Pelagic is an adjective that means related to the open sea.

The Greek word pelagos (pell A jose) means ‘of the sea.’ Our word of the day sailed into the English language in the mid 17th century where it’s often used to describe locations on the open sea. Example:

All those years of living in Nebraska made me forget how much I loved our pelagic home growing up. Living on the open sea on an Island was extraordinarily peaceful.

Prodrome is a noun that refers to an early symptom indicating the onset of a disease or illness.

The Latin prefix P-R-O means ‘before,’ while the Greek word ‘dromos’ (DRO mose) means ‘running.’ This combination gives us a word that suggests an indication of something before it actually takes place. Here’s an example:

I was afraid that my sore throat was a prodrome of some kind of illness, but I soon realized it was just a symptom of screaming too loud at the TV every time our lousy football team played.

Nidus is a noun that refers to a place or situation in which something develops or is fostered.

Our word of the day comes directly from Latin where it means ‘nest.’ In the late 17th century, nidus nested itself in the English language and is today often used in medicine to refer to a place in which bacteria have multiplied. But it’s also used simply to refer to a place of development.

My old neighborhood was a nidus for various creative artists. All kinds of writers, photographers, actors and musicians developed their skill there.

Expeditious is an adjective that means done with speed and efficiency.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word expedire (eks ped ARE ay) which means ‘to liberate.’ By the late 15th century, its definition had shifted to its current meaning. It may be helpful to think of expeditious as a synonym of words like ‘swift’ and ‘prompt.’ Here’s an example:

While I can’t say I was a fan of the food that diner served, I did appreciate the expeditious service. The place may have been lousy, but at least, their prompt delivery got me in and out quickly.

Judder is a verb that means to shake something with force.

The origin of our word of the day is unclear, but its birth seems to have been imitative, meaning the word may have been word with somebody imitating the sound of something being juddered. Here’s an example:

Ellie, an old 1991 El Dorado, was a magnificent car. After a while, you had to judder the keys in the ignition to get her to start, but once you gave it a good shake, she was one smooth ride.

Maraud is a verb that means to roam in search of things to steal.

Coming almost directly from the French word for ‘rogue,’ our word of the day, along with the more common variation ‘marauder,’ was imported into English in the late 17th century.

Here’s an example of maraud in use:

Is it just me or are kid’s Halloween costumes getting scarier every year? Last year, when I checked out the group gathered at my door, I expected them to maraud through the streets as soon as they left.

Odium is a noun that refers to a general or widespread hatred or disgust directed toward someone.

Our word of the day comes directly from latin. In the early 17th century, it was imported into English and is used less commonly used than its close relative, ‘odious.’ Here’s an example of odium’s use:

I don’t understand the hatred people in my neighborhood have for my next-door-neighbor Chuck’s lawn. Sure, his decision to keep that inflatable Santa up year-round may be a little odd, but it puzzles me that people would have such odium for it.

Scenester is a noun that refers to a person associated with a particular social scene.

Scene, the root word of scenester comes from the Greek word skene (SKI nee) which means ‘tent’ or ‘stage’. It’s often used as a slang term to refer to a given social setting. A person frequently spotted in a particular ‘scene’ can be called a scenester. Here’s an example.

Watching my favorite bands over the years, I couldn’t help but notice a particular guy in a leather jacket who always seemed to be around. At first I assumed he was part of management or something. He turned out to be just another scenester trying to steal the glory from others on the scene.

Lavation is a noun that refers to the act of cleaning.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ‘lavare,’ (la VAR ay) which means ‘to wash.’ Just like its close relative lavatory, it entered English in the 15th century, bringing with it the same basic meaning.

It’s not hard to get a pet poodle into the bathtub, but getting them to use soap is a little more complicated. It’s a good thing, lavation isn’t needed for pets on a daily basis.

Bibliopole is a noun that refers to one who buys or sells books.

The Greek word biblion (BIB lee on) means ‘book,’ and it shows up as a prefix in such English words as ‘bibliophile’ and ‘bibliography.’ With our word of the day, it is combined with the Greek word ‘polein,’ (POE leen) which means ‘to sell.’ Here’s an example of bibliopole in use:

There may not be as many bookstores as there used to be, but believe me, there are plenty of bibliopoles. As long as people are reading books, somebody will be there to sell them.