Word of the day November 3
 

The Word of the Day for November 3 is:

sobriquet • \SOH-brih-kay\ • (noun) a descriptive name or epithet; nickname

A little more information about today’s word:
This synonym of "nickname" can be traced back to the Middle French "soubriquet," which first meant "tap under the chin," then "mockery." How did we get from those meanings to "nickname"? The answer to that question isn't known for sure, but we can tell you that the "nickname" meaning was well established in French by the time English speakers borrowed the term in the mid-17th century. In current English, the spelling "sobriquet" is most common, but "soubriquet" is also an accepted variant.

My sentence:
Baseball players have long been known by colorful sobriquets such as "The Georgia Peach" (Ty Cobb) and "The Splendid Splinter" (Ted Williams).

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Sobriquet is the first brick put in place to form the arch, and the last one, at the very top, which holds it all together, is called the “keystone”; or brick "G".

Matt received his curious sobriquet from a few of his cruel childhood friends (or so he claims).

I've been given the sobriquet 'spec' in chat.

No, Spectre your sobriquet is 'speckieweckieshineyhiney'.

Word of the day November 4
 

The Word of the Day for November 4 is:

inflammable • \in-FLAM-uh-bul\ • (adjective) 1. flammable; 2. easily inflamed, excited, or angered; irascible

A little more information about today’s word:
"Combustible" and "incombustible" are opposites but "flammable" and "inflammable" are synonyms. Why? The "in-" of "incombustible" is a common prefix meaning "not," but the "in-" of "inflammable" is a different prefix. "Inflammable," which dates back to 1605, descends from the Latin "inflammare" ("to inflame"), from "in-" (here meaning "in" or "into") plus "flammare" ("to flame"). "Flammable" also comes from "flammare," but didn't enter English until 1813. In the early 20th century, firefighters worried that people might think "inflammable" meant "not able to catch fire," so they adopted "flammable" and "nonflammable" as official safety labels and encouraged their use to prevent confusion. In general use, "flammable" is now the preferred term for describing things that can catch fire, but "inflammable" is still occasionally used with that meaning as well.

My sentence (using definition #1):
The U.S. Commerce Department adopted rules banning inflammable children's sleepwear in the 1970s.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

He was just an inflammable leave, just barely six months old when he lost both parents.

Special care has to be taken when transporting inflammable material.

It has always seemed odd that inflammable means the same as flammable.

It is not uncommon to find inflammable statements made on the Politics Board.

Word of the day November 5
 

The Word of the Day for November 5 is:

diaphanous • \dye-AF-uh-nus\ • (adjective) 1. characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through; 2. characterized by extreme delicacy of form; ethereal; 3. insubstantial, vague

A little more information about today’s word:
Can you guess which of the following words come from the same Greek root as "diaphanous"?

A. epiphany B. triumphant C. fancy D. phenomenon
E. sycophant F. emphasis G. phase H. phantom

The Greek root "phainein" shows through more clearly in some of our quiz words than others, but it underlies all of them except "triumphant" (which derives from the Latin "triumphus"). The groundwork for "diaphanous" was laid when "phainein" (meaning "to show") was combined with "dia-" (meaning "through"). From that pairing came the Greek "diaphanes," parent of the Medieval Latin "diaphanus," which is the direct ancestor of our English word.

My sentence (using definition #2):
"The very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds."
-- Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Philip Pullman described angels as a diaphanous light source in his three part series of His Dark Materials.

Woohoo, etymology! I love that Greek quiz. Didn't do too bad on it either.

He cold-heartedly planned a murder-suicide, in which we would be poisoned, and he would diaphanous with a gunshot to the head.

A diaphanous mist covered the countryside.

The dress, whilst beautiful, was so diaphanous that she risked turning total strangers into bosom buddies with a single glance.