- Today's Word
Coruscant
[KOR-uh-skuhnt]
Definition
- (adjective) A “coruscant” is a person who is brilliant, dazzling, and full of energy. They possess a lively and quick-witted intellect that shines brightly, often leaving others in awe of their mental agility and sparkling personality.
Example
The debate team was led by a coruscant speaker whose arguments were so eloquent and well-crafted that the opposing team struggled to keep up with her quick thinking and sharp wit.
Fun Fact
In astronomy, “coruscant” is used to describe a celestial object, such as a star, that appears to be shimmering or twinkling rapidly. This effect is caused by the Earth’s atmosphere refracting the light from the object, making it appear to flicker or dance in the night sky. The word “coruscant” comes from the Latin word “coruscare,” which means “to flash, glitter, or sparkle.” In science fiction, “Coruscant” is also the name of a fictional planet in the Star Wars universe, known for its dazzling, city-covered surface that gleams like a jewel in space.
(adjective) Extremely unwilling to spend money; miserly and stingy to a degree that causes hardship for others.
The penurious landlord refused to replace the building’s broken heating system for three winters running, calculating that complaints were cheaper to ignore than repairs were to make.
Penurious derives from the Latin penuria, meaning “want” or “scarcity,” rooted in the Greek penia meaning “poverty.” It entered English in the 16th century carrying both its literal sense of genuine poverty and its more cutting figurative sense of someone who hoards wealth despite having it — the distinction between being poor and merely acting poor being central to the word’s particular sting.