Nesh is an adjective that means soft and tender. 

Our word of the day comes from Old English and has been around for several centuries. In addition to being an adjective, it can also be used as a verb that means to act timidly. Here’s an example of the adjective version:

If there’s one thing I love it’s having a nice, nesh cookie for dessert. Taking a big bite into something soft and tender is a perfect way to punctuate a perfect meal. 

Bevel is a verb that means to change to a sloped angle. 

Coming from the Old English word for ‘open mouthed’ bevel has been with us since the late 16th century. It’s often used in carpentry, as a noun to refer to a sloped angle or a tool to create such angles. Here’s an example:

Rex has a tendency to get sloppy when trying to make angles by hand, so that’s why he uses a bevel. He feels it’s better to get the job done right than try to show off and have the result look bad.

Desipience is a noun that refers to silliness. 

The Latin word sapere (suh PAIR ay) means ‘to be wise.’ By adding the prefix D-E for ‘away from,’ we get a word for behavior that is far away from being wise. Here’s an example:

It’s embarrassing to consider how much of my youth I wasted on various forms of despience. Being a full-time goof may be more fun than being productive and industrious, but I can say from personal experience, it doesn’t pay very well. 

Cyesis is a noun that refers to pregnancy.

Coming from the Greek word Kuesis (koo ESS es) which means ‘pregnancy’ our word of the day was given birth to in the mid-16th century. Here’s an example of cyesis in use:

After nine months of cyesis, Laura couldn’t wait to get back to running again. It felt good to be able to engage in the things that pregnancy had denied her. 

Exuviate is a verb that means to shed or cast out. 

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word exuviae (eks SOU vee uh) and refers to the skin of an animal that has been shed. From this, we get exuviate, which refers to anything that has been shed. Here’s an example:

Before leaving New Orleans, we had to cast off everything in our car that we didn’t absolutely need. But it turned out that it wasn’t so easy to exuviate everything unnecessary. Getting rid of all those Mardi Gras beads was a really tough pill to swallow. 

Fiat is a noun that refers to a formal authorization or proposition. 

The Latin word feiri (fee AIR ee) mean’s ‘be done or made.’ By the Late Middle English period, fiat had become a word to describe a decree by a powerful leader. Example:

The principal didn’t care for the new school colors, so he had it changed by fiat. His choice of new colors were several times more atrocious, but no one dared challenge his rule. 

Ferrous is an adjective that means containing or consisting of iron. 

The Latin word ferrum (FAIR oom) means ‘iron.’ By the mid 19th century, this word had evolved into our word of the day as it came to describe anything made of iron. 

Those farrous bars on my window are intended to scare away any potential intruder. There’s something about the firmness of irons that makes dangerous people take notice. 

Farouche is an adjective that means sullen or shy in company. 

The Latin word foras (FOUR as) means ‘outdoors.’ As this word evolved into our word of the day, it came to refer to someone used to living outdoors. This soon referred to someone who was uneasy around others because of their outdoor lifestyle. These days, its meaning is a little simpler. It is a synonym of words like ‘shy’ and ‘introverted.’ Here’s an example:

I used to be farouche as a child, but I outgrew some of my introverted ways as I got older and more comfortable around others. 

Wamble is a verb that means to feel nauseous or dizzy. 

The Latin word vomare (voe MAR ay) means ‘to vomit.’ From this origin, came our word of the day that refers to all kinds of stomach problems likely to induce vomiting. Here’s an example of wamble in use:

As much as I like Carol’s cooking, I have to admit that any more than one helping tends to make me wamble. Any more than two helpings will have me racing from the dinner table in record time with an upset stomach. 

Dandle is a verb that means to bounce on one’s knees or in one’s arms. 

The exact origin of our word of the day is unknown, but we know it’s been with us since the mid 16th century and it has a very specific use, meaning it should not be used to refer to bouncing anything on one’s knee except a baby. Here’s an example of dandle in use:

I would say it was somewhere around their fiftieth birthday that it was no longer a good idea to dandle my kids on my knee. Not only were they getting bigger by then, but my knees were getting far too tender for such wear and tear.