Word of the Day

: April 13, 2010

cordial

adjective KOR-jul

What It Means

1 : tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate

2 a : sincerely or deeply felt

b : warmly and genially affable

cordial in Context

"Whenever I went out, I heard on all sides cordial salutations, and was welcomed with friendly smiles." (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre)

Did You Know?

"Cordial" shares the Latin root "cor" with "concord" (meaning "harmony") and "discord" (meaning "conflict"). "Cor" means "heart," and each of these "cor" descendants has something to do with the heart, at least figuratively. "Concord," which comes from "con-" (meaning "together" or "with") plus "cor," suggests that one heart is with another. "Discord" combines the prefix "dis-" (meaning "apart") with "cor," and it implies that hearts are apart. When "cordial" was first used in the 14th century, it literally meant "of or relating to the heart," but this sense has not been in use since the 17th century. Today anything that is "cordial," be it a welcome, a hello, or an agreement, comes from the heart in a figurative sense.