Podcast
Word of the Day
Hosted by Word of the Day · EN
The huge Amazon Alexa hit Word of the Day is now available as a podcast!
Word of the Day teaches you a useful word, its definition, etymology, and gives you examples of how to use it in a sentence. A new word each and every day! Perfect for those looking to expand their vocabulary, learning English and looking for a boost and anyone who loves words.
14episodes
Episodes
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Taxonomy
Dec 17, 2023Tap to summarizeTaxonomy is a noun that refers to a system of classification. Our word of the day comes from the Greek word taxis (TAK sees) which means ‘arrangement’ along with the Greek suffix N-O-M-A-N-I-A, which means ‘distribution.’ Taxonomy emerged in the early 19th century and is mostly used in reference to classifying organisms. Here’s an example: It’s a good thing the people who discovered this cave were skilled at taxonomy. Otherwise, nerds like me would never know what kind of creatures existed here centuries ago.
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Moonshot
Jun 1, 2022Tap to summarizeMoonshot is a noun that refers to an extremely ambitious and innovative project. Coming from two well-known English words, our word of the day is often used to describe a literal spacecraft trip to the moon, but it’s more commonly used in a metaphorical sense. Here’s an example of it: Hector had great respect for my ambition to become a professional boxer. I’d always admired prizefighters. Of course, the fact that I’d never been in a fight in my life made the endeavor something of a moonshot.
Transcribe →Dollop
Mar 18, 2021Tap to summarizeDollop is a noun that refers to a massive blob of something. Our word of the day’s origin is uncertain, but we know it can mean a wide range of things from a giant lump of ice cream to a huge mound of dirt. Although mostly a noun, it can also be used as a verb, which means to add or serve a giant blob of something. For example: I have no idea what this big green blob is. The cafeteria worker just dolloped it onto my plate, so I assume it must be edible.
Transcribe →Askew
Dec 1, 2020Tap to summarizeAskew is an adjective that means crooked or not straight. Our word of the day comes from Middle English and simply meant slanted or not parallel. Askew can still be used in this sense today, but it can also be used figuratively to refer to something that is awry or wrong. Our plan was to spend a fun weekend in the woods and savor the wildlife, but our plan went askew when we forgot to bring mosquito repellent.
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