Furbelow is a verb that means to adorn with trimmings. 

The French word forbole (for BOWL) refers to a piece of ribbon or fabric that is used for trimming or decoration. It’s been a part of the English language since the late 17th century. Here’s an example:

It seemed odd to me that Annie would furbelow her dress just above the hem like that. But I later learned she used that adornment to hide a coffee stain.

Funicular is an adjective that means hauled by a rope or cable. 

Coming from the mid 17th century, funicular takes its root from the Latin word funis (FOO nis) which means rope. Our word of the day is often used to describe means of transportation that feature rope. Here’s an example:

I love skiing, but I get a little uneasy when riding those chair lifts up the mountain. Something about funicular travel causes me to worry about what might happen if the cable should snap.

Freebooter is a noun that refers to a pirate or adventurer. 

Derived from a word that combines the Dutch word for ‘free’ and ‘booty,’ our word of the day was first used in reference to Dutch privateers who operated in the Caribbean to plunder Spanish ships. In time the word came to refer to anyone in the habit of taking free booty, or goods. Here’s an example:

Those bagels Margie brought into the office looked awfully tasty, but I had to resist. I’m afraid that after my unfortunate habit of chowing down on free food, I’ve gained a reputation as a freebooter. 

Gerontocracy is a noun that refers to a government ruled by the elderly. 

The Greek word geron (Jer ON) means ‘old man,’ while the suffix C-R-A-C-Y — also seen in words like democracy, plutocracy and meritocracy — refers to ‘power’ or ‘rule.’ Gerontocracy has been around since the mid19th century. Here’s an example:

With all those city council members in their sixties and seventies, I’m beginning to think our city is run by a gerontocracy. I have nothing against the elderly, I’m just worried that I’ll have to wait too long before it’s my turn to have any power. 

Gamine is a noun that refers to a girl with a mischievous, boyish charm.

Coming directly from the French word for ‘street urchin.’  gamine was introduced to English speakers in the late 19th century. Gamine can be used as a synonym of ‘tomboy.’ Here’s an example:

My sister always had a boyish charm that got us both into a lot of trouble. Having a gamine for a little sister certainly got me into a lot of playground fights. 

Frangible is an adjective that means easily broken. 

The Latin word frangere (fran JARE ay) means ‘to break.’ The addition of the suffix I-B-L-E gets us to a word to describe something that can be broken. The word fragile is a synonym that also shares this origin. 

I warned the moving guys that some of the items in the boxes were frangible, but that didn’t seem to matter. They just tossed those boxes around without regard for how brittle the contents were.

Flambe is an adjective that means served with flaming liquor. 

Coming directly from the French word for flame, flambe has been used by English speakers since the late 19th century. In addition to being an adjective that describes the way a particular food is cooked, it can also be used as a verb to describe the actual cooking. Here’s an example of the verb version:

Having always been a fan of French cooking, I thought it would be a good idea to flambe something I served for dinner. In retrospect, I probably should have chosen something besides a plate of pancakes to set on fire. 

ic is an adjective that means very dry or having little moisture. 

The Greek word keros (ZEE ros) means dry. This is the basis of our word of the day which has been with us since the early 20th century. Here’s an example of xeric in use:

The xeric conditions didn’t make our vacation much fun. I like warm weather as much as anyone, but it would be nice if we had at least a little rain for the month we were there.

Somatopsychic is an adjective that means related to the body’s effect on the mind. 

The Greek word soma (SOMA) means ‘soul,’ while psyche (SY key) means ‘mind.’ When combined into our word of the day, we get a word that describes how physical health can affect emotional states. Here’s an example of it in use:

At first I thought my upbeat moods were just a result of being a generally energetic person, but after looking into things from a somotopsychic perspective, I’ve come to see that my moods tend to get better after I’ve been working out for a few hours. 

Hornswoggle is a verb that means to cheat or deceive. 

Despite its colorful sound, our word of the day’s origin is unknown. We do know however that it’s been around since the early 19th century and it’s not a thing anyone would want to be accused of. 

I can’t believe I trusted Terry enough to buy a car from him. I knew he'd be guilty of cheating other customers, but I never thought he’d hornswoggle me — a guy he’d known since the sixth grade.