Shrive is a verb that means to free from guilt.

The Latin word scribere (scri BEAR ay) means ‘to write.’ Over centuries, the meaning of our word of the day has shifted to means something done by a priest when he hears confession. It can also be used more generally. Here’s an example.

When Mom suspected somebody was stealing cookies at night, she offered to shrive the guilty party provided they confess to the crime. This was an offer I couldn’t turn down, so I admitted that I was the thief.

Dataveillance is a noun that refers to the practice of monitoring digital data.

Originating in the 1970s, dataveillance is a recent addition to English that describes the recent practice of people tracking the data of others for the purpose of gathering information. But the word comes from two Latin words that have been around for centuries. The word has been used as a philosophical term and surveillance

Corrigendum is a noun that refers to an error.

The origin of corrigendum is in the Latin word corrigere (core ee GARE ay) which means ‘to bring into order’ or ‘to correct.’

As an editor, I often deal with writers who get frustrated when they see a corrigendum that embarrasses them. I always assure them that all writers have things that need be corrected. If they didn’t, I wouldn’t have a job.

Conurbation is a noun that refers to an extended urban area.

The Latin prefix C-O-N means ‘together.’ Combined with U-R-B for ‘city,’ we get our word of the day which refers to a place where serval towns are merged into a giant urban area.

Having grown up in the conurbation of southern California, I’m accustomed to gigantic urban locations. Living in a large city that is isolated from other large cities seemed odd to me.

Fustian is a noun that refers to pompous or pretentious speech or writing.

Coming from the Latin word fustaneum (foo STAN ee oom) which refers to a specific kind of cloth, our word of the day’s meaning has shifted over time to now refer to speech or writing that is thought of as pompous or pretentious. Example:

At the time, I was impressed by the professor’s speech as a student. But looking back, I now recognize his words as pure fustian.

Inunction is an adjective that means the act of rubbing on an oil or ointment.

The Latin word inunguare (in un GWARE ay) means ‘to smear.’ Our word of the day entered the English language in the late 15th century and has retained its same basic meaning. Here’s an example of it in use:

It took a while to understand why inunction wasn’t helping with my condition. Then it occurred to me that when the doctor recommended rubbing oil on my body, he wasn’t talking about motor oil.

Arboreal is an adjective that mans resembling or related to a tree.

The Latin word arbor (ARE bore) means tree. Our word of the day describes anything related to trees. Her’s an example.

Trying to disguise himself as a tree was a bad move for Russ. Even with leaves on his head and his body painted brown, he simply didn’t look arboreal.

Dross is a noun that refers to something of low value.

Our word of the day comes from Old English where it referred to molten metal. More recently the word has come to mean anything lacking worth or value.

My inbox has been invaded by all kinds of dross. Those silly emails begging me to join their health club are a waste of my time and a waste of the company’s money.

Carapace is a noun that refers to a protective covering.

The Spanish word carapacho (cah ra POCH oh) provides the origin of our word of the day. Although generally used when referring to the bodies of animals, carapace may be used in a number of different ways. Here’s an example:

Some astronomers have speculated the universe had a carapace millennia ago. They suspect this protective covering is the reason our planet was shielded from many asteroid storms.

Crepitate is a verb that means to make a crackling sound.

The latin word crepitare means ‘to crackle.’ It entered English in the Early 17th century. Here’s an example of crepitate in use:

Hearing all those creatures crepitate in the night made me a little uneasy. Don’t get me wrong, I love the wilderness, but I love it more when there isn’t so much rattling in the dark.