vernacular: Dictionary.com Word of the Day

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Word of the Day for Sunday, June 13, 2010 vernacular \ver-NAK-yuh-ler\, noun: 1. The plain variety of language in everyday use. 2. The language or vocabulary peculiar to a class or profession. 3. The native speech or language of a place. 4. Any medium or mode of expression that reflects popular taste or indigenous styles. adjective: 1. (of language) Native or indigenous. 2. Using the native language of a place. 3. Using plain, everyday language. The BOP, as it is known in industry vernacular, sits atop the wellhead on the seafloor and contains a series of plates, known as rams, stacked on top of each other. The plates close and seal the well if a problem occurs. -- Lauren Steffy, "Oil rig's blowout preventer might not be the main culprit", Herald Tribune, May 2010 The Dow dropped nearly 1,000 points on May 6, before it recovered around 600 points to close down over 300 points. In mountain climbing vernacular, that's an "elevation change" of 1,600, or almost 15 percent, in one day's hike through the jagged peaks of Wall Street. -- Stan Sewitch, "Fastest lemmings in the West", San Diego Daily Transcript, May 2010 The origin of vernacular is the Latin vernaculus, "domestic or native." Read the full entry | See synonyms | Comment on today's word | Suggest tomorrow's word Yesterday's word | Previous words | Help
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