Telluric is an adjective that means ‘of the earth or soil.’

The Latin word tellus (TAY loose) refers to ‘the earth.’ Our word of the day is typically used to describe things that are directly composed of dirt or other basic elements. Here’s an example:

One of the great joys of living on a farm is that we can create things with our bare hands that we get from the ground. Our home is decorated with telluric items like our wooden kitchen table made from a tree that was in our backyard.

Cordiform is an adjective that means heart-shaped.

The ancient Greek word Kardia (CAR dee uh) meant ‘heart.’ After traveling through Latin and Middle English, it landed in modern English to be used in words like cardiologist, which refers to the medical specialty of hearts. The word was then combined with the suffix F-O-R-M, which means ‘shape or form’. Here’s an example of our word of the day in use:

That cordiform branch on the tree seemed awfully romantic when we spotted it on Valentine’s day. It was lovely to see something heart-shaped on a day dedicated to love.

Consonance is an adjective that means agreement or compatibility between opinions.

Coming from Latin, our word of the day is derived from the verb consonare (cone so NAR ay) which means ‘to agree with.’ Here’s an example of consonance in use:

It’s rare to have such consonance in our home over sports. We’re so accustomed to fighting between Mets fans and Yankee fans that agreement on these things is a welcome relief.

Avouch is a verb that means’ to affirm or assert.’

Our word of the day comes from the Latin term advocare (ad voe CAR ay) meaning ‘to summon in defense.’ In Latin, this word is often used to describe someone making a claim in a courtroom. Avouch is a broader word that may refer to statements made in or outside of the courtroom, example:

When my friends avouch that my driving is bad, I tend to believe them. My friends don’t usually make such assertions lightly.

Kerfuffle is a noun that refers to ‘a commotion or fuss.’

As a fairly recent addition to the English language, Kerfuffle comes from Scottish and  entered our language in the mid-twentieth century. The word referred to confusion or disorder. Here’s an example of kerfuffle in use:

When one of our neighbors refused to cut his grass, a brief kerfuffle ensued. This proves that in this neighborhood, improper lawn care can cause quite a commotion.

Frowzy is an adjective that means ‘scruffy and neglected in appearance.’

The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but the word is used in a context that’s never meant to be flattering whether in reference to a person or a place. Example: Inviting our parents over to the messy dorm room was always an embarrassing affair. The place was so frowzy, our guests would aghast.

Sacrosanct is an adjective that means regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with.

Our word of the day is derived from the Latin phrase sacro sanctus (SOCK row SONG toos) which means ‘hallowed by a sacred rite.’ Sacrosanct is often thought of as a synonym of sacred, but it is more likely to be used in reference to things that have nothing to do with religion, for example: Our team’s playbook was sacrosanct as far as our coach was concerned. He’d lose his mind if he found one laying around on the locker room floor or, worse yet, in the trash can.

Inspirit is a verb that means ‘to encourage’ or ‘enliven someone.’

The Latin word spiritus (SPEAR ee toos) means ‘breath or spirit.’ To inspirit someone is to breathe life or spirit into them.

It’s always a big challenge to inspirit my co-workers at the office with a big pep talk on  a slow Monday. But let’s face it, enlivening people when they have little energy isn’t an easy task.

Ternary is an adjective that means ‘composed of three parts.’

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word ternarius (tear NAR ee oos) which means ‘three at once.’ From the very beginning, the company’s focus was ternary, with one part dedicated to marketing, and the other two related to manufacturing and delivery.

Imperturbable is an adjective that means unable to be upset or excited.

The Latin word pertubare (per too BAR ay) means to disturb, and it was later  the origin of ‘perturb.’  Our word of the day may refer to someone who cannot be disturbed or upset. For example, Eric had such an imperturbable demeanor that even the sight of his favorite team losing in overtime didn’t seem to bother him. I, on the other hand, was deeply traumatized by the game’s result.