Lexiphanicism is a noun that refers to pretentious phraseology.

The Greek word lexikos means ‘words.’ This is the basis of our word of the day which is usually employed in a pejorative manner. Here’s an example:

Harry’s lexiphanicism is the only thing keeping him from being more liked. He’s a nice guy, but his insistence on using words nobody else has heard of can be a little irritating.

Oniomania is a noun that refers to an uncontrollable urge to buy things.

The Greek word onos (OH nose) means ‘price’ and the Greek suffix M-A-N-I-A is used to indicate a mental abnormality or obsession. Here’s an example of our word of the day in use:

One of the biggest stresses a marriage can endure is oniomania. In addition to the stress it causes, it can also send both spouses into severe poverty.

Rhathymia is a noun that refers to a state of being carefree or light-hearted.

The Greek word rathymos (RATH ee mose) means ‘easy-going’ or ‘carefree.’ After spending several light-hearted centuries in English, our word of the day still retains the same meaning it did in its homeland. Here’s an example:

Phil is ordinarily a pretty easy-going guy, but when his favorite Tai restaurant permanently closed, his rhathymia disappeared immediately.

Hauteur is a noun that refers to arrogance or disdainful pride.

The French word haut (hot) means ‘high,’ and its English offshoot ‘haughty’ refers to someone who thinks of themselves as high and mighty. Our word of the day is the noun version. Here’s an example of it in use:

There’s something about winning a few hands of poker that make a guy feel high and mighty. All of that hauteur may feel great, but it’s not exactly the way to endear yourself to your fellow players.

Sonsy is an adjective that means healthy and attractive.

Our word of the day has a Scottish Gaelic origin. The word sona (SO nuh) means ‘fortunate.’ By the mid 16th century, this word had drifted into the English language and soon came to mean ‘having an attractive and healthy appearance.’ Here’s an example:

The Robinson family had such a sonsy appearance that we were too intimidated to accept their challenge in the volleyball tournament. But it turned out, for all their healthy good looks, they weren’t very athletically inclined.

Festinate is a verb that means to hurry or hasten. It can also be used as an adjective that means hasty.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin verb festinare (fest in ARE ay) which means ‘to speed up.’ Festinate hastily made a transition to English in the 16th century where it retained its basic meaning.

We knew we’d have to festinate our sight-seeing if we were going to reach the airport on time. But sadly, we were delayed by too many distractions, so we were late — as usual.

Tectonic is an adjective that means related to building or construction.

The Greek word tekton (TECH tahn) refers to a ‘carpenter’ or ‘builder.’ Arriving in the English language in the mid 17th century, tectonic is sometimes used in the field of geology to refer to the structure of the earth’s crust. But in more common use, it refers to the structure of man-made buildings. Here’s an example:

I’ve always been a fan of ancient Roman architecture. Tectonic skills may have improved in proficiency since then, but the construction of that period was as beautiful as it would ever get.

Sentry is a noun that refers to a guard to control access to a place.

The origin of our word of the day is the French word sentinelle (cent uh NELL). Its shortened version, sentry, entered English in the 17th century. Here’s an example:

Mike’s trophy was so valuable, he felt a sentry was needed around it at all times. It didn’t have the heart to tell him there was no need to guard a trophy for office champ in the annual darts competition.

Aperture is a noun that refers to an opening or a gap.

The latin word aperire (app er EYE ray) means ‘to open.’ From there, we get our word of the day which holds on to a meaning very close to its origin. Here’s an example of aperture in use:

As a kid I was curious about what would happen if I stuck my head in the aperture between walls in the attic. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Some openings are better off staying closed.

Xeriscape is a noun that refers to a style of landscape that requires little or no water.

Our word of the day combines the prefix X-E-R-O which means ‘dry’ with the suffix S-C-A-P-E, which means ‘a specific type of scene or environment.’ Xeriscapes are often very common in desert locations where there is a lack of water. Example:

As much as I love water, I have to admit I enjoyed the xeriscape of that lovely little Arizona town. I really admired their ability to have everything run smoothly despite the arid conditions.