Cunctation is a noun that refers to an action or delay.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word cunctari (koonk TAR ee) which means ‘to delay.’ It entered English in the late 16th century, maintaining it basic meaning. By adding the suffix A-T-I-O-N, it makes cunctation a noun that refers to an action or instance of something.

I was a little annoyed by the cunctation of my son’s baseball game. But if I’d known the result of the game, I would have been in no hurry for the game to be played.

Lurdane is a noun that refers to an idle or incompetent person.

The Latin word luridus (loo READ oos) means ‘lurid.’ Over time our word of the day’s meaning has shifted to now refer to someone who is simply lazy or ‘good-for-nothing.’ Here’s an example of lurdane in use:

My brother-in-law is such a lurdane, he doesn’t even bother to look for work. In fact, he’s so lazy, he doesn’t even have a resume.

Belvedere is a noun that refers to a rooftop view.

Our word of the day comes from the Italian words bel for ‘beautiful’ and vedere (vay DARE ay) which means ‘to see.’ In the late 16th century, it came to refer to a summerhouse or open-sided gallery, usually at rooftop level. Today it can often refer to any kind of a rooftop view.

Having a belvedere was really important thing for Max when he was seeking a new apartment. Too bad he didn’t place as much importance on having running water.

Whilom is an adverb that means formerly or in the past.

Coming from Old English with the meaning of ‘at times,’ our word of the day could be thought of as a synonym of ‘erstwhile’ or ‘former.’

I was an athlete whilom so I make every effort to keep my body in great shape. All those years of getting great exercise on the basketball court has made me understand the importance of conditioning.

Penman is a noun that refers to an author.

Derived from two common English words, ‘pen’ and ‘man,’ Penman can be used as a synonym of ‘writer,’ or ‘scribe.’ But can can also refer to someone skilled in calligraphy. Here’s an example of the latter:

My brother has worked for years as a penman. It seems to be painstaking work, but his ability to create beautiful letters has apparently paid off in life.

Passim is an adverb that means scattered throughout the text.

The Latin word passus (PAAH soos) means ‘scattered.’ When used in a modern context, our word of the day means ‘scattered at various places of the text. Here’s an example:

The book has many stories about my father’s experiences during the war passim. When you read those stories at various points, you get a sense of how brave a man he was.

Tsuris is a noun that refers to trouble or woe.

Our word of the day comes from Yiddish. Here’s an example to illustrate the best way to use it:

It’s been a tough year for us at the office. But even with all the tsuris, we’ve had plenty of good times to savor.

Alliaceous is an adjective that means smelling or tasting like onions or garlic.

The Latin word allium (AH lee oom) refers to garlic. Since joining the English language in the lat e18th century, our word of the day has come to refer to anything that is a part of the alliums family, which include, among other things, onions and garlic. It generally refers to the smell or taste.

The alliaceous scent coming from the oven put me off a little, but after a while I’ve gotten used to it. Working in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant has actually made me appreciate the smell of garlic.

Clicktivism is a noun that refers to the practice of supporting a cause through the internet.

Our word of the day is a 21st century variant of activism, a word of Latin descent. Clicktivism replaces the word ‘act’ because it refers to a lazy, less active form of social engagement. Here’s an example:

People criticize clicktivism, but I think it’s kind of fun. Right from my own home, I voted on who I think should star in the new Indiana Jones movie.

Myology is a noun that refers to the muscular anatomy of a person or animal.

The Latin prefix M-Y means muscles, while O-L-O-G-Y is a Greek suffix that means ‘subject or study of interest.’

The myology of that cougar suggests he has a build intended for a predator, with an ability to strike fast at any time. All of this means he’s got a lot of strong and fast muscles, so we’d better get out of here quickly.