Today's Word

Semaphore

SEM-uh-for

Definition

(Noun) A system of signaling using flags, lights, or hand movements.
(Verb) To communicate using such signals.

Example

The sailors used semaphore to convey messages between ships without radios.

Fun Fact

Semaphore was widely used in maritime communication and railway signaling before modern technology. The famous Semaphore Flag Signaling System is still taught in some military and scouting organizations today—so next time your phone dies, maybe it’s time to brush up on your flag-waving skills!

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.

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Semaphore

Definition

Example

Previous Words

Parsimonious

Parsimonious

Definition

Example

Word Origin

Parsimonious

Effervescent

Facetious

Capricious

Sedulous