Word of the Day

: May 1, 2014

aplomb

noun uh-PLAHM

What It Means

: complete and confident composure or self-assurance : poise

aplomb in Context

On her first day as a teacher, June handled herself with aplomb, keeping the class engaged and focused.

"The ample chamber orchestra under Boyagian played with zest and aplomb." - From a concert review by Zachary Lewis in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), March 31, 2014

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."