Medicaster is a noun that refers to a fake doctor.

Our word of the day combines the prefix M-E-D-I, which means ‘medical,’ and A-S-T-E-R, which indicates something of inferior or low quality. You could think of medicaster as a synonym for quack. Here’s an example:

After spending thousands of dollars on supplements advertised on his show, I concluded that the guy on TV was a medicaster. It became pretty clear that he was a charlatan when my illness didn’t improve after years of gobbling up pills.

Indexical is an adjective that means varying depending on context. It can also be a noun that refers to a word whose meaning depends on context.

Derived from the Latin word index, which means ‘sign.’ our word of the day has been around since the early 19th century. Here’s an example of indexical in use:

When learning a new language, it’s helpful to understand the full context of every word you use. If you use an indexical word like ‘here’ it might help to know where here is, or the person you are talking to may get confused.

Trachle is a verb that means to fatigue or wear out.

Coming directly from Scottish, our word of the day may also be used as a noun that refers to the source of fatigue. Here’s an example of the former:

All that work I used to do on the weekends used to trachle me. But these days the only thing wearing me out is the work I do at my job during the week.

Aporia is a noun that refers to an internal contradiction.

Our word of the day comes from the Greek word aporos (uh POOR ose) which means ‘impassable.’ Aporias are commonly seen in philosophy. Here’s an example:

When my former roommate told me that everything he said was a lie, I wondered if he was aware that his statement was an aporia. This turned out to be one of many internal contradictions I’d find in his words.

Vulpine is an adjective that means like a fox.

The Latin word vulpes (VOOL pez) means ‘fox.’ When someone behaves like a fox — meaning sly or cunning — our word of the day is a great adjective to describe them. Here’s an example:

As a kid, I had my vulpine ways when I really wanted to play video games. The most cunning thing I did was pretend to do my homework when I was secretly playing my favorite game on my phone.

Sneakernet is a noun that refers to the transfer of electronic information by moving it physically.

A recent addition to the English language, our word of the day has been around for about a decade and gets its origin from the word ‘sneak’ and the suffix ’N-E-T.’ Here’s an example of it in use:

The world of tech features a great deal of secretive behavior. On more than one occasion, we’ve had to use sneakernet to get our intellectual property transferred without it getting stolen. All that cloak-and-dagger stuff can get pretty intense, but truth be told, it can also be lots of fun.

Prattle is a verb that means to talk at length in a foolish way.

Coming from the Low German word prate (PRATE) which has the same meaning as our word of the day, prattle is a word almost never used in a flattering way. Here’s an example:

After two hours of hearing the salesman prattle on about the car’s special features, I was fairly sure I had no interest in the new convertible. It wasn’t until he got beyond all the nonsense and onto the low discounted price that he actually had my interest.

Vendible is an adjective that means ‘able to be bought or sold.’ It is also a noun that refers to an item that can be bought or sold.

The Latin word vendere (ven DARE ay) means ‘to sell.’ This is the origin of our word of the day which has been around since the early 17th century. Here’s an example of its use:

As a kid, I enjoyed making and eating sloppy joes, but it never seemed to me that my creations were vendible. If I could have found a way to make a living selling my sloppy joes, I would have chosen that as my career path instead of accounting.

Nutate is a verb that means to nod the head.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word nutare (new TAR ay) which means ‘to nod.’

In a general sense, it can refer to anything moving back and forth from a fixed point, but it’s most commonly used to indicate the nodding of a person’s head. Here’s an example:

When the waiter asked if I wanted fried scorpions with my meal, I was so taken aback, all I could do was nutate nervously. In the end, I’m glad I nodded ‘yes’ to this awkward question. It turns out fried scorpion meat isn’t half bad.

Unco is an adjective that means strange or unknown.

Coming directly from Scottish, our word of the day’s origin isn’t clear, although some believe it’s derived from the word ‘unkenned,’ which means ‘unknown.’ Here’s an example of unco in use:

During my trip to Spain, I found myself in a number of unco settings. Thankfully though, my Spanish was good enough to help me navigate back to the hotel whenever I got lost.