Rotiform is an adjective that means wheel-shaped. 

The Latin word rota (ROE tuh) means ‘wheel.’ The addition of the suffix I-F-O-R-M gets us a word that means ‘shaped like a wheel.’ Here’s an example:

All those rotiform objects in that boring art museum sent my mind elsewhere. It reminded me of the car and how I wished I could just leave the museum and drive away. 

Aesculapian is an adjective that means relating to medicine or physicians. 

Our word of the day gets its origin from Aesculapius, the Roman god of medicine. The word entered English in the late 16th century. Here’s an example:

Shelly has been working as a nurse for nearly a year and her vocabulary has been peppered with all kinds of aesculapian terminology. She can barely tell me to wash my hands without using medical jargon that makes my head explode. 

Golem is a noun that refers to a mythical artificial being brought to life. 

Our word of the day comes directly from the Yiddish word for ‘a shapeless mass.’ In Jewish legend, a golem is a clay figure brought to life by magic. The word can also be used in reference to a robot. Here’s an example of golem in use:

On those rare occasions at the office when Dominick leaves his desk, people gawk at him like he’s a golem magically animated. Magic is the only way to explain why he would ever move.

Fructify is a verb that means to make fruitful or productive. 

The Latin word fructus (FROOK toos) means fruit in the sense of ‘the result or reward of work or activity.’ In other words, when we fructify something, we make it fruitful. Here’s an example of our word of the day in use:

I was hoping to fructify all the excess milk in my refrigerator by using it to make ice cream. But in the end, the only thing I was making productive was the mop I had to use to clean up all that mess.

Calembour is a noun that refers to a play on words. 

The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but you could think of it as a synonym of pun. Here’s an example of calembour in use:

I was hoping I could break the ice at the job interview with a calembour or two. I mean, who doesn’t like a good pun every now and then. Apparently, the guy interviewing me didn’t like them. My pun-manship didn’t get a single snicker out of him. 

Elysium is a noun that refers to a place or state of perfect happiness.

Our word of the day has its origin in a Greek word that means ‘Land of the blessed.’ Elysium is often used as an actual location in Greek mythology, but it may also be used as synonym of paradise. Example:

Working in a candy store, my daughter was practically in Elysium for eight hours a day. Of course, the hours she spent with a sour stomach after eating all that free candy was a little short of paradise.

Helot is a noun that refers to a serf or a servant. 

Ancient Greek Region of Helos was known for the subjugation of its people. Soon, our word of the day became a synonym of slave or servant. Here’s an example of it in use:

Chris may be known for treating his assistant like a helot, but I will say this for him: his assistant Jimmy may not have had much freedom, but he was a lot better paid than most. 

Capuan is an adjective that means luxurious. 

Our word of the day is a toponym, meaning it is a word that takes its origin from a place. In this instance, the place was an ancient Italian city named Capua which was known as a place of great opulence and luxury. 

Capuan emigrated from this city and arrived in the English language in the 16th century. Here’s an example of it in use:

When it comes to capuan eateries, my favorite would have to be the one on 17th and Broadway. it’s so fancy, even the doggie bags are plated with gold.

Aliquot is a noun that refers to a portion of a larger whole, especially a sample taken for analysis. 

Our word of the day has its origin in the Latin words alus (AH loose) meaning ‘one of two’ and quot (KO) meaning ‘how many.’ Often used in science, aliqot has been a part of the English language since the late 16th century. Example:

After examining the aliquot closely, Dr. Himmelman deduced that the swamp water wasn’t toxic. It’s amazing to me that they can make such a determination about the entire lake from a tiny sample.

Solemnize is a verb that means to mark with a ceremony. 

The Latin word sollsemnis (suh LEM nis) means ‘customary.’ From this we get a word that refers to rituals performed at ceremonies. Solemnize has been with us since the Middle English period. Here’s an example of it in use:

After twenty years with the company, you’d think upper management would want to solemnize Eric’s service with some kind of dinner. But instead of a fancy ceremony, they just gave the poor guy a free cheeseburger and a coupon for a car wash.