Word of the Day
Word of the day
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Why Dictionary.com chose allay
More about allay
- From Old English (450–1150) ālecgan, meaning “to put down.”
- The spelling -ll- was influenced by the word allege, which was sometimes spelled similarly to allay in Middle English (1150–1475).
EXAMPLES OF ALLAY
- A quick apology helped allay the tension between them.
- Mulch will allay soil erosion in heavy rains.
shamrock
noun
a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland
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Why Dictionary.com chose shamrock
More about shamrock
- First recorded in 1565–75.
- From Irish seamróg, the diminutive form of seamair, meaning “clover.”
EXAMPLES OF SHAMROCK
- She found a tiny shamrock growing between the cobblestones.
- The bakery’s signature Saint Patrick’s Day cake featured shamrocks made of frosting.
centesimal
adjective
pertaining to division into hundredths
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Why Dictionary.com chose centesimal
More about centesimal
- First recorded in 1675–85.
- From Latin centēsimus, meaning “hundredth;” combines cent, meaning “100,” + -ēsimus, a Latin suffix related to -th², + -al².
EXAMPLES OF CENTESIMAL
- What people casually call decimal currency is actually a centesimal system.
- The GPS device calculated distances with centesimal precision.
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