Apricity- Daily Word №12
Nope. Not guessing.
Today’s word is another one of my FAVOURITES: apricity! (which the autocorrect thinks is ‘apricots’). Apricity is a noun that means ‘the warmth of the sun’ but more specifically, ‘the warmth of the sun in winter’.
Looking Deeper
apricity has roots in the Latin apricitas, which drives from apricus — ‘warmed by the sun’. apricus is actually from aperio, or ‘to open’. Beautiful, isn’t it? I love the imagery of sunlight splashing through the door and drenching the carpet with its hues of gold and white.
apricity’s verb form apricicate sees more use nowadays, and that just means to sunbathe.
Using ‘apricity’ in a Sentence
apricity can replace words like sunshine. And since its use is so rare, we don’t have to restrict it to the warmth in winter. This word is honestly too unique to replace anything really, since it combines both the presence of the light itself and the warmth of that light! Fancy!
“The apricity covered his hair, his arms, his whole body. And there he stood, dazed, under the winter sky.”
