It's the Word of the Day podcast for September 23rd.
Today's word is nonparel, spelled as one word, N-O-N-P-A-R-E-I-L.
Nonparel is an adjective.
It describes that which has no equal because it is better than any other.
Here's the word used in a sentence from the Columbus Dispatch.
The crew's soccer operations have been non-Pareil during this latest golden era of their history.
Trace the word non-Pareil back to its middle French origins,
and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning not equal.
Pareil or Pareil itself comes from the Latin word par,
which means equal, and non-non is a common prefix, meaning not.
In addition to its adjectival use, nonpareil also functions as a noun,
referring to an individual of unequaled excellence,
as in the nonpareil of cellists,
as well as to a chocolate candy disc covered with small sugar pellets.
A full exploration of the word's history and its current functions in French can be found online at merriamwebster.com.
With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.
Visit MiriamWebster.com today for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.