Word of the day: Roriferous

Roriferous

[roh-RIF-ə-rəs]

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Italian, 16th century

Producing or generating dew.

Examples of roriferous in a sentence

"Before dawn, the roriferous clouds rolled in from the ocean."

"The roriferous fog left the grass heavy with morning dew."

About Roriferous

“Roriferous” is based on the Italian word “rorifero,” which comes from the Latin “rōrifer.” That word is a combination of the Latin “rōs,” meaning “dew,” and “ferō,” meaning “carry.” The English word “roriferous” has the suffix “-ous,” meaning “an abundance of.”

Did you Know?

“Rory” was a popular poetic synonym for “dewy” from the 16th to 18th centuries, and “roriferous” is built on this root. The words “dewy” and “dewiness” are directly related to dew, but they describe the presence of dew or similarity to dew. By contrast, “roriferous” describes the characteristic of attracting or producing dew.