Word of the Day

: October 17, 2006

verdant

adjective VER-dunt

What It Means

1 : green in tint or color *b : green with growing plants

2 : unripe in experience or judgment : green

verdant in Context

"The green, leafy concert site is nestled between the winery's handsome French chateau and its verdant, sculptured gardens. . .." (Patrick Macdonald, The Seattle Times, September 1, 2006)

Did You Know?

English speakers have been using "verdant" as a ripe synonym of "green" since the late 16th century, and as a descriptive term for inexperienced or naive people since the 1820s. (By contrast, the more experienced "green" has colored our language since well before the 12th century, and was first applied to inexperienced people in the 1540s.) "Verdant" is derived from the Old French word for "green," "vert," which in turn is from Latin "virērē," meaning "to be green." Today, "vert" is used in English as a word for green forest vegetation and the heraldic color green. Another descendant of "virere" is the adjective "virescent," meaning "beginning to be green."