Landsman is a noun that refers to a person who emigrated from the same place.

Our word of the day comes from Old English. It has been commonly used in Yiddish culture to describe anyone of a similar background. Here’s an example:

My grandfather didn’t know who to trust when he first arrived in his new nation, so he made friends with others from his old region. His best friend became a landsman named Dominick.

Neurotypical is an adjective that means not displaying signs of autism.

Our word of the day combines the Greek prefix N-E-U-R-O with the word ‘typical,’ also of Greek origin. Neurotypical refers specifically to some who does not display the symptoms associated with the neurological condition known as autism. Here’s an example of it in use:

The doctor has generally worked only with autistic patients. His only experience with neurotypical patients came years before he found his current specialty.

Disputation is a noun that refers to argument or debate.

The Latin word disputare (dis pyoo TAR ay) means ‘to dispute.’ The word is often used to refer to a formal debate. Here’s an example:

After attending the disputation my son participated in, I’m convinced that from now on, we must give him whatever he wants. The young man is simply too good at debating for us to argue him out of anything.

Imbricate is a verb that means to overlap or cause to overlap.

Our word of the day comes from a Latin word that described a certain kind of roof tile. These tiles often overlapped in a way that gave birth to our contemporary use of the word. Imbricate can be used literally or figuratively. Here’s an example of its figurative use:

I’ve never met the CEO of our company, but our circles of friends imbricate in some interesting ways. All of this overlap between associates means that someday, we could actually have lunch.

Jocose is an adjective that means playful or humorous.

Our word of the day originated from the Latin word jocus (jo KOOSE) which bought us words like joke and jocular. Jocose is a synonym of words such as comical or whimsical.

When Steve entered the office with that weird new haircut, we all found it hilarious. Steve, on the other hand, didn’t find it remotely jocose.

Feculent is an adjective that means muddy or dirty.

Our word of the day is derived from the Latin faex (FAH ex) which means ‘dregs,’ a reference to any foul or undesirable sediment. Here’s an example:

The feculent matter at the bottom of the lake made our scuba adventures a lot less enjoyable than our ocean diving. It’s so much more fun to see sand and adorable sea creatures down there than muck and mud.

Williwaw is a noun that refers to a sudden violent wind.

The origin of our word of the day is unknown, but the way it is best used is no mystery. Williwaw is used to describe a strong wind.

Having that picnic on the top of that steep cliff made me a little uneasy. Once up there, one williwaw is all it would have taken to sweep us into the ocean.

Theophoric is an adjective that means bearing the name of a god.

Our word of the day is Greek in origin and is used to describe any name from a god of any faith. Here’s an example of theophoric in use:

Emma and I chose Thor as a name for our son because we liked the idea of a theophoric name and what name could be better than that of the Norse god of thunder.

Solomonic is an adjective that means wise in judgement.

Our word of the day comes from the biblical figure noted for making wise decisions. The word is typically used to describe those noted for their wisdom.

During our heated dispute we could have used a Solomonic figure to help us resolve things. Sometimes a little wisdom goes a long way.

Attitudinize is a verb that means to assume an affected mental state.

Our word of the day gets its root word from attitude, which comes indirectly from the Latin word Aptus (OP toose) meaning ‘fit.’ When a person attitudinizes, they adopt or express a particular attitude just for effect. Here’s an example of the word in use:

At first we all thought Jane’s snooty demeanor was just an illustration of how people can attitudinize once they gain success. But those who knew her well insisted she was like that years before getting rich.