Remuneration is a noun that means payment for a service or work. 

Our word of the day takes root in the Latin word remunera (ray MOON ay ruh) which means reward. Remuneration can mean the same as ‘payment,’ but its a broader word, that can refer to something other than money, for example: It felt great to take a dip in Aunt Shelly’s swimming pool after mowing her lawn. It was wonderful remuneration for a few hours of hard work. 

Nexus is a noun that means a connection or link between two things. 

Our word of the day comes directly from Latin. Its pronunciation has changed over the years from NECK soos to NECK sis, but its meaning is the same. It refers to something that links two things, for example: My old high school was a helpful nexus to many close friends.  Without old St. Augustine High, I would have never been connected with great people like Nick, Erin and Smitty.

Melee is a noun that means a confused fight or struggle. 

Melee comes from the Latin word misceo (mish AY oh) which means a mix or a blend or various elements. You can think of a melee as an awkward mix of people engaged in a struggle or fight. 

What started as an ordinary line in front of the retail store soon turned into a melee. The store owners admitted it may have been a mistake to announce a half-price off sale with such a large crowd waiting. 

Jaunty is an adjective that means having a lively and self-confident manner. 

The French word gentil (ZHAN tee) means kind. From there we get jaunty whose meaning has shifted over the years to mean lively and a little cocky. 

Arnold’s jaunty demeanor can often put people off. He’s often regarded as cocky. 

Carceral is an adjective that means related to prison. 

Our word of the day may remind you of incarcerate — and for good reason. They both came from the Latin word Carcer (CAR cheh) which means jail or prison. Carceral is a broad term that means anything related to prison. 

Our theatre troupe made seventeen performances last year. But that’s not including the carceral performances we made to entertain inmates. 

Peripeteia (PAIR uh puh tay uh)  is a noun that refers to a sudden reversal of fortune. 

Our word of the day comes directly from the Greeks. It’s derived from the words that mean ‘around’ and ‘fall.’ The Greeks used it often in tragedy, which would feature a mighty figure seeing his or her fortune disappear, but the word may be used in more lightweight circumstances too:

After find a winning night at poker, Bradley found a peripeteia the next day. He woke up and discovered he’d been robbed. 

Mettlesome is an adjective that means full of vigor and stamina. 

The root of our word of the day is mettle M-E-T-T-L-E.  a 16th century, variation of metal — M-E-T-A-L, that means the same thing, but used in a more figurative sense. For example, a soldier’s mettle — with two Ts — refers to his courage and stamina. 

At first I worried about how our team would face adversity. But I soon discovered that we were a mettlesome bunch.

Refection is a noun that means refreshment by food or drink. 

Our word of the day began as the Latin word for ‘renew.’ Reficiere (REF ee chee air ay) that over time evolved into refection. I had a quick burger after work. It wasn’t a full meal, but it was enough to give me the refection I needed after a rough day. 

Roborant is an adjective that means having a strengthening or restorative effect. 

The latin word roboros (ro BORE ohs) means “I strengthen.” Its distant offspring roborant, refers to anything that has a strengthening effect. I took a really roborant nap this afternoon. When I woke up, I had enough energy to conquer my workload. 

Pugnacious is an adjective that means likely to fight or quarrel. 

Pugno (POON yo) is the Latin word for ‘fight.’ It’s where we get words like pugilist, impugn and of course, our word of the day pugnacious. 

Martha can be a bit pugnacious when she doesn’t get her way. We were afraid of how she would react when we didn’t give her a pony for her birthday.

Pugnacious is spelled P-U-G-N-A-C-I-O-U-S.