Preceptor is a noun that refers to a tutor or instructor. 

The Latin word praeceptor (pry CEP tor) means ‘teacher’ or ‘instructor.’ Joining English in the Late Middle English period, our word of the day is a synonym of teacher but is more likely to be used in a formal, academic context like medical school. For example:

The wisest advice I’ve ever gotten from a teacher came to me in medical school where my preceptor recommended I spend some time to touch up my Latin. After all, I’d never become a doctor if I couldn’t pronounce words like cranium, femur or dorsalis pedis.

Prow is an adjective that means gallant or valiant. 

Coming from the Latin word pro, meaning ‘in front,’ our word of the day has been with us since the mid-16th century as a reference to those brave enough to fight at the front of a boat or ship. Here’s an example:

I tend to think of myself as a fairly prow individual. But when we’re in the woods and I hear the growl of a grizzly bear, I figure that’s the time to let someone else be courageous.

Telekinesis is a noun that refers to the ability to move objects by nonphysical means. 

The word of our word of the day is kinesis (ken EE sis) a Greek word for ‘motion.’ The Greek prefix T-E-L-E means ‘at a distance,’ as we see in words like ‘telescope’ or ‘television.’ When combined, we get a word that refers to moving things at a distance. Example:

It’s times like this I wish I had telekinesis powers. When I’m too tired to get up and carry my bags to the bedroom, the ability to move things without touching them would be a great power to have. 

Tramontane is an adjective that means traveling to or situated on the other side of the mountains. 

The Latin prefix T-R-A means ‘across’ or ‘beyond,’ while the Latin word mons (MONS) means ‘mountain’. If something is located transmontane, it is located ‘across the mountains.’ 

After spending several weeks on the eastern side of the Alps, it never occurred to me how lovely the other side of the mountains were. Once we traveled there, I was stunned by the beauty of the tramontane region.

Morphology is a noun that refers to the study of words and how they form. 

The prefix M-O-R-P-H comes from the Greek word for ‘form.’ In time it came to refer to a change in form. The suffix of our word of the day is O-L-O-G-Y which means ‘the study of.’ So morphology is a study in the forms of words. Example:

I’ve always been fascinated with the way certain words change as they transition from one language to another. In fact, there’s a great book by on morphology that details all these changes in form that many words have undergone. 

Dialectician is a noun that refers to a person who is skilled in philosophical debate. 

Coming from the Greek word for ‘the art of conversation’ or ‘debate,’ dialectic is an English word for discussion that sometimes took on a philosophical meaning. By the mid-16th century, our word of the day came to mean ‘philosophical debate’ in some contexts. A dialectician became the word for someone skilled at it. Here’s an example:

Being married to someone who never loses an argument isn’t always a lot of fun. My wife, the dialectician, has an undefeated record when it comes to engaging in philosophical arguments with me.

Glottologist is a noun that refers to a person who is an expert at language.

The Greek word ‘gotta’ (GLAH TA) means ‘tongue,’ and the suffix O-L-O-G-I-S-T means ‘one who studies.’ You could think of our word of the day as a synonym of ‘linguist.’ Here’s an example:

When I wanted to know the origin of our family name, I consulted a glottologist. When we learned our surname was of French origin, we decided to take a trip to France. Given my love of French food, I’m really glad we took the time to meet with that language expert.

Otaku is a noun that refers to a young person who is obsessed with computers and similar interests to the detriment of their social skills. 

A loan word from Japanese, otaku could be thought of as a synonym of ‘nerd.’ Here’s an example of it in use:

My son looks exactly like the same kind of Otaku as his father. He spends all day in school studying and learning, and all night studying and learning. Just like me, the only social skill he’s developed is talking about mathematic equations.

Nearlywed is a noun that refers to someone who is about to be married. It can also refer to someone who lives with a significant other but has not married. 

Our word of the day could be thought of as a takeoff of ‘newlywed,’ a word that entered English in the early 19th century. It described a person who had recently been married. 

Newarlywed, on the other hand, is a more recent addition to the English language and is almost always used in an informal setting. Here’s an example:

After a few years as a nearlywed, Brian decided to make his union to Angie official. So he proposed marriage. Unfortunately, she turned him down. I guess some people prefer being almost married to being married.

Flammiferous is an adjective that means bright with a flame. 

The Latin word flamma (FLAM uh) means ‘flame.’ A flammiferous object is one that contains flames. Here’s an example:

Whatever the source of that flammigerous object in the distance, we could tell it was seriously on fire. When something that big is ablaze, it’s hard to miss.