Splutter is a verb that means to say something with a spitting sound, as a result of a strong emotion. It is also a noun that refers to a short explosive noise.

Our word of the day goes back to the 17th century and appears to have been imitative in origin. Here’s an example of splutter in use:

Watching the boss splutter in rage for an hour in the office like that suggested that the mistake made was a huge one. I hadn’t seen him explode like that since someone stole his stapler.

Apportion is a verb that means to divide and allocate.

Having been around since the 15th century, our word of the day derives from the Latin word portionner (POOR shun her) which means ’to divide.’

We were told the coach would apportion the pizza equally between players. But the pizza was so tiny, that just meant everybody received an equally sized crumb.

Allay is a verb that means to diminish or put to rest.

The Old English word Alegan (al uh GAN) means ‘to lay down or aside.’ This is the basis for our word of the day. Here’s an example:

In an effort to allay my daughter’s disgust of Brussels sprouts, I ate several of them myself. Unfortunately, the upset stomach I had afterwards, didn’t do much to put aside her dislike of the vegetable.

Metagrobolize is a verb that means to puzzle or mystify.

Our word of the day comes almost directly from the French variation of it that has basically the same meaning. Here’s an example of metagrobalize in use:

This week’s installment of my favorite science fiction series really started to metagrobalize me. All those characters and plots and subplots and planets can really get your head spinning after a few episodes.

Deglutition is a noun that refers to the act or process of swallowing.

The Latin word deglutire (de glue TIRE ay) means ’to swallow down.’ Deglutition reached English in the mid 17th century where it hold pretty firmly to it original meaning. Here’s an example:

The patient was unable to consume food because of how bloated his throat was. A throat that swollen can often make deglutition difficult.

Encorsel is a verb that means to enchant or fascinate.

Our word of the day comes almost directly from the French word for sorcery. To ensorcel someone is to cast a spell on them — at least figuratively.

I had a feeling the lush, verdant scenery of the country would ensorcel me. Twelve years later and the spell that has been cast on me is still going strong. I wouldn’t leave this place if you paid me.

Luculent is an adjective that means clear in thought or expression.

The Latin word lux (LOOX) which means ‘light.’ provides the basis for many words related to illumination and clarity including lucid and our word of the day luculent. It’s been a part of the English language since the mid 16th century.

My earliest term papers could not exactly be described as luculent. They were so lacking in clarity that my professors accidentally thought they were brilliant.

Eyesome is an adjective that means pleasant to look at.

The suffix S-O-M-E means ‘characterized by being.’ So adding it to the word eye, in this case, means characterized by being pleasant to the eye. Getting imported into the English language, our word of the day is almost always meant to be flattering. Here’s an example:

When I captured the attention of everyone in the bar, I thought it was because of my eyesome appearance. It turned out they were all just staring at my mismatched shoes.

Stultify is a verb that means to cause to lose enthusiasm especially as a result of a tedious routine.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word stultus (STUHL toose) which means ‘foolish.’ When it first reached the English language in the mid 18th century, stultify meant ‘to cause someone to look foolish.’ In time, it’s definition changed and it now means to slow someone down and sap their energy. Here’s an example:

Watching your team lose week after week can really stultify a coach’s passion. It’s one thing to lose the game; it’s another to truly lose passion for the sport.

Decouple is a verb that means to separate or disentangle.

The word couple is often used as a verb meaning ‘to join two or more things.’ When we add the prefix D-E, we get the opposite. So our word of the day means to separate or dissociate things. Example:

Before I could remove the boxes from my trunk, I first had to decouple them. All stuck together, they were too large to yank out.