Word of the Day

: September 11, 2007

aplomb

noun uh-PLAHM

What It Means

: complete and confident composure or self-assurance : poise

aplomb in Context

Never once betraying the fact that this was her first sales trip, Rachel delivered the product presentation with the aplomb of a veteran.

Did You Know?

In the 19th century, English speakers borrowed "aplomb," meaning "composure," from French. "Aplomb" can also mean "perpendicularity" in French and comes from the phrase "a plomb," meaning "perpendicularly" or literally "according to the plummet." A plummet is a lead weight that is attached to a line and used to determine vertical alignment. Not surprisingly, "aplomb" and English words like "plumber" and the verb "plumb" ("to measure depth" and "to explore critically and minutely") ultimately trace back to the Latin word for lead, "plumbum."