Apricity: My New Favorite Word

Thanks to my good friend Marjean I now have another word to add to My Favorite Words list. Marjean recently brought me over a copy of a newspaper article published in the Chicago Tribune. It was written by Mary Schmich and was all about the word “apricity.”

 I wasn’t familiar with the word before that day but have since decided that “apricity” is my new favorite word. According to the article, apricity means “the warmth of the sun in winter.” This is something for which I am most grateful. As an Arizona girl now living in the pacific northwest, I never seem to get as much sunshine as my body craves, especially during the long winter months. However, on those rare occasions when the sun does shine on my face for a few moments during those dark and mostly gray days, it brings a spark of happiness to my soul. This is something for which I am always grateful. Now I have a word to express such a feeling. Apricity starts like the word “appreciate” and ends like the word the word “electricity.” I appreciate the energy of the warm sun especially when it shines down on me.

 The word “apricity” has been around since the 1600s but has not been widely used. It is a rare word that is not found in most dictionaries today. However, it is found in the Oxford English Dictionary. It is now a part of my vocabulary and can be found on My Favorite Words list!