Word of the Day -- Benison

No, it's not a weird type of deer meat. :-)  Benison actually means a blessing, or benediction.  "Benison" and its synonym "benediction" share more than a common meaning; the two words come from the same root, the Latin "benedicere," meaning "to bless." ("Benedicere" comes from the Latin "bene dicere"—"to speak well of"—a combination of the Latin "bene," meaning "well," and "dicere," to say.) Of the two words, "benediction" is more common today, but "benison" has a longer history in English. Records show that "benison" has been used in our language since the early 14th century. "Benediction" didn't appear in print until nearly a century later.