Astern is an adverb that means ‘backwards.’

Coming from the Middle English word ‘stern,’ (STERN) which means ‘rear,’ our word of the day is typically — but not always — used within the context of a boat or an aircraft. 

I have to admit that I can get a little seasick when I hang out on Steve’s yacht. Things are a little less scary on the back of the boat, so when we pick up speed, I usually start moving astern. 

Dyad is a noun that refers to something consisting of two parts. 

The Greek word duo (DOO oh) means two. By the late 17th century, our word of the day found its way into English and came to refer to anything divided into two parts. Example:

Chris and I made an impressive dyad as a folk band. With him on banjo and me on guitar and vocals were a two-part musical force to be reckoned with. 

Ejecta is a noun that refers to something that is thrown out. 

The Latin word ejectus (ee JEK toose) means ‘thrown out.’ Our word of the day is derived from ejectus and has landed in English in the late 19th century. Here’s an example of ejecta in use:

Eddie tends to make a mess when he goes canoeing. All that ejecta from his canoe winds up polluting the lake with beer cans, food wrappers and other nasty stuff he tosses in the water. 

Gossamer is an adjective that means light and delicate. 

Our word of the day dates back to Middle English and combines the words ‘goose’ and ‘summer,’ as a reference to the time of year when geese were eaten. The word soon came to refer to anything silky or filmy — just like the down of geese. 

The gossamer substance of my sleeping bag makes sleeping in the woods a lot more comfortable than it would be otherwise. Now all I need is to do something about all those mosquitoes. 

Titular is an adjective that means related to a title. 

The Latin word titulus (TEA too loose) means name, and was morphed into the word title in late 16th century. Our word of the day is an adjective that came around soon after. Here’s an example of titular in use:

I love the Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, but found the titular character kind of boring. You’d think if someone’s name was used as a title of a book, they’d be more dynamic and charismatic. 

Cleave is a verb that means to separate or divide into parts. 

Our word of the day comes from Old English and is ultimately derived from German. Here’s an example of it in use:

Looking back, it was kind of a waste of time to cleave that cake into eight pieces. I could have simply cut it in half and eaten half for breakfast and the other half for brunch. 

Virescent is an adjective that means green-colored. 

The Latin word virides (VEER ee dees) means green. Our word of the day emerged in the 19th century from this noun that became the adjective virescent. Here’s an example of it in use:

The virescent lawns we saw in the countryside were truly a stunning sight. On the other hand, the green colored smog we spotted in the distance was stunning in a different kind of way. 

Sumptuary is an adjective that means relating to or denoting laws that limit private expenditure on food and personal items. 

Dating back to the early 17th century, our word of the day is derived from the Latin word sumptus (SOOM toose) which means ‘cost.’ Sumptuary describes anything related to a limit on costs on food or personal items. Here’s an example:

I’ve heard that during the war, sumptuary laws limited the amount of chocolate a person could buy. Personally, it would have driven me insane to have someone cut off my regular chocolate supply.

Argent is an adjective that means silvery white colored. 

If you’re familiar with the periodic table you’ll know that AG is the symbol for silver. The origin of this is the Latin word argentum (are GEN toom) meaning ‘silver.’ This word dating back to Middle English is also the origin of our word of the day. Here’s an example of argent in use:

That argent glow always catches people's attention when they see me driving down the street. People say I look like a giant bullet racing through the highway. 

Clade is a noun that refers to a group that comes from a common ancestor. 

Our word of the day comes from the Greek word klados (KLA dose) which means ‘branch.’ It may help to think of members of the same clade as different branches from the same family tree. Clade has been with us since the 1950s and was originally used to refer to organisms. More recently, it’s come to refer to humans and is roughly a synonym of tribe or lineage.

My dad and I are proof that members of the same clade can be very different. He spends nearly all his time watching and playing sports, while I can’t dribble a basketball without accidentally breaking my jaw.