Word of the Day #76: Chyron

Chyron In my mind, at least, this word falls into the category of “Oh, I had no idea there was a word for that.”  A Chyron is a set of graphics or words at the bottom of a television screen.  A chyron may also be a caption.  It may be fixed or in motion.  Sometimes...

Word of the Day #75: Obviate

Obviate To make unnecessary, to do away with, remove, prevent, or eliminate Obviate comes from the Latin word obviare, meaning to act against, to act contrary.  The Latin preposition ob, means to stand against, instead of.  Via means road or way.  To obviate then, is...

Word of the Day #74: Perennial

Perennial: enduring for a long time; lasting; in plants, having a life cycle of more than two years. Perennial comes from two Latin words.  Per means through and annus means year.  Thus, perennial plants endure through the years. They filled their garden with...

Word of the Day #72: Mercurial

Mercurial: Flighty, unpredictable, changeable, full of fire or vigor, lively, quick.  You never know your place with mercurial people.  They are unpredictable. We can also use mercurial to describe items related to the metal mercury.  I like the old name for mercury,...

Word of the Day #71: Apotheosis

Apotheosis In the old days, the Romans worshipped their political leaders.  Thank goodness we don’t do that anymore.  Oh, wait a minute… Anyway, their leaders would sometimes become “gods”.  There was a verb for the process. Apotheon: to deify, to make someone a god....

Word of the Day #70: Antediluvian

Antediluvian Antediluvian is a word we use to describe the period before the Flood described in the book of Genesis.  Ur, for example, was a city in antediluvian times. We also use antediluvian as an adjective to describe something hopelessly old-fashioned. For...