Word of the Day

: April 7, 2010

eloquent

adjective EL-uh-kwunt

What It Means

1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression

2 : vividly or movingly expressive or revealing

eloquent in Context

Because Max is such an eloquent speaker, he was asked to give the toast at his grandfather's 75th birthday party.

Did You Know?

Since "eloquent" can have to do with speaking, it makes sense that it comes from the Latin verb "loqui," which means "to speak." "Loqui" is the parent of many "talkative" offspring in English. "Loquacious," which means "given to fluent or excessive talk," also arose from "loqui." Another "loqui" relative is "circumlocution," a word that means someone is talking around a subject to avoid making a direct statement ("circum-" means "around"). And a "ventriloquist" is someone who makes his or her voice sound like it’s coming from another source.