It's Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14th.
Today's word is caveat, also pronounced caveat and spelled C-A-V-E-A-T.
Caveat is a noun.
It's an explanation or warning that should be remembered when you are doing or thinking about something.
In legal contexts,
caveat refers to a notice to a court or judicial officer to suspend a proceeding until the opposition can be heard.
Here's the word used in a sentence from the Treasure Coast News of Palm Beach by Summer Bruegel.
The report details the percentage of students who graduate within four years from when they first enroll in ninth grade.
Still, there are caveats to the numbers.
For one,
students who leave the district after their freshman year to be homeschooled or enroll in private schools aren't included in the calculation.
You may be familiar with the old saying, caveat emptor,
nowadays loosely translated as, let the buyer beware.
In the 16th century, this adage was imparted as a safeguard for the seller.
Allow the buyer to examine the item, for example, a horse, before the sail is completed,
so that the sailor can't be blamed if the item turns out to be unsatisfactory.
Caviat in Latin means let him beware, and comes from the verb caveré, meaning to be on guard.
Perhaps you've also heard the phrase caviat lector, translated as let the reader beware.
It's a warning to take what one reads with a grain of salt.
English retained caveat itself as a noun for something that serves to warn, explain, or caution.