connoisseur

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The Word of the Day for September 18 is:

connoisseur   \kah-nuh-SER\   noun
     1 : expert; especially : one who understands the details, technique, or 
principles of an art and is competent to act as a critical judge
    *2 : one who enjoys with discrimination and appreciation of subtleties

Example sentence:
     Sir Albert was a connoisseur of the finer things in life, and he always 
insisted on the best cuisine and wines at his table.

Did you know?
     It's easy to recognize how the words "cognition" ("mental processes") and 
"cognizance" ("knowledge") are related to the Latin verb "cognoscere," which 
means "to know." And having that cognizance, it won't surprise you to learn 
that Italian-derived "cognoscente" means "a person who has expert knowledge in 
a subject." But unless you are a cognoscente of French etymology, you are not 
yet acquainted with the fact that "connoisseur" comes from the same Latin verb, 
along with the words "acquaint" and "quaint." "Quaint," itself, first entered 
the English language as an adjective meaning "expert" or "skilled," but those 
meanings are now obsolete.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.