Augur

Today's Word Augur AW-ger Definition (verb/noun) To predict or indicate a future event; or a religious official in ancient Rome who interpreted omens. Example The positive early reviews augur well for the film’s box office success. Word Origin Late Middle English: from Latin “augur,” a religious official who observed natural signs to predict the future, possibly from “avis” meaning “bird” + an element related to observing. Fun Fact Ancient Roman augurs didn’t just predict the future—they had veto power over government decisions. By declaring the omens unfavorable, an augur could halt senate meetings, cancel elections, or stop armies from marching. They interpreted bird flight patterns, lightning strikes, and animal behavior to divine the gods’ will. The practice became so politically convenient that Cicero famously quipped he was amazed augurs could look at each other without laughing. Today we’ve kept the word but dropped the birds, using “augur” whenever circumstances hint at future outcomes, good or bad.

Wangle

Today's Word Wangle WANG-gul Definition (verb) To obtain something by persuasion, scheming, or clever manipulation. Example He managed to wangle an invitation to the exclusive event through a friend of a friend. Word Origin Late 19th century: originally printers’ slang, possibly an alteration of “waggle” meaning “to move unsteadily,” suggesting indirect or roundabout methods. Fun Fact Wangle occupies a charming gray area between honest persuasion and outright deception—it’s cunning without being criminal. You wangle concert tickets, restaurant reservations, or meeting invitations through charm, connections, or cleverness. The word carries a playful, almost admiring tone rather than moral judgment. British English embraced wangle enthusiastically during World War II when soldiers wangled extra rations, leave passes, or cushy assignments. Unlike fraud or cheating, wangling suggests skill and resourcefulness—the ability to navigate systems and work angles that others miss. It’s the linguistic equivalent of a wink and a smile.

Hypnagogic

Today's Word Hypnagogic hip-nuh-GAH-jik Definition (adjective) Relating to the state immediately before falling asleep; occurring in the transitional period between wakefulness and sleep. Example She experienced vivid hypnagogic hallucinations of falling just as she was drifting off to sleep. Word Origin Late 19th century: from French “hypnagogique,” from Greek “hypnos” meaning “sleep” + “agogos” meaning “leading.” Fun Fact That strange sensation of suddenly jerking awake as you’re falling asleep? That’s a hypnagogic jerk, also called a hypnic jerk. The hypnagogic state is when your brain produces its weirdest content—fleeting visions, hearing your name called, feeling like you’re floating or falling, or experiencing impossible geometric patterns. Artists and inventors have credited hypnagogic experiences with creative breakthroughs: Salvador Dalí would hold a key over a plate while dozing, letting it drop and wake him to capture his hypnagogic visions. Thomas Edison used a similar technique with ball bearings. Your brain during this twilight state is uniquely uninhibited, making connections it would never make while fully awake.

Travail

Today's Word Travail truh-VAYL Definition (verb/noun) Painful or laborious effort; hard and exhausting work. Example After months of travail, the research team finally achieved a breakthrough in their experiments. Word Origin Middle English: from Old French “travail,” from “travailler” meaning “to toil,” ultimately from Latin “trepalium,” a torture instrument made of three stakes. Fun Fact Travail’s connection to a torture device reflects just how grueling the word implies work to be—this isn’t mere effort, it’s agonizing labor. Historically, “travail” was also the specific term for the pains of childbirth, considered among the most intense physical ordeals a person could endure. While “travel” and “travail” share the same medieval root (journeys were once exhausting, dangerous ordeals), modern travel has become comfortable enough that we split them into separate words. Yet travail remains in our vocabulary precisely for those moments when work feels less like a journey and more like torture.

Quaff

Today's Word Quaff KWAHF Definition (verb/noun) To drink something heartily or in large gulps. Example After the long hike, they quaffed cold water straight from their canteens. Word Origin Late 16th century: origin uncertain, possibly imitative of the sound of drinking deeply, or potentially from obsolete German “quassen” meaning “to overindulge in food or drink.” Fun Fact Quaff carries a jovial, celebratory connotation that “drink” simply doesn’t capture. You don’t quaff medicine or sip tea delicately—you quaff ale at a tavern, mead at a feast, or cold lemonade on a hot day. The word appears frequently in fantasy literature and medieval settings, giving it an almost theatrical quality. Shakespeare used it multiple times, and it remains the preferred verb for describing how Vikings, pirates, and adventurers consume their beverages. Modern craft beer enthusiasts have embraced “quaff” to describe easy-drinking, sessionable beers meant for enthusiastic consumption rather than careful contemplation.

Bucolic

Today's Word Bucolic byoo-KAH-lik Definition (adjective) Relating to the pleasant aspects of the countryside and country life; pastoral and rustic. Example They escaped the city chaos for a bucolic weekend retreat among rolling hills and farmland. Word Origin Early 16th century: from Latin “bucolicus,” from Greek “boukolikos,” from “boukolos” meaning “herdsman,” derived from “bous” meaning “ox.” Fun Fact Bucolic poetry became a literary genre in ancient Greece, where poets idealized shepherd life as simple, peaceful, and free from urban corruption. Theocritus pioneered these pastoral poems in the 3rd century BCE, and Virgil later perfected the form in his “Eclogues.” The bucolic tradition often presents a romanticized countryside that glosses over the hard realities of rural labor—it’s the pastoral fantasy rather than the farming truth. Today, when we call something bucolic, we’re still invoking that same idealized vision of country peace that poets have been selling for over two millennia.

Remunerate

Today's Word Remunerate rih-MYOO-nuh-rayt Definition (verb) To pay someone for services rendered or work done; to compensate. Example The company remunerates its employees generously, offering both competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits. Word Origin Early 16th century: from Latin “remuneratus,” past participle of “remunerari,” from “re-” (expressing intensive force) + “munerari” meaning “to give,” from “munus” meaning “gift.” Fun Fact While “remunerate” and “pay” mean essentially the same thing, remunerate carries a tone of formality and fairness—suggesting proper compensation rather than just handing over money. The word implies that the payment matches the value of work performed. Interestingly, the Latin root “munus” (gift) also gives us “munificent” (generous) and “immunity” (originally a freedom from public service duties). So remuneration isn’t just payment—it’s etymologically linked to the concept of gifts and generous reciprocity, making it feel more dignified than a simple paycheck.

Nugatory

Today's Word Nugatory NOO-guh-tor-ee Definition (adjective) Of no value or importance; worthless or futile. Example The committee’s recommendations proved nugatory since no one had the authority to implement them. Word Origin Early 17th century: from Latin “nugatorius,” from “nugari” meaning “to trifle,” derived from “nugae” meaning “jests” or “trifles.” Fun Fact Nugatory shares its Latin root with “nugacious” (trivial or futile) and connects to the idea of “nugae”—Roman slang for worthless chatter or trivial nonsense. Roman writers used “nugae” to describe everything from idle gossip to pointless poetry. Today, lawyers frequently deploy “nugatory” in legal writing to dismiss arguments as having no legal value whatsoever. It’s the formal, sophisticated way of saying something is completely pointless—though ironically, using such an elaborate word to express worthlessness might itself seem a bit nugatory.

Whit

Today's Word Whit WIT Definition (noun) The smallest part or amount imaginable; a tiny bit. Example She didn’t care a whit what others thought about her unconventional career choice. Word Origin Middle English: probably an alteration of “wight” (meaning creature or thing), used in phrases like “not a wight” meaning “not a creature” or “nothing at all.” Fun Fact “Whit” almost always appears in the negative—”not a whit,” “no whit better,” “doesn’t matter a whit.” It’s the linguistic equivalent of a shrug, used to emphasize complete indifference or absence. The phrase “every whit” (meaning entirely or completely) is its rarer positive cousin, but you’ll mostly find whit keeping company with “not” and “no.” Interestingly, despite sounding similar, “whit” has no relation to “wit” (cleverness)—though caring not a whit about grammar rules might show a different kind of wit altogether.

Glut

Today's Word Glut GLUHT Definition (noun/verb) An excessively abundant supply of something; or to supply or fill to excess. Example The market glut of avocados caused prices to plummet, leaving farmers with unsold crops. Word Origin Middle English: from Old French “gloutir” meaning “to swallow,” derived from Latin “gluttire” meaning “to gulp down.” Fun Fact A glut isn’t always about food—though the word’s swallowing origins suggest it. Economic gluts happen when supply dramatically exceeds demand, flooding markets and crashing prices. The 1980s oil glut saw prices collapse from oversupply. Tech companies experience gluts too—remember when warehouses overflowed with unsold fidget spinners? While abundance sounds positive, a glut reveals the delicate balance between plenty and excess. Too much of anything, even something valuable, can become worthless when there’s simply too much to go around.