Word Of The Day

Panacea
pan·a·ce·a   [pan-uh-see-uh]
noun
1.a remedy for all disease or ills; cure-all.
2.an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties: His economic philosophy is a good one, but he tries to use it as a panacea.

Origin:
1540–50; < Latin < Greek panákeia, equivalent to panake-, stem of panakḗs all-healing ( pan- pan- + akḗs a cure) + -ia -ia

Related forms
pan·a·ce·an, adjective

Synonyms
1, 2. elixir, nostrum.

Temerity 

te·mer·i·ty   [tuh-mer-i-tee]
noun
reckless boldness; rashness.

Example
"no one had the temerity to question his conclusions".

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English temeryte < Latin temeritās hap, chance, rashness, equivalent to temer ( e ) by chance, rashly + -itās -ity

Synonyms
audacity, effrontery, foolhardiness.

Husbandman

hus·band·man   [huhz-buhnd-muhn]
noun, plural hus·band·men.
a farmer.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English husbondeman.

hypethral (hi-PEE-thruhl), adjective:
(Of a classical building) wholly or partly open to the sky.

Follow the gallery around for about a thousand paces until you come to the hypethral. With it dark out you might miss it, so keep an eye open for the plants.
-- Gene Wolfe, Shadow and Claw

The choice of top light for the main galleries is said to have been dictated by the belief that Greek temples were hypethral, that is, open to the sky; from which it was inferred that Greek taste demanded to see works of art under light from above.
-- Benjamin Ives Gilman, Museum Ideals of Purpose and Method

Hypethral stems from the Greek roots hyp- which means "under" and aîthros meaning "clear sky."

Nomenclature

no·men·cla·ture   [noh-muhn-kley-cher, noh-men-kluh-cher, -choor]

noun
1.a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community, etc.
2.the names or terms comprising a set or system.

Origin:
1600–10; < Latin nōmenclātūra a calling by name, list of names. See nomenclator, -ure

Related forms
no·men·cla·tur·al, no·men·cla·to·ri·al  [noh-muhn-kluh-tawr-ee-uhl, -tohr-] , no·men·cla·tive  [noh-muhn-kley-tiv] Show IPA, adjective

mote (moht), noun:
1. A small particle or speck, especially of dust.
2. Moit.

A tiny mote of dust is truly a cosmos unto itself, that much we do now know. It contains molecules that are far too small for us to see without a microscope, but they are no less real than the dust itself or the piano on which the mote of dust has settled.
-- Roger A. Caras, Cat Is Watching

A white mote hovered in the air several feet away from her.
-- Sara Stern, Dragon's Song

Mote stems from the Norwegian word mutt meaning "a speck."

Ineffable

in·ef·fa·ble   [in-ef-uh-buhl] Show IPA
adjective
1.incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.
2.not to be spoken because of its sacredness; unutterable: the ineffable name of the deity.

Origin:
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin ineffābilis. See in-3 , effable

Related forms
in·ef·fa·bil·i·ty, in·ef·fa·ble·ness, noun
in·ef·fa·bly, adverb

Synonyms
2. unspeakable.

Motif  

mo·tif   [moh-teef]
noun
1.a recurring subject, theme, idea, etc., especially in a literary, artistic, or musical work.
2.a distinctive and recurring form, shape, figure, etc., in a design, as in a painting or on wallpaper.
3.a dominant idea or feature: the profit motif of free enterprise.

Origin:
1840–50; < French;

requisition (rek-wuh-ZISH-uhn), noun:
1. A demand made.
2. The act of requiring or demanding.
3. An authoritative or formal demand for something to be done, given, supplied, etc.: The general issued a requisition to the townspeople for eight trucks.
4. A written request or order for something, as supplies.

verb:
1. To require or take for use; press into service.
2. To demand or take, as by authority, for military purposes, public needs, etc.: to requisition supplies.

But I have a friend of my own kidney who has often served me before, and I am going to make a requisition on him for this especial business.
-- Timothy Shay Arthur, Bell Martin

Do you have the requisition for the special lecturer?
-- Ayn Rand, We the Living

Requisition comes from the Latin word requīsītiōn meaning "a searching."

Conglomerate

con·glom·er·ate   [n., adj. kuhn-glom-er-it, kuhng-; v. kuhn-glom-uh-reyt, kuhng-]
noun, adjective, verb, con·glom·er·at·ed, con·glom·er·at·ing.

1.anything composed of heterogeneous materials or elements.
2.a corporation consisting of a number of subsidiary companies or divisions in a variety of unrelated industries, usually as a result of merger or acquisition.
3.Geology . a rock consisting of pebbles or the like embedded in a finer cementing material; consolidated gravel.
adjective
4.gathered into a rounded mass; consisting of parts so gathered; clustered.
5.consisting of heterogeneous parts or elements.
6.of or pertaining to a corporate conglomerate.
7.Geology . of the nature of a conglomerate.
8.to bring together into a cohering mass.
9.to gather into a ball or rounded mass.
verb (used without object)
10.to collect or cluster together.
11.(of a company) to become part of or merge with a conglomerate.

Origin:
1565–75; < Latin conglomerātus (past participle of conglomerāre ), equivalent to con- con- + glomer- (stem of glomus ) ball of yarn + -ātus -ate1

Incontrovertible
in·con·tro·vert·ible adj \(ˌ)in-ˌkän-trə-ˈvər-tə-bəl\
Definition of INCONTROVERTIBLE

: not open to question : indisputable <incontrovertible facts>
— in·con·tro·vert·ibly adverb

First Known Use of INCONTROVERTIBLE

1646

Redact

re·dact verb \ri-ˈdakt\
transitive verb
1: to put in writing : frame
2: to select or adapt (as by obscuring or removing sensitive information) for publication or release; broadly : edit
3: to obscure or remove (text) from a document prior to publication or release

Origin of REDACT
Middle English, from Latin redactus, past participle of redigere
First Known Use: 15th century

qualia (KWAH-lee-uh), noun:
1. A quality, as bitterness, regarded as an independent object.
2. A sense-datum or feeling having a distinctive quality.

He points out that our subjective experiences — our qualia — are the only thing each of us is really sure of, that all else is speculation.
-- Jenny McPhee, The Center of Things

Which in itself is quite strange, the idea that one could have an identical experience, down to the last detail, down to the internal qualia, the exact interior frame of mind, emotions, a frame of consciousness duplicated with startling exactitude, that would be unsettling enough.
-- Charles Yu, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

Qualia comes from the Latin word quālis meaning "of what sort."

Adjudicate

ad·ju·di·cate verb \ə-ˈjü-di-ˌkāt\
ad·ju·di·cat·edad·ju·di·cat·ing

Definition of ADJUDICATE
transitive verb
1: to settle judicially
intransitive verb
2: to act as judge
— ad·ju·di·ca·tive adjective
— ad·ju·di·ca·tor noun
— ad·ju·di·ca·to·ry adjective

Examples of ADJUDICATE

The board will adjudicate claims made against the defendant.
The case was adjudicated in the state courts.

First Known Use of ADJUDICATE
1775

[from Latin adjūdicāre to award something to someone, from ad- to + jūdicāre to act as a judge, from jūdex judge]

Gallivant

gal·li·vant verb \ˈga-lə-ˌvant\
Definition of GALLIVANT

intransitive verb
1: to go about usually ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex
2: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure

Examples of GALLIVANT

They've been gallivanting all over town.
He's been gallivanting around the country when he ought to be looking for a job.
Origin of GALLIVANT

perhaps alteration of gallant
First Known Use: 1823

nubilous (NOO-buh-luhs), adjective:
1. Cloudy or foggy.
2. Obscure or vague; indefinite.

...trunks as thick as whisky casks and bark like rough-out leather, tower overhead so that the path between them is sheltered from the sun, creating a nubilous atmosphere, soft and pungent with resins, while soft brown needles cushion one's tread.
-- Michael Petracca, Captain Zzyzx

The sky above, dark and nubilous, parted like torn, plump bread and under a sun absorbent and intense, the water began to recede over low bridges. The storm was ending.
-- Elizabeth Léonie Simpson, Stranger From Home

Nubilous comes from the Latin root nūb meaning "cloud."

Extol

ex·tol   [ik-stohl, -stol]
verb (used with object), ex·tolled, ex·tol·ling.
to praise highly; laud; eulogize:

Example Sentence
Now that Mitt Romney has extolled the supreme virtue of being an Anglo-Saxon let's see how well he does on his trip to Israel...

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English extollen < Latin extollere to lift up, raise, equivalent to ex- ex-1 + tollere to lift, raise up

precipitancy (pri-SIP-i-tuhn-see), noun:
1. Headlong or rash haste.
2. The quality or state of being precipitant.
3. Precipitancies, hasty or rash acts.

There is one thing I think it my duty to caution you against: the precipitancy with which young men frequently rush into matrimonial engagements, and by their thoughtlessness draw many a deserving woman into scenes of poverty and distress.
-- Susanna Rowson, Charlotte Temple

The police authorities have acted in this matter with undue precipitancy.
-- Joseph Smith Fletcher, Green Ink and Other Stories

Precipitancy comes from the Latin word praecipitāre meaning "to cast down headlong."

Fraternize

frat·er·nize  [frat-er-nahyz] verb, frat·er·nized, frat·er·niz·ing.
verb (used without object)
1.to associate in a fraternal or friendly way.
2.to associate cordially or intimately with natives of a conquered country, enemy troops, etc.

verb (used with object)
3.Archaic . to bring into fraternal association or sympathy.

Origin:
1605–15; < French fraterniser < Medieval Latin frāternizāre. See fraternal, -ize

Related forms
frat·er·ni·za·tion, noun
frat·er·niz·er, noun
un·frat·er·nized, adjective
un·frat·er·niz·ing, adjective

Synonyms
1. socialize, mingle, mix, consort, hobnob.