English and refers to a trick. A pawky person could be considered snide or sardonic. Those pawkly little barbs of yours may get you laughs in the classroom. But they could also get you sent to the principal’s office. 

Rebarbative is an adjective that means causing annoyance or irritation. 

The Latin word for beard is barba (BAR buh) which may seem like an odd origin for a word that means ‘causing annoyance or irritation,’ until you consider the journey that our word of the day has taken over the years. Rebarbative is derived from the phrase ‘standing beard to beard,’ which means ‘opposing’ or ‘standing against.’ So you may think of rebarbative behavior as behavior that annoys or irritates someone. 

I can’t believe our boss allowed Chuck to get away with such rebarbative behavior. Taking a nap during a staff meeting is the kind of oppositional act that can a person fired at this firm.

Betide is a verb that means to take place. 

Our word of the day comes from Middle English and although its meaning — ‘to happen’ or ‘take place’ — is fairly simple, it’s probably best used in a context that suits its old school origin. The Duke was wary of the upcoming battle. With the fate of his soldiers unclear, he wasn’t sure what would betide. 

Ambrosial is an adjective that means fragrant or pleasant taste.

Our word of the day comes from Greek mythology, where it meant ‘worthy of the gods.’ But it’s just fine to use ambrosial in a more mundane way, such as: the ambrosial scent of my new workplace was a lovely surprise. After all those years of working in sanitation disposal, I wasn’t used to a pleasant-smelling environment.

Amorist is a noun that means someone who writes about love.

Speakers of Spanish and Italian may be familiar with the words amor (ah MORE) and amore (ah MORE ay) that mean ‘love.’ They both have their roots in the Latin word amor (ah MORE). By adding the suffix “I-S-T’ we get a word that refers to someone who specializes in ‘love.’ This may refer broadly to anyone in love or more specifically to someone who writes about love. 

Shelly’s flowery, romantic writing style simply isn’t suited for the genre of military thrillers. She is an amorist at heart.

Asperse is a verb that means to criticize or attack the character of someone. 

The Latin word aspergere (a SPARE ghere ay) means ‘to sprinkle’ or ‘to splatter.’ This may seem like an odd origin for a word that means ‘to attack someone’s character,’ but it may help to think of aspersing someone as splattering criticism on their reputation. For example: As a political commentator, I hesitate to asperse a politician’s reputation based on a single act. I would hate to poison their career without knowing anything about their character.

Ophidian is an adjective that means pertaining to or having the characteristics of a snake.

The Greek word for ‘snake’ is Ophia (OH fee uh) a word that, over the centuries has morphed into our word of the day. Ophidian may be used literally to refer to an actual snake or figuratively to describe someone whose demeanor may remind you of those creepy little reptiles, for example: On the surface, Brad seems like a perfectly upright, honest salesman. But when you get to know him and his sales tactics, his true ophidian nature is revealed. 

Apodictic is an adjective that means clearly established or beyond dispute. 

The Greek word apodeiktikós (ap oh deek TEEK os) means ‘demonstrable.’ You could think of an apodictic fact as something that has been demonstrated to be true. 

After only a few hours of trial, the jury came to see the defendant’s guilt as apodictic. There was simply no doubt that he was the culprit.

Inculcate is a verb that means to instill (an idea). 

The Latin word calco (CAHL ko) means to ‘tread’ or ‘trample upon.’ The word’s meaning has shifted over the years to refer to instilling something in somebody’s head.

Our job as teachers isn’t just to provide information. We must also inculcate a love of education in our students.