Today's Word

Occlude

uh-KLOOD

Definition

(verb) To block, close off, or obstruct something so it cannot pass through.

Example

During the storm, fallen branches occluded the narrow trail, making it impossible to pass.

Word Origin

Occlude comes from the Latin occludere, meaning “to shut up” or “to close off.” The root is formed from ob- (“toward”) and claudere (“to close”), giving the sense of something being sealed or blocked firmly and completely.

Fun Fact

In dentistry, the word occlusion describes the way your upper and lower teeth meet when you bite down. Proper alignment allows food to be chewed efficiently, but even a small shift in tooth position can occlude the natural bite pattern. This is why orthodontists study tiny millimeter-level changes—they can dramatically affect speech, chewing, and jaw comfort. The same idea appears in science and engineering: even a minor obstruction can completely alter how a system flows.

Previous Words

Inviolable

Today's Word

Inviolable

in-VY-uh-luh-bul

Definition

(adjective) Too important to be violated or compromised; secure from any assault or infringement.

Example

The organization had one inviolable rule — sources were never identified, under any circumstances, regardless of who was asking or what they were offering.

Word Origin

Inviolable derives from the Latin inviolabilis, meaning “that cannot be harmed” — built from in- (“not”) and violabilis (“able to be violated”), from violare (“to violate” or “to dishonor”), itself from vis meaning “force.” The same root gives us violate, violent, and inviolate — all words built around the idea of force applied against something that should be protected. It entered English in the 15th century, used in legal and religious contexts to describe rights, oaths, and sanctuaries that existed beyond the reach of ordinary power.

Fun Fact

The concept of inviolable sanctuary has ancient roots across virtually every human culture. In ancient Greece, the asylia — the right of sanctuary in a temple — was considered genuinely inviolable; armies that violated it risked divine punishment severe enough that many commanders refused to breach temple grounds even at significant military cost. In medieval Europe, the Church extended similar protections to anyone who reached consecrated ground. The modern concept of diplomatic immunity is a direct legal descendant of these ancient inviolable protections — the idea that certain persons and places exist in a category that force simply cannot legitimately reach.

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Occlude

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Previous Words

Inviolable

Inviolable

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Inviolable

Elucidate

Allay

Convivial

Mendacious