Synallagmatic is an adjective that means imposing reciprocal obligations.

Coming from the Greek word for contract, our word of the day is often used in legal situations, refers to the need for both sides to offer the same. Here’s an example:

I refused to accept any terms that were not synallagmatic. If I was going to wash her car for a week, she had to wash my skateboard for a week.

Daedal is an adjective that means skillful or artistic.

Daedalus was a figure from Greek mythology known for his skill at carpentry and for the wax wings he designed for his son Icarus. Our word of the day refers to this figure’s skill, and so daedal is used as a synonym of adroit or artful.

Kelly was much more deadal than I was at pottery. By that I mean, she’d make something with enough skill that you could actually tell what it was supposed to be.

Organoleptic is an adjective that means involving the sense organs.

Our word of the day comes from the Greek word for ‘organ’ and combines it with the Greek ‘leptikos’ (LEP tea cose) which means ‘to take.’ Here’s an example of the word in use.

I had no scientific knowledge that Maria’s food had any medicinal value, but based on my organoleptic research of her linguini and clam sauce, all I can say is that it smelled and tasted great!

Codify is a verb that means to arrange in a system.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word codex (KOE dex) which refers to a ‘systemic classification of laws.’ These days, we codify — or classify — a number of things, not just laws. Here’s an example of codify in use.

After years of simply estimating how many times we had to beg my parents to take us to Disney world before they’d surrender, we decided to codify our efforts. After systemizing our begging, we knew exactly how long we had to pester them.

Evection is a noun that refers to the act of carrying out or away.

Coming from the Latin word for carry, our word of the day is often used in scientific contexts. It refers to the regular variation in the eccentricity of the moon’s orbit around the earth, caused mainly by the sun’s attraction.

But here’s an example of evection used in an everyday context: Whenever the ice cream man arrived in my neighborhood, there seemed to be an evection of the kids on our block. They were immediately lifted out of their homes and toward that hideous red and white truck.

Grubstake is a noun that refers to money set aside for a time of assistance. It can also be used as a verb that means to provide assistance.

Our word of the day began life in the old west and — as today — was used in informal settings.

Here’s an example:

After all those years of working on the railroad, I had to have a grubstake set aside in case of a rainy day. But then as soon as I struck gold, I spent every cent of it, figuring I’d never have another rainy day in my life.

Desultory is an adjective that means lacking a definite plan.

The Latin word desultorius (des ool TOR ee oos) means ‘superficial.’ When the word evolved into English, its meaning evolved as well. More recently the word is often used as an antonym of unfocused.

At best, the actress’s performance came across as desultory. But if she’d had more focus, she could have turned in fine work.

Verbicide is a noun that refers to the deliberate distortion of a word's meaning.

Our word of the day combines the word ‘verb’ with the Latin suffix C-I-D-E which refers to killing. It is a recent addition to the language and is almost always used in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

The mayor’s frequent acts of verbicide probably harmed his political career. The word distortion that made me cringe the most was when he sought to make sure all his facts were grounded in ‘hysterical accuracy.’

Camber is a verb that means to arch slightly. It’s also a noun that refers to a slight curve.

The Latin word camurus (CAM ooh roose) means ‘curved inwards.’ Our word of the day has retained that basic meaning. Here’s an example of camber as a noun:

The camber in the wood made it difficult to help construct a table. Unless each wood panel is completely straight, the table will be crooked.

Dint is a noun that refers to power or force.

The Old English word dynt — D-Y-N-T — meant ‘stroke with a weapon.’ The word later evolved into its modern English equivalent. It is frequently used in the phrase ‘by dint of’ which means ‘by means of.’ Here’s an example of our word of the day used in this capacity.

Henry didn’t only win all those hot dog eating contests by dint of being good friends with the judges. It also helped that had the appetite of a dinosaur.