Today's Word

Maelstrom

MAYL-struhm

Definition

(noun) A powerful, turbulent whirlpool.
A situation of great confusion, chaos, or violent turmoil.

Example

The company’s sudden bankruptcy created a maelstrom of legal battles and financial uncertainty.

Fun Fact

The word “maelstrom” comes from a famous and feared whirlpool off the coast of Norway, first recorded in Dutch as maelstroom, meaning “grinding stream.” Though it originally described literal oceanic whirlpools, today it’s often used metaphorically to depict emotional, political, or societal chaos. Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne both used the term in literature, cementing its dramatic and powerful imagery.

Previous Words

Parsimonious

Today's Word

Parsimonious

par-sih-MOH-nee-us

Definition

(adjective) Unwilling to spend money or use resources; extremely frugal to the point of stinginess.

Example

He was so parsimonious that he kept the thermostat at 58 degrees all winter and wore two sweaters instead.

Word Origin

From Latin parsimonia, meaning “frugality” or “thrift,” derived from parcere (“to spare, be sparing”). The word entered English in the 15th century through Old French. Its Latin root is also the ancestor of “sparse” — both words carry the idea of deliberate scarcity.

Fun Fact

“Parsimonious” has a philosophical sibling: Occam’s Razor — the principle that the simplest explanation is usually correct — is sometimes called the “principle of parsimony.” In science, parsimony means elegance and economy of explanation, which is considered a virtue. So the same word that describes a miser hoarding his pennies also describes one of the most respected principles in logic and scientific reasoning — the idea that less, truly, is more.

READ MORE...

Maelstrom

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Parsimonious

Parsimonious

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Parsimonious

Effervescent

Facetious

Capricious

Sedulous