Solatium is a noun that refers to something given as compensation.

Our word of the day is derived from Latin, meaning ‘solace.’ Solatium is often used in legal proceedings.

The solatium given to my client was not nearly enough to compensate for his loss at the time. We demanded a great deal more because we simply felt he deserved a great deal more.

Sumpsimus is a noun that refers to a strictly correct usage of words.

Coming directly from Latin, where its translation is ‘we have taken,’ sumpsimus is used by editors and those in the world of writing. Here’s an example of it in use:

The sumpsimus made in my first book annoyed me a little. I admit I’ve made mistakes in my writing, but some corrections are unnecessary.

Enflesh is a verb that means ‘to give bodily form to’ or ‘to make real.’

The root word of enflesh is flesh, a word of Old English origin, referring to the soft substance of muscle and fat found between the skin and bones of an animal or human. The prefix E-N is often used to turn a noun or adjective into a verb. We see it with words like encourage, enable or endanger. Enflesh is frequently used metaphorically. Here’s an example:

Dante’s drunken behavior seemed to enflesh my observations about the dangers of excessive drinking. I was only talking about these things in the abstract, but Dante made these dangers real in his life.

Lossless is an adjective that means having no dissipation of electrical energy.

Commonly used in computing, our word of the day entered English in the 1930s and combines the frequently used English word ‘loss’ with the the suffix ‘less.’ Here’s an example of it in use:

For this project, we needed to make sure there was no data compression. So we had to make sure everything was lossless.

Apotheosize is a verb that means to idolize or elevate to the rank of a god.

The Root word of apotheosize is apotheosis, a noun, coming directly from Greek, that refers to the process of turning someone into a god. Our word of the day is the verb variation of it. Here’s an example to illustrate the differences in how the words are used:

After the battle, the crowd seemed eager to apotheosize the brave captain. But in my experience, that kind of apotheosis does nothing but inflate the ego of men to the point of making them unbearable.

Rostrum is a noun that refers to a raised platform for public speech.

Our word of the day comes directly from Latin and had exactly the same meaning as it does today. A rostrum in Ancient Rome referred to a raised platform used by public speakers in the forum. Here’s an example:

The first speaker at the rostrum had many interesting observations to make on the topic. So when it was my turn to speak, I was a little intimidated. I almost wish the raised platform had been sunken into the ground.

Tropology is a noun that refers to the figurative language.

Coming from the Greek word, tropos (TRO pose) which means ‘style’ or ‘manner,’ Tropology was once used specifically to refer to figurative language in the Bible. More broadly, it is used to refer to any use of figurative language.

Parnassian is an adjective that means ‘related to poetry.’

Our word of the day was born in Greece, having been named after a mountain in that nation. But Parnassian was later adopted by the French in the 19th century to refer to a specific group of poets. More recently it is used to describe anything or anyone related to poetry.

The parnissian urge to write in verse struck me in my teens, but I soon got over it. All I had to do was read some of my poetry to my English class. That forever cured me of my desire to be a poet.

Alfresco is an adjective that means in the open air.

Our word of the day comes directly from Italian and translates to ‘in the air.’ Here’s an example of Alfresco in use.

Alfresco dining was not a good idea that day. With temperatures barely above freezing we soon came to regret eating in the open air.

Hyaline is an adjective that means having a glassy, translucent appearance.

Coming from the Greek word hualos (WHO ah lose) meaning ‘glass,’ our word of the day is used to describe something that, like glass, is transparent or see-through.

The hyaline nature of the tissue made it easy for the doctors to see the problems in the artery. This is why the operation was a success.