It's the Word of the Day podcast for October 27th.

Today's word is acerbic, spelled A-C-E-R-B-I-C.

Asurbic is an adjective.

Something described as as as acerbic is sharply or bitingly critical,

sarcastic, or ironic in temper, mood, or tone. Here's the word used in a sentence from the

Boston Globe. Whether she's giving a sarcastic eye roll, tossing off an aserbic zinger, or

seducing with a come-hither stare,

actress Jennifer Simard intimately understands the art of underplaying.

English speakers created the word acerbic in the 19th century

by combining the adjectives as serb with the suffix I see.

A serb had already been around for a couple centuries, but for most

of that time, it had been used only to describe foods with a sour taste. A serb is still around today,

but now it's simply a less common synonym of the word aserbic. Aserbic and a serbably come from

the Latin adjective, Akherbous,

which can mean harsh or unpleasant. Another English word that comes from Akherbuss is exasperate,

which means to make more violent or severe. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

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