Word of the Day

: August 4, 2007

nomenclator

noun NOH-mun-klay-ter

What It Means

1 : a book containing collections or lists of words

2 : one who gives names to or invents names for things

nomenclator in Context

Within days of her promotion, Jenna found herself in the role of nomenclator, trying to name the company's newest product.

Did You Know?

"Nomenclator" means "name caller" in Latin (from "nomen," meaning "name," and the verb "calare," meaning "to call"). In ancient Rome, the nomenclator's job was to call out or whisper the names of people as they approached a candidate during a political rally. Whether the idea was to make the politician look good, as though he himself remembered everyone personally, or simply to apprise him of more names than he was ever expected to remember himself is open to question. What's quite certain is that in modern times the job title names one who creates new names for things. "Nomenclator" is applied especially to those who help create a "nomenclature" -- a system of terms for a particular discipline.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.