Saudade is a noun that refers to a feeling of melancholy or nostalgia.

Our word of the day comes directly from Portuguese and it refers to a sense of melancholy or nostalgia that is, according to legend, characteristic of the Portuguese or Brazilian temperament. Here’s an example of saudade in use:

Anna’s songs contain a strong element of saudade. They are sad and melancholic in a way that fondly recalls the past.

Noisome is an adjective that means having an extremely offensive smell.

Our word of the day has nothing at all to do with sound coming into our ears, but rather it relates to smell coming into our nasal cavities. It combines the Middle English word ‘noy,’ which is a shortened form of ‘annoy’ along with the suffix S-O-M-E, which means ‘characterized by being.’

All that perfume in the department store I worked in became noisome after a while. The scent was nice for a few days, but it became distasteful in a matter of weeks.

Metanoia is a noun that refers to a change in one’s way of life.

The Greek word metanoein (meta KNOW een) is the source of our word of the day. It meant ‘to change one’s mind.’ Our word of the day holds the same pronunciation and meaning of the original. Here’s an example:

Shelly experienced a metanoia soon after high school that changed her life forever. She discovered that red hair wasn’t the look for her.

Arcana is a noun that refers to secrets and mysteries.

Our word of the day comes almost directly from the latin word arcanus (are CAY noose) which means ‘to shut up.’ The word first came to refer to knowledge known only to a few. With arcana, it retains this same basic meaning.

There is much arcana in the secrets found in that tomb. Even to this day, the information remains a mystery to most people.

Tocsin is a noun that refers to an alarm bell or signal.

Our word of the day combines the French word for ‘touch’ with the Latin word signum (SEEG noom) which means ‘bell’ or ‘signal.’ Here’s an example of tocsin in use:

We should have realized those howls in the night were a tocsin of what was to come. If we had we’d have known there were bears in the area.

Akrasia is a noun that refers to the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgement.

Our word of the day comes from Greek. It combines the prefix A, meaning ‘without’ along with kratos (CRAH toes) which means ‘power’ or ‘strength.’ A person who behaves with akrasia does so without the power of their better judgement.

I’m not sure what kind of akrasia came over Devin last week. But when he picked out those weird-looking pants he was clearly acting without his better judgement.

Gestalt is a noun that refers to an organized whole that is perceived as more than the sum of its parts.

Our word of the day comes directly from the German word for ‘form’ or ‘shape.’ Here’s an example of gestalt in use:

The gestalt of our softball team is difficult to understand, but there is a team chemistry that makes us bigger together than we would be individually.

Abscond is a verb that means to depart for safety.

The Latin word abscondere (ab SCON dare ay) means ‘to hide.’ The word came to English in the mid 16th century. Here’s an example of abscond in use:

We all decided to abscond when we heard those howls in the distance. We later learned there was no need to run for cover from the poodles that were howling.

Agora is a noun that refers to a public open space.

Our word of the day comes directly from Greek. In ancient Greece, it referred to a public open space used for assemblies and markets. Today it may refer to any kind of a public space.

It felt good to return to the agora after all that time being alone at home. I’d forgotten how nice it felt to be around other people.

Bivouac is a noun that refers to a temporary camp or shelter.

Our word of the day is a loan word from French, meaning ‘on guard at night.’ It may be used as a noun or a verb that means to find temporary shelter from the night. Here’s an example of bivouac used as a noun:

Our bivouac wasn’t the most comfortable place in the world, but it gave us the temporary shelter we needed.