*****October 08, 2014***** foremost : first in place, order, rank, etc.: the foremost surgeons. Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." pork barrel : government projects or appropriations yielding rich patronage benefits; also: government funds, jobs, or favors distributed by politicians to gain political advantage; It was apparent that the construction of the new parking garage was not a necessary project but a pork barrel deal for the business owners who would see increased foot traffic. broach : (verb) To bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.; initiate; I felt uncomfortable, but after two weeks of waiting for repayment, I decided to broach the subject of the outstanding loan. virulent : adjective 1. Bitterly hostile. 2. Highly infective. 3. Extremely dangerous. "In those later years, Fred Koch also became a major benefactor and board member of the John Birch Society, the rabidly anti-communist organization founded in 1958 by candy magnate and virulent racist Robert Welch." Tim Dickinson; Inside the Koch Brothers' Toxic Empire; Rolling Stone (New York); Sep 24, 2014. (WebCite) Idiom of the Day: forty winks Informal : If you have forty winks, you have a short sleep, or a nap.; If I have a late night I sometimes catch forty winks on the train on the way to work. Thought For The Day: When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can't eat money. -Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker (b. 1932) *****October 09, 2014***** frisson : a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill: The movie offers the viewer the occasional frisson of seeing a character in mortal danger. Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." infinitesimal : taking on values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero; Stella includes a lottery ticket in every birthday card she sends despite the infinitesimal chances that it will be a winning one. augury : (noun) A sign of something coming; an omen.; foretoken, preindication; Many analysts see the dire unemployment statistics as an augury of a continued recession. convivial : adjective: Friendly; sociable; cheerful; jovial. "Anger shot through his [Wilfried Souly's] eyes. Then he was on his feet, convivial again, beckoning us to follow him to our seats." Mark Swed; Displacement and Growth; Los Angeles Times; Jul 26, 2014. Idiom of the Day: (like) water off a duck's back : You can say an insult or criticism is like water off a duck's back if it doesn't upset you.; I asked Amy if she got upset when journalists wrote negative things about her, and she said she didn't care what they wrote - it was like water off a duck's back. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (1940-1980) *****October 10, 2014***** ci-devant : French. former: used especially in reference to a retired officeholder. Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." clerisy : intellectuals who form an artistic, social, or political vanguard or elite: intelligentsia; The book's author claims that a successful society must have both a strong commitment to democratic ideals and a well-established clerisy. whorl : (noun) A form that coils or spirals; a curl or swirl.; curlicue, gyre, ringlet, roll; He ... made each individual line of the bewildering maze of whorls or curves or loops ... stand out bold and black by reinforcing it with ink. Idiom of the Day: full of yourself : If you are full of yourself you think you're better or more important than you really are.; That guy was so full of himself! He couldn't stop talking about himself and all the wonderful things he's done. Thought For The Day: You become writer by writing. It is a yoga. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (1906-2001) *****October 11, 2014***** yaff : Scot. and North England. to bark; yelp. Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. derogate : to cause to seem inferior : disparage; It is easy to derogate the prom committee for its lackluster theme now, but nobody came forward with any better ideas while it was being discussed. Idiom of the Day: see eye to eye : If you see eye to eye with someone, you totally agree with them about something.; They don't agree about everything, but when it comes to the most important issues they see eye to eye. Thought For The Day: You become writer by writing. It is a yoga. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (1906-2001) *****October 12, 2014***** accidence : the rudiments or essentials of a subject. Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. megillah : slang a long involved story or account; Instead of just saying she was running late, Lynette went into the whole megillah of why her appointment would have to be rescheduled. slake : (verb) To satisfy (a craving); quench.; allay, assuage; My first act on coming to this water was, of course, to slake my thirst. Idiom of the Day: quit while you're ahead : This phrase can be used to express the idea that one should stop doing something that's rewarding but risky before something bad happens.; Michael Schumacher got a lot out of car racing, and he was smart enough to quit while he was ahead. Thought For The Day: You become writer by writing. It is a yoga. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (1906-2001) *****October 13, 2014***** accidence : the rudiments or essentials of a subject. Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. megillah : slang a long involved story or account; Instead of just saying she was running late, Lynette went into the whole megillah of why her appointment would have to be rescheduled. slake : (verb) To satisfy (a craving); quench.; allay, assuage; My first act on coming to this water was, of course, to slake my thirst. Idiom of the Day: quit while you're ahead : This phrase can be used to express the idea that one should stop doing something that's rewarding but risky before something bad happens.; Michael Schumacher got a lot out of car racing, and he was smart enough to quit while he was ahead. Thought For The Day: You become writer by writing. It is a yoga. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (1906-2001) *****October 14, 2014***** mistral : a cold, dry, northerly wind common in southern France and neighboring regions. Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." posthaste : with all possible speed; 'You must leave posthaste,' Virginia theatrically admonished her guests, 'or you'll miss your ferry!' gaffe : (noun) A clumsy social error; a faux pas.; slip, solecism, gaucherie; He knew by the silence that greeted his speech that he had made some kind of gaffe. odyssey : noun: A long eventful journey or experience. "In The Beast, ... journalist Oscar Martinez chronicled the treacherous odysseys that Central Americans undertake as they cross Mexico. ... The 'beasts' of the title are the trains on which the travelers ride not in boxcars, as American hobos did in earlier times, but on the roofs." Harold Meyerson; A New Children's March; The Washington Post; Jun 19, 2014. Idiom of the Day: a tall order : If you say something's a tall order, you mean that it'll be hard to do or difficult to achieve. ; Winning six gold medals at the Olympic Games is a tall order, but not impossible. Mark Spitz won seven at the 1972 Olympics. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (1916-1994) *****October 15, 2014***** juvenescent : being or becoming youthful; young. Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." judgment : a formal utterance of an authoritative opinion; Theresa showed good judgment by clearing her family out of the house as soon as she smelled gas. hovel : (noun) A small, miserable dwelling.; shack, shanty, hut, hutch; Compared to the manor house, their own modest home seemed like a hovel. cimmerian : adjective: Very dark or gloomy. "All along the beach they had travelled on the empty bus, watching as lightning slashed the brooding, Cimmerian sky." Anita Rau Badami; The Hero's Walk; Algonquin Books; 2001. Thought For The Day: To be nobody but myself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting. -E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962) *****October 16, 2014***** mythomane : a person with a strong or irresistible propensity for fantasizing, lying, or exaggerating. Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." doctrinaire : attempting to put into effect an abstract doctrine or theory with little or no regard for practical difficulties; 'As doctrinaire as I may be about players being ready to play every day,' Coach said, 'they are also human beings; I need to accept they are going to need breaks once in a while.' feign : (verb) To give a false appearance of.; sham, simulate, assume; When confronted about the crime, the suspect feigned ignorance of even the most general details. narcissist : noun: Someone with excessive self-interest or self-love. "Dreyfus's vice-president is a narcissist who plays an important scene in a room filled with pictures of herself." Jaime J. Weinman; Politics for Pretty People; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jul 18, 2012. Idiom of the Day: talk turkey : If you talk turkey, you discuss something seriously, usually to do with business or money.; After the owner had shown him around the apartment, Shane decided it was just what he wanted, so he said, "OK, I'm interested. Let's talk turkey." Thought For The Day: He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900) *****October 17, 2014***** conk : to go to sleep (usually followed by off or out). Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." bucket shop : a gambling establishment that formerly used market fluctuations (as in commodities) as a basis for gaming; 'Today … the SEC is able to intervene more quickly to shut down frauds, like boiler rooms or bucket shops pushing bogus stocks….' - The Orange County Register, October 15, 2001 churl : (noun) A rude, boorish person.; boor, barbarian, peasant; He is a drunken, brawling, perilous churl, as you may find to your cost. atlas : noun: 1. A person who supports a great burden. 2. A book of maps, charts, tables, plates, etc. 3. The top vertebra of the backbone, which supports the skull. 4. A size of drawing paper 26x33 or 26x34 inches. 5. An architectural column in the shape of a man. (Plural: atlantes. Another word for this is telamon. The female equivalent is caryatid.) "Williams's performance is forced, as if he believes he is an Atlas holding up the whole picture." Afterlives; Stanley Kauffmann; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Oct 26, 1998. Idiom of the Day: skate on thin ice : If you're skating on thin ice, you're doing something risky, or you're in a situation that could quickly become dangerous. ; Don't you think you'll be skating on thin ice if you go to the U.S. without getting health insurance? Medical care is incredibly expensive there. Thought For The Day: A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it. -Oscar Wilde, writer (1854-1900) *****October 18, 2014***** duple : having two parts; double; twofold. Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." forswear : to make a liar of (oneself) under or as if under oath; Tina forswore flying after the latest airline mishap left her stranded in Chicago for eighteen hours. cache : (noun) A secret store of valuables or money.; hoard, stash; In case of an emergency, I have a small cache of money and weapons hidden in the shed. charon : noun: A ferryman. "On the Ganges, a charon pulled me soundlessly across the water." Pico Iyer; Maximum India; Condé Nast Traveler; Jan, 2011. Idiom of the Day: keep it under your hat : If someone tells you a secret and you keep it under your hat, you don't tell anyone.; I'll only tell you if you promise to keep it under your hat. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005) *****October 19, 2014***** deiform : godlike or divine in form or nature. Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." neophilia : love or enthusiasm for what is new or novel; Loretta wondered if it was neophilia that led her husband to buy shiny new power tools even when the ones he already had were in perfect condition. cabal : (noun) A secret scheme or plot.; conspiracy; She pretended that a wicked plot was being hatched against her, a cabal which would come to a head in the coming days. charon : noun: A ferryman. "On the Ganges, a charon pulled me soundlessly across the water." Pico Iyer; Maximum India; Condé Nast Traveler; Jan, 2011. Idiom of the Day: for the time being : If something will be the way it is "for the time being", it will be that way for a limited period of time only.; You can stay here for the time being, but you'll have to move out when you find your own place. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005) *****October 20, 2014***** hallux : the first or innermost digit of the foot of humans and other primates or of the hind foot of other mammals; great toe; big toe. Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." esculent : edible; Morels are esculent mushrooms and are delicious, but be warned that there are also false morels, which are poisonous. parry : (verb) To deflect, evade, or avoid.; hedge, sidestep, skirt, circumvent, dodge, elude, duck; He parried every inquiry so successfully that soon he was the one asking the questions. charon : noun: A ferryman. "On the Ganges, a charon pulled me soundlessly across the water." Pico Iyer; Maximum India; Condé Nast Traveler; Jan, 2011. Idiom of the Day: the cream of the crop : If something or someone is in the cream of the crop, they are among the best of a class of things or people.; The cream of the crop of this year's high-school graduates will get into the best universities, as usual. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (1915-2005) *****October 21, 2014***** cline : Linguistics. (in systemic linguistics) a scale of continuous gradation; continuum. Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." impunity : exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss; Penalties for breaking the law can be made harsher, but without extra funding for its enforcement, people will continue to violate it with impunity. quaff : (verb) To swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught.; gulp, swig; Recently returned to port, the sailors quaffed their ale with gusto. mullion : noun: A vertical piece of stone, wood, metal, etc., dividing a window or other opening. "When it comes to hanging wall art, don't overlook the mullion bar between two windows." Joshua Lyon; The Makeover Issue; Country Living (Pittsburgh); Sep 2013. Idiom of the Day: deep pockets : You can say a person or an organisation has deep pockets if they have lots of money.; Let's make a list of everyone we know with deep pockets, and see if any of them want to invest in our company. Thought For The Day: Readers may be divided into four classes: 1. Sponges, who absorb all that they read and return it in nearly the same state, only a little dirtied. 2. Sand-glasses, who retain nothing and are content to get through a book for the sake of getting through the time. 3. Strain-bags, who retain merely the dregs of what they read. 4. Mogul diamonds, equally rare and valuable, who profit by what they read, and enable others to profit by it also. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, critic (1772-1834) *****October 22, 2014***** realpolitik : political realism or practical politics, especially policy based on power rather than on ideals. Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." redux : brought back; Now running in his own campaign, the son of the former mayor was advised to develop his own identity and not simply portray himself as his father redux. lucid : (adjective) Mentally sound; sane or rational.; coherent, logical; Most of the time, he just muttered incomprehensibly to himself, but in his occasional lucid moments, he was an engaging conversationalist. Idiom of the Day: stick out like a sore thumb | stand out like a sore thumb : If someone sticks out like a sore thumb, or stands out like a sore thumb, everyone notices them because they're not the same as the people around them.; Kenny stuck out like a sore thumb at the party. He was the only person wearing a suit and a tie. Thought For The Day: Biographical history, as taught in our public schools, is still largely a history of boneheads: ridiculous kings and queens, paranoid political leaders, compulsive voyagers, ignorant generals, the flotsam and jetsam of historical currents. The men who radically altered history, the great creative scientists and mathematicians, are seldom mentioned if at all. -Martin Gardner, mathematician and writer (1914-2010) *****October 23, 2014***** pavonine : of or like a peacock. Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." turophile : a connoisseur of cheese : a cheese fancier; Surely the turophiles at our table can recommend some good cheeses to pair with our wine selection. nonce : (noun) The present or particular occasion.; time being; Her tendency to discover a touch of sadness had for the nonce disappeared. brummagem : adjective: Cheap and showy. noun: Something that is counterfeit or of inferior quality. "Your ring is just brummagem brass." Lucy Vickery; After the Dance; The Spectator (London, UK); Feb 12, 2011. Idiom of the Day: yellow journalism : Journalism in which sensational stories are used to boost sales, or biased reporting is used to change the reader's views on an issue. Both of these are unethical.; Have you noticed how, during a war, normally trustworthy professionals start writing the worst sort of yellow journalism to justify their government's actions? Thought For The Day: All one's life as a young woman one is on show, a focus of attention, people notice you. You set yourself up to be noticed and admired. And then, not expecting it, you become middle-aged and anonymous. No one notices you. You achieve a wonderful freedom. It's a positive thing. You can move about unnoticed and invisible. -Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (1919-2013) *****October 24, 2014***** exiguous : scanty; meager; small; slender: exiguous income. Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." interlocutor : one who takes part in dialogue or conversation; Steve's aggressive insistence on the correctness of his own opinions frequently made his interlocutors uncomfortable. banal : (adjective) Drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite.; stock, threadbare, hackneyed, old-hat, well-worn, tired; By his twelfth book, his plots had become downright banal. Idiom of the Day: nerves of steel : If you have nerves of steel, you are very brave and not many things make you scared or nervous.; I could never work on one of those high-rise building sites where you walk along beams about twenty stories up. You'd need nerves of steel to do that job. Thought For The Day: Every advance in civilization has been denounced as unnatural while it was recent. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel prize in literature (1872-1970) *****October 25, 2014***** cloister : to confine in retirement; seclude. Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." lyric : suitable for singing : melodic; The critics are praising Jessica's debut novel as a lyric masterpiece that bravely lays out the emotional tensions experienced by its young protagonist. argot : (noun) A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group.; jargon, lingo, patois, vernacular, slang, cant; He was a natural linguist, and he kept notebooks, making a scientific study of the workers' slang or argot, until he could talk quite intelligibly. girn : verb intr.: To snarl, grimace, or complain. noun: A grimace or snarl. "At seventy-five or eighty I will be like a child myself, frail and cantankerous, a girning, burdensome old devil." Jessica Stirling; The Wind from the Hills; St Martin's Press; 1999. Idiom of the Day: behind the eight ball Informal : If you're behind the eight ball, you're in a difficult or dangerous position.; The economic recession has really put our new business behind the eight ball. Nobody's spending money. Thought For The Day: Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. -William Shakespeare, playwright and poet (1564-1616) *****October 26, 2014***** cygnet : a young swan. Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." vendetta : a feud between different families; The vendetta between the two more powerful families on the island reached new heights when the prominent son of one family and two of his associates suddenly went missing. freewheeling : (adjective) Not concerned with or constrained by rules, conventions, or responsibilities.; devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, harum-scarum, slaphappy, carefree; Enjoy your fun while you can because it won't be long before you have to bid farewell to your freewheeling lifestyle and settle down. girn : verb intr.: To snarl, grimace, or complain. noun: A grimace or snarl. "At seventy-five or eighty I will be like a child myself, frail and cantankerous, a girning, burdensome old devil." Jessica Stirling; The Wind from the Hills; St Martin's Press; 1999. Idiom of the Day: a war of words : If you're in a war of words with someone, you're having a long argument or dispute with them. ; The leaders of the two main political parties are in a war of words over the issue of gun ownership. They debate the topic whenever they see each other. Thought For The Day: Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. -William Shakespeare, playwright and poet (1564-1616) *****October 27, 2014***** quickhatch : a wolverine. Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." maunder : chiefly British : grumble; Chelsea left a nearly incoherent message on my voicemail, maundering on for several minutes without ever getting around to her reason for calling. whet : (verb) To make more keen; stimulate.; quicken, pique; The aroma of frying bacon whetted my appetite. girn : verb intr.: To snarl, grimace, or complain. noun: A grimace or snarl. "At seventy-five or eighty I will be like a child myself, frail and cantankerous, a girning, burdensome old devil." Jessica Stirling; The Wind from the Hills; St Martin's Press; 1999. Idiom of the Day: the year dot | the year one : You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.; There have been people living in Australia since the year dot, but Europeans have only been there for about two hundred years. Thought For The Day: Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. -William Shakespeare, playwright and poet (1564-1616) *****October 28, 2014***** odontoid : of or resembling a tooth; toothlike. Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." homage : something done or given as an acknowledgement of a vassal's duty to his lord; One scene in the movie was clearly the director's homage to his mentor and idol. waft : (verb) To carry or be carried gently on or as if on the air or water.; drift, float, blow; The scent of her perfume wafted through the room. Idiom of the Day: a drop in the bucket : If an amount is a drop in the bucket, it's a very small portion of the amount that's needed. ; Our government's sending a thousand tons of food, but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed. Thought For The Day: I ask you to judge me by the enemies I have made. -Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President (1882-1945) *****October 29, 2014***** poltergeist : a ghost or spirit supposed to manifest its presence by noises, knockings, etc. sempiternal : of never-ending duration : eternal; No matter how much we try to analyze it, the question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, will be a matter of sempiternal debate. sere : (adjective) Dried up or withered.; shriveled; The desert was edged with sere vegetation. zeugma : noun: The use of a word to refer to two or more words, especially in different senses. Examples: "He caught a fish and a cold" or "She lost her ring and her temper." "One, Mister Eisenschmutz, gaunt, small, elegant, his head covered with a kepele in embroidered silk, prays with fervor and a French accent (this is a rhetorical zeugma of the sort 'I'm Hungarian and robbed')." Adam Biro (translator: Catherine Tihanyi); Is It Good for the Jews?; The University of Chicago Press; 2009. Idiom of the Day: a wolf in sheep's clothing : A wolf in sheep's clothing is someone who seems to be a good person but is really a bad person.; The priest at our church seemed to be a very warm and caring man, but we later found out that he was a wolf in sheep's clothing. Thought For The Day: The human mind is inspired enough when it comes to inventing horrors; it is when it tries to invent a heaven that it shows itself cloddish. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (1903-1966) *****October 30, 2014***** chthonian : Classical Mythology. of or pertaining to the deities, spirits, and other beings dwelling under the earth. Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." quixotic : foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; Pauline characterized her Halloween decorating plans as ambitious, but she secretly feared that 'quixotic' was a more apt descriptor. orphic : (adjective) Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding.; occult, mysterious, mystical, secret; The orphic symbols on the tome could only be deciphered by the blind wizard. synecdoche : noun: A figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole or vice versa. Examples: "head count" to refer to the count of people or "the police" to refer to a police officer "Rome was the heart of Italy, a synecdoche for all that humanity had wrought. Rome bore witness to the fate of republics and empires, faiths and fortunes." Jane Kamensky; John Singleton Copley's Grand Tour; Smithsonian (Washington, DC); Apr 2014. Idiom of the Day: (like) water off a duck's back : You can say an insult or criticism is like water off a duck's back if it doesn't upset you.; I asked Amy if she got upset when journalists wrote negative things about her, and she said she didn't care what they wrote - it was like water off a duck's back. Thought For The Day: If only I may grow: firmer, simpler, -- quieter, warmer. -Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations, Nobel laureate (1905-1961) *****October 31, 2014***** baleful : full of menacing or malign influences; pernicious. Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." collywobbles : pain in the abdomen and especially in the stomach : bellyache; 'It's no wonder you've got the collywobbles,' said Ruth to her niece, 'given the amount of Halloween candy you ate last night!' iota : (noun) A very small amount; a bit.; scintilla, shred, smidgeon, whit; There was not an iota of truth to that tale. epanalepsis : noun: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated after intervening text.Example: "The king is dead, long live the king!" "What's it called if a word that appears at the beginning of a sentence is repeated at its end? Epanalepsis. Think of Brutus's speech at the funeral of Julius Caesar (in Shakespeare's revision, of course): 'Hear me for my cause, and be silent that you may hear: Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe.'" Bryan A. Garner; For the Word Lovers; ABA Journal (Chicago); May 2013. Idiom of the Day: stick out like a sore thumb | stand out like a sore thumb : If someone sticks out like a sore thumb, or stands out like a sore thumb, everyone notices them because they're not the same as the people around them.; Kenny stuck out like a sore thumb at the party. He was the only person wearing a suit and a tie. Thought For The Day: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. -Ezra Pound, poet (1885-1972) *****November 01, 2014***** cryptesthesia : Psychology. allegedly paranormal perception, as clairvoyance or clairaudience. Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." adduce : to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis; 'The arguments she had adduced rang true.' - Agatha Christie, The Secret Adversary, 1922 jibe : (verb) To be in accord; agree.; correspond, match; I expected to find some discrepancies in the books, but your figures jibe with mine. hendiadys : noun: A figure of speech in which two words joined by a conjunction are used to convey a single idea instead of using a word and its modifier. Example: "pleasant and warm" instead of "pleasantly warm" "'One good student and nice is Julio.' 'I compliment you on the superb hendiadys re: Julio.'" John Fredrick; The King of Good Intentions; Verse Chorus Press; 2013. Idiom of the Day: (have) egg on your face Informal : You have egg on your face if you've said or done something wrong, and it's made you feel embarrassed or stupid.; Stan had egg on his face after saying he could easily do fifty push-ups, and then giving up after doing just twenty. Thought For The Day: There is a budding morrow in midnight. -John Keats, poet (1795-1821) *****November 02, 2014***** oeuvre : French. the works of a writer, painter, or the like, taken as a whole. Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." simplistic : excessively simple : not complete or thorough enough : not treating or considering all possibilities or parts; The statistics are based on a simplistic study of a small, unrepresentative population and cannot be applied to the broader population. gibe : (noun) A derisive or provoking remark.; barb, dig, shot; The referee heard the gibes from the crowd, but, ever the professional, ignored them. hendiadys : noun: A figure of speech in which two words joined by a conjunction are used to convey a single idea instead of using a word and its modifier. Example: "pleasant and warm" instead of "pleasantly warm" "'One good student and nice is Julio.' 'I compliment you on the superb hendiadys re: Julio.'" John Fredrick; The King of Good Intentions; Verse Chorus Press; 2013. Idiom of the Day: under lock and key : If something is under lock and key, it is kept in a very secure place.; Make sure these documents are under lock and key until we need them. Thought For The Day: There is a budding morrow in midnight. -John Keats, poet (1795-1821) *****November 03, 2014***** crapehanger : a person who sees the gloomy side of things; pessimist. Also, crepehanger. Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." malapropism : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context; Unloosing one of his frequent malapropisms, grandfather declared that by eating healthy and exercising regularly he hoped to become 'nearly immoral.' numismatist : (noun) A collector and student of money (and coins in particular).; coin collector; I'm not sure that I would go so far as to call myself a numismatist, but I do have jars and jars full of change at home. hendiadys : noun: A figure of speech in which two words joined by a conjunction are used to convey a single idea instead of using a word and its modifier. Example: "pleasant and warm" instead of "pleasantly warm" "'One good student and nice is Julio.' 'I compliment you on the superb hendiadys re: Julio.'" John Fredrick; The King of Good Intentions; Verse Chorus Press; 2013. Idiom of the Day: elbow grease : If something needs elbow grease, it needs a lot of hard physical work.; We'll need a bit more elbow grease to get these walls really clean. Thought For The Day: There is a budding morrow in midnight. -John Keats, poet (1795-1821) *****November 04, 2014***** horology : the art or science of making timepieces or of measuring time. Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." fusty : saturated with dust and stale odors : musty; We opened the windows to air out the fusty room. raze : (verb) To level to the ground; demolish.; pull down, tear down; They would raze our cities, leaving not one stone upon another. dragoman : noun: An interpreter or guide. "The pig doesn't express himself in some exotic swine-dialect, the farmer has no need to summon a dragoman fluent in grunts, each understands the other perfectly." Eric Ormsby; Ambitious Diminutives; Parnassus: Poetry in Review; 2008. Idiom of the Day: the jewel in the crown : If something is the jewel in the crown, it's part of a group or set of similar things, and it's the best of them all.; Sydney's Opera House is the jewel in the crown of modern Australian architecture. Thought For The Day: It is more often from pride than from ignorance that we are so obstinately opposed to current opinions; we find the first places taken, and we do not want to be the last. -Francois De La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680) *****November 05, 2014***** kickshaw : a tidbit or delicacy, especially one served as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre. Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." demagogue : a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power; The nation's voters ousted their incumbent president for a demagogue who persuasively capitalized on fears of another recession. rend : (verb) To tear or split apart or into pieces violently.; rip, rive; The widow began to rend her clothes in grief. golgotha : noun: 1. A place or occasion of great suffering. 2. A burial place. "A soldier from Mississippi called Spotsylvania 'one vast Golgotha in immensity of the number of the dead.'" Michael Ruane; 'Were Turned into Fiends and Brutes'; The Washington Post; Apr 27, 2014. Idiom of the Day: caught red-handed : If someone is caught red-handed, they are caught in the act of doing something wrong such as cheating or stealing.; I used to cheat in exams until I was caught red-handed by my teacher. I stopped doing it after that. Thought For The Day: I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it. -Will Rogers, humorist (1879-1935) *****November 06, 2014***** pusillanimous : lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid. Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." trenchant : keen, sharp; The daily news satire show not only offers a healthy dose of laughs but also trenchant commentary on the current events of the day. mire : (noun) An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog.; morass, quag, quagmire; At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. mandarin : noun: 1. A member of one of nine ranks of public officials in the Chinese Empire. 2. A powerful government official or bureaucrat. 3. A member of an elite group, especially one having influence in intellectual or literary circles. 4. Capitalized: the official language of China. 5. A citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, that is native to China. adjective: 1. Of or relating to a mandarin. 2. Marked by refined or ornate language. "Narendra Modi's real challenge begins once he gets down to the brass tacks of realpolitik with Obama and the White House mandarins." The Modi Sales Pitch; Gulf News (Dubai); Sep 30, 2014. "No one would accuse James Swain of writing mandarin prose; in fact, he uses language with such blunt force he could be hammering in nails." Marilyn Stasio; After-School Special; The New York Times Book Review; Oct 7, 2007. Idiom of the Day: jump down your throat | jump all over you : If someone jumps down your throat, or jumps all over you, they strongly criticise you or scold you. ; All I did was come twenty minutes late, and the manager jumped down my throat. I don't understand why he got so mad. Thought For The Day: To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (1850-1919) *****November 07, 2014***** anatine : resembling a duck. Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." chouse : cheat, trick; In Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, the miserable Mr. Cruncher fumes, 'If I ain't … been choused this last week into as bad luck as ever a poor devil of a honest tradesman met with!' akin : (adjective) Similar in quality or character.; kindred; The students watched the principal approaching with a feeling akin to terror. jubilee : noun: 1. A special anniversary of an event, especially a 50th anniversary. 2. Rejoicing or celebration. "Pupils at a Bradford school crowned their diamond jubilee celebrations by starting the new academic year in the new school colour -- gold." Chris Young; A Golden Year Begins for Pupils With New School Uniforms; Telegraph and Argus (Bradford, UK); Oct 3, 2014. Idiom of the Day: the year dot | the year one : You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.; There have been people living in Australia since the year dot, but Europeans have only been there for about two hundred years. Thought For The Day: I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (1809-1865) *****November 08, 2014***** gapeseed : British Dialect. a person who gapes or stares in wonder, especially a rustic or unworldly person who is easily awed. Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. prototype : an original model on which something is patterned : archetype; It's not clear at this point how the device will differ from its prototype. bode : (verb) To be an omen of.; augur, portend, foreshadow, presage, foretell; Her hesitation at his proposal boded trouble in their future. Mata Hari : noun: A seductive woman who works as a spy. "In London, Sophia joins the war effort ... and embarks upon improbable espionage escapades, hoping to come off as a Mata Hari in furs and printed chiffon." Liesl Schillinger; The Persistence of Levity; Newsweek (New York); Sep 20, 2013. Idiom of the Day: a fair-weather friend : A fair-weather friend is a person who will only be your friend when things are going well for you.; I had lots of friends when I was rich and successful, but when the money was gone it became clear that most were only fair-weather friends. Thought For The Day: Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity. -Albert Camus, writer and philosopher (1913-1960) *****November 09, 2014***** sinistral : left-handed. Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Byzantine : of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient city of Byzantium or of the Byzantine Empire; A decade of reckless investments and byzantine power struggles eventually led to the company's collapse. ken : (noun) Range of what one can know or understand.; cognizance; This level of mathematics is beyond my ken. Mata Hari : noun: A seductive woman who works as a spy. "In London, Sophia joins the war effort ... and embarks upon improbable espionage escapades, hoping to come off as a Mata Hari in furs and printed chiffon." Liesl Schillinger; The Persistence of Levity; Newsweek (New York); Sep 20, 2013. Idiom of the Day: answer the call of nature : If you answer the call of nature, you go to the toilet.; Could we stop somewhere? I need to answer the call of nature. Thought For The Day: Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity. -Albert Camus, writer and philosopher (1913-1960) *****November 10, 2014***** comeuppance : Informal. deserved reward or just deserts, usually unpleasant: He finally got his comeuppance for his misbehavior. Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." injunction : the act or an instance of enjoining : order, admonition; The family gathered in the room to hear the matriarch's dying injunctions. diffident : (adjective) Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.; unsure; Because she was only a first-year student, she was diffident when offering a comment on the professor's lecture. Mata Hari : noun: A seductive woman who works as a spy. "In London, Sophia joins the war effort ... and embarks upon improbable espionage escapades, hoping to come off as a Mata Hari in furs and printed chiffon." Liesl Schillinger; The Persistence of Levity; Newsweek (New York); Sep 20, 2013. Idiom of the Day: easy on the eye : If something is easy on the eye, it is pleasant to look at.; Do you like paintings that are challenging and say something, or paintings that are easy on the eye and work as decoration? Thought For The Day: Too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity. -Albert Camus, writer and philosopher (1913-1960) *****November 11, 2014***** hoyden : a boisterous, bold, and carefree girl; a tomboy. Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. egregious : conspicuous; especially : conspicuously bad : flagrant; It was an egregious breach of theater etiquette on Eugene's part when he left his cell phone on during the play and it rang during an important scene. sycophant : (noun) A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.; crawler, toady, lackey; The sycophant erupted into laughter before the mayor had even finished the joke. tegular : adjective: Relating to, resembling, or arranged like tiles. "The town council has contributed £70,000 to the scheme to pay for tegular paving to match other areas of the town centre." Jon Bennett; Traders Angry Over Road Resurfacing Work; Kent and Sussex Courier (UK); Mar 14, 2008. Idiom of the Day: under the table : If something is done under the table, it's done secretly, usually because it's illegal or unethical. ; If I do any overtime, can you pay me under the table so I won't have pay tax on it. Thought For The Day: Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (1852-1933) *****November 12, 2014***** gossamer : a fine, filmy cobweb seen on grass or bushes or floating in the air in calm weather, especially in autumn. Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." anodyne : serving to alleviate pain; The group's latest album is a fairly anodyne affair; it contains a number of lively tunes that are easy on the ears, but which play it far too safe to ever be anything more than passing amusements. quiescence : (noun) A state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction.; dormancy; The volcano erupted after centuries of quiescence. refection : noun: 1. Refreshment with food or drink. 2. A light meal. 3. The reingesting of fecal pellets, as practiced by rabbits. "Mr March and the Professor retired to the study, Meg and Amy went to look after the little refection of fruit and cake which was to come." Louisa May Alcott; Jo's Boys; Roberts Brothers; 1886. Idiom of the Day: kick the bucket Informal : If someone kicks the bucket, they die.; When I kick the bucket, you can just bury me under a tree at the bottom of the garden. Thought For The Day: A brother is a friend given by nature. -Gabriel Legouve, writer (1807-1903) *****November 13, 2014***** clowder : a group or cluster of cats. Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." hallowed : holy, consecrated; 'He who enters a university walks on hallowed ground,' declared Harvard President James Bryant Conant on the celebration of that institution's 300th anniversary. ubiquitous : (adjective) Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time.; omnipresent; She is the most ubiquitous media personality around. Idiom of the Day: dirt cheap : You can say something is dirt cheap if it costs very little money.; Be careful when you buy dirt cheap clothes. They could shrink easily or the colours could run when you wash them. Thought For The Day: Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (1840-1917) *****November 14, 2014***** horripilation : a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold, fear, etc.; goose flesh. Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." threnody : a song of lamentation for the dead : elegy; Christina wrote the poem as a threnody for her grandmother, who had died the previous spring. inimical : (adjective) Injurious or harmful in effect; adverse.; hurtful, injurious; The inimical effects of smoking have been thoroughly documented. wonted : adjective: Usual; accustomed. "With wonted grace, Carey concedes that mass hunger is a seemly matter for clerical concern." Matthew Norman; By George, Dr Carey's Right!; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 26, 2014. Idiom of the Day: par for the course Informal : If something is par for the course, it's what you'd expect it to be.; Bill hasn't paid his rent on time, but that's par for the course. He's always late. Thought For The Day: Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894) *****November 15, 2014***** slubber : to perform hastily or carelessly. Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." devise : to give (real estate) by will; The author's childhood home was devised to the city and the Historical Commission will turn it into a museum devoted to her life. inveigle : (verb) To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk.; cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; The salesman inveigled him so successfully that he paid twice the original price. ambagious : adjective: Roundabout; circuitous. "... Mandelstam's ambagious passage to a common grave outside a transit camp." Andrew Hudgins; Stalin's Laughter; The Kenyon Review (Gambier, Ohio); Spring 2010. Idiom of the Day: give the green light : If you give something the green light, you give permission for it to be done, or allow it to happen.; The government has given the green light to our tree-planting project, so we can go ahead and start organizing things. Thought For The Day: No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 1947) *****November 16, 2014***** panivorous : subsisting on bread; bread-eating. Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." execrable : deserving to be execrated : detestable; It turned out that the execrable odor was coming from a bag of onions rotting in the back of the pantry. harangue : (noun) A speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression; a tirade.; rant; The coach's angry harangue during halftime somehow managed to motivate the team. ambagious : adjective: Roundabout; circuitous. "... Mandelstam's ambagious passage to a common grave outside a transit camp." Andrew Hudgins; Stalin's Laughter; The Kenyon Review (Gambier, Ohio); Spring 2010. Thought For The Day: No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 1947) *****November 17, 2014***** pell-mell : in a confused or jumbled mass, crowd, manner, etc.: The crowd rushed pell-mell into the store when the doors opened. Credulous; Credulity : n. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." meliorism : the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment; The author's meliorism is evident in such statements as, 'I believe that peace is inevitable.' charlatan : (noun) A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.; mountebank; In a somber tone, the charlatan proclaimed that he could cure the woman with only a banana peel—for a small fee, of course. ambagious : adjective: Roundabout; circuitous. "... Mandelstam's ambagious passage to a common grave outside a transit camp." Andrew Hudgins; Stalin's Laughter; The Kenyon Review (Gambier, Ohio); Spring 2010. Idiom of the Day: par for the course Informal : If something is par for the course, it's what you'd expect it to be.; Bill hasn't paid his rent on time, but that's par for the course. He's always late. Thought For The Day: No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 1947) *****November 18, 2014***** rufescent : somewhat reddish; tinged with red; rufous. Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." rife : prevalent especially to an increasing degree; After the newspaper's managing editor was fired, speculation was rife about who would replace him. gossamer : (adjective) Sheer, light, delicate, or tenuous.; ethereal; Tasting cotton candy for the first time, the child was thrilled by the gossamer treat. Idiom of the Day: come in handy Informal : You can say something might come in handy if you think it might be useful.; It's a good thing you took those extra clothes. They came in handy after I fell in the river. Thought For The Day: We are a landscape of all we have seen. -Isamu Noguchi, sculptor and architect (1904-1988) *****November 19, 2014***** star-crossed : thwarted or opposed by the stars; ill-fated: star-crossed lovers. Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." leitmotif : a melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation in a music drama; The overcoming of obstacles and a love of theater are the two leitmotifs of her autobiography. remonstrate : (verb) To reason or plead in protest, objection, or complaint.; protest, challenge, argue, object, dispute, dissent, expostulate; I remonstrate against these outrages upon reason and truth, of course, but it does no good. strafe : verb tr.: 1. To attack with machine-gun fire or bombs from a low-flying aircraft. 2. To criticize severely. noun: 1. An attack from a low-flying aircraft. 2. A severe criticism. "Alanis is strafed with scorn no matter what she does, and her attachment parenting style is often derided on Internet sites." Bruce Ward; Alanis at 40; Ottawa Citizen (Canada); May 21, 2014. Idiom of the Day: fresh as a daisy : If you feel as fresh as a daisy, you feel energetic and lively.; I might look awful first thing in the morning, but after a cup of tea and a bit of meditation I'm as fresh as a daisy. Thought For The Day: Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 1939) *****November 20, 2014***** chiaroscuro : the distribution of light and shade in a picture. Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." officious : volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome; Staff members view the new consultant as an officious individual offering unwanted feedback, but she is simply doing her job. chicanery : (noun) Deception by trickery or sophistry.; guile; The trial revealed a world of crime, corruption and political chicanery. Idiom of the Day: a weight off your shoulders : You can say a weight is off your shoulders if you no longer have to worry about something or deal with something difficult.; Thanks so much for agreeing to take care of Snoopy while I'm away. It's a weight off my shoulders knowing that a real dog lover will be looking after her. Thought For The Day: You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. -Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India (1917-1984) *****November 21, 2014***** apocryphal : of doubtful authorship or authenticity. Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." weal : a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : well-being; The president spoke of devotion to the common weal and the hope of creating a better country. exculpate : (verb) To clear of guilt or blame.; acquit, assoil, exonerate, discharge, clear; He was exculpated from the charge when the real criminal confessed. Idiom of the Day: have your head in the clouds : If someone has their head in the clouds, they are out of touch with the everyday world and can be unrealistic or naive as a result.; If you think oil companies are going to help destroy their own industry by developing alternative energy sources, you have your head in the clouds. Thought For The Day: The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is. -Nadine Gordimer, novelist, Nobel laureate (1923-2014) *****November 22, 2014***** bovarism : an exaggerated, especially glamorized, estimate of oneself; conceit. Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." golden handcuffs : special benefits offered to an employee as an inducement to continue service; It was in the company's interests to offer Janice a set of golden handcuffs in the form of company stock, since her connections and knowledge of industry secrets would not be easy to replace. huffy : (adjective) Quick to take offense.; touchy; I tried to give my coworker some advice after the meeting, but she perceived it as criticism, got all huffy, and stormed away. leitmotif or leitmotiv : noun: A recurrent theme in a piece of music or literature, situation, etc. "Smart women speaking makes many men angry. Looking back, I see that this has been a leitmotif of my life. This may not surprise you, but it surprises me, every time." Elizabeth Farrelly; If Only the World Boasted More Uppity Women; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 13, 2014. Idiom of the Day: neck of the woods Informal : A neck of the woods is a neighbourhood or a district, usually rural.; What brings you to our neck of the woods? Thought For The Day: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778) *****November 23, 2014***** vespertide : the period of vespers; evening. Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." shrive : to administer the sacrament of reconciliation to; 'Once every three months, Pancho took his savings and drove into Monterey to confess his sins, to do his penance, and be shriven and to get drunk, in the order named.' - John Steinbeck, The Pastures of Heaven, 1932 vitriolic : (adjective) Bitterly scathing; caustic.; acid, blistering, venomous, acrid, acerbic, bitter, virulent; The critic showed no mercy in writing the most vitriolic review of her career. leitmotif or leitmotiv : noun: A recurrent theme in a piece of music or literature, situation, etc. "Smart women speaking makes many men angry. Looking back, I see that this has been a leitmotif of my life. This may not surprise you, but it surprises me, every time." Elizabeth Farrelly; If Only the World Boasted More Uppity Women; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 13, 2014. Idiom of the Day: right down your alley | right up your alley : If something is right down your alley, or right up your alley, it would be perfect for you or ideal for your skills and interests.; I've found a job that should be right down Lou's alley. It's writing for a baseball magazine, so he could use his writing skills and his knowledge of baseball. Thought For The Day: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778) *****November 24, 2014***** frigorific : causing or producing cold. Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." recusant : refusing to submit to authority; Elizabeth's recusant streak was apparent even in elementary school, where she would frequently challenge the rules put forth by her teachers. impel : (verb) To urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate.; compel, drive, push, inspire, instigate, goad; I don't consider myself an activist, but I was impelled by recent events to take a stand on this issue. leitmotif or leitmotiv : noun: A recurrent theme in a piece of music or literature, situation, etc. "Smart women speaking makes many men angry. Looking back, I see that this has been a leitmotif of my life. This may not surprise you, but it surprises me, every time." Elizabeth Farrelly; If Only the World Boasted More Uppity Women; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 13, 2014. Idiom of the Day: in the black : If a person or a company is in the black, their assets are greater than their debts.; It's taken a long time, but we've paid off our loans and we're in the black again at last. Thought For The Day: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778) *****November 25, 2014***** gaslight : to cause (a person) to doubt his or her sanity through the use of psychological manipulation: How do you know if your partner is gaslighting you? Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Job's comforter : a person who discourages or depresses while seemingly giving comfort and consolation; Danny, a reliable Job's comforter, assured Shane that the girl who'd broken his heart had always been out of his league. impracticable : (adjective) Not capable of being carried out or put into practice.; unfeasible, unworkable; Refloating the sunken ship intact proved impracticable because of its fragility. solon : noun: 1. A wise lawgiver. 2. A legislator. "After due consideration and debate, our solons last week offered new rules designed to prevent dangerous practices." Randall W. Forsyth; Riskless Business; Barron's (New York); Dec 16, 2013. Idiom of the Day: year in, year out : If something has happened year in, year out, it's happened every year for many years in a row.; Our family gets together year in, year out at Christmas time. Thought For The Day: Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 1961) *****November 26, 2014***** nostomania : an irresistible compulsion to return home; intense homesickness. Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." pelagic : of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic; She is studying to become a marine biologist specializing in pelagic plant life. fugacious : (adjective) Passing away quickly; evanescent.; ephemeral, passing, short-lived, transitory, transient; Restless, shifting, fugacious as time itself is a certain vast bulk of the population of the red brick district of the lower West Side. Idiom of the Day: in deep water : If you're in deep water, you're in some sort of trouble or in a difficult situation.; The company's in deep water now that the tax inspectors have decided to check over the accounts. Thought For The Day: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928) *****November 27, 2014***** pabulum : material for intellectual nourishment. Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." crabwise : sideways; Rather than asking his parents for a car directly, Noah approached the matter crabwise, stressing how inconvenient it was for them to have to drive him everywhere. nefarious : (adjective) Evil; wicked; sinful.; villainous; The impenetrable and inescapable prison housed the most nefarious criminals. platonic : adjective: 1. Relating to Plato or his ideas. 2. Relating to a love free of sensual desire. 3. Confined to words or theories, and not leading to action. "In trendier circles, the French two-cheek kiss has become the greeting of choice. The two-cheeker happens very quickly and therefore requires a great deal of precision and lip-cheek coordination. For this reason, it's not uncommon, when hopping from one cheek to the other, to wind up planting one on your co-kissee's neck or worse, an earlobe. Then suddenly your platonic gesture is transformed into a strangely intimate moment (particularly baffling if the kissee is, say, your mother-in-law)." Lianne George; Have a Merry Christmas Kiss; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Dec 27, 2004. "In a rare personal reference, Legrain spoke of the impact of his medical practice on his views: '... living in permanent contact with these victims, I began to understand that the time was no longer appropriate for these platonic efforts that consist of blustering at every turn against the modern scourge.'" Patricia Prestwich; Paul-Maurice Legrain (1860-1939); Addiction (Abingdon, UK); Oct 1997. Idiom of the Day: take the bull by the horns : If you take the bull by the horns, you deal with a problem or a challenge in a direct and fearless way.; Pauline wasn't happy with the manager's decision, so she took the bull by the horns and demanded to see him in order to discuss the matter. Thought For The Day: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. -Desmond Tutu, clergyman (b. 1931) *****November 28, 2014***** degust : to taste or savor carefully or appreciatively. Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." nostrum : a usually questionable remedy or scheme : panacea; Critics predict the mayor's plan to revitalize the downtown area by offering tax breaks to businesses will prove a costly and ineffective nostrum. querulous : (adjective) Given to complaining; peevish.; fretful, whiny; The teacher's patience was wearing thin, but the querulous student nevertheless continued to whine about how much homework she was assigning. tontine : noun: A form of investment in which participants pool their money into a common fund and receive an annuity. Each person's share increases as members die until the last survivor takes the whole. "I am not saying that tontines should replace life annuities. Rather, they should be reintroduced and then coexist in the market." Moshe A. Milevsky; Wealth Management; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 22, 2013. Idiom of the Day: under the weather : If you are under the weather, you're not feeling well.; Hiroko's feeling a bit under the weather. He thinks he might have the flu. Thought For The Day: A body of clay, a mind full of play, a moment's life -- that's me. -Harivansh Rai Bachchan, poet (1907-2003) *****November 29, 2014***** tiffin : to eat lunch. Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." heterodox : contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional; A lifelong contrarian, Alexa was known for putting forth heterodox opinions in her weekly culture column. detractor : (noun) One who disparages or belittles the worth of something.; depreciator, disparager, knocker; His stellar performance silenced many of his detractors. Malthusian : adjective: Relating to the view that population increases faster than its means of subsistence resulting in disaster, unless population is checked by natural calamities or by people exercising control and having fewer children. "For most of the 20th century humanity managed to stay ahead in the Malthusian race between population growth and food supply." Tim Folger; The Next Green Revolution; National Geographic (Washington, DC); Oct 2014. "Paul Ehrlich, a biologist of Malthusian disposition, argued in The Population Bomb, a 1968 book, that rising populations would inevitably exhaust those resources, sending prices soaring and condemning people to hunger." Shocks and Ores; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 6, 2013. Idiom of the Day: virgin territory : You can say something is virgin territory if it's never been explored before or never been done before.; The internet was still virgin territory when we made our first websites. Thought For The Day: To see a world in a grain of sand, / And a heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, / And eternity in an hour. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827) *****November 30, 2014***** alphitomancy : the use of barley meal as a means of divination. Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." vicious circle : an argument or definition that begs the question; Lower profits led to spending cuts which caused falling sales, creating a vicious circle. intimate : (verb) To indicate or make known indirectly.; hint, imply, suggest; The young gentleman smiled, as if to intimate that the latter fragments of discourse were playfully ironical. Malthusian : adjective: Relating to the view that population increases faster than its means of subsistence resulting in disaster, unless population is checked by natural calamities or by people exercising control and having fewer children. "For most of the 20th century humanity managed to stay ahead in the Malthusian race between population growth and food supply." Tim Folger; The Next Green Revolution; National Geographic (Washington, DC); Oct 2014. "Paul Ehrlich, a biologist of Malthusian disposition, argued in The Population Bomb, a 1968 book, that rising populations would inevitably exhaust those resources, sending prices soaring and condemning people to hunger." Shocks and Ores; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 6, 2013. Idiom of the Day: kill time : You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something. ; I had to kill time at the airport because of the delay so I bought a book of crossword puzzles. Thought For The Day: To see a world in a grain of sand, / And a heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, / And eternity in an hour. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827) *****December 01, 2014***** specter : some object or source of terror or dread: the specter of disease or famine. Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." abbreviate : to make briefer; especially : to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole; Due to time constraints, the last speaker at the ceremony had to abbreviate her speech. impecunious : (adjective) Lacking money; penniless.; penurious; It was hard to believe that the impecunious man asking me if I could spare any change had once been the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Malthusian : adjective: Relating to the view that population increases faster than its means of subsistence resulting in disaster, unless population is checked by natural calamities or by people exercising control and having fewer children. "For most of the 20th century humanity managed to stay ahead in the Malthusian race between population growth and food supply." Tim Folger; The Next Green Revolution; National Geographic (Washington, DC); Oct 2014. "Paul Ehrlich, a biologist of Malthusian disposition, argued in The Population Bomb, a 1968 book, that rising populations would inevitably exhaust those resources, sending prices soaring and condemning people to hunger." Shocks and Ores; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 6, 2013. Idiom of the Day: leave well enough alone | let well enough alone : If you leave well enough alone, or let well enough alone, you don't try to improve or change something that's already good enough. ; The kids seem happy enough now so let's just leave well enough alone and forget about finding a new school for them. Thought For The Day: To see a world in a grain of sand, / And a heaven in a wild flower, / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, / And eternity in an hour. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827) *****December 02, 2014***** nosophobia : Psychiatry. an abnormal fear of disease. Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." penultimate : occurring immediately before the last one : next to the last; The word edamame places its primary stress on the penultimate syllable. edacious : (adjective) Characterized by voracity; devouring.; ravenous, voracious, wolfish, esurient, rapacious, ravening; The edacious vultures soon devoured the animal's remains. cordate : adjective: Heart-shaped. "The cordate leaves were large and broad, and ended in a single point." Yann Martel; Life of Pi; Knopf; 2001. Idiom of the Day: warts and all : If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.; Are you sure you want to read the first draft? You'll see it warts and all, with all the mistakes and all the bad writing still there. Thought For The Day: I took a speed reading course and read 'War and Peace' in twenty minutes. It involves Russia. -Woody Allen, author, actor, and filmmaker (b. 1935) *****December 03, 2014***** solander : a case for maps, plates, etc., made to resemble a book and having the front cover and fore edge hinged. Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." shopaholic : one who is extremely or excessively fond of shopping; Susie is such a shopaholic that her friends refuse to set foot in a mall with her when there are big sales. glorify : (verb) To honor with praise, admiration, or worship.; exalt, extol, laud, proclaim; People glorify all sorts of bravery except the bravery they might show on behalf of their nearest neighbors. amanuensis : noun: A person employed to take dictation or to copy manuscripts. "Strange to say but many writers, Wordsworth and Tennyson included, are averse to the act of writing. Once they have heard the words in their heads, an amanuensis is needed to put them down on paper." Frances Wilson; The Lady Vanishes; New Statesman (London, UK); Feb 6, 2014. Idiom of the Day: set the world on fire : If you set the world on fire, you do something that creates a lot of excitment and makes you famous.; Bob Marley took Jamaican reggae music and set the world on fire with it. Thought For The Day: I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend? -Robert Redford, actor, director, producer, and environmentalist (b. 1936) *****December 04, 2014***** zoanthropy : Psychiatry. a mental disorder in which one believes oneself to be an animal. Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." decadence : (noun) A process, condition, or period of deterioration or decline, as in morals or art.; degeneracy, degradation; The art of the late 19th century was an expression of the decadence and immorality of the ruling class. impedimenta : plural noun: Baggage, supplies, or equipment related to an activity or expedition, especially when regarded as slowing one's progress. "Games impedimenta -- hockey-sticks, boxing-gloves, a burst football, a pair of sweaty shorts turned inside out -- lay all over the floor." George Orwell; Nineteen Eighty-Four; Secker and Warburg; 1949. Idiom of the Day: yellow-bellied : If someone is yellow-bellied, they are not brave, or they are cowardly.; Tony's father called him yellow-bellied when he was a five-year-old boy because he didn't want to ride a horse. Tony has never forgotten it. Thought For The Day: A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (1857-1924) *****December 05, 2014***** wanion : Archaic. curse; vengeance. Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." caitiff : cowardly, despicable; 'Oh, horrible wretch! a murderer! unmanly murderer!-a defenceless woman smothered by caitiff hands!' - Edward Bulwer-Lytton, What Will He Do With It?, 1858 attrition : (noun) Erosion by friction.; corrasion, detrition, abrasion; The attrition of the stone stairway had occurred by centuries of foot traffic. spleen : noun: 1. An abdominal organ serving to clean blood. 2. Bad temper. "On other issues Mr Ivanishvili has been full of spleen about misrule, but hazy about what he would do differently." A Stunning Victory; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 6, 2012. Idiom of the Day: up in arms : If you are up in arms, you are angry about something that you think is unfair or wrong.; The taxi drivers are up in arms about the new tax on LPG. Thought For The Day: Conscience is thoroughly well-bred and soon leaves off talking to those who do not wish to hear it. -Samuel Butler, writer (1835-1902) *****December 06, 2014***** clairaudience : the power to hear sounds said to exist beyond the reach of ordinary experience or capacity, as the voices of the dead. Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. deride : to laugh at contemptuously; Although derided by classmates for his cocksure insistence that he would be a millionaire by the age of 25, he achieved his goal when his Internet startup went public. redolence : (noun) A pleasingly sweet olfactory property.; bouquet, fragrance; The moonlight and the redolence of flowers made the garden a romantic spot. Idiom of the Day: wear your heart on your sleeve : If you wear your heart on your sleeve, you show your emotions openly and you don't try to hide your feelings.; Ivan is one of those tennis players that spectators love to watch because they always wear their heart on their sleeve. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (1830-1894) *****December 07, 2014***** vernacularize : to translate into the natural speech peculiar to a people. Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." bouleversement : reversal; The darkening sky prompted a bouleversement of the captain's order to prepare to set sail. prevaricate : (verb) To stray from or evade the truth; equivocate.; beat around the bush, palter, tergiversate; At the press conference, the politician continued to prevaricate on the issue rather than provide a direct answer. Idiom of the Day: kill time : You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something. ; I had to kill time at the airport because of the delay so I bought a book of crossword puzzles. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (1830-1894) *****December 08, 2014***** famulus : a servant or attendant, especially of a scholar or a magician. Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." impervious : not capable of being affected or disturbed; Jane remains impervious to any attempt to reason with her; she’s made up her mind and nothing we can say will lead her to change it. pedestrian : (adjective) Lacking in vitality, imagination, or distinction.; prosaic; His style is so pedestrian that the book is really boring. Idiom of the Day: eat your words : If you eat your words, you admit that something you said was wrong.; The president was forced to eat his words after it was shown that what he'd said wasn't true. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (1830-1894) *****December 09, 2014***** Pavlovian : of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Pavlov or his work, especially of experiments in which he elicited predictable responses from laboratory animals. Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." greenmail : the practice of buying enough of a company's stock to threaten a hostile takeover and reselling it to the company at a price above market value; also : the money paid for such stock; In an astonishing act of greenmail, the investor bought up all available shares of the company and leveraged his sale back to the company at triple the purchase price. turpitude : (noun) A corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice.; depravity; Seeing the various turpitudes of modern society shook her faith in humanity. juggernaut : noun: 1. Anything requiring blind sacrifice. 2. A massive relentless force, person, institution, etc. that crushes everything in its path. "Amazon is a retailing juggernaut, but its revenues are still a fraction of those of Walmart, whose tills ring up about $900,000 a minute." Big Companies' Revenue and Profit; The Economist (London); Feb 8, 2014. Idiom of the Day: warts and all : If you show something warts and all, you show it exactly as it is without trying to hide any of its faults or weaknesses.; Are you sure you want to read the first draft? You'll see it warts and all, with all the mistakes and all the bad writing still there. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 1954) *****December 10, 2014***** philosophaster : a person who has only a superficial knowledge of philosophy or who feigns a knowledge he or she does not possess. Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." mellifluous : having a smooth rich flow; The young diva has a powerful, mellifluous voice that makes her album a sweet aural confection. termagant : (noun) A quarrelsome, scolding woman.; shrew; His aunt was such a termagant that he dreaded her annual visit. klatsch : noun: A casual gathering of people for conversation, etc. "An employee entertained a group of about four other store employees. I stood nearby, looking around and wondering if I'd have to break up their klatsch." Smokepole Questions Bring Out Hot Air; SHOT Business (New York); Oct/Nov 2012. Idiom of the Day: run-of-the-mill : Something is run-of-the-mill if it is ordinary and nothing special.; There wasn't much on TV so we just watched some run-of-the-mill old cowboy movie. Thought For The Day: Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. -John Milton, poet (1608-1674) *****December 11, 2014***** happenstance : a chance happening or event. Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." calumny : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation; The notion that the mayor knew about the problem before the newspaper broke the story is nothing but calumny. skimpy : (adjective) Containing little excess.; lean; When the car repairs maxed out my already skimpy budget, I knew my shopping days were over. oneiric : adjective: Of or relating to dreams; dreamy. "Fellini's films, always fantastical, soon took a distinctly oneiric turn, and he eventually filled some five hundred sheets with drawings and descriptions of his dreams." The Book of Dreams; The New Yorker; Sep 1, 2008. Idiom of the Day: a zebra crossing : A zebra crossing is a pedestrian crossing that is marked on the road with painted black and white stripes.; Visitors to Britain are sometimes confused when they're told there's a zebra crossing up ahead. Some even expect to see a zebra walking across the road. Thought For The Day: "Faith" is a fine invention / For gentlemen who see -- / But microscopes are prudent / In an emergency. -Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886) *****December 12, 2014***** prithee : Archaic. (I) pray thee. Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." allege : to assert without proof or before proving; She alleges that her roommate stole hundreds of dollars from her. ecumenical : (adjective) Of worldwide scope or applicability.; universal; The movement against violence is intended to be an ecumenical one, applicable to all nations. scandent : adjective: Climbing or ascending. "They come and vegetate -- early-goers and scandent socialites -- loitering about and small-talking on the pavement; gradually they edge indoors to the crawl of ivy and creeping plants, spreading like gossip through rooms and around corners." Kol; Fools; Xlibris; 2012. Idiom of the Day: hard to swallow : Something that someone has said is hard to swallow if it's difficult to believe.; His excuse for coming late was a bit hard to swallow, don't you think? Thought For The Day: The luck of having talent is not enough; one must also have a talent for luck. -Hector Berlioz, composer (1803-1869) *****December 13, 2014***** verbigeration : Pathology. the constant or obsessive repetition of meaningless words or phrases. Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." flapdoodle : nonsense; 'Not a trace of academic fustian! Not a line of flapdoodle! Not a hint of college professor! Here was sharp and shrewd judgment.' - H. L. Mencken, The Smart Set, June 1917 favored : (adjective) Preferred above all others and treated with partiality.; best-loved, pet, preferred, favorite; My sister is clearly the favored child—she has a later curfew and gets away with things I never could! zymology : noun: The science of fermentation. "Covering from aardvarks (do you share their DNA?) to zymology (much ado about yeast), the book takes a scientific look at a plethora of stuff." Sharon Verbeten, et al.; Reference; Library Journal (New York); May 15, 2013. Thought For The Day: The sun is pure communism everywhere except in cities, where it's private property. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (1902-1981) *****December 14, 2014***** whippersnapper : an unimportant but offensively presumptuous person, especially a young one. Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." tractable : capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled; The couple had hoped to find a tractable and obedient dog that wouldn't cause too much trouble, but instead they got Rufus and their life has never been the same. sumptuous : (adjective) Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish.; deluxe, opulent, princely, luxurious; The sumptuous homes of the wealthy were full of gilding and ornament. zymology : noun: The science of fermentation. "Covering from aardvarks (do you share their DNA?) to zymology (much ado about yeast), the book takes a scientific look at a plethora of stuff." Sharon Verbeten, et al.; Reference; Library Journal (New York); May 15, 2013. Thought For The Day: The sun is pure communism everywhere except in cities, where it's private property. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (1902-1981) *****December 15, 2014***** Weltanschauung : German. a comprehensive conception or image of the universe and of humanity's relation to it. Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." nabob : a person of great wealth or importance; Those of us in coach had to wait while the nabobs in first class got seated ahead of us. denigrate : (verb) To disparage; belittle.; derogate; He helped you a great deal on this project, so don't take all the credit and denigrate his influence. zymology : noun: The science of fermentation. "Covering from aardvarks (do you share their DNA?) to zymology (much ado about yeast), the book takes a scientific look at a plethora of stuff." Sharon Verbeten, et al.; Reference; Library Journal (New York); May 15, 2013. Thought For The Day: The sun is pure communism everywhere except in cities, where it's private property. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (1902-1981) *****December 16, 2014***** thalassic : of or pertaining to seas and oceans. Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." incommensurable : not commensurable; broadly : lacking a basis of comparison in respect to a quality normally subject to comparison; The two theories are incommensurable, making any attempt at comparison across disciplines ridiculous. undulate : (verb) To cause to move in a smooth wavelike motion.; roll; The singer undulated her hips to the rhythm of the song. Thought For The Day: I believe that life can go on forever. It takes a million years to evolve a new species, ten million for a new genus, one hundred million for a class, a billion for a phylum -- and that's usually as far as your imagination goes. In a billion years, it seems, intelligent life might be as different from humans as humans are from insects. But what would happen in another ten billion years? It's utterly impossible to conceive of ourselves changing as drastically as that, over and over again. All you can say is, on that kind of time scale the material form that life would take is completely open. To change from a human being to a cloud may seem a big order, but it's the kind of change you'd expect over billions of years. -Freeman Dyson, physicist (b. 1923) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****December 17, 2014***** subfuscous : slightly dark, dusky, or somber. Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." réchauffé : something presented in a new form without change of substance : rehash; The day after the holiday, it was traditional to serve réchauffés and snacks rather than cook a full meal. enfeeble : (verb) To make weak; deprive of strength.; debilitate, drain; Although his age enfeebled him, he could still walk long distances without tiring. gentleman's agreement : noun: An agreement that's based on honor and not legally binding. "[The teams] are under no requirement to exchange films with a non-conference team. It is simply a gentleman's agreement when they do." Jorge Arangure, Jr.; Playing Detective in Finding Films of Opponents; The New York Times; Sep 4, 2013. Thought For The Day: To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952) *****December 18, 2014***** chutzpa : Slang. unmitigated effrontery or impudence; gall. Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." ergonomic : of or relating to the science of designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely; Clara hoped that the ergonomic arrangement of her new workstation would help reduce the daily aches in her elbow and wrist. encomium : (noun) A formal expression of praise; a tribute.; eulogy, paean, panegyric; We stand humbled by his heroics, and cannot help feeling that this encomium is inadequate to extol his virtue. cat's cradle : noun: 1. A children's game in which a string is wrapped around one player's hands in complex symmetrical patterns and transferred to another player's hands to form a different pattern. (video) 2. Something elaborate or intricate, especially when without an apparent purpose. "But policymakers seem trapped in a cat's cradle of economic, political, and legal constraints that is preventing effective action." Guntram B. Wolff; Europe's Fiscal Wormhole; The Business Times (Singapore); Oct 31, 2014. Thought For The Day: For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been." -John Greenleaf Whittier, poet (1807-1892) *****December 19, 2014***** beforetime : Archaic. formerly. Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." oxymoron : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words; broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements; 'That's an oxymoron!' said Joanne, when she heard the DJ describe the song as an 'instant classic.' disciple : (noun) One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.; adherent; An avowed disciple of Jonson and his classicism and a greater poet than Fletcher is Robert Herrick, who, indeed, after Shakespeare and Milton, is the finest lyric poet of these two centuries. Thought For The Day: Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (1879-1940) *****December 20, 2014***** mysophobia : Psychiatry. a dread of dirt or filth. Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." syncretic : characterized or brought about by a combination of different forms of belief or practice; Dr. Portman practices a syncretic form of medicine, borrowing from both Eastern and Western medical traditions. penurious : (adjective) Unwilling to spend money; stingy.; parsimonious; When solicited for a donation, the penurious man began to extend a nickel, but, thinking twice, withdrew it. Thought For The Day: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (1940-1976) *****December 21, 2014***** larrikin : disorderly; rowdy. Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." nurture : to supply with nourishment; The mayor pushed for tax credits for small businesses as a way to nurture economic growth. stentorian : (adjective) Extremely loud.; booming; He was woken by the stentorian voice of his teacher, demanding to know why he wasn't paying attention. Thought For The Day: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (1940-1976) *****December 22, 2014***** edutainment : television programs, movies, books, etc., that are both educational and entertaining, especially those intended primarily for children in the elementary grades. Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." palinode : an ode or song recanting or retracting something in an earlier poem; Oscar Wilde wrote this famous palinode in an introduction to an essay: 'Not that I agree with everything that I have said in this essay. There is much with which I entirely disagree.' upshot : (noun) The final outcome.; conclusion, result; The upshot of the disagreement was that they broke up the partnership. Thought For The Day: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (1940-1976) *****December 23, 2014***** Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." fissile : capable of being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage; Uranium-235, which is frequently used in making bombs and missiles, is one of the most abundant fissile materials. idiosyncrasy : (noun) A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.; peculiarity; Of all her idiosyncrasies, I find her tendency to dance while cooking the most charming. optics : noun: 1. The study of light, vision, etc. 2. The way a situation or action is perceived by the public. "Timothy Geithner worried about the optics of going into finance. 'I think the perception problem ... is very damaging to me.'" Andrew Ross Sorkin; 'Up to My Neck in This Crisis'; The New York Times Magazine; May 11, 2014. Thought For The Day: It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. -Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 1951) *****December 24, 2014***** Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." zaibatsu : a powerful financial and industrial conglomerate of Japan; As owners of a zaibatsu with interests in the insurance and banking industries, the family's decisions had an undeniable impact on the Japanese economy. wizened : (adjective) Lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.; shrunken, withered, shriveled; The wizened face of the man of law was twisted into a wrinkled smile. epicenter : noun: 1. The point on the earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake. 2. The center or focal point of an activity or event, especially something unpleasant. "Itu, a commuter city outside Sao Paulo, is at the epicenter of the worst drought to hit southeastern Brazil in more than eight decades." Biggest Brazil City Desperate for Water in Drought; Associated Press (New York); Nov 6, 2014. Thought For The Day: Every noon as the clock hands arrive at twelve, / I want to tie the two arms together, / And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags. -Robert Bly, poet (b. 1926) *****December 25, 2014***** consanguinity : close relationship or connection. Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." extraneous : existing on or coming from the outside; The woman who reported the robbery kept bringing up extraneous facts, such as what she'd had for lunch. vitreous : (adjective) Of, relating to, resembling, or having the nature of glass.; glassy; The lake was so calm it looked vitreous in the pre-dawn light. *****December 26, 2014***** Christmastide : the festival season from Christmas to after New Year's Day. Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." luminaria : a traditional Mexican Christmas lantern originally consisting of a candle set in sand inside a paper bag; Luminarias lined the streets throughout the neighborhood for the annual Christmas Stroll. vacuous : (adjective) Devoid of intelligence.; asinine, fatuous, inane, mindless; The interviewer could tell by the candidate's vacuous comments that he was not qualified for the position. theory : noun: 1. A set of propositions used to explain some aspect of the natural world, one that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed and widely accepted. For example, Einstein's theory of relativity or Darwin's Theory of Evolution. 2. The body of principles belonging to a field. For example, music theory. 3. A speculation. "The theory of evolution explained that every species on earth is related in some way to every other species; more important, we each carry a record of that history in our body." Michael Specter; A Life of Its Own; The New Yorker; Sep 28, 2009. "That is a theory that may soon come to be tested." China's Property Market; The Economist (London, UK); May 31, 2014. Thought For The Day: If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient observation than to any other reason. -Isaac Newton, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (1642-1727) *****December 27, 2014***** moosemilk : Canadian. homemade or bootleg whiskey. Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." desultory : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose; The gentlemen continued the evening in desultory conversation, punctuated by yawns, until both decided it was time for bed. vendetta : (noun) A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge.; blood feud; No one remembers how the vendetta between the families began, but it will only end when the desire for revenge is not heeded. entropy : noun: 1. A measure of the disorder in a system. 2. The natural tendency of things to decline into disorder. 3. Disorder, randomness, or chaos. "In the more than 15 years since it was decorated by Marc Charbonnet ... the Fox-Pollan residence had gradually become a monument to entropy." Jesse Kornbluth; Family Wise; Architectural Digest (Los Angeles); Dec 12, 2012. Thought For The Day: If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (1921-2000) *****December 28, 2014***** Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." opprobrium : something that brings disgrace; The athlete's admission of using steroids earned her much opprobrium from fans. umbrage : (noun) A feeling of anger caused by being offended.; offense; I had tried to phrase it politely, but he still took umbrage at my question. entropy : noun: 1. A measure of the disorder in a system. 2. The natural tendency of things to decline into disorder. 3. Disorder, randomness, or chaos. "In the more than 15 years since it was decorated by Marc Charbonnet ... the Fox-Pollan residence had gradually become a monument to entropy." Jesse Kornbluth; Family Wise; Architectural Digest (Los Angeles); Dec 12, 2012. Thought For The Day: If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (1921-2000) *****December 29, 2014***** Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." circumspect : (adjective) Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.; discreet; Because the drug was shown to have adverse side effects, physicians are now more circumspect about recommending its use. entropy : noun: 1. A measure of the disorder in a system. 2. The natural tendency of things to decline into disorder. 3. Disorder, randomness, or chaos. "In the more than 15 years since it was decorated by Marc Charbonnet ... the Fox-Pollan residence had gradually become a monument to entropy." Jesse Kornbluth; Family Wise; Architectural Digest (Los Angeles); Dec 12, 2012. Thought For The Day: If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (1921-2000) *****December 30, 2014***** Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." marshal : a person who arranges and directs the ceremonial aspects of a gathering; A judge ordered marshals to seize the cargo. vitiate : (verb) To corrupt morally; debase.; debauch, deprave, pervert; Ten minutes with these ruffians would vitiate the most honorable gentlemen. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (1876-1973) *****December 31, 2014***** Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." advertent : giving attention : heedful; Marcia listened to everything I said with an advertent expression on her face, and then proceeded to tell me, point by point, why she disagreed with me. odious : (adjective) Arousing or meriting strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure.; abominable, detestable, execrable; Pray do not talk of that odious man. Thought For The Day: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 1949) *****January 01, 2015***** Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." vertiginous : causing or tending to cause dizziness; As a window washer for some of the city's tallest skyscrapers, Victor had to quickly master working at vertiginous heights. surfeit : (noun) An excessive amount.; overabundance, excess; The surfeit of goods produced caused prices to fall, hurting the economy. Thought For The Day: The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it. -George Marshall, US Army Chief, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Nobel laureate (1880-1959) *****January 02, 2015***** Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. emigrate : to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere; '… graduates and skilled technical workers are also emigrating, usually with a plan to save up for a few years and then return.' - The Economist, November 5, 2013 squalor : (noun) A filthy and wretched condition or quality.; sordidness, squalidness; The squalor in which the refugees lived alarmed the aid workers, who knew they had to work quickly to improve these conditions. google : verb tr., intr.: To search for information online using a search engine, especially Google. "To google is now in broad usage as a verb for retrieving information from the Internet. If the tech giant has its way, 'I Googled' will become a standard reply to the question, 'How did you get here?'" In the Self-Driving Seat; The Economist (London, UK); May 31, 2014. Thought For The Day: Familiarity is a magician that is cruel to beauty but kind to ugliness. -Ouida [pen name of Marie Louise de la Ramee], novelist (1839-1908) *****January 03, 2015***** Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." solecism : an ungrammatical combination of words in a sentence; also : a minor blunder in speech; As a copyeditor, Jane has the eyes of a hawk; rarely, if ever, does she let a writer's solecism slip past her. travail : (noun) Work, especially when arduous or involving painful effort.; effort, exertion, labor, toil; She deserved to take a vacation after her long travail. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) *****January 04, 2015***** Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." peremptory : barring a right of action, debate, or delay; The manager's peremptory rejection of any suggestions for improving office efficiency did little to inspire our confidence in his ability to help turn the company around. equanimity : (noun) The quality of being calm and even-tempered.; calmness, composure; Because she was prepared for the news, she was able to respond with equanimity. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) *****January 05, 2015***** gleed : Archaic. a glowing coal. Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." bromide : a compound of bromine and another element or chemical group; Years of coal mining and natural gas extraction have elevated the concentration of bromides in the river. sedulous : (adjective) Persevering and constant in effort or application.; assiduous; Her sedulous efforts to learn French eventually enabled her to become almost fluent. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) *****January 06, 2015***** Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." fallible : liable to be erroneous; Though parts of it are well-written, the essay is marred by too many fallible generalizations. fatuous : (adjective) Foolish or silly, especially in a smug or self-satisfied way.; asinine; He made these fatuous pronouncements with such conviction that no one dared to contradict him. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (b. 5 Jan 1932) *****January 07, 2015***** Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." ombudsman : a government official who investigates complaints made by individuals against public officials; The newspaper's ombudsman responded to the many angry letters the article had generated. incendiary : (adjective) Arousing to action or rebellion.; inflammatory, incitive, instigative, rabble-rousing, seditious; The incendiary remarks in the pamphlet spurred the villagers to revolt. longueur : noun: A long and dull passage in a work of literature. "Even the sainted Douglas Adams wasn't above the occasional infuriatingly indulgent longueur, such as basing the whole of his least good book on an extended metaphor involving cricket." Euan Ferguson; And Another Thing; The Observer (London, UK); Oct 11, 2009. Thought For The Day: He who listens to truth is not less than he who utters truth. -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 08, 2015***** cogitation : concerted thought or reflection; meditation; contemplation: After hours of cogitation he came up with a new proposal. Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." virtuoso : an experimenter or investigator especially in the arts and sciences; 'A virtuoso with words, [Thomas Jefferson] invariably produced easily read and readily comprehensible drafts that usually included some memorable phrases.' - John Ferling, Adams vs. Jefferson: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, 2004 fissure : (noun) A long narrow opening.; crevice, crack, cleft; In a narrow little fissure, just within reach of my forefinger, I felt the chain. peripeteia or peripetia : noun: A sudden or unexpected change of fortune, especially in a literary work. A classic example is Oedipus learning about his parentage. "Dr. Farhad feels the glaring eyes of one of the machine-gun-toting officers on him and smiles bitterly at his fate. ... This selfless doctor, even at this daunting moment of peripeteia, is worried about the critical condition of one of his poor patients whom he is scheduled to operate on tomorrow. " Shahriar Mandanipour, translated by Sara Khalili; Censoring an Iranian Love Story; Knopf; 2009. Thought For The Day: There are years that ask questions and years that answer. -Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and writer (7 Jan 1891-1960) *****January 09, 2015***** Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." claque : a group hired to applaud at a performance; The senator seems to have a claque of influential supporters in the media who are willing to endorse his every move. lascivious : (adjective) Given to or expressing lust; lecherous.; libidinous, lustful, lewd; Frustrated by his constant lascivious comments, she decided to report him to the supervisor. locus classicus : noun: An authoritative and often quoted passage from a book. "Controversy still rages over what is perhaps the locus classicus of such accounts, given by T.E. Lawrence." Joan Smith: The Ancient Fears Stirred by Women at War; The Independent (London, UK); Apr 2, 2007. Thought For The Day: 'Respect for religion' has become a code phrase meaning 'fear of religion'. Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect. -Salman Rushdie, writer (b. 1947) *****January 10, 2015***** Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." advocate : to plead in favor of; Many parents throughout the district have long advocated full-day kindergarten. denizen : (noun) An inhabitant; a resident.; dweller; I wandered through the empty streets, looking for a single denizen of this hamlet, but found not one. litterateur : noun: An author of literary or critical works. "No major English cemetery would be complete without its poets and litterateurs." Carolyn Lyons; A Visit to London's Cemeteries; Los Angeles Times; Mar 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one. -Joan Baez, musician (b. 9 Jan 1941) *****January 11, 2015***** dowie : Scot. and North England. dull; melancholy; dismal. Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." ne plus ultra : the highest point capable of being attained : acme; 'Along with the relatively highbrow Stepbrothers, [Dumb and Dumber]'s the ne plus ultra of moron slapstick, the film against which all cretinous child-men assaults on taste must be measured.' - David Edelstein, Vulture, November 14, 2014 debacle : (noun) A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout.; fiasco; The team had had high hopes before the debacle of their final game, in which they did not manage to score any points. litterateur : noun: An author of literary or critical works. "No major English cemetery would be complete without its poets and litterateurs." Carolyn Lyons; A Visit to London's Cemeteries; Los Angeles Times; Mar 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one. -Joan Baez, musician (b. 9 Jan 1941) *****January 12, 2015***** Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." hieroglyphic : written in, constituting, or belonging to a system of writing mainly in pictorial characters; 'Once believed to serve a distinctly religious purpose, Mayan hieroglyphic writing is now thought to record the Mayan historical past.' - Burton Kirkwood, The History of Mexico, 2009 carouse : (verb) To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.; roister; They were so happy to be finished with exams that they continued to carouse until morning, when the bartender finally asked them to leave. litterateur : noun: An author of literary or critical works. "No major English cemetery would be complete without its poets and litterateurs." Carolyn Lyons; A Visit to London's Cemeteries; Los Angeles Times; Mar 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: The easiest kind of relationship for me is with ten thousand people. The hardest is with one. -Joan Baez, musician (b. 9 Jan 1941) *****January 13, 2015***** Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." longueur : a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) - usually used in plural; 'This production has its occasional longueurs, but glorious singing and energetic choreography quickly rope us back in.' - Rick Rogers, The Oklahoman, June 28, 2007 pedagogy : (noun) The art or profession of teaching.; instruction; The true aim of pedagogy is ensuring that students learn how to learn. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 14, 2015***** Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." ex cathedra : by virtue of or in the exercise of one's office or position; When chronic tardiness became a problem among the staff, the manager decided ex cathedra to dock the pay of any employee who arrived late to work. lackadaisical : (adjective) Lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest.; languid, languorous, dreamy; In spite of his lackadaisical manner, he has moments of energy that would surprise you. ascesis : noun: The practice of severe self-discipline or self-control. Also spelled as askesis. "There are many adults who develop a rigid black and white dress code as a form of ascesis." Galina Stolyarova; Local Queen of Fashion Releases Her Second Book; The St. Petersburg Times (Russia); Feb 8, 2012. (Here's another example of modern ascesis from The Onion.) Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitsky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 15, 2015***** periphrasis : the use of an unnecessarily long or roundabout form of expression; circumlocution. Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." zillionaire : an immeasurably wealthy person; 'Unless you're a zillionaire, it's practically impossible to find an affordable and spacious place to live in the city,' said Beth. insouciant : (adjective) Marked by blithe unconcern.; casual, nonchalant; He showed an insouciant disregard for cold weather, wearing only a T-shirt in the show. senary : adjective: 1. Relating to the number six. 2. Having sixth rank. 3. Having six parts or things. "'Your father married six wives. ... You talk of this scandal. How can it compare with your father's senary adventure in matrimony?'" Jean Plaidy; The Complete Tudors; Broadway Books; 2010. Thought For The Day: The great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. That is possible for him who never argues and strives with men and facts, but in all experience retires upon himself, and looks for the ultimate cause of things in himself. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobelist (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 16, 2015***** Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Brobdingnagian : marked by tremendous size; Our little dog was frightened by the Brobdingnagian proportions of the statues in the park. cogitate : (verb) To take careful thought or think carefully about; ponder.; cerebrate; You must earnestly cogitate before making this decision, and not simply flip a coin. arenicolous : adjective: Living, growing, or burrowing in sand. "'Where have you disappeared to? Where have you been living?' I asked Tariq. ... 'Are you trying to tell me that he lives like arenicolous worms?'" Jamal S. Jumah; The Artistic Visage of Dalia; Xlibris; 2010. Thought For The Day: It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable. -Moliere, actor and playwright (15 Jan 1622-1673) *****January 17, 2015***** internuncial : serving to announce or connect. Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." warp speed : the highest possible speed; When Mario saw Helen enter the elevator, he grabbed his laptop and vaulted down the stairs at warp speed to get to the meeting room ahead of her. occlude : (verb) To cause to become closed.; obturate, impede, obstruct, jam, block; The excess inventory had occluded the exit, and was deemed a hazard by the safety inspector. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 18, 2015***** Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." distemper : to throw out of order; Martha worried that employee morale at the company would be distempered if the rumored merger were to happen. palaver : (noun) Talk intended to charm or beguile.; blandishment, cajolery; Then she would pounce upon me with a lot of that drivelling poodle palaver and kiss me on the nose—but what could I do? Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 19, 2015***** Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." gratuitous : done or provided without recompense : free; John seems incapable of talking about anything he owns without a gratuitous reference to the amount of money he spent on it. paucity : (noun) Smallness of number; fewness.; dearth; Despite the paucity of natural resources, the country was able to develop its industry. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 20, 2015***** afflated : having inspiration; inspired. Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." tintinnabulation : the ringing or sounding of bells; The tintinnabulation that could be heard throughout the village was from the church on the common announcing morning services. perfidy : (noun) Deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust.; treachery, betrayal, treason; Discovering that he had sold her confidences to the tabloids, she was outraged at his perfidy. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 21, 2015***** stour : British Dialect. a. tumult; confusion. b. a storm. Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." septentrional : northern; When he tired of the long, septentrional winters of New England, Grandfather retired to Florida. prattle : (verb) To talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly.; blabber, piffle, gabble, prate; The group of tourists on the plane wouldn't stop talking, and I fell asleep listening to them prattle. mythomane : noun: One having a tendency to exaggerate or lie. adjective: Having a tendency to exaggerate or lie. "[Laura Cumming's portrait] ... of the mythomane, egomaniac, and relentlessly self-promoting Gustave Courbet, who somehow nonetheless remains true to himself through all the lies, is hilarious and oddly heart-warming." Simon Callow; On Self-Portraits by Laura Cumming; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 25, 2009. Thought For The Day: Is it [hunting] really a sport if you have all the equipment and your opponent doesn't know a game is going on? -Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and writer (b. 20 Jan 1956) *****January 22, 2015***** pyrophoric : Chemistry. capable of igniting spontaneously in air. Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." pandiculation : a stretching and stiffening especially of the trunk and extremities (as when fatigued and drowsy or after waking from sleep); 'He was coming on to yawn. His breath sucked in the draught from the window. His shoulders hunched, his legs stretched to their toes, he made claws of his fingers in his hands-a fierce pandiculation of his limbs.' - Jamie O'Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, 2001 polemic : (noun) A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.; tirade, diatribe; He launched into the polemic, not caring whom he offended or won over, intent only on getting his point across. libertine : noun: A person who is morally unrestrained. adjective: Unrestrained by conventions or morality. "Revolving around the salacious adventures of the Spanish nobleman and libertine of the same name, the opera [Don Giovanni] is the second of a trilogy Mozart wrote with Italian librettist Lorenzo da Ponte." Calendar; The Korea Herald (Seoul); Feb 28, 2014. Thought For The Day: In those parts of the world where learning and science have prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue. -Ethan Allen, revolutionary (21 Jan 1738-1789) *****January 23, 2015***** Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." morganatic : of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of the parent of higher rank; The king's son, the child of a morganatic marriage, will never rule. besmirch : (verb) Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone.; asperse, calumniate, defame, slander, denigrate, sully, smear; She denied everything the tabloids wrote about her, stating that they were only trying to besmirch her reputation. homunculus : noun: 1. A diminutive human being. 2. A fully formed, miniature human being that was earlier believed to be present in a sperm or an egg. "'I'm a well-educated, contributing member of society!' this shameless homunculus yelled." Rachel Chang; Feeling Second-Class First Hand; Straits Times (Singapore); Jun 30, 2013. "Self-aggrandizing homunculus Bono says love of money is the root of Mick Jagger." Liz Braun; Bono's views on Jagger; Sault Star (Canada); Jul 27, 2013. Thought For The Day: Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves. -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 24, 2015***** Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." anabasis : a going or marching up : advance; especially : a military advance; Reluctantly, the general ordered a hasty anabasis in the face of overwhelming opposing forces. mollify : (verb) To calm in temper or feeling; soothe.; appease, assuage, conciliate, pacify, placate; She was so outraged that nothing her friends said could mollify her anger. vacuous : adjective: Lacking ideas or intelligence. "A beaming, vacuous Hollywood wannabe sashays into the ring." Dan Hill; Sometimes When We Punch; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); May 23, 2011. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2015***** Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." evitable : capable of being avoided; The investigator determined that the accident was certainly evitable and would not have happened if the driver hadn't been negligent. nascent : (adjective) Coming into existence; emerging.; beginning; The nascent republic had to formulate its laws while continuing its war for independence. vacuous : adjective: Lacking ideas or intelligence. "A beaming, vacuous Hollywood wannabe sashays into the ring." Dan Hill; Sometimes When We Punch; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); May 23, 2011. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 26, 2015***** Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." constellate : to unite in a cluster; 'The members of the family seemed destined to constellate around a table, held by the gravity of our affection for each other.' - Elsa M. Bowman, Christian Science Monitor, July 11, 1996 nostrum : (noun) Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases.; cure-all, panacea, catholicon; Stay healthy, for science is no closer to a nostrum than alchemy was. vacuous : adjective: Lacking ideas or intelligence. "A beaming, vacuous Hollywood wannabe sashays into the ring." Dan Hill; Sometimes When We Punch; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); May 23, 2011. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 27, 2015***** subrogate : to put into the place of another; substitute for another. Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." legerdemain : sleight of hand; The company's accountants used financial legerdemain to conceal its true revenues and avoided paying $2 million in taxes as a result. maudlin : (adjective) Effusively or tearfully sentimental.; bathetic, mawkish, schmaltzy, mushy; When the farewells were in danger of becoming maudlin, he judged that it was time to leave. scurvy : adjective: Mean or contemptible. noun: A disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, characterized by swollen and bleeding gums, bleeding under the skin, and weakness. "When a scurvy band of outlaws rides up, Jake, to his surprise and certainly theirs, eliminates them in short order." Peter Rainer; Daniel Craig Stars in Cowboys & Aliens; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 29, 2011. Thought For The Day: Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, TV host, actor, and writer (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2015***** Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." incontrovertible : not open to question : indisputable; The manager presented the clerk's time card as incontrovertible evidence that the employee had been late for work all five days the previous week. laggard : (noun) Someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind.; dawdler, trailer, poke; He was such a laggard that his friends were already paying the bill by the time he reached the café. apoplectic : adjective: 1. Extremely angry. 2. Relating to or affected by apoplexy (stroke). "Union bosses' reactions to Mr Miliband's speech ranged from cool to apoplectic." Ed's Big Chance; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 13, 2013. Thought For The Day: Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that! -Lewis Carroll, mathematician and writer (27 Jan 1832-1898) *****January 29, 2015***** cabotage : navigation or trade along the coast. Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." retronym : a term (such as analog watch or snail mail) that is newly created and adopted to distinguish the original or older version, form, or example of something from other, more recent versions, forms, or examples; '… first came paperback book, differentiated from a book with a cloth or leather binding, provoking the retronym hardcover book.' - William Safire, The New York Times Magazine, November 18, 2007 languid : (adjective) Lacking energy or vitality; weak.; lackadaisical, languorous; He gave a languid wave of the hand to signify his indifference. jaundiced : adjective: 1. Exhibiting prejudice from envy or resentment. 2. Having jaundice: a disease that makes the skin, white of the eyes, etc., to be yellow, caused by an increase of bile pigments in the blood. "Let me leave posterity to judge this one as my defence will be jaundiced." Pusch Commey; 'How Do You Write on Death When You Haven't Experienced It?'; New African (London, UK); Dec 2013. Thought For The Day: Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 30, 2015***** Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." disingenuous : lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : calculating; Be aware that their expressions of concern may in truth be disingenuous and self-serving. clemency : (noun) A disposition to show mercy, especially toward an offender or enemy.; mercy; He was willing to show clemency, promising not to report the theft if his property was returned. metastasize : verb intr. 1. To spread or escalate in an undesirable manner. 2. (Of a cancer) To spread to other parts of the body. "A disruption here could metastasize quickly and lead to a general uprising." Myron Curtis; The Seventh Reflection; iUniverse; 2013. Thought For The Day: Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989) *****January 31, 2015***** indemnify : to compensate for damage or loss sustained, expense incurred, etc. Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." urticaria : hives; The first sign of the patient's allergic reaction to the medication was an outbreak of urticaria. blandishment : (noun) Flattery intended to persuade.; cajolery, palaver; Not even his favorite daughter's blandishment could persuade him to submit to her whims. scabrous : adjective: 1. Rough: having small raised dots or scales. 2. Salacious. 3. Difficult to deal with; knotty. "There is nothing heartwarming or syrupy about Filth, a brash adaptation of Irvine Welsh's scabrous 1998 third novel." David Archibald; Why There's More to Scottish Cinema Than Dour Miserablism; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 27, 2013. Thought For The Day: Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses" as the poet said "erected in the sea of time." They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind, Books are humanity in print. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (1788-1860) *****February 01, 2015***** Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." succumb : to yield to superior strength or force or overpowering appeal or desire; Rescuers feared that the missing mountain climbers would succumb to hypothermia. petulant : (adjective) Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered.; peevish, testy, cranky, fractious; After their fight, her friend came to make amends, but she was feeling petulant and sulky and ignored him. scabrous : adjective: 1. Rough: having small raised dots or scales. 2. Salacious. 3. Difficult to deal with; knotty. "There is nothing heartwarming or syrupy about Filth, a brash adaptation of Irvine Welsh's scabrous 1998 third novel." David Archibald; Why There's More to Scottish Cinema Than Dour Miserablism; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 27, 2013. Thought For The Day: Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses" as the poet said "erected in the sea of time." They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind, Books are humanity in print. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (1788-1860) *****February 02, 2015***** Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." ambient : existing or present on all sides : encompassing 2 of electronic music : quiet and relaxing with melodies that repeat many times; The chemicals must be kept at an ambient temperature of 70 degrees. antecedent : (noun) Anything that precedes something similar in time.; forerunner; This era is one of heedless consumption, but perhaps you can blame that on its antecedent. scabrous : adjective: 1. Rough: having small raised dots or scales. 2. Salacious. 3. Difficult to deal with; knotty. "There is nothing heartwarming or syrupy about Filth, a brash adaptation of Irvine Welsh's scabrous 1998 third novel." David Archibald; Why There's More to Scottish Cinema Than Dour Miserablism; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 27, 2013. Thought For The Day: Without books the development of civilization would have been impossible. They are the engines of change, windows on the world, "Lighthouses" as the poet said "erected in the sea of time." They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind, Books are humanity in print. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (1788-1860) *****February 03, 2015***** mizzle : South Midland and Southern U.S. to rain in fine drops; drizzle; mist. Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." compunction : anxiety arising from awareness of guilt; A diligent editor, Michelle feels no compunction about deleting words and phrases from even the most beautifully written paragraph for the sake of space or clarity. temerity : (noun) Foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness.; audaciousness, audacity; Everyone was shocked at her temerity in addressing the king in such a manner. nimrod : noun: 1. A stupid person. 2. A hunter. "What kind of a nimrod makes kids the responsible party in a dim-witted ideology on poverty and neglect?" Martin Hackworth; Ignoramus, of the Bloviating Type; Idaho State Journal (Pocatello); Feb 3, 2013. "The big-ticket item at their giant auction was a nimrod package to go hunting." Dick Harmon; Hunt Nets Dough for Y; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Jun 12, 2004. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 04, 2015***** Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." ex parte : on or from one side or party only - used of legal proceedings; 'The record of the case was of vast length and full of technicalities, it was discussed ex parte by vehement propagandists on both sides….' - Frederick Lewis Allen, Only Yesterday: An Informal History of the 1920's, 1931 affront : (noun) A deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect.; insult; Your deliberate implication that I stole the money is an affront to my character. Thought For The Day: It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 05, 2015***** winnow : to separate or distinguish (valuable from worthless parts) (sometimes followed by out): to winnow falsehood from truth. Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†captious : (adjective) Marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults.; faultfinding; She found the new professor to be captious, marking all the grammatical errors in her essays while ignoring the points she had tried to make. scapegoat : noun: One blamed for another's wrongdoing. verb tr.: To blame someone for another's wrongdoing. "Not surprisingly, these writers found their ideal scapegoat in Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish military officer wrongly accused of treason in what became the trial of the century." Turning Dark; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 26, 2014. Thought For The Day: Poor is the power of the lead that becomes bullets compared to the power of the hot metal that becomes types. -Georg Brandes, critic and scholar (4 Feb 1842-1927) *****February 06, 2015***** Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." baneful : (adjective) Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful.; pernicious, pestilent, deadly; He instructed him in the poisonous qualities of arsenic, and furnished him with an ample supply of that baneful drug. Thought For The Day: All progress has resulted from people who took unpopular positions. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2015***** Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." apropos : (adjective) Being at once opportune and to the point.; relevant, timely; His book about safe investment, published right before the stock market crash, was more apropos than he expected. Samaritan : noun: A person who voluntarily helps others in distress. Also used as: good Samaritan. "Khan and his band of Samaritans ferried the injured to the Suri Sadar Hospital." Amitava Roy; Locals Turn Samaritans at Train Disaster Site; Outlook (New Delhi, India); Jul 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (6 Feb 1902-1994) *****February 08, 2015***** epistolize : to write a letter. Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." apprise : (verb) To give notice to; inform.; notify, advise; During the drive home from the airport, they had time to apprise her of everything that had changed since she had been gone. Samaritan : noun: A person who voluntarily helps others in distress. Also used as: good Samaritan. "Khan and his band of Samaritans ferried the injured to the Suri Sadar Hospital." Amitava Roy; Locals Turn Samaritans at Train Disaster Site; Outlook (New Delhi, India); Jul 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (6 Feb 1902-1994) *****February 09, 2015***** acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." sanguine : (adjective) Of a healthy reddish color.; rubicund, ruddy; He had a sanguine complexion that was matched by his cheerful outlook. Samaritan : noun: A person who voluntarily helps others in distress. Also used as: good Samaritan. "Khan and his band of Samaritans ferried the injured to the Suri Sadar Hospital." Amitava Roy; Locals Turn Samaritans at Train Disaster Site; Outlook (New Delhi, India); Jul 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (6 Feb 1902-1994) *****February 10, 2015***** Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." amatory : (adjective) Of, relating to, or expressive of love, especially sexual love.; amorous, romantic; She showed her friends the stack of old love letters and read them excerpts from the couple's amatory correspondence. exordium : noun: The beginning or introductory part of anything, especially of a discourse, treatise, etc. "Reading the OED ... is described in the author's exordium with 'I have read the OED so that you don't have to.'" William Safire; Presents of Mind; The New York Times Magazine; Jun 22, 2008. Thought For The Day: Activism is the rent I pay for living on the planet. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 11, 2015***** commensal : eating together at the same table. Ghoulish : n. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish figure had no distinctive features." meretricious : (adjective) Attracting attention in a vulgar manner.; flashy, garish, gaudy, tawdry, trashy, tacky; The town's tasteful welcome sign was replaced with a meretricious monstrosity, a blinking neon tower. recrudescence : noun: A renewed activity after a period of dormancy. "A recrudescence of doubt made Jal hesitate at the building entrance." Rohinton Mistry; Family Matters; McClelland and Stewart; 2002. "A recrudescence of McCarthyism is always possible but seems unlikely." Richard Kreitner; Tricky Lessons; The Nation (New York); Aug 18, 2014. Thought For The Day: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet and novelist (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 12, 2015***** Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." bravado : (noun) Defiant or swaggering behavior.; bluster; In a moment it was hand-to-hand fighting, and Trent was cursing already the bravado which had brought him out to the open. opprobrium : noun: 1. Strong criticism. 2. Public disgrace "Most countries have armies, but in Pakistan the army has a country. ... The army's record is not one to be proud of. Wars launched against India in 1947, 1965, and 1999, won little or nothing beyond international opprobrium." Nosebags; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 20, 2014. Thought For The Day: The government ought not to be invested with power to control the affections, any more than the consciences of citizens. -Lydia Maria Child, activist, novelist, and journalist (11 Feb 1802-1880) *****February 13, 2015***** skookum : Northwest U.S., Canada. excellent; first-rate. Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." bolster : (verb) To buoy up or hearten.; boost; Visitors bolstered the patient's morale. comportment : noun: Behavior; demeanor; bearing. "Let's hear from no less an arbiter of manners and proper comportment than David Studer, the CBC's journalistic standards and practices boss." Terry Glavin; After the Paris Atrocities, a Long-Overdue Reckoning with Ourselves; Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Jan 14, 2015. Thought For The Day: The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) *****February 14, 2015***** Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." bombast : (noun) Grandiloquent, pompous speech or writing.; claptrap, fustian; He found that he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly. solicitude : noun: Care or concern for another. "We also meet 'Little', a 19-year-old on death row for robbing and kidnapping, whom the other inmates treat with tender solicitude after he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and in tears." Jenna Fisher; For a Song and a Hundred Songs; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2015***** Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." doggerel : (noun) Crudely or irregularly fashioned verse, often of a humorous or burlesque nature.; jingle; I want the man I love and honor to be something finer and higher than a perpetrator of jokes and doggerel. solicitude : noun: Care or concern for another. "We also meet 'Little', a 19-year-old on death row for robbing and kidnapping, whom the other inmates treat with tender solicitude after he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and in tears." Jenna Fisher; For a Song and a Hundred Songs; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 16, 2015***** Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." foretoken : (noun) An event that is experienced as indicating important things to come.; augury, preindication, sign; He refused to think that the rain was a foretoken of gloom for his date that night. solicitude : noun: Care or concern for another. "We also meet 'Little', a 19-year-old on death row for robbing and kidnapping, whom the other inmates treat with tender solicitude after he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming and in tears." Jenna Fisher; For a Song and a Hundred Songs; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 17, 2015***** Bolshie; Bolshiness : adj. emotionally charged terms used to refer to extreme radicals or left-wing. Deliberately combative or uncooperative: "The driver maintained a bolshie attitude before his arrest." assuage : (verb) To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe.; alleviate, relieve, palliate; Food, however, became scarce, and I often spent the whole day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger. Thought For The Day: A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 18, 2015***** Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." ascetic : (noun) A person who renounces material comforts and leads a life of austere self-discipline, especially as an act of religious devotion.; abstainer; His rough clothes and starved frame gave him the look of an ascetic, and he refused the food they tried to give him. preternatural : adjective: Beyond what is natural or normal. "Ms. Yousafzai made a rapid recovery, and quickly drowned out her critics with her preternatural poise and speaking skills." Declan Walsh; Two Champions of Children Are Given Nobel Peace Prize; The New York Times; Oct 10, 2014. Thought For The Day: Time is the fairest and toughest judge. -Edgar Quinet, historian (17 Feb 1803-1875) *****February 19, 2015***** Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." askance : (adverb) With disapproval, suspicion, or distrust.; sidelong; I glanced askance at this strange creature, and found him watching me with his queer, restless eyes. Thought For The Day: If there's a book you really want to read but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. -Toni Morrison, novelist, editor, professor, Nobel laureate (b. 18 Feb 1931) *****February 20, 2015***** Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." portmanteau : (noun) A large leather suitcase that opens into two hinged compartments.; Gladstone; With both sides stuffed to capacity, he needed to sit on top of the portmanteau in order to close it. parthenogenesis : noun: Reproduction without fertilization. "If men are obsolete, then women will soon be extinct -- unless we rush down that ominous Brave New World path where women clone themselves by parthenogenesis, as famously do Komodo dragons, hammerhead sharks, and pit vipers." Camille Paglia; It's a Man's World, and It Always Will Be; Time (New York); Dec 16, 2013. Thought For The Day: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. -Constantin Brancusi, sculptor (19 Feb 1876-1957) *****February 21, 2015***** Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." tatterdemalion : (noun) A person wearing ragged or tattered clothing.; ragamuffin; It was a crew of tatterdemalions that limped and straggled and wandered back into Barnesdale that day. bryology : noun: The branch of botany that deals with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. "The book's protagonist ... spends most of her life practicing bryology on her father's estate." Maggie Caldwell; Gather No Moss; Mother Jones (San Francisco); Sep/Oct 2013. Thought For The Day: There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 22, 2015***** Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." mountebank : (noun) A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes, or tricks.; charlatan; Walking down the street, they saw a mountebank beguiling his audience with tales of miracles achieved through his remedies. bryology : noun: The branch of botany that deals with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. "The book's protagonist ... spends most of her life practicing bryology on her father's estate." Maggie Caldwell; Gather No Moss; Mother Jones (San Francisco); Sep/Oct 2013. Thought For The Day: There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 23, 2015***** Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." lanceolate : (adjective) Tapering from a rounded base toward an apex.; lancelike; The bush had lanceolate leaves with sharp tips that could sting unwary passersby. bryology : noun: The branch of botany that deals with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. "The book's protagonist ... spends most of her life practicing bryology on her father's estate." Maggie Caldwell; Gather No Moss; Mother Jones (San Francisco); Sep/Oct 2013. Thought For The Day: There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 24, 2015***** brolly : British Informal. an umbrella. Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." hegemony : (noun) The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others.; domination; Many great works of art were created during the hegemony of Athens in Greece. modus operandi : noun: A particular way of doing something, especially a person's typical mode of operation. "David Cameron's characteristic modus operandi is to do anything and everything he can to buy off his critics." Tim Bale; The Tory Schism; New Statesman (London, UK); Sep 5-11, 2014. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 25, 2015***** demassify : to break (something standardized or homogeneous) into elements that appeal to individual tastes or special interests: to demassify the magazine industry into special-interest periodicals. Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." tergiversate : (verb) To use evasions or ambiguities; to change sides.; equivocate, prevaricate, palter; She refused to tergiversate on the subject, stating her opinion concisely and openly. per se : adverb: In or by itself; intrinsically. "SHERLOC will not be searching for life per se—only for the trail it leaves behind." Corey Powell; Have We Found Alien Life?; Popular Science (New York); Feb 2015. Thought For The Day: When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 26, 2015***** Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." obstreperous : (adjective) Noisily and stubbornly defiant.; unruly; Although the teacher ordered them to sit down, the obstreperous boys continued their antics. Thought For The Day: The pain passes but the beauty remains. -Pierre-Auguste Renoir, artist [responding to Matisse on why he painted in spite of his painful arthritis] (25 Feb 1841-1919) *****February 27, 2015***** Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." paradigm : (noun) One that serves as a pattern or model.; epitome, prototype; Their company is a paradigm of the small high-tech firms that have recently sprung up in this area. bona fide : adjective: Genuine. adverb: In good faith; sincerely. "How dare this animal treat me with suspicion? I was a bona fide member of the same family." From Spooky to Spunky; Gulf News (Dubai); Apr 20, 2012. Thought For The Day: Mirrors, those revealers of the truth, are hated; that does not prevent them from being of use. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2015***** Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." lugubrious : (adjective) Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.; dreary, woeful, morose, funereal, doleful; He was so lugubrious that he could find melancholy in a child's birthday party. Thought For The Day: He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882) *****March 01, 2015***** Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." plectrum : (noun) A small thin piece of metal, plastic, bone, or similar material, used to pluck the strings of certain instruments, such as the guitar or lute.; pick; When he first struck the guitar's strings with his plectrum, we knew we were in for a great performance. Thought For The Day: He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882) *****March 02, 2015***** Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." sensibility : (noun) Mental responsiveness; discernment; awareness.; aesthesia; After nine months in a coma, the patient began to exhibit sensibility. Thought For The Day: He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882) *****March 03, 2015***** Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." panorama : (noun) An unbroken view of an entire surrounding area.; vista; The panorama from the summit, with glistening lakes and green forests in every direction, is unmatched in the east. parastatal : noun: A company or agency owned wholly or partly by the government. adjective: Relating to such an organization. "In South Africa, rising economic growth and poor government planning, critics say, have left Eskom, the country's energy parastatal, scrambling to build new power plants." Joseph J. Schatz; Power Cuts Cripple Southern Africa; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jan 25, 2008. "State and parastatal staff also must contribute more to their pensions." Neil Behrmann; 2m British Civil Servants Walk Out; The Business Times (Singapore); Dec 1, 2011. Thought For The Day: Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991) *****March 04, 2015***** Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." ersatz : (adjective) Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial.; imitation; He was fairly sure that no coffee beans had been involved in its production, but he was tired enough to drink the ersatz coffee anyway. defervescence : noun: The abatement of a fever. "'I don't like these sudden drops. It's false defervescence ...' That same evening, Philippe's temperature went back up." Andre Maurois; Climates; Other Press; 2012. (translation: Adriana Hunter) Thought For The Day: Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have. -Emile Chartier, philosopher (3 Mar 1868-1951) *****March 05, 2015***** Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." potentate : (noun) One who has the power and position to rule over others.; dictator; She was a potentate in her home, all her relatives being too cowed to protest her decisions. imprimis : adverb: In the first place. "Imprimis, H.M. did not like being addressed as the Ancient Mariner; and, secondly, he said he had an artistic temperament and must not be interrupted while rehearsing his lines." John Dickson Carr; And So to Murder; Merrivale; 1940. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 06, 2015***** Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." gelid : (adjective) Very cold; icy.; arctic, frigid, glacial, polar; After only a few minutes in the gelid wind, they were shivering too hard to speak. poltroon : noun: An utter coward. "Against this backdrop, Bertuccelli offers a derisive portrait of officialdom. Administrators and doctors come across as poltroons." Richard Duckett; 'Since Otar Left' is Slow But Intriguing; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Dec 9, 2004. Thought For The Day: Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege. -William Beveridge, economist and reformer (5 Mar 1879-1963) *****March 07, 2015***** Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." contretemps : (noun) An unforeseen event that disrupts the normal course of things; an inopportune occurrence.; mishap, predicament, calamity; His cross-country tour had its full share of comic contretemps. tumulus : noun: 1. A mound of earth placed over prehistoric tombs. Also known as a barrow. 2. A dome-shaped swelling formed in cooling lava. "Anthropologists have suggested [Mima mounds] might be tumuli marking ancient burials." Gopher Broke; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. "Many inflation features are present on the flow, including the tumulus in upper right." Megan Moseley; Lava Advances 50 Yards, Edging Closer to Highway; Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Hawaii); Jan 27, 2015. Thought For The Day: I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (6 Mar 1475-1564) *****March 08, 2015***** Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." caper : (noun) A playful leap or hop.; capriole; The child's playfulness was amusing at first, but they soon grew tired of his capers. tumulus : noun: 1. A mound of earth placed over prehistoric tombs. Also known as a barrow. 2. A dome-shaped swelling formed in cooling lava. "Anthropologists have suggested [Mima mounds] might be tumuli marking ancient burials." Gopher Broke; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. "Many inflation features are present on the flow, including the tumulus in upper right." Megan Moseley; Lava Advances 50 Yards, Edging Closer to Highway; Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Hawaii); Jan 27, 2015. Thought For The Day: I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (6 Mar 1475-1564) *****March 09, 2015***** Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." thither : (adverb) To or toward that place; in that direction.; there; Let us stroll thither, and examine the matter nearer. tumulus : noun: 1. A mound of earth placed over prehistoric tombs. Also known as a barrow. 2. A dome-shaped swelling formed in cooling lava. "Anthropologists have suggested [Mima mounds] might be tumuli marking ancient burials." Gopher Broke; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. "Many inflation features are present on the flow, including the tumulus in upper right." Megan Moseley; Lava Advances 50 Yards, Edging Closer to Highway; Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Hawaii); Jan 27, 2015. Thought For The Day: I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (6 Mar 1475-1564) *****March 10, 2015***** Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." mercantile : (adjective) Of or relating to merchants or trade.; commercial; With so many vendors, the mercantile aspect of the historical site has nearly overtaken its original purpose. Thought For The Day: A full belly to the labourer is, in my opinion, the foundation of public morals and the only source of real public peace. -William Cobbett, journalist, pamphleteer, and farmer (9 Mar 1763-1835) *****March 11, 2015***** Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. detriment : (noun) A damage or loss.; hurt; Her employers were understanding, and she was able to take a long leave of absence without detriment to her career. Thought For The Day: Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid. -H.W. Fowler, lexicographer (10 Mar 1858-1933) *****March 12, 2015***** Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." atrophy : (verb) To waste away; wither or deteriorate.; shrivel, weaken; She had not painted in many years, and she was worried that her creativity had atrophied. Thought For The Day: The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas-covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2015***** Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. jilt : (verb) To deceive or drop (a lover) suddenly or callously.; forsake; Since being jilted by his fiancée, he had grown to distrust all women. limerick : noun: A humorous, often risque, verse of three long (A) and two short (B) lines with the rhyme scheme AABBA. "First of all, the limerick judges at this newspaper would like contestants to know that we are acutely aware that 'Journal' rhymes with 'urinal'. Almost as much fun as reading limericks was reading excuses from the people who wrote the limericks. It was as if we had caught someone reading the Sex With Aliens Weekly at the supermarket. Diane Harvey, of DeForest, for example, began her entrant thusly: It is with a deep sense of shame that I submit the following puerile, low-brow limericks, and confess the guilty pleasure I had in writing them. As one who normally leads a completely respectable life, I cannot tell you what an illicit thrill it was to shed the trappings of responsible adulthood and for a 'brief shining moment' indulge in rude juvenile humor once again. "Several writers put the 'Journal-urinal' rhyme to obvious use, and a few similarly included good-humored critiques of columnist George Hesselberg, as in the one by Dan Barker, of Madison: There once was a parrot named Colonel, Who read all the papers diurnal. But his favorite page On the floor of his cage Was the Hesselberg page from the Journal." Limerick Tricks: Readers Turn Their Talents to Punny, Funny Rhymes; Wisconsin State Journal (Madison); Jun 2, 1996. Thought For The Day: All of life is a foreign country. -Jack Kerouac, author (12 Mar 1922-1969) *****March 14, 2015***** Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. cardinal : (adjective) Of foremost importance; paramount.; fundamental, central, primal; The cardinal rule of membership in the secret society was never to reveal its existence to outsiders. doggerel : noun: 1. Comic verse that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme especially for burlesque or comic effect. 2. Trivial or bad poetry. "In the first world war 324,000 Australians volunteered to fight overseas, an extraordinary number in a nation of fewer than 5m people. Of the 60,000 Australians who died in the war, 8,700 were lost in a few months during a hopeless attempt to capture Gallipoli, a small piece of territory in Turkey. In the words of a piece of doggerel at the time, 'In five minutes flat, we were blown to hell / Nearly blew us right back to Australia.'" Obituary: Alec Campbell; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 1, 2002. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2015***** Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. doggerel : noun: 1. Comic verse that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme especially for burlesque or comic effect. 2. Trivial or bad poetry. "In the first world war 324,000 Australians volunteered to fight overseas, an extraordinary number in a nation of fewer than 5m people. Of the 60,000 Australians who died in the war, 8,700 were lost in a few months during a hopeless attempt to capture Gallipoli, a small piece of territory in Turkey. In the words of a piece of doggerel at the time, 'In five minutes flat, we were blown to hell / Nearly blew us right back to Australia.'" Obituary: Alec Campbell; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 1, 2002. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 16, 2015***** Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. pastoral : (adjective) Idyllically rustic.; arcadian, bucolic; Last I heard he bought a cottage on farmland and now leads a perfectly pastoral existence. doggerel : noun: 1. Comic verse that is irregular in rhythm and in rhyme especially for burlesque or comic effect. 2. Trivial or bad poetry. "In the first world war 324,000 Australians volunteered to fight overseas, an extraordinary number in a nation of fewer than 5m people. Of the 60,000 Australians who died in the war, 8,700 were lost in a few months during a hopeless attempt to capture Gallipoli, a small piece of territory in Turkey. In the words of a piece of doggerel at the time, 'In five minutes flat, we were blown to hell / Nearly blew us right back to Australia.'" Obituary: Alec Campbell; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 1, 2002. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 17, 2015***** Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." carcass : (noun) Remains from which the substance or character is gone.; remains, remnants; At one end of the camp lies the carcass of an aircraft which crashed in the mountains. abstentious : adjective: Self-restraining, especially in eating or drinking. "Ballplayers ... have popped up at water polo, diving, and softball, cheering for Canadian teammates and downing a beer or two, unlike most of their abstentious fellow athletes." Ken MacQueen; Now or Never; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Aug 30, 2004. Thought For The Day: I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the rights of the people by the gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2015***** Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. ether : (noun) The element believed in ancient and medieval civilizations to fill all space above the sphere of the moon and to compose the stars and planets.; quintessence; The stars, the ancients believed, both inhabited and were composed of the ether. Thought For The Day: We open our mouths and out flow words whose ancestries we do not even know. We are walking lexicons. In a single sentence of idle chatter we preserve Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Norse: we carry a museum inside our heads, each day we commemorate peoples of whom we have never heard. -Penelope Lively, writer (b. 17 Mar 1933) *****March 19, 2015***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. quotidian : (adjective) Everyday; commonplace.; mundane, routine, workaday; There's nothing quite like a real train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute. Thought For The Day: Smaller than a breadbox, bigger than a TV remote, the average book fits into the human hand with a seductive nestling, a kiss of texture, whether of cover cloth, glazed jacket, or flexible paperback. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2015***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. parlance : (noun) A particular manner of speaking.; idiom; In vulgar parlance the condiments of a repast are called by the American "a relish," substituting the thing for its effect. Thought For The Day: It's best to give while your hand is still warm. -Philip Roth, novelist (b. 19 Mar 1933) *****March 21, 2015***** Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." quandary : (noun) A state of uncertainty or perplexity.; dilemma; The situation was awkward, but nothing like the quandary they had found themselves in when their car had broken down on a deserted road. duoliteral : adjective: Having two letters. "The teacher will then proceed with another letter in a similar manner, taking one that, with the preceding, will make a duoliteral word." Charles Northend; The Teacher's Assistant; Crosby, Nichols, and Co.; 1859. Thought For The Day: We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. -Fred Rogers, television host, songwriter, and author (20 Mar 1928-2003) *****March 22, 2015***** Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." dichotomy : (noun) Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions.; duality; One of the novel's themes is the dichotomy of Eastern and Western culture. duoliteral : adjective: Having two letters. "The teacher will then proceed with another letter in a similar manner, taking one that, with the preceding, will make a duoliteral word." Charles Northend; The Teacher's Assistant; Crosby, Nichols, and Co.; 1859. Thought For The Day: We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. -Fred Rogers, television host, songwriter, and author (20 Mar 1928-2003) *****March 23, 2015***** Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." confabulate : (verb) To talk casually.; chat, natter; Three old friends met in a café to confabulate together. duoliteral : adjective: Having two letters. "The teacher will then proceed with another letter in a similar manner, taking one that, with the preceding, will make a duoliteral word." Charles Northend; The Teacher's Assistant; Crosby, Nichols, and Co.; 1859. Thought For The Day: We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. -Fred Rogers, television host, songwriter, and author (20 Mar 1928-2003) *****March 24, 2015***** Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." cantabile : (adjective) In a smooth, lyrical, flowing style.; singing; The last part of the movement, a sweet, cantabile passage, resonated with the young audience. expectorate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To spit. 2. To eject by coughing. "Sportswriters and talk-radio hosts may expectorate their opinions like gobs of tobacco juice." James Wolcott; Breakdown of Champions; Vanity Fair (New York); Apr 2013. Thought For The Day: The successful revolutionary is a statesman, the unsuccessful one a criminal. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2015***** Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." intaglio : (noun) A figure or design carved into or beneath the surface of hard metal or stone.; diaglyph; The intaglio was so incredibly detailed that it almost looked like a photograph. seism : noun: Earthquake. "The deep seisms are hundreds of thousands of small, individual quakes occurring in parts of the deep crust." Keay Davidson; Deep Tremors Could Be Clues to Surface Quakes; San Francisco Chronicle; Mar 15, 2007. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations. -Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and painter (b. 24 Mar 1919) *****March 26, 2015***** Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." hieratic : (adjective) Of or associated with sacred persons or offices.; priestly, sacerdotal; The laws did not apply to the heratic class, whose members were held as nearly gods. autochthon : noun: 1. A native; an aborigine. 2. Something, as a rock, formed or originating in the place where found. "A Bavarian autochthon, Werner Herzog has been a passionate imagemaker since the early 1960s." Tom Webber; The Dream Weaver; New Statesman (London, UK); Feb 13, 2006. Thought For The Day: Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. -Flannery O'Connor, writer (25 Mar 1925-1964) *****March 27, 2015***** Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." dilettante : (noun) A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge.; sciolist; He claimed to be serious about his paintings, but he was at heart a mere dilettante. Thought For The Day: When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between them. It is possible for one side to be simply wrong. -Richard Dawkins, biologist and author (b. 26 Mar 1941) *****March 28, 2015***** Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." phantasmagoric : (adjective) Characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions.; surrealistic; The phantasmagoric imagery, with melting clocks and unreal landscapes, is what attracts many to Salvador Dali's work. festinate : verb tr., intr.: To hurry or hasten. adjective: Hurried or hasty. "We will not delay discussing the budget, but will not festinate it either." Commission to Accelerate; Dominican Today (Santo Domingo); Dec 30, 2005. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2015***** Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." bathos : (noun) Insincere or grossly sentimental pathos.; mawkishness; The opera's conclusion was emotional to the point of bathos, with the soprano dying heroically to save her lover. festinate : verb tr., intr.: To hurry or hasten. adjective: Hurried or hasty. "We will not delay discussing the budget, but will not festinate it either." Commission to Accelerate; Dominican Today (Santo Domingo); Dec 30, 2005. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 30, 2015***** Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred – Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." ostentatious : (adjective) Intended to attract notice and impress others.; pretentious, showy; His ostentatious displays of wealth did nothing to impress his neighbors, who were proud of their middle-class status. festinate : verb tr., intr.: To hurry or hasten. adjective: Hurried or hasty. "We will not delay discussing the budget, but will not festinate it either." Commission to Accelerate; Dominican Today (Santo Domingo); Dec 30, 2005. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 31, 2015***** Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family were forced from their home." cudgel : (noun) A short heavy stick.; bastinado, club; She woke up with her head hurting as though it had been hit with a cudgel. saturnine : adjective 1. Sluggish. 2. Gloomy. 3. Cold. "This saturnine assessment of the world's economic predicament has been whispered about in worried tones for months now in the world of high finance." Felix Martin; Real Money; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 17, 2014. Thought For The Day: One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) *****April 01, 2015***** Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." seminal : (adjective) Highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development.; germinal, originative; He prepared a speech describing his experiment, never realizing that his presentation would be the seminal event in the development of a new theory. mercurial : adjective: 1. Fickle; volatile; changeable. 2. Animated; quick-witted; shrewd. 3. Relating to the metal, planet, or god Mercury. "Why is North Korea raising the stakes now, when the world is campaigning to eliminate nuclear weapons from the world's arsenals? It is difficult to tell, because Pyongyang and its mercurial leader Kim Jong-il act in erratic and contradictory ways." Bantarto Bandoro; Nuclear Tension Rises on Divided Korean Peninsula; The Jakarta Post (Indonesia); Jan 18, 2003. Thought For The Day: Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. -Leo Buscaglia, author, speaker and professor (31 Mar 1924-1998) *****April 02, 2015***** Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." diaphanous : (adjective) Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent.; filmy, gauzy, sheer, vaporous; She wore a hat with a diaphanous veil that did not obscure her features. jovial : adjective: Cheerful; good-humored. "The mood on the tour had gone from jovial and light to brutal inside an hour." Brad Lavigne; 'From Jovial to Brutal'; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Nov 25, 2013. Thought For The Day: Make no judgments where you have no compassion. -Anne McCaffrey, writer (1 Apr 1926-2011) *****April 03, 2015***** Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." pleonastic : (adjective) Repetition of the same sense in different words.; redundant, tautological; "A true fact" and "a free gift" are pleonastic expressions. earthy : adjective: 1. Relating to earth or soil. 2. Direct; uninhibited. 3. Coarse; unrefined. 4. Practical; down-to-earth. 5. Worldly, as opposed to heavenly. "Vargas Llosa remains fundamentally true to his earthy, non-utopian vision." Thomas Mallon; Restless Realism; The New Yorker; Mar 16, 2015. Thought For The Day: The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men. -Emile Zola, writer (2 Apr 1840-1902) *****April 04, 2015***** Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." inspissate : (verb) To undergo thickening or cause to thicken, as by boiling or evaporation.; condense, thicken; The recipe then instructed the cook to inspissate the sauce by adding flour. martial : adjective: Relating to war or warriors. "Takahiro Ezaki's scowl, which never changed during the day, added a martial touch." Ken Belson; The Ultimate Underdog; The New York Times; Jun 15, 2014. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 05, 2015***** Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." pendent : (adjective) Hanging down; projecting.; dangling, overhanging, suspended; An examination of the cave revealed nothing but hundreds of sleeping bats pendent from the ceiling. martial : adjective: Relating to war or warriors. "Takahiro Ezaki's scowl, which never changed during the day, added a martial touch." Ken Belson; The Ultimate Underdog; The New York Times; Jun 15, 2014. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 06, 2015***** Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." vertiginous : (adjective) Having or causing a whirling sensation.; whirling, dizzy; At the end of the trail, they still faced a vertiginous climb up the face of the cliff. martial : adjective: Relating to war or warriors. "Takahiro Ezaki's scowl, which never changed during the day, added a martial touch." Ken Belson; The Ultimate Underdog; The New York Times; Jun 15, 2014. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 07, 2015***** Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." parochial : (adjective) Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook.; insular; After moving to a big city, she had little patience for what she considered to be her parents' parochial attitudes. quiescent : adjective: Still; inactive; not showing symptoms. "Given how quiescent wages and prices remain, rate rises seem still at least a year away." Jobs are Not Enough; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 19, 2014. Thought For The Day: Pleasure may come from illusion, but happiness can come only of reality. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2015***** Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." phalanx : (noun) A compact or close-knit body of people.; crowd, unit; The party members disagreed on many topics, but when it came to social issues, they formed a solid phalanx. catacomb : noun: 1. An underground cemetery with passageways and recesses for graves. 2. A thing or a place that is complex or labyrinthine. "The catacombs beneath Paris, which famously house the remains of six million dead, are probably one of the last places you'd want to feel trapped." Robert Abele; Dredging Up Cliches Below Ground in Paris; Los Angeles Times; Aug 30, 2014. "Some of [users' anger was from] fear that their gaming device would wither away in the Facebook catacombs, forgotten by a young billionaire mogul with buyer's remorse." Peter Rubin; Oculus Rift; Wired (New York); Jun 2014. Thought For The Day: It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. -William Ellery Channing, clergyman and writer (7 Apr 1780-1842) *****April 09, 2015***** Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." formalism : (noun) A method of aesthetic analysis that emphasizes structural elements and artistic techniques rather than content.; modernism; Many artists were still interested in depicting traditional narratives and came to find the doctrine of formalism limiting. perambulate : verb tr., intr.: To walk through; to roam. "The state is home to a number of series where the deceased perambulate ('The Walking Dead', 'Resurrection')." Brian Lowry; Increased Shooting in Georgia is About More Than Location; Variety (Los Angeles); May 6, 2014. Thought For The Day: O innocent victims of Cupid, / Remember this terse little verse: / To let a fool kiss you is stupid, / To let a kiss fool you is worse. -Yip Harburg, lyricist (8 Apr 1896-1981) *****April 10, 2015***** Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." lobe : (noun) A rounded projection, especially an anatomical part.; projection; She fastened her earrings, three brilliant pendants that glistened most beautifully, through the pierced lobes of her ears. expurgate : verb tr.: To remove parts considered objectionable. "The titles [displayed during the Banned Book Week] include The Odyssey by Homer, which Plato suggested expurgating for immature readers and which Caligula tried to suppress because it expressed Greek ideals of freedom." News/Community Briefs; Oakland Tribune (California); Oct 1, 2009. Thought For The Day: Bad weather always looks worse through a window. -Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician (b. 9 Apr 1928) *****April 11, 2015***** Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." circumlocution : (noun) The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.; ambage, periphrasis, evasion; He is long-winded and prone to circumlocution in his public speeches. frangible : adjective: Readily broken; breakable. "The foot is at such high risk for injury largely because it has so many small, frangible parts -- 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, any of which can fail." Gretchen Reynolds; Unhappy Feet; The New York Times; Sep 14, 2008. Thought For The Day: You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 12, 2015***** Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." hermitage : (noun) The habitation of a hermit or group of hermits.; abbey, monastery, retreat; He spent two years in his hermitage near the lake, pondering the mysteries of the universe. frangible : adjective: Readily broken; breakable. "The foot is at such high risk for injury largely because it has so many small, frangible parts -- 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, any of which can fail." Gretchen Reynolds; Unhappy Feet; The New York Times; Sep 14, 2008. Thought For The Day: You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 13, 2015***** Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." prolix : (adjective) Tediously prolonged; tending to speak or write at excessive length.; voluble, wordy; She was engaged in editing a prolix manuscript, trying to cut the length by at least a third. frangible : adjective: Readily broken; breakable. "The foot is at such high risk for injury largely because it has so many small, frangible parts -- 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 tendons, ligaments, and muscles, any of which can fail." Gretchen Reynolds; Unhappy Feet; The New York Times; Sep 14, 2008. Thought For The Day: You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) [attributed to Tom Weston] *****April 14, 2015***** Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." tryst : (noun) An agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place.; assignation, rendezvous; They tried to keep their weekly meetings a secret, but soon neighbors began to whisper about their trysts. colophon : noun: 1. A note at the end of the book giving information about its production: font, paper, binding, printer, etc. 2. A publisher's emblem, usually on the spine or the title page of the book. "Avon, one of the most resolutely down-market of the major paperback imprints, used an image of Shakespeare's head as a colophon." Louis Menand; Pulp's Big Moment; The New Yorker; Jan 5, 2015. Thought For The Day: What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) *****April 15, 2015***** Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." gallimaufry : (noun) A jumble; a hodgepodge.; patchwork, melange, ragbag; Inside the chest, he found a gaudy gallimaufry of old dresses, feathers, and sequins. recto : noun: The front of a leaf, the side that is to be read first. "The foot of the opening recto displays an unframed heraldic device: the royal arms of England." The Opicius Poems; Renaissance Quarterly (New York); Sep 2002. Thought For The Day: A book, once it is printed and published, becomes individual. It is by its publication as decisively severed from its author as in parturition a child is cut off from its parent. The book "means" thereafter, perforce, -- both grammatically and actually, -- whatever meaning this or that reader gets out of it. -James Branch Cabell, novelist, essayist, critic (14 Apr 1879-1958) *****April 16, 2015***** Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." pompous : (adjective) Characterized by excessive self-esteem or exaggerated dignity.; overblown, grandiloquent, portentous; He read the proclamation aloud in a pompous voice, although nobody was paying attention. Thought For The Day: The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, tranquilizer, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic -- in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea -- known to medical science is work. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 17, 2015***** Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." grovel : (verb) To lie or creep in a prostrate position, as in subservience or humility.; cower, cringe, fawn; The prisoners groveled before the emperor, hoping that he would commute their sentences. codex : noun: A manuscript volume (as opposed to a scroll), especially of an ancient text. "The most legendary is the Voynich manuscript (a handwritten codex carbon-dated to the 15th century and thought to have originated in Central Europe), which cryptographers have still yet to solve." David Kushner; The Web's Deepest Mystery; Rolling Stone (New York); Jan 29, 2015. Thought For The Day: Never lend books -- nobody ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are those which people have lent me. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 18, 2015***** Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." excoriate : (verb) To censure strongly.; abrade, condemn, denounce; The newspaper printed an editorial that excoriated the administration for its inaction. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 19, 2015***** Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." trepidation : (noun) A state of alarm or dread.; apprehension; With trepidation, the children approached the haunted house. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 20, 2015***** Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." wastrel : (noun) One who wastes, especially one who wastes money; an idler or a loafer.; prodigal, profligate; Despite his parents' best efforts to teach him responsibility, Sam grew up to be a wastrel who squandered his entire fortune. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 21, 2015***** Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." spurious : (adjective) Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine.; specious, unauthentic; The professor explained to the student that her essay had received a "C" due to numerous examples of spurious reasoning. stolid : adjective: Having or showing little emotion; dull; impassive. "But it would be very hard to confuse her for Marie Arnet's lissom Susanna, even in the dark. There is almost as little se.xual chemistry between Jonathan Lemalu's stolid, character-less Figaro and Arnet's more charming Susanna." Anthony Holden; A Marriage Made in Hell; The Observer (London, UK); Nov 5, 2006. "Stolid Rotarians and Chamber of Commerce types, rather than the fiery southern conservatives ..." Of Pensioners and Pork; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 15, 2014. Thought For The Day: The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions. -Robert Lynd, writer (20 Apr 1879-1949) *****April 22, 2015***** Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." turgid : (adjective) Excessively ornate or complex in style or language.; bombastic, declamatory, orotund, tumid, large; Growing impatient with the politician's turgid prose, she turned off her television. ascetic : adjective: Practicing severe self-discipline or self-denial. noun: One who practices severe self-discipline or self-denial. "This exhibition of roughly 50 paintings lays out the magpie path that took Mondrian from stolid burgher to ascetic modernist." Michael Prodger; From Windmills to Modernism; New Statesman (London, UK); May 30, 2014. Thought For The Day: I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time into things that I am most certain of the first time. -Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (21 Apr 1818-1885) *****April 23, 2015***** Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." flummox : (verb) To confuse; perplex.; baffle, bewilder, nonplus, puzzle; The game was designed to flummox its players, presenting them with a series of complex riddles. dour : adjective: Sullen; severe; gloomy; stubborn. "Though Herman Van Rompuy is characterised as ascetic, even dour, by nature, allies point to his penchant for crafting haiku, the seventeen-syllable Japanese poems, as evidence of a lighter side." Stanley Pignal; Lesser Light Respected as Skilled Mediator; Financial Times (London, UK); Nov 7, 2009. Thought For The Day: The desire of the man is for the woman, but the desire of the woman is for the desire of the man. -Madame de Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 24, 2015***** Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." smarmy : (adjective) Hypocritically, complacently, or effusively earnest.; fulsome, oleaginous, unctuous; His smarmy speech left no doubt that he actually felt superior to those he was meant to be praising. intractable : adjective: Not easily handled, managed, or controlled. "Leeds have traditionally employed the most dour, most intractable men outside of the Democratic Unionist Party as their managers. Now this. A man who can smile." Tom Humphries; Pain and Suffering Continues as Usual; Irish Times (Dublin); Nov 16, 1998. Thought For The Day: Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 25, 2015***** Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." sentient : (adjective) Endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness.; animate; The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage. lissom or lissome : adjective: Agile; graceful. "Jorjie, still a comparatively lissom 13 stone, fills that niggling gap between lunch and dinner with two Mars Bars melted over a bowl of ice cream and Adam (19 stone) consumes 28 litres of fizzy drinks a week. Their parents, with one honourable exception, seem to regard these excesses as an intractable natural mystery." Thomas Sutcliffe; Last Night's TV; The Independent (London, UK); Apr 5, 2007. "Gyorgy Faludy dumped Eric for a lissom poetess more than 60 years his junior." Gyorgy Faludy; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 14, 2006. Thought For The Day: The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (24 Apr 1815-1882) *****April 26, 2015***** Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." opprobrious : (adjective) Expressing contemptuous reproach; bringing disgrace.; abusive, scornful, shameful, ignominious; His opprobrious conduct during an assembly earned him a series of Saturday detentions. lissom or lissome : adjective: Agile; graceful. "Jorjie, still a comparatively lissom 13 stone, fills that niggling gap between lunch and dinner with two Mars Bars melted over a bowl of ice cream and Adam (19 stone) consumes 28 litres of fizzy drinks a week. Their parents, with one honourable exception, seem to regard these excesses as an intractable natural mystery." Thomas Sutcliffe; Last Night's TV; The Independent (London, UK); Apr 5, 2007. "Gyorgy Faludy dumped Eric for a lissom poetess more than 60 years his junior." Gyorgy Faludy; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 14, 2006. Thought For The Day: The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (24 Apr 1815-1882) *****April 27, 2015***** Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." chattel : (noun) An article of movable personal property.; personalty; Slaves were treated as chattel by plantation owners, who bought, sold, and even bet them in poker games. lissom or lissome : adjective: Agile; graceful. "Jorjie, still a comparatively lissom 13 stone, fills that niggling gap between lunch and dinner with two Mars Bars melted over a bowl of ice cream and Adam (19 stone) consumes 28 litres of fizzy drinks a week. Their parents, with one honourable exception, seem to regard these excesses as an intractable natural mystery." Thomas Sutcliffe; Last Night's TV; The Independent (London, UK); Apr 5, 2007. "Gyorgy Faludy dumped Eric for a lissom poetess more than 60 years his junior." Gyorgy Faludy; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 14, 2006. Thought For The Day: The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (24 Apr 1815-1882) *****April 28, 2015***** Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." moire : (adjective) Having a wavy or rippled surface pattern. Used of fabric.; watered; As the lady sat down, the folds of her moire silk dress rustled about her. os : noun: 1. A mouth or an orifice. [plural ora] 2. A bone. [plural ossa] "Even today, accent suppressants for bands are not uncommon. Robbie Williams doesn't narrow his os, Aqualungs Matt Hales doesn't turn his fall into full, and while The Rolling Stones can't get no satisfaction, they daren't sing it as their native cant." Judy Jarvis; Arctic Monkeys: Neo-Punk Exuberance With an Accent; Intelligencer Journal (Lancaster, Pennsylvania); Feb 9, 2006. "Naturally, the students couldn't resist testing the teachers' knowledge. 'You'd better slow down,' they would tell some unsuspecting pedagogue, 'or you might fall and break your os.'" D.L. Stanley; I Hope This Doesn't Effectuate Your Dudgeon; Atlanta Inquirer (Georgia); Nov 16, 1996. Thought For The Day: There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance - that principle is contempt prior to investigation. -Herbert Spencer, philosopher (Apr 27 1820-1903) *****April 29, 2015***** Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." mercurial : (adjective) Quick and changeable in temperament.; quicksilver, erratic, fickle, volatile; Her mercurial nature made it difficult to gauge how she would react. aa : noun: Lava having a rough surface. "The type of lava most prevalent on Bartolomé Island is aa lava; it has a lower temperature and less gas content, which makes for a slower flow, which causes broken flows and sharp edges." Ilene Cox; One More Day in the Galapagos Islands; Redlands Daily Facts (California); Sep 25, 2005. Thought For The Day: "Don't think of it as dying," said Death. "Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush." -Terry Pratchett, novelist (Apr 28 1948-2015) *****April 30, 2015***** Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." virid : (adjective) Bright green with or as if with vegetation.; verdant; The lake was virid with bright algae on the surface. nu : interjection: Well; so. noun: The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet. "And nu, what happier ending is there than that?" Nathaniel Rich; Save Us; The New York Times Book Review; Sep 30, 2012. Thought For The Day: A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking. -Jerry Seinfeld, comedian (b. 29 Apr 1954) *****May 01, 2015***** Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." schism : (noun) A separation or division into factions.; discord, split; Heretics were burned for attempting to create a schism in the Catholic Church. Thought For The Day: Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 02, 2015***** Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." balustrade : (noun) A rail and the row of balusters or posts that support it, as along the front of a gallery.; banister, handrail; She leaned over the balustrade, trying to see what was happening below. id : noun: The unconscious, instinctive part of the psyche in Freudian theory. "'No one would ever argue that we're all angels...,' says Mr. Rollins. 'It's difficult to justify to someone raised on the more traditional North American fan experience. It's loud, it's crude, but that's the point. Six days a week I'm a normal guy, but for games your inner id comes out.'" Michael Grange; Toronto the Rowdy; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 11, 2009. Thought For The Day: Content thyself to be obscurely good. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, the post of honor is a private station. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 03, 2015***** aver : to assert or affirm with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory manner; She had stolen nothing;--so she averred to herself. Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873 Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Predicate : to base (something) on something else; "We don't elect them to agree with us, but rather to explain to us the best options available. All of this is predicated on the sacred trust that elected officials will share all options they've explored, identify the ones they haven't, and share the rationale behind their decisions." - Robert F. Walsh, Stratford (Connecticut) Star, January 29, 2015 conceit : (noun) A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth.; amour-propre, vanity; She was convinced that she was worthy of marrying royalty, but her vanity and conceit only made her less attractive to the prince. id : noun: The unconscious, instinctive part of the psyche in Freudian theory. "'No one would ever argue that we're all angels...,' says Mr. Rollins. 'It's difficult to justify to someone raised on the more traditional North American fan experience. It's loud, it's crude, but that's the point. Six days a week I'm a normal guy, but for games your inner id comes out.'" Michael Grange; Toronto the Rowdy; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 11, 2009. Idiom of the Day: out-of-date (2) : If something like a passport or a credit card is out-of-date, it cannot be used anymore because the period during which it was valid is over.; I'm sorry sir, but your credit card is out-of-date. Do you have another one? Thought For The Day: Content thyself to be obscurely good. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, the post of honor is a private station. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 04, 2015***** aver : to assert or affirm with confidence; declare in a positive or peremptory manner; She had stolen nothing;--so she averred to herself. Anthony Trollope, The Eustace Diamonds, 1873 Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Predicate : to base (something) on something else; "We don't elect them to agree with us, but rather to explain to us the best options available. All of this is predicated on the sacred trust that elected officials will share all options they've explored, identify the ones they haven't, and share the rationale behind their decisions." - Robert F. Walsh, Stratford (Connecticut) Star, January 29, 2015 conceit : (noun) A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth.; amour-propre, vanity; She was convinced that she was worthy of marrying royalty, but her vanity and conceit only made her less attractive to the prince. id : noun: The unconscious, instinctive part of the psyche in Freudian theory. "'No one would ever argue that we're all angels...,' says Mr. Rollins. 'It's difficult to justify to someone raised on the more traditional North American fan experience. It's loud, it's crude, but that's the point. Six days a week I'm a normal guy, but for games your inner id comes out.'" Michael Grange; Toronto the Rowdy; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 11, 2009. Idiom of the Day: out-of-date (2) : If something like a passport or a credit card is out-of-date, it cannot be used anymore because the period during which it was valid is over.; I'm sorry sir, but your credit card is out-of-date. Do you have another one? Thought For The Day: Content thyself to be obscurely good. When vice prevails, and impious men bear sway, the post of honor is a private station. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 05, 2015***** diurnal : of or belonging to the daytime (opposed to nocturnal); The dream--that is, the state of being freed of the pressure of diurnal consciousness--is, it is true, the prerequisite for the metamorphosis. Wilhelm Emrich, "The Animal as Liberating 'Self,'" The Metamorphosis, 1972 Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Cozen : to deceive by coaxing or trickery; The young man used his charm to cozen elderly victims into pouring their savings into his investment scheme. macerate : (verb) To make soft, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result.; soften; The stale bread was left to macerate in a bowl of milk for a few hours. Idiom of the Day: kill two birds with one stone : If you kill two birds with one stone, you achieve two things with the one action.; Jenny says that she kills two birds with one stone if she does her own housework because she gets the house clean and she gets some exercise at the same time. Thought For The Day: A teacher who is attempting to teach, without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn, is hammering on a cold iron. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 06, 2015***** bafflegab : Slang. confusing or generally unintelligible jargon; gobbledegook: an insurance policy written in bafflegab impenetrable to a lay person; Victor had no eye for shape or form…He judged the tone and rhythm of the plans by how the architects could sing their wares, what bafflegab they used. Jim Crace, Arcadia, 1992 Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Epigram : a short and clever poem or saying; On the wall of his studio, Jonathan kept a framed print of his favorite epigram from Benjamin Franklin: "Little strokes fell great oaks." fritinancy : (noun) A chirping or creaking, as of a cricket.; chirping; As night fell, the fritinancy of insects outside their open window grew loud enough to keep them awake. junto : noun: A small, usually secret group of people united for a common purpose. "A small clique of interrelated local families, whom Smith labeled a junto, controlled both the community and the armory for much of its history." Roger Simon; The Machine in Context; Technology and Culture (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 2010. Idiom of the Day: Knock it off! : You can say "Knock it off!" when someone is doing something wrong, or something that's annoying you, and you want them to stop it.; The referee ran over to the players who were wrestling on the ground and said, "Knock it off or you'll both get a booking." Thought For The Day: When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue--you sell him a whole new life. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2015***** defenestrate : to throw (a person or thing) out of a window; And then there is James McMurtry, an alt-country ironist who is probably ready to defenestrate the next well-meaning lunkhead who points out that his father, Larry, wrote "Lonesome Dove." John Schulian, "Country Music Crossbred With Country Literature," New York Times, August 19, 2001 Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Dauntless : fearless or very brave; The rescuers were dauntless, battling cold, wind, and fatigue to reach the injured mountain climbers. pinguid : (adjective) Fat; oily.; oily; His car was splattered with some sort of pinguid substance, and trying to wash it away only seemed to spread the mess. hauteur : noun: Haughtiness. "A critic of immense hauteur, Jonathan Miller enjoys dishing it out, but is acutely sensitive to any whiff of criticism." The Miller's Tale; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 15, 2012. Idiom of the Day: It's written all over your face. : If you say "it's written all over your face", you're saying that the expression on someone's face is showing their true feelings or thoughts.; I can tell something amazing has happened. It's written all over your face. Tell me what it is! Thought For The Day: The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 08, 2015***** volitant : engaged in or having the power of flight; We are golden averages, volitant stabilities, compensated or periodic errors, houses founded on the sea. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Representative Men, 1850 Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Virtuoso : a person skilled in the fine arts; Peggy, a virtuoso on the piano, performed her first recital when she was only six years old. ultramarine : (noun) A blue pigment made from powdered lapis lazuli; a vivid or strong blue to purplish blue.; indigo, French blue; She found a piece of fabric dyed ultramarine, which would make a perfect sash for the light blue dress she was making. astringent : adjective: 1. Contracting or constricting. 2. Caustic; pungent. 3. Stern; austere. noun: A substance that constricts body tissues. "However, unlike the apple and its other cousin the pear, quince flesh is hard and astringent and cannot be eaten raw." Jan Bilton; Quinces, the Perfect Accompaniments; Hawke's Bay Today (New Zealand); Apr 25, 2014. "Young Ajay Mishra, whose family carries with it a wound that will not heal, reads Ernest Hemingway and finds in that astringent language a way out." Amrita Dutta; Remains of the Day; The Indian Express (New Delhi); May 10, 2014. Idiom of the Day: a question of time : You can say "it's only a question of time" before saying what you think will happen in the future.; If you keep on spending money like this, it'll just be a question of time before you have a serious debt problem. Thought For The Day: The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of his tail. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 09, 2015***** credence : belief as to the truth of something: to give credence to a claim; Only from certain closely confidential friends of Willett and the senior Ward have any clues been gained, and even these are too wildly fantastic for general credence. H. P. Lovecraft, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," Weird Tales, 1941 Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Saltation : leaping or jumping; "Neither kangaroos nor rats, the kangaroo rats show a genetic kinship to beavers. The name 'kangaroo' owes to their hopping on enlarged hind legs, a locomotion known as saltation." -Kevin J. Cook, The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, Colorado), August 31, 2014 mucilage : (noun) A sticky substance used as an adhesive.; glue, gum; They wanted to make a model airplane, but lacked the mucilage needed to hold the pieces together. futilitarian : adjective: 1. Devoted to futile pursuits. 2. Holding the belief that human striving is useless. noun: 1. A person devoted to futile pursuits. 2. One who believes that human striving is useless. ; "'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' Dante was the First Futilitarian." Brad Blanton; Futilitarianism; Tikkun (Berkeley, California); Nov/Dec 2004. "Owner Jerry Reinsdorf had promised an all-out effort to improve, but the team seems to have adopted a futilitarian attitude." Bob Verdi; Only Flag Over Comiskey Park Is White; Chicago Tribune; Jul 9, 1989. Idiom of the Day: come to your senses : If you come to your senses, you see things clearly and begin to act sensibly after a period of confusion and unwise behaviour.; Kerry says it's time we came to our senses and started treating our planet with the sort of love and care it needs. Thought For The Day: No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson, critic (8 May 1895-1972) *****May 10, 2015***** credence : belief as to the truth of something: to give credence to a claim; Only from certain closely confidential friends of Willett and the senior Ward have any clues been gained, and even these are too wildly fantastic for general credence. H. P. Lovecraft, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward," Weird Tales, 1941 Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Saltation : leaping or jumping; "Neither kangaroos nor rats, the kangaroo rats show a genetic kinship to beavers. The name 'kangaroo' owes to their hopping on enlarged hind legs, a locomotion known as saltation." -Kevin J. Cook, The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, Colorado), August 31, 2014 mucilage : (noun) A sticky substance used as an adhesive.; glue, gum; They wanted to make a model airplane, but lacked the mucilage needed to hold the pieces together. futilitarian : adjective: 1. Devoted to futile pursuits. 2. Holding the belief that human striving is useless. noun: 1. A person devoted to futile pursuits. 2. One who believes that human striving is useless. ; "'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' Dante was the First Futilitarian." Brad Blanton; Futilitarianism; Tikkun (Berkeley, California); Nov/Dec 2004. "Owner Jerry Reinsdorf had promised an all-out effort to improve, but the team seems to have adopted a futilitarian attitude." Bob Verdi; Only Flag Over Comiskey Park Is White; Chicago Tribune; Jul 9, 1989. Idiom of the Day: come to your senses : If you come to your senses, you see things clearly and begin to act sensibly after a period of confusion and unwise behaviour.; Kerry says it's time we came to our senses and started treating our planet with the sort of love and care it needs. Thought For The Day: No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson, critic (8 May 1895-1972) *****May 11, 2015***** frabjous : Informal. wonderful, elegant, superb; O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! / He chortled in his joy. Lewis Carroll, "Jabberwocky," Through the Looking-Glass, 1871 Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Riparian : of or on the bank of a watercourse; When the students were studying riparian habitat development, their teacher took them on a field trip to a nearby creek. emollient : (adjective) Softening and soothing, especially to the skin.; demulcent, salving, softening; In the winter, she applied emollient cream to her hands to prevent the skin from cracking. futilitarian : adjective: 1. Devoted to futile pursuits. 2. Holding the belief that human striving is useless. noun: 1. A person devoted to futile pursuits. 2. One who believes that human striving is useless. ; "'Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.' Dante was the First Futilitarian." Brad Blanton; Futilitarianism; Tikkun (Berkeley, California); Nov/Dec 2004. "Owner Jerry Reinsdorf had promised an all-out effort to improve, but the team seems to have adopted a futilitarian attitude." Bob Verdi; Only Flag Over Comiskey Park Is White; Chicago Tribune; Jul 9, 1989. Idiom of the Day: ring a bell : If something rings a bell, it sounds familiar or you think you've heard it before. ; Does the name "Hunter S. Thompson" ring a bell? Thought For The Day: No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson, critic (8 May 1895-1972) *****May 12, 2015***** bibliomania : excessive fondness for acquiring and possessing books; Perhaps you are not familiar with the raptures of bibliomania: it is one of the strongest passions, when given its freedom… Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky, Russian Nights, translated by Olga Koshansky-Olienikov and Ralph E. Matlaw, 1965 Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Technobabble : technical jargon; The manual for the computer program used so much technobabble that I was completely lost. mnemonic : (noun) A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.; aide-memoire; The students came up with a mnemonic to help themselves remember the colors of the rainbow. shadchan : noun: A matchmaker or a marriage-broker. ; "Moss became a highbrow shadchan, matching freewheeling directors with willing musicians to graft new theater onto old scores." Justin Davidson; A Director Melds Classic Poetry and Music; New York; Jan 4, 2010. Idiom of the Day: cook the books | cook the accounts : If someone cooks the books, or cooks the accounts, they keep inaccurate accounts for a business, usually in order to pay less tax.; I found this website that shows you how to cook the accounts, but I'd never try doing it. Thought For The Day: It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong. -Richard Feynman, physicist, Nobel laureate (11 May 1918-1988) *****May 13, 2015***** hidebound : narrow and rigid in opinion; inflexible: a hidebound pedant; I never saw a man so distressed as you were by my will; unless it were that hidebound pedant, Lanyon, at what he called my scientific heresies. Robert Louis Stevenson, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, 1886 Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Ingurgitate : guzzle; "Because we always listen to 'the experts,' we make sure to ingurgitate some protein after an extended endurance workout." - Christopher Arns, Sacramento (California) Bee August 31, 2013 refulgent : (adjective) Shining radiantly; resplendent.; effulgent, radiant, beaming; Standing by the edge of the sea, they witnessed a refulgent sunset. gunsel : noun: 1. A gun-carrying criminal. 2. A tramp's young intimate companion. ; "An armored-car heist goes wrong, and the book's antihero, Parker, is forced to hole up in a closed amusement park as he tries to duck a rabid pack of gunsels, kingpins, and crooked cops." Dana Jennings; Newly Released Books; The New York Times; Dec 26, 2013. Idiom of the Day: bark up the wrong tree : If you're barking up the wrong tree, you're looking for something in the wrong place or going about something in the wrong way.; She's barking up the wrong tree if she's interested in Gavin. Doesn't she know he's gay? Thought For The Day: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (1802-1861) *****May 14, 2015***** syzygy : Astronomy. an alignment of three celestial objects, as the sun, the earth, and either the moon or a planet: Syzygy in the sun-earth-moon system occurs at the time of full moon and new moon; There's going to be a syzygy Wednesday night. All the planets banded together on the same side of the sun. Meg Waite Clayton, The Four Ms. Bradwells, 2011 Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Askance : with a side-glance or with distrust; Rebecca's children looked askance at her when she suggested they turn off their electronic devices and go play outside in the nice weather. verisimilitude : (noun) The quality of appearing to be true or real.; vraisemblance; While recounting the preposterous tale, he threw in a few convincing details to add verisimilitude to the narrative. tummler : noun: 1. A comedian, social director, or entertainer who encourages an audience or guests to participate in entertainment activities. 2. One who incites others to action. 3. A lively, mischievous man. ; "And when Lou Goldstein proved adept at other forms of entertainment, the hotel signed him up as its tummler." Joseph Berger; Lou Goldstein; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Apr 29, 2012. "An advance man is the tummler of American politics. He is the guy who gets out the crowds, creates a sense of excitement around the candidate, and generates the smell of victory at every stop." Burt Glinn; The Wit and Wisdom of a Political Barnum; New York; May 31, 1971. Thought For The Day: How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten. -Daphne du Maurier, novelist (13 May 1907-1989) *****May 15, 2015***** cynosure : something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, interest, etc.: the cynosure of all eyes; So imagine the dinner is for some nine hundred of the most famous and sought-after people in the world—luminaries who, at any other party, would be the cynosure of all eyes but on this evening might not even merit favorable placement. John Seabrook, "Names," The New Yorker, February 3, 2014 Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Jinni : a magic spirit that serves a person; "Onstage, she was electric. She was like some sort of jinni, a supernatural force of some sort." - Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle, September 18, 2014 torrid : (adjective) Scorching; burning.; fervent, fiery, ardent, burning; The torrid noonday sun shone down on the travelers in the desert. shicker : noun: A drunkard; alcoholic liquor. adjective: Drunk. verb intr.: To drink or to get drunk. ; "Do you think I'm shicker?" "Right now I would say yes. After four drinks, yes." Dan Pope; In the Cherry Tree; Picador; 2003. Idiom of the Day: beat the rap : If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.; Henry was charged with drunk driving, but his lawyer helped him beat the rap on some technical detail. Thought For The Day: Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) *****May 16, 2015***** scroop : to emit a harsh, grating sound: The gate scrooped as he swung it shut; The engine started and the car moved forward, but the buckled wheel scrooped against the frame. Nevil Shute, On the Beach, 1957 Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Bowdlerize : to edit by removing parts that may offend; Years later, it was discovered that the publisher had bowdlerized many of the poet's letters. pariah : (noun) A social outcast.; castaway, leper, untouchable; The rumors of his traitorous actions were enough to make him a pariah among his peers, though nothing was ever proven. heimisch or heimish or haimish : adjective: Homey; unpretentious. ; "Most of his deal-making takes place over the heimisch cuisine of Gilda." Spencer Bright; Michael Levy; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 18, 1997. Idiom of the Day: at cross-purposes : If you're at cross-purposes with someone, you think you're both talking about the same thing but you're actually talking about different things. ; Jill and I were at cross-purposes today when we were talking about John. I was talking about John Smith, my neighbour, but she thought I was talking John at work! Thought For The Day: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991) *****May 17, 2015***** legerity : physical or mental quickness; nimbleness; agility; Break up their drowsy grave and newly move / With casted slough and fresh legerity. William Shakespeare, Henry V, 1600 Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. Hinterland : a region not near the coast or a city; The enormous Greenland Ice Sheet covers most of the hinterland of the world's largest island. ossify : (verb) To change into bone; to become set in a rigidly conventional pattern.; rigidify, petrify; It takes millions of years for organic remains to ossify and turn into fossils. heimisch or heimish or haimish : adjective: Homey; unpretentious. ; "Most of his deal-making takes place over the heimisch cuisine of Gilda." Spencer Bright; Michael Levy; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 18, 1997. Idiom of the Day: vim and vigor : If you have vim and vigor, you have lots of energy and enthusiasm for life.; If you want to have lots of vim and vigor when you get older, you need to eat good food and get plenty of exercise when you're young. Thought For The Day: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991) *****May 18, 2015***** rubberneck : to look about or stare with great curiosity, as by craning the neck or turning the head; Callie hadn't been any help; instead of navigating, she had frankly rubbernecked, bending towards Paul to peer out his window or hanging halfway out of her own to get a good look at someone's cavernous two-car garage or expensively landscaped lawn. James Hynes, Kings of Infinite Space, 2004 Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Terrestrial : relating to or occurring on the earth; The newly discovered fossils include some of the earliest known terrestrial arachnids. providence : (noun) Prudent management; economy.; foresight, prudence, economy; Because of Father's providence, we were all able to go to college. heimisch or heimish or haimish : adjective: Homey; unpretentious. ; "Most of his deal-making takes place over the heimisch cuisine of Gilda." Spencer Bright; Michael Levy; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 18, 1997. Idiom of the Day: skate on thin ice : If you're skating on thin ice, you're doing something risky, or you're in a situation that could quickly become dangerous. ; Kenny's skating on thin ice. He's already on parole, and yet he's still driving around without a licence. Thought For The Day: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991) *****May 19, 2015***** bucolic : of, pertaining to, or suggesting an idyllic rural life; She and Blaine took the train to Princeton to look for an apartment, and she was struck by the town itself, the greenness, the peace and grace of it… "It was almost bucolic then. I visited and thought it was beautiful but I just couldn't see myself actually going there." Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah, 2013 Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Whodunit : a detective story or mystery story; Betsy packed several romance novels and whodunits to read at the beach. disperse : (verb) To drive off or scatter in different directions.; dissipate, spread, dispel; When it seemed that a riot was about to start, the police arrived to disperse the crowd. devolve : verb tr., intr.: To transfer or be passed (duties, rights, powers, etc.) on to another. verb intr.: To deteriorate or degenerate. ; "Indonesia has devolved much authority to local government." Fanfare for the Common Man; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 26, 2014. "The event devolved into violence on both sides." Nick Pinto; The Point of Order; The New York Times Magazine; Jan 18, 2015. See more usage examples of devolve in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: verbal diarrhoea : If someone has verbal diarrhoea, they can't stop talking.; I don't know if you could say he's got verbal diarrhoea, but Alan sure does talk a lot. Thought For The Day: I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: 'The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that's fair.' In these words he epitomized the history of the human race. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970) *****May 24, 2015***** apothegm : a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism; One need not go beyond the limits of the British Museum to be profoundly accomplished in all branches of science, art, and literature; only it would take a lifetime to exhaust it in any one department; but to see it as we did, and with no prospect of ever seeing it more at leisure, only impressed me with the truth of the old apothegm, "Life is short, and Art is long." Nathaniel Hawthorne, "London, September 29, 1855," Passages from the English Note-Books, 1870 Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." Debouch : to emerge or cause to emerge; "A mutual foe had appeared. From a passage on the left of the road there had debouched on to the field of action Albert himself and two of his band." - P. G. Wodehouse, The White Feather, 1907 scatology : (noun) Obscene language or literature, especially that dealing pruriently or humorously with excrement and excretory functions.; vulgarism, obscenity; She hated to encounter scatology in her reading, believing it to be the lowest form of humor. acerbate : verb tr.: To irritate or to aggravate. ; "The status quo will clearly acerbate the intolerable conditions under which the average reserve resident survives." Don Weisbeck; Politically speaking; Weekend Regional (Brooks, Canada); Jan 31, 2013. See more usage examples of acerbate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: year dot | year one : You can say "the year dot", or "the year one", when you're talking about a very, very long time ago.; People have been interested in the stars and the moon since the year one. Thought For The Day: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 25, 2015***** yestreen : during yesterday evening; Late late yestreen I saw the new moone / Wi' the auld moone in hir arme… , "Sir Patrick Spens," Reliques of Ancient English Poetry, collected by Thomas Percy, 1765 Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective – unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Erudite : learned or pedantic; The university hosted an informative lecture given by an erudite scholar of Cold War history. azure : (adjective) A light purplish blue.; cerulean, lazuline, sapphire, sky-blue; The large silver kite gleamed against the azure expanse of sky. acerbate : verb tr.: To irritate or to aggravate. ; "The status quo will clearly acerbate the intolerable conditions under which the average reserve resident survives." Don Weisbeck; Politically speaking; Weekend Regional (Brooks, Canada); Jan 31, 2013. See more usage examples of acerbate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: mend your ways : If you mend your ways, you improve your behaviour and stop doing things that cause trouble.; It took him a long time to mend his ways, but these days Jack is a good father and husband. Thought For The Day: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 26, 2015***** eternize : to make eternal; perpetuate; My verse your vertues rare shall eternize, / And in the hevens wryte your glorious name… Edmund Spenser, "Sonnet LXXV," Amoretti, 1595 Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Callithump : a noisy boisterous band or parade; Anyone who wants to participate in the town's annual Memorial Day callithump should be at the elementary school by 10 a.m. perspicacious : (adjective) Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted.; sagacious, sapient; She was much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument. politesse : noun: Formal politeness or courtesy. ; "How did the loud, fast-talking James Haskell fit in amid the politesse of Japanese culture, with its bowing and eye-lowering?" Jonathan McEvoy; James Haskell, Written Off as a Loudmouth, Travelled the Globe to Transform His Game; Mail on Sunday (London, UK); Mar 1, 2015. Idiom of the Day: talk turkey : If you talk turkey, you discuss something seriously, usually to do with business or money.; I started to say something about the deal, but Mr Hamilton said, "Not now, my boy. We never talk turkey at the dinner table." Thought For The Day: An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (25 May 1803-1882) *****May 27, 2015***** quidnunc : a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip; a gossip or busybody; You can hide nothing from the quidnunc of Hanbridge. Moreover, when a quidnunc in the streets of Hanbridge sees somebody famous or striking, or notorious, he does not pretend that he has seen nobody. Arnold Bennett, Denry the Audacious, 1911 Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Sacrilegious : grossly irreverent; My great-grandfather was a die-hard New Dealer who considered any criticism of Franklin D. Roosevelt to be sacrilegious. obviate : (verb) To anticipate and dispose of effectively; render unnecessary.; rid of, eliminate; Her discovery of an old wedding dress in the attic obviated the need for her to buy a costume for the party. laissez-faire or laisser-faire : noun: 1. The practice of noninterference in the affairs of others. 2. The economic policy allowing businesses to operate with little intervention from the government. ; "Perhaps we need to reappraise our laissez-faire attitude to domestic cats and be more proactive in trying to contain the burgeoning feral population." James Parry; Britain's Burgeoning Feral Cats; The Independent (London, UK); Oct 25, 2012. See more usage examples of laissez-faire in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: kill time : You kill time when you do something to amuse yourself while waiting for something. ; We kill time on long trips by playing this game in which someone thinks of a country, and the next person has to think of another country that starts with the last letter of the first one, like Thailand, Denmark, Kenya, Afghanistan, Nepal, and so on. Thought For The Day: Dying is not a crime. -Jack Kevorkian, pathologist, euthanasia activist, painter, author, and composer (26 May 1928-2011) *****May 28, 2015***** gainsay : to deny, dispute, or contradict; '…What judge shall gainsay that?' He swayed his body round on his motionless and sturdily planted legs, veering upon the Chancellor and the knight in turn, as if he challenged them to gainsay him who had been an attorney for ten years… Ford Madox Ford, The Fifth Queen, 1906 Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Riot Act : a vigorous reprimand or warning; Celia's parents read her the riot act after she stayed out for almost an hour past her curfew. recluse : (noun) A person who withdraws from the world to live in seclusion and often in solitude.; solitudinarian, troglodyte, hermit, solitary; He was regarded by the townspeople as a recluse, since no one ever saw him receive visitors. de rigueur : adjective: Required by fashion, custom, or etiquette. ; "Glitz, glamour, and sleek metal are de rigueur at automobile exhibitions." India as Small Car Hub; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Jan 7, 2010. "Once upon a time, it was de rigueur for American professional golfers to visit Ireland to practice on links courses ahead of the British Open." Philip Reid; Cink Honed His Game on Irish Links Courses; The Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 21, 2009. See more usage examples of de rigueur in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: hot under the collar : If you are hot under the collar, you feel angry or annoyed about something. ; We could see Matt was getting hot under the collar because of what Ken was saying, so we changed the subject. Thought For The Day: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2015***** middling : mediocre; ordinary; commonplace; pedestrian: The restaurant's entrées are no better than middling; …what mattered most, as I came to realize, was who'd lived in Vegas the longest, which was why the knockdown Mexican beauties and itinerant construction heirs sat alone at lunch while the bland, middling children of local realtors and car dealers were the cheerleaders and class presidents, the unchallenged elite of the school. Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch, 2013 Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Fictioneer : someone who writes fiction; Dwight was a fictioneer who specialized in pulp novels, producing over 300 of them in his long career. girth : (noun) The distance around something; the circumference.; circumference, perimeter; It was an enormous tree, its girth twice as great as what a man could embrace. soi-disant : adjective: Self-styled; so-called. ; "For some reason, the soi-disant 'entertainment capital of the world' has never been able to sustain a resident [ballet] company." Patt Diroll; A Step Ahead for Ballet; Pasadena Star-News (California); May 25, 2009. "Hannah turns to the suspiciously handsome soi-disant geek." Virginia Heffernan; Really, Mom, We're Just Going Out for Ice Cream; The New York Times; Feb 16, 2004. See more usage examples of soi-disant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: caught red-handed : If someone is caught red-handed, they are caught in the act of doing something wrong such as cheating or stealing.; How can you say you didn't steal the book? You were caught red-handed walking out of the store after you'd hidden it under your jacket. Thought For The Day: Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -William Pitt, British prime minister (28 May 1759-1806) *****May 30, 2015***** agog : highly excited by eagerness, curiosity, anticipation, etc; She was as adventurous, as imaginative, as agog to see the world as he was. But she was not sent to school. Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own, 1929 Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Bodacious : unmistakable, remarkable, or voluptuous; The comedy writing team has created a sitcom pilot featuring two geeky guys and their bodacious female roommate. quail : (verb) To shrink back in fear; cower.; cringe, flinch, recoil, wince; The little boy quailed at the teacher's angry voice. laissez-aller or laisser-aller : noun: Unrestrained freedom. ; "Throughout the concert, O'Carroll struck a delicate balance between order and laissez-aller that yielded crisp ensembles." Reviews; Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 8, 2005. "In the laissez-aller atmosphere of 1960s' Manhattan an MBA or a five-year plan was hardly required." Guy Trebay; A Man of Another, Cooler City; The New York Times; Aug 4, 2013. Idiom of the Day: (your) hands are tied : You can say your hands are tied if you're prevented from doing something that you'd normally have the power or the authority to do.; I'd really like to give you the contract, Mr Gambino, but my hands are tied because of those laws on giving contracts to people with criminal records. Thought For The Day: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****May 31, 2015***** extemporize : to speak with little or no advance preparation: He can extemporize on any of a number of subjects; I began to understand how he'd been able to extemporize an oration that first day we met: because he was constantly shaping monologues from his ideas and memories and fact-findings as if at any moment he might be called upon to address the joint houses of Congress. Joseph O'Neill, Netherland, 2008 Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Metadata : data about other data; The investigator used metadata from phone company records to identify the culprit behind the harassing calls. agile : (adjective) Characterized by quickness, lightness, and ease of movement; nimble.; nimble, spry, quick; She moved quickly and was agile as a gymnast. laissez-aller or laisser-aller : noun: Unrestrained freedom. ; "Throughout the concert, O'Carroll struck a delicate balance between order and laissez-aller that yielded crisp ensembles." Reviews; Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 8, 2005. "In the laissez-aller atmosphere of 1960s' Manhattan an MBA or a five-year plan was hardly required." Guy Trebay; A Man of Another, Cooler City; The New York Times; Aug 4, 2013. Idiom of the Day: beat the rap : If someone beats the rap, they avoid being found guilty of a crime.; Henry was charged with drunk driving, but his lawyer helped him beat the rap on some technical detail. Thought For The Day: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****June 01, 2015***** moonbow : a rainbow caused by the refraction and reflection of light from the moon; A few die-hard photographers have timed their visit to Yosemite Falls so they can catch a glimpse of a rare phenomenon: a rainbow at night, emerging from the mist. It's called a moonbow, and you can only see it a few times a year. Sasha Khokha, "At 150, Yosemite's Roots Go Deep," KQED, June 27, 2014 Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Perseverate : to repeat or recur persistently; To ensure the accuracy of his or her data, the scientist necessarily perseverates, repeating each experiment many times and comparing the results. panache : (noun) Distinctive and stylish elegance.; dash, elan, flair, style; He wooed her with the confident panache of a cavalry officer. laissez-aller or laisser-aller : noun: Unrestrained freedom. ; "Throughout the concert, O'Carroll struck a delicate balance between order and laissez-aller that yielded crisp ensembles." Reviews; Irish Times (Dublin); Jul 8, 2005. "In the laissez-aller atmosphere of 1960s' Manhattan, an MBA or a five-year plan was hardly required." Guy Trebay; A Man of Another, Cooler City; The New York Times; Aug 4, 2013. Idiom of the Day: from now on : If you do something "from now on", you do it from now until some unknown time in the future.; I was lucky to escape from the accident with just a few minor injuries, so from now on I'm going to be much more careful when I drive. Thought For The Day: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****June 02, 2015***** jiggery-pokery : Chiefly British. trickery, hocus-pocus; fraud; humbug; A wealth of impure jiggery-pokery, much of it very funny, all of it unusable; a spate of “fixablesâ€; a bunch of excellent poetry (see below) and a partridge in a pear tree. Mary Ann Madden, “New York Magazine Competition,†New York, October 9, 1972 Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Phreaker : one who illegally uses a telephone system; This year's annual conference on culture and technology will focus on the subculture of hackers and phreakers. escalate : (verb) To increase, enlarge, or intensify.; intensify, step up; Tensions escalated as the politicians refused to compromise. sinecure : noun: A position in which one is paid for little or no work. ; "Some 200,000 civil servants have been enlisted. Half are fairly useless: former guerrillas given sinecures to keep the peace. This cannot last. Some 75% of the budget is spent on wages." A New Country Rises from the Ruins; South Sudan; The Economist (London, UK); May 4, 2013. See more usage examples of sinecure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: a one-track mind : If someone has a one-track mind, they spend most of their time thinking about one subject. ; Mark's upset because Jenny said he's got a one-track mind and he's always thinking about sex. Thought For The Day: War is merely the continuation of policy by other means. -Carl von Clausewitz, general and military theorist (1 Jun 1780-1831) *****June 03, 2015***** oxter : Scot. and North England. the armpit; You may have The Lives of the English Poets under your oxter, young fellow, but you don't have them in your head so go home and read. Frank McCourt, Tis: A Memoir, 1999 Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Stalwart : marked by outstanding strength or spirit; Judith has long been a stalwart supporter of the community theater, always volunteering at fundraisers and helping out backstage during productions. perturbing : (adjective) Causing distress or worry or anxiety.; distressful, disturbing, worrisome; The kindergarten teacher found her student's erratic behavior to be perturbing, and she resolved to consult with the child's parents. pathography : noun: A biography that focuses on the negative. ; "Pizzichini's book, though nonjudgmental, still feels like a pathography." Mick Sussman; The Blue Hour; The New York Times; Jul 19, 2009. Idiom of the Day: itchy feet : If you have itchy feet, you feel the need to go somewhere different or do something different.; Thanks to low-cost airlines, people with itchy feet who couldn't afford air fares in the past can now travel. Thought For The Day: The business of the poet and the novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things and the grandeur underlying the sorriest things. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) *****June 04, 2015***** cryptozoology : the study of evidence tending to substantiate the existence of, or the search for, creatures whose reported existence is unproved, as the Abominable Snowman or the Loch Ness monster; But the tales from the cryptozoology continue, naturally, because why not let our sense of wonder be wound up by the concept of a creature affectionately known as Nessie? This cryptid is our nautical version of a Yeti or a Sasquatch that seems to lurk not only in blurry photos, but also in the darkest recesses of our dream-states. Michael Cavna, "Loch Ness monster: Google Doodle plumbs the depths of our fevered fascination," Washington Post, April 21, 2015 Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Adulate : to flatter or admire excessively; A portrait of the family patriarch, a man adulated by the public while generally feared by his family, hung above the mantle. lissome : (adjective) Easily bent; supple.; lithe, supple, slender; There was a grace, which no austerity could diminish, about every movement of her lissome, slender form. performative : adjective: Relating to a statement that functions as an action by the fact of its being uttered. ; "I lost count of the scenes in which Gwen and Peter thrash out the question of whether they should be a couple, and there is a sigh of relief in the cinema when she, deploying what philosophers would call a performative utterance, says simply, 'I break up with you.'" Anthony Lane; Trouble Calls; The New Yorker; May 5, 2014. See more usage examples of performative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: rack your brains | rack you brain : If you rack your brains, or rack you brain, you try hard to remember something or think of a solution to a problem or a puzzle.; Shelley's writing this song about being out of work and she's racking her brain trying to come up with a good rhyme for "unemployed". Thought For The Day: There is nothing more dangerous than a government of the many controlled by the few. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 05, 2015***** floccinaucinihilipilification : Rare. the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language); …they must be taken with an air of contempt, a floccipaucinihilipilification of all that can gratify the outward man Sir Walter Scott, “Wednesday, March 18, 1829,†The Journal of Sir Walter Scott, edited by W. E. K Anderson, 1972 Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Swan Song : a last performance or piece of work; Professor Holland gave the final lecture of his long career, and his swan song was met with a standing ovation from his students. analogue : (noun) Something that bears an analogy to something else.; parallel; Surimi is marketed as an analogue of crabmeat. stridulate : verb intr.: To make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing body parts together. ; "Scientists recently discovered that in some ant species, the queen is a consummate percussionist, equipped with a tiny, uniquely ridged organ for stridulating out royal fanfares that help keep her workers in line." Natalie Angier; Surviving by Disguising; The New York Times; Sep 7, 2010. See more usage examples of stridulate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: zero-sum game : A zero-sum game is a situation in which any gain by one side or person is at the expense of a loss to another side or person involved in the situation.; In a zero-sun game, if you add the total gains of the participants and the total losses of the participants, the sum will always be zero. Thought For The Day: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 06, 2015***** Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Frugal : careful or economical with resources; In order to save both energy and money, Joni was frugal with air-conditioning, usually opting to turn on a fan instead whenever it got too hot in her apartment. escarpment : (noun) A steep slope or long cliff that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.; scarp; The basalt cliffs of the outside were reproduced upon the inside, forming an escarpment about two hundred feet high, with a woody slope beneath it. mala fide : adverb, adjective: In bad faith. ; "If he or she is found guilty of acting in a mala fide manner in damaging the company's reputation or interests, punishment can range from demotion to termination without benefits." Dibeyendu Ganguly; How is India Inc Coping with the Dangers of Ethical Fading?; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Apr 26, 2013. Idiom of the Day: neck of the woods : A neck of the woods is a neighbourhood or a district, usually rural.; Have land prices gone up in your neck of the woods too? Thought For The Day: I'm sometimes asked "Why do you spend so much of your time and money talking about kindness to animals when there is so much cruelty to men?" I answer: "I am working at the roots." -George T. Angell, reformer (5 Jun 1823-1909) *****June 07, 2015***** telesthesia : sensation or perception received at a distance without the normal operation of the recognized sense organs; People might think it was about necromancy or telesthesia or something. Stephen Dixon, “The Play,†The Play and Other Stories, 1988 Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Noblesse Oblige : obligations associated with high rank; "And true to those sentiments of noblesse oblige, in 1957 the Seiberling family turned the property over to a nonprofit trust." - Steve Stephens, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, April 24, 2011 recompense : (verb) To award compensation for; make a return for.; compensate, indemnify, repair; I wish to recompense you for the time and money that you spent while helping my sister find her lost dog. mala fide : adverb, adjective: In bad faith. ; "If he or she is found guilty of acting in a mala fide manner in damaging the company's reputation or interests, punishment can range from demotion to termination without benefits." Dibeyendu Ganguly; How is India Inc Coping with the Dangers of Ethical Fading?; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Apr 26, 2013. Idiom of the Day: have a heart-to-heart : If you have a heart-to-heart with someone, you have an honest talk and share your feelings with each other.; If you're not getting on well with someone, having a heart-to-heart can really help a lot. Thought For The Day: I'm sometimes asked "Why do you spend so much of your time and money talking about kindness to animals when there is so much cruelty to men?" I answer: "I am working at the roots." -George T. Angell, reformer (5 Jun 1823-1909) *****June 08, 2015***** aggrandize : to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend; …a just man always fared worse than the unjust, because he neglected to aggrandize himself by dishonest actions, and thus became unpopular among his acquaintances; while those who were less scrupulous, grew rich and were flattered. Lydia Maria Child, Philothea, 1836 Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Clandestine : secret or surreptitious; The commander ordered the clandestine flights over enemy territory to gather more information about the opposing forces. diminution : (noun) Change toward something smaller or lower.; decline; The thermometer indicated a certain diminution of temperature. mala fide : adverb, adjective: In bad faith. ; "If he or she is found guilty of acting in a mala fide manner in damaging the company's reputation or interests, punishment can range from demotion to termination without benefits." Dibeyendu Ganguly; How is India Inc Coping with the Dangers of Ethical Fading?; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Apr 26, 2013. Idiom of the Day: zero-sum game : A zero-sum game is a situation in which any gain by one side or person is at the expense of a loss to another side or person involved in the situation.; In a zero-sun game, if you add the total gains of the participants and the total losses of the participants, the sum will always be zero. Thought For The Day: I'm sometimes asked "Why do you spend so much of your time and money talking about kindness to animals when there is so much cruelty to men?" I answer: "I am working at the roots." -George T. Angell, reformer (5 Jun 1823-1909) *****June 09, 2015***** urbane : having the polish and suavity regarded as characteristic of sophisticated social life in major cities: an urbane manner; I attended to all the ghastly formalities, and the urbane undertaker proved that his staff were afflicted—or blessed—with something of his own obsequious suavity. Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897 Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Youthquake : a cultural shift influenced by the youth; "One late afternoon in the summer of 2009, I was walking down Wythe Avenue, a thoroughfare in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood still lined with warehouses that were home to vintage clothing and indie-band practice spaces and peppered with a few bars and restaurants. At this point, Williamsburg had earned a reputation as the home of a global youthquake of fashion, music and culture." - Anne Szustek, Business Insider, March 11, 2015 unadulterated : (adjective) Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter.; pure; Because she did not like artificial or diluted flavors, she made sure to purchase unadulterated maple syrup. antimacassar : noun: A piece of covering placed over the back or arms of a seat to protect from hair oil, dirt, etc. ; "We take taxis home. There are antimacassars on the back of the seat." Japan: Lost in a Dream; The Sunday Independent (Johannesburg, South Africa); May 3, 2015. See more usage examples of antimacassar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: save the day : If you save the day, you do something to ensure success or to solve a serious problem. ; Then a guy rides in on a white horse and saves the day by killing the bad guys and rescuing the girl. Thought For The Day: The memory of most men is an abandoned cemetery where lie, unsung and unhonored, the dead whom they have ceased to cherish. -Marguerite Yourcenar, novelist (8 Jun 1903-1987) *****June 10, 2015***** obsolescence : the state, process, or condition of being or becoming obsolete; In the case of The Who, as Townshend observes, that meant exploring the genre’s built-in obsolescence. At the start of the group’s career, he notes, everyone believed that pop music was going through phases, none of which would last long. , "Lambert & Stamp: The men who made The Who," BBC, May 15, 2015 Exponential : adj. Characterized by an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent). "The company enjoyed an exponential growth rate." Obtain : to gain (something) usually by effort; The experiment was designed to obtain more accurate data about weather patterns. crass : (adjective) So crude and unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility.; unrefined; Jenny's mother was horrified by the crass behavior of the young man whom her daughter had befriended. podunk : noun: A small, unimportant town. ; "His spin on 'America's Next Top Model': take two wannabe club kids from Podunk towns and with no money, plunk them down in New York with $1,000." Kevin Gray; After Prison, No After-Hours; The New York Times; May 15, 2014. Idiom of the Day: on the ball : If you're on the ball, you're alert and you know what's going on around you.; My brother is always on the ball, so it's hard to trick him or catch him unawares. Thought For The Day: My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a director. -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 11, 2015***** pentimento : Painting. the presence or emergence of earlier images, forms, or strokes that have been changed and painted over; The term pentimento (plural pentimenti) refers to the evidence of changes an artist makes during the development of a composition on canvas. Wesley Pulkka, "Chicago-born ABQ artist displays new acrylic paintings," ABQ Journal, August 3, 2014 Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Bellwether : a leader or an indicator of trends; The company has long been viewed as a bellwether for the tech market, so analysts are watching it closely. calamitous : (adjective) Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin.; disastrous, fatal, fateful, black; Sire, I ask your majesty's pardon for the calamitous news which I bring. charlatan : noun: One making false claim to having a certain expertise; a fraud or quack. ; "Yet despite his career as a space pitchman, Wernher von Braun was no charlatan, and Neufeld shows clearly that his achievements as a rocketman are unsurpassed." Guy Gugliotta; Wernher von Braun, Scientist Without a Moral Compass; Washington Post; Sep 16, 2007. See more usage examples of charlatan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ideal scientist thinks like a poet and only later works like a bookkeeper. -E.O. Wilson, biologist (b. 10 Jun 1929) *****June 12, 2015***** 'sblood : Obsolete. a euphemistic shortening of God’s blood, used as an oath; 'Sblood, but you will not heare me, / If ever I did dreame of such a matter, abhorre me. William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Othello, 1622 Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." Inculcate : to teach by frequent repetitions; Mark and Victoria tried to inculcate in their children the values of hard work, self-reliance, and respect for other people. blithe : (adjective) Carefree and lighthearted.; lighthearted, lightsome; The blithe young couple was a pleasant sight to see. spaniel : noun: 1. A submissive or fawning person. 2. Any of several breeds of small to medium-sized dogs with long drooping ears and a silky coat. ; "Helena: I am your spaniel. And, Demetrius, The more you beat me, I will fawn on you." William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream; 1590s. See more usage examples of spaniel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: at sea | all at sea : If you're at sea, or all at sea, you're confused about something and not sure what to do.; For the first few days in her new job, Gail felt totally at sea. She didn't know what to do or who to ask for help. Thought For The Day: I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful. -John Constable, painter (11 Jun 1776-1837) *****June 13, 2015***** cavort : to prance or caper about; He can cavort with winning intensity, address the audience as if taking it into his confidence, then dance and sing alone as if we’re viewing his private thoughts. Alastair Macaulay, "Robert Fairchild and Tony Yazbeck Have It All on Broadway Stages," New York Times, May 6, 2015 Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." Jeopardy : exposure to death, loss, or injury; Rather than risk placing his passengers in jeopardy, the pilot waited for the storm to pass before taking off. loquacious : (adjective) Very talkative; garrulous.; chatty, gabby, garrulous, talkative, talky; The loquacious woman was often mocked by neighborhood children for her incessant talking. Jerusalem syndrome : noun: A phenomenon in which a visitor to a holy place suffers from religious psychosis, such as believing him- or herself to be a messiah. ; "Catherine admits a patient with Jerusalem syndrome who believes he has been touched by the hand of God." Kathryn Shattuck; What's On Thursday; The New York Times; May 22, 2014. Idiom of the Day: put your own house in order | get your own house in order : If you say to someone "put your own house in order", or "get your own house in order", you think they should solve their own problems before telling someone else how to solve theirs.; Ian has plenty of problems of his own, so he needs to get his own house in order before he starts telling other people how to live their lives. Thought For The Day: No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2015***** shivaree : a mock serenade with kettles, pans, horns, and other noisemakers given for a newly married couple; charivari; So in blind desperation I started such a rattling "shivaree" down below as never had astounded an engineer in this world before, I fancy. Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi, 1883 Demure : adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber." Rambunctious : unruly or uncontrollably exuberant; When Kelly gets a bit too rambunctious, her parents sit her down for a time-out. sardonic : (adjective) Scornfully or cynically mocking.; wry; He continued to grin with a sardonic humor, with a cynical mockery and defiance. Jerusalem syndrome : noun: A phenomenon in which a visitor to a holy place suffers from religious psychosis, such as believing him- or herself to be a messiah. ; "Catherine admits a patient with Jerusalem syndrome who believes he has been touched by the hand of God." Kathryn Shattuck; What's On Thursday; The New York Times; May 22, 2014. Idiom of the Day: do you the world of good : If something does you the world of good, it makes you feel a lot better.; Why don't you go for a walk in the forest. It'll do you the world of good to get away from everything for a while. Thought For The Day: No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 15, 2015***** unquiet : agitated; restless; disordered; turbulent: unquiet times; The Scotch became unquiet in the Red King's time, and were twice defeated—the second time, with the loss of their King, Malcolm, and his son. Charles Dickens, A Child's History of England, 1852 Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." Thesaurus : a treasury or a book of synonyms; Seeking a more appropriate word than "secretive" to describe the uncommunicative subject of her piece, Mabel turned to her thesaurus and found one: "reticent." destitute : (adjective) Lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished.; impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needy, poverty-stricken; Though they were poor and destitute, they refused to ask others for help or charity. Jerusalem syndrome : noun: A phenomenon in which a visitor to a holy place suffers from religious psychosis, such as believing him- or herself to be a messiah. ; "Catherine admits a patient with Jerusalem syndrome who believes he has been touched by the hand of God." Kathryn Shattuck; What's On Thursday; The New York Times; May 22, 2014. Idiom of the Day: a skeleton in the cupboard | closet : If you have a skeleton in the cupboard, or in the closet, you have a secret in your past which could damage you if it became known.; Politicians can't afford to have any skeletons in the closet these days. Their enemies are sure to find them. Thought For The Day: No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 16, 2015***** definiens : something that defines, especially the defining part of a dictionary entry; One of them requires that the definiens (that is, words or terms which are used to define a particular word or term) must be more clear than the definiendum (the word or term being defined). Mohd Zaidi bin Ismail, "Clarity in thought for understanding," The Star, June 7, 2011 Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." Gossamer : extremely light, delicate, or tenuous; Except for a few gossamer clouds, the sky was clear and blue. occult : (adjective) Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena.; supernatural; His superstitions led him to the study of occult subjects, much to the dismay of his highly rational parents. tenebrous : adjective: Dark, gloomy, or obscure. ; "By its very nature rather tenebrous, undercover intelligence gathering blurs the lines between procedure and actual process, making it a difficult area to monitor and regulate." Sarah Vine; Radio Choice; The Times (London, UK); Sep 29, 2012. See more usage examples of tenebrous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Idiom of the Day: a vicious circle : If you're in a vicious circle you're in a situation in which the solution to one problem becomes the cause of another one, and the solution to that one causes the first problem to occur again.; I'm in this vicious circle where the more I work, the more I spend on rewarding myself for all the hard work, so no matter how hard I work, I never save any money. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2015***** technophobia : abnormal fear of or anxiety about the effects of advanced technology; But technophobia isn’t exactly a new theme and, especially for Americans recently captivated by the excellent technophobic U.K. series Black Mirror, the dangers of virtual reality and artificial intelligence may seem old hat. Joanna Robnison, "Technophobia and Fear of Women Go Hand in Hand at SXSW," Vanity Fair, March 20, 2015 Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." Libertine : a person who leads an immoral life; Don Juan is known as a famous libertine who seduced countless women. sufferance : (noun) A disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations.; toleration, acceptance; Everyone admired her sufferance in the face of a number of unfortunate events. swidden : noun: An area of land cleared for farming by slashing and burning the vegetation. ; "Some headed out to the charred earth of their swidden gardens to tend crops of manioc, bananas, and sweet potatoes." Chip Brown; Kayapo Courage; National Geographic (Washington, DC); Jan 2014. Thought For The Day: The [Nobel] prize is such an extraordinary honor. It might seem unfair, however, to reward a person for having so much pleasure over the years, asking the maize plant to solve specific problems and then watching its responses. -Barbara McClintock, scientist, Nobel laureate (16 Jun 1902-1992) *****June 18, 2015***** lackadaisical : without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt; He had for a moment been very angry when his friend had told him that he could not sympathise with a lackadaisical lover. It was an ill-natured word. He felt it to be so when he heard it, and so he continued to think during the whole of the half-hour that he sat in that chair. Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington, 1864 Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Esoteric : understood by the specially initiated; Some of the terms used in the book were so esoteric that I had to look them up in a special glossary that really should have been appended to the book itself. abscission : (noun) The act of cutting off.; cutting off; He had surgery for the abscission of a malignancy. turbid : adjective: 1. Unclear; opaque. 2. Dark or dense, as smog or clouds. 3. Confused or muddled. ; "But by the turbid standards of corporate Africa, the company is clean." Africa Calling; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 5, 2008. See more usage examples of turbid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Silence will save me from being wrong (and foolish), but it will also deprive me of the possibility of being right. -Igor Stravinsky, composer (17 Jun 1882-1971) *****June 19, 2015***** unreality : something that is unreal, invalid, imaginary, or illusory: She appeared to be living in a world of unrealities; Nothing felt real. A deep sense of unreality came over me until, finally, a half realization came… Catherine Lacey, Nobody Is Ever Missing, 2014 Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Caparison : an ornamental covering for a horse; A group of horses outfitted in medieval caparison were standing near the area where the festival's jousting would begin. deleterious : (adjective) Having a harmful effect; injurious.; injurious, hurtful; A guest speaker came to the high school to warn the students about the deleterious effects of smoking. prolegomenon : noun: A critical, introductory discussion, especially an introduction to a text. ; "With a witty and intriguing prolegomenon by Ashis Nandy, the book includes 76 poems that are travelogues of exile, identity, and adolescent fantasy of belonging and abandonment, portraying everyday struggles of existence." A Lyrical Celebration; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); Dec 28, 2014. See more usage examples of prolegomenon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. -Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter, composer, poet, and activist (b. 18 Jun 1942) *****June 20, 2015***** inviolable : prohibiting violation; secure from destruction, violence, infringement, or desecration: an inviolable sanctuary; an inviolable promise; He was perfectly calm in death, and, now he was laid in line, inviolable, unapproachable. To Anna, he was the majesty of the inaccessible male, the majesty of death. It made her still and awe-stricken, almost glad. D. H. Lawrence, The Rainbow, 1915 Assiduous : adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." Parse : to examine or analyze critically; The lawyer meticulously parsed the wording of the final contract to be sure that her client would get all that he was asking for. procurator : (noun) One authorized to manage the affairs of another; an agent.; proxy, placeholder; The wealthy businessman's procurator arrived at the auction to bid on his behalf. fructuous : adjective: Productive; fruitful; fertile. ; "Earlier this month Yemen made international headlines, this time not for its fructuous progress toward building democratic state institutions but rather for a more somber reason, the scheduled execution of a man, who, at the time of his crime was a juvenile." Death Penalty; Yemen Post (Sana'a); Mar 16, 2013. Thought For The Day: Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 21, 2015***** cavil : to raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault with unnecessarily (usually followed by at or about ): He finds something to cavil at in everything I say; During the hectic middle decades of the 20th century, from the end of the Great Depression through the Second World War and into the 1950s, a small circle of intellectuals gathered weekly in and around the University of Oxford to drink, smoke, quip, cavil, read aloud their works in progress, and endure or enjoy with as much grace as they could muster the sometimes blistering critiques that followed. Philip Zaleski and Carol Zaleski, "Oxford's Influential Inklings," The Chronicle of Higher Education, May 8, 2015 Vexatious : adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation." Hobbit : a small humanlike fictitious creature; Anthony attended the science-fiction and fantasy convention dressed as a hobbit. chalkstone : (noun) A deposit of urates around a joint or in the external ear; diagnostic of advanced or chronic gout.; tophus; Once the doctor saw the chalkstone, he knew his patient was suffering from gout. fructuous : adjective: Productive; fruitful; fertile. ; "Earlier this month Yemen made international headlines, this time not for its fructuous progress toward building democratic state institutions but rather for a more somber reason, the scheduled execution of a man, who, at the time of his crime was a juvenile." Death Penalty; Yemen Post (Sana'a); Mar 16, 2013. Thought For The Day: Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 22, 2015***** swashbuckler : a swaggering swordsman, soldier, or adventurer; daredevil; I would not give much for that man's life. The hand of every swashbuckler in the empire would be against him. A.B. Mitford, “Kazuma's Revenge,†Tales of Old Japan, 1871 Pedantic : adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details." Ingenuous : innocent or lacking craft or subtlety; The salesman had perfected the art of winning over potential buyers by playing the part of a folksy, ingenuous bumpkin who is just looking out for his customers. satirist : (noun) A humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm.; ironist, ridiculer; The satirist got into trouble with the network after he ridiculed a number of prominent donors on his live television show. fructuous : adjective: Productive; fruitful; fertile. ; "Earlier this month Yemen made international headlines, this time not for its fructuous progress toward building democratic state institutions but rather for a more somber reason, the scheduled execution of a man, who, at the time of his crime was a juvenile." Death Penalty; Yemen Post (Sana'a); Mar 16, 2013. Thought For The Day: Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 23, 2015***** clepe : Archaic. to call; name (now chiefly in the past participle as ycleped or yclept); …That none of us not speak a single word, / Nor clepe nor cry, but be in his prayere, / For that is Godde's owen heste dear. Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, 1400 Deciduous : adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company." Roustabout : a laborer especially at a circus; Nathan worked for years as a roustabout in the oil fields of Alaska until he earned enough money to go to college and become a petroleum engineer. aguacate : (noun) A pear-shaped tropical fruit with green or blackish skin and rich yellowish pulp enclosing a single large seed.; alligator pear, avocado, avocado pear; Jim prepared his special aguacate dip and served it with tortilla chips. precipitous : adjective: 1. Resembling a precipice, a cliff with a nearly vertical overhanging face. 2. Extremely steep. 3. Abrupt, rapid, or hasty (applied to a worsening situation). ; "I've always had a weakness for lost causes and for writers who achieved some acclaim and then experienced a precipitous fall from grace." Guy Vanderhaeghe; I Wanted to Return to the Darting, Glimmering Light of Short Fiction; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 2, 2015. See more usage examples of precipitous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Him that I love, I wish to be free -- even from me. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, author and aviator (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 24, 2015***** otiose : being at leisure; idle; indolent; This is not an otiose question but rather a serious one that goes to the very root of the ethics of photojournalism, its training and practice. James Estrin, "Fact and Fiction in Modern Photography," New York Times, April 24, 2015 Paradigm : n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed." Belated : delayed beyond the usual time; Susan called Jim to let him know that a belated birthday gift from her was on its way. underlayment : (noun) A pad placed under a carpet.; carpet pad, rug pad; After they removed the underlayment, the young cousins were able to slide the rug across the hardwood floor as though it were a sled on ice. oppugn : verb tr.: To call in question; to contradict; to dispute. ; "President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono last week put the blame on the media, accusing media organizations of destroying the party's image. Furthermore, he oppugned press credibility." Donny Syofyan; Blame Game and Political Suicide of Indonesian Elites; The Jakarta Post (Indonesia); Jul 25, 2011. See more usage examples of oppugn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's like, at the end, there's this surprise quiz: Am I proud of me? I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth what I paid? -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 25, 2015***** ennui : a feeling of utter weariness and discontent resulting from satiety or lack of interest; boredom: The endless lecture produced an unbearable ennui; A life of constant inaction, bodily and mental,—the friction of ceaseless ennui and discontent, united to the ordinary weakness which attended the period of maternity,—in course of a few years changed the blooming young belle into a yellow, faded, sickly woman… Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom's Cabin, 1852 Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Anastrophe : inversion of the usual syntactical order; My father was fond of word play, especially anastrophe, when he talked to my sister and me about things we would rather not talk about; he would say things like "Tired you are not but to bed you must go." histrionics : (noun) Theatrical arts or performances.; theatrical performance, representation; They had lunch, then went to the theater to enjoy an hour of histrionics. enervate : verb tr.: To deprive of strength or vitality. adjective: Deprived of strength; Weakened. ; "Dan Perjovschi has seen how rule by fear can twist and enervate a society." R.C. Baker; Best in Show; The Village Voice (New York); Aug 8, 2007. See more usage examples of enervate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism, n. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit it is the first. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (24 Jun 1842-1914) *****June 26, 2015***** ubiety : the property of having a definite location at any given time; state..; Mr. Locke himself justly ridicules the distinction between locus or place, as applied to bodies, and ubiety, or whereness, which is ascribed to spirits, as it is explained by some philosophers. Isaac Watts, “Essay VI: Of the Power of Spirits to Move Bodies—of Their Being in a Place and Removing from It,†Philosophical Essays on Various Subjects, 1833 Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." Futile : completely ineffective or frivolous; Unfortunately, all efforts to repair the damage ultimately proved futile. face-off : (noun) A hostile disagreement face-to-face.; confrontation, encounter, showdown; The relationship between the two officers deteriorated until they had a noisy face-off at the chief's office. splenetic : adjective: Bad-tempered; spiteful. ; "Kasit Piromya, Thailand's splenetic foreign minister, has complained that other countries are not helping Thailand to catch a 'bloody terrorist'." Picking Up the Pieces; The Economist (London, UK); May 27, 2010. See more usage examples of splenetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. -George Orwell, writer (25 Jun 1903-1950) *****June 27, 2015***** tenderfoot : a raw, inexperienced person; novice; When I came to California in the early seventies I was, probably as unsophisticated a tenderfoot as ever invaded the "wild and woolly". I had never before been farther west than Chicago and never in the country except on one occasion when I spent a week on a dairy farm in New York state. Robert Speed, "The Tenderfoot and the Bear," Pacific Short Story Club Magazine, January, 1911 Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Waddy : a cowboy; "One of the waddies, a young, long-faced kid in an oversized black hat, held Renegade's reins up close to the bridle and was running a soothing hand down the skewbald's stout neck." - Peter Brandvold, .45 Caliber Firebrand, 2009 suitor : (noun) A man who is courting a woman.; suer, wooer; The princess had many suitors, but the only man she was interested in was a poor farmhand. eviscerate : verb intr.: 1. To remove the entrails; to disembowel. 2. To deprive of essential parts; to weaken or to destroy. ; "The middle classes had been eviscerated during the period of sanctions." Seth J. Frantzman; Descent into Chaos; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Oct 10, 2014. See more usage examples of eviscerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) *****June 28, 2015***** preprandial : before a meal, especially before dinner; anteprandial: a prepr..; I am now reaching the end of my usual preprandial walk. Vladimir Nabokov, Look at the Harlequins!, 1974 Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Mesmerize : to hypnotize or spellbind; Moviegoers will find themselves mesmerized by the visual intricacy and frenetic pacing of the animated sequence that opens the movie. seafarer : (noun) A sailor or mariner.; old salt, Jack-tar, mariner, sea dog, seaman, gob, Jack, tar; Then he arose quickly, like a seafarer who all at once seeth the land; and he shouted for joy: for he saw a new truth. eviscerate : verb tr.: 1. To remove the entrails; to disembowel. 2. To deprive of essential parts; to weaken or to destroy. ; "The middle classes had been eviscerated during the period of sanctions." Seth J. Frantzman; Descent into Chaos; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Oct 10, 2014. See more usage examples of eviscerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) *****June 29, 2015***** stinkaroo : Slang. something markedly inferior in quality: a stinkaroo of a ..; This was the stinkaroo deal that came to define the dot-com era. Chris O'Brien, "Where does WhatsApp acquisition rank in history of tech deals?" Los Angeles Times, February 20, 2014 Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Cybrarian : someone who finds facts on the Web; The university's cybrarians maintain libraries of Web sites pertaining to specific fields of study. ventail : (noun) A medieval hood of mail suspended from a basinet to protect the head and neck.; camail; The sword caught him just below the jaw, but the ventail protected his neck. eviscerate : verb tr.: 1. To remove the entrails; to disembowel. 2. To deprive of essential parts; to weaken or to destroy. ; "The middle classes had been eviscerated during the period of sanctions." Seth J. Frantzman; Descent into Chaos; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Oct 10, 2014. See more usage examples of eviscerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) *****June 30, 2015***** piebald : having patches of black and white or of other colors; parti-colore..; Arabella was furry and piebald and wagged her tail like a dog. She had tusks. Adrienne Miller, The Coast of Akron, 2005 Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." Expeditious : efficient or prompt; Geraldine was impressed by the company's expeditious response, which arrived in the mail only one week after she had submitted her query. harelip : (noun) A congenital cleft in the middle of the upper lip.; cheiloschisis, cleft lip; The insurance company argued that the surgery to correct her harelip was not medically necessary. connate : adjective: 1. Congenial. 2. Congenital. ; "In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets and villages." Ralph Waldo Emerson; Nature; 1836. "Zyuganov had a connate sense of how to convince subjects." Jason Matthews; Red Sparrow; Simon & Schuster; 2013. See more usage examples of connate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2015***** whodunit : Informal. a narrative dealing with a murder or a series of murder..; The rival investigative teams have helped turn the case into a whodunit that has gripped the nation. They have failed to agree even on such basic facts as the time of death. Taos Turner and Reed Johnson, "In Alberto Nisman Case, a Body, a Pistol and Few Answers in Argentina," Wall Street Journal, May 15, 2015 Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Disinformation : false information deliberately spread; The writer's latest book examines the effects of propaganda and disinformation during the Cold War. rancor : (noun) Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will.; bitterness, resentment, gall; After a year Edinburgh dropped him, thus supplying substantial fuel for his ingrained poor man's jealousy and rancor at the privileged classes. sorb : verb intr.: 1. To take up and hold by absorption. 2. To take up and hold by adsorption. ; "Nitrate is an anion and is not attracted to or sorbed by soil particles." Philippe Quevauviller, et al; Wastewater Quality Monitoring and Treatment; Wiley; 2006. See more usage examples of sorb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is a jest, and all things show it, / I thought so once, and now I know it. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 02, 2015***** contradistinction : distinction by opposition or contrast: plants and animal..; Later on, I spent almost ten years in various towns in the Federal Republic, which struck me as brighter and more spacious than my native country; and in Germany, in contradistinction to Austria, where, so it seemed to me, hardly anyone spoke my language, I was sometimes able to express an opinion with passion… Peter Handke, translated by Ralph Manheim, Slow Homecoming, 1985 Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise – especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Precarious : not certain, secure, or steady; The books were stacked high in a precarious tower that was liable to topple at any moment. cesspit : (noun) A pit for refuse or sewage.; sump, sink, cesspool; The cesspit smelled foul, but without it all the refuse would have been strewn around the town. ramble : verb intr.: 1. To talk in an aimless manner. verb intr.: 2. To walk in an aimless manner. noun: A leisurely, sometimes lengthy walk. ; "Are you under the impression that I have time to listen to you ramble?" Rajnar Vajra; The Triple Sun: A Golden Age Tale; Analog Science Fiction & Fact (New York); Jul/Aug 2014. "Amateur landlords often ramble up to fix the heating days after a fault is reported." Housing the "Rentysomethings"; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 22, 2012. See more usage examples of ramble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 03, 2015***** dragoman : (in the Near East) a professional interpreter; She had brought with her three maids and a lady interpreter, Madame Pisani, a very pleasant woman about forty years of age, the wife of the court dragoman, who, with her husband, was from an ancient Venetian family. Karen Essex, Stealing Athena, 2008 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Apprehension : comprehension or the fear of future evil; "Oddly combined with her sharp apprehension … was the primitive simplicity of her attitude…." - Edith Wharton, The Reef, 1912 turncoat : (noun) One who traitorously switches allegiance.; apostate, deserter, ratter, recreant, renegade; He was a turncoat who betrayed his friends to curry favor with the King. fardel : noun: 1. A bundle. 2. A burden. ; "He could be seen on the first night of every full moon, looking down with a fardel of twigs strapped with vines to his back." McDonald Dixon; Saints of Little Paradise; Xlibris; 2012. "It was selfish of me to link you with so much wretchedness, and join you with me in bearing the fardel of neverending anxiety and suspense." Frederick Marryat; The Phantom Ship; E.L. Carey & A. Hart; 1839. See more usage examples of fardel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. I knew that age well; I belonged to it, and labored with it. It deserved well of its country. It was very like the present, but without the experience of the present; and forty years of experience in government is worth a century of book-reading; and this they would say themselves, were they to rise from the dead. I am certainly not an advocate for frequent and untried changes in laws and constitutions. I think moderate imperfections had better be borne with; because, when once known, we accommodate ourselves to them, and find practical means of correcting their ill effects. But I know also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors. -Thomas Jefferson, 3rd US President (1743-1826) *****July 04, 2015***** quixotic : extravagantly chivalrous or romantic; visionary, impractical, or ..; In the next two days, Pitt and Giordino were hard-pressed to keep up their quixotic manner. Clive Cussler, Valhalla Rising, 2001 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Interpellate : to formally question a public official; At the international tribunal, U.N. officials interpellated the premier about his country's acquisition of illegal weapons. "The group noted that Mr. Lotilla was being interpellated at the time by Rep. Elpidio F. Barzaga, Jr., a member of the majority bloc who supported the fare hike." - Melissa Luz T. Lopez and Vince Alvic Alexis F. Nonato, Business World, January 23, 2015SubscribeGet the Word of the Day direct to your inbox - subscribe today!Did You Know?Interpellate is a word you might encounter in the international news section of a newspaper or magazine. It refers to a form of political challenging used in the congress or parliament of many nations throughout the world, in some cases provided for in the country's constitution. Formal interpellation isn't practiced in the U.S. Congress, but in places where it is practiced, it can be the first step in ousting an appointed official or bringing to task an elected one. The word was borrowed from the Latin term interpellatus, past participle of interpellare, which means "to interrupt or disturb a person speaking." The "interrupt" sense, once used in English, is now obsolete, and interpellate should not be confused with interpolate, which means "to insert words into a text or conversation." liegeman : (noun) A feudal vassal or subject.; feudatory, liege, vassal; The liegeman was expected to provide military support if his lord went to battle. maunder : verb intr.: 1. To talk aimlessly. 2. To walk aimlessly. ; "Literary prizes in recent generations seem to go to maundering monuments to intentional obscurity, such as James Joyce's Ulysses or Lawrence Durrell's tour de force of labyrinthine inscrutability, the seemingly endless Alexandrine Quartets." Thomas P. Lowry; Owen Parry is Master of the Short Story; The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia); Nov 27, 2004. "Last year Goran Ivanisevic maundered around the world, winning only 14 matches." Stephen Bierley; Genial Ivanisevic Takes a Walk on the Wild Side; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 9, 2001. See more usage examples of maunder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 05, 2015***** e pluribus unum : Latin. out of many, one (motto of the U.S.); The iron bedstead with the four copper-ball finials; the plain wardrobe with the sagging door; the mottoes on the walls, E PLURIBUS UNUM worked in beads and HOME SWEET HOME embroidered in wool and trimmed with flowers made of human hair… Susan Sontag, In America, 2000 Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Stringent : rigorous, strict, or severe; Brandon and Sarah had to adjust to living on a stringent budget during the four months when Brandon was looking for a job. legate : (noun) An official emissary, especially an official representative of the pope.; official emissary; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara was the legate of Pope Pius VII in France. maunder : verb intr.: 1. To talk aimlessly. 2. To walk aimlessly. ; "Literary prizes in recent generations seem to go to maundering monuments to intentional obscurity, such as James Joyce's Ulysses or Lawrence Durrell's tour de force of labyrinthine inscrutability, the seemingly endless Alexandrine Quartets." Thomas P. Lowry; Owen Parry is Master of the Short Story; The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia); Nov 27, 2004. "Last year Goran Ivanisevic maundered around the world, winning only 14 matches." Stephen Bierley; Genial Ivanisevic Takes a Walk on the Wild Side; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 9, 2001. See more usage examples of maunder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 06, 2015***** mien : air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc.: a man..; She is lovely, the hair, makeup and costumes are excellent, but the actress works so hard to recreate the movie star’s voice, mien and magic that the distance is only magnified. Alessandra Stanley, "Review: ‘Grace of Monaco,’ a Fractured Fairy Tale on Lifetime," New York Times, May 24, 2015 Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." Bunkum : insincere or foolish talk; I hesitated to voice my opinions, fearful that my companions would deride my views as bunkum. paronomasia : (noun) A humorous play on words.; pun, punning, wordplay; His attempts at comedy usually flopped, especially when he recited his favorite paronomasia, "I do it for the pun of it." maunder : verb intr.: 1. To talk aimlessly. 2. To walk aimlessly. ; "Literary prizes in recent generations seem to go to maundering monuments to intentional obscurity, such as James Joyce's Ulysses or Lawrence Durrell's tour de force of labyrinthine inscrutability, the seemingly endless Alexandrine Quartets." Thomas P. Lowry; Owen Parry is Master of the Short Story; The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Virginia); Nov 27, 2004. "Last year Goran Ivanisevic maundered around the world, winning only 14 matches." Stephen Bierley; Genial Ivanisevic Takes a Walk on the Wild Side; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 9, 2001. See more usage examples of maunder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 07, 2015***** telegnosis : supernatural or occult knowledge; clairvoyance; The most common is the so-called sixth sense: telepathy, precognition, telegnosis—"the ability to know that which cannot be ascertained by normal means." Jan Siegel, The Dragon Charmer, 2002 Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Categorical : absolute or relating to a category; "For his part, Morell, who became deputy CIA director in 2010 and twice served as acting director before retiring in 2013, was categorical in his denial." - Jonathan S. Landay, McClatchy DC, May 13, 2015 vibrissa : (noun) Any of the long stiff hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat.; whisker, sensory hair; The mouse's vibrissae alerted it to the presence of a predator. accidence : noun: 1. The fundamentals of any subject. 2. The branch of grammar dealing with inflections of words. 3. A book of fundamentals of a subject. ; "He flicked through the accidence, and closed it with a smile of accomplishment." Geraldine Brooks; Caleb's Crossing; Viking; 2011. See more usage examples of accidence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In an earlier stage of our development most human groups held to a tribal ethic. Members of the tribe were protected, but people of other tribes could be robbed or killed as one pleased. Gradually the circle of protection expanded, but as recently as 150 years ago we did not include blacks. So African human beings could be captured, shipped to America, and sold. In Australia white settlers regarded Aborigines as a pest and hunted them down, much as kangaroos are hunted down today. Just as we have progressed beyond the blatantly racist ethic of the era of slavery and colonialism, so we must now progress beyond the speciesist ethic of the era of factory farming, of the use of animals as mere research tools, of whaling, seal hunting, kangaroo slaughter, and the destruction of wilderness. We must take the final step in expanding the circle of ethics. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor of bioethics (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2015***** fisc : a royal or state treasury; exchequer; And I'll bet he fiddles on the share the fisc is supposed to get. S. M. Stirling and David Drake, Conqueror, 2003 Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. Hoosegow : jail; The perpetrator was sentenced to three months in the hoosegow. rhizome : (noun) A horizontal, usually underground stem that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes.; rootstalk; It was not apparent that the neighboring stalk belonged to the original plant because the rhizome connecting the two was underground. livelong : adjective: Whole or entire (referring to time). ; "Life goes on in their little yellow bubble, where everyone merrily agrees with each other, all the livelong day." Emma Cowing; Nicola in a Spin That is Turning Her Head; Daily Mail (London, UK); May 2, 2015. See more usage examples of livelong in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sin lies only in hurting others unnecessarily. All other "sins" are invented nonsense. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 09, 2015***** proprioception : Physiology. perception governed by physiological receptors,..; I was talking of proprioception—your awareness of where you are in relation to everything else around you. Jennifer Fallon, The Palace of Impossible Dreams, 2008 Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Temerity : contempt of danger or opposition; The line between boldness and temerity is sometimes only evident after the consequences have become clear. orthography : (noun) A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling.; writing system; She was familiar with many of the regional dialects, but she did not recognize this orthography. bespoke : adjective: 1. Custom-made. 2. Relating to custom-made products. ; "Book in for an eye test, as it's much better for your eyes to get a pair that are bespoke to your needs, rather than just picking up a pair in the supermarket." Keep Eye Health in Your Sights; Sunday Mail (Glasgow, Scotland); Jun 28, 2015. See more usage examples of bespoke in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Should you shield the canyons from the windstorms you would never see the true beauty of their carvings. -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004) *****July 10, 2015***** sobriquet : a nickname; As for the sobriquet, she was no ice queen, but in the macho world of law enforcement, playing that role was the only thing that kept her safe — from men and from her own rogue impulses. Greg Iles, The Footprints of God, 2003 Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Garderobe : a wardrobe, bedroom, or toilet; On our tour of the castle, the guide made sure to point out the garderobe. farrago : (noun) An assortment or a medley; a conglomeration.; hodgepodge, omnium-gatherum, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, ragbag; If the farrago of newspaper clippings, stale coffee mugs, and chewed-on pencils strewn around the office was any indication, her boss had been at the office all night. limpid : adjective: 1. Clear; transparent. 2. Easily comprehensible; clear. 3. Calm; serene. ; "Simon Thacker could build sounds into dense textures that were at once complex and yet limpid." World Famous Guitarist opens Music in Quiet Places Concert Series; Stamford Mercury (UK); Jun 17, 2015. See more usage examples of limpid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We now know that memories are not fixed or frozen, like Proust's jars of preserves in a larder, but are transformed, disassembled, reassembled, and recategorized with every act of recollection. -Oliver Sacks, neurologist and writer (b. 9 Jul 1933) *****July 11, 2015***** capriole : a caper or leap; 'The thought has occurred to me,' Mia giggled, sounding more her old self, 'although I was thinking more along the lines of Scully performing a capriole to send the bridegroom into orbit.' Fiona Walker, The Summer Wedding, 2013 Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Jaundiced : exhibiting envy, distaste, or hostility; "Since I tend to have a jaundiced view toward marriage in general," said George, "I'm not the guy you should be asking for wedding tips." cloudburst : (noun) A heavy rain.; pelter, soaker, torrent, waterspout, deluge, downpour; We enjoyed the lovely recliners on the ship's deck until a sudden cloudburst sent us running for our cabins. tribology : noun: The study of interacting surfaces in relative motion and associated issues, such as friction, lubrication, and wear. ; "As in the later case of the frayed shoelace, what I wanted here was tribology: detailed knowledge of the interaction between the surfaces inflicting the wear and the surfaces receiving it." Nicholson Baker; Mezzanine; Weidenfeld and Nicholson; 1988. See more usage examples of tribology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. -Arthur Helps, writer (10 Jul 1813-1875) *****July 12, 2015***** flumadiddle : utter nonsense; 'This flumadiddle's got'a stop: ain havin it no more.' Throwing himself on his bunk, Zachary closed his eyes, and for the first time in many months, his vision turned inwards, travelling back across the oceans to his last day at Gardiner's shipyard in Baltimore. Amitav Ghosh, Sea of Poppies, 2008 Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Foist : to force another to accept by deceit; It is possible to talk about politics without trying to foist your beliefs upon others. capote : (noun) A long, usually hooded cloak or coat.; hooded coat; The men wore matching black capotes with hoods that obscured their features, and we watched in terror as they advanced in the dim light. tribology : noun: The study of interacting surfaces in relative motion and associated issues, such as friction, lubrication, and wear. ; "As in the later case of the frayed shoelace, what I wanted here was tribology: detailed knowledge of the interaction between the surfaces inflicting the wear and the surfaces receiving it." Nicholson Baker; Mezzanine; Weidenfeld and Nicholson; 1988. See more usage examples of tribology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. -Arthur Helps, writer (10 Jul 1813-1875) *****July 13, 2015***** cachinnate : to laugh loudly or immoderately; I observe my fellow baskers complain, snap, cachinnate, straighten out government policy. Tibor Fischer, The Thought Gang, 1994 Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Majuscule : a large letter (such as a capital); I can always recognize my brother's handwriting at a quick glance based on how elaborately the majuscules are formed and how they dwarf the other letters. hypocorism : (noun) A name of endearment; a pet name.; pet name; "Billy" is a hypocorism for "William." tribology : noun: The study of interacting surfaces in relative motion and associated issues, such as friction, lubrication, and wear. ; "As in the later case of the frayed shoelace, what I wanted here was tribology: detailed knowledge of the interaction between the surfaces inflicting the wear and the surfaces receiving it." Nicholson Baker; Mezzanine; Weidenfeld and Nicholson; 1988. See more usage examples of tribology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wise sayings often fall on barren ground; but a kind word is never thrown away. -Arthur Helps, writer (10 Jul 1813-1875) *****July 14, 2015***** mimesis : Rhetoric. imitation or reproduction of the supposed words of anoth..; From Aristotle to Auerbach, it has been recognised that this involves far more than a mere mirroring of reality. When Aristotle defines mimesis in his Poetics as the 'imitation of an action', he means a creative redescription of the world such that hidden patterns and hitherto unexplored meanings can unfold. Richard Kearney, On Stories, 2002 Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Estival : of or relating to the summer; The children were reveling in their weeks of summer vacation, filling their school-free estival afternoons with swimming and playing. singlet : (noun) A collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body.; undershirt, vest; Its owner had taken off his tunic, and in white trousers and a thin, short-sleeved singlet prowled behind the chair-backs nursing his meager elbows. longhair : noun: 1. An intellectual. 2. One having a deep interest in the arts, especially in classical music. 3. A male with long hair, especially a hippie. 4. A cat having long hair. ; "With the largest cast in LA Opera history (41 soloists), it delivers pure kitsch, complete with pratfalls, pie-in-the-face ... It is shamelessly slapstick, but the diehard longhairs loved it anyway." Patt Diroll; Party Circuit Heats Up; Pasadena Star-News (California); Feb 15, 2015. "Ever wonder what longhairs listen to when they let their hair down? Once upon a time, when conductors were regarded as remote intellectual titans, no one would have thought to ask." Rick Schultz; Roll over, Beethoven; Los Angeles Times (California); Jan 6, 2013. "Edinburgh's student longhairs had managed to rouse themselves for an anti-apartheid protest." Aidan Smith; My Murrayfield of Dreams; Scotland on Sunday (Edinburgh); Jan 29, 2012. Thought For The Day: If life had a second edition, how I would correct the proofs. -John Clare, poet (13 Jul 1793-1864) *****July 15, 2015***** foison : Archaic. abundance; plenty; Thither the extremely large wains bring foison of the fields, flaskets of cauliflowers, floats of spinach, pineapple chunks, Rangoon beans, strikes of tomatoes, drums of figs, drills of Swedes, spherical potatoes and tallies of iridescent kale… James Joyce, Ulysses, 1922 Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." Duffer : a clumsy person or a mediocre golfer; Most of the people playing in the charity tournament were duffers, but it was all for a good cause. outlander : (noun) A person from a foreign country; a foreigner.; alien, foreigner, noncitizen; As long as the number of outlanders remained small, the natives were friendly toward them. blackleg : noun: 1. One who works while other workers are on strike. 2. A swindler, especially in games such as gambling. 3. One of various diseases of plants or cattle. ; "Derek McGrath never crossed any picket line but he was regarded as a blackleg nonetheless." Two Guilty Parties as U-21 Final Row Rages; Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); May 5, 2015. See more usage examples of blackleg in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Literature encourages tolerance -- bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991) *****July 16, 2015***** allegiant : loyal; faithful; As they work hard at defining themselves as different from their parents and most other over-thirties, as they become increasingly allegiant to their peer group and push for greater autonomy, young adolescents almost inevitably get into conflict with their moms and dads over much of the business of daily life. Kenneth Rubin with Andrea Thompson, The Friendship Factor, 2002 Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Innocuous : harmless or inoffensive; Laura was relieved to discover that the wild plants her dog had eaten were innocuous. gegenschein : (noun) A faint glowing spot in the sky, exactly opposite the position of the sun.; counterglow; The gegenschein is so faint that it cannot be seen if there is any moonlight or if it falls in the vicinity of the Milky Way. double-dome : noun: An intellectual. ; "George has the double-dome's knack for using twice as many words as necessary to express simple concepts." Nick Pinkerton; Most Important Election of Their Lifetime; Village Voice (New York); Oct 15, 2008. Thought For The Day: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669) *****July 17, 2015***** sumptuous : entailing great expense, as from choice materials, fine work, et..; In the sumptuous and enormous hotel room Rick Deckard sat reading the typed carbon sheets on the two androids Roy and Irmgard Baty. Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, 1968 Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Weasel Word : a word that avoids being clear or direct; Many people suspected that the politician's weasel words concealed a deeper agenda. flapjack : (noun) A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle.; flannel-cake, battercake, flapcake, hotcake, pancake, griddlecake; His flapjacks were so thin and light that they could have passed for crêpes. white-livered : adjective: Cowardly. ; "Fillmore jumped on a fence post, straddled a rail, and shouted at the Confederates, 'Surrender, you white-livered sons of guns!'" Eric Wittenberg, et al; One Continuous Fight; Savas Beatie; 2008. See more usage examples of white-livered in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every student needs someone who says, simply, "You mean something. You count." -Tony Kushner, playwright (b. 16 Jul 1956) *****July 18, 2015***** fogdog : a bright spot sometimes seen in a fog bank; She listened for the flute again, thought to pull toward it, toward the big fogdog near the south cove, then work her way along the shore to the Hammond dock; go home, take a shower, maybe hunt for raspberries with Ian, make a pie. Lynn Stegner, Pipers at the Gates of Dawn, 2000 Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Superannuated : outmoded or older than a typical member; The article focused on senior citizens who retire from the workplace and return to school to become superannuated graduate students. clavus : (noun) A hard thickening of the skin (especially on the top or sides of the toes) caused by the pressure of ill-fitting shoes.; corn; Years of wearing uncomfortable stilettos had left a large clavus on her foot. dittohead : noun: One who mindlessly agrees with an idea or opinion. ; "Wade Lawlor and all his dittoheads are implicating her in the murder of the colleague she never met." Breakdown; Kirkus Reviews (New York); Dec 1, 2011. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 19, 2015***** putsch : a plotted revolt or attempt to overthrow a government, especially o..; Pavel Uritzky had been one of the ring-leaders of the putsch and deeply depressed at its failure. Robert Littell, The Company, 2002 Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Neophyte : a novice or beginner; As a neophyte to chess, Brock was still learning the rules and basic strategies of the game. rubella : (noun) A mild contagious eruptive disease caused by a virus and capable of producing congenital defects in infants born to mothers infected during the first three months of pregnancy.; German measles, epidemic roseola, three-day measles; The parents were relieved when the doctor said that their son's rubella would improve in a matter of days. dittohead : noun: One who mindlessly agrees with an idea or opinion. ; "Wade Lawlor and all his dittoheads are implicating her in the murder of the colleague she never met." Breakdown; Kirkus Reviews (New York); Dec 1, 2011. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 20, 2015***** petrous : like stone, especially in hardness; stony; rocky; There was something good and soothing about standing here and feeling one with the specter of things, something wholesome in watching life from the bank of the dead, siding with the dead against the living, like standing by the river and hearing, not the Bach, but the hard, glacial, petrous cracking underneath the prelude—hard, glacial, petrous, like her, like me. André Aciman, Eight White Nights, 2010 Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Rue : to feel regret, remorse, or penitence; I rue the day I agreed to serve on this committee. hothouse : (noun) A heated greenhouse for plants that require an even, relatively warm temperature.; conservatory, indoor garden; When those young ladies left your hothouse door open, with a frosty east wind blowing right in … it killed a good many of your plants. dittohead : noun: One who mindlessly agrees with an idea or opinion. ; "Wade Lawlor and all his dittoheads are implicating her in the murder of the colleague she never met." Breakdown; Kirkus Reviews (New York); Dec 1, 2011. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 21, 2015***** sidereal : Astronomy. determined by or from the stars: sidereal time; The sparkling points of light flashed past me in an interminable stream, as though the whole sidereal system were dropping into the void. Jack London, The Sea Wolf, 1904 Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari – to have an opinion. Longanimity : a disposition to bear injuries; The fans showed longanimity by coming back year after year to cheer on the perpetually losing team. cinder : (noun) A fragment of incombustible matter left after a wood or coal or charcoal fire.; clinker; Ella loved to read by the fire; her cruel stepsisters dubbed her "Cinderella," since her face was often blackened with cinder dust. plutonian : adjective: 1. Relating to the dwarf planet Pluto. 2. Relating to Pluto, the god of the underworld in the Roman mythology. 3. Relating to the underworld. ; "The turbines are ready to be put in place and a large crew is busy in the Plutonian regions way down below." Looking Back on October 4; Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine); Oct 4, 2013. "'Be that word our sign of parting, bird, or fiend!' I shrieked, upstarting 'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!'" Edgar Allan Poe; The Raven; 1845. "No one wants to hear you reallocating your 401(k) distribution with some drone on the phone. But if you are switching funds around, go for the gusto -- plutonian junk bonds!" Kevin Amorim and Nedra Rhone; Cool 2 Know; Newsday (New York); Sep 20, 2006. See more usage examples of plutonian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. -Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and explorer (20 Jul 1919-2008) *****July 22, 2015***** criticaster : an incompetent critic; He could clearly remember the observations of one Viennese criticaster, as he put it, which were published in the Presse, to the effect that the actors at the Burgtheater could neither walk nor speak, or at least that they could not do both at once. Thomas Bernhard, Woodcutters, translated by Suhrkamp Verlag, 1987 Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Truculent : cruel, deadly, harsh, or belligerent; Warren's truculent demeanor made him unpleasant to work with, particularly as deadlines approached. gaberdine : (noun) A loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles.; dust coat, smock, duster; He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool. hydra : noun: A persistent or multifaceted problem that presents a new obstacle when a part of it is solved. ; "Roosevelt's ships and men were drowning in the Pacific, fighting a hydra that formed and reformed in successive island jungles." Francine Mathews; Too Bad to Die; Riverhead Books; 2015. "The FSA ceases to exist today. It is a hydra, however. Two will spring up in its place." Dominic O'Connell; Perverse Pru Fine Sends FSA Out on Low Note; Sunday Times (London, UK); Mar 31, 2013. See more usage examples of hydra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2015***** risibility : Often, risibilities. the ability or disposition to laugh; humor..; But the little hard bright eyes were invisible now; it was only the bushy overhang of the brows which seemed to concentrate downward toward him in writhen immobility, not frowning but with a sort of fierce risibility. William Faulkner, The Hamlet, 1940 Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Octothorpe : the symbol #; "To demonstrate and test the varying thicknesses that a pen is capable of imparting, Ivy League students often begin by writing an octothorpe-known to some plebians as a 'hashtag.'" - Evan Siegel, Columbia Spectator (Columbia University), December 6, 2014 amylum : (noun) A complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice.; starch; She was on a strict diet and avoided foods with high levels of amylum, sugar, and saturated fat. Cerberus : noun: A powerful, hostile guard. ; "Some of the composer's oldest friends grumbled among themselves that they no longer had direct access to him but were constantly running up against this young Cerberus, who answered the phone, read all Stravinsky's letters, and organized his diary." Stephen Walsh; Stravinsky: The Second Exile; Knopf; 2010. See more usage examples of cerberus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What's done to children, they will do to society. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (22 Jul 1893-1990) *****July 24, 2015***** hierogram : a sacred symbol, as an emblem, pictograph, or the like; There was nothing more to be said on the subject of the future and their different destinies, for those words, uttered with complete calm and conviction, had done what every inspired melody does: condense a welter of emotions into an unconflicted clarity that one can instantly recall and call upon. Like a hierogram. Kris Saknussemm, Enigmatic Pilot, 2011 Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." Meticulous : very careful in attending to details; The composer's meticulous, almost obsessive, attention to detail is evident in even the smallest musical flourishes that the average listener will likely never notice. coppice : (noun) A thicket or grove of small trees or shrubs, especially one maintained by periodic cutting or pruning to encourage suckering, as in the cultivation of cinnamon trees for their bark.; thicket, brush, copse, brushwood; They determined on walking round Beechen Cliff, that noble hill whose beautiful verdure and hanging coppice render it so striking an object from almost every opening in Bath. nocturnal : adjective: Relating to, happening, or active at night. ; "Getting around London late at night used to be expensive or time-consuming. Nocturnal groundlings can now get home more cheaply and reliably." After Dark; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 4, 2014. See more usage examples of nocturnal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two kinds of truth: the truth that lights the way and the truth that warms the heart. The first of these is science, and the second is art. Neither is independent of the other or more important than the other. Without art, science would be as useless as a pair of high forceps in the hands of a plumber. Without science, art would become a crude mess of folklore and emotional quackery. The truth of art keeps science from becoming inhuman, and the truth of science keeps art from becoming ridiculous. -Raymond Thornton Chandler, writer (23 Jul 1888-1959) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****July 25, 2015***** persiflage : light, bantering talk or writing; Now go away then, and leave me alone. I don't want any more of your meretricious persiflage. D.H. Lawrence, Women in Love, 1920 Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Umbra : a shaded area; During the eclipse, the moon was in the umbra of the earth's shadow for about 90 minutes. planchet : (noun) A flat disk of metal ready for stamping as a coin; a coin blank.; coin blank; Occasionally, a planchet will escape the mint without having been stamped into a coin. stygian : adjective: 1. Dark or gloomy. 2. Hellish. 3. Unbreakable or completely binding (said of an oath). 4. Relating to the river Styx. ; "And forget about walking into the stygian darkness of the basement." Joseph Xavier Martin; Dad's Spooky Stories Brought Chills, Thrills; Buffalo News (New York); Jul 1, 2015. "They laboured in Stygian conditions, which would not be tolerated now." Gay Byrne; Voices from the Old Schoolyard; Sunday Business Post (Cork, Ireland); Apr 5, 2015. See more usage examples of stygian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. -Amelia Earhart, aviator (24 Jul 1897-1937) *****July 26, 2015***** scop : an Old English bard or poet; As a child, he'd sought out the tales told in the marketplace or in the ancient songs, passed down from one scop to another, that told of sorcery and the strange powers of the witchroad. Katharine Kerr, The Black Raven, 1999 Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." Dubious : doubtful or suspect; Jesse made the dubious claim that he could eat a whole watermelon in one sitting; then we sat in awe and watched him do it. embrocation : (noun) A medicinal liquid that is rubbed into the skin to relieve muscular stiffness and pain.; liniment; The dressings on my wound and the embrocation on my sprained wrist steadily subdue the pains which I have felt so far. stygian : adjective: 1. Dark or gloomy. 2. Hellish. 3. Unbreakable or completely binding (said of an oath). 4. Relating to the river Styx. ; "And forget about walking into the stygian darkness of the basement." Joseph Xavier Martin; Dad's Spooky Stories Brought Chills, Thrills; Buffalo News (New York); Jul 1, 2015. "They laboured in Stygian conditions, which would not be tolerated now." Gay Byrne; Voices from the Old Schoolyard; Sunday Business Post (Cork, Ireland); Apr 5, 2015. See more usage examples of stygian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. -Amelia Earhart, aviator (24 Jul 1897-1937) *****July 27, 2015***** fumarole : a hole in or near a volcano, from which vapor rises; The steam that billowed from its invisible depths form ragged curtains as it emerged into the light. Festooned around this giant fumarole were dozens of the giant convolvulus flowers. Nicholas Drayson, Confessing a Murder, 2002 Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Abulia : lack of ability to act or make decisions; "Abulia is a motivational deficit that is associated with apathy, loss of will, and lack of initiating behaviors." - Handbook of the Neuroscience of Language, 2008 footpad : (noun) A thief who preys on pedestrians.; padder; The footpad was known to local police, as he had a habit of preying on tourists in the center of town. stygian : adjective: 1. Dark or gloomy. 2. Hellish. 3. Unbreakable or completely binding (said of an oath). 4. Relating to the river Styx. ; "And forget about walking into the stygian darkness of the basement." Joseph Xavier Martin; Dad's Spooky Stories Brought Chills, Thrills; Buffalo News (New York); Jul 1, 2015. "They laboured in Stygian conditions, which would not be tolerated now." Gay Byrne; Voices from the Old Schoolyard; Sunday Business Post (Cork, Ireland); Apr 5, 2015. See more usage examples of stygian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. -Amelia Earhart, aviator (24 Jul 1897-1937) *****July 28, 2015***** nabob : any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person; Working out of uniform, in the British society of the Indian city, the boy from Georgetown had managed to embroil himself in a contretemps with a young woman, the headstrong second daughter of a prominent nabob. William L. Gibson, Singapore Black, 2013 Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Yaw : to move off course or to alternate; The ship yawed hard to starboard when the rogue wave hit it broadside. stripling : (noun) A juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity.; adolescent, teenager; He appeared on a jutting headland by the shore of the fruitless sea, seeming like a stripling in the first flush of manhood. tohubohu : noun: Chaos; confusion. ; "Our problem is tohubohu. Our industry is drowning in it. But somehow, even with all the confusion and disorder, we manage to develop systems." Jerrold Grochow; Take a Little Tohubohu Off the Top; Software Magazine (Englewood, Colorado); Nov 1995. See more usage examples of tohubohu in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 29, 2015***** accouterment : personal clothing, accessories, etc; They harbored aged feather boas, shoes of all sizes and styles, all the accouterment of great high school drama. Traci DePree, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar, 2004 Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Pachyderm : an elephant; "The archetypal Seuss hero … was Horton, a conscientious pachyderm who was duped by a lazy bird into sitting on her egg." - Eric Pace, New York Times, September 26, 1991 flunky : (noun) A person of unquestioning obedience.; stooge, yes-man; I liked the play, but I felt that the character of Joe was too much of a flunky, always trying to please Roger and never standing up for himself. behemoth : noun: 1. A huge or monstrous creature. 2. Something large and powerful, as an organization. ; "The fears were plenty: that customers would end up paying more for declining service; that the industry behemoth would use its heft to stifle competition." Emily Steel, et al; Comcast Is Said to Abandon Bid for Major Rival; The New York Times; Apr 24, 2015. See more usage examples of behemoth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste. -Marcel Duchamp, artist (28 Jul 1887-1968) *****July 30, 2015***** saxicoline : living or growing among rocks; Although possibly in error about the pervasiveness of its habits, Ridgway did make some sound ecological generalizations about the composition of the saxicoline nesting community in which the Violet-green can be found. Fred A. Ryser, Birds of the Great Basin, 1985 Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Indomitable : incapable of being subdued or conquered; The memorial celebrates the indomitable spirit of the pioneers who ventured forth in search of a new life. gastropod : (noun) Any of various mollusks of the class Gastropoda, such as the snail, slug, cowrie, or limpet, characteristically having a single, usually coiled shell or no shell at all, a ventral muscular foot for locomotion, and eyes and feelers located on a distinct head.; univalve; The sound of a shell crushing beneath his foot told him that he had just caused a gastropod's demise. leviathan : noun: Something large and powerful. ; "A merger between the two firms, which both belong to London's Magic Circle of top five law firms, would have created a legal leviathan with 950 partners and more than 10,000 staff." Liz Chong; Partners Quit; The Times (London, UK); Aug 1, 2006. See more usage examples of leviathan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. -Robert Quillen, journalist and cartoonist (1887-1948) *****July 31, 2015***** olio : a mixture of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge; I say an olio, my Lords, such an olio as never appeared before upon a table in Japan — by the Lord, it cost me fifty obans; and I had not time to taste a morsel. Tobias Smollett, The History and Adventures of an Atom, 1749 Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." Grandiloquence : the use of lofty words or phrases; The grandiloquence of the columnist's writing gave him a reputation as a blowhard, but his opinions were deep and carefully considered. tegument : (noun) A natural outer covering; an integument.; skin, cutis; When it became apparent that the burn victim would need a skin graft, the doctors decided to use tegument from his thigh. manna : noun: An unexpected help, benefit, or advantage. ; "The people, also, must accept this new mantra and not expect manna to fall from the tables of their representatives in the government." Are Nigerians Ready for the Real 'Change'?; The Sun (Lagos, Nigeria); Apr 22, 2015. See more usage examples of manna in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business. -Henry Ford, industrialist (30 Jul 1863-1947) *****August 01, 2015***** saurian : resembling a lizard; The one trait linking him with the actual was the fixity with which his small saurian eye held the pocket that, as I entered, had yielded a lira to the gatekeeper's child. Edith Wharton, Crucial Instances, 1901 Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Vilify : to utter harsh and critical things about; Janet's angry letter chastised members of the media for vilifying her brother, the disgraced ex-councilman. ophthalmologist : (noun) A medical doctor specializing in the treatment of diseases of the eye.; oculist, eye doctor; The ophthalmologist asked the patient to read letters off of a chart posted across the room. gehenna : noun: 1. Hell. 2. Any place of extreme torture or suffering. ; "We lived peacefully and happily, but now our house has turned into a Gehenna." Isaac Metzker; A Bintel Brief; Doubleday; 1971. "Just as I was preparing to set the back deck on fire to get some warmth in the house, all Gehenna broke loose on the news." Today's Advice; Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine); Feb 9, 2013. See more usage examples of gehenna in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Munshi Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 02, 2015***** noctambulous : of, relating to, or given to sleepwalking; Her noctabulous habits often brought her into contact with the local police and sometimes with His Worship Signor Malipizzo. Norman Douglas, South Wind, 1917 Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Skulduggery : secret or dishonest behavior or activity; There was a whiff of skulduggery surrounding the real-estate deal, since the building managed to pass inspection even though everyone knew it wasn't up to code. excursus : (noun) A message that departs from the main subject.; digression, divagation, parenthesis, aside; After yet another long excursus on the subject of housecats, the absent-minded professor finally returned to his main point. gehenna : noun: 1. Hell. 2. Any place of extreme torture or suffering. ; "We lived peacefully and happily, but now our house has turned into a Gehenna." Isaac Metzker; A Bintel Brief; Doubleday; 1971. "Just as I was preparing to set the back deck on fire to get some warmth in the house, all Gehenna broke loose on the news." Today's Advice; Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine); Feb 9, 2013. See more usage examples of gehenna in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Munshi Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 03, 2015***** entelechy : a realization or actuality as opposed to a potentiality; Something abstruse from Aristotle haunts him, a distinction between the "generally" understood version of entelechy, meaning one's potential, and Aristotle's version, shading over into potential fulfilled. Paul West, A Fifth of November, 2001 Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Brusque : very short and abrupt or harshly blunt; On her first day of work, Diana's new boss gave her only a brusque greeting before showing her the place where she would be working. teetotum : (noun) A top, usually having four lettered sides, that is used to play various games of chance.; spinning top, whirligig, top; The boy was thrilled to get a bright red teetotum for his birthday and spent all summer watching it spin. gehenna : noun: 1. Hell. 2. Any place of extreme torture or suffering. ; "We lived peacefully and happily, but now our house has turned into a Gehenna." Isaac Metzker; A Bintel Brief; Doubleday; 1971. "Just as I was preparing to set the back deck on fire to get some warmth in the house, all Gehenna broke loose on the news." Today's Advice; Kennebec Journal (Augusta, Maine); Feb 9, 2013. See more usage examples of gehenna in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Munshi Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 04, 2015***** boomlet : a brief increase, as in business activity or political popularity...; Given its bookish appeal, it’s perhaps no surprise that “Mad Men†has sparked a publishing boomlet of its own. Meredith Blake, "The Exchange: Natasha Vargas-Cooper on 'Mad Men,'" The New Yorker, July 21, 2010 Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." Doppelgänger : someone who looks like someone else; Throughout the movie, the main character is frequently mistaken for someone else, and the plot thickens when this doppelgänger turns out to be a wanted criminal. harmonium : (noun) An organlike keyboard instrument that produces tones with free metal reeds actuated by air forced from a bellows.; reed organ; She had played the harmonium for years, but her arthritic fingers could no longer master the keys. micturate : verb intr.: To urinate. ; "Michael Owen, formerly a soccer player, will not spend a penny unnecessarily. 'Don't care how much I'm bursting,' he tweets, 'I refuse to pay 20p to have a wee at a train station.' One applauds his thriftiness while simultaneously wondering what he does in the circumstances to relieve himself. One also wonders when he found himself in this frightful situation. When last I needed to micturate on railway premises, the going rate was an inflation-busting, wallet-hammering 30p." Alan Taylor; How Would Rabbie Burns Vote in the Referendum?; Sunday Herald (Glasgow, Scotland); Feb 9, 2014. See more usage examples of micturate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2015***** argonaut : (sometimes initial capital letter) a person in quest of something..; In that era before we could carry on deep conversations about the virtues of Humboldt Fog versus Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, the newsletter was a gourmand’s playground—and an argonaut’s, too. Ari Weinzweig, the author and one of the deli owners, spanned the globe finding unusual and delicious victuals—and the newsletter was packed with culinary stories and histories. Michael Paterniti, "An American Man's Quest to Become an Old Castilian," New York Times, August 1, 2013 Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Infrangible : unbreakable or not to be violated; He declared firmly that he lived his life by a set of infrangible ethical principles. twelvemonth : (noun) A year.; year; But wilt thou not give me another twelvemonth to pay my debt? osculate : verb tr.: To kiss. verb intr.: To touch or to bring together. ; "Angrat enjoyed the rest of their day in the swamp, as Beneficent grabbed one frog after another and eagerly osculated each amphibian on its little froggy nose. As always, Angrat marveled at her sister's eagerness to embrace any tall tale. Nothing came out of the smooches." D.E. Park; Unwashed Fiction; Lulu Press; 2015. See more usage examples of osculate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ah! what a divine religion might be found out if charity were really made the principle of it instead of faith. -Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet (4 Aug 1792-1822) *****August 06, 2015***** twitterpated : Informal. excited or overcome by romantic feelings; smitten; A major rite of passage in this pastoral Bildungsroman is the "Twitterpated" sequence where Bambi, Flower, and Thumper learn about springtime mating and the necessity to avoid it from Friend Owl…, who warns them: "nearly everyone gets twitterpated in the spring time." Kirsten Moana Thompson, edited by Cynthia Lucia, Roy Grundmann, and Art Simon, "Classical Cel Animation, World War II, and Bambi," The Wiley-Blackwell History of American Film, 2012 Attrition : n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. "The company's attrition rate was quite high." Hermitage : a secluded residence or private retreat; "At a Catholic hermitage near Lac Saint-Jean, the Franciscan Capuchin friar Sylvain Richer told me he grew up saying 'Beam me up, Scotty.'" - Associated Press, June 29, 2015 fancier : (noun) A person having a strong liking for something.; enthusiast; I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom seen a better grown goose. regurgitate : verb tr.: 1. To bring up undigested food through the mouth. 2. To repeat something without understanding it. ; "Ms Kendall appears to have swallowed this argument whole and regurgitated it in ill-digested chunks." Silence of the Lambs; The Times (London, UK); Jul 27, 2015. See more usage examples of regurgitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck. -Guy de Maupassant, short story writer and novelist (5 Aug 1850-1893) *****August 07, 2015***** polysemy : diversity of meanings; The results of my grim-faced, slash-and-burn treks through the “polysemy†of canonical texts were infinitely duller and cruder than any of my naïve high school efforts to figure out what authors actually meant. Zoë Heller, "Should an Author's Intentions Matter?" New York Times, March 10, 2015 Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Titanic : having great magnitude, force, or power; The slugger launched a titanic home run that landed in the parking lot beyond the stadium's center-field wall. pileus : (noun) The umbrellalike fruiting structure forming the top of a stalked fleshy fungus, such as a mushroom; the cap.; cap; The recipe instructs the chef to separate the pileus from the stalk, presumably because the former adds more flavor to the dish. masticate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To chew. 2. To reduce to pulp by crushing and grinding. ; "Don't chew with mouth open: Thy beauty causeth every head to turn. Thy comeliness could launch a thousand ships. But suitors will be few till thou dost learn To masticate with firmly closed lips. (Nan Reiner, Alexandria)" Pat Myers; Rhymes & Misdemeanors; The Washington Post; Jun 14, 2015. "Ansari helpfully masticates their findings down for a general audience." Helen Lewis; Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari review; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 4, 2015. See more usage examples of masticate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are none so sour as those who are sweet to order. -Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues, essayist (6 Aug 1715-1747) *****August 08, 2015***** chiliad : a group of 1000; In 1811 Chernac's Cribrum Arithmeticum was published, to the great joy of Gauss, who states that, although he had not sufficient patience for a continuous enumeration of the whole million, he often employed unoccupied quarters of an hour in counting here and there a chiliad. J. W. L. Glaisher, "Preliminary account of an enumeration of the primes in Burckhardt's tables," Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, October 23 1876—May 17, 1880 Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Euphemism : a pleasant word used for an unpleasant one; Aunt Helen would never say that someone had "died"; she preferred to communicate the unpleasant news with euphemisms like "passed on." bezant : (noun) A gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages.; solidus; The gold coin I found on my archaeology dig turned out to be an authentic bezant. exungulate : verb tr.: To pare nails, claws, etc. ; "Pets mimic their owners; Fred [the dog] is very protective. A few days after me and Jordana had done the dirty for the first time, he swiped me across the ear. I would like to exungulate Fred." Joe Dunthorne; Submarine: A Novel; Random House; 2008. Thought For The Day: It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. -Garrison Keillor, radio host and author (b. 7 Aug 1942) *****August 09, 2015***** ballyhoo : a clamorous and vigorous attempt to win customers or advance any ..; The invasion of ballyhoo commenced in the spring of 1931, when a purchase of somewhat spectacular nature—that of the strange objects and inexplicably preserved bodies found in crypts beneath the almost vanished and evilly famous ruins of Chateau Faussesflammes, in Averoigne, France—brought the museum prominently into the news columns. H. P. Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, "Out of the Aeons," Weird Tales, April 1935 Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Abstain : to refrain deliberately; The nurse advised Jacob to abstain from alcohol while he was on the medication. luminary : (noun) A person who is an inspiration to others.; notable, guiding light, leading light, notability; He is considered a luminary in his field, due to the groundbreaking research he has published. exungulate : verb tr.: To pare nails, claws, etc. ; "Pets mimic their owners; Fred [the dog] is very protective. A few days after me and Jordana had done the dirty for the first time, he swiped me across the ear. I would like to exungulate Fred." Joe Dunthorne; Submarine: A Novel; Random House; 2008. Thought For The Day: It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. -Garrison Keillor, radio host and author (b. 7 Aug 1942) *****August 10, 2015***** atrabilious : gloomy; morose; melancholy; morbid; It was remarked by Aristotle, who was a long way the shrewdest and most scientific observer of antiquity, that all men of genius have been melancholic or atrabilious. James Sully, "Genius and Insanity," The Popular Science Monthly, August 1885 Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." Pseudonym : a fictitious name especially a pen name; Instead of using his real name, Edward signed his letter to the editor with the pseudonym "Jack Cramer." artifice : (noun) A deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture.; ruse; What could the bewildered scouts do, masters as they were of every war-like artifice save this one, but trot helplessly after him, exposing themselves fatally to view. exungulate : verb tr.: To pare nails, claws, etc. ; "Pets mimic their owners; Fred [the dog] is very protective. A few days after me and Jordana had done the dirty for the first time, he swiped me across the ear. I would like to exungulate Fred." Joe Dunthorne; Submarine: A Novel; Random House; 2008. Thought For The Day: It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. -Garrison Keillor, radio host and author (b. 7 Aug 1942) *****August 11, 2015***** mondegreen : a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard, es..; One of the reasons that “Excuse me while I kiss this guy†substituted for Jimi Hendrix’s “Excuse me while I kiss the sky†remains one of the most widely reported mondegreens of all time can be explained in part by frequency. It’s much more common to hear of people kissing guys than skies. Maria Konnikova, "Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy," The New Yorker, December 10, 2014 Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. Multifarious : of many and various kinds; John listed his multifarious interests and activities on his college application. agendum : (noun) Something to be done, especially an item on a program or list.; order of business; It was getting late, so the members of the board decided to leave the last agendum for the next meeting. saturnalia : noun: A time of unrestrained revelry. ; "It is a sort of holiday, a saturnalia, a time of licence when restrictions on liberty can be cast aside." Allan Massie; Rioters Just Want Excitement -- and New Trainers; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Aug 10, 2011. See more usage examples of saturnalia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I like the pluralism of modernity; it doesn't threaten me or my faith. And if one's faith is dependent on being reinforced in every aspect of other people's lives, then it is a rather insecure faith, don't you think? -Andrew Sullivan, author and editor (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 12, 2015***** psephology : the study of elections; Apart from his interest in Latin American psephology, McGregor didn't go a bundle on possessions: no books, no television, no hi-fi, no deck of cards and a radio which either didn't work or that he couldn't get to work. Tibor Fischer, "Fifty Uselessnesses," Don't Read This Book If You're Stupid, 2000 Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Zydeco : popular music of southern Louisiana; The restaurant, with architecture that looks like it's straight from the French quarter of New Orleans, features authentic Cajun cuisine and live zydeco music. necrology : (noun) A notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography.; obituary; She dreamed of being a famous news reporter, but for years, she was stuck writing necrologies at the local paper. meteoric : adjective: 1. Relating to a meteor or a meteorite. 2. Resembling a meteor in speed, brilliance, suddenness, or transience. 3. Coming from the atmosphere (used to describe water); meteorological. ; "Despite his meteoric climb up the corporate ladder, there was something missing for Anderson." Brad Davidson; Gamble of His Life; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Jul 11, 2015. Thought For The Day: In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2015***** mellifluous : sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: a mellifluous voi..; "This is my missionary preacher meets Clint Eastwood look,†she says, in a rolling Welsh burr so soothing, so mellifluous, that if the world were ending I think hers should be the voice breaking the news on the airwaves and playing us out with a redemptive blast of Dunvant Male Voice Choir. Judith Woods, "I'm low maintenance. Life isn't about possessions," The Telegraph, July 6, 2015 Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Kindred : similar or of the same ancestry; Jessica found a kindred songwriting spirit in Brigid, and soon the two women were collaborating on a new album. carrefour : (noun) A junction where one street or road crosses another.; crossroad, crossway, intersection, crossing; When his jalopy broke down right in the middle of a busy carrefour, he swore he would invest in a more reliable car. venery : noun: 1. The practice or pursuit of sexual pleasure. 2. Hunting. ; "Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation." Benjamin Franklin; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; J. Parsons; 1793. "In those days true dedication to venery meant having your own hunting pack." Philip Bowern; Hunting the Hills of Devon; The Western Morning News (Plymouth, UK); Dec 17, 2012. See more usage examples of venery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I hate with a murderous hatred those men who, having lived their youth, would send into war other youth, not lived, unfulfilled, to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making their wars that boys must die. -Mary Roberts Rinehart, novelist (12 Aug 1876-1958) *****August 14, 2015***** ambisinister : clumsy or unskillful with both hands; Professor Fischer says that the reserve physicians "Were surgically ambisinister, medically at the zero point, and lacking in discipline, military skill and temperance." , "Sanitary Service in the Russo-Japanese War," The Military Surgeon, January, 1914 Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." Contumely : contemptuous language or treatment; Deeply hurt by the contumely directed at her, Charlotte burst into tears and ran out of the room. vendee : (noun) One to whom something is sold; a buyer.; emptor, purchaser, buyer; There were three vendees from three different companies at the auction, and each hoped to acquire the same valuable item. tellurian : adjective: Relating to or inhabiting Earth. noun: An inhabitant of Earth. ; "Life without him was less imaginable than a tellurian's camping-tent on a mountain in the moon." Vladimir Nabokov; The Real Life of Sebastian Knight; New Directions Publishers; 1941. "We Tellurians, or Earth-dwellers, have always wondered about the existence of life on other worlds." Howard Williams; Book Briefs; The Press (Christchurch, New Zealand); Sep 29, 2007. See more usage examples of tellurian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The Supreme Ethical Rule: Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself. -Felix Adler, professor, lecturer, and reformer (13 Aug 1851-1933) *****August 15, 2015***** burble : to speak in an excited manner; babble; He didn't tell us much, but he burbled with a certain eccentric charm. Gyles Brandreth, Breaking the Code: Westminster Diaries, 1999 Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Quaggy : marshy or flabby; "Today is the opening of 'Expedition Alaska: Dinosaurs,' the latest installation at the museum chronicling the reptilian behemoths-and even the little ones, too-that once spanned the state from the frozen North Slope to the quaggy Southeast." - Gary Black, Newsminer.com (Fairbanks, Alaska), May 23, 2015 amphetamine : (noun) A central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression.; pep pill, upper, speed; The doctor prescribed amphetamines to stimulate the narcoleptic patient's nervous system so that he would be less likely to unexpectedly fall asleep. constellate : verb tr., intr.: To gather or form a cluster. ; "These [men] are constellated round a centrally placed, red-sheeted double bed that acts as a kind of stage-within-a-stage." Paul Taylor; Tis Pity ...; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 24, 2012. See more usage examples of constellate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: By the age of six the average child will have completed the basic American education. ... From television, the child will have learned how to pick a lock, commit a fairly elaborate bank holdup, prevent wetness all day long, get the laundry twice as white, and kill people with a variety of sophisticated armaments. -Russell Baker, columnist and author (b. 14 Aug 1925) *****August 16, 2015***** heliolatry : worship of the sun; In Ireland, too, it can be shown that heliolatry persisted from prehistoric times until long after the introduction of Christianity, and was even blended with Christianity. Roger Sherman Loomis, Celtic Myth and Arthurian Romance, 1927 Monolithic : adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change. Lodestone : something that strongly attracts; "The Miami thoroughfare formally known as Southwest Eighth Street is the heart of Little Havana. It's the next-best-thing to visiting Cuba for many Americans, the lodestone of the large Cuban-American community that settled in Miami in waves after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution." - John Borsden, Charlotte News & Observer, June 13, 2015 veiling : (noun) Sheer material, such as gauze or fine lace, used for veils.; netting, gauze; The seamstress attached a lace trim to the veiling, so that it would match the bride's dress. constellate : verb tr., intr.: To gather or form a cluster. ; "These [men] are constellated round a centrally placed, red-sheeted double bed that acts as a kind of stage-within-a-stage." Paul Taylor; Tis Pity ...; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 24, 2012. See more usage examples of constellate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: By the age of six the average child will have completed the basic American education. ... From television, the child will have learned how to pick a lock, commit a fairly elaborate bank holdup, prevent wetness all day long, get the laundry twice as white, and kill people with a variety of sophisticated armaments. -Russell Baker, columnist and author (b. 14 Aug 1925) *****August 17, 2015***** auroral : of or like the dawn; There was not in all that vanished October one day that did not come in with auroral splendour and go out attended by a fair galaxy of evening stars—not a day when there were not golden lights in the wide pastures and purple hazes in the ripened distances. Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Golden Road, 1913 Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Shill : to act as a decoy or spokesperson; A long line of A-list actresses have shilled for the company's perfumes over the decades. enchiridion : (noun) A concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location.; handbook, vade mecum; Over the years, the prisoner had spent time memorizing every enchiridion he could find and had become a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge. constellate : verb tr., intr.: To gather or form a cluster. ; "These [men] are constellated round a centrally placed, red-sheeted double bed that acts as a kind of stage-within-a-stage." Paul Taylor; Tis Pity ...; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 24, 2012. See more usage examples of constellate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: By the age of six the average child will have completed the basic American education. ... From television, the child will have learned how to pick a lock, commit a fairly elaborate bank holdup, prevent wetness all day long, get the laundry twice as white, and kill people with a variety of sophisticated armaments. -Russell Baker, columnist and author (b. 14 Aug 1925) *****August 18, 2015***** brickbat : an unkind or unfavorable remark; caustic criticism: The critics g..; Arthur J. Goldberg was greeted by many bouquets and a single brickbat today as he pledged to serve fairly and without bias as a Supreme Court Justice. , "Goldberg Is Hailed by Senators; Promises to Be Fair as a Jusice," New York Times, September 12, 1962 Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Refractory : resistant or stubborn; "In patients with severe asthma that is refractory to standard treatment, intravenous magnesium sulfate is widely used…." - Stephen C. Lazarus, M.D., New England Journal of Medicine, August 19, 2010 pettifogger : (noun) A petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer.; shyster; He was by all accounts a pettifogger, and judges dreaded having him appear in their courtrooms. ad hoc : adverb, adjective: For a particular purpose only (as opposed to a wider application); impromptu. ; "He said any changes to the national anthem must be properly approved by the Government; not done ad hoc by an events committee." Church Unhappy with Change; Papua New Guinea Post-Courier (Port Moresby); Jul 8, 2015. See more usage examples of ad hoc in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The real secret is why love starts out with claws like a cat and then fades with time like a half-eaten mouse. -Herta Müller, novelist, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Aug 1953) *****August 19, 2015***** festinate : to hurry; hasten; Move—move—move! Put some order on things! Come on, Sarah—hide that bucket. Whose are these slates? Somebody take these dishes away. Festinate! Festinate! Brian Friel, Translations, 1980 Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Jog Trot : a routine habit or a horse's slow trot; The weekly Friday-night dances provided the townsfolk with a few hours of respite from the jog trot of life. aviary : (noun) A large enclosure for holding birds in confinement.; volary, bird sanctuary; We visited the aviary to see the exotic birds advertised in the brochure. wherewith : adverb: With which. pronoun: The thing(s) with which. conjunction: By means of which. ; "When a brilliant student completes his work ahead of schedule, he is granted an award of time and means wherewith he may execute some pet project of his own devising." The Urantia Book; Urantia; 1955. Thought For The Day: Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****August 20, 2015***** eleemosynary : of or relating to alms, charity, or charitable donations; cha..; An author ought to consider himself, not as a gentleman who gives a private or eleemosynary treat, but rather as one who keeps a public ordinary, at which all persons are welcome for their money. Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, 1749 Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Exculpatory : serving to clear from fault or guilt; The DNA found at the crime scene proved to be exculpatory; it did not match that of the defendant, and so he was acquitted. pyrite : (noun) A brass-colored mineral, FeS2, occurring widely and used as an iron ore and in producing sulfur dioxide for sulfuric acid.; fool's gold; The children thought the gleaming bits of metal they had found were gold, and their nurse refrained from telling them they were simply flecks of pyrite. inter alia : adverb: Among other things. ; "Gary Lineker is chatting to the second in line to the throne as his interviewee is, inter alia, president of the FA [The Football Association]." Rachel Johnson; Now Try Calling Kate Your 'Current Wife', William...; Mail on Sunday (London, UK); May 31, 2015. See more usage examples of inter_alia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly. -Ogden Nash, poet (19 Aug 1902-1971) *****August 21, 2015***** beatify : to make blissfully happy; In spite of his infirmities, in spite of his sufferings, in spite of his obscurity, he was the happiest man alive… For certainly it is natural that the love of light, which is already in some measure, the possession of light, should irradiate and beatify the whole life of him who has it. Matthew Arnold, "Joubert," Essays in Criticism, 1865 Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." Obeisance : homage or a bow made to show respect; "They took their hats off and made obeisance and many signs, which however, I could not understand any more than I could their spoken language …" - Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897 sectionalism : (noun) Excessive devotion to local interests and customs.; provincialism, localism; He believes that Manhattan is the center of the universe, and his sectionalism is so acute that he is reluctant to visit friends in Brooklyn. athwart : adverb, preposition: From side to side of; across; against. ; "He shuffled athwart, keeping one eye ahead vigilantly." Joseph Conrad; Heart of Darkness; Blackwood's Magazine; 1899. See more usage examples of athwart in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 22, 2015***** laconic : using few words; expressing much in few words; concise: a laconic ..; Veni, vidi, vici: I came, I saw, I conquered… They were the three laconic words Caesar used to describe what happened when he finally met King Pharnaces of Pontus. Margaret George, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, 1997 Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Beholden : indebted; "I am thankful for myself, at any rate, that I can find my tiny way through the world, without being beholden to anyone…." - Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850 pastille : (noun) A medicated lozenge used to soothe the throat.; troche, cough drop; She believed that pastilles and lozenges were no better for a sore throat than regular hard candy. pro rata : adverb: Proportionally. adjective: Proportional. ; "The distribution would be pro rata on length of service." Dennis Conroy; The Cairo Connection; Trafford; 2005. See more usage examples of pro rata in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE) *****August 23, 2015***** mnemonic : something intended to assist the memory, as a verse or formula; When Pluto was demoted from planethood, the trusty mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas†had to be retooled. , "My Very Educated Readers Just Served Us Some New Planet Mnemonics," New York Times, January 26, 2015 Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Netiquette : etiquette for Internet communication; "It's good netiquette to link to the article from which you borrow and to name your source." - John D. Farmer, Richmond (Virginia) Times Dispatch, May 30, 2011 sheepcote : (noun) A pen for sheep.; fold, sheep pen; It was the second time in a month that a predator had managed to tear through the sheepcote's wire. pro rata : adverb: Proportionally. adjective: Proportional. ; "The distribution would be pro rata on length of service." Dennis Conroy; The Cairo Connection; Trafford; 2005. See more usage examples of pro rata in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE) *****August 24, 2015***** quiddity : the quality that makes a thing what it is; the essential nature o..; If, argues he, we could only find out exactly what humour is 'in its quiddity,' we could keep ourselves humorous, or at any rate bring up our children to be so. Henry Duff Traill, "The Future of Humour," The New Fiction, 1897 Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." August : marked by majestic dignity or grandeur; "But a great deal of life goes on without strong passion: myriads of cravats are carefully tied, dinners attended, even speeches made proposing the health of august personages without the zest arising from a strong desire." - George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, 1876 costermonger : (noun) One who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, or other goods from a cart, barrow, or stand in the streets.; barrow-man; Too far, in fancy, above the rest of mankind to trouble about their petty distinctions, he is equally at home with duke or costermonger. pro rata : adverb: Proportionally. adjective: Proportional. ; "The distribution would be pro rata on length of service." Dennis Conroy; The Cairo Connection; Trafford; 2005. See more usage examples of pro rata in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not always the same thing to be a good man and a good citizen. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE) *****August 25, 2015***** lachrymose : given to shedding tears readily; tearful; I suppose Catherine fulfilled her project, for the next sentence took up another subject: she waxed lachrymose. "How little did I dream that Hindley would ever make me cry so!" she wrote. Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847 Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Cannibalize : to take usable parts from; The company is risking cannibalizing sales of its flagship truck with this impressive-and less expensive-new model. cembalo : (noun) A clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots.; harpsichord; Although the piano is a more versatile instrument with a greater range, some musicians still enjoy playing the cembalo for its distinct sound. Lorelei : noun: A dangerously seductive woman. ; "In fact, Peter the Publican's daughter is his Lorelei, enticing customers into his establishment, then flirting brazenly just to keep them drinking." Michael Dirda; These Dead Men Don't Just Tell Tales, They Quarrel. A Lot; The Washington Post; Apr 9, 2015. See more usage examples of Lorelei in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To fall in love is to create a religion that has a fallible god. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (24 Aug 1899-1986) *****August 26, 2015***** xeriscaping : environmental design of residential and park land using variou..; The homes were big, and all three looked exactly alike: sand-colored stucco, red, Mexican-tile roofs, natural desert xeriscaping in the front, and backyards with peanut-shaped pools enclosed by black wrought-iron fences. Mark Jude Poirier, "Cul-de-sacs," Naked Pueblo, 1999 Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Grog : an alcoholic drink often cut with water; The reviewer praised the restaurant for serving an eclectic range of beers and wines and not just any old grog. oenophile : (noun) A connoisseur of fine wines.; wine lover; The oenophile was heartbroken when months of heavy rain ruined a particularly promising grape harvest. Paul Pry : noun An excessively inquisitive person. ; "You must stop me if I begin to ask too much, or sound like an old Paul Pry." Molly Gloss; The Jump-Off Creek; Houghton Mifflin; 1989. Thought For The Day: We have met the enemy and he is us. -Walt Kelly, cartoonist (25 Aug 1913-1973) *****August 27, 2015***** absquatulate : Slang. to flee; abscond: The old prospector absquatulated wit..; He [Mark Twain] has vamosed, cut stick, absquatulated; and among the pine forests of the Sierras, or amid the purlieus of the city of earthquakes, he will tarry awhile… , "An Exile," Gold Hill Evening News, May 30, 1864 Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Draconian : cruel or severe; The editorial asserts that a life sentence for any non-violent crime is draconian. decrepitude : (noun) The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.; dilapidation; Despite his sixty years and snow-white hair, his handshake was firmly hearty, and he showed no signs of decrepitude. boycott : verb tr.: To protest by refusing to buy a product or to deal with a person, organization, nation, etc. noun: The practice or an instance of this. ; "Despite pressure to boycott state elections, voters in the disputed region of Kashmir are flocking to the polls." A Shift in the Mountains; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 10, 2014. See more usage examples of boycott in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We can pay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves. -John Buchan, poet, novelist, and politician (26 Aug 1875-1940) *****August 28, 2015***** protean : readily assuming different forms or characters; extremely variable..; A genius for the ages, a man who played wonderful yet, sometimes outrageous changes with art, Pablo Picasso remains without doubt, the most original, the most protean and the most forceful personality in the visual arts in the first three-quarters of this century. Alden Whitman, "Picasso: Protean and Prodigious, the Greatest Single Force in 70 Years of Art," New York Times, April 9, 1973 Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Sycophant : a servile self-seeking flatterer; Rosemary has little use for sycophants in her office, so if you want that promotion, do your best and let your work speak for itself. polyglot : (noun) A person having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages.; linguist; He was a polyglot who spoke nine languages fluently. chauvinism : noun: The belief in the superiority of one's country, group, gender, etc. ; "It wasn't some cheap outcrop of chauvinism. It was rather the latest evidence of sport's ability to unite a people in pride." James Lawton; Magical Memories of 2012 Olympics; The Independent (London, UK); Dec 21, 2012. See more usage examples of chauvinism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road. -William Least Heat-Moon, travel writer (b. 27 Aug 1939) *****August 29, 2015***** opprobrious : outrageously disgraceful or shameful: opprobrious conduct; "The boy is of an outspoken disposition, and had made an opprobrious remark respecting my personal appearance" "What did he say about your appearance?" "I have forgotten, sir," said Jeeves, with a touch of austerity. "But it was opprobrious…" P. G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves, 1923 Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Prevaricate : to deviate from the truth; In Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones, Squire Allworthy demands of Mr. Dowling, "Do not hesitate nor prevaricate; but answer faithfully and truly to every question I ask." unwieldy : (adjective) Difficult to carry or manage because of size, shape, weight, or complexity.; unmanageable; She shifted the unwieldy groceries in her arms and looked for an empty shopping cart. Lovelace : noun: A seducer; a licentious man. ; "He could not be made to understand that the modern drama of divorce is sometimes cast without a Lovelace. 'You might as well tell me there was nobody but Adam in the garden when Eve picked the apple. You say your wife was discontented? No woman ever knows she's discontented till some man tells her so.'" Edith Wharton; The Custom of the Country; 1913. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****August 30, 2015***** argy-bargy : Chiefly British. a vigorous discussion or dispute; The current argy-bargy over herring fishing seems to bring the whole issue of conservation, national fishing limits, and policing of the seas into perspective. Brian Gardner, "Don't send a gunboat," New Scientist, July 21, 1977 Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Testimonial : an expression of appreciation; The contractor's website included a photo gallery of his past work and testimonials from satisfied clients. petrolatum : (noun) A semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for lubrication.; mineral jelly, petroleum jelly; While her friends bought expensive designer lip balms, she stuck with her grandmother's remedy, a big jar of petrolatum. Lovelace : noun: A seducer; a licentious man. ; "He could not be made to understand that the modern drama of divorce is sometimes cast without a Lovelace. 'You might as well tell me there was nobody but Adam in the garden when Eve picked the apple. You say your wife was discontented? No woman ever knows she's discontented till some man tells her so.'" Edith Wharton; The Custom of the Country; 1913. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****August 31, 2015***** enceinte : pregnant; with child; They are places where women who are enceinte are given meals free and no questions are asked. George Orwell, Down and Out in Paris and London, 1933 Fastidious : adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness. Moot : not certain or not worth talking about; Since the team would have lost anyway, it's a moot point whether the umpire's call was right or not. nutriment : (noun) A source of nourishment; food.; sustenance, victuals, aliment, nourishment, nutrition; The animals' habitat was destroyed in the storm, and they wandered the ravaged plains searching for nutriment. Lovelace : noun: A seducer; a licentious man. ; "He could not be made to understand that the modern drama of divorce is sometimes cast without a Lovelace. 'You might as well tell me there was nobody but Adam in the garden when Eve picked the apple. You say your wife was discontented? No woman ever knows she's discontented till some man tells her so.'" Edith Wharton; The Custom of the Country; 1913. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****September 01, 2015***** helix : a spiral; What Wilkins described on that occasion was evidence he had obtained which suggested that DNA had the form of a helix, rather like a spiral staircase. Jim Holt, "Photo Finish," The New Yorker, October 28, 2002 Juxtapose : tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works." Vaudeville : stage entertainment with various acts; Andrew's interest in vaudeville can be traced to his grandparents, who met as performers in the 1920s. avidity : (noun) Keen interest or enthusiasm.; eagerness, avidness, keenness; A devoted fan, he followed the tennis tournament with avidity. fribble : verb intr.: To act in a wasteful or frivolous manner. verb tr.: To fritter away. noun: A wasteful or frivolous person or thing. ; "The Apple Watch will sell like ghost cakes during Halloween, but a year or so from now, I think sales will fizzle and fribble just like Google's silly glasses." Malcolm Berko; Watching Apple's Stock; Creators Syndicate (Los Angeles); May 27, 2015. "I skipped the diamonds, the couture 'Minou' sunglasses by Nour and various other fribbles including uninteresting check shirts by Riflessi." Richard Edmonds; DVD Reviews; Birmingham Post (UK); Jul 12, 2004. Thought For The Day: The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 02, 2015***** well-nigh : very nearly; almost: It's well-nigh bedtime; I am well-nigh resolved they shall bind me to the court no longer. What can farther service and higher favour give me, beyond the high rank, and large estate which I have already secured? Sir Walter Scott, Kenilworth, 1821 Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Rigmarole : meaningless talk or a complex procedure; Rather than go through the annual rigmarole of filling out tax forms, Maureen would rather pay an accountant to do her taxes for her. netherworld : (noun) The world of the dead.; Scheol, underworld, Hades, infernal region, Hell; He had nightmares about going to some fiery, haunted netherworld and awoke the next morning vowing to repent. belie : verb tr.: 1. To give a false impression: misrepresent. 2. To show to be false: contradict ; "Its grand name [The Great Parchment Book of The Honourable The Irish Society] belies a sorry state." Nicola Davis; Not Fade Away; The Observer (London, UK); Jul 5, 2015. See more usage examples of belie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It seems like the less a statesman amounts to the more he adores the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 03, 2015***** gubernatorial : of or relating to a state governor or the office of state go..; Or if he had got into the gubernatorial primary on his own hook, he would have taken a realistic view. But this was different. He had been called. He had been touched. He had been summoned. And he was a little bit awe-struck by the fact. Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men, 1946 Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Immaculate : perfectly clean or having no flaw; Even a minor scandal has the power to tarnish an immaculate reputation. nectary : (noun) A glandlike organ, located outside or within a flower, that secretes nectar.; honey gland; Deep in the Amazon, we came across a species of flower sporting a nectary larger than any we had ever seen. descry : verb tr.: 1. To catch sight of. 2. To discover or detect. ; "And as for the view of seven states, that turned out to be hogwash; you can descry only three from Lookout Mountain." Will Self; On Location; New Statesman (London, UK); Aug 22, 2014. See more usage examples of descry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 04, 2015***** coincident : happening at the same time; And the third element of man is the reflection of his perishable substance in the astral light, coincident with him, but not visible to his earthly eye. Francis Marion Crawford, Zoroaster, 1885 Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." Bluestocking : a woman having intellectual interests; "The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts…." -Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008 thurible : (noun) A censer used in certain ecclesiastical ceremonies or liturgies.; censer; As the priest swung the thurible, incense poured out the holes in its lid. cosset : verb tr.: To pamper. noun: A pet; a spoiled child. ; "As the youngest of six surviving children, Tom was distinctly cosseted, especially by his doting mother." Michael Dirda; T.S. Eliot's American Childhood; The Washington Post; Apr 15, 2015. See more usage examples of cosset in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Form follows function. -Louis Sullivan, architect (3 Sep 1856-1924) *****September 05, 2015***** ibidem : Latin. in the same book, chapter, page, etc; Like bats in caves, there are words which nowadays live almost entirely in the semi-darkness of footnotes. Ibid (short for ibidem) is one, denoting a reference to a work already quoted, a function also performed by op cit (work cited) and its cousin loc cit (much the same). David McKiein, "Step Forward, All Friends of the Footnote," The Guardian, August 21, 1996 Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Affront : to insult, offend, or confront; The challenge going ahead is to initiate the necessary changes to the organization without making those who established it feel affronted. ossicle : (noun) A small bone, especially one of the three bones of the middle ear.; bonelet; Because of their distinctive shapes, the ossicles in the ear are called the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. beleaguer : verb tr.: 1. To surround with troops. 2. To beset with difficulties. ; "Underlying tensions and unresolved issues continue to beleaguer the Blue Line area." In Lebanon, UN Official Urges 'Calm, Restraint' Along Blue Line; Asia News Monitor (Bangkok, Thailand); Feb 19, 2015. See more usage examples of beleaguer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The rightness of a thing isn't determined by the amount of courage it takes. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 06, 2015***** earwitness : Law. a person who testifies or can testify to what he or she ha..; Such is the rather meagre account, as given by one ear-witness, of Patrick Henry's first speech in the Congress of 1774. Moses Coit Tyler, American Statesmen: Patrick Henry, 1887 Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Gargoyle : a rainspout shaped as a grotesque figure; Erin drew a series of hilarious caricatures of her family portrayed as gargoyles. diffidence : (noun) The quality or state of being diffident; timidity or shyness.; self-distrust, self-doubt; The youth sat down as directed, but reluctantly and with diffidence. beleaguer : verb tr.: 1. To surround with troops. 2. To beset with difficulties. ; "Underlying tensions and unresolved issues continue to beleaguer the Blue Line area." In Lebanon, UN Official Urges 'Calm, Restraint' Along Blue Line; Asia News Monitor (Bangkok, Thailand); Feb 19, 2015. See more usage examples of beleaguer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The rightness of a thing isn't determined by the amount of courage it takes. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 07, 2015***** astraphobia : Psychiatry. an abnormal fear of thunder and lightning; Julie was an anxious child with a number of phobias, not only a fear of thunder and lightning (Astraphobia, murmured Dr. Gibraltar) but also a fear of lightning bugs and any other bioluminescent creatures that might light up anywhere near her… Katharine Weber, True Confections, 2010 Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." Turbid : cloudy with stirred-up sediment; The speed of the water flowing over the dam becomes obvious only when one observes the turbid water roiling below. snuggery : (noun) A small secluded room.; cubby, cubbyhole; Now that they were alone, in this snuggery, which seemed barely large enough to contain so great a man's moustaches, the parties understood each other. beleaguer : verb tr.: 1. To surround with troops. 2. To beset with difficulties. ; "Underlying tensions and unresolved issues continue to beleaguer the Blue Line area." In Lebanon, UN Official Urges 'Calm, Restraint' Along Blue Line; Asia News Monitor (Bangkok, Thailand); Feb 19, 2015. See more usage examples of beleaguer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The rightness of a thing isn't determined by the amount of courage it takes. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 08, 2015***** afebrile : without fever; feverless; Samson is just fine. He's afebrile. His heart rate and blood pressure are perfect. His dressing is dry. He's alert. Elizabeth Berg, The Last Time I Saw You, 2010 Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Ampersand : a character & used for the word "and"; The company coming out of this merger will have a name that combines elements of each of the original companies' names with an ampersand. witless : (adjective) Lacking intelligence or wit; foolish.; nitwitted, soft-witted, senseless; He was a witless soul who never learned from his mistakes. Quixote : noun: Someone who is unrealistic, naive, chivalrous, idealistic, etc. to an absurd degree. ; "Despite what some say, I am not a Quixote, a credulous buffoon rushing and embracing every charlatan." Simon Clark; Mammoth Book of Sherlock Holmes Abroad; Running Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 09, 2015***** ogdoad : the number eight; The monad, [that is,] the one tittle, is therefore, he says, also a decade. For by the actual power of this one tittle, are produced duad, and triad, and tetrad, and pentad, and hexad, and heptad, and ogdoad, and ennead, up to ten. For these numbers, he says, are capable of many divisions, and they reside in that simple and uncompounded single tittle of the iota. Hippolytus (170–235), The Refutation of All Heresies, translated by J. H. MacMahon, 1851 Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. Contiguous : touching along a boundary or at a point; At 14,494 feet, Mount Whitney, in California's Sierra Nevada range, is the highest peak in the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. rapport : (noun) Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.; resonance; They had an excellent rapport and would never keep secrets from one another. Sancho : noun: A companion or sidekick, especially one who joins another in an adventure. ; "Parry wants Lucas to become his Sancho and join him on the quest for the holy grail." Patrick McCormick; The Fisher King; US Catholic (Chicago, Illinois); Nov 2002. Thought For The Day: People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947) *****September 10, 2015***** Fata Morgana : Meteorology. a mirage consisting of multiple images, as of cl..; Under some conditions, refraction can even turn things upside down. When a warmer layer of air sits above a cooler layer it can bend light so strongly around the curvature of Earth that it creates a type of mirage called a Fata Morgana. In the Arctic, this can lead to an apparent wall of ice rising before an explorer. Stephen Battersby, "Pole Position," New Scientist, December 20, 2014 Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Foodie : a person having an avid interest in food; As a foodie, Molly gets excited whenever a new restaurant opens in the area. callback : (noun) A recall of a recently sold product by the manufacturer to correct a defect.; recall; The manufacturer was forced to issue a callback of the toy when it was declared a choking hazard. Dulcinea : noun: A ladylove or sweetheart. ; "Augusta Holland, though five years George Frederic Watts's senior, seems to have been his Dulcinea in the 1840s." Brian Sewell; Why Oblivion is the Right Fate for Watts; Evening Standard (London, UK); Nov 26, 2004. See more usage examples of Dulcinea in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 11, 2015***** mundane : common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative; Their mutual antagonism, once a joke, a performance for the benefit of others, had slowly become, through being ritualised in that way, a mundane reality. Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, 1993 Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." Ersatz : being a usually inferior substitute; If I'm going to eat ice cream, I want the real thing, not some non-fat ersatz version of it. abstemious : (adjective) Marked by temperance in indulgence.; temperate, sparing, moderate, sober, austere, frugal, ascetic, self-denying, abstinent, continent; All drank except Lee Goom, the abstemious cabin boy. Lothario : noun: A man who indiscriminately seduces women. ; "Chad Everett played an aging lothario who engages in a steamy audition with a young ingenue." People; Bozeman Daily Chronicle (Montana); Jul 25, 2012. See more usage examples of Lothario in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our memories are card indexes consulted and then returned in disorder by authorities whom we do not control. -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) *****September 12, 2015***** swimmingly : without difficulty; with great success; effortlessly: She passe..; Thanks to this inspiration, he got on swimmingly for a time, but gradually the work lost its charm, and he forgot to compose, while he sat musing, pen in hand, or roamed about the gay city to get some new ideas and refresh his mind, which seemed to be in a somewhat unsettled state that winter. Louisa May Alcott, Little Women, 1869 Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Obverse : the front, an opposite, or a counterpart; The artist credited with inventing the modern commemorative medal, 15th-century Italian painter Antonio Pisano, made his medals following a design formula still used today: an obverse graced with a profile portrait and a reverse adorned with an allegorical or pictorial scene. emporium : (noun) A large retail store or place of business.; department store; The furniture emporium was packed with couches, but Sarah couldn't find a single one she liked. Rosinante : noun: An old, worn-out horse. ; "But there was still a second nag, a Rosinante nodding with shut eyelids and drooping knees over the manger, and the saddle hung ready on its pin." R. Campbell Thompson; A Pilgrim's Scrip; John Lane; 1915. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 13, 2015***** blarney : flattering or wheedling talk; cajolery; With a little more prudence Dick Turpin would have made a good diddler; with a trifle less blarney, Daniel O'Connell; with a pound or two more brains, Charles the Twelfth. Edgar Allan Poe, "Raising the Wind; or, Diddling Considered as One of the Exact Sciences," Saturday Courier, October 14, 1843 Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Scupper : to defeat or put an end to; "Arsenal's hopes of signing summer target William Carvalho appear to have been scuppered after the Sporting Lisbon midfielder was ruled out for three months." - The Telegraph (London), 15 July 2015 danseuse : (noun) A woman who is a ballet dancer.; ballerina; The painting depicted a beautiful danseuse putting on her ballet shoes while waiting in the wings of the theater. Rosinante : noun: An old, worn-out horse. ; "But there was still a second nag, a Rosinante nodding with shut eyelids and drooping knees over the manger, and the saddle hung ready on its pin." R. Campbell Thompson; A Pilgrim's Scrip; John Lane; 1915. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 14, 2015***** genesis : an origin, creation, or beginning; Entire aspects of astronomy, including the genesis of the Big Bang theory, began with members of the Catholic clergy. The Associated Press, “Climate of Change: The Catholic Church's Dance With Science,†New York Times, May 27, 2015 Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Druthers : free choice or preference; If I had my druthers, I'd be relaxing at the beach this weekend instead of cleaning out my garage. torpid : (adjective) Lethargic; apathetic.; inert, sluggish; They are always in a torpid state, and are apt to yawn and go to sleep over any intellectual toil. Rosinante : noun: An old, worn-out horse. ; "But there was still a second nag, a Rosinante nodding with shut eyelids and drooping knees over the manger, and the saddle hung ready on its pin." R. Campbell Thompson; A Pilgrim's Scrip; John Lane; 1915. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 15, 2015***** mollify : to soften in feeling or temper, as a person; pacify; appease; ...my mother would be dragged from unconsciousness, hoisting herself grimly out of bed, shuffling across the hall to mollify and soothe, while I slept through it all, conked out like a slug drowning in beer, evading the fallout from my crimes. Margaret Atwood, "The Headless Horseman," Moral Disorder and Other Stories, 2006 Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Neoteric : modern or recent in origin; The book's dialogue is peppered with neoteric slang and jargon that can be challenging for the reader to decode. monolithic : (adjective) Massive, solid, and uniform.; massive, monumental; During her travels, she studied the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture. doryphore : noun: A pedantic or persistent critic. ; "Do you wind everyone up because you are nothing more than a doryphore?" Tom Whitehead; Doryphores Must Keep Away from Dinner Parties; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Oct 25, 2001. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest", but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2015***** tommyrot : nonsense; utter foolishness; Then, as he saluted to acknowledge his tip, he added in the wheezy voice of the man of all weathers: "Tommy-rot, I call it, sir.†Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Land of Mist, 1926 Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Modicum : a small portion; If you had possessed a modicum of sense, you would have paused to think before accepting such a dangerous job. perambulator : (noun) A small vehicle with four wheels in which a baby or child is pushed around.; stroller, baby buggy, pram, pushchair, go-cart, pusher, carriage; Charlotte is quite spoiled; each of her dolls has its own perambulator, parasol, and wardrobe. ratty : adjective: 1. Of, relating to, or full of rats. 2. Shabby. 3. Irritable; angry. ; "A bathing suit so ratty it nearly falls off causes her to buy a new one." Alexandra Owens; Give It Up; Allure (New York); Jul 2013. "Reduced congestion, it seems, does a lot more than soothe ratty drivers." Life Toll; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 15, 2009. See more usage examples of ratty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. -Agatha Christie, author (15 Sep 1890-1976) *****September 17, 2015***** crackerjack : Informal. a person or thing that shows marked ability or excel..; We have room for but one verse; but it's a crackerjack, the gem of the collection and illustrates how Ardenas can soar when he spreads his pinions and takes a header into the poetic empyrean. William Cowper Brann, Brann, the Iconoclast: a collection of the writings of W. C. Brann, 1898 Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." Haptic : relating to the sense of touch; "Palmer Luckey, Oculus founder, says the Touch [video game controller] combines motion controls with physical buttons and haptic feedback such as vibrations." - Chris Gaylord, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 June 2015 despondency : (noun) Depression of spirits from loss of hope, confidence, or courage; dejection.; despondence, disconsolateness; He slipped through all the grades of despondency until he reached a bottom of absolute gloom. pullulate : verb intr.: 1. To sprout or breed. 2. To swarm or teem. 3. To increase rapidly. ; "You know less than you think you do. The constant reinforcement of that sorry idea has become a drumbeat under parenting, as advice books of every kind pullulate like toadstools after a storm." Andrew Solomon; Go Play Outside; The New York Times; Dec 14, 2014. See more usage examples of pullulate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation. Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. -Jean Arp, artist and poet (16 Sep 1887-1948) *****September 18, 2015***** too-too : Informal. excessively and tastelessly affected: The movie was simp..; Think of the frisson of awarding Best Picture to a 37-year-old movie. Isn’t it just, well, too-too? The Bagger, "It’s Up to You, New York, but Not Really," New York Times, December 8, 2006 Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Quondam : former or sometime; Many people were surprised to learn that the quondam poet and professor had since become an accountant. piecemeal : (adverb) By a small amount at a time; in stages.; bit by bit, in stages, little by little; The research structure has developed piecemeal over the course of a century. winkle : noun: A periwinkle, any of various mollusks with a spiral shell. verb tr.: To extract with effort or difficulty. ; Dougherty is a smart, pragmatic but deep-thinking cop who winkles out the truth by virtue of dogged police work." Declan Burke; Intricate Confessions, Historic Skeletons, Heartbreaking Tragedy; Irish Times (Dublin); Aug 29, 2015. See more usage examples of winkle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 19, 2015***** shibboleth : a peculiarity of pronunciation, behavior, mode of dress, etc., ..; The latter air is indeed the shibboleth and diploma piece of the penny whistler; I hazard a guess it was originally composed for this instrument. Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, The Wrong Box, 1889 Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Circumlocution : use of too many words or evasive speech; "It certainly could not be objected that he used any needless circumlocution, or failed to speak directly to the purpose." - Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, 1839 perusal : (noun) Reading carefully with intent to remember.; poring over, studying; Many biographies have been written about her, but a perusal of her personal diaries is still the best way to learn about her life. capriole : noun: 1. A playful leap: caper. 2. A leap made by a trained horse involving a backward kick of the hind legs at the top of the leap. ; "This new book, the fattest so far, has a good many such rash half-caprioles of wit." Frank Kermode; Hip Gnosis; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 12, 2002. "Spectators can watch a horse smaller than 34 inches tall do tricks such as a capriole, an upward leap combined with a backward kick of the hind feet." Martha Ellen; Miniature Horses Featured at Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Aug 6, 2011. See more usage examples of capriole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Be not too hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse like angels but they live like men. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 20, 2015***** gingerly : with great care or caution; warily; So Ian gingerly set foot to the floor, dressed and began his work as a war correspondent. Evelyn Waugh, Unconditional Surrender, 1961 Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Incandescent : white or glowing with intense heat; The attic was lit by a single incandescent bulb, but that was all the light we needed to read the labels on the storage boxes. cordate : (adjective) Having a heart-shaped outline.; heart-shaped, cordiform; When a cordate leaf fell from the tree, she considered it a sign that she would soon find love. capriole : noun: 1. A playful leap: caper. 2. A leap made by a trained horse involving a backward kick of the hind legs at the top of the leap. ; "This new book, the fattest so far, has a good many such rash half-caprioles of wit." Frank Kermode; Hip Gnosis; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 12, 2002. "Spectators can watch a horse smaller than 34 inches tall do tricks such as a capriole, an upward leap combined with a backward kick of the hind feet." Martha Ellen; Miniature Horses Featured at Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Aug 6, 2011. See more usage examples of capriole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Be not too hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse like angels but they live like men. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 21, 2015***** timocracy : a form of government in which love of honor is the dominant moti..; The individual who answers to timocracy has some noticeable qualities. He is described as ill-educated, but, like the Spartan, a lover of literature… Plato, The Republic, translated by Benjamin Jowett, 1856 Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." Peruse : to read over attentively or leisurely; Dmitri perused the menu while we waited for a table. stokehold : (noun) The area or compartment into which a ship's furnaces or boilers open.; fireroom, stokehole; When the ship was sinking, many passengers were able to escape, but the stokehold crew was trapped below deck. capriole : noun: 1. A playful leap: caper. 2. A leap made by a trained horse involving a backward kick of the hind legs at the top of the leap. ; "This new book, the fattest so far, has a good many such rash half-caprioles of wit." Frank Kermode; Hip Gnosis; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 12, 2002. "Spectators can watch a horse smaller than 34 inches tall do tricks such as a capriole, an upward leap combined with a backward kick of the hind feet." Martha Ellen; Miniature Horses Featured at Gouverneur & St. Lawrence County Fair; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Aug 6, 2011. See more usage examples of capriole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Be not too hasty to trust or admire the teachers of morality; they discourse like angels but they live like men. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 22, 2015***** enervate : to deprive of force or strength; destroy the vigor of; weaken. Sy..; You’re young, you’re impressionable, you won’t mind my saying that you’re not built for a stoic, and hang it, they'll coddle you, they'll enervate you, they'll sentimentalize you, they'll make a Mungold of you! Edith Wharton, "The Pot-Boiler," The Hermit and the Wild Woman and Other Stories, 1908 Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). War Story : a story of a memorable experience; When asked what was most difficult about her present job, the interviewee freely shared some rather entertaining and impressive war stories. decanter : (noun) A vessel used for decanting, especially a decorative bottle used for serving wine.; carafe; Sir Percival was sitting at the table with a decanter of wine before him. kenning : noun: A figurative, usually compound, expression used to describe something. For example, whale road for an ocean and oar steed for a ship. ; "The hero, Beewolf (a kenning for bear, named the 'bee wolf' for its plundering of hives), heads to the Golden Hall." John Garth; Monster Munch; New Statesman (London, UK); May 30, 2014. "In the dawn of the English language the earliest poets or scops invented words like 'battleflash' to describe a sword, or they would identify a boat by its function with a kenning like 'wave-skimmer'." Samuel Hazo; What's in a Name?; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Feb 17, 2008. See more usage examples of kenning in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Invention requires an excited mind; execution, a calm one. -Johann Peter Eckermann, poet (21 Sep 1792-1854) *****September 23, 2015***** penitent : feeling or expressing sorrow for sin or wrongdoing and disposed t..; O that it were to do! / What have we done? / Didst ever hear a man so penitent? William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, 1592 Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. Binary : consisting of two things or parts; Brass is a binary alloy, having the two metallic elements copper and zinc. clodhopper : (noun) A thick and heavy shoe.; brogan, brogue, work shoe; He trotted noisily across the hardwood floors in his clodhoppers. mot juste : noun: The right word. ; "Bennett Miller is a filmmaker who thinks his way long and hard into each project, and indeed each sentence, always groping for the mot juste." Tim Robey; 'It's a Film About Fathers and Fatherliness'; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jan 8, 2015. See more usage examples of mot juste in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket, and do not pull it out and strike it merely to show you have one. If you are asked what o'clock it is, tell it, but do not proclaim it hourly and unasked, like the watchman. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2015***** snickersnee : a knife, especially one used as a weapon; The commander of the sloop was hurrying about and giving a world of orders, which were not very strictly attended to, one man being busy in lighting his pipe, and another in sharpening his snicker-snee. Washington Irving, Bracebridge Hall, 1882 Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. Equinox : time when day and night are equal length; Though many in the U.S. and Canada consider summer to end on Labor Day, the autumnal equinox, which falls on September 22nd or 23rd (and the latter in 2015), marks the true beginning of autumn. peavey : (noun) A stout lever with a sharp spike; used for handling logs.; cant dog; The lumberjack rammed the peavey's spike into the log and rolled it toward the pile. holophrasm : noun 1. A one-word sentence, for example, "Go." 2. A complex idea conveyed in a single word, for example, "Howdy" for "How do you do?" ; "Holophrasms aren't common in English, but any verb in command form can be holophrastic -- Go, Help, Run." Kathryn Schulz; What Part of 'No, Totally' Don't You Understand?; The New Yorker; Apr 7, 2015. Thought For The Day: Our conscience is not the vessel of eternal verities. It grows with our social life, and a new social condition means a radical change in conscience. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 25, 2015***** scorbutic : Pathology. pertaining to, of the nature of, or affected with scu..; The best food, which was reserved for the scorbutic patients, consisted of roast beef with onions, horseradish, and sometimes a small glass of spirits. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Prison Life in Siberia, translated by H. S. Edwards, 1888 Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Timeless : not restricted to a particular time; Fashion experts say that a black dress worn with a strand of pearls is timeless. ignominy : (noun) Great personal dishonor or humiliation.; disgrace, shame; The celebrated actor suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison. pochismo : noun 1. An English word borrowed into Spanish, often given a Spanish form or spelling, such as mopear (to mop) instead of trapear or limpiar. 2. American customs, attitudes, etc., adopted by a Hispanic in the US and perceived pejoratively by his compatriots. ; "It was not until I was an adult and studying Spanish literature formally at the University of Texas at Austin that I questioned the fine line which designated certain words as pochismos and others as acceptable Spanish." Aida Barrera; Looking for Carrascolendas; University of Texas Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: In my youth I thought of writing a satire on mankind; but now in my age I think I should write an apology for them. -Horace Walpole, novelist and essayist (24 Sep 1717-1797) *****September 26, 2015***** donnybrook : (often initial capital letter) an inordinately wild fight or co..; The crime reporter told the story in a high-pitched nasal voice that was nearly as grating as the sound of the donnybrook the Dunphys' were having downstairs. Scott Phillips, The Adjustment, 2011 Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Morpheme : a sound or group of sounds with meaning; The word "laughed" is made up of two morphemes: "laugh" and the past-tense morpheme "-ed." glossa : (noun) A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity.; tongue, clapper, lingua; The creature had an enormously long glossa that it used to catch insects. antonomasia : noun 1. The use of an epithet or title for a proper name, for example, the Bard for Shakespeare. 2. The use of the name of a person known for a particular quality to describe others, such as calling someone brainy an Einstein. Also known as eponym. ; "In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy, in the province called Tuscany, there dwelt two rich and principal gentlemen called Anselmo and Lothario, which two were so great friends, as they were named for excellency, and by antonomasia, by all those who knew them, the Two Friends." Miguel de Cervantes; Don Quixote of the Mancha. (Translation: Thomas Shelton) "One of my favourites among Obama's tricks was his use of the phrase 'a young preacher from Georgia', when accepting the Democratic nomination this August; he did not name Martin Luther King. The term for the technique is antonomasia. One example from Cicero is the way he refers to Phoenix, Achilles' mentor in the Iliad, as 'senior magister' -- 'the aged teacher'. In both cases, it sets up an intimacy between speaker and audience, the flattering idea that we all know what we are talking about without need for further exposition." Charlotte Higgins; The New Cicero; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 26, 2008. Thought For The Day: A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others. -William Faulkner, novelist (25 Sep 1897-1962) *****September 27, 2015***** galumph : to move along heavily and clumsily; It is at this point that one begins to feel embarrassed while other passengers galumph by with their luggage. Stephanie Rosenbloom, “Flying Deluxe Domestic Coast-to-Coast for Around $1,000,†New York Times, January 23, 2015 Facetious : adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Limpid : clear or transparent; From where we stood we could see the glimmer of coins settled at the bottom of the limpid fountain. templet : (noun) A model or standard for making comparisons.; guide; By using a templet, the artist was able to reproduce the exact same design on each of the tiles. antonomasia : noun 1. The use of an epithet or title for a proper name, for example, the Bard for Shakespeare. 2. The use of the name of a person known for a particular quality to describe others, such as calling someone brainy an Einstein. Also known as eponym. ; "In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy, in the province called Tuscany, there dwelt two rich and principal gentlemen called Anselmo and Lothario, which two were so great friends, as they were named for excellency, and by antonomasia, by all those who knew them, the Two Friends." Miguel de Cervantes; Don Quixote of the Mancha. (Translation: Thomas Shelton) "One of my favourites among Obama's tricks was his use of the phrase 'a young preacher from Georgia', when accepting the Democratic nomination this August; he did not name Martin Luther King. The term for the technique is antonomasia. One example from Cicero is the way he refers to Phoenix, Achilles' mentor in the Iliad, as 'senior magister' -- 'the aged teacher'. In both cases, it sets up an intimacy between speaker and audience, the flattering idea that we all know what we are talking about without need for further exposition." Charlotte Higgins; The New Cicero; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 26, 2008. Thought For The Day: A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others. -William Faulkner, novelist (25 Sep 1897-1962) *****September 28, 2015***** minimax : a strategy of game theory employed to minimize a player's maximum ..; This is the principle of minimax: assume that the worst may happen and act accordingly; remember that lightning always strikes twice in the same place. This is a basic law known to all successful gamblers. William S. Burroughs, The Adding Machine: Selected Essays, 1993 Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Catbird Seat : a position of prominence or advantage; Susan found herself sitting in the catbird seat with lucrative offers from three potential employers in front of her. masjid : (noun) A Muslim place of worship.; mosque; Though her friends prayed there often, this was her first visit to the masjid. antonomasia : noun 1. The use of an epithet or title for a proper name, for example, the Bard for Shakespeare. 2. The use of the name of a person known for a particular quality to describe others, such as calling someone brainy an Einstein. Also known as eponym. ; "In Florence, a rich and famous city of Italy, in the province called Tuscany, there dwelt two rich and principal gentlemen called Anselmo and Lothario, which two were so great friends, as they were named for excellency, and by antonomasia, by all those who knew them, the Two Friends." Miguel de Cervantes; Don Quixote of the Mancha. (Translation: Thomas Shelton) "One of my favourites among Obama's tricks was his use of the phrase 'a young preacher from Georgia', when accepting the Democratic nomination this August; he did not name Martin Luther King. The term for the technique is antonomasia. One example from Cicero is the way he refers to Phoenix, Achilles' mentor in the Iliad, as 'senior magister' -- 'the aged teacher'. In both cases, it sets up an intimacy between speaker and audience, the flattering idea that we all know what we are talking about without need for further exposition." Charlotte Higgins; The New Cicero; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 26, 2008. Thought For The Day: A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others. -William Faulkner, novelist (25 Sep 1897-1962) *****September 29, 2015***** Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Vilipend : to scorn or disparage; As a women's movement pioneer, Susan B. Anthony fought against the dicta of those who would vilipend women by treating them as second-class citizens. reticent : (adjective) Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself.; untalkative; She was so reticent about her personal life that even her roommates did not know she had a boyfriend. dint : noun: 1. Force, power. 2. A dent. verb tr.: To make a dent or to drive in with force. ; "Holding the [water] can with both my hands, I sharply brought it up against a hook. A good dint. I did it again. Another dint next to the first. By dint of dinting, I managed the trick. A pearl of water appeared." Yann Martel; Life of Pi; Knopf; 2001. See more usage examples of dint in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man's life is interesting primarily when he has failed -- I well know. For it is a sign that he has tried to surpass himself. -Georges Clemenceau, statesman (28 Sep 1841-1929) *****September 30, 2015***** anomia : Medicine/Medical. the inability to name objects or to recognize the..; Lilian’s anomia, her problems with finding words, had increased, too. When I showed her some kitchen matches, she recognized them at once, visually, but could not say the word match, saying, instead “That is to make fire.†Oliver Sacks, The Mind's Eye, 2010 Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Askew : awry or out of line; He said he was fine but he looked as if he'd been in a fight: his hair and clothes were disheveled and his glasses were askew on the bridge of his nose. variola : (noun) An acute, highly infectious, often fatal disease caused by a poxvirus and characterized by high fever and aches with subsequent widespread eruption of pimples that blister, produce pus, and form pockmarks.; smallpox; We could tell from the scars on the faces of the villagers that a variola epidemic had passed through the area in their lifetimes. moil : verb intr.: 1. To work hard; to toil. 2. To churn. verb tr.: To make wet or muddy. noun: 1. Hard work. 2. Confusion or turmoil. ; "There are strange things done in the midnight sun By the men who moil for gold." Robert W. Service; The Cremation of Sam McGee; 1907. "There I am, look, down there, fighting for air in the heave and moil of the lunchtime working crowd, the only unsuited citizen, wondering which way to go." Giles Coren; Eating Out; The Times (London, UK); Oct 15, 2015. See more usage examples of moil in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's no sauce in the world like hunger. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2015***** birling : Chiefly Northern U.S. a game played by lumberjacks, in which each ..; Enthusiasts are trying to get the sport rolling again. Here and there, colleges are introducing recreational birling. And in the past two years, Abby Hoeschler says, more than 100 summer camps and more than 30 community aquatics programs have added logrolling to their offerings. Linton Weeks, "Reviving The Lost Art Of Logrolling," NPR, February 3, 2015 Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." Paroxysm : a sudden violent emotion or action; Though he seldom loses his temper, his occasional and unpredictable paroxysms of anger are legendary among his colleagues. bedlam : (noun) A place or situation of noisy uproar and confusion.; chaos, pandemonium, topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyness; They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam. guff : noun: 1. Nonsense. 2. Insolent talk. ; "Management literature is full of guff about how entrepreneurs should embrace failure as a 'learning experience'. But being punched in the face is also a learning experience." Entrepreneurs Anonymous; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 20, 2014. See more usage examples of guff in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor. -Truman Capote, author (30 Sep 1924-1984) *****October 02, 2015***** espial : the act of spying; The landlord of the house had not withdrawn his eye from this place of espial for five minutes, and Barney had only just returned from making the communication above related, when Fagin, in the course of his evening's business, came into the bar to inquire after some of his young pupils. Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist, 1838 Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." Consternation : amazement or dismay; To the consternation of her students, Mrs. Jennings gave a pop quiz on the first Friday of the school year. villein : (noun) A person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord.; helot, serf; The novel told the story of a young villein who fell in love with the daughter of his feudal lord. weft : noun: The threads that run across the width of a woven fabric and are interlaced through the warp (threads that run lengthwise). ; "Keevy has woven the threads of jealousy, love, fear, and belonging into a strong weft of intimacy." The Ties That Bind Us Can Be Gossamer Thin; Cape Times (Cape Town, South Africa); May 20, 2015. "It is part of the warp and weft, the action and reaction, of team sport." Will Tipperary Hurlers Crack Waterford Code?; Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); Apr 18, 2015. See more usage examples of weft in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For there is no friend like a sister / In calm or stormy weather; / To cheer one on the tedious way, / To fetch one if one goes astray, / To lift one if one totters down, / To strengthen whilst one stands. -Christina Rossetti, poet (1830-1894) *****October 03, 2015***** peripeteia : a sudden turn of events or an unexpected reversal, especially i..; I fixed my eyes on a hawk slicing across the pristine sky and waited for the peripeteia. "Victoria got remarried," Jack finally said. Rex Pickett, Sideways, 2004 Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Spontaneous : done or produced freely or naturally; Since childhood, Marie has been prone to spontaneous displays of affection. heritor : (noun) A person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another.; heir, inheritor; When the wealthy businessman named his son as heritor of his estate, he could not have known that the boy would squander the inheritance on silly moneymaking schemes. quaff : verb tr., intr.: To drink deeply. noun: An alcoholic drink; also the act of drinking. ; "The cocktail repertoire includes quaffs spiked with seasonal produce." Fritz Hahn and Becky Krystal; Endless? If Only; The Washington Post; Aug 28, 2015. "Brits quaffing posh bubbly have helped French drinks group Pernod Ricard to merrier profits." Graham Hiscott; Corking Sales of French Fizz; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Aug 28, 2015. See more usage examples of quaff in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2015***** melee : confusion; turmoil; jumble: the melee of Christmas shopping; …rifle followed rifle, from among the stumps, though it was no longer with any certain aim. The battle had now become a melee. James Fenimore Cooper, Satanstoe, 1845 Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Haplology : contraction that omits similar sounds; The speech therapist assured the child's parents that "the tendency towards haplology will likely correct itself with age." rondel : (noun) A poem similar to a rondeau, having 13 or 14 lines with two rhymes throughout. The first and second lines reappear in the middle and at the end, although sometimes only the first line appears at the end.; rondeau; Her poetry club issued a new challenge every week; last week, everyone had to write a funny rondel about chewing gum. quaff : verb tr., intr.: To drink deeply. noun: An alcoholic drink; also the act of drinking. ; "The cocktail repertoire includes quaffs spiked with seasonal produce." Fritz Hahn and Becky Krystal; Endless? If Only; The Washington Post; Aug 28, 2015. "Brits quaffing posh bubbly have helped French drinks group Pernod Ricard to merrier profits." Graham Hiscott; Corking Sales of French Fizz; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Aug 28, 2015. See more usage examples of quaff in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 05, 2015***** atelier : a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designe..; Ateliers—the word is French for studio—have a rich history as a place where artists practice their craft and transmit their knowledge to other artists. Jacqueline L. Salmon, “Companions in Creativity; The Nook Known as the Artists' Atelier Provides More Than Just a Place to Paint,†Washington Post, May 11, 2006 Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Extradite : to send (an accused) elsewhere for trial; An alleged criminal is typically only extradited under the provisions of a treaty or statute, but a fugitive is occasionally surrendered by one state or country to another as an act of good will. confluence : (noun) A gathering, flowing, or meeting together at one juncture or point.; meeting; He had long noted that the greatest disasters were rarely the result of one misfortune but were the result of a confluence of several of them. quaff : verb tr., intr.: To drink deeply. noun: An alcoholic drink; also the act of drinking. ; "The cocktail repertoire includes quaffs spiked with seasonal produce." Fritz Hahn and Becky Krystal; Endless? If Only; The Washington Post; Aug 28, 2015. "Brits quaffing posh bubbly have helped French drinks group Pernod Ricard to merrier profits." Graham Hiscott; Corking Sales of French Fizz; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Aug 28, 2015. See more usage examples of quaff in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet. -Mohandas K. Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 06, 2015***** amphigory : a meaningless or nonsensical piece of writing, especially one in..; For all this, Schott's Original Miscellany is strangely unputdownable. It is the mother of all miscellanies, aka an amphigory, a medley, a pot-pourri, a gallimaufry, a salmagundi, an omnium-gatherum, a vade mecum, a smorgasbord… Oh boy, but Schott is a snapper-up of unconsidered trifles, a mad magpie at large in the wide world of facts and words. Robert McCrum, “God bless you, Mr Schott,†The Guardian, December 7, 2002 Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Bailiwick : a special domain; Since the organization of the annual Halloween party is Rhonda's bailiwick, you'll have to let her know if you plan to bring something to the festivities this year. lashings : (noun) Lavish quantities.; oodles, dozens, gobs, heaps, loads, lots, rafts, scads, scores, slews, stacks, tons, wads, piles, mountain; Famished, the men ate lashings of spaghetti and meatballs when they finally reached their destination. gannet : noun: 1. A large seabird known for catching fish by diving from a height. 2. A greedy person. ; "Michael Buerk -- I am afraid there is no delicate way to put this -- is a gannet. He steals the very food from your plate. I recall one meal when he had polished off his own steak while I was eating rather more delicately. 'Don't you want the rest of that?' he asked. And before I could answer, it was gone. -Broadcaster John Humphrys." The Things They Say...; The Western Morning News (Plymouth, UK); Dec 8, 2014. "You're going to have to pace yourself. Nobody likes a gannet, even at a buffet." Gareth May; The Ultimate Buffet Etiquette Guide; China Daily (Beijing); July 11, 2015. See more usage examples of gannet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Within one linear centimeter of your lower colon there lives and works more bacteria (about 100 billion) than all humans who have ever been born. Yet many people continue to assert that it is we who are in charge of the world. -Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and author (b. 5 Oct 1958) *****October 07, 2015***** flummox : Informal. to bewilder; confound; confuse; There are things you do that you later learn to regret, that flummox you, unimaginable things that make you pause and reconsider who you really are, what you are capable of. Karen Brown, “The Philter,†Little Sinners and Other Stories, 2012 Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Xeric : relating to or requiring little moisture; She is a botanist who primarily studies deserts and xeric shrublands. febricity : (noun) The condition of having a fever.; feverishness, pyrexia; His febricity was an indication that his wound had become infected. snipe : noun: 1. Any of various long-billed birds inhabiting marshy areas. 2. A shot from a concealed position. verb intr.: 1. To shoot from a concealed position. 2. To criticize in a harsh and unfair way, especially anonymously. ; "When a Politico reporter asked last month how he endured constant sniping from his own party, Boehner said: 'Garbage men get used to the smell of bad garbage. Prisoners learn how to become prisoners.'" Doyle McManus; Boehner's Happiest Moment; Los Angeles Times; Sep 27, 2015. "A former Official IRA member described the attack as a reflex action: 'Anybody who had planned a snipe from that position would have literally been taking his life in his hands.'" Gary Kelly; Bloody Sunday Tribunal to Delay Legal Action Against McGuinness; Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); Nov 7, 2003. See more usage examples of snipe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 08, 2015***** alexithymia : Psychiatry. difficulty in experiencing, expressing, and descri..; People who are confused about the sources of their own emotions—a condition that in the extreme is called alexithymia—also tend to report little benefit from a burst of tears, studies have found. Benedict Carey, “The Muddled Tracks of All Those Tears,†New York Times, February 2, 2009 Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Reprise : a recurrence or repetition of something; "Jo Anne Worley … returns to Palm Springs this weekend for a reprise of her music and comedy act, 'For the Love of Broadway,' at the Purple Room Restaurant & Stage." - Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California), 1 Sept. 2015 diagnostician : (noun) A person who diagnoses, especially a physician specializing in medical diagnostics.; pathologist; She was an excellent diagnostician and was immediately able to identify the cause of the patient's symptoms. dodo : noun: 1. An extinct, flightless bird from Mauritius, related to the pigeon but of the size of a turkey. 2. Someone or something that is old-fashioned, ineffective, or outdated. 3. A stupid person. ; "When the spotlight fell on Alvaro Morata, it shone on a dandy not a dodo." Graham Hunter; Magical Morata Shows He is Seriously Good; Mail on Sunday (London, UK); Sep 20, 2015. "But the government should have little reason to believe a broadcasting and telecommunications regulator is a dodo." Kate Taylor; S ex, Television and Canadian Content Rules; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Dec 27, 2014. See more usage examples of dodo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writing is thinking on paper. -William Zinsser, writer and editor (7 Oct 1922-2015) *****October 09, 2015***** parvenu : a person who has recently or suddenly acquired wealth, importance,..; It was a joke, my dear, worthy of a lackey, or of a silly, smart parvenu, not knowing the society into which his luck had cast him… William Makepeace Thackeray, The Second Funeral of Napoleon, 1841 Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Manqué : unfulfilled in one's ambitions or talent; Natalie is an actress manqué who moved to New York 10 years ago and is still looking for her first big break. confrere : (noun) A fellow member of a fraternity or profession; a colleague.; colleague, fellow; She was an intimidating presence in the boardroom, and even her confreres were nervous around her. magpie : noun: 1. Any of various birds, typically having a long tail and black-and-white plumage; also various other birds that resemble a magpie. 2. A chatterer. 3. A person who indiscriminately collects things, especially things of little value. ; "Where Forrest is spare with his words, Mayorga is a magpie." Steve Hummer; Brash, Swaggering and Hungry 'El Matador' is Ready for Forrest Rematch; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia); Jul 10, 2003. "I've recently started collecting china teacups and teapots. I don't use them, but just keep them in a cabinet. I'm a bit of a magpie." The World of Amanda Abbington, Actress; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Sep 19, 2015. See more usage examples of magpie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct, 1912-2002) *****October 10, 2015***** tumescent : pompous and pretentious, especially in the use of language; bomb..; The miles of stretch marks! The tumescent horribleness of his proportions! He looked straight out of a Daniel Clowes comic book. Junot Diaz, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2007 Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Incidence : an occurrence or rate of occurrence; The neighborhood boasts excellent schools and a low incidence of crime. sander : (noun) A power tool used for sanding wood; a loop of sandpaper is moved at high speed by an electric motor.; smoother; After tearing up the old carpeting, they used a sander to smooth the splintered hardwood floor. dotterel : noun: 1. Any of various plovers breeding in mountainous areas. 2. Someone who is easily duped. ; "A willowy young creature walked down the stairs from the rooms above, holding on to the arm of some old dotterel who had no doubt been duped into imagined vigour." David Ashton; Inspector McLevy Mysteries: Omnibus; Polygon; 2015. See more usage examples of dotterel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 11, 2015***** jejune : without interest or significance; dull; insipid: a jejune novel; “…The first two are painfully jejune, of course, the way Tom Sawyer is jejune when compared to Huckleberry Finn, but the last one—although no Huck Finn—does show growth.†Stephen King, Finders Keepers, 2015 Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Wooden : lacking ease or flexibility; In the early days of basketball, baskets were often attached to balconies over which interfering spectators could lean-until wooden backboards made that interference impossible. serigraph : (noun) A print made using a stencil process in which an image or design is superimposed on a very fine mesh screen and printing ink is squeegeed onto the printing surface through the area of the screen that is not covered by the stencil.; silk screen print, silkscreen; Nicole examined the dragonfly serigraph on the t-shirt to make sure the image had transferred clearly. dotterel : noun: 1. Any of various plovers breeding in mountainous areas. 2. Someone who is easily duped. ; "A willowy young creature walked down the stairs from the rooms above, holding on to the arm of some old dotterel who had no doubt been duped into imagined vigour." David Ashton; Inspector McLevy Mysteries: Omnibus; Polygon; 2015. See more usage examples of dotterel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 12, 2015***** divulgate : Archaic. to make publicly known; publish; These scholarly truths are now well-known to laymen; Ezra Pound himself could divulgate them in one of his literary tabloids where he says: "The best thing I ever heard in Dr. Schelling's class-room was the theory that Shakespeare wanted to be a poet but that he had to take to the writing of plays." G. A. Borgese, "On Dante Criticism," Annual Reports of the Dante Society, 1936 Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. Luminary : a very famous or successful person; The marble wall facing the entrance to the school's science building is engraved with the names of luminaries from the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. megrim : (noun) A severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men.; hemicrania, migraine, sick headache; Her megrims were severe, and she often had to miss work because of the terrible pain. dotterel : noun: 1. Any of various plovers breeding in mountainous areas. 2. Someone who is easily duped. ; "A willowy young creature walked down the stairs from the rooms above, holding on to the arm of some old dotterel who had no doubt been duped into imagined vigour." David Ashton; Inspector McLevy Mysteries: Omnibus; Polygon; 2015. See more usage examples of dotterel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 13, 2015***** bromide : a platitude or trite saying; There have been many remarks made about time, and life, and most of these have become bromides. What writers call clichés. Grace Metalious, Peyton Place, 1956 Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Delve : to dig, to search for, or to examine; "Of course, help yourself to whatever you like," Rosalie murmured vaguely before delving back into her book. verrucose : (adjective) Covered with warts or wartlike projections.; wartlike, warty; The witch extended her verrucose arm and shook her gnarled finger in the little boy's face. ambit : noun: Scope, range, limit, or boundary. ; "President Buhari acted within the ambit of the law by taking his time to do a thorough job." Agenda for New Ministers; The Sun (Lagos, Nigeria); Oct 2, 2015. See more usage examples of ambit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994) *****October 14, 2015***** cognoscenti : persons who have superior knowledge and understanding of a par..; There in Jefferson's "President's Palace" were laureates of achievement in the pursuit of peace, literature and science: 49 winners of the Nobel Prize, plus other cognoscenti--those who know. , "A brilliant night to remember at the White House; Cognoscenti Come to Call," Life, May 11, 1962 Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Proclivity : a strong inclination toward something; Martin's proclivity to lose his temper made him difficult to work with. maelstrom : (noun) A whirlpool of extraordinary size or violence.; whirlpool, vortex; Suddenly going down in a maelstrom, within three rods of the planks, he wholly disappeared from view, as if diving under the keel. peculate : verb tr., intr.: To steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care. ; "A second figure, a major named Liu Bu, confessed to having peculated 1,700 to 1,800 taels from the purchase of materiel and another 3,000 taels from bribes, gifts, and unreported surpluses on construction jobs." Randall A. Dodgen; Controlling the Dragon; University of Hawaii Press; 2001. See more usage examples of peculate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is a four-letter word. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 15, 2015***** obstreperous : resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly...; Unfortunately the facts were refusing to fit her theory. They were being highly obstreperous--appearing, disappearing and reappearing in all the wrong places. Michael Palin, Hemingway's Chair, 1995 Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Affluent : having a large amount of money; The town relies on its affluent part-time residents-those who arrive when the local mountains glisten with snow. halcyon : (adjective) Marked by peace and prosperity.; prosperous, golden; We spent a few halcyon years in New York before the stock market crashed. resumptive : adjective: Tending to resume, repeat, or summarize. ; "'At the time of the robo-signing controversy last year, we stopped doing all foreclosures and then started reviewing them all in December,' said Bank of America spokesman Rick Simon. 'We're still in that resumptive process and a lot of the slowdown you see now is left over from last year.'" Patrick May; Foreclosures in Silicon Valley Remain Stubbornly Slow; Oakland Tribune (California); May 18, 2011. Thought For The Day: I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969) *****October 16, 2015***** ides : (used with a singular or plural verb) (in the ancient Roman calendar)..; Each month had three reference dates: the Calends, Nones, and Ides. … In March, May, July, and October, the Nones fell on the 7th day and the Ides on the 15th. Richard Stephenson, "Astronomy in the monasteries," New Scientist, April 19, 1984 Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Miasma : a depleting or corrupting atmosphere; "A local photographer graciously let me borrow a good lens-cleaning cloth, which I used repeatedly in the swirling miasma of mist and rain." - Clark Fair, The Alaska Dispatch News, 13 Sept. 2015 windbreaker : (noun) A trademark used for a warm outer jacket having close-fitting, often elastic, cuffs and waistband.; anorak, parka, windcheater; George's windbreaker was torn, and he shivered in the cold night air. uberous : adjective: Abundant; fruitful. ; "School Principal lauded the Primary teachers for their uberous contribution in preparing the small kids for their best presentations." Vishwa Bharati Celebrates Janam Ashtami; Early Times (India); Sep 2, 2015. Thought For The Day: The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 17, 2015***** shirk : to evade work, duty, etc; Mr. T said he understood his duty and said it's not his style to shirk responsibilities. , "Mr. T Pities Criminals as He Awaits Jury Duty," New York Times, August 16, 2014 Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Tremulous : trembling, timid, shaky, or sensitive; The piece begins with the tremulous tones of a violin coming from what sounds like a great distance. salubrious : (adjective) Conducive or favorable to health or well-being.; healthy, good for you; She owned a cheerful vegetarian restaurant where she sold protein shakes and other salubrious refreshments. olio : noun: A miscellaneous collection of things, for example, a variety show. ; "I will launch into an olio of malapropisms, bad abbreviations, similar words that tend to be used interchangeably." All right, Already! Today You Get Plenty of Options; Daily Herald (Illinois); Sep 13, 2015. Thought For The Day: Who, being loved, is poor? -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 18, 2015***** oneiric : of or relating to dreams; To be sure, it is easy to assume that in the domain of the illogical, the fantastic, the subconscious and oneiric, variety is inexhaustible, and that every new and slightly different juxtaposition of unrelated elements constitutes a new departure. John Simon, "Walking Redundancy," New York, June 23, 1969 Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." Jurisprudence : the science or system of law; A basic premise of American jurisprudence is that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. wakeless : (adjective) (Of sleep) deep or unbroken.; profound, sound, heavy; He fell into a deep, wakeless sleep. olio : noun: A miscellaneous collection of things, for example, a variety show. ; "I will launch into an olio of malapropisms, bad abbreviations, similar words that tend to be used interchangeably." All right, Already! Today You Get Plenty of Options; Daily Herald (Illinois); Sep 13, 2015. Thought For The Day: Who, being loved, is poor? -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 19, 2015***** haplography : the accidental omission of a letter or letter group that shoul..; May I add a note to John Kidd’s “The scandal of Ulysses†on the related ruckus over textual corruptions in the Gilbert and Ellmann edition of Joyce’s letters … in the novel the disappearance of an aposiopesis and a dieresis, dittography replacing what had been mistaken as haplography, etc. Robert Craft, Letter to the editor, "'The Scandal of Ulysses': An Exchange,"The New York Review of Books, August 18, 1988 Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." Blithesome : gay or merry; "… I had washed my being in the sunrise and felt as blithesome as the day." - Lucy Maud Montgomery, "A Correspondence and a Climax," 1905 seamster : (noun) A tailor.; sartor, tailor; We found a talented seamster who fixed the ill-fitting pants in an hour. olio : noun: A miscellaneous collection of things, for example, a variety show. ; "I will launch into an olio of malapropisms, bad abbreviations, similar words that tend to be used interchangeably." All right, Already! Today You Get Plenty of Options; Daily Herald (Illinois); Sep 13, 2015. Thought For The Day: Who, being loved, is poor? -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 20, 2015***** mawkish : characterized by sickly sentimentality; weakly emotional; maudlin...; Iris's calm indifference saved me from what might have been a truly mawkish outburst calculated to interest her at any cost (mawkish because, I am confident, none of our deepest wishes or deeds is, finally, when honestly declared very wonderful or mysterious: simplicity, not complexity, is at the center of our being…) Gore Vidal, Messiah, 1954 Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." Oldster : an old or elderly person; More and more oldsters are embracing the Internet and connecting and interacting using social media. hillock : (noun) A small natural hill.; knoll, mound, hammock; Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. hogen-mogen : noun: A person having or affecting high power. adjective: Powerful; grand. ; "She's all grand hogen-mogen one minute and a flirting flibbergib the next." Peter S. Beagle; Tamsin; Penguin; 1999. Thought For The Day: A man of courage never needs weapons, but he may need bail. -Lewis Mumford, writer and philosopher (19 Oct 1895-1990) *****October 21, 2015***** dithyramb : any wildly enthusiastic speech or writing; The book is exalted, and flawed, by what is almost a madness of metaphors, Blackmur's piled on Adams's, a dithyramb about a dithyramb. It would be difficult to think of a book operating on a higher level than this one. Anatole Broyard, "Cathedral of Thought," New York Times, May 10, 1980 Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." Capitulate : to cease resisting; The company capitulated to the labor union to avoid a strike. sybarite : (noun) A person devoted to pleasure and luxury; a voluptuary.; voluptuary; This official sybarite dressed, dined, and visited a dozen or fifteen salons between eight at night and three in the morning. toenadering : noun: Establishing or reestablishing of cordial relations, especially between nations. ; "The party and the labour federation may seem to be on the same page in opposing e-tolling, but don't hold your breath for a toenadering even on this front." Cosatu and DA Lock Horns; The Argus (Cape Town, South Africa); Mar 17, 2012. Thought For The Day: No man's credit is as good as his money. -E.W. Howe, novelist and editor (1853-1937) *****October 22, 2015***** kakistocracy : government by the worst persons; a form of government in whic..; Burt Wheeler arrived in Washington as a Senator in 1923, when the backwash of war and prohibition had brought America about as near to kakistocracy as it has ever come. Hubert Kay, "Burton K. Wheeler," Life, May 19, 1941 Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Nocebo : a placebo with harmful effects; "Medical researchers know about nocebos but are often at a loss how to deal with them. For example, it would be wrong not to tell people about possible side effects of a medicine, yet the more they are educated about side effects, the more side effects they will get." - Alan Christianson, The Huffington Post, 22 Apr. 2015 cat%27s-paw : (noun) A person used by another as a dupe or tool.; pawn, instrument; He was humiliated to learn that he had been made a cat's-paw in the businessman's unscrupulous dealings. poppycock : noun: Nonsense. ; "The idea that what we do in the ballot box does not affect our daily lives is pure poppycock." Brian Greenspun; Hearing from the Greatest Generation; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Apr 13, 2014. See more usage examples of poppycock in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is one art of which man should be master, the art of reflection. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet (21 Oct 1772-1834) *****October 23, 2015***** scuttlebutt : Informal. rumor or gossip; At the Bizerte Naval Base, we got the first scuttlebutt about the coming invasion of continental Italy. "Scuttlebutt," that's Navy slang for gossip. Bob Hope, "I Never Left Home," Life, August 7, 1944 Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Replete : fully or abundantly provided or filled; The children were delighted to find that the costume trunk was replete with dresses, hats, capes, and all sorts of props to play make-believe. abiogenesis : (noun) The supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter.; spontaneous generation, autogenesis, autogeny; Early notions of abiogenesis, now considered incorrect, held that living organisms generate from decaying organic substances, like maggots from meat. sooterkin : noun: 1. A sweetheart or mistress. 2. An afterbirth formerly believed to be gotten by Dutch women by warming themselves on stoves. 3. Something imperfect or unsuccessful. ; "sooterkin, my twin how oft I see you in dark corners of this room so like our early home, a hot dark womb" Alison Calder; Wolf Tree; Coteau Books; 2007. "Dr. Maubray even claimed that he had seen and delivered a sooterkin when he was traveling on a ferry from Harlingen to Amsterdam and a woman fell into labor on board." Jan Bondeson; A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities; W.W. Norton; 1999. Thought For The Day: Think for yourself and question authority. -Timothy Leary, psychologist and writer (22 Oct 1920-1996) *****October 24, 2015***** convive : an eating or drinking companion; fellow diner or drinker; A mug of foaming hafanaf (so a certain sort of beer is called) was placed by the side of most of the convives. William Makepeace Thackeray, "Crinoline," Punch, Volume XIII, 1947 Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Googol : the figure 1 followed by 100 zeros; In January 1997, astronomers Fred Adams and Gregory Laughlin predicted that the universe would end in a number of years equal to approximately one googol. necropolis : (noun) A cemetery, especially a large and elaborate one belonging to an ancient city.; cemetery, burial ground, graveyard, memorial park; A guardian in a braided cap walked listlessly through the room like a ghost stalking through a necropolis. brabble : verb intr.: To argue over petty matters. ; "One can't help but compare Sr. Toni's written brabbling on the one hand, with the actual deeds of the brave Christian women who put their lives on the line in Afghanistan on the other hand." Joseph P. Zwack; Transfer of Power Not Peaceful; Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa); Jan 17, 2002. See more usage examples of brabble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2015***** fugleman : a person who heads a group, company, political party, etc.; a lea..; As with the Marquesans to-day, they had a fugleman, or leader, in all songs, who introduced the subject in a prologue, and occasionally gave the cue to a change. Frederick O’Brien, Mystic Isles of the South Seas, 1921 Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Flimflam : to subject to deception or fraud; The people behind the e-mail scam tried to flimflam unsuspecting users into giving out their credit card information and Social Security numbers. hodgepodge : (noun) A mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble.; patchwork, jumble; Paul's screenplay was a hodgepodge of comedy, drama, slapstick, and tragedy. brabble : verb intr.: To argue over petty matters. ; "One can't help but compare Sr. Toni's written brabbling on the one hand, with the actual deeds of the brave Christian women who put their lives on the line in Afghanistan on the other hand." Joseph P. Zwack; Transfer of Power Not Peaceful; Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa); Jan 17, 2002. See more usage examples of brabble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 26, 2015***** tremulous : (of persons, the body, etc.) characterized by trembling, as from..; The bridge was tremulous beneath me, and marked the tremor of the solid earth. Nathaniel Hawthorne, "My Visit to Niagara," The Dolliver Romance and Other Pieces, 1876 Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Impeccable : free from fault, blame, or error; Although the restaurant was a bit expensive, we found its memorable cuisine, luxurious decor, and impeccable service to be well worth the price. swellhead : (noun) A person regarded as arrogant or conceited.; egoist, egotist; He was dismissed by many as a swellhead, but his ridiculously high estimation of himself sustained him through all sorts of challenging situations. brabble : verb intr.: To argue over petty matters. ; "One can't help but compare Sr. Toni's written brabbling on the one hand, with the actual deeds of the brave Christian women who put their lives on the line in Afghanistan on the other hand." Joseph P. Zwack; Transfer of Power Not Peaceful; Telegraph-Herald (Dubuque, Iowa); Jan 17, 2002. See more usage examples of brabble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 27, 2015***** taphephobia : Psychiatry. an abnormal fear of being buried alive; He had claustrophobia, taphephobia, any and every kind of phobia that steered one clear of dark, confining spaces. John Skipp and Craig Spector, The Scream, 1987 Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." Victual : food or supplies of food; The small grocery on the corner sells meat, bread, fruit, and other victuals at prices that rival those of the big supermarkets. hirsute : (adjective) Covered with hair; hairy.; hairy; The hirsute man used to joke that he looked like a grizzly bear. anodyne : adjective: 1. Relieving pain; soothing. 2. Bland or insipid: not likely to provoke or offend. noun: 1. Something that soothes or comforts. 2. A medicine that relieves pain. ; "The interview, while engaging, was anodyne and strangely emollient, entirely without any edge." TV: Shelving the Misery Memoirs; Sunday Business Post (Cork, Ireland); May 18, 2014. See more usage examples of anodyne in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have a trunk containing continents. -Beryl Markham, adventurer (26 Oct 1902-1986) *****October 28, 2015***** lycanthrope : a werewolf or alien spirit in the physical form of a bloodthir..; History hangs heavy in Idsworth's Saxon church; the building is over 950 years old and a still-colourful fresco from 1330 lights up the north wall, depicting the 7th-century Belgian saint ministering to a lycanthrope, or wolf-man. Paul Bloomfield, "Shipwrights Way: 50 miles of bucolic cycling bliss," The Guardian, June 14, 2014 Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Slapstick : comedy stressing farce and horseplay; Wally doesn't care much for contemporary comedy, instead preferring the slapstick of the Three Stooges. djinni : (noun) In Muslim legend, a spirit often capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people.; genie, jinnee, jinni; The djinni offered to grant Aladdin three wishes. salacious : adjective: 1. Obscene. 2. Lustful. ; "Billed as a salacious 'kick and tell', early indications [of the book Lucky Jack] suggest an anodyne lack of revelation." Lucky Jack; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jul 24, 2005. See more usage examples of salacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US president (27 Oct 1858-1919) *****October 29, 2015***** Jotunheim : Scandinavian Mythology. the outer world, or realm of giants; Utg..; He is one of the giants, and he still watches his fountain in far-off Jotunheim. James Baldwin, The Story of Siegfried, 1882 Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Delectation : delight or enjoyment; During the reception, a three-piece string band performed for the delectation of the guests. "The Kimbell Art Museum has the resources and reputation to bring masterpieces from major global museums to North Texas for our delectation." - Rick Brettell, The Dallas Morning News, 2 July 2015SubscribeGet the Word of the Day direct to your inbox - subscribe today!Did You Know?Pleasure, delight, and enjoyment are all synonyms and all signify the agreeable emotion accompanying the possession or expectation of what is good or greatly desired. Why, then, use delectation, that not-so-familiar synonym? Because, as with most synonym groups, each word has its own subtle distinctions. Pleasure stresses satisfaction or gratification of the senses. Delight adds the idea of liveliness or obviousness in that satisfaction, often less enduring than pleasure. Enjoyment suggests a wide range of deep pleasure, from merely transient though complete gratification to deep-seated happiness. Delectation (which is from the Latin word for "delight") suggests a reaction to pleasurable experience consciously sought or provided. More than all the others, it connotes mere amusement or diversion. beebread : (noun) A brownish substance consisting of a mixture of pollen and honey and used by bees as food.; ambrosia; The worker bees prepared the beebread, which was then fed to the larvae. probity : noun: Integrity and honesty. ; "Mark Steel recalled ... rifling through his grandfather's text-books for salacious descriptions of murders and adultery. His early trust in the probity of the police and the judiciary was later to be shaken from its foundations, and he offered some robust statements of his disgust that police officers are rarely prosecuted for fabricating or manipulating evidence." Tom Lappin; A Pleasing Marriage of Surreal Wit and Wisdom; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, UK); Aug 18, 2003. See more usage examples of probity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. -Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher, humanist, and theologian (28 Oct 1466-1536) *****October 30, 2015***** barghest : a legendary doglike goblin believed to portend death or misfortun..; In Craven, from the castle to the cot, / That is not vocal with my deeds. My name / Will still the wayward child, when that of Barghest / Hath lost its spell. Robert Story, The Outlaw, 1839 Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Pellucid : reflecting evenly or easy to understand; "This is a controversial question with no pellucid answer." - The Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 4 Apr. 2013 phagocyte : (noun) A cell, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and absorbs waste material, harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies in the bloodstream and tissues.; scavenger cell; The doctor was fond of referring to phagocytes as "sanitation workers." rectitude : noun: 1. Moral uprightness. 2. Correctness. 3. Straightness. ; "Manohar has maintained an image of rectitude and financial probity that in today's age can be seen as a modern marvel." Shashank Manohar: A Cricket Administrator with an Unbending Will; The Hindustan Times (New Delhi, India); Oct 5, 2015. See more usage examples of rectitude in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it. -James Boswell, biographer and lawyer (29 Oct 1740-1795) *****October 31, 2015***** epicedium : a funeral song; dirge; Performing The Queen’s Epicedium, an ornate funeral lament, Bostridge seemed to sing from his gut as he let the sliding melodies move his body in a kind of visceral dance. Sophia Vastek, "Bostridge and friends deliver a memorable evening of Britten’s music," New York Classical Review, October 21, 2013 Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Underwhelm : to fail to impress or stimulate; The figure skater's lackluster performance underwhelmed the judges. physic : (noun) A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.; aperient, cathartic, purgative; "Affery, woman," said Mr. Flintwinch, with a friendly grin on his expressive countenance, "if you ever have a dream of this sort again, it'll be a sign of your being in want of physic." emollient : adjective: Soothing or softening. noun: Something that soothes or softens. ; "The supremely emollient Kaiser loves these figures, announcing them to me with a great beam of fiscal rectitude." Bryan Appleyard; The Opera Ain't Over...; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jul 16, 2000. See more usage examples of emollient in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 01, 2015***** ignis fatuus : something deluding or misleading; We fear that it has deceived many an unwary youth, and seduced him from the more useful occupations of life, where his humble talents might have been serviceably employed, to the hopeless pursuit of an ignis fatuus, which constantly eludes his grasp, and will finally conduct him to indigence and despair. M. A. Shee, "Elements of Art," The Quarterly Review, 1810 Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Ebullient : showing liveliness and enthusiasm; "Keegan, effortlessly ebullient even on his worst days, is probably the easiest person in the history of civilization to have a conversation with…." - Jay Martel, The New Yorker (online), 9 Sept. 2015 phytophagous : (adjective) Feeding on plants, including shrubs and trees.; plant-eating, phytophilous; The dot moth is phytophagous, feeding on a wide variety of plants. emollient : adjective: Soothing or softening. noun: Something that soothes or softens. ; "The supremely emollient Kaiser loves these figures, announcing them to me with a great beam of fiscal rectitude." Bryan Appleyard; The Opera Ain't Over...; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jul 16, 2000. See more usage examples of emollient in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 02, 2015***** ferhoodle : Chiefly Pennsylvania German Area. to confuse or mix up: Don't fe..; Honestly, what I'm learning ferhoodles me at times, trying to understand how these English think. Beverly Lewis, The Brethren, 2006 Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Microburst : a short violent downward current of air; "A microburst struck Osage City early Friday, causing downed trees and power lines, closing the town's schools and making streets nearly impassable, said Police Chief Fred Nech." - Ann Marie Bush, The Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal, 18 Sept. 2015 trenchant : (adjective) Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect.; searching; His trenchant criticism redirected the debate and gave everyone something new to consider. emollient : adjective: Soothing or softening. noun: Something that soothes or softens. ; "The supremely emollient Kaiser loves these figures, announcing them to me with a great beam of fiscal rectitude." Bryan Appleyard; The Opera Ain't Over...; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jul 16, 2000. See more usage examples of emollient in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 03, 2015***** desultory : digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a ..; "It strikes me," said Marion, rising, "that this sort of desultory conversation on a matter of such importance is, to say the least, inconvenient…" Charles Lever, The Bramleighs of Bishop's Folly, 1868 Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Ruddy : having a healthy reddish color; Sean's ruddy complexion was intensified after a brisk walk in the cold night air. frowzy : (adjective) Unkempt; slovenly.; slovenly; Between his frowzy clothes and late arrival, he made a decidedly bad first impression. sternutate : verb intr.: To sneeze. ; "He sternutated. That broke the spell." Avram Davidson; The Island Under the Earth; Ace; 1969. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 04, 2015***** landloper : a wanderer, vagrant, or adventurer; …I was a landloper, as the Dutchman saith, a wanderer, and subject to incertain removes, and short sojourns in divers places before. , James Howell to Dr. Fr. Mansell, March 5, 1618, in Epistolae Ho-Elianae, Volume I, 1645 Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." Confidant : someone to whom secrets are entrusted; "Who that has a confidant escapes believing too little in his penetration, and too much in his discretion?" - George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, 1876 hovercraft : (noun) A craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines.; ground-effect machine; The police lost track of the bank robbers at the water's edge, where the thieves escaped in a hovercraft. eruct : verb tr., intr.: 1. To belch: to expel gases from the stomach through the mouth. 2. To emit violently, fumes from a volcano, for example. ; "When cars behind start flashing and beeping, and he realises that we're eructing huge clouds of choking black smoke as we chug and jerk along, we are forced to pull over." Lucy Caldwell; The Story So Far...; The Independent (London, UK); May 29, 2007. See more usage examples of eruct in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 05, 2015***** coriaceous : of or like leather; Christie showcased a capacious personality and a coriaceous hide … but presented mainly platitudes and no clear agenda. Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, Double Down: Game Change 2012, 2013 Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Trepid : timorous or fearful; Were I not feeling so trepid, I might have enjoyed joining the other campers for a nighttime walk in the woods. bellicose : (adjective) Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.; battleful, combative, contentious; She had always found him to be bellicose and was not surprised when he was expelled from the military academy for his belligerent and violent behavior. flatulate : verb intr.: To pass intestinal gas from the anus. ; "Greg writes: I think that a gentleman should never flatulate in front of his lady. But my girlfriend believes it is a showing of trust and affection." John Hodgman; The One-Page Magazine; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 28, 2013. Thought For The Day: Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2015***** recondite : dealing with very profound, difficult, or abstruse subject matte..; Particle and quantum physics receive their due, but the ideas associated with them are so mathematically recondite that any general discussion is somewhat beside the point. Arthur Krystal, "The Shrinking World of Ideas," The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 21, 2014 Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Williwaw : a sudden violent wind; The sailors had all heard stories of ships capsized by the williwaws that plagued the strait. recidivist : (noun) Someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior, especially for the same criminal behavior.; habitual criminal, repeater; After his third arrest for petty theft, it became clear to the local police that they had a recidivist on their hands. ingurgitate : verb tr.: To swallow greedily or in large amounts. ; "Jeremy finally settled down and went back to ingurgitating potato chips." Gord Elliston; The Seagull Wore Glasses; Lulu Press; 2014. See more usage examples of ingurgitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do you wish the world were happy? / Then remember day by day, / Just to scatter seeds of kindness / As you pass along the way. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 07, 2015***** crepuscular : of, relating to, or resembling twilight; dim; indistinct; The whisper of his conviction seemed to open before me a vast and uncertain expanse, as of a crepuscular horizon on a plain at dawn—or was it, perchance, at the coming of the night? Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim, 1900 Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Lucullan : lavish or luxurious; "Two millennia ago, taverns were liberally represented in Pompeii. Today, there's just one place: Autogrill cafeteria near the Forum. Not exactly Lucullan feasting, but they do sell passable panini." - Michelle Locke, The Miami Herald, 25 Sept. 2015 perfidious : (adjective) Of, relating to, or marked by perfidy; treacherous.; punic, treacherous; After Frank betrayed him, James swore he would never forgive his friend's perfidious behavior. nictitate : verb intr.: To wink or blink. ; "'So why don't we tell each other tonight? I'll be playin' at a tango bar.' He nictitated." Isabella and Irena de Wardin; The Humming Bird; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of nictitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2015***** mauka : Hawaii. toward the mountains; inland; You learned what all the island people know, about how to go mauka, toward the mountains in the middle of the island, and how to go makai, toward the ocean lying all around. Kathleen Tyau, A Little Too Much Is Enough, 1995 Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Absolve : to free from obligation or guilt; "A week of staying home from work, absolved of all household duties, waited on hand and foot by your significant other-it's not a dream. It's what happens when you have surgery on your foot and can't walk on it." - Liz Soares, CentralMaine.com, 4 Oct. 2015 tambour : (noun) A small wooden embroidery frame consisting of two concentric hoops between which fabric is stretched.; embroidery frame, embroidery hoop; She was addicted to needlepoint and took her tambour wherever she went. nictitate : verb intr.: To wink or blink. ; "'So why don't we tell each other tonight? I'll be playin' at a tango bar.' He nictitated." Isabella and Irena de Wardin; The Humming Bird; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of nictitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 09, 2015***** frangible : easily broken; breakable: Most frangible toys are not suitable f..; …fear not, iPad owners: thousands of armed-guard-like cases are available to protect your frangible computing device. Nick Bilton, "In Search of a Case to Protect the iPad," New York Times, September 1, 2010 Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Gadfly : a persistently critical person; Ms. Johnson has long been a gadfly at town meetings, and I've grown weary of her attempts to hector the town council into doing as she sees fit. cutoff : (noun) A route shorter than the usual one.; shortcut, crosscut; My father claimed he knew a great cutoff, but it turned out to be longer than our original route. nictitate : verb intr.: To wink or blink. ; "'So why don't we tell each other tonight? I'll be playin' at a tango bar.' He nictitated." Isabella and Irena de Wardin; The Humming Bird; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of nictitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 10, 2015***** lassitude : weariness of body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.;..; "Lassitude!" Capiam dared not laugh but the word was totally inadequate to describe the total inertia that gripped his usually vigorous body. "Extreme lassitude! Total inertia! Complete incapacity!" Anne McCaffrey, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern, 1983 Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Umami : a meaty or savory taste sensation; The cookbook has an entire chapter on umami, and lists a number of common ingredients-from tomato paste to Worcestershire sauce to anchovies-as easy ways to add it to dishes. tableland : (noun) A flat, elevated region; a plateau or mesa.; plateau; The hikers climbed all morning, planning to stop for lunch when they reached the tableland. affectious : adjective: Affectionate or cordial. ; "Bob Bevege's affectious manner and wry smile belie the fact that he has the power to evict people from a racecourse or withdraw the licence of a racehorse trainer or jockey." Protecting the Integrity of Racing; Hawkes Bay Today (Hastings, New Zealand); Jan 12, 2006. Thought For The Day: That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be. -P.C. Hodgell, writer and professor (b. 1951) *****November 11, 2015***** logophile : a lover of words; When I was growing up, long before I became a logophile or even knew that a logophile was a word lover, my mom used to grumble about the misuse of the word "like" on TV. Patricia T. O’ Conner and Stewart Kellerman, Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language, 2009 Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Kangaroo Court : a court marked by improper procedures; The press decried the tribunal as nothing more than a kangaroo court, meting out savage and arbitrary justice. soapbox : (noun) A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it.; dais, podium, pulpit, rostrum, stump, ambo; The author ascended the soapbox and began to read from his latest novel. camelious : adjective: Relating to the camel or its hump. ; "It seemed a very Arabian thing to do, to sleep under canvas beneath huge hairy camelious blankets, so heavy that we were scarcely able to roll over in our sleep." A.J. Mackinnon; The Well at the World's End; Skyhorse Publishing; 2011. Thought For The Day: You can preach a better sermon with your life than with your lips. -Oliver Goldsmith, writer and physician (10 Nov 1730-1774) *****November 12, 2015***** magnanimous : proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, c..; They are magnanimous people, and magnanimity is, fundamentally, the only thing that matters and that gives us distinction here on earth. You know, there are only two classes of people: the magnanimous ones and all the rest; and when you reach my age you have to choose, you have to decide once and for all whom you intend to like and, whom you intend to despise… Marcel Proust (1871–1922), translated by Lydia Davis, Swann's Way, 2003 Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Dewy : wet with dew or unsophisticated; The lawn was dewy and cool on our feet as we set off for a short barefoot walk just after sunrise. vitriol : (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will.; invective, vituperation; At first, she patiently listened to him vent his frustration, but when he began to spout vitriol, she told him she had to leave. adventious : adjective: 1. Coming from outside: not inherent or native. 2. Happening by chance. 3. Appearing in an unusual or abnormal place. ; "For the Greenies, the arrival of Musketaquid was almost adventious; they had never known Allston Brighton to have a visitor." Randy Steinberg; Concord; AuthorHouse; 2001. Thought For The Day: I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center. -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., writer (11 Nov 1922-2007) *****November 13, 2015***** saporific : producing or imparting flavor or taste; My life has settled in here; I go to the sea with my "men," and often cook us lunch on the beach, which they invariably declare most saporific. Bruce Wagner, I'll Let You Go, 2002 Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." Sinecure : a paid job requiring little or no work; The king was in the habit of rewarding his loyal supporters with sinecures. apologist : (noun) A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.; vindicator, justifier; English youth have been so educated time out of mind, and we have hundreds of thousands of apologists and admirers of injustice, misery, and brutality, as perpetrated among children. majestious : adjective: Impressive in a dignified or inspiring manner; stately; grand. ; "His majestious sepulcher can be visited in the garden of his villa, where, also, are displayed his battle trophies." Anita Daniel; I Am Going to Italy; Coward-McCann; 1955. Thought For The Day: To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (12 Nov 1840-1917) *****November 14, 2015***** inconnu : a person who is unknown; stranger; Hers is the one mask that has no name. She's known simply as the Inconnue, the unknown woman of the Seine. Jeremy Grange, “Resusci Anne and L'Inconnue: The Mona Lisa of the Seine,†BBC News, October 16, 2013 Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Bipartisan : of or relating to members of two parties; The bill has bipartisan support in the Senate, since it stands to benefit both Democrats and Republicans equally. dolmen : (noun) A prehistoric megalith typically having two upright stones and a capstone.; cromlech; All that was left of the pre-historic community was a dolmen, an enigma that stood in nature like a letter from a lost alphabet. quodlibetal : adjective: Relating to a question or topic for debate or discussion. ; "All these examples are taken from William of Ockham's quodlibetal questions." Alastair Minnis; Fallible Authors; University of Pennsylvania Press; 2008. Thought For The Day: I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received. -Antonio Porchia, poet (13 Nov 1886-1968) *****November 15, 2015***** indefatigable : incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untir..; Colonel Cathcart was indefatigable that way, an industrious, intense, dedicated military tactician who calculated day and night in the service of himself. Joseph Heller, Catch-22, 1961 Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Equanimity : evenness of mind especially under stress; The most successful athletes find a way to maintain equanimity in the face of disappointment and failure. tiffin : (noun) A meal at midday; a luncheon.; luncheon, dejeuner, lunch; His impudence still rankled when I came into the dining room at tiffin time. quodlibetal : adjective: Relating to a question or topic for debate or discussion. ; "All these examples are taken from William of Ockham's quodlibetal questions." Alastair Minnis; Fallible Authors; University of Pennsylvania Press; 2008. Thought For The Day: I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received. -Antonio Porchia, poet (13 Nov 1886-1968) *****November 16, 2015***** diaphanous : very sheer and light; almost completely transparent or transluc..; Cool, silver-heeled, in a billowing, diaphanous white shawl, she ambles in uninvited at the end of Act I, along with her companion, Oscar (Peter Francis James), a dark, intruding angel. John Lahr, "Dancing with Death," The New Yorker, March 19, 2012 Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." Purloin : to appropriate wrongfully; The columnist resigned from the paper after it was revealed that he had purloined material from other journalists. circuitous : (adjective) Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course.; roundabout; He prided himself on his sense of direction, so Jane refrained from mentioning that the route he had chosen was circuitous and unnecessarily long. quodlibetal : adjective: Relating to a question or topic for debate or discussion. ; "All these examples are taken from William of Ockham's quodlibetal questions." Alastair Minnis; Fallible Authors; University of Pennsylvania Press; 2008. Thought For The Day: I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received. -Antonio Porchia, poet (13 Nov 1886-1968) *****November 17, 2015***** hortatory : urging to some course of conduct or action; exhorting; encouragi..; Some of these books were, on the face of it, frivolous and facetious; but many, on the other hand, were serious and prophetic, moral and hortatory. Merely to read the titles suggested innumerable schoolmasters, innumerable clergymen mounting their platforms and pulpits and holding forth with loquacity which far exceeded the hour usually allotted to such discourse on this one subject. Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own, 1929 Credulous; Credulity : n. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Talisman : an object believed to have magic powers; Ever since he was in grade school, Sarah's grandfather has carried a rabbit's foot in his pocket as a talisman. tirade : (noun) A long angry or violent speech, usually of a censorious or denunciatory nature; a diatribe.; philippic, broadside; Milady had listened to all this menacing tirade with a smile of disdain on her lips, but rage in her heart. sitzmark : noun: A mark made by someone falling backward in the snow. ; "He'd practically worn a sitzmark in the concrete there, so fond was he of that particular fishing hole." Marthanne Shubert; A Woman to Blame; Uncial Press; 2009. Thought For The Day: One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2015***** Panglossian : characterized by or given to extreme optimism, especially in t..; During a career in which Mr. Wattenberg often presented a rosy view of the trajectory of the United States, some critics called him Panglossian. But he said the country had a long record supporting his beliefs. "In American history," Mr. Wattenberg once wrote, "the evidence suggests that it is the optimist who has been the realist." Emily Langer, "Ben J. Wattenberg, writer and television commentator, dies at 81," Washington Post, June 29, 2015 Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Inviolable : secure from violation or attack; The senator agreed to an interview on the basis of a set of clear and inviolable rules about what she would and would not answer. crosspatch : (noun) A peevish, irascible person; a grouch.; crank, grouch, grump, churl; He was known to all as a crosspatch, but all that changed with the birth of his first grandchild. outro : noun: The concluding part of a piece of music, program, etc. ; "Bassist John Deacon is not credited with vocals on any of the albums, the rock section, and finally, the tapering down of the song with the outro." Aparna Narrain; 40 years of Bo Rhap; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Nov 2, 2015. Thought For The Day: If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get people better than you are. Always remember that you often find outstanding people among those you don't particularly like. -Soichiro Honda, industrialist (17 Nov 1906-1991) *****November 19, 2015***** slugabed : a lazy person who stays in bed long after the usual time for aris..; Why, lamb! why, lady! Fie, you slugabed! William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1599 Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." Onomastics : the study of proper names; As a student of onomastics, Gloria liked to keep track of the most popular baby names across generations. bourdon : (noun) A pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single continuous tone.; drone pipe; The continuous note emanating from the bourdon was hypnotic and carried the listener off into another world. solipsism : noun 1. The view or theory that the self is all that exists or can be known to exist. 2. Self-absorption or self-centeredness. ; "These feckless fudgewits who think the world stops when they close their eyes and only becomes real once they open them again. That kind of solipsism is part of the joy of being young, of course." Meet the Exiles on Vain Street; Irish Independent (Dublin); Jun 5, 2015. See more usage examples of solipsism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Does feminist mean large unpleasant person who'll shout at you or someone who believes women are human beings? To me it's the latter, so I sign up. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939) *****November 20, 2015***** empyreal : pertaining to the sky; celestial: empyreal blue; Outside, the even rows of white clouds folded like crests of waves on the empyreal blue. R. Clifton Spargo, Beautiful Fools: The Last Affair of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, 2013 Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Ruly : obedient or orderly; As far as groups of young children go, this one was unusually ruly: the youngsters were all fully engaged in building with a large set of colored blocks. stevedore : (noun) One who is employed in the loading or unloading of ships.; dock worker, dock-walloper, docker, dockhand, loader, longshoreman, lumper; As the stevedore worked, he dreamed of the day he would be able to leave the docks behind and see the world from the deck of a ship. intrapreneur : noun: An employee who works as an entrepreneur within an established company, having the freedom to take risks and act independently. ; "'Don't change companies, change the company you're in,' advises one social intrapreneur." Stefan Stern; How to Build a Better World from Inside Business; Financial Times (London, UK); Apr 24, 2014. Thought For The Day: One cannot hire a hand; the whole man always comes with it. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 21, 2015***** penurious : extremely stingy; parsimonious; miserly; All penurious old hermits are expected to be wealthy, the only point of interest being how much money is in the mattress. Robert Wallace, "The Perils of Being Too Thrifty," Life, March 30, 1959 Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Vicinity : proximity or approximation; There are several wonderful little stores in the vicinity of our new house. virgule : (noun) A punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information.; separatrix, solidus, slash, diagonal, stroke; Because the poem was reproduced in block text, virgules were used to indicate where the lines had originally been separated. bathos : noun: An abrupt descent from lofty or sublime to the commonplace; anticlimax. ; "Yet still there is a notion that real space exploration needs real people. And so we are forced to witness, on the one hand, the bathos of astronauts taking pizza deliveries on the International Space Station, a mere 400km from Earth's surface -- and on the other, the genuine tragedies of men and women dying in our attempts to put them in space." Philip Ball; Philae is Boldly Going Where No Man Should Go -- Let's Leave Space to the Robots; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 15, 2015. See more usage examples of bathos in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag, wash it. -Norman Thomas, socialist and social reformer (20 Nov 1884-1968) *****November 22, 2015***** nominalize : to convert (another part of speech) into a noun, as in changing..; There are two types of nominalization. Type A involves a morphological change, namely suffixation: the verb “to investigate†produces the noun “investigation,†and “to nominalize†yields “nominalization.†Henry Hitchings, "Those Irritating Verbs-as-Nouns," New York Times, March 30, 2013 Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Fulsome : abundant or excessively flattering; "The magnolia was in fulsome bloom, great waxy cups in dark green saucers pressing against the windows." - Caroline Graham, The Killings at Badger's Drift, 1987 menhir : (noun) A tall upright megalith; found primarily in England and northern France.; standing stone; The neo-pagans made the huge menhir the site of their annual spring celebration. bathos : noun: An abrupt descent from lofty or sublime to the commonplace; anticlimax. ; "Yet still there is a notion that real space exploration needs real people. And so we are forced to witness, on the one hand, the bathos of astronauts taking pizza deliveries on the International Space Station, a mere 400km from Earth's surface -- and on the other, the genuine tragedies of men and women dying in our attempts to put them in space." Philip Ball; Philae is Boldly Going Where No Man Should Go -- Let's Leave Space to the Robots; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 15, 2015. See more usage examples of bathos in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag, wash it. -Norman Thomas, socialist and social reformer (20 Nov 1884-1968) *****November 23, 2015***** gratulation : a feeling of joy; Nay more, even when I had reached you safely and beheld the city full of delight and gratulation and sacrifices, I was still suspicious of Fortune, knowing that she bestows upon men no great boon that is without alloy or free from divine displeasure. Plutarch, translated by Bernadotte Perrin, Plutarch's Lives, Volume VI, 1918 Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Nebula : a large group of associated stars; The explosion of a supernova leaves behind a nebula from which, upon cooling, new stars and planets may develop. phylactery : (noun) Either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays.; tefillin; Just before his bar mitzvah, David got a brand new set of phylacteries. bathos : noun: An abrupt descent from lofty or sublime to the commonplace; anticlimax. ; "Yet still there is a notion that real space exploration needs real people. And so we are forced to witness, on the one hand, the bathos of astronauts taking pizza deliveries on the International Space Station, a mere 400km from Earth's surface -- and on the other, the genuine tragedies of men and women dying in our attempts to put them in space." Philip Ball; Philae is Boldly Going Where No Man Should Go -- Let's Leave Space to the Robots; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 15, 2015. See more usage examples of bathos in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag, wash it. -Norman Thomas, socialist and social reformer (20 Nov 1884-1968) *****November 24, 2015***** splendiferous : splendid; magnificent; fine; …Alfrida told her to go and have a lie-down, she deserved it after this splendiferous dinner, she and I would manage the dishes. Alice Munro, "Family Furnishings," Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, 2001 Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Foreshorten : to shorten for an illusion of depth; "The past is a giant foreshortened with his feet towards us; and sometimes the feet are of clay." - G. K. Chesterton, A Short History of England, 1917 miscellanea : (noun) Miscellaneous items or written works collected together.; assortment, mixed bag, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, variety, mixture; The office was littered with papers, files, and assorted miscellanea. stridulous : adjective: 1. Having or making a harsh grating sound. 2. Shrill or grating. ; "Two weeks ago, bankers testifying before a Senate committee were treated with such uncharacteristic sympathy that their lobbyists felt compelled to gloat. ... There were no protesting community groups bringing bus loads of little, old men and ladies who had lost their homes in unscrupulous loan hustles; no stridulous lawmakers blasting the bankers about alleged redlining and other antidemocratic behavior." Jim McTague; Front Row on Washington; American Banker (New York); Mar 15, 1993. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a sort of homecoming. -Paul Celan, poet and translator (23 Nov 1920-1970) *****November 25, 2015***** penetralia : the most private or secret things; But there are promptings of wisdom from the penetralia of human nature, which a people can hear, though the wisest of their practical Statesmen be deaf towards them. William Wordsworth, "Concerning the Relations of Great Britain, Spain and Portugal…as Affected by the Convention of Cintra," 1809 Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Henotheism : worship of 1 god without denying others; "For Assyrian kings, the god Ashur … was proclaimed to be the true king, and the human king was the god's regent. In other words, in the ancient world, henotheism was a convenient method for imposing a king's rule over subject peoples: one all-powerful god means one all-powerful king as well." - A. C. Black, Canaan and Israel in Antiquity: An Introduction, 2001 inexorable : (adjective) Not capable of being persuaded by entreaty; relentless.; relentless, grim, unappeasable, unrelenting, unforgiving, stern; The inexorable investigator questioned the witness repeatedly, long after she had been reduced to tears and claimed to know nothing more. torpid : adjective: 1. Sluggish or inactive. 2. Apathetic. 3. Dormant as when hibernating. ; "Gary is a torpid man who works as a translator for the CIA in the Washington area. He's neither shaken nor stirred." Ron Charles; Life of a Spy Doomed to Rot in Place; The Washington Post; Nov 19, 2014. See more usage examples of torpid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's really no such thing as the 'voiceless'. There are only the deliberately silenced or the preferably unheard. -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2015***** uxorious : doting upon, foolishly fond of, or affectionately submissive towa..; Keith is genial, straightforward, considerate, clear-eyed. He is also charmingly uxorious, constantly deferring to Kim, who, for her part, is fully abreast of Keith's darting hopes and fears. Martin Amis, "Darts: Gutted for Keith," Visiting Mrs. Nabokov and Other Excursions, 1993 Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." Dyed-in-the-wool : thoroughgoing or uncompromising; "In public, Hunter [S. Thompson] was never his true self; he was playing Brando-gone-mad, a true, dyed-in-the-wool, 100 percent all-American showman." - Douglas Brinkley, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2005 slacker : (noun) One who shirks work or duty, especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime.; shirker; My partner was a slacker, so I had to do all the work on the project. fastuous : adjective: 1. Haughty; arrogant. 2. Pretentious. ; "Here the gentry live a fastuous life and wear chic clothes." Edwin Jahiel; Brotherhood of Wolf Stylish, Confused Mess; News Gazette (Champaign, Illinois); Feb 14, 2002. Thought For The Day: We haven't yet learned how to stay human when assembled in masses. -Lewis Thomas, physician and author (25 Nov 1913-1993) *****November 27, 2015***** gormandize : to eat greedily or ravenously; Where are ye trooping to now? back to the kitchen to gormandize and guzzle? Charles Maturin, Melmoth the Wanderer, 1820 Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Xanadu : an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place; To Arthur, the beach house was a Xanadu, the perfect spot for the romantic tropical vacation he had dreamed of for years. phloem : (noun) The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids.; bast; "Girdling" a tree, or cutting through its phloem tubes, results in the starvation of the roots and, ultimately, the death of the tree. impertinent : adjective: 1. Presumptuous or rude. 2. Irrelevant. ; "Colin Firth stars as the stuttering king, while Geoffrey Rush is the impertinent Aussie who attempts to cure him." Satellite Choice; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 31, 2015. See more usage examples of impertinent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best theology is probably no theology; just love one another. -Charles Schulz, cartoonist (26 Nov 1922-2000) *****November 28, 2015***** oniomania : an uncontrollable desire to buy things; After leaving the store, I felt the first pinpricks of panic. I wondered whether Go Shop technology could convert someone with mild oniomania (compulsive shopping disorder) into a total shopaholic with serious financial problems. Alex Kuczynski, “A Weapon of Self-Destruction for Buyers,†New York Times, March 23, 2006 Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Minatory : having a menacing quality; In the moonlight, the twisted winter trees took on a particularly baleful and minatory appearance. transient : (adjective) Enduring a very short time.; ephemeral, fugacious, passing, short-lived, transitory; The elderly woman was depressed and spent her days lamenting the transient beauty of youth. bibulous : adjective: 1. Excessively fond of drinking. 2. Highly absorbent. ; "Sherlockians have always been a bibulous sort; one early gathering, as Dundas reports, saw the consumption of '96 cocktails, 243 scotches, 98 ryes, and 2 beers.'" Daniel Stashower; Why Sherlock Holmes Endures; The Washington Post; Jul 10, 2015. See more usage examples of bibulous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (27 Nov 1942-1970) *****November 29, 2015***** pandiculation : the act of stretching oneself; I think that of all the earthlings' quirks it is the act of pandiculation that would surprise and fascinate me most, that slow stretch and then the soundless ape-howl, in which they indulge themselves with such languorous relish. John Banville, Ghosts, 1993 Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Colligate : to bind, unite, or group together; "For instance, many words colligate with the word 'the,' which is a grammatical marker of definiteness rather than a word that carries significant semantic content." - Tony McEnery and Andrew Hardie, Corpus Linguistics: Method, Theory and Practice, 2012 prate : (verb) To talk idly and at length; chatter.; blabber, palaver, piffle, prattle; I know the age better than you do, though you will prate about it so tediously. bibulous : adjective: 1. Excessively fond of drinking. 2. Highly absorbent. ; "Sherlockians have always been a bibulous sort; one early gathering, as Dundas reports, saw the consumption of '96 cocktails, 243 scotches, 98 ryes, and 2 beers.'" Daniel Stashower; Why Sherlock Holmes Endures; The Washington Post; Jul 10, 2015. See more usage examples of bibulous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (27 Nov 1942-1970) *****November 30, 2015***** nocturne : Music. a piece appropriate to the night or evening; Chopin loved the night and its soft mysteries as much as did Robert Louis Stevenson, and his nocturnes are true night pieces, some with agitated, remorseful countenances, others seen in profile only, while many are whisperings at dusk. James Huneker, Chopin: The Man and His Music, 1900 Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Emeritus : retired from an office or position; A letter decrying cuts in staffing at the university was signed by 42 professors emeriti. imputable : (adjective) Possible to impute or ascribe; attributable.; ascribable, due to, referable; The oversight was not imputable to him because he was on vacation when it occurred. bibulous : adjective: 1. Excessively fond of drinking. 2. Highly absorbent. ; "Sherlockians have always been a bibulous sort; one early gathering, as Dundas reports, saw the consumption of '96 cocktails, 243 scotches, 98 ryes, and 2 beers.'" Daniel Stashower; Why Sherlock Holmes Endures; The Washington Post; Jul 10, 2015. See more usage examples of bibulous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (27 Nov 1942-1970) *****December 01, 2015***** bibliotaph : a person who caches or hoards books; The late Sir Thomas Phillipps, of Middle Hill, was a remarkable instance of a bibliotaph. He bought bibliographical treasures simply to bury them. His mansion was crammed with books; he purchased whole libraries, and never even saw what he bought. William Blades, The Enemies of Books, 1888 Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Paragon : a model of excellence or perfection; "What a piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculties! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!" - William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1600-1601 hireling : (noun) One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive.; pensionary; The hireling said he would be willing to clean out the cesspool—for the right price. gramarye : noun: Occult learning; magic. ; "There is naught of the power of gramarye in you. If there were, you would know it." Cecilia Dart-Thornton; The Lady of the Sorrows; Pan Macmillan; 2003. Thought For The Day: An old miser kept a tame jackdaw, that used to steal pieces of money, and hide them in a hole, which a cat observing, asked, "Why he would hoard up those round shining things that he could make no use of?" "Why," said the jackdaw, "my master has a whole chestful, and makes no more use of them than I do." -Jonathan Swift, satirist (30 Nov 1667-1745) *****December 02, 2015***** winkle : British. Informal. to pry (something) out of a place, as winkle mea..; The physio room was suitably bare; the equipment depended on what Johnny and Clara could winkle out of the establishment. Maeve Binchy, Heart and Soul, 2008 Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." capstone : (noun) The top stone of a structure or wall.; stretcher, coping stone, copestone; When the structure's capstone was finally in place, the builders threw themselves a party to celebrate their achievement. quacksalver : noun: A quack: one pretending to have skills or knowledge, especially in medicine. ; "In Elizabethan times nutmeg ... was trumpeted by the physicians and quacksalvers as a sovereign remedy against the plague." Charles Nicholl; Scary Tales of an Old Spice World; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 20, 1999. See more usage examples of quacksalver in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me. -Woody Allen, author, actor, and filmmaker (b. 1 Dec 1935) *****December 03, 2015***** propinquity : Nearness in place; proximity; On Saturday in his home town, Dunblane, Murray marries his long-time partner Kim Sears. In a little over a month he turns 28; Djokovic, who married his long-time partner Jelena Ristic after winning Wimbledon last year, will celebrate his 28th birthday exactly a week after Murray. They are umbilically linked, a blessing as much as a curse, because such propinquity serves up constant comparison. Kevin Mitchell, "Andy Murray must work harder if he is to end Novak Djokovic torture," The Guardian, April 5, 2015 Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." Etymology : the history of a word or phrase; As the etymology of "December" reports, the month gets its name from the Latin "decem" meaning "ten"-a nod to its former status as the tenth month in the early Roman calendar. discomfit : (verb) To make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert.; discompose, untune, upset, disconcert; Her extreme candor would often discomfit strangers who suddenly found themselves privy to her most private thoughts. viridity : noun: 1. The quality or state of being green. 2. Youthful innocence. ; "Penobscot Bay shimmered blue against the viridity of the forested hills in a true postcard moment." Mary Ann Anderson; Of Moose and Men: Maine's Central Coast; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review; Aug 16, 2009. See more usage examples of viridity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 04, 2015***** foudroyant : striking as with lightning; sudden and overwhelming in effect; ..; “But he no catch a cold,†said M. Quinola, with what he meant to be a foudroyant look at Sir Fulke, “because he nevare turn a his coat.†Rosina Bulwer Lytton, The World and His Wife; or, A Person of Consequence, 1858 Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Durable : able to exist for a long time; The couch is covered in a pretty yet durable fabric, and it should last for years. desiccant : (noun) A substance, such as calcium oxide or silica gel, that has a high affinity for water and is used as a drying agent.; drier, drying agent, siccative; The shipment was packed with a desiccant to prevent humidity from warping the wood during transport. yobbery : noun: Rowdy, destructive behavior by the youth. ; "A police crackdown on yobbery during the Bonfire Night period in Stirlingshire proved effective. Police report the number of calls concerning antisocial behaviour between October 30 and November 6 were down by over a third." Yobs Getting the Message; Stirling Observer (UK); Nov 13, 2013. Thought For The Day: A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order. -Jean-Luc Godard, film director (b. 3 Dec 1930) *****December 05, 2015***** spoonerism : The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words...; Some examples: , Imprimatur : a mark of approval or distinction; "But that's the new Coachella. Being the country's most compelling music festival wasn't enough. It needed a celebrity imprimatur. And with Madonna's much publicized booking last year, the guest list bulged." - Charles Aaron, Spin, August 2007 dobbin : (noun) A quiet plodding workhorse.; farm horse; The dobbin had been a loyal and faithful worker, and the farmer was sad to see the quiet horse's health decline. xenophile : noun: One who is attracted to foreign things or people. ; "Mr. Hall, 30, admits to being a bit of a xenophile, so 'getting to know new people is my thing anyway'." Linda Bock; Changing Face of Grief; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jan 10, 2010. Thought For The Day: Not what I have, but what I do, is my kingdom. -Thomas Carlyle, historian and essayist (4 Dec 1795-1881) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****December 06, 2015***** schmatte : Slang. an old ragged garment; tattered article of clothing; Adele went downhill after that, especially after the girls were in school. She'd go for days without a shower. Started walking around in that pink schmatte and the flip-flops even in winter. Deborah Copaken Kogan, Between Here and April, 2008 Repair : to make one's way or to come together; "… so we repaired to a publick-house, took a friendly glass, and thus parted." - Peter Drake, Amiable Renegade: The Memoirs of Captain Peter Drake, 1671–1753, 1960 scaremonger : (noun) A person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble.; stirrer; When he started spreading the rumor that the government was bent on destroying our homes, we decided that he was a scaremonger and stopped paying attention. xenophile : noun: One who is attracted to foreign things or people. ; "Mr. Hall, 30, admits to being a bit of a xenophile, so 'getting to know new people is my thing anyway'." Linda Bock; Changing Face of Grief; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jan 10, 2010. Thought For The Day: Not what I have, but what I do, is my kingdom. -Thomas Carlyle, historian and essayist (4 Dec 1795-1881) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****December 07, 2015***** gambol : To dance and skip about in play; to frolic; The idea had been to build apartment towers upon a grassy landscape where the young might gambol and the old might sit beneath shade trees, along sinuous footpaths. Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities, 1987 Menorah : a candelabra used in Jewish worship; At sundown on the first night of Hanukkah, Joshua's father helped him light the first candle on the menorah. medial : (adjective) Relating to, situated in, or extending toward the middle; median.; median; They took up defensive posts all along the field, with Ray in the medial position. xenophile : noun: One who is attracted to foreign things or people. ; "Mr. Hall, 30, admits to being a bit of a xenophile, so 'getting to know new people is my thing anyway'." Linda Bock; Changing Face of Grief; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jan 10, 2010. Thought For The Day: Not what I have, but what I do, is my kingdom. -Thomas Carlyle, historian and essayist (4 Dec 1795-1881) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****December 08, 2015***** bombinate : To buzz; to hum; to drone; Like his co-workers he had been somewhat stampeded by Dorn's imitative faculties, faculties which enabled the former journalist to bombinate twice as loud in a void three times as great as any of his colleagues. Ben Hecht, Erik Dorn, 1921 Jackleg : makeshift or lacking skill or training; Bill's only a jackleg carpenter, but he is sufficiently competent to handle less complex jobs. montage : (noun) A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs.; collage; The children's gift to their grandmother was a montage of family pictures. jaculate : verb tr.: To emit or hurl. ; "She pushed past him again, her wounds still jaculating blood, and this time managed to get out of the room." Christina Vella; Intimate Enemies; LSU Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2015***** antipodes : places diametrically opposite each other on the globe; Be it light with him when it is darkness with me! Let him feel the sun of summer while I am chilled by the snows of winter! Let there be the distance of the antipodes between us! Mary Shelley, Mathilda, 1820 Adamantine : unyielding or resembling diamond; The ushers were adamantine in their refusal to let latecomers into the theater. strapper : (noun) A powerfully built, robust person.; bruiser, bull, Samson; Grandmother described everyone in larger-than-life terms. Even scrawny Bill from down the block was "a regular strapper." cognize : verb tr.: To perceive; to understand; to know. ; "So imperceptible is it that it cannot be cognized." Alina Grigorovitch; Magic Artinia; New to the Public; 2011. See more usage examples of cognize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 10, 2015***** lexicographer : a writer, editor, or compiler of a dictionary; For your lexicographer, having written his dictionary, comes to be considered "as one having authority," whereas his function is only to make a record, not to give a law. Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911 Objet Trouvé : a found object with aesthetic value; "Architects, too, have discovered found objects-usually substantial buildings like barns, firehouses, power stations, train depots-but the objet trouvé that Robert A. M. Stern recently transformed into a writers' penthouse and all-purpose retreat from his office below was a humble, metal-clad storage shed…." - Joseph Giovannini, Architectural Digest, July 2007 lionize : (verb) To look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity.; celebrate; She lionized her older brother and was always proud to be seen with him. plaint : noun: 1. Complaint. 2. Protest. 3. Lamentation. ; "That's how it works in this era of Internet preening, out-of-control partisanship and press-a-button punditry, when anything and everything becomes prompt for a plaint, a rant, a riff." Frank Bruni; The Exploitation of Paris; The New York Times; Nov 14, 2015. See more usage examples of plaint in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. -John Milton (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 11, 2015***** fugacious : Lasting but a short time; fleeting; As the rain conspires with the wind to strip the fugacious glory of the cherry blossoms, it brings a spring delicacy to our dining table. Sarah Mori, Malaysian Star pharos : (noun) A tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships.; lighthouse, beacon; The pharos was no longer operational and served as a tourist attraction in the sleepy beach town. suage : verb tr.: To assuage: to make something unpleasant less severe. ; "London Mayor Boris Johnson, who addressed the 2009 dinner, told the financiers: 'If you have a sense of guilt and obligation and you want to suage the guilt, give.'" Louise Armitstead; Arki Reveals Killer Instinct for Annual Ball; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); May 12, 2010. See more usage examples of suage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fame is a bee. / It has a song / It has a sting / Ah, too, it has a wing. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 12, 2015***** fortnight : the space of fourteen nights and days; two weeks; Mr. Gardiner would be prevented by business from setting out till a fortnight later in July, and must be in London again within a month; and as that left too short a period for them to go so far, and see so much as they had proposed, or at least to see it with the leisure and comfort they had built on, they were obliged to give up the Lakes, and substitute a more contracted tour… Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813 Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." escapist : (noun) A person who escapes into a world of fantasy.; wishful thinker, dreamer; She calls herself a mere optimist, but we believe her unconditionally sunny outlook makes her an escapist. gratulate : verb tr.: 1. To congratulate. 2. To express joy at the sight of something or someone. ; "Dr. Israel's truncated declarations of how proud he was of his accomplishments came across as bland, self-gratulating and unfeeling." Walter Goodman; A Few Scary Pictures Can Go a Long Way; The New York Times; Mar 20, 1994. "The wine flowed freely and after an hour I began to feel good and silently gratulated myself on the good fortune of missing out on each and every item that I had absolutely no use for." Ben Wicks; A Boyhood Idol Next Door Better Than Boots in the Closet; Toronto Star (Canada); May 28, 1988. Thought For The Day: If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 13, 2015***** antediluvian : Of or relating to the period before the Biblical flood; The other thing that almost always goes with these myths is the notion of an antediluvian civilisation -- something which existed before the flood and was destroyed by it. Graham Hancock, The Guardian Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." Tawdry : cheap and gaudy; Tom and Pam found themselves in an unfamiliar section of the city, walking by tawdry storefronts and shady bars. insentient : (adjective) Devoid of sensation or consciousness; inanimate.; insensate; Jim thought he might be losing his mind when he caught himself talking to insentient objects. gratulate : verb tr.: 1. To congratulate. 2. To express joy at the sight of something or someone. ; "Dr. Israel's truncated declarations of how proud he was of his accomplishments came across as bland, self-gratulating and unfeeling." Walter Goodman; A Few Scary Pictures Can Go a Long Way; The New York Times; Mar 20, 1994. "The wine flowed freely and after an hour I began to feel good and silently gratulated myself on the good fortune of missing out on each and every item that I had absolutely no use for." Ben Wicks; A Boyhood Idol Next Door Better Than Boots in the Closet; Toronto Star (Canada); May 28, 1988. Thought For The Day: If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 14, 2015***** matutinal : Relating to or occurring in the morning; early; Get up early and wash your face in the matutinal May Day dew; it will make your skin beautiful and your heart pure. Ray Murphy, Boston Globe Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." welter : (noun) A confused mass; a jumble.; clutter, jumble, mare's nest, muddle, smother; Surrounded by a welter of papers and magazines, Susan began work on her scrapbook. gratulate : verb tr.: 1. To congratulate. 2. To express joy at the sight of something or someone. ; "Dr. Israel's truncated declarations of how proud he was of his accomplishments came across as bland, self-gratulating and unfeeling." Walter Goodman; A Few Scary Pictures Can Go a Long Way; The New York Times; Mar 20, 1994. "The wine flowed freely and after an hour I began to feel good and silently gratulated myself on the good fortune of missing out on each and every item that I had absolutely no use for." Ben Wicks; A Boyhood Idol Next Door Better Than Boots in the Closet; Toronto Star (Canada); May 28, 1988. Thought For The Day: If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart? -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 15, 2015***** telluric : of or proceeding from the earth or soil; A comparative study of similar classic adventures…has convinced even the most cautious and conservative gold chroniclers that Ponce de Leon's exploit, far from being a wild-goose chase, was in fact a most sanguine telluric adventure undertaken to reestablish the hegemony of the rapidly disappearing yellow metal. Henry Miller, "Money and How It Gets That Way," Stand Still Like the Hummingbird, 1962 Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Fulminate : to complain loudly or angrily; An avid cyclist, Justine would often fulminate against automobile drivers who ignored bike lanes and otherwise created hazards for those riding on two wheels. pellucid : (adjective) Admitting the passage of light; transparent or translucent.; transparent, crystal clear, limpid, crystalline, lucid; The water in the fountain, pellucid as crystal, was alive with myriads of gold and silver fishes. bouillabaisse : noun: 1. A rich and spicy fish stew or soup. 2. A mixture of incongruous things. ; "Though he was born and raised in Southern California, Kish has an odd, almost foreign-sounding accent -- a bouillabaisse of Canadian, British, and relaxed Los Angeleno." Michael Finkel; The Blind Man Who Taught Himself To See; Men's Journal (New York); Mar 2011. See more usage examples of bouillabaisse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Style is time's fool. Form is time's student. -Stewart Brand, writer and editor (b. 14 Dec 1938) *****December 16, 2015***** clishmaclaver : Scot. gossip; idle or foolish talk; I have heard Thatcher's voice on the evening news suddenly cut through the clishmaclaver of an Edinburgh pub, abruptly stilling the conversation, and causing a dark flush to spread collectively up the necks of its grim listeners. Alastair Reid, "The Scottish Condition," The Wilson Quarterly, Volume 18, 1994 Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Natatorial : of or relating to swimming; This year's swim team has considerably more natatorial talent than have previous years' teams. facetious : (adjective) Playfully jocular; humorous.; bantering, tongue-in-cheek; She was quite gullible and could never tell when his remarks were facetious or when he was being serious. cherry-pick : verb tr.: To pick in a highly selective manner. Example, to cherry-pick data to suit a hypothesis. ; "Inevitably, there will be factions that cherry-pick findings from our study to bolster their agendas." Michael Casserly; A Cap on the Amount of Testing Time is the Wrong Answer for Schools; The Washington Post; Oct 30, 2015. Thought For The Day: The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser, poet and activist (15 Dec 1913-1980) *****December 17, 2015***** milquetoast : (sometimes initial capital letter) a very timid, unassertive, ..; And though he said little, he was not by any means a milquetoast; indeed, he was as capable as anyone of manly fury. John Gardner, The Sunlight Dialogues, 1972 Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Deference : respect and esteem due a superior; Showing deference to his visiting uncle, Charles insisted on giving up his usual seat at the head of the dinner table so that the older gentleman could take his place. ruffian : (noun) A cruel and brutal fellow.; bully, hooligan, roughneck; He had been a bully in grade school, so no one was surprised to hear that he is still considered a ruffian. rechauffe : noun: 1. Warmed leftover food. 2. Rehash: old reworked material. ; "Lines like that inspire forgiveness for what is essentially sitcom rechauffe." Choice; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jun 29, 2014. See more usage examples of rechauffe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 18, 2015***** jocular : given to, characterized by, intended for, or suited to joking or j..; His satire, his alternately jocular and thoughtful interviewing style and his instinct for identifying clever collaborators all blossomed as he found his footing and the ideal forum for his informed sensibilities. Matthew Love, "Jon Stewart: The Long Goodnight" Rolling Stone, February 11, 2015 Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." ampoule : (noun) A small glass vial that is sealed after filling and used chiefly as a container for a hypodermic injection solution.; phial, vial; Because of his medical condition, he was obligated to carry an ampoule of medicine and a hypodermic needle with him at all times. saccharine : adjective: Excessively sweet, sentimental, or ingratiating. ; "The most preposterous notion that Homo sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history." Robert A. Heinlein; Time Enough for Love; Putnam; 1973. See more usage examples of saccharine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****December 19, 2015***** eudemonic : pertaining or conducive to happiness; Philosophers have long held that we can distinguish between eudemonic experience, or a striving towards meaning and purpose that underlies human beings' capacity to engage in complex social and cultural behavior, in contrast to the striving for more hedonic or simply pleasurable experience. Michael Friedman, "Would a Year of Voluntary Public Service Bring Out America's Best?" Huffington Post, March 11, 2015 Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." driblet : (noun) A small quantity (especially of a liquid).; drop; A driblet of water escaped from the corner of her mouth. farrago : noun: A confused mixture. ; "Max Landis's script cobbles together a farrago of cod* psychology and makeshift backstory to prop up a plot that never finds any cohesive direction." Donald Clarke; Creaking at the Seams; Irish Times (Dublin) Dec 4, 2015. * not genuine See more usage examples of farrago in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977) *****December 20, 2015***** valediction : an act of bidding farewell or taking leave; Cambara replays in her mind Raxma's emotional valediction, spoken as they hugged each other good-bye at the Toronto airport, to which Raxma had given her a lift. Nuruddin Farah, Knots, 2007 Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." going-over : (noun) A severe scolding.; castigation, bawling out, chewing out, dressing down, upbraiding, earful; When he was caught chewing gum in class, he knew he would have to endure a going-over from the teacher. farrago : noun: A confused mixture. ; "Max Landis's script cobbles together a farrago of cod* psychology and makeshift backstory to prop up a plot that never finds any cohesive direction." Donald Clarke; Creaking at the Seams; Irish Times (Dublin) Dec 4, 2015. * not genuine See more usage examples of farrago in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977) *****December 21, 2015***** oenophile : a person who enjoys wines, usually as a connoisseur; On a recent brisk Saturday afternoon, at the point where the tail of Atlantic Avenue dips toward New York Harbor, wine and spirits buyers ducked into Heights Chateau to assemble their weekend libations. Behind an antique-looking facade, the store is an oenophile’s apothecary. Andrew Cotto, "At Heights Chateau, a Welcoming Home for Wine Lovers," New York Times, November 11, 2015 Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." abattoir : (noun) A building where animals are butchered.; slaughterhouse, butchery, shambles; The largest abattoirs are those of the meatpacking industry. farrago : noun: A confused mixture. ; "Max Landis's script cobbles together a farrago of cod* psychology and makeshift backstory to prop up a plot that never finds any cohesive direction." Donald Clarke; Creaking at the Seams; Irish Times (Dublin) Dec 4, 2015. * not genuine See more usage examples of farrago in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977) *****December 22, 2015***** gastronome : a connoisseur of good food; gourmet; epicure; Though my sister was as blind on the subject of being a hostess as I was, fortunately Alkibiades was a picky eater and a gastronome, and Kalliope was well trained in ordering and presenting fine cuisine. Karen Essex, Stealing Athena, 2008 Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." incognizant : (adjective) Lacking knowledge or awareness.; unaware; He was incognizant of the new political situation and needed his brother to brief him on the details. quoz : noun: An odd person or thing. ; "That juggling trick of yours is growing older than a floorboard split under the weight of countless eager feet, and rendering you a quoz to the ears." Neil Baker; G Day: Please God, Get Me Off the Hook; AuthorHouse; 2010. "While everything that exists is a potential quoz for somebody, one must embrace the mystery for it to open itself." William Least Heat-Moon; Blue Highways: A Journey into America; Little, Brown and Company; 2012. Thought For The Day: I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2015***** irenic : tending to promote peace or reconciliation; peaceful or conciliator..; "It will be hard to find someone with Merv's irenic qualities," the dean said, "and a peacemaker is what we need in this diocese." Madeleine L'Engle, A Severed Wasp, 1983 Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." rigmarole : (noun) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense.; twaddle, story, saga, trash, jargon, yarn, gibberish, spiel; When I asked why he missed the meeting, he gave me some rigmarole about the train being late. vidimus : noun: 1. An attested copy of a document. 2. An official inspection. ; "The final letter was a vidimus bearing the great seal of Philip the Fair, purportedly confirming the marriage contract between Philip of Artois and Blanche of Brittany." Margaret Reeves, et al.; Shell Games; CRRS Publications; 2004. Thought For The Day: No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 24, 2015***** festoon : to adorn with or as with festoons: to festoon a hall; To add to the magnificence, the Sisters of Charity fashioned twelve large and thirty small garlands and prepared 702 flowers by hand to festoon the walls with artificial wreaths. Lena Newman, The John A. Macdonald Album, 1974 Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." prodigal : (adjective) Rashly or wastefully extravagant.; profligate, spendthrift, extravagant; Her prodigal spending left her with a mountain of bills and an empty bank account. pinchbeck : adjective: Counterfeit or spurious. noun: An alloy of zinc and copper, used as imitation gold in jewelry. ; "There had been something precious between them, like true gold among pinchbeck." Jo Beverley; The Secret Wedding; Signet; 2009. See more usage examples of pinchbeck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create. -Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (23 Dec 1908-2002) *****December 25, 2015***** merrythought : Chiefly British. the wishbone or furcula of a fowl; "The merry-thought! Pull with me, old man?" "Certainly!" Mr. Scantlebray and Mr. Cargreen were engaged on the merry-thought, each endeavoring to steal an advantage on the other, by working the fingers up the bone unduly, when the window was darkened. Sabine Baring-Gould, In the Roar of the Sea, 1891 Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." habitue : (noun) A regular patron.; regular, fixture; He was a habitue at the bar, but he never had more than two drinks in a night. jayhawker : noun: 1. A robber. 2. A native or resident of Kansas. ; "On occasion, Jennison's men joined Jim Lane's jayhawkers in a series of hit-and-run raids." Wilmer L. Jones; Behind Enemy Lines; Taylor Trade Publishing; 2015. "Some Kansans are complaining that Miss America Tara Dawn Holland isn't exactly a Jayhawker. 'She wasn't really Miss Kansas,' Joyce Carron of Wichita said as Holland arrived for appearances in the state. Responded Holland: 'I learned a long time ago that home is where you hang your hat.' She attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City, after three attempts at becoming Miss Florida." Arlene Vigoda; Losing Faith; USA Today; Oct 16, 1996. Thought For The Day: You have not converted a man because you have silenced him. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 26, 2015***** munificence : the quality of being munificent, or showing unusual generosity..; "If you please," said Scrooge. "Not a farthing less. A great many back-payments are included in it, I assure you. Will you do me that favour?" "My dear sir," said the other, shaking hands with him. "I don't know what to say to such munificence." "Don't say anything, please," retorted Scrooge. Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, 1843 Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." lachrymator : (noun) A gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds.; teargas; When the demonstration turned violent, the police used a potent lachrymator to disperse the mob. expergefacient : adjective: Awakening or arousing. noun: A drug or other agent that awakens or arouses. ; "These symptoms of nervous excitement, brought on by an overdose of the expergefacient, soon passed off, and next day he was himself again." The London Lancet; 1864. Thought For The Day: Men build too many walls and not enough bridges. -Isaac Newton, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (25 Dec 1642-1727) *****December 27, 2015***** bonhomie : frank and simple good-heartedness; a good-natured manner; friendl..; The walls of her year-old restaurant are dotted with proclamations of bonhomie—there’s a chalkboard announcing, “We serve with heart and proudly support local farms,†a blaring light-bulb-studded “LOVE†sign, and a giant stencilled Julia Child quote likening cooking to, well, love. Shauna Lyon, "Ngam," The New Yorker, February 11, 2013 Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." patrolman : (noun) A policeman who patrols a given region.; flatfoot; The patrolman was familiar with the area and knew the noises he was hearing were coming from foraging raccoons, not people. expergefacient : adjective: Awakening or arousing. noun: A drug or other agent that awakens or arouses. ; "These symptoms of nervous excitement, brought on by an overdose of the expergefacient, soon passed off, and next day he was himself again." The London Lancet; 1864. Thought For The Day: Why are so many people shy, lonely, shut up within themselves, unequal to their tasks, unable to be happy? Because they are inhabited by fear, like the man in the Parable of the Talents, erecting walls around themselves instead of building bridges into the lives of others; shutting out life. -Joseph Fort Newton, minister and attorney (1876-1950) *****December 28, 2015***** abdominous : having a large belly; potbellied; On the cabin deck stood an abdominous man who possessed the foggy voice. T. S. Stribling, The Store, 1932 Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." lyceum : (noun) A school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12.; secondary school, Gymnasium, lycee, middle school; "That lyceum has ruined him," she added, remembering the insistence with which the chevalier had spoken of the evils of education in such schools. expergefacient : adjective: Awakening or arousing. noun: A drug or other agent that awakens or arouses. ; "These symptoms of nervous excitement, brought on by an overdose of the expergefacient, soon passed off, and next day he was himself again." The London Lancet; 1864. Thought For The Day: Why are so many people shy, lonely, shut up within themselves, unequal to their tasks, unable to be happy? Because they are inhabited by fear, like the man in the Parable of the Talents, erecting walls around themselves instead of building bridges into the lives of others; shutting out life. -Joseph Fort Newton, minister and attorney (1876-1950) *****December 29, 2015***** wing-ding : Slang. a noisy, exciting celebration or party; Garp glared at Roberta Muldoon. "I loved her, he said. "I'm her only child. Do you mean I can't go to this wingding because I'm a man?" John Irving, The World According to Garp, 1978 Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." artistry : (noun) A superior skill that one can learn by study and practice and observation.; prowess, art; They were wrought to such a pitch of nervous dread by the uncanny artistry of their witch-doctor, they were helpless with terror. paternoster : noun 1. A sequence of words used as a formula, a charm, etc. 2. A continuously moving endless elevator that goes in a loop. 3. The Lord's Prayer; one of the certain larger beads in a rosary on which the Lord's Prayer is said. ; "She trudged doggedly across the last field, inwardly muttering her paternoster." Christina Shea; Smuggled: A Novel; Grove/Atlantic; 2011. "We'd ride the open-sided paternoster elevators and giggle at the scare they gave us." Mary Helen Dirkx; A Great Adventure in The Shadow of War; Newsweek (New York); Sep 13, 2004. See more usage examples of paternoster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. -Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (28 Dec 1902-2001) *****December 30, 2015***** stelliferous : having or abounding with stars; Holy stelliferous nights! Now you’re starting to get a glimpse of what I mean. You can see tens of thousands of individual stars, perhaps more. Phil Plait, "What Does 200 Billion Stars Really Mean?" Slate, October 12, 2014 Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." samizdat : (noun) A system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature.; underground press; The samizdat was successful in disseminating the banned literature until an informant turned in its chief operator. mittimus : noun: An official order to commit someone to prison. ; "Problems with the mittimus have recently been blamed in hundreds of errors allowing early releases of inmates, including Ebel and Blecha." Kirk Mitchell; Beyond Bars; Denver Post (Colorado); Jun 12, 2013. Thought For The Day: The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****December 31, 2015***** probity : integrity and uprightness; honesty; …in Judge Dukinfield we believed that Old Anse had chosen the one man among us with sufficient probity and honor and good sense--that sort of probity and honor which has never had time to become confused and self-doubting with too much learning in the law. William Faulkner, "Smoke," Knight's Gambit, 1949 Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." pirogue : (noun) A canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk.; dugout canoe, dugout; Then I'll take you some night in the pirogue when the moon shines. gaudeamus : noun: A convivial gathering or merry-making of students at a college or university. ; "I have apologized for not attending the Royal Society Club, who have a gaudeamus on this day." The Journal of Sir Walter Scott; Jan 1826. Thought For The Day: The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined. -John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist (30 Dec 1935-2005) *****January 01, 2016***** clinquant : glittering, especially with tinsel; decked with garish finery; Sharp perfumes stabbed the nostrils, clinquant finery flashed and glittered in a tinsel maelstrom… Arthur Cheney Train, The Needle's Eye, 1924 Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." buffoonery : (noun) Acting like a clown or buffoon.; clowning, harlequinade, prank, frivolity; Mrs. Williams had little patience for the class clown's buffoonery, and she would often send him to the principal's office. debenture : noun: A certificate acknowledging a debt. ; "'My dear Violet,' Allen said, leaning over to be heard, 'you must recall that Foster's idea of fun is curling up with a debenture agreement that includes an especially ingenious reordering of priorities in bankruptcy.'" David O. Stewart; The Wilson Deception; Kensington Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954) *****January 02, 2016***** first-foot : Scot. the first person to cross the threshold of a house on New..; Custom held that the most fortunate “firstfoot†on a Hogmanay was a tall and handsome dark-haired man; to welcome one as the first visitor across the threshold after midnight brought good fortune to the house for the coming year. Diana Gabaldon, The Fiery Cross, 2001 Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. miscreant : (noun) A person without moral scruples.; reprobate; And here, gentlemen, the foul play of these miscreants must come out. magnificat : noun: 1. The hymn of the Virgin Mary in Luke, 1:46-55. 2. An utterance of praise. ; "Upon this level of success in my life, I have enough reason to intone my magnificat in honour of various people." Charles Lwanga Mubiru; The Uganda Martyrs and the Need for Appropriate Role Models in Adolescents' Moral Formation; Lit Verlag; 2012. Thought For The Day: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. -E. M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970) *****January 03, 2016***** redintegrate : to make whole again; restore to a perfect state; renew; reest..; So you see, gentlemen, how far back we can trace our innate love for one another, and how this love is always trying to redintegrate our former nature, to make two into one, and to bridge the gulf between one human being and another. , Plato, translated by Michael Joyce, “Symposium,†Symposium and Other Dialogues, 1935 Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." valance : (noun) An ornamental drapery hung across a top edge, as of a bed, table, or canopy.; cornice, pelmet, valance board; Large valances of silk, embroidered with flowers of gay colors, which were rather faded, fell from the wide windows. magnificat : noun: 1. The hymn of the Virgin Mary in Luke 1:46-55. 2. An utterance of praise. ; "Upon this level of success in my life, I have enough reason to intone my magnificat in honour of various people." Charles Lwanga Mubiru; The Uganda Martyrs and the Need for Appropriate Role Models in Adolescents' Moral Formation; Lit Verlag; 2012. Thought For The Day: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. -E. M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970) *****January 04, 2016***** prepossessing : that impresses favorably; engaging or attractive: a confiden..; Her manners were by no means so elegant as her sister's, but they were much more prepossessing. She came in with a smile, smiled all the time of her visit, except when she laughed, and smiled when she went away. Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, 1811 Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." coagulate : (verb) To cause transformation of (a liquid or sol, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass.; clot; The medical students watched blood coagulate as part of their lesson in clotting reactions. magnificat : noun: 1. The hymn of the Virgin Mary in Luke 1:46-55. 2. An utterance of praise. ; "Upon this level of success in my life, I have enough reason to intone my magnificat in honour of various people." Charles Lwanga Mubiru; The Uganda Martyrs and the Need for Appropriate Role Models in Adolescents' Moral Formation; Lit Verlag; 2012. Thought For The Day: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. -E. M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970) *****January 05, 2016***** salubrious : favorable to or promoting health; healthful: salubrious air; His features were pretty yet, and his eye and complexion brighter than I remembered them, though with merely temporary lustre borrowed from the salubrious air and genial sun. Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847 Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." inalienable : (adjective) That cannot be transferred to another or others.; unforfeitable; When he decided to fight for his inalienable rights, he did not realize that his actions would go down in history. dox : verb tr.: To gather and publish someone's personal information, such as phone number, address, email messages, credit card numbers, etc., especially with a malicious intent. noun: Personal information about someone, collected and published without permission. ; "He doxed her, posting her address and apartment number, which he had filched from her Internet provider." Jason Fagone; The Serial Swatter; The New York Times; Nov 24, 2015. Thought For The Day: People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2016***** kvell : Slang. to be extraordinarily pleased; especially, to be bursting wit..; Display some heart. Stop whining. Show some character. Grow up. Talk to me about our gone days. Give me something to kvell over. Colum McCann, Thirteen Ways of Looking, 2015 Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." endothermic : (adjective) Characterized by or causing the absorption of heat; endoergic.; heat-absorbing, endothermal; Endothermic reactions are often described as reactions that "feel cold," and they contrast with exothermic reactions, in which heat is released. photoshop : verb tr.: To digitally alter an image, especially in order to distort reality. ; "In the name of modesty an Israeli ultra-Orthodox publication photoshopped the female leaders from its coverage." First -- And Last -- Do No Harm; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 24, 2015. Thought For The Day: We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. -Konrad Adenauer, statesman (5 Jan 1876-1967) *****January 07, 2016***** unputdownable : Informal. (especially of a book or periodical) so interestin..; Have just finished reading Command Decision… I found it absolutely (or almost) unputdownable and at the same time as complete a waste of time as one of Gardner's Perry Mason stories, which I also find unputdownable. , Raymond Chandler to Charles Morton, January 5, 1947, in Selected Letters of Raymond Chandler, 1981 Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." didactic : (adjective) Intended to instruct.; didactical; "The principal difficulty in your case," remarked Holmes, in his didactic fashion, "lay in the fact of there being too much evidence." defriend : verb tr.: To remove someone from one's list of online friends. ; "In Trumplandia to our south, presidential candidates and governors are trying to defriend a quarter of the world's population and put up 'No Muslims allowed' signs." Josh Freed; Tips on Life in Montreal for Syrian Refugees; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Dec 19, 2015. Thought For The Day: Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come. -Carl Sandburg, poet and biographer (6 Jan 1878-1967) *****January 08, 2016***** terpsichorean : pertaining to dancing; At the moment the son's popularity is threatened in Havana by a new dance known as the botacita (the little boat), and enterprising U.S. dance promoters like Arthur Murray are scurrying to Cuba hoping to find it a new terpsichorean gold mine. Winthrop Sargeant, "Cuba's Tin Pan Alley," Life, October 6, 1947 Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." nosebag : (noun) A canvas bag that is used to feed an animal (such as a horse).; feedbag; The stableboy replaced the horse's nosebag, which had torn in two places. affluenza : noun: A feeling of malaise accompanied by lack of motivation, dissatisfaction, feelings of guilt, especially among wealthy young people. ; "When Ethan Couch was 16, he was spared prison after killing four people in a drink-driving accident because a judge found that he suffered from affluenza ... "Couch's blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit and there were traces of Valium and marijuana in his system when he took seven friends for a high-speed ride in his pick-up truck on June 15, 2013. He ploughed into a broken-down car at over 70 mph, killing four people who were working on it. Two of his friends were critically injured and one was left paralysed. ... "Couch's defence hinged on a psychologist's evidence that the boy could not understand the consequences of his actions because he had been raised by 'profoundly dysfunctional' millionaire parents who encouraged his bad behaviour. 'Instead of the golden rule, which was -- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you -- he was taught 'We have the gold, we make the rules,' Dick Miller [a psychologist hired by the defense] testified." Ben Hoyle; Boy Who was Too Rich for Jail Goes on the Run; The Times (London, UK); Dec 18, 2015. Thought For The Day: He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers. -Charles Peguy, poet and essayist (7 Jan 1873-1914) *****January 09, 2016***** sybaritic : pertaining to or characteristic of a sybarite; characterized by ..; A shower he held was for getting clean quickly and efficiently, but a bath, a bath was a sybaritic experience to be savoured. It calms the soul, it relaxes utterly, it allows one to start one's day on one's own terms. Peter Turnbull, The Man with No Face, 1998 Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." sawhorse : (noun) A frame with legs, used to support pieces of wood being sawed.; buck, horse, sawbuck; While thus engaged they came to the edge of a wood, and the boy sat down to rest upon an old sawhorse that some woodcutter had left there. peeps : noun: People, especially when referring to one's friends or associates. ; "I was with my peeps in the right-field pavilion." Chris Erskine; Buy Dodgers?; Los Angeles Times; Apr 18, 2013. Thought For The Day: A certain kind of rich man afflicted with the symptoms of moral dandyism sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it isn't enough merely to make money. He feels obliged to hold views, to espouse causes and elect Presidents, to explain to a trembling world how and why the world went wrong. -Lewis H. Lapham, editor and writer (b. 8 Jan 1935) *****January 10, 2016***** offing : the more distant part of the sea seen from the shore, beyond the an..; The offing was barred by a black band of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the outermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky--seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness, 1902 Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Fealty : 1 a : the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord; "The fealty of country music fans to their favorite stars is as strong as old-time religion." — Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Republic, 18 July 1994 diluent : (noun) An inert substance used to dilute.; dilutant; The artist thinned the paint to a pale yellow using a diluent and a bit of white. peeps : noun: People, especially when referring to one's friends or associates. ; "I was with my peeps in the right-field pavilion." Chris Erskine; Buy Dodgers?; Los Angeles Times; Apr 18, 2013. Thought For The Day: A certain kind of rich man afflicted with the symptoms of moral dandyism sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it isn't enough merely to make money. He feels obliged to hold views, to espouse causes and elect Presidents, to explain to a trembling world how and why the world went wrong. -Lewis H. Lapham, editor and writer (b. 8 Jan 1935) *****January 11, 2016***** cineaste : any person, especially a director or producer, associated profess..; …Mr. Jones remains rigidly focused on hammering home the director François Truffaut’s motivation for writing the 1966 book on which this film is based: To lead Hitchcock, then widely considered a mere commercial entertainer, out of the shoals of populism and into the cineaste spotlight. Jeannette Catsoulis, "Review: 'Hitchcock/Truffaut' Revisits the Master of Suspense," New York Times, December 1, 2015 Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." Ignominious : 1 : marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable; "[People's] first issue appeared in March of 1974—two years after the ignominious shuttering of the weekly Life—and it was an immediate sensation, drawing more than 900,000 readers from the outset." — Jim Windolf, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2013 mickle : (noun) A large number or amount or extent.; hatful, lot, mint, muckle, peck, slew, spate, tidy sum, wad, stack, raft, pile, plenty, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess, sight; It was only when he found a mickle of old letters in the basement that he learned his grandmother had been a prolific and talented writer. peeps : noun: People, especially when referring to one's friends or associates. ; "I was with my peeps in the right-field pavilion." Chris Erskine; Buy Dodgers?; Los Angeles Times; Apr 18, 2013. Thought For The Day: A certain kind of rich man afflicted with the symptoms of moral dandyism sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it isn't enough merely to make money. He feels obliged to hold views, to espouse causes and elect Presidents, to explain to a trembling world how and why the world went wrong. -Lewis H. Lapham, editor and writer (b. 8 Jan 1935) *****January 12, 2016***** inveigle : to entice, lure, or ensnare by flattery or artful talk or inducem..; Thus craftily did he inveigle the vain bird, who finally came and spread his tail alongside the fracture for comparison. The gorgeous feathers at once froze fast to the ice, and--in short, that artless fowl passed a very uncomfortable winter Ambrose Bierce, Cobwebs from an Empty Skull, 1874 Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Mugwump : 1 : a bolter from the Republican party in 1884; "[Woodrow] Wilson was representative of a moderate progressivism that existed in the latter part of the nineteenth century and the early part of this one. He was a mugwump reacting negatively to the new, industrialist class, but maintaining a strong belief in the triumph of American ideals and progress." — Hans Vought, The Journal of American Ethnic History, Spring 1994 beatitude : (noun) Supreme blessedness or happiness.; blessedness, beatification; You have it in your power to raise two human beings from a state of actual suffering to such unspeakable beatitude as only generous, noble, self-forgetting love can give. onerous : adjective: 1. Oppressively burdensome. 2. Having obligations or responsibilities that outweigh the benefits. ; "Some would say the safety standards now are too onerous, he added. I don't believe that. The only reticence I have is that they are taking the sport of ocean racing further from the average person." Christopher Clarey; The Enduring Thrills and Chills of an Iconic Race; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Dec 20, 2008. See more usage examples of onerous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 13, 2016***** peripatetic : walking or traveling about; itinerant; The peripatetic life is the only truly fashionable one these days. And one must not come back empty-handed; it's as necessary to display a vase unearthed from Pompeii or a new dress from Madame Bertin in Paris as to litter one's speech with carisima mia and enchanté. Emma Donoghue, Life Mask, 2004 Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Procrastinate : 1 : to put off intentionally and habitually; Somehow, despite procrastinating, Melody managed to hand her assignment in on time. hostelry : (noun) A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers.; auberge, inn, lodge; Three large rooms were assigned to them in the monastery hostelry. torpor : noun: A state marked by apathy, lethargy, and inactivity. ; "I've had this job [film critic] for just more than a year, and during that time going to the cinema once a week has become a deeply dreary and onerous task, so much so that I now associate cinema buildings themselves with torpor, contempt, and monotony." Julie Burchill; Shooting for the Hip; The Times (London, UK); Oct 23, 1994. See more usage examples of torpor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946) *****January 14, 2016***** bellwether : a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a tr..; On balance, Doon seems a tidy, almost jejune specimen of conventional mystery fiction--hardly a bellwether of a major literary career. Ruth Rendell, From Doon with Death, 1964 Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Chirography : 1 : handwriting, penmanship; "This envelope had the air of an official record of some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials than at present." — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850 shogunate : (noun) A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.).; monocracy, dictatorship; The people had philosophical problems with the shogunate, but they had to admit that trade and commerce were flourishing under its rule. welter : noun: 1. A confused mass; a jumble. 2. A state of upheaval. verb intr.: 1. To roll, writhe, or toss. 2. To lie soaked in something, such as blood. ; "For one reason or another I've found myself involved in several different operations lately in a positive welter of activity, disturbing me from my semi-retired torpor." Richard Vaughan-Davies; Tangle of Red Tape Strangling Enterprise; Daily Post (Liverpool, UK); May 9, 2007. See more usage examples of welter in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sometimes laughter hurts, but humor and mockery are our only weapons. -Cabu (pen name of Jean Cabut), cartoonist and co-founder of Charlie Hebdo (13 Jan 1938-2015) *****January 15, 2016***** hebetude : the state of being dull; lethargy; But the intelligence (that more precious heirloom) was degenerate; the treasure of ancestral memory ran low; and it had required the potent, plebeian crossing of a muleteer or mountain contrabandista to raise what approached hebetude in the mother into active oddity of the son. Robert Louis Stevenson, "Olalla," The Merry Men and Other Tales and Fables, 1889 Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." Brogue : 1 : a heavy shoe often with a hobnailed sole; "Canvas isn't the chosen medium of many shoemakers, so it was a bit exciting and a bit confusing when Toms Shoes, purveyors of the ever-casual espadrilles, announced its intention to make brogues." — Andrew Burmon, Men's Journal, 19 Aug. 2013 arboretum : (noun) A place where an extensive variety of woody plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes.; botanical garden; The botany class took a field trip to the arboretum to examine its extensive collection of rare plants. invective : noun: An insulting or abusive criticism or expression. ; "The author does have some good points ... but they get lost in a welter of invective and innuendo." Stephen Schecter; Singularly Peevish View of Canada; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Jul 22, 1995. See more usage examples of invective in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man does not have to be an angel in order to be saint. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 16, 2016***** reify : to convert into or regard as a concrete thing: to reify a concept; Indeed, this iconic image seems to reify today's conception of mid-century cool, our collective false nostalgia for a time when great design infiltrated the mass market and America was soaking up a glut of talented European émigrés… Amber Bravo, "Fascinating Risom," Dwell, September, 2009 Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Limn : 1 : to draw or paint on a surface; In his Leatherstocking tales, James Fenimore Cooper limns the frontier adventures of wilderness scout Natty Bumppo. firedrake : (noun) A fire-breathing dragon of Germanic mythology.; dragon; Unlike other firedrakes, the dragon in this story liked to recite poetry and was a connoisseur of fine wines. reticence : noun: A reluctance to express one's thoughts and feelings. ; "What distinguished Bates was his quietness, reticence, and emotional reserve. No towering rages for him or tirades of invective." Obituary of Sir Alan Bates; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 29, 2003. See more usage examples of reticence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 17, 2016***** lacustrine : of or relating to a lake; And then there came upon us a sudden squall, ferocious, that rocked the boat almost to overturning. I had of course heard often of these lacustrine storms, erupting and subsiding in minutes, but I had never before experienced one of them. Peter Ackroyd, The Casebook of Victor Frankenstein, 2008 Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Qualm : 1 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea; Some people have no qualms about correcting other people's grammar. milium : (noun) A small, white or yellowish cystlike mass just below the surface of the skin, caused by retention of the secretion of a sebaceous gland.; whitehead; The soap promised to eradicate milia by thoroughly cleansing the skin and unclogging pores. reticence : noun: A reluctance to express one's thoughts and feelings. ; "What distinguished Bates was his quietness, reticence, and emotional reserve. No towering rages for him or tirades of invective." Obituary of Sir Alan Bates; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 29, 2003. See more usage examples of reticence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 18, 2016***** ludic : playful in an aimless way: the ludic behavior of kittens; A third kind of group encounter we decided to call "ludic" sessions. We play what you might call spiritual parlour-games, mostly devised by Farrar, who excels at them. A. S. Byatt, A Whistling Woman, 2002 Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." Nettle : 1 : to strike or sting with or as if with nettles; "Steve Jobs may not have led Apple to global dominance if he'd had the company's new watch nettling him with notifications." — Alexander C. Kaufman, The Huffington Post, 14 Mar. 2015 pogonip : (noun) A dense winter fog containing ice particles.; ice fog; He trudged on through the pogonip, oblivious to the delicate ice crystals melting on his face and hands. reticence : noun: A reluctance to express one's thoughts and feelings. ; "What distinguished Bates was his quietness, reticence, and emotional reserve. No towering rages for him or tirades of invective." Obituary of Sir Alan Bates; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 29, 2003. See more usage examples of reticence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 19, 2016***** aeonian : eternal; everlasting; It was the caverns drinking from the tempest overhead, the grasses growing under the snow, the stars making music with the dark, the streams filling the night with the sounds the day had quenched, the whispering call of the dreams left behind in 'the fields of sleep,'--in a word, the central life pulsing in aeonian peace through the outer ephemeral storms. George MacDonald, Robert Falconer, 1868 Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." Eloquent : 1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression; Because Max is such an eloquent speaker, he was asked to give the toast at his grandfather's 75th birthday party. salient : (adjective) Strikingly conspicuous.; prominent, outstanding, striking, spectacular; I took in much of this in the few seconds during which we stood facing each other, and I also observed another salient feature of her appearance: she was frightfully dirty. brass hat : noun: A high-ranking official, especially from the military or police. ; "'I don't understand why a brass hat from the police would want to talk to me,' I tell him. 'I'm just a passing academic.'" Shashi Warrier; The Girl Who Didn't Give Up; Tranquebar Press; 2015. See more usage examples of brass hat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If triangles had a God, he would have three sides. -Charles de Montesquieu, philosopher and writer (18 Jan 1689-1755) *****January 20, 2016***** kerflooey : Informal. to cease functioning, especially suddenly and complete..; When firemen in Wenatchee, Wash., were testing a new machine which disgorges mountains of detergent foam to smother flames, something went kerflooey. Instead of billowing up behind the firehouse as it was supposed to do, the foam came cascading into the station itself. , "Cloud Nine in the Firehouse," Life, January 29, 1965 Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." Expatiate : 1 : to move about freely or at will : wander; "By the time the Song Festival rep finished remarks, the orchestra staff promoted the raffle, and the conductor expatiated, it was 25 minutes into the afternoon before the oboe sounded the tuning A." — Donald J. Behnke, The Green Valley (Arizona) News and Sun, 25 Jan. 2015 apex : (noun) The highest point.; acme, vertex, peak; Though he was afraid of heights, he forced himself to climb to the roof's apex to fix the leak. sackcloth : noun: 1. A coarse cloth of jute, flax, etc., used for making sacks. 2. A garment made of this cloth, worn to express remorse, humility, grief, etc. 3. An expression of penitence, mourning, humility, etc. ; "This disappointment, coming just at the time when the yearly interest upon the mortgage was due, had brought upon his father one of those paroxysms of helpless gloom and discouragement in which the very world itself seemed clothed in sackcloth." Harriet Beecher Stowe; The Writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe; Houghton, Mifflin; 1865. "'Don't speak to him, Laura,' she had said. 'It will show how we despise him for his disgraceful conduct, and make him the sooner come creeping to our knees in sackcloth and ashes.'" George Manville Fenn; Blind Policy; John Long; 1904. See more usage examples of sackcloth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. -Edgar Allan Poe, poet and short-story writer (19 Jan 1809-1849) *****January 21, 2016***** aposiopesis : Rhetoric. a sudden breaking off in the midst of a sentence, as..; “ … It's their job, when you come to think of it; but it'll be jolly difficult to get them to take it on, whereas you and I ——†And he turned away with a shrug to point his admirable aposiopesis. Ernest William Hornung, Witching Hill, 1913 Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Thew : 1 a : muscular power or development ; "In Rocco's melodramatically murky illustrations, men and women alike display rippling thews and plenty of skin as they battle ravening monsters." — Kirkus Reviews, 22 July 2015 teem : (verb) To be full of things; abound or swarm.; pullulate, swarm; The street teemed with hundreds of policemen who questioned every potential witness. straitlaced or straight-laced : adjective: Excessively strict, rigid, old-fashioned, or prudish. ; "Aren't they the rather dull, unimaginative, straitlaced characters who keep their noses constantly buried in rule books?" Your Stars; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Oct 13, 2015. See more usage examples of straitlaced in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. -Federico Fellini, film director, and writer (20 Jan 1920-1993) *****January 22, 2016***** presenteeism : the practice of coming to work despite illness, injury, anxie..; Researchers say that presenteeism--the problem of workers' being on the job but, because of illness or other medical conditions, not fully functioning--can cut individual productivity by one-third or more. Paul Hemp, "Presenteeism: At Work--But Out of It," Harvard Business Review, October, 2004 Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Effete : 1 : no longer fertile; "Virginia Woolf is often depicted as a dreamy, effete snob, agonizing all day over a single adjective while sipping tea…." — Julia Keller, The Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2008 philistine : (noun) A smug, ignorant, especially middle-class person who is regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values.; anti-intellectual; He may have an advanced degree in mathematics, but the man is a total philistine when it comes to the arts. sansculotte or sans-culotte : noun: 1. An extreme radical republican during the French Revolution. 2. A radical or revolutionary. ; "The bigger deal is that the council ... was snookered into signing on with a group of environmental and legal sansculottes." Colin McNickle; Thrice the Hubris; Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh); Nov 21, 2010. See more usage examples of sansculotte in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The gods of the valley are not the gods of the hills. -Ethan Allen, revolutionary (21 Jan 1738-1789) *****January 23, 2016***** sitzmark : Skiing. a sunken area in the snow marking a backward fall of a sk..; These Winter Olympics have been awfully confusing for American fans. Our anointed hero, Bode "I Am a Rebel and I Said So on 60 Minutes" Miller, has thus far left a giant sitzmark on the Italian Alps. Charles P. Pierce, “Hail the Conquering Goofballs!†Slate, February 16, 2006 Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Rapscallion : : rascal, ne’er-do-well; With his shaggy, perpetually unkempt hair and his charmingly crooked smile, the actor seems to have been born to play scamps and rapscallions. cannoneer : (noun) A serviceman in the artillery.; gunner, artilleryman; You were a cannoneer that day there, and you were among the first to enter the accursed fortress when it fell. bootleg : verb tr., intr.: To make, sell, or transport something illegally. noun: Something illegally made, sold, or distributed. adjective: Made, sold, or distributed illegally. ; "I swear, every single movie he had was bootleg. I think his whole room was bootleg." Michelle Stimpson; Trouble in My Way; Pocket Books; 2008. See more usage examples of bootleg in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who is only just is cruel. Who on earth could live were all judged justly? -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 24, 2016***** selenology : the branch of astronomy that deals with the nature and origin o..; Colleges, societies and clubs would be founded for the new knowledge; every human being, with opportunity and capacity, would become a specialist in selenography and selenology--a lunar expert, devoted to his science. Ambrose Bierce, "The Moon in Letters," The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, 1911 Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." Gravitate : 1 : to move under the influence of gravitation; After we were finished with our second helpings of chili and cornbread, we naturally gravitated toward the dessert table to check out the sweeter offerings. abdicate : (verb) To relinquish (power or responsibility) formally.; renounce; The King abdicated the throne when he married a divorcee. bootleg : verb tr., intr.: To make, sell, or transport something illegally. noun: Something illegally made, sold, or distributed. adjective: Made, sold, or distributed illegally. ; "I swear, every single movie he had was bootleg. I think his whole room was bootleg." Michelle Stimpson; Trouble in My Way; Pocket Books; 2008. See more usage examples of bootleg in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who is only just is cruel. Who on earth could live were all judged justly? -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 25, 2016***** vociferous : crying out noisily; clamorous; The grass grew quietly in the highways--the bleating sheep and frolicksome calves sported about the verdant ridge, where now the Broadway loungers take their morning stroll… and flocks of vociferous geese cackled about the fields, where now the great Tammany wigwam and the patriotic tavern of Martling echo with the wranglings of the mob. Washington Irving, A History of New York, 1809 Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." Pundit : 1 : a learned person : teacher; Grandpa likes watching liberal and conservative pundits spar about the issues of the day on the Sunday morning talk shows. guile : (noun) Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit.; craftiness, foxiness, slyness, wiliness, cunning; Her mild eyes seemed incapable of any severity or guile, and yet she has committed a murder. bootleg : verb tr., intr.: To make, sell, or transport something illegally. noun: Something illegally made, sold, or distributed. adjective: Made, sold, or distributed illegally. ; "I swear, every single movie he had was bootleg. I think his whole room was bootleg." Michelle Stimpson; Trouble in My Way; Pocket Books; 2008. See more usage examples of bootleg in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who is only just is cruel. Who on earth could live were all judged justly? -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 26, 2016***** cupidity : eager or excessive desire, especially to possess something; greed..; "Now Jonah's Captain, shipmates, was one whose discernment detects crime in any way, but whose cupidity exposes it only in the penniless. In this world, shipmates, sin that pays its way can travel freely…" Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851 Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." Harry : 1 : to make a pillaging or destructive raid on : assault; The young boy harried the kitten until it swiped him with its claws. evince : (verb) To show or demonstrate clearly; manifest.; express, show; The baby couldn't tell us she disliked the cereal, but she evinced her distaste by grimacing. autolycan : adjective: Characterized by thievery or trickery. ; "In a disarming note at the beginning of the book, Adams offers an apology for his autolycan procedures." Times Literary Supplement; Jun 5, 1981. "His art was Autolycan, snapping-up, catching the mean minnows of the commonplace when they were off their guard." Anthony Burgess; Tremor of Intent; W.W. Norton; 1966. Thought For The Day: Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2016***** nimiety : excess; overabundance: nimiety of mere niceties in conversation; As he said it, a nimiety of memories came back to him of the sick, the wounded, the dying: disease, war, famine, flood, fire, devastation--he had seen them for over three millennia and had never grown used to any of them. Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, A Feast In Exile, 2001 Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Zeugma : : the use of a word to modify or govern two or more words in such a way that it applies to each in a different sense or makes sense with only one (as in "opened the door and her heart to the homeless boy"); A clever use of zeugma was demonstrated by Groucho Marx's character Rufus T. Firefly in Duck Soup (1933):"You can leave in a taxi. If you can't get a taxi, you can leave in a huff. If that's too soon, you can leave in a minute and a huff." reticle : (noun) A grid or pattern placed in the eyepiece of an optical instrument, used to establish scale or position.; graticule, reticule; Looking through the microscope's eyepiece, he was able to establish the size of the molecule with the help of a reticle. herculean : adjective: 1. Requiring extraordinary strength or effort. 2. Having great strength or size. ; "It would take a herculean performance for someone to wrest the world sprint title away from Christine Nesbitt." Rita Mingo; Dutchman Has Race of His Life; The Calgary Herald (Canada); Jan 30, 2012. See more usage examples of herculean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2016***** pugnacious : inclined to quarrel or fight readily; quarrelsome; belligerent;..; Pugnacious people, if they did not actually terrify Oscar, were at least the sort of people he could not control, and whom he feared as possibly able to coerce him. George Bernard Shaw, "My Memories of Oscar Wilde," Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions by Frank Harris, 1916 Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Proscribe : 1 : to publish the name of as condemned to death with the property of the condemned forfeited to the state; The town passed an ordinance that proscribed the ownership of snakes and other exotic pets. succinct : (adjective) Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse.; compendious, summary, compact; Some students enjoyed the teacher's succinct style, while others wished she would elaborate on certain topics. titan : noun: A person, organization, or thing of great strength, size, or achievement. ; "But investors haven't exactly rewarded the media titan: Disney's stock has tumbled more than six percent since that premiere." Drew Harwell; Has the Force Deserted Disney?; The Argus (Cape Town, South Africa); Jan 8, 2016. See more usage examples of titan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A fellow of mediocre talent will remain a mediocrity, whether he travels or not; but one of superior talent (which without impiety I cannot deny that I possess) will go to seed if he always remains in the same place. -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer and musician (27 Jan 1756-1791) *****January 29, 2016***** insouciant : free from concern, worry, or anxiety; carefree; nonchalant; But for his thoughtful diagnosis of the perils that lay before me, I should at this juncture have been deep in the mulligatawny and no hope of striking for the shore. As it was, I was able to be nonchalant, insouciant, and debonair. I was like the fellow I once heard Jeeves speak of who was armed so strong in honesty that somebody's threats passed by him as the idle wind, which he respected not. P. G. Wodehouse, Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves, 1962 Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Jeremiad : : a prolonged lamentation or complaint; also : a cautionary or angry harangue; Mrs. Whinge waggled a finger at us and launched into a doleful jeremiad about how we would come to no good end. burnish : (verb) To make smooth or glossy by or as if by rubbing; polish.; furbish, buff, flush; Every afternoon, she would obsessively burnish the floors until the parlor gleamed like an ice rink. siren song : noun: An enticing appeal that ultimately leads to disaster. ; "We must reaffirm our commitment to the principles of open society and resist the siren song of the likes of Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, however hard that may be." George Soros; The Terrorists and Demagogues Want Us to Be Scared. We Mustn't Give in; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 28, 2015. See more usage examples of siren song in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 30, 2016***** zenith : a highest point or state; culmination; And at the zenith of his fame, how he would suddenly appear at the old village and stalk into church, brown and weather-beaten, in his black velvet doublet and trunks, his great jack-boots, his crimson sash, his belt bristling with horse pistols, his crime-rusted cutlass at his side, his slouch hat with waving plumes, his black flag unfurled, with the skull and crossbones on it, and hear with swelling ecstasy the whisperings, "It's Tom Sawyer the Pirate!--the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main!" Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876 Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Obstreperous : 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous; After two months at sea with dwindling food supplies and declining confidence in the captain, the ship's crew became obstreperous and began to plot a mutiny. hydroponics : (noun) A technique of growing plants (without soil) in water containing dissolved nutrients.; aquiculture, tank farming; The soil where he lived was poor in nutrients, so he decided to try his luck with hydroponics. bacchant : noun: A boisterous reveler. ; "I did not, as a young bacchant in the '60s and '70s, absent myself from the garden of herbal and pharmacological delights -- far from it -- so I found myself in an odd position, that is, lecturing a parent about drugs." Christopher Buckley; Mum and Pup And Me; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 26, 2009. See more usage examples of bacchant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. -Anton Chekhov, short-story writer and dramatist (29 Jan 1860-1904) *****January 31, 2016***** isthmus : a narrow strip of land, bordered on both sides by water, connectin..; So I again kept to the open beaches as I made my way west, until I came to the town of Coátzacoálcos, what you now call Espíritu Santo, which was the terminus of the north-south trade route across the narrow isthmus of Tecuantépec. Gary Jennings, Aztec, 1980 Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Herald : 1 : to give notice of : announce; The first real snowfall heralded the arrival of skiing season. cozen : (verb) To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud.; deceive, delude, lead on; He has wronged me and deceived me enough, he shall not cozen me further! bacchant : noun: A boisterous reveler. ; "I did not, as a young bacchant in the '60s and '70s, absent myself from the garden of herbal and pharmacological delights -- far from it -- so I found myself in an odd position, that is, lecturing a parent about drugs." Christopher Buckley; Mum and Pup And Me; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 26, 2009. See more usage examples of bacchant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. -Anton Chekhov, short-story writer and dramatist (29 Jan 1860-1904) *****February 01, 2016***** cryophilic : preferring or thriving at low temperatures; Cryophilic or cryotolerant species dwell at low temperatures in snow and ice packs, for example, where temperatures typically approach or fall below the freezing point of water. O. Roger Anderson, Comparative Protozoology: Ecology, Physiology, Life History, 1988 Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." Sumptuous : : extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent; The hotel's most sumptuous suite overlooks the lush gardens and includes a palatial marble bathroom with a spa and a commodious, intricately tiled walk-in shower. rhetorician : (noun) A person who delivers a speech or oration.; orator, speechifier, speechmaker; They continued to correspond, she in the unweighed language of unwavering affection, he in the chilly phraseology of the polished rhetorician. bacchant : noun: A boisterous reveler. ; "I did not, as a young bacchant in the '60s and '70s, absent myself from the garden of herbal and pharmacological delights -- far from it -- so I found myself in an odd position, that is, lecturing a parent about drugs." Christopher Buckley; Mum and Pup And Me; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 26, 2009. See more usage examples of bacchant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. -Anton Chekhov, short-story writer and dramatist (29 Jan 1860-1904) *****February 02, 2016***** nonce : the present, or immediate, occasion or purpose (usually used in the ..; ...I deemed it best to shelve their problem for the nonce and turn the mind to the matter of Gussie, which presented a brighter picture. P. G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves, 1934 Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." Abject : 1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition; The organization is dedicated to alleviating the suffering of those living in abject poverty. cadge : (verb) Ask for and get free; be a parasite.; bum, grub, mooch, sponge; Though she had a pantry full of groceries, Sheila loved to cadge her meals from her sister. yerk : verb tr., intr.: To rise, stir, strike, whip, pull, kick, etc. noun: A sudden movement, kick, jerk, stab, etc. ; "This was our warm-up for the Wild Chipmunk, the legendary Lakeside roller coaster famous for its endless jerking and yerking." Ricardo Baca; Bars; Denver Post (Colorado); Oct 6, 2006. Thought For The Day: When you turn the corner / And you run into yourself / Then you know that you have turned / All the corners that are left. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2016***** aeromancy : the prediction of future events from observation of weather cond..; Mostly we compare them / to silent things, sensing / that thunder is something else / that gets into them—a stone, a god— / and, as for what they want to say, / aeromancy, which presumed to interpret, / never caught on. James Richardson, "Essay on Clouds," The New Yorker, February 2, 2015 Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Foliage : 1 : a representation of leaves, flowers, and branches for architectural ornamentation; A trip to the local conservatory was just the thing to beat my winter blues—the bright flowers against the backdrop of verdant foliage was rejuvenating. fanfare : (noun) A spectacular public display.; ostentation; Because they were considered hometown heroes, the returning astronauts were greeted with much fanfare. unco : adjective: Unusual; remarkable; strange. adverb: Remarkably; extremely. noun: 1. A stranger. 2. News. ; "'You're unco late, dear,' she would say wearily." George Douglas Brown; The House with the Green Shutters; McClure, Phillips & Co.; 1902. "Each tells the uncos that he sees or hears." Robert Burns; The Cotter's Saturday Night; 1785. See more usage examples of unco in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Jobs are like going to church: it's nice once or twice a year to sing along and eat something and all that, but unless you really believe there's something holy going on, it gets to be a drag going in every single week. -Thomas Michael Disch, science fiction author and poet (2 Feb 1940-2008) *****February 04, 2016***** alpenglow : a reddish glow often seen on the summits of mountains just befor..; Now came the solemn, silent evening. Long, blue, spiky shadows crept out across the snow-fields, while a rosy glow, at first scarce discernible, gradually deepened and suffused every mountain-top, flushing the glaciers and the harsh crags above them. This was the alpenglow, to me one of the most impressive of all the terrestrial manifestations of God. John Muir, The Mountains of California, 1894 Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Reminisce : : to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences; Justin met up with some of his college buddies to reminisce about old times. surcease : (noun) A stopping.; cessation; More than anything else in the world, my frayed and frazzled mind wanted surcease from weariness in the way it knew surcease would come. saga : noun: 1. A long narrative of heroic exploits. 2. A long detailed report. ; "This May's Avengers movie will bring together the successful Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America sagas into one franchise-uniting megamovie." Darren Franich; Avengers vs. X-Men #1; Entertainment Weekly (New York); Feb 8, 2012. See more usage examples of saga in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writers, like teeth, are divided into incisors and grinders. -Walter Bagehot, journalist and businessman (3 Feb 1826-1877) *****February 05, 2016***** desiderata : things wanted or needed; the plural of desideratum; Over time, however, I came to realize that my friend, nice as he is, prizes extreme beauty above all the other desiderata that one might seek in a partner. Adelle Waldman, "'A First-Rate Girl': The Problem of Female Beauty," The New Yorker, October 2, 2013 Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†Whilom : : former; I was pleased to find an interview with the whilom president of my alma mater in the local paper. inveigh : (verb) To give vent to angry disapproval; protest vehemently.; rail; The detective had, indeed, good reasons to inveigh against the bad luck which pursued him. diel : noun: A period of 24 hours. adjective: Lasting 24 hours or having a 24-hour period. ; "Composition of fishing labour, sites worked, gear used, and target species all vary during the diel cycle. For example, in American Samoa both men and women fish by day, but night-time fishing is primarily a male task." Nicholas V.C. Polunin and Callum M. Roberts; Reef Fisheries; Springer; 1996. Thought For The Day: The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate. -E.J. Pratt, poet (4 Feb 1882-1964) *****February 06, 2016***** nugatory : of no real value; trifling; worthless; Just at the moment, he was covering Art in a provincial paper for a financially nugatory consideration: a disadvantageous circumstance which he would explain as arising solely from his exceptional professional integrity. Michael Innes, Money from Holme, 1964 Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Challah : : egg-rich yeast-leavened bread that is usually braided or twisted before baking and is traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath and holidays; My father made a blessing over the challah before it was broken and passed around the Shabbat table. paring : (noun) Something, such as a skin or peel, that has been pared off.; shaving, sliver; We do not mourn over the parings of our nails nor the cut locks of our hair, though they were once part of ourselves. alar : adjective: 1. Relating to wings; wing-shaped. 2. Relating to the armpit. ; "Fred Urquhart began in 1937 to experiment with different ways of marking these delicate insects in order to study their migration patterns, eventually developing and refining the method of applying an alar tag to the monarch's wing." Gerry Rising; A Salute to the King of the Monarch Butterflies; Buffalo News (New York); Dec 16, 1996. See more usage examples of alar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2016***** provenance : place or source of origin: The provenance of the ancient manusc..; "I suppose you can tell me nothing of his provenance?" he asked indifferently. "As to his provenance, Sir, I'm in the way of thinking...that he was sent down from Heaven, Sir." Stephen Fry, The Liar, 1991 Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." Rescript : 1 : a written answer of a Roman emperor or of a pope to a legal inquiry or petition; The rescript declared that the lands surrounding the new palace would henceforth belong to the royal family. fatuity : (noun) Something that is utterly stupid or silly.; absurdity, fatuousness, silliness; In his fatuity, the beggar believed the princess to be in love with him. alar : adjective: 1. Relating to wings; wing-shaped. 2. Relating to the armpit. ; "Fred Urquhart began in 1937 to experiment with different ways of marking these delicate insects in order to study their migration patterns, eventually developing and refining the method of applying an alar tag to the monarch's wing." Gerry Rising; A Salute to the King of the Monarch Butterflies; Buffalo News (New York); Dec 16, 1996. See more usage examples of alar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 08, 2016***** dipsy-doodle : Slang. a quick dipping, sliding motion of the body, as made b..; Martin carried 12 times for 40 yards, including an 8-yard dipsy-doodle on the second play of the game that he nearly broke open. Gerald Eskenazi, "Pro Football; Jets Have More Problems to Consider After the Loss," New York Times, August 16, 1998 Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Peccadillo : : a slight offense; Mark's thank-you note to his hostess was sincere and touching; his only peccadillo was addressing her by her first name instead of "Mrs. Henderson." reredos : (noun) A painted or carved screen placed above and behind an altar or communion table.; altarpiece; The artist is best known for the reredos he painted for the church in his hometown. alar : adjective: 1. Relating to wings; wing-shaped. 2. Relating to the armpit. ; "Fred Urquhart began in 1937 to experiment with different ways of marking these delicate insects in order to study their migration patterns, eventually developing and refining the method of applying an alar tag to the monarch's wing." Gerry Rising; A Salute to the King of the Monarch Butterflies; Buffalo News (New York); Dec 16, 1996. See more usage examples of alar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hardest thing about any political campaign is how to win without proving that you are unworthy of winning. -Adlai Stevenson, governor, ambassador (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 09, 2016***** sagacity : acuteness of mental discernment and soundness of judgment; Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers--of my sagacity. I could scarcely contain my feelings of triumph. To think that there I was, opening the door, little by little, and he not even to dream of my secret deeds or thoughts. Edgar Allan Poe, "The Tell-Tale Heart," The Pioneer, January, 1843 acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Exonerate : 1 : to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship; Dana was exonerated for the crime of taking the money after it was found that her fingerprints did not match those on the cashbox. larynx : (noun) The part of the respiratory tract between the pharynx and the trachea, having walls of cartilage and muscle and containing the vocal cords enveloped in folds of mucous membrane.; voice box; By cunning operations on tongue, throat, larynx, and nasal cavities a man's whole enunciation and manner of speech could be changed. Maecenas : noun: A generous patron, especially of art, music, or literature. ; "A local businessman and cycling fan from his Jura region, Daniel Germond, took on the role of Maecenas and disinterestedly paid his wages for a season, enabling the Frenchman to remain a professional cyclist." Alasdair Fotheringham; Froome Goes on the Attack to Faze Rivals; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Jul 12, 2015. Thought For The Day: Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2016***** vicissitude : a change or variation occurring in the course of something; I can see yet his patient, kindly face and that steady eye which no vicissitude of fortune could perturb. John Buchan, Mr. Standfast, 1919 Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." Jocund : : marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness; Clayton gave a jocund shout when he entered the room and saw the many friends who had come for his surprise 50th birthday celebration. affectation : (noun) A show, pretense, or display.; pose, mannerism; Strickland would not go near them, not from any affectation of stoicism, for I found him seated on a three-legged stool when I went into the studio one day and he was alone, but because he did not like them. guy : noun: A man (in plural, persons of either sex). verb tr.: To make fun of; ridicule. noun: A rope to steady, guide, or secure something. verb tr.: To steady, guide, or secure something with a rope. ; "There was much guying of America's Tea Party movement or teabaggers, as some hilariously call themselves." Veronica Lee; Bigots and the PC Brigade are Expertly Skewered; The Independent (London, UK); May 27, 2015. "Ropes guyed it down to the goalpost crossbars." Ian McDonald; Kirinya; Gollancz; 1998. See more usage examples of guy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (9 Feb 1737-1809) *****February 11, 2016***** fubsy : British Dialect. short and stout; Oppress not the cubs of the stranger, but hail them as Sister and Brother, / For though they are little and fubsy, it may be the Bear is their mother. Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book, 1894 Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Gruntle : : to put in a good humor; The hour-long wait at the restaurant irked us, but once we were seated, we were soon gruntled by an amiable waiter. curlicue : (noun) A fancy twist or curl, such as a flourish made with a pen.; squiggle; Her penmanship was beautiful, but with so many curlicues, it was hard to read. Victorian : adjective: 1. Prudish; outdated; exaggeratedly proper; hypocritical. 2. Relating to the period of the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). 3. Relating to ornate architecture, furnishings, etc., characteristic of the period. ; "'We've been discussing how she's not allowed to be alone with a boy until she's twenty-five;' Evan smiled. 'How very Victorian of you.'" Roni Loren; Forever Starts Tonight; InterMix Books; 2014. See more usage examples of Victorian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth. -Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (10 Feb 1685-1750) *****February 12, 2016***** interstitial : pertaining to, situated in, or forming small or narrow spaces..; Philosophy should never have been purified. Rather than being seen as a problem, “dirty hands†should have been understood as the native condition of philosophic thought--present everywhere, often interstitial, essentially interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary in nature. Philosophy is a mangle. The philosopher’s hands were never clean and were never meant to be. Robert Frodeman and Adam Briggle, "When Philosophy Lost Its Way," New York Times, January 11, 2016 Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Incumbent : 1 : the holder of an office or ecclesiastical benefice; The two-term incumbent has already raised almost a million dollars for the upcoming congressional race. leeway : (noun) A margin of freedom or variation, as of activity, time, or expenditure; latitude.; margin, allowance, tolerance; Lisa's parents gave her a lot of leeway with her curfew, but they expected her to finish all her chores before she left the house. Gongorism : noun: An affected literary style marked by intricate language and elaborate figures of speech. ; "And the staggering Gongorisms! Shall the ship be called just 'ship'? Perish the thought of such banality! Oh eyes, no eyes, but fountains fraught with tears!" Aldous Huxley; Beyond the Mexique Bay; Chatto & Windus; 1934. See more usage examples of Gongorism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I was sixteen years old when the first World War broke out, and I lived at that time in Hungary. From reading the newspapers in Hungary, it would have appeared that, whatever Austria and Germany did was right and whatever England, France, Russia, or America did was wrong. A good case could be made out for this general thesis, in almost every single instance. It would have been difficult for me to prove, in any single instance, that the newspapers were wrong, but somehow, it seemed to me unlikely that the two nations located in the center of Europe should be invariably right, and that all the other nations should be invariably wrong. History, I reasoned, would hardly operate in such a peculiar fashion, and it didn't take long until I began to hold views which were diametrically opposed to those held by the majority of my schoolmates. ... Even in times of war, you can see current events in their historical perspective, provided that your passion for the truth prevails over your bias in favor of your own nation. -Leo Szilard, physicist (11 Feb 1898-1964) *****February 13, 2016***** calumniate : to make false and malicious statements about; slander; The "plaudits of the multitude" can not long be held by the poet, and are not worth holding. The multitude knows nothing of poetry and does not read it. The multitude will applaud you to-day, calumniate you to-morrow and thwack you athwart the mazzard the day after. Ambrose Bierce, "Edwin Markham's Poems," The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce: Volume X, 1911 Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Marmoreal : : of, relating to, or suggestive of marble or a marble statue especially in coldness or aloofness; "'Thank you for your submission,' the note begins with marmoreal courtesy. It ends with a wish for success in placing your manuscript with another house." — William Germano, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 Feb. 2011 cultivable : (adjective) Capable of being farmed productively.; arable, tillable; Though she had inherited a large farm, it was practically worthless because of the lack of cultivable land. Addisonian : adjective: Having clarity and elegance. ; "Murray Kempton enjoyed being in a group of reporters; he liked to try out ideas for columns, dropping fully formed Addisonian sentences into conversation to see which ones got a nod or a laugh. The winners turned up in the next day's paper." David Von Drehle; A Journalist's Singular Voice; The Washington Post; May 6, 1997. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) *****February 14, 2016***** groggery : a slightly disreputable barroom; P. Dusenheimer, standing in the door of his uninviting groggery, when the trains stopped for water, never received from the traveling public any patronage except facetious remarks upon his personal appearance. Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, The Gilded Age, 1873 Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Tribulation : : distress or suffering resulting from oppression or persecution; also : a trying experience; "Now Lemsford's great care, anxiety, and endless source of tribulation was the preservation of his manuscripts." — Herman Melville, White Jacket; or, the World in a Man-of-War, 1850 sanies : (noun) A thin, fetid, greenish fluid consisting of serum and pus discharged from a wound, ulcer, or fistula.; pus, festering, ichor, purulence, suppuration; The doctor bandaged my hand and told me to call him if sanies began to ooze from the wound. Addisonian : adjective: Having clarity and elegance. ; "Murray Kempton enjoyed being in a group of reporters; he liked to try out ideas for columns, dropping fully formed Addisonian sentences into conversation to see which ones got a nod or a laugh. The winners turned up in the next day's paper." David Von Drehle; A Journalist's Singular Voice; The Washington Post; May 6, 1997. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) *****February 15, 2016***** amative : disposed to love; amorous; Chocolate, it can be said, is not merely a candy, but a powerful love potion whose reputation for inspiring amative feelings is universally known. Anahad O'Connor, Never Shower in a Thunderstorm, 2007 Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." Canoodle : : to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing; Chaperones watched for couples attempting to sneak under the gymnasium's bleachers to canoodle. coeval : (adjective) Originating or existing during the same period; lasting through the same era.; coetaneous, contemporaneous; The range was composed of grand, solid, abrupt masses of granite, which appeared as if they had been coeval with the beginning of the world. Addisonian : adjective: Having clarity and elegance. ; "Murray Kempton enjoyed being in a group of reporters; he liked to try out ideas for columns, dropping fully formed Addisonian sentences into conversation to see which ones got a nod or a laugh. The winners turned up in the next day's paper." David Von Drehle; A Journalist's Singular Voice; The Washington Post; May 6, 1997. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) *****February 16, 2016***** encomium : a formal expression of high praise; eulogy: An encomium by the pr..; In a fond encomium to Krim...he reminds us what really made Krim’s work sing. It was that he was “furiously funny, which is no small matter, and no small reward.†Dwight Garner, "A Slap Here, a Handshake There," New York Times, October 24, 2013 Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." Pulchritude : : physical comeliness; The snowboarder's talent won her many medals, and her pulchritude gained her much attention from sponsors looking for a spokeswoman. hauteur : (noun) Haughtiness in bearing and attitude.; arrogance, haughtiness, highhandedness, lordliness; There was no trace of hauteur in her expression, and she seemed humbled and meek. megrim : noun: 1. (In plural, megrims) Low spirits. 2. Whim. 3. Migraine. ; "Those who listen to this stuff get the megrims, the fantods, and loose bowels." Malcolm Berko; The Dow Jones at 23,000; Creators Syndicate (Los Angeles); Nov 11, 2015. "The family began moving from city to city on the whims and megrims of his father's employer." Rohinton Mistry; Tales from Firozsha Baag; Penguin Books; 1987. See more usage examples of megrim in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is not Can they reason?, nor Can they talk?, but Can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 17, 2016***** castellated : having many castles; As we said, history, like the Rhine, passes through a castellated region, and like that of the river, this stratum begins and ends suddenly. Samuel Lucas, Secularia; or, Surveys on the Mainstream of History, 1862 Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Sub Rosa : : in confidence : secretly; "For 30 years he kept notes, almost sub rosa, finally publishing his work with his own funds just before his death." — Jeannette Ferrary, The New York Times Book Review, 31 May 1987 august : (adjective) Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic.; lordly, grand; He was of august lineage, and was widely admired for his family connections. posthumous : adjective: Happening after someone's death, but relating to something done earlier. For example, a book published after the death of the author, a child born after the death of the father, an award given after the death of a person. ; "President Aquino has authorized the posthumous conferment of Medal of Valor to two SAF commandos who died during the Mamasapano mission." Pres. Aquino to Confer Posthumously Medal of Valor; Asia News Monitor (Bangkok, Thailand); Jan 26, 2016. See more usage examples of posthumous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 18, 2016***** celerity : swiftness; speed; It was the swift celerity of his death, / Which I did think with slower foot came on, / That brain'd my purpose. But, peace be with him! William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure, 1623 Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." Nimrod : 1 : hunter; "The hunting season is now in full blast. Several nimrods, both veteran and amateur, are shouldering the gun and marching to the woods and marshes." — Gary Pullano, The Holland (Michigan) Sentinel, 13 Dec. 2015 putsch : (noun) A sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government.; coup, coup d'etat, takeover; The people had been expecting a putsch for years, but they were surprised to wake up one morning and find themselves the subjects of a new government. lutestring : noun: A glossy silk fabric. ; "Her modish Pomona green lutestring gown, which she'd thought so becoming earlier, now seemed a less than ideal choice." Heather Cullman; A Perfect Scoundrel; Signet; 2000. See more usage examples of lutestring in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is known by the company he keeps. A company is known by the men it keeps. -Thomas J. Watson, businessman (17 Feb 1874-1956) *****February 19, 2016***** autodidact : a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a tea..; You could have presented yourself as being self-taught, the product of your own worthy efforts, there's nothing to be ashamed of, society in the past took pride in its autodidacts… José Saramago, translated by Giovanni Pontiero, The History of the Siege of Lisbon, 1996 Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Deasil : : clockwise; The worshippers dance around the fire deasil, or sunwise. aide-memoire : (noun) A memorandum setting forth the major points of a proposed discussion or agreement, used especially in diplomatic communications.; position paper; After the conference, they wrote an aide-memoire and sent copies of it to everyone in the department who had been unable to attend the meeting. messuage : noun: A residential building with outbuildings and the attached land. ; "Can you tell me where I can find a messuage by the name of Neolithic Villa?" JRL Anderson; Redundancy Pay; Littlehampton Book Services; 1976. See more usage examples of messuage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out comes sighs, laughter, and dreams. -Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (18 Feb 1883-1957) *****February 20, 2016***** cosmology : the branch of philosophy dealing with the origin and general str..; In these works, [H.G. Wells] explored the implications of recent discoveries about evolution and cosmology in thrilling yarns which tapped into deep sources of anxiety and wonder in the collective unconscious. David Lodge, "Introduction," Kipps by H.G. Wells, 2005 Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Astrolabe : : a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant; "His astrolabe of silver was the gift of the Emperor of Germany…." — Sir Walter Scott, Quentin Durward, 1823 scrooge : (noun) A mean-spirited miserly person.; niggard, skinflint, churl; The old scrooge was married to his money, and spending a penny was, to him, as traumatic as divorce. frontispiece : noun: 1. An illustration facing or preceding the title page of a book. 2. A facade, especially an ornamental facade, of a building. 3. An ornamental pediment over a door or window. ; "I still have the physical copy, its frontispiece decorated with characters from the stories." Francine Prose & Ayana Mathis; Bookends; The New York Times Book Review; Oct 26, 2014. "An ornate frontispiece above the front door, shutters, and flower boxes add charm to the white painted brick facade." Lauren Beale; Eva Gabor's Onetime Estate in Holmby Hills is for Sale; Los Angeles Times; Oct 22, 2015. See more usage examples of frontispiece in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book. -Carson McCullers, writer (19 Feb 1917-1967) *****February 21, 2016***** abstemious : sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet; Mr. Hall was no bon vivant: he was naturally an abstemious man, indifferent to luxury; but Boultby and Helstone both liked good cookery… Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849 Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Weird : 1 : of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural : magical; "Again was I suddenly recalled to my immediate surroundings by a repetition of the weird moan from the depths of the cave." — Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars, 1917 glockenspiel : (noun) A percussion instrument with a series of metal bars tuned to the chromatic scale and played with two light hammers.; orchestral bells; She was always capricious in her tastes, but even her close friends were surprised when she dismissed her piano teacher and took up the glockenspiel. frontispiece : noun: 1. An illustration facing or preceding the title page of a book. 2. A facade, especially an ornamental facade, of a building. 3. An ornamental pediment over a door or window. ; "I still have the physical copy, its frontispiece decorated with characters from the stories." Francine Prose & Ayana Mathis; Bookends; The New York Times Book Review; Oct 26, 2014. "An ornate frontispiece above the front door, shutters, and flower boxes add charm to the white painted brick facade." Lauren Beale; Eva Gabor's Onetime Estate in Holmby Hills is for Sale; Los Angeles Times; Oct 22, 2015. See more usage examples of frontispiece in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book. -Carson McCullers, writer (19 Feb 1917-1967) *****February 22, 2016***** passel : a group or lot of indeterminate number: a passel of dignitaries; If you had a passel of kids, then you'd always have a troop to boss when you felt like bossing. It would occupy your brain and you wouldn't get gloomy as often. Larry McMurtry, Lonesome Dove, 1985 Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Vignette : 1 : a running ornament or design (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter; The film is a series of vignettes about people and their dogs. excursionist : (noun) A tourist who is visiting sights of interest.; rubberneck, sightseer, tripper; The city's economy depends on tourism, and an influx of enthusiastic excursionists is always welcome. frontispiece : noun: 1. An illustration facing or preceding the title page of a book. 2. A facade, especially an ornamental facade, of a building. 3. An ornamental pediment over a door or window. ; "I still have the physical copy, its frontispiece decorated with characters from the stories." Francine Prose & Ayana Mathis; Bookends; The New York Times Book Review; Oct 26, 2014. "An ornate frontispiece above the front door, shutters, and flower boxes add charm to the white painted brick facade." Lauren Beale; Eva Gabor's Onetime Estate in Holmby Hills is for Sale; Los Angeles Times; Oct 22, 2015. See more usage examples of frontispiece in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book. -Carson McCullers, writer (19 Feb 1917-1967) *****February 23, 2016***** apatetic : Zoology. assuming colors and forms that effect deceptive camoufla..; In the following scheme Protective and Aggressive Resemblances are grouped with Mimicry under the first head of Apatetic Colours, because an animal is thus made to resemble some other species or some other object. Edward Bagnall Poulton, The Colours of Animals: Their Meaning and Use Especially Considered in the Case of Insects, 1890 Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Bumptious : : presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive; The talk show often features interesting guests, but the bumptious host's tendency to turn the interview back to himself can get annoying. preachment : (noun) A tiresome or unwelcome moral lecture or discourse; tedious sermonizing.; homily; Don't torment me with your preachments now, unless you want to kill me outright. piacular : adjective: Making or requiring atonement. ; "The piacular sacrifice took place several days later." Colleen McCullough; Fortune's Favourites; William Morrow; 1993. Thought For The Day: The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (22 Feb 1788-1860) *****February 24, 2016***** parapraxis : Psychology. a slip of the tongue or pen, forgetfulness, misplac..; Slips of the tongue are rare with me. When I make them I can be sure I’m under strain. So I was horrified when I was describing to Denoon my odyssey through Old Naledi and heard myself say that when I saw the shebeen I decided to give the guys at it a wide breast. …But it was a proof of gentility that he overlooked my first parapraxis in his presence… Norman Rush, Mating, 1991 Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." Hale : : free from defect, disease, or infirmity : sound; also : retaining exceptional health and vigor; "He was a rich and powerful noble, then in his sixty-second year, but hale and sturdy, a great horseman and hunter and a pious man." — Edith Wharton, "Kerfol," 1916 smattering : (noun) A small, scattered amount or number.; handful; Her skin had a healthy glow, and her nose was dotted with a smattering of freckles. demotic : adjective: Relating to common people; popular. noun: Modern Greek. ; "I've often found myself wondering what Christopher Hitchens would say about this or that event in the news. What I wouldn't give to read him on ... the darkly demotic presidential campaign of Donald Trump." Damon Linker; Pleasures of Dispute; The New York Times; Jan 8, 2016. See more usage examples of demotic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013) *****February 25, 2016***** supercilious : haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial..; In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reilly's supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D. H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, 1980 Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." Zwieback : : a usually sweetened bread enriched with eggs that is baked and then sliced and toasted until dry and crisp; The crust of the pie is made of crumbled zwieback. ingrate : (noun) A person who shows no gratitude.; thankless wretch, ungrateful person; This bird was a godsend to us, and I should be an ingrate if I forgot to make honorable mention of him in these pages. parsimony : noun: Excessive frugality; stinginess. ; "In what is by now a grand American tradition, Thoreau justified his own parsimony by impugning the needy. 'Often the poor man is not so cold and hungry as he is dirty and ragged and gross. It is partly his taste, and not merely his misfortune. If you give him money, he will perhaps buy more rags with it.'" Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015. See more usage examples of parsimony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Come, live in my heart and pay no rent. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 26, 2016***** sylvan : of, relating to, or inhabiting the woods; The scene thrills one like military music!…wide grass-carpeted avenues that branched hither and thither in every direction and wandered to seemingly interminable distances, walled all the way on either side with compact ranks of leafy trees whose branches met above and formed arches as faultless and as symmetrical as ever were carved in stone; and here and there were glimpses of sylvan lakes with miniature ships glassed in their surfaces. Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad; or, The New Pilgrim's Progress, 1869 Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." Quantal : 1 : of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (such as dead or alive, all or none); "Many bioassays are based on quantal responses: Challenge assays record whether the subjects are dead or alive (or moribund or not moribund) at the end of the assay; seed-germination assays record whether seeds germinate by the end of the assay." — Ann Yellowlees et al., BioScience, June 2013 demigod : (noun) A person with great powers and abilities.; superman, Ubermensch; The saints and demigods whom history worships we are constrained to accept with a grain of allowance. gaucherie : noun: A lack of tact or grace; also an instance of this. ; "Also typical of modern Americans is Trump's bad taste. ... He puts his own individual stamp on gaucherie." PJ O'Rourke; Garish Tastes, Awful Hair; The Daily Beast (New York); Jun 16, 2015. See more usage examples of gaucherie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the cellars of the night, when the mind starts moving around old trunks of bad times, the pain of this and the shame of that, the memory of a small boldness is a hand to hold. -John Leonard, critic (25 Feb 1939-2008) *****February 27, 2016***** internecine : mutually destructive; Scientists such as Albert Einstein, Robert Oppenheimer, and Edward Teller claimed that only by uniting in a world government the peoples could avoid internecine nuclear wars… Furio Cerutti, Global Challenges for Leviathan, 2007 Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." Keelhaul : 1 : to haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture; Several key employees were keelhauled for an error that cost the company millions of dollars. bluejacket : (noun) An enlisted person in the US or British Navy.; sailor; The big steam pinnace went off to her ship to bring over a few bluejackets to furl my sails for me. valence : noun: 1. The combining capacity of an atom or a group of atoms to form molecules. 2. The capacity of someone or something to affect another. ; "Bernie Sanders sought common ground by adding new valences to one or two of his standard arguments." Margaret Talbot; The Populist Prophet; The New Yorker; Oct 12, 2015. See more usage examples of valence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2016***** natter : to talk incessantly; chatter; …scholars nattered away at one another on such matters as the propriety of starting a vocal trill from the upper note, and a critics' convocation nattered back. Alan Rich, "The Desiccation of 'Poppea'," New York, June 15, 1981 Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Oaf : 1 : a stupid person ; In high school Bryan was a big oaf, so we were surprised not only by his refined mien but by his position as CEO of a high-tech company. immiscible : (adjective) That cannot undergo mixing or blending.; unmixable; When two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, are shaken together, an emulsion is produced. valence : noun: 1. The combining capacity of an atom or a group of atoms to form molecules. 2. The capacity of someone or something to affect another. ; "Bernie Sanders sought common ground by adding new valences to one or two of his standard arguments." Margaret Talbot; The Populist Prophet; The New Yorker; Oct 12, 2015. See more usage examples of valence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 29, 2016***** premiate : to grant a prize or an award to; I assumed then that they mayor might want suggestions about who should be on the commission to "premiate" the buildings....[The commission] produced a list of thirty-nine buildings to be designated landmarks. Leon M. Despres with Kenan Heise, Challenging the Daley Machine: A Chicago Alderman's Memoir, 2005 Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." Lexical : 1 : of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction; For her paper on youth slang, Elyse studied the lexical habits of her generation versus those of her parents and grandparents. cerumen : (noun) A soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal.; earwax; A buildup of cerumen was irritating Billy's ear, so his mother gently cleaned the area with a cotton swab. valence : noun: 1. The combining capacity of an atom or a group of atoms to form molecules. 2. The capacity of someone or something to affect another. ; "Bernie Sanders sought common ground by adding new valences to one or two of his standard arguments." Margaret Talbot; The Populist Prophet; The New Yorker; Oct 12, 2015. See more usage examples of valence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****March 01, 2016***** bissextus : February 29th: the extra day added to the Julian calendar every ..; This odd day was inserted after the sixth day before the kalends of March, i.e., after the 24th of February, and was not counted as an addition to the year, but as a sort of appendix. Hence the sixth of the kalends of March was called bissextus, or double sixth, which root is still retained in our word bissextile, though the day is now added at the end of February. E. S. Burns, "History of Chronology," The Popular Science Monthly, April, 1881 Truculent : adj. Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. "Truculent children." Glean : 1 : to gather grain or other produce left by reapers; Investigators have been able to glean some useful information from the seized documents. peignoir : (noun) A woman's loose-fitting dressing gown.; neglige, wrapper, housecoat; The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier's eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them. personalty : noun: Personal property: movable property, as contrasted with real estate. ; "If the trustee had done his duty there would have been no land, there would have been a fund of personalty." F.W. Maitland; Equity; Cambridge University Press; 2011. See more usage examples of personalty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Animals cannot speak, but can you and I not speak for them and represent them? Let us all feel their silent cry of agony and let us all help that cry to be heard in the world. -Rukmini Devi Arundale, dancer and choreographer (29 Feb 1904-1986) *****March 02, 2016***** rabble-rouser : a person who stirs up the passions or prejudices of the publ..; She used every emotional trick of the rabble-rouser to whip them up into frenzies, made them drunk on emotion, created a scene of back-pounding, shouting, jittering maniacs. Mark Clifton, "What Now, Little Man?" The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, 1959 Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." A Cappella : : without instrumental accompaniment; The audience quieted when the singer walked out and began singing a cappella. prohibitionist : (noun) A reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages.; dry; She was a tireless prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet. truchman : noun: An interpreter. ; "From there Gaveston appears to the audience as a kind of presenter of a comedy, like Hieronimo, a truchman to this political masque." Michael Hattaway; Elizabethan Popular Theatre; Routledge; 1982. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (b. 1 Mar 1939) *****March 03, 2016***** rodomontade : vainglorious boasting or bragging; pretentious, blustering tal..; "The sloop I have the honour to command is always ready to put to sea," said Clonfert. That was mere rodomontade: no ship was always ready to put to sea unless she never used up any water, stores, powder or shot … Patrick O'Brian, The Mauritius Command, 1977 Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to sexual desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." Somnolent : 1 : of a kind likely to induce sleep; "George, a somnolent ginger [cat] curled in an orange felt bed, was sleeping through the overtures of Molly Flanagan…." — Penelope Green, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2015 apologue : (noun) A moral fable, especially one having animals or inanimate objects as characters.; allegory, parable, fable; The minister liked to incorporate apologues into his sermons, thinking the moral tales about sly foxes and witty rabbits would appeal to the children in the congregation. popinjay : noun: Someone who indulges in vain and empty chatter. ; "If the polls are to be believed, an intellectually unserious popinjay born on third base tops the field of candidates for the Republican nomination for president." Tony Norman; Trump's Delusions Will Catch up to Him; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Jul 21, 2015. See more usage examples of popinjay in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One does not advance the swimming abilities of ducks by throwing the eggs in the water. -Multatuli (pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker), novelist (2 Mar 1820-1887) *****March 04, 2016***** florilegium : a collection of literary pieces; anthology; … Brichot who was not merely kind to Morel, but would cull from the Greek philosophers, the Latin poets, the oriental storytellers, appropriate texts which decorated the Baron's propensity with a strange and charming florilegium. Marcel Proust, translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff & Terence Kilmartin, The Captive, 1992 Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Camaraderie : : a spirit of friendly good-fellowship; The sense of camaraderie among colleagues in the sales department is the main reason Julie enjoys coming to work each day. calamari : (noun) Squid prepared as food.; squid; Lisa ordered calamari at the Italian restaurant. arsenious : adjective: Relating to or containing arsenic (especially when trivalent). ; "The next time you're having a bad day, pause for a moment to be grateful: that you weren't born in the Victorian age and consequently are not likely to be in danger of being poisoned by arsenic. Come, come, you might be thinking. This is a slender reason to be cheerful -- who's to say that anyone would wish to slip a splash of arsenious acid into my cup of tea?" Rebecca Armstrong; Victorian Lives of Poison, Passion, and Peril; The Independent (London, UK); Mar 19, 2010. "The institute detected an arsenious substance in some of the samples that was later found to be white arsenic." Arsenic at Hayashi House 'Highly toxic'; The Daily Yomiuri (Tokyo, Japan); Oct 20, 1998. See more usage examples of arsenious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there be such a thing as truth, it must infallibly be struck out by the collision of mind with mind. -William Godwin, philosopher and novelist (3 Mar 1756-1836) *****March 05, 2016***** factotum : any employee or official having many different responsibilities; Mickey was a qualified solicitor who no longer practised the law but instead worked full-time as a factotum, fixer and odd-job man for a Premiership football club. John Lanchester, Capital, 2012 Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Zaftig : : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump; "… Marilyn is lucky that … the Hollywood powers at least had the smarts not to put her on a diet. She looked plenty good zaftig." — Bookwormroom.com, 31 May 2012 battlement : (noun) A notched parapet built on top of a wall, with alternating merlons and crenels for decoration or defense.; crenelation, crenellation; I came upon it by a winding ledge of road, which clung to the bare side of the hill like the battlements of some huge castle. brio : noun: Vigor or vivacity. ; "Ms. Woodward ... was all sparkling energy and springing brio, with wonderfully pliant, strong feet." Alastair Macaulay; New York City Ballet Introduces Its Future with a Flurry of Nutcracker Debuts; The New York Times; Dec 28, 2015. See more usage examples of brio in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 06, 2016***** rupestrine : Biology. living or growing on or among rocks. Also, rupicolous...; Later I saw two of the wrens hunting insects in Bebbia bushes, showing that it is not rock crevices alone that get attention from these rupestrine birds when hungry. Edmund Carroll Jaeger, Our Desert Neighbors, 1950 Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." Jettison : 1 : to throw (goods) overboard to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress; As the boat began to take on water, the pirates argued over whether they should jettison some of the heavy, stolen loot. jongleur : (noun) A wandering minstrel, poet, or entertainer in medieval England and France.; folk singer, minstrel, poet-singer, troubadour; The group of jongleurs was so popular that King Edward requested a private performance. brio : noun: Vigor or vivacity. ; "Ms. Woodward ... was all sparkling energy and springing brio, with wonderfully pliant, strong feet." Alastair Macaulay; New York City Ballet Introduces Its Future with a Flurry of Nutcracker Debuts; The New York Times; Dec 28, 2015. See more usage examples of brio in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 07, 2016***** commodious : spacious and convenient; roomy: a commodious apartment; Sometimes on the journey, trapped in the ship's stink and heave, they had talked about the premises they would have at journey's end. They should be commodious, Vance said, and in a fashionable neighbourhood … Hilary Mantel, The Giant, O'Brien, 1998 Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." Restaurateur : : the operator or proprietor of a restaurant; Fred began his career in the food-service industry as a humble busboy, but today he is a successful restaurateur who recently opened his third eating establishment. palpitation : (noun) A trembling or shaking.; shakiness, trembling, quiver, vibration; Cornelius put his hand on his heart, to repress as it were its violent palpitation. brio : noun: Vigor or vivacity. ; "Ms. Woodward ... was all sparkling energy and springing brio, with wonderfully pliant, strong feet." Alastair Macaulay; New York City Ballet Introduces Its Future with a Flurry of Nutcracker Debuts; The New York Times; Dec 28, 2015. See more usage examples of brio in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 08, 2016***** autoschediasm : something that is improvised or extemporized; It is of course possible that Eur. indulges in autoschediasm … and freely invents the monument, but more likely he conveys a contemporary tradition which, for whatever reason, Aristodemus could not verify in his day … Donald J. Mastronarde, "Commentary" in Phoenissae by Euripides, 1994 Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." Babel : 1 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a confusion of sounds or voices; Amidst the babel in the auditorium, Kathy thought she could hear someone calling her name. vallecula : (noun) Any furrow or channel on a bodily structure or part.; groove; The medical students studied the diagram depicting the vallecula between the hemispheres of the brain. chicane : verb tr.: To trick or deceive. noun: 1. Deception. 2. An artificial narrowing or a turn added to a road to slow traffic down. ; "I was totally bamboozled; I was chicaned." David James Duncan; The River Why; Sierra Club Books; 1983. "He rounded the chicane to see another car slowing down." Anthony Hulse; The Club; Lulu; 2014. See more usage examples of chicane in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weed. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2016***** Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." Inflammable : 1 : capable of being easily ignited and of burning : flammable; After the baserunner was called out on a close play, the crowd watched as the inflammable manager tore out of the dugout to argue with the umpire. deprecate : (verb) To belittle.; depreciate; The teacher should not deprecate his student's efforts. derogate : verb tr.: To disparage or belittle. verb intr.: 1. To detract from (authority, value, etc.). 2. To deviate from (a standard, for example). ; "We could all, in perfect simplicity, derogate the government, loathe the police, and get wasted with impunity." Lynn Crosbie; Disappointed in the Man I Once Revered; The Globe and Mail (Canada); Feb 26, 2005. "Joe Perici Calascione insisted that Malta can derogate from the EU's trapping ban." Tim Diacono; Hunters' Boss Claims Malta Can Win EU Court Battle for Bird Trapping; Malta Today (San Gwann, Malta); Sep 23, 2015. See more usage examples of derogate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) *****March 10, 2016***** Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." Rankle : 1 : to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness in; The ongoing roadwork has begun to rankle local owners who worry that the closed-off streets are hurting their businesses. chloasma : (noun) A patchy brown or dark brown skin discoloration that usually occurs on a woman's face and may result from hormonal changes, as in pregnancy.; mask of pregnancy, melasma; She developed chloasma on her face during her pregnancy, but it disappeared when her baby was a few months old. ludic : adjective: Relating to play; playful. ; "A couple of comments bore particular appeal, to my academic as well as ludic sense." Alfred A. Yuson; Double Whammy; The Philippine Star (Manila); Apr 18, 2011. See more usage examples of ludic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What I want to happen to religion in the future is this: I want it to be like bowling. It's a hobby, something some people will enjoy, that has some virtues to it, that will have its own institutions and its traditions and its own television programming, and that families will enjoy together. It's not something I want to ban or that should affect hiring and firing decisions, or that interferes with public policy. It will be perfectly harmless as long as we don't elect our politicians on the basis of their bowling score, or go to war with people who play nine-pin instead of ten-pin, or use folklore about backspin to make decrees about how biology works. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 11, 2016***** Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. Palatable : 1 : agreeable to the palate or taste; Derrick is afraid of flying so traveling by train is the best and most palatable alternative. abidance : (noun) Adherence.; compliance, conformity; In my parents' household, strict abidance by the rules was required, so naturally I rebelled. altercate : verb intr.: To argue or dispute heatedly. ; "Been altercating forever. What I got to do is make sure neither of them wins." Mike Ashley; The Mammoth Book of Sorceror's Tales; Constable & Robinson; 2004. See more usage examples of altercate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No poet has ever let go of his homeland. -Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff, poet, novelist, and playwright (10 Mar 1788-1857) *****March 12, 2016***** Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." Levigate : 1 : polish, smooth; The apothecary levigated zinc oxide and calcium carbonate with linseed oil. philippic : (noun) A verbal denunciation characterized by harsh, often insulting language; a tirade.; tirade, broadside; Ferrars looked exceedingly angry, and drawing herself up more stiffly than ever, pronounced in retort a bitter philippic. complot : noun: A plot or conspiracy. verb tr., intr.: To plot or conspire. ; "The complot is obvious. It's only a matter of smelling out details." Lee Williams; Author of Destiny; Livingston Press; 2002. See more usage examples of complot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2016***** Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. Theriac : 1 : a mixture of many drugs and honey formerly held to be an antidote to poison; "Town authorities tried to monitor the manufacture and supply of theriac to ensure that the citizens were not hoodwinked...." — Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, 2006 helicon : (noun) A tuba that coils over the shoulder of the musician.; bombardon; As the marching band strolled by, Karen could see that the small boy carrying the giant helicon was sweating profusely. complot : noun: A plot or conspiracy. verb tr., intr.: To plot or conspire. ; "The complot is obvious. It's only a matter of smelling out details." Lee Williams; Author of Destiny; Livingston Press; 2002. See more usage examples of complot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 14, 2016***** Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. Deter : 1 : to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting; The heavy fines are meant to deter people from illegally dumping old computers and electronic devices. scapegrace : (noun) A scoundrel.; rascal; Both Kuragin and Dolokhov were at that time notorious among the rakes and scapegraces of Petersburg. complot : noun: A plot or conspiracy. verb tr., intr.: To plot or conspire. ; "The complot is obvious. It's only a matter of smelling out details." Lee Williams; Author of Destiny; Livingston Press; 2002. See more usage examples of complot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 15, 2016***** Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. Verbatim : : in the exact words : word for word; The coach was quoted verbatim in the article announcing that she would retire at the end of the season. varsity : (noun) The principal team representing a university, college, or school in sports, games, or other competitions.; first team; She was determined to make the varsity basketball team and practiced her game all summer. rebus : noun: A representation of a word or phrase using pictures, symbols, letters, etc. ; "Daniel Clowes's narratives are full of anagrams and rebuses, clues (a wand, an eye, a movie camera) to an underlying mystery that is never solved." Tad Friend; Comics from Underground; The New Yorker; Jul 30, 2001. See more usage examples of rebus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2016***** Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. Golem : 1 : an artificial being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life; "Honestly I don't remember all that much about how the golem looked; it had big feet, each with five clay toes…." — Michael Chabon, Maps and Legends, 2008 clotheshorse : (noun) A person excessively concerned with dress.; dandy, dude, fashion plate, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell; The clotheshorse could be found at the boutique once a week, poring over a variety of suits, sweaters, and ties, and inevitably buying at least three of each. calligram : noun: A word, phrase, or piece of text arranged to form a picture of the subject described. ; "In his calligram, not only does [Joseph Cornell] mention the names of artists, poets, and musicians alongside the names of scientists and their inventions, he also transforms the building of the laboratory/observatory itself into a sort of puzzle of words." Analisa Pauline Leppanen-Guerra; Children's Stories and "Child-Time" in the Works of Joseph Cornell and the Transatlantic Avant-Garde; Ashgate Publishing; 2011. Thought For The Day: Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) *****March 17, 2016***** Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Obnubilate : : becloud, obscure; The writer's essay includes some valid points, but they are obnubilated by his convoluted prose style. schoolman : (noun) A scholar who is skilled in academic disputation.; academician; The symposium was scheduled to end at seven, but the schoolman continued to lecture the group for an additional hour. ambigram : noun: A word or phrase written in a manner that it reads the same (sometimes, a different word or phrase) when oriented in a different way, for example, when reflected or rotated. ; "Come In & Go Away Doormat. This fun and clever graphic uses an ambigram to greet and dismiss your visiting guests: 'come in' on arrival 'go away' when leaving." Wipe Your Feet in Style This Winter; The Kent and Sussex Courier (Tunbridge Wells, UK); Oct 4, 2013. "Toryn Green already had his first Fuel album commemorated with an ambigram tattoo -- in one direction it reads 'angel' and in the other direction it reads 'devil'." Sarah Henning; Driven to Succeed; Anchorage Daily News (Alaska); Dec 16, 2007. Thought For The Day: The means of defence against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2016***** Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Morass : 1 : marsh, swamp; "Once the sales are complete, the work won't be over. Delivering the items means navigating a morass of regulations from shippers, insurance companies and foreign governments." — Thad Moore, The Tampa Bay Times, 16 Feb. 2016 redoubt : (noun) A small, often temporary defensive fortification.; sconce; Great mounds had been heaped about the crest of the hill, making a huge redoubt of it. pangram : noun: A sentence that makes use of all the letters of the alphabet. ; "'Whatcha working on, kid? Something new for me?' ... 'Pangram,' Bill said with the curtness of a drill sergeant. 'When zombies arrive, quickly fax Judge Pat.'" George Wright Padgett; Cruel Devices; Grey Gecko Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 19, 2016***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Epistemic : : of or relating to knowledge or knowing : cognitive; Professor Rich is convinced that the quest for epistemic certainty is a foolhardy one. entrepot : (noun) A place where goods are stored or deposited and from which they are distributed.; transshipment center; Bahrain has been an entrepot of trade between Arabia and India since the second millennium BCE. acrostic : noun: A composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. ; "In 2009, Schwarzenegger released a memorable message. He used a vulgar acrostic to reject a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano." Michael Mishak & Anthony York; Brown Sends a Message With His Pen; Los Angeles Times; Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of acrostic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shelved rows of books warm and brighten the starkest room, and scattered single volumes reveal mental processes in progress -- books in the act of consumption, abandoned but readily resumable, tomorrow or next year. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2016***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Kismet : : fate; It may have been kismet that brought the business duo together, but it was a case of smart research and development on his part and innovative advertising on hers that really launched the product. declination : (noun) A polite refusal of an invitation.; regrets; His declination of the dinner invitation was a great disappointment to the would-be host. acrostic : noun: A composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. ; "In 2009, Schwarzenegger released a memorable message. He used a vulgar acrostic to reject a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano." Michael Mishak & Anthony York; Brown Sends a Message With His Pen; Los Angeles Times; Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of acrostic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shelved rows of books warm and brighten the starkest room, and scattered single volumes reveal mental processes in progress -- books in the act of consumption, abandoned but readily resumable, tomorrow or next year. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 21, 2016***** Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Nidifugous : : leaving the nest soon after hatching; "Little is known about the mortality of nidifugous shorebird chicks." — Hans Schekkerman et al., The Journal of Ornithology, January 2009 celerity : (noun) Swiftness of action or motion; speed.; rapidity, quickness; These rapid attentions were bestowed with the celerity and skill of a practiced surgeon. acrostic : noun: A composition in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. ; "In 2009, Schwarzenegger released a memorable message. He used a vulgar acrostic to reject a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano." Michael Mishak & Anthony York; Brown Sends a Message With His Pen; Los Angeles Times; Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of acrostic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shelved rows of books warm and brighten the starkest room, and scattered single volumes reveal mental processes in progress -- books in the act of consumption, abandoned but readily resumable, tomorrow or next year. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 22, 2016***** Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Farraginous : : consisting of a confused mixture : formed of various materials in no fixed order or arrangement; The large box at the hotel's lost and found desk contained a farraginous assortment of hats, umbrellas, cell phones, and other personal items. melange : (noun) A mixture.; mishmash, farrago, hodgepodge, mingle-mangle, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag; The movie was a strange melange of romance, science fiction, comedy, and drama. *****March 23, 2016***** Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Hie : 1 : to go quickly : hasten; "Then hie you hence to Friar Laurence's cell; / There stays a husband to make you a wife." — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1597 acquittance : (noun) A written release from an obligation, specifically a receipt indicating payment in full.; release; After years of haggling over debts and money owed, the two men resolved their dispute and drew up an acquittance. quale : noun: A quality or property as perceived by a person: a subjective experience. ; "But one cannot convey to the stereo-blind what stereopsis is like; the subjective quality, the quale, of stereopsis is unique and no less remarkable than that of color." Oliver Sacks; Stereo Sue; New Yorker; Jun 19, 2006. Thought For The Day: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 24, 2016***** Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." Propensity : : an often intense natural inclination or preference; His propensity to speak his mind makes some of his colleagues wary. apiary : (noun) A place where bees and beehives are kept, especially a place where bees are raised for their honey.; bee house; She had started her apiary with a small capital, a book of practical hints, and a second-hand queen. starets : noun: A religious teacher or adviser. ; "Grigori Rasputin was neither mad nor a monk, but an unconventional starets." Cecilia Rasmussen; Shadowed by Rasputin's Evil Reputation; Los Angeles Times; Oct 10, 1999. See more usage examples of starets in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2016***** Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." Consummate : 1 : complete in every detail : perfect; Always the consummate professional, Erika has testimonials from dozens of satisfied clients on her website. coagulum : (noun) A lump of material formed from the content of a liquid.; clot; His nose began to bleed again when a hearty sneeze dislodged the coagulum that had formed inside his nostril. genus : noun: 1. In biology, a group covering one or more species. 2. A kind, class, group, etc. ; "All around them bloomed flowers of every color and genus." Heather Cullman; Tomorrow's Dreams; Topaz; 1996. See more usage examples of genus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (b. 24 Mar 1926) *****March 26, 2016***** Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." Undulant : 1 : rising and falling in waves; The narrow greens, pesky hazards, and undulant fairways make the golf course one of the most challenging places to play in the area. bucolic : (adjective) Of or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic.; rustic, arcadian, pastoral; The illustrations in the book depicted pleasant, bucolic scenes with farmers happily toiling in the fields. paries : noun: A wall of a body part or cavity. ; "An important cause is the original sin working defects in human embryo while yet in his mother's womb. It causes the parietes to yield to the forces of the intra-abdominal pressure." Hanna Rizk Wannas; The Original Sin and Human Diseases; WestBow Press; 2014. See more usage examples of paries in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no trouble-makers, no dissenters, we should still be living in caves. -A.J.P. Taylor, historian (25 Mar 1906-1990) *****March 27, 2016***** Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." Mirage : 1 : an illusion sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over hot pavement that looks like a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted; The members of the caravan thought they spied water ahead, but it turned out to be a mirage. libelous : (adjective) Harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign.; calumnious, defamatory, denigrating, libellous, slanderous; The article, being libelous, had to be returned as impossible; and I had to renounce my dream of dragging its author into the limelight. paries : noun: A wall of a body part or cavity. ; "An important cause is the original sin working defects in human embryo while yet in his mother's womb. It causes the parietes to yield to the forces of the intra-abdominal pressure." Hanna Rizk Wannas; The Original Sin and Human Diseases; WestBow Press; 2014. See more usage examples of paries in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no trouble-makers, no dissenters, we should still be living in caves. -A.J.P. Taylor, historian (25 Mar 1906-1990) *****March 28, 2016***** Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." Winnow : 1 : to remove (as chaff) by a current of air; also : to free (as grain) from waste in this manner; The search committee is finding it extremely difficult to winnow the list of job applicants down to five; many of them are highly qualified and very desirable. roomer : (noun) A tenant in someone's house.; boarder, lodger; My aunt took in roomers for years and is still in touch with many of her former tenants. paries : noun: A wall of a body part or cavity. ; "An important cause is the original sin working defects in human embryo while yet in his mother's womb. It causes the parietes to yield to the forces of the intra-abdominal pressure." Hanna Rizk Wannas; The Original Sin and Human Diseases; WestBow Press; 2014. See more usage examples of paries in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conformity may give you a quiet life; it may even bring you to a University Chair. But all change in history, all advance, comes from the nonconformists. If there had been no trouble-makers, no dissenters, we should still be living in caves. -A.J.P. Taylor, historian (25 Mar 1906-1990) *****March 29, 2016***** Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." Auspicious : 1 : showing or suggesting that future success is likely : propitious; Being nominated for four awards, including Best Picture, the movie proved to be an auspicious start to his directing career. declivity : (noun) A downward slope or bend.; fall, downslope, declension, declination, decline, descent; As best I could, I stumbled after him down a steep declivity beginning at the forest's edge. clarigation : noun: A demand for restitution for some wrong, as a precursor to declaring war. ; "I would say 'well done, BBC' for inciting this joint clarigation from such bitter enemies just before an election." Susanne Cameron-Blackie; Maverick Meltdown; AnnaRaccoon.com; Mar 16, 2015. Thought For The Day: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. Mar 28 1942) *****March 30, 2016***** Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." Quorum : 1 : a select group ; The organization's charter states that a quorum of at least seven board members must be present before any voting can take place.  perquisite : (noun) A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one's due.; fringe benefit, perk; We had promised her a liberal perquisite in the event of our success. apricity : noun: Warmth of the sun; basking in the sun. ; "As he stood in the sunshine, apricity began to cover him like a wool sweater." Ryan Patrick Sullivan; Mrs. O'Leary's Cow; Trafford; 2014. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****March 31, 2016***** Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family were forced from their home." Sidereal : 1 : of or relating to stars or constellations; David's parents were so pleased by his newfound interest in sidereal phenomena that they bought him an expensive telescope for his birthday. anonym : (noun) A pseudonym.; nom de guerre, pseudonym; Aware that all kinds of people would be reading the bulletin board, he used an anonym when posting messages on it. punalua : noun: A group of brothers marrying a group of sisters. ; "In turn, the Turanian kinship system reflects the organization on the basis of punalua and the gens." Marshall Sahlins; Culture and Practical Reason; University of Chicago Press; 1976. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a man's compass, and though the needle sometimes deviates, though one often perceives irregularities when directing one's course by it, one must still try to follow its direction. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) *****April 01, 2016***** Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Parry : 1 : to ward off a weapon or blow; The fencer skillfully parried her opponent's thrusts. watchword : (noun) A slogan used to rally support for a cause.; cry; "Fight and fall, but fly not," that was our watchword. constative : noun: A statement that can be judged as true or false. adjective: Capable of being true or false. ; "Declaring an active disinterest in the constative question of whether Mitchy's arrangement with Petherton is or is not a scandal ..." David Kurnick; Empty Houses; Princeton University Press; 2012. Thought For The Day: It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them. -Leo Buscaglia, author (31 Mar 1924-1998) *****April 02, 2016***** Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." Vagary : : an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion; The vagaries of fashion make it difficult to predict what styles will be popular a year or two from now. propinquity : (noun) The property of being close together.; proximity; She loved Emma Jane, but it was a friendship born of propinquity and circumstance, not of true affinity. entoptic : adjective: Relating to images that originate within the eye (as opposed to images resulting from the light entering the eye). Example: floaters, thread-like fragments that appear to float in front of the eye but are caused by the matter within the eye. ; "The people whom we loved seem to float across our hearts (like those entoptic specks that drift across our eyeballs)." Mark Leyner; My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist; Vintage; 1990. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 03, 2016***** Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Abrasive : 1 : tending to wear away by rubbing; Coworkers tolerated Jane's abrasive personality because she was brilliant, but many privately wished she could learn to be a bit more polite. fumigate : (verb) To subject to smoke or fumes, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect.; fume; When we found out there was an infestation next door, we considered fumigating our house too. entoptic : adjective: Relating to images that originate within the eye (as opposed to images resulting from the light entering the eye). Example: floaters, thread-like fragments that appear to float in front of the eye but are caused by the matter within the eye. ; "The people whom we loved seem to float across our hearts (like those entoptic specks that drift across our eyeballs)." Mark Leyner; My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist; Vintage; 1990. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 04, 2016***** Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." Zenith : 1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer; "'As a film actor,' muses [Helen] Mirren, 'I didn't really reach my zenith until comparatively recently.' That zenith was probably the 2006 release of The Queen, with Mirren portraying Queen Elizabeth's response to the death of Princess Diana…." — Neala Johnson, The Courier Mail (Australia), 19 July 2014 haversack : (noun) A bag carried over one shoulder to transport supplies, as on a hike.; backpack, knapsack; She carried the heavy haversack for most of the hike. entoptic : adjective: Relating to images that originate within the eye (as opposed to images resulting from the light entering the eye). Example: floaters, thread-like fragments that appear to float in front of the eye but are caused by the matter within the eye. ; "The people whom we loved seem to float across our hearts (like those entoptic specks that drift across our eyeballs)." Mark Leyner; My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist; Vintage; 1990. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 05, 2016***** Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." variegate : (verb) Make something more diverse and varied.; vary; After the third consecutive dinner of mashed potatoes, we began to hope that the cook would begin to variegate the menu. lunkhead : noun: A dull or slow-witted person. ; "[Rugby] is about more than 30 lunkheads beating seven kinds of nonsense out of each other." Stuart Jeffries; Sex, Violence, Class, Power, Politics -- the School Rugby Row Has it All; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 5, 2016. See more usage examples of lunkhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2016***** Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." gainsay : (verb) To oppose, especially by contradiction.; challenge, dispute; In vain did the poor old father weep and implore her pity; she was firm, and he dared not gainsay her. clairaudience : noun: The supposed ability to hear what is inaudible. ; "Paul Solotaroff said that in his time with Trump, he found 'a guy with two extraordinary senses. One is something I call clairvoyance, the ability to read a market way before it is formed and get there first. The second is clairaudience, hear what is in people's hearts and minds.' He described clairaudience this way: 'There's Donald, on the 26th floor of his massive office in the Trump Tower, and somehow he read and saw and heard into the hearts of disaffected underemployed white people in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, in, you know, West Virginia, in Ohio. And not only was he able to hear that seething rage, he was able to read it back to them, word for word, in ways that no Republican has ever done before.'" Brian Stelter; Rolling Stone Writer: Trump 'Was Not Talking About Her Persona'; CNNMoney (Atlanta); Sep 11, 2015. Thought For The Day: Curiosity is the lust of the mind. -Thomas Hobbes, philosopher (5 Apr 1588-1679) *****April 07, 2016***** Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." solemnity : (noun) A trait of dignified seriousness.; staidness, sedateness; Do I seem to have lost my solemnity, my gravity, my poise, my dignity? affluential : adjective: Having power and influence because of wealth. noun: Rich and powerful person. ; "The thing to remember is that, for affluentials, money has become the tool with which to buy non-material things -- space, time, health, fitness, and meaningful experiences." Shane Watson; The Art of Being Affluential; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 22, 2001. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2016***** Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." sunspot : (noun) Any of the relatively cool dark spots appearing periodically in groups on the surface of the sun that are associated with strong magnetic fields.; macula; Come, cheer up, old man; there's no use in losing your grip and going back to this child's play merely because this big sunspot is drifting across your shiny new disk. bankster : noun: A banker who engages in dishonest or illegal behavior. ; "So far for example, no bankster has been indicted/convicted for having a major hand in running the global economy to the ground." Demise of the Prevalent Political Economy; Capital (Addis Abada, Ethiopia); Mar 11, 2013. Thought For The Day: Nature never did betray the heart that loved her. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850) *****April 09, 2016***** Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." chrism : (noun) A consecrated mixture of oil and balsam, used for anointing in church sacraments such as baptism and confirmation.; holy oil, sacramental oil; Though his parents told him it was unlikely, he believed he could remember the smell of the chrism used in his baptism. sheeple : noun: People who unquestioningly accept what's said by a political leader, marketer, etc. ; "The general public -- the mass of sheeple -- want to cling to two core beliefs." Pinchas Landau; Who's in Charge?; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Nov 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: Life is short, short, brother! / Ain't it the truth? / And there is no other / Ain't it the truth? / You gotta rock that rainbow while you still got your youth! -Yip Harburg, lyricist (8 Apr 1896-1981) *****April 10, 2016***** Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." chophouse : (noun) A restaurant that specializes in steaks.; steakhouse; The best steak we ever ate was at a small chophouse in California. sheeple : noun: People who unquestioningly accept what's said by a political leader, marketer, etc. ; "The general public -- the mass of sheeple -- want to cling to two core beliefs." Pinchas Landau; Who's in Charge?; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Nov 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: Life is short, short, brother! / Ain't it the truth? / And there is no other / Ain't it the truth? / You gotta rock that rainbow while you still got your youth! -Yip Harburg, lyricist (8 Apr 1896-1981) *****April 11, 2016***** Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." soupcon : (noun) A very small amount; a trace.; mite, tinge, jot, hint, pinch, speck, touch; This dish could use a soupcon of salt. sheeple : noun: People who unquestioningly accept what's said by a political leader, marketer, etc. ; "The general public -- the mass of sheeple -- want to cling to two core beliefs." Pinchas Landau; Who's in Charge?; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Nov 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: Life is short, short, brother! / Ain't it the truth? / And there is no other / Ain't it the truth? / You gotta rock that rainbow while you still got your youth! -Yip Harburg, lyricist (8 Apr 1896-1981) *****April 12, 2016***** Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." editorialist : (noun) A journalist who writes editorials.; columnist; He grew so weary of armchair-general editorialists that he stopped reading the Op-Ed pages altogether and picked up a book on political theory. snowclone : noun: A cliché adapted to a new use. For example, a statement of the form "X is the new Y" (such as "Gray is the new black"). See more examples here. ; "The next time you read about a 'hidden epidemic', be aware that you are drifting into a snowclone: recent hidden epidemics have involved chlamydia, illiteracy, autism, and gambling." David Rowan; The Next Big Thing; The Times (London, UK); Dec 3, 2005. Thought For The Day: No greater mistake can be made than to think that our institutions are fixed or may not be changed for the worse. ... Increasing prosperity tends to breed indifference and to corrupt moral soundness. Glaring inequalities in condition create discontent and strain the democratic relation. The vicious are the willing, and the ignorant are unconscious instruments of political artifice. Selfishness and demagoguery take advantage of liberty. The selfish hand constantly seeks to control government, and every increase of governmental power, even to meet just needs, furnishes opportunity for abuse and stimulates the effort to bend it to improper uses. ... The peril of this nation is not in any foreign foe! We, the people, are its power, its peril, and its hope! -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist and statesman (11 Apr 1862-1948) *****April 13, 2016***** Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." syncope : (noun) A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary deficiency of oxygen in the brain; a swoon.; deliquium, faint, swoon; She was an enormous flirt, laughing at all the men's jokes and even feigning syncope to garner their concern. ecdysiast : noun: A person who disrobes to provide entertainment for others. ; "Lena Dunham drenched the market with her formidable musings under the title of Not That Kind of Girl, a biography memoir in the great tradition of Pamela Anderson and other literary ecdysiasts." Rex Murphy; The Year in Activist Feminism; National Post (Canada); Dec 27, 2014. See more usage examples of ecdysiast in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 14, 2016***** Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." raffish : (adjective) Marked by smartness in dress and manners.; jaunty, natty, rakish, dapper, spiffy, spruce, dashing, snappy, smart; His raffish costume befits his confident personality. petrichor : noun: The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell. ; "They declared that they have found the earthy scent of petrichor, as if it was secretly drizzling in some deep corner of the city undetected by meteorologists. And when it rained on Monday, they smiled with pride and said: 'I told you so.'" Eye on Sky; The Times of India (New Delhi); Mar 17, 2016. Thought For The Day: There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendancy. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (13 Apr 1743-1826) *****April 15, 2016***** Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." pyrosis : (noun) A painful burning sensation in the chest caused by gastroesophageal reflux (backflow from the stomach irritating the esophagus); symptomatic of an ulcer or a diaphragmatic hernia or other disorder.; heartburn; Even after he swore off spicy foods, his pyrosis kept him up at night. exaptation : noun: The adaptation of a trait for a purpose other than for which it was evolved. For example, feathers were evolved for warmth and later co-opted for display and/or flight. ; "The gradual development of propulsion devices like wings and flagella, by contrast, can be explained by exaptation, the process by which 'a feature that originally evolved for one purpose is co-opted for a different purpose'. Both feathers and flightless wings might have developed originally for the purpose of thermoregulation rather than flight." Kenneth Krause; Design, Doubts, and Darwin; Skeptical Inquirer (Amherst, New York); Nov 2006. Thought For The Day: The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. -Arnold J. Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 16, 2016***** Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." sobriquet : (noun) An affectionate or humorous nickname.; cognomen, moniker, nickname, soubriquet; Usually he saw things long before others were aware that there was anything to see—a trait that had won for him the sobriquet of Hawk. blet : verb tr.: To overripen to the point of rotting. ; "She is now bletting a tray of medlars (allowing them to start to rot) for medlar jelly, which is great with cheese." Catherine Cleary; The City Where the Wild Things Are; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 27, 2011. Thought For The Day: Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 17, 2016***** Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." cistron : (noun) A section of DNA that contains the genetic code for a single polypeptide and functions as a hereditary unit.; gene, factor; When cistrons are located in reproductive cells, they pass their information to the next generation. blet : verb tr.: To overripen to the point of rotting. ; "She is now bletting a tray of medlars (allowing them to start to rot) for medlar jelly, which is great with cheese." Catherine Cleary; The City Where the Wild Things Are; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 27, 2011. Thought For The Day: Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 18, 2016***** Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." swarthy : (adjective) Having a dark complexion or color.; dusky, swart, dark-skinned; He is a noble of very lofty carriage, black hair, swarthy complexion, piercing eye, white teeth, and has a scar on his temple. blet : verb tr.: To overripen to the point of rotting. ; "She is now bletting a tray of medlars (allowing them to start to rot) for medlar jelly, which is great with cheese." Catherine Cleary; The City Where the Wild Things Are; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 27, 2011. Thought For The Day: Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 19, 2016***** Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." vainglory : (noun) Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities.; boastfulness; I share my substance with the poor, making no display of good works, lest I let hypocrisy and vainglory, those enemies that subtly take possession of the most watchful heart, find an entrance into mine. galumph : verb intr.: To move clumsily or heavily. ; "It was excruciating, watching him galumph around the floor in a giraffe-skin patterned leotard." Matt Butler; It's a 10 for Mediocrity; The Independent (London, UK); Sep 15, 2014. See more usage examples of galumph in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2016***** Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." shivaree : (noun) A noisy mock serenade for newlyweds.; belling, callithump; The clamorous shivaree stood in stark contrast to the refined, reserved marital ceremony it followed. slithy : adjective: Smooth and active; slimy; slithery. ; "He's still inclined to take the law into his own hands when it needs to be taken -- in this case, against a couple of slithy loan sharks." Pick of the Day; The Times (London, UK); May 9, 2015. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 21, 2016***** Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." attenuate : (adjective) Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.; faded, weakened; She placed a record in the player, and the attenuate tones of the old recording swept through the house. chortle : noun: A joyful laugh. verb tr., intr.: To laugh in a joyful manner. ; "How the 1-percenters would chortle at the thought that the three currently highest valued state houses in the country outside Auckland ... when added together could barely purchase the boat ramp and perhaps a bathroom door on the incinerated Waiheke estate." Rosemary McLeod; Lifestyles of the Flaming Rich; The Dominion Post (New Zealand); Mar 17, 2016. See more usage examples of chortle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) *****April 22, 2016***** Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." tittle : (noun) A tiny or scarcely detectable amount.; iota, scintilla, shred, smidgeon, whit; Sydney Carton drank nothing but a tittle coffee. bandersnatch : noun: 1. A fast and ferocious wild creature. 2. An uncouth or bizarre person. ; "A momma-bear-sized bandersnatch was lumbering toward them, drool oozing out of her spiky-toothed jaw." Shannon Hale; Ever After High; Little, Brown; 2014. Thought For The Day: As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand. -Josh Billings, columnist and humorist (21 Apr 1818-1885) *****April 23, 2016***** Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." graver : (noun) A tool used by an engraver.; pointel; The jewelry designer's studio was attached to her shop, so customers could watch her hammer metals and draw elegant designs with her graver. frabjous : adjective: Wonderful; delightful. ; "In a happy development for couch potatoes everywhere, Netflix last week announced a partnership with Epix entertainment channel. This is frabjous news." Monica Hesse; For Fans of Truly Bad Movies; The Washington Post; Aug 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed. -Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (22 Apr 1914-2002) *****April 24, 2016***** Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." distend : (verb) To cause to expand by or as if by internal pressure; dilate.; dilate; It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. frabjous : adjective: Wonderful; delightful. ; "In a happy development for couch potatoes everywhere, Netflix last week announced a partnership with Epix entertainment channel. This is frabjous news." Monica Hesse; For Fans of Truly Bad Movies; The Washington Post; Aug 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed. -Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (22 Apr 1914-2002) *****April 25, 2016***** alfresco : out-of-doors; in the open air: to dine alfresco; On this glorious day—temperature in the low 70s, blue sky overhead—they join the mobs dining alfresco, watching as the gondolas drift by. Daniel Gross, "Leaving Las Vegas" Slate, October 27, 2007 Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Omniscient : 1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight; The novel opens with an omniscient narrator recalling memories of her twelfth birthday. feckless : (adjective) Generally incompetent and ineffectual.; inept; Much to his wife's dismay, Jim refused to call a professional, and continued his feckless attempts at repairing the plumbing in the house. frabjous : adjective: Wonderful; delightful. ; "In a happy development for couch potatoes everywhere, Netflix last week announced a partnership with Epix entertainment channel. This is frabjous news." Monica Hesse; For Fans of Truly Bad Movies; The Washington Post; Aug 20, 2010. Thought For The Day: Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed. -Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (22 Apr 1914-2002) *****April 26, 2016***** flivver : Older Slang. an automobile, especially one that is small, inexpens..; Conrad met me with a flivver, a real American flivver, but the most battered rattling, rusted flivver I ever expect to see. Jo Davidson, "Conrad lives in the country with his cook!," Joseph Conrad: Interviews and Recollections, edited by Martin Ray, 1990 Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." Juxtapose : : to place side by side (as to compare or contrast); Darlene has a keen eye for fashion, and she likes to juxtapose vintage pieces with contemporary styles to create new looks. rejoinder : (noun) A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one).; riposte, comeback, retort, replication, counter, return; Her eyes darkened, and he expected an indignant rejoinder. truculent : adjective: Eager to fight; destructive; cruel; savage. ; "Sir Geoffrey also visited PW Botha, the South African president, but found him 'defiant, ill-mannered, and truculent', according to a report he wrote for Mrs Thatcher." Britain 'Was Seen as a Friend of Apartheid'; Daily Mail (London, UK); Feb 19, 2016. See more usage examples of truculent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The rain begins with a single drop. -Manal al-Sharif, human rights activist (b. 25 Apr 1979) *****April 27, 2016***** puckish : mischievous; impish; In my late teens and early twenties I'd seen myself as a Puckish figure, smart and quick-limbed, incorrigible. Michael Cunningham, A Home at the End of the World, 1990 Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." Inveterate : 1 : firmly established by long persistence; Since Ernie is an inveterate liar, we naturally didn't believe him when he told us he'd met the movie star. bookplate : (noun) A label bearing the owner's name or other identification that is pasted usually on the inside cover of a book.; ex libris; I learned from the bookplate that the previous owner of my copy of Gone with the Wind had been a woman named Scarlett. unctuous : adjective: Displaying insincere earnestness or piousness; oily. ; "Personally he is sleek and unctuous, is always found among the godly." Clifton Rodman Woolridge; Twenty Years a Detective in the Wickedest City in the World; Library of Alexandria; 2015. See more usage examples of unctuous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A new word is like a fresh seed sown on the ground of the discussion. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 28, 2016***** amanuensis : a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy wha..; Gwen, my amanuensis, is a college student employed as an intern at the research center where I am housed. It is she who acts as midwife to these words which my mind conceives and my lungs and tongue bear forth, delivering them from my mouth and by the sheer process of documentation imbuing them with the solemnity and permanence of literature. Benjamin Hale, The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, 2011 Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Belvedere : : a structure (such as a cupola or summerhouse) designed to command a view; The couple wandered down to the belvedere at the edge of the bluff to take in the vivid colors of the sunset. anemometer : (noun) An instrument for measuring wind force and velocity.; wind gauge; The storm chasers loaded their van with high-tech gear, including a number of powerful anemometers. irresolute : adjective: Uncertain or indecisive. ; "Ayub Khan was seen as a very hesitant and irresolute commander." Sushant Singh; The War No One Lost; Indian Express (Mumbai); Oct 24, 2015. See more usage examples of irresolute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 29, 2016***** gonzo : (of journalism, reportage, etc.) filled with bizarre or subjective i..; But what was the story? Nobody had bothered to say. So we would have to drum it up on our own. Free Enterprise. The American Dream. Horatio Alger gone mad on drugs in Las Vegas. Do it now: pure Gonzo journalism. Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1972 Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Invincible : : incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued; "He calls the mixture Bulletproof coffee. Drink it, the name implies, and you'll feel invincible." — Gordy Megroz, Bloomberg Businessweek, 4 May 2015 furuncle : (noun) A painful sore with a hard pus-filled core.; boil; His doctor referred him to a dermatologist who would examine the furuncle on his leg. veracious : adjective: Truthful; honest; accurate. ; "Olivia had instinctively perceived that the girl was neither exaggerating nor embellishing, and she knew she had listened to a veracious witness." Barbara Taylor Bradford; A Woman of Substance; Doubleday; 1979. See more usage examples of veracious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you don't turn your life into a story, you just become a part of someone else's story. -Terry Pratchett, novelist (28 Apr 1948-2015) *****April 30, 2016***** woodnote : a wild or natural musical tone, as that of a forest bird; At the top she halted, still longing to hear at his side that marvellous wood-note … George Washington Cable, Bylow Hill, 1902 Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Mulct : 1 : to punish by a fine; Francis was finally barred from the securities industry when it was discovered he'd been mulcting investors for years. revetment : (noun) A facing, as of masonry, used to support an embankment.; stone facing; Like seawalls, revetments armor and protect the land behind them. doughty : adjective: Brave; courageous; determined. ; "Alex Gordon was also a doughty fighter for the underdog." The Herald (Glasgow, UK); Mar 12, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 01, 2016***** prink : to fuss over one's dress, especially before the mirror; Anne wasn't a mossel vain, but nights she expected Gil she'd prink for hours afore her glass, fixing her hair this way and that, and trying on all her good clothes to see which become her most. Lucy Maud Montgomery, "Aunt Susanna's Birthday Celebration," Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1905 to 1906, 2008 Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." Decorous : : marked by propriety and good taste : correct; Before making her daily announcements, the principal mentioned how proud she was of the students' decorous conduct at their prom. baleen : (noun) A horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets.; whalebone; Baleen, formerly used in buggy whips, parasol ribs, and corsets, has largely been replaced by plastic in these items. doughty : adjective: Brave; courageous; determined. ; "Alex Gordon was also a doughty fighter for the underdog." The Herald (Glasgow, UK); Mar 12, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 02, 2016***** tulipomania : (in 17th-century Holland) a widespread obsession with tulips, ..; An extravagant passion for collecting flowers, and which obtained the name of tulipomania, or tulip madness, is said to have become, not many years ago, the subject of a restrictive law in one of the most frugal countries in Europe. James Marriott, "On the genteel mania," October 21, 1756, The World, Vol. 4, 1794 Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." Beltane : : the Celtic May Day festival; Although Beltane celebrates the approach of summer, those attending the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland, are warned to dress for the cool weather that is typical of early spring there. arriviste : (noun) A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.; nouveau-riche, parvenu, upstart; The arriviste tried to gain acceptance into society through ostentatious displays of his newfound wealth, but his actions only inspired resentment. doughty : adjective: Brave; courageous; determined. ; "Alex Gordon was also a doughty fighter for the underdog." The Herald (Glasgow, UK); Mar 12, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 03, 2016***** jeremiad : a prolonged lamentation or mournful complaint; Starting from the sinister change in the racing-world ... he launched forth into a jeremiad on the condition of things in general. Parliament, he thought, especially now that members were paid, had lost its self-respect; the towns had eaten up the country; hunting was threatened; the power and vulgarity of the press were appalling; women had lost their heads; and everybody seemed afraid of having any "breeding." John Galsworthy, Beyond, 1917 Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Moil : 1 : to work hard : drudge; Revelations that the popular motivational speaker was born into a wealthy family cast further doubts on his claims that he holds the secret to finding wealth without the need to toil and moil. flattop : (noun) A large warship that carries planes and has a long flat deck for take-offs and landings.; aircraft carrier; Before the invasion, the general ordered a large flattop to anchor several miles offshore to facilitate a swift aerial attack. gapeseed : noun: 1. One who stares especially with an open mouth. 2. Something that is an object of staring: anything unusual. ; "'And you have not spoken to him since?' 'Not a word. But that does not stop him from staring at me like a fool. He might be a wonder in Parliament, but here in Bath he looks the veriest gapeseed.'" Catherine Blair; Athena's Conquest; Zebra Regency Romance; 2001. Thought For The Day: Man can be the most affectionate and altruistic of creatures, yet he's potentially more vicious than any other. He is the only one who can be persuaded to hate millions of his own kind whom he has never seen and to kill as many as he can lay his hands on in the name of his tribe or his God. -Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author (2 May 1903-1998) *****May 04, 2016***** snuggery : British. a comfortable or cozy room; Gregory had managed to get home for a hurried lunch and a smoke afterwards in the little snuggery ... Saki, "The Philanthropist and the Happy Cat," Beasts and Super-Beasts, 1914 Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Callow : : lacking adult sophistication : immature; "So callow was Williams that there was a clause in his first contract, which he signed at the age of 18, that stipulated the team would pay for his mother to be with him at least one week of every month." — Steve Hummer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Dec. 2012 nadir : (noun) An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything.; low-water mark, rock bottom; They lost everything in the fire and reached the nadir of their fortunes. windrow : noun: 1. A row of raked hay laid to dry in the wind before being baled. 2. A row of leaves, dust, snow, or other material swept together. verb tr.: To arrange in a windrow. ; "If the crop was harvested, it should be placed in windrows up to 2.5m high and 6m wide." Pat Deavoll; Beet Success is All in the Preparation; Timaru Herald (New Zealand); Mar 28, 2015. Thought For The Day: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2016***** toponym : a place name; To christen the inhabitants of his faraway galaxies, George Lucas, the film's creator, made numerous references to some earthly names: Darth Vader (dark water), Luke Skywalker (walks through the sky), Princess Leia (lei -- garland of flowers) and Han Solo (the lone hand). Mr. Lucas's poetry also extends to naming planets. Consider his most prominent toponym, a cold planet named Hoth. Roger Bromfield, "'Star Wars' Names Resonate in Time," New York Times, February 14, 1997 Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Wisenheimer : : smart aleck; Leslie delivered a flawless presentation even in spite of interruptions from the wisenheimers in the back of the classroom. cincture : (noun) A band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers.; waistband, waistcloth, girdle, sash; Their adornments were completed by passing a few loose folds of white tappa, in a modest cincture, around the waist. unwonted : adjective: Unusual or unaccustomed. ; "[The play] looks at why the placid-seeming Howe was driven to such unwonted ferocity." Michael Billington; Dead Sheep Review; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 6, 2015. See more usage examples of unwonted in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. -William Kingdon Clifford, mathematician and philosopher (4 May 1845-1879) *****May 06, 2016***** margaritaceous : resembling mother-of-pearl; pearly; The species of this genus may be better known by the margaritaceous or pearly hues of their delicate mostly yellow, or pale straw-colored wings, which are in general rather faintly streaked with transverse lines ... James Francis Stephens, Illustrations of British Entomology, 1834 Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Gormandize : : to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously ; "People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night." — Philippe Sagant, The Dozing Shaman, 1996 crotchet : (noun) An odd, whimsical, or stubborn notion.; oddity, queerness, quirk; He is perhaps the sanest man and has the fewest crotchets of any I chance to know. angor : noun: Extreme anguish or mental distress. ; "But each word helps to create the tone of the story, set the mood, build the atmosphere, and illustrate the characters' sense of angor." Anu Garg; Confessions of a Word Addict; Writer Magazine (Waukesha, Wisconsin); Dec 2003. See more usage examples of angor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is a foreign language; all men mispronounce it. -Christopher Morley, journalist, novelist, essayist, and poet (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2016***** turpitude : vile, shameful, or base character; depravity; He would, perhaps, argue that, though abstract Right is absolute and unchangeable, the alternative Wrong, though never shading down into Right, varies immeasurably in degree of turpitude ... Joseph Furphy, Such Is Life, 1903 Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Tranche : : a division or portion of a pool or whole; "JPMorgan Chase must retain 5% of each tranche, or class, of notes to be issued by the trust…. The bank must also comply with disclosure and reporting requirements introduced for securitization…." — Allison Bisbey, The American Banker, 17 Mar. 2016 arborist : (noun) A specialist in the care of woody plants, especially trees.; tree surgeon; The arborist informed the homeowners that the sick tree would need to be cut down. refect : verb tr.: To refresh with food or drink. ; "[I attempt] recipes that refect thrill-seeking appetites, and which can be served together like a spread-out picnic." Rose Prince; Spring Free; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Apr 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: Thinking is an experimental dealing with small quantities of energy, just as a general moves miniature figures over a map before setting his troops in action. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 08, 2016***** quaff : to drink a beverage, especially an intoxicating one, copiously and w..; I have heard that Papa ... never dined alone for twenty-seven years and three quarters, and rather than be without company he would sit and laugh and quaff with the horrid bailiffs who often arrested him. William Makepeace Thackeray, "The Lion Huntress of Belgravia," Punch, August and September, 1850 Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Amicable : : characterized by friendly goodwill : peaceable; Tim and Audrey's relationship remained amicable even after they broke up. raring : (adjective) Full of eagerness; enthusiastic.; impatient; Standing at the starting line of the race, he shifted from foot to foot and was raring to go. refect : verb tr.: To refresh with food or drink. ; "[I attempt] recipes that refect thrill-seeking appetites, and which can be served together like a spread-out picnic." Rose Prince; Spring Free; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Apr 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: Thinking is an experimental dealing with small quantities of energy, just as a general moves miniature figures over a map before setting his troops in action. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 09, 2016***** oenomel : something combining strength with sweetness; Alas, that now no more/ The arm-chair or the pulpit will be filled / With that kind presence--keen attention thrilled / By tales of "men and cities," or the lore / Of those book-depths from which thou knew'st so well / To mix for mind and heart an oenomel. Samuel John Stone, "Frederick Arnold," The Guardian, October 28, 1891 Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Nonplus : : to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : perplex ; The student's unexpected about-face during the class discussion nonplussed the teacher. windsock : (noun) A tapered, open-ended sleeve pivotally attached to a standard, that indicates the direction of the wind blowing through it.; drogue, air sock, wind cone; The air traffic controller noted that the airport's windsock was fully extended. refect : verb tr.: To refresh with food or drink. ; "[I attempt] recipes that refect thrill-seeking appetites, and which can be served together like a spread-out picnic." Rose Prince; Spring Free; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Apr 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: Thinking is an experimental dealing with small quantities of energy, just as a general moves miniature figures over a map before setting his troops in action. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 10, 2016***** larruping : Chiefly Western U.S. very; exceedingly: That was a larruping goo..; Hewey dug into his pocket for the bankroll that had been resurrected from near death when Tarpley had paid his hands. Two bits for a larruping good supper and two bits for a shot of whisky. A sound investment, he thought. Elmer Kelton, Six Bits a Day, 2005 Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Hubris : : exaggerated pride or self-confidence; The company's failure was ultimately brought on by the hubris of its founder. paroxysm : (noun) A sudden uncontrollable attack.; convulsion, fit; Michael strained backward in a paroxysm of rage, making fierce short jumps to the end of the tether as he snarled and growled with utmost fierceness. licit : adjective: Legal or legitimate. ; "Many officials in governance and administration have undergone an accelerated improvement in lifestyle based on no visible, or licit, revenue streams." Lifestyle Audits Will Sniff Out Corruption; The Star (Nairobi, Kenya); Nov 17, 2015. See more usage examples of licit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves. -James Matthew Barrie, author (9 May 1860-1937) *****May 11, 2016***** cunctator : a procrastinator; delayer; "Are you ready?" "Yes, I am!" Gorik would answer, even if he wasn't quite ready, which happened often, since he was a sleepyhead and a "cunctator," that is, a "procrastinator," as his father said. Yury Trifonov, translated by David Lowe, Disappearance, 1991 Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Urbane : : notably polite or polished in manner; Deirdre was an urbane and sociable party guest who could seamlessly transition from one conversation to the next. malediction : (noun) The calling down of a curse.; imprecation; They muttered maledictions and curses, but we ignored them. peccable : adjective: Imperfect; flawed; capable of sinning. ; "We picked up a Peugeot 406 automatic at Toulouse airport. I approached the glossy woman at the airport desk and announced in extremely peccable French: 'The car is here, brothel-owning lady, for us.'" Mark Dapin; Lost in France; The Times (London, UK); Aug 21, 2004. See more usage examples of peccable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style. -Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, singer, musician, and choreographer (10 May 1899-1987) *****May 12, 2016***** eldritch : eerie; weird; spooky; We boys used to overrun the place, and I can still recall my youthful terror not only at the morbid strangeness of this sinister vegetation, but at the eldritch atmosphere and odor of the dilapidated house, whose unlocked front door was often entered in quest of shudders. H. P. Lovecraft, "The Shunned House," Weird Tales, October 1937 Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Palooka : 1 : an inexperienced or incompetent boxer ; "The boxing audiences loved him…. Though often reckless, Mickey was never a palooka and learned from every opponent he faced." — Tom Fox, Hidden History of the Irish of New Jersey, 2011 interlanguage : (noun) A common language used by speakers of different languages.; lingua franca, koine; Koine Greek was the interlanguage of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean. clement : adjective: Mild; gentle; lenient. ; "When the alpine grasses go brown, when the frosts hit, when the snow flies, the elk have got to come down from these highlands and all the others to find more clement conditions." David Quammen; Into the Backcountry; National Geographic (Washington, DC); May 2016. See more usage examples of clement in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad. -Salvador Dali, painter (11 May 1904-1989) *****May 13, 2016***** obviate : to anticipate and prevent or eliminate (difficulties, disadvantage..; Well, sir, to obviate the inquiries which would inevitably be set on foot, should Mr Fink-Nottle not present himself at Deverill Hall this evening, it would appear to be essential that a substitute, purporting to be Mr Fink-Nottle, should take his place. P. G. Wodehouse, The Mating Season, 1949 Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Fauve : 1 : of or relating to painters practicing fauvism; "Fauve colors brought sizzle back to tableware, but could you really eat off a Rorschach of orange, black and pink?" — Julie V. Iovine, The New York Times Magazine, 14 Mar. 1993 multifarious : (adjective) Having great variety; diverse.; multifaceted, many-sided; This famous old French trading post continued to be a rallying point for a multifarious and motley population. effable : adjective: Capable of being expressed. ; "The humanities, whose products are necessarily less tangible and effable than their science and engineering peers (and less readily yoked to the needs of the corporate world), have been an easy target for this sprawling new management class." Alex Preston; The War Against Humanities at Britain's Universities; The Observer (London, UK); Mar 30, 2015. Thought For The Day: I do not torture animals, and I do not support the torture of animals, such as that which goes on at rodeos: cowardly men in big hats abusing simple beasts in a fruitless search for manhood. -George Carlin, comedian, actor, and author (12 May 1937-2008) *****May 14, 2016***** trophic : of or relating to nutrition; concerned in nutritive processes; He charted the foraging grounds, the potential nest holes, the roosts and flyways across the valley; he identified the mated pairs within the flock and noted the species' strong affinity for wax palms ... and surmised a trophic relationship. Ben Fountain, "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera," Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, 2006 Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Venerate : 1 : to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference; "In William Shakespeare's classic, the Romans venerate their leader, but Brutus sees that Julius Caesar may be too powerful for the good of the nation." — Chris Kocher, The Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), 10 Mar. 2016 tyro : (noun) A beginner in learning something.; beginner, initiate, novice; I once heard a pirate swear, but his best efforts would have seemed like those of a tyro alongside of Perry's masterful and scientific imprecations. scrutable : adjective: Capable of being understood. ; "In fact, that's the great irony of the court's decision: By ruling that Google had to alter its 'memories' for some, it essentially ruled that it should become less scrutable and less transparent for others." Caitlin Dewey; Europe's Highest Court Says People Have 'the Right to Be Forgotten'; The Washington Post; May 13, 2014. Thought For The Day: The Panama Canal was dug with a microscope. -Ronald Ross, doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (13 May 1857-1932) [alluding to the research done to get rid of the mosquito (details)] *****May 15, 2016***** forthwith : immediately; at once; without delay: Any official accused of dis..; Jurgis would clap him upon the back, in his hearty way, crying "Come now, brother, give us a tune." And then Tamoszius' face would light up and he would get out his fiddle, tuck it under his chin, and play. And forthwith the soul of him would flame up and become eloquent ... Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, 1906 Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Subpoena : : a writ commanding a person designated in it to appear in court under a penalty for failure; Subpoenas have been issued to several of the defendant's family members ordering that they testify at trial. cumulonimbus : (noun) An extremely dense, vertically developed cumulus with a relatively hazy outline and a glaciated top extending to great heights, usually producing heavy rains, thunderstorms, or hailstorms.; thundercloud; The cumulonimbus looming above our heads did not bode well for the future of our barbecue. scrutable : adjective: Capable of being understood. ; "In fact, that's the great irony of the court's decision: By ruling that Google had to alter its 'memories' for some, it essentially ruled that it should become less scrutable and less transparent for others." Caitlin Dewey; Europe's Highest Court Says People Have 'the Right to Be Forgotten'; The Washington Post; May 13, 2014. Thought For The Day: The Panama Canal was dug with a microscope. -Ronald Ross, doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (13 May 1857-1932) [alluding to the research done to get rid of the mosquito (details)] *****May 16, 2016***** gaucherie : lack of social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkwardness; cr..; ... talking of his brother, and lamenting the extreme gaucherie which he really believed kept him from mixing in proper society, he candidly and generously attributed it much less to any natural deficiency, than to the misfortune of a private education ... Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, 1811 Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Eminently : : to a high degree : very; The candidate is so eminently qualified that it is difficult to imagine why she would not get the position. pressmark : (noun) A mark consisting of characters written on a book; used to indicate shelf location.; call number, call mark; Long days spent examining pressmarks had taken a toll on the librarian's eyes. scrutable : adjective: Capable of being understood. ; "In fact, that's the great irony of the court's decision: By ruling that Google had to alter its 'memories' for some, it essentially ruled that it should become less scrutable and less transparent for others." Caitlin Dewey; Europe's Highest Court Says People Have 'the Right to Be Forgotten'; The Washington Post; May 13, 2014. Thought For The Day: The Panama Canal was dug with a microscope. -Ronald Ross, doctor and Nobel Prize laureate (13 May 1857-1932) [alluding to the research done to get rid of the mosquito (details)] *****May 17, 2016***** botryoidal : Mineralogy. having the form of a bunch of grapes: botryoidal he..; After I spent enough time touching and moving around the most fascinating stones (botryoidal limonites, that is, resembling bunches of grapes, drab pitch-black or brown uranites, inflatable vermiculites that scale away and buckle when exposed to heat, milk white nephrites with the same name as the disease ...), often I would leave for the entire afternoon ... Michel Butor, translated by Dominic Di Bernardi, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ape, 1995 Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. Quincunx : : an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle; The sculptures in the square were arranged in a quincunx with the outer ones marking the perimeter and the middle one serving as the centerpiece. pinnace : (noun) A light boat propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a tender for merchant and war vessels.; ship's boat, cutter, tender; Seated upon the projection formed by the hull of the pinnace, I inhaled the salt breeze with delight. factious : adjective: Divisive; seditious; relating to or arising from faction. ; "The agreement last month of Syria's traditionally factious and fractious three million Kurds to put aside their differences and form the Kurdish National Council has alarmed neighbouring Turkey." Jonathan Manthorpe; Arab Spring Awakens Kurdish Dreams of Autonomy; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Aug 3, 2012. See more usage examples of factious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I want people to talk to one another no matter what their difference of opinion might be. -Studs Terkel, author and broadcaster (16 May 1912-2008) *****May 18, 2016***** panjandrum : a self-important or pretentious official; Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great panjandrum of late eighteenth-century English letters, once said to James Boswell, his biographer: "I am willing to love all mankind except an American." That remark was made in 1778. It came at a time when many Englishmen were naturally inclined to deplore our revolutionary ways. Charles Poore, "Books of the Times," New York Times, June 19, 1958 Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Hector : 1 : to play the bully : swagger; The judge sternly ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. mettlesome : (adjective) Full of mettle; spirited and plucky.; spirited, game, gritty, spunky; Joe, being a mettlesome fellow, returned the stranger's angry glance with a steady look. repudiate : verb tr.: To reject, refuse, or disown. ; "Callers repudiated the new tax but most also took the Senate to task for its factious role in delaying the legislation." Patrick Conlon; Public Opinion; The Globe and Mail (Canada); Apr 1, 1991. See more usage examples of repudiate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2016***** embonpoint : excessive plumpness; stoutness; An embonpoint that was just sufficient to distinguish her from most of her companions, a fine colour, brilliant eyes, a sweet smile, rich hair, and such feet and hands as Sir George Templemore had, somehow--he scarcely knew how, himself--fancied could only belong to the daughters of peers and princes, rendered Grace so strikingly attractive this evening, that the young baronet began to think her even handsomer than her cousin. James Fenimore Cooper, Home as Found, 1838 Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Nomenclature : 1 : name, designation; "Most Americans are aware of differences in nomenclature between British and American English, e.g. flat versus apartment, lift versus elevator, petrol versus gasoline." — Sara Boyett, The Silver City (New Mexico) Daily Press & Independent, 31 Mar. 2016 fecund : (adjective) Marked by intellectual productivity.; prolific, fertile; He had a fecund imagination and wrote four novels in two years. blandishment : noun: Something (action, speech, etc.) designed to flatter, coax, or influence. ; "The House should take the opportunity to demonstrate that it isn't really susceptible to the blandishments of a special interest and repudiate the bill." Big Bucks for Billboards; The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina); Feb 5, 2006. See more usage examples of blandishment in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither a man nor a crowd nor a nation can be trusted to act humanely or to think sanely under the influence of a great fear. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970) *****May 20, 2016***** furphy : Australian. a false report; rumor; The furphy is we're heading to Siam, but if you believed every bloody furphy we've been told, we'd've been home a dozen times by now. Mark Dapin, Spirit House, 2011 Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." Ramshackle : 1 : appearing ready to collapse : rickety; The yard was sectioned off by a ramshackle wooden fence that was just barely held together with chicken wire. cowpuncher : (noun) A hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback.; cattleman, cowboy, cowhand, cowherd, cowman, cowpoke; The only time the cowpuncher was not on horseback was when he was repairing the fence around the estate. ignominious : adjective: Deserving or causing disgrace or shame. ; "Bureaucratic, hand-typed, without puffery or blandishment, they may be the most ignominious documents in the Jews' 4,000-year history. They are four sheets of paper dated Sep 15, 1935, signed by Adolf Hitler, that legally excluded Jews from German life and set the groundwork for exterminating them from Europe." Daniel B. Wood; Some Dark Words of History Come to Light; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jul 1, 1999. See more usage examples of ignominious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Humankind is made up of two sexes, women and men. Is it possible for humankind to grow by the improvement of only one part while the other part is ignored? -Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder and the first president of Turkey (19 May 1881-1938) *****May 21, 2016***** inspissate : to thicken, as by evaporation; make or become dense; Spells were directed at the portrait and hand drums were beaten, scents of noxious herbs alight arose to inspissate the air beneath the hanging image. Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers, 1980 Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." Dally : 1 a : to act playfully; especially : to play amorously; He dithered and dallied, avoiding his work for as long as possible. reprobate : (noun) A morally unprincipled person.; miscreant; The prison was full of notorious reprobates. fractious : adjective: 1. Irritable; cranky. 2. Unruly. ; "This is a tie that could bring an ignominious end to Mourinho's fractious reign in Madrid." Oliver Holt; Thanks to Sir Alex, Jose Will Be Judged at Old Trafford; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Feb 14, 2013. See more usage examples of fractious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 22, 2016***** complaisant : inclined or disposed to please; obliging; agreeable or graciou..; ... Emma was obliged, in common honesty, to stop and admit that her own behaviour to him had been so complaisant and obliging, so full of courtesy and attention, as (supposing her real motive unperceived) might warrant a man of ordinary observation and delicacy, like Mr. Elton, in fancying himself a very decided favorite. Jane Austen, Emma, 1815 Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." Zeroth : : being numbered zero in a series; also : of, relating to, or being a zero; "Many tall buildings lack a 13th floor, skipping from 12 to 14 to avoid that dreaded number. Most buildings—at least in the U.S.A.—also lack a zeroth floor." — Pat Murphy and Paul Doherty, Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2005 flinders : (noun) Bits, fragments, or splinters.; slivers, splinters; The bullet blew the glass bottle into flinders. fractious : adjective: 1. Irritable; cranky. 2. Unruly. ; "This is a tie that could bring an ignominious end to Mourinho's fractious reign in Madrid." Oliver Holt; Thanks to Sir Alex, Jose Will Be Judged at Old Trafford; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Feb 14, 2013. See more usage examples of fractious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 23, 2016***** dulcinea : a ladylove; sweetheart; But that little song! It has all the passion of the old chivalry in it--it is only to say, 'My Dulcinea is prettier, sweeter, brighter-eyed than yours!' and the other says, 'You wait till I can get at you, and then we will see!' Arthur Christopher Benson, Father Payne, 1917 Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." Ideate : 1 : to form an idea or conception of (something); Jocelyn used the lunch hour at the education seminar to talk with other teachers and ideate new activities to use in the classroom. indigence : (noun) Poverty; neediness.; beggary, pauperism, penury, need; The luxury of one class is counterbalanced by the indigence of another. fractious : adjective: 1. Irritable; cranky. 2. Unruly. ; "This is a tie that could bring an ignominious end to Mourinho's fractious reign in Madrid." Oliver Holt; Thanks to Sir Alex, Jose Will Be Judged at Old Trafford; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Feb 14, 2013. See more usage examples of fractious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 24, 2016***** jimjams : Slang. extreme nervousness; jitters; ... by George, they give me the jim-jams and the fan-tods and caked up what brains I had, and turned them solid ... Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer, Detective, 1896 Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." Litotes : : understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary; "Vacationing in the Caribbean wasn't a total drag," said Sheila with her characteristic flair for litotes. promulgate : (verb) To make known (a decree, for example) by public declaration; announce officially.; exclaim, proclaim; Where is the staircase from which Charles VI promulgated his edict of pardon? senescence : noun: The process or the state of growing old. ; "It's delightful to know that as we old-timers pass into senescence, our rivers will be in capable hands." Willem Lange; A Gathering of Wilderness Paddlers; Valley News (White River Junction, Vermont); Mar 8, 2016. See more usage examples of senescence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2016***** gormless : Chiefly British Informal. lacking in vitality or intelligence; st..; She was clearly a gormless girl, and just as clearly an ideal match for his gormless grandson. Tom Sharpe, The Throwback, 1978 Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Stolid : : having or expressing little or no sensibility : unemotional; The stolid detective spoke to the witness in a precise, unequivocal manner. ramose : (adjective) Having many branches.; branching; The ramose tree sheltered us from the blistering sun. tromometer : noun: An instrument for detecting or measuring faint tremors caused by an earthquake. ; "A tromometer being perfectly at rest whilst a heavy gale was blowing round the observatory shows that the connection between two sets of phenomena is not so close as might at first be supposed." John Milne; Seismology; Cambridge; 1898. Thought For The Day: A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter (b. 24 May 1941) *****May 26, 2016***** hypnagogic : of or relating to drowsiness; I was tired; I think I had fallen into that half-waking state which psychologists call hypnagogic; what I was chiefly aware of as I walked was a series of mental images of unusual vividness. Michael Innes, There Came Both Mist and Snow, 1940 Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Jeopardize : : to expose to danger or risk : imperil; Jerry was warned that a continued decrease in his sales performance could jeopardize his chances for a promotion. escarp : (noun) A steep artificial slope in front of a fortification.; protective embankment; Instead of trying to breach the escarp, the army encircled the fortress, planning to starve out the inhabitants above. happenchance : noun: A chance occurrence. adjective: Resulting from chance. ; "Whether this came from happenchance or a carefully crafted winning formula is not clear." Richard Kitheka; Author Jackie Collins Revealed Hollywood Decadence to World; Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya); Oct 9, 2015. Thought For The Day: What's madness but nobility of soul at odds with circumstance? -Theodore Roethke, poet (25 May 1908-1963) *****May 27, 2016***** zoogenic : produced or caused by animals; Phytogenic erosion includes soil destruction caused by roots. ... Zoogenic erosion is [a] different situation in which animals destroy the soil when searching for food, moving ..., or excavating their hiding places on the surface and under the ground. Dusan Zacahr, Soil Erosion, 1982 Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Milquetoast : : a timid, meek, or unassertive person; Brian was such a milquetoast that he agreed to work extra hours on Sunday even though he had already told his boss that he needed that day off. phlegmatic : (adjective) Having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional.; indifferent, cold, heavy, dull, stoical, bovine, apathetic, frigid, lymphatic, listless, impassive, stolid, unfeeling, undemonstrative; No sign of astonishment appeared on Emil's phlegmatic face. natant : adjective: Swimming or floating. ; "Perhaps no other athlete has been under more pressure to perform at these Games than Freeman. Not Marion Jones in her pursuit of five gold medals. Not Ian Thorpe, the 17-year-old swimming prodigy or any of his natant mates." Fran Blinebury; 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; Houston Chronicle; Sep 25, 2000. Thought For The Day: Historians tell the story of the past, novelists the story of the present. -Edmond de Goncourt, writer, critic, and publisher (26 May 1822-1896) *****May 28, 2016***** fard : Archaic. to apply cosmetics to (the face); ... he frisles and he fards, / He oynts, he bathes, his visage he regards ... Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas, translated by Thomas Hudson, The Historie of Judith, 1584 Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Aureate : 1 : of a golden color or brilliance; The poems display the writer's mastery of both colloquial and aureate diction. epicure : (noun) A person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink).; gastronome, bon vivant, foodie, gourmet; He fancied himself an epicure and dined out at the finest restaurants every night. succus : noun: Juice; fluid. ; "For this reason, the extract and succus are usually prepared during the months of September and October." Hugh Chisholm; Encyclopedia Britannica; 1922. See more usage examples of succus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are those who say to you -- we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are 172 years late. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2016***** colophon : a publisher's or printer's distinctive emblem, used as an identif..; Sixty years is a ripe age for any trademark, but the people at the National Biscuit Co. boast that their 60-year-old symbol traces its line to prehistoric times. ... A bibliophile by avocation, he [A. W. Green, the corporation's first chairman] came across it in an old book depicting this fifteenth-century colophon (a device placed at the end of a book or manuscript) of the Society of Printers in Venice. , "The Story Behind Nabisco," Changing Times, February, 1960 Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Foozle : : to manage or play awkwardly : bungle; After the receiver foozled the catch, the kicking team recovered the ball at the opponent's 10-yard line. touchstone : (noun) A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.; criterion, standard, measure; You appear to me to be the very touchstone of responsibility. succus : noun: Juice; fluid. ; "For this reason, the extract and succus are usually prepared during the months of September and October." Hugh Chisholm; Encyclopedia Britannica; 1922. See more usage examples of succus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are those who say to you -- we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are 172 years late. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 30, 2016***** metanoia : a profound, usually spiritual, transformation; conversion; "Turn," let us not forget, is the word Tolkien uses for the moment of change in fairy-stories, the moment of becoming. It is reversal, metanoia, felt before the mind can grasp it, before the apprehension of the happy ending and the consolation. Verlyn Flieger, Splintered Light: Logos and Language in Tolkien's World, 2002 Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Ken : 1 a : the range of vision; The author advised the aspiring writers in the crowd to develop an authoritative voice by sticking to subjects within their ken. roustabout : (noun) A member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor.; deckhand; He worked as a roustabout on the Mississippi from the time he was a boy. succus : noun: Juice; fluid. ; "For this reason, the extract and succus are usually prepared during the months of September and October." Hugh Chisholm; Encyclopedia Britannica; 1922. See more usage examples of succus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are those who say to you -- we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are 172 years late. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 31, 2016***** doughty : steadfastly courageous and resolute; valiant; ... shall he be well spoken of, as he was a doughty man. Euripides (c. 484 BC - 406 BC), translated by Theodore Alois Buckley, Heracleidae, 1854 Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Cavalier : 1 : debonair ; Miranda has a cavalier attitude when it comes to spending money. billfold : (noun) A pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money.; wallet, notecase, pocketbook; The thief was at the bar, eyeing the patrons' billfolds and gauging their levels of intoxication. nitty-gritty : noun: The essential, practical, or most important details. ; "Boyce Chait, 84, and his wife Evelyn, 80, live in New Jersey. They demanded but were refused a refund after their $34,995 mentorship [program offered by Trump 'University'] proved, Boyce says, 'to be worth nothing. When it came to the nitty-gritty, there was nothing there.' Nonetheless, Boyce said he and his wife would still 'vote for Trump over Hillary Clinton,' because they are members of the Tea Party." Steven Brill; What the Legal Battle Over Trump University Reveals About Its Founder; Time (New York); Nov 5, 2015. Also see this. See more usage examples of nitty-gritty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science. -Hal Clement, science fiction author (30 May 1922-2003) *****June 01, 2016***** mugwump : a person who is unable to make up his or her mind on an issue, esp..; I was very anxious to keep him in his place, but at first I could not think of any way to help him, for I was a mugwump. We, the mugwumps, a little company made up of the unenslaved of both parties, the very best men to be found in the two great parties--that was our idea of it--voted sixty thousand strong for Mr. Cleveland in New York and elected him. Mark Twain, "Chapters from My Autobiography.--VII," North American Review, December 7, 1906 Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Tousle : : to make untidy : dishevel, rumple; The cats got into a loud scuffle, tousling the clean sheets that Hugh had just put on the bed. rivulet : (noun) A small brook or stream.; rill, runnel, streamlet, run; A tiny rivulet of cold water trickled outward from the opening. blag : verb tr.: To obtain something by guile; to cheat, rob, snatch, steal, scam, or beg. noun: A robbery, con, or theft. ; "This ability to blag people into believing he [Trump] was a commercial genius was most vividly illustrated in a helicopter ride we took over New York." Selina Scott; The Comb-Over Creep Who Hates Women; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jan 31, 2016. Thought For The Day: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2016***** tickety-boo : Chiefly British Informal. fine; OK; "Yes, yes--I'm tickety-boo, just tickety-boo." This was nothing short of the truth. Mr. Edward Trencom, the proprietor of Trencoms--the tenth generation of the family to occupy this position--was in the finest possible fettle. Giles Milton, Edward Trencom's Nose: A Novel of History, Dark Intrigue, and Cheese, 2007 Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Exemplary : 1 : deserving imitation especially because of excellence : commendable; Members of the community who have demonstrated exemplary public service will be honored at the ceremony. viscus : (noun) A main organ that is situated inside the body.; internal organ; The doctor showed the students a detailed model of the viscus and explained its many functions. fetid : adjective: Having a strong unpleasant odor. ; "The more Trump ratchets up the demented rhetoric, the higher his polls go, so he is content to ride the fetid wave of a campaign based chiefly on blind bigotry and unapologetic stupidity." Trump's Latest Bigotry is Pure Fantasy. But it Works; Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey); Nov 23, 2015. (WebCite) See more usage examples of fetid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) *****June 03, 2016***** Pierian : of or relating to poetry or poetic inspiration; And the fellow of this verse terminated like myself in 'boots.'--Other efforts were equally successful--'bloom' suggested to my imagination no rhyme but 'perfume'!--'despair' only reminded me of my 'hair'--and 'hope' was met, at the end of the second verse, by the inharmonious antithesis of 'soap.' Finding, therefore, that my forte was not in the Pierian line, I redoubled my attention to my dress … Edward Bulwer Lytton, Pelham, 1828 Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Cadence : 1 a : a rhythmic sequence or flow of sounds in language; Stephanie relaxed at the beach, listening to the cadence of the surf. decollete : (adjective) Cut low at the neckline.; low-cut, low-necked; She wore a decollete dress that many of the guests deemed inappropriately revealing. prowess : noun: Superior skill, ability, strength, etc. ; "[Trump] liked to brag about his sexual prowess and his desirability as a date, no matter who was around." Michael Barbaro & Megan Twohey; Crossing the Line: Trump's Private Conduct With Women; The New York Times; May 15, 2016. (WebCite) See more usage examples of prowess in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the Inquisition might have let him alone. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) *****June 04, 2016***** olykoek : Hudson Valley: Older Use. doughnut; Such heaped up platters of cakes of various and almost indescribable kinds, known only to experienced Dutch housewives! There was the doughty doughnut, the tender olykoek, and the crisp and crumbling cruller … Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," The Sketch Book, 1820 Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Jubilate : : to rejoice; The crowd jubilated as the baserunner slid across home plate with the winning run. hydrophyte : (noun) A plant adapted to grow in water.; aquatic plant; Water lilies and other hydrophytes dotted the surface of the lake. condign : adjective: Well-deserved, appropriate. ; "Were [Trump] to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life." George F. Will; If Trump is Nominated, the GOP Must Keep Him Out of the White House; The Washington Post; Apr 29, 2016. (WebCite) See more usage examples of condign in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: 'Writing' is the Latin of our times. The modern language of the people is video and sound. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 05, 2016***** natatorium : a swimming pool, especially one that is indoors; "I wondered which you'd rather see first," explained his escort; "the art gallery or the natatorium. I'm afraid you'll get tired before you've seen everything." "Suppose we begin with the art gallery," said he. "There's not much to see in a swimming pool." Upton Sinclair, The Metropolis, 1908 Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Ablution : 1 : the washing of one's body or part of it (as in a religious rite); Francis awakened at dawn and performed his ablutions. inebriety : (noun) A temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol.; drunkenness, tipsiness, intoxication; He was a man who would have made a success of life a century and a half ago when conversation was a passport to good company and inebriety no bar. condign : adjective: Well-deserved, appropriate. ; "Were [Trump] to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life." George F. Will; If Trump is Nominated, the GOP Must Keep Him Out of the White House; The Washington Post; Apr 29, 2016. (WebCite) See more usage examples of condign in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: 'Writing' is the Latin of our times. The modern language of the people is video and sound. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 06, 2016***** villatic : of or relating to the country or to a farm; rural; … And as an evening dragon came, / Assailant on the perched roosts / And nests in order ranged / Of tame villatic fowl … John Milton, Samson Agonistes, 1671 Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Lucid : 1 a : suffused with light : luminous; "The sound swelled and enveloped us, and indeed it was like laughter, waves upon waves of … lucid laughter…." — Anne Rice, Memnoch the Devil, 1995 engram : (noun) A physical alteration thought to occur in living neural tissue in response to stimuli, posited as an explanation for memory.; memory trace; The neuroscientist likened engrams in neural tissue to data on the hard drive of a computer. condign : adjective: Well-deserved, appropriate. ; "Were [Trump] to be nominated, conservatives would have two tasks. One would be to help him lose 50 states -- condign punishment for his comprehensive disdain for conservative essentials, including the manners and grace that should lubricate the nation's civic life." George F. Will; If Trump is Nominated, the GOP Must Keep Him Out of the White House; The Washington Post; Apr 29, 2016. (WebCite) See more usage examples of condign in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: 'Writing' is the Latin of our times. The modern language of the people is video and sound. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 07, 2016***** gegenschein : Astronomy. a faint, elliptical patch of light in the night sky..; At first it seems imaginary, a haze against the sky, hard to make out with all the stellar objects clamoring for attention, but as the night progresses you will see it is a faint disk. It is called the gegenschein, the counterglow. Andrew Sean Greer, The Path of Minor Planets, 2001 Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Welter : 1 a : writhe, toss; also : wallow; "As debris weltered in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, the landfill company River Birch Inc. used helicopter tours to argue against the government's reopening of Old Gentilly Landfill in eastern New Orleans." — Richard Rainey, NOLA.com, 5 June 2011 cataplasm : (noun) A medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc.; poultice, plaster; In an effort to reduce the inflammation, they wrapped the horse's leg in a cataplasm made of leaves. ingenuous : adjective: Guileless; innocent; frank; naive. ; "Clementine is an ingenuous third-grader with a good heart and a particular talent for finding herself in trouble." Sarah Hunter; Ramona Quimby's Cousins; The Booklist (Chicago); Jul 2014. See more usage examples of ingenuous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fearing no insult, asking for no crown, receive with indifference both flattery and slander, and do not argue with a fool. -Aleksandr Pushkin, poet, novelist, and playwright (6 Jun 1799-1837) *****June 08, 2016***** comity : mutual courtesy; civility; To this serene, this lovely state of being / within this comity of citizens, / joined in good faith, this dwelling-place so sweet … Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), translated by Mark Musa, The Divine Comedy: Paradise, 1984 Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Nescience : : lack of knowledge or awareness : ignorance; "Fallacious statements, which I will be generous and attribute to nescience and not to deliberate equivocation, include the following examples…." — H. B. "Bud" Thompson, The Fresno (California) Bee, 26 Sept. 2009 ennui : (noun) Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom.; boredom, tedium; On rainy days, of which we have had a good many of late, it is quite painful to witness his ennui. specious : adjective: Superficially true, but actually wrong. ; "As always, exchange officials will make the final judgment and, we assume, reject specious claims." Health Care Caricature; The New York Times; Mar 22, 2014. See more usage examples of specious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) *****June 09, 2016***** onomatopoeia : the formation of a word, as cuckoo, meow, honk, or boom, by i..; … lyric poetry relies on imagery, as well as on the aural effects of onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, and consonance that enhance content and please the ear. Susan Ioannou, "Know Your Critics," Holding True: Essays on Being a Writer, 2010 Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Ululate : : howl, wail; "Millions of pop culture devotees weep and ululate over the death of David Bowie. His passing is noteworthy, given his significant celebrity profile, but I shall miss [journalist] George Jonas' contributions more." — Randall Bell, letter in The National Post (Canada), 13 Jan. 2016 threnody : (noun) A poem or song of mourning or lamentation.; coronach, dirge, requiem, lament; He had made all the plans for his funeral, choosing and purchasing a casket and even selecting the threnody he wanted played. purblind : adjective: 1. Partially blind. 2. Lacking in understanding, insight, or vision. ; "Robots themselves cannot see very well. And people are understandably wary of purblind contraptions bumping into them willy-nilly in the street or at home." Eye Robot; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 23, 2010. "The Administration had wanted to arm, and a purblind Congress wouldn't vote the money." Upton Sinclair; A World to Win; Viking; 1946. See more usage examples of purblind in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The true birthplace is that wherein for the first time one looks intelligently upon oneself; my first homelands have been books, and to a lesser degree schools. -Marguerite Yourcenar, novelist (8 Jun 1903-1987) *****June 10, 2016***** heuristic : encouraging a person to learn, discover, understand, or solve pr..; Not least, the rigidity of the dictation has also been the subject of long arguments over its heuristic value as a learning method. Lilia Blaise, "In Paris Suburbs, Adopting a Dreaded School Test as a Tool of Integration," New York Times, May 11, 2016 Exponential : adj. Characterized by an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent). "The company enjoyed an exponential growth rate." Passel : : a large number or amount; When problems at the printing plant caused a delay in delivery of the newspaper, Rebecca was tasked with handling the passel of complaints from angry subscribers. camarilla : (noun) A group of confidential, often scheming advisers.; cabal, faction, junto; The people thought the war was for a righteous cause, but in truth, it was the brainchild of a greedy camarilla that hoped to profit from it. feisty : adjective: 1. Spirited; full of courage, spunk, or energy. 2. Touchy, irritable, or ill-tempered. ; "When did our national temperament get so feisty, so pugnacious?" Jim Coyle; Sorry, Canadians Just Aren't So Nice Anymore; The Toronto Star (Canada); May 29, 2016. See more usage examples of feisty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) *****June 11, 2016***** slyboots : an engagingly sly or mischievous person; … even though he never said a word, he had more than one trick up his sleeve, the old slyboots. Emmanuel Carrère, translated by Linda Coverdale, A Russian Novel, 2010 Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Semelparous : : reproducing or breeding only once in a lifetime; The article's author is a scientist who spent years studying semelparous butterflies. stymie : (verb) Hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of.; blockade, obstruct, embarrass, hinder; He worked to improve his athletic skills, but his weak knees stymied his progress at every turn. officious : adjective: 1. Excessively eager in offering unwanted or unneeded advice or help. 2. Acting in pompous or domineering manner, especially in trivial matters. ; "Zimmerman, wearing a banker's collar and projecting an officious air into the room, continued." Sonia Smith; Unfriendly Climate; Texas Monthly (Austin); May 2016. See more usage examples of officious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: [Destroying rain forest for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929) *****June 12, 2016***** terraqueous : consisting of land and water, as the earth; Sometimes I believe that this less material life is our truer life, and that our vain presence on this terraqueous globe is itself the secondary or merely virtual phenomenon. H. P. Lovecraft, "Beyond the Wall of Sleep," Pine Cones, October 1919 Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." Renovate : 1 : to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding); "… society gains nothing whilst a man, not himself renovated, attempts to renovate things around him: he has become tediously good in some particular, but negligent or narrow in the rest…." — Ralph Waldo Emerson, "New England Reformers," 3 Mar. 1844 timbre : (noun) The combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.; tone, quality; The timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely. officious : adjective: 1. Excessively eager in offering unwanted or unneeded advice or help. 2. Acting in pompous or domineering manner, especially in trivial matters. ; "Zimmerman, wearing a banker's collar and projecting an officious air into the room, continued." Sonia Smith; Unfriendly Climate; Texas Monthly (Austin); May 2016. See more usage examples of officious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: [Destroying rain forest for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929) *****June 13, 2016***** overslaugh : to pass over or disregard (a person) by giving a promotion, pos..; … General Stark, a former British officer who had been overslaughed for promotion and now took handsome revenge … Robert Graves, Sergeant Lamb's America, 1940 Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." Quaff : : to drink deeply; The kids thoroughly enjoyed running a lemonade stand for the day, and weren't bothered in the least by the paltry profits that always result when the proprietors quaff most of the product. fetor : (noun) An offensive odor; a stench.; malodor, reek, stench, stink, mephitis; He waited in the basement, trying to ignore the moldy fetor that permeated the air. officious : adjective: 1. Excessively eager in offering unwanted or unneeded advice or help. 2. Acting in pompous or domineering manner, especially in trivial matters. ; "Zimmerman, wearing a banker's collar and projecting an officious air into the room, continued." Sonia Smith; Unfriendly Climate; Texas Monthly (Austin); May 2016. See more usage examples of officious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: [Destroying rain forest for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929) *****June 14, 2016***** paranymph : a groomsman or a bridesmaid; The bridegroom is shaved by his paranymph or groom's man, in a very grave and dignified manner, in the presence of all the young ladies invited. Elizabeth Gaskell, "Modern Greek Songs," Household Words, February 25, 1854 Demure : adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber." Tocsin : 1 : an alarm bell or the ringing of it; A coalition of parents was sounding the tocsin for the school music program—if voters didn't approve a tax increase, the program was sure to be axed. antechamber : (noun) A smaller room serving as an entryway into a larger room.; foyer, lobby, vestibule, hall, anteroom, entrance hall; He led the way across the hall, through the common drawing-room and one useless antechamber, into a room magnificent both in size and furniture. hugger-mugger : noun: 1. Confusion. 2. Secrecy. adjective: 1. Confused. 2. Secret. verb tr., intr.: To keep secret or act in a secretive manner. adverb: 1. Secretly. 2. Confusingly. ; "The ancient mud-brick flanks of the Red Fort rose from a hugger-mugger of chai stalls, around which cycle rickshaws and tuk-tuks jockeyed for a functionally useless position." Will Self; Real Meals; New Statesman (London, UK); Jan 22, 2016. "Mark Rylance [is] a Russian spy at the center of all the Cold War hugger-mugger in 'Bridge of Spies'." Steven Rea; So, Who Did Get the Nod?; Philadelphia Daily News (Pennsylvania); Jan 15, 2016. See more usage examples of hugger-mugger in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (13 Jun 1865-1939) *****June 15, 2016***** vexillology : the study of flags; Our kid, sprawled on the floor with an old encyclopedia, just like I'd done, but our kid wouldn't be alone, I'd be sprawled next to him. Aiding him in his budding vexillology, which sounds less like a study of flags than a study in annoyance, which would have suited my father's attitude toward me. Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl, 2012 Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." Obtuse : 1 a : not pointed or acute : blunt; "A wrinkled brow or wrinkled nose in response to someone volunteering life-changing news, imbued with hope for change, is the domain of the ignorant, the determinedly obtuse or the bigot." — Nicky Clark, The Independent (London), 8 Mar. 2016 enervating : (adjective) Causing debilitation.; debilitative, enfeebling, weakening; The air of the place, so fresh in the spring and early summer, was stagnant and enervating now. argle-bargle : noun: 1. A vigorous discussion or noisy dispute. 2. Nonsense. ; "We have already decided on that, so let me have no argle-bargle from you!" Georgette Heyer; The Toll-Gate; William Heinemann; 1954. "This week's big business argle-bargle is the decision whether or not to bail out Bombardier." Brendan McAleer; Ski-Doos Live on Even as Company Crumbles; North Shore News (North Vancouver, Canada); Feb 19, 2016. See more usage examples of argle-bargle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I'm basically the same. The temperament is not that different. -Donald Trump, Republican Party's nominee for US president (b. 14 Jun 1946) Reference: 1, 2 *****June 16, 2016***** iatrogenic : (of a medical disorder) caused by the diagnosis, manner, or tre..; Time was, doctors could safely communicate among themselves by leaving messages written in Greek and Latin in the patient's charts, and iatrogenic--doctor-produced--disorders and nosocomial--hospital-produced--infections were very common. Richard Dooling, Critical Care, 1992 Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." Verdure : 1 : the greenness of growing vegetation; also : such vegetation itself; "All right, I have to admit it. It's stunning. Even though the summer drought has leached the verdure from the grand, sweeping lawns." — Zofia Smardz, The Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2007 myelinated : (adjective) Covered with a layer of myelin.; medullated; The medical textbook had a detailed diagram of myelinated nerve fibers. hoity-toity : adjective: Haughty; pretentious; huffy. ; "Now, Liz lives in a very hoity-toity part of town and rubs shoulders with the rich and famous." Marla Jo Fisher; Frumpy Middle-Aged Mom; McClatchy-Tribune News Service (Washington, DC); Feb 15, 2016. See more usage examples of hoity-toity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Of all nature's gifts to the human race, what is sweeter to a man than his children? -Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE) *****June 17, 2016***** cater-cousin : an intimate friend; His master and he, saving your worship's reverence, are scarce catercousins. William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 1600 Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." MacGuffin : : an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance; The missing document is the MacGuffin that brings the two main characters together, but the real story centers on their tumultuous relationship. polliwog : (noun) A larval frog or toad.; tadpole; The boy found it hard to believe that this tiny, legless polliwog would someday sprout limbs and hop away a fully formed frog. tussie-mussie : noun: A small bouquet of flowers. Also known as a posy or a nosegay. ; "There were several tussie-mussies on display in the Mixsell House parlor, each with a card indicating the message such a bouquet would have sent." Christy Potter; Love in the Time of Cholera; Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Feb 14, 2016. Thought For The Day: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 18, 2016***** alliaceous : having the odor or taste of garlic, onion, etc; Officially, asafetida is "a gum resin with an alliaceous odor." That's putting it mildly; in my lifetime I have eaten onions, garlic, wild leeks, scallions, and such, but the odor from the bag of asafetida made all other smells I have ever encountered absolute aromas and fragrant attars. Harry Botsford, "Rigorous Remedies," The Rotarian, July 1957 Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Benign : 1 : of a gentle disposition : gracious; "No doubt the history of this genial, white-haired American emigre was benign, but, still, I remember wondering about his real story, as distinct from the one he was telling me." — Chris Jones, The Chicago Tribune, 29 July 2013 clairvoyant : (adjective) Having the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses.; precognitive, second-sighted; An advertisement marked "fortune-teller" listed the abilities of a supposedly clairvoyant woman. hurly-burly : noun: Disorder; confusion; commotion; uproar. adjective: Characterized by disorder, confusion, commotion, uproar, etc. ; "You won't have a minute to spare as you find yourself caught up in the hurly-burly of a sporting and social event." Golden Rules of Successful Punting at the Cheltenham Festival; Beverley Guardian (Driffield, UK); Feb 29, 2016. See more usage examples of hurly-burly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 19, 2016***** jamboree : a carousal; any noisy merrymaking; At an outdoor jamboree in Kansas, they listened to the fiddlers and banjo players and watched the people of all ages dancing the Virginia reel and waltzing to "The Blue Danube." Linda Bruckheimer, Dreaming Southern, 1999 Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Kvell : : to be extraordinarily proud : rejoice; Critics kvelled over the violinist's triumphant return to the stage where she had made her debut many years ago. overtone : (noun) An ulterior, usually implicit meaning or quality; an implication or a hint. Often used in the plural.; connotation, hint, implication, undercurrent, intimation; There were overtones of discontent in his speech. hurly-burly : noun: Disorder; confusion; commotion; uproar. adjective: Characterized by disorder, confusion, commotion, uproar, etc. ; "You won't have a minute to spare as you find yourself caught up in the hurly-burly of a sporting and social event." Golden Rules of Successful Punting at the Cheltenham Festival; Beverley Guardian (Driffield, UK); Feb 29, 2016. See more usage examples of hurly-burly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 20, 2016***** nonpareil : a person or thing having no equal; The dandelion in full flower, a little sun bristling with sun-rays on the green earth, is a nonpareil, a non-such. Foolish, foolish, foolish to compare it to anything else on earth. D. H. Lawrence, "Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine," Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine and Other Essays, 1925 Assiduous : adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." Dolorous : : causing, marked by, or expressing misery or grief; With his dolorous songs about hard-bitten people down on their luck, Johnny Cash garnered legions of fans across generations. equivocate : (verb) To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information.; prevaricate, beat around the bush, palter, tergiversate; She was known for her tendency to equivocate, and many of her friends gave up on trying to discern her true opinions. hurly-burly : noun: Disorder; confusion; commotion; uproar. adjective: Characterized by disorder, confusion, commotion, uproar, etc. ; "You won't have a minute to spare as you find yourself caught up in the hurly-burly of a sporting and social event." Golden Rules of Successful Punting at the Cheltenham Festival; Beverley Guardian (Driffield, UK); Feb 29, 2016. See more usage examples of hurly-burly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 21, 2016***** zeitgeber : an environmental cue, as the length of daylight or the degree of..; In nearly every land animal, light is the major Zeitgeber ("time giver"), with temperature a distant second. Richard Restak, The Brain, 1984 Vexatious : adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation." Heliolatry : : sun worship; Archeologists believe that the members of the ancient civilization practiced heliolatry because each temple faced east, toward the rising sun. midden : (noun) A dunghill or refuse heap.; muckheap, muckhill, dunghill; His opponent, as proud as the rooster who is left unchallenged upon the midden, crowed away in a last long burst of quotation and deduction. poecilonym : noun: A synonym. ; "Billy Dorminy was perspicuous, talking about poecilonyms on television." James Barron; A Contest Where the Competitors Flex Their Lexicons; The New York Times; Mar 6, 2007. Thought For The Day: Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice? -Lillian Hellman, playwright (20 Jun 1905-1984) *****June 22, 2016***** sniglet : any word coined for something that has no specific name; Author (and actor-comedian) Rich Hall defines a sniglet as "any word that doesn't appear in a dictionary but should," which makes sniglet itself a sniglet. Richard Lederer, The Miracle of Language, 1991 Pedantic : adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details." Inchoate : : being only partly in existence or operation : incipient; especially : imperfectly formed or formulated : formless, incoherent; Five years ago, the restaurant was merely an inchoate notion in Nathan's head; today it is one of the most popular eateries in the city. airscrew : (noun) A propeller that rotates to push against air.; prop; The model airplane had an airscrew powered by a rubber band. nephalism : noun: Teetotalism: abstinence from alcohol. ; "Which, though not entirely teetotal, is next door to nephalism." Jack McLean's; We'll All Be Beeping About from Bar to Bar; The Herald (Glasgow, UK); Apr 21, 2001. Thought For The Day: Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) *****June 23, 2016***** tohubohu : chaos; disorder; confusion; Learn this: joy is not merely joyful; it is great. So be lovers gaily then, the devil! and marry, when you do marry, with the fever and the dizziness and the uproar and the tohubohu of happiness. Victor Hugo, translated by Charles E. Wilbour, Les Misérables, 1862 Deciduous : adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company." Feign : 1 : to give a false appearance of : to induce as a false impression; "If a predator approaches the nest, the parent feigns a broken wing, often leading the predator far from the nest before bursting into flight, the injured wing suddenly fully functional." — Jan Bergstrom, The St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times, 7 May 2016 nimiety : (noun) Superfluity; excess.; excess, surplus, surplusage; After her long nap, the baby had a nimiety of energy that exhausted her parents. tachyphylaxis : noun: Mithridatism: Successively decreased response to a drug or a toxin over time. ; "However, tachyphylaxis and skin atrophy associated with long-term use make steroids unsuitable for lengthy treatment." The Psoriasis Curse; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Mar 2, 1999. Thought For The Day: I feel we are all islands -- in a common sea. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 24, 2016***** rib-tickling : very amusing; funny or hilarious: a book of rib-tickling stor..; Oldmixon was a rotund, hearty man, with a booming voice, red face and the habit of clapping his equals on the back and regaling them with stories that he considered rib-tickling but whose point his listeners usually failed to catch … James Michener, Caribbean, 1989 Paradigm : n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed." Genius : 1 : a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude; "An airplane mechanic in World War II, my father had a genius for anything mechanical. He would overhaul an engine at the drop of a hat." — Jack McCall, The Hartsville (Tennessee) Vidette, 28 Apr. 2016 extirpate : (verb) To destroy totally.; eradicate, exterminate, uproot; The tyrant's first order of business upon assuming power was to extirpate the vestiges of political democracy. nullifidian : noun: An atheist: a person who has no religious faith or belief in god(s). adjective: Having no faith or belief. ; "Riding a backlash against centuries of Puritanism and uptight strictures, we've turned nullifidian." James Royson; On Casino Question, Let the People Decide; Toronto Star (Canada); Apr 23, 2013. "This [the Internet] is where like-minded folk of a nullifidian bent come together, as demonstrated by the extraordinary success of a campaign to raise money for Britain's first atheist advertisements." Jemima Lewis; Thank Heaven for a British Faith in Bet-Hedging; The Sunday Telegraph (London, UK); Oct 26, 2008. Thought For The Day: Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 25, 2016***** Endsville : (sometimes lowercase) Slang. most wonderful or exciting: a rock ..; She responded by flinging her arms around his neck. "Curtie, it'll be endsville!" Arthur Hailey, Hotel, 1965 Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Hermetic : 1 : relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness : recondite; The infomercial claimed that the new containers used modern technology to guarantee a hermetic seal that would keep food fresh for months. gamboge : (noun) A strong yellow color.; lemon yellow, maize, lemon; His blood may be gamboge yellow with green spots, for all anybody knows. marrowsky : noun: Spoonerism: The transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of words producing a humorous result. For example, "Runny Babbit" instead of "Bunny Rabbit". ; "I remember one perfect evening when my friend sparkled with quips, and marrowskies, and anecdotes." Vladimir Nabokov; Pale Fire; Putnam; 1962. Thought For The Day: History is a vast early warning system. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (24 Jun 1915-1990) *****June 26, 2016***** encephalon : Anatomy. the brain; The head, though in many species very voluminous, is formed only in small part by the cranium which closely embraces the encephalon. Georges Cuvier, translated by Edward Griffith, The Animal Kingdom, Volume 9: The Class Reptilia, 1831 Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." Extirpate : 1 a : to destroy completely : wipe out; "The spread of piracy has been treated more as a nuisance to be endured rather than as a deadly cancer that must be extirpated for the sake of both Somalia and the rule of law." — Tara Helfman and Dan O'Shea, Commentary, February 2011 tortuosity : (noun) The quality or condition of being tortuous; twistedness or crookedness.; crookedness, torsion, contortion; The old tree was enormous, and they built a tree house in the tortuosities of its boughs. marrowsky : noun: Spoonerism: The transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of words producing a humorous result. For example, "Runny Babbit" instead of "Bunny Rabbit". ; "I remember one perfect evening when my friend sparkled with quips, and marrowskies, and anecdotes." Vladimir Nabokov; Pale Fire; Putnam; 1962. Thought For The Day: History is a vast early warning system. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (24 Jun 1915-1990) *****June 27, 2016***** remontant : (of certain roses) blooming more than once in a season; The rosarians of that time were so enthusiastic over these hybrids that they named them "perpetual." Later and more cautious rosarians have renamed this class "Remontant," meaning blooming again, as many varieties will bloom twice in a season, once in June and again in the early Fall. There are a few varieties which really deserve the name "perpetual." Stephen Reynolds, "June Roses Add to Garden Beauty," New York Times, May 7, 1933 Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Jactitation : : a tossing to and fro or jerking and twitching of the body; "The effect of the first dose was most fortunate. In about ten minutes after it was swallowed, the jactitation ceased." — Edward H. Clarke, The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, 16 June 1870 vapid : (adjective) Lacking taste, zest, or flavor; flat.; flavorless, insipid, savorless, bland, flat; The bar was rundown and filthy, serving vapid beer and stale peanuts. marrowsky : noun: Spoonerism: The transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of words producing a humorous result. For example, "Runny Babbit" instead of "Bunny Rabbit". ; "I remember one perfect evening when my friend sparkled with quips, and marrowskies, and anecdotes." Vladimir Nabokov; Pale Fire; Putnam; 1962. Thought For The Day: History is a vast early warning system. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (24 Jun 1915-1990) *****June 28, 2016***** transmogrify : to change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grot..; How strangely can that miscreant enchanter, who is my enemy, transmogrify things to thwart me? Know, Sancho, that it is a very easy matter for necromancers to make us assume what shapes they please; and the malicious wretch who persecutes me, envying the glory I should have gained in this battle, hath doubtless metamorphosed the squadrons of the foe, into flocks of sheep … Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616), translated by Tobias Smollett, Don Quixote, 1755 Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Crackerjack : : of striking ability or excellence; She is a crackerjack athlete who excels in soccer and softball. borecole : (noun) A hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head.; kale, Brassica oleracea acephala, colewort; The aristocrats did not enjoy the health benefits of borecole because they considered it a peasant's food. vermeil : noun: 1. Vermilion color: bright orange-red. 2. Metal, such as silver, bronze, or copper that has been gilded. adjective: Bright red in color. ; "What grabs your attention are the four big Chinese characters in vermeil red." Jurie Hwang; Keeping Hanbok Traditional But Trendy: McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Jan 19, 2011. See more usage examples of vermeil in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no greater fallacy than the belief that aims and purposes are one thing, while methods and tactics are another. -Emma Goldman, social activist (27 Jun 1869-1940) *****June 29, 2016***** automagical : (of a usually complicated technical or computer process) done,..; According to Sterling, the result "is that I no longer inventory my possessions inside my own head. They're inventoried through an automagical inventory voodoo, work done far beneath my notice by a host of machines. I no longer bother to remember where I put things." Marcus Boon, In Praise of Copying, 2010 Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Licit : : conforming to the requirements of the law : not forbidden by law : permissible; The program subsidizes farmers growing licit crops, such as rubber, cassava, and cocoa. philistinism : (noun) A desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters.; materialism; His unabashed philistinism offended Susan, who had abandoned a lucrative business career to pursue her humanitarian interests. teal : noun: 1. Any of the various species of small dabbling ducks. 2. Greenish blue color. adjective: Of greenish blue color. ; "My particular favourite combination is with a soft dull teal, which is almost grey, but warmed through with blue-green." Tickled Pink; The Dover Express (Dover, UK); Jun 16, 2016. See more usage examples of teal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2016***** supererogatory : going beyond the requirements of duty; The manner of the Quartermaster had that air of supererogatory courtesy about it which almost invariably denotes artifice; for, while physiognomy and phrenology are but lame sciences at the best, the perhaps lead to as many false as right conclusions, we hold that there is no more infallible evidence of insincerity of purpose, short of overt acts, than a face that smiles when there is no occasion, and the tongue that is out of measure smooth. James Fenimore Cooper, The Pathfinder, 1840 Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." Attenuate : 1 : to make thin or slender; "… it's been well established that daily exercise such as walking for 30 minutes yields substantial health benefits and that regular physical activity attenuates the health risks associated with overweight and obesity." — Yuri Elkaim, The Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, 4 June 2016 dyspepsia : (noun) Disturbed digestion.; indigestion, upset stomach; Certain foods trigger his dyspepsia, so he makes sure to avoid them at all costs. ponceau : noun: A bright red color. adjective: Of bright red color. ; "Eternal alliances which ordinarily terminate in a quarrel about the shade of a ponceau ribbon ..." Ouida; Beatrice Boville and Other Stories; J.B. Lippincott Company; 1905. Thought For The Day: Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures -- in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2016***** towser : a big dog; In the house, even on the hearth-rug before the fire, Tabby has not a moment's peace. In comes some visitor with a Towser. Tabby's back goes up, her tail dilates with anger, and she spits and strikes in great distress … , "Cats and Dogs," The Kingdom of Nature: An Illustrated Museum of the Animal World, edited by Mrs. Frank Leslie, 1900 Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Nadir : 1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer; Only once the novel's protagonist reaches her nadir does she arouse the reader's empathy, and we root for her to climb back to respectability. gourmand : (noun) A lover of good food.; trencherman, glutton; Because he had a great appreciation for fine cuisine, the gourmand was asked to serve as a judge in the televised cooking contest. taupe : noun: A brownish gray, similar to the color of moleskin. adjective: Of a brownish gray color. ; "White and taupe are ideal for any space in which you wish to create a neutral palette or soothing atmosphere." Cathy Hobbs; Clearing Up Gray Areas About the Use of White; Orlando Sentinel (Florida); Jun 18, 2016. See more usage examples of taupe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone. -Czeslaw Milosz, poet and novelist (30 Jun 1911-2004) *****July 02, 2016***** churrasco : Latin-American Cookery. meat cooked over an open fire; Here gauchos in their traditional dress of baggy trousers, outsize spurs, and leather leg guards herd their cattle, sip their chimarrão (bitter maté tea), charcoal-roast their delicious churrasco (barbecue) of beef, pork, veal, sausage, chicken, seafood, and other choice viands, stage their famous rodeos, and perform their wild and intricate dances. Jo Nugent, "Giant Land, Gentle People," The Rotarian, August 1987 Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise - especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Qua : : in the capacity or character of : as; "Coben's novels have made him rich, but that's not what's important to him. It's sales qua sales—his statistical record—that motivates Coben, rather than the money his sales bring in." — Eric Konigsberg, The Atlantic, July/August 2007 myopia : (noun) A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness.; nearsightedness, shortsightedness; By the time she was 30, her myopia had gotten so bad that she was declared legally blind. sepia : noun: 1. A reddish brown color. 2. A brown pigment originally made from the cuttlefish ink. 3. A drawing made with this pigment. 4. A monochrome photograph in this color. adjective: Of a reddish-brown color. ; "I know it sounds strange to invoke the sepia-toned suffering of the 1930s when we're talking about an economy that has only 5.1 percent unemployment." Matt O'Brien; Brexit' and the Far Right's Rise in UK and Elsewhere; The Washington Post; Jun 1, 2016. See more usage examples of sepia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The American who first discovered Columbus made a bad discovery. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 03, 2016***** punctilio : strictness or exactness in the observance of formalities or amen..; Overstrained etiquette at last gave way. It is not known who first overstepped the bounds of punctilio; but the consequences were immediate. O. Henry, "Past One at Rooney's," Strictly Business, 1910 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Defalcation : 1 : the act or an instance of embezzling; "Early in my career, I uncovered a defalcation that resulted from one individual having too much control over the cash handling process." — James Williams, quoted in The Washington Business Journal, 30 Jan. 2015 spelldown : (noun) A contest in which you are eliminated if you fail to spell a word correctly.; spelling bee; Our school hosts a spelldown every year, but since Tom always wins, it's not very exciting. sepia : noun: 1. A reddish brown color. 2. A brown pigment originally made from the cuttlefish ink. 3. A drawing made with this pigment. 4. A monochrome photograph in this color. adjective: Of a reddish-brown color. ; "I know it sounds strange to invoke the sepia-toned suffering of the 1930s when we're talking about an economy that has only 5.1 percent unemployment." Matt O'Brien; Brexit' and the Far Right's Rise in UK and Elsewhere; The Washington Post; Jun 1, 2016. See more usage examples of sepia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The American who first discovered Columbus made a bad discovery. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 04, 2016***** tourbillion : a whirlwind or something resembling a whirlwind; How did it come to be suspended in the sky by some freak of electrical or gravitational vortex, sitting as a tennis ball might do upon a jet of air except on a much larger scale? Perhaps it rested upon a tourbillion of unknown energy. Adam Roberts, Swiftly: A Novel, 2008 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Ossify : 1 : to become or change into bone or bony tissue; When a baby is born, many of the bones in its body have yet to ossify. menage : (noun) A domestic establishment.; household; What sort of a menage is it which pays double the market price for a governess but does not keep a horse, although six miles from the station. sepia : noun: 1. A reddish brown color. 2. A brown pigment originally made from the cuttlefish ink. 3. A drawing made with this pigment. 4. A monochrome photograph in this color. adjective: Of a reddish-brown color. ; "I know it sounds strange to invoke the sepia-toned suffering of the 1930s when we're talking about an economy that has only 5.1 percent unemployment." Matt O'Brien; Brexit' and the Far Right's Rise in UK and Elsewhere; The Washington Post; Jun 1, 2016. See more usage examples of sepia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The American who first discovered Columbus made a bad discovery. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 05, 2016***** egalitarian : asserting, resulting from, or characterized by belief in the e..; ... Americans, in their Declaration of Independence, held out the hope of a democratic and egalitarian future. The Americans' success in gaining their independence, achieved only after eight years of exhausting and bloody warfare, would send a message to the rest of the world, changing the course of history in the process. Richard R. Beeman, Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor, 2013 Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Yankee : 1 a : a native or inhabitant of New England; "I am an American. I was born and reared in Hartford, in the State of Connecticut…. So I am a Yankee of the Yankees…." — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889 guidepost : (noun) A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.; rule of thumb, guideline; His guidepost in social situations was the belief that people tend to be kind to those who are kind. knavery : noun: Dishonest dealing or an instance of this. ; "Each nation is fighting a righteous war, brought about by the intolerable knavery of the other." Kenneth Roberts; Boon Island; Doubleday; 1956. See more usage examples of knavery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864) *****July 06, 2016***** orthography : the art of writing words with the proper letters, according to..; ... at bottom I disrespect our orthography most heartily, and as heartily disrespect everything that has been said by anybody in defence of it. Nothing professing to be a defence of our ludicrous spellings has had any basis, so far as my observation goes, except sentimentality. Mark Twain, "Chapters from My Autobiography," North American Review, Volume CLXXXV, 1907 Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." Felicitous : 1 : very well suited or expressed : apt; The warm air and clear, dark skies made for felicitous conditions for the fireworks show. trencherman : (noun) A hearty eater.; glutton, gourmand; The waiter set the steak down in front of the smiling trencherman who had already polished off three other entrees. wroth : adjective: Extremely angry. ; "The fat man was so wroth that he took a vow to live on bread and wine till he had his vengeance." George R. R. Martin; A Dance with Dragons; Bantam; 2011. See more usage examples of wroth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning. -Bill Watterson, comic strip artist (b. 5 Jul 1958) [Calvin & Hobbes] *****July 07, 2016***** skerrick : Australian. a small piece or quantity; a bit: Not even a skerrick..; No skerrick of light snuck around his door and I knew he had put out his lamps and set to clean his equipment in the dark, his long hands fluttering across the blade and type bed like a blind watchmaker. Peter Carey, Parrot and Olivier in America, 2009 Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Negotiate : 1 : to confer with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter; also : to arrange for or bring about by such conferences; Our driver had lived on the island all her life, and was adept at negotiating the narrow, winding roads along the island's coast. hautboy : (noun) A slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece.; oboe; What hautboys and Zamora bagpipes we shall hear, what tabors, timbrels, and rebecks! knar : noun: A knot on a tree or in wood. ; "When Gong Chun decided to make a teapot that resembled the knar of an old ginkgo tree, he did it by hand." Kuei-hsiang Lo; The Stonewares of Yixing; Hong Kong University Press; 1986. Thought For The Day: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2016***** velleity : a mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it; I wanted to believe Ed was free of contradictions, I wanted to believe in his massive stolidity as in a state towards which I could slumber halfheartedly should the velleity arise. Michael Brodsky, Detour, 2003 Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. commodious : (adjective) Spacious; roomy.; roomy, large, ample, spacious, expansive, capacious; The accommodations were commodious, and we had plenty of room to store our belongings. wrick : verb tr., intr.: To sprain or wrench. noun: Sprain. ; "Fraulein Hunyády had wricked her ankle that afternoon when coming down stairs." Dennis Wheatley; The Duke de Richleau Series; Bloomsbury; 2014. See more usage examples of wrick in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men rarely (if ever) managed to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 09, 2016***** selenotropism : Biology. growth in response to moonlight; Selenotropism of Plants. *--Ch. Musset, struck by the heliotropic movements of plants, has made some experiments on the influence of the moon. ... The bud seemed to follow the moon, and when the plants were placed at a window with a western aspect a fresh movement was seen, and this continued until the moon disappeared behind the hills. Edited by Frank Crisp, Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, Ser. II--Vol. III, 1883 Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Lout : : an awkward brutish person; To get away from the obnoxious louts making noise in the restaurant, Jared and Fiona asked the waiter if they could be moved to another table. swallowtail : (noun) A man's full-dress jacket with two long tapering tails at the back.; morning coat; When he decided to wear a swallowtail to his wedding, he endured some playful mockery from his groomsmen. gnomic : adjective: 1. Relating to a gnome (an aphorism or a pithy saying). 2. Puzzling, ambiguous, or incomprehensible yet seemingly profound. ; "Others believed that George arrived every year with a single guiding business idea. 'Information cannot be taxed' or 'Improbability is the river in which we fish' or some other gnomic pronouncement. One year, the rumors ran, George uttered a single word: 'China'." Stephen Marche; The Hunger of the Wolf; Simon & Schuster; 2015. "Charles was finding the conversation a little gnomic. 'I'm sorry, I don't quite get what you mean.'" Simon Brett; The Cinderella Killer; Severn House; 2015. See more usage examples of gnomic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004) *****July 10, 2016***** sockdolager : Older Slang. something unusually large, heavy, etc; And every second or two there'd come a glare that lit up the whitecaps for half a mile around, and you'd see the islands looking dusty through the rain, and the trees thrashing around in the wind; then comes a h-whack!--bum! bum! bumble-umble-um-bum-bum-bum-bum--and the thunder would go rumbling and grumbling away, and quit--and then rip comes another flash and another sockdolager. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1884 Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Jovial : 1 : (capitalized Jovial) of or relating to Jove; He was fondly remembered for his jovial temperament and generosity. debunk : (verb) To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of.; expose; When Rosa heard the ridiculous rumor being spread around the class, she decided to debunk the myth herself. gnomic : adjective: 1. Relating to a gnome (an aphorism or a pithy saying). 2. Puzzling, ambiguous, or incomprehensible yet seemingly profound. ; "Others believed that George arrived every year with a single guiding business idea. 'Information cannot be taxed' or 'Improbability is the river in which we fish' or some other gnomic pronouncement. One year, the rumors ran, George uttered a single word: 'China'." Stephen Marche; The Hunger of the Wolf; Simon & Schuster; 2015. "Charles was finding the conversation a little gnomic. 'I'm sorry, I don't quite get what you mean.'" Simon Brett; The Cinderella Killer; Severn House; 2015. See more usage examples of gnomic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004) *****July 11, 2016***** nixie : a letter or parcel that is undeliverable by the post office because ..; If the envelope of a nixie doesn't give any clue to the whereabouts of either the sender or the addressee, the letter is opened; if there's still no clue, it is just held by the Dead Letter Office. , Talk of the Town section, The New Yorker, August 21, 1937 Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Iconoclast : 1 : a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration; "Hollywood loves trotting out some irascible iconoclast who denies love's potency, only to have them felled by their own emotion like a sapling in a hurricane." — Piers Marchant, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 20 May 2016 unctuous : (adjective) Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness.; oleaginous, buttery, fulsome, smarmy, oily; In David Copperfield, the unctuous Uriah Heep is notable for his cloying humility and general insincerity. gnomic : adjective: 1. Relating to a gnome (an aphorism or a pithy saying). 2. Puzzling, ambiguous, or incomprehensible yet seemingly profound. ; "Others believed that George arrived every year with a single guiding business idea. 'Information cannot be taxed' or 'Improbability is the river in which we fish' or some other gnomic pronouncement. One year, the rumors ran, George uttered a single word: 'China'." Stephen Marche; The Hunger of the Wolf; Simon & Schuster; 2015. "Charles was finding the conversation a little gnomic. 'I'm sorry, I don't quite get what you mean.'" Simon Brett; The Cinderella Killer; Severn House; 2015. See more usage examples of gnomic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People are like stained glass windows: they sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light within. -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author (8 Jul 1926-2004) *****July 12, 2016***** tweedle : to lure by or as by music: The Pied Piper tweedled the children in..; Hark, from aloft his tortur'd Cat-gut squeals, /He tickles ev'ry String, to ev'ry Note / He bends his pliant Neck, his single Eye / Twinkles with Joy, his active Stump beats Time. / Let but this subtle Artist softly touch / The trembling Chords, the faint expiring Swain / Trembles no less, and the fond yielding Maid / Is tweedled into Love. William Somervile, "Hobbinol, or the Rural Games, " 1740 Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Liminal : 1 : of or relating to a sensory threshold; "Kipling is drawn to images of his characters sitting in perilous places, because he aims to communicate a liminal anxiety about identity and imperial history." — Tom Paulin, The Times Literary Supplement, 8 Mar. 2002 contumely : (noun) A rude expression intended to offend or hurt.; insult, revilement, vilification, abuse; I can bear Dishonor, public insult, many shames, Shrill scorn, and open contumely, but he Who filches from me something that is mine ... he Perils his soul and body in the theft And dies for his small sin. probative : adjective: Serving to test something or providing a proof. ; "There seems to be a slight trail here, but we haven't found anything probative yet." Jack Phillips; Off the Deep End; Page Publishing; 2015. See more usage examples of probative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We grow tyrannical fighting tyranny. The most alarming spectacle today is not the spectacle of the atomic bomb in an unfederated world, it is the spectacle of the Americans beginning to accept the device of loyalty oaths and witchhunts, beginning to call anybody they don't like a Communist. -E.B. White, writer (11 Jul 1899-1985) *****July 13, 2016***** campestral : of or relating to fields or open country; There was not enough Goya above stairs to satisfy us, but in the Goya room in the basement there are a series of scenes from Spanish life, mostly frolic campestral things, which he did as patterns for tapestries and which came near being enough in their way: the way of that reality which is so far from the reality of Velasquez. William Dean Howells, “Phases of Madrid,†North American Review, Volume CXCVI, 1912 Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Gust : : keen delight; "He was pleased to find his own importance, and he tasted the sweets of companionship with more gust than he had yet done." — Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Godolphin, 1833 vibist : (noun) A musician who plays the vibraphone.; vibraphonist; The singing group hired a vibist to spruce up one of the tracks on their latest record. jobbery : noun: The use of a public office for private gain. ; "Scandals about cronyism, jobbery, and the overzealous advancement of party advantage caused deep and lasting damage." Liam Fay; Independent TDs are Losing Their Way in a Fog of Self-Importance; Irish Independent (Dublin); Jan 17, 2015. See more usage examples of jobbery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Words / as slippery as smooth grapes, / words exploding in the light / like dormant seeds waiting / in the vaults of vocabulary, / alive again, and giving life: / once again the heart distills them. -Pablo Neruda, poet, diplomat, Nobel laureate (12 Jul 1904-1973) *****July 14, 2016***** vox populi : the voice of the people; popular opinion; Polls are certainly useful devices for plumbing the depths of the vox populi. James D. Williams, "Detroit News Poll Not Quite What It Seems," The Crisis, June–July 1992 Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Natant : : swimming or floating in water; The pond was quiet, though occasionally a fish would rise to make a little splash among the natant lily pads. tallith : (noun) A shawl with a ritually knotted fringe at each corner; worn by Jews at morning prayer.; prayer shawl; He donned his tallith as he entered the synagogue. ostensible : adjective: Appearing as such; supposed. ; "Thoreau disdained his ostensible friends, once responding to a social invitation with the words 'such are my engagements to myself, that I dare not promise.'" Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015. See more usage examples of ostensible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934) *****July 15, 2016***** puissant : Literary. powerful; mighty; potent; His authority held an incalculable element, precisely described as uncanny. His spirit was puissant, elemental, his activity irresistible. Algernon Blackwood, “The Regeneration of Lord Ernie,†Incredible Adventures, 1914 Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." éclat : 1 : ostentatious display : publicity; "The … protagonist is a familiar archetype, that washed-up star who can't quite reclaim the éclat of decades past." — Kevin Zawacki, Paste, 25 Aug. 2014 tempestuous : (adjective) As if showing violent anger.; angry, furious, raging, wild; The raging sea and tempestuous winds indicated that a big storm was coming. fane : noun: A place of worship. ; "Here, in a fane of stone she ended her days, a shaved priestess of a grim unloving order." Tanith Lee; Night's Master; DAW Books; 1978. Thought For The Day: Literature encourages tolerance - bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991) *****July 16, 2016***** animadversion : an unfavorable or censorious comment: to make animadversions..; All sorts of animadversions have been thrust at the business man. We discover now, for instance, that in a group of occupational classes composed of professional, clerical, skilled labor, semi-skilled labor, business, and unskilled labor, business men know less about their schools than any class save unskilled labor, and but little more than that class. Calvin T. Ryan, "The Business Man and the Schools," The Rotarian, October 1929 Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Ostracize : 1 : to exile by ostracism; Athletes who cheat risk being ostracized by their peers and colleagues—in addition to suffering professional ruin. ridgepole : (noun) A horizontal beam at the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.; rooftree; I knew a girl in Marysville who could walk the ridgepole of a roof. arable : adjective: Suitable for farming. noun: Land that's suitable for farming. ; "A diet based on plants uses a sixth the arable land as a diet based on meat, poultry, and dairy." David Macfarlane; Are Vegans Right?; The United Church Observer (Toronto, Canada); May 2016. See more usage examples of arable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669) *****July 17, 2016***** zoosemiotics : the study of the sounds and signals used in animal communicat..; The basic assumption of zoosemiotics is that, in the last analysis, all animals are social beings, each species with a characteristic set of communication problems to solve. Thomas A. Sebeok, Perspectives in Zoosemiotics, 1972 Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Caesura : 1 : a break in the flow of sound usually in the middle of a line of verse; "The Anglo-Saxon idiom of Beowulf sounds particularly alien to modern ears: four stresses per line, separated in the middle by a strong pause, or caesura, with the third stress in each line alliterating with one or both of the first two." — Paul Gray, Time, 20 Mar. 2000 sinuous : (adjective) Characterized by many curves or turns; winding.; wiggly, sinuate; We tried to trace the path of the sinuous stream, but it veered and curved in every direction. arable : adjective: Suitable for farming. noun: Land that's suitable for farming. ; "A diet based on plants uses a sixth the arable land as a diet based on meat, poultry, and dairy." David Macfarlane; Are Vegans Right?; The United Church Observer (Toronto, Canada); May 2016. See more usage examples of arable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669) *****July 18, 2016***** ambrosial : exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; especially delicious o..; She thought she was possibly romanticizing the omelette--she'd been so hungry even stale bread would have tasted ambrosial. Freya North, Secrets, 2009 Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Parlay : 1 : to bet in a parlay; "Leong said she parlayed a measly $5 winning ticket into her big bonanza. First she exchanged the $5 winning ticket for another that won $10, and with that she bought a $10 ticket that won $100. She decided to try her luck two more times and used the winnings to buy two $20 tickets, one of which hit the mother lode." — Megan Cerullo & Nancy Dillon, The New York Daily News, 8 June 2016 discalced : (adjective) Barefoot or wearing sandals. Used of certain religious orders.; unshod; When a procession of discalced friars passed through the doors, I wondered if I should remove my shoes. arable : adjective: Suitable for farming. noun: Land that's suitable for farming. ; "A diet based on plants uses a sixth the arable land as a diet based on meat, poultry, and dairy." David Macfarlane; Are Vegans Right?; The United Church Observer (Toronto, Canada); May 2016. See more usage examples of arable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669) *****July 19, 2016***** arrears : the state of being behind or late, especially in the fulfillment o..; This was his system with his tenants: he allowed them to get into arrears, neglect their fences, reduce their stock, sell their straw, and otherwise go the wrong way,--and then, when he became short of money in consequence of this indulgence, he took the hardest measures and would listen to no appeal. George Eliot, Silas Marner: The Weaver of Raveloe, 1861 Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Astute : 1 : having or showing shrewdness and perspicacity; The candidate made a number of astute observations about both foreign and domestic policy during the debate. punctilious : (adjective) Strictly attentive to minute details of form in action or conduct.; meticulous; The old prince, like all fathers indeed, was exceedingly punctilious on the score of the honor and reputation of his daughters. shermanesque : adjective: 1. Unequivocal, especially in refusing to run for an office. 2. Brutally thorough, especially in defeating someone. ; "Justin Trudeau's Shermanesque statement -- 'Canada does not - and will not - pay ransom to terrorists, directly or indirectly' -- is likely to be tested the next time a Canadian is taken overseas. And it may not be as categorical as it seems." Andrew Cohen; Regarding Hostage-Taking, is Justin Trudeau His Father's Son?; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); May 4, 2016. "After making a Shermanesque march through the Metro League, the Lakeside boys soccer team continued to roll last night, shutting out visiting Lakes 3-0." Craig Smith; Lakeside Extends Win Streak; The Seattle Times; May 16, 2001. Thought For The Day: It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013) *****July 20, 2016***** doctrinaire : dogmatic about others' acceptance of one's ideas; fanatical: a..; And in contrast with Austen's light touch, Eliot occasionally ran the risk of being doctrinaire--a worthwhile danger when one believes as earnestly as she did in the improving powers of literature, and the way in which a novel might change a reader's life. Rebecca Mead, "Without Austen, No Eliot," The New Yorker, January 28, 2013 Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Raconteur : : a person who excels in telling anecdotes; A bona fide raconteur, Taylor can turn even mundane experiences into hilariously entertaining stories. dissenter : (noun) A person who dissents from some established policy.; objector, dissident, protester, contestant; With the exception of one or two dissenters, the members agreed to the proposition. carpetbagger : An opportunistic outsider, especially a political candidate who contests election in an area while having little connection to it. ; "Unlike many of the pro-establishment candidates who have spent years in their respective districts serving residents and neighborhoods with dedication, a number of opposition candidates are carpetbaggers, who suddenly appeared in a district just before election time." Not a Hard Choice; China Daily (Hong Kong); Nov 23, 2015. See more usage examples of carpetbagger in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (19 Jul 1916-1992) *****July 21, 2016***** Bildungsroman : a type of novel concerned with the education, development, a..; Great Expectations is the only bildungsroman of its day that one may call a tragicomedy; it goes on long enough (and is written with sufficient retrospective) for Pip to learn that life is one too. Jerome Meckier, Dickens's Great Expectations: Misnar's Pavilion versus Cinderella, 2002 Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari - to have an opinion. Winkle : 1 : (chiefly British) to displace, remove, or evict from a position; "In 1483 a new English king, Richard III, tried again to winkle Henry out of Brittany, but he found that the young man was now a significant pawn on the European chessboard." — Nigel Calder, The English Channel, 1986 telamon : (noun) A figure of a man used as a supporting pillar.; atlas; The portico of the Hermitage Museum in Russia features ten enormous telamones carved from granite. logrolling : noun: 1. The exchanging of favors, especially by legislators by voting for each other's legislation. 2. A sport in which two players stand on a floating log and try to knock each other off by spinning the log with their feet. ; "Potential externals are identified by the supervisor and through a system of logrolling enticed to take on the duty -- as a favour that it is anticipated will be returned." John Wakeford; Postgraduate Courses: What Goalposts?; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 17, 2002. See more usage examples of logrolling in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. -Carlos Santana, musician (b. 20 Jul 1947) *****July 22, 2016***** megillah : Slang. a) a lengthy and tediously complicated situation or matter..; "You think this will make a good book?" "Your friend Tex, you mean?" "Everything that's happening, the whole megillah. Who'd believe what's going on right this minute? ..." William Kennedy, Changó's Beads and Two-Tone Shoes, 2011 Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Tactile : 1 : perceptible by touch : tangible; "The keyboard has good tactile feedback, and the touch pad is responsive without being too twitchy." — Bruce Brown, PC Magazine, 20 Feb. 2001 dieresis : (noun) A mark ( ¨ ) placed over the second of two adjacent vowels to indicate that they are to be pronounced as separate sounds rather than a diphthong, as in naïve.; umlaut; The presence of a dieresis might indicate that a word originated in a foreign language. dog whistle : noun: A coded message that appears innocuous to the general public, but that has an additional interpretation meant to appeal to the target audience, for example, to racists. adjective: Relating to such a message. ; "In the early 1970s, 'African American' and 'welfare' were used interchangeably and it was a well-established hallmark of dog-whistle politics, which allowed speakers to appeal to racist beliefs without using openly racist terms." Michael D'Antonio; Is Donald Trump Racist? Here's What the Record Shows; Fortune (New York); Jun 7, 2016. Thought For The Day: I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2016***** woolgathering : indulgence in idle fancies and in daydreaming; absentmindedn..; The key to Jane Austen's fortune with posterity has been in part the extraordinary grace of her facility, in fact of her unconsciousness: as if ... she sometimes, over her work-basket, her tapestry flowers, in the spare, cool drawing-room of other days, fell a-musing, lapsed too metaphorically, as one may say, into wool-gathering, and her dropped stitches, of these pardonable, of these precious moments, were afterwards picked up as little touches of human truth ... Henry James, "The Lesson of Balzac," The Atlantic, August 1905 Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Usufruct : 1 : the legal right of using and enjoying the fruits or profits of something belonging to another; He has willed all of his property to the conservation society, though his children will retain the house as a 50-year usufruct. recant : (verb) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure.; abjure, forswear, retract, resile; The dissident refused to recant and was imprisoned. suffrage : noun: The right to vote; also, the exercise of such a right. ; "Victoria Claflin Woodhull, a leader in the women's suffrage movement, was the first woman to run for the US presidency, though she couldn't even vote for herself on election day, Nov 5, 1872." Simon Carswell; She is a Tough Lady. She is All of Our Hero; Irish Times (Dublin); Jun 9, 2016. See more usage examples of suffrage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door! -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887) [from a poem written to raise funds for building the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty] *****July 24, 2016***** connubial : of marriage or wedlock; matrimonial; conjugal: connubial love; They loved one another. They would have children. Then let everybody and everything else fade into insignificance outside this connubial felicity. D. H. Lawrence, "The Blind Man," England, My England and Other Stories, 1922 Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." Vatic : : prophetic, oracular; "Compared with [Stan] Lee's wisecracking dialogue and narrative prose, [Jack] Kirby's writing was stilted and often awkward, though at times it rose to a level of vatic poetic eloquence." — Jeet Heer, The New Republic, 7 Aug. 2015 compendium : (noun) A list or collection of various items.; collection; Aglaya's husband was to be a compendium of all the virtues, and of all success, not to speak of fabulous wealth. suffrage : noun: The right to vote; also, the exercise of such a right. ; "Victoria Claflin Woodhull, a leader in the women's suffrage movement, was the first woman to run for the US presidency, though she couldn't even vote for herself on election day, Nov 5, 1872." Simon Carswell; She is a Tough Lady. She is All of Our Hero; Irish Times (Dublin); Jun 9, 2016. See more usage examples of suffrage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door! -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887) [from a poem written to raise funds for building the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty] *****July 25, 2016***** pantechnicon : a furniture van; moving van. Also called pantechnicon van; On the day that the pantechnicon came, which was shortly before Easter at the beginning of April, I sat by the first fire to burn in the barn while George and Tom put the books on the shelves in the places I indicated. Jane Duncan, My Friends George and Tom, 1976 Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Simulacrum : 1 : image, representation; "Most theater shows aim to conjure a simulacrum of reality onstage." — Rohan Preston, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 21 Apr. 2015 skinflint : (noun) A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend.; scrooge, churl, niggard; He had earned for himself the reputation of an awful skinflint, of a miser in the matter of living. suffrage : noun: The right to vote; also, the exercise of such a right. ; "Victoria Claflin Woodhull, a leader in the women's suffrage movement, was the first woman to run for the US presidency, though she couldn't even vote for herself on election day, Nov 5, 1872." Simon Carswell; She is a Tough Lady. She is All of Our Hero; Irish Times (Dublin); Jun 9, 2016. See more usage examples of suffrage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door! -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887) [from a poem written to raise funds for building the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty] *****July 26, 2016***** chiasmus : Rhetoric. a reversal in the order of words in two otherwise paral..; What Phillips likes best, however, is wordplay. Inversion, circumlocution, alliteration, assonance, chiasmus, paradox: there’s nothing he doesn’t go in for. “The unexamined life is surely worth living, but is the unlived life worth examining?†Joan Acocella, "This Is Your Life," The New Yorker, February 25, 2013 Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." Berate : : to scold or condemn vehemently and at length; When her son arrived home way past curfew without so much as a phone call or text, Nancy berated him for his lack of consideration. floorshow : (noun) A series of entertainments presented in a nightclub.; cabaret; The floorshow was spectacular and loud, and the next morning, he had a splitting headache. equanimous : adjective: Even-tempered: calm and composed in all circumstances. ; "AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was seen in the war room, watching the exit polls unfold. Though volunteers claim that he was equanimous throughout, and so are they about winning and losing, the sheer glee is palpable." Aradhna Wal; Door-to-Door Campaign Reaped Votes for AAP; DNA Sunday (Mumbai, India); Feb 8, 2015. See more usage examples of equanimous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Hatred is the most accessible and comprehensive of all the unifying agents. Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) Reference *****July 27, 2016***** inculcate : to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistent..; "Speaking of morals," said Lady Roseville, "do you not think every novel should have its distinct object, and inculcate, throughout, some one peculiar moral, such as many of Marmontel's and Miss Edgeworth's?" "No!" answered Vincent ... Edward Robert Bulwer-Lytton, Pelham; or, Adventures of a Gentleman, 1828 Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Pidgin : : a simplified speech used for communication between people with different languages; "In his 1992 book, A History of American English, the late linguist J.L. Dillard … demonstrates that the most originally American form of English was a pidgin, originating with sailor's language. Early explorers of North America, he argues, would have used nautical pidgins and passed those on to native people." — Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura, 17 July 2015 befuddled : (adjective) Perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment.; bewildered, confounded, baffled, mixed-up, bemused, lost; The audience was befuddled by the speaker's contradictory statements. mumpish : adjective: Sullen; silent; depressed. ; Nickie seemed a bit mumpish, possibly out of a feeling that he was being railroaded." Peter De Vries; Comfort Me with Apples; Little, Brown; 1956. Thought For The Day: I have never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from other men. There is not much harm in a lion. He has no ideals, no religion, no politics, no chivalry, no gentility; in short, no reason for destroying anything that he does not want to eat. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 28, 2016***** sonorous : rich and full in sound, as language or verse; ... he could hear Spanish being spoken on the other side of the doors, not that he was listening, but the sonorous language of Cervantes penetrates everywhere. José Saramago, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, translated by Giovanni Pontiero, 1991 Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Doff : 1 a : to remove (an article of wear) from the body; We'd only planned to stop briefly at the pond, but the children couldn't resist doffing their shoes and were quickly waist-deep in the cool water. edification : (noun) Intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement; enlightenment; He knew very well that he must tell some story this evening for the edification of the company. compunctious : adjective: Feeling remorse or guilt. ; "Fun often comes in the form of a compunctious husband who can't come up with what to say on the card accompanying his floral offering of atonement to an angry wife." Kelly L. Brooks; Emotional Moments Bloom for Floral Designer; Sarasota Herald Tribune (Florida); Nov 17, 2003. See more usage examples of compunctious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (27 Jul 1880-1966) *****July 29, 2016***** virgule : a short oblique stroke (/) between two words indicating that which..; It can be used, of course to indicate the choices, one or more, that may "properly" fill the blank space that follows. But the virgule need not be strictly identified with a particular or exclusive binary. It can be argued that the virgule is the poststructuralist punctuation par excellence (although a strong case can be made for the hyphen), in that is can be deployed to suggest the endlessness of binariness, a serial proliferation of constrastives in horizontally endless adjacencies ... Virgil Lokke, "The Naming of the Virgule in the Linguistic/Extralinguistic Binary," After the Future: Postmodern Times and Places, edited by Gary Shapiro, 1990 Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Numinous : 1 : supernatural, mysterious; Pilgrims to the shrine spoke to the congregation about their numinous experiences. indefatigable : (adjective) Incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued.; tireless, unflagging, unwearying; His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with the illness. vituperative : adjective: Criticizing bitterly, scathing, abusive. ; "Korean Internet users are capable of being equally vituperative, particularly over the disputed island of Tokto." Richard Lloyd; McDonald's Serves Up Asian Bowing Row; The Times (London, UK); Apr 14, 2016. See more usage examples of vituperative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and a professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****July 30, 2016***** skylark : to frolic; sport: The children were skylarking on the beach; They began to skylark; to play with the sacred lights; to giggle when Carol was trying to make the sentimental Myrtle Cass into a humorous office-boy; to act everything but "The Girl from Kankakee." Sinclair Lewis, Main Street, 1920 Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Flounder : 1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly; "The four Royal Air Force pilots ditched their broken bomber and dropped into the North Sea, near Britain. It was February 23, 1942…. Floundering in the frigid water, the pilots released their last hope: a tiny, bedraggled carrier pigeon named Winkie." — Sarah Kaplan, The Washington Post, 9 June 2016 marque : (noun) A model or brand of a manufactured product, especially an automobile.; brand, trade name; The public relations department argued that the prestige consumers associated with marque of the car was even more important than the quality of the product. ingenious : adjective: Clever, creative, inventive. ; "The mothers and their daughters prove to be brave, resourceful, and remarkably ingenious at befuddling the goons." Marilyn Stasio; Predator and Prey; New York Times Book Review; Apr 20, 2014. See more usage examples of ingenious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them I wonder if it might not be the same with the human race. -Don Marquis, humorist and poet (29 Jul 1878-1937) *****July 31, 2016***** aesthete : a person who has or professes to have refined sensitivity toward ..; A fanatical aesthete to the end, Kessler never diverged from the young Nietzsche’s belief that art justifies life. Alex Ross, "Diary of an Aesthete," The New Yorker, April 23, 2012 Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." Littoral : : of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore especially of the sea; The report shows dramatic improvement in the condition of the state's littoral waters since the cleanup effort began. emetic : (noun) An agent that causes vomiting.; nauseant, vomitive, vomit; She was highly allergic to dairy products; pizza gave her a stomachache, and ice cream was a virtual emetic. ingenious : adjective: Clever, creative, inventive. ; "The mothers and their daughters prove to be brave, resourceful, and remarkably ingenious at befuddling the goons." Marilyn Stasio; Predator and Prey; New York Times Book Review; Apr 20, 2014. See more usage examples of ingenious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them I wonder if it might not be the same with the human race. -Don Marquis, humorist and poet (29 Jul 1878-1937) *****August 01, 2016***** polyphonic : consisting of many voices or sounds; The animals were singing. The chorus was improvised but polyphonic, true music, and in that music Amy could hear joy and longing in equal parts. Jincy Willett, Amy Falls Down, 2013 Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Homily : 1 : a usually short sermon; The calendar features serene photographs captioned by inspirational proverbs and homilies. atavism : (noun) A reappearance of an earlier characteristic.; throwback, reversion; Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. ingenious : adjective: Clever, creative, inventive. ; "The mothers and their daughters prove to be brave, resourceful, and remarkably ingenious at befuddling the goons." Marilyn Stasio; Predator and Prey; New York Times Book Review; Apr 20, 2014. See more usage examples of ingenious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them I wonder if it might not be the same with the human race. -Don Marquis, humorist and poet (29 Jul 1878-1937) *****August 02, 2016***** conciliate : to overcome the distrust or hostility of; placate; win over: to..; ... I shall convince you I have not only always acted the part of a friend to the family, but am particularly willing to conciliate your lordship's goodwill. Maria Edgeworth, The Absentee, 1812 Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Kerfuffle : : (chiefly British) disturbance, fuss; I didn't mean to start such a kerfuffle when I suggested that we hold the company picnic at a different location this year. placeman : (noun) One who has a political appointment in the government.; placeseeker; They viewed the placeman as a colorless bureaucrat. calumniate : verb tr.: To make false statements about someone maliciously. ; "The APC demonized President Jonathan as a matter of course. They calumniated him with the constancy of a devout man's daily prayers." Chuks Iloegbunam; Why Fayemi Was Trashed; The Sun (Lagos, Nigeria); Jun 25, 2014. See more usage examples of calumniate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event -- in the living act, the undoubted deed -- there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891) *****August 03, 2016***** galluses : Older Use. a pair of suspenders for trousers; He wore a pale green shirt with a thin black stripe in it and blue galluses and his trousers cut across a protruding stomach that he pressed tenderly from time to time with his big flat thumb. Flannery O'Connor, "A Temple of the Holy Ghost," A Good Man Is Hard to Find, 1955 Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Glower : : to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger; Kelly glowered at me after I sided with Brenda in their dispute about the chores. asthenopia : (noun) A tiredness of the eyes caused by prolonged close work by a person with an uncorrected vision problem.; eyestrain; The jeweler developed asthenopia due to the long hours he spent fitting small clasps on thin chains. floccipend : verb tr.: To regard as worthless. ; "Harvey was penned off among the 'black sheep' in a profession prone to floccipend odd locks of thought from woolly-headed thinkers." William Thomson; Bacon and Shakespeare on Vivisection; Sands & McDougall; 1881. Thought For The Day: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2016***** Fletcherize : to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly; ... don't choke down your food. Eat slowly. Fletcherize--chew your food, you know. I know you're nearly famished, but you must gradually accustom yourself to a proper diet. L. Frank Baum, Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West, 1914 Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." Amity : : friendship; especially : friendly relations between nations; "Cousin friendships really are special. They provide an unmatched level of amity and support, without the rivalries that often exist between siblings." — Helaine Becker, Today's Parent, June 2006 congeries : (noun) A sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together.; conglomeration, aggregate; The top floor is devoted to the servants—a congeries of little kitchens and cubicles, used by many as lumber-rooms. exonerate : verb tr.: 1. To free from blame. 2. To release from a task or obligation. ; "The five teenagers spent years in prison before being exonerated." Nicholas Kristof; Is Donald Trump a Racist; The New York Times; Jul 23, 2016. See more usage examples of exonerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2016***** paronomasia : Rhetoric. punning; the use of a word in different senses or th..; It was between Whitefield Street and the Tottenham Court Road, in a "heavenly Mews," as he liked to call it (for he had a characteristic weakness for philosophical paronomasia) that Casimir Lypiatt lived and worked. Aldous Huxley, Antic Hay, 1923 Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Edify : : to instruct and improve especially in moral and religious knowledge : uplift; also : enlighten, inform; "Reading Lawrence, I am amazed and edified by the raw emotional intensity of his characters. I’m looking for ways to internalize this rich, untamed emotion and try to impart something of it to the characters who come to life in my keyboard." — A. B. Yehoshua, quoted in The New York Times Book Review, 16 June 2016 compeer : (noun) A person who is of equal standing with another in a group.; equal, peer, match; He was a motivated and slightly competitive student who worked hard to distinguish himself from his compeers. foozle : verb tr., intr.: To botch or bungle, especially to make a poor shot in golf. noun: A botched attempt at something. ; "Did Butterworth foozle the case or what?" Michael Underwood; Murder Made Absolute; Ian Henry Publications; 1975. Thought For The Day: America has changed over the years. But these values my grandparents taught me -- they haven't gone anywhere. They're as strong as ever; still cherished by people of every party, every race, every faith. They live on in each of us. What makes us American, what makes us patriots, is what's in here. That's what matters. And that's why we can take the food and music and holidays and styles of other countries, and blend it into something uniquely our own. That's why we can attract strivers and entrepreneurs from around the globe to build new factories and create new industries here. That's why our military can look the way it does -- every shade of humanity, forged into common service. That's why anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end. -Barack Obama, US President (b. 4 Aug 1961) Source *****August 06, 2016***** cosmopolis : an internationally important city inhabited by many different p..; The streets--with their pearly awnings and gay bustle of hats and parasols--were all a-shimmer in the heat, and swarming with "foreigners," with the result that Glasgow had assumed the air of a cosmopolis, resembling, perhaps, Seville, Paris or even Naples, on a fête day. Jane Harris, Gillespie and I, 2011 Attrition : n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. "The company's attrition rate was quite high." Kith : : familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives; "The joy of returning to kith and kin was greater than all her former joys. … Never before … had Shelby seen such an outpouring of affection." — Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995 passementerie : (noun) Ornamental trimming for a garment, as braid, lace, or metallic beads.; trim; The passementerie on her hat was so elaborate that it made the brim droop. propitiate : verb tr.: To gain the favor of someone; to appease. ; "A visitor from Jupiter might surmise that this civilization is required to bring grass sacrifices to propitiate some pastoral god." Clay Jenkinson; Those Who Whack Weeds Are the Chosen People of God; Bismarck Tribune (North Dakota); Jul 6, 2014. See more usage examples of propitiate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you. -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 07, 2016***** bumptious : offensively self-assertive: a bumptious young upstart; It was Offenbach's fortune to have even his most egregious effronteries rewarded. ... In other decades his daring might have been considered at least bumptious and possibly dishonorable. He might have been cast out of society and a gentler, more deferential spirit ushered in to enjoy the privileges that Offenbach now enjoyed. Fred Chappell, "Barcarole," More Shapes Than One, 1991 Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Misanthrope : : a person who hates or distrusts humankind; "The conventional image of Groucho [Marx] was that he was on the side of the little guy, and he spoke defiantly and insolently to powerful people and wealthy people. But my feeling is that Groucho was out to deflate everybody—that he was a thoroughgoing misanthrope." — Lee Siegel, speaking on NPR, 23 Jan. 2016 husbandman : (noun) A person who operates a farm.; farmer, granger, sodbuster; The husbandman will not make his own plough or mattock, or other implements of agriculture, if they are to be good for anything. propitiate : verb tr.: To gain the favor of someone; to appease. ; "A visitor from Jupiter might surmise that this civilization is required to bring grass sacrifices to propitiate some pastoral god." Clay Jenkinson; Those Who Whack Weeds Are the Chosen People of God; Bismarck Tribune (North Dakota); Jul 6, 2014. See more usage examples of propitiate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you. -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 08, 2016***** spindrift : spray swept by a violent wind along the surface of the sea; Spindrift blew off the waves and foam gathered in clots that rolled along the shore, full of bubbles like scalded milk. Keith Donohue, The Boy Who Drew Monsters, 2014 Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Devotion : 1 a : religious fervor : piety; "Intensely competitive and a gifted athlete, [Mariano]  Rivera will delight baseball fans. But the memories recounted here … ultimately reveal something deeper: Rivera's almost incredible humility, unshakeable faith, and devotion to his family (he married his childhood sweetheart, Clara)." — Publisher's Weekly Review, 12 Mar. 2014 effigy : (noun) A likeness or image, especially of a person.; simulacrum, image; The penny bears an effigy of Lincoln. propitiate : verb tr.: To gain the favor of someone; to appease. ; "A visitor from Jupiter might surmise that this civilization is required to bring grass sacrifices to propitiate some pastoral god." Clay Jenkinson; Those Who Whack Weeds Are the Chosen People of God; Bismarck Tribune (North Dakota); Jul 6, 2014. See more usage examples of propitiate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you. -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 09, 2016***** presentiment : a feeling or impression that something is about to happen, es..; ... the good lady set that question entirely at rest, by informing them that she had a presentiment on the subject--a species of second-sight with which she had been in the habit of clinching every argument with the deceased Mr Nickleby, and in nine cases and three-quarters out of every ten, determining it the wrong way. Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, 1839 Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Bogus : : not genuine : counterfeit, sham; "Any time you are provided with anything that is supposedly 'free' or 'complimentary,' including a security monitoring service for a year, when you do not actually know if your personal data has been compromised, it's likely a bogus scheme to steal your identity." — Martha R. Tromberg, The (Jackson) Florida Times-Union, 5 July 2016 complaisance : (noun) A disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others.; deference, compliancy, obligingness, compliance; He complied with her request, and answered her challenge in a large wine-cup; she then proceeded with her story, as if appeased by his complaisance. dabster : noun: 1. An expert. 2. A bungler. ; "She's a dabster at bow-ties! At home all the boys used to go to her for the final touch." Ruby Ayres; One Woman Too Many; Bloomsbury; 2011. "No, I don't claim that, for I am not a genius; in fact, I am a very indifferent amateur, a slouchy dabster, a mere artistic sarcasm." Mark Twain; The American Claimant; Charles L. Webster; 1892. Thought For The Day: When I can look Life in the eyes, / Grown calm and very coldly wise, / Life will have given me the Truth, / And taken in exchange---my youth. -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933) *****August 10, 2016***** simoleon : Slang. a dollar; What few people know is that Gussie had inked a Lone Star in one corner of every single simoleon. Gussie's bills turn up in the strangest places -- like Effie Sue Etheridge's garden and the effects of two teen-age runaways ... Kit Reed, "In Short: Fiction; The Laying Out of Gussie Hoot," New York Times, January 20, 1991 Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." Rectify : 1 : to set right : remedy; After Jennifer pointed out to the store manager that she was not charged the sale price for her purchase, he promised to rectify the situation and refund her the difference. contraption : (noun) A device that is very useful for a particular job.; gizmo, appliance, contrivance, gadget, widget, gismo, convenience; He turned the contraption around and around in his hands, not believing that such simple, small thing could save lives. salad days : noun: 1. A period of youthful innocence and inexperience. 2. A period of great success: heyday. ; "The elderly gentleman couldn't help recollect the good old salad days." Marcus Mergulhao; Percussionist Bondo in a World of His Own; The Times of India (New Delhi); Jul 18, 2016. "Warren Buffett is justifiably revered by investors around the world ... Nevertheless, from my perch, Buffett's salad days seem to be over; the only question that remains is the timing and to what degree investors will abandon the Oracle of Omaha." Doug Kass; Doug Kass on the Market; Wiley; 2014. See more usage examples of salad days in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered. -Jean Piaget, psychologist (9 Aug 1896-1980) *****August 11, 2016***** titivate : to make smart or spruce: She titivated her old dress with a new b..; “Come on, lovey, just a little cup of tea and a nice piece of cake. There'll be plenty of time to titivate afterwards.†“Titivate?†Joanna said slowly as if this was some strange foreign word she had not heard before. “Titivate? What for?†[...] “I'm not going out anywhere if that's what you mean.†Nina Bawden, A Little Love, a Little Learning, 1965 Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. Resilience : 1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress; Terry and Rayanne were proud of their daughter's resilience during her search for a summer job—after being passed over for one positon, she immediately applied to five more. abridgment : (noun) A shortened version of a written work.; condensation, capsule; In a word, I gave him an abridgment of this whole history; I gave him a picture of my conduct for fifty years in miniature. depthless : adjective: 1. Immeasurably deep. 2. Shallow; superficial. ; "And then there was the ache I was feeling, intense and depthless." Jennifer Echols; Dirty Little Secret; MTV Books; 2013. "Many of the characters appeared depthless, as the lines were given rather flatly." Linda Maleh; 'Nightingale' Shows Violence of Greek Myth; The Justice (Waltham, Massachusetts); Nov 3, 2015. Thought For The Day: Monsters remain human beings. In fact, to reduce them to a subhuman level is to exonerate them of their acts of terrorism and mass murder -- just as animals are not deemed morally responsible for killing. Insisting on the humanity of terrorists is, in fact, critical to maintaining their profound responsibility for the evil they commit. And, if they are human, then they must necessarily not be treated in an inhuman fashion. You cannot lower the moral baseline of a terrorist to the subhuman without betraying a fundamental value. -Andrew Sullivan, writer (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 12, 2016***** lief : gladly; willingly: I would as lief go south as not; I was bashful and ungracious enough to loathe the very sound of it when I came home in my pride of youth; but i would lief hear it once more. Charlotte Mary Yonge, The Caged Lion, 1870 Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Filial : 1 : of, relating to, or befitting a son or daughter; Margaret's sense of filial responsibility is only part of her motivation for carrying on her parents' business; she also loves the work. subterfuge : (noun) Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity.; blind; The manner in which he said this made Ned feel sure that Tom had had other thoughts, and that he had used a little subterfuge in his answer. grog : noun: 1. An alcoholic drink diluted with water. 2. A strong alcoholic drink. ; "There were discarded flasks of water and that stinking brown grog." Raymond Dodds; Family Holiday; Xlibris; 2015. "One of my favorite parts about cruising with the Mouse is the ship's lack of tolerance for overindulgence in the grog. I don't believe drunks have any business being around children. Neither does Disney." Robert Kirby; This Kraken Has Finally Washed Ashore; The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah); May 21, 2016. See more usage examples of grog in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Courage without conscience is a wild beast. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2016***** blandishment : something, as an action or speech, that tends to flatter, coa..; This daughter or Atlas has got hold of poor unhappy Ulysses, and keeps trying by every kind of blandishment to make him forget his home, so that he is tired of life, and thinks nothing but how he may once more see the smoke of his own chimneys. Homer, The Odyssey, translated by Samuel Butler, 1900 Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Vestige : 1 a : a trace, mark, or visible sign left by something (such as an ancient city or a condition or practice) vanished or lost; There was not a vestige of doubt in the jurors' minds that the defendant was guilty. pedicab : (noun) A tricycle (usually propelled by pedaling); used in the Orient for transporting passengers for hire.; cycle rickshaw; Boys who once pulled rickshaws now pedal pedicabs. sententious : adjective: 1. Full of pithy expressions. 2. Full of pompous moralizing. ; "Sizzlingly smart and agreeably sententious, Mr. Garland's film transcends some all-too-human imperfections with gorgeous images, astute writing, and memorably strong performances." Joe Morgenstern; Stylish 'Machina' Artfully Programmed for Pleasure; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 10, 2015. "In [Walden's] first chapter, 'Economy', Thoreau lays out a program of abstinence so thoroughgoing as to make the Dalai Lama look like a Kardashian. (That chapter must be one of the highest barriers to entry in the Western canon: dry, sententious, condescending, more than eighty pages long.)" Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015. See more usage examples of sententious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People share a common nature but are trained in gender roles. -Lillie Devereux Blake, novelist, essayist, and reformer (12 Aug 1833-1913) *****August 14, 2016***** me-tooism : the adopting of policies, methods, products, etc., similar or id..; The way he sees it, over the past few years gamification has become the "it girl" of business, spawning conferences and a hefty dose of me-too-ism as some companies, eager to embrace it, tack on points or badges to just about any mundane activity to trick employees into thinking it's actually fun. Adam Penenberg, Play at Work: How Games Inspire Breakthrough Thinking, 2013 Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." Zest : 1 : a piece of the peel of a citrus fruit (such as an orange or lemon) used as flavoring; Healthy and active as a senior citizen, Richard had a zest for life, a desire to travel and see the world, and a perpetual interest in trying new things. concordat : (noun) A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action.; compact, covenant; The two nations were bitter enemies, but the signing of a concordat showed progress. sententious : adjective: 1. Full of pithy expressions. 2. Full of pompous moralizing. ; "Sizzlingly smart and agreeably sententious, Mr. Garland's film transcends some all-too-human imperfections with gorgeous images, astute writing, and memorably strong performances." Joe Morgenstern; Stylish 'Machina' Artfully Programmed for Pleasure; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 10, 2015. "In [Walden's] first chapter, 'Economy', Thoreau lays out a program of abstinence so thoroughgoing as to make the Dalai Lama look like a Kardashian. (That chapter must be one of the highest barriers to entry in the Western canon: dry, sententious, condescending, more than eighty pages long.)" Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015. See more usage examples of sententious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People share a common nature but are trained in gender roles. -Lillie Devereux Blake, novelist, essayist, and reformer (12 Aug 1833-1913) *****August 15, 2016***** sacerdotal : of priests; priestly; ... she saved enough to buy tall thick sacerdotal candles from an ecclesiastical shop in London. Virginia Woolf, "Miss Pryme," The Complete Shorter Fiction of Virginia Woolf, 1985 Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Tog : : to dress especially in fine clothing — usually used with up or out; Christine smiled as she took pictures of her teenage son, who was togged out in a tuxedo and standing next to his prom date. cuspidor : (noun) A receptacle for spit (usually in a public place).; spittoon; Louisa was revolted when their mysterious guest coughed, spitting mucus into his already brimming cuspidor. sententious : adjective: 1. Full of pithy expressions. 2. Full of pompous moralizing. ; "Sizzlingly smart and agreeably sententious, Mr. Garland's film transcends some all-too-human imperfections with gorgeous images, astute writing, and memorably strong performances." Joe Morgenstern; Stylish 'Machina' Artfully Programmed for Pleasure; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 10, 2015. "In [Walden's] first chapter, 'Economy', Thoreau lays out a program of abstinence so thoroughgoing as to make the Dalai Lama look like a Kardashian. (That chapter must be one of the highest barriers to entry in the Western canon: dry, sententious, condescending, more than eighty pages long.)" Kathryn Schulz; Pond Scum; The New Yorker; Oct 19, 2015. See more usage examples of sententious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People share a common nature but are trained in gender roles. -Lillie Devereux Blake, novelist, essayist, and reformer (12 Aug 1833-1913) *****August 16, 2016***** whigmaleerie : a whim; notion; It tells the weird story of the Holroyds, a fun-loving family of witches and wizards who speak half-hollowly and give free reign to their every whimsical whigmaleerie. , "Bewitching Tale About Witches," Life, November 24, 1958 Monolithic : adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change. tremulous : (adjective) Marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking.; quavering; The moonlight on the lawn was tremulous, as if the sward were a rippling sea. jambalaya : noun: 1. A dish made of rice, herbs, spices, vegetables, and meat. 2. A heterogeneous mixture. ; "Troopers represented a jambalaya of race and ethnicity." Sylvia Madsen; The Drunkard's Path; Etopia Press; 2012. See more usage examples of jambalaya in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no human being who, as a result of desiring to build a better life, should be named or declared illegal. -Alejandro G. Iñárritu, film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (b. 15 Aug 1963) *****August 17, 2016***** honorific : a title or term of respect; In some quarters, recognition of Ms. was slow in coming. The New York Times waited until 1986 to announce that it would embrace the use of Ms. as an honorific alongside Miss and Mrs. Ben Zimmer, "Ms.," New York Times, October 23, 2009 Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Dedication : 1 : a devoting or setting aside for a particular purpose or use; "Each of my days with my children embodies my dedication when I am open to them. Sitting around our kitchen table over dinner … we are giving thanks, talking to each other, laughing…." — Kathryn Black, in The Imperfect Mom, 2006 erratum : (noun) An error in printing or writing, especially such an error noted in a list of corrections and bound into a book.; misprint, typo, literal error; Subsequent printings of the book contained an index of the errata that had been noted since the first printing. farraginous : adjective: Heterogeneous; having a mix of random things. ; "If at first glance the visitor mistakes this farraginous exhibition for a Royal Antiques Roadshow, he is not far from the truth." Brian Sewell; All the Charm of an Antiques Roadshow; Evening Standard (London, UK); Mar 14, 2013. Thought For The Day: It is fortunate to be of high birth, but it is no less so to be of such character that people do not care to know whether you are or are not. -Jean de la Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2016***** mountebank : any charlatan or quack; So you restored the money to the widow, publicly, of course, because you love playing to the gallery and ranting and posing, like the mountebank that you are. Maurice Leblanc, The Confessions of Arsène Lupin, translated by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, 1912 Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Dunnage : 1 : loose materials used to support and protect cargo in a ship's hold; also : padding in a shipping container; The listed weight on the shipping order did not account for the container and dunnage. magnanimous : (adjective) Courageously noble in mind and heart.; greathearted; Then he imagined how, after the attack, Bogdanich would come up to him as he lay wounded and would magnanimously extend the hand of reconciliation. kool-aid : noun: Something accepted without question. Usually used in the phrase "to drink the kool-aid": to accept something unquestioningly or to demonstrate unquestioning loyalty. ; "Not all Shakespeare's fans are glassy-eyed kool-aid quaffers." James Gingell; Rejecting the Cult of Bardolatry Does Not Make You a Philistine; The Guardian (London, UK); May 20, 2016. "[Trump's] answers -- Build a wall! Deport 11 million illegals! Make America great again! Bomb the s--- out of ISIS! -- are so appealingly (and appallingly) simple, it's no wonder so many people are gulping down the Kool-Aid." Doug Elmets; For Reagan Adviser, Voting for Hillary is an Easy Call; The Sacramento Bee (California); Jun 9, 2016. Thought For The Day: I speak two languages, Body and English. -Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (17 Aug 1893-1980) *****August 19, 2016***** opacus : Meteorology. (of a cloud) dense enough to obscure the sun or moon; What is the cloudspotter to do when the cloud layer has grown thick enough to be of the opacus, rather than the translucidus, variety, so that it doesn't show the position of the sun or moon? Gavin Pretor-Pinney, The Cloudspotter's Guide: The Science, History, and Culture of Clouds, 2006 Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Panoptic : : being or presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view; The new security cameras installed in the jewelry store capture panoptic views of the entrance and display cases. terse : (adjective) Brief and to the point; effectively concise.; laconic, curt, crisp; The officer's orders were terse, but everyone understood his instructions. ragout : noun 1. A highly seasoned stew of meat, vegetables, etc. 2. A mixture of disparate elements. ; "Opera ... sensual pleasures celebrated in its rich ragout of music, emotion, and stagecraft." Daniel J. Wakin; Don't Sing With Your Mouth Full; The New York Times; May 7, 2012. See more usage examples of ragout in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A good storyteller is the conscience-keeper of a nation. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) *****August 20, 2016***** mesmerism : a compelling attraction; fascination; There's a spell about the hand-organ and a mesmerism about spinning round and round that no youngster can resist. , "An Itinerant Merry-Go-Round in New York City," The Outlook, Volume 132, September–December, 1922 Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Fret : 1 a : to eat or gnaw into : wear, corrode; also : fray; "You shouldn't fret so much over your wardrobe," Liza said. "You look great no matter what you wear." credenza : (noun) A buffet, sideboard, or bookcase, especially one without legs.; credence; There was no room on the dining table, so they placed the desserts on the nearby credenza and encouraged their guests to help themselves to cake. immolate : verb tr.: To kill or sacrifice, especially by burning. ; "Aline's burning jealousy threatens to immolate all of them." Chris Knight; Misters Write; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Jul 1, 2016. See more usage examples of immolate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams -- the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. -Robert Southey, poet (1774-1843) *****August 21, 2016***** stultify : to make, or cause to appear, foolish or ridiculous; I have become your poodle. You trample on my heart, you crush me, you stultify me, and I love you as I have never loved in my life. Honoré de Balzac, Cousin Betty, translated by James Waring, 1901 Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." ragamuffin : (noun) A shabbily clothed, dirty child.; tatterdemalion; The wealthy bachelor had pity on the ragamuffin and handed him a wad of bills, instructing him to buy himself dinner and a new coat. immolate : verb tr.: To kill or sacrifice, especially by burning. ; "Aline's burning jealousy threatens to immolate all of them." Chris Knight; Misters Write; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Jul 1, 2016. See more usage examples of immolate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams -- the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. -Robert Southey, poet (1774-1843) *****August 22, 2016***** auriferous : yielding or containing gold; Of the mineral products by far the most important is gold, and it may be conceded that this is a highly auriferous region. Richard Austin Freeman, Travels and Life in Ashanti and Jaman, 1898 Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Hypocorism : 1 : a pet name; People began to refer to the elusive and mysterious Loch Ness monster by the hypocorism "Nessie" in the 1940s. honky-tonk : (noun) A cheap, noisy bar or dance hall.; barrelhouse; The missionaries went to the honky-tonk on a Saturday night hoping to save souls, but they were not very successful. immolate : verb tr.: To kill or sacrifice, especially by burning. ; "Aline's burning jealousy threatens to immolate all of them." Chris Knight; Misters Write; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Jul 1, 2016. See more usage examples of immolate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams -- the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. -Robert Southey, poet (1774-1843) *****August 23, 2016***** lucubrate : to work, write, or study laboriously, especially at night; I wanted a modern outlook on architecture, a Western outlook, and I was willing to work all day and lucubrate till dawn to get it. T. C. Boyle, The Women, 2009 Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Lenient : 1 : exerting a soothing or easing influence : relieving pain or stress; Because Kevin didn't have any past violations on his driving record, the officer decided to be lenient and let him off with a written warning. irk : (verb) To be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to.; gall; The sight of her gave Sheldon fresh courage, and the tedious hours of waiting did not irk him. estivate/aestivate : verb: To pass the summer in a dormant state. ; "Unlike aquatic species, the turtles have the ability to travel upland and estivate for the remainder of the summer." Marta Yamamoto; Popular Berkeley Lake Reduced to a Puddle; The Mercury News (San Jose, California); Sep 17, 2015. See more usage examples of estivate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The problem in our country isn't with books being banned, but with people no longer reading. ... You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (22 Aug 1920-2012) *****August 24, 2016***** venial : able to be forgiven or pardoned; not seriously wrong, as a sin (opp..; Now a venial sin being the slightest and least of all sins--being halved--or, by taking either only the half of it, and leaving the rest--or, by taking it all, and amicably halving it betwixt yourself and another person--in course becomes diluted into no sin at all. Laurence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, Volume 4, 1761 Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." Journeyman : 1 : a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person usually by the day; "I started working exclusively as an actor when I was 25 years old…. I was a journeyman actor, working here and there. And I loved it." — Bryan Cranston, quoted in The Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2016 odium : (noun) Strong dislike, contempt, or aversion.; abhorrence, detestation, execration, loathing, abomination; He rather deserved the odium which he had incurred. diurnal : adjective: 1. Of or pertaining to the daytime. 2. Occurring every day. noun: Diary; journal; newspaper. ; "His dictionary described moths as 'nightflying butterflies' so if this moth was diurnal, how come it was a moth and not a butterfly." Uwe Tellkamp; The Tower; Penguin; 2014. See more usage examples of diurnal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts. -George Matthew Adams, newspaper columnist (23 Aug 1878-1962) *****August 25, 2016***** thrummy : of or abounding in thrums; shaggy or tufted; They stood Englishly around a bandy-legged Scot with a thrummy beard. Guy Davenport, "A Field of Snow on a Slope of the Rosenberg," Da Vinci's Bicycle, 1979 Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Insinuate : 1 a : to introduce (as an idea) gradually or in a subtle, indirect, or covert way; "They are confident buildings, but not boastful ones. They have a way of insinuating themselves into the landscape, behaving as if they’ve always been there." — Karrie Jacobs, Architect, 18 June 2013 monomania : (noun) Pathological obsession with one idea or subject.; possession; He thought of it constantly, so that it became a monomania. ultimogeniture : noun: A system of inheritance in which the youngest child inherits a title, estate, etc. ; "Bao's mother died in a small plane crash, and Bao as the youngest daughter had to go home and take care of the things, including possession of the family home. Ultimogeniture in action." Kim Stanley Robinson; Blue Mars; Bantam; 1996. See more usage examples of ultimogeniture in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How can you have a war on terrorism when war itself is terrorism? -Howard Zinn, historian, playwright, and social activist (24 Aug 1922-2010) *****August 26, 2016***** mirabilia : Latin. marvels; miracles; ... I shall like still better to sing it with you when we meet. That that is to be so soon, and under circumstances joyful, are among the mirabilia of this changing world. To see and re-see such a cluster of not indifferent persons as the programme for the wedding gives, will be almost too large a bonne-bouche. , George Eliot to Sara Hennell, September 16, 1843, in George Eliot's Life as Related in Her Letters and Journals, 1885 Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Notch : 1 a : a V-shaped indentation; The angle of the futon can be adjusted by inserting the pin into one of three notches. inglenook : (noun) A nook or corner beside an open fireplace.; chimney corner; Yet no one had retired, except the children and "old Feyther Taft," who being too deaf to catch many words, had some time ago gone back to his inglenook. distributary : noun: A branch of a river that flows away from the main stream and does not rejoin it, as in a delta. ; "[The Mekong river] cuts Cambodia in two, and then splits into distributaries in south-western Vietnam." Requiem for a River; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 13, 2016. See more usage examples of distributary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind. -John Neal, author and critic (25 Aug 1793-1876) *****August 27, 2016***** truepenny : a trusty, honest fellow; Ha, ha, boy, say'st thou so, art thou there trupenny? William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1604 Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Guttural : 1 : articulated in the throat; The only response we could get from him was an inarticulate guttural grunt. annulus : (noun) A toroidal shape.; doughnut, anchor ring, halo, ring; He was reclining on the red couch, blowing annuli of smoke that would slowly ascend and disappear into wisps. dissensus : noun: Widespread disagreement. ; "The incident is one illustration of the increasingly divergent views ... 'There is a growing global dissensus on drugs policy,' said Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution." John Paul Rathbone, Geoff Dyer, Jude Webber; World Split in Fight Over Drugs; Financial Times (London, UK); Apr 19, 2016. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 28, 2016***** limacine : pertaining to or resembling a slug; sluglike; A man on the downhill side of prime--limbs beginning to shrink, the limacine middle expanding, flesh disintegrating into the beard. John Edgar Wideman, Hurry Home, 1970 Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Plinth : 1 : the lowest part of the base of an architectural column; An empty plinth remains where the statue of the toppled dictator once commanded. regalia : (noun) Magnificent attire; finery.; raiment, array; He arrayed himself in the regalia of millionaires and presidents. dissensus : noun: Widespread disagreement. ; "The incident is one illustration of the increasingly divergent views ... 'There is a growing global dissensus on drugs policy,' said Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution." John Paul Rathbone, Geoff Dyer, Jude Webber; World Split in Fight Over Drugs; Financial Times (London, UK); Apr 19, 2016. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 29, 2016***** kith : acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the..; ... they endure hardships and privations of every kind--supported by the one thought of the day when they can return home again, and when ... they can rest from wandering, and seated amidst their kith and kind, tell of the wondrous things they have seen in their journeyings. Charles Lever, The Dodd Family Abroad, 1854 Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Embellish : 1 : to make beautiful with ornamentation : decorate; Kevin later admitted that he may have embellished the truth about the size of the dog that chased him out of the yard. solecism : (noun) A socially awkward or tactless act.; faux pas, gaffe, slip, gaucherie; She smiled again, turned, and walked away, leaving George to reckon up all the social solecisms he had contrived to commit in the space of a single moment. dissensus : noun: Widespread disagreement. ; "The incident is one illustration of the increasingly divergent views ... 'There is a growing global dissensus on drugs policy,' said Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution." John Paul Rathbone, Geoff Dyer, Jude Webber; World Split in Fight Over Drugs; Financial Times (London, UK); Apr 19, 2016. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 30, 2016***** matriculate : to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degr..; ... Tom Brown received a summons from the authorities, and went up to matriculate at St. Ambrose's College, Oxford ... Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford, 1861 Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Rarefied : 1 : being less dense; Cartography is one of those rarefied fields at which only a select few can actually earn a living. lentigo : (noun) A small, flat, pigmented spot on the skin.; freckle; The dermatologist advised the patient to keep an eye on the large lentigo near her lip and to alert him if there was a change in its size or shape. top-hat : noun: 1. A man's tall, cylindrical hat. 2. An important or high-ranking person. ; "Some understandably disgusted prominent African-American women, such as Grace Campbell, would complain to the party top-hats." Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr.; Is Black Literature Red-Fleshed?; New York Amsterdam News; Aug 26, 1999. See more usage examples of top-hat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mind of a bigot to the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour on it, the more it contracts. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (29 Aug 1809-1894) *****August 31, 2016***** vilipend : to regard or treat as of little value or account; ... instead of imitating the retired and monastic manner of his brother deceased, he became a gay visitor, and such a reveller, that in process of time he was observed to vilipend the modest fare which had at first been esteemed a banquet by his hungry appetite, and thereby highly displeased my wife ... Sir Walter Scott, Count Robert of Paris, 1832 Fastidious : adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness. Collude : : conspire, plot; "Two forestry companies colluded for more than a decade to control the prices of toilet paper and other products following a meeting at a golf course to end a price war, according to Chile's competitive practices regulator." — The Observer-Dispatch (Utica, New York), 30 Oct. 2015 quietude : (noun) A state of peace and quiet.; tranquility, quietness; Who can tell how scenes of peace and quietude sink into the minds of pain-worn dwellers in close and noisy places. coattail : noun: 1. The long back part of a tailcoat that hangs down. 2. The success of another person or organization. Usually used in the idiom "to ride on someone's coattails" meaning to achieve success by association with someone successful. ; "Ted Strickland seems to be counting on riding Clinton's coattails to victory, rather than mounting his own hard-hitting campaign." Deirdre Shesgreen & Jessie Balmert; Portman's Union Support Raises Fears; Cincinnati Enquirer (Ohio); Jul 27, 2016. "Observers note that David Duke is re-emerging on the political landscape as he senses an opportunity to ride Trump's coattails back into the national spotlight." Ex-Ku Klux Klan Leader to Run for US Senate; Los Angeles Times; Jul 23, 2016. See more usage examples of coattail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The term 'working mother' is ridiculously redundant. -Donna Reed, actress (1921-1986) *****September 01, 2016***** nodus : a difficult or intricate point, situation, plot, etc; We are approaching the true nodus of our business, difficulty of difficulties ... Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich the Second, Called Frederick the Great, 1858–65 Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." Trepidation : : timorous uncertain agitation : apprehension; Fran's trepidation going into the interview dissipated quickly, and her confidence and poise led her to getting offered the job a week later. compunction : (noun) A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt.; remorse, self-reproach; This child had taken and lost her treasured amethyst brooch and now sat there calmly without the least apparent compunction or repentance. hairshirt : noun: 1. A shirt made of haircloth, worn next to the skin as a penance. 2. A self-imposed punishment or penance. 3. A secret affliction. ; "'We have spent a lot of time in this state wearing the hairshirt that we're not going to pay people large sums of money to run institutions in this state,' Jones said." Patrick O'Donnell; State Superintendent's Salary Debated; The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio); Jan 14, 2016. See more usage examples of hairshirt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly. -Charles Reznikoff, poet (31 Aug 1894-1976) *****September 02, 2016***** peradventure : chance, doubt, or uncertainty; It must demonstrate beyond peradventure that it exists only to aid and assist the onward march and progress of all worthy causes ... Stewart C. McFarland, "Will Rotary Survive?" The Rotarian, April 1921 Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Oenophile : : a lover or connoisseur of wine; Serious oenophiles will not be impressed with this particular wine, but it should be up to the standards of less-discriminating consumers. presentiment : (noun) A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition.; boding, foreboding, premonition; We've gone and lost your father's flat, Diana, and I have a presentiment that we'll not be allowed to row on the pond any more. stuffed shirt : noun: A pompous, self-satisfied, and old-fashioned person. ; "Peter Dawson's persona might come across as a stuffed shirt but he is, in fact, a personable character with a mischievous sense of humour." James Corrigan; Farewell to the Moderniser of the R&A; The Sunday Telegraph (London, UK); Jul 12, 2015. See more usage examples of stuffed shirt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It seems like the less a statesman amounts to, the more he adores the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 03, 2016***** gaposis : Facetious. a noticeable gap or series of gaps, as between the fast..; For years metal-zipper industries have been spending thousands of dollars educating the public in the horror and neurosis attendant on "Gap-osis"--bulging lags between fastenings. , "Manufacturers Design Zipperless Fashions," Life, December 15, 1941 Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Adjuvant : 1 : serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary; The study showed caffeine to have an adjuvant effect when combined with certain pain relievers, increasing the potency of the latter. tractable : (adjective) Easily managed or controlled; governable.; manipulable; I felt him become suddenly tractable again like an animal, like a good-tempered horse when the object that scares him is removed. slyboots : noun: Someone who is clever or crafty in a playful or engaging way. ; "A real slyboots he is, if you take my meaning, Your Grace. He would have dropped the boot and bent down low to fetch it, all the while trying to see where he shouldn't ought see, my apologies to your lady." Kasey Michaels; How To Beguile a Beauty; Harlequin; 2010. See more usage examples of slyboots in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, and philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 04, 2016***** paean : any song of praise, joy, or triumph; The sunlight was flooding in at the open lattice and, as if borne upon this shaft of glory, came the mingled fragrance of herb and flower and ripening fruit with the blithe carolling of birds, a very paean of thanksgiving ... Jeffery Farnol, The Amateur Gentleman, 1913 Juxtapose : tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works." Quodlibet : 1 : a philosophical or theological point proposed for disputation; also : a disputation on such a point; "In Part II the orchestral interlude is Happy Voices, which Del Tredici took in punning fashion and created a raucous fugue followed by a 'quodlibet' of all the tunes from the piece." — Vance R. Koven, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, 27 Mar. 2016 jalopy : (noun) An old, dilapidated motor vehicle, especially an automobile.; heap, bus; The jalopy didn't even make it to the junkyard, breaking into a thousand pieces as soon as we climbed inside. slyboots : noun: Someone who is clever or crafty in a playful or engaging way. ; "A real slyboots he is, if you take my meaning, Your Grace. He would have dropped the boot and bent down low to fetch it, all the while trying to see where he shouldn't ought see, my apologies to your lady." Kasey Michaels; How To Beguile a Beauty; Harlequin; 2010. See more usage examples of slyboots in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, and philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 05, 2016***** abeyance : temporary inactivity, cessation, or suspension: Let's hold that p..; The mass does not act by reason. A mass is not even formed by reason. The more intense or extended the COLLECTIVE consciousness, the more does the truly reasonable, individual consciousness sink into abeyance. D. H. Lawrence, Kangaroo, 1923 Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Asperse : 1 : sprinkle; especially : to sprinkle with holy water; "Though my opponent's supporters have aspersed my character, I think my record speaks for itself," said the candidate. rowlock : (noun) A holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing.; thole, tholepin, peg, pin, oarlock; It was that dull kind of a regular sound that comes from oars working in rowlocks when it's a still night. slyboots : noun: Someone who is clever or crafty in a playful or engaging way. ; "A real slyboots he is, if you take my meaning, Your Grace. He would have dropped the boot and bent down low to fetch it, all the while trying to see where he shouldn't ought see, my apologies to your lady." Kasey Michaels; How To Beguile a Beauty; Harlequin; 2010. See more usage examples of slyboots in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, and philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 06, 2016***** spinebash : Australian Slang. to rest; loaf; He had an egg (no, two) and some weak black tea; then took himself into the backyard and flopped down, "To spine-bash," he murmured experimentally, under the gumtree. Rodney Hall, A Place Among People, 1975 Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." subspecies : (noun) A taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species.; race; The scientist identified a rare subspecies of the animal, and his discovery made international headlines. flagrant : adjective: Conspicuously offensive. ; "The Saudi-led coalition warplanes waged on Tuesday three raids ... in a flagrant breach to the ceasefire." Saudi War Jets Launch Three Raids on Harib Nehm in Mareb; Yemen News Agency (Sana'a); May 24, 2016. See more usage examples of flagrant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -John Cage, composer (5 Sep 1912-1992) *****September 07, 2016***** vagarious : characterized by vagaries; erratic; capricious: a vagarious fore..; For Americans to have talked of launching ten million tons of shipping in one year would have seemed vagarious. Paul P. Harris, "Convention Message from Rotary's Founder," The Rotarian, August 1918 Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." catkin : (noun) A usually dense, cylindrical, often drooping cluster of unisexual apetalous flowers found in willows, birches, and oaks.; ament; Walking some forty paces away, Sergey Ivanovitch, knowing he was out of sight, stood still behind a bushy spindle-tree in full flower with its rosy red catkins. mendacious : adjective: Telling lies, especially as a habit. ; "Usually I only meet fishermen more flagrantly mendacious than anywhere else. But they've got bored with me because I always unhesitatingly go two pounds better than the biggest juggler of avoirdupois present." Compton Mackenzie; Sinister Street; Martin Secker; 1914. See more usage examples of mendacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (b. 6 Sep 1928) *****September 08, 2016***** corybantic : frenzied; agitated; unrestrained; From outside we hear a confused shouting that grows louder and louder, and suddenly the shrine is invaded by a throng of corybantic worshipers. They rush to the altar, they tear off one another's aprons and fling them in a mounting pile at the foot of the Arch-Vicar's throne. Aldous Huxley, Ape and Essence, 1948 Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Untoward : 1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable; I eyed the stranger suspiciously, but I had to admit that there was nothing untoward about his appearance. fiat : (noun) A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge).; decree, edict, rescript, order; The judge issued a fiat that was met with widespread protest. venal : adjective: 1. Capable of being bought: open to bribery. 2. Of or related to bribery. ; "Everything that was wrong, venal, lazy, and mendacious about GM in the 1980s was crystallized in this flagrant insult to the good name and fine customers of Cadillac." Dan Neil; The 50 Worst Cars of All Time; Time (New York); Sep 2007. See more usage examples of venal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: America has been called a melting pot, but it seems better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people, or race which has come to its shores has been privileged to keep its individuality, contributing at the same time its share to the unified pattern of a new nation. -King Baudouin of Belgium (7 Sep 1930-1993) *****September 09, 2016***** phalanx : a number of individuals, especially persons united for a common pu..; Mr. Mildmay, Mr. Gresham, and Mr. Monk were the best friends in the world, swearing by each other in their own house, and supported in the other by as gallant a phalanx of Whig peers as ever were got together to fight against the instincts of their own order in compliance with the instincts of those below them. Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn, 1869 Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. Bevy : 1 : a large group or collection; "… Prince William admits his son George is 'far too spoiled' after getting a bevy of gifts for his 3rd birthday." — The Daily News (New York), 25 July 2016 gazebo : (noun) A freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure providing a shady resting place.; summerhouse; There was a gazebo about a quarter-mile away from the mansion where we would talk, surrounded by nature and protected from the sun. feckless : adjective: Weak; ineffective; incompetent; irresponsible. ; "UK university managers are neither venal nor mendacious, today's students are no lazier or more feckless than we were, and the vast majority of graduates still find employment suitable to their studies." Steven Schwartz; V-Cs, Get Set to Do the Maths; The Times Higher Education Supplement (London, UK); Dec 20, 2012. See more usage examples of feckless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 10, 2016***** lucida : Astronomy. the brightest star in a constellation; ... if we pass across the Milky Way in the opposite direction, we arrive at Deneb, the lucida of Cygnus; and beyond the Swan, a little out of the Milky Way, is Vega, the bright star in the Lyre. George Frederick Chambers, A Handbook of Descriptive and Practical Astronomy, 1861 Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Sylvan : 1 a : living or located in the woods or forest; "The climb up the hill … was a short, hot pilgrimage to a sylvan glade, where the reading tents and outlets for drinks, falafels, crêpes and so on were situated." — Hugo Williams, The Times Literary Supplement, 13 Aug. 2004 vesicle : (noun) A small sac or cyst, especially one containing fluid.; cyst; All living things have much in common, in their chemical composition, their germinal vesicles, and their laws of growth and reproduction. veritable : adjective: True; real (typically used as an intensifier for a metaphor). ; "Given that Albany is the home of the venal, the feckless, and the indifferent -- a veritable temple of dysfunction -- it's difficult to imagine, given their record, that it has the capacity to do anything right." Leonard Quart; Transit Woes Result of Government Failure; The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts); Apr 8, 2010. See more usage examples of veritable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 11, 2016***** pulverulent : covered with dust or powder; ... On shelves pulverulent, majestic stands / His library; in ragged plight, and old; / Replete with many a load of criticism… Mark Akenside, "The Poet," Gentleman's Magazine, July 1737 Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." Devolve : 1 a : to pass by transmission or succession; Over time, the weekly book club meeting devolved into mean-spirited gossip sessions. commissariat : (noun) A stock or supply of foods.; provisions, viands, victuals, provender; During the war with Spain he was employed in the commissariat of the French army, and made a fortune. veritable : adjective: True; real (typically used as an intensifier for a metaphor). ; "Given that Albany is the home of the venal, the feckless, and the indifferent -- a veritable temple of dysfunction -- it's difficult to imagine, given their record, that it has the capacity to do anything right." Leonard Quart; Transit Woes Result of Government Failure; The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts); Apr 8, 2010. See more usage examples of veritable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 12, 2016***** dabster : Slang. an expert; There was no getting away from it, when it came to making something out of nothing Archie was a dabster, and absolute dabster! R. F. Delderfield, The Avenue Goes to War, 1958 Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Myrmidon : : a loyal follower; especially : a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously; "… when [Howard] Cosell came to TV he was utterly in contrast to the toothy myrmidons who reigned at the microphone and who spoke no evil save for the mayhem they regularly perpetrated upon the English language." — Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 8 Aug. 1983 atelier : (noun) A studio especially for an artist or designer.; artist's workroom; Joe and Delia met in an atelier where a number of art and music students had gathered to discuss chiaroscuro, Wagner, music, wall paper, Chopin, and Oolong. veritable : adjective: True; real (typically used as an intensifier for a metaphor). ; "Given that Albany is the home of the venal, the feckless, and the indifferent -- a veritable temple of dysfunction -- it's difficult to imagine, given their record, that it has the capacity to do anything right." Leonard Quart; Transit Woes Result of Government Failure; The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts); Apr 8, 2010. See more usage examples of veritable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is like a fraction whose numerator is what he is and whose denominator is what he thinks of himself. The larger the denominator, the smaller the fraction. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 13, 2016***** eutaxy : good order or management; The meeting, in fact, put the final touches to the establishment of the first real Stock Exchange; henceforward eutaxy was to reign. Charles Duguid, The Story of the Stock Exchange, 1901 Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Flippant : : lacking proper respect or seriousness; The singer's fans were not amused by his flippant remark in response to the tragedy. lackey : (noun) A servile follower.; toady, crawler, sycophant; The archdeacon had in Quasimodo the most submissive slave, the most docile lackey, the most vigilant of dogs. boulevardier : noun: A socially active man who likes to visit fashionable places. ; "In the first act, I was a smoothly sophisticated boulevardier who was having a giddy night out in an elegant restaurant with a young girl approximately half his age. He is a delightful 'stranger' from Cairo in impeccable evening clothes who comes mysteriously into town once a month." Beaumont Bruestle; Threads; CreateSpace; 2009. See more usage examples of boulevardier in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others. His culture is based on "I am not too sure." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) *****September 14, 2016***** chimerical : wildly fanciful; highly unrealistic: a chimerical plan; I don't need to tell you that writers sometimes get ideas which practical-minded individuals regard as chimerical. Henry Miller, Nexus, 1960 Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Kibosh : : something that serves as a check or stop; Heavy rains put the kibosh on many of the activities scheduled for the day. arboreal : (adjective) Relating to or resembling a tree.; arborical, arborous; Clayton had erected a frail partition of boughs to divide their arboreal shelter into two rooms—one for the girl and the other for Monsieur Thuran. pachyderm : noun 1. Someone or something having thick skin, for example, elephant, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros. 2. An insensitive person. 3. A person who is not affected by criticism or ridicule. ; "This pachyderm we work for can survive a few slings and arrows." Arthur Hailey; Overload; Doubleday; 1979. See more usage examples of pachyderm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Much of writing might be described as mental pregnancy with successive difficult deliveries. -J.B. Priestley, author (13 Sep 1894-1984) *****September 15, 2016***** longanimity : patient endurance of hardship, injuries, or offense; forbearan..; If your beauteousness scorns me, if your worth does not favour me, if your disdain is my humiliation, I shall ill be able, albeit I am well furnished with longanimity, to suffer a grief that is not merely intense but protracted. Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, translated by John Rutherford, 2000 Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Hare : : to go swiftly : tear; Andrew hared along the country road on his motorbike. hegira : (noun) A flight to escape danger.; exodus; The oppressed villagers secretly planned a hegira to escape the czar's army. revenant : noun: A person who returns after a long absence or supposedly after death. ; "Lawrence Osborne seems to be a revenant from a species that has, paradoxically, become almost extinct following the triumph of globalisation: the traveller (or travel-writer)-novelist." Neel Mukherjee; Hunters in the Dark; The Guardian (London, UK); May 6, 2015. See more usage examples of revenant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men make counterfeit money; in many more cases, money makes counterfeit men. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2016***** eponym : a person, real or imaginary, from whom something, as a tribe, natio..; What Calvin Klein, designer, wanted to draw attention to was Calvin Klein, trademark. Still, if some of the attention paid to the man himself came along in the bargain; if the border between eponym and product blurred, connoting a state of mind and a way of being that were new and dark and strange and uniquely compelling--well, that didn't hurt business a bit. James Kaplan, "The Triumph of Calvinism," New York, September 18, 1995 Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Implacable : : not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated; "I am studying physics at a small graduate school because the implacable laws of the universe are of interest to me." — Fiona Maazel, Ploughshares, Summer 2015 scintilla : (noun) A minute amount; an iota or trace.; shred, smidge, smidgeon, tittle, whit; When the party was over, not a scintilla of food remained. rhapsode : noun: A professional reciter of poems. ; "It may be argued that our republic is, in performance, really enacting today the grandest arts, poems, etc. by beating up the wilderness into fertile farms, and in her railroads, ships, machinery, etc. And it may be asked, Are these not better, indeed, for America, than any utterances even of greatest rhapsode, artist, or literatus?" Walt Whitman; Democratic Vistas; 1871. Thought For The Day: Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others. -Francois de La Rochefoucauld, aphorist (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 17, 2016***** overweening : presumptuously conceited, overconfident, or proud: a brash, in..; He was an envious and overweening man who resented the fact that Sir Balin had won the sword. Peter Ackroyd, The Death of King Arthur: The Immortal Legend; A Retelling, 2010 Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." dungaree : (noun) A sturdy, often blue denim fabric.; jean, denim; He wore an open jacket, with a splotch of tar on the sleeve, a red-and-black check shirt, dungaree trousers, and heavy boots badly worn. bon viveur : noun: A person who enjoys good food, drinks, luxuries, etc. ; "If Lebanon was a man or woman, I'd picture someone very stylish, enjoying a song and dance, while eating tabbouleh and holding up a glass of something merry-looking in their hand; a bon viveur trying to make the most of their evening before the electricity is cut off." Tanya Dernaika; Brand Lebanon Ready for Export; The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon); May 18, 2015. Thought For The Day: Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are? -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 18, 2016***** zymurgy : the branch of applied chemistry dealing with fermentation, as in w..; He was going to work in a brewery for the summer, attracted by the job's requiring a knowledge of zymurgy ... Geoffrey Wagner, The Asphalt Campus, 1963 Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Gadarene : : headlong, precipitate; The chairman was worried that in the company's gadarene rush to go public its original obligation to the customer would be forgotten. wharfage : (noun) A platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats.; pier, dock; After the storm, she stood at the end of the wharfage, waiting for her brother's boat to return. bon viveur : noun: A person who enjoys good food, drinks, luxuries, etc. ; "If Lebanon was a man or woman, I'd picture someone very stylish, enjoying a song and dance, while eating tabbouleh and holding up a glass of something merry-looking in their hand; a bon viveur trying to make the most of their evening before the electricity is cut off." Tanya Dernaika; Brand Lebanon Ready for Export; The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon); May 18, 2015. Thought For The Day: Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are? -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 19, 2016***** stentorian : very loud or powerful in sound: a stentorian voice; "I'll tell you something else about which I've been lately thinking!" he bellowed in a suddenly stentorian voice. "I've been thinking about our beautiful country!" George Saunders, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, 2005 Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Loll : 1 : to hang or let hang loosely : droop; "'Ginny, please wake up,' Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side." — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999 nonstarter : (noun) An idea, proposal, or candidate with no chance of being accepted or successful.; failure, loser; Many lawmakers are pronouncing the budget a nonstarter. bon viveur : noun: A person who enjoys good food, drinks, luxuries, etc. ; "If Lebanon was a man or woman, I'd picture someone very stylish, enjoying a song and dance, while eating tabbouleh and holding up a glass of something merry-looking in their hand; a bon viveur trying to make the most of their evening before the electricity is cut off." Tanya Dernaika; Brand Lebanon Ready for Export; The Daily Star (Beirut, Lebanon); May 18, 2015. Thought For The Day: Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are? -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 20, 2016***** cosset : to treat as a pet; pamper; coddle; Mrs. Dhondt is like Mrs. Crommelynck but ten times more so--in truth, a dreadful creation who heads the Belgian Equestrian Society, drives the Dhondt Bugatti herself, and cossets a powder-puff Pekingese called Wei-wei. David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, 2004 Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Eclogue : : a poem in which shepherds converse; Modern critics tend to have little tolerance for the idealized world of the old eclogues, in which poverty is bathed in golden light. bedeck : (verb) To adorn or ornament in a showy fashion.; bedight, deck; It was at the dawn of day in the merry Maytime, when hedgerows are green and flowers bedeck the meadows. kitsch : noun: Art objects that are gaudy or overly sentimental, designed for popular appeal. adjective: Tawdry, tacky, sentimental. ; "I could see kitschy statues of androgynous male 'saints' and of angels with effeminate faces. Above this kitsch hung gaudy red and yellow 'pavaljuni'." The Maltese Festa; The Malta Independent (Valletta); Sep 4, 2016. See more usage examples of kitsch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams. -Jeremy Irons, actor (b. 19 Sep 1948) *****September 21, 2016***** circumbendibus : Informal. a roundabout way; circumlocution; It took what that literal fellow, Captain Lawton, calls a circumbendibus, a route never taken by the swords of his men, notwithstanding the multiplied pains I have been at to teach him how to cut scientifically. James Fenimore Cooper, The Spy, 1821 Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." Nefarious : : flagrantly wicked or impious : evil; "The company will not call you to ask for your Social Security or account number, but nefarious scammers might." — Ellen Marks, The Albuquerque Journal, 31 July 2016 cupidity : (noun) Excessive desire, especially for wealth.; covetousness, avarice; Their very cupidity was to prove the means of their undoing, in the matter of the ransom at least. verboten : adjective: Not allowed; forbidden. ; "Those attending the Wagner festival in Bayreuth this month, including Angela Merkel, have been told that cushions are now verboten. It is claimed that this is for security reasons, although Wagner, in designing the Festspielhaus [festival theater], had wanted exceptionally hard wooden seats to prevent the audience from treating his operas as fun." Patrick Kidd; [Theresa] May Life Story is Not Written; The Times (London, UK); Jul 12, 2016. See more usage examples of verboten in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 22, 2016***** afflatus : inspiration; an impelling mental force acting from within; Through me the afflatus surging and surging, through me the current and index. Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself," Leaves of Grass, 1855 Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). Consigliere : : counselor, adviser; "Luisi’s goal was to create his own family in Boston, with Guarente as his underboss and Gentile as his consigliere." — Stephen Kurkjian and Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe, 26 July 2016 pyrexia : (noun) Fever.; febricity, febrility, feverishness; His pyrexia made the doctors nervous, and they immersed him in a bath of ice water to bring down his body temperature. ubermensch : noun: An ideal man; also used ironically. ; "Trump, the thrice-married ubermensch who jokes about Megyn Kelly's period, is the more usual reality." Ross Douthat; A Playboy for President; The New York Times; Aug 13, 2016. See more usage examples of ubermensch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Good books don't give up all their secrets at once. -Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947) *****September 23, 2016***** flavescent : turning yellow; yellowish; A few flavescent leaves, shed during delivery, fell to weaving the carpet that would be finished by nightfall. Patrick Chamoiseau, Chronicle of the Seven Sorrows, translated by Linda Coverdale, 1999 Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. Palpable : 1 : capable of being touched or felt : tangible; The tension in the courtroom was palpable as the jury foreman stood to announce the verdict. dovecote : (noun) A compartmental structure, often raised on a pole, for housing domesticated pigeons.; columbary; They were not allowed to keep doves themselves, and when the swarms from my lord's dovecote settled on their crops they must not lose their temper and kill a bird. gauleiter : noun: An overbearing petty official. ; "Even if you don't like a council leader, don't call her a gauleiter." Stuart Jeffries; 'Swamped' and 'Riddled'; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 28, 2014. Thought For The Day: The characteristic of a well-bred man is, to converse with his inferiors without insolence, and with his superiors with respect and with ease. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2016***** plutocracy : the rule or power of wealth or of the wealthy; Two per cent of our people owned 60 per cent of all our wealth, thus causing a condition of extreme plutocracy on the one hand and extreme poverty on the other. D. F. Garland, "The City Manager and the Baby," The Rotarian, March 1916 Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. Mettle : 1 a : vigor and strength of spirit or temperament; "People aren't trying to hide their prosthetics like they once did. There is a sense of community, being proud of who you are and showing off your mettle." — Rebekah Spielman, quoted in The San Diego Union Tribune, 21 Aug. 2016 deponent : (noun) A person who testifies or gives a deposition.; testifier; In the taking of legal oaths, for instance, deponents seem to enjoy themselves mightily when they come to several good words in succession. clerisy : noun: The well-educated class; the literati; the intelligentsia. ; "[Bob Corker's] mind is unclouded by long immersion in the conventional thinking of the foreign policy clerisy." George Will; Why Bob Corker is the Senator to Watch in 2015; The Washington Post; Jan 2, 2015. See more usage examples of clerisy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief ... that the forces which move the stars and atoms are contingent upon the preferences of the human heart. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 25, 2016***** cackleberry : Facetious. a hen's egg used for food; "This cackle-berry's got a double yolk." She scowled at the thing. "I don't remember right off if that's a good sign or a bad one." James D. Doss, The Witch's Tongue, 2004 Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Reconcile : 1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony; "The trailer shows his earliest struggles to reconcile his religious convictions with his duty to his country, as he gently explains to his Army higher-ups that he can't, and won't, touch a gun." — RollingStone.com, 28 July 2016 docket : (noun) A list of things to be done.; agenda, schedule; Since everyone wanted to discuss healthcare, we put it on the docket for the next town meeting. clerisy : noun: The well-educated class; the literati; the intelligentsia. ; "[Bob Corker's] mind is unclouded by long immersion in the conventional thinking of the foreign policy clerisy." George Will; Why Bob Corker is the Senator to Watch in 2015; The Washington Post; Jan 2, 2015. See more usage examples of clerisy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief ... that the forces which move the stars and atoms are contingent upon the preferences of the human heart. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 26, 2016***** albatross : a seemingly inescapable moral or emotional burden, as of guilt o..; If the Republicans want a clean and decisive victory in November, or perhaps any kind of victory, they must get rid of this albatross before going to voters. , "Morals and Politics: The Republicans Must Drop an Albatross Before They Can Achieve Real Harmony," Life, July 14, 1952 Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Iota : 1 : the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet; "The rooms were impeccably decorated, with not an iota of clutter." — Judy DiForte, AnnArbor.com, 21 Mar. 2011 verruca : (noun) A firm abnormal elevated blemish on the skin; caused by a virus.; wart; When he developed a verruca on the bottom of his foot, walking became extremely painful. clerisy : noun: The well-educated class; the literati; the intelligentsia. ; "[Bob Corker's] mind is unclouded by long immersion in the conventional thinking of the foreign policy clerisy." George Will; Why Bob Corker is the Senator to Watch in 2015; The Washington Post; Jan 2, 2015. See more usage examples of clerisy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief ... that the forces which move the stars and atoms are contingent upon the preferences of the human heart. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 27, 2016***** bon mot : a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism; He was an extrovert and a character, again like his mother, with a knack for tossing off the perfect bon mot. Once at a dinner party, he told his seat mate, "We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm." Craig Shirley, December 1941: 31 Days That Changed America and Saved the World, 2011 Facetious : adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Tantivy : : at a gallop; The horse rushed tantivy over the dirt roads that wound through the fields and pastures. squalid : (adjective) Dirty and wretched, as from poverty or lack of care.; flyblown, sordid; They lived like beasts in great squalid labor-ghettos, festering in misery and degradation. henchman : noun: A supporter or subordinate, especially one who engages in illegal activities for a powerful boss or criminal. ; "Baron Bomburst hears of the special car and wants it for his own, sending two henchmen, Boris and Goran, to seize it one way or another." Review: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Theatre Royal Newcastle; Northumberland Gazette (Alnwick, UK); Jun 2, 2016. See more usage examples of henchman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2016***** haimish : Slang. homey; cozy and unpretentious; An English captain of police, trying to get a haimish farfel soup and boiled beef at the inn, told me he believed both concoctions kept replenishing themselves day in day out without human assistance. , The Menorah Journal, Volume 14, 1928 Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Peculiar : 1 : characteristic of only one person, group, or thing : distinctive; "'I'm not like you. … I'm common, just like my grandfather.' Emma shook her head. 'Is that really what you think?' 'If I could do something spectacular like you, don't you think I would've noticed by now? … There's nothing peculiar about me. I'm the most average person you'll ever meet.'" — Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, 2011 yardmaster : (noun) A railroad employer who is in charge of a railway yard.; train dispatcher, trainmaster; Observing that the yardmaster had his back turned, the vagabonds leaped into one of the boxcars. poodle-faker : noun: A man who seeks out the company of upper-status women, especially for advancing himself. ; "Too many people still think of Liszt as a long-haired, pianistic poodle-faker, seducing aristocratic ladies with superficially glittering pieces that have more notes than substance." David Mellor; Franz is Top of My Liszt; Mail on Sunday (London, UK); Jan 23, 2011. Thought For The Day: The central function of imaginative literature is to make you realize that other people act on moral convictions different from your own. -William Empson, literary critic and poet (27 Sep 1906-1984) *****September 29, 2016***** eristic : Also, eristical. pertaining to controversy or disputation; controv..; Does free speech tend to move toward the truth or away from it? When does it evolve into a better collective understanding? When does it collapse into the Babel of trolling, the pointless and eristic game of talking the other guy into crying “uncleâ€? Mattathias Schwartz, "The Trolls Among Us," New York Times, August 3, 2008 Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Vamoose : : to depart quickly; With the sheriff and his posse hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose. plainsong : (noun) A liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.; Gregorian chant, plainchant; The music professor explained that in the Western church four main dialects of plainsong developed—Ambrosian, Roman, Mozarabic, and Gallican. harebrained : adjective: Foolish; reckless; ridiculous. ; "Hagrid had some harebrained scheme in hand, which might make him miss Sirius." JK Rowling; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Bloomsbury; 2000. See more usage examples of harebrained in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Military justice is to justice what military music is to music. -Georges Clemenceau, statesman (28 Sep 1841-1929) *****September 30, 2016***** lodestone : something that attracts strongly; The portrait was for him a lodestone imbued with some irresistible magnetic force. Allen Kurzweil, A Case of Curiosities, 1992 Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Cabal : 1 : the artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); also : a group engaged in such artifices and intrigues; "A 'cabal' of wealthy conservatives has begun using New York State's campaign finance laws to sway local elections…." — Michael Gormley, Newsday (New York), 24 Aug. 2016       tidbit : (noun) A choice morsel, as of gossip or food.; choice morsel, titbit; The book is chock-full of colorful tidbits about theater and theater people. duck soup : noun: Something that is very easy to do. ; "With fear of math giving way to love for numbers, complex fractions and compound interest are duck soup for the little math wizards." Prerna Katiyar; How Techniques Like Vedic Math, Abacus, and Soroban are Making Mathematics Fun for Kids; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Nov 16, 2014. See more usage examples of duck_soup in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2016***** testudinal : pertaining to or resembling a tortoise or tortoise shell; Once Mrs. Buckland found herself being shaken awake in the middle of the night, her husband crying in excitement: “My dear, I believe that Cheirotherium’s footsteps are undoubtedly testudinal.†… Mrs. Buckland made a flour paste, which she spread across the table, while the Reverend Buckland fetched the family tortoise. Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, 2003 Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." brandish : (verb) To wave or flourish (a weapon, for example) menacingly.; flourish, wave; The farmer, seeing before him this figure in full armor brandishing a lance over his head, gave himself up for dead. skylark : verb intr.: To frolic or to engage in horseplay. ; "Before a race, while opponents buried themselves in their own private world, Bolt skylarked with spectators and with race officials." Is Jamaican Legend's Track Career Over?; Timaru Herald (New Zealand); Jun 30, 2015. See more usage examples of skylark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead change the subject and straw man. -Ta-Nehisi Coates, writer and journalist (b. 30 Sep 1975) *****October 02, 2016***** amphiboly : ambiguity of speech, especially from uncertainty of the grammati..; Maybe it was better to evade the issue, to delay, to be ambiguous and equivocal, indulge in vagueness, anacoluthon, and amphiboly? Mallock, The Cemetery of Swallows, translated by Steven Rendall, 2013 Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Empyreal : 1 : of or relating to the heavens or firmament : celestial; Night after night, the comet shone brightly against the empyreal tapestry of the sky. bunsen : (noun) A gas burner used in laboratories; has an air valve to regulate the mixture of gas and air.; etna; I accidentally singed my eyebrows while lighting my bunsen in chemistry class. skylark : verb intr.: To frolic or to engage in horseplay. ; "Before a race, while opponents buried themselves in their own private world, Bolt skylarked with spectators and with race officials." Is Jamaican Legend's Track Career Over?; Timaru Herald (New Zealand); Jun 30, 2015. See more usage examples of skylark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead change the subject and straw man. -Ta-Nehisi Coates, writer and journalist (b. 30 Sep 1975) *****October 03, 2016***** understory : the shrubs and plants growing beneath the main canopy of a fore..; Outside, in the rambling estate with its green canopies and wandering animals, its replanted indigenous understory and its old enclosures now becoming overgrown, the birds and the ground dwellers were settling to roost and sleep as they did every night when the light dimmed to a dusky blue and the earth began to cool. Paddy O'Reilly, The Wonders, 2015 Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Deliquesce : 1 : to dissolve or melt away; "'Number Nine,' a 16-minute bonbon of a ballet …, keeps its yellow-clad ensemble and four principal couples wheeling through kaleidoscopic patterns that surprise as they smoothly crystallize and deliquesce, sometimes matching the musical rhythms, sometimes working against them." — Roslyn Sulcas, The New York Times, 26 Sept. 2012 apiarist : (noun) One who keeps bees, specifically one who cares for and raises bees for commercial or agricultural purposes.; apiculturist, beekeeper; Profits from the sale of honey comprised only a small portion of the apiarist's income. skylark : verb intr.: To frolic or to engage in horseplay. ; "Before a race, while opponents buried themselves in their own private world, Bolt skylarked with spectators and with race officials." Is Jamaican Legend's Track Career Over?; Timaru Herald (New Zealand); Jun 30, 2015. See more usage examples of skylark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead to change the subject and straw man. -Ta-Nehisi Coates, writer and journalist (b. 30 Sep 1975) *****October 04, 2016***** druthers : Informal. one's own way, choice, or preference: If I had my druth..; Such interviews are torture for Hardy, who, given his druthers, would have passed the responsibility on to Littlewood. David Leavitt, The Indian Clerk, 2007 Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Guerdon : : reward, recompense; "The big hurdle … was early promotion to captain. … This early promotion, this small dry irrevocable statistic in the record, was his guerdon for a quarter of a century of getting things done." — Herman Wouk, The Winds of War, 1971 castellated : (adjective) Having turrets and battlements in the style of a castle.; castled, crenellated, battlemented; He summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends...and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. narcissism : noun: Excessive self-interest or self-love. ; "George Simon, a clinical psychologist who conducts seminars on manipulative behavior, says Trump is 'so classic that I'm archiving video clips of him to use in workshops because there's no better example' of narcissism. ... "When, in the summer of 1999, he stood up to offer remarks at his father's funeral, Trump spoke mainly about himself. It was the toughest day of his own life, Trump began. He went on to talk about Fred Trump's greatest achievement: raising a brilliant and renowned son." Dan P. McAdams; The Mind of Donald Trump; The Atlantic (Washington, DC); Jun 2016. In His Own Words: "I feel like a supermodel. Except like times 10. It's true. I'm a supermodel. I'm on the cover of these magazines -- I'm on the cover of the biggest magazines." -Donald Trump (reference) "My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of narcissism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity. -Thomas Wolfe, novelist (3 Oct 1900-1938) *****October 05, 2016***** potboiler : a mediocre work of literature or art produced merely for financi..; Although it remains one of the most discussed works by Henry James, James himself soon dismissed it as "an inferior, a merely pictorial, subject and rather a shameless potboiler." Edited by John Auchard, The Portable Henry James, 2004 Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Banausic : : relating to or concerned with earning a living — used pejoratively; also : utilitarian, practical; "At the far end was a wooden board on which were hung saws, chisels, knives and other banausic instruments of the trade." — Sebastian Faulk, Human Traces, 2005 sunstone : (noun) A translucent quartz spangled with bits of mica or other minerals.; aventurine; He loved the red gold of the sunstone, and the moonstone's pearly whiteness, and the broken rainbow of the milky opal. lien : noun: A claim on another's property until a debt owed by that person is paid back. ; "At least 60 lawsuits, along with hundreds of liens, judgments, and other government filings reviewed by the USA Today Network, document people who have accused Trump and his businesses of failing to pay them for their work. Among them: a dishwasher in Florida. A glass company in New Jersey. A carpet company. A plumber. Painters. Forty-eight waiters. Dozens of bartenders and other hourly workers at his resorts and clubs, coast to coast. Real estate brokers who sold his properties. And, ironically, several law firms that once represented him in these suits and others." Steve Reilly; Hundreds Allege Donald Trump Doesn't Pay His Bills; USA Today (Washington, DC); Jun 9, 2016. In His Own Words: "I like money. I'm very greedy. I'm a greedy person. I shouldn't tell you that, I'm a greedy -- I've always been greedy. I love money, right?" -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of lien in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1877-1881) *****October 06, 2016***** deleterious : harmful; injurious: deleterious influences; I do not mean to exaggerate the beneficial effects of my friendship or, for that matter, the deleterious influence of Sue. Zoë Heller, What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal, 2003 Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Invective : 1 : an abusive expression or speech; "The ongoing collapse of responsible broadcast and cable journalism and the explosive role that social media has assumed in this campaign have made for a nasty brew of invective, slurs and accusations…." — Susan J. Douglas, In These Times, July 2016 frankincense : (noun) An aromatic gum resin obtained from various Arabian or East African trees; formerly valued for worship and for embalming and fumigation.; gum olibanum, olibanum, thus; A crow caught in a snare prayed to Apollo to release him, making a vow to offer some frankincense at his shrine. vitriol : noun: Cruel, mean-spirited, bitter criticism. ; "Trump's vitriol is making it off the campaign trail and into the lingua franca of children at an alarming rate. Just watch coverage from Trump rallies to hear the next phrases kids will be slinging at school." Petula Dvorak; The 'Trump Effect' is Contaminating Our Kids -- and Could Resonate for Years; The Washington Post; Mar 7, 2016. In His Own Words: "My entire life, I've watched politicians bragging about how poor they are, how they came from nothing, how poor their parents and grandparents were. And I said to myself, if they can stay so poor for so many generations, maybe this isn't the kind of person we want to be electing to higher office. How smart can they be? They're morons." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of vitriol in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wandering in a vast forest at night, I have only a faint light to guide me. A stranger appears and says to me: 'My friend, you should blow out your candle in order to find your way more clearly.' The stranger is a theologian. -Denis Diderot, philosopher (5 Oct 1713-1784) *****October 07, 2016***** mavourneen : Irish English. darling; dear; I love you, mavourneen, I love you as no one ever loved you before. E. M. Dell, "The Honourable Burford," The Novel Magazine, April–September 1906 Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Vulnerary : : used for or useful in healing wounds; "Rebecca examined the wound, and having applied to it such vulnerary remedies as her art prescribed, informed her father that if fever could be averted … there was nothing to fear for his guest's life, and that he might with safety travel to York with them on the ensuing day." — Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe, 1820 neonate : (noun) A newborn infant, especially one less than four weeks old.; newborn; The doctor examined the writhing neonate with great care but with a seeming coldness that bothered the baby's mother. precarious : adjective: Risky; uncertain; insecure; unstable; unsafe. ; "The craft plunged 2,800 feet to the ground, killing all five passengers. Among them were three of Trump's top casino executives. ... By early 1990, as financial prospects at the casinos worsened, Trump began badmouthing the executives who had died, laying blame on them, although the cause of his problems was the precarious, debt-laden business structure he had built." Kurt Eichenwald; Donald Trump's Many Business Failures, Explained; Newsweek (New York); Aug 2, 2016. In His Own Words: "I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I'm basically the same. The temperament is not that different." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of precarious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 08, 2016***** etymology : the derivation of a word; Occasionally people make the mistake of asking me where a word comes from. They never make this mistake twice. I am naturally a stern and silent fellow; even forbidding. But there's something about etymology and where words come from that overcomes my inbuilt taciturnity. Mark Forsyth, Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language, 2011 Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Macadam : : a roadway or pavement of small closely packed broken stone; The sloping, curved street saw light traffic and had a smooth macadam surface that made it popular with skateboarders. omnipotent : (adjective) Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force.; all-powerful, almighty; Doug lived in the shadow of his seemingly omnipotent father. demagogue or demagog : noun: A person who appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the people to gain power. verb tr., intr.: To manipulate an issue, to speak, or to act in the manner of a demagogue. ; "We're at a tipping point in America, and a media so eager to be objective can no longer pretend that Donald Trump isn't the most dangerous, authoritarian, and unhinged demagogue to ever seek the nation's highest office. We can barely keep up now with his misstatements and lies, with his name-calling and racist rants, with his crazy, self-absorbed pontifications. It's so bad that I almost suspect each new mini-scandal is a deliberate ruse to distract from the last one. And his candidacy is so toxic that I can no longer pretend to show respect for anyone who still supports him." Dianne Williamson; Time to Stop Pretending Trump is Presidential Material; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jun 9, 2016. In His Own Words: "We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of demagogue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 09, 2016***** stiver : the smallest possible amount: not worth a stiver; not a stiver of w..; ... I care not a stiver for popularity; and as to suspicion, who is he that can escape from the calumny of the envious? Edward Bulwer-Lytton, My Novel; or, Varieties in English Life, 1853 Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Truncate : : to shorten by or as if by cutting off; "Apparently, a federal law … requires printed credit card receipts truncate not only the credit card number, but also the expiration date." — Jack Greiner, The Cincinnati Enquirer, 28 Aug. 2016 jurist : (noun) A public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice.; judge, magistrate, justice; A very humane jurist once said, "The worst use you can put a man to is to hang him." demagogue or demagog : noun: A person who appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the people to gain power. verb tr., intr.: To manipulate an issue, to speak, or to act in the manner of a demagogue. ; "We're at a tipping point in America, and a media so eager to be objective can no longer pretend that Donald Trump isn't the most dangerous, authoritarian, and unhinged demagogue to ever seek the nation's highest office. We can barely keep up now with his misstatements and lies, with his name-calling and racist rants, with his crazy, self-absorbed pontifications. It's so bad that I almost suspect each new mini-scandal is a deliberate ruse to distract from the last one. And his candidacy is so toxic that I can no longer pretend to show respect for anyone who still supports him." Dianne Williamson; Time to Stop Pretending Trump is Presidential Material; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jun 9, 2016. In His Own Words: "We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of demagogue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 10, 2016***** stemwinder : Older Slang. a. a rousing speech, especially a stirring politic..; Just in case, the old gentleman had a real stem-winder of a speech which he kept in his pocket. And on two occasions in some 25 years, he filled in for the absent speaker. Both times he made so effective a speech that he received a dozen invitations to deliver it to other organizations. Wesley C. Clark, "The care and feeding of a head table," The Rotarian, January 1977 Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Odious : : arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful; Volunteers gathered on Saturday morning to scrub away the odious graffiti spray-painted on the school. balladeer : (noun) A singer of popular ballads.; crooner; The balladeer sang about the tragic fate of the star-crossed lovers. demagogue or demagog : noun: A person who appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the people to gain power. verb tr., intr.: To manipulate an issue, to speak, or to act in the manner of a demagogue. ; "We're at a tipping point in America, and a media so eager to be objective can no longer pretend that Donald Trump isn't the most dangerous, authoritarian, and unhinged demagogue to ever seek the nation's highest office. We can barely keep up now with his misstatements and lies, with his name-calling and racist rants, with his crazy, self-absorbed pontifications. It's so bad that I almost suspect each new mini-scandal is a deliberate ruse to distract from the last one. And his candidacy is so toxic that I can no longer pretend to show respect for anyone who still supports him." Dianne Williamson; Time to Stop Pretending Trump is Presidential Material; Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Massachusetts); Jun 9, 2016. In His Own Words: "We won with poorly educated. I love the poorly educated." -Donald Trump (reference) See more usage examples of demagogue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 11, 2016***** dilatory : tending to delay or procrastinate; slow; tardy; I remembered also the necessity imposed upon me of either journeying to England, or entering into a long correspondence with those philosophers of that country, whose knowledge and discoveries were of indispensable use to me in my present undertaking. The latter method of obtaining the desired intelligence was dilatory and unsatisfactory ... Mary Shelley, Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus, 1818 Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Roister : : to engage in noisy revelry : carouse; Hugh didn't get much sleep last night because his neighbors were roistering until the wee hours of the morning. eulogy : (noun) A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died.; encomium, paean, panegyric; Mournfully and low the man of God began his eulogy of the dead. confute : verb tr.: To prove to be wrong. ; "Page after page of these volumes confute that claim by showing how philoprogenitive the mothers were who sat for [the artist George] Romney with their children." Edward Short; The English Look; The Weekly Standard (Washington, DC); Jun 6, 2016. See more usage examples of confute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set. -Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976) *****October 12, 2016***** bailiwick : a person's area of skill, knowledge, authority, or work: to conf..; Arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court isn't Hamp's bailiwick. He's an old-school criminal defense attorney. Paul Beatty, The Sellout, 2015 Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. Scion : 1 : a detached living portion of a plant (as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft; "The duke was the billionaire owner of swaths of central London, a friend of Britain's royal family and the scion of an aristocratic family stretching back to the Norman Conquest." — The Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2016 digression : (noun) A message that departs from the main subject.; divagation, excursus, parenthesis, aside; The lecture on animal behavior was interesting until the professor indulged in a long digression about his beloved dog. propine : verb tr.: To gift, tip, or pledge. noun: A gift or tip. ; "The priests of a neighbouring convent, in expectation of the ample donation ... which Cedric had propined, attended upon the car." Walter Scott; Ivanhoe; A. Constable & Co.; 1820. Thought For The Day: Most men resemble great deserted palaces: the owner occupies only a few rooms and has closed off wings where he never ventures. -François Mauriac, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Oct 1885-1970) *****October 13, 2016***** opuscule : a small or minor work; Its proprietor was William Heckler, who had already achieved fame in his chosen profession and who had written some 10 years earlier his opuscule on the peregrinations of trained fleas, ''Pulicology.'' Ricky Jay, "Times Square at 100; Please Don't Squash the Actors," New York Times, June 13, 2004 Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Phlegmatic : 1 : resembling, consisting of, or producing the humor phlegm ; "She said 'Good morning, Miss,' in her usual phlegmatic and brief manner; and taking up another ring and more tape, went on with her sewing." — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847 retrograde : (adjective) Tending towards an earlier worse condition; declining or deteriorating.; deteriorating, backward, regressive, retrogressive; It would be a retrograde step to revert to the old system. flocculate : verb tr., intr.: To form or cause to form into clumps. ; "Organic matter causes clay particles to flocculate and make larger lumps." Laurie Donnelly; Soil Smarts; Country Living Gardener (Birmingham, Alabama); Fall 2004. See more usage examples of flocculate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mosque is too far from home, so let's do this / Let's make a weeping child laugh. -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) *****October 14, 2016***** hinterland : Often, hinterlands. the remote or less developed parts of a cou..; In the sparsely populated hinterlands of Vermont and northern Maine, the high-tech revolution has been transforming the higher education process. E. B. Baatz, "Trendlines: Getting There from Here," CIO, September 1, 1995 Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Univocal : 1 : having one meaning only; The president declared that it was important to send a univocal message of support to the beleaguered country. matriarch : (noun) A woman who rules a family, clan, or tribe.; materfamilias; When the matriarch of the clan appeared in the doorway, all conversation immediately ceased. absolve : verb tr.: To free from guilt, blame, responsibility, obligation, etc. ; "His Eminence might also be able to absolve us of the original sin of being Mets fans, which is purgatory on Earth." Denis Hamill; Oh, the Pain of Mets Fans; New York Daily News; Jul 5, 2015. See more usage examples of absolve in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can't do anything with anybody's body to make it dirty to me. Six people, eight people, one person -- you can do only one thing to make it dirty: kill it. Hiroshima was dirty. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 15, 2016***** mutable : given to changing; constantly changing; fickle or inconstant: the ..; ... we are all, I think, betrayed by those eyes of memory which are as mutable and particular as the ones with which we regard the material world, the vision altering, as it so often does, from near in youth to far in age. Gore Vidal, Messiah, 1954 Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Nemesis : 1 a : one that inflicts retribution or vengeance; "My nemesis was a young woman who, at the end of the film, had the honour of sending me to my doom at the bottom of a well. Her name meant nothing to me then: Jennifer Aniston." — Warwick Davis, Dailymail.com, 10 Apr. 2010 morass : (noun) A soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot.; quagmire, mire, quag; The path from the wood leads to a morass, and from thence to a ford, which, as the rains have abated, may now be passable. objurgate : verb tr.: To scold severely. ; "Occasionally he objurgated Mr. Ledbetter's clumsiness, and urged him to hurry." H.G. Wells; Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation; The Strand Magazine (London, UK); Jul-Dec 1898. See more usage examples of objurgate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 16, 2016***** ignominy : disgrace; dishonor; public contempt; Walking in the shadow of a dream, as it were, and perhaps actually under the influence of a species of somnambulism, Mr. Dimmesdale reached the spot, where, now so long since, Hester Prynne had lived through her first hour of public ignominy. Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850 Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Waggish : 1 : resembling or characteristic of a wag : displaying good-humored mischief; "A warm person who enjoys banter with often-waggish reporters, [Elizabeth] Brenner joked that her next move would be to take a newspaper-carrier route in Pewaukee. 'No, that's not what I'm going to do,' she quickly added. 'Can't get up that early.'" — Rick Romell, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2016 homochromatic : (adjective) Of or characterized by one color; (of light or other electromagnetic radiation) having only one wavelength.; monochromatic; The room appeared dull yellow in the dim, homochromatic light. objurgate : verb tr.: To scold severely. ; "Occasionally he objurgated Mr. Ledbetter's clumsiness, and urged him to hurry." H.G. Wells; Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation; The Strand Magazine (London, UK); Jul-Dec 1898. See more usage examples of objurgate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 17, 2016***** lexicon : the vocabulary of a particular language, field, social class, pers..; The English lexicon is so vast and varied that it is impossible to classify it into neat categories.... The lexicon is a particularly sensitive index of historical, social, and technological change. David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, 1995 Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Lavation : : the act or an instance of washing or cleansing; "… we cannot keep the skin healthy without frequent lavations of the whole body in pure water. It is impossible to calculate the benefits of this simple practice." — Walt Whitman, "Bathing, Cleanliness, Personal Beauty," June 1846 gaunt : (adjective) Thin and bony; angular.; cadaverous, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted; A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. objurgate : verb tr.: To scold severely. ; "Occasionally he objurgated Mr. Ledbetter's clumsiness, and urged him to hurry." H.G. Wells; Mr. Ledbetter's Vacation; The Strand Magazine (London, UK); Jul-Dec 1898. See more usage examples of objurgate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 18, 2016***** nudnik : Slang. a persistently dull, boring pest; Pinni becomes enraged and says my brother is a nudnik. I agree with Pinni. Even though my brother Elyahu is my own flesh and blood, he's an awful nudnik. Richard Burgin, Conversations with Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1985 Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." cellblock : (noun) A group of cells that make up a section or unit of a prison.; ward; At the prison, one cellblock was reserved for particularly violent criminals, and it was monitored by twice the number of armed guards. ruminate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To think deeply upon. 2. To chew the cud. ; "A 33-year-old writer and teacher named Ben is ruminating on the possibility of a second novel." Philip Maughan; Future Fiction; New Statesman (London, UK); Jan 16-22, 2015. See more usage examples of ruminate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2016***** apotheosis : the ideal example; epitome; quintessence: This poem is the apot..; ... his favorite phrase was "see it through"; he considered his novel about Frederick the Great to be the very apotheosis of this command, which he looked upon as the quintessence of the virtue that remains active in spite of suffering. Thomas Mann (1875–1955), Death in Venice, translated by Stanley Appelbaum, 1995 Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." Jacquerie : : (often capitalized Jacquerie) a peasants' revolt ; "There were no bloodthirsty sansculottes preparing to erect guillotines; nor were farmers, however angry about government excise taxes and other matters—as Shays's Rebellion suggested—ready to burn down the manorial estates of their feudal overlords in some version of an American jacquerie." — Steve Fraser, Wall Street: America's Dream Palace, 2008 venire : (noun) The panel of prospective jurors from which a jury is selected.; panel; Most of the people on the venire just wanted to go home, but I was hoping to be selected for the jury. bushwa or bushwah : noun: Nonsense; bull. ; "There ain't no Santa Claus ... It's all bushwa." Sam Ross; Melov's Legacy; Permanent Press; 1984. Thought For The Day: A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life. -Isadora James *****October 20, 2016***** harum-scarum : reckless; rash; irresponsible: He had a harum-scarum youth; ... he warn't bad, so to say--only mischeevous. Only just giddy and harum-scarum, you know. He warn't any more responsible than a colt. Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876 Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." Colubrine : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake; The trellis's latticework was covered with colubrine ivy. drumbeater : (noun) One that supports a cause, especially vehemently.; partisan, zealot; The editor of the newspaper was an unabashed drumbeater for the cause. obambulate : verb intr.: To walk about. ; "Mukul was obambulating in circles like a caged animal." Sam Mukherjee; Chopped Green Chillies in Vanilla Ice Cream; Rupa Publications; 2011. Thought For The Day: Life is mostly froth and bubble, / Two things stand like stone, / Kindness in another's trouble, / Courage in your own. -Adam Lindsay Gordon, poet (19 Oct 1833-1870) *****October 21, 2016***** paroxysm : any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion:..; But oh, ye powers! into what a paroxysm of passion did each new outrage of the Yankees throw the choleric little governor! Washington Irving, A History of New York, 1809 Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." Hoick : : to move or pull abruptly : yank; "Occasionally he hoicks up the waistband of his trousers when he thinks no one is looking." — Elizabeth Day, The Observer, 24 Feb. 2015 retinue : (noun) The group following and attending to some important person.; entourage, cortege, suite; Guillaume Lejean…reached Karthoum by way of the Red Sea, and embarked upon the Nile with a retinue of twenty-one hired men and twenty soldiers. trumpery : noun: 1. Something showy but worthless. 2. Nonsense or rubbish. 3. Deceit; fraud; trickery. ; "The room was crowded with a chilly miscellany of knick-knacks and ornaments, gewgaws, and trumpery of every kind." Leo Bruce; Case for Three Detectives; Academy Chicago; 1980. "History, made up as it is of so much trumpery, treachery, and tyranny, needs deeds of valor, of sacrifice, and of heroism if it is to be palatable." The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond; Zenith Press; 2014. See more usage examples of trumpery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have three ex-wives. I can't remember any of their names, so I just call 'em Plaintiff. -Lewis Grizzard, humorist (20 Oct 1946-1994) *****October 22, 2016***** rollick : to move or act in a carefree, frolicsome manner; behave in a free,..; They decided to rollick off to a party on Jefferson Street. Thomas Pynchon, V., 1963 Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Evanescent : : tending to vanish like vapor; "As stunning as his dishes could be, in the end, the maestro understood its evanescent nature. Furstenberg remembers Richard telling him, 'It's supposed to be food.'" — Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2016 gastronome : (noun) A connoisseur of good food and drink.; epicure, epicurean, foodie, gourmet, bon vivant; He was quite the gastronome, and restaurant chefs around the town knew it was important to impress him. hilarity : noun: Cheerfulness; merriment. ; "A merry school of porpoises, a square mile of them, suddenly appear, tossing themselves into the air in abounding strength and hilarity." John Muir; Travels in Alaska; Houghton Mifflin; 1915. See more usage examples of hilarity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him with a favorable impression of himself. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, and philosopher (21 Oct 1772-1834) *****October 23, 2016***** stalwart : firm, steadfast, or uncompromising: a stalwart supporter of the U..; Throughout Europe, Social Democrats have long since shifted from the kind of stalwart ideology that Sanders now pushes toward what Germans called the Neue Mitte (New Center) and those in other countries referred to as the Third Way. Russell Shorto, "Bernie Sanders's Forty-Year-Old Idea," The New Yorker, April 17, 2016 Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Frieze : 1 : the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice; "The house commands a hilltop and is forbidding, imposing, but softened with a frieze of beautiful American elms." — Lady Bird Johnson, A White House Diary, 1970 brawny : (adjective) Strong and muscular.; hefty, sinewy, muscular, powerful; The muscles of his brawny arms showed through the sleeves of his light summer coat. hilarity : noun: Cheerfulness; merriment. ; "A merry school of porpoises, a square mile of them, suddenly appear, tossing themselves into the air in abounding strength and hilarity." John Muir; Travels in Alaska; Houghton Mifflin; 1915. See more usage examples of hilarity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him with a favorable impression of himself. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, and philosopher (21 Oct 1772-1834) *****October 24, 2016***** thunderstruck : overcome with consternation; confounded; astounded: He was t..; He seemed awed,—stunned,—crushed. He had all the bearing and mien of one who, having defiantly predicted a calamity, was thunderstruck by the verification of his prophecy. Charles King, From the Ranks, 1887 Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Glaucous : 1 a : of a pale yellow-green color; "Her eyes, a clear, glaucous gray, express unambiguous yearning." — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 26 May 2016 exacta : (noun) A method of betting, as on a horserace, in which the bettor must correctly pick those finishing in the first and second places in precisely that sequence.; perfecta; Even though she knew it was risky, she was tempted to go for the exacta, which had a higher payout than a bet on just the winning horse. hilarity : noun: Cheerfulness; merriment. ; "A merry school of porpoises, a square mile of them, suddenly appear, tossing themselves into the air in abounding strength and hilarity." John Muir; Travels in Alaska; Houghton Mifflin; 1915. See more usage examples of hilarity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him with a favorable impression of himself. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, and philosopher (21 Oct 1772-1834) *****October 25, 2016***** compunction : a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by..; It might be supposed that he would feel some compunction at robbing his stepmother of her all. Whatever her faults, she was devoted to him. But Willis Ford had a hard, selfish nature, and the only thought that troubled him was the fear that he might be found out. Horatio Alger Jr., Helping Himself, 1886 Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Domicile : 1 : a dwelling place : place of residence : home; "I got married, when I was 66, to David Bale.... I thought the women's movement has struggled for 25 years to allow marriage to be an equal partnership, so I no longer had to give up my name, my domicile, my credit rating, so why not? — Gloria Steinem, quoted in The Scottish Daily Mail, 29 Feb. 2016 daiquiri : (noun) An iced cocktail of rum, lime or lemon juice, and sugar.; rum cocktail; They knew he was lying about being a bartender when he was unable to correctly mix a daiquiri. ornery : adjective: Having an unpleasant disposition: irritable, stubborn, combative, etc. ; "DI John Rebus is an ornery and often difficult detective who is frequently at odds with his young assistant and his supervisors." Tom Budlong; Video; Library Journal (New York); Oct 15, 2016. See more usage examples of ornery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have no riches but my thoughts, yet these are wealth enough for me. -Sarah Josepha Hale, writer and editor (24 Oct 1788-1879) *****October 26, 2016***** soupbone : Baseball Slang. a pitcher's throwing arm; "Got to rest the old soupbone," he said, flexing his pitching arm, which was muscular and huge, as he headed up the stairs. W. P. Kinsella, "Distances," The Further Adventures of Slugger McBatt, 1988 Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Imbue : 1 : to permeate or influence as if by dyeing; The children were imbued with a passion for nature by their parents, both biologists. calumet : (noun) A long-stemmed sacred or ceremonial tobacco pipe used by certain Native American peoples.; peace pipe; Among the Blackfeet warriors who advanced with the calumet of peace she recognized a brother. passel : noun: A large group or a large number. ; "Must be tough, going from no relatives at all to a whole passel of them." Vicki Lewis Thompson; Midnight Thunder; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of passel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he would never be found out. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, author and statesman (25 Oct 1800-1859) *****October 27, 2016***** lionize : to treat (a person) as a celebrity: to lionize the visiting poet; She brought me up to royalties, and people with stars and garters, and elderly ladies with gigantic tiaras and parrot noses. She spoke of me as her dearest friend. I had only met her once before, but she had took it into her head to lionize me. Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." Beatific : 1 : of, possessing, or imparting a state of utmost bliss; "She was Italian, funny, a beatific tomboy, with just the hint of a lazy eye, and wore a pair of glasses that made me think of the wonders of the library." — Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run, 2016 burgher : (noun) A comfortable or complacent member of the middle class.; bourgeois; From the serfs of the Middle Ages sprang the chartered burghers of the earliest towns. sassy : adjective: Impudent; bold; outspoken; lively; feisty; stylish. ; "Ada had sounded like her strong and sassy self on the phone." Laura Trentham; Slow and Steady Rush; St. Martin's; 2015. See more usage examples of sassy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons. ... America's strength doesn't come from lashing out. Strength relies on smarts, judgment, cool resolve, and the precise and strategic application of power. That's the kind of Commander-in-Chief I pledge to be. -Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, Senator, Democratic nominee for the US president (b. 26 Oct 1947) *****October 28, 2016***** delectation : delight; enjoyment; As you look at the drawings, secrets come out of them, -- private jokes, as it were, imparted to you by the author for your special delectation. William Makepeace Thackeray, "John Leech's Pictures of Life and Character," Quarterly Review, December 1854 Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Myriad : 1 : ten thousand; "After sold-out shows in New York and Los Angeles, Rise will make its debut in Boston with a myriad of hand-carved jack o' lanterns that will light up a trail that people can walk on as music plays in the background." — Matt Juul, Boston Magazine, 21 Sept. 2016 calumny : (noun) A false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation.; aspersion, defamation, denigration, slander; When it became clear that he could not win the election any other way, the candidate resorted to calumny and dirty tricks. tarnal : adjective, adverb: Damned. ; "Why had he let himself get suckered into that tarnal poker game?" W. Michael Gear; Long Ride Home; Tor Books; 1988. Thought For The Day: It is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (27 Oct 1858-1919) *****October 29, 2016***** ensorcell : to bewitch: The beauty of the moon ensorcelled them; But after puzzling over it, I finally decided that J.F.K. had the sort of magnetism that could ensorcell big crowds ... Maureen Dowd, "Grandmama Mia!" New York Times, April 11, 2015 Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Variegated : 1 : having discrete markings of different colors; The flower has bright variegated petals. camion : (noun) A low heavy horse cart without sides; used for haulage.; dray; An empty camion came bumping down the cobblestone street, pulled by two exhausted horses. raiment : noun: Clothing. ; "I wear this raiment while working at my desk." Tom Wolfe; My Favorite Thing; Esquire (New York); Sep 2016. See more usage examples of raiment in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thing that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (28 Oct 1903-1966) *****October 30, 2016***** apparition : a supernatural appearance of a person or thing, especially a gh..; He turned his eyes towards the entrance and beheld a strange and dreadful apparition, a monstrous and fearful shape standing silently by his side. , Plutarch, Parallel Lives, translated by Bernadotte Perrin, 1917 Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Osculate : : kiss; "One thing I forgot to ask the guy in the bar: When his significant other ended their relationship, did she at least osculate him goodbye?" — Mike Royko, "Love Lost in Lingo," 3 June 1981 piddling : (adjective) So trifling or trivial as to be beneath one's consideration.; trivial, petty, fiddling, footling, niggling, picayune, piffling, lilliputian, little; Because she had only invested a piddling sum of money, she was not worried about the stock's poor performance. raiment : noun: Clothing. ; "I wear this raiment while working at my desk." Tom Wolfe; My Favorite Thing; Esquire (New York); Sep 2016. See more usage examples of raiment in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thing that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (28 Oct 1903-1966) *****October 31, 2016***** hallowed : regarded as holy; venerated; sacred: Hallowed be Thy name; the ha..; ... he must take the patent leather from off his feet, for the ground on which he stands is hallowed ground. Saki, The Unbearable Bassington, 1912 Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Titivate : : to make or become smart or spruce; "It was instantly clear, however, that she had not been idle, but busy titivating: painting her nails, washing her hair, doing her face…." — Rosamunde Pilcher, September, 1990 paunch : (noun) A protruding abdomen.; belly; Jim's bride was an excellent cook, and after only a few weeks of marriage, he began to develop a significant paunch. raiment : noun: Clothing. ; "I wear this raiment while working at my desk." Tom Wolfe; My Favorite Thing; Esquire (New York); Sep 2016. See more usage examples of raiment in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thing that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (28 Oct 1903-1966) *****November 01, 2016***** logophobia : an obsessive fear of words; There is just one cure for logophobia, and that is self-scrutiny--to discover whether one's reaction to a given term when seen in a newspaper or heard from a platform is really justified by the true significance. , "Logophobia," The Nation, August 23, 1919 Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Sepulchre : 1 : a place of burial : tomb; "The secrets of business—complicated and often dismal mysteries—were buried in his breast, and never came out of their sepulchre save now…." — Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849 bullhorn : (noun) A portable loudspeaker with built-in microphone and amplifier.; loud-hailer; The policeman used a bullhorn to order the crowd to disperse. hippology : noun: The study of horses. ; "Ask them any question about horses, and odds are they know the answer. Three of the club members are preparing for the national hippology bowl." Amy J. Wise; Club's Horse Sense Abounds; The Post and Courier: (Charleston, South Carolina); Mar 23, 1995. See more usage examples of hippology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Time engraves our faces with all the tears we have not shed. -Natalie Clifford Barney, poet, playwright, and novelist (31 Oct 1876-1972) *****November 02, 2016***** hagiography : the writing and critical study of the lives of the saints; hag..; The characters who populate the Folk Tales … are both peasants, sketched from real life at Yasnaya Polyana, and reflections on the image of medieval saints as passed down in popular hagiography. Andrew Kahn, "Introduction," The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories, Leo Tolstoy, translated by Nicolas Pasternak Slater, 2015 Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Gravid : 1 : pregnant; "We know by intuition and study that great books approach a condition both above and below human … and our job is to place ourselves somewhere on the continuum between those shifting poles, to welcome a gravid agitation …; to have our personhood both threatened and amplified." — William Giraldi, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2014 cirque : (noun) A steep bowl-shaped hollow occurring at the upper end of a mountain valley, especially one forming the head of a glacier or stream.; corrie, cwm; We followed the stream up the incline until we reached the cirque that was its source. hypogeal : adjective: Underground: living, growing, or existing below the surface of the earth. ; "A long black escalator lowered the two of them into the hypogeal twilight of the McPherson metro-station." M.B. Neff; Year of the Rhinoceros; Red Hen Press; 2009. See more usage examples of hypogeal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The wisest man is he who does not fancy that he is so at all. -Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, poet and critic (1 Nov 1636-1711) *****November 03, 2016***** infra dig : beneath one's dignity; … the man among the holly-bushes had made her see it all so plainly: the ridiculousness of being in love, the infra dig business of chasing a man or being chased by a man. "Is love really so absurd and infra dig?" she said aloud to herself. "Why of course!" came a deep, laughing voice. D. H. Lawrence, "The Last Laugh," The Woman Who Rode Away and Other Stories, 1928 Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Temerarious : : marked by temerity : rashly or presumptuously daring; "Nissan execs are proud of their new 'flagship crossover,' as they call the 2015 Murano, throwing around further clichés like 'concept car for the street' and talking about how much the interior resembles a 'lounge on wheels.' Which is by an appropriate measure less temerarious than the concept's press release, which proclaimed that designers had drawn inspiration from 'the futuristic allure of hypersonic travel.'" — Jeff Sabatini, CarandDriver.com, December 2014 oceanaut : (noun) A skilled worker who can live in underwater installations and participate in scientific research.; aquanaut; The machinery on the ocean floor required constant maintenance, so the company had a team of oceanauts stationed nearby. xerophilic : adjective: Adapted to a very dry or desert environment. ; "Hall went on in a delightful voice, 'The cantrip is a tonic extract of a rare, xerophilic plant.'" Christopher James Dubey; Assignment Yggdrasil; Andrews UK; 2014. See more usage examples of xerophilic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our cemeteries are full of people who prayed to live. -Annie Laurie Gaylor, freethinker and activist (b. 2 Nov 1955) *****November 04, 2016***** galimatias : confused or unintelligible talk; I have seen this letter in which you tell me there is so much galimatias, and I assure you that I have not found any at all. On the contrary, I find everything plainly expressed … George Eliot, "A Woman in France: Madame de Sablé," The Westminster Review, January and April, 1854 Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." Echelon : 1 : a steplike arrangement (as of troops or airplanes); "And I think that … there are more conservatives in Hollywood than one would think in all echelons, even among the actors." — Jon Voight, speaking on the Fox News Network, 9 Sept. 2016 menagerie : (noun) The facility where wild animals are housed for exhibition.; zoo; Through the dim smoke-haze the bunks looked like the sleeping dens of animals in a menagerie. steganography : noun: The practice of concealing a message within another, nonsecret message. ; "Using steganography, Steve was able to hide his message in the photographs he took that day." Andre Le Gallo; The Caliphate; D Street Books; 2012. See more usage examples of steganography in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 05, 2016***** obdurate : unmoved by persuasion, pity, or tender feelings; stubborn; unyiel..; Still, Michael was unforgiving. Stubborn as a balking goat. When, after they'd become engaged, Corinne had wanted to see her friend one final time to explain what had happened, Michael was obdurate in opposition: no. Joyce Carol Oates, We Were the Mulvaneys, 1996 Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Dicker : : to bargain; "Long before Walt Disney thought to sell toys based on his cartoon characters, [Edgar Rice] Burroughs was dickering with toy manufacturers for Tarzan tie-ins." — Tim Martin, The Telegraph (United Kingdom), 7 July 2016 homily : (noun) A sermon, especially one intended to edify a congregation on a practical matter and not intended to be a theological discourse.; preachment; The priest addressed a hasty homily to the pair on the perils of life, on the duties they must, some day, inculcate upon their children. nidicolous : adjective: 1. Remaining with the parents for a long time after birth. 2. Living in the home of another species. ; "Two adults and two chicks ... they seemed to Shasta to be getting along fine enough, their nidicolous coexistence." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford Publishing; 2009. See more usage examples of nidicolous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A king can stand people fighting but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2016***** quotidian : usual or customary; everyday: quotidian needs; Gradually the new style becomes everyday, quotidian, rendered neutral. No matter how exotic it is, like a morsel to which an amoeba is attracted and which it surrounds and takes into itself, it is devoured and becomes part of the transparent flowing substance of the amoeba. Walker Percy, Lost in the Cosmos, 1983 Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Cavalcade : 1 a : a procession of riders or carriages; "Giant helium balloons, beautifully decorated, horse-drawn carriages and antique cars, along with uniformed cavalcades performing their routines, will thrill parade goers." — San Antonio Magazine, 22 Apr. 2016 repertory : (noun) The entire range of skills or aptitudes or devices used in a particular field or occupation.; repertoire; When the band had exhausted its repertory it took wing and settled upon the rocks above and behind the queen. nidicolous : adjective: 1. Remaining with the parents for a long time after birth. 2. Living in the home of another species. ; "Two adults and two chicks ... they seemed to Shasta to be getting along fine enough, their nidicolous coexistence." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford Publishing; 2009. See more usage examples of nidicolous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A king can stand people fighting but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 07, 2016***** bathos : insincere pathos; sentimentality; mawkishness; The Finnish director has an exact target in mind, the niche between bathos and true poignance. Desson Howe, "La Vie de Boheme," Washington Post, November 5, 1993 Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Mollify : 1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease; "To some extent, the delay also was intended to mollify the concerns of county leaders that police and fire service responsibilities were being shoved at them on an abrupt timetable, potentially to the detriment of affected residents." — Lawrence Specker, AL.com, 30 Aug. 2016 camisole : (noun) A short, sleeveless undergarment for women.; underbodice; The beautiful dress was made out of a sheer fabric, so Nina wore a camisole underneath it. nidicolous : adjective: 1. Remaining with the parents for a long time after birth. 2. Living in the home of another species. ; "Two adults and two chicks ... they seemed to Shasta to be getting along fine enough, their nidicolous coexistence." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford Publishing; 2009. See more usage examples of nidicolous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A king can stand people fighting but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 08, 2016***** circumspect : well-considered: circumspect ambition; … proper arrangements in the distribution of the Supplies, and a careful eye to the use of them, is of great importance, and calls for a circumspect choice. , George Washington to the Secretary of War, July 4, 1798, The Writings of George Washington, Volume 36, 1941 Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Auriferous : : containing gold; The mining company has discovered many auriferous deposits throughout the region. boding : (noun) An omen or foreboding, especially of evil.; premonition, presentiment, foreboding; Sara was filled with an evil sense of boding as she approached the decrepit house to sell her Girl Scout Cookies. celerity : noun: Swiftness; speed. ; "Every time Isaac's phone went off he snatched it off his lap with unusual celerity." Darcy Darbin; Hopeless; Booktango; 2015. See more usage examples of celerity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit. Without doubt, these dreamers do not deserve wealth, because they do not desire it. Even so, a well-organized society should assure to such workers the efficient means of accomplishing their task, in a life freed from material care and freely consecrated to research. -Marie Curie, scientist, Nobel laureate (7 Nov 1867-1934) *****November 09, 2016***** suffrage : the right to vote, especially in a political election; … perhaps the most powerful of the causes which tend to mitigate the violence of political associations in the United States is universal suffrage. In countries in which universal suffrage exists, the majority is never doubtful, because neither party can reasonably pretend to represent that portion of the community which has not voted. Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859), Democracy in America, translated by Henry Reeve, 1938 Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. effervescent : (adjective) Marked by high spirits or excitement.; sparkly, bubbling, scintillating, sparkling; She exhibited none of that effervescent joy at his appearance which we like to see in our mothers-in-law elect. symphysis : noun: A growing together. ; "How do you begin to describe the symphysis of the psyche with as many points of contact as there are stars in the universe?" Michael J. A. Speyer; The Chronicles of Samuel Sassodoro; Lulu; 2006. See more usage examples of symphysis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2016***** syncretism : the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing ..; This artful procedure was known as syncretism, from a Greek word meaning something like "joining together." One of the champions of syncretism had been Mahatma Gandhi, who never went anywhere without his three sacred books: the Koran for Islam, the Gospels for Christianity, and the Bhagavad Gita for Hinduism. Catherine Clément, Theo's Odyssey, translated by Steve Cox and Ros Schwartz, 1999 Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Triptych : 1 : an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together; The panels of the triptych illustrated the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. animus : (noun) A feeling of ill will arousing active hostility.; bad blood, animosity; Dorothea had observed the animus with which Will's part in the painful story had been recalled more than once. opprobrious : adjective: 1. Expressing strong criticism. 2. Deserving disgrace. ; "In fact, he also insulted me and used opprobrious language in front of my wife." Ferrol Sams; Down Town; Penguin; 2007. See more usage examples of opprobrious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2016***** frowzy : dirty and untidy; slovenly; Such hair as he had was of a grizzled black, cut short and straight upon his temples, and hanging in a frowzy fridge about his ears. Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1841 Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Elicit : 1 : to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential); The announcement of the final amount raised by the charity walk elicited many cheers from the crowd. ramify : (verb) To have complicating consequences or outgrowths.; complexify; The problem merely ramified after the unsuccessful meeting. politic : adjective: Tactful; shrewd. ; "I think it might be politic to keep our views to ourselves." William Stafford; Drinkwater's Daughter; Andrews UK; 2013. See more usage examples of politic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As freely as the firmament embraces the world, / or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, / so mercy must encircle both friend and foe. -Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 12, 2016***** eximious : Obsolete. distinguished; eminent; excellent; I must applaud your eximious valour, however, for life can be very difficult--and dangerous … Claire Lorrimer, The Silver Link, 1993 Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Ukase : 1 : a proclamation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law; "On December 31, 1810, the Emperor issued a ukase lifting all restrictions on exports from Russia and on imports coming by sea, while at the same time imposing a heavy tariff on goods arriving overland, most of which came from France." — James Traub, John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit, 2016 rapier : (noun) A straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges.; tuck; Strickland employed not the rapier of sarcasm but the bludgeon of invective. comport : verb tr.: To conduct (oneself). verb intr.: To agree with. ; "It is always possible to comport oneself with dignity. If one has a quarrel it ought to elevate rather than to degrade one." Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Translated by C.J. Hogarth); The Gambler; 1867. See more usage examples of comport in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 13, 2016***** cloudburst : a sudden and very heavy rainfall; I wanted to leave earlier because one fellow had brought jazz records, and jazz drives me up the wall, but it started raining--a real cloudburst. The skylight started leaking, and we had to put pots and pans around to catch the drips. Lilian Jackson Braun, The Cat Who Lived High, 1990 Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." Facetious : 1 : joking or jesting often inappropriately : waggish; "My proposal to tax estates heavily is neither entirely serious nor wholly facetious." — Martha Viehmann, The Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer, 17 Aug. 2016 inveterate : (adjective) Persisting in an ingrained habit.; chronic, confirmed, habitual; He was an inveterate gambler, though a poor loser. comport : verb tr.: To conduct (oneself). verb intr.: To agree with. ; "It is always possible to comport oneself with dignity. If one has a quarrel it ought to elevate rather than to degrade one." Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Translated by C.J. Hogarth); The Gambler; 1867. See more usage examples of comport in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 14, 2016***** immure : to shut in; seclude or confine; For nature leaves us free and untrammelled; it is we who bind ourselves confine ourselves, immure ourselves, herd ourselves into cramped and sordid quarters. Plutarch (46–120 A.D.), "On Exile," Moralia, translated by Phillip H. De Lacy and Benedict Einarson, 1959 Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Sabot : 1 a : a wooden shoe worn in various European countries; "The spin imparted by rifling lets slugs separate cleanly from the sabot, makes them fly true, and allows them to expand." — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, November 2014 ruralism : (noun) A rural idiom or expression.; rusticism; He was a country poet whose verses were filled with ruralisms. comport : verb tr.: To conduct (oneself). verb intr.: To agree with. ; "It is always possible to comport oneself with dignity. If one has a quarrel it ought to elevate rather than to degrade one." Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Translated by C.J. Hogarth); The Gambler; 1867. See more usage examples of comport in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 15, 2016***** anathema : a person or thing detested or loathed: That subject is anathema t..; Physical labor had always been anathema to him and the thought of wielding an axe to cut down trees scared him so much that he would have preferred to become a tramp. Émile Zola, "Priests and Sinners," The Attack on the Mill and Other Stories, translated by Douglas Parmée, 1984 Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Hoke : : to give a contrived, falsely impressive, or hokey quality to — usually used with up; "Its okay that everybody looks great, though certain scenes seem hoked up. A black cat crossing the path of a motorcade about to explode feels more like Hollywood moviemaking than truth telling…." — D.J. Palladino, The Santa Barbara Independent, 10 Jan. 2013 mince : (verb) To moderate or restrain (words) for the sake of politeness and decorum; euphemize.; moderate, soften; She begged him not to mince words and to tell her exactly what had happened. kakistocracy : noun: Government by the least qualified or worst persons. ; "We must weigh our votes carefully. Else we are in danger of turning America's time-tested democracy into a kakistocracy." Dan Warner; The Best Man for the Job Is Not as Easy as it Sounds; The News Press (Fort Myers, Florida); Jan 17, 2016. Thought For The Day: No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 14 Nov 1947) *****November 16, 2016***** manna : any sudden or unexpected help, advantage, or aid to success; … the check she was carrying was manna from heaven. It would giver her a few months' reserve until she landed another sale. Mary Higgins Clark, Silent Night, 1995 Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." acrimony : (noun) Bitter, sharp animosity, especially as exhibited in speech or behavior.; acerbity, bitterness, jaundice; Their divorce was marked by bitter acrimony, even though their friends had hoped it would be amicable. coulrophobia : noun: The fear of clowns. ; "They all share my coulrophobia with Congressional clowns and presidential hopefuls." Fred Pfisterer; Which Came First, Clowns or the Politicians?; The News Leader (Staunton, Virginia); Mar 6, 2016. Thought For The Day: There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) *****November 17, 2016***** pleonasm : the use of more words than are necessary to express an idea; redu..; As the standard of mentality has risen, just so has the dictum of man gone forth that he must and will do his own thinking. He no longer wishes to have the thought iterated and reiterated and hammered in upon him again and again. Pleonasm is repellent to him. Jack London, "Phenomena of Literary Evolution," The Bookman, Volume XII, September 1900–February 1901 Credulous; Credulity : adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Jejune : 1 : lacking nutritive value; "I have not, however, been a fan of the Broadway singer … in the past, and her jejune performances here—complete with some tap dancing that belied the lyrics of 'I Got Rhythm'—did not convert me." — Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 22 Sept. 2015 avarice : (noun) Immoderate desire for wealth.; cupidity, covetousness, avariciousness; Dazzled by the greed of avarice, I thought that if one eye could show me riches, the other might teach me how to get possession of them. boodler : noun: Someone involved in bribery or corruption. ; "McCall, however, was something of a political grafter, a boodler, and was known to use his status of political prominence in an unsportsmanlike manner." Kale Meggs; 99 Nooses; Black Oak Media; 2012. Thought For The Day: Remember, when the judgment's weak, the prejudice is strong. -Kane O'Hara, composer and playwright (1711/1712-1782) *****November 18, 2016***** sycophant : a self-seeking, servile flatterer; fawning parasite; The sycophant may well be called the provider of peace of mind for those in authority…. The sycophant is ever watchful and manages to keep his chief from feeling unduly bothered by conscience or commonsense. R. K. Narayan, "The Sycophant," A Writer's Nightmare: Selected Essays 1958–1988, 1988 Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Obfuscate : 1 a : darken; "Time and again he has shifted, shaded or obfuscated his policy positions—piling on new ideas, which sometimes didn't fit with the old." — David Fahrenthold and Katie Zezima, The Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2016 ambage : (noun) A style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.; circumlocution, periphrasis; His head was swimming when the lecture finally ended, and he felt the speaker's ambages had taken him everywhere and left him nowhere. ambisinistrous : adjective: Clumsy with both hands. ; "When Palinuro accused him of being ambidextrous, he protested he was actually ambisinistrous which was more or less the same thing, but not quite, and went back to peeling his second orange." Fernando Del Paso, Elisabeth Plaister (translator); Palinuro of Mexico; Dalkey Archive Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: Though boys throw stones at frogs in sport, the frogs die not in sport, but in earnest. -Bion of Borysthenes, philosopher (c. 325-250 BCE) *****November 19, 2016***** juvenilia : works, especially writings, produced in one's youth: His juvenil..; He showed us a majestic cupboard. “When I'm dead, remember this contains all my juvenilia, the poems I wrote when I was sixteen, the sketches for sagas in six volumes made at eighteen, and so on …†Umberto Eco, Foucault's Pendulum, translated by William Weaver, 1989 Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." Lambent : 1 : playing lightly on or over a surface : flickering; "It's an early May morning and the air is cool and still and filled with lambent light." — Christopher Norment, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4 May 2015 offprint : (noun) A reproduction of or an excerpt from an article that was originally contained in a larger publication.; separate, reprint; The researcher was unable to locate the original, full-text publication and had to make do with an offprint that was published later. defenestration : noun: Throwing someone or something out of a window. ; "The defenestration of Moscow: Idaho will not dignify with an answer -- that is, file a response to -- a $940,000 claim by a young San Jose man and his parents. The former student at the University of Idaho in Moscow, who was hurt when he 'mooned' other students and fell out a window, argued in a lawsuit that the university was negligent for, among other failings, not warning students of the risks associated with upper-story dorm windows. Surely there's something in the student handbook about gravity and open windows, next to the warning about blow-dryers in the bathtub." Patt Morrison; Snapshots of Life in the Golden State; Los Angeles Times; Sep 2, 1994. "The catalyst for the defenestration [of the chairman] was the lack of performance at some of the group's big companies." Cyrus Mistry Hits Back at Being Ousted from Tata; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 26, 2016. See more usage examples of defenestration in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world. -William Shenstone, poet (18 Nov 1714-1763) *****November 20, 2016***** ripsnorter : Informal. something or someone remarkably good or exciting; Just how good a year was it for stocks? By historical terms, it was a ripsnorter. Manuel Schiffres, "One-Year Winners: The Risk Takers," Kiplinger's Personal Finance, September 1989 Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Meshuggener : : a foolish or crazy person; "What kind of meshuggener would apply the small plates concept to Jewish comfort food, which is all about abundance and appetite?" — Tracey Macleod, The Independent (United Kingdom), 16 Dec. 2011 whitlow : (noun) A purulent infection at the end of a finger or toe in the area surrounding the nail.; felon; What began as a small cut on his finger soon developed into a painful whitlow. defenestration : noun: Throwing someone or something out of a window. ; "The defenestration of Moscow: Idaho will not dignify with an answer -- that is, file a response to -- a $940,000 claim by a young San Jose man and his parents. The former student at the University of Idaho in Moscow, who was hurt when he 'mooned' other students and fell out a window, argued in a lawsuit that the university was negligent for, among other failings, not warning students of the risks associated with upper-story dorm windows. Surely there's something in the student handbook about gravity and open windows, next to the warning about blow-dryers in the bathtub." Patt Morrison; Snapshots of Life in the Golden State; Los Angeles Times; Sep 2, 1994. "The catalyst for the defenestration [of the chairman] was the lack of performance at some of the group's big companies." Cyrus Mistry Hits Back at Being Ousted from Tata; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 26, 2016. See more usage examples of defenestration in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world. -William Shenstone, poet (18 Nov 1714-1763) *****November 21, 2016***** incipient : beginning to exist or appear; in an initial stage: an incipient ..; So we glanced back--simultaneously, it would appear; though no doubt the incipient motion of one prompted the imitation of the other. H. P. Lovecraft, "At the Mountains of Madness," Astounding Stories, February–April 1936 Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Nictitate : 1 : to close and open quickly : to shut one eye briefly : wink; "Dermaq's third eyelids nictitated over his corneas as though to wash away the image, and momentarily he looked away, then back at his superior." — Charles L. Harness, Firebird, 1981 sundog : (noun) A small halo or rainbow near the horizon just off the parhelic circle.; mock sun, parhelion; The scientists concluded that the sundog's rainbow-like appearance must be the result of the diffraction of light. defenestration : noun: Throwing someone or something out of a window. ; "The defenestration of Moscow: Idaho will not dignify with an answer -- that is, file a response to -- a $940,000 claim by a young San Jose man and his parents. The former student at the University of Idaho in Moscow, who was hurt when he 'mooned' other students and fell out a window, argued in a lawsuit that the university was negligent for, among other failings, not warning students of the risks associated with upper-story dorm windows. Surely there's something in the student handbook about gravity and open windows, next to the warning about blow-dryers in the bathtub." Patt Morrison; Snapshots of Life in the Golden State; Los Angeles Times; Sep 2, 1994. "The catalyst for the defenestration [of the chairman] was the lack of performance at some of the group's big companies." Cyrus Mistry Hits Back at Being Ousted from Tata; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 26, 2016. See more usage examples of defenestration in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world. -William Shenstone, poet (18 Nov 1714-1763) *****November 22, 2016***** duende : Spanish. charm; magnetism; Daniel Calderón had the duende, the gift of enchantment. Caryl Férey, Mapuche, translated by Steven Randall, 2013 Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Kafkaesque : : of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality; "Dealing with the Kafkaesque health system, for example, would be enough to make anyone 'agitated, aggressive, irritable or temperamental.'" — Logan Jenkins, The San Diego Union Tribune, 27 July 2016 neophyte : (noun) A beginner or novice.; fledgling, newbie, newcomer, freshman, entrant, starter; You have no right to preach to me, you neophyte, that have not passed the porch of life, and are absolutely unacquainted with its mysteries. pulchritude : noun: Beauty. ; "Robert continued to admire her pulchritude." Gary Newsom; People Like That...; Back Country; 2014. See more usage examples of pulchritude in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2016***** equipoise : an equal distribution of weight; even balance; equilibrium; We're neither better nor worse than each other, we're an equipoise in difference--but in difference, mind, not in sameness. D. H. Lawrence, "Education of the People," Reflections on the Death of a Porcupine and Other Essays, 1925 Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Protocol : 1 : an original draft or record of a document or transaction; "A protocol that arose from Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, research has led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a biological drug for the treatment of a certain form of lung cancer." — USA Today, 1 Oct. 2016 bollard : (noun) A thick post on a ship or wharf, used for securing ropes and hawsers.; bitt; He swung at the bollard and cut the rope, yet, anchored firmly otherwise, the boat did not drift far off. degustation : noun: Tasting samples of a variety of similar foods or drinks. ; "We could host a chocolate degustation for the board members." Charlotte De Pace; Hot Chocolate; Harlequin; 2016. See more usage examples of degustation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The color of truth is grey. -Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (22 Nov 1869-1951) *****November 24, 2016***** savoir-faire : knowledge of just what to do in any situation; tact; Son of a clerk and grandson of peasants, Ryszard was keenly aware how much deportment and savoir faire figure in the impression one makes on others, and was not about to relax his standards for himself because he had read (all travelers were in agreement about this) that fine manners counted for little in the New World. Susan Sontag, In America, 2000 Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Impute : 1 : to lay the responsibility or blame for often falsely or unjustly; "Now, one comment in reaction to my essay said that by talking about the city's problems and not its promise, I was in the business of tearing down Syracuse. At LeMoyne, I was taught that the most dangerous thing to do in argument was to impute motives to your opponent." — Carl Schramm, Forbes.com, 4 Mar. 2013 microbe : (noun) A minute life form; a microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease.; germ, bug; By the time their teacher completed the unit on microbes, the science students had all become more cautious about their personal hygiene and food consumption. bucolic : adjective: 1. Pastoral; rustic. 2. Of or relating to a herdsman or a shepherd. noun: 1. A pastoral poem. 2. A farmer; shepherd. ; "The word the real estate agent used to describe the land was bucolic. Bucolic, Dan knew, was generous. The dirt was dusty, muddled. There were dozens of stumps he'd need to dig out by hand." Laura Dave; Eight Hundred Grapes; Simon & Schuster; 2015. See more usage examples of bucolic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a sort of homecoming. -Paul Celan, poet and translator (23 Nov 1920-1970) *****November 25, 2016***** boon : something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit; A place where we could get a dinner such as you served yesterday would be a boon to us. L. M. Montgomery, "The Genesis of the Doughnut Club," The Epworth Herald, November 23, 1907 Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Riddle : 1 : a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed : conundrum, enigma; Despite Nick's outgoing nature, he doesn't share many details about his background and personal life, so he remains something of a riddle. criterion : (noun) A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.; standard, touchstone, measure; Their criterion of a good rider is, a man who can manage an untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights on his own feet. puissant : adjective: Potent. ; "He knew that the demon was puissant enough to guarantee them victory this day." William Carson; Few Far Fallen; Morning Rain Publishing; 2014. See more usage examples of puissant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do we need weapons to fight wars? Or do we need wars to create markets for weapons? -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2016***** schlockmeister : Slang. a person who deals in or sells inferior or worthless..; You're a Harvard historian … not a pop schlockmeister looking for a quick buck. Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code, 2003 Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." Genteel : 1 a : of or relating to the gentry or upper class; "The Hamptons, once so genteel, with their sepulchral light and estates hidden behind neatly groomed hedges, have managed to become a nexus of social life, … where openings and charity galas and club nights fill the summer calendar." — Marisa Meltzer, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2016 pourboire : (noun) A relatively small amount of money given for services rendered.; baksheesh, gratuity, tip; The bellboy waited expectantly, but no pourboire was forthcoming. crepuscular : adjective 1. Relating to or resembling twilight: dim. 2. Active or occurring in twilight, as certain animals. ; "The crepuscular sky was dim and there were still nocturnal insects flying about." Christopher James Dubey; Assignment Yggdrasil; Andrews; 2013. See more usage examples of crepuscular in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 27, 2016***** heartsease : peace of mind; I admire the physical impact of his The Bassarids, an operatic setting of Euripides' The Bacchae, and would travel any reasonable distance to see it staged, but draw little heartsease from the actual music Henze has contrived to advance the marvelous plot. Alan Rich, So I've Heard: Notes of a Migratory Music Critic, 2006 Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Wistful : 1 : full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also : inspiring such yearning; As the car pulled away, Lea cast one last wistful glance at the house where she'd spent so many happy years. obtuse : (adjective) Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity.; dumb, slow, dense, dim, dull; Though he was generally regarded as obtuse by his fellow students, his math scores were the highest in the class. crepuscular : adjective 1. Relating to or resembling twilight: dim. 2. Active or occurring in twilight, as certain animals. ; "The crepuscular sky was dim and there were still nocturnal insects flying about." Christopher James Dubey; Assignment Yggdrasil; Andrews; 2013. See more usage examples of crepuscular in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 28, 2016***** soliloquize : to utter a soliloquy; talk to oneself; I beg pardon, I beg a thousand pardons, I am not well to-day; pay no attention when I soliloquize, it is an old habit, an old, bad habit … Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889 Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Dynasty : 1 : a succession of rulers of the same line of descent; "A scion of the Patterson-Medill publishing dynasty (her great-grandfather and her father founded the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News, respectively), [Alicia] Patterson launched Newsday in 1940, on Long Island, quickly building it from a small suburban daily to an influential national paper." — Jocelyn Hannah, The New Yorker, 12 Sept. 2016 foramen : (noun) An opening or orifice, as in a bone or in the covering of the ovule of a plant.; hiatus; The tribe made necklaces by passing string through the foramens of fang-shaped bones. crepuscular : adjective 1. Relating to or resembling twilight: dim. 2. Active or occurring in twilight, as certain animals. ; "The crepuscular sky was dim and there were still nocturnal insects flying about." Christopher James Dubey; Assignment Yggdrasil; Andrews; 2013. See more usage examples of crepuscular in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 29, 2016***** toggery : Informal. clothes; garments; togs; Where have you been, Jim, my deary? And where did you get your fine toggery? Mary Elizabeth Braddon, The Trail of the Serpent, 1860 Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Vicissitude : 1 : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability; "The vicissitudes of life strike us all. But when life gets difficult for the poor, economically or emotionally, or most often both at once, it can pitch them into complete chaos." — The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 22 Aug. 2016 perspicuous : (adjective) Clearly expressed or presented; easy to understand.; lucid, luculent, pellucid, crystal clear, limpid; The lawyer presented a perspicuous closing argument, clarifying the forensic evidence for the confused jurors. gnar or gnarr : verb intr.: To snarl or growl. ; "'Watch your tongue, Hreidar,' Moldof gnarred, 'unless you want to dig your own burial mound with it.'" Giles Kristian; Winter's Fire; Transworld; 2016. Thought For The Day: One law for the lion and ox is oppression. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (28 Nov 1757-1827) *****November 30, 2016***** quinquennium : a period of five years; …[W]hat I'm hankering after first, you know, is some hint that the racket is still going on. Not all that frequently. Say once in a quinquennium. Michael Innes, A Family Affair, 1969 Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Cabbage : : steal, filch; "When these ruffians were in a relatively mild mood they were content to chase us off the diamond, but when their glands were flowing freely they also cabbaged our bats, balls and gloves." — H. L. Mencken, Happy Days, 1940 zoophagous : (adjective) Feeding on animal matter; carnivorous.; meat-eating; Zoophagous insects include predators and parasites. cackle : verb intr.: 1. To make the sharp broken noise such as a hen does after laying an egg. 2. To laugh in a shrill manner. 3. To chatter. noun: 1. The sharp broken noise of a hen after laying an egg. 2. Shrill laughter. 3. Chatter. ; "Mrs Clinton, an experienced and articulate politician, has a calm and capable delivery in small settings. But she is less comfortable on the stump, especially in the current hot-and-bothered American political climate, where a politician is expected to signal that they are mad as hell and not going to take it any more. When Mrs Clinton attempts this, with her voice high and loud at its peaks, she is called 'shrill' and 'hectoring', while her laugh is a 'cackle' -- words rarely aimed at men." War of Words; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 16, 2016. See more usage examples of cackle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been. -Madeleine L'Engle, writer (29 Nov 1918-2007) *****December 01, 2016***** laicism : the nonclerical, or secular, control of political and social insti..; Dante has embodied it in a certain outlook on life, or, more precisely, an outlook on the way in which men's affairs, and particularly political affairs, should be arranged…. it could, perhaps, be described as internationalism rather than nationalism, laicism rather than theocracy, in the arrangement of human affairs … U. Limentani, "Dante's Political Thought," The Mind of Dante, 1965 Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Soporific : 1 a : causing or tending to cause sleep; The soporific effects of the stuffy classroom and the lecturer's droning voice left more than one student fighting to stay awake. remunerate : (verb) To pay (a person) a suitable equivalent in return for goods provided, services rendered, or losses incurred.; recompense, compensate; John carefully weeded his neighbors' gardens, aware that they would remunerate him for a job well done. susurrate : verb intr.: To make a whispering or rustling sound. ; "If it's possible to susurrate visually then that's what 'Summer Nights at the Dollar Tree' does. Lazy and slow and gentle, it feels just right." Mark Feeney; Robert Adams's Striking Photos; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Mar 2, 2016. See more usage examples of susurrate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An old miser kept a tame jackdaw, that used to steal pieces of money, and hide them in a hole, which a cat observing, asked, "Why he would hoard up those round shining things that he could make no use of?" "Why," said the jackdaw, "my master has a whole chestfull, and makes no more use of them that I do." -Jonathan Swift, satirist (30 Nov 1667-1745) *****December 02, 2016***** simonize : to shine or polish to a high sheen, especially with wax: to simon..; Let's go wash and simonize the van before we go to the beach. Spalding Gray, Impossible Vacation, 1992 Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." Thaumaturgy : : the performance of miracles; specifically : magic; "The place is still a favourite pilgrimage, but there seems to be some doubt as to which Saint John has chosen it as the scene of his posthumous thaumaturgy; for, according to a local guide-book, it is equally frequented on the feasts of the Baptist and of the Evangelist." — Edith Wharton, Italian Backgrounds, 1905 sagacity : (noun) The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted; wisdom; discernment, sagaciousness, judgment; Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity. blubber : verb tr.: To weep noisily. verb intr.: To speak incoherently while weeping. adjective: Swollen; puffed out. noun: 1. The layer of fat in whales and other marine mammals. 2. Excess body fat. ; "'I tried to maintain a face that was calm and cool, but I blubbered like a baby,' Joseph Fiennes said." Fiennes Defends Michael Jackson Role; The Straits Times (Singapore); Feb 6, 2016. See more usage examples of blubber in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If God exists, I hope he has a good excuse. -Woody Allen, author, actor, and filmmaker (b. 1 Dec 1935) *****December 03, 2016***** Faustian : sacrificing spiritual values for power, knowledge, or material ga..; Some fearful Faustian compact had taken place. Lawrence Durrell, "The Unspeakable Attaché," Stiff Upper Lip, 1958 Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." Wane : 1 : to decrease in size, extent, or degree; "Last year, the station offered fans the chance to buy the CD online for the first time and also sold it in Target stores as usual. But unlike previous years, the limited-run compilation didn't sell out immediately, suggesting its popularity may be waning." — Ross Raihala, The Pioneer Press (TwinCities.com), 14 Oct. 2016 fulminate : (verb) To issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation.; rail; He fulminated against corruption in governmental institutions. chunter : verb intr.: To mutter, grumble, or chatter. ; "All they [passengers in the train] did was chunter on about lambs, holidays, solar panels, grass growing, farming, the health service, marinades, Niagara Falls, the Taliban, and -- honestly -- noisy neighbours." Louise James; Biddies Doing My Head In; Belfast Telegraph (Ireland); Mar 27, 2016. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 04, 2016***** quondam : former; onetime: his quondam partner; I was not mistaken,--there was my quondam friend, my traitorous foe, sitting at his ease, leaning comfortably back in one chair, his feet put up on another. Marie Corelli, Vendetta!; or, The Story of One Forgotten, 1886 Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Vulpine : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox; "There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer." — Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2009 prudery : (noun) Excessive or affected modesty.; Grundyism, primness, prudishness; Casting prudery to the wind, I lifted my head, looked him in the eyes, and professed my undying love. chunter : verb intr.: To mutter, grumble, or chatter. ; "All they [passengers in the train] did was chunter on about lambs, holidays, solar panels, grass growing, farming, the health service, marinades, Niagara Falls, the Taliban, and -- honestly -- noisy neighbours." Louise James; Biddies Doing My Head In; Belfast Telegraph (Ireland); Mar 27, 2016. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 05, 2016***** bruit : to voice abroad; rumor (used chiefly in the passive and often follow..; I have also heard it bruited about that you'd like to be governor. Howard Fast, The Establishment, 1979 Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." centerboard : (noun) A movable keel in a sailboat that can be pivoted upward to reduce the boat's draft in shallow water.; drop keel, sliding keel; Except for some damage to the centerboard, the boat was in good condition. chunter : verb intr.: To mutter, grumble, or chatter. ; "All they [passengers in the train] did was chunter on about lambs, holidays, solar panels, grass growing, farming, the health service, marinades, Niagara Falls, the Taliban, and -- honestly -- noisy neighbours." Louise James; Biddies Doing My Head In; Belfast Telegraph (Ireland); Mar 27, 2016. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 06, 2016***** campanology : the principles or art of making bells, bell ringing, etc; Campanology is one of the most interesting and most intricate arts practised. Change-ringing is exceedingly difficult and very exhausting. , "Ringing Out the Victory of Cambrai from the Great Bells of St. Paul's," Popular Science Monthly, May 1918 Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. Ziggurat : : an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form; "The building itself is certainly distinctive: The bronze-meshed ziggurat moves upwards toward the sky and into the light." — Lisa Benton-Short, GWToday (gwtoday.gwu.edu, George Washington University), 10 Oct. 2016 arid : (adjective) Lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants.; waterless; Only a few succulents managed to survive in the arid climate. succulent : adjective:1. Juicy.  2. Having thick fleshy leaves or stems for storing water, as a cactus.  3. Interesting or enjoyable. noun:A succulent plant. ; "This gorgeous chardonnay majors on succulent peachy fruit." Top Tipples; Western Daily Press (Bristol, UK); May 7, 2016. "This was fabulous, very succulent gossip!" Joclyn Gipson; Dangerous Sister; Dog Ear Publishing; 2006. See more usage examples of succulent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (5 Dec 1830-1894) *****December 07, 2016***** mansuetude : mildness; gentleness: the mansuetude of Christian love; You are safe, dear old man, you are safe, temporarily, in the mansuetude of our care, Julie said. The what? The mansuetude that is to say mild gentleness of our care. Donald Barthelme, The Dead Father, 1975 Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." Salient : 1 : moving by leaps or springs : jumping; The speech was filled with so much twisted rhetoric that it was hard to identify any salient points. farrier : (noun) A person who shoes horses.; horseshoer; The farrier took a look at the limping horse and declared that a badly fitted horseshoe was the culprit. marmorean, also marmoreal : adjective: Resembling marble or a marble statue, for example, in smoothness, whiteness, hardness, coldness, or aloofness. ; "The museum is housed in a large marmorean white building." William Wilson; Surprising Mix at New Museum; Los Angeles Times; Apr 13, 1987. See more usage examples of marmorean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936) *****December 08, 2016***** asomatous : having no material body; incorporeal; As opposed to something asomatous, a word, my dear boy, I know will have immediately leapt into your brain, meaning, as you doubtlessly know, without bodily form. Leon Rooke, Swinging Through Dixie, 2016 Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." spline : (noun) A wooden or metal strip.; slat; Humidity and weathering had caused the spline on the edge of the door to detach. afflatus : noun: A creative impulse or inspiration. ; "His stories ... are the perennial sources of his creative afflatus." Shafey Kidwai; The Past Never Died; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Feb 12, 2016. See more usage examples of afflatus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Students who acquire large debts putting themselves through school are unlikely to think about changing society. When you trap people in a system of debt, they can't afford the time to think. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2016***** stickybeak : Australian Slang. a busybody; meddler; Moishe likes to know everything. He's a proper old stickybeak. Bryce Courtenay, Jessica, 1998 Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." mugwump : (noun) A person who acts independently or remains neutral, especially in politics.; fencesitter, independent; The public relations firm believed that the key to victory was to capture the hearts and minds of the mugwumps who would otherwise remain passive. peregrination : noun: Traveling from place to place, also a course of travel, especially on foot. ; "Here's a sample of what I recorded from my peregrinations around society's watering holes last year." Adam Helliker; The End of the Year Review; The Express on Sunday (London, UK); Jan 3, 2016. See more usage examples of peregrination in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954) *****December 10, 2016***** clarion : clear and shrill: the clarion call of a battle trumpet; At the first clarion call of the old rooster behind the cabin, her eyes opened wide and a happy thrill tingled her from head to foot ... John Fox Jr., The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, 1908 Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." Daedal : 1 a : skillful, artistic; The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere. gambol : (verb) To leap about playfully.; frisk, frolic, lark, rollick, romp, cavort; Then he ran back to the shed pulling the playful young horse, who wanted to gambol all over the yard, by the rein. ostentatious : adjective: Pretentious or vulgar display in an attempt to impress others. ; "Ghe moved ... through an ostentatious arch encased in gold leaf into a spacious cabin, onto the rich carpet." J. Gregory Keyes; The Waterborn; Del Rey; 2015. See more usage examples of ostentatious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who put out the people's eyes, reproach them for their blindness. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 11, 2016***** footle : Informal. to act or talk in a foolish or silly way; We footle on with dreams of green revolutions and nuclear power which the poor nations of the world will never be able to afford anyway. Robin Clarke, "On human numbers," New Scientist, May 1975 Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." Objurgation : : a harsh rebuke; "I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern." — Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847 pestilence : (noun) A usually fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague.; plague; The place might have been desolated by a pestilence, so empty and so lifeless did it now appear. ostentatious : adjective: Pretentious or vulgar display in an attempt to impress others. ; "Ghe moved ... through an ostentatious arch encased in gold leaf into a spacious cabin, onto the rich carpet." J. Gregory Keyes; The Waterborn; Del Rey; 2015. See more usage examples of ostentatious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who put out the people's eyes, reproach them for their blindness. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 12, 2016***** festschrift : (often initial capital letter) a volume of articles, essays, e..; ... I have been fortunate to be able to draw on the insights of many others who also benefited from associations with him--particularly my fellow contributors to the festschrift published in his honor last year ... John P. Holdren, "Harrison Brown 1917–1986," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, March 1987 Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." Fillip : 1 a : to strike by holding the nail of a finger against the ball of the thumb and then suddenly releasing it from that position; As their parents finished up dinner, the two boys entertained themselves at the table by filliping crumbs into an overturned cup. revivalist : (noun) A preacher of the Christian gospel.; evangelist, gospeller; The revivalist drew a crowd of devoted followers to his weekly prayer meetings. ostentatious : adjective: Pretentious or vulgar display in an attempt to impress others. ; "Ghe moved ... through an ostentatious arch encased in gold leaf into a spacious cabin, onto the rich carpet." J. Gregory Keyes; The Waterborn; Del Rey; 2015. See more usage examples of ostentatious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who put out the people's eyes, reproach them for their blindness. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 13, 2016***** thrasonical : boastful; vainglorious; His humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical. William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost, 1598 Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." Methuselah : 1 : an ancestor of Noah held to have lived 969 years; The winery has started bottling their champagne in Methuselahs. runnel : (noun) A small stream; a brook.; streamlet, rill, rivulet, run; He could tell from the impression carved into the landscape that the runnel's flow had drifted a few feet to the north. behoof : noun: Advantage; benefit. ; "Is not every man a student, and do not all things exist for the student's behoof?" Ralph Waldo Emerson; The American Scholar, a speech delivered Aug 31, 1837. Thought For The Day: The ring always believes that the finger lives for it. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (12 Dec 1902-1981) *****December 14, 2016***** tyro : a beginner in learning anything; novice; ... that willingness to subject legends to the same hazing as any eager tyro fresh from a writing program is what gives the criticism of our age its vulgarity but also its vitality. Sam Sacks, "Canon Fodder: Denouncing the Classics," The New Yorker, May 23, 2013 Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." drachm : (noun) A unit of capacity or volume in the apothecary system equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce.; fluidram; She measured out a drachm of the sweet-smelling elixir and administered it to the ailing child. comminute : verb tr. and intr.: To pulverize. ; "I ask you to pronounce s-o-w, and you ask me what kind of one. If we had a sane, determinate alphabet, instead of a hospital of comminuted eunuchs, you would know whether one referred to the act of a man casting the seed over the ploughed land or whether one wished to recall the lady hog and the future ham." Mark Twain in a Speech in New York City; Dec 9, 1907. See more usage examples of comminute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The walls of books around him, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) *****December 15, 2016***** peccadillo : a very minor or slight sin or offense; a trifling fault; She longed for some recognition by him, even if it took the form of accusing her of serious wrong-doing, that there were difficulties in their marriage that went deeper than his mother's displeasure over what was at most a peccadillo. Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers, 1938 Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Kapellmeister : : (often capitalized Kapellmeister) the director of a choir or orchestra; The Kapellmeister brought his hands up slowly to signal to the musicians a shift to a slower tempo. abase : (verb) Cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of.; chagrin, humiliate, humble, mortify; Today she overwhelmed me with shrill reproaches, and abased me to the level of a hearth-brush. maffick : verb intr.: To celebrate boisterously. ; "Mother, may I go and maffick, Tear around and hinder traffic?" Saki aka HH Munro (1870-1916). Thought For The Day: Style is time's fool. Form is time's student. -Stewart Brand, writer and editor (b. 14 Dec 1938) *****December 16, 2016***** cataclysm : any violent upheaval, especially one of a social or political na..; To be sure, Wall Street is not exactly as it was before the cataclysm of last year. Alex Berenson, "A Year Later, Little Change on Wall St." New York Times, September 11, 2009 Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Jubilee : 1 : (often capitalized Jubilee) a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50 years by the emancipation of Hebrew slaves, restoration of alienated lands to their former owners, and omission of all cultivation of the land; My grandparents will be celebrating their golden jubilee this year—as Grandpa puts it, "50 years of wedded bliss and occasional blisters." sloven : (noun) One who is habitually careless in personal appearance or work.; slob, pig; I could better eat with one who did not respect the truth or the laws than with a sloven and unpresentable person. inhere : verb intr.: To belong to something by its very nature; to be an inseparable part of something. ; "As any honest magician knows, true magic inheres in the ordinary, the commonplace, the everyday, the mystery of the obvious. Only petty minds and trivial souls yearn for supernatural events, incapable of perceiving that everything -- everything! -- within and around them is pure miracle." Edward Abbey; Abbey's Road; Plume; 1979. See more usage examples of inhere in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser, poet and activist (15 Dec 1913-1980) *****December 17, 2016***** hotsy-totsy : Older Slang. about as right as can be; perfect: He always thin..; He and Catherine would patch it up, prosperity might now really be around the corner, it would all turn out hotsy-totsy, and Studs Lonigan would be singing in the bathtub, and singing in the rain, and singing. James T. Farrell, Studs Lonigan, 1932 Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Impetuous : 1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion ; The impetuous winds forced the hikers to postpone their expedition to the mountain's peak. sophistry : (noun) A plausible but misleading or fallacious argument.; sophism, sophistication; Though they had all been taken in by the argument, they later claimed to have secretly known that it was pure sophistry. spavined : adjective: 1. Suffering from spavin, a disease involving swelling of hock joints in a horse. 2. Old; decrepit; broken-down. ; "If they ever praise each other's bad drawings, or broken-winded novels, or spavined verses, nobody ever supposed it was from admiration; it was simply a contract between themselves and a publisher or dealer." Oliver Wendell Holmes; The Long Jolt on Public Opinion; The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; 1858. See more usage examples of spavined in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 18, 2016***** sociolect : a variety of a language used by a particular social group; a soc..; Embodied in his writing are the accents of workers' sociolects as well as echoes from past utterances and the legacy of popular culture. Douglas Wixon, introduction to The Disinherited: A Novel of the 1930s, by Jack Conroy, 1991 Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." Lave : 1 a : wash, bathe; "The captain walked up past the horses holding his arm and he knelt and drank and laved water over the back of his neck with his good hand." — Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, 1992 exigent : (adjective) Requiring much effort or expense; demanding attention.; crying, insistent, clamant, instant; The professor regarded literary questions as exigent and momentous. spavined : adjective: 1. Suffering from spavin, a disease involving swelling of hock joints in a horse. 2. Old; decrepit; broken-down. ; "If they ever praise each other's bad drawings, or broken-winded novels, or spavined verses, nobody ever supposed it was from admiration; it was simply a contract between themselves and a publisher or dealer." Oliver Wendell Holmes; The Long Jolt on Public Opinion; The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; 1858. See more usage examples of spavined in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 19, 2016***** mythopoeic : of or relating to the making of myths; causing, producing, or g..; Mythopoeic literature may be difficult to write, but it is not impossible. Spenser often does it successfully, Shakespeare does it in The Winter's Tale and The Tempest, George Macdonald can sometimes do it. Gwen Watkins, Dickens in Search of Himself, 1987 Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." Gallimaufry : : a heterogeneous mixture : jumble; The essay collection covers a gallimaufry of subjects, from stamp collecting to Portuguese cooking. periphrasis : (noun) A style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.; ambage, circumlocution; Parents often engage in periphrasis when discussing adult matters in the presence of their children. spavined : adjective: 1. Suffering from spavin, a disease involving swelling of hock joints in a horse. 2. Old; decrepit; broken-down. ; "If they ever praise each other's bad drawings, or broken-winded novels, or spavined verses, nobody ever supposed it was from admiration; it was simply a contract between themselves and a publisher or dealer." Oliver Wendell Holmes; The Long Jolt on Public Opinion; The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table; 1858. See more usage examples of spavined in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 25, 2016***** wassail : to drink to the health or success of; toast; "Well, wassail to the good of all," Ranulf said sourly. He poured another drink and raised a toast. Elizabeth Chadwick, To Defy a King, 2010 Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." Dreidel : 1 : a 4-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance; The adults chatted in the living room while the children amused themselves by playing dreidel. furbelow : (noun) A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim.; ruffle, flounce, frill; Those dresses are good, sensible, serviceable dresses, without any frills or furbelows about them, and they're all you'll get this summer. dubiety : noun: Doubtfulness or uncertainty. ; "For starters, individuals can exercise healthy dubiety, especially when an opportunity sounds too good to be true (spoiler: it probably is)." Trust but Verify; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Oct 31, 2016. See more usage examples of dubiety in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every noon as the clock hands arrive at twelve, / I want to tie the two arms together, / And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags. -Robert Bly, poet (b. 23 Dec 1926) *****December 26, 2016***** jollification : jolly merrymaking; jolly festivity; The people made a great public holiday of it and there was much feasting, dancing, fireworks, speech-making and jollification. Hugh Lofting, The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, 1922 Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." Wassail : 1 : to indulge in riotous drinking : carouse; Every year at Christmastime the magazine publishes a recipe for a traditional drink that can be used to wassail one's friends, neighbors, and family members. polymorphism : (noun) Crystallization of a compound in at least two distinct forms.; pleomorphism; Calcium carbonate possesses the characteristic of polymorphism, since it crystallizes as calcite or aragonite. dubiety : noun: Doubtfulness or uncertainty. ; "For starters, individuals can exercise healthy dubiety, especially when an opportunity sounds too good to be true (spoiler: it probably is)." Trust but Verify; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Oct 31, 2016. See more usage examples of dubiety in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every noon as the clock hands arrive at twelve, / I want to tie the two arms together, / And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags. -Robert Bly, poet (b. 23 Dec 1926) *****December 27, 2016***** tzedakah : Hebrew. charity or the giving of charity; Frequently translated as “charity,†the word “tzedakah†comes from a Hebrew root meaning “righteousness†and “justice.†The prototype tzedakah (pronounced tze-DA-ka) box can be traced back thousands of years, described in an Old Testament verse that relates how the First Temple in Jerusalem collected donations for its repair in a chest with a hole bored through the top. Laura Joseph Mogil, "A History of Giving," New York Times, September 16, 2007 Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." comedo : (noun) A plug of keratin and sebum within a hair follicle that is blackened at the surface.; blackhead; On the morning of the school dance, she was dismayed to discover a large comedo on her chin. chintz : noun: A printed and glazed cotton fabric, typically with a flowery pattern. ; "Caspian fingered the edge of the chintz curtain." Beatriz Williams; Tiny Little Thing; Berkeley Books; 2015. See more usage examples of chintz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One has to be a lowbrow, a bit of a murderer, to be a politician, ready and willing to see people sacrificed, slaughtered, for the sake of an idea, whether a good one or a bad one. -Henry Miller, writer (26 Dec 1891-1980) *****December 28, 2016***** de rigueur : strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, or fashion; She would tell Miss Scranton then that shoes and stockings were de rigueur in the hotel, and she would do it before Mrs Houghton came down for a drink. Emma Tennant, Hotel de Dream, 1976 Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." Veridical : 1 : truthful, veracious; "All psychotherapies are based on the fact that memory is not veridical, that unconscious desires and fantasies exert their force on us all.…" — Henry Kaminer, The Weekly Standard, 31 July 2000 tetragon : (noun) A four-sided polygon.; quadrangle, quadrilateral; Long after the teacher had moved on from the geometry lesson, Alice found herself absentmindedly sketching tetragons in her notebook. sesquipedalian : adjective: 1. Polysyllabic. 2. Relating to or using long words. 3. Long-winded. ; "Their explanations might have been completely legitimate, or they might have been sesquipedalian bushwa." Orson Scott Card & Aaron Johnston; Earth Unaware; Tor Books; 2012. See more usage examples of sesquipedalian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I talk about going to his [George W. Bush's] Inauguration and crying when he took the oath, 'cause I was so afraid he was going to "wreck the economy and muck up the drinking water" ... the failure of my pessimistic imagination at that moment boggles my mind now. -Sarah Vowell, author and journalist (b. 27 Dec 1969) *****December 29, 2016***** sockeroo : Slang. a notable success: Her performance was a sockeroo; He was more than a success: he was a smash hit, humdinger, whamo and sockeroo. Edmund Cooper, "The Life and Death of Plunky Goo," Jupiter Laughs, 1979 Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." Ultima : : the last syllable of a word; For the last line of her poem, Sheila needed a word with an ultima that rhymed with "green," so she tried "magazine." demeanor : (noun) The way a person behaves toward other people.; deportment, conduct, behavior; She had a charming demeanor that endeared her to her many friends. dermatoglyphics : noun: 1. The ridge patterns of skin on the inner surface of the hands and feet. 2. The scientific study of these skin patterns. ; "Finger patterns can show the presence of inherited diseases. Don't tell me you've forgotten about dermatoglyphics." Jessica Matthews; Maverick in the ER; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of dermatoglyphic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. -Rose Franken, author and playwright (28 Dec 1895-1988) *****December 30, 2016***** lunation : the period of time from one new moon to the next (about 29½ days..; After that we'll have to wait for the next lunation--that is, for four weeks. Arthur C. Clarke, Prelude to Space, 1953 Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." Beleaguer : 1 : to cause distress to : besiege; Despite being beleaguered by injuries, the scrappy football team fought hard and managed to make the playoffs. tumulus : (noun) A heap of earth placed over prehistoric tombs.; burial mound, grave mound, barrow; The tumulus marked the spot where his ancestor was buried. hemidemisemiquaver : noun: A sixty-fourth note. ; "'Commissaire, you have a foreigner's ear for our glorious language. Their names are completely different, CAYO and CAYOo,' Martiniere said, lingering the merest hemidemisemiquaver on the final imagined phoneme of the second 'YO'." Alexander Campion; Killer Critique; Kensington; 2012. See more usage examples of hemidemisemiquaver in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****December 31, 2016***** senectitude : the last stage of life; old age; Call me lazy, if you will; write me off as a dilettante lurching toward senectitude.... For me, this was simply a retirement project more purposeful than golf, more engrossing than whittling. Austen A. Ettinger, "About Men: The Retiring Kind," New York Times, May 28, 1989 Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." Solicitous : 1 : showing attentive care or protectiveness : manifesting or expressing solicitude; Lyle has developed a reputation as one of the best tailors in the area because he is solicitous of his customers and their needs. aver : (verb) To assert formally as a fact.; allege, say; For as my conscience does not accuse me, I aver that I am not a criminal. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious : adjective: Extraordinarily wonderful. ; "You might as well say, 'Let's give the customer a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience.' But saying it doesn't make it so." Lewis Carbone; Clued In; Pearson; 2010. Thought For The Day: The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. -L.P. Hartley, writer (30 Dec 1895-1972) *****January 01, 2017***** toodle-oo : Informal. goodbye; so long; All right. Well, toodle-oo. I'm off to find Stinker. P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters, 1938 Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." Zeitgeist : : (often capitalized Zeitgeist) the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era; The movie does an excellent job of capturing the zeitgeist of the dot-com boom. quixotic : (adjective) Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality.; wild-eyed, romantic; She is ready prey to any man who knows how to play adroitly either on her affectionate ardor or her quixotic enthusiasm. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious : adjective: Extraordinarily wonderful. ; "You might as well say, 'Let's give the customer a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience.' But saying it doesn't make it so." Lewis Carbone; Clued In; Pearson; 2010. Thought For The Day: The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. -L.P. Hartley, writer (30 Dec 1895-1972) *****January 02, 2017***** handsel : a gift or token for good luck or as an expression of good wishes, ..; A handsel is a gift made to celebrate a new beginning, as a coin might be placed in the pocket of a freshly tailored coat. Brian Stableford, "Chanterelle," Black Heart, Ivory Bones, edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, 2000 Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Rejuvenate : 1 : to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to; The new arts complex and adjacent businesses have rejuvenated the city and turned downtown into a destination for visitors. anachronistic : (adjective) Chronologically misplaced.; anachronous; The portrait's subject matter is anachronistic, since the famous historical figure is depicted sitting next to a modern computer. supercalifragilisticexpialidocious : adjective: Extraordinarily wonderful. ; "You might as well say, 'Let's give the customer a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience.' But saying it doesn't make it so." Lewis Carbone; Clued In; Pearson; 2010. Thought For The Day: The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. -L.P. Hartley, writer (30 Dec 1895-1972) *****January 03, 2017***** yeasayer : a person with an optimistic and confident outlook; But sorrow never lasts to the end of a Beethoven composition. He was the defier of fate, the great yea-sayer, and presently the music was like the wind running over a meadow of flowers, superlative happiness infinitely multiplied. Upton Sinclair, The Return of Lanny Budd, 1953 Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." Baleful : 1 : deadly or pernicious in influence; "His face might have been chiselled out of marble, so hard and set was its expression, while its eyes glowed with a baleful light." — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet, 1887 pergola : (noun) An arbor or a passageway of columns supporting a roof of trelliswork on which climbing plants are trained to grow.; arbor, bower; The thick vegetation met overhead, interlacing into a natural pergola. brahmin : noun: A member of the upper class, having wealth, social status, and political power. ; "The wealthiest, the Brahmins, are zoned off from everyone else, eating gold-leaf-sprinkled chocs, purchasing mansions and penthouses, hunting and shooting on vast estates, protecting their billions from impertinent tax collectors, buying political influence." Yasmin Alibhai-Brown; It's Time to Take Up the Cudgels Against Planned Poverty; The Independent (London, UK); Jun 22, 2015. "Mrs. Guth, a philanthropist and a descendant of one of the founders of the pharmaceutical company Merck, was doing little to lighten the old-money mood. She spoke with a Brahmin accent to rival Katharine Hepburn's, and initially appeared wary of the slightest personal revelation. 'Why do we have to do that?' she said when asked to talk about her roots in New Hampshire." Steven Kurutz; Greening the Gilded Age; The New York Times; Aug 7, 2014. See more usage examples of brahmin in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A poor idea well written is more likely to be accepted than a good idea poorly written. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2017***** murmuration : a flock of starlings; They'd whirl and wheel in the sky, turning fast and coming around, blackening as they blocked the light and then spreading out and thinning as they changed direction in long sweeps. A murmuration; that's what it's called. Joseph D'Lacey, The Book of the Crowman, 2014 Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." Oligopsony : : a market situation in which each of a few buyers exerts a disproportionate influence on the market; The small number of supermarkets in the region has created an oligopsony in which the stores can dictate the price they pay to farmers for meat and fresh produce. concomitant : (adjective) Occurring or existing concurrently; attendant.; accompanying, consequent, ensuant, resultant, sequent, incidental; There is scarce any human good without its concomitant evil. avatar : noun: 1. An embodiment of a concept. 2. A representation of a person or thing in computers, networks, etc. ; "The president is our national avatar -- a stand-in for what we believe we are, or want to be." Joy-Ann Reid; Surviving Trump's Reality Show; The Daily Beast (New York); Dec 17, 2016. See more usage examples of avatar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. -J.R.R. Tolkien, novelist and philologist (3 Jan 1892-1973) *****January 05, 2017***** emolument : profit, salary, or fees from office or employment; compensation ..; ... in case of a certain revolution in the ministry, he should take an ostensible place in the new order of things, not indeed of the very first rank, but greatly higher, in point both of emolument and influence, than that which he now enjoyed. Sir Walter Scott, Waverley, 1814 Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." Deem : 1 : to come to think or judge : consider; The covered bridge was closed to automobile traffic for the winter because town officials deemed it a hazard to motorists. tussock : (noun) A clump or tuft, as of growing grass.; tuft; The chameleon hid in a colorful tussock of vegetation. *****January 06, 2017***** draconian : rigorous; unusually severe or cruel: Draconian forms of punishme..; Foreigners find mystifying the amount of mayhem permitted in the United States despite ever more draconian laws against something loosely called terrorism. Gore Vidal, "Clinton–Gore II," The Last Empire: Essays 1992–2000, 2000 Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." Maelstrom : 1 : a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius; The mayor has been swept up in the media maelstrom surrounding the laundering of thousands of dollars in state funds by city officials. indigen : (noun) One that is native or indigenous to an area.; aborigine, native; Because they had physical characteristics known to be conducive to life in the cold, we thought they must be indigens of Alaska. swami : noun: 1. A religious teacher, mystic, or yogi. 2. A learned man: pundit. ; "Now Sam may one day be a candidate to buy a car with a manual shifter before they disappear, as so many swamis of the automotive marketplace believe." Jeremy Cato; Enjoy That Stick Shift While You Can; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jul 25, 2013. See more usage examples of swami in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is our belief that social justice begins at home. We want those who have helped us to produce this great institution and are helping to maintain it to share our prosperity. We want them to have present profits and future prospects. ... Believing as we do, that a division of our earnings between capital and labor is unequal, we have sought a plan of relief suitable for our business. -James Couzens, Ford Motor Company treasurer, announcing the doubling of wages to $5/day on Jan 5, 1914 [The Wall Street Journal said it is "to apply biblical or spiritual principles into a field where they do not belong ... (Ford has) committed economic blunders, if not crimes." Ford actually doubled its profits in two years.] *****January 07, 2017***** etiolate : to cause to become weakened or sickly; drain of color or vigor; Man and boy, Theseus seeks self-knowledge and comes to understand how moira can both amplify and etiolate a life. Mary Renault, The King Must Die, 1958 Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." Factitious : 1 : produced by humans rather than by natural forces; "For all the factitious factoids about state education spending, the reality from the federal government and even the nation's largest teachers union is that Pennsylvania far outspends most states—and by a comfortable margin." — The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 24 June 2016 lariat : (noun) A long noosed rope used to catch animals.; riata, lasso; He spent his days chasing after fleeing cattle, roping them with his lariat and bringing them back to the ranch. karma : noun: 1. A person's action (bad or good) that determines his or her destiny, in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. 2. Destiny; fate. 3. An aura or atmosphere generated by someone or something. ; "Muranetz expects they will net about $100,000 for six months' work. To keep the karma flowing, a portion of that will be contributed to uplifting causes." Rick Spence; How to Turn a Hopeful Quest into a Business; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Nov 24, 2016. See more usage examples of karma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reading is not just an escape. It is access to a better way of life. -Karin Slaughter, novelist (b. 6 Jan 1971) *****January 08, 2017***** frondescence : leafage; foliage; ... they continued their journey under the frondescence of the mountain forests. Cecilia Dart-Thornton, The Ill-Made Mute, 2001 Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." refractory : (adjective) Obstinately resistant to authority or control.; fractious, recalcitrant; He still made a naughty or refractory lad stand with one arm stretched out for anything from ten minutes to half an hour. karma : noun: 1. A person's action (bad or good) that determines his or her destiny, in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. 2. Destiny; fate. 3. An aura or atmosphere generated by someone or something. ; "Muranetz expects they will net about $100,000 for six months' work. To keep the karma flowing, a portion of that will be contributed to uplifting causes." Rick Spence; How to Turn a Hopeful Quest into a Business; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Nov 24, 2016. See more usage examples of karma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reading is not just an escape. It is access to a better way of life. -Karin Slaughter, novelist (b. 6 Jan 1971) *****January 09, 2017***** fallal : a bit of finery; a showy article of dress; Some fallal or other. Choker with the cameo brooch? In the end she chose an amber pendant with a fly caught inside. Jamie O'Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, 2001 Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." Haberdasher : 1 : (British) a dealer in notions (such as needles, thread, buttons, etc.); Mr. Watson planned to visit the haberdasher during the week to buy some new shirts for his wardrobe. granger : (noun) A person who operates a farm.; sodbuster, farmer, husbandman; Their lands had been bought long ago, and the grangers moved to the city to find work as manual laborers. karma : noun: 1. A person's action (bad or good) that determines his or her destiny, in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. 2. Destiny; fate. 3. An aura or atmosphere generated by someone or something. ; "Muranetz expects they will net about $100,000 for six months' work. To keep the karma flowing, a portion of that will be contributed to uplifting causes." Rick Spence; How to Turn a Hopeful Quest into a Business; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Nov 24, 2016. See more usage examples of karma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reading is not just an escape. It is access to a better way of life. -Karin Slaughter, novelist (b. 6 Jan 1971) *****January 10, 2017***** crepitate : to make a crackling sound; crackle; Kate could hardly remember now the dry rigid pallor of the heat, when the whole earth seemed to crepitate viciously with dry malevolence; like memory gone dry and sterile, hellish. D. H. Lawrence, The Plumed Serpent, 1926 Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Immutable : : not capable of or susceptible to change; "There's an immutable attraction between fingers and potato chips, making resistance, as the saying goes, futile." — Michele Henry, The Toronto Star, 30 Nov. 2016 sassaby : (noun) A large South African antelope; considered the swiftest hoofed mammal.; Damaliscus lunatus, topi; Our jeep sped across the terrain, but we still could not keep up with the sassaby. cock-up, cock up, or cockup : noun:1. complete mess; a blunder.  2. An upward turn. verb tr.:1. To botch.  2. To turn upward or curl. ; "Local people will be rightly outraged ... because local officials made such a monumental cockup." Neil Macfarlane; Call for Sackings Over Cash Bungles; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Mar 28, 2009. See more usage examples of cockup in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth -- and truth rewarded me. -Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (9 Jan 1908-1986) *****January 11, 2017***** flackery : publicity and promotion; press-agentry; For the past 30 years, Stanley Kubrick has been the movies' most artful spin doctor--pointedly shunning traditional Hollywood flackery, but always taking care that the whole world is clued in to his "legendary" integrity and perfectionism. John Powers, "Moscow Should Believe in Tears," New York, January 24, 1994 Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." parhelion : (noun) A bright spot sometimes appearing on either side of the sun, often on a luminous ring or halo.; sundog, mock sun; At first, Sue thought the bright spot in the sky beside the sun was a comet, but she soon realized that the phenomenon was actually a parhelion. crapulous : adjective: Sick from excessive drinking or eating. ; "He was feeling crapulous after drinking and wasn't thinking of anything much when he went early to the beach." Jim Williams; The Argentinian Virgin; Quartet Books; 2009. See more usage examples of crapulous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most certain test by which we can judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2017***** myrmidon : a person who executes without question or scruple a master's comm..; ... you order me to do that; you order me to do everything; but the time's past when I obeyed you like a Myrmidon. Booth Tarkington, Women, 1925 Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Gambol : : to skip about in play : frisk, frolic; From her cabana, Candace watched her three children gambol in the ocean waves. lavabo : (noun) A basin for washing the hands.; handbasin, washbasin, washbowl; The priest washed his hands in the metal lavabo before saying Mass. pricket : noun:1. A sharp point or spike for holding a candle.  2. A male deer in its second year, before the antlers have branched. ; "These first candlesticks probably were no more than hollowed-out wood or stone, unembellished, or some sort of crude pricket." Candelight Adds Special Warmth to Any Meal; Chicago Sun-Times; Oct 23, 1988. "The years passed and each year McCarricker made it a point to locate the now full-grown stag who had had a forked antler when he was only a pricket and now carried great antlers." John Joseph Mathews; Old Three Toes and Other Tales of Survival and Extinction; University of Oklahoma Press; 2015. See more usage examples of pricket in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our lives are like islands in the sea, or like trees in the forest. The maple and the pine may whisper to each other with their leaves ... But the trees also commingle their roots in the darkness underground, and the islands also hang together through the ocean's bottom. -William James, psychologist and philosopher (11 Jan 1842-1910) *****January 13, 2017***** willowwacks : New England. a wooded, uninhabited area; They couldn't believe anyone could just walk out of the willowwacks, Navy SEAL or not. Aaron Gwyn, Wynne's War, 2014 Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Lachrymose : 1 : given to tears or weeping : tearful ; "… [Art] Garfunkel has always been partial to lachrymose sentiment. Listen, for instance, to his 1979 hit Bright Eyes, a song that targets the tear duct … and here summed up the tone of the evening." — Patrick Smith, The Daily Telegraph (London), 24 June 2016 consign : (verb) To give over to the care of another; entrust.; charge; She consigned her daughters to the care of their aunt and took an extended vacation to Africa. fard : noun:Makeup verb tr.:1. To apply makeup.  2. To embellish or gloss over. ; "This morning, during breakfast, the tourist's overnight companion -- a young Arab woman with kohl-farded eyes -- taught him the four recognized stages in the ripening of a date." Len Gasparini; A Demon in My View; Guernica; 2003. "Tell why it is not safe to be farding in a car while you drive." Charles A. Collat; A History of Mayer and Our Vision to be First Choice; Seacoast Pub.; 2005. Also see, the comic Frazz by Jef Mallett. Thought For The Day: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946) *****January 14, 2017***** crambo : inferior rhyme; "Then your worship understands crambo?" said the squire. "Better than you imagine, answered the knight, as you will see when you carry from me a letter to my mistress Dulcinea del Toboso, written in verse from top to bottom ... Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), The Adventures of Don Quixote, translated by Tobias Smollett, 1755 Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Effrontery : : shameless boldness : insolence; Holly could not believe the effrontery of the student who asked that her grade be changed even though she had completed little of the coursework. paling : (noun) A fence made of upright pickets.; picket fence; Between it and Judge Driscoll's house there was only a grassy yard, with a paling fence dividing the properties in the middle. cunctation : noun: Delay; procrastination; tardiness. ; "By postponement, we gain peace today. Have we anything to lose by it? Our capacity for cunctation is one of our most powerful and characteristic national weapons." John Maynard Keynes; The Essential Keynes; Penguin Classics; 2016. See more usage examples of cunctation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 15, 2017***** laterigrade : having a sideways manner of moving, as a crab; Not with the blunt and clumsy directness here set forth, but with concealed approach, with laterigrade advance and retrogression, and with antennal deftness as of an emmet feeling its way in the midst of supposed enemies. Henry Christopher McCook, The Latimers: A Tale of the Western Insurrection of 1794, 1897 Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." Neologism : 1 : a new word, usage, or expression; The novelist's latest book is peppered with numerous slang words and neologisms that might not be familiar to some readers. arc-boutant : (noun) A buttress that stands apart from the main structure and connected to it by an arch.; flying buttress; The architect favors the arc-boutant in his designs because it is practical and aesthetically pleasing. cunctation : noun: Delay; procrastination; tardiness. ; "By postponement, we gain peace today. Have we anything to lose by it? Our capacity for cunctation is one of our most powerful and characteristic national weapons." John Maynard Keynes; The Essential Keynes; Penguin Classics; 2016. See more usage examples of cunctation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 16, 2017***** igneous : of, relating to, or characteristic of fire; In the distance, an igneous flash spread silently through the clouds, flaring in great yellow pools, lighting the desert floor and the cactus and mesquite and the greenery that was trying to bloom along a riverbed that never held water except during the monsoon season. James Lee Burke, Feast Day of Fools, 2011 Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Cantankerous : : difficult or irritating to deal with; "[Kenneth] Lonergan's brow was furrowed, and he was speaking, as he often does, in a low, growling mumble.… Among his theatre and movie-industry peers, he is famous for being famously cantankerous." — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2016 nightstick : (noun) A short stout club used primarily by policemen.; truncheon, billy, billy club, billystick, baton; The policeman ordered the loiterers to disperse, tapping his nightstick for effect. cunctation : noun: Delay; procrastination; tardiness. ; "By postponement, we gain peace today. Have we anything to lose by it? Our capacity for cunctation is one of our most powerful and characteristic national weapons." John Maynard Keynes; The Essential Keynes; Penguin Classics; 2016. See more usage examples of cunctation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 17, 2017***** rectitude : rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue: the rectitude o..; Nonviolence, as a strategy, hinges on faith: It is faith in the ultimate moral rectitude and the perfectibility of systems of power. Charles M. Blow, "Violence in Baltimore," New York Times, April 29, 2015 Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Paladin : 1 : a trusted military leader (as for a medieval prince); The prince summoned the paladin to commend him for his actions in battle. sutler : (noun) A supplier of victuals or supplies to an army.; provisioner, victualler; The sutler loaded his mule with provisions and followed the army. satori : noun: Sudden enlightenment or intuitive understanding. ; "Twenty years later, Michael Okun's enthusiasm is fresh as he describes his neurological satori. 'A lot of people were saying all these pathways and everything are really complicated, and they just wanted to get through the class and get a grade. But to me it made perfect sense.'" David Noonan; Mind Craft; Smithsonian; May 2014. See more usage examples of satori in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 18, 2017***** jurisprudence : the science or philosophy of law; The science of jurisprudence regards the state and power as the ancients regarded fire--namely, as something existing absolutely. But for history, the state and power are merely phenomena, just as for modern physics fire is not an element but a phenomenon. Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace, translated by Nathan Haskell Dole, 1899 Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." propitiate : (verb) To conciliate (an offended power).; appease; After his grave sin, he tried to propitiate the gods with a sacrifice. hegira : noun: A journey or migration, especially when taken to escape an undesirable situation. ; "He seamlessly presents historical information on such trail subjects as ... the Mormon hegira to Salt Lake that began in 1847." The Oregon Trail (review); Wild West (Tysons, Virginia); Dec 2015. "In Blinded by the Right, his account of his ideological hegira from conservative button man to liberal media critic, David Brock describes a hilarious scene at an Arkansas bait shop." Charles P. Pierce; Politics: Sure, They Love Her Now...; Esquire (New York); Jun 2013. See more usage examples of hegira in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2017***** katzenjammer : uneasiness; anguish; distress; The long summer spells of quiet are very good for me and at times I have been in a most excellent state of spontaneity, but nothing has survived the subsequent katzenjammer. , Wallace Stevens to Harriet Monroe, August 24, 1922, Letters of Wallace Stevens, 1966 Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." ecesis : (noun) The successful establishment of a plant or animal species in a habitat.; establishment; The ecologists were especially interested in ensuring the ecesis of the endangered species in the wildlife refuge. pronunciamento : noun: An official or authoritarian announcement. ; "Johnny Depp's statement, after Amber Heard ended their 15-month marriage, was blunt: 'Given the brevity of this marriage and the most recent and tragic loss of his mother, Johnny will not respond to any of the salacious false stories, gossip, misinformation and lies ...' Need I tell you that Depp's pronunciamento didn't stop the gossip?" Doug Camilli; Depp Just Wants to Get This Over With; Montreal Gazette Canada); May 28, 2016. See more usage examples of pronunciamento in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I knew of something that could serve my nation but would ruin another, I would not propose it to my prince, for I am first a man and only then a Frenchman ... because I am necessarily a man, and only accidentally am I French. -Montesquieu, philosopher, lawyer, and writer (18 Jan 1689-1755) *****January 20, 2017***** esperance : Obsolete. hope; The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune, / Stands still in esperance, lives not in fear. William Shakespeare, King Lear, 1608 Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." petrous : (adjective) Of, relating to, or resembling rock, especially in hardness; stony.; stonelike; The veterinarian removed several rounded, petrous objects from the animal's wound. bobbery : noun: Squabble; commotion; confusion. ; "The whole bobbery, which has simmered for years, will finally come to a boil on Tuesday." Peter Fimrite; Feng Shui a Sausalito Voter Issue; San Francisco Chronicle; Feb 27, 2002. Thought For The Day: Maybe every other American movie shouldn't be based on a comic book. Other countries will think Americans live in an infantile fantasy land where reality is whatever we say it is and every problem can be solved with violence. -Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and writer (b. 1956) *****January 21, 2017***** asseverate : to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver; He asseverates that it was all a joke. , "Babblings," The Capital, Volume XI, June 9, 1900 Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Tenet : : a principle, belief, or doctrine generally held to be true; especially : one held in common by members of an organization, movement, or profession; According to many, the first tenet of real estate is that location is fundamental to determining the value of a property. insidious : (adjective) Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner.; pernicious, subtle; He appeared to be recovering, but the insidious disease soon reappeared in his other organs. camorra : noun: A secret group united for unscrupulous purposes. ; "Flaubert had poured a stream of corrosive irony on this idea of patriotism. Is it loyalty to a set of political jobholders, a king and his court, a president and his bureaucracy, a parliament, a congress, a Duce or Führer, a camorra of commissars?" Albert Jay Nock; Memoirs of a Superfluous Man; Harper & Brothers; 1943. See more usage examples of camorra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre -- the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) ANOTHER THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Once or twice in every generation a line is crossed so egregiously that where you stood on the issue will forever define you. -Kara Vallow, artist (b. 1967) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****January 22, 2017***** multitudinous : existing, occurring, or present in great numbers; very numer..; It was only one phase of the multitudinous emotions which had assailed her. Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899 Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Xylography : : the art of making engravings on wood especially for printing; Xylography attracted the attention of early modernists, including Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky. journeyman : (noun) A skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft.; artisan, artificer, craftsman; He was a good ten years younger than I was; and, being only a journeyman, his worldly station was below mine. camorra : noun: A secret group united for unscrupulous purposes. ; "Flaubert had poured a stream of corrosive irony on this idea of patriotism. Is it loyalty to a set of political jobholders, a king and his court, a president and his bureaucracy, a parliament, a congress, a Duce or Führer, a camorra of commissars?" Albert Jay Nock; Memoirs of a Superfluous Man; Harper & Brothers; 1943. See more usage examples of camorra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre -- the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) ANOTHER THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Once or twice in every generation a line is crossed so egregiously that where you stood on the issue will forever define you. -Kara Vallow, artist (b. 1967) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****January 23, 2017***** talisman : anything whose presence exercises a remarkable or powerful influe..; Don Vicente took from his pocket the little Golden Hand. "Take this," said he. "It is a talisman, the possessor of which can never lose his life, though the odds seem a hundred to one against him. Charles Gilson, "The Ghost of Carrickgore," Boys' Life, July 1937 Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Vanguard : 1 : the troops moving at the head of an army; The general received a report from scouts in the vanguard that the swampy terrain was not passable. homebody : (noun) One whose interests center on the home.; stay-at-home; He was not merely a homebody, but a true agoraphobic who lived in fear of the outside world. camorra : noun: A secret group united for unscrupulous purposes. ; "Flaubert had poured a stream of corrosive irony on this idea of patriotism. Is it loyalty to a set of political jobholders, a king and his court, a president and his bureaucracy, a parliament, a congress, a Duce or Führer, a camorra of commissars?" Albert Jay Nock; Memoirs of a Superfluous Man; Harper & Brothers; 1943. See more usage examples of camorra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre -- the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956) ANOTHER THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Once or twice in every generation a line is crossed so egregiously that where you stood on the issue will forever define you. -Kara Vallow, artist (b. 1967) A.Word.A.Day by email: *****January 24, 2017***** froideur : French. an attitude of haughty aloofness; cold superiority; ... how can I express the cruelty of the atmosphere, the impertinent froideur of the air, which bit at any exposed parts of our bodies in a manner reminiscent of the Empress's loathsome puppy. John Boyne, The House of Special Purpose, 2009 Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." Sanction : 1 : to make valid or binding usually by a formal procedure (such as ratification); Because he was using equipment that was not sanctioned by league officials, Jared was disqualified from the competition. apothegm : (noun) A terse, witty, instructive saying; a maxim.; aphorism; One of the monks in the monastery collected apothegms and compiled a book of 500 wise maxims. quotidian : adjective: 1. Commonplace; ordinary. 2. Occurring every day. ; "He seemed to soar in his contempt for the quotidian. 'I daresay her highs will be sweet highs, and her lows, will be inexorable.'" Carrie Chang; Fork and Spoon; Xlibris; 2016. See more usage examples of quotidian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (1722-1803) *****January 25, 2017***** intrapreneur : an employee of a large corporation who is given freedom and f..; Many companies—including global brands like IBM, eBay, and Facebook—focus on developing an “intrapreneur†culture. An intrapreneur brings the creativity and drive often associated with startups to larger, established companies. Wes Gay, "Why Big Companies Should Act Small to Engage Millennials," Forbes, November 14, 2016 Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." haberdasher : (noun) A dealer in men's furnishings.; clothier; The young boy excitedly entered the haberdasher's shop, ready to purchase his first suit. effluvium : noun: An unpleasant discharge, for example, fumes, vapors, or gases from waste or decaying matter. ; "His email inbox was full of quotidian effluvia: hospital safety bulletins, university staff postings, calls for papers, drug company propaganda." W.D. Clarke; White Mythology: Two Novellas; All That Is Solid Press; 2016. See more usage examples of effluvium in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1861-1937) *****January 26, 2017***** simpatico : congenial or like-minded; likable: I find our new neighbor simpa..; Former Senator Richard Bernard Stone ... is remembered by a former member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's staff for his ''remarkable ability to appear simpatico with the culture and politics of whoever he was talking with.'' Joseph B. Treaster, "Latin Envoy: Mr. Simpatico," New York Times, June 2, 1983 Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." blacking : (noun) A preparation, such as a shoe or stove polish, that is used to impart a black color.; shoe polish; I let a bottle of blacking fall over his new dress, and he flew at me sword in hand, so that I was obliged to make my escape. ineffable : adjective:1. Incapable of being expressed: indescribable.  2. Not to be expressed: taboo. ; "I love walking the midway, opening my senses to the overload: the smells of hot oil from the food stands and excrement from the livestock pens rising to mix in an ineffable effluvium of mortality and feeding." Mark Baechtel; Love it, Hate It; Anchorage Daily News (Alaska); Aug 31, 2006. "Underneath, he added in large, fiery script the signs of the ineffable name of God." Primo Levi; The Complete Works of Primo Levi; W.W. Norton; 2015. See more usage examples of ineffable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking. I have a foreboding of an America in my children's or grandchildren's time -- when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all the key manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what's true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and author (1934-1996) *****January 27, 2017***** fulminate : to issue denunciations or the like (usually followed by against)..; Not a day passed when he did not fulminate against Batista (That ox! That peasant!) or Castro ... Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2007 Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Barbican : : an outer defensive work; especially : a tower at a gate or bridge; "He heard the voices of the sentries in the barbican as they conversed with the newcomers." — Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Mad King, 1926 dullard : (noun) A person regarded as mentally dull.; dolt, pillock, poor fish, pudding head; David was always a quiet, orderly boy and for a long time was thought by the people of Winesburg to be something of a dullard. visage : noun: Face, appearance, or expression. ; "The poor victim's visage grew gentler. The fury which had contracted it was followed by a strange smile full of ineffable sweetness, gentleness, and tenderness." Victor Hugo (translation: Isabel F Hapgood); The Hunchback of Notre Dame; 1888. See more usage examples of visage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that's ever happened to me has taught me compassion. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2017***** shivoo : Australian. a boisterous party or celebration; For the New Year's shivoo the settlers all saved up, and they all dressed up. D. H. Lawrence, The Boy in the Bush, 1924 Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Omnibus : 1 : of, relating to, or providing for many things at once; "Michael Counts … invites you on a blind date with 17 playwrights. They have taken over the Lower East Side club Fat Baby for this immersive, omnibus evening, which features an array of [one-act plays] describing contemporary courtship." — The New York Times, 4 July 2014  cinematographer : (noun) A photographer who operates a movie camera.; cameraman; The cinematographer won an award for his lush landscape shots, which captured the mood of the film. inexorable : adjective: Incapable of being persuaded, moved, or stopped. ; "Another star who shuffled off this mortal coil before continuing down an inexorable slide toward personal catastrophe and artistic irrelevance: Doors frontman Jim Morrison, whose insouciant visage also graced pulp-stock posters of the time." Jim Reed; Join the Cult of Marilyn; Savannah Morning News (Georgia); Jun 6, 2013. See more usage examples of inexorable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams, photographer (1902-1984) *****January 29, 2017***** chanticleer : Now Literary. a rooster: used as a proper name in medieval fab..; Alas, that Chanticleer flew down from the rafters! Geoffrey Chaucer (1342/43–1400), "The Nun's Priest's Tale," The Canterbury Tales, Modern English prose translation by R. M. Lumiansky, 1948 Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Dander : 1 : dandruff; specifically : minute scales from hair, feathers, or skin that may be allergenic; Farrah liked dogs, but she couldn't own one because she was allergic to pet dander. assiduous : (adjective) Marked by care and persistent effort.; sedulous; By such assiduous and persevering labor they made their way about four hundred and fifty miles up the Missouri. inexorable : adjective: Incapable of being persuaded, moved, or stopped. ; "Another star who shuffled off this mortal coil before continuing down an inexorable slide toward personal catastrophe and artistic irrelevance: Doors frontman Jim Morrison, whose insouciant visage also graced pulp-stock posters of the time." Jim Reed; Join the Cult of Marilyn; Savannah Morning News (Georgia); Jun 6, 2013. See more usage examples of inexorable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams, photographer (1902-1984) *****January 30, 2017***** parergon : something that is an accessory to a main work or subject; embelli..; It was what you might call a final exhibition--a last attack--a giddy par-ergon. Rudyard Kipling, Stalky & Co., 1899 Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Macerate : 1 : to cause to waste away by or as if by excessive fasting; "Absinthe is made by macerating herbs and spices … with the grand wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) that gives the drink its name." — Julia Reed, Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2010 pillbox : (noun) A woman's small hat with upright sides and a flat crown.; toque, turban; Mary had to use hairclips to ensure that her new leopard-skin pillbox didn't slip off her head. inexorable : adjective: Incapable of being persuaded, moved, or stopped. ; "Another star who shuffled off this mortal coil before continuing down an inexorable slide toward personal catastrophe and artistic irrelevance: Doors frontman Jim Morrison, whose insouciant visage also graced pulp-stock posters of the time." Jim Reed; Join the Cult of Marilyn; Savannah Morning News (Georgia); Jun 6, 2013. See more usage examples of inexorable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams, photographer (1902-1984) *****January 31, 2017***** equivoque : an equivocal term; an ambiguous expression; The [French] language, too, suggests shades and "nuances" of colouring, that exist not in other tongues--you can give to your canvas the precise tint you wish, for when mystery would prove a merit, the equivoque is there ready to your hand, that means so much, yet asserts so little. Charles Lever, Arthur O'Leary: His wanderings and ponderings in many lands, 1845 Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Fastidious : 1 a : having high and often capricious standards : difficult to please; "I may have thrown in a little thing here or there, but I'm pretty fastidious about sticking to the script if I like it…." — Michael Shannon, Screen International, 21 Nov. 2016 prosaic : (adjective) Straightforward; not fanciful or imaginative.; matter-of-fact; It is to be a cold, prosaic, matter-of-fact business proposition. verklempt : adjective: Overcome with emotion; choked up. ; "But it always makes me a little verklempt too, like my heart's in my throat and I'm overcome with love." Christie Blatchford; All Connected to the Hip; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); May 28, 2016. Thought For The Day: Story, finally, is humanity's autobiography. -Lloyd Alexander, novelist (30 Jan 1924-2007) *****February 01, 2017***** kanone : a person who is an expert skier; So I was understandably a little nervous last spring in Telluride when I had the chance to meet Norman Vaughan, a man who has been, for many years, top kanone in my ski pantheon. Peter Shelton, "Norman, Kanon: In 1936 Vaughan wrote Ski Fever. In 1995 he still burns with passion." Ski, December 1995 Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." shoestring : (noun) Marked by or consisting of a small amount of money.; shoe string; The manager was expected to run the department on a shoestring budget, so to save money, he fired a few a few of the salesmen and accountants. yentz : verb tr.: To cheat. ; "Enron's thugs extorted $30 billion from California: a yentzing worthy of the Gilded Age." Richard von Busack; Scam Artists; Metro (San Jose, California); Apr 29, 2005. "You'll tell them how you yentzed big Herman Wolff out of five hundred grand." D. Keith Mano; Take Five; Dalkey Archive Press; 1998. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 02, 2017***** ataraxia : a state of freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety; tranqu..; Remember that the goal of the great Epicurus was not an earthly he-done (Hedonism), or pleasure, but a lofty ataraxia, or freedom from cares and trivial thoughts. H. P. Lovecraft, Selected Letters, 1965–1976 Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." roughneck : (noun) A cruel and brutal fellow.; yobo, bully, hooligan, rowdy, ruffian, yob, tough; The boys knew it was safer to avoid the alley where the neighborhood's roughnecks frequently gathered, but they chose to use the shortcut anyway. potch : verb. tr.: To slap or spank. noun: A slap or spanking. ; "There are two schools of thought on the subject of potching. The first is that parents should never potch, no matter what was done and regardless of the circumstances." Dovid Kaplan; Polishing Diamonds: Bringing Out the Sparkle in Our Children; Hamodia; 2005. Thought For The Day: I tire so of hearing people say, / Let things take their course. / Tomorrow is another day. / I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. / I cannot live on tomorrow's bread. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2017***** umbra : shade; shadow; Lancelot followed in her shadow. ... Only in the umbra of the old woman could he make his way. J. Robert King, Lancelot du Lethe, 2001 Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Imprecate : : to invoke evil on : curse; "Mallory imprecated the weather when the ink froze in his fountain pen…." — Stanley Snaith, At Grips with Everest, 1938 betise : (noun) A stupid mistake.; folly, imbecility, stupidity, foolishness; At the fundraising event, the master of ceremonies introduced the keynote speaker by the wrong name, and his betise was immortalized on film. futz : verb intr. 1. To waste time or to idle. 2. To meddle or fiddle with something. ; "'We don't go down there to futz around,' he added. 'We go down there to showcase our skills.'" Jane M. Von Bergen; Labor Peace at the Convention; Philadelphia Inquirer; Jul 29, 2016. "Her mother just wants to watch her show. She should stop futzing with her environment." Lolly Winston; Happiness Sold Separately; Warner Books; 2006. See more usage examples of futz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have come to a point where it is loyalty to resist, and treason to submit. -Carl Schurz, revolutionary, statesman, and reformer (1829-1906) *****February 04, 2017***** cloudland : the sky; When the wind came it split the sky and shouldered the cloudland left and right, unbarring great clear furnaces of rolling gold. G. K. Chesterton, Manalive, 1912 Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Abyssal : 1 : of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean depths; "Since the accident, researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Oceanology have mapped several deep eddies in the Xisha Trough, an area of abyssal ocean off Hainan." — David Hambling, The Guardian (UK), 29 Dec. 2016 chaise : (noun) A long chair; for reclining.; daybed; The queen reclined on a gorgeous chaise while her servants fanned her with palm fronds. schmatte or shmatte : noun: 1. A rag. 2. An old, ragged article of clothing. 3. Any garment. ; "Erica quickly retorts, 'She's Diane Sawyer. She goes into caves in Afghanistan with a shmatte on her head.'" Kelli Marshall; Something's Gotta Give; Journal of Popular Film & Television (Washington, DC); Spring 2009. "Sidney Kimmel made his fortune in the schmatte business, building Jones Apparel, owner of such sensible clothing brands as Jones New York, Anne Klein, and Nine West." Dorothy Pomerantz; Rags to Riches (Not Exactly); Forbes (New York); Oct 11, 2010. Thought For The Day: The limits of tyrants is prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) *****February 05, 2017***** feinschmecker : German. gourmet; Our haute feinschmecker takes time off to sample the lowly delights of the hamburger joint. , “Contents: Restaurants: Grind House Glories," New York, March 9, 1970 Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†diatribe : (noun) A bitter, abusive denunciation.; fulmination; Silverstein found vent in a diatribe against all prize-fighters and against Joe Fleming in particular. schmatte or shmatte : noun: 1. A rag. 2. An old, ragged article of clothing. 3. Any garment. ; "Erica quickly retorts, 'She's Diane Sawyer. She goes into caves in Afghanistan with a shmatte on her head.'" Kelli Marshall; Something's Gotta Give; Journal of Popular Film & Television (Washington, DC); Spring 2009. "Sidney Kimmel made his fortune in the schmatte business, building Jones Apparel, owner of such sensible clothing brands as Jones New York, Anne Klein, and Nine West." Dorothy Pomerantz; Rags to Riches (Not Exactly); Forbes (New York); Oct 11, 2010. Thought For The Day: The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) *****February 06, 2017***** juggernaut : any large, overpowering, destructive force or object, as war, a..; ... big-time sports was "a juggernaut" that "Rolls over people" who criticize it, he said, making the faculty a silent, fearful, impotent majority. Robert Lipsyte, "Backtalk; Critics' Corner Still Tackling 'A Juggernaut,'" New York Times, November 26, 2000 Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Luculent : : clear in thought or expression; The professor gave a luculent introduction to quantum mechanics.  tutelage : (noun) The capacity or activity of a tutor; instruction or teaching.; tuition; Michael's crowning achievement, under Daughtry's tutelage, in the first days in the stateroom, was to learn to count up to five. schmatte or shmatte : noun: 1. A rag. 2. An old, ragged article of clothing. 3. Any garment. ; "Erica quickly retorts, 'She's Diane Sawyer. She goes into caves in Afghanistan with a shmatte on her head.'" Kelli Marshall; Something's Gotta Give; Journal of Popular Film & Television (Washington, DC); Spring 2009. "Sidney Kimmel made his fortune in the schmatte business, building Jones Apparel, owner of such sensible clothing brands as Jones New York, Anne Klein, and Nine West." Dorothy Pomerantz; Rags to Riches (Not Exactly); Forbes (New York); Oct 11, 2010. Thought For The Day: The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) *****February 07, 2017***** paralogize : to draw conclusions that do not follow logically from a given s..; "A brick," he retorted, "is a parallelogram; I am not a parallelogram, and therefore not a brick ..." "Charley Lightheart, you paralogize." Stewart Edward White and Samuel Hopkins Adams, The Mystery, 1907 Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." garboil : (noun) A state of commotion and noise and confusion.; tumult, uproar; The crowd at the fair was noisy and rowdy, and in the midst of the garboil, I lost sight of my sister. gnathonic : adjective: Sycophantic. ; "'Both your parties' candidates are gnathonic toward big business,' he said." John Worsley Simpson; Election Enhances Word Power of All Political Parties; National Post (Canada); Jul 3, 2004. Thought For The Day: The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (6 Feb 1887-1985) *****February 08, 2017***** bonzer : Australian. remarkable; wonderful; "That was bonzer," he said, balancing on a rail and running his hat through his fingers by its brim. "Thanks for the company." Colleen McCullough, Bittersweet, 2013 Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Nexus : 1 : connection, link; also : a causal link; The new art exhibition is devoted to those artists whose work first began to form a nexus between high art and popular culture. chiffonier : (noun) A narrow high chest of drawers or bureau, often with a mirror attached.; commode; Against the wall stood an exquisite chiffonier, on which were resting some cut-glass decanters and goblets. bovarism : noun: A romanticized, unrealistic view of oneself. ; "My own introduction to bovarism came courtesy of a boy called Bob Miller, two years above me at college, who enjoyed pretending that he was a horny-handed scion of the Tyneside proletariat and justified views on any social question with the refrain: 'Ah'm more wukkin' class than thee' (his cover was eventually blown by an admissions tutor who pointed out that under 'father's profession' on his UCAS form were the fatal words 'company director')." D.J. Taylor; Picking at the Carrion; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Jul 5, 2009. Thought For The Day: The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919) *****February 09, 2017***** troglodyte : a person of degraded, primitive, or brutal character; In 1964, he published his big book, “Understanding Media,†in which he took to task technological troglodytes like White and Boorstin. Louis Menand, "Masters of the Matrix," The New Yorker, January 5, 2004 acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Carceral : : of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison; "The door opened, whining, rattling and groaning in keeping with all the rules of carceral counterpoint." — Vladimir Nabokov, Invitation to a Beheading, 1959 condescending : (adjective) Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude.; patronizing, arch; Sir William, no doubt, meant to be kind, but he was cold and condescending, and not a little pompous and conceited. Mrs. Grundy : noun: An extremely conventional or priggish person. ; "The government cannot become a Mrs. Grundy, advising people how many kids they should have, what moral values they should adhere to, or what they should read or watch." Yusuf Kanli; Is the State a Mrs Grundy?; Turkish Daily News (Ankara); Sep 29, 2008. Thought For The Day: When a man is wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2017***** muckrake : to search for and expose real or alleged corruption, scandal, or ..; There will continue to be room, of course, for some kinds of traditional, thoroughly sourced reporting: exclusives, certainly. Investigations, certainly. that's something extra. Yahoo isn't in a position to muckrake. Mitchell Stephens, "Beyond the News," Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 2007 Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." smidgen : (noun) A very small quantity or portion; a bit or mite.; whit, iota, scintilla, shred, tittle; He did not possess even a smidgen of courage and readily yielded his sandwich to an irate squirrel. Struwwelpeter : noun: A person with long, thick, disheveled hair. ; "Einstein ... presented as a Struwwelpeter character, smiling from an aureole of almost electrified hair." Ronald Clark; Einstein: The Life and Times; Bloomsbury; 2011. Thought For The Day: My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right. -Carl Schurz, revolutionary, statesman, and reformer (1829-1906) *****February 11, 2017***** whiffler : a person who frequently shifts opinions, attitudes, interests, et..; Ay, ay; he's a whiffler, but a good man on a sea-elephant. James Fenimore Cooper, The Sea Lions; or, The Lost Sealers, 1849 Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Adjure : 1 : to command solemnly under or as if under oath or penalty of a curse; The church has strong ties to the community and has long adjured its congregants to devote time to the aid of those less fortunate than themselves. uncultured : (adjective) Not cultured or cultivated.; artless, uncultivated; She regarded him as an uncultured brute. gargantua : noun: A giant in size, feats, stature, or (physical or intellectual) appetites. ; "In Io's sky, Jupiter crawls like a gargantua, a bright, vast, streaked disk eating the blackness of space, so huge it seems intent on crushing everything under it." Dana Wilde; Io Roars and Shakes Its Fires in Empty Space; Bangor Daily News (Maine); Apr 23, 2007. Thought For The Day: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet and novelist (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 12, 2017***** noblesse oblige : the moral obligation of those of high birth, powerful soci..; They're high-tech cocooners, utterly lacking in any sense of noblesse oblige. Even their machines are selfish. Walter Kirn, "Beat the Elite," New York, January 9, 1995 Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Ragtag : 1 : ragged, unkempt; "Cyndi Lauper was one of the biggest stars of the '80's MTV era…. Her girlish voice and gleefully ragtag appearance became one of the most distinctive images of the time, which helped catapult her to stardom." — The Arizona Republic, 28 Sept. 2016 pollinosis : (noun) A seasonal rhinitis resulting from an allergic reaction to pollen.; hay fever; It was spring, and, just like the garden, his pollinosis was in full-bloom. gargantua : noun: A giant in size, feats, stature, or (physical or intellectual) appetites. ; "In Io's sky, Jupiter crawls like a gargantua, a bright, vast, streaked disk eating the blackness of space, so huge it seems intent on crushing everything under it." Dana Wilde; Io Roars and Shakes Its Fires in Empty Space; Bangor Daily News (Maine); Apr 23, 2007. Thought For The Day: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet and novelist (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 13, 2017***** calliopean : piercingly loud; resembling a calliope in sound: a calliopean v..; Presently we heard the engines give a calliopean wheeze, and the boat started to move. W. Stanley Moss, Ill Met By Moonlight, 1950 Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Weltanschauung : : (often capitalized Weltanschauung) a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint; "In my personal Weltanschauung, there is nothing wrong with arm hair, giant headphones are silly and skin-lightening products are creepy and grim. Others may grade them differently, but that's all part of the same thing too. As soon as you opt in to a belief system where any type of hair, skin or style is 'right' or 'wrong' … you are in the jaws." — Victoria Coren Mitchell, The Observer, 3 Apr. 2016 decennary : (noun) A period of 10 years.; decade; The first decennary of the century was marked by revolutionary movements and general social unrest. gargantua : noun: A giant in size, feats, stature, or (physical or intellectual) appetites. ; "In Io's sky, Jupiter crawls like a gargantua, a bright, vast, streaked disk eating the blackness of space, so huge it seems intent on crushing everything under it." Dana Wilde; Io Roars and Shakes Its Fires in Empty Space; Bangor Daily News (Maine); Apr 23, 2007. Thought For The Day: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet and novelist (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 14, 2017***** pedagogy : the function or work of a teacher; teaching; It was the cold, pitiless glass heart of Professor March's approach to magical pedagogy. Every lecture, every exercise, every demonstration was concerned with how to manipulate and transform it using magic. Lev Grossman, The Magicians, 2009 Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Transpontine : 1 : situated on the farther side of a bridge; Traffic on the Tobin Bridge was at a near standstill, and it took us twenty minutes to reach our transpontine destination in Charlestown. conversant : (adjective) Well informed about or knowing thoroughly.; familiar; A few words, in explanation, will here be necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with the details of aerostation. bork : verb tr.: To systematically attack a nominee or candidate for public office. ; "The borking of Clarence Thomas that followed nearly kept him from being confirmed." SCOTUS, Lies, and Videotape; The Examiner (Washington, DC); Feb 24, 2016. Thought For The Day: The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2017***** spoony : Informal. foolishly or sentimentally amorous; Growing a mustache and turning spoony over a woman like that, you really are a fool! ShÅ«sei Tokuda (1872–1943), Rough Living, translated by Richard Torrance, 2001 Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." repugnance : (noun) Extreme dislike or aversion.; revulsion, repulsion, horror; Does any secret repugnance, or any hereditary dislike, exist between you and her family? John Hancock : noun: A person's signature. ; "The Bill was smuggled through the House of Assembly before being bulldozed through the Senate until it landed on President Mugabe for his John Hancock." Cyril Zenda; Will Mugabe Come to Rescue?; The Financial Gazette (Harare, Zimbabwe); Oct 27, 2016. See more usage examples of John Hancock in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 16, 2017***** sine die : without fixing a day for future action or meeting: The assembly a..; ... the fates were against Mrs. Jupp, and the meeting between my hero and his former landlady was postponed sine die ... Samuel Butler, The Way of All Flesh, 1903 Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." jamboree : (noun) A noisy celebration.; gala, blowout; Mary could not bear to miss the party and begged her mother for permission to attend the jamboree. Benedict Arnold : noun: A traitor. ; "What a traitorous concoction. Sounds like Eggs Benedict Arnold." Brad Wheeler; Calories and Charisma; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 16, 2013. See more usage examples of Benedict Arnold in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (b. 15 Feb 1945) *****February 17, 2017***** procrustean : tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means; A procrustean system or plan forces individuals--no matter how different they may be--to fit the same mold or to conform to a single type or pattern. William F. Russell, Classic Myths to Read Aloud, 1989 Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Sward : 1 : a portion of ground covered with grass; "It was a blind and despairing rush by the collection of men in dusty and tattered blue, over a green sward and under a sapphire sky, toward a fence, dimly outlined in smoke, from behind which spluttered the fierce rifles of enemies." — Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, 1895 manger : (noun) A trough or an open box in which feed for livestock is placed.; trough; After putting him in a stable, his new master filled his manger with straw, but Pinocchio, after tasting a mouthful, spat it out. McCarthyism : noun: The practice of making unfounded accusations against someone. ; "There is a general intolerance of those in positions of power of views contrary to their own. Pakistan today needs, more than ever, to guard against McCarthyism." Pakistan Needs to Guard Against McCarthyism; The Statesman (Peshawar, Pakistan); Dec 11, 2016. See more usage examples of McCarthyism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing the ground. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) *****February 18, 2017***** oscitant : drowsy or inattentive; I dread the arrival of the delivery man, who will be even more oscitant than this man at the take-out phone. J. D. Landis, Lying in Bed, 1995 Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." significative : (adjective) Pointing out or revealing clearly.; indicatory, revelatory, suggestive, indicative; Her frantic movements were significative of fear. gerrymander : verb tr: To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party. noun: An instance of gerrymandering. ; "The Italian people treated [Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's] attempt to gerrymander the political system with the respect it deserved -- forcing Renzi's resignation." Ross Clark; Italy's Referendum Is Proof that Anti-EU Sentiment Is Not Confined to the UK; Express (London, UK); Dec 6, 2016. See more usage examples of gerrymander in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) *****February 19, 2017***** craquelure : a network of fine cracks or crackles on the surface of a painti..; She made more coffee and ate sitting on the sofa, looking closely at the craquelure that the ageing process, exposure to light and movement of the wooden support had inevitably inflicted on the painted surface. Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Flanders Panel, translated by Margaret Jull Costa, 1994 Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Protean : 1 : of or resembling Proteus in having a varied nature or ability to assume different forms; "Together, the paintings demonstrate Picasso's protean ability to slip into new visual languages to suit the occasion, his subject and his own whims." — Colin Dabkowski, The Buffalo (New York) News, 13 Jan. 2017 disputant : (noun) One engaged in a dispute.; eristic, controversialist; Other tribes of the new federation took sides with the original disputants or set up petty revolutions of their own. gerrymander : verb tr: To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party. noun: An instance of gerrymandering. ; "The Italian people treated [Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's] attempt to gerrymander the political system with the respect it deserved -- forcing Renzi's resignation." Ross Clark; Italy's Referendum Is Proof that Anti-EU Sentiment Is Not Confined to the UK; Express (London, UK); Dec 6, 2016. See more usage examples of gerrymander in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) *****February 20, 2017***** fress : Slang. to eat or snack, especially often or in large quantities; "If you're not eating that ..." "Fress, Heidi, fress, please. I wasn't as hungry as I thought." Thomas Pynchon, Bleeding Edge, 2013 Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Bemuse : 1 : to make confused : puzzle, bewilder; She had neither asked for nor expected her newfound celebrity, and was bemused by all the attention she was receiving. tucket : (noun) Short lively tune played on brass instruments.; fanfare, flourish; Her arrival was greeted with a rousing tucket. gerrymander : verb tr: To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party. noun: An instance of gerrymandering. ; "The Italian people treated [Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's] attempt to gerrymander the political system with the respect it deserved -- forcing Renzi's resignation." Ross Clark; Italy's Referendum Is Proof that Anti-EU Sentiment Is Not Confined to the UK; Express (London, UK); Dec 6, 2016. See more usage examples of gerrymander in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) *****February 21, 2017***** statecraft : the art of government and diplomacy; Statecraft at the highest level is a most exacting human activity, one that presents distinctive moral dilemmas. William Lee Miller, President Lincoln: The Duty of a Statesman, 2008 Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Onus : 1 : burden; Management has made it clear that the onus is on employees to ask for further training if they don't understand the new procedures. turbid : (adjective) Having sediment or foreign particles stirred up or suspended.; murky, cloudy, muddy; It was now early spring, and the river was swollen and turbulent; great cakes of floating ice were swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters. kibosh : noun: Check; stop (used in the phrase "to put the kibosh on"). ; "Not content with taking a bulldozer to the European Union, Mrs May seems hell-bent on putting the kibosh on an agreement that is crucial to protecting our national and international commitment to human rights." Garry Scott; May's Move Would Threaten Human Rights Across Globe; The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland); Jan 6, 2017. See more usage examples of kibosh in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies, becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself and for others. -Fyodor Dostoevsky, novelist (1821-1881) *****February 22, 2017***** excoriate : to denounce or berate severely; flay verbally: He was excoriated..; Jonathan Swift once observed, “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own,†and so it might be charged, too, of satirists who excoriate others while exempting themselves from blame. Joyce Carol Oates, "Showtime," The New Yorker, October 27, 2003 Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Distaff : 1 a : related through a mother; "Lord Robert Walsingham de Vere St. Simon, second son of the Duke of Balmoral.… The Duke, his father, was at one time Secretary for Foreign Affairs. They inherit Plantagenet blood by direct descent, and Tudor on the distaff side." — Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor," 1892 haggard : (adjective) Showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering.; careworn, drawn, raddled, worn; His face was ghastly pale; his chin had a brown cut on it—a cut half healed; his expression was haggard and drawn, as by intense suffering. copacetic or copasetic : adjective: Excellent; satisfactory; OK. ; "Some players were copacetic with losing all the time, she says, while others grew frustrated." Losing at Sports Can Be Good for Children; The Daily News (Durban, South Africa); Nov 4, 2016. See more usage examples of copacetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Anais Nin, writer (21 Feb 1903-1977) *****February 23, 2017***** dudgeon : a feeling of offense or resentment; anger: We left in high dudgeon..; We had only been married three weeks and she had already walked out in high dudgeon five or six times. I could never understand what I did to put her in high dudgeon, but whatever it was I always felt utterly to blame. Larry McMurtry, All My Friends Are Going to Be Strangers, 1972 Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Mayhap : : possibly but not certainly : perhaps; "The very footmen sometimes grinned too broadly, the maidservants giggled mayhap too loud, and a provoking air of intelligence seemed to pervade the whole family." — Sir Walter Scott, Waverly, 1814 excursive : (adjective) Of, given to, characterized by, or having the nature of digression.; rambling, digressive, discursive; What started as a few excursive remarks soon turned into a long, rambling speech about this and that. rambunctious : adjective: Uncontrollably boisterous. ; "And those who have been in perennial thrall to Sean Cronin's rambunctious spirit may have thought nothing could have ever stopped him in his tracks." David Kelly; Lions Aim Spurs on Cronin; Irish Independent (Dublin); Jan 18, 2017. See more usage examples of rambunctious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Roads endure longer than pyramids. -Karol Bunsch, novelist (22 Feb 1898-1987) *****February 24, 2017***** beastie : Chiefly Literary. a small animal, especially one toward which affe..; ... John Silence watched the performance of the cat with profound attention and without interfering. Then he called to the animal by name. "Smoke, you mysterious beastie, what in the world are you about?" Algernon Blackwood, John Silence: Physician Extraordinary, 1908 Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." spelunker : (noun) One who explores caves chiefly as a hobby; a caver.; potholer, speleologist; The spelunkers were lost in the cave and worried that their minimal rations, two granola bars and a bag of salted peanuts, would not last long. codswallop : noun: Nonsense. ; "And to think that there are people out there -- including some I used to vaguely respect -- who actually buy into and believe that kind of codswallop." Jesus, St John, and Mahatma Gandhi need YOU; Malta Today (San Gwann); Jan 19, 2017. See more usage examples of codswallop in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) *****February 25, 2017***** scapegrace : a complete rogue or rascal; a habitually unscrupulous person; s..; Tommy Bangs was the scapegrace of the school, and the most trying little scapegrace that ever lived. As full of mischief as a monkey, yet so good-hearted that one could not help forgiving his tricks ... Louisa May Alcott, Little Men, 1871 Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." buskin : (noun) A foot and leg covering reaching halfway to the knee, resembling a laced half boot.; half boot; He wore pale yellow buskins that covered the scars just above his ankles. lollygag (also lallygag) : verb intr.: To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily. ; "[Photographer Nathan] Benn didn't lollygag. Between June and October, he exposed 286 rolls of film." Mark Feeney; A Vivid Time Capsule of the North Shore; The Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 12, 2017. See more usage examples of lollygag in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We're here to put a dent in the universe. -Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (24 Feb 1955-2011) *****February 26, 2017***** runnel : a small stream; brook; rivulet; It took me the whole day to reach the patch,--which I found indeed a forest--but not a rudiment of brook or runnel had I crossed! George MacDonald, Lilith, 1895 Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." roster : (noun) A list, especially of names.; roll; The spy's mission was to compile a roster of officials amenable to bribery. lollygag (also lallygag) : verb intr.: To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily. ; "[Photographer Nathan] Benn didn't lollygag. Between June and October, he exposed 286 rolls of film." Mark Feeney; A Vivid Time Capsule of the North Shore; The Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 12, 2017. See more usage examples of lollygag in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We're here to put a dent in the universe. -Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (24 Feb 1955-2011) *****February 27, 2017***** meritorious : deserving praise, reward, esteem, etc.; praiseworthy: to recei..; It wasn't exactly a misdemeanor to be late to breakfast--it began promptly at eight o'clock--but it was distinctly meritorious not to be. Henry Kitchell Webster, The Real Adventure, 1916 Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." banneret : (noun) A knight honored for valor, entitled to display a square banner and to hold higher command.; knight of the square flag; The banneret proudly led his troops into battle and pressed forward unafraid. lollygag (also lallygag) : verb intr.: To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily. ; "[Photographer Nathan] Benn didn't lollygag. Between June and October, he exposed 286 rolls of film." Mark Feeney; A Vivid Time Capsule of the North Shore; The Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 12, 2017. See more usage examples of lollygag in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We're here to put a dent in the universe. -Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (24 Feb 1955-2011) *****February 28, 2017***** bumbershoot : Informal: Often Facetious. an umbrella; Don't try to hurry the job--it may take hours of intermittent attention to put such a bumbershoot back in working order. Next time, be sure the umbrella is dry before you close it. , "How to Repair an Umbrella," Popular Science, April 1957 Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Shunpike : : a side road used to avoid the toll on or the speed and traffic of a superhighway; David did some math to determine if the money on the extra gas needed to take the shunpike cost more than the toll for using the freeway. fleecy : (adjective) Having soft nap produced by brushing.; napped, brushed; Though the train was unbearably cold, she snuggled into the fleecy lining of her coat and promptly fell asleep. offing : noun: Near future (used in the phrase "in the offing"). ; "A Cabinet reshuffle is in the offing but the date will depend on the President." Zahrah Imtiaz; Cabinet Reshuffle in the Offing; Daily News (Colombo, Sri Lanka); Feb 4, 2017. See more usage examples of offing in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in the safe. -Peter De Vries, editor, novelist (27 Feb 1910-1993) *****March 01, 2017***** shrive : to grant absolution to (a penitent); Father Hugo says that in time of war, even if there is no priest to shrive you, your sins can be forgiven this way. Diana Gabaldon, Dragonfly in Amber, 1992 Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." rampart : (noun) A fortification consisting of an embankment, often with a parapet built on top.; bulwark, wall; They stormed the ramparts of the city with ladders and catapults. jury-rig : verb tr.: To assemble or fix temporarily using whatever is at hand. ; "The city does not run power to Bushkoppies, so most residents jury-rig their homes with illegal connections from power lines. But the Segelbergs refuse to wire an illegal connection to their creche, both out of a concern for safety and to teach the children a respect for the law." Cecilia Johnson; Raising South Africa; Times Live (Johannesburg, South Africa); Jan 13, 2017. See more usage examples of jury-rig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have abundant reason to rejoice, that, in this land, the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition, and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In this enlightened age, and in this land of equal liberty, it is our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States. -George Washington, 1st US president, general (1732-1799) *****March 02, 2017***** malfeasance : Law. the performance by a public official of an act that is le..; The mid-nineteen-seventies was a revolutionary moment in investigative reporting—the perhaps inevitable aftermath of Woodward and Bernstein, with stories on C.I.A. operations, military cover-ups, and Congressional malfeasance all over the front pages. Seymour M. Hersh, "Scooped by Mike Wallace," The New Yorker, April 8, 2012 Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." sepulcher : (noun) A chamber that is used as a grave.; burial chamber; The archaeologists opened the sepulcher expecting to find ancient artifacts, but the burial chamber turned out to be completely empty. slush fund : noun: A fund established for illegal activities, especially in business and politics. ; "[Choi] used her friendship with the South Korean leader to pressure businesses into donating to charitable foundations, which served as her personal slush fund." Spiritualist at Centre of Crisis Goes on Trial; The Nelson Mail (New Zealand); Dec 20, 2016. See more usage examples of slush fund in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men. -Norman Angell, lecturer, author, MP, and Nobel laureate (1872-1967) *****March 03, 2017***** crocodilian : hypocritical; insincere; The crocodilian concern with the lower classes and their subsidy of middle-class students (who are fighting to extend such subsidies to lower-class children) is authentic "old-time" common sense at the zenith of coherence. Marvin Harris, "Campus Confusion: To the Editor," New York Times, January 5, 1969 Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." Laconic : : using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious; The reporters had a hard time getting the laconic quarterback to share his thoughts after the tough loss. brachypterous : (adjective) Having very short or rudimentary wings, as certain insects.; short-winged; Some brachypterous insects evade predators by jumping short distances. pinchgut : noun: A miserly person. adjective: Miserly. ; "Even Sifter Sol, a pinchgut gold panner who rarely parted with a penny, bought a bottle." Maxine Schur; Gullible Gus; Clarion Books; 2009. See more usage examples of pinchgut in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991) *****March 04, 2017***** hydra : a persistent or many-sided problem that presents new obstacles as so..; I was very bitter, I know, upon this night of which I am now particularly telling, and the only face upon the hydra of Capitalism and Monopoly that I could see at all clearly, smiled exactly as old Rawdon had smiled when he refused to give me more than a paltry twenty shillings a week. H. G. Wells, In the Days of the Comet, 1906 Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Cabotage : 1 : trade or transport in coastal waters or airspace or between two points within a country; "If Britain were granted cabotage, B.A.'s planes would be able to operate like a domestic carrier—to hop about the United States, picking up and discharging passengers, and carrying many of them to and from Britain." — John Newhouse, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 1991 wraith : (noun) Something shadowy and insubstantial.; ghost, specter, spook, shade; He refused to venture near cemeteries, fearing he'd encounter wraiths, ghosts, and apparitions of all kinds. jettison : verb tr.: To cast off something regarded as unwanted or burdensome. noun: The act of discarding something. ; "Disillusioned former supporters accused [Stephen Donnelly] of jettisoning his principles for a shot at high office." Colin Coyle; Social Media Savvy TD Will Need All of His Connecting Skills After Switching Sides; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 5, 2017. See more usage examples of jettison in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989) *****March 05, 2017***** lotus-eater : a person who leads a life of dreamy, indolent ease, indifferen..; Octavia passed the days in a kind of lotus-eater's dream. Books, hammocks, correspondence with a few intimate friends, a renewed interest in her old water-color box and easel--these disposed of the sultry hours of daylight. O. Henry, "Madame Bo-Peep, of the Ranches," Whirligigs, 1910 Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Nugatory : 1 : of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential; "The novel's greatest talker is Sandro's best friend, Ronnie Fontaine, whose photographs (such as we hear about them) seem nugatory, but whose stories are captivating." — James Wood, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2013 sporty : (adjective) Marked by conspicuous display.; flashy, gaudy, jazzy, showy; The Thompsons thought it inappropriate that their newly widowed neighbor wore such a sporty outfit to her husband's funeral. jettison : verb tr.: To cast off something regarded as unwanted or burdensome. noun: The act of discarding something. ; "Disillusioned former supporters accused [Stephen Donnelly] of jettisoning his principles for a shot at high office." Colin Coyle; Social Media Savvy TD Will Need All of His Connecting Skills After Switching Sides; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 5, 2017. See more usage examples of jettison in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989) *****March 06, 2017***** salaam : a salutation meaning “peace,†used especially in Islamic countr..; And the black-birds too are dozing, and the bulbuls flitting by whisper with their wings, 'salaam.' Peace and salaam! Ameen Rihani, The Book of Khalid, 1911 Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." prosody : (noun) The study of the metrical structure of verse.; metrics; He was a master of meter, and contributed certain modifications to the laws of Chinese prosody which exist to the present day. jettison : verb tr.: To cast off something regarded as unwanted or burdensome. noun: The act of discarding something. ; "Disillusioned former supporters accused [Stephen Donnelly] of jettisoning his principles for a shot at high office." Colin Coyle; Social Media Savvy TD Will Need All of His Connecting Skills After Switching Sides; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 5, 2017. See more usage examples of jettison in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989) *****March 07, 2017***** fusillade : a general discharge or outpouring of anything: a fusillade of qu..; During this unprecedented fusillade of blows the Gangster hunkered down and didn't move except to deflect the stray chop away from his face. Junot Díaz, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, 2007 Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." worriment : (noun) A difficulty that causes anxiety.; troublesomeness, inconvenience; To him, everything was a worriment, and his anxiety increased every day. bludge : verb intr.: To shirk responsibility. verb tr.: To obtain something through the generosity of others; to scrounge. noun: An easy task. ; "My former flatmate also bludged some tickets from me but did make a lovely lasagne in return." Simon Taylor; Huge Support A Welcome Surprise; The Times (London, UK); Oct 23, 2003. See more usage examples of bludge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out-- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak for me. -Martin Niemoller, pastor, initial supporter of Hitler, concentration camp survivor (1892 - 6 Mar 1984) *****March 08, 2017***** middlescence : the middle-age period of life, especially when considered a d..; Just as poor Alonso Quijano, in middle age, was so bewitched by the novels of chivalry that he declared himself Don Quixote de la Mancha, the Knight of Doleful Aspect, so the skipper of Rocinante Cuatro, in his middlescence, was led by his passion for Cervantes's novel to identify himself with both its hero and, eventually, its author. John Barth, The Tidewater Tales, 1987 Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." musette : (noun) A small French bagpipe operated with a bellows and having a soft sound.; shepherd's pipe; The young man was adept at the musette and would play it during celebrations. politick : verb intr.: To engage in (usually partisan) political activity. ; "The Wise Man, by contrast, doesn't politick: he is studious, reserved, quiet, and self-effacing." Sebastian Hamilton; A Shameful Witch-Hunt; Daily Mail (London, UK); Sep 17, 2016. See more usage examples of politick in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2017***** portmanteau : Also called portmanteau word. Linguistics. a word made by putt..; "Well, 'slithy' means 'lithe and slimy.' 'Lithe' is the same as 'active.' You see it's like a portmanteau--there are two meanings packed up into one word." Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1871 Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." Ramify : 1 : to split up into branches or constituent parts ; "In alternating chapters, 'The Lost Boy' moves back and forth in time, from a present-day whodunit set in a city … to a grim tale set in the 1870s on one of the myriad rocky islands lying off the coast. These narratives are related in fascinating ways, their threads crisscrossing and ramifying inventively." — Anthony Lewis, The Providence Journal, 27 Nov. 2016 quaggy : (adjective) Resembling a marsh; soggy.; boggy, marshy, miry, mucky, muddy, sloughy, swampy; The ground near the lake was wet and quaggy underfoot. allocute : verb intr.: To make a formal speech, especially by a defendant after being found guilty and before being sentenced in a court. ; "The deal was for him to plead to a lesser charge and allocute to the judge." Lavina Giamusso; Australia: The Puppeteer; CreateSpace; 2016. See more usage examples of allocute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No human being is illegal. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (1928-2016) *****March 10, 2017***** newspeak : (sometimes initial capital letter) an official or semiofficial st..; A fellow Guardian writer remarked on immigration minister Peter Dutton speaking on ABC Radio National this week, in which he described people in a Nauru camp as “transferees†(a name implying motion) for people indefinitely stuck in a camp. “It is Newspeak of the highest order,†he said. Brigid Delaney, "Orwell's nightmare vision of 1984 is always right here, right now," The Guardian, October 22, 2015 Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." preclude : (verb) Keep from happening or arising; make impossible.; foreclose, forestall, prevent, forbid; Modesty precludes me from accepting the honor. adolesce : verb intr.: To reach or pass through adolescence (the period between childhood and adulthood). ; "Jeremy Parzen: 'America is only now adolescing as a wine nation.'" Hannah Selinger; A Cheeseburger, Some Fries, and a Nice Cabernet; The Washington Post; Jun 8, 2014. See more usage examples of adolesce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you've got a religious belief that withers in the face of observations of the natural world, you ought to rethink your beliefs -- rethinking the world isn't an option. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 11, 2017***** stravage : Scot., Irish, and North England. to wander aimlessly; What made ye stravage about the cliffs, castin' sheeps' eyes at some one we know, an' lookin' pitchforks at me an' Long William? Shan F. Bullock, The Charmer: A Seaside Comedy, 1897 Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. conflux : (noun) A flowing together.; merging, confluence; There was a conflux of emotions and thoughts in him. foray : noun:1. An initial attempt into a new activity or area.  2. A sudden raid, especially for taking plunder. verb tr.:To pillage. verb intr.:To make one's way into a new activity or area. ; "There were brief forays into discomfiting reality, to be fair." Michael Den Tandt; Tory Hopefuls Avoid the Big Issues; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Feb 6, 2017. See more usage examples of foray in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (1934-1996) *****March 12, 2017***** canard : a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor; This week, Lewandowski distinguished himself by reviving the birther canard—the thoroughly debunked conspiracy theory that Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Margaret Talbot, "The Trouble with Corey Lewandowski on CNN," The New Yorker, August 6, 2016 Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." campanile : (noun) A bell tower, especially one near but not attached to a church or other public building.; belfry; The architect intended the Tower of Pisa to stand straight and tall, but the marble campanile's foundation was poorly laid, and it soon began to lean. foray : noun:1. An initial attempt into a new activity or area.  2. A sudden raid, especially for taking plunder. verb tr.:To pillage. verb intr.:To make one's way into a new activity or area. ; "There were brief forays into discomfiting reality, to be fair." Michael Den Tandt; Tory Hopefuls Avoid the Big Issues; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Feb 6, 2017. See more usage examples of foray in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (1934-1996) *****March 13, 2017***** luciferous : bringing or providing light; An illumination on so vast a scale could be kept up only by the inexhaustible magazine of ether disseminated through space, and ever ready to manifest its luciferous properties on large spheres, whose attraction renders it sufficiently dense for the play of chemical affinity. D. Vaughan, "On the Light of Suns, Meteors, and Temporary Stars," Report on the Twenty-Seventh Meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1858 Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. patella : (noun) A flat triangular bone located at the front of the knee joint.; kneecap, kneepan; Having learned his lesson, the rollerblader wore kneepads to protect his patellae from further injury. foray : noun:1. An initial attempt into a new activity or area.  2. A sudden raid, especially for taking plunder. verb tr.:To pillage. verb intr.:To make one's way into a new activity or area. ; "There were brief forays into discomfiting reality, to be fair." Michael Den Tandt; Tory Hopefuls Avoid the Big Issues; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Feb 6, 2017. See more usage examples of foray in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (1934-1996) *****March 14, 2017***** heart-whole : not in love; ... it may be said of him that Cupid hath clapped him o' the shoulder, but I'll warrant him heart-whole. William Shakespeare, As You Like It, 1623 Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. Irenic : : favoring, conducive to, or operating toward peace, moderation, or conciliation; The former senator's irenic nature made her an ideal candidate to be a foreign ambassador. incantation : (noun) A ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect.; conjuration; Hagar, the witch, chanted an awful incantation over her kettleful of simmering toads, with weird effect. lodestar : noun: Someone or something that serves as a guiding principle, model, inspiration, ambition, etc. ; "He was her rock, the lodestar on which she could focus." Laura Benedict; Bliss House; Pegasus Books; 2014. See more usage examples of lodestar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2017***** arithmancy : divination by the use of numbers, especially by the number of l..; A correspondent who has charge of the arithmancy department of this Magazine, and who is now engaged in constructing a system that will enable us to calculate the periodicity of South American revolutions, and the probable advent of what is called "early spring" in New England, sends to the Drawer the following timely figures bearing upon the immediate future of France ... , "Editor's Drawer," Harper's Monthly Magazine June to November, 1883 Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. platitude : (noun) A trite or banal remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant.; banality, cliche, commonplace, bromide; A trite platitude about his not caring to lose her was on his lips, but he refrained from uttering it. uliginous : adjective: Swampy; slimy; slippery. ; "Isn't there room for 'an unctuous undercurrent of uliginous untruth'?" Bruce Bellingham; Advice: Drop Cat, Show Claws; San Francisco Examiner; Jan 15, 1996. Thought For The Day: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2017***** Cimmerian : very dark; gloomy: deep, Cimmerian caverns; The sunny English noon had swallowed him as completely as if he had gone out into Cimmerian night. Edith Wharton, "Afterward," Tales of Men and Ghosts, 1910 Gadzookery : : (British) the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel); "Several other stories and verses that they jointly contributed to magazines are historical and melodramatic in tone, larded with archaic oaths and exclamations and general gadzookery." — Julia Briggs, A Woman of Passion: The Life of E. Nesbit, 1987 surfactant : (noun) A chemical agent capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved.; wetting agent, surface-active agent, wetter; She ordered a new pair of glasses and had the lenses coated with a surfactant that would act as an anti-fogging agent. superbity : noun: Pride; arrogance. ; "If there is a key to Gore Vidal's public character it has something to do with his towering immodesty, the enjoyable superbity of his self love." Martin Amis; The Moronic Inferno; Jonathan Cape; 1986. Thought For The Day: Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) *****March 17, 2017***** code-switching : the modifying of one's behavior, appearance, etc., to adapt..; In many respects, Lori's adaptability--her gift for cultural "code switching," as sociologists put it--qualified her as something of an L.A. archetype, the perfect chameleon for a landscape that is as seductive, maddening, electric, and fragmented as any on this planet. Jesse Katz, "The Two Worlds of Lori Gonzalez," Los Angeles, January 2001 Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Decry : 1 : to depreciate (as a coin) officially or publicly; Town officials were surprised by how roundly the changes to the town hall's hours were decried. panpipe : (noun) A primitive wind instrument consisting of several parallel pipes bound together.; syrinx, pandean pipe; When his parents refused to buy him an instrument, the industrious ten-year-old fashioned himself a makeshift panpipe out of string and some pieces of dried bamboo he found in the garage. analphabetic : adjective: 1. Illiterate. 2. Not alphabetical. noun: An illiterate person. ; "While it was not true that he was totally analphabetic, the printed word gave him a rough time." Allan Seager; A Frieze of Girls; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "In Chapter Fifteen, Laura Santone discusses the 'Dictionnaire critique' ... whose entries appeared in analphabetic order." John Considine; Adventuring in Dictionaries; Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2010. See more usage examples of analphabetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The fetters imposed on liberty at home have ever been forged out of the weapons provided for defence against real, pretended, or imaginary dangers from abroad. -James Madison, 4th US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2017***** smaragdine : emerald-green in color; The big doors to the water were open, giving an occasional draft of welcome cool air, and you could see smudges of black woodsmoke drifting out over the smaragdine brightness of the harbor. S. M. Stirling, Island in the Sea of Time, 1998 Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Effulgence : : radiant splendor : brilliance; "There's plenty of conflict about who invented hummus or falafel … and where these dishes reach their dazzling effulgence, but the truth is there are common dishes and flavors to many of the cuisines found along the southern edge of the Mediterranean Sea." — Laura Reiley, The Tampa Bay Times, 6 July 2016 trawler : (noun) A fishing boat that uses a trawl net or dragnet to catch fish.; dragger; The fisherman boarded the trawler at four in the morning. appetence : noun: A strong desire or inclination. ; "Conservatives will now be able to test the national appetence for more individualistic solutions to social policy problems." James Travers; Cautious Voters Keep New PM on Tight Leash; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 24, 2006. See more usage examples of appetence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 19, 2017***** vaunting : having a boastfully proud disposition: a vaunting dictator; The time is coming when all men will see that the gift of God to the soul is not a vaunting, overpowering, excluding sanctity, but a sweet, natural goodness, a goodness like thine and mine ... Ralph Waldo Emerson, "An Address Delivered Before the Senior Class in Divinity College, 1838," Nature; Addresses, and Lectures, 1849 Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Furtive : 1 a : done in a quiet and secretive way to avoid being noticed : surreptitious; Julia and I exchanged furtive glances across the room when Edward asked who had rearranged his CD collection. portent : (noun) An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur.; omen, prognostication, presage, prodigy; The soldier looked to the sky for a portent and was gripped with fear when he read his future in the clouds. appetence : noun: A strong desire or inclination. ; "Conservatives will now be able to test the national appetence for more individualistic solutions to social policy problems." James Travers; Cautious Voters Keep New PM on Tight Leash; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 24, 2006. See more usage examples of appetence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 20, 2017***** overwinter : to pass, spend, or survive the winter: to overwinter on the Riv..; Each fall, millions of delicate orange and black butterflies fly more than two thousand miles from the United States and Canada to overwinter in the mountains of central Mexico. Mary Alice Monroe, The Butterfly's Daughter, 2011 Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. nickelodeon : (noun) A cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin.; jukebox; When they arrived at the dance hall, the professional musicians were dismayed by the presence of the popular nickelodeon. appetence : noun: A strong desire or inclination. ; "Conservatives will now be able to test the national appetence for more individualistic solutions to social policy problems." James Travers; Cautious Voters Keep New PM on Tight Leash; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 24, 2006. See more usage examples of appetence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 21, 2017***** anthophilous : attracted by or living among flowers; For you: anthophilous, lover of flowers, / green roses, chrysanthemums, lilies; retrophilia / philocaly, philomath, sarcophilous--all this love, / of the past, of beautify, of knowledge, of flesh ... Reginald Dwayne Betts, "For you: anthophilous, lover of flowers," Poetry, September 2011 Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Hackle : 1 a : one of the long narrow feathers on the neck or back of a bird; The rooster's colorful hackle quivered as it stretched out its neck and began to crow. figurine : (noun) A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette.; statuette; She had all the delicate grace of that Tanagra figurine that you have in your studio, Basil. osmosis : noun:1. A gradual, unconscious assimilation of information, ideas, etc.  2. Movement of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane from a lower concentration to higher concentration, thus equalizing concentrations on both sides. ; "The golem knew degrees of the human emotion, picking them up from osmosis." William W. Johnstone; The Devil's Heart; Zebra; 1984. See more usage examples of osmosis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What didn't you do to bury me / But you forgot that I was a seed. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (b. 20 Mar 1931) *****March 22, 2017***** comportment : personal bearing or conduct; demeanor; behavior; Miss Baker and Miss Inglis had founded the school back in 1911, in the words of the charter, "to educate girls in the humanities and sciences and to cultivate in them a love of learning, a modest comportment, an amiable grace, and an interest in civic duty above all." Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, 2002 Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Ameliorate : 1 : to make better or more tolerable; Access to clean water would ameliorate living conditions within the village. charwoman : (noun) A woman hired to do cleaning or similar work, usually in a large building.; cleaning lady; The charwoman cleaned every bathroom in the office building after the executives left for the evening. solvent : adjective:1. Able to pay one's debts.  2. Able to dissolve another substance. noun:1. Something that dissolves another.  2. Something that solves a problem. ; "They were solvent, yes, but they had to watch the pennies still." Jessie Keane; Dangerous; Pan Macmillan; 2015. See more usage examples of solvent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Among individuals, as among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace. -Benito Juárez, President of Mexico (21 Mar 1806-1872) *****March 23, 2017***** ort : a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. Usually, orts; ... the poor thought that the rich were entirely in the right of it to lead a jolly life; besides, their feasting caused a multiplication of orts, which were the heirlooms of the poor. George Eliot, Silas Marner, 1861 Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Lief : : soon, gladly; "I'd as lief be in the tightening coils of a boa constrictor than be held by that man," declared Miss Jezebel. ninepin : (noun) A wooden pin used in the game of ninepins.; skittle; He threw the ball so hard that it knocked the ninepin into the neighbor's yard. caustic : adjective:1. Capable of burning or corroding.  2. Highly critical; sarcastic. ; "She'd been brash and caustic when she'd broken things off." Falguni Kothari; Bootie and the Beast; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of caustic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A wise man fights to win, but he is twice a fool who has no plan for possible defeat. -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) *****March 24, 2017***** Throttlebottom : (sometimes lowercase) a harmless incompetent in public offi..; If there was one function that any vice president, even a Throttlebottom, could be expected to perform it was to represent the president and the country at funerals of notables abroad. Carl Solberg, Hubert Humphrey: A Biography, 1984 Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." Watershed : 1 a : a dividing ridge between drainage areas; "This year marked a watershed for contemporary classical music in the city. No greater proof was the Ear Taxi Festival, a Chicago-centric marathon of new music performance that, for six heady days in October, brought together some 500 local musicians to present roughly 100 recent classical works...." — John von Rhein, The Chicago Tribune, 22 Dec. 2016 buffoon : (noun) A person given to clowning and joking.; merry andrew, clown, goof, goofball; At a country fair there was a buffoon who made all the people laugh by imitating the cries of various animals. bromidic : adjective: Commonplace; trite. ; "Did you get bored with my bromidic lectures?" Tushar Sen; Pandora's Box; Frog Books; 2015. See more usage examples of bromidic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2017***** esoterica : things understood by or meant for a select few; recondite matter..; At the G20 he was in his element—an instinctively global leader wading through esoterica that most people couldn't grasp, taking charge by dint of his superior knowledge. , "Why Gordon Brown Struggles So Mightily," Newsweek, June 11, 2009 Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." prejudicious : (adjective) Causing harm or injury.; damaging, detrimental, prejudicial; The reporter's coverage resulted in prejudicious publicity for the defendant. miscible : adjective: Capable of being mixed together. ; "And of course it's not just life and death that are both miscible and immiscible. The same is true for everything: where does the bee start and the wind end? Where does the tree start and the boring beetle end?" Derrick Jensen; Songs of the Dead; Flashpoint Press; 2009. See more usage examples of miscible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016) *****March 26, 2017***** coterminous : having the same border or covering the same area; They would reach the city of Gugs--which is coterminous with the whole kingdom--through the proper burrows, emerging in a cemetery not far from the stair-containing Tower of Koth. H. P. Lovecraft (1890–1937), The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, 1943 Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." foundling : (noun) A deserted or abandoned child of unknown parentage.; abandoned infant; No one knew why an envelope containing images of a mountainous landscape had been tucked in the folds of the foundling's blanket. miscible : adjective: Capable of being mixed together. ; "And of course it's not just life and death that are both miscible and immiscible. The same is true for everything: where does the bee start and the wind end? Where does the tree start and the boring beetle end?" Derrick Jensen; Songs of the Dead; Flashpoint Press; 2009. See more usage examples of miscible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016) *****March 27, 2017***** orogeny : Geology. the process of mountain making or upheaval. Also called o..; Ogden Tweto, the foremost expert on the Laramide orogeny believes the New Rockies began to emerge 72,000,000 years ago, with the process terminating about 43,000,000 years ago. James A. Michener, Centennial, 1974 Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." connoisseur : (noun) A person with expert knowledge or training, especially in the fine arts.; cognoscente; I brought the painting to the world's best art connoisseurs, and they all agreed that it was an authentic Picasso and would fetch millions at auction. miscible : adjective: Capable of being mixed together. ; "And of course it's not just life and death that are both miscible and immiscible. The same is true for everything: where does the bee start and the wind end? Where does the tree start and the boring beetle end?" Derrick Jensen; Songs of the Dead; Flashpoint Press; 2009. See more usage examples of miscible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016) *****March 28, 2017***** mumpsimus : adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, mem..; Another misnomer in which the news media perseverate is "Fighting Irish." Surely that must be a prime example of mumpsimus, the pig-headed persistence in error. Leon C. Chesley, "Vocabulary Test for Football," New York Times, November 28, 1993 Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." amulet : (noun) An object worn, especially around the neck, as a charm against evil or injury.; talisman; It was sorcery, magic of the worst kind, thought Buldeo, and he wondered whether the amulet round his neck would protect him. earwig : noun: Any of various insects of the order Dermaptera, having a pair of pincers at the rear of the abdomen. verb tr.: To influence or bias a person by insinuations. verb intr.: To secretly listen to a conversation. ; "Out there, where it counted, Judge Atlee called them fair and straight, regardless of how much he'd be earwigged." John Grisham; Sycamore Row; Doubleday; 2013. "I stood for ages earwigging beside another mother lecturing her tiny sons." Janice Turner; The Fine Art of Showing Off Your Children; The Times (London, UK); Mar 9, 2017. See more usage examples of earwig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2017***** coze : a friendly talk; a chat; Miss Crawford appeared gratified by the application, and after a moment's thought, urged Fanny's returning with her in a much more cordial manner than before, and proposed their going up into her room, where they might have a comfortable coze ... Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814 Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." arbor : (noun) A shady resting place in a garden or park, often made of rustic work or latticework on which plants, such as climbing shrubs or vines, are grown.; bower, pergola; I never saw such a garden—large and shady, full of box-bordered paths, and lined with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them. gadfly : noun: 1. Any of the various types of flies that bite or annoy livestock. 2. One who persistently annoys. ; "As a gadfly, Socrates earns the ire of Athens and its rulers, but it is only by stirring the state, a 'great and noble steed,' that we can dare to effect any sort of change for the better." Christopher Thomas; The Columbia Spectator (New York); Feb 28, 2017. See more usage examples of gadfly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The juvenile sea squirt wanders through the sea searching for a suitable rock or hunk of coral to cling to and make its home for life. For this task, it has a rudimentary nervous system. When it finds its spot and takes root, it doesn't need its brain anymore, so it eats it. It's rather like getting tenure. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2017***** vulpine : of or resembling a fox; [Roald] Dahl’s vulpine hero is a beast of operatic dimensions—in his battle to save his family from such pernicious adversaries as Farmer Bunce he loses his enviable tail—and Scarfe has made him even more dashing. Emily Nunn, "Slyboots," The New Yorker, November 16, 1998 Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." annunciation : (noun) A formal public statement.; proclamation, declaration, announcement; A long and dramatic drum-roll signaled that a royal annunciation was about to be delivered. puce : noun: A dark red or brownish purple color. adjective: Of this color. ; "Kirsty ... screamed until she was puce in the face." Stephen Westa; King of Hearts; Telegraph Magazine (London, UK); Feb 4, 2017. See more usage examples of puce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: 'Tis the time's plague when madmen lead the blind. -William Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (1564-1616) *****March 31, 2017***** nescience : lack of knowledge; ignorance; "It seems to me," cried the other, "that I must repeatedly raise my voice in opposition to a proposal that is redolent of most unprofessional malice or else nescience ..." Anthony Burgess, Napoleon Symphony, 1974 Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home." baccarat : (noun) A card game in which the winner is the player who holds two or three cards totaling closest to nine.; chemin de fer; Because baccarat attracts wealthy players who place enormous bets, a casino can win or lose millions of dollars a night on the game. paparazzo : noun: A photographer who follows famous people to take their pictures for publication. ; "The paparazzo in question -- Karl Larsen -- has admitted in the past purposely-berating celebrities to get a reaction from them." Kelly Pegg; Would You Help Stop Someone Being Attacked?; Yorkshire Evening Post (Leeds, UK) Mar 8, 2017. See more usage examples of paparazzo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham. -Anna Sewell, writer (30 Mar 1820-1878) *****April 01, 2017***** Weltschmerz : German. sorrow that one feels and accepts as one's necessary p..; Weltschmerz, the philosophy of the "world-woe," was at its height. Gloomy theology and pessimistic philosophy reigned. , "The Sorrows of Werther," New York Times, September 21, 1910 Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Munificent : 1 : very liberal in giving or bestowing : lavish; "On the hill, where kites used to be flown, stood the fine college which Mr. Laurence's munificent legacy had built." — Louisa May Alcott, Jo's Boys, 1886 invective : (noun) Denunciatory or abusive language.; vituperation, vitriol; Bartle had become so excited and angry in the course of his invective that he had forgotten his supper. ecdysis : noun: The shedding of an outer layer: molting. ; "George Osborne became a junior Opposition Whip in 2003, a Shadow Treasury spokesman the following year, and in 2005 Shadow Chancellor -- multiple ecdysis possible only in times of political defeat." Quentin Letts; The Next Prime Minister?; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 9, 2015. See more usage examples of ecdysis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (31 Mar 1596-1650) *****April 02, 2017***** plisky : Scot. and North England. a mischievous trick; practical joke; prank..; "... Faith! yon was an ill plisky ye played me to brak into my chop an' steal the bonnie leddy." George MacDonald, Robert Falconer, 1868 Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." Vaticination : 1 : something foretold : prediction; "In fact, origin stories are not about the past at all: they are not eyewitness reportage, they are not history, they are not diary entries detailing actual bygone events. Similarly, end-time stories are not about the future at all: they are not predictions, they are not vaticinations, they are not crystal-ball visions.… The stories are fictive efforts offered as instructions for the present moment." — J. H. McKenna, The Huffington Post, 5 Dec. 2016 jurisprudence : (noun) The philosophy or science of law.; legal philosophy, law; Because he hoped to one day run for office, he decided to delve into the study of jurisprudence. ecdysis : noun: The shedding of an outer layer: molting. ; "George Osborne became a junior Opposition Whip in 2003, a Shadow Treasury spokesman the following year, and in 2005 Shadow Chancellor -- multiple ecdysis possible only in times of political defeat." Quentin Letts; The Next Prime Minister?; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 9, 2015. See more usage examples of ecdysis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (31 Mar 1596-1650) *****April 03, 2017***** platitude : a flat, dull, or trite remark, especially one uttered as if it w..; One of the most common platitudes we heard was that “words failed.†But words were not failing Teri and me at all.... [We] had plenty of language with which to talk to each other about the horror of what was happening, and talk we did. Aleksandar Hemon, "The Aquarium," The New Yorker, June 13 & 20, 2011 Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Ignoble : 1 : of low birth or common origin : plebeian; "Luthor has been hanging around Superman's arctic fortress … devising plans for world dictatorship and other ignoble acts." — Kevin Canfield, The Journal News, 27 Jun. 2006 appurtenance : (noun) Equipment, such as clothing, tools, or instruments, used for a specific purpose or task.; paraphernalia, gear; He had half expected that she would drive up to the side door in a hansom, would wear a thick veil, and adopt the other appurtenances of a clandestine meeting. ecdysis : noun: The shedding of an outer layer: molting. ; "George Osborne became a junior Opposition Whip in 2003, a Shadow Treasury spokesman the following year, and in 2005 Shadow Chancellor -- multiple ecdysis possible only in times of political defeat." Quentin Letts; The Next Prime Minister?; Daily Mail (London, UK); Jul 9, 2015. See more usage examples of ecdysis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things. -Rene Descartes, philosopher and mathematician (31 Mar 1596-1650) *****April 04, 2017***** aginner : Informal. a person who opposes a plan, proposed legislation, or an..; In that prickly family atmosphere, McCormick grew up to be a reflexive ''aginner,'' a man of epic antagonisms, prodigious crotchets and--here his mother was wrong--fixed, taproot convictions impermeable to evidence or reason. David M. Kennedy, "Whatever It Is, I'm Against It," New York Times, July 13, 1997 Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." sternutation : (noun) A symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose.; sneeze, sneezing; John complained that every time he came to visit, my dusty carpet would send him into fits of sternutation. chrysalis : noun: 1. A pupa of a moth or butterfly, enclosed in a cocoon. 2. A protective covering. 3. A transitional or developmental stage. ; "He saw her straighten her shoulders and peel away the chrysalis of her innocent youth." Lisa Ann Verge; The Celtic Legends Series; Bay Street Press; 2014. See more usage examples of chrysalis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am only one, / But still I am one. / I cannot do everything, / But still I can do something; / And because I cannot do everything, / I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 05, 2017***** chatoyant : changing in luster or color: chatoyant silk; ... at the approach of Easter holidays, when my parents had promised to let me spend them, for once, in the north of Italy, in place of those dreams of tempests ... was substituted in me the contrary dream of the most chatoyant of springs ... Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time, Volume 1: Swann's Way, translated by C. K. Scott Moncrieff, 1922 Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." phellem : (noun) Outer tissue of bark; a protective layer of dead cells.; cork; Joe carefully harvested the phellem from the tree, excited at the prospect of using the buoyant material to make his very own toy boat. imago : noun: 1. The final or adult stage of an insect. 2. An idealized image of someone, formed in childhood and persisting in later life. ; "In my dream I was joined by the cybernetic imago of Katia, my wife." Alastair Reynolds; Galactic North; Ace; 2007. See more usage examples of imago in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2017***** fanfaronade : bragging; bravado; bluster; "... I'll keep it so well that it will arrive at its destination, I swear to you, and woe to him who tries to take it from me!" M. de Treville smiled at this fanfaronade ... Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), The Three Musketeers, translated by Richard Pevear, 2006 Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." lycanthrope : (noun) A monster able to change appearance from human to wolf.; werewolf, wolfman, loup-garou; She thought the novel about the lycanthrope would be silly, but the sad tale about the werewolf's struggles to regain control of his life moved her to tears. tour de force : noun: A feat of strength, skill, or ingenuity: an exceptional performance or achievement. ; "Listening to this breathtakingly brilliant tour de force made me appreciate why they call Pushkin the Russian Shakespeare." Sue Arnold; Evgenii Onegin by Pushkin; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 8, 2012. See more usage examples of tour de force in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974) *****April 07, 2017***** kenning : a conventional poetic phrase used for or in addition to the usual ..; The most admired kennings were derived from Norse myth and literature. For example, a kenning for gold was "Sif's hair," referring to a myth in which Loki cut off Sif's hair as a cruel joke, and the dwarves made her new hair out of gold. Graeme Davis, Thor: Viking God of Thunder, 2013 Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." listless : (adjective) Marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm.; dispirited; A subtle change had transformed her from the listless woman he had known into a being who, for the moment, seemed palpitant with the forces of life. bourgeois : noun: 1. A member of the middle class. 2. One who exhibits behavior in conformity to the conventions of the middle class. 3. In Marxist theory, a member of the capitalist class. adjective: 1. Belonging to the middle class. 2. Marked by a concern for respectability and material interests. 3. Mediocre or unimaginative: lacking artistic refinement. ; "By all means get stuck into the people who stall at bourgeois and never move past the obsession with acquisition and security." Lisa Pryor; Relax; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Dec 29, 2007. See more usage examples of bourgeois in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We take our colors, chameleon-like, from each other. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2017***** inveterate : settled or confirmed in a habit, practice, feeling, or the like..; Thus Frédéric soon became an inveterate gambler: he passed the greater part of his evenings at cards, and finished them elsewhere. Émile Zola, Naïs Micoulin, translated by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly, 1884 Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." plexus : (noun) A structure in the form of a network, especially of nerves, blood vessels, or lymphatics.; rete; The bullet missed his cardiac plexus by an inch, leaving all the nerves intact. oxymoron : noun: A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together for emphasis, for example, "deafening silence". ; "Karen ... stood regal and slim, statuesque even, or just plain beautiful, oxymoron notwithstanding." Nicholas Aharon Boggioni; The Fundamentalist's Daughter; Xlibris; 2016. See more usage examples of oxymoron in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850) *****April 09, 2017***** frenemy : Informal. a person or group that is friendly toward another becaus..; By 20 he's a lieutenant colonel, friend to the Marquis de Lafayette, frenemy to Aaron Burr, and George Washington's right-hand man in the fight against the British. Jeff MacGregor, "Meet Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Genius Behind 'Hamilton,' Broadway's Newest Hit," Smithsonian Magazine, November 12, 2015 Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." ferrule : (noun) A metal ring or cap placed around a pole or shaft for reinforcement or to prevent splitting.; collet; The walking stick was quite old, and the large brass ferrule at its tip was worn down and dented. oxymoron : noun: A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together for emphasis, for example, "deafening silence". ; "Karen ... stood regal and slim, statuesque even, or just plain beautiful, oxymoron notwithstanding." Nicholas Aharon Boggioni; The Fundamentalist's Daughter; Xlibris; 2016. See more usage examples of oxymoron in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850) *****April 10, 2017***** ostensible : outwardly appearing as such; professed; pretended: an ostensibl..; The ostensible reason for these tours by which I came to know the world was that I should thank the people of the Empire, in my father's name, for their services in Britain's cause during the war. But inside this idea was another: that in addition to making myself known to the different imperial factions over which I should one day rule I should also learn about other countries important to British life. Edward, Duke of Windsor, "A Prince at War," Life, December 22, 1947 Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." surreptitious : (adjective) Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed.; furtive, stealthy, sneaky; She stole a surreptitious glance at him, but he, too, seemed to have been caught up by Rose's gay, good humor. oxymoron : noun: A figure of speech in which two contradictory terms appear together for emphasis, for example, "deafening silence". ; "Karen ... stood regal and slim, statuesque even, or just plain beautiful, oxymoron notwithstanding." Nicholas Aharon Boggioni; The Fundamentalist's Daughter; Xlibris; 2016. See more usage examples of oxymoron in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850) *****April 11, 2017***** mensch : Informal. a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person; I understand that people make mistakes but a real man, a mensch, shoulders his responsibilities and faces people and at least explains. Francesca Segal, The Innocents, 2012 Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." scissure : (noun) A split or opening in an organ or part.; crack, crevice, fissure, cleft; The surgeon explained that the stitches he had used to sew the scissure shut would dissolve in a few weeks. orphic : adjective: 1. Melodious; entrancing. 2. Mystical; occult. ; "Rana's playing has a kind of Orphic seductiveness." Hugh Canning, et al; Classical; The Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 19, 2017. "'Rumi's Secret' is a strangely dry read considering it has a literally whirling mystic as its subject. As if fearing that too lyrical an approach to such an orphic figure would result in incoherence, Gooch describes this poet's life in a decidedly unpoetic way." Alexander C. Kafka; The Mysterious Life of America's Most Popular Poet; The Washington Post; Jan 19, 2017. See more usage examples of orphic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Joy is the best makeup. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 12, 2017***** rampike : Chiefly Canadian. a dead tree, especially the bleached skeleton or..; Along the crest of the ridge, among the rampikes, silhouetted dark and large against the sunrise, moved a great herd of caribou, feeding as they went. Charles G. D. Roberts, "The Vagrants of the Barren," The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, May to October 1908 Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." pincer : (noun) A grasping structure on the limb of a crustacean or other arthropods.; chela, nipper, claw; The front pair of legs terminate in very strong and heavy pincers. myrmidon : noun: One who unquestioningly follows orders. ; "Dr. Marsh refuses to comply and serve as a myrmidon." Jerome Groopman; Brain Surgeons; The New York Times; May 21, 2015. See more usage examples of myrmidon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom. -Theodore Rubin, psychiatrist and writer (b. 11 Apr 1923) *****April 13, 2017***** rebarbative : causing annoyance, irritation, or aversion; repellent; All too many judges feel that the majesty of the law needs to be protected with the barbed wire of rebarbative prose, prickly with forbidding jargon and headache-inducing abstraction. Jeet Heer, "Antonin Scalia Is the Supreme Court's Greatest Writer," The New Republic, June 26, 2015 Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." pasquinade : (noun) A satire or lampoon, especially one that ridicules a specific person, traditionally written and posted in a public place.; parody, put-on, sendup, spoof, charade, lampoon, mockery, burlesque, travesty, takeoff; The corrupt politician was a popular target of the pasquinades that were posted all over the city. nemesis : noun: 1. A formidable opponent or an archenemy. 2. A source of harm or ruin. 3. Retributive justice. ; "With only one slot available to the nationals, it promises to be a bruising battle between the two nemeses." Brian Yonga; Fired-Up Upper Hill Out to Retain Titles; Daily Nation (Nairobi, Kenya); Mar 24, 2017. See more usage examples of nemesis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 14, 2017***** hypozeuxis : Rhetoric. the use of a series of parallel clauses, each of whic..; Under the label hypozeuxis, Peacham actually describes a megasentence made up of a series of brief, complete clauses. His own example has eighteen predications in a row... Jeanne Fahnestock, Rhetorical Style: The Uses of Language in Persuasion, 2011 Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." Napery : : household linen; especially : table linen; The napery was laundered and starched and folded crisply for the next day's brunch guests. quagmire : (noun) Land with a soft muddy surface.; mire, morass, quag, slack; We had some difficulty in reaching the point, owing to the intolerably bad paths; for everywhere in the shade the ground soon becomes a perfect quagmire. amazon : noun: A tall, strong, powerful woman. ; "You're tall ... I ask for a clerk, and they send me an Amazon." Kathleen Tessaro; Rare Objects; Harper; 2016. See more usage examples of amazon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) *****April 15, 2017***** compathy : feelings, as happiness or grief, shared with another or others; Morse invented the concept 'compathy' to explain a portion of data from a qualitative study she was undertaking. It refers to the phenomenon whereby a person feels another's pain. In other words, one person's pain triggers a pain response in an observer. Hugh McKenna, Nursing Theories and Models, 1997 Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." Magnanimous : 1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit; Rather than gloat about her victory in the race, Michelle chose to be magnanimous and congratulated her opponents on their strong showings. athirst : (adjective) Extremely desirous.; hungry, thirsty; The young, enthusiastic student was athirst for knowledge. muse : noun: A source of inspiration. verb intr.: To be absorbed in thought. verb tr.: To think or say something thoughtfully. noun: A state of deep thought. ; "She was his muse. His obsession. His everything. He stopped painting the day she left." Bella Andre; Now That I've Found You; Oak Press; 2016. See more usage examples of muse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many people consider the things government does for them to be social progress but they regard the things government does for others as socialism. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974) *****April 16, 2017***** sententious : abounding in pithy aphorisms or maxims: a sententious book; Lost amid the 10,000 words of the Presidential message, neglected alike by writers of news leads and editorials, is the most sapient and sententious utterance of Calvin Coolidge. "Water is the irreplaceable natural resource," he solemnly informs the Congress. "Its precipitations cannot be increased." Bay Stater, "Incontrovertible: To the Editor of The New York Times," New York Times, December 8, 1926 Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." Pittance : : a small portion, amount, or allowance; also : a meager wage or remuneration; "… chances are good that any snow that might fall in coming days could be like the pittance of flakes that fell Thursday—and then almost immediately melted." — Neil Johnson, The Janesville (Wisconsin) Gazette, 11 Mar. 2017 plexor : (noun) A small hammer with a rubber head used in percussive examinations of the chest and in testing reflexes.; percussor, plessor; When the doctor tapped my knee with the plexor, my reflex was so strong that I almost kicked him in the head! muse : noun: A source of inspiration. verb intr.: To be absorbed in thought. verb tr.: To think or say something thoughtfully. noun: A state of deep thought. ; "She was his muse. His obsession. His everything. He stopped painting the day she left." Bella Andre; Now That I've Found You; Oak Press; 2016. See more usage examples of muse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many people consider the things government does for them to be social progress but they regard the things government does for others as socialism. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974) *****April 17, 2017***** leporine : Zoology. of, relating to, or resembling a rabbit or hare; During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, the fun dad discussed how difficult it is to explain leporine mythical figures to 17-month-olds without getting too deep into biology and Christianity and what marshmallow Peeps have anything to do with the Resurrection. Chelsea Peng, "One of the Greatest Trials Ashton Kutcher Has Faced as a Dad Was Explaining the Easter Bunny to His Daughter," Marie Claire, March 29, 2016 Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." hibernal : (adjective) Of or relating to winter.; brumal, hiemal; Our teacher described the first activities of bears as they emerge from hibernal sleep. muse : noun: A source of inspiration. verb intr.: To be absorbed in thought. verb tr.: To think or say something thoughtfully. noun: A state of deep thought. ; "She was his muse. His obsession. His everything. He stopped painting the day she left." Bella Andre; Now That I've Found You; Oak Press; 2016. See more usage examples of muse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many people consider the things government does for them to be social progress but they regard the things government does for others as socialism. -Earl Warren, jurist (1891-1974) *****April 18, 2017***** smattering : a slight, superficial, or introductory knowledge of something: ..; He is a person well received among all sorts of men, being qualified to render himself agreeable to any; as he is well versed in history and politics, hath a smattering in law and divinity, cracks a good jest, and lays wonderfully well on the French horn. Henry Fielding, The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of His Friend Mr. Abraham Adams, 1742 Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." Reciprocate : 1 : to give and take mutually; It was kind of Jake to give us a ride to the airport, and we'd like to find a way to reciprocate the favor. escritoire : (noun) A writing table; a desk.; secretaire, writing table, secretary; In the large shining mahogany escritoire Mr. Osborne had a drawer especially devoted to his son's affairs and papers. cramoisy : adjective: Of a crimson color. noun: Crimson cloth. ; "The whippet Narcisse would sit at table upon a cramoisy cushion." Geoffrey Wolff; Black Sun; Random House; 1976. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 19, 2017***** avarice : insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain an..; The most ancient and natural grounds of quarrels are lust and avarice; which, though we may allow to be brethren, or collateral branches of pride, are certainly the issues of want. Jonathan Swift, "The Battle of the Books, " A Tale of a Tub, 1704 Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." formicary : (noun) A nest of ants.; anthill; Hours after accidentally stepping on a formicary, she was still picking stray ants off of her jeans. kaput or kaputt : adjective: Broken; ruined; finished. ; "Apparently, the only machine in the country capable of calibrating the quality of vehicle smoke has been kaput for years." Holy Smoke; Republica (Kathmandu, Nepal); Aug 16, 2016. See more usage examples of kaput in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The objector and the rebel who raises his voice against what he believes to be the injustice of the present and the wrongs of the past is the one who hunches the world along. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2017***** kerfuffle : Chiefly British Informal. a fuss; commotion; ... I speculated that Larsson ... might have “overcaffeinated himself to death.†This caused quite a kerfuffle among Times readers. Swedes, Swedish-Americans and residents of Swedish-American neighborhoods wrote in to say that round-the-clock coffee consumption was utterly normal in Sweden and in Swedish enclaves, nothing “pathological†about it. David Kamp, "Stieg Larsson's Coffee Mania, Revisited," New York Times, June 21, 2011 Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." bonhomie : (noun) A pleasant and affable disposition.; affability, affableness, amiableness, geniality, amiability; The good humor and bonhomie called up by this last evening amongst his old friends had disappeared. lilac : noun: 1. Pale purple color. 2. Any of various shrubs having violet, pink, or white flowers. adjective: Of a pale purple color. ; "The lilac gown had darkened her eyes to that deep violet." Carole Mortimer; Zachary Black; Mills & Boon; 2014. See more usage examples of lilac in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a beauty in discovery. There is mathematics in music, a kinship of science and poetry in the description of nature, and exquisite form in a molecule. Attempts to place different disciplines in different camps are revealed as artificial in the face of the unity of knowledge. All literate men are sustained by the philosopher, the historian, the political analyst, the economist, the scientist, the poet, the artisan, and the musician. -Glenn T. Seaborg, scientist, Nobel laureate (19 Apr 1912-1999) *****April 21, 2017***** latitudinarian : allowing or characterized by latitude in opinion or conduct..; It was a Theism broad and simple enough to include everything and signify nothing. Why, then, should Gokal, who was notoriously latitudinarian, take on quite so grave an air? Leo Hamilton Myers, The Root and the Flower, 1935 Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." maverick : (adjective) Being independent in thought and action or exhibiting such independence.; unorthodox, irregular; He was a maverick politician and refused to align himself with any of the established parties. alembic : noun: 1. An apparatus formerly used in distilling. 2. Something that refines, purifies, or transforms. ; "Don Paterson is a poet who constantly needs and wants to change, whether through pursuing his own intellectual agenda or transformed in the alembic of immersing himself in another poet." Stuart Kelly; Found in Translation; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Oct 8, 2006. "But what was thus refined in the alembic of introspection first had to be gathered by his 'unrivalled powers of observation'." Ekbert Faas; Retreat into the Mind; Princeton University Press; 1988. See more usage examples of alembic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History may be read as the story of the magnificent rearguard action fought during several thousand years by dogma against curiosity. -Robert Lynd, writer (20 Apr 1879-1949) *****April 22, 2017***** jammy : British Informal. very lucky; At five to, I pulled into Charlotte Street and was jammy enough to find a vacant meter right outside the back door. Paul Brandon, Swim the Moon, 2001 Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." Bucolic : 1 : of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral; "My husband, Toby, and I … live on a remote sheep farm in the Cotswold Hills.… Our house perches on the edge of a bucolic valley, its pastures divided by ancient dry-stone walls and hawthorn hedges." — Plum Sykes, Vogue, November 2016 arduous : (adjective) Demanding great effort or labor; difficult.; backbreaking, grueling, laborious, toilsome, punishing, hard, heavy; The roofer's work was so arduous that he was forced to take numerous medications to relieve the pain in his back. talisman : noun: 1. An object, such as a stone, believed to have occult powers to keep evil away and bring good fortune to its wearer. 2. Anything that has magical powers and brings miraculous effects. ; "He'd clung to that round-eyed, happy-faced stuffed animal every night before he went to sleep like it was some kind of talisman that could force her to keep her word." Sara Arden; Finding Glory; HQN Books; 2015. See more usage examples of talisman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason. -Henry Fielding, author (21 Apr 1707-1754) *****April 23, 2017***** green-collar : noting or pertaining to workers, jobs, or businesses that are..; At a time when private sector money is flowing into cleantech at record pace, the only thing the three remaining presidential candidates can agree on is the need for the government to invest in green-collar jobs to revive the economy, ensure national security, and clean up the environment. , "Daniel Gross: Bernanke's Plan to Stop the Next Economic Bubble," Newsweek, May 20, 2008 Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." vestige : (noun) A visible trace, evidence, or sign of something that once existed but exists or appears no more.; tincture, trace, shadow; He was so deadly pale—which had not been the case when they went in together—that no vestige of color was to be seen in his face. talisman : noun: 1. An object, such as a stone, believed to have occult powers to keep evil away and bring good fortune to its wearer. 2. Anything that has magical powers and brings miraculous effects. ; "He'd clung to that round-eyed, happy-faced stuffed animal every night before he went to sleep like it was some kind of talisman that could force her to keep her word." Sara Arden; Finding Glory; HQN Books; 2015. See more usage examples of talisman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason. -Henry Fielding, author (21 Apr 1707-1754) *****April 24, 2017***** lacuna : a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argum..; This book was written with the aim of filling what appeared to me to be nothing less than an astonishing lacuna in Heidegger scholarship. Bret W. Davis, Heidegger and the Will: On the Way to Gelassenheit, 2007 Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." Factoid : 1 : an invented fact believed to be true because of its appearance in print; Printed on the back of each baseball card is a chart showing the player's statistics along with one or two interesting factoids about his career. apostasy : (noun) Abandonment of one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause.; defection, renunciation; He had been very devoted to his cause, so when he declared his apostasy to the crowd, there was an audible gasp. talisman : noun: 1. An object, such as a stone, believed to have occult powers to keep evil away and bring good fortune to its wearer. 2. Anything that has magical powers and brings miraculous effects. ; "He'd clung to that round-eyed, happy-faced stuffed animal every night before he went to sleep like it was some kind of talisman that could force her to keep her word." Sara Arden; Finding Glory; HQN Books; 2015. See more usage examples of talisman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason. -Henry Fielding, author (21 Apr 1707-1754) *****April 25, 2017***** synesthesia : a sensation produced in one modality when a stimulus is applie..; Edward's inherited synesthesia was consistent and stable throughout his lifetime. His took a standard form: seeing numbers as colors. Richard Powers, The Echo Maker, 2006 Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Ambiguous : 1 a : doubtful or uncertain especially from obscurity or indistinctness; "In the app, numbers and symbols are included by default, and ambiguous characters like the digit 0 and capital O are suppressed." — Neil J. Rubenking, PCMag.com, 24 Feb. 2017 pauperism : (noun) A state of extreme poverty or destitution.; indigence, penury, need; Two children begged for money on the subway, and their pauperism weighed heavily on the minds of the train's passengers. sybaritic : adjective: Devoted to or relating to luxury and pleasure. ; "His father's sybaritic lifestyle ... inspired in Mario a lifelong interest in worldly pleasures." Mario Reading (obituary); The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Mar 29, 2017. See more usage examples of sybaritic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is all explained by geography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 26, 2017***** dinkum : Australian. genuine; authentic; The general opinion among the Australian men is that "the Yanks are dinkum," or words to that effect, and when an Australian makes a comment such as this you may be sure that the praise, which is praise indeed, has been well earned. Marjorie Pearse, "Australians Like Our Men: Woman War Worker Sends Message to the Women of This Country," New York Times, September 19, 1942 Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." walloping : (noun) A sound thrashing or defeat.; debacle, drubbing, thrashing, trouncing, whipping, slaughter; The tournament was an embarrassment, with our team receiving a thorough walloping from the opponent. dalmatic : noun: A loose, wide-sleeved outer garment worn by some monarchs at their coronations and by deacons, bishops, etc. in some churches. ; "He loved to kneel down on the cold marble pavement and watch the priest, in his stiff flowered dalmatic." Oscar Wilde; The Picture of Dorian Gray; 1891. Thought For The Day: No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. -Edward R. Murrow, journalist (25 Apr 1908-1965) *****April 27, 2017***** perfidious : deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful: a perfidious lo..; ... that a brother should / Be so perfidious! William Shakespeare, The Tempest, 1623 Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." shutout : (noun) A defeat in a game where one side fails to score.; skunk; The coach knew that if his team could score just one point, it would avoid the humiliation of a shutout. sardine : verb tr.: To pack tightly. ; "Families of a dozen or more sardined themselves into buzzing, bumblebee-colored auto rickshaws designed for two passengers." Robert Kunzig; Seven Billion; National Geographic (Washington, DC); Jan 2011. See more usage examples of sardine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, the comfort -- the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -- having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (26 Apr 1826-1887) *****April 28, 2017***** Pollyanna : (often lowercase). unreasonably or illogically optimistic: some ..; His is not the Pollyanna attitude of the unthinking, but rather a courageous belief that men can face reality and rise from and through it to an abiding faith in the rightness of things. , "Goethe: Editorial Comment," The Rotarian, March 1932 Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Junket : 1 : a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet; The senator is under fire for going on a weeklong lavish junket. exothermic : (adjective) Releasing heat.; heat-releasing, exothermal; Scientists use a calorimeter to measure the amount of heat released during an exothermic reaction. frieze : noun: 1. A decorative horizontal band, as on a building. 2. A coarse woolen fabric. ; "He took his place in the line stretching to the next block; attached his chinless profile to the sooty frieze of faces." Seth Morgan; Homeboy; Random House; 1990. "Like handles on either side, they stick out from his head with a frieze of grey tuft embedded in the inner curve." Anita Nair; The Better Man; Picador; 2015. See more usage examples of frieze in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 29, 2017***** drupe : Botany. any fruit, as a peach, cherry, plum, etc., consisting of an ..; Its leaves are shaped like spear-heads; the fruit is a kind of drupe, clothed in fleshy scales. Thomas Mayne Reid, The Castaways, 1870 Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Slough : 1 : to cast off or become cast off; "The glue [that affixes the tiling to the hull] is exposed to a wide variety of environmental conditions, including big temperature swings as well as the pressures of operating at 1,000 feet beneath the surface. The friction of moving underwater tugs at the coating, and running into objects contributes to it gradually sloughing off." — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 7 Mar. 2017 redolent : (adjective) Having or emitting fragrance.; aromatic; The whole atmosphere was redolent with the savory fumes of roast meat. pierian : adjective: Relating to learning or poetry. ; "After I had listed my courses: English, math, and science, he said, 'I see you have begun to drink at the Pierian Spring. In time your appetite will become insatiable.'" Helen Hickok; Short Stories; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. -Harper Lee, writer (28 Apr 1926-2016) *****April 30, 2017***** lionhearted : exceptionally courageous or brave; As to his courage, he is absolutely lion-hearted where he can help or defend anyone else. Arthur Conan Doyle, "Three of Them I: A Chat About Children, Snakes, and Zebus," The Strand Magazine, April 1918 Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Lethargic : 1 : of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy : feeling or affected by lethargy : sluggish; After eating a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs I often feel lethargic and sleepy. inebriant : (noun) An intoxicant.; alcoholic beverage, intoxicant, alcohol; He guzzled the inebriant like a thirsty man would water and promptly dropped to the floor with a thud. pierian : adjective: Relating to learning or poetry. ; "After I had listed my courses: English, math, and science, he said, 'I see you have begun to drink at the Pierian Spring. In time your appetite will become insatiable.'" Helen Hickok; Short Stories; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. -Harper Lee, writer (28 Apr 1926-2016) *****May 01, 2017***** diacritic : a mark, point, or sign added or attached to a letter or characte..; Like a lovely little sunhat. It's [the circumflex] a diacritic that sits on top of letters in many modern languages, although most famously in French. , "How the circumflex became France's bête noire," The Guardian, February 5, 2016 Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." nosegay : (noun) A small bunch of flowers.; bouquet, corsage, posy; The wedding was informal and intimate, with the bride wearing a simple white dress and holding a nosegay of daisies. pierian : adjective: Relating to learning or poetry. ; "After I had listed my courses: English, math, and science, he said, 'I see you have begun to drink at the Pierian Spring. In time your appetite will become insatiable.'" Helen Hickok; Short Stories; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience. -Harper Lee, writer (28 Apr 1926-2016) *****May 02, 2017***** floriferous : producing blossoms; flower-bearing; ... [Profusion zinnias] are so floriferous, the plants are covered with blooms, in fact, smothered might be a better word. Joan Lee Faust, "Zinnias Galore: Green Thumb Not Needed," New York Times, July 30, 2000 Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." discernible : (adjective) Capable of being seen or noticed.; evident, observable; Monkeys scampered about the deserted ruins, and gaily plumaged birds flitted in and out among the columns and the galleries far above; but no sign of human presence was discernible. plethora : noun: An abundance or excess. ; "The plethora and panoply of scents in his talented nose alone are beyond our mutual eloquence." Brian Doyle; Martin Marten; Thomas Dunne Books; 2015. See more usage examples of plethora in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A full belly to the labourer is, in my opinion, the foundation of public morals and the only source of real public peace. -William Cobbett, journalist, pamphleteer, and farmer (1763-1835) *****May 03, 2017***** dox : Slang. to publish the private personal information of (another person)..; Hackers and online vigilantes routinely "dox" both public and private figures who provoke their ire, by publishing social security numbers, home addresses, and credit card numbers. Sam Gustin, "The Internet Doesn't Hurt People--People Do: 'The New Digital Age,'" Time, April 26, 2013 Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Majordomo : 1 : a head steward of a large household (such as a palace); "Arriving at the Palace, he was informed that His Highness had gone out shortly after breakfast, and had not returned. The majordomo gave the information with a tinkle of disapproval in his voice." — P. G. Wodehouse, The Prince and Betty, 1912 juggernaut : (noun) An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seems to crush everything in its path.; steamroller; It touched the ground just as it struck among them and mowed through them, a veritable juggernaut of destruction. comestible : noun: An article of food. adjective: Fit to eat; edible. ; "Their tastes ran to a plethora of comestibles your doctor would not recommend." Martin Gayford; Jazz Without Smoke?; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Apr 16, 1993. See more usage examples of comestible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All the time a person is a child he is both a child and learning to be a parent. After he becomes a parent he becomes predominantly a parent reliving childhood. -Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author (2 May 1903-1998) *****May 04, 2017***** minatory : menacing; threatening; His features had lost their delicately benevolent aspect; his words were minatory. E. Phillips Oppenheim, The Vanished Messenger, 1914 Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Refurbish : : to brighten or freshen up : renovate; "Ann Eliza noticed that Evelina now took the precaution of putting on her crimson bow every evening before supper, and that she had refurbished with a bit of carefully washed lace the black silk which they still called new because it had been bought a year after Ann Eliza's." — Edith Wharton, Bunner Sisters, 1916 parapraxis : (noun) A minor error, such as a slip of the tongue, thought to reveal a repressed motive.; slip-up, miscue, slip; She thought her verbal blunder was just a silly mistake, but her friend, a Freud enthusiast, tried to convince her that the parapraxis actually had great significance. myriad : noun: A large number. adjective: Large in number, variations, etc. ; "Travelers will be hard pressed to find an area that doesn't offer something in the way of a small meal; breads, pastries, pizzas, sandwiches, bagels, meats, cheeses, juices, ice creams, and vegetarian goodies are among the myriad comestible options available." Martin Dunford; The Rough Guide to New York City; Rough Guides; 2009. See more usage examples of myriad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2017***** coruscant : sparkling or gleaming; scintillating; coruscating; Halley's comet was visible here early to-day in the southeastern horizon. Its light was brilliant and coruscant. , "Comet Is Getting Near," New York Times, April 20, 1910 Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Visceral : 1 : felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body : deep; "My mom is the only one who still writes me letters. And there's something visceral about opening a letter—I see her on the page. I see her in her handwriting." — Steve Carell, quoted in The Boston Globe Magazine, 24 July 2011 apodal : (adjective) Having no limbs, feet, or footlike appendages.; apodous; Eels are apodal and well adapted for wriggling in the mud, through the crevices of reefs, and along rocky shores. nugatory : adjective: 1. Of little value; trifling. 2. Having no force; ineffective. ; "Candidates ... from a myriad of smaller parties ... were humiliated, their campaigns ending with a returning officer reading out their nugatory scores to a sports centre full of jeering politicos." In Praise of the Runners-Up; The Journal (Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK); May 12, 2015. See more usage examples of nugatory in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The doctrine of the material efficacy of prayer reduces the Creator to a cosmic bellhop of a not very bright or reliable kind. -Herbert J. Muller, educator, historian, and author (1905-1980) *****May 06, 2017***** abrazo : Spanish. an embrace, used in greeting someone; Sonny had seen her embrace Rita, as a greeting or in parting; the abrazo was part of the warmth of friendship. Rudolfo Anaya, Rio Grande Fall, 1996 Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Acronym : : a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation (such as FBI) formed from initial letters : initialism; The new committee spent a fair amount of time choosing a name that would lend itself to an appealing acronym. marionette : (noun) A jointed puppet manipulated from above by strings or wires attached to its limbs.; puppet; They appeared to me clear-cut and very small, with affected voices and stiff gestures, like a procession of rigid marionettes upon a toy stage. fructify : verb tr., intr.: To make or become fruitful. ; "Rampant paranoia may be ... ultimately cathartic or fructifying, rendering conspiracy nugatory." James Morrison; Passport to Hollywood; SUNY Press; 1998. See more usage examples of fructify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2017***** milliner : a person who designs, makes, or sells hats for women; Mrs. Gruby, our best milliner, does not believe in slavishly following Paris fashions; she originates her own styles. Jean Webster, "Dear Enemy, Part II " The Century, May 1915 Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." Demean : : to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner; Theresa was proud of how well her boys demeaned themselves during the ceremony. exigency : (noun) Urgent requirements; pressing needs. Often used in the plural.; need, demand, requirement, necessity, constraint, wont; The reduction was caused by the exigencies of a wartime economy. fructify : verb tr., intr.: To make or become fruitful. ; "Rampant paranoia may be ... ultimately cathartic or fructifying, rendering conspiracy nugatory." James Morrison; Passport to Hollywood; SUNY Press; 1998. See more usage examples of fructify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 08, 2017***** oleaginous : having the nature or qualities of oil; He filled the wheelbarrow with provisions and two five-gallon cans that had once held olive oil and now contained water--albeit an oleaginous and tinny-tasting variant of what he knew water to be. T. Coraghessan Boyle, "The Underground Gardens," The New Yorker, May 25, 1998 Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." pandemonium : (noun) A state of extreme confusion and disorder.; bedlam, chaos, topsy-turvydom; Instantly the avenue was a pandemonium of clashing blades, cursing warriors, and squealing throats. fructify : verb tr., intr.: To make or become fruitful. ; "Rampant paranoia may be ... ultimately cathartic or fructifying, rendering conspiracy nugatory." James Morrison; Passport to Hollywood; SUNY Press; 1998. See more usage examples of fructify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 09, 2017***** hypostatize : to treat or regard (a concept, idea, etc.) as a distinct subst..; Long ago the philosophers warned us against hypostatizing verbal categories, such as the category of "government" or "the State." When you hypostatize you endow a concept with a life that it does not actually possess. John Chamberlain, "Some First Principles," New York Times, August 4, 1946 Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Panacea : : a remedy for all ills or difficulties : cure-all; Georgette said, "I don't know if hybrid cars are a panacea for the world's environmental issues, but they seem to be a step in the right direction." spillway : (noun) A channel for an overflow of water, as from a reservoir.; wasteweir, spill; The workers cleared the debris from the spillway so the excess water could flow through the channel. au courant : adjective: 1. Up-to-date; fully-informed. 2. Fashionable. ; "He was a good scholar, tried to keep au courant with the latest archaeological research." James A. Michener; The Source; Marjay; 1965. "The Troubadour makes a point of straddling the classic and au courant." Laura Chubb; Southern Comfort; Evening Standard (London, UK); Apr 28, 2017. See more usage examples of au courant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers. -Thomas Pynchon, novelist (b. 8 May 1937) *****May 10, 2017***** holus-bolus : all at once; altogether; I'll take it on my shoulders, holus bolus, blame and shame, my boy; but stay here, I cannot let you. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, 1883 Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Lanuginous : : covered with down or fine soft hair; At the base of the mullein's tall spire is a cluster of large lanuginous leaves. froward : (adjective) Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate.; headstrong, self-willed, willful; Her siblings were obedient and well-behaved, but she was froward and stubborn. runnel : noun: A small stream or channel. ; "Courts became runnels for judicial cruelty, dispensing sentences vastly more severe than anything usual for similar crimes." China Miéville; 'Oh, London, You Drama Queen'; The New York Times Magazine; Mar 4, 2012. See more usage examples of runnel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships. -Charles Simic, poet (b. 9 May 1938) *****May 11, 2017***** sophistry : a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallaci..; He intensifies the discords upon a subject which many seem bent upon befogging and distracting by all the arts of ingenious sophistry. He professes to be friendly to copyright, and then reasons his way to the destruction of all copyright by denying that there is any right or wrong in the matter. , "Matthew Arnold on Copyright," The Popular Science Monthly, May to October, 1880 Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." dumbwaiter : (noun) A small elevator used to convey food (or other goods) from one floor of a building to another.; food elevator; The cook put the food on the dumbwaiter and sent it upstairs, where the waiters served it. concur : verb intr.: To agree, approve, or coincide. ; "The court did not concur with the tenant ... and issued a judgment both against the tenant and his guarantor." George Coucounis; Terminating Tenancy Agreements and Giving Notice; Cyprus Mail (Nicosia); Apr 30, 2017. See more usage examples of concur in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960) *****May 12, 2017***** saudade : (in Portuguese folk culture) a deep emotional state of melancholic..; ... “The Girl From Ipanema†was a potent distillation of the concept of saudade, a feeling of melancholic nostalgia that characterizes so much Brazilian music. ... Longing for the unattainable, and an acute sense of the moment’s slipping away: That’s saudade. Stephen Holden, "Brazilian Yearning and Imminent Loss," New York Times, March 21, 2014 Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." penury : (noun) Extreme want or poverty; destitution.; indigence, pauperism, beggary, need; Fyne did not know what it might mean to be suddenly reduced from riches to absolute penury. palindrome : noun: A word, phrase, sentence, or a longer work that reads the same backward and forward. For example, "A man, a plan, a canal, Panama!" ; "The entire family is obsessed with wordplay. Palindromes are their specialty (thus the girls' names [Ava and Pip])." J Courtney Sullivan; Little Sister, Big Plans; The New York Times Book Review; May 11, 2014. This is a palindromic URL: https://wordsmith.org/words/sdrow/gro.htimsdrow//:sptth See more usage examples of palindrome in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Testing can show the presence of errors, but not their absence. -Edsger Dijkstra, computer scientist (11 May 1930-2002) *****May 13, 2017***** imprimatur : sanction or approval; support: Our plan has the company preside..; All but one would have to support the new resolution for a war to have the U.N.’s imprimatur. Philip Gourevitch, "Waging Peace," The New Yorker, March 10, 2003 Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." pinafore : (noun) A sleeveless garment similar to an apron, worn especially by small girls as a dress or an overdress.; jumper, pinny; Dolly came into the yard sobbing and crying, with her little blue frock and white pinafore spattered all over with mud. excursus : noun: 1. A detailed discussion about a particular point, especially when added as an appendix. 2. A digression. ; "Pushkin's translator and editor Vladimir Nabokov included a 50-page excursus on the current state of knowledge about 'Abram Gannibal'." Maggie Gee; Gannibal; New Statesman (London, UK); Aug 8, 2005. See more usage examples of excursus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (12 May 1802-1861) *****May 14, 2017***** rosarian : a person who is fond of, develops, or cultivates roses; When Stephen Scanniello, the rosarian at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, was asked for his picks for top roses on the market this spring, he picked the Marco Polo and several others: Regatta, a pink apricot with a strong aroma; Compassion, a climbing rose, and Curly Pink, a classic from 1948. , "A Rose Is Made," New York Times, April 23, 1995 Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. perdition : (noun) The abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment.; Hell, infernal region, nether region, the pit, Inferno; She feared the fires of perdition and listened closely to the preacher's sermon about purity of heart and avoiding sin. excursus : noun: 1. A detailed discussion about a particular point, especially when added as an appendix. 2. A digression. ; "Pushkin's translator and editor Vladimir Nabokov included a 50-page excursus on the current state of knowledge about 'Abram Gannibal'." Maggie Gee; Gannibal; New Statesman (London, UK); Aug 8, 2005. See more usage examples of excursus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (12 May 1802-1861) *****May 15, 2017***** superlative : of the highest kind, quality, or order; surpassing all else or..; For the boundless love that she has always given me and for being such a thoroughly fabulous human being, never mind a superlative mother, this book is for her. Jacqueline Nassy Brown, "Preface," Dropping Anchor, Setting Sail: Geographies of Race in Black Liverpool, 2005 Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." hellion : (noun) A mischievous, troublesome, or unruly person.; devil, heller; He chased the young hellions out of his yard, but the boys had already trampled his wife's precious flowerbeds, and the blooms could not be salvaged. excursus : noun: 1. A detailed discussion about a particular point, especially when added as an appendix. 2. A digression. ; "Pushkin's translator and editor Vladimir Nabokov included a 50-page excursus on the current state of knowledge about 'Abram Gannibal'." Maggie Gee; Gannibal; New Statesman (London, UK); Aug 8, 2005. See more usage examples of excursus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (12 May 1802-1861) *****May 16, 2017***** Luddite : someone who is opposed or resistant to new technologies or technol..; Leila was no Luddite, but she trusted her paper notebook over any of her electronics. David Shafer, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2014 Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." cudbear : (noun) A purplish-red dye derived from certain lichens.; archil, orchil; The monks secured a small sample of cudbear to see if it could be used in their illuminated manuscripts. sadiron : noun: A heavy flatiron pointed at both ends and having a detachable handle. ; "The next day, everything was ironed with a sadiron." Jean Baggott; The Drama of a Very Ordinary Life; Daily Mail (London, UK); Feb 27, 2010. Thought For The Day: When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in yourself than there was before. -Clifton Fadiman, editor and critic (15 May 1904-1999) *****May 17, 2017***** forgettery : a faculty or facility for forgetting; faulty memory: a witness ..; And, even as we rolled through the lovely country-side, my forgettery set to work. Kurt Vonnegut, Slapstick, 1976 Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. fulsome : (adjective) Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech.; unctuous, buttery, oleaginous, smarmy, oily; His introduction contained such fulsome flattery that I began to wonder whether anything else he said could be trusted. adoral : adjective: Located toward the side or end where the mouth is located, especially in animals that don't have clear upper and lower sides. ; "The most severe lesions are in the adoral sections of the small intestine." Chris Cebra, et al.; Llama and Alpaca Care; Saunders; 2014. Thought For The Day: As a general truth, communities prosper and flourish, or droop and decline, in just the degree that they practise or neglect to practise the primary duties of justice and humanity. -William Henry Seward, Secretary of State, Governor, and Senator (16 May 1801-1872) *****May 18, 2017***** zugzwang : Chess. a situation in which a player is limited to moves that cos..; The aim in the end game is to get your opponent’s king into “zugzwang,†which means to force him to have only one more move remaining, and that one loses the game for him. H. N. Levitt, "K K Karanja: Chess Champ," Boys' Life, February 1986 Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." conniption : (noun) A fit of violent emotion, such as anger or panic.; fit, tantrum, scene; When he discovered that his soup was only lukewarm, he had a conniption and stormed out of the restaurant. lust-house : noun: 1. A country house or a summer house. 2. A tavern with a beer garden. ; "There are other things besides lust-houses and flower-beds." Arthur Conan Doyle; Micah Clarke; Longmans, Green & Co.; 1889. Thought For The Day: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2017***** slacktivism : actions taken to bring about political or social change but re..; The [Ice Bucket] challenge was derided as “slacktivismâ€â€”a way for people to feel virtuous without doing much. James Surowiecki, "What Happened to the Ice Bucket Challenge?" The New Yorker, July 25, 2016 Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. drollery : (noun) A quaint and amusing jest.; waggery; We filed into the parlor for some entertainment from Uncle Jones, who was known for his drollery and excellent impersonation of Aunt Cecilia. bodkin : noun: 1. A small, pointed instrument for making holes in cloth, etc. 2. A blunt needle for drawing tape or cord through a loop or a hem. 3. A long, ornamental hairpin. 4. A dagger or stiletto. ; "Wild plums like these are excellent pricked with a bodkin." Helen Yemm; No-Hassle Hedge and Fancying Up a Fence; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Oct 29, 2016. See more usage examples of bodkin in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: And if there were a God, I think it very unlikely that He would have such an uneasy vanity as to be offended by those who doubt His existence. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970) *****May 20, 2017***** purloin : to take dishonestly; steal; filch; pilfer; ... a certain document of the last importance, has been purloined from the royal apartments. The individual who purloined it is known; this beyond a doubt; he was seen to take it. Edgar Allen Poe, "The Purloined Letter," The Gift, 1844 Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." pustulate : (adjective) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.; acned, pimpled; She tormented her brother about his pustulate complexion until she herself developed a severe case of acne. atrophy : noun: A wasting away or decline, due to disease, injury, lack of use, etc. verb tr., intr.: To wither or cause to waste away. ; "Here, I've been more or less a couch potato -- and my body is telling me to get moving before everything atrophies." Irene Hannon; Hope Harbor; Revell; 2015. See more usage examples of atrophy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 21, 2017***** moggy : British Informal. a cat; It was possible that Goldilocks was on a road trip somewhere, but no cat owner ever leaves a moggy with no one to feed it. Jasper Fforde, The Fourth Bear, 2006 Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." apportionment : (noun) The act of distributing by allotting or apportioning; distribution according to a plan.; parceling, assignation, allocation, allotment; The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is based on the relative population of each state. atrophy : noun: A wasting away or decline, due to disease, injury, lack of use, etc. verb tr., intr.: To wither or cause to waste away. ; "Here, I've been more or less a couch potato -- and my body is telling me to get moving before everything atrophies." Irene Hannon; Hope Harbor; Revell; 2015. See more usage examples of atrophy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 22, 2017***** slumberous : sleepy; heavy with drowsiness, as the eyelids; He lay but opened a red eye unsleeping, deep and slowly breathing, slumberous but awake. James Joyce, Ulysses, 1922 Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." craven : (adjective) Characterized by abject fear; cowardly.; recreant; The cowardly shopkeeper angered the revolutionaries with his craven proposal to raise the white flag and surrender. atrophy : noun: A wasting away or decline, due to disease, injury, lack of use, etc. verb tr., intr.: To wither or cause to waste away. ; "Here, I've been more or less a couch potato -- and my body is telling me to get moving before everything atrophies." Irene Hannon; Hope Harbor; Revell; 2015. See more usage examples of atrophy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 23, 2017***** ultracrepidarian : noting or pertaining to a person who criticizes, judges, ..; He was the only person in New York who might be called, without intent to malign, an Ultracrepidarian critic. It was of the very nature of his job to find fault with small and insignificant details. Ellery Queen, The American Gun Mystery, 1933 Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." degage : (adjective) Showing lack of emotional involvement.; detached, uninvolved; Mrs. Smith was not easily impressed by excuses, and she adopted a degage pose on the arm of the easy chair as her son tried to explain why he missed dinner. gemutlich : adjective: Cozy; comfortable; pleasant; friendly. ; "Between the radio playing soft music and the coals burning in the fireplace, it was a gemutlich atmosphere on a chilly December day." Annelore Harrell; 75 Years After Pearl Harbor; Savannah Morning News (Georgia); Dec 7, 2016. Thought For The Day: I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 24, 2017***** memoriter : by heart; by memory; ... Miss Rolleston found, one day, a paper on her table, containing advice as to the treatment of disordered lungs, expressed with apparent coldness, and backed by a string of medical authorities quoted memoriter. Charles Reade and Dion Boucicault, Foul Play, 1869 Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." cathexis : (noun) Concentration of emotional energy on an object or idea.; charge; Freud thought of cathexis as a psychic analog of an electrical charge. anschauung : noun: 1. Intuition. 2. Outlook, attitude, opinion, etc. ; "You, through your knowledge and insight -- your Anschauung -- you can help people." H. Andrew Lynch; The Superhero's Closet; Xlibris; 2006. Thought For The Day: A house is no home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. -Margaret Fuller, author, critic, and women's rights advocate (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2017***** cantankerous : disagreeable to deal with; contentious; peevish: a cantankero..; Yes, Thomas, you are an extremely cantankerous man to work with--I know that to my cost. You disregard everything that you ought to have consideration for. Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People, translated by R. Farquharson Sharp, 1911 Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." impermanent : (adjective) Not lasting or durable; not permanent.; temporary; After weeks of carefully constructing the beautiful sand mandala, the Tibetan monks quietly swept it away in a ceremony emphasizing the impermanent nature of existence. gesellschaft : noun: Social relations based on impersonal ties, such as obligations to an institution or society. ; "As with those small-town figures, the doorman's knowledge of a person can be worrying, but it is comforting, too. The doorman is a touch of Gemeinschaft in an ever more Gesellschaft world." James Collins; Why Doormen?; The New York Times; Apr 25, 2010. Thought For The Day: I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter, Nobel laureate (b. 24 May 1941) *****May 26, 2017***** chinwag : Slang. an idle chat; Mrs. M's recent chin-wag at the kitchen door with the milk-float man was likely to have resulted in more swapping of intelligence than a chin-wag between Lord Haw-Haw and Mata Hari. Alan Bradley, A Red Herring Without Mustard, 2011 Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." floorwalker : (noun) An employee of a department store who supervises sales personnel and assists customers.; shopwalker; Although Bill thoroughly enjoyed the raise associated with his promotion to floorwalker, he disliked answering customer complaints and sometimes wished he had remained a cashier. gesamtkunstwerk : noun: A work of art that makes use of many different art forms. ; "Here all the arts were to amalgamate into one gigantic Gesamtkunstwerk: music, voice, song, dance, color, scent." Marjana Gaponenko; Who is Martha?; New Vessel Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: The true test of a civilization is, not the census, nor the size of the cities, nor the crops -- no, but the kind of man the country turns out. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist (25 May 1803-1882) *****May 27, 2017***** backronym : an existing word turned into an acronym by creating an apt phras..; Butterfield, who liked the cheekiness and loved the sound of the word, coined a "backronym" to justify it: searchable log of all communication and knowledge. He got his way. Jeff Bercovici, "Slack Is Our Company of the Year. Here's Why Everybody's Talking About It," Inc., December 2015 Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." invertebrate : (adjective) Lacking a backbone or spinal column; not vertebrate.; spineless; The sixth grade class groaned in unison as the students learned that they would be dissecting worms during their study of invertebrates. krummholz : noun: Stunted trees near the timber line on a mountain. ; "Contorted spiky krummholz and tangled alder grew close to the water's edge." Julian May; Jack the Bodiless; Del Rey; 1991. Thought For The Day: A man that is ashamed of passions that are natural and reasonable is generally proud of those that are shameful and silly. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 28, 2017***** winsome : sweetly or innocently charming; winning; engaging: a winsome smile..; ... two persons living together, as master and mistress of the house, and father and mother of a winsome, merry little child ... Anne Brontë, The Tenant of Windfell Hall, 1848 Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." facile : (adjective) Working, acting, or speaking with effortless ease and fluency.; eloquent, silver-tongued, smooth-spoken, fluent, silver; Those facile and brilliant phrases and ideas struck me as the finest things I had yet known in literature, and I borrowed the book and read it through. krummholz : noun: Stunted trees near the timber line on a mountain. ; "Contorted spiky krummholz and tangled alder grew close to the water's edge." Julian May; Jack the Bodiless; Del Rey; 1991. Thought For The Day: A man that is ashamed of passions that are natural and reasonable is generally proud of those that are shameful and silly. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 29, 2017***** hedonism : devotion to pleasure as a way of life: The later Roman emperors w..; In everyday language, the term "hedonism" denotes an amoral tendency to a life of sensuality if not of outright vice. Milan Kundera, Slowness, translated by Linda Asher, 1996 Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." nerveless : (adjective) Lacking strength or energy; spiritless; weak.; feeble; He was a weak, nerveless fool, devoid of energy and promptitude. krummholz : noun: Stunted trees near the timber line on a mountain. ; "Contorted spiky krummholz and tangled alder grew close to the water's edge." Julian May; Jack the Bodiless; Del Rey; 1991. Thought For The Day: A man that is ashamed of passions that are natural and reasonable is generally proud of those that are shameful and silly. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 30, 2017***** true-blue : unwaveringly loyal or faithful; staunch; unchangingly true; Bishop Fulton J. Sheen rode into town in the 1950s on the new main street of the United States, the television set, like a true-blue American hero. Paul Vitello, "Remembrance, and Maybe Sainthood, for Bishop Fulton J. Sheen," New York Times, December 9, 2009 Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). dissociate : (verb) To remove from association; separate.; disjoint, disunite, divorce; The senator dissociated herself from the organization when she found out that its president had been involved in an embezzlement scheme. glocalize : verb tr.: To make a product or service available widely, but adapted for local markets. ; "Communications have also been glocalized. Facebook, the global power on the rise, is an expression of this." Uri Savir; Glocalization; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Feb 24, 2012. Thought For The Day: We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****May 31, 2017***** keysmash : a random string of letters and symbols typed out on a keyboard or..; A close relative of “I can’t even†is the keysmash, a string of actual gibberish — asdf;lkl, maybe — meant to signal that the typist has become so excited that she has lost control of her fingers. Amanda Hess, "When You 'Literally Can't Even' Understand Your Teenager," New York Times, June 9, 2015 Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." motley : (adjective) Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds.; assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, sundry; The other occupants of the room, five in number, were all females, and they were still sleeping, piled high with a motley array of silks and furs. solunar : adjective: Relating to the sun and the moon. ; "Even the highest orders of animals were less adaptable to different environmental conditions, and particularly to solunar and other cycles." Gordon R. Dickson; The Final Encyclopedia; Tor Books; 1996. Thought For The Day: We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor. -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (1929-1968) *****June 01, 2017***** puffery : undue or exaggerated praise; The one TV critic whom no one is paranoid about is the Times's otherworldly right-winger, John Corry, who wrote a piece praising the universally excoriated debut of 48 Hours one week and then, having been lambasted for this puffery by his fellow Timesmen, wrote a piece the following week, before an episode of the show had aired, recanting his praise. Charles Pooter, "Calling All Critics," Spy, April 1988 Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Whirligig : 1 : a child's toy having a whirling motion; "As 2016 draws mercifully to a close, just what, exactly, are we to make of this bewildering whirligig of a year?" — Brian Chasnoff, The San Antonio News-Express, 30 Dec. 2016 prostration : (noun) An abrupt failure of function or complete physical exhaustion.; collapse; The weakness of the young missionary became so extreme that they had to lay him again on the bed, where a prostration, lasting for several hours, held him like a dead man. judder : verb intr.: To shake or vibrate violently. noun: An intense shaking or vibration. ; "Its only drawback is a firm suspension that accentuates uneven surfaces and sends a sharp judder up your back if you take speed bumps at anything more than a crawl." Adding Extra Spice to the City Car Scene; Express & Echo (Exeter, UK); May 11, 2017. See more usage examples of judder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on -- have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear -- what remains? Nature remains. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2017***** centenarian : a person who has reached the age of 100; Allan cut across the churchyard to the south, until a stone wall appeared in his path. It wasn't more than three feet high, but Allan was a centenarian, not a high jumper. Jonas Jonasson, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, translated by Rod Bradbury, 2012 Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Valedictory : : of or relating to an act of bidding farewell : expressing or containing a farewell; "During one of two valedictory addresses, Fredrick challenged her classmates to make a difference after graduation and took the time to thank all teachers." — Nathan Thompson, The Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Examiner-Enterprise, 14 May 2017 farcical : (adjective) Broadly or extravagantly humorous; resembling farce.; ludicrous, ridiculous; The clown, with his farcical exuberance, rainbow striped hair, and poorly timed gags, drew enthusiastic applause and laughter from the audience. dripple : verb intr.: To flow in a small stream or to fall in drops. ; "They dripple down the wall into the stairwell and they look fabulous." Finding Art in the Natural World; Taranaki Daily News (New Plymouth, New Zealand); Apr 23, 2016. Thought For The Day: I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it. -Alanis Morissette, musician (b. 1 June 1974) *****June 03, 2017***** sinker : Slang. a doughnut or, sometimes, a biscuit or muffin; "Coffee, a sinker, and some information," I said, sitting down at the counter. Stuart M. Kaminsky, Think Fast, Mr. Peters, 1987 Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Plagiary : 1 : (archaic) one that plagiarizes; "When Amy Heckerling updated and reworked Emma into her 1995 film Clueless, she was not plagiarising Jane Austen, she was creating an imaginary conversation with a classic novel. If I'd opened this piece by writing, 'To steal or not to steal, that is the question,' the only literary misconduct of which I would be guilty is cliché, not 'plagiary,' to use the word's older form." — Sarah Churchwell, The Guardian, 30 May 2013 delirious : (adjective) Marked by uncontrolled excitement or emotion; ecstatic.; excited, frantic, mad, unrestrained; A crowd of delirious baseball fans cheered the home team to a shutout victory. masstige : noun: Products that have the perception of luxury, but are relatively affordable and marketed to masses. adjective: Relating to such a product. ; "Mr Clarke said Treasury Wines had established its luxury and masstige wines in China to compete with French and Italian wines." Uncorking US Market; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Feb 15, 2017. Thought For The Day: The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 04, 2017***** athleisure : a style of clothing worn as athletic apparel but also suitable ..; Today, Lululemon apparel, with its tiny, stylized a logo, is ever-present on the sidelines of soccer games, in carpool lines, at coffee shops, and on airplanes. The pants and tops spawned a raft of imitators, including some of the biggest names in athletic apparel, as well as a new term--athleisure--for the style of clothing that seems fit for the gym, but is worn many places besides. Jason Kelly, Sweat Equity: Inside the New Economy of Mind and Body, 2016 Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." ocular : (adjective) Seen by the eye.; visual; The evidence that the house is haunted is of two kinds: the testimony of disinterested witnesses who have had ocular proof, and that of the house itself. masstige : noun: Products that have the perception of luxury, but are relatively affordable and marketed to masses. adjective: Relating to such a product. ; "Mr Clarke said Treasury Wines had established its luxury and masstige wines in China to compete with French and Italian wines." Uncorking US Market; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Feb 15, 2017. Thought For The Day: The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 05, 2017***** notabilia : matters, events, or items worthy of note; Your letter from the Far West was charmingly vivid and free; one seemed to attend you personally, and see with one's own eyes the notabilia, human and other, of those huge regions, in your swift flight through them to and from. April Carlyle, "Carlyle to Emerson, April 2, 1872," The Pacific Unitarian, November 1901 Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Redoubt : 1 a : a small usually temporary enclosed defensive work; From his redoubt on the ninth floor, the fugitive could see the line of police cars that had surrounded the building. disdainful : (adjective) Expressing extreme contempt.; contemptuous, insulting, scornful; She cast one disdainful look at Moody, without troubling herself to express her contempt in words. masstige : noun: Products that have the perception of luxury, but are relatively affordable and marketed to masses. adjective: Relating to such a product. ; "Mr Clarke said Treasury Wines had established its luxury and masstige wines in China to compete with French and Italian wines." Uncorking US Market; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Feb 15, 2017. Thought For The Day: The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 06, 2017***** vim : lively or energetic spirit; enthusiasm; vitality; Certainly no better selection of a leader could have been made, for Neil was full of the vim of youth, and had a newly acquired fund of scientific knowledge just waiting to be applied. Caroline Abbot Stanley, The Keeper of the Vineyard, 1913 Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." abaxial : (adjective) Located away from or on the opposite side of the axis, as of an organ or organism; dorsal; The abaxial surface of the leaf was covered in stomata, tiny pores that allow the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen between the internal tissues of the plant and the outside atmosphere. showboat : verb intr.: To seek attention by showy, flamboyant behavior; to show off. noun: One who seeks attention in such a way; a show-off. ; "One club official quipped he didn't realise it was an exhibition match as Bradley Walker showboated in midfield." Nick Loughlin; Walker Adds to His Classic Collection; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Mar 17, 2014. See more usage examples of showboat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? -Adam Smith, economist (5 Jun 1723-1790) *****June 07, 2017***** brinkmanship : the technique or practice of maneuvering a dangerous situatio..; If brinkmanship is too timid there is no credibility, hence no deterrence. If it is too vigorous there is war. Anders Boserup, "Deterrence and defense," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, December 1981 Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." ethereal : (adjective) Characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy.; gossamer; The birdwatchers longed to see the smallest and most ethereal of birds but found only a family of common pigeons. gaslight : verb tr.: To manipulate psychologically. ; "We, the viewers, know that Jimmy is essentially gaslighting Chuck, making his own brother doubt himself." Matt Wilstein; 'Better Call Saul's' Michael McKean on Chuck's Devastating Downfall; The Daily Beast (New York); May 9, 2017. See more usage examples of gaslight in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form. -William R. Inge, clergyman, scholar, and author (6 Jun 1860-1954) *****June 08, 2017***** serendipity : good fortune; luck: the serendipity of getting the first job s..; You, Mister Lipwig, are useful and a conduit for serendipity. For example, I understand you have just blessed us with more goblins at a time when we need them. Terry Pratchett, Raising Steam, 2013 Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." lanate : (adjective) Having or consisting of woolly hairs.; woolly; The woolly aphid has a lanate coat resembling cotton. degauss : verb tr. 1. To demagnetize. 2. To erase a disk or other storage device. ; "She degaussed the magnetic catch on the cover plate of the nearest door." Barbara Hambly; Star Trek: Crossroad; Pocket Books; 2000. See more usage examples of degauss in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) *****June 09, 2017***** conflagration : a destructive fire, usually an extensive one; The fire department turned out promptly, but found that the mains were frozen and the little water they could pump from nearby wells was useless against a conflagration fanned by a terrific wind. Paul L. Anderson, "Blizzard Hounds," Boys' Life, February 1923 Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." overweening : (adjective) Unrestrained, especially with regard to feelings.; extravagant, exuberant, excessive; It may be all right, sir, but I have no overweening reliance on the faith of these marquesses, or marquis, as they call themselves. Shakespeare : verb intr.: 1. To act in a play, movie, etc. 2. To attend a performance of Shakespeare's plays. ; "Whenever I am not on tour with my ballet troupe or Shakespearing my way on the theatrical circuit, you will find me in my East Village haunt and my greatest find ever, the Kiev Restaurant. -Terrence Deitch." Grace Yen; Bargain Hunters 2004; Back Stage (New York); Aug 20-26, 2004. "The set-up will not allow attendees to spread out blankets for simultaneous picnicking and Shakespearing." James Keller; Snatch'd Out of the Jaws of Death; The Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug 16, 2013. See more usage examples of Shakespeare in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I invented the web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going to end in the USA. ... Democracy depends on freedom of speech. Freedom of connection, with any application, to any party, is the fundamental social basis of the Internet, and, now, the society based on it. Let's see whether the United States is capable of acting according to its important values, or whether it is, as so many people are saying, run by the misguided short-term interest of large corporations. I hope that Congress can protect net neutrality, so I can continue to innovate in the internet space. I want to see the explosion of innovations happening out there on the Web, so diverse and so exciting, continue unabated. -Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web (b. 8 Jun 1955) source *****June 10, 2017***** bellyache : Informal. to complain; grumble; People thought the railroad owed them romantic favors, and then they bellyached if a train was slow. Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections, 2001 Exponential : adj. Characterized by an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent). "The company enjoyed an exponential growth rate." haggle : (verb) To bargain, as over the price of something; dicker.; chaffer, higgle, huckster; He preferred to be overcharged than to haggle over such a trivial item. prodnose : verb intr.: To pry. noun: A prying person. ; "The lines between government prodnosing and charitable work become ever more blurred." Libby Purves; Charities Must Get Back to Doing Good Works; The Times (London, UK); Dec 23, 2008. "Now Wallace wants to take this gang of Minnesota prodnoses to the national level." Alexander Cockburn; Leave the Press to the Court of Public Opinion; Los Angeles Times; Dec 27, 1996. Thought For The Day: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 11, 2017***** hireling : a person who works only for pay, especially in a menial or boring..; What does it matter what she thinks of you--you're only a hireling! L. P. Hartley, The Hireling, 1957 Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. extralegal : (adjective) Not permitted or governed by law.; nonlegal; The vigilantes believed they were simply dispensing an extralegal form of frontier justice. prodnose : verb intr.: To pry. noun: A prying person. ; "The lines between government prodnosing and charitable work become ever more blurred." Libby Purves; Charities Must Get Back to Doing Good Works; The Times (London, UK); Dec 23, 2008. "Now Wallace wants to take this gang of Minnesota prodnoses to the national level." Alexander Cockburn; Leave the Press to the Court of Public Opinion; Los Angeles Times; Dec 27, 1996. Thought For The Day: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 12, 2017***** aegis : protection; support: under the imperial aegis; Certainly the protecting aegis of his rank and title would be over the lad, but she might depend upon it any indiscretion of hers would damage him in his future career, the Major assured her. George Meredith, Evan Harrington, 1861 Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." lidless : (adjective) Watchful; vigilant.; sleepless; He was vigilant—a lidless watcher of the public weal—and took great care to make sure that all was well with his neighbors. prodnose : verb intr.: To pry. noun: A prying person. ; "The lines between government prodnosing and charitable work become ever more blurred." Libby Purves; Charities Must Get Back to Doing Good Works; The Times (London, UK); Dec 23, 2008. "Now Wallace wants to take this gang of Minnesota prodnoses to the national level." Alexander Cockburn; Leave the Press to the Court of Public Opinion; Los Angeles Times; Dec 27, 1996. Thought For The Day: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 13, 2017***** prelapsarian : characteristic of or pertaining to any innocent or carefree p..; Looking back, I think I had what is best described as a prelapsarian fondness for fifth grade, its lack of complication. Colson Whitehead, Sag Harbor, 2009 Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." haply : (adverb) By accident.; by chance, by luck; Her true feelings were betrayed by a word haply spoken and immediately regretted. satrap : noun 1. A governor of a province in ancient Persia. 2. A subordinate ruler or official. ; "The new site should obviously be decided by the islanders who must live with it, not some London-appointed satrap." Matthew Engel; First Flight to St Helena; Financial Times (London, UK); Jan 30, 2016. See more usage examples of satrap in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated, and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2017***** humblebrag : a statement intended as a boast or brag but disguised by a humb..; The humblebrag—e.g. I'm exhausted from Memorial Day weekend; it’s soooo hard to get out of Nantucket—sits at the center of these competing needs. It is a boast in sheepish clothing, kvelling dressed in kvetch. And, like nearly all forms of multi-tasking, the drive to satisfy two goals at once typically results in double-failure. Derek Thompson, "How to Brag," The Atlantic, May 26, 2015 bridgehead : (noun) A forward position seized by advancing troops in enemy territory as a foothold for further advance.; foothold; The soldiers made a brave attempt to secure a bridgehead behind enemy lines. dervish : noun: 1. A Muslim monk of various ascetic orders, some of whom take part in ecstatic rituals such as whirling dances or chants. 2. Someone who exhibits frenzied movements. ; "Max thrusts and struts her way through each one, starting slowly with the feet, speeding up, then adding the arms until she becomes a sweat-streaked Lycra dervish." Anna Burnside; Lorraine Kelly and Trainer Pal Launch Fitness DVD; Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland); Dec 26, 2016. See more usage examples of dervish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The intellect of man is forced to choose / Perfection of the life, or of the work, / And if it take the second must refuse / A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (13 Jun 1865-1939) *****June 15, 2017***** sibylline : mysterious; cryptic; His eulogy, filled with moving tributes to the Generalissimo yet attenuated by sibylline critical allusions, made some uninformed courtiers shed tears, disconcerted others, raised the eyebrows of still others, and left many confused, but it earned the congratulations of the diplomatic corps. Mario Vargas Llosa, The Feast of the Goat, translated by Edith Grossman, 2001 Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." disfavor : (verb) Put at a disadvantage; hinder, harm.; disadvantage; These laws clearly disfavor the underprivileged and poor because they do not address the problem of child labor. baksheesh : noun: A payment, such as a tip or bribe. ; "She scattered baksheesh like manna from the heavens: she bestowed her bounty on everyone." Sally Beauman; The Visitors; Harper; 2014. See more usage examples of baksheesh in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2017***** trothplight : engagement to be married; betrothal; ... so bold was the Captain of these banditti, that he not only came ashore, and gave dancing parties in the village of Stromness, but, before his real character was discovered, engaged the affections and received the troth-plight of a young lady, possessed of some property. Sir Walter Scott, "The Pirate," The London Review, January, 1822 Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." rebarbative : (adjective) Tending to irritate.; repellant, repellent; As the night wore on, the petulant man became increasingly rebarbative and prickly and spiteful. ayatollah : noun: 1. A high-ranking religious leader of the Shiite Muslims. 2. A person having authority and influence, especially one who's dogmatic. ; "The ties debate has been rumbling for years. Having appeared tieless as a panellist [on BBC], I can hardly be considered an ayatollah on this issue." Quentin Letts; Oh, Paxo Do Put Your Tie Back On!; Daily Mail (London, UK); Nov 1, 2012. See more usage examples of ayatollah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2017***** expostulate : to reason earnestly with someone against something that person..; From first to last, on this occasion, her aunt expostulated for about two hours. "But, my dear," she began, "it is Impossible! It is quite out of the question. You simply can't." H. G. Wells, Ann Veronica, 1909 Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." navel : (noun) The mark on the surface of the abdomen of mammals where the umbilical cord was attached during gestation.; bellybutton, omphalos, umbilicus; The first-graders were awed by Tom's navel, which protruded outward in classic "outie" fashion. pasha : noun: A person of high rank or importance. ; "It's more than just his achievements that give Jason Epstein such an aura of authority. He is a pasha of publishing." Mark Feeney; Prophet of Publishing; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 16, 2001. See more usage examples of pasha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 18, 2017***** sui generis : Latin. of his, her, its, or their own kind; unique; It had nothing in common with other wigs. It was like its owner, perfectly sui generis. Charles Lever, Jack Hinton, the Guardsman, 1843 Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." buoyancy : (noun) Irrepressible liveliness and good spirit.; irrepressibility; With his natural buoyancy of spirits, he began to hope again. pasha : noun: A person of high rank or importance. ; "It's more than just his achievements that give Jason Epstein such an aura of authority. He is a pasha of publishing." Mark Feeney; Prophet of Publishing; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 16, 2001. See more usage examples of pasha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 19, 2017***** whizzo : British Slang. absolutely first-rate; superb; excellent; I don't even use a mobile phone. But Skype is, apparently, pretty whizzo and shrinks time and space and facilitates the kind of nourishing, touchy-feely stuff that keeps the modern, global family together. Ian Whitwham, "How I learned to love Skype," The Guardian, October 19, 2013 Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." doleful : (adjective) Filled with or expressing grief.; mournful; The poor child's doleful eyes compelled me to buy him expensive toys and bags of candy in the hopes of cheering him up. pasha : noun: A person of high rank or importance. ; "It's more than just his achievements that give Jason Epstein such an aura of authority. He is a pasha of publishing." Mark Feeney; Prophet of Publishing; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 16, 2001. See more usage examples of pasha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 25, 2017***** maffick : British. to celebrate with extravagant public demonstrations; Have a procession a week / Stopping the workaday traffic; / Victories, won by a squeak, / Give you excuse to maffick. , "The Age of Display," Current Literature, May, 1903 Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Volplane : : to glide in or as if in an airplane; "With uncanny calm, Fauchard switched off his engine as if he were preparing to volplane to the ground in an unpowered landing." — Clive Cussler, Lost City, 2004 emanation : (noun) Something that issues from a source.; emission; The sulphuretted hydrogen emanations, which Captain Burton mentions, could be distinctly smelt. rubberneck : verb tr., intr.: To look or stare with undue curiosity. noun: A person who stares in such a way. ; "I'm not in the mood to rubberneck, so I leave the gawkers and the chaos of the accident behind and continue on my way." S.G. Browne; Less Than Hero; Gallery Books; 2015. See more usage examples of rubberneck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 26, 2017***** doublethink : the acceptance of two contradictory ideas or beliefs at the sa..; Doublethink lies at the very heart of Ingsoc, since the essential act of the Party is to use conscious deception while retaining the firmness of purpose that goes with complete honesty. To tell deliberate lies while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient, and then, when it becomes necessary again to draw it back from oblivion for just so long as it is needed, to deny the existence of objective reality and all the while to take account of the reality which one denies ... George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-four, 1949 Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." eloquence : (noun) Powerful and effective language.; fluency, smoothness; The preacher's eloquence attracted a large congregation. rubberneck : verb tr., intr.: To look or stare with undue curiosity. noun: A person who stares in such a way. ; "I'm not in the mood to rubberneck, so I leave the gawkers and the chaos of the accident behind and continue on my way." S.G. Browne; Less Than Hero; Gallery Books; 2015. See more usage examples of rubberneck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 27, 2017***** beatinest : South Midland and Southern U.S. most remarkable or unusual: This..; "I'll introduce you to the whole team." "Dang!" the boy exclaimed, tugging his cap lower on his head. "That'll be the beatinest! ... " Darryl Brock, Two in the Field, 2002 Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Perspicuous : : plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation; The author's perspicuous prose helps even the simple layman to follow his explanations of this complicated topic. inaugural : (adjective) Serving to set in motion.; initiative, initiatory, maiden, first; The magazine's inaugural issue sold out in a matter of days, prompting the owners to publish the second issue in larger numbers. arraign : verb tr.: 1. To call or bring a defendant before a court to hear and answer a criminal charge. 2. To criticize, accuse, or censure. ; "He was arrested, arraigned, and convicted." Adam Gopnik; Mindless; The New Yorker; Sep 9, 2013. See more usage examples of arraign in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. -Pearl S. Buck, Nobelist novelist (26 Jun 1892-1973) *****June 28, 2017***** parallax : the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change i..; It is hard for a man walking rapidly along like Arthur not to mistake the parallax of objects in the different planes for the motion of a person in the shadows ... Paul Goodman, The Empire City: A Novel of New York City, 1959 Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Scapegrace : : an incorrigible rascal; "He embarks on an arduous ocean voyage to America, where he faces swindlers and scapegraces, and nearly dies of malaria—and maintains his sunny demeanor throughout." — Scot Lehigh, The Boston Globe, 1 Jan. 2016 ineffable : (adjective) Incapable of being expressed.; indescribable, unspeakable, untellable, unutterable, indefinable; There was an expression of ineffable sadness on her face as she spoke, and I could not but feel that she knew that I knew her secret. pro se : adjective, adverb: On one's own behalf (i.e., representing oneself in a court, without a lawyer). ; "Pro se cases always troubled Judge Fischbein. People representing themselves in this kind of complicated litigation invariably created problems for the court as well as everyone else involved -- a lose-lose situation!" Doug McPheters; Goshawk; iUniverse; 2013. Thought For The Day: The highest result of education is tolerance. -Helen Keller, author and lecturer (27 Jun 1880-1968) *****June 29, 2017***** interdigitate : to interlock, as or like the fingers of both hands; Linguistic history is so much harder for two primary reasons. First, branches can reconnect, interweave, interdigitate, borrow from and filter through one another. Stephen Jay Gould, "Talk Gets Around," New York Times, December 11, 1988 Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Tristful : : sad, melancholy; "Oberlus was at least an accomplished writer, and no mere boor; and what is more, was capable of the most tristful eloquence." — Herman Melville, The Piazza Tales, 1856 baleful : (adjective) Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.; menacing, minacious, minatory, ominous, sinister, threatening, forbidding; He sprang on the horse of a Blackfoot warrior whom he had slain, and escaping at full speed, brought home the baleful tidings to his village. depose : verb tr.:1. To remove from a high office or throne suddenly and forcefully.  2. To examine under oath. verb intr.:To give testimony. ; "Even though Mussolini has been deposed, there are Italians who still sympathize with him." Mary McGuire; Waiting for Matthew; Xlibris; 2014. "Attorneys deposed Thomas on Monday morning, one of some three dozen witnesses related to Simon's suit." Eric Zorn; The 'Innocence Industry' Fights Back; Chicago Tribune; Jun 7, 2017. See more usage examples of depose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2017***** ophidian : a snake; The head of the ophidian raised from the shoulder of the statue and disappeared, to glide out from beneath the arm in a swift undulation, its jaws open, its tongue vibrating. J. Allan Dunn, "The Treasure of Atlantis, All Around, December 1916 Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." Culminate : 1 : (of a celestial body) to reach its highest altitude; also : to be directly overhead; "My son and I are very interested in science and discovery. We were privileged to hear a distinguished physicist describe his research in magnetic wave phenomenon…. His complex findings present all matter as series of circular waves culminating in one large magnetic center which connects the universe." — Louise Bostic, The Daily Star (Hammond, Louisiana), 21 Apr. 2016 ungainly : (adjective) Lacking grace or ease of movement or form.; clumsy, clunky, gawky, unwieldy; He was a gawky lad with long ungainly legs, but she thought he was the most handsome boy she had ever seen. surrebuttal : noun: The response to a rebuttal. ; "The ladies took the stand for the second time during the surrebuttal and again dumped on Lana shamelessly." Dominick Dunne; Guilty Feelings; Vanity Fair (New York); Nov 2007. See more usage examples of surrebuttal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2017***** divagate : to wander; stray; I divagate without discipline--my mind runs all over ... A. S. Byatt, Possession, 1990 Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Fidelity : 1 : the quality or state of being faithful; "Fidelity to promises is a civic virtue at least dating back to ancient Greek and Roman ethics, and probably to the origins of society.… The idea that promises ought to be kept is one of our most intuitive and widely shared moral beliefs." — Khristy Wilkinson, The Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times Free Press, 29 Apr. 2017 inerrant : (adjective) Incapable of erring.; infallible; Many traditional theologians insist that biblical texts are the literal Word of God and as such are inerrant and infallible. subrogate : verb tr.: To substitute one person or entity for another in a legal claim. ; "Contact your renter's insurance carrier, who should take care of you and then subrogate against the other unit owner or the association." Robert Griswold, et al.; Water Damage Makes Another Argument for Insurance; The Washington Post; Feb 12, 2005. See more usage examples of subrogate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 02, 2017***** exurb : a small, usually prosperous, community situated beyond the suburbs o..; "I grew up in the exurbs of Indianapolis," Elizabeth says. Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven, 2014 Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise - especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Sericeous : : covered with fine silky hair; The plant was small and delicate, with narrow sericeous leaves. acquiescent : (adjective) Willing to carry out the orders or wishes of another without protest.; biddable; She was too acquiescent to challenge authority and did everything she was told. subrogate : verb tr.: To substitute one person or entity for another in a legal claim. ; "Contact your renter's insurance carrier, who should take care of you and then subrogate against the other unit owner or the association." Robert Griswold, et al.; Water Damage Makes Another Argument for Insurance; The Washington Post; Feb 12, 2005. See more usage examples of subrogate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 03, 2017***** smorgasbord : an extensive array or variety: The company has a smorgasbord o..; Inside, the old man held court reclining on a green divan, beside a large table heavily laden with wines and medicines and smokes and an endless untidy smorgasbord of unappetizing snacks. Norman Spinrad, Songs from the Stars, 1980 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Dithyramb : 1 : a usually short poem in an inspired wild irregular strain; She is working on a scholarly analysis of early Greek dithyrambs. oracular : (adjective) Resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought.; enigmatic; As the teacher read aloud, enchanted by the oracular sayings of Victorian poets, the class became progressively more confused. subrogate : verb tr.: To substitute one person or entity for another in a legal claim. ; "Contact your renter's insurance carrier, who should take care of you and then subrogate against the other unit owner or the association." Robert Griswold, et al.; Water Damage Makes Another Argument for Insurance; The Washington Post; Feb 12, 2005. See more usage examples of subrogate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 04, 2017***** sotto voce : in a low, soft voice so as not to be overheard; And they are superbly complemented by Claude Pieplu, as the amoral man of concentrated ambition whose utmost cruelties are uttered sotto voce--so as not to trouble a sleeping child. Judith Crist, "A Repast of Things Remembered," New York, May 27, 1974 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Construe : 1 : to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part) ; "A tall, slim girl, 'half-past sixteen,' with serious gray eyes and hair which her friends called auburn, had sat down …, firmly resolved to construe so many lines of Virgil." — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea, 1909 apposite : (adjective) Strikingly appropriate and relevant.; apt, pertinent; The governor approached the warriors humbly and proclaimed their heroism loudly, flattering them with his well-timed and apposite compliments. grimthorpe : verb tr.: To restore or remodel something without paying attention to its original character, history, etc. ; "Hey, let's zone against any further grimthorping in Springfield." Take My Word for it; State Journal Register (Springfield, Illinois); Apr 21, 2005. Thought For The Day: It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa, and it runs out fast. -Julie Burchill, writer and journalist (b. 3 Jul 1959) *****July 05, 2017***** unalienable : not transferable to another or not capable of being taken away..; We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thomas Jefferson, et al., United States Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776 Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Inalienable : : incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred; The American ethos is built on the belief that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights. vicinity : (noun) A nearby, surrounding, or adjoining region.; locality, neck of the woods, neighborhood; The plane crashed in the vicinity of Asheville, and investigators spent weeks interviewing residents who had witnessed the disaster. mithridatize : verb tr.: To develop immunity to a poison by gradually increasing the dose. ; "They can parry all chemical poisons by mithridatizing." Bernard Werber; Empire of the Ants; Bantam; 1999. "Grandpa Socrates ... eats toxins to mithridatise himself and is having an affair with a ghost." Sarah Birke; Bedazzled by Gadgets; New Statesman (London, UK); Dec 11, 2006. Thought For The Day: Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue. -Robert King Merton, sociologist (4 Jul 1910-2003) *****July 06, 2017***** gobsmacked : Chiefly British Informal. utterly astounded; astonished; “These candidates are very well prepped,†[Baker] says. “They are two self-possessed people, so the idea that one of them will blurt out some awful indiscretion or appear to be gobsmacked by the other is really unlikely.†Katharine Q. Seelye, "What to Look for in Tonight's Debate," New York Times, September 26, 2008 Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." elfin : (adjective) Having a magical quality or charm; fairylike.; fey; The ballerina moved across the dimly lit stage with elfin grace. penelopize : verb intr.: To delay or gain time to put off an undesired event. ; "There will my wife penelopize and teach Such love as liquefies adulterous man." Karl Jay Shapiro; Selected Poems; Library of America; Jan 27, 2003. "I was tempted to penelopize, to go back to the beginning and start again in order to postpone the moment of discussion." Roger Green; Hydra and the Bananas of Leonard Cohen; Basic Books; 2003. Thought For The Day: We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like? -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963) *****July 07, 2017***** instantiate : to provide an instance of or concrete evidence in support of (..; That scheme, much simplified, is this: narratives tend to contain or at least to suggest the possibility of three basic figures (though there may be more or fewer than three characters who instantiate them): an innocent, someone who exploits that innocent, and someone else who seeks to punish the exploiter. William Flesch, Comeuppance: Costly Signaling, Altruistic Punishment, and Other Biological Components of Fiction, 2007 Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Poltroon : : a spiritless coward : craven; "I am a poltroon on certain points; I feel it. There is a base alloy of moral cowardice in my composition." — Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849 exiguity : (noun) The quality or condition of being scanty or meager.; leanness, meagerness, poorness, scantiness; With an exiguity of cloth that would allow only one dress to be made, she selflessly offered that her sister go to the ball in her stead. Robinson Crusoe : verb tr.: To maroon, to isolate, or to abandon. noun: A castaway; a person who is isolated or without companionship. ; "I had not seen any people ... while I was Robinson Crusoed out there on the wet international border." Robert Wehrman; Walking Man: The Secret Life of Colin Fletcher; BookBaby; 2016. See more usage examples of Robinson Crusoe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Animal factories are one more sign of the extent to which our technological capacities have advanced faster than our ethics. -Peter Singer, philosopher, professor of bioethics (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2017***** phenology : the science dealing with the influence of climate on the recurre..; ... he had arranged to have six sycamores, identical to those at observatories in Britain and on the continent, planted on the grounds so that the effects of climate on vegetation might be compared all over Europe. This study was called phenology ... Jane Urquhart, The Night Stages, 2015 Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. Ludic : : of, relating to, or characterized by play : playful; "[Mo] Willems's humor is often ludic…. The classic shaggy-dog structure of 'I Broke My Trunk!' centers on Gerald [an elephant] telling a long heroic story that involves him balancing on his trunk first just Hippo … and then also Rhino … and then also Hippo's big sister, playing a grand piano." — Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2017 sanctimonious : (adjective) Feigning piety or righteousness.; holier-than-thou, pharisaic, pietistic, self-righteous; With a sickeningly sanctimonious smile and a tap of the fork on her glass, she began the first meeting of the Society of Suburbanites Saving the World. out-Herod : verb tr.: To surpass in cruelty, evil, extravagance, etc. ; "The direct damage done by us, by practicing doctors, who see patients mainly for profit is likely on a scale that easily out-Herods any of the harm produced by the pharmaceutical industry." S Nassir Ghaemi; Perspectives in Biology and Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland); Spring 2013. "Mr. Burroughs himself, however, out-Herods them all in the arts of whitewash." Thomas M. Disch; Pleasures of Hanging; The New York Times; Mar 15, 1981. See more usage examples of out-Herod in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 09, 2017***** cannikin : a small can or drinking cup; He drew some cognac from the cask into a tin cannikin. Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, 1883 Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Turpitude : : inherent baseness : depravity; also : a base act; Many consumers have raised objections to the company's latest ad campaign, in which various forms of moral turpitude are depicted as fashion statements. gabby : (adjective) Tending to talk excessively.; chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talky; Mary's gabby friends kept her apprised of all the neighborhood gossip. out-Herod : verb tr.: To surpass in cruelty, evil, extravagance, etc. ; "The direct damage done by us, by practicing doctors, who see patients mainly for profit is likely on a scale that easily out-Herods any of the harm produced by the pharmaceutical industry." S Nassir Ghaemi; Perspectives in Biology and Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland); Spring 2013. "Mr. Burroughs himself, however, out-Herods them all in the arts of whitewash." Thomas M. Disch; Pleasures of Hanging; The New York Times; Mar 15, 1981. See more usage examples of out-Herod in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 10, 2017***** ameliorate : to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; ..; Why did he go into the record business? Because he wanted to ameliorate the condition of the average man through the one thing that can ameliorate--not bigger cars or better TV sets, but through art, through music. Philip K. Dick, Humpty Dumpty in Oakland, 1986 Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Bosky : 1 : having abundant trees or shrubs; The deer sensed our presence and fled to the bosky areas surrounding the meadow. stalwart : (adjective) Having or marked by imposing physical strength.; hardy, sturdy, stout; Athos sprang into the boat, which was immediately pushed off and which soon sped seawards under the efforts of four stalwart rowers. out-Herod : verb tr.: To surpass in cruelty, evil, extravagance, etc. ; "The direct damage done by us, by practicing doctors, who see patients mainly for profit is likely on a scale that easily out-Herods any of the harm produced by the pharmaceutical industry." S Nassir Ghaemi; Perspectives in Biology and Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland); Spring 2013. "Mr. Burroughs himself, however, out-Herods them all in the arts of whitewash." Thomas M. Disch; Pleasures of Hanging; The New York Times; Mar 15, 1981. See more usage examples of out-Herod in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 11, 2017***** Janus-faced : having two contrasting aspects, as the alternation of mood in ..; And he has positioned himself as a Janus-faced figure who can present one version of reality to his followers and another version to the outside world. Roger Berkowitz, "Why Arendt Matters: Revisiting 'The Origins of Totalitarianism'," Los Angeles Review of Books, March 18, 2017 Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Assay : 1 a : to analyze (something, such as an ore) for one or more specific components; "Each burger will be assayed by visitors and a panel of judges, including local chefs Jen Knox, Gina Sansonia, Judith Able, Bret Hauser, Camilo Cuartas and Peter Farrand." — Phillip Valys, SouthFlorida.com, 19 May 2017 avaricious : (adjective) Immoderately desirous of wealth or gain.; covetous, grabby, grasping, greedy, prehensile; The avaricious man prayed to have a room full of gold. eke : verb tr.: To earn a living, to supplement, or to make something last with great effort. (usually used in the phrase "to eke out") adverb: Also. ; "It was hard enough eking out the time for illustrations and storyboards while the baby was napping." Maureen Child; Have Baby, Need Billionaire; Silhouette; 2011. See more usage examples of eke in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reading is sometimes an ingenious device for avoiding thought. -Arthur Helps, writer (10 Jul 1813-1875) *****July 12, 2017***** perambulator : baby carriage; Having the baby with her in a perambulator, Mrs. Finn called out to him to go away, and as he persisted in coming nearer, she hit him courageously with her umbrella over the head ... Joseph Conrad, "Amy Foster," Illustrated London News, December 1901 Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Repudiate : 1 : to divorce or separate formally from (a woman); "He immediately proceeded to repudiate his wife, and to contract a new marriage with the princess of Trebizond…." — Edward Gibbon, The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. 6, 1788 corporeal : (adjective) Of a material nature; tangible.; material; That which is created is of necessity corporeal and visible and tangible. hap : noun:1. Chance; fortune.  2. An occurrence. verb tr.:1. To occur.  2. To clothe, cover, or wrap. ; "Well, my hap, against astronomic odds, was to fly to Australia on a film project." Herman Wouk; The Lawgiver; Simon and Schuster; 2012. See more usage examples of hap in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jul 1949) *****July 13, 2017***** glocal : of or relating to the interconnection of global and local issues, f..; Ten years ago, we might have seen global and local as the two ends of a dichotomous spectrum, but today we are appreciating that we can be both, we can be glocal. Sylvia Vorhauser-Smith, "Going 'Glocal': How Smart Brands Adapt To Foreign Markets," Forbes, June 22, 2012 Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Onerous : 1 : involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome; "Payroll is a complex set of data and tasks. It requires as much simplicity in terms of user interface and navigation as developers can manage..... Every payroll service I've reviewed this year does a good job of simplifying this onerous process." — David Harsanyi, The Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas), 12 Mar. 2016 farsighted : (adjective) Planning prudently for the future.; foresighted, long, longsighted, prospicient; The presidential candidate spoke about his farsighted policies that would stabilize the economy for years to come. aver : verb intr.: To affirm; to assert; to allege. ; "'Our biggest challenge is fiscal,' he averred during a press conference ... Markets are not so sure." Brazil's Worrying Change of Finance Ministers; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 19, 2015. See more usage examples of aver in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (12 Jul 1817-1862) *****July 14, 2017***** harrumph : to clear the throat audibly in a self-important manner: The profe..; He harrumphed and wheezed, tugged on a greying whisker, cast his gaze around my tiny cabin for another topic. Ronald Wright, Henderson's Spear, 2001 Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Meme : 1 : an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture; "Graffiti have been the elemental memes of political speech ... in all the oppressed countries of this world." — Claude I. Salem, The New York Times Magazine, 17 Apr. 2011 centromere : (noun) The most condensed and constricted region of a chromosome, to which the spindle fiber is attached during mitosis.; kinetochore; Down syndrome, a congenital disorder caused by the presence of an extra twenty-first chromosome, can result from aberrant functioning of the centromere. lam : verb tr., intr.: To beat soundly; to thrash. verb intr.: To escape from the law. noun: An escape from the law. ; "Garvel got lammed for using a Senior's bat." Christopher Isherwood; All the Conspirators; Jonathan Cape; 1928. "And all the time he's lamming out of the country -- with our plane." Don Pendleton; Acapulco Rampage; Open Road; 2014. See more usage examples of lam in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934) *****July 15, 2017***** fete : a festive celebration or entertainment: The ball was the greatest fet..; " ... I've been so bored. Well, never mind," she brightened suddenly; "the fete will be a little excitement. I am looking forward to that. Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey, The Lady of the Basement Flat, 1917 Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." Savant : 1 : a person of learning; especially : one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature); "His conversation, I remember, was about the Bertillon system of measurements, and he expressed his enthusiastic admiration of the French savant." — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, 1893 audacity : (noun) Fearless daring; intrepidity.; temerity; Skill, coolness, audacity, and cunning he possessed in a superior degree, and it must be a cunning whale to escape the stroke of his harpoon. ana : noun: A collection of items, such as quotations, anecdotes, etc. related to a person, place, etc. adverb: In equal quantities (used in prescriptions). ; "Someone surely has an ana of 'The Wit and Wisdom of Salman Rushdie' well underway." Ranjan Ghosh & Antonia Navarro-Tejero; Globalizing Dissent; Routledge; 2009. Thought For The Day: Literature encourages tolerance -- bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991) *****July 16, 2017***** uptalk : a rise in pitch at the end usually of a declarative sentence, espec..; Uptalk, the researchers found, could also serve a strategic purpose through a technique known as "floor-holding," in which the speaker, anticipating an interruption by the listener, tries to stave it off by using a rising tone at the end of a statement. Jan Hoffman, "Overturning the Myth of Valley Girl Speak," New York Times, December 23, 2013 Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Copacetic : : very satisfactory; "... if you're going to be traveling with us it just wouldn't look too copacetic for you to be carrying that ratty old bag." — Christopher Paul Curtis, Bud, Not Buddy, 1999 unabashed : (adjective) Not disconcerted or embarrassed; poised; unembarrassed; And on this evening success stood at his back, patting him on the shoulder and telling him that he was making good, so that he could afford to laugh…and remain unabashed. ana : noun: A collection of items, such as quotations, anecdotes, etc. related to a person, place, etc. adverb: In equal quantities (used in prescriptions). ; "Someone surely has an ana of 'The Wit and Wisdom of Salman Rushdie' well underway." Ranjan Ghosh & Antonia Navarro-Tejero; Globalizing Dissent; Routledge; 2009. Thought For The Day: Literature encourages tolerance -- bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991) *****July 17, 2017***** alveolate : having alveoli; deeply pitted, as a honeycomb; Receptacle alveolate or honeycombed, edge of the cells membranous, with fine bristle-like teeth, gradually higher as the depth of the cells diminishes towards the centre. , The Botanical Register: Consisting of Coloured Figures of Exotic Plants, Cultivated in British Gardens; with Their History and Mode of Treatment, Volume II, 1816 Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Yawp : 1 : to make a raucous noise : squawk; "They yawped and cheered when they heard honks from passing cars, including a Toledo police vehicle that briefly sounded its alarm." — Andrew Koenig, The Toledo (Ohio) Blade, 7 Aug. 2015 brow : (noun) The projecting upper edge of a steep place.; top, summit, peak, edge, tip, crown, verge, brink, rim, crest, brim; The sun set behind the brow of the distant hills. ana : noun: A collection of items, such as quotations, anecdotes, etc. related to a person, place, etc. adverb: In equal quantities (used in prescriptions). ; "Someone surely has an ana of 'The Wit and Wisdom of Salman Rushdie' well underway." Ranjan Ghosh & Antonia Navarro-Tejero; Globalizing Dissent; Routledge; 2009. Thought For The Day: Literature encourages tolerance -- bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer and critic (14 Jul 1912-1991) *****July 18, 2017***** exculpatory : tending to clear from a charge of fault or guilt; Stacy is now morbidly fascinated by the circumstances of the tape and wondering if this could somehow be exculpatory in Lloyd's case. Seth Greenland, The Bones, 2005 Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Steadfast : 1 a : firmly fixed in place : immovable; Maureen knew she could count on the steadfast support of her best friend even in the hardest of times. labyrinthine : (adjective) Resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity.; mazy; A labyrinthine maze of sculpted bushes surrounded the estate. retral : adjective: 1. Located at the back. 2. Backward. ; "Donley and Lindsay worked their way to retral chairs furthest from the speaker." J.M. Barlog; Necessary Measures; BAK Books; 1997. See more usage examples of retral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We must dissent from the fear, the hatred, and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that buried its head in the sand waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education, or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and timeless absence of moral leadership. We must dissent, because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) *****July 19, 2017***** ovine : pertaining to, of the nature of, or like sheep; In the gaze of its ovine inhabitants, we glimpse their dim recognition that a new sort of shepherd has arisen. , "Dronestagram's View," New York Times, June 5, 2015 Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Vindicate : 1 : avenge; The defendant's lawyer feels his client will be completely vindicated by the witness' testimonies. fervent : (adjective) Having or showing great emotion or zeal.; ardent, fervid, fiery, impassioned, perfervid, torrid; She was a fervent opponent of the death penalty and organized a monthlong hunger strike to protest the practice. lateritious : adjective: Resembling, made of, or the color of, bricks. ; "All that I know is that I always feel otherness burning in my driftings. I call them storms which the sighted world would describe as rufescent1, would term them lake-coloured, rubiginous2, carnelian3 lateritious. True, there exists in me anger, there exists in me bits of poison." Will Alexander; Diary as Sin; Skylight Press; 2011. 1from Latin rufus (red) 2from Latin ruber (red) 3from Latin cornum (cherry) or caro (flesh) Thought For The Day: If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013) *****July 20, 2017***** Phlegethon : (often lowercase) a stream of fire or fiery light; And now Atal, slipping dizzily up over inconceivable steeps, heard in the dark a loathsome laughing, mixed with such a cry as no man else ever heard save in the Phlegethon of unrelatable nightmares ... H. P. Lovecraft, "The Other Gods," The Fantasy Fan, November 1933 Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Edacious : 1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous; Living with three edacious teenagers, Marilyn and Roger were dismayed by how much they had to spend on groceries week after week. repose : (noun) The act of resting or the state of being at rest.; ease, relaxation, rest; The vacationer took his repose beside the swimming pool. coadjutant : noun: A helper or an assistant. adjective: Helping or cooperating. ; "Kosa Pan is aboard the Oiseau, the ship that has brought him and two coadjutants from Siam on a diplomatic mission to the court of Louis XIV." Daniela Bleichmar & Peter Mancall; Collecting Across Cultures; University of Pennsylvania Press; 2011. Thought For The Day: I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in. -George McGovern, senator and author (19 Jul 1922-2012) *****July 21, 2017***** lickspittle : a contemptible, fawning person; a servile flatterer or toady; What do we have here, an honest muttonhead or a lickspittle? George R. R. Martin, A Storm of Swords, 2000 Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari - to have an opinion. Crucible : 1 : a vessel in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted; Living in the crucible that was Paris in the spring of 1968, Remi got to witness firsthand the angry confrontations between workers, students, and government. preponderance : (noun) A superiority in numbers or amount.; prevalence, extensiveness; The preponderance of the evidence strongly supports his guilt. empyrean : adjective: 1. Relating to the highest heaven, believed to contain pure light or fire. 2. Relating to the sky; celestial. 3. Sublime; elevated. ; "Schubert's sprawling Ninth Symphony is an empyrean masterpiece." Robert Battey; NSO Shaky Ahead of Russia Concerts; The Washington Post; Mar 10, 2017. See more usage examples of empyrean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. -Carlos Santana, musician (b. 20 Jul 1947) *****July 22, 2017***** al desko : Facetious. (of meals or eating) at one's desk in an office: alway..; They'll be working through until it's done, so Janice has gone to KFC for a bargain bucket. They're dining al desko. Christopher Fowler, The Water Room, 2004 Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Gauche : 1 : lacking social experience or grace; also : not tactful : crude; "We were described by our parents as classless and free, but instructed that chewing gum was gauche." — Kira von Eichel-Butler, Vogue, October 2016 superannuated : (adjective) Retired or ineffective because of advanced age.; over-the-hill, overaged; The company has a pension plan that provides financial assistance to some of its superannuated employees. niveous : adjective: Snowy or resembling snow. ; "Here, wooded hills rolled gently away to a horizon wrapped in a niveous haze." Cecilia Dart-Thornton; The Ill-Made Mute; Warner Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2017***** tarn : a small mountain lake or pool, especially one in a cirque; There is a little lake not far over the saddle, a tarn really, a mountain pond bordered in marsh marigold and yarrow, with water black and glassy as obsidian. Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire, 1968 Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Tare : 1 : a deduction from the gross weight of a substance and its container made in allowance for the weight of the container; also : the weight of the container; Factoring in a tare of 10,000 pounds for the trailer, the transportation officer determined that the truck's cargo load still exceeded the legal limit. pathos : (noun) A quality, as of an experience or a work of art, that arouses feelings of pity, sympathy, tenderness, or sorrow.; poignancy; The documentary film captured the pathos of the refugee's situation, and there was not a dry eye in the theater when the movie ended. niveous : adjective: Snowy or resembling snow. ; "Here, wooded hills rolled gently away to a horizon wrapped in a niveous haze." Cecilia Dart-Thornton; The Ill-Made Mute; Warner Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 24, 2017***** polemic : a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, e..; The second [book] is an angry polemic against the pervasive corruption of representative democracy wrought by economic inequality. Jonathan A Knee, "The New Gilded Age in Philanthropy," New York Times, May 1, 2017 Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." Advise : 1 a : to give a recommendation about what should be done : to give advice to; Betty's doctor advised her to exercise more carefully if she hoped to avoid re-injuring her sprained ankle. scathing : (adjective) Bitterly denunciatory; harshly critical.; vituperative; This scathing remark caused the Prince to hide his face for shame, and Steve to erect his head in the proud consciousness that this shot was not meant for him. niveous : adjective: Snowy or resembling snow. ; "Here, wooded hills rolled gently away to a horizon wrapped in a niveous haze." Cecilia Dart-Thornton; The Ill-Made Mute; Warner Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 25, 2017***** highfalutin : Informal. pompous; bombastic; haughty; pretentious; Domenic was at a back table talking to a suited man in the sombre, highfalutin English he put on for people of stature, in this case probably the noodle salesman. Nino Ricci, The Origin of Species, 2008 Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Haphazard : : marked by lack of plan, order, or direction; "… his intense work ethic has made such a feat of releasing back-to-back projects appear effortless, conscious and polished, as opposed to what could have been … a haphazard effort scrapping together 34 assorted tracks from his never-ending archive." — Billboard.com, 24 Feb. 2017 anodyne : (adjective) Capable of soothing or eliminating pain.; analgesic, analgetic; She was in intense pain following the surgery and wondered whether the anodyne properties of her medication would be sufficient. unitasking : noun: Doing one thing at a time. ; "He stopped everything he was doing and looked up ... going from multi- to unitasking in a flash." Leslie Schnur; Late Night Talking; Atria; 2007. Thought For The Day: For a long time we have gone along with some well-tested principles of conduct: that it was better to tell the truth than falsehoods; that a half-truth was no truth at all; that duties were older than and as fundamental as rights; that, as Justice Holmes put it, the mode by which the inevitable came to pass was effort; that to perpetuate a harm was always wrong, no matter how many joined in it, but to perpetuate it on a weaker person was particularly detestable ... Our institutions are founded on the assumption that most people will follow these principles most of the time because they want to, and the institutions work pretty well when this assumption is true. -Dean Acheson, statesman and lawyer (1893-1971) *****July 26, 2017***** litotes : Rhetoric. understatement, especially that in which an affirmative ..; "For Danny's house was not unlike the Round Table and Danny's friends were not unlike the knights of it." ... With the use of the litotes, Steinbeck suggests we are not to take the parallel of the Round Table too closely. Thomas Fensch, Introduction to Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (1902–1968), 1997 Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." Wreak : 1 : to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment); "A cheeky peacock has wreaked havoc inside a California liquor store, smashing over $500 worth of expensive wine and champagne." — Heat Street, 7 June 2017 char : (verb) Burn slightly and superficially so as to affect color.; blacken, sear, scorch; The fire charred the ceiling above the mantelpiece, and my mother had to hire a painter to cover up the discoloration. allision : noun: A moving object striking against a stationary object. ; "She watched the beam of the flashlight play dully over the surface, and then she heard something, a faint splash, the sweet allision of breaking water." T.C. Boyle; East Is East; Penguin; 1991. Thought For The Day: Absolute faith corrupts as absolutely as absolute power. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) *****July 27, 2017***** autarky : the condition of self-sufficiency, especially economic, as applied..; "Why's Buna important?" "Because it'll win us autarky." "That doesn't sound very good." "It's not like anarchy, Tantchen. Autarky. We'll be self-sufficient." Martin Amis, The Zone of Interest, 2014 Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Akimbo : 1 : having the hand on the hip and the elbow turned outward; The model, arms akimbo, struck a pose at the end of the runway. disjunct : (adjective) Marked by separation of or from usually contiguous elements.; isolated; The islands were like little isolated worlds, as abruptly disjunct and unexpected as a palm-shaded well in the Sahara. middlescence : noun: The middle-age period of life. ; "Just as poor Alonso Quijano, in middle age, was so bewitched by the novels of chivalry that he declared himself Don Quixote ... so the skipper of 'Rocinante Cuatro' in his own middlescence, was led by his passion for Cervantes's novel to identify himself with both its hero and, eventually, its author." John Barth; The Tidewater Tales; Putnam; 1997. Thought For The Day: So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly rise and make them miserable. -Aldous Huxley, novelist (26 Jul 1894-1963) *****July 28, 2017***** bumfuzzle : Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to confuse or fluster; This holyfied lady's jest tryin' to bumfuzzle us. Joan Hess, Mischief in Maggody, 1988 Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Fester : 1 : to generate pus; "For more than a generation, instead of forging a path to reconciliation, we have allowed the wounds the war inflicted on our nation, our politics and our families to fester." — Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, The New York Times, 29 May 2017 admixture : (noun) An additional ingredient that is added by mixing with the base.; intermixture; The flowers flourished in the new growing medium, a nutrient-rich soil comprised of equal parts sand and loam with an admixture of peat moss and cow manure. yeasayer : noun: 1. A person with a confident and positive outlook. 2. A person who agrees uncritically; a yes-man. ; "In the past his eternal yeasayer friend had always managed somehow to extract a nugget of cheer (or at the very least some twisted dark humor) from the abundant dross of life's insults and reversals." Tom Kakonis; Double Down; Brash Books; 2014. "Do you really think you could ever work with a yeasayer, who never dares to challenge you?" Gun Brooke; Sheridan's Fate; Bold Strokes Books; 2007. Thought For The Day: It was my shame, and now it is my boast, That I have loved you rather more than most. -Hilaire Belloc, writer and poet (27 Jul 1870-1953) *****July 29, 2017***** ballon : Ballet. the lightness and grace of movement that make a dancer appe..; For a ballerina she had pretty much zero ballon at this point. Her feet dragged across the floor like the last two dodoes. Charles D'Ambrosio, "Screenwriter," The New Yorker, December 8, 2003 Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Inhere : : to be inherent : to be a fixed element or attribute; "Americans have never shied from a good political fight, disagreement inhering in self-government." — Charles R. Kesler, National Review Online, 7 Dec. 2016 juxtaposition : (noun) The act of positioning close together (or side by side).; apposition, collocation; The juxtaposition of the skyscraper and the brick townhouse had a curious effect, and from a distance the cozy home looked like a dollhouse. longlist : noun: A preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc. (for a prize, job, etc.), from which a shortlist is compiled. verb tr.: To place on a longlist. ; "I've just come from the ceremony where it was announced my recent novelette has been nominated to be nominated to be nominated for the longlist for the Pulitzer Prize." Matt Potter, et al; Freak; Pure Slush Books; 2016. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 30, 2017***** membranophone : any musical instrument, as a drum, in which the sound is pro..; To the people who like to collect and use big words, [drums] are membranophones. , "Drums make both sound and music," Boys' Life, September 1975 Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Melee : : a confused struggle; especially : a hand-to-hand fight among several people; "In a notorious episode in 2000, a fan snatched Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter's hat as he sat on the bullpen bench, setting off a melee in which Dodgers players and coaches climbed into the stands." — Billy Witz, The New York Times, 8 May 2017 tenuity : (noun) Relatively small dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width.; thinness, slenderness; She marveled at the tenuity of the cotton threads delicately woven together to create a durable fabric. longlist : noun: A preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc. (for a prize, job, etc.), from which a shortlist is compiled. verb tr.: To place on a longlist. ; "I've just come from the ceremony where it was announced my recent novelette has been nominated to be nominated to be nominated for the longlist for the Pulitzer Prize." Matt Potter, et al; Freak; Pure Slush Books; 2016. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 31, 2017***** variegated : varied in appearance or color; marked with patches or spots of ..; "If you put this in potting soil and keep it watered, you'll have your own spider plant." Her eyes widened. "Does it grow spiders?" "No, just nice variegated leaves," I assured her. "Green with white stripes." James Patterson, "Tell Me Your Best Story," Two from the Heart, 2017 Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." complaisant : (adjective) Exhibiting a desire or willingness to please.; obliging; In her behavior she was respectful and complaisant, even to servility: she attempted to flatter and fawn upon me at first, but I soon checked that. longlist : noun: A preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc. (for a prize, job, etc.), from which a shortlist is compiled. verb tr.: To place on a longlist. ; "I've just come from the ceremony where it was announced my recent novelette has been nominated to be nominated to be nominated for the longlist for the Pulitzer Prize." Matt Potter, et al; Freak; Pure Slush Books; 2016. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****August 01, 2017***** ergate : a worker ant; The worker (ergates) is characterized by the complete absence of wings and a very small ... thorax, much simplified in the structure of its sclerites ... William Morton Wheeler, Ants: Their Structure, Development and Behavior, 1910 Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Plausible : 1 : seemingly fair, reasonable, or valuable but often not so; One problem with the horror movie is that the plot is barely plausible—there was no good reason for the kids to enter the abandoned mansion to begin with. irreverent : (adjective) Characterized by a lightly pert and exuberant quality.; impertinent, pert, saucy; Sally's irreverent gaiety and ease of manner drew people to her and made her immediately likeable. birminghamize : verb tr.: To render artificial. ; "The manners and customs of society are artificial -- made-up men with made-up manners -- and thus the whole is Birminghamized." Ralph Waldo Emerson; English Traits; 1856. Thought For The Day: It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. -J.K. Rowling, author (b. 31 Jul 1965) *****August 02, 2017***** anoesis : a state of mind consisting of pure sensation or emotion without co..; Normally, on my long-distance walks, anoesis descends within a few miles: the mental tape loop of infuriating resentments, or inane pop lyrics, or nonce phrases gives way to the greeny-beige noise of the outdoors. Will Self, Psychogeography, 2007 Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Diminution : : the act, process, or an instance of becoming gradually less (as in size or importance) : the act, process, or an instance of diminishing : decrease; After seeing a diminution in his restaurant's profits for the third quarter in a row, George reluctantly set about revising his business model. intemperance : (noun) Excess in action and immoderate indulgence of bodily appetites, especially in passion or indulgence.; self-indulgence; A slouching, moody, drunken sloven, wasted by intemperance and vice, sat on the stoop and lamented his lot in life. Barbados : verb tr.: To forcibly ship someone to another place to work. ; "Good Irish folk kidnapped, Barbadosed, and never heard from again." Maggie Plummer; Spirited Away; CreateSpace; 2012. See more usage examples of Barbados in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891) *****August 03, 2017***** dorp : a village; hamlet; Hanover is bare and at times very cold in the winter; but, in the summer, when the willow trees along the water furrows that line the streets, and the fruit trees in the gardens about the white houses, are green, the little dorp is, of all small towns I have seen, by far the most beautiful. S. C. Cronwright Schreiner, "Some Arachnids at Hanover, Cape Colony," The Popular Science Monthly, December 1902 Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Arbitrary : 1 : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law; "He had wanted to do something sudden and arbitrary, something unexpected and refined…." — Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady, 1881 gutsy : (adjective) Marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited.; plucky; Though she lost her arm in a violent shark attack, the gutsy teen refused to abandon her dream of becoming a world-class surfer and soon returned to the water. solecize : verb intr.: To make an error in language, etiquette, etc. ; "His prose stops clunking only in order to solecise." Christopher Bray; Jack Nicholson Deserves a Better Biography Than This; The Daily Beast (New York); Oct 31, 2013. Thought For The Day: Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2017***** paladin : any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause; Sweden’s center-left government is keen to underscore its role as a paladin of the welfare state and to make the most of the current boom as it prepares to fight for a new mandate in elections next year. Love Liman and Nicholas Rigillo, "Sweden Squirrels Away Cash Ahead of Demographic Time Bomb," Bloomberg, June 28, 2017 Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." Splenetic : : marked by bad temper, malevolence, or spite; Drew emailed the article to Kara, warning her to avoid the splenetic comments at the bottom of the page. facet : (noun) A distinct feature or element in a problem.; aspect; He carefully studied every facet of the question before offering his response. locarnize : verb tr., intr.: To bring about peace or settle a disagreement by negotiation. ; "Pilsudski ... manifested a repugnance to have the military convention locarnized." Piotr Stefan Wandycz; The Twilight of French Eastern Alliances, 1926-1936; Princeton University Press; 1988. Thought For The Day: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2017***** hobbyhorse : a pet idea or project; His face kindled as it only did when the subject of electricity came up. His hobbyhorse, Claire would have said. My dad would have called it his obsession. Stephen King, Revival, 2014 Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Manumit : : to release from slavery; "This 27.5-acre parcel was purchased by an African-American man ... who was manumitted from slavery by his father...." — Janice Hayes-Williams, The Capital (Annapolis, Maryland), 17 May 2013 fractious : (adjective) Stubbornly resistant to authority or control.; recalcitrant, refractory; The young horse was a fractious animal that would not submit to the harness; no one could ride her. debunk : verb tr.: To expose the falseness of a claim, myth, belief, etc. ; "They used science to debunk myth and the paranormal -- to keep humanity safe from the real monsters." Michele Hauf; Taming the Hunter; Harlequin; 2017. See more usage examples of debunk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. -Barack Obama, 44th US President (b. 4 Aug 1961) *****August 06, 2017***** consuetude : custom, especially as having legal force; They must stand idly by, and in silence watch their ancient consuetude be tossed summarily into the limbo of forgotten things. Richard C. Baker, "The Supreme Court and the Freedom of Religion Mélange," American Bar Association Journal, May 1963 Attrition : n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. "The company's attrition rate was quite high." Regimen : 1 a : a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient; Sherry's personal trainer at the gym started her on a workout regimen of 30 minutes on the treadmill followed by 30 minutes of weight training. digressive : (adjective) Tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects.; excursive, rambling, discursive; His speech was digressive and rambling, and we soon tired of the pointless tangents. debunk : verb tr.: To expose the falseness of a claim, myth, belief, etc. ; "They used science to debunk myth and the paranormal -- to keep humanity safe from the real monsters." Michele Hauf; Taming the Hunter; Harlequin; 2017. See more usage examples of debunk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. -Barack Obama, 44th US President (b. 4 Aug 1961) *****August 07, 2017***** palsy-walsy : Slang. friendly or appearing to be friendly in a very intimate..; For musical history I give you this duo-portrait of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby who became very palsy-walsy recently in Los Angeles. Harold Trudeau, "Pictures to the Editors," Life, February 21, 1944 Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Chthonic : : of or relating to the underworld : infernal; "In Greek mythology, the Eumenides were three goddesses tasked with protecting the cause of justice.… In Aeschylus' tragedies, they are chthonic, ambiguous forces. They do not tire and they do not stop; their persistence … feels almost monstrous." — Katy Waldman, Slate, July/August 2017 biennial : (adjective) Happening every second year.; biyearly; They met at the biennial convention and lamented the fact that they would not see each other until the next meeting two years later. debunk : verb tr.: To expose the falseness of a claim, myth, belief, etc. ; "They used science to debunk myth and the paranormal -- to keep humanity safe from the real monsters." Michele Hauf; Taming the Hunter; Harlequin; 2017. See more usage examples of debunk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. -Barack Obama, 44th US President (b. 4 Aug 1961) *****August 08, 2017***** fructify : to bear fruit; become fruitful: With careful tending the plant wi..; ... his intellect is not replenished; he is only an animal, only sensible in the duller parts: And such barren plants are set before us that we thankful should be (Which we of taste and feeling are) for those parts that do fructify in us more than he. William Shakespeare, Love's Labour's Lost, 1598 Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Schadenfreude : : enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others ; Elaine couldn't help but feel a tinge of schadenfreude when her chief rival was kicked off the soccer team. ingenuous : (adjective) Lacking in cunning, guile, or worldliness.; artless; His ingenuous delight in it was a delight to her, and a new and mutual love-thrill was theirs—because of a flower. antitussive : adjective: Suppressing or relieving coughing. noun: Something that suppresses or relieves coughing. ; "She kept complaining of a cough and said that the usual antitussives ... did not help her." Elaine Myrie-Richards; What's New, Doc?; iUniverse; 2010. See more usage examples of antitussive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No amount of belief makes something a fact. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 09, 2017***** mussitation : muttering; mumbling; murmuring; Not conversation by any civilized standard, but a kind of mussitation, the prisoner's half-mime half-whisper, under the nodding eye of an orderly. Jamie O'Neill, At Swim, Two Boys, 2001 Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Immense : 1 : marked by greatness especially in size or degree; especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement; "At the bridge site, teams of workers watched over drills the size of redwood trees, which rammed steel piles into the seafloor. The scale of construction was almost too immense to comprehend." — Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 29 May 2017 doddering : (adjective) Infirm, feeble, and often senile.; gaga, senile; His mother was doddering and frail, so he hired aides to care for her around the clock. aperient : adjective: Having a laxative effect: stimulating evacuation of the bowels. noun: Something that relieves constipation. ; "Who is this wretched fellow Currie? What gives him the authority to criticise our world-standard cartoonist? I will pin his letter on my bathroom wall where its words will act as a cheap aperient, when required, and thus help preserve my boyish good looks." Daily Political Satire One of Cartoonist's Most Demanding Roles; The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); Apr 14, 1995. See more usage examples of aperient in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No one worth possessing / Can be quite possessed. -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933) *****August 10, 2017***** ventifact : Geology. a pebble or cobble that has been faceted, grooved, and ..; The surface was a fine trash of ventifacts--stones that had been polished into smooth facets by blowing grit ... Sarah Andrews, In Cold Pursuit, 2007 Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." Garble : 1 : to sift impurities from; The best man was nervous and garbled the inspirational quote at the end of his speech. hearth : (noun) The floor of a fireplace, usually extending into a room and paved with brick, flagstone, or cement.; fireside; They sat on the hearth and warmed themselves before the fire. emetic : adjective: Causing vomiting. noun: Something that causes vomiting. ; "While Trump is our emetic, he's the rest of the world's smelling salts. Some key countries around the world are already coming to their senses about the threat of dangerous populists." John Feffer; Trump Provokes Global Backlash; HuffPost (Washington, DC); Feb 24, 2017. See more usage examples of emetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns. -P.L. Travers, author, creator of the "Mary Poppins" series (9 Aug 1899-1996) *****August 11, 2017***** palindrome : a word, line, verse, number, sentence, etc., reading the same b..; I like Emma. And Ella. And Hannah. "Does every baby name have to be a palindrome?" Vanessa asks. Jodi Picoult, Sing You Home, 2011 Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. élan : : vigorous spirit or enthusiasm; Jeremy told the story of his trip to Mexico with such élan that by the next week people were begging him to share it again. unsteady : (adjective) Not firm, solid, or securely in place; unstable.; unfirm; He climbed carefully up the unsteady ladder and cleaned the leaves that had clogged the gutter around the house. diuretic : adjective: Causing an increased production of urine. noun: A substance that causes such an increase. ; "Once the diuretics kicked in, Mary Bliss talked and cried and peed and kept drinking all of Katharine's expensive bottled water." Mary Kay Andrews; Little Bitty Lies; Perennial; 2004. See more usage examples of diuretic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. -Herbert Hoover, 31st US president (10 Aug 1874-1964) *****August 12, 2017***** nimbus : a cloud, aura, atmosphere, etc., surrounding a person or thing: The..; ... it was a lost town and yet it was haloed with the invincible nimbus of mystery ... Roberto Bolaño, Woes of the True Policeman, translated by Natasha Wimmer, 2012 Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Pandemonium : 1 : the capital of Hell in Milton's Paradise Lost ; The power failure occurred during rush hour, and with none of the traffic lights working, pandemonium ensued as drivers struggled to get home. ignoble : (adjective) Not of the nobility; common.; ungentle, untitled; The princess loved the stable boy, but he was of ignoble birth, and her father refused to let them marry. analgesic : adjective: Reducing or eliminating pain. noun: Something that reduces or relieves pain. ; "Many people argue that Mr Abe's monetary and fiscal stimulus has served only as an analgesic, masking the need for radical structural reform." Overhyped, Underappreciated; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 30, 2016. See more usage examples of analgesic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2017***** sapiosexual : a person who finds intelligence to be a sexually attractive qu..; Of course, many people seek an intellectual connection with their partners. But people who identify as sapiosexual often say intellect is the first or most important factor that draws them to another person ... Anna North, "The Hottest Body Part? For a Sapiosexual, It's the Brain," New York Times, June 2, 2017 Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Temporize : 1 : to act to suit the time or occasion : to yield to current or dominant opinion; "The pontiff's recent declaration to that effect brought headlines but no action….  Francis wouldn't be the first leader who temporized before doing something that had to be done. Think of Lincoln, who vexed abolitionists by waiting two years after his election before issuing the Emancipation Proclamation." — Rich Barlow, WBUR.org, 5 June 2014 imperceptible : (adjective) Impossible or difficult to perceive by the mind or senses.; unperceivable; The world may indeed be considered as a vast machine, in which the great wheels are originally set in motion by those which are very minute, and almost imperceptible to any but the strongest eyes. analgesic : adjective: Reducing or eliminating pain. noun: Something that reduces or relieves pain. ; "Many people argue that Mr Abe's monetary and fiscal stimulus has served only as an analgesic, masking the need for radical structural reform." Overhyped, Underappreciated; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 30, 2016. See more usage examples of analgesic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 14, 2017***** arvo : Australian Slang. afternoon; A quick feed stop and we should be there by the arvo. Tara June Winch, Swallow the Air, 2006 Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." Vermicular : 1 a : resembling a worm in form or motion; "The 36-by-60 inch panel includes a strange botanical form at far right, and layers of misty white, blue and orange oil color partially obscure vermicular forms that seem to burrow into the painting's 'atmosphere.'" — Marc Awodey, Seven Days (Burlington, Vermont), 7–14 Apr. 2010 duster : (noun) A loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles.; gaberdine, smock; In the office he wore also a linen duster with huge pockets into which he continually stuffed scraps of paper. analgesic : adjective: Reducing or eliminating pain. noun: Something that reduces or relieves pain. ; "Many people argue that Mr Abe's monetary and fiscal stimulus has served only as an analgesic, masking the need for radical structural reform." Overhyped, Underappreciated; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 30, 2016. See more usage examples of analgesic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 15, 2017***** iconoclastic : attacking or ignoring cherished beliefs and long-held traditi..; Seeing saucepans and kitchens as objects worthy of artistic notice was more in line with the iconoclastic manifestos of fellow modernist--but female--writer Virginia Woolf. Marta DvoÅ™ak, "Introduction," Thanks for Listening: Stories and Short Fictions by Ernest Buckler, 2004 Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Bifurcate : : to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts; "If colleges don't begin to also focus on middle-income families, they will end up with campuses bifurcated by income that don't reflect the economic diversity of the United States." — Jeffrey J. Selingo, The Washington Post, 15 May 2017 stoop : (verb) Debase oneself morally, act in an undignified, unworthy, or dishonorable way.; condescend, lower oneself; The neighborhood bully constantly shouts insults at the children, but they refuse to stoop to his level and instead choose to ignore his rude remarks. dog days : noun: 1. The hottest period of the summer. 2. A period of stagnation, lethargy, inactivity, or decline. ; "Jeremy Heywood made his name in the 1990s, during the dog days of the last Conservative government." The Unsung Radical; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 10, 2011. See more usage examples of dog days in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things. -Russell Baker (b. 14 Aug 1925) *****August 16, 2017***** ululate : to lament loudly and shrilly; And above these words spoken all about me as I climbed towards the white cone of the volcano, among the mourners indifferent to my task, ululated one high, shrill lament, a flame of words that lay like a protective mantle over the funereal ceremony of that night ... Carlos Fuentes, Terra Nostra, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden, 1976 Lamster : : a fugitive especially from the law; "After the Vivian Gordon furor died down, I began to think of going home. I needed money, I was bored with Miami, and tired of living the life of a lamster." — Polly Adler, A House Is Not a Home, 1953 cocksure : (adjective) Marked by excessive confidence.; overconfident, positive; He was arrogant and cocksure but also sensitive and understanding, and I loved him dearly. lionize : verb tr.: To view or treat someone as an object of great importance. ; "He had studied and lionized people with money, power, celebrity, and status: politicians, CEOs, financial movers and shakers." JL Daniels; Mirror Opposites; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of lionize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: O, what a tangled web we weave, / When first we practise to deceive! -Walter Scott, novelist and poet (15 Aug 1771-1832) *****August 17, 2017***** kibitzer : a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice; Setting up his easel near the Seine, he completed the picture in a few hours, abetted by comments from American tourists, Swiss cyclists and a full-time Parisian kibitzer. , "Amateur Big League: Lawyer on the Left Bank," Life, April 16, 1951 Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Perfunctory : 1 : characterized by routine or superficiality : mechanical; Clearly exhausted after a long day on her feet, our server gave us only a perfunctory greeting before taking our drink orders. lore : (noun) Accumulated facts, traditions, or beliefs about a particular subject.; traditional knowledge; He had taught the children something of the forest lore that he had himself learned from Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell, and knew that in their dire hour they were not likely to forget it. chicken hawk : noun: 1. Any of various hawks believed to be preying on chickens. 2. A person who favors military action, yet has avoided military service. ; "I do stand for the Star-Spangled Banner. But I stay in my seat when thousands of fans stand and cheer men and women in the armed services. ... I am neither a dove nor a chicken hawk. I signed up for the Army National Guard before I graduated from high school. ... I sit simply because I think it odd that, of all the categories of Americans that we honor, we honor warriors. I'm resolved that I won't stand until we also honor the profession that will determine whether the United States remains free -- school teachers." Ken Eudy; Sitting Down Could Make Kaepernick Preseason MVP; The Herald Sun (Durham, North Carolina); Sep 9, 2016. See more usage examples of chicken hawk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2017***** kibitzer : a giver of uninvited or unwanted advice; Setting up his easel near the Seine, he completed the picture in a few hours, abetted by comments from American tourists, Swiss cyclists and a full-time Parisian kibitzer. , "Amateur Big League: Lawyer on the Left Bank," Life, April 16, 1951 Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Oppugn : 1 : to fight against; "Carmel Valley speller Justin Song navigated the second and third rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee yesterday with a precision no one could oppugn." — Paul M. Krawzak, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2008 laic : (adjective) Of or relating to the laity.; lay, secular; He was a laic leader, but many of his followers believed him to be a prophet. blackbird : noun:1. Any of various birds having black plumage.  2. An indentured laborer or slave kidnapped from the South Pacific. verb tr.:To kidnap a person to work as an indentured laborer or slave. verb intr.:To engage in slave trade. ; "The blackbirded islanders were often promised wages never paid and held as indentured labourers past their promised termination date." Tamara McLean; Vanuatu Raps Aust over Blackbirding; The Australian (Sydney, Australia); Mar 22, 2011. See more usage examples of blackbird in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have always supported measures and principles and not men. I have acted fearless and independent and I never will regret my course. I would rather be politically buried than to be hypocritically immortalized. -Davy Crockett, frontiersman, soldier, and politician (17 Aug 1786-1836) *****August 19, 2017***** theine : caffeine, especially in tea; What we were drinking, so dark and aromatic, was a mixture of his: leaves of the Li-Cungo, those tiny ones that give an intense color and contain a high percentage of theine, mixed with some quality Niassa, very light and fragrant. Antonio Tabucchi, "Theatre," Letter from Casablanca, translated by Janice M. Thresher, 1986 Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Waif : 1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed ; At the center of the novel is a parentless waif who is befriended by the first mate of a ship she is hiding aboard. gullible : (adjective) Easily deceived or duped.; fleeceable, green; Maddie was a gullible young girl, and we easily convinced her that our homely history teacher was actually a runaway princess in disguise. spread-eagle : noun:An emblematic representation of an eagle with outspread wings. verb tr.:To position someone with arms and legs stretched out. verb intr.:1. To assume the form of a spread eagle.  2. To be boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. adjective:1. Lying with arms and legs stretched out.  2. Boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. ; "'Residents were regularly harassed, stopped, searched; put up against a wall, the police car, the buildings, and spread-eagled,' Futterman says." Lydialyle Gibson; Policing the Police; ABA Journal (Chicago, Illinois); Sep 2016. "The Glorious Fourth began with a parade to the bandstand for a spread-eagle speech and ended with a barbecue on the edge of town." William Culp Darrah; Powell of the Colorado; Princeton University Press; 1951. See more usage examples of spread-eagle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn't make a corporation a terrorist. -Winona LaDuke, activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer (b. 18 Aug 1959) *****August 20, 2017***** theine : caffeine, especially in tea; What we were drinking, so dark and aromatic, was a mixture of his: leaves of the Li-Cungo, those tiny ones that give an intense color and contain a high percentage of theine, mixed with some quality Niassa, very light and fragrant. Antonio Tabucchi, "Theatre," Letter from Casablanca, translated by Janice M. Thresher, 1986 Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Alleviate : : relieve, lessen such as a : to make (something, such as suffering) more bearable  b : to partially remove or correct (something undesirable); Mom suggested that ibuprofen and tea would perhaps alleviate some of the misery of my cold. imitative : (adjective) (Of words) Formed in imitation of a natural sound.; echoic, onomatopoeic; Onomatopoeic words like "buzz" and "murmur" are imitative of the noises they describe. spread-eagle : noun:An emblematic representation of an eagle with outspread wings. verb tr.:To position someone with arms and legs stretched out. verb intr.:1. To assume the form of a spread eagle.  2. To be boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. adjective:1. Lying with arms and legs stretched out.  2. Boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. ; "'Residents were regularly harassed, stopped, searched; put up against a wall, the police car, the buildings, and spread-eagled,' Futterman says." Lydialyle Gibson; Policing the Police; ABA Journal (Chicago, Illinois); Sep 2016. "The Glorious Fourth began with a parade to the bandstand for a spread-eagle speech and ended with a barbecue on the edge of town." William Culp Darrah; Powell of the Colorado; Princeton University Press; 1951. See more usage examples of spread-eagle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn't make a corporation a terrorist. -Winona LaDuke, activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer (b. 18 Aug 1959) *****August 21, 2017***** daymare : a distressing experience, similar to a bad dream, occurring while ..; ... a monstrous load that I was obliged to bear, a daymare that there was no possibility of breaking in, a weight that brooded on my wits and blunted them! Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850 Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." Depredate : 1 : to lay waste : plunder, ravage; The bear that depredated the beekeeper's hives has been caught and relocated. callous : (adjective) Emotionally hardened; unfeeling.; indurate, pachydermatous; He was a callous man and cared not for the suffering of others. spread-eagle : noun:An emblematic representation of an eagle with outspread wings. verb tr.:To position someone with arms and legs stretched out. verb intr.:1. To assume the form of a spread eagle.  2. To be boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. adjective:1. Lying with arms and legs stretched out.  2. Boastful or bombastic in a display of nationalistic pride. ; "'Residents were regularly harassed, stopped, searched; put up against a wall, the police car, the buildings, and spread-eagled,' Futterman says." Lydialyle Gibson; Policing the Police; ABA Journal (Chicago, Illinois); Sep 2016. "The Glorious Fourth began with a parade to the bandstand for a spread-eagle speech and ended with a barbecue on the edge of town." William Culp Darrah; Powell of the Colorado; Princeton University Press; 1951. See more usage examples of spread-eagle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn't make a corporation a terrorist. -Winona LaDuke, activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer (b. 18 Aug 1959) *****August 22, 2017***** banausic : serving utilitarian purposes only; mechanical; practical: archite..; He was too worldly-wise--what we used to call 'banausic'--too bent on getting on. John Buchan, "'Tendebant Manus': Sir Arthur Warcliff's Story,"The Runagates Club, 1928 Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Hebetude : : lethargy, dullness; Tired from being out late the night before, Jennifer allowed herself to fall into the hebetude of a lazy Sunday afternoon. smug : (adjective) Exhibiting or feeling great or offensive satisfaction with oneself or with one's situation; self-righteously complacent.; self-satisfied; On his face was the smug look of a toad breakfasting on fat marsh flies. parergon : noun: 1. An accessory, embellishment, or byproduct of a main work. 2. Subsidiary work undertaken in addition to one's main employment. ; "'My Century' is something of a parergon, casually tossed off by this larger-than-life imagination." James Gardner; History Bites; National Review (New York); Dec 6, 1999. Thought For The Day: I'd prefer to die on my feet than to live on my knees. -Charb (pen name of Stephane Charbonnier), caricaturist and journalist (21 Aug 1967-2015) *****August 23, 2017***** Comstockery : overzealous moral censorship of the fine arts and literature, ..; ... to boycott an author because of a brutality of expression is an act of retaliation so out of proportion with the gravity of the offense that it can be viewed only with indignation by the hot-headed and with a smile by those who have heard of what George Bernard Shaw was pleased to call, I believe, "American Comstockery." Eugene P. Metour, Letter to the Editor: "More 'American Comstockery,'" New York Times, February 11, 1906 Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Nobby : : cleverly stylish : chic, smart; The restaurant was a bit too nobby for my tastes, but I did enjoy the food. interpenetrate : (verb) Spread or diffuse through.; imbue, permeate, pervade, diffuse, riddle, penetrate; Crossing his arms on his chest, as if to control this new sensation of delight, he drank in delicious draughts of that mysterious air which interpenetrates at night the loftiest forests. deterge : verb tr.: To wash, wipe, or cleanse. ; "Sandy was deterging a slip in the washbasin." Easterns and Westerns; Glendon Swarthout; Michigan State University Press; 2001. "I was in the hospital having my lungs deterged for two days." Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka; Nature's End; Crossroad Press; 2016. See more usage examples of deterge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: My stories run up and bite me in the leg -- I respond by writing them down -- everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go and runs off. -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (22 Aug 1920-2012) *****August 24, 2017***** quaquaversal : (of a geological formation) sloping downward from the center ..; "Your yard is one piece of granite. It's like living on Stone Mountain." He stood at the apex of our land and said, "The term 'quaquaversal' comes to mind. ..." George Singleton, Work Shirts for Madmen, 2007 Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." Flagrant : : conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality; In a flagrant violation of the family's code of ethics, someone had finished the ice cream and left the empty container in the freezer. suppliant : (noun) One praying humbly for something.; petitioner, requester, supplicant; "Oh, God!" prayed the kneeling suppliant, "protect my husband, guard my son, and take my wretched life instead!" trangam : noun: A trinket, puzzle, or odd gadget. ; "Vinegar-faced rogue that he is, [he] began to inquire what Popish trangam you were wearing." Walter Scott; The Abbot; Longman; 1820. Thought For The Day: A few cobras in your home will soon clear it of rats and mice. Of course, you will still have the cobras. -Will Cuppy, journalist (23 Aug 1884-1949) *****August 25, 2017***** gravid : pregnant; She was now gravid with the fourth, and working at weaving another blanket to keep it warm. Piers Anthony, Isle of Woman, 1993 Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Opine : 1 : to express opinions; In a letter to the editor, the writer opined that the town library should be open for longer hours during the summer months to give bored children a place to go and something to do.  dusky : (adjective) Characterized by little or inadequate light; shadowy.; twilight, twilit; I met him on the road one dusky evening, and he insisted on seeing me safely home. transitive : adjective: 1. Relating to a construction in which an action passes to an object (e.g. a transitive verb). 2. Involving transition: intermediate, transitional. 3. Changeable; transient. 4. Concerning a relation such that if it holds between A and B, between B and C, it also holds between A and C. ; "By the transitive property, he shouldn't have liked her since he didn't like her handiwork." Jamie Mason; Monday's Lie; Gallery Books; 2015. "Inspiration is transitive. At the Malibu triathlon a few months ago, I found myself standing at the swim start between Jillian Michaels, about to do her first open-water event, and Chrissie Wellington, four-time world-champion Ironman winner, who was there to cheer on hundreds of first-timers." Lucy S. Danziger; Get Inspired, Pass It On; Self (New York); Jan 2014. See more usage examples of transitive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer -- and, I believe, generally all persons -- must think that whatever happens to him or her is a resource. All things have been given to us for a purpose, and an artist must feel this more intensely. All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassments, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (24 Aug 1899-1986) *****August 26, 2017***** funster : a person who creates or seeks fun, as a comedian or reveler; Capello is not a funster. The former Italian winger Roberto Donadoni once remarked: "I think he would have made a good prison guard." Tim Adams, "The many faces of Fabio Capello," New Statesman, June 7, 2010 Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Picaresque : : of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist; "His specialty was the picaresque novel, which took the hero (with the reader happily perched on his shoulder) on a wild ride…." — Martin Rubin, The Washington Times, 16 Mar. 2012 embodiment : (noun) A new personification of a familiar idea.; avatar, incarnation; The State is the visible embodiment of justice under the conditions of human society. synoptic : adjective: 1. Relating to a summary or general view of something. 2. Covering a wide area (as weather conditions). 3. Taking a similar view (as the first three Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, and Luke). ; "'Thank you for the synoptic report,' I said hollowly." Frederik Pohl; Platinum Pohl; Tor Books; 2005. "The weatherman appeared on the television screen with good news. She couldn't hear his voice but she saw his pointer dancing on the synoptic map." Yael Hedaya; Housebroken; Picador; 2013. See more usage examples of synoptic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (b. 25 Aug 1949) *****August 27, 2017***** funster : a person who creates or seeks fun, as a comedian or reveler; Capello is not a funster. The former Italian winger Roberto Donadoni once remarked: "I think he would have made a good prison guard." Tim Adams, "The many faces of Fabio Capello," New Statesman, June 7, 2010 Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Burgle : 1 : to break into and steal from ; The broken window alerted the security guard that the office may have been burgled. mesa : (noun) A broad, flat-topped elevation with one or more clifflike sides, common in the southwest United States.; table; They scaled forest-clad heights until they emerged on a naked mesa. synoptic : adjective: 1. Relating to a summary or general view of something. 2. Covering a wide area (as weather conditions). 3. Taking a similar view (as the first three Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, and Luke). ; "'Thank you for the synoptic report,' I said hollowly." Frederik Pohl; Platinum Pohl; Tor Books; 2005. "The weatherman appeared on the television screen with good news. She couldn't hear his voice but she saw his pointer dancing on the synoptic map." Yael Hedaya; Housebroken; Picador; 2013. See more usage examples of synoptic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (b. 25 Aug 1949) *****August 28, 2017***** ruth : pity or compassion; So, then, you would all be on the side of mad Achilles, who knows neither right nor ruth? Homer (9th or 8th century b.c.), Iliad, translated by Samuel Butler, 1898 Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Accoutrement : 1 a : equipment, trappings; specifically : a soldier's outfit usually not including clothes and weapons — usually used in plural; The little closet was cluttered with belts and scarves and other accoutrements of use to a fashion-conscious teenager. straddle : (verb) Range or extend over; occupy a certain area.; range; With his car straddling two lanes of traffic and with fifteen police cruisers in hot pursuit, the out-of-control driver sped down the highway. synoptic : adjective: 1. Relating to a summary or general view of something. 2. Covering a wide area (as weather conditions). 3. Taking a similar view (as the first three Gospels of the Bible: Matthew, Mark, and Luke). ; "'Thank you for the synoptic report,' I said hollowly." Frederik Pohl; Platinum Pohl; Tor Books; 2005. "The weatherman appeared on the television screen with good news. She couldn't hear his voice but she saw his pointer dancing on the synoptic map." Yael Hedaya; Housebroken; Picador; 2013. See more usage examples of synoptic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (b. 25 Aug 1949) *****August 29, 2017***** ruth : pity or compassion; So, then, you would all be on the side of mad Achilles, who knows neither right nor ruth? Homer (9th or 8th century b.c.), Iliad, translated by Samuel Butler, 1898 Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Emissary : 1 : one designated as the agent of another : representative; As the company's emissary to the meeting, Sarah was tasked with presenting the proposal that had been the focus of the team's work for several months. acerbic : (adjective) Sharp or biting, as in character or expression.; blistering, caustic, acid, vitriolic, acerb, acrid, sulfurous, virulent, bitter; The comedienne's acerbic wit drew laughs from the crowd, though some found her jokes offensive. gung ho : adjective: Extremely eager and enthusiastic. ; "And although Brian Van Reet won a Bronze Star for valour, he clearly isn't gung-ho about the American war effort." Mike Doherty; Spoils (book review); Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Apr 24, 2017. See more usage examples of gung ho in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Too many parents make life hard for their children by trying, too zealously, to make it easy for them. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (28 Aug 1749-1832) *****August 30, 2017***** lineament : Often, lineaments. a feature or detail of a face, body, or figur..; Even now, as I commence my task, his full-toned voice swells in my ears; his lustrous eyes dwell on me with all their melancholy sweetness; I see his thin hand raised in animation, while the lineaments of his face are irradiated by the soul within. Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818 Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Coalesce : 1 : to grow together; "Parties typically struggle to coalesce on complex legislative issues." — Frances Lee, The Washington Post, 23 July 2017 ferment : (noun) A state of agitation or turbulent change or development.; agitation, fermentation, tempestuousness, unrest; In 1789 a ferment arises in Paris; it grows, spreads, and is expressed by a movement of peoples from west to east. ho-hum : interjection: An expression of boredom, indifference, or resignation. adjective: Boring; dull; routine. ; "Elevate your summer salads from ho-hum to sublime with the addition of torn fresh basil, mint, or cilantro." Welcome Summer Tastes with Different Fresh Herbs; The Coloradoan (Fort Collins, Colorado); May 24, 2017. See more usage examples of ho-hum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts. -John Locke, philosopher (29 Aug 1632-1704) *****August 31, 2017***** Elysium : any place or state of perfect happiness; paradise; And, oh! if there is an Elysium on earth, / It is this, it is this. Thomas Moore, "Elysium on Earth," Lalla Rookh, 1817 Fastidious : adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness. Interstice : 1 : a space that intervenes between things; especially : one between closely spaced things; "The vehicle of this affirmation—if indeed it is that—is a message that the Mara character writes on a scrap of paper and then jams into an interstice in an archway before painting over it, evoking a prayer wedged in the Western Wall." — Nick Pinkerton, Artforum, 6 July 2017 sanguinary : (adjective) Accompanied by bloodshed.; butcherly, gory, slaughterous; A sanguinary encounter seemed daily imminent between the two parties in the streets of Baltimore. humbug : noun:1. Nonsense; pretense; deception.  2. An impostor or fraud.  3. A kind of hard mint-flavored candy (British). adjective:Deceptive. verb tr., intr.:To deceive or hoax. ; "It is difficult to judge whether the hard talk by either side is humbug or an intractable position." Neither Side Will Win if Britain Exits the Single Aviation Market; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 22, 2017. See more usage examples of humbug in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850) *****September 01, 2017***** septenary : of or relating to the number seven or forming a group of seven; If she believes that Wiggins with his septenary names is ordained by the seven original pleiades to marry your daughter Cecilia, I should think that by the same token she would have sought a man rejoicing in the noble name of Septimus. Meredith Nicholson, The Siege of the Seven Suitors, 1910 Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." thence : (adverb) From that place; from there.; therefrom; The train went south into Switzerland and thence on to Italy bugbear : noun: A source of fear, problem, anxiety, or annoyance. ; "Dr Wu says there are multiple reasons for the slowdown ... The biggest bugbear is the guidelines against doctors advertising here, with the greatest impact coming from the ban on the use of 'before and after' pictures." Cheah Ui-Hoon; Cutting Edge Beauty; The Business Times (Singapore); Jan 28, 2017. See more usage examples of bugbear in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 02, 2017***** septenary : of or relating to the number seven or forming a group of seven; If she believes that Wiggins with his septenary names is ordained by the seven original pleiades to marry your daughter Cecilia, I should think that by the same token she would have sought a man rejoicing in the noble name of Septimus. Meredith Nicholson, The Siege of the Seven Suitors, 1910 Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Confrere : : colleague, comrade; "Antonio Sánchez is a drummer of sharp and sweeping talent, best known to some observers as the percussive engine behind the movie 'Birdman' and to others as a close confrere of the guitarist Pat Metheny." — The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2016 uncongenial : (adjective) Not suitable to your tastes or needs.; incompatible; I married early, and was happy to find in my wife a disposition not uncongenial with my own. bear leader : noun: A tutor who travels with a young man. ; "The description of the relation between the bear leader and his protege is quite entertaining." Giovanna Summerfield and Lisa Downward; New Perspectives on the European Bildungsroman; Continuum; 2010. Thought For The Day: It seems like the less a statesman amounts to, the more he adores the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 03, 2017***** narcotize : to make dull; stupefy; deaden the awareness of: He had used liqu..; I'm not speaking of all that will happen to annoy, bore, irritate, coerce, oppose, tyrannize, narcotize, paralyze, and idiotize a man in marriage, in that struggle of two beings always in one another's presence, bound forever, who have coupled each other under the strange impression that they were suited. Honoré de Balzac, The Marriage Contract, translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley, 1885 Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Enthrall : : to hold spellbound : charm; "But [Luke] Bryan didn't need much trickery to enthrall the crowd, ready to party to 'Rain is a Good Thing,' 'Crash My Party' and 'Do I' among his string of hits." — Amanda St. Amand, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 15 June 2013 overabundance : (noun) A going or being beyond what is needed, desired, or appropriate.; overmuch, overmuchness, superabundance; Four-year-olds have an overabundance of energy and quickly exhaust even the most active, fit adults. bear leader : noun: A tutor who travels with a young man. ; "The description of the relation between the bear leader and his protege is quite entertaining." Giovanna Summerfield and Lisa Downward; New Perspectives on the European Bildungsroman; Continuum; 2010. Thought For The Day: It seems like the less a statesman amounts to, the more he adores the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 04, 2017***** serotinal : pertaining to or occurring in late summer; As phenomena of the growing season, these were first distinguished as early spring or prevernal, vernal proper, estival, and serotinal or autumnal, but there may also be a heimal aspect ... Frederic E. Clements, "Nature and Structure of the Climax," The Journal of Ecology, Volume 24, No. 1, February 1936 Juxtapose : tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works." Vociferous : : marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry; "A few days after NBC decided to cancel time-traveling adventure drama Timeless, the network changed its mind and renewed the series for a second season, thanks in part to a vociferous fan campaign…. — USA Today, 17 July 2017 unexampled : (adjective) Without precedent; unparalleled.; new; It was a time of unexampled prosperity, and the once poor family was able to move to a lovely mansion in an affluent neighborhood. bear leader : noun: A tutor who travels with a young man. ; "The description of the relation between the bear leader and his protege is quite entertaining." Giovanna Summerfield and Lisa Downward; New Perspectives on the European Bildungsroman; Continuum; 2010. Thought For The Day: It seems like the less a statesman amounts to, the more he adores the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 05, 2017***** serotinal : pertaining to or occurring in late summer; As phenomena of the growing season, these were first distinguished as early spring or prevernal, vernal proper, estival, and serotinal or autumnal, but there may also be a heimal aspect ... Frederic E. Clements, "Nature and Structure of the Climax," The Journal of Ecology, Volume 24, No. 1, February 1936 Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Fruition : 1 : pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment; "… wife and husband had nothing to do but to link each other's arms together, and wander gently downwards towards old age in happy and perfect fruition." — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848 hypnotic : (adjective) Attracting and holding interest as if by a spell.; mesmeric, mesmerizing, spellbinding; For a moment she tore her gaze from the hypnotic fascination of that awful face and breathed a last prayer to her God. Monday morning quarterback : noun: One who criticizes others' actions and offers alternatives with the benefit of hindsight. ; "With every major snowstorm comes the inevitable Monday morning quarterbacks and the ultimate question: What could Buffalo have done better?" Phil Fairbanks; Socked But Plowing On; The Buffalo News (New York); Dec 29, 2001. Thought For The Day: In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. -Ivan Illich, philosopher and priest (4 Sep 1926-2002) *****September 06, 2017***** bicameral : Government. having two branches, chambers, or houses, as a legis..; In five centuries it evolved by 1848 from a loose confederacy of almost sovereign states into a sovereign confederation with a bicameral legislature patterned on the U.S. model. , "Switzerland: Its Citizen Army Ably Guards Its Old Freedom," Life, September 4, 1939 Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." Scrupulous : 1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper; "As a child, I somehow absorbed the idea that getting in the way of other people or wasting their time was a terrible offense. I have been scrupulous about standing to the right on escalators, not blocking aisles, not showing up late." — Rebecca Solnit, Harper's, July 2017 pestilential : (adjective) Likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease.; pestiferous, plaguey; I have a notion, and more than a notion, that I shall never pass back alive through these pestilential swamps. slam dunk : noun:1. In basketball, a shot in which a player jumps up and slams the ball down through the basket.  2. Something easy to do or certain to occur. verb tr.:1. To thrust the ball down through the basket.  2. To defeat decisively. ; "Howell wasn't supposed to be a difficult case. It should have been a slam dunk." Keith Walley; Bloodguilt; Lulu; 2012. See more usage examples of slam dunk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If he does not fight, it is not because he rejects all fighting as futile, but because he has finished his fights. He has overcome all dissensions between himself and the world and is now at rest... We shall have wars and soldiers so long as the brute in us is untamed. -Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher and 2nd president of India (5 Sep 1888-1975) *****September 07, 2017***** whoosis : Informal. an object or person whose name is not known or cannot be..; We'll forget about what the King sent whoosis--Abdulmecid. Stanley Elkin, George Mills, 1982 Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." Robot : 1 a : a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (such as walking or talking) of a human being; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized; Isaac Asimov is famous for writing science-fiction stories about robots which were governed by specific laws of behavior. uninitiated : (adjective) Not knowledgeable or skilled; inexperienced.; naive; To an uninitiated onlooker, nothing could have been more ghastly or absurd. bush league : noun: A minor league of a professional sport, especially baseball. adjective: Second-rate, unpolished, or amateurish. ; "Personally, I thought the assignment was bush league from the get-go, and a waste of my time and talents." Philip Carter; Altar of Bones; Gallery Books; 2011. See more usage examples of bush league in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2017***** whoosis : Informal. an object or person whose name is not known or cannot be..; We'll forget about what the King sent whoosis--Abdulmecid. Stanley Elkin, George Mills, 1982 Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Propagate : 1 : to reproduce or cause to reproduce biologically : multiply; "It is always observable that silence propagates itself, and that the longer talk has been suspended, the more difficult it is to find any thing to say." — Samuel Johnson, The Adventurer, 25 Aug. 1753 quaternary : (adjective) Coming next after the third and just before the fifth in position or time or degree or magnitude.; fourth; The quaternary period of geologic time extends from the end of the tertiary period to the present. googly : noun: In cricket, a ball bowled with a deceptive action so that it bounces in a direction different from what the batsman was expecting. (video) adjective: (eyes) Staring, bulging, or wide open, in amazement or admiration. ; "Just as you settle on what you intend to do, on the sequence of actions that you need to take, fate bowls you a googly: other things happen that wreck your plans." Andrew Scholes; The Days Grow Short; Lulu; 2014. "Because you thought that would make Saxon Walker go all googly over you, didn't you? You actually thought he might take you in his arms and hug you?" Jaclyn Moriarty; Feeling Sorry for Celia; St. Martin's Press; 2001. See more usage examples of googly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 09, 2017***** fossick : Australian. to hunt; seek; ferret out; His mind, however, was a garbage bag; he could fossick in it and come up with a fact that nailed a piece of evidence to any number of courtroom walls. Jon Cleary, A Different Turf, 1997 Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. Extemporaneous : 1 : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu; Everyone was surprised to hear my normally taciturn brother give a heartfelt, extemporaneous speech at our parents' 50th anniversary party. jiggle : (verb) To move or rock lightly up and down or to and fro in an unsteady, jerky manner.; joggle, wiggle; He jiggled the worn key in the lock and finally got the door open. spin doctor : noun: A representative who is adept in presenting a favorable interpretation of events, utterances, and actions for a politician or some other public figure; one who manipulates news. ; "You don't have a spin doctor to explain away those bad situations." Frank E. Burdett; Laughing at Yourself; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of spin doctor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947) *****September 10, 2017***** vamoose : Slang. to leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp; "I swear to you, man to man, I did not come to Butte to stir up trouble. What more can I do to convince you?" "Leave town. Vamoose." Ivan Doig, Work Song, 2010 Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Disport : 1 : divert, amuse; "At a very early hour in the morning, twice or thrice a week, Miss Briggs used to betake herself to a bathing-machine, and disport in the water in a flannel gown and an oilskin cap." — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848 impish : (adjective) Naughtily or annoyingly playful.; arch, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, puckish, wicked; These remarks were greeted with shouts of laughter by the impish creatures and one seized the Scarecrow's arm and was astonished to find the straw man whirl around so easily. spin doctor : noun: A representative who is adept in presenting a favorable interpretation of events, utterances, and actions for a politician or some other public figure; one who manipulates news. ; "You don't have a spin doctor to explain away those bad situations." Frank E. Burdett; Laughing at Yourself; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of spin doctor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947) *****September 11, 2017***** vamoose : Slang. to leave hurriedly or quickly; decamp; "I swear to you, man to man, I did not come to Butte to stir up trouble. What more can I do to convince you?" "Leave town. Vamoose." Ivan Doig, Work Song, 2010 Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." Conversant : : having knowledge or experience; The ideal candidate for the sommelier position will have expert knowledge of the various wine varieties served in the restaurant and be conversant in the rich vocabulary of viniculture. orifice : (noun) An opening, especially to a cavity or passage of the body; a mouth or vent.; opening, porta; The nose was but a gaping orifice above a deformed and twisted mouth. spin doctor : noun: A representative who is adept in presenting a favorable interpretation of events, utterances, and actions for a politician or some other public figure; one who manipulates news. ; "You don't have a spin doctor to explain away those bad situations." Frank E. Burdett; Laughing at Yourself; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of spin doctor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947) *****September 12, 2017***** sinecure : an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one..; He thinks it better to be idle at his father's expense than to do a little work for a handsome salary," said Mr. May; "everything is right that is extracted from his father's pocket, though it is contrary to a high code of honour to accept a sinecure. Margaret Oliphant, Phoebe, Junior, 1876 Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Bibelot : : a small household ornament or decorative object : trinket; "Moonlight furbished the brown cylindrical floor vase and its gnarled branch, as well as an aquarium bibelot in the shape of a ruined arch on his bedside table." — Nicholson Baker, The New Yorker, 27 June - 4 July 1994 fusillade : (noun) A discharge from a number of firearms, fired simultaneously or in rapid succession.; burst, salvo, volley; Our warriors then rushed up to the roofs of the buildings which we occupied and followed the retreating armada with a continuous fusillade of deadly fire. whataboutery : noun: The practice of responding to an accusation by making a counter-accusation, real or imaginary, relevant or irrelevant. ; "'Paris? Don't you care about what happened in Beirut?' Turbo-charged online whataboutery is destroying proper debate." Helen Lewis; If Activists Want Real Change They Must Ditch the Dying Cat; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 26, 2015. Thought For The Day: You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty. -Jessica Mitford, author, journalist, and civil rights activist (11 Sep 1917-1996) *****September 13, 2017***** sinecure : an office or position requiring little or no work, especially one..; He thinks it better to be idle at his father's expense than to do a little work for a handsome salary," said Mr. May; "everything is right that is extracted from his father's pocket, though it is contrary to a high code of honour to accept a sinecure. Margaret Oliphant, Phoebe, Junior, 1876 Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Scour : 1 : to move about quickly especially in search; The dog scoured the terrain in search of the tennis ball I had thrown. unequivocal : (adjective) Admitting of no doubt or misunderstanding; having only one meaning or interpretation and leading to only one conclusion.; univocal, unambiguous; Franz complimented Albert, who looked at himself in the glass with an unequivocal smile of satisfaction. mythomania : noun: An abnormal tendency to exaggerate or lie. ; "I humoured him by listening to his stories about all the grandchildren he probably didn't have. His mythomania, which both terrified and exasperated me, somehow brought us together." Marie-Renee Lavoie; Mister Roger and Me; Anansi; 2012. See more usage examples of mythomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) *****September 14, 2017***** concatenation : a series of interconnected or interdependent things or event..; We're nothing but “a fortuitous concatenation of atoms.” Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Ingleside, 1939 Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Precocious : 1 : exceptionally early in development or occurrence; "They explained to me that we were going to watch people audition…. I ended up jumping onstage and singing something…. They thought I was precocious enough to be put in the chorus of the production. I was the only kid." — Johnny Galecki, quoted in The Las Cruces (New Mexico) Sun-News, 8 Mar. 2017 auxiliary : (adjective) Functioning in a supporting capacity.; subsidiary, supplemental, supplementary; The main library and its auxiliary branches serviced the needs of the large community. tenesmus : noun: A distressing but ineffectual urge to defecate or urinate. ; "However, his malady increased upon him, and in spite of my colleague's efforts and of my own he is now on shore with an obstinate tenesmus that will keep him there." Patrick O'Brian; The Mauritius Command; Collins; 1977. See more usage examples of tenesmus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Spurned pity can turn into cruelty just as spurned love turns into hate. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 15, 2017***** sensorium : a part of the brain or the brain itself regarded as the seat of ..; The ringing of the bell and the rap upon the door struck likewise strong upon the sensorium of my uncle Toby, but it excited a very different train of thoughts ... Lawrence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Volume II, 1759 Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Marginalia : 1 : marginal notes or embellishments (such as in a book); "Over the next nine days, [John Hughes] completed the first draft of Home Alone, capped by an eight-hour, 44-page dash to the finale. Before finishing, he'd expressed concerns in the marginalia of his journal that he was working too slowly." — James Hughes, The Chicago Magazine, 10 Nov. 2015 whimsy : (noun) The trait of acting unpredictably and more from whim or caprice than from reason or judgment.; arbitrariness, flightiness, whimsicality, capriciousness; She was an odd girl, prone to sudden flights of whimsy, and she floated through life cocooned in her own fantastic world. xenophobia : noun: A fear or hatred of people from other countries or cultures. ; "We 'mutts' are the way of the future. That will fix xenophobia in the end -- make it too complicated to maintain." Sher Dawn; 'Twas Brillig: A Dark Faerie Tale for the Grown Ups; Xlibris; 2017. See more usage examples of xenophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many a secret that cannot be pried out by curiosity can be drawn out by indifference. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2017***** sensorium : a part of the brain or the brain itself regarded as the seat of ..; The ringing of the bell and the rap upon the door struck likewise strong upon the sensorium of my uncle Toby, but it excited a very different train of thoughts ... Lawrence Sterne, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Volume II, 1759 Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Inoculate : 1 a : to introduce a microorganism into; In 1796, the English physician Edward Jenner discovered that inoculating people with cowpox could provide immunity against smallpox. ostensible : (adjective) Appearing as such but not necessarily so.; seeming, apparent; The ostensible reason of his appearance was the discovery, the very night before, of a "perfect little house." kayfabe : noun: Portrayal of staged events as real, especially in professional wrestling. (See also, "reality shows") ; "With time and practice, you will learn how to maintain kayfabe in moments like these." Angelina Mirabella; The Sweetheart; Simon & Schuster; 2016. Thought For The Day: We would often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives which produced them. -Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, writer (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 17, 2017***** masscult : the forms of culture, as music, drama, and literature, as selecte..; Folk Art grew mainly from below, an autochthonous product shaped by the people to fit their own needs, even though it often took its cue from High Culture. Masscult comes from above. It is fabricated by technicians hired by businessmen. Dwight MacDonald, "Masscult and Midcult," Against the American Grain: Essays on the Effects of Mass Culture, 1962 Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." Travesty : 1 : a burlesque translation or literary or artistic imitation usually grotesquely incongruous in style, treatment, or subject matter ; "What petty whims of a few higher-ups trampling the nation under their boots, ramming back down their throats the people's cries for truth and justice, with the travesty of state security as a pretext." — Émile Zola, letter, 13 Jan. 1898 cogitation : (noun) Thoughtful consideration; meditation.; study; After much cogitation he rejected the offer, deciding instead to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. kayfabe : noun: Portrayal of staged events as real, especially in professional wrestling. (See also, "reality shows") ; "With time and practice, you will learn how to maintain kayfabe in moments like these." Angelina Mirabella; The Sweetheart; Simon & Schuster; 2016. Thought For The Day: We would often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives which produced them. -Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, writer (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 18, 2017***** clandestine : characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or conceal..; Mr. Felt drew on his espionage experience in 1972 when he insisted that the Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward take circuitous routes to their clandestine meetings in an underground parking garage and use elaborate communications signals that were recounted by Mr. Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their book "All the President's Men." David Johnston, "Behind Deep Throat's Clandestine Ways, a Cloak-and-Dagger Past," New York Times, June 4, 2005 Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Portentous : 1 : of, relating to, or constituting a portent; Our host had a habit of making portentous proclamations about the state of modern art, which was a bit of a turnoff for us as two art majors. cagey : (adjective) Showing self-interest and shrewdness in dealing with others.; canny, clever; The jurors saw right through the cagey lawyer's attempt to divert their attention away from the evidence. kayfabe : noun: Portrayal of staged events as real, especially in professional wrestling. (See also, "reality shows") ; "With time and practice, you will learn how to maintain kayfabe in moments like these." Angelina Mirabella; The Sweetheart; Simon & Schuster; 2016. Thought For The Day: We would often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives which produced them. -Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, writer (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 19, 2017***** oceanicity : the degree to which the climate of a place is influenced by the..; “Three cold, miserable countries,” said Louis when he heard the title of this paper as it was delivered in a preliminary version, and indeed what characterises them are their high northern latitudes ... and their extreme oceanicity, which modifies the cold with rain-laden winds from a relatively warm sea. T. C. Smout, "Energy Rich, Energy Poor: Scotland, Ireland and Iceland, 1600–1800," Exploring Environmental History: Selected Essays, 2009 Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Amanuensis : : one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript; "He then proceeded in his investigation, dictating, as he went on, the import of the questions and answers to the amanuensis, by whom it was written down." — Sir Walter Scott, Waverley, 1814 politic : (adjective) Smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication.; bland, smooth, suave; He was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage. ovine : adjective: Of, relating to, or resembling, sheep. ; "George Bernard Shaw said that the English 'worship their great artists indiscriminately and abjectly' and described this phenomenon -- the uncritical ovine devotion to Shakespeare -- as 'Bardolatry'." James Gingell; Rejecting the Cult of Bardolatry Does Not Make You a Philistine; The Guardian (London, UK); May 20, 2016. See more usage examples of ovine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 20, 2017***** oceanicity : the degree to which the climate of a place is influenced by the..; “Three cold, miserable countries,” said Louis when he heard the title of this paper as it was delivered in a preliminary version, and indeed what characterises them are their high northern latitudes ... and their extreme oceanicity, which modifies the cold with rain-laden winds from a relatively warm sea. T. C. Smout, "Energy Rich, Energy Poor: Scotland, Ireland and Iceland, 1600–1800," Exploring Environmental History: Selected Essays, 2009 Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Glabrous : : smooth; especially : having a surface without hairs or projections; Unlike the fuzzy peach, the nectarine has a glabrous skin. feeder : (noun) A branch that flows into the main stream.; confluent, tributary, affluent; This stream in which he stood was a feeder to the Coppermine River, which in turn flowed north and emptied into Coronation Gulf and the Arctic Ocean. uberty : noun: Abundance; fruitfulness. ; "Uberty comes from uncompromising strife or drive to achieve superior outcomes for the relationships." D. Zooga; Strategic Followership; Palgrave Macmillan; 2014. Thought For The Day: Nothing is so impenetrable as laughter in a language you don't understand. -William Golding, novelist, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (19 Sep 1911-1993) *****September 21, 2017***** polyhistor : a person of great and varied learning; Most could not read, in contrast to Falcon, a polyhistor who spent twenty hours a week pouring over old tomes when the weather was fair--this, because as captain he could not bear having anyone, especially his first mate, correct him. Charles Johnson, Middle Passage, 1990 Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." prophylactic : (adjective) Acting to defend against or prevent something, especially disease; protective.; preventative; The doctor prescribed a prophylactic antibiotic to the nervous patient. lection : noun: 1. A version of a text in a particular copy or edition. 2. A selection read in a religious service. Also known as pericope. ; "The site provides information about the history of anti-evolution efforts in Tennessee, a 'virtual information booth' with essays about evolution, the full text of Futuyma's keynote lection from the 1997 Darwin Day." Rebecca Chasan; Fighting Back for Science; Bioscience (Washington, DC); Jan 1998. See more usage examples of lection in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age. -Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934) *****September 22, 2017***** polyhistor : a person of great and varied learning; Most could not read, in contrast to Falcon, a polyhistor who spent twenty hours a week pouring over old tomes when the weather was fair--this, because as captain he could not bear having anyone, especially his first mate, correct him. Charles Johnson, Middle Passage, 1990 Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). Shofar : : the horn of an animal (usually a ram) blown as a trumpet by the ancient Hebrews in battle and during religious observances and used in modern Judaism especially during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur; "A collection of local artists will be selling their artwork, crafts, jewelry and Judaica, and gift booths will offer T-shirts, books and traditional Jewish and Israeli items, from mezuzahs to shofars." — Jennifer Nixon, The Arkansas (Little Rock) Democrat-Gazette, 27 Apr. 2017 scrub : (noun) Dense vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes.; chaparral, bush; The hikers slowly made their way through the dense scrub and reached the campsite by nightfall. rill : noun: 1. A small stream. 2. A narrow groove carved by erosion. ; "Six months ago she'd stood upright on the rill and laughed with delight as the water had splashed over her." Marion Lennox; Meant-to-Be Family; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of rill in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. -H.G. Wells, writer (21 Sep 1866-1946) *****September 23, 2017***** deciduous : shedding the leaves annually, as certain trees and shrubs; Having grown up in the high desert of eastern California, where hardwoods existed only in front yards and forests were of pine, Anna never tired of the falling leaves in a true deciduous forest. Day after day, as though there were an endless supply, leaves rained down. Nevada Barr, Hunting Season, 2002 Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. Yeasty : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling yeast; "[A]ll this yeasty mingling of dimly understood facts with vague but deep impressions … had been disturbing her during the weeks of her engagement." — George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, 1876 valiant : (adjective) Having or showing valor.; valorous; The hostages made a valiant attempt to overtake their captors and paid dearly for their bravery. otic : adjective: Relating to the ear. ; "Looks like it might be suffering from ear mites as well. Nothing that a bit of otic medication won't cure." H.Y. Hanna; Summer Beach Vets (Book 3); Wisheart Press; 2014. See more usage examples of otic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2017***** tattersall : a pattern of squares formed by colored crossbars on a solid-col..; Surely the muumuu is just a tattersall away from a housedress (think Shirley Booth in Come Back, Little Sheba). Tim Gunn, A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style, 2007 Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. arbiter : (noun) One chosen or appointed to judge or decide a disputed issue.; arbitrator, umpire; In peace, from their want of confidence in each other, they will entrust the guardianship of the state to mercenaries and their general, who will be an arbiter between them. otic : adjective: Relating to the ear. ; "Looks like it might be suffering from ear mites as well. Nothing that a bit of otic medication won't cure." H.Y. Hanna; Summer Beach Vets (Book 3); Wisheart Press; 2014. See more usage examples of otic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 25, 2017***** monticule : a small mountain, hill, or mound; ... Ken walked purposelessly just less than half a mile into the grassland, toward a monticule, a low mound that rose out of the barren ground. Petru Popescu, Almost Adam, 1996 Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Legerity : : alert facile quickness of mind or body; The novel's less than compelling plot is counterbalanced by the narrator's wit and legerity. cerebral : (adjective) Involving intelligence rather than emotions or instinct.; intellectual; She preferred to take a cerebral approach to the problem and sat for hours in deep contemplation. otic : adjective: Relating to the ear. ; "Looks like it might be suffering from ear mites as well. Nothing that a bit of otic medication won't cure." H.Y. Hanna; Summer Beach Vets (Book 3); Wisheart Press; 2014. See more usage examples of otic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 26, 2017***** monticule : a small mountain, hill, or mound; ... Ken walked purposelessly just less than half a mile into the grassland, toward a monticule, a low mound that rose out of the barren ground. Petru Popescu, Almost Adam, 1996 Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Anathematize : : curse, denounce; "A great deal has happened in a very short time.… Feminist reforms in the home and workplace … have gained renewed momentum. Youth culture has anathematized bullying and accorded pride of place to nerd culture." — Jonathan Chait, The New York Magazine, 29 June 2015 cosmopolitan : (adjective) Pertinent or common to the whole world.; ecumenical, general, universal, worldwide; World peace is an issue of cosmopolitan import. drama queen : noun: Someone who is prone to behaving in an exaggeratedly dramatic way: creating unnecessary scenes or making a big deal of small matters. ; "He's not strong and self-controlled, not cool and tough, not low-key and determined; he's whiny, weepy, and self-pitying. He throws himself, sobbing, on the body politic. He's a drama queen." Peggy Noonan; Trump Is Woody Allen Without the Humor; The Wall Street Journal; Jul 27, 2017. Thought For The Day: One definition of success might be: refining our appetites, while deepening our hunger. -Yahia Lababidi, aphorist (b. 25 Sep 1973) *****September 27, 2017***** aggiornamento : the act of bringing something up to date to meet current nee..; It was as if the great cathedral had been opened up to an aggiornamento. A wind of modernisation was blowing hard through the portals of San Marco. It would become a gale. Adrian d'Hagé, The Omega Scroll, 2005 Facetious : adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Broadside : 1 a : a sizable sheet of paper printed on one side; also : a sheet of paper printed on one or both sides and folded (such as for mailing); "When the Declaration of Independence was ratified, Congress ordered that it be read throughout the colonies. The first broadside was printed in Philadelphia by John Dunlap on the evening of July 4, 1776." — The Salem (Massachusetts) News, 29 Mar. 2016 subaqueous : (adjective) Growing or remaining under water.; subaquatic, submerged, submersed, underwater; The children were excited at the prospect of viewing a variety of subaqueous fauna from the hull of a glass-bottom boat. illiterati : noun: Illiterate or uninformed people. ; "No one wanted to shoot booksellers, I assured myself -- except for illiterati and television executives during sweeps month." Joan Hess; A Really Cute Corpse; St Martins Press; 1988. "Robert Dennis, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, said, ... 'global climate change [is] still vehemently denied by the scientific illiterati.'" Michael Specter; Test-Tube Burgers; The New Yorker; May 23, 2011. Thought For The Day: The Hollow Men: Between the idea / And the reality / Between the motion / And the act / Falls the shadow. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2017***** aggiornamento : the act of bringing something up to date to meet current nee..; It was as if the great cathedral had been opened up to an aggiornamento. A wind of modernisation was blowing hard through the portals of San Marco. It would become a gale. Adrian d'Hagé, The Omega Scroll, 2005 Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Disparate : 1 : containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements; The proposed law has the support of a disparate collection of interest groups. lubricious : (adjective) Characterized by lust.; lustful, prurient, salacious; She eluded the lubricious embraces of the drunken man and called the police. dastard : noun: A malicious, sneaking coward. ; "'Your father must have been a dastard to have left your inheritance so tightly tied up,' Taffy muttered. 'No, he wasn't,' Luke admitted honestly. 'He believed I had so much to learn about managing money that it would take until I was thirty-five to be fit for the responsibility.'" Elizabeth Mansfield; Miscalculations; Jove Books; 2000. See more usage examples of dastard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence. -Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (27 Sep 1821-1881) *****September 29, 2017***** pangram : a sentence, verse, etc., that includes all the letters of the alph..; Formerly Utopianna, the country's name was changed in 1904 to honor native son Nevin Nollop, the author of the popular pangram sentence The Quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Mark Dunn, Ella Minnow Pea, 2001 Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Pace : : contrary to the opinion of — usually used as an expression of deference to someone's contrary opinion; Pace the editorialist, there are in fact multiple solutions to these kinds of problems. prerogative : (noun) A right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group (especially a hereditary or official right).; exclusive right, perquisite, privilege; The whole substance of human authority was centered in the simple doctrine of royal prerogative, the origin of which was always traced in theory to divine institution. samfie : noun: A swindler or a conman. ; "The investor himself might turn out to be a samfie-man, a big-talking con man who'd carry the village down even further." Gillian Royes; The Sea Grape Tree; Atria Books; 2014. Thought For The Day: There is always more goodness in the world than there appears to be, because goodness is of its very nature modest and retiring. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****September 30, 2017***** lonely-hearts : of or for people seeking counseling or companionship to brin..; She told me that she and Dad had met through a lonely hearts column in the local newspaper. Robert Barnard, A Cry from the Dark, 2003 Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Ensconce : 1 : to place or hide securely : conceal; Though kept—and used—for years in a private home, the unusual 17th-century porcelain bowl is now safely ensconced behind glass in a local museum. polarity : (noun) The possession or manifestation of two opposing attributes, tendencies, or principles.; mutual opposition; The women did not allow their political polarity to damage their lifelong friendship. mammothrept : noun: 1. A spoilt child. 2. A person of immature judgment. ; "And having seen the parents I am impatient to see this youth, the fruit of their strangely unattractive loins: will he be a wretched mammothrept? A little corporal?" Patrick O'Brian; Master and Commander; Lippincott; 1969. Thought For The Day: Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! -Miguel de Cervantes, writer (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2017***** anhedonia : Psychology. lack of pleasure or of the capacity to experience it..; Anhedonia was more than a Warning Sign, it was an out-and-out symptom. A dry rot spreading from pleasure to pleasure, a fungus spoiling the delight in luxury and joy in leisure which for so many years had fueled Gary's resistance to the poorthink of his parents. Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections, 2001 Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." Apropos : : with regard to (something) : concerning; Sean interrupted our conversation about politics and, apropos of nothing, asked who we thought would win the basketball game. unmindful : (adjective) Failing to give due care or attention; inattentive.; forgetful, mindless; And here he lived, unmindful of the world and by the world forgotten. mammothrept : noun: 1. A spoilt child. 2. A person of immature judgment. ; "And having seen the parents I am impatient to see this youth, the fruit of their strangely unattractive loins: will he be a wretched mammothrept? A little corporal?" Patrick O'Brian; Master and Commander; Lippincott; 1969. Thought For The Day: Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! -Miguel de Cervantes, writer (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 02, 2017***** thimblerig : a sleight-of-hand swindling game in which the operator palms a ..; Many different kinds of games were the sucker's ruin--monte, chuck-a-luck, vingt-et-un, keno, roulette, euchre, craps, loo, banco, thimblerig, and a dozen others ... Richard Erdoes, "Bucking the Tiger," Legends and Tales of the American West, 1991 Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Censure : : to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy; "The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government." — Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, New York Times v. United States, 1971 fretful : (adjective) Habitually complaining.; querulous, whiny; She had never spoken a word to her sister-in-law for three days; but she had likewise dropped her fretful complaining, and we found it a great comfort. mammothrept : noun: 1. A spoilt child. 2. A person of immature judgment. ; "And having seen the parents I am impatient to see this youth, the fruit of their strangely unattractive loins: will he be a wretched mammothrept? A little corporal?" Patrick O'Brian; Master and Commander; Lippincott; 1969. Thought For The Day: Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! -Miguel de Cervantes, writer (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 03, 2017***** woke : Slang. actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especial..; It wasn't that I set out to do the first woke black-superhero show. It’s just that I wanted “Luke Cage” to reflect, in many ways, some of the people that I've come across on my journey. Cheo Hodari Coker, interviewed by Jelani Cobb, "Creating 'Luke Cage,' the First Woke Black Superhero Show," The New Yorker, October 5, 2016 Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Farceur : 1 : joker, wag; Grace's class presentation went very well, but she could have done without the snide remarks from the farceurs at the back of the room. swarm : (verb) Move in large numbers.; pour, pullulate, teem, stream; A crowd of people swarmed out of the theater after the show and congregated beside the stage door to meet the exiting actors. cocksure : adjective: Arrogantly or presumptuously overconfident. ; "Here, then, is the new mood in Brussels: confident but not cocksure." Mr Juncker's Indian Summer; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 16, 2017. See more usage examples of cocksure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2017***** woke : Slang. actively aware of systemic injustices and prejudices, especial..; It wasn't that I set out to do the first woke black-superhero show. It’s just that I wanted “Luke Cage” to reflect, in many ways, some of the people that I've come across on my journey. Cheo Hodari Coker, interviewed by Jelani Cobb, "Creating 'Luke Cage,' the First Woke Black Superhero Show," The New Yorker, October 5, 2016 Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Salubrious : : favorable to or promoting health or well-being; The hot springs are popular both for relaxation and for their reported salubrious effect. mantel : (noun) The protruding shelf over a fireplace.; chimneypiece, mantelpiece; There were also perhaps a dozen candles about, two in brass candlesticks upon the mantel and several in sconces, so that the room was brilliantly illuminated. pudency : noun: Modesty, bashfulness. ; "Levi and Charles were also ashamed, filled 'with a painful sense of pudency'." Joan Acocella; A Hard Case; The New Yorker; Jun 17, 2002. Thought For The Day: As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests. -Gore Vidal, writer (3 Oct 1925-2012) *****October 05, 2017***** cucurbit : any plant of the gourd family; The Seminole pumpkin is not merely prolific; the fruit of this cucurbit also has distinctive forms, flavors, and textures. David Cavagnaro, "Seminole Pumpkin," Renewing America's Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent's Most Endangered Foods, edited by Gary Paul Nabhan, 2008 Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Agita : : a feeling of agitation or anxiety; "Home-sharing through websites has meant more lodging choices for visitors to Massachusetts. But it's also become a source of considerable agita on Beacon Hill: How to tax and regulate this sudden behemoth?" — The Boston Globe, 18 June 2017 impasse : (noun) A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made.; dead end, deadlock, stalemate, standstill; The board members reached an impasse in the negotiations and took a break to get coffee and donuts. menstruum : noun: A solvent. ; "But Ikey was timid, and his hopes remained insoluble in the menstruum of his backwardness and fears." O. Henry; The Best Short Stories of O. Henry; Modern Library; 1994. See more usage examples of menstruum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2017***** aerie : an apartment or office on a high floor in a high-rise building: a pe..; This impressive penthouse aerie is hogged by five emergency generators. David W. Dunlap, "Building to the Sky, With a Plan for Rising Waters," New York Times, January 26, 2017 Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Vituperate : 1 : to criticize or censure severely or abusively; "Hang on, let me tell you a story: Years ago, I had a co-worker who knew I enjoyed golf and who decided that he would vituperate golf. 'It's so boring, it's such a waste of time. Who in his right mind would want to play golf?'" — Jay Nordlinger, The National Review, 17 Apr. 2017 dander : (noun) Temper or anger.; hackles; He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up. titter : verb intr.: To laugh in a nervous, restrained manner. noun: A nervous, restrained laugh. ; "Working from home as a self-employed proofreader was incredibly solitary -- zero banter with colleagues, no office politics to chunter about, and, on the rare occasion she found something to titter about in her reading matter -- like an extra 't' added to the word 'far', there was nobody to titter with." Alice Ross; The Cotswolds Cookery Club: A Taste of Italy; HarperCollins; 2017. See more usage examples of titter in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not. -Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and author (b. 5 Oct 1958) *****October 07, 2017***** upcycle : to process (used goods or waste material) so as to produce somethi..; Upcycling is an emerging trend whereby one sees the value in both the composition and the form of an object but not the intention. That crumpled bag that once held a few handfuls of chips can be folded into a purse or bracelet. The used toothbrush can become a pen, a doormat, or one of any number of useful objects. Although more energy is used to upcycle an object than is needed to simply reuse it, it is usually a relatively small amount. Tom Szaky, Outsmart Waste: The Modern Idea of Garbage and How to Think Our Way Out of It, 2014 Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Bombard : 1 : to attack especially with artillery or bombers; After running an editorial supporting the town's controversial plan, the newspaper was bombarded with letters and email from residents wishing to voice their opposition. bridle : (noun) The act of restraining power or action or limiting excess.; check, curb; His common sense is a bridle to his quick temper. cunctative : adjective: Delaying; slow. ; "The cunctative method would be employed to divert any kind of hearing." Bruce Zortman; Murder Cum Laude; Eloquent Books; 2010. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 08, 2017***** collogue : Dialect. to confer secretly; "Why," he replied, "ever since I came here, you have done nothing but collogue--collogue--an' whisper, an' lay your heads together, an' divil a syllable can I hear that hasn't murdher at the front an' rear of it ..." William Carleton, The Black Prophet: A Tale of Irish Famine, 1847 Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Prehension : 1 : the act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping; "The CMC [carpometacarpal] joint of the thumb … performs a variety of movements necessary to perform prehension or grasping." — Mark McDonald, The South Platte Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2017 abyssal : (adjective) Of or relating to the great depths of the oceans.; abysmal, unfathomable; The crew was put on full alert as the submarine reached the abyssal depths of the ocean. cunctative : adjective: Delaying; slow. ; "The cunctative method would be employed to divert any kind of hearing." Bruce Zortman; Murder Cum Laude; Eloquent Books; 2010. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 09, 2017***** anthropocentric : viewing and interpreting everything in terms of human expe..; I've never understood the narrow-minded tendency most people have to judge animals by completely inappropriate, anthropocentric standards ... Donna Andrews, The Penguin Who Knew Too Much, 2007 Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Slake : 1 : satisfy, quench; "Food trucks offering tacos, barbecue and wood-fired pizza will be available to slake any ale-induced cravings, and live bluegrass music from Turnip Truck and Red Barn Hayloft will serenade the event." — EmmaJean Holly, Valley News (West Lebanon, New Hampshire), 16 Aug. 2017 unpronounceable : (adjective) Difficult or impossible to pronounce correctly.; unutterable; The foreign dignitary had an unpronounceable last name. cunctative : adjective: Delaying; slow. ; "The cunctative method would be employed to divert any kind of hearing." Bruce Zortman; Murder Cum Laude; Eloquent Books; 2010. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 10, 2017***** esprit de corps : a sense of unity and of common interests and responsibilit..; Still the Senator was tranquil, for he knew that there is an esprit de corps in the Senate which does not exist in the House, the result of which is to make the members complaisant towards the projects of each other ... Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner, The Gilded Age, 1873 Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Denegation : : denial; "I sought to interrupt him with some not very truthful denegation; but he waved me down, and pursued his speech." — Robert Louis Stevenson, The Master of Ballantrae, 1889 unfledged : (adjective) Not having the feathers necessary to fly. Used of a young bird.; immature; A small, unfledged sparrow sat on the window sill, where it hungrily waited for its mother and breakfast. acarophobia : noun: 1. An extreme fear of small insects. 2. A delusion that one's skin is infested with bugs. 3. A fear of itching. ; "She was proud of her illustration of thirty phobias; from acarophobia, fear of itchy, crawly insects, to selachophobia, fear of sharks." Rosalind Noonan; And Then She Was Gone; Kensington Books; 2014. See more usage examples of acarophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 11, 2017***** astrobleme : Geology. an erosional scar on the earth's surface, produced by ..; Only one astrobleme in Europe fit the description, a crater called the Ries that lay some 300 kilometers to the east, on the northern shore of the Danube River. Julian May, The Golden Torc, 1982 Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Gregarious : 1 a : tending to associate with others of one's kind : social; The documentary is filmed inside the burrows of the gregarious prairie dogs using high-tech equipment. orthogonal : (adjective) Having a set of mutually perpendicular axes; meeting at right angles.; rectangular; Wind and sea may displace the ship's center of gravity along three orthogonal axes. exclosure : noun: A fenced area, especially in a wide open area, to keep unwanted animals out. ; "Kinney chose to organize and direct the construction of a deer exclosure at Maywood Environmental Park. Deer are restricted from the area as a way to study their impact on the vegetation and tree growth at Maywood." Kinney Earns Eagle Scout; Sheboygan Press (Wisconsin); Aug 30, 2016. Thought For The Day: A profound unmitigated loneliness is the only truth of life. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (10 Oct 1906-2001) *****October 12, 2017***** Arcadian : rural, rustic, or pastoral, especially suggesting simple, innocen..; From that pleasant slumber, and a dream of Heaven knows what life of Arcadian simplicity, of rippling streams and soft-eyed shepherdesses, he was destined to be somewhat suddenly, if not rudely, aroused, as Franchetti introduced a stranger who would accept no denial. Charles Lever, The Fortunes of Glencore, 1857 Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. Tendentious : : marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : biased; The book proved to be a tendentious account of the town's history, written to rescue the reputation of one of its less scrupulous founders. disengage : (verb) To release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles.; withdraw; Fiercely he strove to disengage his weapon, but Hordle John bent his arm slowly back until, with a sharp crack, like a breaking stave, it turned limp in his grasp. untrack : verb tr.: To remove from a track; change course. ; "Perhaps political opponents had her shot to untrack him." Steve Erickson; Tours of the Black Clock; Poseidon Press; 1989. Thought For The Day: True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth, universal brotherhood and good will, and a constant and earnest striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded. -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat, author, and lecturer (11 Oct 1884-1962) *****October 13, 2017***** netiquette : the rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over compu..; The rules of “netiquette” are not exactly static or undisputed. Are emoticons appropriate in formal emails? Are “trigger warnings” thoughtful or over-the-top? Are you irritating everyone you email with your “signature”? Alice Robb, "How Capital Letters Became Internet Code for Yelling," New Republic, April 17, 2014 Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Interdigitate : : to become interlocked like the fingers of folded hands; A finger joint is formed when the "fingers" on the ends of two boards interdigitate for a secure fit. meritorious : (adjective) Deserving reward or praise.; meritable; He carried himself with pride, as though, forsooth, he had achieved a deed praiseworthy and meritorious. mise en abyme : noun: Self-reflection in a literary work, a work of art, etc. ; "The critics haven't paid attention enough to its self-conscious narrator. It takes you from mise en abyme to mise en abyme." Arturo Fontaine Talavera (translator Megan McDowell); La Vida Doble; Yale University Press; 2013. "There's a shot that pops up again and again in attempts to document the Church of Scientology: two people holding cameras, filming each other, caught in a reconnaissance stalemate. It's a cinematographic mise en abyme. The surveillance and counter-surveillance recurs in an infinite loop, feeding a sinister sense of paranoia." John Semley; In L. Ron We Trust; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); May 2, 2016. Thought For The Day: Someone is Hindu, someone is Muslim, someone is Christian / Everyone is hell-bent on not becoming a human being. -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) *****October 14, 2017***** intrapersonal : existing or occurring within the self or within one's mind: ..; Besides the physical and musical varieties, Gardner has defined six other types of intelligences: spatial (visual), interpersonal (the ability to understand others), intrapersonal (the ability to understand oneself), naturalist (the ability to recognize fine distinctions and patterns in the natural world) and, finally--the ones we worked so hard on in school--logical and linguistic. Christopher Koch, "The Bright Stuff," CIO, March 15, 1996 Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Lagniappe : : a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure; Our meal began with a lagniappe of pickled vegetables. crystalline : (adjective) Transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity.; limpid, lucid, pellucid, transparent; This water is of such crystalline purity that the body of the bather appears of an alabaster whiteness. zetetic : adjective: Proceeding by inquiry, search, or investigation. noun: A skeptic or inquirer. ; "It's an old argument, and one that has been around for centuries, and it has pretty much been put to rest in these contemporary times. But just in case you come across any zetetic types or perhaps a member of the International Flat Earth Society, here is a little link you can throw into your argument, which gives the 'Top 10 Reasons Why We Know the Earth is ROUND'." Emory Schley; Trying to Find the Elusive Tailwind Cafe; Ocala Star-Banner (Florida); Jan 9, 2013. See more usage examples of zetetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is a four-letter word. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 15, 2017***** intrapersonal : existing or occurring within the self or within one's mind: ..; Besides the physical and musical varieties, Gardner has defined six other types of intelligences: spatial (visual), interpersonal (the ability to understand others), intrapersonal (the ability to understand oneself), naturalist (the ability to recognize fine distinctions and patterns in the natural world) and, finally--the ones we worked so hard on in school--logical and linguistic. Christopher Koch, "The Bright Stuff," CIO, March 15, 1996 Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Palliate : 1 : to reduce the violence of (a disease); also : to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease; "He had an ability to describe and champion technological innovation and global integration in a rhetoric that palliated fears of change." — Matthew Continetti, Commentary, 16 Nov. 2016 calve : (verb) To set loose (a mass of ice). Used of a glacier or iceberg.; break up; From the deck of the ship, we saw the magnificent glacier calve, sending massive shards of glassy ice into the waters below. zetetic : adjective: Proceeding by inquiry, search, or investigation. noun: A skeptic or inquirer. ; "It's an old argument, and one that has been around for centuries, and it has pretty much been put to rest in these contemporary times. But just in case you come across any zetetic types or perhaps a member of the International Flat Earth Society, here is a little link you can throw into your argument, which gives the 'Top 10 Reasons Why We Know the Earth is ROUND'." Emory Schley; Trying to Find the Elusive Tailwind Cafe; Ocala Star-Banner (Florida); Jan 9, 2013. Thought For The Day: Life is a four-letter word. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 16, 2017***** jawbreaker : Informal. a word that is hard to pronounce; Nor you cannot say, 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychyndrobwlantysiligogogoch!'--You try? I say it slowly--" Though Howell had repeated the jaw-breaker twenty times, John Willie Garden would still have maintained the silence of defence. Oliver Onions, Mushroom Town, 1914 Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Razzmatazz : 1 : a confusing or colorful often gaudy action or display : razzle-dazzle; We were disappointed by the candidate's speech, which offered plenty of razzmatazz but little substance. frisson : (noun) A moment of intense excitement.; chill, quiver, shiver, shudder, thrill, tingle; The story's ending arouses a frisson of terror. zetetic : adjective: Proceeding by inquiry, search, or investigation. noun: A skeptic or inquirer. ; "It's an old argument, and one that has been around for centuries, and it has pretty much been put to rest in these contemporary times. But just in case you come across any zetetic types or perhaps a member of the International Flat Earth Society, here is a little link you can throw into your argument, which gives the 'Top 10 Reasons Why We Know the Earth is ROUND'." Emory Schley; Trying to Find the Elusive Tailwind Cafe; Ocala Star-Banner (Florida); Jan 9, 2013. Thought For The Day: Life is a four-letter word. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 17, 2017***** jawbreaker : Informal. a word that is hard to pronounce; Nor you cannot say, 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychyndrobwlantysiligogogoch!'--You try? I say it slowly--" Though Howell had repeated the jaw-breaker twenty times, John Willie Garden would still have maintained the silence of defence. Oliver Onions, Mushroom Town, 1914 Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Chary : 1 : hesitant and vigilant about dangers and risks; "Alexander Graham Bell didn't expect his telephone to be widely used for prank calls. And Steve Jobs was chary of children using his iThings." — Hayley Krischer, The New York Times, 7 Sept. 2017 monitory : (adjective) Conveying an admonition or a warning.; admonitory, cautionary, exemplary, warning; She shot him a monitory glance and he quickly changed the subject to one less controversial. kleptomania : noun: An obsessive urge to steal, driven by emotional disturbance rather than material need. ; "College student Lydia Marie Cormaney almost made it out of a Gillette, Wyoming, Walmart with more than $2,000 worth of merchandise without paying for it. When police arrived, she was ready with a reason: She was doing research about kleptomania, which also explained the stockpile of stolen items in her dorm room. But, as she was enrolled in only a biology class at Gillette College, it was unclear what she planned to do with the results of her study." News of the Weird; Hartford Courant (Connecticut); Jul 13, 2017. See more usage examples of kleptomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A lexicographer's business is solely to collect, arrange, and define the words that usage presents to his hands. He has no right to proscribe words; he is to present them as they are. -Noah Webster, lexicographer (16 Oct 1758-1843) *****October 18, 2017***** mealy-mouthed : avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timid..; He is trying to restrict his social life, because he finds it difficult now to be even normally courteous to the self-satisfied, the place-seekers, the mealy-mouthed--and that is a fair description of polite society in Arras. Hilary Mantel, A Place of Greater Safety, 1992 Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." Euphony : 1 : pleasing or sweet sound; especially : the acoustic effect produced by words so formed or combined as to please the ear; He awakened on a warm morning to the euphony of birdsong outside his window. circumference : (noun) The boundary line of a figure, area, or object.; circuit; He had walked the full circumference of his land, repairing his fence along the way. stenophagous : adjective: Feeding on a limited variety of food. ; "I would hope you're not as big a glutton as you sound, but from the stench alone, you could hardly be stenophagous." Neil Baker; Occultus Liber; AuthorHouse; 2014. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2017***** gorgonize : to affect as a Gorgon; hypnotize; petrify; He says people who travel--young people especially--ought to be in time, and not disturb folks who are punctual--a sentiment in such strict accord with the views of the rest of the company, that they give a murmur of approval, and Gorgonize me for the next twenty miles or so with a petrifying equanimity. Frank Fowler, Dottings of a Lounger, 1859 Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." Malign : : to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of; The tech guru recalls how as a high schooler he was often maligned or simply ignored by the popular kids in his school. unstudied : (adjective) Not contrived for effect; natural.; uncontrived; She walked with an unstudied grace that the other models envied and imitated. pantophobia : noun: A fear of everything. ; "Mr. Woodhouse's pantophobia is reimagined as being the result of Cold War fear-mongering and an overly protective mother." Julianne Dudley; Austen in Haste; The Weekly Standard (Washington, DC); Aug 17, 2015. Thought For The Day: You know full well as I do the value of sisters' affections: There is nothing like it in this world. -Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet (1816-1855) *****October 22, 2017***** ducky : Informal. fine; excellent; wonderful; If you are looking for laughs you will find this one ducky ... ! Chick Coombs, "Movies of the Month," Boys' Life, October 1961 Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Adversity : : a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune; The movie is about a group of determined mountain climbers who triumph in the face of adversity. meanly : (adverb) In a miserly manner.; humbly; They lived meanly and without ostentation. endogenous : adjective: Originating from within. ; "Sudden change can result from endogenous factors, internal to the society." Michael Flynn; In the Country of the Blind; Tor Books; 2001. See more usage examples of endogenous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society which is mobile, which is full of channels for the distribution of a change occurring anywhere, must see to it that its members are educated to personal initiative and adaptability. Otherwise, they will be overwhelmed by the changes in which they are caught and whose significance or connections they do not perceive. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 23, 2017***** coleopteron : a coleopterous insect; a beetle; His bag consisted of two cryptophagi and a coleopteron ... Vere Monro, A Summer Ramble in Syria, Volume II, 1835 Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Nuncupative : : spoken rather than written : oral; "He left me a small Legacy in a nuncupative Will, as a Token of his Kindness for me, and he left me once more to the wide World." — Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1791 unlettered : (adjective) Uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication.; ignorant, nescient, unlearned; On points where the learned have, in purity of heart, been compelled to differ, the unlettered will necessarily be at variance. endogenous : adjective: Originating from within. ; "Sudden change can result from endogenous factors, internal to the society." Michael Flynn; In the Country of the Blind; Tor Books; 2001. See more usage examples of endogenous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society which is mobile, which is full of channels for the distribution of a change occurring anywhere, must see to it that its members are educated to personal initiative and adaptability. Otherwise, they will be overwhelmed by the changes in which they are caught and whose significance or connections they do not perceive. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 24, 2017***** rapprochement : an establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relations:..; In May a Franco-German Committee of Socialist deputies, including Jaurès and Hugo Haase, met at Basel to discuss measures for rapprochement between their countries. Barbara W. Tuchman, The Proud Tower, 1962 Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Burke : 1 : to suppress quietly or indirectly ; The mob boss dropped a few well-timed bribes to prosecutors in an effort to burke any investigation into possible wrongdoing. fixity : (noun) The quality of being incapable of mutation.; immutability; Darwin challenged the fixity of species with his theory of evolution. mimsy : adjective: Prim; feeble; affected. ; "I judge people on how they smell, in a wildly snobbish way ... anything too quiet is mimsy and annoying." India Knight; 'Perfume: Century of Scents', by Lizzie Ostrom - Review; The Spectator (London, UK); Dec 12, 2015. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2017***** deadwood : (in writing) unnecessary words, phrases, or exposition; expendabl..; Well-chosen words add to the meaning and power of your essays; deadwood or clutter, as some editors call wasted words, gets in the way. Phillip Eggers, Process and Practice with Multicultural Readings, 1997 Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Pelf : : money, riches; "Nowadays Western Union is good only if you want to wire cash to your child in college or pelf to a partner in peril." — Vincent L. Hall, The Dallas Morning News, 19 June 2011 abstruse : (adjective) Difficult to understand.; deep, recondite; The professor's lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them. scare quote : noun: The quotation marks used to indicate that the quoted word or phrase is incorrect, nonstandard, or ironic. ; "Caspar always thought of his 'time machine' thus, with scare quotes around it, since it was not really a machine, and Caspar did not believe in time." Gardner Dozois; The Year's Best Science Fiction; St. Martin's Press; 1990. See more usage examples of scare quote in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness. -Brenda Ueland, journalist, editor, and writer (24 Oct 1891-1985) *****October 26, 2017***** sawbones : Slang. a surgeon or physician; "There's a couple o' sawbones downstairs." "A couple of what!" exclaimed Mr. PIckwick, sitting up in bed. "A couple o' sawbones," said Sam. ... "I thought everybody know'd as a sawbones was a surgeon." Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1837 Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Overwhelm : 1 : upset, overthrow; "The ships … [are] small enough to maneuver into tricky anchorages and light enough on passengers to not overwhelm the wildlife or fragile communities they access." — Sophy Roberts, Traveler, September 2017 volition : (noun) The act or an instance of making a conscious choice or decision.; willing; Without volition I leaned toward her, as a tree is swayed by the wind. proxemics : noun: The study of physical proximity between people, for example, typical space between two friends. ; "A guy across the aisle on the S-Bahn started staring at me, so I took my proxemics into my own hands and stared back with a feigned harsh, angry vengeful countenance." T. Santorius; An American Dad in Hamburg - Germania II; Lulu; 2014. "'I can't wait to get on the boat!' your mother says to them, pressing forward, defying American proxemics customs." Julia Elliott; The Wilds; Tin House Books; 2014. See more usage examples of proxemics in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The doctrine which, from the very first origin of religious dissensions, has been held by bigots of all sects, when condensed into a few words and stripped of rhetorical disguise, is simply this: I am in the right, and you are in the wrong. When you are the stronger, you ought to tolerate me, for it is your duty to tolerate truth; but when I am the stronger, I shall persecute you, for it is my duty to persecute error. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, poet, historian, and politician (25 Oct 1800-1859) *****October 27, 2017***** sawbones : Slang. a surgeon or physician; "There's a couple o' sawbones downstairs." "A couple of what!" exclaimed Mr. PIckwick, sitting up in bed. "A couple o' sawbones," said Sam. ... "I thought everybody know'd as a sawbones was a surgeon." Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers, 1837 Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." Slapdash : : done or made without careful planning : haphazard, slipshod; "Sunflower Cottage just above the weir had been taken by two female animals…. More, it was being done properly, the River Bank's housewives agreed. There was none of this casual, slapdash housekeeping that bachelor gentlemen were so apt to consider sufficient." — Kij Johnson, The River Bank: A Sequel to Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, 2017 congeal : (verb) Become gelatinous.; jell, set; We waited patiently for the jello to congeal before cutting it into fun shapes with cookie cutters. muppet : noun: A stupid person; a fool. ; "Had she made a complete muppet of herself?" Heidi Rice; The Virgin's Shock Baby; Harlequin; 2017. Thought For The Day: The worst thing that can happen in a democracy -- as well as in an individual's life -- is to become cynical about the future and lose hope: that is the end, and we cannot let that happen. -Hillary Clinton, secretary of state and senator (b. 26 Oct 1947) *****October 28, 2017***** preta : Hindu Mythology. a wandering or disturbed ghost; It hurtled down upon us, wanting to hurt us, as if we were horrid abominations it hungered to kill; as if the cloud truly was a hungry ghost, a preta. James Alan Gardner, Radiant, 2004 Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Wardrobe : 1 a : a room or closet where clothes are kept; Over the years, Sandra has managed to acquire a large and varied wardrobe. flyblown : (adjective) Foul and run-down and repulsive.; sordid, squalid; The gang met at a flyblown, grimy little bar on the edge of town to plan its next heist. bafflegab : noun: Obscure, pompous, or incomprehensible language, such as bureaucratic jargon. ; "You might fool Jack with that kind of bafflegab, but it won't work on me." David Tallach; Upperkirkgate; Lulu; 2015. "Conversations that would once have been conducted behind closed doors or cloaked in diplomatic bafflegab are now out in the open for all to see." Peter Shawn Taylor; America's First Millennial President; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jan 16, 2017. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 29, 2017***** psychomancy : occult communication between souls or with spirits; " ... There is something, though, that is rather queer, but it belongs to psychomancy rather than psychology, as I understand it." "Ah!" I said. "What is that queer something?" "Being visibly present when absent. It has not happened often, but it has happened that I have seen Marion in my loft when she was really somewhere else and not when I had willed her or wished her to be there." William Dean Howells, Questionable Shapes, 1903 Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Alfresco : : taking place or located in the open air : outdoor, outdoors; The restaurant has a lovely outdoor patio for customers who want to dine alfresco. febrile : (adjective) Of, relating to, or characterized by fever.; feverish; The mother took her febrile and sweating child to the pediatrician. bafflegab : noun: Obscure, pompous, or incomprehensible language, such as bureaucratic jargon. ; "You might fool Jack with that kind of bafflegab, but it won't work on me." David Tallach; Upperkirkgate; Lulu; 2015. "Conversations that would once have been conducted behind closed doors or cloaked in diplomatic bafflegab are now out in the open for all to see." Peter Shawn Taylor; America's First Millennial President; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jan 16, 2017. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 30, 2017***** kobold : (in German folklore) a spirit or goblin, often mischievous, that ha..; The telling and retelling of old tales, from parent to child, down the long generations, have made Europe the home of "the Little People"--pixie and kobold and brownie and gnome ... Edwin Markham, "Mr. Markham Writes of Some American Fairy Tales," New York Times, November 30, 1901 Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Causerie : 1 : an informal conversation : chat; The professor invited the award-winning playwright to her class to have a causerie with her literature students. cardiomegaly : (noun) An abnormal enlargement of the heart.; enlarged heart, megacardia, megalocardia; The chest x-ray indicated that the patient's symptoms were the result of cardiomegaly and congestive heart failure. bafflegab : noun: Obscure, pompous, or incomprehensible language, such as bureaucratic jargon. ; "You might fool Jack with that kind of bafflegab, but it won't work on me." David Tallach; Upperkirkgate; Lulu; 2015. "Conversations that would once have been conducted behind closed doors or cloaked in diplomatic bafflegab are now out in the open for all to see." Peter Shawn Taylor; America's First Millennial President; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jan 16, 2017. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 31, 2017***** heebie-jeebies : Slang. a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, w..; In the sudden swelling of the shadows, the dolls appeared to shift on the shelves, as if preparing to leap to the floor. Their painted eyes--some bright with points of reflected light and some with a fixed inky glare--seemed watchful and intent. I had the heebie-jeebies. Big time. Dean Koontz, Fear Nothing, 1998 Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Descry : 1 : to catch sight of; In their research, the psychologists descried an association between violent crime and hot weather. unprejudiced : (adjective) Free from undue bias or preconceived opinions.; impartial; I claim to be an absolutely unprejudiced witness. wegotism : noun: The habit of using "we" when referring to oneself. ; "Dennis's wegotism became ridiculous when he said, after someone stepped on his toes, 'We don't like people stepping on our toes.'" Rod L. Evans; Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits; Perigee; 2011. Thought For The Day: The only thing one can give an artist is leisure in which to work. To give an artist leisure is actually to take part in his creation. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 01, 2017***** heebie-jeebies : Slang. a condition of extreme nervousness caused by fear, w..; In the sudden swelling of the shadows, the dolls appeared to shift on the shelves, as if preparing to leap to the floor. Their painted eyes--some bright with points of reflected light and some with a fixed inky glare--seemed watchful and intent. I had the heebie-jeebies. Big time. Dean Koontz, Fear Nothing, 1998 Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Werewolf : : a person transformed into a wolf or capable of assuming a wolf's form; "The John Landis-directed video opens with a disclaimer stating that by creating the music video, [Michael] Jackson in no way endorsed supernatural practices—which includes the belief that humans could ever transform into werewolves." — Leslie Richin, Billboard.com, 2 Dec. 2016 despairing : (adjective) Characterized by or resulting from despair; hopeless.; desperate; The set-back to their hopes made them despairing and desperate. freemium : noun: A pricing model in which the basic product or service is free, but extra features must be paid for. adjective: Relating to such a model. ; NOTES: A.Word.A.Day uses a freemium model. The free version includes sponsors' messages, premium version doesn't. Thought For The Day: Time engraves our faces with all the tears we have not shed. -Natalie Clifford Barney, poet, playwright, and novelist (31 Oct 1876-1972) *****November 02, 2017***** bonce : British Slang. head; skull; There's ... guys with great big bandages round their heads from being hit with blunt and heavy objects or simply falling over lagging and landing on the bonce. J. J. Connolly, Layer Cake, 2000 Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Apodictic : : expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty; "On the humbler level of recorded evidence, what is one to make of a thinker-scholar who ruled with apodictic, magisterial certainty that 'Shakespeare's tragedies are second-class with the exception of Lear'?" — George Steiner, The Times Literary Supplement, 4 June 1993 importunity : (noun) Insistent solicitation and entreaty.; urgency, urging; And to the importunity of their persisted questionings he had finally given in; and so it came to pass that every one now knew the shameful story of his wretched fate. mediocracy : noun: Rule by the mediocre. ; "Why are gifted individuals always forced out by the mediocracy?" Christopher Fowler; The Victoria Vanishes; Bantam; 2008. Thought For The Day: A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." -Stephen Crane, writer (1 Nov 1871-1900) *****November 03, 2017***** ebullient : overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirite..; Howie is ebullient. He bounds up to Alberta to hug her awkwardly.... "You were great!" Marge Piercy, Braided Lives, 1982 Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Clew : 1 : a ball of thread, yarn, or cord; "High overhead, topmen scrambled to furl and unfurl sails and tend to yards and booms and spars and various clews." — Corey Kilgannon, The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2009 regurgitate : (verb) Repeat after memorization.; reproduce; In order to score well on the exam, you must be able to regurgitate the information. chillax : verb intr.: To calm down and relax. ; "Chillax, sit back, just take it slow make every effort to unwind let the calming breeze just blow away those worries from your mind." J.R. Winchester; The Word According Two; Lulu; 2016. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 04, 2017***** musette : a small leather or canvas bag with a shoulder strap, used for carr..; Reaching down the first workman pulled out of his musette a bottle of good red French wine. They had a long drink. Ernest Hemingway, "French Speed with Movies on the Job," The Toronto Daily Star, May 16, 1923, republished in Dateline: Toronto, 1985 Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." excavate : (verb) Remove the inner part or the core of.; dig, hollow; The mining company wants to excavate the hillside and build a tunnel. slacktivism : noun: Activism that requires minimal effort. ; "Slacktivism may satisfy an urge without motivating us to do anything real. Think of the desire to take political action as a kind of psychological itch that needs scratching. Of course, there is more than one way to scratch that itch. We can march in protest, make a donation to a nonprofit organization, write a blog, sign a petition, or click thumbs up on a YouTube post, among many other efforts. All of these deeds will scratch that itch, but some are more constructive than others." David Feldman; Safety Pins For Slackers; Psychology Today (New York); Jul/Aug 2017. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 05, 2017***** musette : a small leather or canvas bag with a shoulder strap, used for carr..; Reaching down the first workman pulled out of his musette a bottle of good red French wine. They had a long drink. Ernest Hemingway, "French Speed with Movies on the Job," The Toronto Daily Star, May 16, 1923, republished in Dateline: Toronto, 1985 Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Stridulate : : to make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures — used especially of male insects (such as crickets or grasshoppers); "When attacked from the side, the crickets stridulated and tried to bite their attacker." — Matt Walker, BBC News, 28 July 2009 condescension : (noun) A communication that indicates lack of respect by patronizing the recipient.; disdain, patronage; Natasha did not like the visitor's tone of condescension to childish things. slacktivism : noun: Activism that requires minimal effort. ; "Slacktivism may satisfy an urge without motivating us to do anything real. Think of the desire to take political action as a kind of psychological itch that needs scratching. Of course, there is more than one way to scratch that itch. We can march in protest, make a donation to a nonprofit organization, write a blog, sign a petition, or click thumbs up on a YouTube post, among many other efforts. All of these deeds will scratch that itch, but some are more constructive than others." David Feldman; Safety Pins For Slackers; Psychology Today (New York); Jul/Aug 2017. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 06, 2017***** enjambment : Prosody. the running on of the thought from one line, couplet, ..; ... enjambment is a word that means that you're wending your way along a line of poetry, and you're walking right out to the very end of the line, way out, and it's all going fine, and you're expecting the syntax to give you a polite tap on the shoulder to wait for a moment.... But instead the syntax pokes at you and says hustle it, pumpkin, keep walking, don't rest. So naturally, because you're stepping out onto nothingness, you fall. You tumble forward, gaaaah, and you end up all discombobulated at the beginning of the next line ... Nicholson Baker, The Anthologist, 2009 Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Parable : : example; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle; The priest opened his homily by relating the parable of the Good Samaritan, from the Gospel of Luke. patter : (verb) Plausible glib talk (especially useful to a salesperson).; line of gab, spiel; The automobile salesman spoke about the old car so approvingly and at such length that the customers soon began to grow tired of his patter. slacktivism : noun: Activism that requires minimal effort. ; "Slacktivism may satisfy an urge without motivating us to do anything real. Think of the desire to take political action as a kind of psychological itch that needs scratching. Of course, there is more than one way to scratch that itch. We can march in protest, make a donation to a nonprofit organization, write a blog, sign a petition, or click thumbs up on a YouTube post, among many other efforts. All of these deeds will scratch that itch, but some are more constructive than others." David Feldman; Safety Pins For Slackers; Psychology Today (New York); Jul/Aug 2017. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 07, 2017***** logrolling : U.S. Politics. the exchange of support or favors, especially by..; While spending on earmarks is a tiny portion of the budget, critics like Mr. Flake and Mr. Boehner said they played an insidious role in pushing up federal spending through what is known in legislative terms as logrolling. Carl Hulse, "How Budget Battles Go Without the Earmarks," New York Times, February 26, 2011 Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Esemplastic : : shaping or having the power to shape disparate things into a unified whole; "Art achieves its impact from something Samuel Taylor Coleridge called its esemplastic power, the ability to make sense out of chaos, to 'shape into one' the many truths around us." — Teresa Jordan, The Year of Living Virtuously: Weekends Off, 2014  odoriferous : (adjective) Having a natural fragrance.; sweet-smelling, perfumed, scented, odorous, sweet; There were large bottles filled with serpents, ticketed according to their species; dried lizards shone like emeralds set in great squares of black wood, and bunches of wild odoriferous herbs. pernoctate : verb intr.: 1. To stay up all night. 2. To pass the night somewhere. ; "Lady Ampersand had seen to it that a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting-room were in permanent readiness for him should he be minded to pernoctate at Treskinnick." Michael Innes; The Ampersand Papers; Mead Dodd; 1979. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2017***** razzle-dazzle : Informal. showiness, brilliance, or virtuosity in technique ..; I was not surprised, when I put bow to strings, that all that came off my violin was technical razzle-dazzle. Yael Goldstein, Overture, 2007 Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Archetype : 1 : the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example ; "That archetype of the clean-cut, indefatigable and incorruptible agent was largely the invention of J. Edgar Hoover, who led the FBI for 48 years, from May 1924 to May 1972." — Vanessa Romo, NPR.org, 13 July 2017 rattlebrained : (adjective) Giddy and talkative; foolish.; rattlepated, scatterbrained, scatty; Grandpa's rattlebrained, crackpot ideas always made us laugh. desacralize : verb tr.: To deprive of hallowed status. ; "Nixon fell, forever desacralizing high office." Joshua Ferris; Let Us Now Praise Infamous Men; The New York Times Magazine; Sep 15, 2013. See more usage examples of desacralize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Here lives a free man. Nobody serves him. -Albert Camus, writer, philosopher, Nobel laureate (7 Nov 1913-1960) *****November 09, 2017***** earthshine : Astronomy. the faint illumination of the part of the moon not i..; I was in darkness save for the earthshine and the glitter of the stars below me. H. G. Wells, The First Men in the Moon, 1901 Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Mandarin : 1 : of, relating to, or typical of a public official in the Chinese Empire of any of nine superior grades; "I don't think there's anything about the novel that doesn't impress me: its stream of satirical invention…; its mandarin prose that perfectly conjures the trancelike drift of a modern consciousness overwhelmed by detail; and its breathtaking risks with structure…." — Alan Moore, quoted in The International New York Times, 10 Sept. 2016 kinetic : (adjective) Supplying motive force.; energizing; The bustling market was the kinetic center of the city, and all movement seemed to radiate outward from it. nuncupate : verb tr.: 1. To solemnly pronounce. 2. To declare a will orally. ; "'If you manage to get into print ahead of me ... my friends here,' he nuncupated, 'will come visit you and perform a little surgery on your hands absolutely free and with my compliments.'" Jeani Rector, ed.; What Fears Become; Imajin Books; 2011. See more usage examples of nuncupate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2017***** arete : the aggregate of qualities, as valor and virtue, making up good char..; In general, however, according to Aristotle, we are to determine the arete of man qua man in much the same way as we determine it in any other case; by their works shall we know them. David Carr, Educating the Virtues, 1991 Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Cotton : 1 : to take a liking — used with to; "He was so much fun to have in the company. He had that warm, inviting voice. Audiences just cottoned to him." — Gary Gisselman, quoted in The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 3 Mar. 2016 scopolamine : (noun) A thick, syrupy, colorless alkaloid, C17H21NO4, extracted from plants such as henbane and used primarily as a mydriatic and sedative, and to treat nausea and prevent motion sickness.; hyoscine; At the conclusion of the surgical procedure, the doctor applied a transdermal scopolamine patch to the patient to prevent postoperative nausea. reeve : verb tr.: To pass (a rope or the like) through. noun: A local official. ; "Lines of a second pulley are reeved through blocks high on the foremast." Peter Matthiessen; Far Tortuga; Vintage Books; 1975. "When a reeve said such words, in that tone of voice, a man had to obey." Kate Elliott; Spirit Gate; Tor; 2006. See more usage examples of reeve in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For all our conceits about being the center of the universe, we live in a routine planet of a humdrum star stuck away in an obscure corner ... on an unexceptional galaxy which is one of about 100 billion galaxies. ... That is the fundamental fact of the universe we inhabit, and it is very good for us to understand that. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2017***** fortitudinous : marked by bravery or courage; having or showing fortitude; ... he had the honour to introduce to him as brave and as fortitudinous a man as any in the king's dominions. Henry Fielding, Amelia, 1751 Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Pathos : 1 : an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion; "Clowns have always been represented as tricksters and jokers, from the days of jesters all the way through Ronald McDonald, but the high jinks were always paired with pathos and humanity." — Vulture, 7 Sept. 2017 agonistic : (adjective) Striving to overcome in argument.; combative; The incumbent's aggressive, agonistic approach to the debate alienated many of his supporters. senesce : verb intr.: To grow old or decay. ; "Everywhere I scrutinize, the deep structural connections are unraveling, senescing, peeling away." Neil Clarke; Galactic Empires; Night Shade Books; 2017. See more usage examples of senesce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (10 Nov 1852-1933) *****November 12, 2017***** eurhythmic : characterized by a pleasing rhythm; harmoniously ordered or pro..; We must have had some such normal notions to fall back upon as our eyes swept that limitless, tempest-scarred plateau and grasped the almost endless labyrinth of colossal, regular, and geometrically eurhythmic stone masses which reared their crumbled and pitted crests above a glacial sheet not more than forty or fifty feet deep at its thickest ... H. P. Lovecraft, "At the Mountains of Madness," Astounding Stories, February–April 1936 Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Doughty : : marked by fearless resolution : valiant; Noticing that the cashier shorted him a nickel, the doughty child marched up to the counter and demanded it from her. intone : (verb) Recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm.; cantillate, chant; I heard the eight singers of the King of Sicily intone the first verse of seven o'clock mass in the Sainte-Chapelle. senesce : verb intr.: To grow old or decay. ; "Everywhere I scrutinize, the deep structural connections are unraveling, senescing, peeling away." Neil Clarke; Galactic Empires; Night Shade Books; 2017. See more usage examples of senesce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (10 Nov 1852-1933) *****November 13, 2017***** wastrel : a wasteful person; spendthrift; They'd just let you drain your trust fund and be a wastrel. Nora Roberts, Daring to Dream, 1996 Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." borderland : (noun) District consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area.; border district, march, marchland; The borderland was sparsely populated, and the lawless region saw few visitors. senesce : verb intr.: To grow old or decay. ; "Everywhere I scrutinize, the deep structural connections are unraveling, senescing, peeling away." Neil Clarke; Galactic Empires; Night Shade Books; 2017. See more usage examples of senesce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (10 Nov 1852-1933) *****November 14, 2017***** pneumatic : of or relating to air, gases, or wind; ... the most immediate impression is that of noise, continuous, oppressive, meaningless noise. Highway noise--from the labored snarl of the big rigs shifting on the grades to the pneumatic whuff of fast passenger traffic. John D. MacDonald, A Deadly Shade of Gold, 1965 Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Roué : : a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure : rake; "Hugh Grant, as a roué who seems to realize that his charm is a regrettably cheap commodity, enjoyed something of a comeback in Florence Foster Jenkins." — Tom Gliatto, People, 17 Jan. 2017              mannequin : (noun) A woman who wears clothes to display fashions.; model; She longed to become a mannequin and preened for hours before going out in public. grimgribber : noun: Jargon of a trade. ; "Cracking speech, William: it was a fine specimen of grimgribber." Philip Howard; The Lost Words; Robson Press; 2012. Thought For The Day: There is no foreign land; it is the traveller only that is foreign. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) *****November 15, 2017***** attenuate : to weaken or reduce in force, intensity, effect, quantity, or va..; Those who direct the state today should do everything to attenuate divisions, put an end to polemics and quarrels so that the entire nation can consecrate its will and energies to the sole effort for peace ... , "Politics Overshadowed," New York Times, October 25, 1962 Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Stellar : 1 a : of or relating to the stars : astral; Kelly's stellar academic record should help her gain acceptance to almost any college she wants to attend. dissonance : (noun) The auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience.; noise, racket; Maddening church bells of all degrees of dissonance, sharp and flat, cracked and clear, fast and slow, made the brick-and-mortar echoes hideous. ecotopia : noun: An ecologically ideal place. ; "The development plan calls for a veritable ecotopia ... The neighborhood would tap wind, solar, and perhaps tidal power." John Coté and Rachel Gordon; Deal on Transfer of Treasure Island; San Francisco Chronicle; Aug 18, 2010. Thought For The Day: Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love. -Claude Monet, painter (14 Nov 1840-1926) *****November 16, 2017***** scrimshank : British Slang. to avoid one's obligations or share of work; shi..; It is disheartening to have to deal with fellows who are obviously doing their level best to scrimshank on every possible occasion. Lanayre D. Liggera, The Life of Robert Loraine, 2013 Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." Proximity : : the quality or state of being proximate : closeness; "[T]he company's main advantages as an exporter include proximity to the U.S. market, quality of production and its ability to alter production to suit the needs and design tastes of U.S. consumers." — Thomas Russell, Furniture Today, 4 Oct. 2017 smorgasbord : (noun) A varied collection.; assortment, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, mixture, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, variety; The conference panel was comprised of a veritable smorgasbord of religious leaders promoting peace, unity, and understanding. Ruritanian : adjective: Relating to an imaginary place characterized by romance, adventure, and intrigue. ; "When the writer J.G. Ballard turned down an offer of a CBE in 2003, he did so not only because he found it 'ludicrous' that there should still be such a thing as an 'Order of the British Empire' but also because the whole honours system was 'a Ruritanian charade that helps to prop up our top-heavy monarchy'." Alexander Chancellor; Long Life; The Spectator (London, UK); Jun 30, 2012. See more usage examples of Ruritanian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (15 Nov 1887-1972) *****November 17, 2017***** claque : a group of persons hired to applaud an act or performer; In such a book Agaat would then have had a band of supporters, a claque of hand-clappers and whistlers, a villain with a feather in his hat who could egg her on. Marlene van Niekerk, Agaat, translated by Michiel Heyns, 2010 Credulous; Credulity : adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Lollygag : : to spend time idly, aimlessly, or foolishly : dawdle; Owen had a habit of lollygagging in the morning when he was supposed to be getting ready for school, and that meant that he was sometimes late. unperturbed : (adjective) Free from emotional agitation or nervous tension.; unflurried, unflustered, unruffled; Though chaos and panic swirled all about him, the fireman remained unperturbed and calmly brought order to the scene. Edenic : adjective: Like a paradise: filled with happiness, beauty, innocence, etc. ; "Though mariners had always avoided the uninhabited 'Isle of Devils', the shipwrecked colonists found it Edenic, teeming with natural resources and a temperate climate."I Gail Westerfield; Bermuda and the Birth of a Nation; The Royal Gazette (Bermuda); May 30, 2008. See more usage examples of Edenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2017***** nonbook : a book without artistic or literary merit or substance, especially..; In sum, do not insult me with the beheadings, finger-choppings, or the lung-deflations you plan for my works.... I will not go gently onto a shelf, degutted, to become a non-book. Ray Bradbury, "Coda," 1979, Fahrenheit 451, 1953 Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Jalousie : 1 : a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain; The rooms of the little bungalow were protected from the brutal tropical heat by wooden jalousies. exhilaration : (noun) The state of being stimulated, refreshed, or elated.; excitement; Few Yosemite visitors ever see snow avalanches and fewer still know the exhilaration of riding on them. stepford : adjective: Robotic, compliant, submissive; lacking in individuality. ; "And it shouldn't be rigid, mechanical or, as Richard Branson has called it, 'Stepford customer service'. Empowering staff gives them the confidence to be authentic and unscripted, which is what guests, from millennials up, crave for today: a true, honest and genuine exchange." David Eisen; Successful Customer Service Is Not One Size Fits All; Hotel Management (Newton, Massachusetts); Mar 2017. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 19, 2017***** macaronic : composed of a mixture of languages; His wife and daughters understood only English but together they rocked in unison on the settle and sang macaronic songs in a mixture of both languages. Benedict Kiely, "The Heroes in the Dark House," A Journey to the Seven Streams and Other Stories, 1963 Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." Belaud : : to praise usually to excess; "Several cheers went up. Piccard, unaware of the scene unfolding behind him, seemed to think they were meant to belaud his plan." — Jake Silverstein, Nothing Happened and Then It Did: A Chronicle in Fact and Fiction, 2011 dumbstruck : (adjective) So shocked or astonished as to be rendered speechless.; dumbfounded, flabbergasted, stupefied, thunderstruck; He stood dumbstruck in the doorway as the partygoers yelled "Surprise!" in unison. stepford : adjective: Robotic, compliant, submissive; lacking in individuality. ; "And it shouldn't be rigid, mechanical or, as Richard Branson has called it, 'Stepford customer service'. Empowering staff gives them the confidence to be authentic and unscripted, which is what guests, from millennials up, crave for today: a true, honest and genuine exchange." David Eisen; Successful Customer Service Is Not One Size Fits All; Hotel Management (Newton, Massachusetts); Mar 2017. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 20, 2017***** deontology : ethics, especially that branch dealing with duty, moral obligat..; In deontology, the ethical theory whose most famous exponent was perhaps the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, I can be a good person by applying my reason to the discovery of moral behavior. Armond Boudreaux and Corey Latta, "The Dark Knight Returns: Why No Single Principle Is Sufficient," Titans: How Superheroes Can Help Us Make Sense of a Polarized World, 2017 Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Fervid : 1 : very hot : burning; "Here at the Toronto International Film Festival, there are posters for an upcoming Guillermo del Toro-curated exhibit called 'Influences' that will let you sample the movies and books and music that fed the director's fervid imagination." — David Edelstein, Vulture, 14 Sept. 2017 sundry : (adjective) Consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds.; assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, motley; Walking-sticks, canes, baseball bats, and sundry other items stood in the umbrella stand next to the front door, but I could not find a single umbrella! stepford : adjective: Robotic, compliant, submissive; lacking in individuality. ; "And it shouldn't be rigid, mechanical or, as Richard Branson has called it, 'Stepford customer service'. Empowering staff gives them the confidence to be authentic and unscripted, which is what guests, from millennials up, crave for today: a true, honest and genuine exchange." David Eisen; Successful Customer Service Is Not One Size Fits All; Hotel Management (Newton, Massachusetts); Mar 2017. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 21, 2017***** footloose : free to go or travel about; not confined by responsibilities; ... when you're twenty-two and footloose in a foreign city you give no thought to the future. Richard Mason, Drowning People, 1999 Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Bombinate : : to make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound : buzz, drone; The only sounds Jared could hear in the office that night were those of his own typing and the air conditioner bombinating. redoubtable : (adjective) Arousing fear or awe.; formidable, unnerving; On his comely head he set his helmet, well-wrought, with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly above it, and he grasped a redoubtable spear that suited his hands. parboil : verb tr.: To boil partially; to cook partly by boiling. ; "'Leave the grilling for later. Please?' 'Yes, of course -- perhaps I should parboil my questions?'" Andrez Bergen; Who is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?; Perfect Edge; 2013. See more usage examples of parboil in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag, wash it. -Norman Thomas, socialist and social reformer (20 Nov 1884-1968) *****November 22, 2017***** bakemeat : Obsolete. pastry; pie; Already the smell of the marriage bake-meats was in the air: they were like to eat them with a sauce of sorrow. E. F. Benson, "The Dance on the Beefsteak," The Countess of Lowndes Square and Other Stories, 1920 Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Wifty : : eccentrically silly, giddy, or inane : ditzy; "Developers are, by nature, dreamers and gamblers, seeing opportunity and growth where others see only the Steak & Bagel Train. Many developers appear a tad wifty, perhaps existing in some altered state of consciousness, but this project is in a class by itself." — Karen Heller, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 28 Oct. 2012 countervail : (verb) Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions.; counteract, counterbalance, neutralize; I hope that my letter of apology will countervail the foolish actions of my colleagues. notorious : adjective: Known widely and unfavorably. ; "Reducing the city's notorious smog and traffic jams is regarded by central officials as a task of national importance." A Bolshevik in Beijing; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 15, 2017. See more usage examples of notorious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If God created us in his own image, we have more than reciprocated. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2017***** scrummy : Chiefly British Informal. very pleasing, especially to the senses;..; Once we'd finished the scrummy meal and our tummies were protruding from the carb-fest overload ... I decided to fish for more information on the next day's activities. Giovanna Fletcher, You're the One That I Want, 2014 Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Obliterate : 1 a : to remove from recognition or memory; The children's chalk drawings remained on the sidewalk until a rainstorm came along and obliterated them. ideate : (verb) Form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case.; conceive of, envisage, imagine; Such characters represent a grotesquely blown-up aspect of an ideal man ... if not realizable, capable of being ideated. vedette or vidette : noun: 1. A leading stage or film star. 2. A mounted sentry or a scouting boat posted in an advanced position to observe the movements of an enemy. ; "Hazel finally got us headed out toward Beverly Hills, while I talked to her 'in depth' a lot about her career. From what I gathered: not so grande a vedette. She'd been in so many movies, too many, from such an early age on, bit parts, nothing roles, couldn't remember them all." Brock Brower; The Late Great Creature; Popular Library; 1971. Thought For The Day: Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves! -Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (22 Nov 1869-1951) *****November 24, 2017***** pennyworth : a bargain; I'll ask Patty to go to the costumer's with me. She will get me a good pennyworth. Mary Elizabeth Braddon, The Infidel, 1900 Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Viand : 1 : an item of food; especially : a choice or tasty dish; "The family sat down to table, and a frugal meal of cold viands was deposited before them." — Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, 1891 sanguineous : (adjective) Relating to or involving blood or bloodshed.; butcherly, gory, slaughterous; He was an angry youth with a sanguineous temperament and was always getting into fights. acerate : adjective: Needlelike. ; "At once the air was hideous with the acerate harmony of a singing commercial." Sam Merwin Jr.; Judas Ram; Galaxy Science Fiction; Dec 1950. See more usage examples of acerate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a sort of homecoming. -Paul Celan, poet and translator (23 Nov 1920-1970) *****November 25, 2017***** torporific : causing sluggish inactivity or inertia; Should you contemplate purchasing a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, a "mega-genius" according to Aaron (in private), he will tell you beforehand that García Márquez "is so rococo and torporific you'll need an insulin shot every twenty pages." John Nichols, On Top of Spoon Mountain, 2012 Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Mucilaginous : 1 : sticky, viscid; "It started quietly last summer, when social media watchers began buzzing about it. Tweens had struck on a recipe for a mucilaginous, stomach-turning substance and were posting videos of themselves playing with it. The slime trend had hit." — Robert Klara, Adweek, 8 May 2017 onerous : (adjective) Troublesome or oppressive.; burdensome, taxing; Preparing income tax returns is an onerous task, and many people resort to hiring professional accountants during tax season. egregious : adjective: Remarkable in a bad way; flagrant. ; "The most egregious example of this sort of scapegoating came last week, when Italy's Giovanni Trapattoni blamed Ecuadorean ref Byron Moreno for the Azzuri's inglorious defeat by South Korea." Aparisim Ghosh, Lay Off the Refs: The Men in Black Shouldn't Take Heat from a Bunch of Sore Losers; Time International, Jul 1, 2002. See more usage examples of egregious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2017***** hearth : home; fireside: the joys of family and hearth; May health and happiness dwell at our hearth. Margot Livesey, Eva Moves the Furniture, 2001 Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." unstinting : (adjective) Bestowed liberally.; lavish, munificent, overgenerous, too-generous, unsparing; Her suitor's unstinting devotion was flattering yet slightly unsettling. egregious : adjective: Remarkable in a bad way; flagrant. ; "The most egregious example of this sort of scapegoating came last week, when Italy's Giovanni Trapattoni blamed Ecuadorean ref Byron Moreno for the Azzuri's inglorious defeat by South Korea." Aparisim Ghosh, Lay Off the Refs: The Men in Black Shouldn't Take Heat from a Bunch of Sore Losers; Time International, Jul 1, 2002. See more usage examples of egregious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 27, 2017***** mazuma : Slang. money; "Have you got any mazuma?" "I beg your pardon, sir?" "Don't beg my pardon, it makes me nervous. Mazuma, mazuma, the old dough-re-mi, bread, the old filthy lucre ..." ... "Money," Whip Gunther said bluntly. Mack Reynolds, Space Search, 1984 Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Illustrious : : notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions : eminent; During the ceremony, the illustrious star of stage and screen was presented with a lifetime achievement award. riposte : (noun) A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one).; comeback, counter, rejoinder, replication, retort, return; His sassy comment brought a sharp riposte from the teacher, and the shamed student's cheeks turned a deep crimson. egregious : adjective: Remarkable in a bad way; flagrant. ; "The most egregious example of this sort of scapegoating came last week, when Italy's Giovanni Trapattoni blamed Ecuadorean ref Byron Moreno for the Azzuri's inglorious defeat by South Korea." Aparisim Ghosh, Lay Off the Refs: The Men in Black Shouldn't Take Heat from a Bunch of Sore Losers; Time International, Jul 1, 2002. See more usage examples of egregious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 28, 2017***** benevolence : desire to do good to others; goodwill; charitableness: to be f..; He had an overflowing affection of soul, that could not confine itself to the person of his son, or the aggrandizement of his country, or be spiritualized into a metaphysical adoration of ideal beauty. It bestowed itself on his fellow creatures; and to see them happy, warmed his heart with a pleasure experienced by few. This man, his imaginative flights, his glowing benevolence and his humble occupations, were an enigma that Castruccio could never solve. Mary Shelley, Valperga, 1823 Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Anneal : 1 a : to heat and then cool (a material, such as steel or glass) usually for softening and making less brittle; also : to cool slowly usually in a furnace; "Before and after the Eagles organized team activities last spring, Nelson Agholor retreated to his hometown for a series of training sessions with an old friend and mentor that would anneal his mind as much as his body." — Mike Sielski, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 Oct. 2017 immutable : (adjective) Not subject or susceptible to change.; changeless; Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction. faience : noun: Glazed earthenware, especially decorated tin-glazed pottery. ; "'Don't wave it around in that theatrical fashion,' Emerson said coolly. 'It is faience, and will break if you drop it.'" Elizabeth Peters; Deeds of the Disturber; Atheneum; 1988. See more usage examples of faience in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (27 Nov 1942-1970) *****November 29, 2017***** sagittate : shaped like an arrowhead; In the forks of the great branches repose the large green masses of the Bromeliaceous plants, and up the trunks climb numerous aroids with their huge sagittate leaves. Henry Nottidge Moseley, Notes by a Naturalist on the Challenger, 1879 Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Harbinger : 1 : one that initiates a major change : a person or thing that originates or helps open up a new activity, method, or technology : pioneer; When the star running back went down with an injury in the team's first game, it turned out to be the harbinger of a disappointing season. frump : (noun) A girl or woman regarded as dull, plain, or unfashionable.; dog; Her hairstyle had not changed since the early 1970s, and she did little to shed her reputation as a frump. laconic : adjective: Sparing with words: concise or terse. ; "Edwina, Williams's mother, was ... as loquacious as her husband was laconic." Making Tenn Out of Tom; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 10, 2014. See more usage examples of laconic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Normal is the average of deviance. -Rita Mae Brown, writer (b. 28 Nov 1944) *****November 30, 2017***** nostrum : a scheme, theory, device, etc., especially one to remedy social or..; We begin to find that with individuals, as with nations, the only safe revolution is one arising out of the wants which their own progress has generated. It is the quackery of infidelity to suppose that it has a nostrum for all mankind, and to say to all and singular, "Swallow my opinions and you shall be whole." , "George Eliot to Sara Hennell, October 19, 1843," George Eliot's Life, as related in her Letters and Journals, 1895 Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Bludge : 1 : (chiefly Australia & New Zealand) to avoid work or responsibility; "I'll catch the ferry or bludge a ride on the new boat of one of my commodity-boomed nouveau riche friends." — Phil Haberland, The Guardian Express (Australia), 6 Mar. 2007 sacrilegious : (adjective) Grossly irreverent toward what is or is held to be sacred.; blasphemous, profane; They took an oath mutually to defend and protect the united cities, to punish the violators of this oath, and to inflict vengeance on sacrilegious despoilers of the temple. newgate : verb tr.: To imprison. noun: A prison or a prison-like place or situation. ; "One fair contunding* of that whelp .. would be reward enough for being Newgated by the Speaker." Alan S. Bell (ed.); Lord Cockburn: Selected Letters; Birlinn; 2005. * contund: to bruise by beating See more usage examples of newgate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I can do no more, let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. -Louisa May Alcott, writer and reformist (29 Nov 1832-1888) *****December 01, 2017***** cockcrow : daybreak; dawn; the time at which a cock characteristically crows..; He was as a ghost, all whose power of wandering free through these upper regions ceases at cockcrow ... Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers, 1857 Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Scurrilous : 1 a : using or given to coarse language; The actor publically apologized to his young fans for his scurrilous tweets. hoodwink : (verb) To deceive or swindle by deception.; trick, fool, cheat, con; You don't understand that what imposes on common folk would never hoodwink an editor. Timbuktu : noun: A remote place. ; "Her first thought was that her car had been stolen, but her gaze found the NO PARKING -- TOW ZONE sign that she must have missed last night, maybe because she was exhausted or cranky that she had to park in Timbuktu." Lisa Scottoline; Accused; St. Martin's Press; 2013. See more usage examples of Timbuktu in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Although the connections are not always obvious, personal change is inseparable from social and political change. -Harriet Lerner, psychologist (b. 30 Nov 1944) *****December 02, 2017***** literatim : letter-for-letter; literally; Now this is fine--it is rich!--and we have half a mind to punish this young scribbler for his egotism by really publishing his effusion verbatim et literatim, as he has written it. Edgar Allan Poe, "The Literary Life of Thingum Bob, Esq.," Southern Literary Messenger, December 1844 Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." Anachronism : 1 : an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other; "There are the truly strange anachronisms throughout. Félicie traipses around in denim shorts, and the characters … make 'Hammer Time' jokes. And yet we know it's supposed to be the 19th century because of the proliferation of top hats and horse-drawn carriages, and because both the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty are under construction." — Katie Walsh, The Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2017 mantic : (adjective) Of, relating to, or having the power of divination; prophetic.; divinatory, sibyllic, sibylline, vatic; The oracle's mantic powers were well known, and pilgrims came from far and wide to worship and bring gifts. campanile : noun: A bell tower, especially one detached from a main building such as a church. ; "He could hear birds chirping, the splash of gondola oars, bells ringing from the campanile." Deborah Chester; Termination; Diversion Books; 1995. See more usage examples of campanile in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 03, 2017***** gerontocracy : a state or government in which old people rule; The French Restoration was a gerontocracy--the two kings of the era, Louis XVIII and Charles X, were both brothers of Louis XVI, guillotined in 1793, and old men by the time they ascended to the throne--out of touch with the youth of the country. Peter Brooks, "Introduction," The Human Comedy: Selected Stories by Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850), translated by Linda Asher, Carol Cosman, and Jordan M. Stump, 2014 Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." Intersperse : 1 : to place something at intervals in or among; The author has interspersed the guidebook with illustrations of the different birds we might encounter on the safari tour. doyen : (noun) The senior member of a group, profession, or society.; dean; Raffles regarded me with that tantalizing smile of his...and in a flash I was convinced that our most jealous enemy and dangerous rival, the doyen of an older school, had paid him yet another visit. campanile : noun: A bell tower, especially one detached from a main building such as a church. ; "He could hear birds chirping, the splash of gondola oars, bells ringing from the campanile." Deborah Chester; Termination; Diversion Books; 1995. See more usage examples of campanile in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 04, 2017***** Xanadu : a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment; So now there is this Xanadu, a ghost town from birth. On paper it is the second richest place in China, per capita income just behind Shanghai. Ken Liu, "The Long Haul: From the Annals of Transportation, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009," Clarkesworld, November 2014 Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Pillory : 1 : a wooden frame for public punishment having holes in which the head and hands can be locked; "When I was in college in the 1980s, the general store down the road shamed deadbeats by posting their bounced checks next to the cash register. It was a pillory of sorts, a wall of shame." — Dwight Garner, Esquire, September 2017 opine : (verb) Express one's opinion openly and without fear or hesitation.; animadvert, sound off, speak out, speak up; "I dare say it is all for the best," opined Mrs. Munt. campanile : noun: A bell tower, especially one detached from a main building such as a church. ; "He could hear birds chirping, the splash of gondola oars, bells ringing from the campanile." Deborah Chester; Termination; Diversion Books; 1995. See more usage examples of campanile in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 05, 2017***** logomachy : a dispute about or concerning words; And suppose he tackled me again with this logomachy, which might vainly have been set before ancient Oedipus. Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth, translated by Frederick Amadeus Malleson, 1877 Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." Maudlin : 1 : drunk enough to be emotionally silly; Rather than give his aunt a maudlin greeting card, Jake looked for one that was more in line with her snarky sense of humor. imprimatur : (noun) Formal and explicit approval.; countenance, endorsement, sanction, warrant; The candidate's campaign was bolstered by the imprimatur of New York's governor. bibliomania : noun: An extreme fondness for books. ; "If a cure for bibliomania was found, bibliophiles wouldn't take it. We're determined to keep adding to our great mounds of books for as long as we're alive." Ron Grossman; My Love Affair with Used Bookstores, Their Treasures; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Dec 29, 2016. See more usage examples of bibliomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world. I may not complete this last one but I will try. -Rainer Maria Rilke, poet and novelist (4 Dec 1875-1926) *****December 06, 2017***** palmy : glorious, prosperous, or flourishing: the palmy days of yesteryear; Back in those palmy days, I would never have predicted what has recently occurred: I've become a turncoat, a mugwump, a snake-in-the-grass. I have become a part-time New Yorker. Luc Sante, "Paradise, Part-time," New York, December 22–29, 1997 Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. Encapsulate : 1 : to enclose in or as if in a capsule; "Just one game encapsulated everything the Patriots have done well in the red zone this year and everything they have not." — Adam Kurkjian, The Boston Herald, 15 Oct. 2017 putrefaction : (noun) Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles.; depravation, depravity, degeneracy, corruption; The country had fallen into a state of moral putrefaction, with corruption running rampant throughout the government ranks. chatoyant : adjective: Having a changeable luster like that of a cat's eye at night. noun: A chatoyant gemstone, such as a cat's eye. ; "A chatoyant gleam twinkled from his steel blue eyes." Al Patterson; Fire in the Bosom; Page Publishing; 2014. See more usage examples of chatoyant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn't treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. -Walt Disney, entrepreneur and animator (5 Dec 1901-1966) *****December 07, 2017***** gleek : Archaic. to make a joke; jest; Nay, I can gleek upon occasion. William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1623 Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." Candor : 1 : whiteness, brilliance; "In an e-mail, Shonda Rhimes praised [Jenji] Kohan's kindness and candor, calling her one of the few showrunners with whom she can talk honestly about career strategy." — Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker, 4 Sept. 2017 progeny : (noun) One born of, begotten by, or derived from another.; issue, offspring; He was naturally a very nervous, shuddering sort of little fellow, this bread-faced steward; the progeny of a bankrupt baker and a hospital nurse. gastronome : noun: A connoisseur of good food. ; "'Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,' declared Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, an 18th-century French gastronome." Filling Up; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 30, 2014. See more usage examples of gastronome in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) *****December 08, 2017***** dundrearies : long, full sideburns or muttonchop whiskers; ... Mr. Pierce pulled at his dundrearies and everybody was very jolly and they talked about the schooner Mary Wentworth and how Colonel Hodgeson and Father Murphy looked so hard on the cheery glass ... John Dos Passos, The 42nd Parallel, 1930 Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." Maieutic : : relating to or resembling the Socratic method of eliciting new ideas from another; "The maieutic art of Socrates consists, essentially, of asking questions designed to destroy prejudices; false beliefs which are often traditional or fashionable beliefs; false answers, given in the spirit of ignorant cocksureness." — Karl Popper, Conjectures and Refutations, 1962 gustation : (noun) The faculty of distinguishing sweet, sour, bitter, and salty properties in the mouth.; taste; Her cold had muted all sense of gustation, and she had no appetite for food. quaggy : adjective: Marshy; flabby; spongy. ; "The grass, which rose taller and taller until it was waist-high, hobbled the men's feet as they ran, and the spongy, quaggy ground brimmed with water." Wojciech Zukrowski (Translation: Stephanie Kraft); Stone Tablets; Paul Dry Books; 2016. See more usage examples of quaggy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum -- even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2017***** pervious : open or accessible to reason, feeling, argument, etc; But all things are pervious to love, even fire, water, and Scythian snows. Longus, Daphnis and Chloe, translated by George Thornley, 1916 Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." Wend : : to direct one's course : travel, proceed; The hikers wended their way along the forest trail toward the evening's campsite. careen : (verb) Move sideways or in an unsteady way.; wobble, tilt, shift; The ship careened out of control in the storm. robustious : adjective: 1. Strong and sturdy. 2. Boisterous. 3. Coarse or crude. ; "'War waits not for robustious men.' He sighed, then fell silent." Ethel Herr; The Maiden's Sword; Bethany House; 1997. See more usage examples of robustious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 10, 2017***** brachylogy : brevity of diction; concise or abridged form of expression; The term for the omission of words that are intended to be "understood" by the reader is ellipses. Its extreme or irregular form has a name in Greek rhetoric: brachylogy, relying on the listener to supply the missing words, much as I relied on the reader to put a verb in the sentence fragment "A profound question, that." William Safire, “On Language: Microwave of the Future,” New York Times, September 30, 1990 Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." Zoomorphic : 1 : having the form of an animal; The couple could not agree on a dining room set: one preferred a sleek, modern style, while the other liked a more elaborate one with the table and chairs ending in zoomorphic clawed feet. cram : (verb) Study intensively, as before an exam.; bone up, drum, get up, grind away, mug up, swot; I spent the week before my Latin final exam cramming, a strategy that paid off when I aced the class. robustious : adjective: 1. Strong and sturdy. 2. Boisterous. 3. Coarse or crude. ; "'War waits not for robustious men.' He sighed, then fell silent." Ethel Herr; The Maiden's Sword; Bethany House; 1997. See more usage examples of robustious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 11, 2017***** cri de coeur : French. an anguished cry of distress or indignation; outcry; It’s time. Women have resounded their cri de coeur. Listen. Molly Ringwald, "All the Other Harvey Weinsteins," The New Yorker, October 17, 2017 Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." Cachinnate : : to laugh loudly or immoderately; As the author read from her newest book, we tried to tune out the spectator cachinnating at the back of the auditorium. humdrum : (adjective) Lacking variety or excitement; dull.; unglamorous, commonplace, prosaic; So here I shall end my days; and I must say, Dorothy, my dear, that you are very foolish to go back into that stupid, humdrum world again. robustious : adjective: 1. Strong and sturdy. 2. Boisterous. 3. Coarse or crude. ; "'War waits not for robustious men.' He sighed, then fell silent." Ethel Herr; The Maiden's Sword; Bethany House; 1997. See more usage examples of robustious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 12, 2017***** Wanderjahr : German. a year or period of travel, especially following one's ..; When your father finished college, he had his Wanderjahr, a fine year's ramble up the Rhine and down the Loire, with a pretty girl on one arm and a good comrade on the other. Walker Percy, The Moviegoer, 1961 Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." Orphic : 1 : (capitalized) of or relating to Orpheus or the rites or doctrines ascribed to him; "'No summer ever came back, and no two summers ever were alike,' said I, with a degree of Orphic wisdom that astonished myself." — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance, 1852 ataractic : (adjective) Of or relating to a drug or other agent that has a tranquilizing effect.; sedative, tranquilizing; Valium has an ataractic effect that is useful in treating tension and anxiety. contretemps : noun: 1. An unforeseen and unfortunate occurrence. 2. A disagreement or dispute. ; "Pete Quaife informed the music press that he had suffered a fall at his north London home but the truth was he had broken his wrist after a contretemps with Dave." Johnny Rogan; Ray Davies -- A Complicated Life; The Bodley Head; 2015. See more usage examples of contretemps in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. -Naguib Mahfouz, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1911-2006) *****December 13, 2017***** deasil : Chiefly Scot. clockwise or in a direction following the apparent co..; The high-peaked roof of moss-grown shingles reared above like the back of a green, scaly dragon, and the rafters at each end of it crossed like an X, carved into facing spirals, deasil and widdershins to balance the energies. S. M. Stirling, A Meeting at Corvallis, 2006 Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." Sustain : 1 : to provide with nourishment; "It takes a village, a tribe, and a sorority to sustain one another, to flourish and to become an accomplished adult. So sisterhood means inspiring women around me, encouraging each other, crying, laughing, stumbling, and continuing on the path." — Diana Tofan, Glamour, November 2017 dilatation : (noun) The state of being stretched beyond normal dimensions.; distention; He suffered from severe dilatation of the stomach, an abdominal swelling that left him writhing in pain. hilt : noun: 1. Used in the expression "to the hilt": to the maximum extent; fully. 2. A handle, especially of a sword or dagger. ; "The affable DJ spun some eclectic mixes which ensured the joint was packed to the hilt." Music Keeps the Party Going; The Times of India (New Delhi); Mar 13, 2012. See more usage examples of hilt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's splendid to be a great writer, to put men into the frying pan of your imagination and make them pop like chestnuts. -Gustave Flaubert, novelist (12 Dec 1821-1880) *****December 14, 2017***** tidings : news, information, or intelligence: sad tidings; That night it seemed that everyone in the little town and surrounding farmsteads flocked into the inn to raise a mug to the wonderful tidingsed. Robin Hobb, "Blue Boots," Songs of Love and Death, 2010 Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." Diaphanous : 1 : characterized by such fineness of texture as to permit seeing through; "For an hour and 45 minutes, Jackson wound through the various chapters of her career, directing her diaphanous voice to nearly three dozen songs…. " — Brian McCollum, The Detroit Free Press, 30 Oct. 2017 reek : (verb) To be pervaded by something unpleasant.; smack, smell; His speeches reek of sarcasm. feint : noun: A deceptive move, especially in fencing or boxing. verb tr., intr.: To make a deceptive movement. ; "Journalists could argue they use appellations as a sign of respect, but I think it's a feint -- a touch of obsequiousness before sticking in the shiv." Emily Yoffe; You Are Not the Speaker; Slate (New York); Mar 20, 2012. See more usage examples of feint in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Whenever books are burned men also in the end are burned. -Heinrich Heine, poet, journalist, and essayist (13 Dec 1797-1856) *****December 15, 2017***** mishpocha : Yiddish. an entire family network comprising relatives by blood ..; You can speak now. We're all mishpocha here and we got no secrets. Leon Uris, Exodus, 1958 Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Gravamen : : the material or significant part of a grievance or complaint; The gravamen of Walter's letter to the editor was that the newspaper frequently reported on the school system's failures but rarely covered its successes and improvements. atonement : (noun) Amends or reparation made for an injury or wrong.; expiation, satisfaction; But Adam could receive no amends; his suffering could not be cancelled; his respect and affection could not be recovered by any prompt deeds of atonement. ensiform : adjective: Shaped like a sword or a sword blade. ; "I quarreled with the ensiform leaves that worked to scratch me like frantic fingernails." Brett Ramseyer; Waiting for Bells; Lulu; 2016. See more usage examples of ensiform in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those of us who shout the loudest about Americanism in making character assassinations are all too frequently those who, by our own words and acts, ignore some of the basic principles of Americanism: The right to criticize; The right to hold unpopular beliefs; The right to protest; The right of independent thought. -Margaret Chase Smith, US senator (14 Dec 1897-1995) *****December 16, 2017***** apopemptic : pertaining to leave-taking or departing; valedictory; Only to the fool who believes all truths debatable, who believes true virtue resides not in men but in eulogies, true sorrow not in partings but in apopemptic hymns, and true thought nowhere but in atramentaceous scrollery--only to him is elegant style, mere scent, good food. John Gardner, Jason & Medeia, 1973 Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Fructify : 1 : to bear fruit; My parents are in a comfortable financial position, thanks to some investments that have recently begun to fructify. monition : (noun) A warning or an intimation of something imminent, especially of impending danger.; admonition, warning, word of advice; Verily, all too well do I understand the dream's portent and monition. swashbuckler : noun: 1. A reckless, daring, swaggering adventurer. 2. A book, play, etc. dealing with such a character. ; "In the 1970s and 1980s corporate swashbucklers such as Sir James Goldsmith created conglomerates through a succession of audacious takeover bids." Serial Thrillers; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 18, 2015. See more usage examples of swashbuckler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 17, 2017***** bagatelle : something of little value or importance; a trifle; My horse was an excellent roadster; and I was expecting to do the fifty miles--a mere bagatelle to a South American steed--before sunset. Mayne Reid, The Finger of Fate, 1872 Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Terpsichorean : : of or relating to dancing; "Cronkhite's exuberant dances look great but let the kids act like kids, and don't demand terpsichorean polish beyond the cast's abilities." — Marty Clear, The Bradenton Herald, 13 Jan. 2017 tangential : (adjective) Only superficially relevant; divergent.; digressive; His tangential anecdotes added much-needed humor to the talk, though some found the digressions tiresome. swashbuckler : noun: 1. A reckless, daring, swaggering adventurer. 2. A book, play, etc. dealing with such a character. ; "In the 1970s and 1980s corporate swashbucklers such as Sir James Goldsmith created conglomerates through a succession of audacious takeover bids." Serial Thrillers; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 18, 2015. See more usage examples of swashbuckler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 18, 2017***** flocculent : like a clump or tuft of wool; The night was overcast, and through the flocculent grey of the heaped clouds there filtered a faint half-light of dawn. H. G. Wells, "The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham," The Idler, Volume IX, February to July, 1896 Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." Lothario : : a man whose chief interest is seducing women; "He was now quite an elderly Lothario, reduced to the most economical sins; the prominent form of his gaiety being this of lounging at Mr. Gruby's door, embarrassing the servant-maids who came for grocery, and talking scandal with the rare passers-by." — George Eliot, Scenes of Clerical Life, 1858 saltation : (noun) A light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards.; leaping, bounce, bound, spring; The kangaroo's effortless saltation was balletic and graceful. swashbuckler : noun: 1. A reckless, daring, swaggering adventurer. 2. A book, play, etc. dealing with such a character. ; "In the 1970s and 1980s corporate swashbucklers such as Sir James Goldsmith created conglomerates through a succession of audacious takeover bids." Serial Thrillers; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 18, 2015. See more usage examples of swashbuckler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 19, 2017***** daily-breader : British. a commuter; The daily-breader, the journeyman, might envy this tortured dignitary his title, his chain, his rank at Court, this important office, to which he had climbed so pertinaciously, only to wear himself out in it ... Thomas Mann, Royal Highness, translated by A. Cecil Curtis, 1916 Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." Permeable : : capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through; "More rigid, less permeable foam insulation lines the home's walls to block wind and water from breaching its facade." — Troy McMullen, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2017 inanimate : (adjective) Not having the qualities associated with active, living organisms.; pulseless, breathless; I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. ergophobia : noun: An abnormal fear of or aversion to work. ; "Bob once had a pal pull diagnosis for ergophobia: nothing current pharmacology could do, prognosis bleak: Life's hard, you know." Jonathan Callahan; The Consummation of Dirk; Starcherone Books; 2013. "Susan was still unable to work due to her past with the ergophobia." S.J. Groves; The Untold; AuthorHouse; 2014. Thought For The Day: We also deem those happy, who from the experience of life, have learned to bear its ills and without descanting on their weight. -Juvenal, poet (c. 60-140) *****December 20, 2017***** facepalm : the gesture of placing the palm of one's hand across the face, as..; Easily one of the biggest facepalms of the year occurred at the Oscars, when the wrong movie was announced for Best Picture. , "The Biggest Facepalm Moments of 2017," Entrepreneur, December 1, 2017 Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." Stultify : 1 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical; What started out as a promising plan to redesign the town square ended up being stultified by bureaucracy and too many conflicting special interests. veer : (verb) To turn aside from a course, direction, or purpose.; curve, cut, sheer, slew, slue, swerve, trend; The car veered sharply to the left at the intersection and narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian. breviloquence : noun: Speaking briefly and concisely. ; "She was, after all, Antonía Barclay, and was not known for her breviloquence. 'I have always loved you, I will always love you, and I will never stop showing you how much I love you. In fact, Mr. Claymore, I really must insist upon proving my love for you by answering your infinite number of questions in complete sentences, complete paragraphs, and completely in calligraphy.'" Jane Carter Barrett; Antonia Barclay and Her Scottish Claymore; River Grove Books; 2016. Thought For The Day: "Business!" cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. "Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!" -Charles Dickens, novelist (1812-1870) [in A Christmas Carol, published on this date in 1843] *****December 21, 2017***** brumal : wintry; " 'Tis a brumal Night, for behold, it sweepeth by," announces Squire Haligast from the shadows ... Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon, 1997 Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." Recumbent : 1 a : suggestive of repose : leaning, resting; When Bert glanced at his father's recumbent form in the armchair, he immediately realized that he could use a good nap himself. remiss : (adjective) Lax in attending to duty.; delinquent, derelict, neglectful; I had been remiss in the fulfillment of my obligations and failed to pay my bills on time, so my landlord evicted me. exeleutherostomize : verb intr.: To speak out freely. ; "The offices of a General Manager of one of the few national banks is not the place to exeleutherostomize." B.S. Johnson; Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry; Collins; 1973. Thought For The Day: Men are divided in opinion as to the facts. And even granting the facts, they explain them in different ways. -Edwin Abbott Abbott, schoolmaster and theologian (20 Dec 1838-1926) *****December 22, 2017***** abubble : characterized by intense enthusiasm or activity: The store was abu..; Suddenly Piggy was a-bubble with decorous excitement. William Golding, Lord of the Flies, 1954 Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." Boniface : : the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant; "Vince Bommarito, boniface of Tony's restaurant at 410 Market Street, said last week was one of his busiest in years and that this week is shaping up to look the same." — Deb Peterson, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 18 Oct. 2011 extempore : (adjective) Spoken, carried out, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought.; ad-lib, extemporaneous, impromptu, off-the-cuff, offhand, offhanded, unrehearsed; The class performed an extempore skit that condensed the complex plot of Shakespeare's Hamlet into a single, 15-minute act. corpocracy : noun: A society in which corporations control the government. ; "Anarica was a corpocracy. Run by the most influential corporations." Sabine Priestley; Twice Tethered; KAC Publishing; 2017. Thought For The Day: I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2017***** blithesome : lighthearted; merry; cheerful: a blithesome nature; Then came the merry maskers in, / And carols roared with blithesome din; / If unmelodious was the song / It was a hearty note and strong. Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, 1808 Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." Vespertine : 1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the evening; "Hemerocallis citrina has vespertine flowers that open before sunset and close by mid-morning." — Kim Smith, Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities!, 2009 antsy : (adjective) Nervous and unable to relax.; fidgety, fretful, itchy; The long wait made the children antsy. obdormition : noun: Numbness in a limb, usually caused by pressure on a nerve. Also known as falling asleep. ; "You end up driving with your foot on the floor beneath the clutch pedal, slowly losing the battle to obdormition." Ezra Dyer; A Priority of Cornering Over Horsepower; The New York Times; Aug 3, 2012. Thought For The Day: When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 24, 2017***** propine : Scot. to offer as a present; A rich present they did to her propine / A costly cup, that large thing would contain. William Dunbar, "The Queen's Reception at Aberdeen," 1511 Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." Flamboyant : : marked by or given to strikingly elaborate or colorful display or behavior; The circus performers were easily identifiable by their flamboyant costumes and stage makeup. cockeyed : (adjective) Turned or twisted toward one side.; askew, awry, lopsided, skew-whiff, wonky; He noticed that his tie was cockeyed and made sure to straighten it before meeting with the company executives. obdormition : noun: Numbness in a limb, usually caused by pressure on a nerve. Also known as falling asleep. ; "You end up driving with your foot on the floor beneath the clutch pedal, slowly losing the battle to obdormition." Ezra Dyer; A Priority of Cornering Over Horsepower; The New York Times; Aug 3, 2012. Thought For The Day: When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 25, 2017***** yule : Christmas, or the Christmas season; They bring me sorrow touch'd with joy, / The merry merry bells of Yule. Alfred Tennyson, In Memoriam, 1850 Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." Nativity : 1 : the process or circumstances of being born; especially, capitalized : the birth of Jesus; "The immutability of one's nativity may be why so many are drawn to astrology—according to a 2009 Harris Poll, a full 26 percent of Americans believe in astrology…." — Elijah Wolfson, The Atlantic, 15 Nov. 2013 portentous : (adjective) Marked by pompousness; pretentiously weighty.; overblown, pompous, grandiloquent, pontifical; His hands, large and coarse, were plentifully bedecked with rings; and he wore a heavy gold watch-chain, with a bundle of seals of portentous size, and a great variety of colors, attached to it. obdormition : noun: Numbness in a limb, usually caused by pressure on a nerve. Also known as falling asleep. ; "You end up driving with your foot on the floor beneath the clutch pedal, slowly losing the battle to obdormition." Ezra Dyer; A Priority of Cornering Over Horsepower; The New York Times; Aug 3, 2012. Thought For The Day: When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end. So it's not so much which road you take, as how you take it. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 26, 2017***** afterglow : the pleasant remembrance of a past experience, glory, etc.: She ..; He sat gazing incredulously at the face of his wife, on which the afterglow of her laugh still enchantingly lingered. Edith Wharton, The Buccaneers, 1938 Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." Conciliate : 1 : appease; "He paused, half hopefully, half timidly, whenever Captain Whalley made the slightest movement in the deck-chair, as though expecting to be conciliated by a soft speech or else rushed upon and hunted off the bridge." — Joseph Conrad, The End of the Tether, 1902 sulfurous : (adjective) Harsh or corrosive in tone.; acid, blistering, caustic, vitriolic, acrid, acerbic, bitter, virulent; Her sulfurous denunciation of the governor was aired on the news that evening. quartziferous : adjective: Containing or bearing quartz. ; "The industry has developed a water-powered impact hammer for breaking quartziferous rock." John Battersby; South Africa Digs Out of Its Mining Crisis; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Apr 24, 1991. Thought For The Day: The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs, and explosions, and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy; and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. -Rod Serling, writer of the science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone (25 Dec 1924-1975) *****December 27, 2017***** pinguid : fat; oily; He is a mighty mass of pinguid bronze, with a fat lisp, and a broad sunflower smile, and he lectures us with a vast and genial breadth of manner on the ruins, contradicting all our guesses at things with a sweet "Perdoni, signori! ma---." William Dean Howells, Italian Journeys, 1867 Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." Abeyance : 1 : a state of temporary inactivity : suspension — used chiefly in the phrase in abeyance; The misdemeanor charges are in abeyance while the suspect is being prosecuted for the felony. nuzzle : (verb) Move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position.; cuddle, draw close, nest, nestle, snuggle; We nuzzled against each other to keep warm and quickly fell asleep. hypercathexis : noun: Excessive concentration of mental energy on something. ; "She is especially drawn to a passage on the hypercathexis of lost objects." Marta Bladek; "A Place None of Us Know until We Reach It": Mapping Grief and Memory in Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking; Biography (Honolulu, Hawaii); Fall 2014. Thought For The Day: The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men. -Norman Angell, lecturer, author, MP, and Nobel laureate (26 Dec 1872-1967) *****December 28, 2017***** tabernacle : any place or house of worship, especially one designed for a la..; He had a tabernacle and preached every night. Carson McCullers, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, 1940 Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." Hortative : : giving exhortation : serving to advise or warn; "None can understand or interpret Michelangelo unless we recognise the extent to which the mysticism of Catholic faith coloured his beliefs and work…. [If] we look back to the Pietà in St Peter's, finished when he was only 24, we find an image of such profound piety and sympathy that crowds fall silent in its presence without any hortative 'Silenzio!'" — Brian Sewell, The Evening Standard (London), 24 Mar. 2006 cipher : (noun) A person of no influence.; nobody, nonentity; He was a cipher in the estimation of the public, and nobody attached any importance to what he thought or did. bavardage : noun: Chattering; gossip. ; "A long time ago, I joined a former friend from high school and her husband for dinner at a restaurant. Though the three of us shared a table, the couple engaged in side conversations in French, which they spoke fluently knowing that my French was barely conversational. As their bavardage grew more frequent and lengthy, I dined alone in their company." Algernon D'Ammassa; As Time, Money Pass, to Whom Is CAP Entity Accountable?; Las Cruces Sun-News (New Mexico); Oct 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: Just the other day, I was in my neighborhood Starbucks, waiting for the post office to open. I was enjoying a chocolatey cafe mocha when it occurred to me that to drink a mocha is to gulp down the entire history of the New World. From the Spanish exportation of Aztec cacao, and the Dutch invention of the chemical process for making cocoa, on down to the capitalist empire of Hershey, PA, and the lifestyle marketing of Seattle's Starbucks, the modern mocha is a bittersweet concoction of imperialism, genocide, invention, and consumerism served with whipped cream on top. No wonder it costs so much. -Sarah Vowell, author and journalist (b. 27 Dec 1969) *****December 29, 2017***** bedizen : to dress or adorn in a showy, gaudy, or tasteless manner; Prithee, young one, who art thou, and what has ailed thy mother to bedizen thee in this strange fashion? Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850 Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." Debilitate : : to impair the strength of : enfeeble; The company offers exercises and writing prompts that promise to help would-be novelists debilitated by writer's block get words onto the page. stammer : (verb) To speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions.; bumble, falter, stutter; "You--you must think me crazy," stammered Anne, trying to recover her self-possession. aciniform : adjective: Shaped like a cluster of grapes. ; "And no machine will ever be able to answer grocery-related questions -- What's the freshest aciniform produce today?" Neil Genzlinger; Jersey: The Tax Rebate Line and Other Annoyances; The New York Times; May 16, 1999. Thought For The Day: I not only use all the brains I have, but all I can borrow, and I have borrowed a lot. -Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president, Nobel laureate (28 Dec 1856-1924) *****December 30, 2017***** whoop-de-do : Informal. lively and noisy festivities; merrymaking: New Year'..; The 1497 whoop-de-do turned out to be no fun at all. William Safire, "On Language: Title Search," New York Times, March 5, 1989 Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." hobgoblin : (noun) An object or a source of fear, dread, or harassment.; bugbear; But this encompassment of her own characterization ... was a sorry and mistaken creation of Tess's fancy—a cloud of moral hobgoblins by which she was terrified without reason. crackjaw : adjective: Hard to pronounce. noun: A word or phrase that's hard to pronounce. ; "[Julia] exclaims 'Ach, what a crackjaw language this German is!'" Gayden Wren; A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan; Oxford University Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home. -William Ewart Gladstone, British prime minister (29 Dec 1809-1898) *****December 31, 2017***** auld lang syne : Scot. and North England. old times, especially times fondly..; Have a glass of champagne with me for the sake of auld lang syne. Sarah Mason, Party Girl, 2003 Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." Spiel : : a voluble line of often extravagant talk : a speech delivered especially to sell or promote something; We let the time-share salesman give us his opening spiel, but when he got to the high-pressure sales tactics, we cut him short and made it clear that we were not interested. sacrilege : (noun) Desecration, profanation, misuse, or theft of something sacred.; blasphemy, desecration, profanation; I entreat you, if you be a Christian gentleman, not to kill me, which will be committing grave sacrilege, for I am a licentiate and I hold first orders. crackjaw : adjective: Hard to pronounce. noun: A word or phrase that's hard to pronounce. ; "[Julia] exclaims 'Ach, what a crackjaw language this German is!'" Gayden Wren; A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan; Oxford University Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home. -William Ewart Gladstone, British prime minister (29 Dec 1809-1898) *****January 01, 2018***** instauration : renewal; restoration; renovation; repair; In the period of strongest social division (before the instauration of democratic cultures), reading and writing were equally class privileges ... Roland Barthes, "From Work to Text," The Rustle of Language, translated by Richard Howard, 1986 Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." Antithetical : 1 : being in direct and unequivocal opposition : directly opposite or opposed; "It's telling that the library at the Circle is a gorgeous but unused relic: Being alone with a book is something antithetical to the plugged-in networking that preoccupies the company's workers." — David Mikics, The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2014 blamable : (adjective) Deserving blame or censure as being wrong or evil or injurious.; blameworthy, censurable, culpable; You are aware that I am no way blamable in this matter. crackjaw : adjective: Hard to pronounce. noun: A word or phrase that's hard to pronounce. ; "[Julia] exclaims 'Ach, what a crackjaw language this German is!'" Gayden Wren; A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan; Oxford University Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home. -William Ewart Gladstone, British prime minister (29 Dec 1809-1898) *****January 02, 2018***** watershed : an important point of division or transition between two phases,..; For we stand, although the nation is unaware of the fact, upon a watershed of history; unless due care is taken we shall cross it blindfold and march on to a destination which is hidden from our gaze. Ronald Clark, Queen Victoria's Bomb, 1967 Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Fete : 1 : festival; To celebrate her parents' 50th wedding anniversary, Eileen threw an evening fete to which she invited all their friends and family members. lament : (noun) A song or hymn of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.; coronach, dirge, requiem, threnody; And when the Duke's wife died Chaucer wrote a lament which is called the Dethe of Blaunche the Duchess, or sometimes the Book of the Duchess. voluntourism : noun: Tourism in which travelers do volunteer work. ; "'We're all voluntourists,' smiled Carrie, brandishing her pitchfork. 'Came down to see what we can do.'" Tim Lott; Under the Same Stars; Simon & Schuster; 2012. Thought For The Day: What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. -J.D. Salinger, writer (1 Jan 1919-2010) *****January 03, 2018***** patrician : a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat; His books became real for everyone who read them, whether the humble labourer in the Strand or the patrician in Mayfair. Matthew Pearl, The Last Dickens, 2009 Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." Accentuate : : accent, emphasize; also : intensify; "But his voice is so singular in aura that nothing appears to be missing.… He hints at the style of a balladeer, or even of a cabaret singer—an effect accentuated by the pointed use of rolled 'r's." — Alexander M. Ross, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2017 voluminous : (adjective) Large in number or quantity (especially of discourse).; copious; She took voluminous notes during the lecture, and her classmates begged for copies. hokum : noun: 1. Nonsense. 2. Trite material introduced to evoke an emotional response from an audience. ; "I don't see how Mr. Niles expects me to spin 400 more pages of this 'Little Women' hokum, but I suppose I must." Elise Hooper; The Other Alcott: A Novel; William Morrow; 2017. See more usage examples of hokum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2018***** moira : (among ancient Greeks) a person's fate or destiny; Everyone has a moira that "spins the thread" of one's fate, the day of death. Barry B. Powell, "Introduction" The Iliad by Homer, 2014 Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." Sacerdotal : 1 : of or relating to priests or a priesthood : priestly; The priest gives a homily after reciting the Gospel as part of his sacerdotal duties. sepulchral : (adjective) Gruesomely indicative of death or the dead.; charnel, ghastly; The sepulchral darkness of the catacombs sent a chill down my spine. squirl : noun: A flourish or curve, especially in handwriting. ; "Some of [the suits] came decorated in an elaborate squirl of crayon-like art." Liza Foreman; The Week Men Went Unisex in Paris; The Daily Beast (New York); Jan 27, 2015. Thought For The Day: Not all those who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien, novelist and philologist (3 Jan 1892-1973) *****January 05, 2018***** turncoat : a person who changes to the opposite party or faction, reverses p..; A turncoat is the angry name for a convert, but you are no converts; how then can you be turncoats? George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton, A Letter to the Tories, 1747 Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." Hornswoggle : : bamboozle, hoax; "Grass-fed is an unregulated term with no standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This can add to the confusion for home cooks already trying to avoid getting hornswoggled by advertising claims (look what happened to the heavily abused word 'natural')." — Jennifer Rude Klett, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2017 alkali : (noun) Any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water.; base; He dropped a piece of litmus paper into an acid, when it changed instantly to red, and on floating it in an alkali it turned as quickly to blue. satisfice : verb intr.: To satisfy the minimum requirements in a given situation. ; "A person can maximize when it comes to some decisions and satisfice on others." Elizabeth Bernstein; Decide to Be Happy; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Oct 7, 2014. See more usage examples of satisfice in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2018***** boustrophedon : an ancient method of writing in which the lines run alternat..; Many of the old Greek inscriptions were written alternately from right to left and from left to right, turning the direction as one turns a plow in the field, and this style was called "boustrophedon" (turning like oxen). Carl Vogt, "Writing Physiologically Considered," The Popular Science Monthly, September 1881 Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." suppositious : (adjective) Based primarily on surmise rather than adequate evidence.; conjectural, divinatory, hypothetical, suppositional; Theories about the extinction of dinosaurs are still highly suppositious and involve much educated guessing. scrouge : verb tr., intr.: To squeeze, press, or crowd. ; "I was 'most mashed to a slab in pushing to get in among 'em, they was all scrouging so thick one upon t'other." Frances Trollope; Domestic Manners of the Americans; Whittaker, Treacher & Co.; 1832. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 07, 2018***** horsefeathers : Slang. rubbish; nonsense; bunk (used to express contemptuous..; At the risk of seeming disrespectful, I rise to cry: "Horsefeathers!" John R. Tunis, "Are Fraternities Worthwhile? No!" The Rotarian, September 1937 Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." Vapid : : lacking flavor, zest, animation, or spirit : flat, dull; Finn liked to watch the game in silence, with the TV on mute, rather than listen to the vapid chatter of the play-by-play announcer. yammer : (verb) To complain peevishly or whimperingly.; grizzle, yawp, whine; I refused to do my chores, electing instead to yammer and whine about the injustices of life. scrouge : verb tr., intr.: To squeeze, press, or crowd. ; "I was 'most mashed to a slab in pushing to get in among 'em, they was all scrouging so thick one upon t'other." Frances Trollope; Domestic Manners of the Americans; Whittaker, Treacher & Co.; 1832. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 08, 2018***** stardust : a naively romantic quality: There was stardust in her eyes; "I seem to remember you had a different opinion of her once." ... "I guess I must've had some stardust in my eyes. But that was a thousand years ago. ..." Alan Hunter, Gently with Love, 1975 Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." Gainsay : 1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid; There is no doubt that their work makes a useful contribution, but it does not provide enough evidence to gainsay the conclusions of earlier scholars. prehensile : (adjective) Immoderately desirous of acquiring e.g. wealth.; avaricious, covetous, grabby, grasping, greedy; His prehensile employers were so stingy that they replaced their workers' annual bonus with a keychain worth less than a dollar. scrouge : verb tr., intr.: To squeeze, press, or crowd. ; "I was 'most mashed to a slab in pushing to get in among 'em, they was all scrouging so thick one upon t'other." Frances Trollope; Domestic Manners of the Americans; Whittaker, Treacher & Co.; 1832. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 09, 2018***** suspiration : a long, deep sigh; ‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother … Nor windy suspiration of forced breath ... That can denote me truly. William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1603 Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." jeer : (verb) To speak or shout derisively; mock.; scoff, flout, gibe, barrack; The crowd jeered at the speaker, and she ran offstage in tears. senectitude : noun: Old age. ; "While the life span of man undoubtedly had been prolonged, the problem of senectitude had by no means been conquered, and that aged men in positions of public trust could constitute a definite hazard." Edwin O'Connor; The Last Hurrah; Little, Brown; 1956. Thought For The Day: A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it. -Lewis H. Lapham, editor and writer (b. 8 Jan 1935) *****January 10, 2018***** denouement : the outcome or resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences; Both the irrational-Nixon and the rational-Nixon theories lead to the same denouement: "My fellow Americans ... farewell." Richard Reeves, "Nixon in the Twilight Zone," New York, November 5, 1973 Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Officinal : : tending or used to cure disease or relieve pain : medicinal; The plant turned out to have officinal properties and could be used to make an anti-itch ointment. didactics : (noun) The activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill.; education, instruction, pedagogy, teaching; After reading several books on anthropology, education, and didactics, Alexey Alexandrovitch drew up a plan of education. weltanschauung : noun: World view. ; "By the end of the decade he had reeled off a dozen more hits ... which tapped into the teenage weltanschauung, articulating adolescent passions." Chuck Berry (obituary); The Times (London, UK); Mar 20, 2017. See more usage examples of weltanschauung in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth -- and truth rewarded me. -Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (9 Jan 1908-1986) *****January 11, 2018***** jannock : British, Australian Informal. honest; fair; straightforward; ... this beautiful damsel that lived in the kingdom of the great Mogul, had many suitors--sweethearts as we call them in Lancashire--but none of them was jannock but one ... Samuel William Ryley, The Itinerant; or, Memoirs of an Actor, Volume VI, 1817 Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." Cohort : 1 : companion, colleague; "A cohort of chambermaids would descend twice daily with mops, brooms, and fresh towels in tow." — Doone Beale, Gourmet, April 1989 plenitude : (noun) A full supply.; plenteousness; They lived in a region blessed with a plenitude of natural resources. infundibuliform : adjective: Funnel-shaped. ; "The orifice was infundibuliform in shape; a wide circular depression several hundred meters in diameter that tapered down to depths deeper than anything Jake had dived before." john g rees; Halocline; Black Water Books; 2010. Thought For The Day: The most certain test by which we can judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2018***** silver-tongued : persuasive; eloquent: a silver-tongued orator; "Always speak to the folks in the back rows, my boy," said the silver-tongued orator, "and the rest will be sure to hear you." Paul O'Neil, "Grand Old King of the Senate," Life, March 26, 1965 Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Placate : : to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : appease; "Laughlin can placate even the most skittish of horses, coaxing them into his trailer with sugar cubes…." — Lizzie Johnson, The San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Dec. 2017 gallantry : (noun) Nobility of spirit or action; courage.; heroism, valor; Never have I seen such gallantry in the face of danger than I saw today in these young women. floccinaucinihilipilification : noun: Estimating as worthless. ; "I have been gathering relevant state public investment data since 2000 and in that time have provided a consistent approach to calculating Our Fair Share. I hope I avoid the floccinaucinihilipilification." Colin Dwyer; Region Has Missed Out on Due Wealth; Townsville Bulletin (Australia); Jun 10, 2014. "She tells me that Floccinaucinihilipilification is the name she wants our first child to have. I say the name is terribly long." Craig Stone; The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness; Troubador; 2016. Thought For The Day: Our lives are like islands in the sea, or like trees in the forest. The maple and the pine may whisper to each other with their leaves ... But the trees also commingle their roots in the darkness underground, and the islands also hang together through the ocean's bottom. -William James, psychologist and philosopher (11 Jan 1842-1910) *****January 13, 2018***** pseud : Informal. a person of fatuously earnest intellectual, artistic, or s..; But many of his students thought him a pseud for his high diction and his passion for complicated European writers. Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003 Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Reprehensible : : worthy of or deserving reprehension, blame, or censure : culpable; The newspaper's most recent editorial calls for the mayor's resignation, citing the recent accusations of bribery as both plausible and reprehensible. rive : (verb) Tear or be torn violently.; pull, rend, rip; As he rose, a flash of lightning, that seemed to rive the remotest heights of heaven, illumined the darkness. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis : noun: A lung disease caused by silica dust. ; NOTES: Even though we have included the pronunciation of this word, we advise caution lest you may have to avail the services of an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist). At 45 letters, it's the longest word in any English language dictionary. It's a trophy word -- its only job is to serve as the longest word. In day-to-day use, its nine-letter synonym "silicosis" works just as well. Whatever you call it, it is deadly. Here's the story of an incident. And what's the shortest word in the English language? There are a number of them: A, I, O, but we'll have to give it to I which is the skinniest as well. Try defining either of them in fewer letters than the spelling of the word. Thought For The Day: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946) *****January 14, 2018***** vatic : of, relating to, or characteristic of a prophet; ... I can't escape the feeling that Yeats knew, in the vatic, unwitting way of poets. Marcel Theroux, Strange Bodies, 2013 Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Stanch : 1 : to check or stop the flowing of; also : to stop the flow of blood from (a wound); The company's CEO gave the keynote address at the convention, stanching rumors that he was not recovering well from his surgery. sibylline : (adjective) Resembling or characteristic of a prophet or prophecy.; divinatory, mantic, vatic; It was a sibylline book with ready and infallible answers to all sorts of questions about the future. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis : noun: A lung disease caused by silica dust. ; NOTES: Even though we have included the pronunciation of this word, we advise caution lest you may have to avail the services of an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist). At 45 letters, it's the longest word in any English language dictionary. It's a trophy word -- its only job is to serve as the longest word. In day-to-day use, its nine-letter synonym "silicosis" works just as well. Whatever you call it, it is deadly. Here's the story of an incident. And what's the shortest word in the English language? There are a number of them: A, I, O, but we'll have to give it to I which is the skinniest as well. Try defining either of them in fewer letters than the spelling of the word. Thought For The Day: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946) *****January 15, 2018***** nonviolence : the policy, practice, or technique of refraining from the use ..; At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story, 1958 Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." Demiurge : : one that is an autonomous creative force or decisive power; "But it is difficult to create a world, even a tiny one, and some authors are more successful than others at playing demiurge…." — Sergio Ruzzier, The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2016 rector : (noun) A person authorized to conduct religious worship.; curate, minister, parson, pastor; She was the daughter of a clergyman, and it was with her father, the rector of a village in Lincolnshire, that Mr. Carey had spent his last curacy. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis : noun: A lung disease caused by silica dust. ; NOTES: Even though we have included the pronunciation of this word, we advise caution lest you may have to avail the services of an otorhinolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat specialist). At 45 letters, it's the longest word in any English language dictionary. It's a trophy word -- its only job is to serve as the longest word. In day-to-day use, its nine-letter synonym "silicosis" works just as well. Whatever you call it, it is deadly. Here's the story of an incident. And what's the shortest word in the English language? There are a number of them: A, I, O, but we'll have to give it to I which is the skinniest as well. Try defining either of them in fewer letters than the spelling of the word. Thought For The Day: The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country. -Hermann Göring, Nazi military leader (12 Jan 1893-1946) *****January 16, 2018***** decathect : to withdraw one's feelings of attachment from (a person, idea, o..; It is getting easier now for me to decathect from Eugene. Patricia Marx, Him Her Him Again The End of Him, 2007 Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Intrepid : : characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance; "An intrepid engineer is on the edge of fulfilling his dream of conquering the world's toughest mountaineering challenge. Peter Sunnucks, 35, will be joined by his wife Elizabeth Wood when he heads to Antarctica in two weeks' time to try to scale the last of seven of the earth's highest peaks." — Russell Blackstock, The Sunday Post (Dundee, Scotland), 14 Nov. 2017 wring : (verb) To clasp and twist or squeeze (one's hands), as in distress.; wrench; And the little princess began to cry capriciously like a suffering child and to wring her little hands even with some affectation. copper-bottomed : adjective: Reliable, genuine, or trustworthy. ; "In those circumstances, even copper-bottomed facts become contentious." Alex Massie; Breaking News: There Are Such Things as Facts; The Times (London, UK); Feb 22, 2017. See more usage examples of copper-bottomed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a convenient trick to rob a person of all they have, even their own body, and then mock them for their poverty, and blame it on their nature. -Adam Serwer, writer and editor [Read the full article] *****January 17, 2018***** paralipsis : Rhetoric. the suggestion, by deliberately concise treatment of ..; Paralipsis ... is a Greek term that translates to “leave to the side.” It’s thought to be an ironic way for a speaker to say two things at once. For example, say you wanted to imply that your coworker takes too many coffee breaks without actually accusing him wasting time at work. You might say something like, “I'm not saying that he drinks more coffee than anyone else in the office, but every time I go to the break room, he’s in there.” Jennifer Mercieca, "There’s an insidious strategy behind Donald Trump’s retweets," The Conversation, March 8, 2016 Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Adapt : : to make or become fit (as for a new use) often by modification ; It took Rachel a while to adapt to her new school, but she is settling in well now. torrent : (noun) A heavy, uncontrolled outpouring.; deluge, flood, inundation; She frowned and overwhelmed Pierre with a torrent of reproaches and angry words. flotsam : noun: 1. Goods found floating after a shipwreck. 2. People or things considered useless or unimportant. ; "Lawrence momentarily regretted having damaged the book, but he didn't bother picking it up. It could join the collection of flotsam on the floor." Cat Sebastian; The Lawrence Browne Affair; Avon; 2017. See more usage examples of flotsam in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 18, 2018***** heartsome : Chiefly Scot. giving cheer, spirit, or courage: a heartsome wine..; ... Pauline ... ended with a silvery laugh that made the silence musical with its heartsome sound. Louisa May Alcott, Pauline's Passion and Punishment, 1863 Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." Famish : 1 : to cause to suffer severely from hunger; "At first Bartleby did an extraordinary quantity of writing. As if long famishing for something to copy, he seemed to gorge himself on my documents. There was no pause for digestion." — Herman Melville, "Bartleby the Scrivener," 1853 specious : (adjective) Based on pretense; deceptively pleasing.; gilded, meretricious; "You are a specious fellow," returned Sir John, fixing his eyes upon him, "and carry two faces under your hood, as well as the best." leeway : noun: The amount of freedom to do something: margin or latitude. ; "And a lack of standard practices gives some firms leeway to cut corners." Companies' Green Strategies; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 30, 2016. See more usage examples of leeway in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you or your parents are immigrants, know that you are part of a proud American tradition -- the infusion of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth. -Michelle Obama, lawyer, First Lady of the US (b. 17 Jan 1964) *****January 19, 2018***** enfant terrible : French. an outrageously outspoken or bold person who says ..; I am the enfant terrible of literature and science. If I cannot, and I know I cannot, get the literary and scientific big-wigs to give me a shilling, I can, and I know I can, heave bricks into the middle of them. Samuel Butler, The Notebooks of Samuel Butler, 1912 Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." Homiletic : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a homily; "The first part is full of homiletic insight, the second replete with postmodern angst, the third quite beautiful in its claim to faith—even the somewhat attenuated faith of our present age." — Paul Lakeland, Commonweal, 23 Apr. 2010 voracious : (adjective) Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy.; rapacious, ravening; She was a voracious reader and loved to spend her afternoons at the library. jetsam : noun: 1. Goods thrown overboard to lighten a ship in distress. 2. Discarded material, debris, etc. ; "I yearn to be of the stars. We are all stardust, after all, having been created from jetsam of the Big Bang." A.J. Ullman; Drifting Falling; Moonshine Cove Publishing; 2017. See more usage examples of jetsam in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Only the madman is absolutely sure. -Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (18 Jan 1932-2007) *****January 20, 2018***** doodlesack : a bagpipe; You wouldn't happen to have brought a shawm or a doodlesack with you, by any chance? Or even a kazoo? Charlotte MacLeod, The Silver Ghost, 1988 Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." Trammel : 1 : something impeding activity, progress, or freedom : restraint — usually used in plural; In her memoir, the singer asserts that her musicianship was ultimately hampered by the trammels of fame. mensuration : (noun) The act or process of assigning numbers to phenomena according to a rule.; measuring; The mensuration of the faculties of the mind has, I believe, no place in the catalogue of known arts. groggy : adjective: Dazed, weak, or unsteady, as from lack of sleep, tiredness, sickness, intoxication, etc. ; "It kept the kids awake at night and left them groggy all the next day at school." William B. McCloskey; Warriors: A Novel; Skyhorse Publishing; 2017. See more usage examples of groggy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 21, 2018***** vulnerary : used to promote the healing of wounds, as herbs or other remedie..; She was now in an apartment of the castle, anxiously superintending the preparation of vulnerary herbs, to be applied to the wounded ... Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose, 1819 Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Bespoke : 1 : custom-made; "Matt, a lifelong collector of vintage and bespoke men's suiting, takes dressing for an occasion very seriously: black tie the first evening; blue jackets the second." — Pilar Guzman, Traveler, December 2017 pensive : (adjective) Deeply or seriously thoughtful.; contemplative, meditative, musing, pondering, reflective, ruminative, brooding, broody; Emma's pensive meditations, as she walked home, were not interrupted; but on entering the parlor, she found those who must rouse her. groggy : adjective: Dazed, weak, or unsteady, as from lack of sleep, tiredness, sickness, intoxication, etc. ; "It kept the kids awake at night and left them groggy all the next day at school." William B. McCloskey; Warriors: A Novel; Skyhorse Publishing; 2017. See more usage examples of groggy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 22, 2018***** featly : neatly; elegantly; Foot it featly here and there ... William Shakespeare, The Tempest, 1623 Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Extenuate : 1 : to lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of by making partial excuses : mitigate; Ryan's tardiness to work that morning was extenuated by the fact that his first meeting of the day was cancelled. solace : (verb) To give comfort or cheer to (a person) in time of sorrow or distress.; comfort, console, soothe; I grieved quietly and solaced myself with the knowledge that she was in a better place. groggy : adjective: Dazed, weak, or unsteady, as from lack of sleep, tiredness, sickness, intoxication, etc. ; "It kept the kids awake at night and left them groggy all the next day at school." William B. McCloskey; Warriors: A Novel; Skyhorse Publishing; 2017. See more usage examples of groggy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 23, 2018***** maladroit : unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless; lacking in adroitness: ..; He asked a thousand pardons of Madame la Duchesse for being so maladroit. William Makepeace Thackeray, The Newcomes, 1855 Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Leonine : : of, relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion; "Jamie has a leonine aspect, with a high clear brow and soft curls eddying over his ears and along his collar." — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, Harper's, March 2009 risible : (adjective) Arousing or provoking laughter.; amusing, comic, comical, funny, laughable, mirthful; The dramatic performance's unintentionally trite and risible dialogue drew hearty laughs from the audience. fabian : adjective: Avoiding direct confrontation; cautious; delaying. ; "But how could I confront Charlie with a letter which I had ferreted out from among his not-too-clean underwear? So instead I adopted a Fabian policy of watchful waiting." Erica Jong; Fear of Flying; Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; 1973. "David Hicks has yet to face prosecution largely because of the fabian strategy of delay adopted by his own legal team. The numerous requests for a postponement of proceedings filed by his lawyers make complaints about their client's detention without trial ring rather hollow." Brett Mason; Critics of the US tribunals turn a blind eye to the UN; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Dec 8, 2006. See more usage examples of fabian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee. -John Donne, poet (22 Jan 1573-1631) *****January 24, 2018***** quodlibet : a subtle or elaborate argument or point of debate, usually on a ..; And his majesty drove off, very much delighted with his last quodlibet upon the duke, whom he really hated. Alexandre Dumas (1802–1870), The Memoirs of a Physician, translated 1910 Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." Synchronicity : 1 : the quality or fact of being synchronous; "Part of the beauty of this set lay in the way Paterson, Sample and Hall functioned as a single rhythmic organism, their long years of partnership evident in the imperturbable synchronicity of their work." — Howard Reich, The Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2017 endocarp : (noun) The hard inner (usually woody) layer of the pericarp of some fruits (as peaches or plums or cherries or olives) that contains the seed.; pit, stone; I bit into the prune and nearly broke my tooth on the hard endocarp inside. stent : noun: A tube inserted into a blocked vessel to keep it open. ; "Dr. Zeeterman patted Charles's lower leg. 'Charles, can I interest you in a stent today? It would appear that your heart is hungry for a bit more blood than those clogged pipes are giving it.'" Gary B. Boyd; One Particular Patriot III; AuthorHouse; 2013. See more usage examples of stent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2018***** reverie : a state of dreamy meditation or fanciful musing: lost in reverie; Sometimes I'd lie quite still with my eyes closed for as much as half an hour, letting myself sink slowly into a state of reverie that was almost a trance. Christopher Isherwood, The World in the Evening, 1954 Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." Contrite : : feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming; "… York did in fact say he was sorry and was contrite about making that mistake." — Mark Purdy, The San Jose Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2017 commutation : (noun) (Law) The reduction in severity of a punishment imposed by law.; re-sentencing; The change from consecutive prison sentences to concurrent sentences is a commutation of punishment. hymeneal : adjective: Relating to a wedding or marriage. noun: A wedding song or poem. ; "There must be no love interest in the story. ... The business in hand is to bring a criminal to the bar of justice, not to bring a lovelorn couple to the hymeneal altar." S.S. Van Dine; Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories; American Magazine; Sep 1928. "In those uncivilised days, the Marriage Act had not been passed, and there was no convenient hymeneal registrar in England to change a vagabond runaway couple into a respectable man and wife at a moment's notice." Wilkie Collins; A Rogue's Life; Richard Bentley; 1879. See more usage examples of hymeneal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As the pain that can be told is but half a pain, so the pity that questions has little healing in its touch. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1862-1937) *****January 26, 2018***** Sisyphean : endless and unavailing, as labor or a task; Making himself useful as always, he took upon himself the Sisyphean task of keeping all those Modernist surfaces sparkling. Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, 2002 Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." Mansuetude : : the quality or state of being gentle : meekness, tameness; "… he espied over the plateau … the old brown villa itself, rich in memories of one after another of the family of the Antonines. As he approached it, such reminiscences crowded upon him, above all of the life there of the aged Antoninus Pius, in its wonderful mansuetude and calm." — Walter Pater, Marius the Epicurian, 1885 miry : (adjective) (Of soil) soft and watery.; boggy, marshy, mucky, muddy, quaggy, sloppy, sloughy, soggy, squashy, swampy, waterlogged; Right across the lower part of the bog lay a miry path. euhemerism : noun: The idea that gods are based on historical heroes whose stories became exaggerated in retelling. ; "I suspect that the scholarly assumption that somewhere beneath the legend there must lurk a real historical founder is a modern case of Euhemerism." Robert Price; Of Myth and Men; Free Inquiry (Buffalo, New York); Winter 1999/2000. Thought For The Day: Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2018***** flakelet : a small flake, as of snow; I am amazed before a little flakelet of snow, at its loveliness, at the strangeness of its geometry, its combination of angles, at the marvellous chemistry which brought these curious atoms together. Theodore Parker, Lessons from the World of Matter and the World of Man, 1865 Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Retrodict : : to utilize present information or ideas to infer or explain (a past event or state of affairs); Geologists have retrodicted the positions of the continents millions of years ago. mound : (noun) A collection of objects laid on top of each other.; cumulation, heap, pile, cumulus, agglomerate; At one point upon the bosom of the Thames there rises a few feet above the water a single, disintegrating mound of masonry. roland : noun: Someone who is an equal match for another. Typically used in the expression "to give a Roland for an Oliver" meaning "to give as good as one gets" (tit for tat). ; "My little lord, who was surrounded by savage women, poor thing, had the immense satisfaction of giving a Roland for an Oliver to an especially obnoxious young twit." Samara Al-Darraji; Eclipse; PublishAmerica; 2005. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2018***** earworm : Informal. a tune or part of a song that repeats in one’s min..; Despite the annoying times we can’t get a chorus or a hook of an overplayed pop song out of our heads, getting a really good earworm stuck can be one of the best things, ever. Blake Rodgers, "Weekend Earworms: Good Gracious, the Great Grammys of 1983!" Nerdist, February 12, 2017 Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Nebulous : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a nebula; "There's nothing quite like a literary trilogy. As a reader, there's something wonderful about seeing a story unfold over the course of three books; you get more detailed narrative than in a single book without having to deal with the nebulous endpoint of an ongoing series." — Allen Adams, The Maine Edge, 6 Dec. 2017 vengeful : (adjective) Disposed to seek revenge or intended for revenge.; revengeful, vindictive; The murderer believed he was being haunted by the vengeful ghost of his victim. roland : noun: Someone who is an equal match for another. Typically used in the expression "to give a Roland for an Oliver" meaning "to give as good as one gets" (tit for tat). ; "My little lord, who was surrounded by savage women, poor thing, had the immense satisfaction of giving a Roland for an Oliver to an especially obnoxious young twit." Samara Al-Darraji; Eclipse; PublishAmerica; 2005. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 29, 2018***** ad absurdum : to the point of absurdity; "Oh, if any argument's pushed ad absurdum ..." Fido controls her temper. Emma Donoghue, The Sealed Letter, 2008 Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Popinjay : : a strutting supercilious person; "Who does that guy think he is?" Amanda asked in regard to the popinjay who strolled into the restaurant demanding to be seated instantly. forswear : (verb) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure.; abjure, recant, resile, retract; "It's rank poison," said he, grasping the bottle by the neck, "and I forswear it! I've given up gambling, and I'll give up this too." roland : noun: Someone who is an equal match for another. Typically used in the expression "to give a Roland for an Oliver" meaning "to give as good as one gets" (tit for tat). ; "My little lord, who was surrounded by savage women, poor thing, had the immense satisfaction of giving a Roland for an Oliver to an especially obnoxious young twit." Samara Al-Darraji; Eclipse; PublishAmerica; 2005. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 30, 2018***** obsequious : characterized by or showing servile complaisance or deference; ..; At such a moment, the arrival of her friend was a sincere pleasure to Elizabeth, though in the course of their meetings she must sometimes think the pleasure dearly bought, when she saw Mr. Darcy exposed to all the parading and obsequious civility of her husband. Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813 Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Anthropomorphic : 1 : described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes; "This animated … comedy, about a depressed horse living among other anthropomorphic animals in a version of Hollywood, somehow explores the depth of human emotion in a way that few other shows do." — Bethonie Butler, The Washington Post, 10 Dec. 2017 infringement : (noun) An encroachment, as of a right or privilege.; violation; Before I could prove to them that this proceeding was a gross infringement on the liberties of the British subject, I found myself lodged within the walls of a prison. olid : adjective: Foul-smelling. ; "It was dark and musty, the carpet giving off an olid smell of mildew." Chris R. Jamison; The Chesler Legacy; Writer's Showcase; 2000. Thought For The Day: It is my belief that the writer, the free-lance author, should be and must be a critic of the society in which he lives. It is easy enough, and always profitable, to rail away at national enemies beyond the sea, at foreign powers beyond our borders who question the prevailing order. But the moral duty of the free writer is to begin his work at home; to be a critic of his own community, his own country, his own culture. If the writer is unwilling to fill this part, then the writer should abandon pretense and find another line of work: become a shoe repairman, a brain surgeon, a janitor, a cowboy, a nuclear physicist, a bus driver. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989) *****January 31, 2018***** fenestrated : Architecture. having windows; windowed; characterized by windo..; As you approach the formal entrance from State Street on the west, you're looking at five or six stories ... of ornately carved and fenestrated red sandstone. Sarah Andrews, Fault Line, 2002 Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Tincture : 1 : a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent; "You can find turmeric in powder culinary spice form and in its whole root form, as well as in tincture, tablets, and capsules." — Aly Walansky, PopSugar, 21 Dec. 2017 bobbin : (noun) A winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound.; spool, reel; Please thread the bobbin so that I can mend your shirt. latitudinarian : adjective: Holding broad and tolerant views, especially on matters of religion. noun: One who is broadminded and tolerant, especially concerning religion. ; "Contrary to the popular view of Muslims as dogmatic, however, a large majority of those living in America take a latitudinarian approach to Islam and the Koran. Pew found that nearly two-thirds (64 percent) 'openly acknowledge that there is room for multiple interpretations' of their religion, and just over half of all US Muslims agree that 'traditional understandings of Islam must be reinterpreted to reflect contemporary issues.'" Jeff Jacoby; When America's Melting Pot Works; Boston Globe; Sep 3, 2017. See more usage examples of latitudinarian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country ... and by living wages I mean more than a bare subsistence level -- I mean the wages of decent living. -Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President (30 Jan 1882-1945) *****February 01, 2018***** epistemic : of or relating to knowledge or the conditions for acquiring it; Debates over epistemic principles sound abstract, but they have enormous practical repercussions. For instance, in order to decide policy matters (like what to put in our textbooks and what to teach in science classrooms) we need to decide on the facts. Michael Lynch, "Defending Science: An Exchange," New York Times, March 11, 2012 Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." Irrupt : 1 : to rush in forcibly or violently; "Montaigne was attuned to the kind of 'involuntary' memory that would one day fascinate Proust: those blasts from the past that irrupt unexpectedly into the present, perhaps in response to a long-forgotten taste or smell." — Sarah Bakewell, How to Live, 2010 trounce : (verb) Come out better in a competition, race, or conflict.; beat, vanquish, crush, shell; Australia trounced France by sixty points to four. fuliginous : adjective: Sooty; dusky; obscure. ; "Each morning of her life, the City had been filmed in this airborne soot, a fuliginous mist." Mary Novik; Conceit; Doubleday; 2007. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 02, 2018***** oblivescence : the process of forgetting; Would that our sins had built-in qualities of oblivescence such as our dreams have. Iris Murdoch, A Word Child, 1975 Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." Preternatural : 1 : existing outside of nature; "[Steven] Spielberg has ridden his preternatural talent to a career that has brought in nearly $10 billion at the box office, around $3 billion more than his nearest competitor. He's the ideal of a Hollywood director." — Ryan Bort, Newsweek, 29 Sept. 2017 egoism : (noun) Concern for your own interests and welfare.; self-centeredness, self-concern, self-interest; As a man advances in life he grows more selfish; egoism develops, and relaxes all the secondary bonds of affection. emesis : noun: The act or process of vomiting. ; "If you feel nauseous, there are emesis bags in the side compartments." Alan "DOC" Jamison; Space Force: Alien Treasures; Strategic Book Publishing; 2013. See more usage examples of emesis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Let America be America again. / Let it be the dream it used to be. / Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed - / Let it be that great strong land of love / Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme / That any man be crushed by one above. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2018***** moxie : Slang. courage; nerve; determination; “The only safe thing is to take a chance,” she told Nichols, who was both amazed at her moxie and inspired by her trust in him. , "Sweet and Sour," The New Yorker, June 13, 2005 Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Divest : 1 a : to deprive or dispossess especially of property, authority, or title; The court's ruling does not divest the family of their ability to use the property. transmigrate : (verb) Be born anew in another body after death.; reincarnate; Oh, if our souls could transmigrate I'd be a seamew above all birds that fly. tautologous : adjective: Involving unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in different words, for example, a good-looking beautiful woman. ; "It is a bit tautologous, though. All it really tells us is that art affects the brain like art." Oliver Moody; What Can Monkeys and Orange Juice Tell Us About Bach?; The Times (London, UK); Oct 27, 2017. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 04, 2018***** byzantine : complex or intricate: a deal requiring Byzantine financing; “We’ve had the process referred to as byzantine, shrouded in secrecy, opaque. Yet this is the process that Congress designed, a process that not only demands confidentiality, but strict confidentiality. This is the system we’re tasked to administer,” Grundmann said. Joe Davidson, "Hill's workplace rights agency points to Congress for lack of transparency," Washington Post, December 1, 2017 Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Tucket : : a fanfare on a trumpet; "By this time the tucket was sounding cheerily in the morning, and from all sides Sir Daniel's men poured into the main street and formed before the inn." — Robert Louis Stevenson, The Black Arrow: A Tale of the Two Roses, 1888 relent : (verb) Give in, as to influence or pressure.; soften, yield; At first she wouldn't let them go to the cinema, but in the end she relented. tautologous : adjective: Involving unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in different words, for example, a good-looking beautiful woman. ; "It is a bit tautologous, though. All it really tells us is that art affects the brain like art." Oliver Moody; What Can Monkeys and Orange Juice Tell Us About Bach?; The Times (London, UK); Oct 27, 2017. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 05, 2018***** crump : to make a crunching sound, as in walking over snow, or as snow when ..; With the new snow flattening sounds he felt almost deaf or dreaming. His boots crumped down into it. Adam Foulds, The Quickening Maze, 2009 Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†Blench : : to draw back or turn aside from lack of courage : flinch; "I blenched when my son first introduced me to the initials IRL, meaning In Real Life, as opposed to the online world where he and his generation spend so much of their time." — Allison Pearson, The Daily Telegraph (London), 26 Apr. 2017 fetter : (verb) Restrain with fetters.; shackle; My foes fettered me hand and foot and imprisoned me in a dank dungeon. tautologous : adjective: Involving unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in different words, for example, a good-looking beautiful woman. ; "It is a bit tautologous, though. All it really tells us is that art affects the brain like art." Oliver Moody; What Can Monkeys and Orange Juice Tell Us About Bach?; The Times (London, UK); Oct 27, 2017. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 06, 2018***** cerebrate : to use the mind; think or think about; To think, then, is to cerebrate. To worry is to cerebrate intensely. George Wharton James, Quit Your Worrying!, 1917 Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Spavined : 1 : affected with swelling; The team is sadly spavined, and the new coaching staff will have to look to rebuild over the next couple of seasons. spittle : (noun) A clear liquid secreted into the mouth by the salivary glands and mucous glands of the mouth; moistens the mouth and starts the digestion of starches.; saliva; Her face…was distorted with passion, and in her tumultuous speech the spittle dribbled over her lips. snollygoster : noun: A shrewd, unprincipled person. ; "Where do you find lawyers like this snollygoster?" Malcolm Berko; Dunkin' Donuts May Be Full of Holes; Herald Sun with Chapel Hill Herald (Durham, North Carolina); Jun 10, 2012. Thought For The Day: In America, anybody can be president. That's one of the risks you take. -Adlai Stevenson, statesman (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2018***** lenity : the quality or state of being mild or gentle, as toward others; He confined the knowledge of governing within very narrow bounds, to common sense and reason, to justice and lenity, to the speedy determination of civil and criminal causes ... Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels, 1726 Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." Logomachy : 1 : a dispute over or about words; "All politics is local, and that goes double for school politics. But just what does 'local' mean? Georgians are going to have an argument about that word between now and the November referendum on the proposed Opportunity School District. A great logomachy over localism, if you like." — Kyle Wingfield, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11 Sept. 2016 midpoint : (noun) A point equidistant from the ends of a line or the extremities of a figure.; center; I measured the width of the picture frame and calculated its midpoint so that I could hang it properly on the wall. highbinder : noun: A swindler, gangster, or a corrupt politician. ; "At least 30 other states have seen their retirement investments fall. In New Mexico, some highbinders getting huge fees put plenty of money in risky investments." Leaders on Notice: Reform Pensions Now; The Santa Fe New Mexican; Sep 14, 2010. See more usage examples of highbinder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (6 Feb 1902-1994) *****February 08, 2018***** naissance : a birth, an origination, or a growth, as that of a person, an or..; If this was a period of Renaissance for Western Europe, was it not rather a Naissance for Russia? Mary Platt Parmele, A Short History of Russia, 1899 Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Carp : : to find fault or complain querulously; "The play begins in 1619, three years after his death, when a few of his former colleagues are carping about the pirated versions of his plays now cluttering London stages and bookstalls." — Alexis Soloski, The New York Times, 25 July 2017 madcap : (adjective) Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation.; brainish, impetuous, tearaway, hotheaded, impulsive; This madcap quest of mine, was it not understood between us...to be a fantastic whim, a poetical wild-goose chase, conceived entirely as an excuse for being some time in each other's company? wirepuller : noun: A person who manipulates or exerts control from behind the scenes. ; "Thurlow Weed, New York's cagey behind-the-scenes Republican wirepuller, was telling Lincoln that his reelection was now an impossibility." John C. Waugh; Lincoln and McClellan; Palgrave Macmillan; 2010. See more usage examples of wirepuller in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it. -Charles Dickens, novelist (7 Feb 1812-1870) *****February 09, 2018***** intersectionality : the theory that the overlap of various social identities..; Intersectionality tells us that there is no one singular experience for women because of the way gender works in conjunction with race, ethnicity, social class, and sexuality. Anna Diamond, "Making the Invisible Visible," Slate, September 3, 2015 acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Embargo : 1 : an order of a government prohibiting the departure of commercial ships from its ports; "The embargo has forced freight companies to find new routes. Indian food suppliers, for example, used to make a stop in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Now they fly their products on cargo planes direct to Qatar." — Zahraa Alkhalisi, CNN Money, 23 June 2017 plagiarize : (verb) Take without referencing from someone else's writing or speech; of intellectual property.; lift; At the beginning of the semester, the teacher warned her students not to plagiarize their reports because she would find out and fail them. four-flusher : noun: A pretender, bluffer, or fraudster. ; "Mr. Corbett was basically a four-flusher. He cut education funding in a monumentally shortsighted move and double-crossed the Post-Gazette for its 2010 endorsement." Dan Simpson; Giving Thanks for This and That; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Nov 26, 2014. See more usage examples of four-flusher in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2018***** fiddle-footed : Informal. restlessly wandering; Instead, they just kept moving, a pair of fiddle-footed ramblers, following the wind, until that drifting brought them out here. Robert Coover, Ghost Town, 1998 Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." Mnemonic : 1 : assisting or intended to assist memory; also : of or relating to a technique of improving the memory; James taught his students the mnemonic sentence "King Philip Came Over For Good Spaghetti" to help them remember the levels of biological classification (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species). repulse : (verb) Force or drive back.; drive back, fight off, rebuff, repel; The soldiers are armed and prepared to repulse any attack. jackleg : adjective: Unskilled; unscrupulous; incompetent. noun: An unskilled or unscrupulous worker. ; "A reader emailed: 'You forgot to mention how the jackleg preachers told you to put your hand on the radio to get your blessing and send $100, $50, $25, $10, $5, or $1 for the kind of blessing you want.'" Alonzo Kitterls; Thanks for Sharing Memories and Let's Share More; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Jan 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (9 Feb 1737-1809) *****February 11, 2018***** berceuse : Music. a cradlesong; lullaby; The berceuse is so soothing, it ought to send your husband to sleep ... A. R. Goring-Thomas, Wayward Feet, 1912 Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Instauration : 1 : restoration after decay, lapse, or dilapidation; "Once, humanity dreamed of the great instauration—a rebirth of ancient wisdom that would compel us into a New Age…." — Knute Berger, Seattle Weekly, 14 Dec. 2005 entresol : (noun) The floor just above the ground floor of a building.; mezzanine; While waiting for our room to be prepared, we sat down for a cup of coffee in the entresol of the hotel. jackleg : adjective: Unskilled; unscrupulous; incompetent. noun: An unskilled or unscrupulous worker. ; "A reader emailed: 'You forgot to mention how the jackleg preachers told you to put your hand on the radio to get your blessing and send $100, $50, $25, $10, $5, or $1 for the kind of blessing you want.'" Alonzo Kitterls; Thanks for Sharing Memories and Let's Share More; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Jan 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (9 Feb 1737-1809) *****February 12, 2018***** madeleine : something that triggers memories or nostalgia: in allusion to a ..; ... thus temporarily bringing the sounds and smells of his dream world to him, a madeleine of the ever-postponed future. Jane DeLynn, Real Estate, 1988 Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Recuse : : to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case; broadly : to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest; Because she was a frequent customer at the plaintiff's shop, the judge recused herself from the case. meager : (adjective) Deficient in amount or quality or extent.; scrimpy, stingy; So meager were their trappings that they were practically naked; a fact that was in no way remarkable among the tillers of the fields of Mars. jackleg : adjective: Unskilled; unscrupulous; incompetent. noun: An unskilled or unscrupulous worker. ; "A reader emailed: 'You forgot to mention how the jackleg preachers told you to put your hand on the radio to get your blessing and send $100, $50, $25, $10, $5, or $1 for the kind of blessing you want.'" Alonzo Kitterls; Thanks for Sharing Memories and Let's Share More; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Jan 4, 2015. Thought For The Day: The trade of governing has always been monopolized by the most ignorant and the most rascally individuals of mankind. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (9 Feb 1737-1809) *****February 13, 2018***** Aesopian : conveying meaning by hint, euphemism, innuendo, or the like: In t..; Gauss taught that past political thinkers wrote in a kind of code--an Aesopian language of double or multiple meanings--in order to avoid persecution in their own day and to communicate with contemporaries and successors who knew how to read between the lines, as it were. Terence Ball, Rousseau's Ghost, 1998 Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Adust : : scorched, burned; The adust landscape of volcanic rock and sand can be particularly beautiful at sunset. cannular : (adjective) Constituting a tube; having hollow tubes (as for the passage of fluids).; tubelike, tubular, vasiform; The nurse inserted the cannular needle in my arm and started giving me intravenous fluids. adonize : verb tr.: To make more attractive; to spruce up. ; "As before, the viscount had adonized himself. His nankeen trousers and deep green fustian coat covered a ruffled shirt and simple waistcoat." Jo Ann Ferguson; Rhyme and Reason; Zebra; 1997. Thought For The Day: The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) [Note: We have replaced the ATFT originally featured today. It was unsourced.] *****February 14, 2018***** ship : to take an interest in or hope for a romantic relationship between (f..; The characters are ‘shipped by enough people that the duo has a name: Reylo. Alexis Rhiannon, "Kylo Ren & Rey's 'Last Jedi' Relationship Is Tearing The Fandom Apart & Here's Why," Bustle, December 2017 Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Nuts : 1 : enthusiastic, keen; "On Friday nights, when my kids … were younger, we would sit and watch a film. It's a fantastic feeling when you see them getting drawn into something you love. My husband, Phil, and I are nuts about West Wing, and we've gradually got my son into that as well." — Rebecca Front, quoted in Good Housekeeping (UK), April 2016 enamor : (verb) To inspire with love.; bewitch, captivate, charm, entrance, enchant, beguile, capture, fascinate, catch; The vacationers were enamored with the charming island and extended their trip so that they could spend more time there. bogart : verb tr. 1. To hog or to take more than the fair share of something. 2. To bully, act tough, or to be belligerent. ; "The Hokies ... bogarted the ball for 22:49 of the second half's 30 minutes." David Teel; Hokies Can Cherish Season; Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia); Nov 26, 2017. Thought For The Day: If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. -Robert H. Jackson, US Supreme Court justice (13 Feb 1892-1954) *****February 15, 2018***** SOS : any call for help: We sent out an SOS for more typists; When an SOS is heard, there is an immediate response by almost anyone who is in a position to be of assistance and a prayerful response by those are unable to assist. Gilbert P. Pond, "SOS ... SAS," The Rotarian, July 1955 Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." Frolic : 1 : to amuse oneself : make merry; "Every year, Trolley Dances takes us on a unique journey.… Audiences are introduced to new, site-specific dance performances at stops along the trolley line…. In years past, for instance, dancers have frolicked in public fountains, executed seductive tango moves in a narrow alley and rolled down grassy slopes." — Marcia Manna, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Sept. 2017 dissect : (verb) To examine, analyze, or criticize in minute detail.; analyze, break down, take apart; They dissected the plan afterward to learn why it had failed. hooverize : verb tr., intr.: To be sparing in the use of something, especially food. ; "Read one wartime Valentine's Day poem: I can Hooverize on dinner And on lights and fuel too But I'll never learn to Hooverize When it comes to loving you." David Pietrusza; 1932: The Rise of Hitler and FDR; Lyons Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 16, 2018***** messan : Scot. a lap dog; small pet dog; They are good enough lads, Sholto and Laurence both, but they will be for ever gnarring and grappling at each other like messan dogs round a kirk door. S. R. Crockett, The Black Douglas, 1899 Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." Nebbish : : a timid, meek, or ineffectual person; Lyle may have come across as a nebbish, but he stood up to the bully who gave him a hard time—and the students in the cafeteria who witnessed the confrontation showed their support. inhale : (verb) Draw in (air).; breathe in, inspire; Every morning they go out to the yard, close their eyes, inhale the fresh mountain air, and meditate for an hour. molochize : verb tr.: To sacrifice. ; "Look to the skies, then to the river, strike Their hearts, and hold their babies up to it. I think that they would Molochize them too, To have the heavens clear." Alfred Tennyson; Harold; 1876. Thought For The Day: Secrecy, being an instrument of conspiracy, ought never to be the system of a regular government. -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 17, 2018***** objurgate : to reproach or denounce vehemently; upbraid harshly; berate shar..; Let his fellows grumble and objurgate, said he; they would cringe to him when he became a dragoman, with his pockets stuffed with piastres. Sabine Baring-Gould, The Book of Ghosts, 1904 Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Yuppify : : to make appealing to yuppies; also : to infuse with the qualities or values of yuppies; My sister rents an expensive apartment in a neighborhood that was recently yuppified. spellbound : (adjective) Having your attention fixated as though by a spell.; fascinated, hypnotized, mesmerized, transfixed; Nobody thought about her appearance when the power and magic of her voice caught and held her listeners spellbound. napoleonize : verb tr.: 1. To occupy or govern in a domineering or aggressive manner. 2. To aggrandize oneself. ; "Who does that Laura Walker think she is, showing up uninvited and Napoleonizing Lord Hugo's attention like that?" Katherine Kingsley; Once Upon a Dream; Dell; 1997. Thought For The Day: As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day. -Van Wyck Brooks, writer, critic (16 Feb 1886-1963) *****February 18, 2018***** glissade : a skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain, as on..; A rapid scramble down the shattered ridge to the col, and a careful kicking of steps along the first two or three hundred feet of the glacier which led northwards to our picnic place, then a glissade ... gradually easing off into a run down. T. Howard Somervell, After Everest: The Experiences of a Mountaineer and Medical Missionary, 1950 Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." Biddable : 1 : easily led, taught, or controlled : docile; "Unfailingly sweet and biddable (he never put his teeth on another creature—not even when he was bitten on the snout by a friend's ten-week-old puppy), we almost doubted his full canine credentials. No pack instincts? No resource guarding? No." — Mona Charen, The National Review, 23 Nov. 2016 verdant : (adjective) Green with vegetation; covered with green growth.; green, lush; Habituated to arid landscapes, the desert dwellers were shocked by their first glimpes of the verdant pastures. napoleonize : verb tr.: 1. To occupy or govern in a domineering or aggressive manner. 2. To aggrandize oneself. ; "Who does that Laura Walker think she is, showing up uninvited and Napoleonizing Lord Hugo's attention like that?" Katherine Kingsley; Once Upon a Dream; Dell; 1997. Thought For The Day: As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day. -Van Wyck Brooks, writer, critic (16 Feb 1886-1963) *****February 19, 2018***** bossdom : the status, influence, or power of a boss, especially a political ..; Señor So-and-so is the most powerful boss in the province of Tarragona, and even at that there are those who dispute his bossdom. Pío Baroja, Caesar or Nothing, translated by Louis How, 1919 Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Panegyric : : a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise; The club's president opened the awards ceremony with a touching panegyric for several prominent members who had passed away during the last year. begrime : (verb) Make soiled, filthy, or dirty.; bemire, colly, dirty, soil; Mother warned me not to begrime my clothes while playing outside. napoleonize : verb tr.: 1. To occupy or govern in a domineering or aggressive manner. 2. To aggrandize oneself. ; "Who does that Laura Walker think she is, showing up uninvited and Napoleonizing Lord Hugo's attention like that?" Katherine Kingsley; Once Upon a Dream; Dell; 1997. Thought For The Day: As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day. -Van Wyck Brooks, writer, critic (16 Feb 1886-1963) *****February 20, 2018***** thewless : lacking in mental or moral vigor; weak, spiritless, or timid; For indeed they were but thewless creatures, pallid with the damp caves of the moors, and so starved that they seemed to have eaten grass like Nebuchadnezzar. S. R. Crockett, The Cherry Ribband, 1905 Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Sanguine : 1 : bloodred; The coach insisted that he was sanguine about his team's chances in the playoffs, even though his star player was injured. fervency : (noun) Feelings of great warmth and intensity.; ardor, fire; She spoke about the shelter with so much fervency that you could not help but develop a similar passion for the cause. defeasible : adjective: Capable of being revised, defeated, or annulled. ; "Surely many moral duties are defeasible, and in that sense relative. We all recognize that although lying is typically wrong, under certain circumstances -- to protect someone's life, for example -- it is justifiable." Austin Dacey; Believing in Doubt; The New York Times; Feb 3, 2006. See more usage examples of defeasible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. -Constantin Brancusi, sculptor (19 Feb 1876-1957) *****February 21, 2018***** epigrammatic : terse and ingenious in expression; of or like an epigram; ... the dialogue is sanded and sharpened to an epigrammatic elegance ... Richard Brody, "'Phantom Thread': Paul Thomas Anderson's Furious Fusion of Art and Love," The New Yorker, December 27, 2017 Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Refection : 1 : refreshment of mind, spirit, or body; especially : nourishment; "… I should prefer that even in the 'Children's Houses' which are situated in tenements and from which little ones, being at home, can go up to eat with the family, school refection should be instituted." — Maria Montessori, The Montessori Method, 1912 pooh-pooh : (verb) Reject with contempt.; freeze off, spurn, disdain, scorn, turn down; Rose was troubled with nausea, but Martin pooh-poohed, as childish, the notion of dropping some of her responsibilities. usurious : adjective: Charging excessive rates, especially for lending money. ; "The scenario he and many others feared was ... the price would rise and rise until it began to rival the usurious rates that journals were charging, where for instance by 2011 a yearly subscription to the Journal of Comparative Neurology could cost as much as $25,910." James Somers; Torching the Modern-Day Library of Alexandria; The Atlantic (Washington, DC); Apr 20, 2017. See more usage examples of usurious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 22, 2018***** fantasticate : to make or render fantastic; Parallel universes are another trope borrowed from the repertory of science fiction. They are a marvelous convenience for authors who want to fantasticate at a high rpm without having to offer a rational explanation for the wonders they evoke. Thomas M. Disch, The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of, 1998 Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Demarcate : 1 : to fix or define the limits of : delimit; Treaty negotiations are underway, and both parties have agreed to accept whatever boundaries are demarcated in that document. misbehave : (verb) Behave badly.; misconduct, misdemean; If you misbehave, you will be sent to bed without supper. benthos : noun: Organisms that live at the bottom of a body of water. ; "At the meeting Tuesday, officials will describe the work they've done to document improvements in ... degradation of organisms in the benthos." Steve Orr; Taste the Difference?; Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (New York); Nov 15, 2015. See more usage examples of benthos in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I and the public know. / What all schoolchildren learn. / Those to whom evil is done. / Do evil in return -W.H. Auden, poet (21 Feb 1907-1973) *****February 23, 2018***** Rasputin : any person who exercises great but insidious influence; ... the dynamics of the situation do not permit him to be a Rasputin, whispering in Nixon's ear. David Nevin, "Autocrat in the Action Arena," Life, September 5, 1969 Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Plangent : 1 : having a loud reverberating sound ; The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of a coyote off in the distance. whimsical : (adjective) Determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason.; capricious, impulsive; He had an offbeat, whimsical sense of humor. gerent : noun: A ruler or manager. ; "Great deputy, the welkin's vice-gerent, and sole dominator of Navarre ..." William Shakespeare; Love's Labour's Lost; 1590s. Thought For The Day: Men are the devils of the earth and the animals are its tormented souls. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (22 Feb 1788-1860) *****February 24, 2018***** tutti : Music. all; all the voices or instruments together; He used to say that music could be either about almost nothing, one tiny strand of sound plucked like a silver hair from the head of the Muse, or about everything there was, all of it, tutti tutti, life, marriage, otherworlds, earthquakes, uncertainties, warnings, rebukes, journeys, dreams, love, the whole ball of wax, the full nine yards, the whole catastrophe. Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, 1999 Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." Meld : : to blend or mix together : merge; "Right away you perceive a chorus of instruments—trumpet, piano, saxophone and vibes—that have acquired the ability to meld their individual voices into a complementary, unified sound that delights the ears." — Ralph A. Miriello, The Huffington Post, 1 Jan. 2018 outstrip : (verb) Be or do something to a greater degree.; outdo, outgo, outmatch, outperform, surpass, exceed, surmount; When the demand for concert tickets outstrips supply, scalpers can make a significant profit. hyperborean : noun: An inhabitant of the extreme north. adjective: 1. Relating to the extreme north. 2. Very cold. ; "McIlroy was all set to marry tennis champion Caroline Wozniacki this summer, when he suddenly developed cold -- nay, hyperborean -- feet." Alex Beam; The Curse of the Bambina; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Oct 4, 2014. See more usage examples of hyperborean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 25, 2018***** mores : Sociology. folkways of central importance accepted without question ..; ... as Lincoln now feared, with the passing of this noble generation, “if the laws be continually despised and disregarded, if their rights to be secure in their persons and property, are held by no better tenure than the caprice of a mob, the alienation of their affections from the Government is the natural consequence.” To fortify against this, Lincoln essentially proposed that the national mores of America—taught in every classroom, preached in every church, proclaimed in every legislative hall—must revolve around “reverence” to the laws ... David Bahr, "Abraham Lincoln's Political Menagerie," Forbes, June 29, 2017 Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." Caravansary : 1 : an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night; Most of the area's hotels are on the pricey end of the scale, but there are a few caravansaries for budget travelers. undertow : (noun) The seaward undercurrent created after waves have broken on the shore.; sea purse, sea puss, sea-poose; The beachgoer was caught in the undertow and dragged out to sea. hyperborean : noun: An inhabitant of the extreme north. adjective: 1. Relating to the extreme north. 2. Very cold. ; "McIlroy was all set to marry tennis champion Caroline Wozniacki this summer, when he suddenly developed cold -- nay, hyperborean -- feet." Alex Beam; The Curse of the Bambina; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Oct 4, 2014. See more usage examples of hyperborean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 26, 2018***** hyetal : of or relating to rain or rainfall; What grand cause has operated to disturb the ordinary rate of hyetal precipitation ... is a question to be studied by climatologists. , "The Drought and Smoky Days in Central New-York," New York Times, July 23, 1864 Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." embezzle : (verb) To take (money, for example) for one's own use in violation of a trust.; defalcate, malversate, misappropriate, peculate; The director embezzled $34 million in company funds before he was caught. hyperborean : noun: An inhabitant of the extreme north. adjective: 1. Relating to the extreme north. 2. Very cold. ; "McIlroy was all set to marry tennis champion Caroline Wozniacki this summer, when he suddenly developed cold -- nay, hyperborean -- feet." Alex Beam; The Curse of the Bambina; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Oct 4, 2014. See more usage examples of hyperborean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 27, 2018***** goldilocks : (usually initial capital letter) not being extreme or not varyi..; For future generations to realize the search for distant “Goldilocks planets,” this generation must work harder to protect our own. Alan S. Fintz, "Letter to the Editor: The Good Earth," New York Times, February 1, 2011 Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." Validate : 1 a : to make legally valid : ratify; "Reaching home, I anxiously handed my report card to Mother. Validating my angst, she took it and reached into a battered shoebox containing the report cards of my older sister Tanja." — Charles van der Horst, The Herald-Sun (Durham, North Carolina), 6 Nov. 2017 skeptic : (noun) Someone who habitually doubts accepted beliefs.; doubter; Johnson was one of the skeptics who vigorously denounced Macpherson as a shameless impostor. deasil : adverb: In a clockwise direction. ; "The Celts favoured deasil, or sunwise, as a direction." Caitlin Matthews; The Celtic Tradition; Element Books; 1989. Thought For The Day: The first symptom of love in a young man is timidity; in a girl boldness. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2018***** ufology : the study of unidentified flying objects; The First International Congress on the U.F.O. Phenomenon, which ended here yesterday, brought the two groups uncomfortably together, and, after a week of heated debate, a single theory of ufology seemed further away tha[n] ever. Alan Riding, "Scientists and Laymen in Conflict At World Conference on U.F.O.'s," New York Times, April 25, 1977 Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Tenebrous : 1 : shut off from the light : dark, murky; "Stay close to me," said my brother as we walked through the tenebrous alley alongside the apartment building. accursed : (adjective) Under a curse.; maledict; Depraved as a girl, adulterous as a wife, an unnatural sister, homicide, poisoner, execrated by all who knew her, by every nation that had been visited by her, she died accursed by Heaven and earth. tantivy : adverb: At full gallop; at full speed. noun: A fast gallop; rush. adjective: Swift. interjection: A hunting cry by a hunter riding a horse at full speed. ; "He supposes himself as a wolf actually to have been galloping tantivy over hill and dale." Montague Summers; The Werewolf in Lore and Legend; Dover; 1933. Thought For The Day: Men of genius are often dull and inert in society, as a blazing meteor when it descends to earth, is only a stone. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882) *****March 01, 2018***** aberration : the act of departing from the right, normal, or usual course; They don't want to believe that the United States is opposed to action on global warming. They’d rather see the Trump administration as an aberration. Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer, "Introducing Our Newsletter, Climate Fwd:" New York Times, November 15, 2017 Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." Exegesis : : exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text; "He has … a real gift for exegesis, unpacking poems in language that is nearly as eloquent as the poet's, and as clear as faithfulness allows." — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 2 May 2016 rabid : (adjective) Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.; fanatical, overzealous; A rabid football fan, Jimmy paints his face with his team's colors before every game, even if he is just going to be watching it on TV. fain : adverb:1. Willingly; gladly.  2. Rather. adjective:1. Pleased.  2. Obliged.  3. Eager. ; "Now I would fain work, but am unable to." Henrik Ibsen (Translation: Edmund Gosse & William Archer); Hedda Gabler; Scribner; 1909. See more usage examples of fain in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Man is certainly stark mad: he cannot make a flea, yet he makes gods by the dozens. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 02, 2018***** phub : Slang. to ignore (a person or one's surroundings) when in a social si..; I found myself glancing at my phone in the middle of conversations ... conveniently forgetting how annoyed I felt when other people phubbed me. Catherine Price, How to Break Up with Your Phone, 2018 Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." Agon : : conflict; especially : the dramatic conflict between the chief characters in a literary work; "The agon of the central character, self-besieged or plagued by circumstance, runs through the history of the director's films, as does the suspicion that man's brutality to man may have a penitential purpose." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2016 triviality : (noun) Something of small importance.; small beer, trivia, trifle; He accused me of making a great fuss about trivialities. piecemeal : adverb: One part at a time; gradually. adjective: Done in stages. ; "Information is broken up piecemeal and then given out to the specific agents involved." Steven Savile & David Sakmyster; NDE: The Lazarus Initiative; Crossroad Press; 2015. See more usage examples of piecemeal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (b. 1 Mar 1939) *****March 03, 2018***** tzimmes : fuss; uproar; hullabaloo: He made such a tzimmes over that mistake..; Don't make a tzimmes out of it. You gonna upset the children ... Mary Doria Russell, Epitaph, 2015 Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." Nondescript : 1 : belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described; The famous spy was a quiet, nondescript man that people had a difficult time describing even a few minutes after meeting him, which was clearly an advantage in his profession. lissom : (adjective) Moving and bending with ease.; lithe, lithesome, supple, sylphlike, svelte, slender; The boys were batting at the nets, and they were lissom and strong and active. widdershins : adverb: In a counterclockwise, left-handed, or wrong direction. ; "There was a boat, 'The Messenger'. It went widdershins around the Middle Sea." Jim Webster; Dead Man Riding East; AUK Authors; 2012. Thought For The Day: Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving, novelist (b. 2 Mar 1942) *****March 04, 2018***** seriocomic : partly serious and partly comic: a seriocomic play; Suddenly, here toward the year's end, when the new films are plunging toward the wire and the prospects of an Oscar-worthy long shot coming through get progressively more dim, there sweeps ahead a film that is not only one of the best of the year, but also one of the best seriocomic social satires we've had from Hollywood since Preston Sturges was making them. Bosley Crowther, "The Graduate," New York Times, December 22, 1967 Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Elucidate : 1 : to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis; "In 'Darwin and the Meaning of Flowers' Sacks recounts how, late in his life and in poor health, Darwin turned his attention from animals to plants, continuing to elucidate his theory of evolution when he could no longer undertake voyages." — Suzanne Koven, The Boston Globe, 26 Nov. 2017 jodhpurs : (noun) Wide-hipped riding pants of heavy cloth, fitting tightly from knee to ankle.; riding breeches; When she opened the box and saw the neatly folded jodhpurs inside, she knew that her parents were finally going to allow her to take riding lessons. widdershins : adverb: In a counterclockwise, left-handed, or wrong direction. ; "There was a boat, 'The Messenger'. It went widdershins around the Middle Sea." Jim Webster; Dead Man Riding East; AUK Authors; 2012. Thought For The Day: Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving, novelist (b. 2 Mar 1942) *****March 05, 2018***** peculate : to steal or take dishonestly (money, especially public funds, or ..; The neglect of the Treasurer and the supineness of the President gave him the opportunity to peculate. , "A Defaulting Secretary," New York Times, October 14, 1884 Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Cursory : : rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty; James gave the instructions only a cursory look before he began to assemble the shelves and didn't realize until he was partway through that he would need a power drill. overstep : (verb) To go beyond (a limit); exceed.; transgress, trespass; The hotel was criticized for its $11 million Christmas tree adorned with gold and precious stones by those who felt it overstepped the bounds of taste. widdershins : adverb: In a counterclockwise, left-handed, or wrong direction. ; "There was a boat, 'The Messenger'. It went widdershins around the Middle Sea." Jim Webster; Dead Man Riding East; AUK Authors; 2012. Thought For The Day: Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving, novelist (b. 2 Mar 1942) *****March 06, 2018***** ergophobia : an abnormal fear of work; an aversion to work; He was examined by Dr. Wilson, who diagnosed the disease which had attacked him as ergophobia, (fear of work.) , "Bad Case of Ergophobia," New York Times, October 13, 1907 Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." Rabble : 1 : a disorganized or confused collection of things; The university chancellor required extra security to help get him through the rabble of protestors. cavort : (verb) Play boisterously.; frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, sport, disport; The children cavorted in the water, splashing and ducking each other. expergefaction : noun: 1. Awakening or arousing. 2. The state of being awakened or aroused. ; "It was as if the humans' sudden reappearance was an expergefaction; their great destructive potential inspired the actions that the prophets had not deemed essential only a few short weeks before." Ivan Henley; The Black Sword of Xorimahr; Writers Club Press; 2002. Thought For The Day: Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege. -William Beveridge, economist and reformer (5 Mar 1879-1963) *****March 07, 2018***** benighted : intellectually or morally ignorant; unenlightened: benighted age..; Beyond that, the continued association of pregnancy with sickness perpetuates the benighted notion of childbearing as a threat to ordinary human experience when many would argue that it is the singular manifestation of it. Ginia Bellafante, "Paid Parental Leave, Except for Most Who Need It," New York Times, December 1, 2017 Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." Scarify : 1 : to make scratches or small cuts in (something, such as the skin); "Recent harvests on city-owned land have removed on average about 50 percent of the standing biomass, which is not low-impact forestry. It is done with large, commercial-scale logging equipment that reduces biodiversity and scarifies the forest soil." — Ralph Baker, The Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts), 18 July 2017 pulsation : (noun) The rhythmic contraction and expansion of the arteries with each beat of the heart.; heartbeat; An icy hand seemed to grasp my heart and check its pulsation, as I bent over him, gazing with breathless intensity upon the ghastly, upturned face. vaquero : noun: A livestock herder: a cowboy. ; "'Our steeds need to drink for the day ahead,' the vaquero said." Rudolfo Anaya; My Land Sings; HarperCollins; 2001. See more usage examples of vaquero in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fame is very agreeable, but the bad thing is that it goes on 24 hours a day. -Gabriel García Márquez, novelist, journalist, Nobel laureate (6 Mar 1927-2014) *****March 08, 2018***** Minerva : a woman of great wisdom; God, it seems like I'll always have a Minerva by my side being a better person than I am. Julia Alvarez, In the Time of the Butterflies, 1994 Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." Woolgathering : : indulgence in idle daydreaming; My woolgathering in the backseat was abruptly interrupted by a question from the taxi driver. tinder : (noun) Readily combustible material, such as dry twigs, used to kindle fires.; kindling, spunk, touchwood, punk; One of the fishermen struck light from a stone, set fire to some tinder, and by the aid of a match lit a lantern. azymous : adjective: Unleavened; unfermented. ; "An oval plate stood there, with three fine white azymous loaves, placed on a piece of linen." Anne Catherine Emmerich; The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ; 1833. Thought For The Day: If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2018***** demonym : the name used for the people who live in a particular country, sta..; The word “Hoosier,” which today is the demonym used to describe people from the state of Indiana, is a mystery nearing its second century. It is one of the best-known irregular demonyms for American states, along with “Yankee,” referring to someone from New York (and sometimes expanded from that into the entire Northeast), and “Buckeye,” which refers to someone from Ohio. Dan Nosowitz, "The Unsolvable Mystery of the Word 'Hoosier'," Atlas Obscura, August 22, 2017 Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." fungicide : (noun) A chemical substance that destroys or inhibits the growth of fungi.; antifungal, antimycotic; Dr. Johnson prescribed a fungicide to treat her patient's athlete's foot. whipjack : noun: A beggar who pretends to be an out-of-luck sailor. ; "'I thought you were in the stocks as a whipjack, Bruce' said my master, hunting through his mantle for a coin." Michael Cadnum; Ship of Fire; Viking; 2003. Thought For The Day: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) *****March 10, 2018***** krummholz : a forest of stunted trees near the timber line on a mountain; A few miles away bare scree-covered slopes protruded from the gnarled krummholz, marking the trail's maximum height. Annie Proulx, "Testimony of the Donkey," Fine Just the Way It Is, 2008 Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." Meander : 1 : to follow a winding or intricate course; "The trail meanders through towering evergreens, over a creek and beside a waterfall." — Jim Ryan, The Oregonian, 7 Feb. 2018 self-sufficient : (adjective) Able to provide for or support oneself without the help of others.; self-sustaining; A strong and self-reliant man, he had all his life ignored companionship, had been well content to live without friends, self-contained and self-sufficient. vendible : adjective: Salable; marketable. noun: Something that can be sold. ; "Her first book became a best-seller. The Tenth Muse was listed among the most vendible books in London soon after it was published." Amy Alexander; Anne Bradstreet Didn't know The Definition of Stop; Investor's Business Daily (Los Angeles, California); May 9, 2008. "Silence is only commendable in a neat's* tongue dried and a maid not vendible."** William Shakespeare; The Merchant of Venice; 1596. *neat = bull **not vendible = not marketable, i.e. not marriageable, i.e. old See more usage examples of vendible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What has occurred over the course of the last few centuries is a growing (but by no means universal or certain) recognition that science gets the job done, while religion makes excuses. Sometimes they are very pretty excuses that capture the imagination of the public, but ultimately, when you want to win a war or heal a dying child or get rich from a discovery or explore Antarctica, you turn to science and reason, or you fail. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 11, 2018***** behindhand : late; tardy; "Hum!" cried the old gentleman, consulting a watch he carried. "I think we are twenty minutes behindhand." Horatio Alger, Randy of the River, 1906 Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. Lexicographer : : an author or editor of a dictionary; Noah Webster believed that a lexicographer's work was to document a language as it is used, without any judgment or subjective influence. get-go : (noun) The time at which something is supposed to begin.; commencement, offset, outset, showtime, start, beginning, kickoff, first; She knew from the get-go that he was the man for her. vendible : adjective: Salable; marketable. noun: Something that can be sold. ; "Her first book became a best-seller. The Tenth Muse was listed among the most vendible books in London soon after it was published." Amy Alexander; Anne Bradstreet Didn't know The Definition of Stop; Investor's Business Daily (Los Angeles, California); May 9, 2008. "Silence is only commendable in a neat's* tongue dried and a maid not vendible."** William Shakespeare; The Merchant of Venice; 1596. *neat = bull **not vendible = not marketable, i.e. not marriageable, i.e. old See more usage examples of vendible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What has occurred over the course of the last few centuries is a growing (but by no means universal or certain) recognition that science gets the job done, while religion makes excuses. Sometimes they are very pretty excuses that capture the imagination of the public, but ultimately, when you want to win a war or heal a dying child or get rich from a discovery or explore Antarctica, you turn to science and reason, or you fail. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 12, 2018***** paseo : a slow, idle, or leisurely walk or stroll; ... the theme of every evening's conversation at the different houses, and in our afternoon's paseo upon the beach, was the ship ... Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast, 1840 Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." Scilicet : : that is to say : to wit, namely; The organization's charter clearly states that "any changes to the structure of the organization's meetings must be unanimously approved by the executive board, scilicet, the chair and the board's six other members." bald-faced : (adjective) Brash; undisguised.; brazen, insolent, audacious, barefaced, bodacious, brassy; John's excuse for missing work was such a bald-faced lie that his boss immediately fired him. vendible : adjective: Salable; marketable. noun: Something that can be sold. ; "Her first book became a best-seller. The Tenth Muse was listed among the most vendible books in London soon after it was published." Amy Alexander; Anne Bradstreet Didn't know The Definition of Stop; Investor's Business Daily (Los Angeles, California); May 9, 2008. "Silence is only commendable in a neat's* tongue dried and a maid not vendible."** William Shakespeare; The Merchant of Venice; 1596. *neat = bull **not vendible = not marketable, i.e. not marriageable, i.e. old See more usage examples of vendible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What has occurred over the course of the last few centuries is a growing (but by no means universal or certain) recognition that science gets the job done, while religion makes excuses. Sometimes they are very pretty excuses that capture the imagination of the public, but ultimately, when you want to win a war or heal a dying child or get rich from a discovery or explore Antarctica, you turn to science and reason, or you fail. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 13, 2018***** paseo : a slow, idle, or leisurely walk or stroll; ... the theme of every evening's conversation at the different houses, and in our afternoon's paseo upon the beach, was the ship ... Richard Henry Dana, Two Years Before the Mast, 1840 Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. Croesus : : a very rich man; "Our young, handsome hero is an international man of mystery, fresh off the boat from London with no introduction but a note for a thousand pounds sterling, a fortune worthy of Croesus and enough to break a trading house." — Karen Heller, The Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2017 palpate : (verb) To examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid.; feel; The nurse palpated the patient's stomach but felt nothing out of the ordinary. scofflaw : noun: One who displays contempt for the law, especially in minor violations, such as failure to pay parking tickets. ; "The cop knew our address and would drive her home, which is why our scofflaw luckily never went to the pound. My mother would apologize, yet again, and pay the ticket." Amy Sutherland; Rescuing Penny Jane; Harper; 2017. See more usage examples of scofflaw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools. -Richard Steele, author and editor (12 Mar 1672-1729) *****March 14, 2018***** busticate : Northern U.S. to break into pieces; I'll have a sipe more of coffee, but if I eat another bite, I'll busticate. Ivan Doig, This House of Sky, 1978 Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. Laudable : : worthy of praise : commendable; Thanks to the laudable efforts of dozens of volunteers, the town's Winter Carnival was an enjoyable event for everyone. raillery : (noun) Light teasing repartee.; backchat, banter, give-and-take; Excitement instantly seized the whole party: a running fire of raillery and jests was proceeding when Sam returned. killjoy : noun: One who spoils the enjoyment of others. ; "Too often the authorities have shared the misconception that corruption in sport is essentially benign. Worried about appearing killjoys, they have let it be." Bigger than Blatter; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 6, 2015. See more usage examples of killjoy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Don't ask who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2018***** circumferential : surrounding; lying along the outskirts; of, at, or near th..; Now bees, as may be clearly seen by examining the edge of a growing comb, do make a rough, circumferential wall or rim all round the comb ... Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, 1859 Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. Invigilate : 1 : to keep watch; especially : to supervise students at an examination; Professors will take turns invigilating exams during the finals period. off-licence : (noun) A store that sells alcoholic beverages for consumption elsewhere.; liquor store, package store; He went into an off-licence to buy a bottle of cider. sawbones : noun: A doctor, especially a surgeon. ; "The sawbones then manipulated my right arm back into its socket and secured it in a sling." Christopher Joll; The Speedicut Papers 4; AuthorHouse; 2018. See more usage examples of sawbones in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2018***** bunglesome : clumsy or awkward; He is a little awkward, a little bunglesome in starting, but if you would--could exercise just a little patience for a few days--a day, I am sure he would please you. Oscar Micheaux, The Homesteader, 1917 Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. Telegenic : : well-suited to the medium of television; especially : having an appearance and manner that are markedly attractive to television viewers; The future looks promising for this charismatic and telegenic young politician. snigger : (verb) Laugh quietly.; snicker; The rude tourists snigger at the locals' outdated ways and dress. spoilsport : noun: One who ruins other people's enjoyment. ; "The most common misconception about the Puritans is that they were uptight spoilsports." Ralph Young; Dissent: The History of an American Idea; NYU Press; 2015. See more usage examples of spoilsport in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) *****March 17, 2018***** bunglesome : clumsy or awkward; He is a little awkward, a little bunglesome in starting, but if you would--could exercise just a little patience for a few days--a day, I am sure he would please you. Oscar Micheaux, The Homesteader, 1917 Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Anent : : about, concerning; "Whatever the case, the undertaking was soon abandoned in disappointment and apparently with strong feelings anent the region itself." — Wesley Frank Craven, The Southern Colonies in the 17th Century, 1970 habit-forming : (adjective) Capable of leading to physiological or psychological dependence.; addictive; Cocaine is a habit-forming drug. dreadnought : noun: 1. A fearless person. 2. A battleship armed with all heavy guns. 3. A thick cloth. 4. A warm garment made of thick cloth. 5. A type of acoustic guitar with a large body and loud sound. ; "Could he not see that the gullible young man they'd roped into this union had returned as a dreadnought?" Christine Merrill; The Secrets Of Wiscombe Chase; Harlequin; 2016. See more usage examples of dreadnought in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) [This quotation is unsourced.] *****March 18, 2018***** craic : fun and entertainment, especially good conversation and company (oft..; The public bar's men only so I haven't been in since we got back. ... I've been missing the craic there. Patrick Taylor, Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor, 2013 Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Uncanny : 1 : seeming to have a supernatural character or origin : eerie, mysterious; Our waiter had an uncanny resemblance to the creepy villain in the film we had just seen. unornamented : (adjective) Lacking embellishment or ornamentation.; unembellished, plain, spare, bare; Strangers, who saw her for the first time, saw a lady in the prime of her life—a lady plainly dressed in unornamented white. dreadnought : noun: 1. A fearless person. 2. A battleship armed with all heavy guns. 3. A thick cloth. 4. A warm garment made of thick cloth. 5. A type of acoustic guitar with a large body and loud sound. ; "Could he not see that the gullible young man they'd roped into this union had returned as a dreadnought?" Christine Merrill; The Secrets Of Wiscombe Chase; Harlequin; 2016. See more usage examples of dreadnought in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) [This quotation is unsourced.] *****March 19, 2018***** polemology : the analysis of human conflict and war, particularly internatio..; Closely related to the surge of interest in aggressive human behavior is the rise of a new science: polemology. Walter Sullivan, "An Attack on Man the Aggressor," New York Times, August 26, 1968 Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Farce : 1 : a savory stuffing : forcemeat; "The company's guarantee is a farce," Jay complained. "The replacement they sent broke even more quickly than the original." blackjack : (noun) A leather-covered bludgeon with a short, flexible shaft or strap, used as a hand weapon.; cosh, sap; He was beaten so badly with the blackjack that he suffered several broken bones. dreadnought : noun: 1. A fearless person. 2. A battleship armed with all heavy guns. 3. A thick cloth. 4. A warm garment made of thick cloth. 5. A type of acoustic guitar with a large body and loud sound. ; "Could he not see that the gullible young man they'd roped into this union had returned as a dreadnought?" Christine Merrill; The Secrets Of Wiscombe Chase; Harlequin; 2016. See more usage examples of dreadnought in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) [This quotation is unsourced.] *****March 20, 2018***** dornick : a small stone that is easy to throw; Indulging a few moments' contemplation of its freckled rind, I broke it open with a stone, a rock, a dornick, in boy's language. Mark Twain, "Mighty Mark Twain Overawes Marines," New York Times, May 12, 1907 Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Hachure : : to denote surfaces in relief (as on a map) by shading with short lines drawn in the direction of slope; "Topographic surveys were done for the first time with compasses…. And mapmakers developed new methods for depicting terrain. One method, called hachuring, used lines to indicate the direction and steepness of a slope." — Greg Miller, National Geographic, 16 Sept. 2016 ethnic : (adjective) Denoting or deriving from or distinctive of the ways of living built up by a group of people.; cultural; In my family, holidays are celebrated with lavish meals featuring ethnic foods that remind us of our ancestors' Eastern European roots. ambivalent : adjective: Having contradictory thoughts about something or someone. ; "She was ambivalent in her feelings, alternating between a joyful acceptance and an anxious resentment." Francis King; Prodigies; Arcadia Books; 2013. See more usage examples of ambivalent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's best to give while your hand is still warm. -Philip Roth, novelist (b. 19 Mar 1933) *****March 21, 2018***** disjune : Scot. Obsolete. breakfast; Take a disjune of muscadel and eggs! Ben Jonson, The New Inn, 1629 Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Yegg : : one that breaks open safes to steal : safecracker; also : robber; "Last Friday night while Sonoma peacefully slept a gang of yeggs, evidently professionals for they wore gloves to conceal all fingerprints, hammered away at the big safe of the Napa Milling Company, broke it open and escaped with $153 in cash, an account book and checks totaling $215." — The Sonoma (California) Index-Tribune, 6 Sept. 1935 bristle : (verb) Rise up as in fear.; uprise, stand up; The creaking of the house at night makes the hair on the nape of my neck bristle. trencherman : noun 1. A hearty eater. 2. A hanger-on; parasite. ; "The detective constable was attacking his food like a trencherman." Mike Hollow; Direct Hit; Lion Fiction; 2015. See more usage examples of trencherman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. -Fred Rogers, television host, songwriter, and author (20 Mar 1928-2003) *****March 22, 2018***** disjune : Scot. Obsolete. breakfast; Take a disjune of muscadel and eggs! Ben Jonson, The New Inn, 1629 Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Cadre : 1 : a nucleus or core group especially of trained personnel able to assume control and to train others; broadly : a group of people having some unifying relationship; "As an articulate woman proposing solutions to the ills of society, Lucy was no lone figure on the city's political landscape. Still, within a public arena of competing ideas and legislative initiatives, she occupied a prominent niche—a revolutionary cadre of one—and fought to stay in the headlines and on the front page." — Jacqueline Jones, Goddess of Anarchy, 2017 miserly : (adjective) (Used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity.; mingy, tight, mean; The necessity of disbursing passage money for all his tribe seemed to disturb him in a manner that was the more striking because otherwise he gave no signs of a miserly disposition. stridulant : adjective: Shrill; making a harsh grating sound. ; "They're ugly, come and see just how ugly they are, she repeats several times, her voice stridulant and too loud." Claudio Magris; Microcosms; Harvill; 2000. See more usage examples of stridulant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (21 Mar 1763-1825) *****March 23, 2018***** deracinate : to isolate or alienate (a person) from a native or customary cu..; Our parents sent us to those schools to deracinate us, to obliterate our class markings. Malcolm Knox, Summerland, 2000 Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Lugubrious : 1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful; "Most of the interviewees talk in the lugubrious tones of the defeated. We all know the story ends badly." — Bing West, The New York Post, 19 Sept. 2017 outwit : (verb) To get the better of by cunning or ingenuity.; outsmart, overreach, circumvent, outfox, beat; She managed to outwit the police and escape to the safe house with the loot. mondain : noun: A sophisticated man; a man belonging to fashionable society. adjective: Worldly; fashionable. ; "It's reassuring, however, to see even this seasoned mondain go weak at the knees when he meets Catherine Deneuve, while being arm in arm with Julia Roberts almost causes him a nosebleed." Jonathan Romney; Gatekeeping Without Tears; Film Comment (New York); Jul/Aug 2017. Thought For The Day: One day I was speeding along at the typewriter, and my daughter -- who was a child at the time -- asked me, "Daddy, why are you writing so fast?" And I replied, "Because I want to see how the story turns out!" -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) *****March 24, 2018***** oriflamme : any flag, banner, or standard, especially one that serves as a r..; I was so afraid you might think we ought to sort of wave the oriflamme of our unfettered love. Mary Renault, Purposes of Love, 1939 Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." cold-blooded : (adjective) Without compunction or human feeling.; inhuman, insensate, cold; These callous, cold-blooded killers butchered six people. artless : adjective: 1. Without guile; sincere; simple. 2. Free of artificiality. 3. Lacking art or skill. ; "District Judge Shawn Ho said both parties were like 'chalk and cheese' -- the pastor being 'polished and glib' and Mr Tay 'sincere, straightforward, and artless'." Elena Chong; Pastor Jailed Two Weeks for Road Rage; The Straits Times (Singapore); Jul 2, 2016. See more usage examples of artless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2018***** oriflamme : any flag, banner, or standard, especially one that serves as a r..; I was so afraid you might think we ought to sort of wave the oriflamme of our unfettered love. Mary Renault, Purposes of Love, 1939 Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." Vanward : : located in the vanguard : advanced; "[Joint venturing] opportunities now exist for vanward companies in a variety of industries, especially other financial services businesses and retailing." — Vikas Kapoor, American Banker, 6 Feb. 1998 top-notch : (adjective) Of the highest quality.; A-one, ace, crack, first-rate, super, tiptop, tops; Everyone wants a top-notch specialist when it comes to laser eye surgery. artless : adjective: 1. Without guile; sincere; simple. 2. Free of artificiality. 3. Lacking art or skill. ; "District Judge Shawn Ho said both parties were like 'chalk and cheese' -- the pastor being 'polished and glib' and Mr Tay 'sincere, straightforward, and artless'." Elena Chong; Pastor Jailed Two Weeks for Road Rage; The Straits Times (Singapore); Jul 2, 2016. See more usage examples of artless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 26, 2018***** genethliac : Astrology. of or relating to birthdays or to the position of th..; ... the mathematicians allow the very same horoscope to princes and to sots: whereof a right pregnant instance by them is given in the nativities of Æneas and Choræbus; the latter of which two is by Euphorion said to have been a fool; and yet had, with the former, the same aspects and heavenly genethliac influences. François Rabelais, The Third Book of Pantagruel, translated by John Ozell, 1738 Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." Thimblerig : 1 : to cheat by trickery; "Thimblerigging the market was such an accepted practice some traders were even taunted for not stealing enough." — Leah McGrath Goodman, The Asylum, 2011 gentility : (noun) Elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression.; breeding, genteelness; She was ladylike, too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days; characterized by a certain state and dignity, rather than by the delicate...grace which is now recognized as its indication. artless : adjective: 1. Without guile; sincere; simple. 2. Free of artificiality. 3. Lacking art or skill. ; "District Judge Shawn Ho said both parties were like 'chalk and cheese' -- the pastor being 'polished and glib' and Mr Tay 'sincere, straightforward, and artless'." Elena Chong; Pastor Jailed Two Weeks for Road Rage; The Straits Times (Singapore); Jul 2, 2016. See more usage examples of artless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 27, 2018***** genethliac : Astrology. of or relating to birthdays or to the position of th..; ... the mathematicians allow the very same horoscope to princes and to sots: whereof a right pregnant instance by them is given in the nativities of Æneas and Choræbus; the latter of which two is by Euphorion said to have been a fool; and yet had, with the former, the same aspects and heavenly genethliac influences. François Rabelais, The Third Book of Pantagruel, translated by John Ozell, 1738 Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." Bravado : 1 a : blustering swaggering conduct; The quiet, reserved actor is primarily known for playing characters who radiate bravado and swagger. repletion : (noun) The state of being satisfactorily full and unable to take on more.; satiation, satiety; Then Tarzan and Sheeta feasted to repletion. listerize : verb tr.: To make antiseptic. ; "[The quarantine authority] has thoroughly listerized a poultry farm suspected of bird flu infection." Macao Receives Safety Warrants from Mainland Poultry Exporters; Xinhua News Agency (Woodside, New York); Feb 11, 2004. Thought For The Day: Evidence is the only good reason to believe anything. -Richard Dawkins, biologist and author (b. 26 Mar 1941) *****March 28, 2018***** kismet : fate; destiny; In the way that a randomly shuffled song on your headphones can feel like thrilling kismet, suddenly, this semi-animate speaker seemed to belong in my home. Sarah Larson, "Yelling at Amazon's Alexa," The New Yorker, October 6, 2016 Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." Grandiose : 1 : characterized by affectation of grandeur or splendor or by absurd exaggeration; The committee eventually scaled back the most outlandish parts of its plans for the festival, including a grandiose scheme to bring in live peacocks for the event. wordless : (adjective) Expressed without speech.; mute, unspoken, tongueless; Never a hearty breakfaster, he had found himself under the influence of her wordless disapproval physically unable to consume the fried egg that confronted him. adulatory : adjective: Praising or admiring slavishly. ; "An emerging 'cult of personality' around the Chinese leader has seen him being bestowed with a range of adulatory titles, and one local official recently likened him to a living Buddhist deity." Neil Connor; Xi Jinping Cleared to Rule for Life as China Abolishes Term Limits; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Mar 11, 2018. See more usage examples of adulatory in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2018***** gadzookery : British. the use or overuse of period-specific or archaic expre..; The language is convincing, and free of the gadzookery of Elizabethan pastiche. Charles Nicholl, "Exiting the Stage," New York Times, January 25, 2013 Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." Delegate : 1 : to entrust to another; "He said the current board seems to delegate rather than take input and make decisions based on what the community wants…." — Derek Lacey, BlueRidgeNow.com (Henderson, North Carolina), 14 Feb. 2018 stoicism : (noun) An indifference to pleasure or pain.; stolidness; With the stoicism of the brutes who had raised him he endured his suffering quietly. babble : noun:1. Foolish, excited, or incoherent chatter.  2. A murmuring sound, for example of flowing water. verb intr.:1. To talk excitedly, excessively, or incomprehensibly.  2. To make a murmuring sound, as flowing water. verb tr.:1. To say something rapidly, excitedly, or incoherently.  2. To reveal something confidential carelessly. ; "The babble of voices, clinking chips and glasses, and gruff mirth assaulted Tyree's ears." Ralph Compton & David Robbins; The Evil Men Do; Signet; 2015. See more usage examples of babble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2018***** gadzookery : British. the use or overuse of period-specific or archaic expre..; The language is convincing, and free of the gadzookery of Elizabethan pastiche. Charles Nicholl, "Exiting the Stage," New York Times, January 25, 2013 Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." Manticore : : a legendary animal with the head of a man, the body of a lion, and the tail of a dragon or scorpion; The recently unearthed stela depicts a manticore and several other frightening and fantastic creatures. somber : (adjective) Grave or even gloomy in character.; melancholy; The Colonel, with little sense of humor and of the fitness of things, related a somber episode of those dark and bitter days. metathesis : noun: 1. The transposition of letters, sounds, or syllables in a word. Example: aks for ask. 2. In chemistry, double decomposition. ; "As Caractacus, Cedric was the heroic British chieftain who rebelled against Roman rule. As Cerdic son of Cymbeline, Cedric by metathesis was the founder of the kingdom of Wessex." Philip Howard; Column; The Times (London, UK); Mar 10, 1995. See more usage examples of metathesis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****March 31, 2018***** sepulcher : a tomb, grave, or burial place; The stale suffocating room felt like a sepulcher ... Sue Monk Kidd, The Invention of Wings, 2014 Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home." Parlous : : full of danger or risk ; "Back in Venice, he was restoring an apartment of his own …, a stately edifice constructed … in the mid-1600s that had fallen into a parlous condition." — Hamish Bowles, Vogue, March 2018 lenity : (noun) Mercifulness as a consequence of being lenient or tolerant.; lenience, mildness; I promise to show all the lenity in my power; but if the charges brought against this Bonapartist hero prove correct, why, then, you really must give me leave to order his head to be cut off. blate : verb intr.: To babble or to cry. adjective: Timid. ; "The sound of frogs blating like new calves from the culvert horn of the ramp." Janice Daugharty; Vision Quest; 2010. See more usage examples of blate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words. -Anna Sewell, writer (30 Mar 1820-1878) *****April 01, 2018***** kosher : Informal. a. proper; legitimate. b. genuine; authentic; This is kosher. I'm an officer of the court requesting assistance from a citizen. Loren D. Estleman, King of the Corner, 1992 Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Rectitude : 1 : the quality or state of being straight; As treasurer of the organization, she advocated a kind of fiscal rectitude that is widely credited with saving the organization from financial ruin. summerhouse : (noun) A small, roofed structure in a park or garden affording shade and rest.; gazebo; George decided that the summerhouse, open to the sights, smells, and sounds of the garden that Anna adored, would be the perfect place to ask for her hand in marriage. blate : verb intr.: To babble or to cry. adjective: Timid. ; "The sound of frogs blating like new calves from the culvert horn of the ramp." Janice Daugharty; Vision Quest; 2010. See more usage examples of blate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words. -Anna Sewell, writer (30 Mar 1820-1878) *****April 02, 2018***** shavie : Scot. a trick or prank; But urchin Cupid shot a shaft / That play'd a dame a shavie ... Robert Burns, "The Jolly Beggars," 1785 Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." Cuckoo : 1 : of, relating to, or resembling the cuckoo; One of the kids had some cuckoo theory about the house being demolished because of evidence of a UFO landing visible in the tiles of its roof. malign : (verb) Speak unfavorably about.; badmouth, drag through the mud, traduce; He is always maligning his wife when she is not around, telling people what a bad spouse and mother she is. blate : verb intr.: To babble or to cry. adjective: Timid. ; "The sound of frogs blating like new calves from the culvert horn of the ramp." Janice Daugharty; Vision Quest; 2010. See more usage examples of blate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We call them dumb animals, and so they are, for they cannot tell us how they feel, but they do not suffer less because they have no words. -Anna Sewell, writer (30 Mar 1820-1878) *****April 03, 2018***** inscape : the unique essence or inner nature of a person, place, thing, or e..; Spanish chestnuts: their inscape here bold, jutty, somewhat oaklike, attractive, the branching visible and the leaved peaks spotted so as to make crests of eyes. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–1889), "Journal for 1868," The Collected Works of Gerard Manley Hopkins, 2015 Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Abide : 1 a : to bear patiently : tolerate; Susan has been a vegetarian for years and can no longer abide even the smell of cooked meat. moonshine : (noun) Whiskey illegally distilled from a corn mash.; bootleg, corn liquor; I drank too much moonshine last night, and now I have a terrible hangover. droog : noun: A member of a gang; a henchman. ; "It was as if a gang of droogs had commandeered Hannibal's elephants and had them each step on that nail, one at a time." Dwight Garner; My Big Foot; Esquire (New York); Mar 2017. Thought For The Day: One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines. -Emile Zola, writer (2 Apr 1840-1902) *****April 04, 2018***** anecdata : anecdotal evidence based on personal observations or opinions, ra..; Please. Stop letting yourself get carried away based on random anecdata from the Internet. Julie Lawson Timmer, Five Days Left, 2014 Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." Sensibility : 1 : ability to receive sensations : sensitiveness; "In 1973, while heading the New York Philharmonic, he replaced the orchestra members' chairs with rugs and cushions, the better to appeal to the sensibilities of a young, post-hippie audience that regarded classical music as stuffy and pedantic." — George Varga, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2016 galvanize : (verb) To stimulate to action.; startle; The appeal has galvanized them into taking positive action. blatant : adjective: Conspicuously obvious or offensive. ; "Corruption takes many forms; in some countries it is blatant, in others it is barely visible." Murk Meter; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 28, 2010. See more usage examples of blatant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral. -John Burroughs, naturalist and writer (3 Apr 1837-1921) *****April 05, 2018***** mythoclast : a destroyer or debunker of myths; Tommy Moore, a life-long friend, an insatiable consumer of history, and a fellow mythoclast by constitution, accompanied me to the field on several occasions, and read sections of the working manuscript. Scott Stine, A Way Across the Mountain, 2015 Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." Career : : to go at top speed especially in a headlong manner; The nervous passengers gripped their seats and exchanged anxious looks as the bus careered down the icy road. ingest : (verb) To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption.; consume, have, take in; Chocolate can be lethal to dogs if they ingest too much of it. hotsy-totsy or hotsie-totsie : adjective: 1. Just right; perfect. 2. Haughty; pretentious. ; "You have to pursue her. Go after her, let her know you think she's hotsy-totsy, ask her out." Constance C. Greene; The Love Letters of J. Timothy Owen; HarperCollins; 1986. Thought For The Day: We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2018***** Shangri-la : a faraway haven or hideaway of idyllic beauty and tranquility; A small settlement wedged between fjord-like Lake Chelan and the jagged eastern slopes of the Cascades, Stehekin has several comfortable lodges, an excellent bakery and, best of all, relatively few visitors. ... First, of course, we had to get to this little Shangri-La. Ethan Todras-Whitehill, "In the Cascades, a Trifecta for Outdoor Enthusiasts," New York Times, September 17, 2014 Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." Veld : : a grassland especially of southern Africa usually with scattered shrubs or trees; "In the South African cakes you'll find marula—a fruit that grows in the veld, typically used to make a popular liqueur—and naartjie, a type of sweet mandarin orange." — Kristen Hartke, The Washington Post, 23 Aug. 2017 heinous : (adjective) Grossly wicked or reprehensible; abominable.; flagitious; Abusing an animal is a heinous act. frumious : adjective: Very angry. ; "As the weeks passed, the frumious language that his supporters used all sounded more and more like the outcry of people sure that they would be cheated of their due." Mark Wahlgren Summers; The Ordeal of the Reunion; UNC Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 07, 2018***** mushyheaded : Informal. inadequately thought out: mushyheaded ideas; Hard-headed because it accepts self-interest as the basic human motivator and does not wish it away into what Alinsky considers the mushy-headed idea that people will do good because they believe in the good. Frank Bardacke, Trampling Out the Vintage, 2011 Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." Ineluctable : : not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable; "Mr. Unkrich faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he believed that artists should not be restricted to 'only telling stories about what they know and their own culture.' But he also needed to safeguard against his ineluctable biases and blind spots, and ensure that his film didn't 'lapse into cliché or stereotype.'" — Reggie Ugwu, The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2017 greave : (noun) Armor plate that protects legs below the knee.; jambeau; They then stripped him of a jacket that he wore over his armor, and they would have stripped off his stockings if his greaves had not prevented them. boondoggle : noun:1. A pointless project funded as a political favor.  2. A holiday trip to an exotic location, disguised as a business trip.  3. Braided cord, made of plastic strips, fabric, etc. verb intr.:1. To do useless or trivial work.  2. To go on a business trip in which the real purpose is relaxation or fun.  3. To braid plastic strips, fabric, etc. ; "Officials thoroughly understood Seattleites' concerns that the new arena was a boondoggle benefiting mainly sports franchise owners." Bill Mullins; Becoming Big League; University of Washington Press; 2013. "Jeffrey Neely, the General Services Administration employee pictured in a hot tub sipping wine on taxpayer money, retired with full benefits after the lavish 2010 Las Vegas boondoggle he planned was uncovered in the media." Betsy McCaughey; Liberty Belle; Creators Publishing; 2015. See more usage examples of boondoggle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2018***** phraseology : manner or style of verbal expression; characteristic language:..; The will is not exactly proper in legal phraseology. George Bernard Shaw, The Devil's Disciple, 1897 Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." Reify : : to consider or represent (something abstract) as a material or concrete thing : to give definite content and form to (a concept or idea); "Increased awareness of automated surveillance, in other words, is most effective at demystifying the systems doing the watching, not reifying their wisdom and authority." — John Herrman, The New York Times, 14 Jan. 2018 quondam : (adjective) Belonging to some prior time.; erstwhile, one-time, sometime, former, old; The employers' associations, that had helped the captains of industry to tear and rend labor, were now torn and rent by their quondam allies. boondoggle : noun:1. A pointless project funded as a political favor.  2. A holiday trip to an exotic location, disguised as a business trip.  3. Braided cord, made of plastic strips, fabric, etc. verb intr.:1. To do useless or trivial work.  2. To go on a business trip in which the real purpose is relaxation or fun.  3. To braid plastic strips, fabric, etc. ; "Officials thoroughly understood Seattleites' concerns that the new arena was a boondoggle benefiting mainly sports franchise owners." Bill Mullins; Becoming Big League; University of Washington Press; 2013. "Jeffrey Neely, the General Services Administration employee pictured in a hot tub sipping wine on taxpayer money, retired with full benefits after the lavish 2010 Las Vegas boondoggle he planned was uncovered in the media." Betsy McCaughey; Liberty Belle; Creators Publishing; 2015. See more usage examples of boondoggle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 09, 2018***** mea culpa : an acknowledgment of one's responsibility for a fault or error; Facebook was reluctant, however, to issue any mea culpas or action plans with regard to the problem of filter bubbles or Facebook’s noted propensity to serve as a tool for amplifying outrage. Nicholas Thompson and Fred Vogelstein, "Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook--and the World," Wired, February 12, 2018 Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." Bastion : 1 : a projecting part of a fortification; "For a century, the automobile has been a bastion of liberty, freeing up almost everybody from the tyranny of other people's schedules." — Charles C. W. Cooke, The National Review, 18 Dec. 2017 squashy : (adjective) (Of soil) soft and watery.; boggy, marshy, miry, mucky, muddy, quaggy, sloughy, soggy, swampy, waterlogged, sloppy; The grass began to get squashy, and Kala Nag's feet sucked and squelched as he put them down. boondoggle : noun:1. A pointless project funded as a political favor.  2. A holiday trip to an exotic location, disguised as a business trip.  3. Braided cord, made of plastic strips, fabric, etc. verb intr.:1. To do useless or trivial work.  2. To go on a business trip in which the real purpose is relaxation or fun.  3. To braid plastic strips, fabric, etc. ; "Officials thoroughly understood Seattleites' concerns that the new arena was a boondoggle benefiting mainly sports franchise owners." Bill Mullins; Becoming Big League; University of Washington Press; 2013. "Jeffrey Neely, the General Services Administration employee pictured in a hot tub sipping wine on taxpayer money, retired with full benefits after the lavish 2010 Las Vegas boondoggle he planned was uncovered in the media." Betsy McCaughey; Liberty Belle; Creators Publishing; 2015. See more usage examples of boondoggle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 10, 2018***** balladmonger : an inferior poet; I had rather be a kitten, and cry mew, Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers ... William Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part 1, 1598 Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." Maladroit : : lacking skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations : inept; Any project, however carefully planned, is doomed to fail under maladroit management. mix-up : (noun) A mistake that results from taking one thing to be another.; confusion; Due to a mix-up over travel arrangements, I missed my flight and had to rent a car and drive the 700 miles home. ceilidh : noun: A social gathering, typically involving folk music, dancing, and storytelling. ; "'I hear you were at the ceilidh last night,' said Priscilla. ... 'That's right. It was fun. I had a good time.'" Katriena Knights; Where There's a Will; eXtasy Books; 2018. See more usage examples of ceilidh in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bad weather always looks worse through a window. -Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician (b. 9 Apr 1928) *****April 11, 2018***** astroturfing : the deceptive tactic of simulating grassroots support for a p..; An aide said Mr. Markey hoped to combat the tactic of astroturfing in which a professional lobbying effort is made to seem like a grass-roots movement. Stephanie Strom, "Coal Group Is Linked to Fake Letters on Climate Bill," New York Times, August 4, 2009 Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." Kitsch : 1 : something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality; Geraldine was amused by the kitsch sold in the roadside souvenir shop, but she wasn't tempted to buy anything. chirpy : (adjective) Characterized by liveliness and lightheartedness.; perky, buoyant; You're very chirpy today—have you won the lottery or something? sophrosyne : noun: Soundness of mind, as expressed in moderation, self-control, and prudence. ; "In this sense, sophrosyne seems to be the key to the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not only to break the vicious cycle of violence that holds the two sides captive but also to support the idea of nonviolent resistance." Carlos Fraenkel; Teaching Plato in Palestine; Dissent (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Spring 2007. Thought For The Day: You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 12, 2018***** mercurial : changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial natu..; A mercurial woman, elusive in her lifetime, Anne is still changing centuries after her death, carrying the projections of those who read and write about her. Hilary Mantel, "Author's Note," Bring Up the Bodies, 2012 Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." Defer : 1 : put off, delay; "She made suggestions including deferring the decision again, as well as opening the opportunity for more applicants to be considered…." — Kelly Fisher, The Tennessean, 17 Jan. 2018 ill-fated : (adjective) Marked by or promising bad fortune.; ill-omened, ill-starred, unlucky, doomed; Freed after months of captivity, the aid workers are relieved to have survived their ill-fated trip abroad. segue : verb intr.: To make a smooth transition from one section or topic to another, in conversation, music, film. etc. noun: A smooth transition from one section or topic to another. ; "Mum had this remarkable ability to segue from handball to Mark Twain." Robyn Doreian; What I Know About Women; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Mar 11, 2018. See more usage examples of segue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead. -Leo Rosten, author (11 Apr 1908-1997) *****April 13, 2018***** mercurial : changeable; volatile; fickle; flighty; erratic: a mercurial natu..; A mercurial woman, elusive in her lifetime, Anne is still changing centuries after her death, carrying the projections of those who read and write about her. Hilary Mantel, "Author's Note," Bring Up the Bodies, 2012 Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Newfangled : 1 : attracted to novelty; "If you're more like me and less like the authors of Fortune's outstanding blockchain and cryptocurrency site The Ledger, this newfangled stuff is more often than not clear as mud. I don't intend to completely elucidate it for you in one day." — Adam Lashinsky, Fortune.com, 7 Mar. 2018 caries : (noun) Soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth.; tooth decay, cavity; Failure to properly care for one's teeth can lead to the development of painful caries. hors d'oeuvre : noun: An extra little dish outside of and smaller than the main course, usually served first. ; "An aunt sued her nephew for jumping into her arms, causing her to fall and break her wrist. She said her busy life in Manhattan had been ruined and she found it hard to hold a plate of hors d'oeuvres. The jury didn't embrace her arguments and took just 15 minutes to decide that the boy was not negligent." Politics This Week; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 15, 2015. See more usage examples of hors d'oeuvre in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 14, 2018***** carking : Archaic. distressful; Laranger's answering smile showed no trace of the carking anxiety and deadly uncertainty which filled him at the thought of the future. Joseph B. Ames, "The Secret of Spirit Lake," Boys' Life, September 1927 Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." Aegis : 1 : a shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena; The matter will be dealt with under the aegis of the ethics committee. faint-hearted : (adjective) Lacking conviction or boldness or courage.; timid; Crupp...became within a few days so faint-hearted, that rather than encounter my aunt upon the staircase, she would endeavor to hide her portly form behind doors...or would shrink into dark corners. halfpenny : noun:1. A British coin representing half a penny.  2. A sum of half a penny. adjective:1. Worth half a penny.  2. Worth very little. ; "The Iraqis, by contrast, were led by a halfpenny Hitler." Gerald Parshall; The Diplomatists: Powell & Schwarzkopf; US News & World Report (Washington, DC); Mar 16, 1998. See more usage examples of halfpenny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) *****April 15, 2018***** pantofle : a slipper; "I've lost a pantofle!" he whispered desperately. Sally Watson, The Outrageous Oriel, 2006 Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." Succinct : : marked by compact precise expression without wasted words; "[Ninni] Holmqvist's writing is spare in style, elegantly succinct, but the layers of the world she's created are manifold." — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 25 July 2017 singsong : (adjective) Uttered in a monotonous cadence or rhythm as in chanting.; chantlike, intoned; The art of his reading was supposed to lie in rolling out the words, quite independently of their meaning, in a loud and singsong voice alternating between a despairing wail and a tender murmur. halfpenny : noun:1. A British coin representing half a penny.  2. A sum of half a penny. adjective:1. Worth half a penny.  2. Worth very little. ; "The Iraqis, by contrast, were led by a halfpenny Hitler." Gerald Parshall; The Diplomatists: Powell & Schwarzkopf; US News & World Report (Washington, DC); Mar 16, 1998. See more usage examples of halfpenny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) *****April 16, 2018***** pantofle : a slipper; "I've lost a pantofle!" he whispered desperately. Sally Watson, The Outrageous Oriel, 2006 Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." Founder : 1 : to make or become disabled or lame; As the vessel began to founder, the captain ordered everyone on board to prepare to abandon ship. argus-eyed : (adjective) Carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger.; open-eyed, vigilant, wakeful; I prefer to be good because it is good to be good, rather than because I can't be bad because some argus-eyed old frump won't let me have a chance to be bad. halfpenny : noun:1. A British coin representing half a penny.  2. A sum of half a penny. adjective:1. Worth half a penny.  2. Worth very little. ; "The Iraqis, by contrast, were led by a halfpenny Hitler." Gerald Parshall; The Diplomatists: Powell & Schwarzkopf; US News & World Report (Washington, DC); Mar 16, 1998. See more usage examples of halfpenny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) *****April 17, 2018***** purse-proud : proud of one's wealth, especially in an arrogant or showy mann..; London was still London ... heavy, clumsy, arrogant, purse-proud but not cheap; insular but large; barely tolerant of an outside world, and absolutely self-confident. Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1918 Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." Vulnerable : 1 : capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; The article reminds readers to install the latest antivirus software on their computers so that they will not be vulnerable to malware and viruses. waffle : (verb) Pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness.; hesitate, waver; The mayoral candidate waffled on his position regarding abortion and gay rights. monophobia : noun: A fear of being alone. ; "Some nights, Wally would lose sleep trying to figure out a means to combat his monophobia through exposure. How do you expose yourself to solitude gradually? Start in a room of ten people then slowly have them leave until it's only you remaining?" Jeff Spanke; Second Hand Out; Boom Shadow Books; 2008. Thought For The Day: Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 18, 2018***** purse-proud : proud of one's wealth, especially in an arrogant or showy mann..; London was still London ... heavy, clumsy, arrogant, purse-proud but not cheap; insular but large; barely tolerant of an outside world, and absolutely self-confident. Henry Adams, The Education of Henry Adams, 1918 Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." Onomatopoeia : 1 : the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (such as buzz, hiss) ; "The 'whiz'—or is it the 'whoosh,' or maybe 'sh-sh-sh-sh-sh'?—of an ace being served is described … by rival tennis players in the opening moments of Anna Ziegler's 'The Last Match.' The speakers concede, though, that an onomatopoeia doesn't do the job of explaining what it's like to have a meteoric ball hurtling past your ears, shattering your hopes if not the sound barrier." — Ben Brantley, The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2017 imperil : (verb) Pose a threat to; present a danger to.; endanger, jeopardize, menace, threaten; You imperil the lives of other road users by driving drunk. sitomania : noun: An abnormal craving for food. ; "Although Chipley found sitomania in patients from a broad range of social and age groups, he identified a special form of the disease that afflicted adolescent girls." Kenneth F. Kiple; The Cambridge World History of Human Disease; Cambridge University Press; 1993. Thought For The Day: If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. -Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (17 Apr 1885-1962) *****April 19, 2018***** booklore : facts and information about books, especially about authors and c..; Besides reviving interest in booklore generally and bringing about the secularization of many of the great libraries, the influence of Humanism and of the Reformation also resulted in demands that libraries be opened to the public. H. H. Bockwitz, "Books--In Spite of Fire and Sword," The Rotarian, December 1936 Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." Embarrass : 1 a : to cause to experience a state of self-conscious distress; He was embarrassed to discover that he had been talking to prospective clients all day with a piece of spinach lodged in his teeth. judder : (verb) Shake or vibrate rapidly and intensively.; shake; The old engine was juddering and smoking, so I took the car to the mechanic. ailurophobia : noun: A fear of cats. ; "He didn't mention that some people are downright scared to death of cats. But that's OK because most people don't understand ailurophobia anyway. That's why we lie and say we're allergic when we turn down dinner invitations to a cat lover's home." Dahleen Glanton; Chicago's Rat Problem Gnaws at Feline Fears; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Nov 2, 2017. See more usage examples of ailurophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I'm beginning to believe it. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2018***** booklore : facts and information about books, especially about authors and c..; Besides reviving interest in booklore generally and bringing about the secularization of many of the great libraries, the influence of Humanism and of the Reformation also resulted in demands that libraries be opened to the public. H. H. Bockwitz, "Books--In Spite of Fire and Sword," The Rotarian, December 1936 Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." Headlong : 1 : with the head foremost; He's impulsive when it comes to romance and often rushes headlong into relationships, with little thought given to their long-term viability. reaper : (noun) Someone who helps to gather the harvest.; harvester; He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knive, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. pyromania : noun: An obsessive impulse to start fires. ; "'To play with fire is a lovely thing,' the Argentine native Norberto Piattoni, the executive chef at this airy South American eatery, told a patron recently. Rarely has a restaurant been so transparent with its pyromania." Jiayang Fan; Metta; The New Yorker; Sep 11, 2017. See more usage examples of pyromania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 21, 2018***** neatnik : Slang. a person who is extremely neat about surroundings, appearan..; This yard scrubbing leaves the neatnik poised and ready to intercept the very first leaf to yield to gravity. Adrian Higgins, "Americans love mulch--and many of us are misusing it," Washington Post, September 13, 2017 Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." Bloviate : : to speak or write verbosely and windily; "It's a slow night. Just a couple of other regulars and our usual bartender, a bright, young fellow who seems to enjoy his customers' company, despite our tendency to bloviate." — Bruce VanWyngarden, The Memphis Flyer, 15 Feb. 2018 saunter : (verb) Walk leisurely and with no apparent aim.; stroll; The teacher watched his students saunter back into the school building after lunch, apparently in no hurry to get to class on time. claustrophobia : noun: A fear of being in a confined place or a restrictive situation. ; "Part of the opera's strength is the way it conveys the claustrophobia of life on a ship, says Sir Andrew. The stage is crowded with sweaty men shoved together in grim circumstances." High Notes; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 10, 2013. See more usage examples of claustrophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) *****April 22, 2018***** biophilia : a love of life and the living world; the affinity of human being..; Indeed, on a per-capita basis, New Zealand may be the most nature-loving nation on the planet. With a population of just four and a half million, the country has some four thousand conservation groups. But theirs is, to borrow E. O. Wilson’s term, a bloody, bloody biophilia. Elizabeth Kolbert, "The Big Kill," The New Yorker, December 22 & 29, 2014 Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." Grudging : 1 : unwilling, reluctant; "The class differences between teacher and students are so pronounced that they threaten to plunge the film into a schoolhouse drama—that well-worn genre in which a charismatic authority figure, inevitably likable yet inevitably tough, gains her students' grudging respect and eventual trust." — Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times, 22 Mar. 2018 mensurable : (adjective) Capable of being measured.; measurable; The mensurable increase in the cost of oil has had wide-reaching effects on the country's economy. claustrophobia : noun: A fear of being in a confined place or a restrictive situation. ; "Part of the opera's strength is the way it conveys the claustrophobia of life on a ship, says Sir Andrew. The stage is crowded with sweaty men shoved together in grim circumstances." High Notes; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 10, 2013. See more usage examples of claustrophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) *****April 23, 2018***** Falstaffian : of, relating to, or having the qualities of Falstaff, especial..; You couldn't see the top of the harvest table for all the dishes and wine bottles, but I could see Paul presiding at the far end: bawdy, Falstaffian. Robert Hellenga, The Confessions of Frances Godwin, 2014 Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." Traduce : 1 : to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation; "Here, at last, was someone prepared publicly to speak up for the BBC when so many others were seeking to traduce and destroy it." — Jason Cowley, New Statesman, 19 Nov. 2012 hebdomadal : (adjective) Of or occurring every seven days.; weekly; A little solace came at tea-time, in the shape of a double ration of bread...with the delicious addition of a thin scrape of butter: it was the hebdomadal treat to which we all looked forward from Sabbath to Sabbath. claustrophobia : noun: A fear of being in a confined place or a restrictive situation. ; "Part of the opera's strength is the way it conveys the claustrophobia of life on a ship, says Sir Andrew. The stage is crowded with sweaty men shoved together in grim circumstances." High Notes; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 10, 2013. See more usage examples of claustrophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) *****April 24, 2018***** grok : Slang. to understand thoroughly and intuitively; Digital utopians have come in for criticism (sometimes in these pages) for failing fully to grok the messy realities of politics and the virtues of old-fashioned shoe leather in political protest ... Ben McGrath, "Nerd Parade," The New Yorker, January 30, 2012 Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." Cathexis : : investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea; "In 2004, Bowie had a heart attack, and he was recently rumored to be in poor health. Leading up to the release of 'The Next Day,' a jittery cathexis formed. Do we judge Bowie as we always have, by his own standards? Would a new album be received reverentially, like those of the post-motorcycle-crash Bob Dylan?" — Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2013 bequeath : (verb) Leave or give by will after one's death.; will, leave; He bequeathed all his silver to his children. sillage : noun: The trail of scent that lingers behind from a perfume; also, the degree to which it lingers. ; "Phlur's Siano fragrance intends to be a celebration of nightlife and 'for those who want to own the room,' ... Its sillage is 'far'." Ellen Byron; When Words and Pictures Sell a Fragrance; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Jun 22, 2016. Thought For The Day: This above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man. -William Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 25, 2018***** velitation : a minor dispute or contest; ... let him read those Pharsalian fields fought of late in France for religion, their massacres, wherein by their own relations in twenty-four years I know not how many millions have been consumed, whole families and cities, and he shall find ours to be but velitations to theirs. Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, 1621 Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Loath : : unwilling to do something contrary to one's ways of thinking : reluctant; My grandfather was naturally very proud of the company he had built, so he was loath to admit that it was time to think about selling it and retiring. high-toned : (adjective) Pretentiously elegant.; high-class; She felt awkward and out of place in the high-toned restaurant, with its elegant décor and elite clientele. androcracy : noun: A system ruled by men. ; "Some think the system's androcracy simply perpetuates itself, as powerful men promote other men to positions of power." Promotion and Self-Promotion; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 31, 2013. Thought For The Day: I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (24 Apr 1815-1882) *****April 26, 2018***** frugivorous : fruit-eating; ... the frugivorous bats, and the fruit-eating quadrumana, including the gorgeous mandrill, are the most highly-coloured of the Mammalia. Grant Allen, The Colour-Sense: Its Origin and Development, 1879 Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." Slew : : a large number; Daniel regularly receives a slew of clothing catalogs as part of his junk mail. veneration : (noun) A feeling of profound respect for someone or something.; reverence, awe, fear; Cornelius bade farewell to De Ruyter, to the Ruart de Pulten, and to glory, kissed the knees of the Grand Pensionary, for whom he entertained the deepest veneration, and retired to his house at Dort. pinetum : noun: An arboretum of coniferous trees such as pines. ; "At RHS Garden Wisley, conifers were traditionally sent to the pinetum, where they were expected to reach towering proportions." Matthew Pottage; Conifers That Came in from the Cold; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 9, 2017. See more usage examples of pinetum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't mind that you think slowly but I do mind that you are publishing faster than you think. -Wolfgang Pauli, physicist, Nobel laureate (25 Apr 1900-1958) *****April 27, 2018***** frugivorous : fruit-eating; ... the frugivorous bats, and the fruit-eating quadrumana, including the gorgeous mandrill, are the most highly-coloured of the Mammalia. Grant Allen, The Colour-Sense: Its Origin and Development, 1879 Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." Mollycoddle : : to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence or attention; The newborn cub at the wildlife park is enjoying being mollycoddled by its mother. frequency : (noun) The number of occurrences within a given time period.; oftenness; The frequency of his seizures increased as he grew older. arctophile : noun: Someone who is very fond of teddy bears or collects them. ; "I am a past president of the American Society of Teddy Bear Collectors and have contributed dozens of articles to Teddy Bear Review and other arctophile journals." Clifford Chase; Winkie; Grove Press; 2006. Thought For The Day: There never was night that had no morn. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (26 Apr 1826-1887) *****April 28, 2018***** treen : made entirely of wood; Much skill had they in runes, and were exceeding deft in scoring them on treen bowls, and on staves, and door-posts and roof-beams and standing-beds and such like things. William Morris, The Roots of the Mountains, 1889 Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Querulous : 1 : habitually complaining; "… the punch of her performance lies in its sheer nerve; even though her character has our sympathy from the start, she keeps asking for more, tugging at us like a querulous child until our patience cracks." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 July 2017 subside : (verb) Wear off or die down.; lessen; The doctor told me that the pain should subside during the night and that I should feel much better by morning. make-work : noun: Work of little value, devised mainly to keep someone busy. ; "Use of the land wasn't contemplated. Only clearing it. Much work done in the world is like this -- virtually meaningless. Make-work." Richard Ford; Make-Work; The New Yorker; Jun 5, 2017. See more usage examples of make-work in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 29, 2018***** feint : a movement made in order to deceive an adversary; an attack aimed at..; Antagonism in my family comes wrapped in layers of code, sideways feints, full deniability. Karen Joy Fowler, We Are All Completely Besides Ourselves, 2013 Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Anathema : 1 a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority; "Diets were anathema to Julia because they implied that food was harmful." — Cook's Illustrated, November & December 2004 tailing : (noun) The act of following someone secretly.; shadowing; The constant tailing of my husband by private eyes has caused him to become paranoid. make-work : noun: Work of little value, devised mainly to keep someone busy. ; "Use of the land wasn't contemplated. Only clearing it. Much work done in the world is like this -- virtually meaningless. Make-work." Richard Ford; Make-Work; The New Yorker; Jun 5, 2017. See more usage examples of make-work in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 30, 2018***** vagility : Biology. the ability of an organism to move about freely and migr..; Using the GPS collars that updated an animal’s location regularly and other data, the project found that vagility—the ability of an organism to move—declines in areas with human footprints by as much as half to two-thirds the distance than in places where there is little or no human activity. Jim Robbins, "Animals Are Losing Their Vagility, or Ability to Roam Freely," New York Times, February 19, 2018 Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Redolent : 1 : exuding fragrance : aromatic; "Middle Eastern food, redolent with spices, is one of the world's most popular cuisines, yet home cooks are often intimidated by the sheer number of ingredients many dishes call for." — Publisher's Weekly Review, 2 Feb. 2015  deplete : (verb) Use up (resources or materials).; wipe out, eat up, exhaust, run through, consume; We must limit our use of substances that deplete the ozone layer or we will do irreparable harm to our planet. make-work : noun: Work of little value, devised mainly to keep someone busy. ; "Use of the land wasn't contemplated. Only clearing it. Much work done in the world is like this -- virtually meaningless. Make-work." Richard Ford; Make-Work; The New Yorker; Jun 5, 2017. See more usage examples of make-work in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****May 01, 2018***** tussie-mussie : a small bunch of flowers or herbs; The world would be a kinder and gentler place if we all exchanged tussie-mussies instead of badmouthing people behind their backs or unfriending them on Facebook. Claire Cook, The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track, 2017 Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." Chivalry : 1 : mounted men-at-arms; "Coutts was founded in 1692. Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, commissioned it to make ornate ceremonial chains and badges for the knights of the Thistle, an order of chivalry." — Simon Clark and Phillipa Leighton-Jones, The Wall Street Journal, 15 Mar. 2018 interlink : (verb) To link together or join (one) with another.; complect, interconnect; The policies, though distinct, are interlinked. adhocracy : noun: 1. A flexible, adaptable organization that lacks a formal structure. 2. An organization characterized by lack of planning, responding to problems as they emerge rather than anticipating and avoiding them. ; "Readers will get a sharp sense of its folkways; its unwritten rules, and adhocracies." Jennifer Senior; Refugee Limbo; The New York Times; Jan 2, 2016. "The shambolic adhocracy of his White House is a perfect reflection of Trump's own chaotic, disordered thought process and lack of mental discipline." Rick Wilson; The Problem in Trump White House?; The Daily Beast (New York); Apr 10, 2017. See more usage examples of adhocracy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learn that ten percent of all the world's species are parasitic insects. It is hard to believe. What if you were an inventor, and you made ten percent of your inventions in such a way that they could only work by harnessing, disfiguring, or totally destroying the other ninety percent? -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 02, 2018***** tussie-mussie : a small bunch of flowers or herbs; The world would be a kinder and gentler place if we all exchanged tussie-mussies instead of badmouthing people behind their backs or unfriending them on Facebook. Claire Cook, The Wildwater Walking Club: Back on Track, 2017 Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." Eventuate : : to come out finally : result, come about; The accident eventuated from a cascade of mistakes that could easily have been prevented with better operator training. hoagie : (noun) A large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States.; Italian sandwich, poor boy, sub, Cuban sandwich, grinder, zep, torpedo, wedge, submarine, bomber, hero; When I'm really hungry, I make myself a hoagie with all the trimmings. meme : noun: 1. An element of culture, idea, behavior, etc., that's transmitted from person to person. 2. An image, video clip, etc. often with amusing caption, that's transmitted virally on the Internet. ; "I mean, jeez, no one clicked 'like' on the meme you posted four minutes ago and you think that's a reason to kill yourself?" Katharine Miller; Slantindicular; Sparkling Observationalist; 2017. Thought For The Day: A man must be excessively stupid, as well as uncharitable, who believes there is no virtue but on his own side. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 03, 2018***** forgetive : Archaic. inventive; creative; O quick and forgetive power! Dante Alighieri (written c. 1308–21), The Vision: or, Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, of Dante Alighieri, translated by Henry Francis Cary, 1814 Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Palindrome : : a word, verse, or sentence (such as "Able was I ere I saw Elba") or a number (such as 1881) that reads the same backward or forward; The teacher asked the class if anyone could think of a single word palindrome with 7 letters. After a couple minutes, Mia raised her hand and said "repaper." self-centered : (adjective) Engrossed in oneself and one's own affairs; selfish.; egocentric, egoistic; She's too self-centered to take any interest in my troubles. teetotal : adjective: 1. Practicing abstinence from alcohol. 2. Total; absolute. ; "The young man was teetotal by choice. Too many folk end up ruining themselves with the drink, he'd once told Lorimer." Alex Gray; Five Ways To Kill a Man; Witness Impulse; 2017. See more usage examples of teetotal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Man can be the most affectionate and altruistic of creatures, yet he's potentially more vicious than any other. He is the only one who can be persuaded to hate millions of his own kind whom he has never seen and to kill as many as he can lay his hands on in the name of his tribe or his God. -Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author (2 May 1903-1998) *****May 04, 2018***** forgetive : Archaic. inventive; creative; O quick and forgetive power! Dante Alighieri (written c. 1308–21), The Vision: or, Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, of Dante Alighieri, translated by Henry Francis Cary, 1814 Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Beaucoup : slang : great in quantity or amount : many, much; "Atlanta has beaucoup amenities for visitors, from one of the world's largest aquariums, to headier destinations such as the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library." — Michael Kahn, Curbed Atlanta, 12 July 2017 disputable : (adjective) Open to argument or debate.; arguable, debatable, moot; He certainly looked at her friend a great deal, but the expression of that look was disputable. booboisie : noun: Ignorant or uncultured people regarded as a class. ; "Maybe it means that such artists operate at a level of sophistication that eludes the booboisie." Sam Sacks; Life Choices; Harper's Magazine (New York); Feb 2017. See more usage examples of booboisie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2018***** sith : since; ... for ever sith the lord Clisson turned French, he never loved him. Jean Froissart (1333?– c.1400), The Chronicles of Froissart, translated by John Bourchier, 1523–25 Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Flocculate : : to aggregate or coalesce into small lumps or loose clusters; During fermentation, yeast cells flocculate and either rise to the top or sink to the bottom of the vat. nonchalance : (noun) The trait of remaining calm and seeming not to care; a casual lack of concern.; unconcern, indifference; He looked about him always, with the cold, easy nonchalance of the man of the world. ekistics : noun: The study of human settlements, drawing on such disciplines as city planning, architecture, sociology, etc. ; "Yet as any student of ekistics could have predicted, it was Jupiter which remained the economic heart of Edenism. For it was Jupiter which supplied the single largest consumer of He3: Earth and its O'Neill Halo." Peter F. Hamilton; The Neutronium Alchemist; Macmillan; 1997. Thought For The Day: Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 06, 2018***** cinquefoil : any of several plants belonging to the genus Potentilla, of the..; Cinquefoil, with small yellow blossom, and ranunculus, with glossy yellow cup, edged the sunny roads ... Janet Lewis, The Trial of Sören Qvist, 1947 Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Agonistic : 1 : of or relating to the athletic contests of ancient Greece; Artie Kopelman … has also noticed non-hunting uses of bubbles in his humpback-whale encounters. In one instance last summer, he and a small group were drifting in a boat when suddenly a ring of bubbles surrounded them. 'This might have been an agonistic display, or an attempt to build a wall around us,' says Kopelman…." — Erica Cirino, The Atlantic, 28 June 2017 slicker : (noun) A macintosh made from cotton fabric treated with oil and pigment to make it waterproof.; oilskin; It was pouring all day, but thanks to my new slicker, I stayed nice and dry. ekistics : noun: The study of human settlements, drawing on such disciplines as city planning, architecture, sociology, etc. ; "Yet as any student of ekistics could have predicted, it was Jupiter which remained the economic heart of Edenism. For it was Jupiter which supplied the single largest consumer of He3: Earth and its O'Neill Halo." Peter F. Hamilton; The Neutronium Alchemist; Macmillan; 1997. Thought For The Day: Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 07, 2018***** ocellated : having eyelike spots or markings; ... Méline's nose and eyes are such that you would swear you were looking at an ocellated butterfly, perching on a rosebud. Éric Chevillard, On the Ceiling, translated by Jordan Stump, 2000 Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." Remuneration : : the act or fact of paying an equivalent to for a service, loss, or expense : recompense, pay; The actor was offered a modest speaking fee by the host as remuneration for giving her speech at the awards ceremony. nonentity : (noun) A person of no influence.; nobody, cipher; After losing the gubernatorial election, she was written off as a political nonentity. ekistics : noun: The study of human settlements, drawing on such disciplines as city planning, architecture, sociology, etc. ; "Yet as any student of ekistics could have predicted, it was Jupiter which remained the economic heart of Edenism. For it was Jupiter which supplied the single largest consumer of He3: Earth and its O'Neill Halo." Peter F. Hamilton; The Neutronium Alchemist; Macmillan; 1997. Thought For The Day: Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 08, 2018***** ocellated : having eyelike spots or markings; ... Méline's nose and eyes are such that you would swear you were looking at an ocellated butterfly, perching on a rosebud. Éric Chevillard, On the Ceiling, translated by Jordan Stump, 2000 Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Decimate : 1 : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of; Budget cuts have decimated public services in many towns and cities throughout the state. pedagogue : (noun) Someone who educates young people.; educator; My grandfather was a born pedagogue; it gave him great pleasure to impart information. black dog : noun: Depression. ; "Ed reacted without thinking. 'I'm not that depressed,' he said, and regretted it. He wanted to talk about the damn black dog, didn't he?" Bill Percy; Climbing the Coliseum; Xlibris; 2014. Thought For The Day: Convulsions in nature, disorders, prodigies, miracles, though the most opposite to the plan of a wise superintendent, impress mankind with the strongest sentiments of religion. -David Hume, philosopher, economist, and historian (7 May 1711-1776) *****May 09, 2018***** infomania : Digital Technology. a. an obsessive need to constantly check ema..; The Bagus Gran Cyber Cafés are Tokyo's grand temples of infomania. ... At first glance the spread looks officelike, but be warned: these places are drug dens for Internet addicts. Virginia Heffernan, "In Tokyo, the New Trend Is 'Media Immersion Pods'," New York Times, May 14, 2006 Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Menagerie : 1 a : a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition; "Joe proved a quick country convert, taking ownership of the grounds and the growing menagerie, which now includes eight Icelandic sheep, eight Bantam chickens, and two collies." — Caroline Collins McKenzie, Country Living, December 2017 entomb : (verb) Place in a grave or tomb.; inhume, inter, lay to rest, bury; He was entombed here in this crypt alongside his predecessors. gobemouche : noun: A gullible or credulous person. ; "My son asked me about buying 80 shares of Nike in his individual retirement account. I didn't care for a company that made shoes for basketball players, telling him only a gobemouche would pay $100 for a pair of smelly sneakers." Malcolm Berko; Just Buy It; Creators Syndicate; Oct 4, 2017. Thought For The Day: No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson, critic (8 May 1895-1972) *****May 10, 2018***** hypocorism : a pet name; Powsoddy, a now obsolete name for a pudding, was also used as a hypocorism in the late sixteenth century, paralleling the affectionate use of the word pudding itself in our own century, though lovers usually alter the pronunciation to puddin. Mark Morton, The Lover's Tongue, 2003 Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Jocose : 1 : given to joking : merry; "Mr. Battle has a pleasant, jocose style of public address, but Ms. Jamison's is without equal, exciting in rhythm and phrasing, hilarious in off-the-cuff remarks, generous in spirit." — Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2015 incertitude : (noun) The state of being unsure of something.; doubtfulness, dubiousness, uncertainty; Here, too, he was disappointed; and then all was afloat, in the painful incertitude of doubt and conjecture. mooncalf : noun: 1. A daydreamer or absent-minded person. 2. A fool or simpleton. 3. A congenitally deformed person. ; "I'll have to stand about on the sidelines, leaning on my crutches like a poor, pathetic mooncalf." Elizabeth Mansfield; An Encounter with Venus; Open Road; 2014. Thought For The Day: The life of every man is a diary in which he means to write one story, and writes another, and his humblest hour is when he compares the volume as it is with what he vowed to make it. -J.M. Barrie, novelist and playwright (9 May 1860-1937) *****May 11, 2018***** hypocorism : a pet name; Powsoddy, a now obsolete name for a pudding, was also used as a hypocorism in the late sixteenth century, paralleling the affectionate use of the word pudding itself in our own century, though lovers usually alter the pronunciation to puddin. Mark Morton, The Lover's Tongue, 2003 Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Slumgullion : : a meat stew; The slumgullion was hot, savory, and hearty, and on this rainy night we were all eager for seconds. irradiate : (verb) Expose to radiation.; ray; The government regulators insist that we irradiate farm produce so as to destroy bacteria. pork barrel : noun: The spending of government funds on projects designed to ingratiate legislators with their constituents. ; "As revealed in lights this week, this coalition's weakness is ... the pork barrel nature of its regional development initiatives." Pork-Barrel Policies Expose Achilles' Heel; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Mar 3, 2018. See more usage examples of pork barrel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style. -Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, singer, musician, and choreographer (10 May 1899-1987) *****May 12, 2018***** cordillera : a chain of mountains, usually the principal mountain system or ..; In the Western Hemisphere, the term Cordillera was first applied to the Cordillera de los Andes or Andes Mountains, which form a compact and continuous bundle of ranges along the western side of South America. Philip Burke King, Evolution of North America, 1959 Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Otiose : 1 : producing no useful result : futile; "Ever since I was seven years old, I have been collecting books and articles on the Great Flood, hoping to write the full account myself. David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood (1968) was so brilliant that it rendered my own ambition otiose." — Michael Novak, National Review, 4 June 2014 incumbency : (noun) The term during which some position is held.; tenure, term of office; During his incumbency, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt instituted the New Deal to counter the Great Depression. railbird : noun: 1. A horse-racing enthusiast. 2. A spectator at a contest. 3. An observer who offers uninvited advice or criticism. ; "A lot of railbirds surrounded one of the tables. She couldn't see who was playing but she sensed at once that it was a money game." Richard Koff; Runout; iUniverse; 2003. See more usage examples of railbird in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sole difference between myself and a madman is the fact that I am not mad. -Salvador Dali, painter (11 May 1904-1989) *****May 13, 2018***** truthiness : the quality of seeming to be true according to one's intuition,..; Truthiness is "truth that comes from the gut, not books," Colbert said in 2005. Katy Waldman, "The Science of Truthiness," Slate, September 3, 2014 Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Collaborate : 1 : to work jointly with others or together especially in an intellectual endeavor; "Everyone needs to know how to collaborate well, and you can practice that skill in many ways: by setting up working groups, lending a hand to your coworkers, and checking in to make sure your goals line up with your teammates." — Judith Humphrey, Fast Company, 21 Mar. 2018 pennant : (noun) A long flag; often tapering.; waft, streamer; The boy had fastened a brightly-colored pennant to the front of his bike. railbird : noun: 1. A horse-racing enthusiast. 2. A spectator at a contest. 3. An observer who offers uninvited advice or criticism. ; "A lot of railbirds surrounded one of the tables. She couldn't see who was playing but she sensed at once that it was a money game." Richard Koff; Runout; iUniverse; 2003. See more usage examples of railbird in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sole difference between myself and a madman is the fact that I am not mad. -Salvador Dali, painter (11 May 1904-1989) *****May 14, 2018***** minnie : Scot. and North England Informal. mother; mom; Whare are you gaun, my bonnie lass, Whare are you gaun, my hinnie? She answered me right saucilie, "An errand for my minnie." Robert Burns, "A Waukrife Minnie," 1789 Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Nascent : : coming or having recently come into existence; "At this point, the scholarly reexamination of the Bible met up with another movement, the nascent Protestant Reformation." — James L. Kugel, How to Read the Bible, 2007 comforter : (noun) A person who reduces the intensity (e.g., of fears) and calms and pacifies.; allayer, reliever; She indeed veiled her grief and strove to act the comforter to us all. railbird : noun: 1. A horse-racing enthusiast. 2. A spectator at a contest. 3. An observer who offers uninvited advice or criticism. ; "A lot of railbirds surrounded one of the tables. She couldn't see who was playing but she sensed at once that it was a money game." Richard Koff; Runout; iUniverse; 2003. See more usage examples of railbird in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sole difference between myself and a madman is the fact that I am not mad. -Salvador Dali, painter (11 May 1904-1989) *****May 15, 2018***** lollapalooza : Slang. an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; a..; Miss Jeynes, that dance was a real lollapalooza. Suzanne North, Flying Time, 2014 Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Transpire : 1 : to take place : go on, occur; Plants transpire more profusely under dry, hot weather conditions. axiomatic : (adjective) Evident without proof or argument.; self-evident, taken for granted; It is axiomatic that as people grow older they become less agile. megalomania : noun: A mental illness characterized by delusional fantasies of greatness, wealth, power, etc. ; "'We are taking over the world of yoga.' At the graduation day for 500 Startups, a school for entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, such statements of focused megalomania are the norm. 'We will own this space,' predicts the founder of a company." Everybody Wants to Rule the World; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 27, 2014. See more usage examples of megalomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Although a democracy must often fight with one hand tied behind its back, it nonetheless has the upper hand. -Aharon Barak, law professor, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel (b. 1936) *****May 16, 2018***** bezonian : Archaic. an indigent rascal; scoundrel; Great men oft die by vile bezonians ... William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, 1623 Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Layman : 1 : a person who is not a member of the clergy; The Nobel laureate's book is an introduction to astrophysics that, despite its depth and detail, remains accessible to the layman. copycat : (noun) One that closely imitates or mimics another.; aper, emulator, imitator; Stop being such a copycat and get your own hobbies! leptodermous : adjective: Having a thin skin. ; "The brand new state representative from Artesia County got stuck with that trap -- House Bill 100 -- today. He's got to throw a party for his colleagues, by an old tradition." Cole Not Leptodermous; 'Pals' Hope He's Solvent; The Albuquerque Tribune (New Mexico); Jan 28, 1955. Thought For The Day: When you re-read a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in yourself than there was before. -Clifton Fadiman, editor and critic (15 May 1904-1999) *****May 17, 2018***** bezonian : Archaic. an indigent rascal; scoundrel; Great men oft die by vile bezonians ... William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 2, 1623 Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. Aggress : : to make an attack : to act aggressively; Certain indicators, such as irritability, can signify an animal's likelihood to aggress. blackguard : (noun) Someone who is morally reprehensible.; bounder, cad, hound, heel, dog; There, you low blackguard, that will teach you to be impertinent to a lady. saprogenic : adjective: Causing or produced by decay. ; "By 1883 the long fingers of the decay had spread like saprogenic tendrils into every house." M. Allen Cunningham; The Green Age of Asher Witherow; Unbridled Books; 2004. Thought For The Day: I have learned, by some experience, that virtue and patriotism, vice and selfishness, are found in all parties, and that they differ less in their motives than in the policies they pursue. -William H. Seward, US Secretary of State, governor, senator (16 May 1801-1872) *****May 18, 2018***** spagyric : pertaining to or resembling alchemy; alchemic; He saw the true gold into which the beggarly matter of existence may be transmuted by spagyric art; a succession of delicious moments, all the rare flavours of life concentrated, purged of their lees, and preserved in a beautiful vessel. Arthur Machen, The Hill of Dreams, 1907 Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Winsome : 1 : generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence ; "… the song's giddy piano licks and bass groove are so winsome and familiar, the whole thing's tough to place in any particular setting. Simply put, it's a pop song, in a very classic sense." — Chris Payne, Billboard, 17 May 2017 glasshouse : (noun) A building with glass walls and roof; for the cultivation and exhibition of plants under controlled conditions.; greenhouse, nursery; This kind of plant is very delicate and needs to be grown in a glasshouse. ectogenous : adjective: Able to survive outside a host (as some bacteria and other parasites do). ; "But on other levels, its dark, poisonous, ectogenous malignancy continues to feed on information and remembered pain and pleasure, changing, growing, spreading within the vast host body." Rex Miller; Savant; Open Road; 2014. See more usage examples of ectogenous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2018***** spagyric : pertaining to or resembling alchemy; alchemic; He saw the true gold into which the beggarly matter of existence may be transmuted by spagyric art; a succession of delicious moments, all the rare flavours of life concentrated, purged of their lees, and preserved in a beautiful vessel. Arthur Machen, The Hill of Dreams, 1907 Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Muliebrity : : the quality of being a woman : femininity; Helene tried to convey to her daughter that muliebrity was best expressed not by dressing a certain way or conforming to others' expectations, but by being her own true, confident self. egotist : (noun) A conceited and self-centered person.; swellhead; Mr. Whittleworth is an insufferable egotist with delusions of omnipotence, but we tolerate him because he pays us well. carcinogenic : adjective: Capable of causing cancer. ; "She preached sound diet and positive attitude, preferred to eat crap, smoke and drink, and actively wanted something else carcinogenic to do, like sunbathing." Frances Fyfield; Safer Than Houses; Little, Brown; 2005. See more usage examples of carcinogenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book of verses underneath the bough, / A jug of wine, a loaf of bread -- and thou / Beside me singing in the wilderness -- / Oh, wilderness were paradise enow! -Omar Khayyam, poet, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and physician (18 May 1048-1131) *****May 20, 2018***** omnifarious : of all forms, varieties, or kinds; ... these essays in Mr. Trilling's new book all aim directly or indirectly at the central suppositions of our omnifarious 20th-century culture. Robie Macauley, "From the Particular to the Universal," New York Times, November 14, 1965 Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." Unfettered : : free, unrestrained; The biographer has been given unfettered access to the family's collection of personal correspondence. transience : (noun) The attribute of being brief or fleeting.; brevity, briefness; The superficiality and transience of the club scene is part of its appeal for young people. carcinogenic : adjective: Capable of causing cancer. ; "She preached sound diet and positive attitude, preferred to eat crap, smoke and drink, and actively wanted something else carcinogenic to do, like sunbathing." Frances Fyfield; Safer Than Houses; Little, Brown; 2005. See more usage examples of carcinogenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book of verses underneath the bough, / A jug of wine, a loaf of bread -- and thou / Beside me singing in the wilderness -- / Oh, wilderness were paradise enow! -Omar Khayyam, poet, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and physician (18 May 1048-1131) *****May 21, 2018***** adultescent : a young adult or middle-aged person who has interests, traits,..; It almost seems as if we’re actively trying to raise a nation of “adultescents.” Elizabeth Kolbert, "Spoiled Rotten," The New Yorker, July 2, 2012 Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." Besot : 1 : infatuate; "Anyone spending time watching Australian TV … must conclude that food and the cooking thereof besots our nation." — Garry Barker, The Age (Melbourne, Australia), 26 June 2014 gyrate : (verb) Revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis.; spin, reel, whirl; The airplane gyrated about in the sky in a most alarming fashion. carcinogenic : adjective: Capable of causing cancer. ; "She preached sound diet and positive attitude, preferred to eat crap, smoke and drink, and actively wanted something else carcinogenic to do, like sunbathing." Frances Fyfield; Safer Than Houses; Little, Brown; 2005. See more usage examples of carcinogenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book of verses underneath the bough, / A jug of wine, a loaf of bread -- and thou / Beside me singing in the wilderness -- / Oh, wilderness were paradise enow! -Omar Khayyam, poet, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and physician (18 May 1048-1131) *****May 22, 2018***** adultescent : a young adult or middle-aged person who has interests, traits,..; It almost seems as if we’re actively trying to raise a nation of “adultescents.” Elizabeth Kolbert, "Spoiled Rotten," The New Yorker, July 2, 2012 Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." Raillery : 1 : good-natured ridicule : banter; "Hardin rarely got angry at anyone. Fuzz was always trying to get his goat with some unprovoked raillery, but Hardin understood that was the point and couldn't even force himself to be riled." — Michael MacLeod, The Antioch Review, Fall 2009 hanker : (verb) Desire strongly or persistently.; long, yearn; There, my lady cousin; there stands the most undutiful child in the world; she hankers after a beggarly rascal, and won't marry one of the greatest matches in all England. Hobbesian : adjective: 1. Of or relating to Thomas Hobbes or his ideas. 2. Grim, selfish, unrestrained, etc. ; "But it hews to Mr Trump's view of the world as violent and Hobbesian." The State of the Union Is Fractious; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 31, 2018. Thought For The Day: When I am asked, "What, in your view, is the worst human rights problem in the world today?" I reply: "Absolute poverty." This is not the answer most journalists expect. It is neither sexy nor legalistic. But it is true. -Mary Robinson, 7th President of Ireland (b. 21 May 1944) *****May 23, 2018***** cynosure : something that strongly attracts attention by its brilliance, int..; The throne of the gods was the most famous institution in Atvatabar. It was the cynosure of every eye, the object of all adoration, the tabernacle of all that was splendid in art, science and spiritual perfection. William R. Bradshaw, The Goddess of Atvatabar, 1892 Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." Garrulous : 1 : given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative; Bob's garrulous and outgoing nature is a stark contrast to his brother's more retiring demeanor. harebrained : (adjective) Very foolish.; insane, mad; She devised a harebrained scheme to get her money back, but it ended up landing her in jail. marivaudage : noun 1. Affected writing style. 2. Banter, especially of flirtatious nature. ; "The chatter between bemused husbands and the director's numerous wives is brash marivaudage." Joan Dupont; Tout Ça...Pour Ça! The Movie Guide; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Jul 9, 1993. Thought For The Day: I like to say that arms are not for killing. They are for hugging. -Betty Williams, peace activist, Nobel laureate (b. 22 May 1943) *****May 24, 2018***** flubdub : pretentious nonsense or show; airs; He had, by intently listening to lawyers who had delivered him from justice in the 43 times he had stood prisoner before city and county courts, acquired an astonishing hash of legalistic flubdub. Meyer Berger, "Murder Inc.: Justice Overtakes the Largest and Most Cruel Gang of Killers in U.S. History," Life, September 30, 1940 Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." Petard : 1 : a case containing an explosive to break down a door or gate or breach a wall; "The metal walls of the narrow corridor would scatter ricochets and shrapnel in every direction, and any intact panels of reflex armor would ignite grenades and petards in counterfire…." — John C. Wright, The Judge of Ages, 2014 buttonhole : (verb) Detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of; as for political or economic favors.; lobby; It is not easy to buttonhole her for an interview. Marinism : noun: A literary style marked by extravagant imagery, elaborate metaphors, etc. ; "[Sweat, ye fires, in preparing metals.] Ever since seventeenth-century Marinism has fallen out of fashion, an image that switches the sweat from the blacksmith's brow to the fire of his smithy has been censured as egregiously pointless." Michael Riffaterre; The Interpretant in Literary Semiotics; The American Journal of Semiotics (Charlottesville, Virginia); Vol. 3, Issue 4, 1985. Thought For The Day: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2018***** pasquinade : a satire or lampoon, especially one posted in a public place; When Michaelis's testimony at the inquest brought to light Wilson's suspicions of his wife I thought the whole tale would shortly be served up in racy pasquinade ... F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925 Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Cajole : 1 a : to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance : coax; "Wertheim and the 60 Minutes crew were only permitted into the building's circular library, despite an attempt to cajole former Lampoon president Alice Ju to grant them further access." — Brit McCandless Farmer, CBSNews.com, 8 Apr. 2018 shortsighted : (adjective) Lacking foresight or scope.; unforesightful, myopic, short; The shortsighted board members derided the plan, which would cost the company money at the outset but could set it on track to earn billions in future years. Cervantic : adjective: Of or relating to Miguel de Cervantes, especially his satirizing of the chivalric romances. ; "The novel's strong vein of comic dissent is summed up in the figure of Yorick, Shakespearean joker and memento mori, whose Cervantic tilting at windmills has a serious edge." Carol Watts; Rereadings; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 23, 2003. Thought For The Day: It is the people who scream the loudest about America and Freedom who seem to be the most intolerant for a differing point of view. -Rosanne Cash, singer-songwriter and author (b. 24 May 1955) *****May 26, 2018***** ferly : something unusual, strange, or causing wonder or terror; As on a May morning, on Malvern hills, / Me befell a ferly of fairy, methought. William Langland (c1330–c1400), The Vision of Piers Plowman, 1360–99 Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Homogeneous : 1 : of the same or a similar kind or nature; Stir in the flour, water, eggs, and sugar until it all blends together into one homogeneous mixture. dissension : (noun) Disagreement among those expected to cooperate.; discord; The sparks of dissension soon kindled into a blaze; and the colonies, or rather, as they quickly declared themselves, the States, became a scene of strife and bloodshed for years. Lovecraftian : adjective: Of or relating to the work of H.P. Lovecraft: terrifyingly monstrous and otherworldly. ; "They were a non-team of troublesome outsiders, banding together to protect Earth from Lovecraftian demons, wizards from other dimensions, and furry, Yeti-like aliens." John Semley; The Anti-Avengers; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 2015. Thought For The Day: Stop fixing your bodies and start fixing the world! -Eve Ensler, playwright and activist (b. 25 May 1953) *****May 27, 2018***** ferly : something unusual, strange, or causing wonder or terror; As on a May morning, on Malvern hills, / Me befell a ferly of fairy, methought. William Langland (c1330–c1400), The Vision of Piers Plowman, 1360–99 Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Riposte : 1 : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry; "A riposte to the stuffy awards shows in music-industry centers like Los Angeles and New York, the impetus behind the Bay Area Music Awards was to play it fast, loose and irreverent." — Aidin Vaziri, The San Francisco Chronicle, 20 Mar. 2018 rascal : (noun) One who is playfully mischievous..; scamp, imp, rapscallion, scallywag; The young rascal, being expert at a variety of feints and dodges, of which my aunt had no conception, soon went whooping away. Lovecraftian : adjective: Of or relating to the work of H.P. Lovecraft: terrifyingly monstrous and otherworldly. ; "They were a non-team of troublesome outsiders, banding together to protect Earth from Lovecraftian demons, wizards from other dimensions, and furry, Yeti-like aliens." John Semley; The Anti-Avengers; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 2015. Thought For The Day: Stop fixing your bodies and start fixing the world! -Eve Ensler, playwright and activist (b. 25 May 1953) *****May 28, 2018***** estimable : deserving respect or admiration; worthy of esteem; He is the most estimable, the most trustworthy creature in the world, and I will venture to say, there is not a better seaman in all the merchant service. Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo, translated by Adolphe Cohn, 1922 Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Arrogate : 1 a : to claim or seize without justification; The city council has accused the mayor of arrogating decision-making authority to himself that rightly belongs with the council. blister : (verb) Subject to harsh criticism.; scald, whip; The Senator blistered the administration in his speech on Friday. Lovecraftian : adjective: Of or relating to the work of H.P. Lovecraft: terrifyingly monstrous and otherworldly. ; "They were a non-team of troublesome outsiders, banding together to protect Earth from Lovecraftian demons, wizards from other dimensions, and furry, Yeti-like aliens." John Semley; The Anti-Avengers; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 2015. Thought For The Day: Stop fixing your bodies and start fixing the world! -Eve Ensler, playwright and activist (b. 25 May 1953) *****May 29, 2018***** estimable : deserving respect or admiration; worthy of esteem; He is the most estimable, the most trustworthy creature in the world, and I will venture to say, there is not a better seaman in all the merchant service. Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo, translated by Adolphe Cohn, 1922 Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Sacrosanct : 1 : most sacred or holy : inviolable; "Cowperwood's private office … was a solid cherry-wood box in which he could shut himself completely—sight-proof, sound-proof. When the door was closed it was sacrosanct." — Theodore Dreiser, The Titan, 1914 populate : (verb) Inhabit or live in; be an inhabitant of.; inhabit, live, dwell; Millions of as yet undiscovered creatures populate the ocean depths. metanoia : noun: A profound transformation in one's outlook. ; "You'll need to rethink everything. Here you'll need to resort to old-style metanoia, to radical rethinking and alteration." Alois Brandstetter (Translation: Peter & Evelyn Firchow); The Abbey; Ariadne Press; 1998. Thought For The Day: Story, finally, is humanity's autobiography. -Lloyd Alexander, novelist (30 Jan 1924-2007) *****May 30, 2018***** excogitate : to think out; devise; invent; I wouldn't put the question to you for the world, and expose you to the inconvenience of having to ... excogitate an answer. Henry James, Washington Square, 1880 Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Flummox : : confuse; "A computer glitch at the IRS knocked offline the agency's ability to process many tax returns filed electronically, a stunning breakdown that left agency officials flummoxed and millions of Americans bewildered." — Jeff Stein, Damian Paletta, and Mike DeBonis, The Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2018 contrite : (adjective) Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses.; remorseful, rueful, ruthful; He was so contrite that he wrote me a letter of apology. cremnophobia : noun: A fear of precipices or cliffs. ; "You want to be an eagle," he said. "Now that's proud. Now that's what proud is all about." "Yep, but I don't want to be so high. Cremnophobia, and I don't like heights." Thinkpen Write; Characters, Colors-N-Cash; Trafford; 2004. A fear of heights is acrophobia. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****May 31, 2018***** mump : to sulk; mope; Up, Dullard! It is better service to enjoy a novel than to mump. Robert Louis Stevenson, "Letter to his Mother, December 30, 1883" Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, 1997 Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Indigence : : a level of poverty in which real hardship and deprivation are suffered and comforts of life are wholly lacking; "But how do the poor minority fare? Perhaps it will be found that just in proportion as some have been placed in outward circumstances above the savage, others have been degraded below him. The luxury of one class is counterbalanced by the indigence of another." — Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854 tartar : (noun) An incrustation that forms on the teeth and gums.; calculus, tophus; The dentist told me that I should brush and floss my teeth twice a day to help prevent the accumulation of tartar in my mouth. ochlocracy : noun: Government by the mob; mob rule. ; "No heresy in our time is more noxious than trying to implant ochlocracy in the Church. And that's what you're trying to do." Jorge Amado; The War of the Saints; Bantam; 1993. See more usage examples of ochlocracy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science. -Hal Clement, science fiction author (30 May 1922-2003) *****June 01, 2018***** palpebral : of or relating to the eyelids; adrift on a gold-brown leather recliner, / the little finger of her left hand tapping / on the crocheted antimacassar, / palpebral twitches of chronic hypnagogia. Rodney Jones, "Requiem for Reba Portis," Village Prodigies, 2017 Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Chastise : 1 : to censure severely : castigate; The boss eventually had to chastise certain employees for being consistently late. uncultivated : (adjective) (Of persons) lacking art or knowledge.; uncultured, artless; Never had they witnessed such power of mastication, and such marvelous capacity of stomach, as in this native and uncultivated gastronome. enantiodromia : noun: The tendency of things, beliefs, etc., to change into their opposites. ; "The union that Philip Murray had founded in 1936 as a way of combatting the wretched excess of management had come full circle in the cycle of enantiodromia, and had fallen victim to its own wretched excess." Tom O'Boyle; Excess, the Golden Rule; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Sep 4, 1994. Thought For The Day: I never would believe that Providence had sent a few men into the world, ready booted and spurred to ride, and millions ready saddled and bridled to be ridden. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2018***** concupiscent : lustful or sensual; He looks at Faust’s romance with Gretchen (Camilla Horn) with an agonized tenderness, and at Mephisto’s courtship of the concupiscent Marthe (Yvette Guilbert) with rib-shaking ribaldry. Richard Brody, "What to Stream This Weekend," The New Yorker, February 24, 2018 Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." cubbyhole : (noun) A small secluded room.; snug; Back in her cubbyhole of an office, Nina sat down at her desk. obverse : noun:1. The side of a coin, medal, etc. that has the main design.  2. The front or the principal side of anything.  3. A counterpart to something. adjective:1. Facing the observer.  2. Serving as a counterpart to something. ; "But the conviction that the truth must be mathematically elegant can easily lead to a false obverse: that what is mathematically elegant must be true." No GUTs, No Glory; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 13, 2018. See more usage examples of obverse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) *****June 03, 2018***** brontide : a rumbling noise heard occasionally in some parts of the world, p..; “What's a brontide?” she said, keeping him from bolting. ... "They're like thunder on a clear day. They're like the unexplained sounds of artillery when there's no battle." Gary Fincke, "Faculty X," Emergency Calls, 1996 Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Ingenue : 1 : a naive girl or young woman; "Aberra, a native of Ethiopia, helped to change the way that women presented themselves on their wedding day. She recognized that not all women wanted to promenade down the aisle looking like a Disney princess, a sweet ingenue or a modern-day Marie Antoinette." — Robin Givhan, The Washington Post, 3 Apr. 2018 passel : (noun) (Often followed by "of") a large number or amount or extent.; great deal, hatful, lot, peck, mickle, mint, quite a little, slew, spate, tidy sum, wad, stack, raft, mountain, pile, plenty, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess, sight; The President faces a passel of domestic issues. obverse : noun:1. The side of a coin, medal, etc. that has the main design.  2. The front or the principal side of anything.  3. A counterpart to something. adjective:1. Facing the observer.  2. Serving as a counterpart to something. ; "But the conviction that the truth must be mathematically elegant can easily lead to a false obverse: that what is mathematically elegant must be true." No GUTs, No Glory; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 13, 2018. See more usage examples of obverse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) *****June 04, 2018***** atavism : reversion to an earlier type; throwback; So much of their business was done via e-mail that the phone was almost unnecessary--a sort of quaint atavism that nobody thought to use first--but this morning the ringing had been ceaseless. Debra Ginsberg, What the Heart Remembers, 2012 Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Opportune : 1 : suitable or convenient for a particular occurrence; Kristin seized upon the first opportune moment to approach her boss about a raise. empty-handed : (adjective) Having acquired or gained nothing.; unrewarded; They returned from the negotiations empty-handed and frustrated. obverse : noun:1. The side of a coin, medal, etc. that has the main design.  2. The front or the principal side of anything.  3. A counterpart to something. adjective:1. Facing the observer.  2. Serving as a counterpart to something. ; "But the conviction that the truth must be mathematically elegant can easily lead to a false obverse: that what is mathematically elegant must be true." No GUTs, No Glory; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 13, 2018. See more usage examples of obverse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's far better to be unhappy alone than unhappy with someone. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) *****June 05, 2018***** schlimazel : Slang. an inept, bungling person who suffers from unremitting b..; ... the schlemiel is the one who spills the soup and the schlimazel is the one that's spilled on. Jeremy Dauber, Jewish Comedy: A Serious History, 2017 Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Proficient : : well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge; "The audition process is intense. Rockettes must be proficient in ballet, tap, and jazz. Hundreds of women come to auditions and the line to get into Radio City Music Hall wraps around the building." — Melinda Farrell, USA Today, 1 Nov. 2017 swerve : (verb) Turn sharply; change direction abruptly.; sheer, slue, trend, veer, curve, cut; The driver had to swerve to avoid hitting a deer and nearly lost control of his car in the process. elutriate : verb tr.: To purify or separate, especially by washing or by straining. ; "But he often also served as the discreet intermediary, when necessary, between his clients and the less elutriated members of the bar expert in such coarser specialties as divorce and immigration law." James Duffy; Dog Bites Man, City Shocked!; Simon & Schuster; 2001. Thought For The Day: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 06, 2018***** superluminal : Astronomy. appearing to travel faster than the speed of light..; But what if the spaceship breaks the speed of light? Now, we are entering the purely theoretical realm of superluminal travel. The spaceship is outracing the light it emits, so when the spaceship takes off, it leaves its own light in the space-dust. David Russell, "Can You Really Go Back in Time by Breaking the Speed of Light?" PBS, August 17, 2015 Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Fustigate : 1 : to beat with or as if with a short heavy club : cudgel; Matthew was thoroughly ­fustigated for failing to reserve a table large enough to accommodate all of the visitors from the corporate main office. serviette : (noun) A small piece of table linen that is used to wipe the mouth and to cover the lap in order to protect clothing.; napkin; He sat down and tucked his serviette into his waistcoat, raised his glass, and suddenly set it down again. straiten : verb tr.: 1. To put into difficulties. 2. To limit or restrict. 3. To make narrow. ; "And the tangle of draft concessions for Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney will straiten its rivals' access to top-up players." Greg Baum; First Among Equals; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); May 7, 2011. See more usage examples of straiten in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As I have not worried to be born, I do not worry to die. -Federico García Lorca, poet, playwright, and painter (5 Jun 1898-1936) *****June 07, 2018***** Disneyfy : to create or alter in a simplified, sentimentalized, or contrived..; In North America we tend to Disneyfy the past into this sugar-coated nostalgia product, all bonnets and merry sleigh rides ... Emma Donoghue, Landing, 2007 Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Unbeknownst : 1 : happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified — usually used with to; "… Travis was the one who paid the bills—and he often used credit cards to cover them, unbeknownst to Vonnie." — Penny Wrenn, Forbes.com, 9 Oct. 2013 saboteur : (noun) Someone who commits sabotage or deliberately causes wrecks.; diversionist, wrecker; The saboteurs planned to bomb several buses and office buildings in the city. obvert : verb tr.: To turn so as to show a different side. ; "The sun obverted its five o'clock face enough to darken the hardwood shadow of pine and oak along the creek." Patricia Hickman; Fallen Angels; Thorndike; 2004. Thought For The Day: The hardest-learned lesson: that people have only their kind of love to give, not our kind. -Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author (6 Jun 1913-1983) *****June 08, 2018***** Disneyfy : to create or alter in a simplified, sentimentalized, or contrived..; In North America we tend to Disneyfy the past into this sugar-coated nostalgia product, all bonnets and merry sleigh rides ... Emma Donoghue, Landing, 2007 Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Boondoggle : 1 : a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament; "It may be an urban legend that the Pentagon spent $600 on a hammer in the 1980s, but it's no secret that the Department of Defense has at times acquired a well-deserved reputation for boondoggles and profligate spending." — The National Review, 16 Oct. 2017 viviparous : (adjective) Zoology Giving birth to living offspring that develop within the mother's body. Most mammals and some other animals are viviparous.; live-bearing; Viviparous offspring live independently and require an external food supply from birth. impend : verb intr.: 1. To be about to happen; to loom. 2. To threaten or menace. ; "While recession does not impend in any large region, growth is expected at rates dangerously close to stall speed." Lawrence Summers; Voters Sour on Traditional Economic Policy; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 10, 2016. See more usage examples of impend in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) *****June 09, 2018***** congeries : a collection of items or parts in one mass; assemblage; aggregat..; ... each bud has a leaf, which is its lungs, appropriated to it, and the bark of the tree is a congeries of the roots of these individual buds ... Erasmus Darwin, "The Loves of Plants," The Botanic Garden, 1791 Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Whelm : 1 : to turn (something, such as a dish or vessel) upside down usually to cover something : to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect; The hotel was adequate but we were far from whelmed by the view of the alley and the lack of hot water. unbending : (adjective) Incapable of adapting or changing to meet circumstances.; rigid, inflexible; Indeed there may be generally observed in him an unbending, unyielding, brass-bound air, as if he were himself the bassoon of the human orchestra. demit : verb tr.: To give up an office or a position; to dismiss. verb intr.: To resign. ; "The court observed that no Chief Ministers of the state should get bungalows after they demit office." Bungalows to Former CMs; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 7, 2018. Thought For The Day: The dangerous man is the one who has only one idea, because then he'll fight and die for it. -Francis Crick, physicist, biologist, neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (8 Jun 1916-2004) *****June 10, 2018***** sennight : Archaic. a week; It had taken them only a sennight to travel from Sentarshadeen ... into the heart of the lost Lands to face the power of Shadow Mountain. Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory, To Light a Candle, 2004 Exponential : adj. Characterized by an extremely rapid increase (as in size or extent). "The company enjoyed an exponential growth rate." Shenanigan : 1 : a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose; The CEO resigned amid accusations of financial shenanigans and dubious deals. backfire : (verb) Come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect.; backlash, recoil; Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble. demit : verb tr.: To give up an office or a position; to dismiss. verb intr.: To resign. ; "The court observed that no Chief Ministers of the state should get bungalows after they demit office." Bungalows to Former CMs; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 7, 2018. Thought For The Day: The dangerous man is the one who has only one idea, because then he'll fight and die for it. -Francis Crick, physicist, biologist, neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (8 Jun 1916-2004) *****June 11, 2018***** scrutator : a person who investigates; Mistrust, assuming the ascendency, commenced its regency, and the observations of so indefatigable and eagle eyed a scrutator produced a conviction of the blackest perfidy. Judith Seargent Murray, "No. LXXVIII," The Gleaner: A Miscellaneous Production in Three Volumes, 1798 Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Roseate : 1 : resembling a rose especially in color ; "Sometimes mistaken for a flamingo, the roseate spoonbill has lots of pink shades that can fool you." — Lyle Johnson, The Gonzales Weekly Citizen (Ascension, Louisiana), 26 Apr. 2018 compendious : (adjective) Containing or stating briefly and concisely all the essentials.; succinct, summary, compact; It was a sort of hand-book for women with grievances (and all women had them), a sort of compendious theory and practice of feminine free morality. demit : verb tr.: To give up an office or a position; to dismiss. verb intr.: To resign. ; "The court observed that no Chief Ministers of the state should get bungalows after they demit office." Bungalows to Former CMs; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 7, 2018. Thought For The Day: The dangerous man is the one who has only one idea, because then he'll fight and die for it. -Francis Crick, physicist, biologist, neuroscientist, Nobel laureate (8 Jun 1916-2004) *****June 12, 2018***** blamestorming : the process of assigning blame for an outcome or situation; Unfortunately, the common behavior exhibited many businesses is to have a meeting "the morning after" for a "blamestorming" session. This is where the CEO or manager sits around with their team and figures out who is to blame for the company's latest failure. , "Are You a 'Blamestormer'?" Forbes, May 1, 2012 Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." Abrogate : 1 : to abolish by authoritative action : annul; "U.S. deterrence in the Taiwan Strait used to resemble U.S. deterrence elsewhere: Washington had a formal alliance with the Republic of China and stationed troops in Taiwan. But the United States abrogated the alliance treaty when it broke official ties with the Republic of China in 1979." — Scott Kastner, The Washington Post, 30 Apr. 2018 umbrageous : (adjective) Affording or forming shade.; shadowed, shady; The chief beauty of trees consists in the deep shadow of their umbrageous boughs. wen : noun: 1. A benign tumor of the skin. 2. A large overcrowded city. ; "He had a wen under his left eye like half a red grape glued to his skin." S.L. Farrell; A Magic of Nightfall; Daw Books; 2009. "Port of Spain would be such another wen upon the face of God's earth as that magnificent abomination, the city of Havanna." Charles Kingsley; At Last; Macmillan; 1871. See more usage examples of wen in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it. -William Styron, novelist (11 Jun 1925-2006) *****June 13, 2018***** blamestorming : the process of assigning blame for an outcome or situation; Unfortunately, the common behavior exhibited many businesses is to have a meeting "the morning after" for a "blamestorming" session. This is where the CEO or manager sits around with their team and figures out who is to blame for the company's latest failure. , "Are You a 'Blamestormer'?" Forbes, May 1, 2012 Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." Epithet : 1 : a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a person or thing; The school's policy makes it clear that derogatory epithets will not be tolerated. insufferable : (adjective) Difficult or impossible to endure; intolerable.; impossible, unacceptable; We both agreed he was the most insufferable bore and that we would not be inviting him to our next dinner party. skail : verb intr.: To scatter out, spill, or disperse. verb tr.: To dismiss or to disband an assembly, group, etc. noun: A scattering or dispersal. ; "Everybody stood up. The whole congregation rose upon the seats, and in every face was pale consternation. At last the minister said, ... the congregation should skail: whereupon skail they did." Philip Hensher (ed.); The Penguin Book of the British Short Story; Penguin; 2015. Thought For The Day: I believe that in the course of the next century the notion that it's a woman's duty to have children will change and make way for the respect and admiration of all women, who bear their burdens without complaint or a lot of pompous words! -Anne Frank, diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2018***** semaphore : a system of signaling, especially a system by which a special fl..; The gymnasts were like the diagrams to illustrate the semaphore alphabet, arms thrust firmly out in precise positions, a flag in each hand, the little figures in naval uniform like her brother, Ben, drawn over and over. Peter Rushforth, Pinkerton's Sister, 2005 Demure : adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber." Mantic : : of or relating to the faculty of divination : prophetic; The magician mesmerized the crowd with her sleight-of-hand tricks as well as her mantic predictions. carrel : (noun) A partially partitioned nook in or near the stacks in a library, used for private study.; cubicle, stall; There are too many distractions at home, so when I really need to study, I go to the library, find a secluded carrel, and study there. slue : verb tr., intr.: To turn, swing, or slide in a particular direction. noun: Such a turn, swing, or slide. ; "Scott's shoe prints slued bluely across the yard to the yellow barn." Ron Hansen; Atticus; HarperCollins; 1996. Thought For The Day: Adults who are racked with death anxiety are not odd birds who have contracted some exotic disease, but men and women whose family and culture have failed to knit the proper protective clothing for them to withstand the icy chill of mortality. -Irvin D. Yalom, psychiatrist and professor (b. 13 Jun 1931) *****June 15, 2018***** nacreous : resembling nacre or mother-of-pearl; lustrous; pearly; Nacreous pearl light swam faintly about the hem of the lilac darkness; the edges of light and darkness were stitched upon the hills. Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel, 1929 Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." Defenestration : 1 : a throwing of a person or thing out of a window; Although defenestration may seem an appropriate response to an alarm clock set for too early an hour, the demise of the device does not change the hour of the day. incarcerate : (verb) Lock up or confine, in or as in a jail.; immure, imprison, jail, jug, put behind bars, remand, lag, put away; It can cost huge sums to incarcerate a prisoner for a year. dree : verb tr.: To endure or suffer. adjective: Tedious or dreary. ; "Nobody could have thought that the death he was to dree would have been what it was." John Galt; The Annals of the Parish; 1821. Thought For The Day: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2018***** stanchless : incessant: a stanchless torrent of words; The flow of his language was slow, but steady and apparently stanchless. Aldous Huxley, After Many a Summer Dies the Swan, 1939 Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." Pugnacious : : having a quarrelsome or combative nature : truculent; "In almost all the Orders, the males of some species, even of weak and delicate kinds, are known to be highly pugnacious; and some few are furnished with special weapons for fighting with their rivals." — Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man,1871 baseless : (adjective) Having no basis or foundation in fact.; groundless, unfounded, unwarranted, idle, wild; The governor has released a statement calling the reports of corruption completely baseless and without merit. wale : noun:1. A streak mark raised on the skin, as by a whip.  2. One of the series of ribs in a fabric such as corduroy.  3. A plank along the side of a wooden ship.  4. A horizontal band or strip, for example, around a woven basket. verb tr.:1. To mark with wales.  2. To fasten or secure. ; "The mere friction of the wales of my corduroy-covered chair were the only things holding me." Robert Olen Butler; The Hot Country; The Mysterious Press; 2012. See more usage examples of wale in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2018***** paragon : a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a ..; As that paragon of fatherhood Homer Simpson once told his brood, “Remember, as far as anyone knows, we're a nice, normal family.” Andy Simmons, "People Shared Their Funniest Family Stories and It Got Heartwarming Real Fast," Reader's Digest, April 2018 Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." Tantalize : : to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach; "The scientist tantalized them with a radical theory about the foundation of the universe, which proposes that time and space fluctuate in a bubbly, unstable state known as 'quantum foam.'" — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 25 Sept. 2017 earsplitting : (adjective) Loud and shrill enough to hurt the ears.; deafening, thunderous; When the little boy throws a tantrum, he lets loose with the most fearful, earsplitting screams. wale : noun:1. A streak mark raised on the skin, as by a whip.  2. One of the series of ribs in a fabric such as corduroy.  3. A plank along the side of a wooden ship.  4. A horizontal band or strip, for example, around a woven basket. verb tr.:1. To mark with wales.  2. To fasten or secure. ; "The mere friction of the wales of my corduroy-covered chair were the only things holding me." Robert Olen Butler; The Hot Country; The Mysterious Press; 2012. See more usage examples of wale in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 18, 2018***** paragon : a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence: a ..; As that paragon of fatherhood Homer Simpson once told his brood, “Remember, as far as anyone knows, we're a nice, normal family.” Andy Simmons, "People Shared Their Funniest Family Stories and It Got Heartwarming Real Fast," Reader's Digest, April 2018 Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Meritorious : : deserving of honor or esteem; "Markle received citations for meritorious conduct in the battle at Fort Erie." — Mike McCormick, The Terre Haute (Indiana) Tribune-Star, 15 Apr. 2018 leave-taking : (noun) The act of departing politely.; parting, farewell; Captain Rawdon himself was much more affected at the leave-taking than the resolute little woman to whom he bade farewell. wale : noun:1. A streak mark raised on the skin, as by a whip.  2. One of the series of ribs in a fabric such as corduroy.  3. A plank along the side of a wooden ship.  4. A horizontal band or strip, for example, around a woven basket. verb tr.:1. To mark with wales.  2. To fasten or secure. ; "[That] and the mere friction of the wales of my corduroy-covered chair were the only things holding me." Robert Olen Butler; The Hot Country; The Mysterious Press; 2012. See more usage examples of wale in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 19, 2018***** turophile : a connoisseur or lover of cheese; For any New York turophile ... there is irritation, frustration and dismay when visiting most of the town's restaurants whether grand luxe or bistro. The cheeses, if available at all, are more often than not overripe or underaged, too cold or too few ... Craig Claiborne, "Cheese Lover Dismayed by Restaurant Selection," New York Times, October 12, 1965 Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Jabberwocky : : meaningless speech or writing; Amanda learned to ignore her critics, dismissing their attacks as the jabberwocky of minds with nothing more important to think of about. terrify : (verb) To inspire fear or dread in; frighten greatly.; terrorize; The thought of a slow, painful death terrifies me. kinesics : noun: The study of body movements, such as gestures or facial expressions, as a form of communication. ; "And she asked herself the big question: What did the kinesics reveal? Was Edwin Sharp telling the truth?" Jeffery Deaver; XO: A Kathryn Dance Novel; Pocket Books; 2012. See more usage examples of kinesics in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His. -Roger Ebert, film-critic (18 Jun 1942-2013) *****June 20, 2018***** turophile : a connoisseur or lover of cheese; For any New York turophile ... there is irritation, frustration and dismay when visiting most of the town's restaurants whether grand luxe or bistro. The cheeses, if available at all, are more often than not overripe or underaged, too cold or too few ... Craig Claiborne, "Cheese Lover Dismayed by Restaurant Selection," New York Times, October 12, 1965 Assiduous : adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." Quail : 1 : to give way : falter; "It wasn't so long ago that book publishers and bookstore owners were quailing about the coming of e-books, like movie theatre owners at the dawn of the television age." — Michael Hiltzik, The Gulf Times, 10 May 2017 frugal : (adjective) Practicing or marked by economy, as in the expenditure of money or the use of material resources.; sparing, stinting, economical; My frugal mother refused to buy me new clothing and instead dressed me in my older sister's hand-me-downs. agnostic : noun:1. One who believes that the existence of god is unknown or unknowable.  2. One who is noncommittal about something. adjective:1. Believing that the existence of god is unknown or unknowable.  2. Noncommittal.  3. Compatible with many platforms: not limited to a particular software, technology, etc. ; "It is also hardware agnostic, and can be used with analogue as well as digital phones." Pulling the Plug on Robocalls; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 23, 2016. See more usage examples of agnostic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If all men knew what others say of them, there would not be four friends in the world. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 21, 2018***** summerize : to prepare (a house, car, etc.) so as to counteract the hot weat..; The spark plugs don't need to be changed for three years, and the motor can “summerize” itself by fogging the cylinders with oil when you put your machine away in the spring. Ezra Dyer, "Dashing Through the Snow," New York Times, January 29, 2009 Vexatious : adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation." Balmy : 1 a : having the qualities of balm : soothing; "Men often don't moisturize their skin during the hotter months, but should. It's a misconception that oily skin doesn't get dehydrated. Use a lightweight moisturizer that isn't heavy or sticky in balmy weather." — Joane Amay, Ebony, June 2018 debonair : (adjective) Having a sophisticated charm.; suave; Like other girls she had her dreams of a possible Prince Charming, young and handsome and debonair. googol : noun: A number equivalent to 1 followed by 100 zeros (10100). ; "So, yes, I have looked at the content of those cuneiform messages written with a stylus onto clay. And I have read a googol blog posts, text messages and tweets." Roy Peter Clark; Let Words Collide; The Writer; Jul 2013. See more usage examples of googol in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The well taught philosophic mind / To all compassion gives; / Casts round the world an equal eye, / And feels for all that lives. -Anna Laetitia Barbauld, poet, essayist, and editor (20 Jun 1743-1825) *****June 22, 2018***** summerize : to prepare (a house, car, etc.) so as to counteract the hot weat..; The spark plugs don't need to be changed for three years, and the motor can “summerize” itself by fogging the cylinders with oil when you put your machine away in the spring. Ezra Dyer, "Dashing Through the Snow," New York Times, January 29, 2009 Pedantic : adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details." Voracity : : the quality or state of being ravenous or insatiable; Elena reads books with such voracity that she returns to the library two or three times a week. rejuvenate : (verb) Return to life; get or give new life or energy.; restore, regenerate; He was advised that the Italian climate would rejuvenate him. inscape : noun: The unique essence of a person, place, or thing, especially as expressed in a work of art such as a poem. ; "McCabe has said that 'I've always felt that naturalism or social realism only provides a third of the story ... [it] gives you the marble but not the inscape of the statue.'" Patrick McCabe; The Butcher Boy; Picador; 2015. See more usage examples of inscape in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live. -Francoise Sagan, playwright and novelist (21 Jun 1935-2004) *****June 23, 2018***** pellucid : clear in meaning, expression, or style: a pellucid way of writing..; His art is highly complex, but its expression is so pellucid, so simple, that we can see only its body, never the mechanism of its body. Edward Garnett, "Introduction," The Novels of Ivan Turgenev, 1906 Deciduous : adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company." Notorious : : generally known and talked of; especially : widely and unfavorably known; "Black-legged ticks, notorious for transmitting the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, are now present in almost half of U.S. counties, up nearly 45 percent since 1998." — Bradley Rife et al., O, The Oprah Magazine, April 2018 shenanigan : (noun) Reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others.; mischief, devilment, roguery, devilry, mischievousness, rascality; Mr. Jones had had enough of Billy's shenanigans and sent him to the principal's office in the hopes that she would be able to straighten the unruly student out. blurb : noun: A short description of a creative work, such as a book, film, etc. used for promotional purposes. verb tr.: To write a brief description of a creative work. ; "If you like sustained discomfort you'll love this one [Our Kind of Cruelty]. In the cover blurb, Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn calls it 'one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers I've read in years.' Bring it on." Sarah Murdoch; Arrivals; Toronto Star (Canada); May 19, 2018. See more usage examples of blurb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 24, 2018***** edentate : toothless; As would have been the case a million years ago, a typical colonist can expect to be edentate by the time he or she is thirty years old, having suffered many skull-cracking toothaches on the way. Kurt Vonnegut, Galápagos, 1985 Paradigm : n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed." Skirl : 1 of a bagpipe : to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter; also : to give forth music; "Then the Dropkick Murphys victory song skirled over the PA and the player pile was on, followed by the Red Sox team rushing the left field fence and flipping over it, reminiscent of Torii Hunter's vain try for a David Ortiz homer during the 2013 playoffs." — Jack Shea, The Martha's Vineyard Times, 23 June 2014 extortionate : (adjective) Greatly exceeding bounds of reason or moderation.; exorbitant, usurious, outrageous, steep, unconscionable; The extortionate price of designer clothes makes them all the more desirable to those that can afford them. blurb : noun: A short description of a creative work, such as a book, film, etc. used for promotional purposes. verb tr.: To write a brief description of a creative work. ; "If you like sustained discomfort you'll love this one [Our Kind of Cruelty]. In the cover blurb, Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn calls it 'one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers I've read in years.' Bring it on." Sarah Murdoch; Arrivals; Toronto Star (Canada); May 19, 2018. See more usage examples of blurb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 25, 2018***** scupper : British. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; ..; A row between the EEC and the US is threatening to scupper the UN Convention on the Ozone Layer, which was to have been agreed in Vienna next month. , "Ozone agreement up in the air," New Scientist, February 7, 1985 Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Effigy : : an image or representation especially of a person; especially : a crude figure representing a hated person; "At one meeting, he remembers, the leader of a competing company was hung in effigy as employees cheered." — Evan Bush, The Seattle Times, 25 Feb. 2018 self-assured : (adjective) Showing poise and confidence in your own worth.; self-confident; He's a self-assured negotiator, and his confidence helps him make sales that no one else can. blurb : noun: A short description of a creative work, such as a book, film, etc. used for promotional purposes. verb tr.: To write a brief description of a creative work. ; "If you like sustained discomfort you'll love this one [Our Kind of Cruelty]. In the cover blurb, Gone Girl's Gillian Flynn calls it 'one of the nastiest and most disturbing thrillers I've read in years.' Bring it on." Sarah Murdoch; Arrivals; Toronto Star (Canada); May 19, 2018. See more usage examples of blurb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 26, 2018***** scupper : British. Informal. to prevent from happening or succeeding; ruin; ..; A row between the EEC and the US is threatening to scupper the UN Convention on the Ozone Layer, which was to have been agreed in Vienna next month. , "Ozone agreement up in the air," New Scientist, February 7, 1985 Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." Amortize : 1 : to pay off (an obligation, such as a mortgage) gradually usually by periodic payments of principal and interest or by payments to a sinking fund; "A standard three-year, 15,000-mile Momentum lease will run about $410 per month with the down payment amortized." — J. P. Vettraino, AutoWeek, 8 Jan. 2018 pucker : (verb) To gather something into small wrinkles or folds.; cockle, rumple, crumple, knit; She puckered her lips and kissed him on the nose. malfeasance : noun: An illegal action, especially by a public official. ; "Mueller is investigating whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired FBI Director James Comey in May 2017, and his team, packed with experts in financial malfeasance, is also believed to be looking at money laundering charges." Nina Burleigh; Trump vs. Mueller: Is the American Legal System Any Match for the President?; Newsweek (New York); Mar 16, 2018. See more usage examples of malfeasance in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them. -George Orwell, writer (25 Jun 1903-1950) *****June 27, 2018***** benedict : a newly married man, especially one who has been long a bachelor...; It had, when I first went to town, just become the fashion for young men of fortune to keep house, and to give their bachelor establishments the importance hitherto reserved for the household of a Benedict. Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Devereux, 1829 Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Kaput : 1 : utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed; "Sure, there are still top-billed behemoths capable of guaranteeing a strong opening, like Dwayne Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio, but for the most part, the idea of a box office movie star is kaput." — Brandon Katz, The Observer, 19 May 2018 hard-hitting : (adjective) Characterized by or full of force and vigor.; trenchant; After her hard-hitting report on conditions in the tent cities of Haiti's capital aired, viewers donated millions of dollars to charities there. nepotism : noun: Favoritism shown to relatives and friends, especially in business or political appointments. ; "[Ivanka is] a walking advertisement for the dangers of nepotism, an exemplar of class privilege, and a perfect representative for Republican know-nothingism." Jennifer Rubin; Ivanka Trump Is a Walking Advertisement for the Dangers of Nepotism; The Independent (London, UK); Dec 22, 2017. See more usage examples of nepotism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) *****June 28, 2018***** farouche : French. sullenly unsociable or shy; He's a bit farouche, but I like the way he enthuses about what interests him. It's not put on. Richard Aldington, Death of a Hero, 1929 Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Bedizen : : to dress or adorn gaudily; The children entertained themselves for hours with the contents of the old trunk, donning fancy dresses and bedizening themselves with jewelry and scarves. refurbish : (verb) To make clean, bright, or fresh again.; freshen up, renovate; We refurbished the offices in the hopes that a new look would make for happier, more productive employees. emolument : noun: Payment, salary, or fees from an office or employment. ; "Tom paused, said with slight embarrassment, 'There wouldn't be any -- er, emolument, I'm afraid. We have to tighten our belts in these hard times.'" Ruth Rendell; The Vault; Scribner; 2011. See more usage examples of emolument in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It may be observed that the English language is not a system of logic, that its vocabulary has not developed in correlation with generations of straight thinkers, that we cannot impose upon it something preconceived as an ideal of scientific method and expect to come out with anything more systematic and more clarifying than what we start with: what we start with is an inchoate heterogeneous conglomerate that retains the indestructible bones of innumerable tries at orderly communication, and our definitions as a body are bound to reflect this situation. -Philip Babcock Gove, lexicographer (27 Jun 1902-1972) *****June 29, 2018***** transmundane : reaching beyond or existing outside the physical or visible w..; Below me along the lifelines I was aware of many sailors joining in these observations, gazing dumbstruck at it as something transmundane. William Brinkley, The Last Ship, 1988 Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Ostensible : 1 : intended for display : open to view; The novel's ostensible hero is in the end a villain of epic proportions. commiserate : (verb) To feel or express sympathy or compassion.; sympathize; Several friends called to commiserate when they found out that I had not gotten the job, and this comforted me somewhat. collusion : noun: A secret cooperation for fraud, treason, etc. ; "There was a dealer whom internal security suspected of collusion with outside agents." Ken Olive; Goldie's Garden; Lulu; 2010. See more usage examples of collusion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2018***** flexitarian : a person whose diet is mostly vegetarian but sometimes include..; A flexitarian is someone who rarely, though occasionally, consumes meat, including red meat, poultry, and seafood. A climatarian is someone who eats less meat—especially the most energy-consuming meats, like beef and lamb—specifically for environmental reasons. Brian Kateman, "Beyond 'Vegetarian'," Atlantic, March 14, 2016 Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." Tome : 1 : a volume forming part of a larger work; It took me more than a month to finish reading that 800-page tome on the French Revolution. domesticate : (verb) Adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment.; tame, cultivate, naturalize; New World peoples domesticated a cornucopia of plants. impeach : verb tr.: 1. To charge a public official with misconduct in office. 2. To challenge the credibility of someone. ; "That's why Nixon would have been impeached, convicted, and then thrown out of the office, if he hadn't cut a deal to save his neck." Kerry Bryant; A House Once Stolen; BookBaby; 2015. "And you had no witness or evidence to impeach this boy's statement, did you?" James Patterson; 14th Deadly Sin; Little, Brown and Co.; 2015. See more usage examples of impeach in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures -- in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2018***** armamentarium : the aggregate of equipment, methods, and techniques availabl..; By identifying a fresh target for therapy—the TB bacterium's waxy outer jacket—the new research lays the groundwork for adding to the armamentarium against TB ... Melissa Healy, "Scientists have a promising new approach for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis," Los Angeles Times, April 25, 2018 Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Lambaste : 1 : to assault violently : beat, whip; The coach loudly lambasted Danny in front of the whole team for showing up late yet again. powdery : (adjective) Consisting of fine particles.; fine-grained, pulverized, small-grained; He scooped up a handful of dry powdery earth and let it slowly slip through his fingers. impeach : verb tr.: 1. To charge a public official with misconduct in office. 2. To challenge the credibility of someone. ; "That's why Nixon would have been impeached, convicted, and then thrown out of the office, if he hadn't cut a deal to save his neck." Kerry Bryant; A House Once Stolen; BookBaby; 2015. "And you had no witness or evidence to impeach this boy's statement, did you?" James Patterson; 14th Deadly Sin; Little, Brown and Co.; 2015. See more usage examples of impeach in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures -- in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 02, 2018***** buttery : grossly flattering; smarmy; Once Maloney began speaking there seemed no end to the words that poured from his whiskered lips, buttery words, words unreliable, words from which all sincerity had been drained to be replaced by a jovial condescension. Ralph McInerny, Celt and Pepper, 2002 Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise - especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Métier : 1 : vocation, trade; "Instinctively, Winnie Mandela found her métier as a born politician, appearing in any troubled area to assure the populace that liberation was nigh." — The Daily Telegraph (London), 3 Apr. 2018 annihilative : (adjective) Wreaking or capable of wreaking complete destruction.; withering, devastating; The possession of annihilative power has not slowed down the drive toward even more fiendish modes of inflicting wholesale death. impeach : verb tr.: 1. To charge a public official with misconduct in office. 2. To challenge the credibility of someone. ; "That's why Nixon would have been impeached, convicted, and then thrown out of the office, if he hadn't cut a deal to save his neck." Kerry Bryant; A House Once Stolen; BookBaby; 2015. "And you had no witness or evidence to impeach this boy's statement, did you?" James Patterson; 14th Deadly Sin; Little, Brown and Co.; 2015. See more usage examples of impeach in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures -- in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 03, 2018***** buttery : grossly flattering; smarmy; Once Maloney began speaking there seemed no end to the words that poured from his whiskered lips, buttery words, words unreliable, words from which all sincerity had been drained to be replaced by a jovial condescension. Ralph McInerny, Celt and Pepper, 2002 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Canicular : : of or relating to the period between early July and early September when hot weather occurs in the northern hemisphere; On weekend days in the canicular season, the wait at the town's only ice cream shop was often 20 people deep. lambent : (adjective) Softly bright or radiant.; aglow, lucent, luminous; Lady Ruth lifted her eyes to his, and their lambent fires were suddenly rekindled. forswear : verb tr., intr.: 1. To renounce something. 2. To commit perjury. ; "It disgusted him that his resolve to forswear all women and live in solitude had not even lasted as long as his inebriation." Christine Merrill; Lady Drusilla's Road to Ruin; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of forswear in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (2 Jul 1908-1993) *****July 04, 2018***** fizgig : a type of firework that makes a loud hissing sound; Neither powder nor pepper (you know) was adulterated in those days, and if you made a fizgig, why it blossomed and starred like a golden thistle, flashed into a myriad sparklets like a tiny fountain for Queen Mab and her troupe to dance round. Frank Fowler, Last Gleanings, 1864 Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Regardless : : despite everything; Heavy rain is expected this weekend, but the county fair will go on regardless. soul-searching : (noun) A penetrating examination of one's motives, convictions, and attitudes.; self-analysis; Mary's therapist told her she was going to have to be introspective and do much soul-searching if she hoped to learn what was at the root of her depression. circumvallate : verb tr.: To surround by a defensive structure, such as a rampart. ; "Delta State is completely circumvallated except at the west side, where the cliff of Mt. Cloud played the natural boundary." Yan Song; Online: Delta State; Xlibris; 2015. See more usage examples of circumvallate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the struggle between yourself and the world, second the world. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 05, 2018***** debonair : courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm: a debonair..; He was a tall, thin man, with gray hair swept back and a debonair ease of movement that suggested wealth, confidence, and success. Jacqueline Winspear, Pardonable Lies, 2005 Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Pyrotechnics : 1 singular or plural in construction : the art of making or the manufacture and use of fireworks; The town's much-anticipated Independence Day pyrotechnics will be launched from the usual place: a tower on a mountain ridge along its eastern border. zaftig : (adjective) Having a full, shapely figure.; buxom; The fashion industry has recently increased the visibility of zaftig models. rowel : noun: A small spiked wheel at the end of a spur attached behind the shoes of a horse rider; used to goad a horse. verb tr.: To prick; to vex. ; "Against the luminous sky the rays of her halo were spikes of darkness roweling the air." Henry Roth; Call It Sleep; 1934. See more usage examples of rowel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science makes skepticism a virtue. -Robert King Merton, sociologist (4 Jul 1910-2003) *****July 06, 2018***** debonair : courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm: a debonair..; He was a tall, thin man, with gray hair swept back and a debonair ease of movement that suggested wealth, confidence, and success. Jacqueline Winspear, Pardonable Lies, 2005 Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." Asseverate : : to affirm or declare positively or earnestly; "One can asseverate that a thesaurus is a treasury of words," Felix said ruefully, "but I presume that my own utilization of such costs me some intelligibility." hackneyed : (adjective) Repeated too often; overfamiliar through overuse.; banal, old-hat, stock, threadbare, timeworn, trite, well-worn, tired, shopworn, commonplace; For God's sake do not thrust upon me your hackneyed remarks, repeated to nausea, that "I was only a dreamer," while they even then had an understanding of life. subduct : verb tr., intr.: To push or move below something. ; "Mr. Jones was also, as far as Archy knew, the first person to use the term Brokeland to describe this neighborhood, the ragged fault where the urban plates of Berkeley and Oakland subducted." Michael Chabon; Telegraph Avenue; HarperCollins; 2012. See more usage examples of subduct in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning. -Bill Watterson, comic strip artist (b. 5 Jul 1958) *****July 07, 2018***** campcraft : the art of outdoor camping; Daniel Boone, Kit Carson and the other old fellows we admire so much could never have lived a week in the wilderness had they not known all the ins and outs of campcraft--that is, the art of taking care of themselves in the wilderness and of making themselves as comfortable as conditions would permit under canvas or in the open. Dillon Wallace, "How to Be a Good Camper," Boys' Life, July 1914 Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Sophistry : 1 : subtly deceptive reasoning or argumentation; The newspaper editorial warned readers to beware politicians who use sophistry to convince voters to support policies not in their own best interests. stepwise : (adjective) Marked by a gradual progression as if step by step.; bit-by-bit, in small stages, piecemeal, step-by-step; Quantum mechanics is a natural system of stepwise interactions that governs very small things. contund : verb tr.: To thrash or bruise. ; "The material of this coat, though liberally scored and contunded, especially in the rear, was so thick, and so strong, that it remained exempt from perforation." Samuel Beckett; Watt; Olympia Press; 1953. Thought For The Day: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2018***** bravura : a display of daring; brilliant performance; "Nothing wins more loyalty for a leader than an air of bravura," the Duke said. "I, therefore, cultivate an air of bravura." Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965 Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. Eccentric : 1 a : deviating from conventional or accepted usage or conduct especially in odd or whimsical ways; "Nothing is more eccentric in our egocentric world than generosity." — Filip Noterdaeme, quoted in The New York Times, 7 June 2018 cultivator : (noun) Someone concerned with the science or art or business of cultivating the soil.; agriculturalist, grower, raiser; He soon became a land-holder, then a prosperous cultivator of the soil, and shortly after a town-officer. contund : verb tr.: To thrash or bruise. ; "The material of this coat, though liberally scored and contunded, especially in the rear, was so thick, and so strong, that it remained exempt from perforation." Samuel Beckett; Watt; Olympia Press; 1953. Thought For The Day: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 09, 2018***** bravura : a display of daring; brilliant performance; "Nothing wins more loyalty for a leader than an air of bravura," the Duke said. "I, therefore, cultivate an air of bravura." Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965 Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Lucubration : : laborious or intensive study; also : the product of such study — usually used in plural; The book is a collection of lucubrations on the effect advancements in computer science have on economic policy. coerce : (verb) To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral, or intellectual means.; force, hale, pressure, squeeze; The lawsuit alleged that her boss had coerced her into resigning and that she therefore deserved compensation. contund : verb tr.: To thrash or bruise. ; "The material of this coat, though liberally scored and contunded, especially in the rear, was so thick, and so strong, that it remained exempt from perforation." Samuel Beckett; Watt; Olympia Press; 1953. Thought For The Day: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 10, 2018***** makebate : Archaic. a person who causes contention or discord; ... he was no makebate or stirrer up of quarrels; he would rather be a peacemaker. Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose, 1819 Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Transmogrify : : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect; "It hadn't been cleaned in more than two years and the captured leaves had transmogrified into a wonderfully fecund compost." — Frank Mulligan, The Leader (Corning, New York), 8 Aug. 2014 penalize : (verb) Impose a penalty on; inflict punishment on.; punish; The students were penalized for their tardiness and had to stay after school for detention. apple-polish : verb tr., intr.: To ingratiate oneself. ; "He wasn't trying to apple-polish God; he was merely trying to get the help he needed." Troy Theisen; House of Dred; iUniverse; 2013. Thought For The Day: We now know that memories are not fixed or frozen, like Proust's jars of preserves in a larder, but are transformed, disassembled, reassembled, and recategorized with every act of recollection. -Oliver Sacks, neurologist and writer (9 Jul 1933-2015) *****July 11, 2018***** makebate : Archaic. a person who causes contention or discord; ... he was no makebate or stirrer up of quarrels; he would rather be a peacemaker. Sir Walter Scott, A Legend of Montrose, 1819 Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Benevolent : 1 a : marked by or disposed to doing good; "The sky above was blue, the whole scene lit by a bright benevolent sun on that crisp winter day." — Arnold Thomas Fanning, The Irish Times, 2 June 2018 nonviolence : (noun) Peaceful resistance to a government by fasting or refusing to cooperate.; passive resistance; Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., were two of the most articulate advocates of nonviolence. fig leaf : noun: Something used to cover, usually inadequately, what may be shameful or embarrassing. ; "The austerity agenda has been seized by the Tories as the fig leaf behind which to progressively underfund health and social care, creating today's crisis." Phil Whitaker; Health Matters; New Statesman (London, UK); Feb 2, 2018. See more usage examples of fig leaf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I could be sure of doing with my books as much as my [doctor] father did for the sick! -Marcel Proust, novelist (10 Jul 1871-1922) *****July 12, 2018***** solecism : a nonstandard or ungrammatical usage, as unflammable and they was..; ... Lee finds in the solecism of “less” for “fewer”—catnip for pedants, and familiar to anyone who has stood in a grocery-store express lane—the inspiration for a beautiful poem about growing old ... Dan Chiasson, "'The Undressing': Poetry of Passion Laid Bare," The New Yorker, March 19, 2018 Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Nimiety : : excess, redundancy; As she organized the potluck lunch, Julie offered suggestions for dishes that were still needed so that we wouldn't end up with a dearth of salads or a nimiety of desserts. seeker : (noun) Someone making a search or inquiry.; quester, searcher; A seeker of the truth, he never took things at face value. grapevine : noun: An informal transmission of information, rumors, gossip, etc., by word of mouth. ; "He heard through the grapevine about those who successfully escaped across the channel." Jungle Boy by Seif Jamalulail; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Jun 3, 2018. See more usage examples of grapevine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I hold one share in the corporate earth and am uneasy about the management. -E.B. White, writer (11 Jul 1899-1985) *****July 13, 2018***** vitiate : to impair or weaken the effectiveness of; ... some infinitesimal excess or deficiency, some minute accession of heat or cold, some chance adulteration in this or that ingredient, can vitiate a whole course of inquiry, requiring the labour of weeks to be all begun again ... Charles Lever, One of Them, 1861 Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Cerebrate : : to use the mind : think; "You can't cerebrate over what you can't see, which therefore becomes an object of loathing and mistrust." — Howard Portnoy, Examiner.com, 25 June 2012 indisposed : (adjective) Somewhat ill or prone to illness.; ailing, peaked, poorly, under the weather, unwell, sickly, seedy; The princess is indisposed and has cancelled her engagements for the week to allow herself time to recuperate. top banana : noun: The leader of a company, group, etc. ; "'I'm no longer going to be in charge,' Mr. Riggio said. 'I'm done with that. I'm done with being top banana.'" Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg; Pioneering Barnes & Noble Leader to Step Down; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 27, 2016. See more usage examples of top banana in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That man is richest whose pleasures are cheapest. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (12 Jul 1817-1862) *****July 14, 2018***** vitiate : to impair or weaken the effectiveness of; ... some infinitesimal excess or deficiency, some minute accession of heat or cold, some chance adulteration in this or that ingredient, can vitiate a whole course of inquiry, requiring the labour of weeks to be all begun again ... Charles Lever, One of Them, 1861 Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Gumption : 1 chiefly dialectal : common sense, horse sense ; "When fatigue began to take over his body and his legs started to quake, LaDonna had the gumption to throw his best fastball of the day." — Gregg Sarra, Newsday (New York), 29 May 2018 deep-seated : (adjective) (Used especially of ideas or principles) deeply rooted; firmly fixed or held.; deep-rooted, implanted, ingrained, planted; He divined the fanatical love of freedom in her, the deep-seated antipathy for restraint of any sort. plummy : adjective 1. Of or relating to plums. 2. Choice; desirable. 3. Rich and mellow (voice). 4. Carefully articulated and affected (accent), thought typical of the English upper class. ; "But the upshot was that John Boss had landed this rather plummy job, which was taking him to Switzerland." K.M. Peyton; Snowfall; Graphia; 1994. "A plummy-voiced royals 'expert' who fronted TV coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding has been exposed as a real estate agent from upstate New York." Funspot; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Jun 2, 2018. See more usage examples of plummy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life had a second edition, how I would correct the proofs. -John Clare, poet (13 Jul 1793-1864) *****July 15, 2018***** amour-propre : French. self-esteem; self-respect; From the faces round him there fell that glamour by which the amour propre is held captive in large assemblies, where the amour propre is flattered. Edward Bulwar-Lytton, What Will He Do with It?, 1858 Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." Obviate : : to anticipate and prevent (something, such as a situation) or make (an action) unnecessary; "Many tech experts wouldn't expect the online advertising and data powerhouse to be interested in blockchain—a technology that, in many ways, obviates the need for the cloud and enables users to wrest control of their data from big tech companies." — Ben Dickson, PC Magazine, 27 Apr. 2018 hard-pressed : (adjective) Facing or experiencing financial trouble or difficulty.; distressed, hard put, in a bad way; Hard-pressed consumers are spending less on luxuries. plummy : adjective 1. Of or relating to plums. 2. Choice; desirable. 3. Rich and mellow (voice). 4. Carefully articulated and affected (accent), thought typical of the English upper class. ; "But the upshot was that John Boss had landed this rather plummy job, which was taking him to Switzerland." K.M. Peyton; Snowfall; Graphia; 1994. "A plummy-voiced royals 'expert' who fronted TV coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding has been exposed as a real estate agent from upstate New York." Funspot; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Jun 2, 2018. See more usage examples of plummy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life had a second edition, how I would correct the proofs. -John Clare, poet (13 Jul 1793-1864) *****July 16, 2018***** coeval : of the same age, date, or duration; equally old: Analysis has prove..; An old woman, who seemed coeval with the building ... received us at the gate ... Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, 1749 Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Mercurial : 1 : of, relating to, or born under the planet Mercury; "Uncle Chris felt a touch of embarrassment. It occurred to him that he had been betrayed by his mercurial temperament into an attitude which, considering the circumstances, was perhaps a trifle too jubilant." — P. G. Wodehouse, Jill the Reckless, 1921 curare : (noun) A toxic alkaloid found in certain tropical South American trees that is a powerful relaxant for striated muscles.; tubocurarine; The arrow was usually tipped with a poison, such as curare, which would stun or kill the struck prey. plummy : adjective 1. Of or relating to plums. 2. Choice; desirable. 3. Rich and mellow (voice). 4. Carefully articulated and affected (accent), thought typical of the English upper class. ; "But the upshot was that John Boss had landed this rather plummy job, which was taking him to Switzerland." K.M. Peyton; Snowfall; Graphia; 1994. "A plummy-voiced royals 'expert' who fronted TV coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding has been exposed as a real estate agent from upstate New York." Funspot; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Jun 2, 2018. See more usage examples of plummy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life had a second edition, how I would correct the proofs. -John Clare, poet (13 Jul 1793-1864) *****July 17, 2018***** garbology : the study of the material discarded by a society to learn what i..; The thing about garbology at that level, Smith says, is that it lets anyone--kids, teachers, parents--understand their own footprint, as well as their friends'. And once that's understood, it's possible to do something about it. Edward Humes, Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash, 2012 Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Declivity : 1 : downward inclination; "Early afternoon finds me off-trail by mistake among fog banks, using both hands and feet to scramble sideways and skyward along a perilously steep, grassy declivity toward the pass of Les Mattes." — Jeffrey Tayler, The National Geographic Traveler, 1 June 2017 comeuppance : (noun) A punishment or retribution that one deserves; one's just deserts.; deserts; The central character is an evil man who gets his comeuppance in the end. cynophobia : noun: A fear of dogs. ; "The Barnards have brought Lucie to an hour-long children's cynophobia session at Dyer's Essex Dog Training Centre.* ... If Lucie is not petting a dog before the hour is over then it will be a rare failure for Dyer over the 25 years that he has been running the classes." Sharon Smith; How to Get a Dog Phobia Licked; The Times (London, UK); Nov 18, 2016. *Shouldn't this be called a Human Training Centre? See more usage examples of cynophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every student needs someone who says, simply, "You mean something. You count." -Tony Kushner, playwright (b. 16 Jul 1956) *****July 18, 2018***** magisterial : authoritative; weighty; of importance or consequence; of, rela..; This is an impressive, magisterial book whose steady, earnest gaze also encompasses the lives of pickpockets and poets. Robert McCrum, "Nightwalking review – an enthralling study of London after dark," Guardian, March 29, 2015 Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Vouchsafe : 1 a : to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner; "Juan Carlos, who announced on Monday that he is abdicating the throne, was long revered for his role in vouchsafing Spain's transition to democracy following the death, in 1975, of the country's geriatric Fascist leader, Generalissimo Francisco Franco." — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 June 2014 exhalation : (noun) The act of expelling air from the lungs.; breathing out, expiration; He drew the first whiff of smoke deep into his lungs and expelled it in a long and lingering exhalation. phillumenist : noun: A collector of matchboxes, matchbooks, or their labels. ; "'And a phillumenist, I see,' I said, pointing my drink in the direction of a tall, though fat crystal vase half filled with matchbooks tucked into one corner of the room." Bianca Sloane; Live To Tell; SBB; 2016. Thought For The Day: Writing is like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way. -E.L. Doctorow, novelist (1931-2015) *****July 19, 2018***** hoity-toity : assuming airs; pretentious; haughty; Always crowing about their kid with the straight A's at that hoity-toity school. Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, 2002 Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Salvo : 1 a : a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns in military action or as a salute; The newspaper article was intended as a salvo against the mayor's policies. pagination : (noun) The system of numbering pages.; folio, paging; The editions of Holy Writ are so numerous that he could hardly suppose that two copies would have the same pagination. virilocal : adjective: Relating to the custom of living with the family of the husband. ; "She was also told that a new house was denied to her because she, being married to a man belonging to another parish, failed to move into the virilocal residence as per the custom." Soosaiya Anthreas; The Dance of the Sea; Gatekeeper Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: People hate as they love, unreasonably. -William Makepeace Thackeray, novelist (18 Jul 1811-1863) *****July 20, 2018***** hoity-toity : assuming airs; pretentious; haughty; Always crowing about their kid with the straight A's at that hoity-toity school. Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex, 2002 Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Halcyon : 1 : calm, peaceful; "Today, California is in the black and has even banked an emergency fund of eight billion dollars. Unemployment is less than five per cent. Still, there is nothing halcyon about Brown's vision of the future. At a press conference in January, he unveiled his valedictory budget proposal … and made clear that this was no cause for celebration." — Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, 26 Mar. 2018 sallow : (adjective) Of a sickly yellowish hue or complexion.; sickly; His face was sallow and shiny with sweat. pathophobia : noun: An irrational fear of disease. ; "His lifelong pathophobia and his later fear of potential assassins were also characteristic." Max Domarus and Patrick Romane; The Essential Hitler: Speeches and Commentary; Bolchazy-Carducci; 2007. Thought For The Day: I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (19 Jul 1916-1992) *****July 21, 2018***** carte blanche : unconditional authority; full discretionary power: She was g..; If you think this ... grants you carte blanche to stroll willy-nilly through that building asking any question that pops into your head, regardless of its bearing on the matter you are investigating, you are sadly mistaken. Stephen Coonts, America, 2001 Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari - to have an opinion. Paste : 1 : to strike hard at; "But, Moody came up next and pasted a liner into right for a single, which fueled a five-run inning for the Roughers." — Mike Tupa, The Bartlesville (Oklahoma) Examiner-Enterprise, 7 June 2018 fizzle : (verb) To fail or end weakly, especially after a hopeful beginning.; peter out, taper off; The music just fizzled out—there was no proper ending to the concert. paragnosis : noun: Knowledge that cannot be obtained by normal means. ; "We have lived to the time of the village idiot, when we wisely heed the messages received from the fillings of our teeth. The method here, paragnosis. The voice on the wireless beam his? Whose?" Michael Joyce; Of Two Minds; University of Michigan Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: On this 4th [of July], look beyond fireworks, parades, and pretentious patriots. Instead, celebrate whistleblowers and lamplighters who warn the people, speak truth to power -- risking their lives and fortunes defending our inalienable rights and independence against those who take our liberties away. -Thomas Drake, veteran and whistleblower (b. 22 Apr 1957) *****July 22, 2018***** vogie : Scot. conceited; proud; ... a most comical character, so vogie of his honours and dignities in the town council that he could not get the knight told often enough what a load aboon the burden he had in keeping a' things douce and in right regulation amang the bailies. John Galt, Ringan Gilhaize; or, The Covenanters, 1823 Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Acolyte : 1 : one who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties; The lawyer arrived with one of her acolytes, an eager young attorney who'd recently been hired by the firm. coincident : (adjective) Occurring or operating at the same time.; co-occurrent, concurrent, simultaneous; "You will observe," said Holmes, laying down the volume, "that the sudden breaking up of the society was coincident with the disappearance of Openshaw from America with their papers." paragnosis : noun: Knowledge that cannot be obtained by normal means. ; "We have lived to the time of the village idiot, when we wisely heed the messages received from the fillings of our teeth. The method here, paragnosis. The voice on the wireless beam his? Whose?" Michael Joyce; Of Two Minds; University of Michigan Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: On this 4th [of July], look beyond fireworks, parades, and pretentious patriots. Instead, celebrate whistleblowers and lamplighters who warn the people, speak truth to power -- risking their lives and fortunes defending our inalienable rights and independence against those who take our liberties away. -Thomas Drake, veteran and whistleblower (b. 22 Apr 1957) *****July 23, 2018***** leonine : resembling or suggestive of a lion; Only a few discerned the inexorable firmness in the depth of his soul, and the magnanimous and leonine qualities of his nature. Plutarch (c46–c120), "Fabius Maximus," Plutarch's Lives, Volume III, translated by Bernadotte Perrin, 1916 Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Festinate : : hasten; The patient's tendency to festinate meant that he was at risk of falling. troglodyte : (noun) A cave dweller, especially one of the prehistoric peoples thought to have lived in caves.; caveman; These vile old troglodytes are no longer there; but into their deserted cave another terrible giant has thrust himself, and makes it his business to seize upon honest travelers and fatten them for his table. paragnosis : noun: Knowledge that cannot be obtained by normal means. ; "We have lived to the time of the village idiot, when we wisely heed the messages received from the fillings of our teeth. The method here, paragnosis. The voice on the wireless beam his? Whose?" Michael Joyce; Of Two Minds; University of Michigan Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: On this 4th [of July], look beyond fireworks, parades, and pretentious patriots. Instead, celebrate whistleblowers and lamplighters who warn the people, speak truth to power -- risking their lives and fortunes defending our inalienable rights and independence against those who take our liberties away. -Thomas Drake, veteran and whistleblower (b. 22 Apr 1957) *****July 24, 2018***** leonine : resembling or suggestive of a lion; Only a few discerned the inexorable firmness in the depth of his soul, and the magnanimous and leonine qualities of his nature. Plutarch (c46–c120), "Fabius Maximus," Plutarch's Lives, Volume III, translated by Bernadotte Perrin, 1916 Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." recliner : (noun) An armchair whose back can be lowered and foot can be raised to allow the sitter to recline in it.; lounger; During football season, my husband plants himself in the recliner that faces the TV and does not budge for hours on end. shunpike : noun: A side road taken to avoid a toll road. verb intr.: To travel on a side road. ; "Having safely deposited our daughter in Williamstown, Massachusetts, for the summer, my alluring wife and I decided to shunpike our way back home to Washington." Philip Terzian; Little Van, Big House; The Weekly Standard (Washington, DC); Jul 5, 2010. See more usage examples of shunpike in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. -Haile Selassie, regent of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975) *****July 25, 2018***** epigone : an undistinguished imitator, follower, or successor of an importan..; ... is there anything lower than stealing from an epigone? John Simon, "Goo on an Island," New York, November 5, 1990 Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Languid : 1 : drooping or flagging from or as if from exhaustion : weak; The trial proceeded at a languid pace as each attorney called up a whole roster of witnesses to testify. saltpeter : (noun) (KNO3) Used especially as a fertilizer and explosive.; niter, potassium nitrate; Gunpowder was not invented by any one; it was the lineal successor of the Greek fire, which, like itself, was composed of sulfur and saltpeter. jerkwater : adjective: Remote, unimportant, or small. ; "C. Affleck plays a failed writer who returns to his jerkwater hometown." The Screen; Esquire (New York); Oct 2007. See more usage examples of jerkwater in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Up with life. Stamp out all small and large indignities. Leave everyone alone to make it without pressure. Down with hurting. Lower the standard of living. Do without plastics. Smash the servo-mechanisms. Stop grabbing. Snuff the breeze and hug the kids. Love all love. Hate all hate. -John D. MacDonald, novelist (24 Jul 1916-1986) *****July 26, 2018***** blinkered : narrow-minded and subjective; unwilling to understand another vi..; These anti-fans see, in new casts and storylines, the agendas of blinkered Social Justice Warriors more interested in diversity quotas and Signaling Virtue than making good movies. Adam Rogers, "Star Wars and the Battle of the Ever-More-Toxic Fan Culture," Wired, June 6, 2018 Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." Behemoth : 1 often capitalized : a mighty animal described in Job 40:15-24 as an example of the power of God; "Dowd, who has lived in the same housing development since 1989, keeps a plot in the community garden: a mulchy oasis amid brick behemoths." — Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 25 June 2018 peddle : (verb) Sell or offer for sale from place to place.; hawk, huckster, monger, vend, pitch; It is so hard to keep kids out of trouble and on the right track when dealers peddle drugs on every street corner. catchpenny : adjective: Relating to something designed to sell quickly: cheap, flashy, or sensationalistic. noun: Something that's designed to sell quickly. ; "The decades discussed in this volume were decisive in the history of modern music, and a more catchpenny author might justifiably have chosen the title 'twenty years that changed the world'." Patricia Howard; Der Ganze Heartz; Musical Times (London, UK); Autumn 2009. See more usage examples of catchpenny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only index by which to judge a government or a way of life is by the quality of the people it acts upon. No matter how noble the objectives of a government, if it blurs decency and kindness, cheapens human life, and breeds ill will and suspicion -- it is an evil government. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) *****July 27, 2018***** isopolity : equal rights of citizenship, as in different communities; mutual..; Isopolity agreements offered states and their citizens a way to share most fully in each other's judicial systems, political processes, religious and cultural life, without giving up their prized mutual autonomy. Richard Billows, "International Relations," The Cambridge History of Greek and Roman Warfare, Volume I, 2007 Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Inchmeal : : little by little, gradually; "The big beam in the back room … came out with less trouble than Lydia had expected…. Cataracts of fine mortar dust fell continuously along most of its length as Lydia levered it inchmeal onto the cradle of scaffolding she had built." — Peter Dickinson, The Lively Dead, 1975 straight-out : (adjective) Without reservation or exception.; outright, unlimited; Bob's excuse for missing work was a straight-out lie, and his boss knew this and fired him for it. cutpurse : noun: A thief, especially one who steals from people's pockets. ; "There's no avoiding the suggestion that the villains were Atlantic's corporate cutpurses." David Kirby; How a Sound Found Its Soul; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Nov 16, 2013. See more usage examples of cutpurse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Pardon him, Theodotus; he is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 28, 2018***** punnet : British, Australian. a small container or basket for strawberries o..; Next time you buy strawberries take a look a good look in the punnet. Do the berries still have the stem attached or has it been plucked off leaving only the green hat of leaves called the calyx? Lucy Hooker, "The strawberry-picking robots doing a job humans won't," BBC, May 25, 2018 Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Reticent : 1 : inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech : reserved; Unlike the chatty, gregarious protagonist of his novel, the author is quite reticent in public. scrumptious : (adjective) Extremely pleasing to the sense of taste.; delectable, pleasant-tasting, yummy, toothsome, delicious, luscious; That was a scrumptious apple pie, but I ate so much of it that now I have a terrible stomachache. scapegrace : noun: A scoundrel; a mischievous person. ; "Scrope Berdmore Davies was a perfect specimen of his time and station: a rogue, a rakehell, a scapegrace, and a scofflaw, but in no wise a cad, a bounder, a cutpurse, or a poltroon." Doug Fetherling; High Life in Low Resorts with Byron and the Boys; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jul 10, 1982. See more usage examples of scapegrace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 29, 2018***** hypnopedia : sleep learning; Years of intensive hypnopaedia and, from twelve to seventeen, Malthusian drill three times a week had made the taking of these precautions almost as automatic and inevitable as blinking. Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, 1932 Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Curfew : 1 : the sounding of a bell at evening; "In addition to park areas designed for them, adolescents can go into almost all places in Berlin, including dance clubs and bars. There are some rules, including a curfew: teens under sixteen must be out of the clubs and restaurants by ten p.m., those under eighteen must leave by midnight." — Sara Zaske, Achtung Baby: An American Mom on the German Art of Raising Self-Reliant Children, 2017 birthmark : (noun) A blemish on the skin that is formed before birth.; nevus; They named their newborn daughter Daisy because she had a delicate little birthmark on her shoulder that resembled a flower. scapegrace : noun: A scoundrel; a mischievous person. ; "Scrope Berdmore Davies was a perfect specimen of his time and station: a rogue, a rakehell, a scapegrace, and a scofflaw, but in no wise a cad, a bounder, a cutpurse, or a poltroon." Doug Fetherling; High Life in Low Resorts with Byron and the Boys; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jul 10, 1982. See more usage examples of scapegrace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 30, 2018***** causerie : an informal talk or chat; I was once booked by my manager to give a causerie in the drawing-room of a New York millionaire. Mark Twain, "A Little Note to M. Paul Bourget," How to Tell a Story and Other Essays, 1897 Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Gloss : 1 a : to provide a brief explanation or interpretation for : explain, define; Although not intended for the layperson, the text is relatively free of jargon and most of the technical vocabulary has been glossed.  heavyset : (adjective) Having a short and solid form or stature.; stocky, thickset, compact; Although he was heavyset, he moved with surprising agility and speed and was a formidable opponent in the ring. scapegrace : noun: A scoundrel; a mischievous person. ; "Scrope Berdmore Davies was a perfect specimen of his time and station: a rogue, a rakehell, a scapegrace, and a scofflaw, but in no wise a cad, a bounder, a cutpurse, or a poltroon." Doug Fetherling; High Life in Low Resorts with Byron and the Boys; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jul 10, 1982. See more usage examples of scapegrace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 31, 2018***** contextomy : the practice of misquoting someone by shortening the quotation ..; Contextomy can be used to create a false impression of a source's attitudes in the service of motives as harmless as selling movie tickets or as harmful as character assassination, which is typical of its employment in political advertising. Joseph McGlynn III, Matthew S. McGlone, "Language," Encyclopedia of Deception, Volume 2, 2014 Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." Tempestuous : : of, relating to, or resembling a violent storm : turbulent, stormy; Because the player's relationship with his manager had grown more tempestuous over the course of the season, the decision to trade him benefited everyone. repute : (verb) To consider (a person or thing) to be as specified.; look upon, regard as, take to be, esteem, think of; He is reputed to be intelligent. binnacle : noun: A container for housing instruments on a ship's deck, in a car dashboard, etc. ; "He scans the jewellike instrument binnacle then finds the start button and presses it. The V8 thunders to life." Steve Worland; Quick; Penguin; 2014. See more usage examples of binnacle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself. -Emily Bronte, novelist (30 Jul 1818-1848) *****August 01, 2018***** improbity : lack of honesty or moral scruples; But apart from these hurtful factors, the Ring itself radiated improbity. It had but recently been said by Henry Ward Beecher that perhaps the government of the City of New York did more harm to its people than all the churches together did good. Edgar Fawcett, A New York Family, 1891 Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Musket : : a heavy large-caliber muzzle-loading usually smoothbore shoulder firearm; broadly : a shoulder gun carried by infantry; "They could see changes going on among the troops. There were marchings this way and that way. A battery wheeled leisurely. On the crest of a small hill was the thick gleam of many departing muskets." — Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage, 1895 harbor : (verb) Maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings).; nurse, entertain, hold; I harbor a grudge for much longer than I should and am working on being more forgiving. bollard : noun: 1. A short thick post on a ship or a wharf used for securing ropes. 2. A post used as a traffic control device. ; "The shopping centre ram-raided by thieves using a front-end loader installed bollards a year ago in an attempt to deter desperate criminals." Ed Gardiner; Fury at Ram-Raid; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Jul 5, 2018. See more usage examples of bollard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. -J.K. Rowling, author (b. 31 Jul 1965) *****August 02, 2018***** nubilous : cloudy or foggy; ... it seemed, in their arbitrary disposition of the world's affairs, the Fates had ordained that Peyton's sky should always be nubilous ... Montgomery G. Preston, "An Eventful Evening," Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine," February 1876 Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Risorgimento : 1 often capitalized : the 19th century movement for Italian political unity; "Aware of and influenced by the English poetry of the Risorgimento, Melville kept to his own preoccupations rather than merely echoing the political stances of other poets or his acquaintances…." — Hershel Parker, Melville: The Making of a Poet, 2007 self-possession : (noun) The trait of resolutely controlling your own behavior.; self-command, willpower, self-control, self-will; My life depended on my keeping my self-possession, and the desperate nature of the situation lent me a desperate courage. bathophobia : noun: A fear of depths or of falling from a height. ; "The self-accusing mind's bottomless well, bathophobia. Falling and falling and falling." Tom LeClair; Well-Founded Fear; Olin Frederick; 2000. Thought For The Day: Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891) *****August 03, 2018***** nubilous : cloudy or foggy; ... it seemed, in their arbitrary disposition of the world's affairs, the Fates had ordained that Peyton's sky should always be nubilous ... Montgomery G. Preston, "An Eventful Evening," Godey's Lady's Book and Magazine," February 1876 Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Agog : : full of intense interest or excitement : eager; We were all agog over the rumor that the famous actor would be coming to town for his next movie. bemuse : (verb) Cause to be confused emotionally.; discombobulate, bewilder, throw; He finds it important not to bemuse readers with pompous language and is noted for his straightforward, uncomplicated writing style. baragnosis : noun: Loss of the ability to sense weight. ; "Now that I know you have baragnosis, honey -- those jeans do make you look fat." Ad; The New York Times; Apr 20, 2007. Thought For The Day: I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2018***** arctophile : a person who is very fond of and is usually a collector of tedd..; Unless you're an arctophile, which is just a fancy way of saying a teddy bear devotee, the name likely doesn't mean much, but it means a lot to collectors. John J. Lamb, The Crafty Teddy, 2007 Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." Pacify : 1 a : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe ; "To check on the health of a colony of bees it is usually necessary to open the hive, a procedure which involves using smoke to pacify the bees." — The Economist, 31 Mar. 2018 unfeigned : (adjective) Not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed.; genuine, true; I could tell from his unfeigned astonishment that he truly knew nothing about the robbery plans. boodle : noun:1. An illegal payment, as in graft.  2. A crowd of people. verb intr.:To take money dishonestly, especially from graft. ; "[Moss Hart's book] told of a scam to launder police-graft boodle by producing a flop musical." Ethan Mordden; Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre; Oxford University Press; 2013. See more usage examples of boodle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2018***** vespine : of or relating to wasps; From above the cubicles looked like a magnified insect battery, a nest uncovered by mistake, a glimpse of geometrically precise rows of pods, lines of tiny vespine heads, shining with black Sony ovals, trembling with larval energy on T-shirt thoraces. Rana Dasgupta, Tokyo Cancelled, 2005 Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Slimsy : : flimsy, frail; "For one thing, she'll have to make Daisy some clothes first, because Daisy hasn't got much to wear except what she's got on…. Just about all she's got to her name is that little slimsy gingham jumper she's wearing." — Erskine Caldwell, A Woman in the House, 1936 perspire : (verb) To excrete perspiration through the pores of the skin.; sudate, sweat; The air-conditioning was broken in his car, and he began to perspire heavily in the heat. boodle : noun:1. An illegal payment, as in graft.  2. A crowd of people. verb intr.:To take money dishonestly, especially from graft. ; "[Moss Hart's book] told of a scam to launder police-graft boodle by producing a flop musical." Ethan Mordden; Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre; Oxford University Press; 2013. See more usage examples of boodle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 06, 2018***** vespine : of or relating to wasps; From above the cubicles looked like a magnified insect battery, a nest uncovered by mistake, a glimpse of geometrically precise rows of pods, lines of tiny vespine heads, shining with black Sony ovals, trembling with larval energy on T-shirt thoraces. Rana Dasgupta, Tokyo Cancelled, 2005 Attrition : n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. "The company's attrition rate was quite high." Bereft : 1 : deprived or robbed of the possession or use of something — usually used with of; "The sustaining whirlwind had let her down, to stumble on again …, bereft of moral support which is wanted in life more than all the charities of material help." — Joseph Conrad, Chance, 1913 unsnarl : (verb) Extricate from entanglement.; disentangle, straighten out; Can you unsnarl the kite string, or do we need to cut it and add a new spool? boodle : noun:1. An illegal payment, as in graft.  2. A crowd of people. verb intr.:To take money dishonestly, especially from graft. ; "[Moss Hart's book] told of a scam to launder police-graft boodle by producing a flop musical." Ethan Mordden; Anything Goes: A History of American Musical Theatre; Oxford University Press; 2013. See more usage examples of boodle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 07, 2018***** chevelure : a head of hair; The arrangement of this chevelure is performed for the chiefs by professional barbers, and is a work of great labour. Six hours are sometimes occupied in dressing a head; and the process is repeated at intervals of two or three weeks. Robert Gordon Latham, The Natural History of the Varieties of Man, 1850 Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Mufti : : ordinary dress as distinguished from that denoting an occupation or station; especially : civilian clothes when worn by a person in the armed forces; "Norderval sings in a soaring, evocative line. Even in mufti, her performance, not as honed as it will be after another three weeks of rehearsals, is riveting." — Cynthia Robins, The San Francisco Chronicle, 17 June 2001 snobbish : (adjective) Befitting or characteristic of those who incline to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior.; cliquish, snobby, clannish, clubby; I expected Susan, the daughter of a multimillionaire, to be snobbish, but she was actually warm and friendly. olive branch : noun: An offer or gesture of peace, reconciliation, or goodwill. ; "Yossi Klein Halevi wants to extend an olive branch to his Palestinian neighbors, and does so, in his incredibly compelling and heartfelt book Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor." Elaine Margolin; An Olive Branch in Jerusalem; Jerusalem Post (Israel); May 25, 2018. See more usage examples of olive branch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the primary tests of the mood of a society at any given time is whether its comfortable people tend to identify, psychologically, with the power and achievements of the very successful or with the needs and sufferings of the underprivileged. -Richard Hofstadter, historian (6 Aug 1916-1970) *****August 08, 2018***** normcore : a fashion style or way of dressing characterized by ordinary, pla..; At first, I spotted just occasional forays into normcore: the rare cool kid wearing clothes as lukewarm as the last sips of deli coffee—mock turtlenecks with Tevas and Patagonia windbreakers; Uniqlo khakis with New Balance sneakers or Crocs and souvenir-stand baseball caps. Fiona Duncan, "Normcore: Fashion for Those Who Realize They're One in 7 Billion," New York, February 26, 2014 Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Fungible : 1 : being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation; "The good news—in one way of looking at it—is that Sears had significant fungible assets of decent value to raise cash and a more than cozy relationship with a few willing buyers." — Steve Dennis, Forbes.com, 31 May 2018 morganatic : (adjective) Of or being a legal marriage between a person of royal or noble birth and a partner of lower rank, in which it is agreed that no titles or estates of the royal or noble partner are to be shared by the partner of inferior rank nor by any of the offspring of the marriage.; left-handed; Lola Montes, a dancer, became the morganatic wife of King Louis of Bavaria and was created Countess of Landsfeld. cabbage : noun:1. Money, especially in the form of bills.  2. A stupid or mentally impaired person.  3. A term of endearment.  4. Scraps remaining from a fabric that has been used to make a garment. verb tr., intr.:1. To get intoxicated.  2. To steal or pilfer.  3. To plagiarize. ; "'You have my cabbage?' asked the muscle man." Bowie Ibarra; Down the Road: The Fall of Austin; Permuted Press; 2011. "'Good morning, my little Cabbage!' Canuck said." J.T. James; Strong at the Broken Places; Xlibris; 2016. "[The women were] judging by the bottles and glasses on the table, well on their way to being cabbaged." Joss Wood; Her Boss by Day; Mills & Boon; 2015. "What you will see next is not completely my own work. ... I must tell you that I have cabbaged some of the better suggestions here from a show I saw." From This Place to That; Messenger Inquirer (Owensboro, Kentucky); Dec 14, 2011. See more usage examples of cabbage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 09, 2018***** calescent : growing warm; increasing in heat; I've tested the misting fan’s potency in several clammy places, from subway stations to the congested, calescent queues at Disney World (where, on a stinking-hot day, I’d unwisely worn a boiler suit). Laura Bannister, "The Misting Fan That Kept Me Cool at Disney World," New York, June 12, 2017 Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Debunk : : to expose the sham or falseness of; "Illusionists and comedians Penn and Teller have made a career out of pulling back the curtain, whether to reveal the methods magicians employ in their tricks or to debunk pseudoscientific claptrap on their former television series." — Marc Mohan, The Oregonian, 7 Mar. 2014 protuberant : (adjective) Swelling out from the surrounding surface.; bellying, bulgy, bulbous; The huge and protuberant stomach was amply supported by wide and massive hips, and the shoulders were broad as those of a Hercules. pea-brained : adjective: Extremely stupid. ; "A pea-brained bandit was busted selling $22,750 in stolen broccoli seeds on Facebook, according to police." Natalie O'Neill; Weird but True; New York Post; Nov 28, 2017. See more usage examples of pea-brained in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: My soul is a broken field, plowed by pain. -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933) *****August 10, 2018***** agora : the place where a popular political assembly met in Ancient Greece, ..; In the fall of 1964, left-wing students at U.C. Berkeley demanded the right to hand out antiwar literature on Sproul Plaza, the red brick agora at the center of the campus. Andrew Marantz, "How Social-Media Trolls Turned U.C. Berkeley Into a Free-Speech Circus," The New Yorker, July 2, 2018 Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." Weald : 1 : a heavily wooded area : forest; "With food, terroir remains the best term to define how variations in landscape and climate in a place give a region a certain identity. This is aired strikingly, with Toby Glanville's photographs of the estuary and marshes, weald and orchards—a soothing greyness, an atmosphere of English Nordic to get you into the mood and cook Harris's recipes, mostly easy to make." — Rose Prince, The Spectator, 18 Nov. 2017 garrulity : (noun) The quality of being wordy and talkative.; loquacity, talkativeness; With the confidential garrulity of a man who has dined too well, he plunged into his darling topic, and I looked past him at the clock. mushroom : verb intr.:1. To grow rapidly.  2. To develop into the shape of a mushroom.  3. To collect wild mushrooms. adjective:1. Of or relating to mushrooms.  2. Developing or growing quickly. ; "More workers are out of jobs and the social safety net has eroded. Anxiety has mushroomed." Douglas Todd; Happiness Research Is Beautifully Subversive; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Jun 11, 2018. See more usage examples of mushroom in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What magical trick makes us intelligent? The trick is that there is no trick. The power of intelligence stems from our vast diversity, not from any single, perfect principle. -Marvin Minsky, scientist and author (9 Aug 1927-2016) *****August 11, 2018***** agora : the place where a popular political assembly met in Ancient Greece, ..; In the fall of 1964, left-wing students at U.C. Berkeley demanded the right to hand out antiwar literature on Sproul Plaza, the red brick agora at the center of the campus. Andrew Marantz, "How Social-Media Trolls Turned U.C. Berkeley Into a Free-Speech Circus," The New Yorker, July 2, 2018 Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. Rash : : marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution; "I know you're upset about not getting a raise, but I think it would be rash to quit your job in protest," said Martha to her friend. outlast : (verb) Live longer than.; outlive, survive; Naturally dried flowers will outlast a bouquet of fresh blooms. couch potato : noun: A person who leads a sedentary life, usually watching television. ; "Brooks Koepka went from US Open hero to a depressed overweight couch potato last year." Euan McLean; Koepka so Happy to Shape up; Daily Record (Glasgow, UK); Jun 13, 2018. See more usage examples of couch potato in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The one thing we know about torture is that it was never designed in the first place to get at the actual truth of anything; it was designed in the darkest days of human history to produce false confessions in order to annihilate political and religious dissidents. And that is how it always works: it gets confessions regardless of their accuracy. -Andrew Sullivan, writer (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 12, 2018***** decorous : characterized by dignified propriety in conduct, manners, appeara..; If you think British historical dramas are all decorous whisperings about how one should behave upon meeting the queen, this mini-series is here to prove that notion wrong ... Joanna Scutts, "The Very Real Story Behind A Very English Scandal," Slate, July 4, 2018 Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Circuitous : 1 : having a circular or winding course; While either method will yield the correct answer, one is far less circuitous and therefore considered superior. half-staff : (noun) A position some distance below the top of a mast to which a flag is lowered in mourning or to signal distress.; half-mast; Out of respect for the fallen police officer, all government buildings flew their flags at half-staff for a week. couch potato : noun: A person who leads a sedentary life, usually watching television. ; "Brooks Koepka went from US Open hero to a depressed overweight couch potato last year." Euan McLean; Koepka so Happy to Shape up; Daily Record (Glasgow, UK); Jun 13, 2018. See more usage examples of couch potato in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The one thing we know about torture is that it was never designed in the first place to get at the actual truth of anything; it was designed in the darkest days of human history to produce false confessions in order to annihilate political and religious dissidents. And that is how it always works: it gets confessions regardless of their accuracy. -Andrew Sullivan, writer (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 13, 2018***** laeotropic : oriented or coiled in a leftward direction, as a left-spiraling..; The arms of the cross are slightly oblique; and it is worthy of note that the direction of their inclination is laeotropic, while in Crepidula and Ischnochiton the arms show a slight dexiotropic twist. Samuel J. Holmes, "The Early Development of Planorbis," Journal of Morphology, Volume XVI, February 1900 Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Lapidary : 1 : a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds; Lapidary is more of a science than an art: the cutter needs to be aware of the physical properties of the material before fashioning it. rappel : (verb) Lower oneself with a rope coiled around the body from a mountainside.; abseil, rope down; She decided to try and overcome her fear of heights by learning to rappel. couch potato : noun: A person who leads a sedentary life, usually watching television. ; "Brooks Koepka went from US Open hero to a depressed overweight couch potato last year." Euan McLean; Koepka so Happy to Shape up; Daily Record (Glasgow, UK); Jun 13, 2018. See more usage examples of couch potato in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The one thing we know about torture is that it was never designed in the first place to get at the actual truth of anything; it was designed in the darkest days of human history to produce false confessions in order to annihilate political and religious dissidents. And that is how it always works: it gets confessions regardless of their accuracy. -Andrew Sullivan, writer (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 14, 2018***** laeotropic : oriented or coiled in a leftward direction, as a left-spiraling..; The arms of the cross are slightly oblique; and it is worthy of note that the direction of their inclination is laeotropic, while in Crepidula and Ischnochiton the arms show a slight dexiotropic twist. Samuel J. Holmes, "The Early Development of Planorbis," Journal of Morphology, Volume XVI, February 1900 Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." Orgulous : : proud; The hotel manager tended to adopt an orgulous air with those guests who were not regular visitors and who might be unaware of the building's rich and storied history. disburse : (verb) Expend, as from a fund.; pay out; The aid will not be disbursed until next year, so until then, the refugees will have to fend for themselves. newspeak : noun: Deliberately ambiguous or euphemistic language used for propaganda. ; Oldspeak is the opposite of newspeak. For example, in 1984, the oldspeak "labor camp" is called a newspeak "joycamp". But you don't have to go to fiction to find newspeak. What is "torture" in oldspeak becomes "interrogation", or even better, "enhanced interrogation" in newspeak. While "waterboarding" itself is newspeak -- no, it's not a water sport -- they go one step further and couch it as "enhanced interrogation". As if in regular interrogation one is suffocated with regular water while waterboarding, but in enhanced they use nothing less than Evian. Thought For The Day: There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. -Alfred Hitchcock, film-maker (13 Aug 1899-1980) *****August 15, 2018***** riant : laughing; smiling; cheerful; Mistress Marjory bent her head with a murmured assurance of "giving him small trouble," but again the riant eyes belied the lips ... Sara Beaumont Kennedy, "Sweet Marjory," Outing, Volume XXVII, January 1896 Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Gaffer : 1 : an old man — compare gammer; Before the first day of shooting, the gaffer spent several days setting up all the lights. concoct : (verb) Prepare or cook by mixing ingredients.; cook up; The witch concocted a sweet-smelling brew that would put the princess to sleep for 100 years. doublethink : noun: An acceptance of two contradictory ideas at the same time. ; "Meat, for me as for so many, is a moral quandary; a grey area of doublethink. Britain is a nation of animal lovers, we are often told, and yet we are also a nation of meat-eaters." Hugo Rifkind; Meat Is Murder But I Can't Get Enough of It; The Times (London, UK); Dec 12, 2017. See more usage examples of doublethink in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy. -John Galsworthy, author, Nobel laureate (14 Aug 1867-1933) *****August 16, 2018***** anodyne : anything that relieves distress or pain: The music was an anodyne ..; ... he realized that then, and now, work had been an anodyne of sorts. It had occupied his mind. Patrick Taylor, An Irish Country Courtship, 2010 Monolithic : adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change. Nonchalant : : having an air of easy unconcern or indifference; "After the doors closed, the man … grabbed onto the train from the outside. And off he went, surfing through the subway tunnel while some commuters … rode unsuspecting inside, according to a video captured by another subway rider…. The video … shows the man holding on in a calm, nonchalant manner, even letting down one of his arms." — Samantha Schmidt, The Washington Post, 12 July 2018 transliterate : (verb) To represent (letters or words) in the corresponding characters of another alphabet.; transcribe; The Arabic text had to be transliterated for the American actors so that they could learn to speak their lines convincingly. Big Brother : noun: An authoritarian person, organization, government, etc., that monitors or controls people. ; "When do cameras start feeling less like protection and more like Big Brother?" Michael Dobie; School Security Takes a Big Step; Newsday (Long Island, New York); Jul 29, 2018. See more usage examples of Big Brother in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no human being who, as a result of desiring to build a better life, should be named or declared illegal. -Alejandro G. Inarritu, film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (b. 15 Aug 1963) *****August 17, 2018***** corpocracy : a society in which corporations have much economic and politica..; Whether you are in business or government, you will be members of the same corpocracy. In the West, there are tensions between government and business elites. In China, these elites are part of the same social web, cooperating for mutual enrichment. David Brooks, "The Dictatorship of Talent," New York Times, December 4, 2007 Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Volatile : 1 a : characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change; Our financial advisor cautioned us to be conservative with our investments while the stock market was still volatile. garret : (noun) Floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage.; attic, loft; There was yet an upper staircase, of a steeper inclination and of contracted dimensions, to be ascended, before the garret story was reached. unperson : noun: A person regarded as nonexistent. ; "It is hard now to grasp the disgrace of illegitimacy. Pepita's children were unpersons. No respectable child could play with them. When visitors came, they were bundled away." The Story of the Sackvilles; Knole and Its History; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 26, 2014. See more usage examples of unperson in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If some persons died, and others did not die, death would indeed be a terrible affliction. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2018***** corpocracy : a society in which corporations have much economic and politica..; Whether you are in business or government, you will be members of the same corpocracy. In the West, there are tensions between government and business elites. In China, these elites are part of the same social web, cooperating for mutual enrichment. David Brooks, "The Dictatorship of Talent," New York Times, December 4, 2007 Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Thwart : 1 a : to oppose successfully : defeat the hopes or aspirations of; The baby howled when her mother thwarted her in her effort to crawl up the stairs. spongy : (adjective) Easily squashed; resembling a sponge in having soft porous texture and compressibility.; squishy, squashy; I like nothing better than butter on a slice of freshly baked, spongy white bread. oldspeak : noun: Normal English usage, as opposed to propagandist, euphemistic, or obfuscatory language. ; "It quickly became apparent at the conference, however, that terms like psychedelic and hallucinogen are pretty much oldspeak. The neologism of the moment is entheogen -- meaning 'the divine within' -- at least at this conference." Richard Gehr; The State of the Stone; The Village Voice (New York); Nov 5, 1996. See more usage examples of oldspeak in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have always supported measures and principles and not men. I have acted fearless and independent and I never will regret my course. I would rather be politically buried than to be hypocritically immortalized. -Davy Crockett, frontiersman, soldier, and politician (17 Aug 1786-1836) *****August 19, 2018***** prima facie : plain or clear; self-evident; obvious; McCain and Palin have been quoting this remark ever since, offering it as prima-facie evidence of Obama’s unsuitability for office. Hendrik Hertzberg, "Like, Socialism," The New Yorker, November 3, 2008 Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Adulation : : excessive or slavish admiration or flattery; "It's hard to imagine the safest environment being one where thousands of people are within feet of you and millions more are watching your every move. But that was the case with Tiger Woods. … When he played, he was wrapped in a blanket of admiration, adulation and respect." — Frank Nobilo, Golf Digest, November 2017 self-restraint : (noun) Restraint of one's emotions, desires, or inclinations; self-control.; temperateness; She little guessed the struggle within my breast, or the effort of self-restraint which held me back. oldspeak : noun: Normal English usage, as opposed to propagandist, euphemistic, or obfuscatory language. ; "It quickly became apparent at the conference, however, that terms like psychedelic and hallucinogen are pretty much oldspeak. The neologism of the moment is entheogen -- meaning 'the divine within' -- at least at this conference." Richard Gehr; The State of the Stone; The Village Voice (New York); Nov 5, 1996. See more usage examples of oldspeak in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have always supported measures and principles and not men. I have acted fearless and independent and I never will regret my course. I would rather be politically buried than to be hypocritically immortalized. -Davy Crockett, frontiersman, soldier, and politician (17 Aug 1786-1836) *****August 20, 2018***** lunula : something shaped like a narrow crescent, as the small, pale area at..; It refuses to grow back, the nail of this one finger, the lunula destroyed, a moon permanently obliterated by one smash of his interrogator's pistol. Vaddey Ratner, Music of the Ghosts, 2017 Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Imperturbable : : marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness : serene; The imperturbable captain did not panic when the boat sailed into the path of a violent storm. button-down : (adjective) Unimaginatively conventional.; conservative; Knowing that her unconventional appearance would hold her back in the button-down corporate culture she was about to enter, she reluctantly dyed her magenta hair back to its natural auburn. oldspeak : noun: Normal English usage, as opposed to propagandist, euphemistic, or obfuscatory language. ; "It quickly became apparent at the conference, however, that terms like psychedelic and hallucinogen are pretty much oldspeak. The neologism of the moment is entheogen -- meaning 'the divine within' -- at least at this conference." Richard Gehr; The State of the Stone; The Village Voice (New York); Nov 5, 1996. Thought For The Day: I have always supported measures and principles and not men. I have acted fearless and independent and I never will regret my course. I would rather be politically buried than to be hypocritically immortalized. -Davy Crockett, frontiersman, soldier, and politician (17 Aug 1786-1836) *****August 21, 2018***** squamous : covered with or formed of squamae or scales; The back was piebald with yellow and black, and dimly suggested the squamous covering of certain snakes. H. P. Lovecraft, "The Dunwich Horror," Weird Tales, April 1929 Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." Satiety : 1 : the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness; "Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories." — Georgia Downard, Self, June 2011 intersect : (verb) Meet at a point.; cross; These two fences intersect at the creek. tittup : noun: A lively movement; caper. verb intr.: To move in an exaggerated prancing manner. ; "[Josh Homme's] wiggling movements while playing guitar and singing were just a small prance away from the full tittup." Ludovic Hunter-Tilney; Queens of the Stone Age; Financial Times (London, UK); Nov 21, 2017. See more usage examples of tittup in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 22, 2018***** kyoodle : to bark or yelp noisily or foolishly; yap; No living thing moved upon it, not even a medicine wolf to kyoodle to the invisible moon. Richard Sale, The White Buffalo, 1975 Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Cerulean : : resembling the blue of the sky; "The images in Nicolas Party's paintings are simple, vivid, inexplicably funny, and profoundly odd. He paints the face of a man in a brown hat with a large snail on top, against a background of cerulean blue." — Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, June 2018 espouse : (verb) Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans.; adopt, follow; The candidate espouses Republican ideals. assize : noun: A session of a court or a verdict or an inquiry made at such a session. ; "I was just finishing up when a runner arrived from the assize with a summons from my father." Sarah Downing; Bound; Lulu; 2015. See more usage examples of assize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have no respect for people who deliberately try to be weird to attract attention, but if that's who you honestly are, you shouldn't try to "normalize" yourself. -Alicia Witt, actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist (b. 21 Aug 1975) *****August 23, 2018***** capitulate : to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do ..; He was just too stubborn and pigheaded unless--and here was the one possible case in which he might capitulate--if it were to save his only son. Wilbur Smith, Birds of Prey, 1997 Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Exigent : 1 : requiring immediate aid or action; The patients were triaged so that exigent cases would be given immediate care. good-humored : (adjective) Disposed to please.; amiable; He was generally a good-humored, sensible man; but if his temper was a little out...nobody liked to come too near his fist, for he could deal a very heavy blow. crunt : noun: A blow on the head with a club. ; "A real crunt would finish the likes of him, and I am not one for killing." William Edward Wilson; Every Man Is My Father; Saturday Review Press; 1973. Thought For The Day: Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays in the palm; clutch it, and it darts away. -Dorothy Parker, author (22 Aug 1893-1967) *****August 24, 2018***** capitulate : to give up resistance: He finally capitulated and agreed to do ..; He was just too stubborn and pigheaded unless--and here was the one possible case in which he might capitulate--if it were to save his only son. Wilbur Smith, Birds of Prey, 1997 Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." Oblige : 1 : to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force or by the exigencies of circumstance; "Bessie would rather have stayed, but she was obliged to go, because punctuality at meals was rigidly enforced at Gateshead Hall." — Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847 effulgent : (adjective) Shining brilliantly; resplendent.; radiant, refulgent, beamy, beaming; Hidden nooks and corners, unused to observation, suddenly gleam and blush in effulgent exposure,—like lovers whom the unexpected turning on of a light has revealed kissing in the dark. cockade : noun: An ornament, such as a rosette or a knot of ribbons, worn as a badge on a hat, lapel, etc. ; "His cockade, a circular piece of fabric in red, white, and blue, bobbed as he moved." Shana Galen; Traitor in Her Arms; Loveswept; 2017. See more usage examples of cockade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll, / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul. -William Ernest Henley, poet, critic, and editor (23 Aug 1849-1903) *****August 25, 2018***** glanceable : Digital Technology. noting or relating to information on an ele..; I still use my Apple Watch every day. It tracks my health, makes my notifications glanceable, and actually looks nice. Brandt Ranj, "5 stands to keep your Apple Watch charged all the time," Business Insider, December 27, 2017 Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Marshal : 1 a : a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble originally having charge of the cavalry but later usually in command of the military forces; The marshal confirmed that the house fires were arson and were likely set by the same person. self-abasement : (noun) Degradation or humiliation of oneself, especially because of feelings of guilt or inferiority.; self-mortification, penance; "Let them break my heart if they like," she had thought to herself, in the self-abasement of that bitter moment; "it will be no more than I have deserved." fallacious : adjective: 1. Based on false reasoning. 2. Deceptive or misleading. ; "This is part of the propaganda machine. Let's spread a completely fallacious story and say it needs to be investigated." Tom McCarthy; Rudy Giuliani Admits 'Spygate' Is Trump PR Tactic Against Robert Mueller; The Guardian (London, UK); May 28, 2018. See more usage examples of fallacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I would encourage people to look around them in their community and find an organization that is doing something that they believe in, even if that organization has only five people, or ten people, or twenty people, or a hundred people. And to look at history and understand that when change takes place it takes place as a result of large, large numbers of people doing little things unbeknownst to one another. And that history is very important for people to not get discouraged. ... History is instructive. And what it suggests to people is that even if they do little things, if they walk on the picket line, if they join a vigil, if they write a letter to their local newspaper. Anything they do, however small, becomes part of a much, much larger sort of flow of energy. And when enough people do enough things, however small they are, then change takes place. -Howard Zinn, historian, playwright, and social activist (24 Aug 1922-2010) *****August 26, 2018***** embosk : to hide or conceal (something, oneself, etc.) with or as if with fo..; [Sancho] said as much to his lord, requesting him to depart presently from thence, and embosk himself in the mountain, which was very near. Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote of the Mancha, translated by Thomas Shelton, 1612 Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Jaunty : : sprightly in manner or appearance : lively; "Hitching his wistful voice and elegant violin to a jaunty tempo suggesting an Appalachian hoedown, Andrew Bird evokes a sense of restless longing on this album, his 12th." — Jon Young, Mother Jones, March/April 2012 uncivil : (adjective) Lacking civility or good manners.; rude; Dost think, because you have seen some great ladies rude and uncivil to persons below them, that none of them know how to behave themselves when they come before their inferiors? fallacious : adjective: 1. Based on false reasoning. 2. Deceptive or misleading. ; "This is part of the propaganda machine. Let's spread a completely fallacious story and say it needs to be investigated." Tom McCarthy; Rudy Giuliani Admits 'Spygate' Is Trump PR Tactic Against Robert Mueller; The Guardian (London, UK); May 28, 2018. See more usage examples of fallacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I would encourage people to look around them in their community and find an organization that is doing something that they believe in, even if that organization has only five people, or ten people, or twenty people, or a hundred people. And to look at history and understand that when change takes place it takes place as a result of large, large numbers of people doing little things unbeknownst to one another. And that history is very important for people to not get discouraged. ... History is instructive. And what it suggests to people is that even if they do little things, if they walk on the picket line, if they join a vigil, if they write a letter to their local newspaper. Anything they do, however small, becomes part of a much, much larger sort of flow of energy. And when enough people do enough things, however small they are, then change takes place. -Howard Zinn, historian, playwright, and social activist (24 Aug 1922-2010) *****August 27, 2018***** dreamboat : Slang. a highly attractive or desirable person; Hunter was a studio player at Warner Brothers: a blond, blue-eyed dreamboat, whom the studio was selling—quite successfully—as the quintessential boy next door. Michael Schulman, "Tab Hunter's Secrets," The New Yorker, October 16, 2015 Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Puissant : : of great force or vigor : strong, powerful; The article was written by one of the nation's most respected and puissant advocates for the rights of minorities. festivity : (noun) Any joyous diversion.; celebration; The whole town was filled with mirth and dance and festivity. fallacious : adjective: 1. Based on false reasoning. 2. Deceptive or misleading. ; "This is part of the propaganda machine. Let's spread a completely fallacious story and say it needs to be investigated." Tom McCarthy; Rudy Giuliani Admits 'Spygate' Is Trump PR Tactic Against Robert Mueller; The Guardian (London, UK); May 28, 2018. See more usage examples of fallacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I would encourage people to look around them in their community and find an organization that is doing something that they believe in, even if that organization has only five people, or ten people, or twenty people, or a hundred people. And to look at history and understand that when change takes place it takes place as a result of large, large numbers of people doing little things unbeknownst to one another. And that history is very important for people to not get discouraged. ... History is instructive. And what it suggests to people is that even if they do little things, if they walk on the picket line, if they join a vigil, if they write a letter to their local newspaper. Anything they do, however small, becomes part of a much, much larger sort of flow of energy. And when enough people do enough things, however small they are, then change takes place. -Howard Zinn, historian, playwright, and social activist (24 Aug 1922-2010) *****August 28, 2018***** andragogy : the methods or techniques used to teach adults: Many educators b..; ... in the technology of andragogy there is decreasing emphasis on the transmittal techniques of traditional teaching and increasing emphasis on experimental techniques which tap the experience of the learners and involve them in analyzing their experience. Malcolm Knowles, The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species, 1973 Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Rubric : 1 : an authoritative rule; especially : a rule for conduct of a liturgical service; "… Katharine Briggs (1875-1968) and her daughter, Isabel Myers (1897-1980), … devised a rubric that identified personality according to four 'easy to understand and easily relatable' categories: extravert or introvert, thinking or feeling, sensing or intuiting, judging or perceiving." — Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2018 splendiferous : (adjective) Having great beauty and splendor.; resplendent, splendid, glorious; For our 10th anniversary, we went to the most expensive restaurant in the city and had a truly splendiferous meal. scaramouch or scaramouche : noun: A boastful coward, buffoon, or rascal. ; "Sadly, it speaks even less of the intelligence of a public that keeps letting these scaramouches turn out their pockets." Colin McNickle; Weapons of Mass Redistributionism; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Greensburg, Pennsylvania); Nov 5, 2006. See more usage examples of scaramouch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher (27 Aug 1770-1831) *****August 29, 2018***** forbearance : forbearing conduct or quality; patient endurance; self-control..; I had no right to be so angry with you. There should be no limit to a mother's forbearance. Anthony Trollope, Sir Harry Hotspur of Humblethwaite, 1871 Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Lodestar : : one that serves as an inspiration, model, or guide; "Tisvilde, on Zealand's north coast, stands out as a lodestar for the city's creative set, ever since two of those historic hotels, the Helenkilde Badehotel and Tisvilde Strandhotel, were tastefully renovated a decade ago by the former Royal Danish Ballet principal Alexander Kølpin." — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, March/April 2012    ad-lib : (adjective) Said or done without having been planned or written in advance.; spontaneous, unwritten; The bride's father made a few ad-lib remarks at the rehearsal dinner, and they turned out to be the most memorable and meaningful words of the night. Molotov cocktail : noun: A crude bomb made of a bottle filled with a liquid fuel and fitted with a rag wick that is lighted just before the bottle is hurled. ; "Finn [Farrell]'s Facebook message had popped into her work inbox like a Molotov cocktail, exploding her crammed diary into shards of missed meetings, unreturned phone calls, and hurried apologies." Joan Kilby; Meant To Be Hers; Mills & Boon Superromance; 2018. Thought For The Day: There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (28 Aug 1749-1832) *****August 30, 2018***** pathos : the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature,..; Like all other music, it breathed passion and pathos, and emotions high or tender, in a tongue native to the human heart, wherever educated. Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, 1850 Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Taciturn : : temperamentally disinclined to talk; "The waiter, previously friendly and good-humored, was tonight solemn and taciturn." — Taylor Stevens, The Informationist, 2011 boorish : (adjective) Ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance.; loutish, neanderthal, oafish, swinish; He was boorish and insensitive, and he made her cry far too often, but she loved him regardless. roister-doister : noun: A swaggering buffoon or reveler. adjective: Engaged in swaggering buffoonery. ; "And the roister-doister swagger of the performers has a definite charm." Mary Brennan; 'Bestest Bits' That Even the Grown-Ups Will Love; The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland); Aug 11, 2010. Thought For The Day: The mind of a bigot to the pupil of the eye; the more light you pour on it, the more it contracts. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (29 Aug 1809-1894) *****August 31, 2018***** sudoriferous : bearing or secreting sweat; Jermaine's nerves got the better of him and resulted in a rather sudoriferous audition. Jodi Bradbury, "American Idol recap: Meet Jessica Phillips, Idol's newest star-crossed contestant," Christian Science Monitor, February 2, 2012 Fastidious : adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness. Buttonhole : : to detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of; "Her colleagues remember [Shila] Kaur at the annual World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, buttonholing senior health officials and patiently explaining to them why people thousands of miles away needed better access to medicines or were worried about the rise of antibiotic resistance." — Andrew Green, The Lancet, 13 Jan. 2018 divest : (verb) Remove (someone's or one's own) clothes.; undress, disinvest, strip; Frowning with vexation at the effort necessary to divest himself of his coat and trousers, the prince undressed. braggadocio : noun: 1. An empty boaster. 2. Empty boasting. 3. Boastful behavior. ; "We are appalled by the braggadocio of corporate hamburger palaces with huge signs congratulating themselves for selling billions of animal meat sandwiches." Richard T. Halfpenny; Funism: the New Religion; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of braggadocio in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb *****September 01, 2018***** copse : a thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood; In the tops of the dark pines at the corner of the copse, could the glance sustain itself to see them, there are finches warming themselves in the sunbeams. Richard Jefferies, "Vignettes from Nature," The Hills and the Vale, 1909 Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." Duress : 1 : forcible restraint or restriction; "I understand the impulse to marvel at Mr. Mandela's civility and eloquence, even under duress. How, it's easy to wonder, could a man form such generous, brilliant philosophies in the face of cruelty and injustice?" — Tayari Jones, The New York Times, 6 July 2018      villainous : (adjective) Extremely wicked.; nefarious; A villainous band of thieves targeted our neighborhood and in one night made off with 17 cars. Dickensian : adjective: 1. Of or relating to Charles Dickens or his works. 2. Relating to social conditions marked by poverty, social injustice, mistreatment of children, etc. ; "Newt Gingrich expanded on Dickensian remarks he'd made recently at Harvard, where he said 'it is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid,' adding that nine-year-olds could work as school janitors." Maureen Dowd; Out of Africa and Into Iowa; The New York Times; Dec 3, 2011. "The living conditions were Dickensian and the teachers were allowed to beat us." Angela Wintle; Dickensian Boarding School; The Sunday Telegraph (London, UK); Jan 10, 2016. See more usage examples of Dickensian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To stimulate life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the first duty of the educator. -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 02, 2018***** Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Symposium : 1 a : a convivial party (as after a banquet in ancient Greece) with music and conversation; "Scholars, culinary historians, writers, and chefs come together for this symposium … that chronicles the fascinating history of beef in the region." — Saveur, October 2009 gainful : (adjective) Yielding a fair profit.; paying, paid; The lack of opportunities for gainful employment in the county after the lumber mill closed meant that many families had to apply for public assistance. Dickensian : adjective: 1. Of or relating to Charles Dickens or his works. 2. Relating to social conditions marked by poverty, social injustice, mistreatment of children, etc. ; "Newt Gingrich expanded on Dickensian remarks he'd made recently at Harvard, where he said 'it is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid,' adding that nine-year-olds could work as school janitors." Maureen Dowd; Out of Africa and Into Iowa; The New York Times; Dec 3, 2011. "The living conditions were Dickensian and the teachers were allowed to beat us." Angela Wintle; Dickensian Boarding School; The Sunday Telegraph (London, UK); Jan 10, 2016. See more usage examples of Dickensian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To stimulate life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the first duty of the educator. -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 03, 2018***** Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Coeval : : of the same or equal age, antiquity, or duration; "Fantasy is at least as immense as realism and much older—essentially coeval with literature itself. Yet fantasy was relegated for fifty years or sixty years to the nursery." — Ursula Le Guin, quoted in Electric Literature, 1 Apr. 2016 sprain : (verb) To injure (a joint) by a sudden twisting or wrenching of its ligaments.; rick, wrench, twist, turn; I tripped in the pothole and sprained my ankle when I fell down. Dickensian : adjective: 1. Of or relating to Charles Dickens or his works. 2. Relating to social conditions marked by poverty, social injustice, mistreatment of children, etc. ; "Newt Gingrich expanded on Dickensian remarks he'd made recently at Harvard, where he said 'it is tragic what we do in the poorest neighborhoods, entrapping children in child laws which are truly stupid,' adding that nine-year-olds could work as school janitors." Maureen Dowd; Out of Africa and Into Iowa; The New York Times; Dec 3, 2011. "The living conditions were Dickensian and the teachers were allowed to beat us." Angela Wintle; Dickensian Boarding School; The Sunday Telegraph (London, UK); Jan 10, 2016. See more usage examples of Dickensian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To stimulate life, leaving it free, however, to unfold itself, that is the first duty of the educator. -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 04, 2018***** Juxtapose : tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works." Mentor : 1 : a trusted counselor or guide; Graduates of the program sometimes go on to become mentors to those making their way through the rigorous process of earning their certification. iridescent : (adjective) Having a play of lustrous rainbow colors.; opalescent, pearlescent, nacreous; Soap bubbles are iridescent. raspberry : noun: 1. A sound, similar to breaking wind, made by pushing the tongue between the lips and blowing air through the mouth. 2. A rejection, disapproval, or contempt. ; "Investors blew a raspberry at the news yesterday, which accompanied a lacklustre batch of fourth-quarter results." Robin Pagnamenta; Last Call for 13,000 Jobs as BT Downsizes; The Times (London, UK); May 11, 2018. See more usage examples of raspberry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing, since adventurers come into it as well as go out, and the life in it grows strong, because it takes something from the world, and has something to give in return. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) *****September 05, 2018***** scry : to use divination to discover hidden knowledge or future events, espe..; Merlin could scry in any clear or shiny surface. Even now he had a basin of water ready at this elbow for watching his boy king. Phyllis Ann Karr, "Merlin's Dark Mirror," The Merlin Chronicles, 1995 Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Ingratiate : : to gain favor or favorable acceptance for by deliberate effort — usually used with with; "He ingratiated himself with Crispin, deliberately ignoring Crispin's suspicion of him." — Zadie Smith, White Teeth, 2000 misapply : (verb) Apply to a wrong thing or person; apply badly or incorrectly.; misuse; Thus they misapply the sacred writings to defend practices yet more corrupt than those I have been speaking of. titfer : noun: Hat. ; "My ex gets a Panama hat, aka Kerry Packer's titfer." Daphne Guinness; Christmas Gift Guide; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 24, 2007. See more usage examples of titfer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 06, 2018***** cyclopean : gigantic; vast; ... large ships’ vents hang from the two-story-high ceiling, like Cyclopean worms poking their heads in to check out the space. Colin Stokes, "The Ship," The New Yorker, May 16, 2016 Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." Banshee : : a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die; "The family is reputed to have its own banshee that howls when one of them is going to die. Corran remembered that on receiving reports that the banshee had been heard, telegrams were sent to everyone in the family to find out if they were all right." — The Daily Telegraph (London), 16 July 2018 mislay : (verb) Place (something) where one cannot find it again.; misplace, lose; I seem to have mislaid my wallet; can you put this on my tab? oscar : noun: Cash. ; "People are throwing away money. Not just valuable things, but actual oscar/moola/cash money." Sunday Mail (Adelaide, Australia); May 22, 2011. Thought For The Day: I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. -John Cage, composer (5 Sep 1912-1992) *****September 07, 2018***** cyclopean : gigantic; vast; ... large ships’ vents hang from the two-story-high ceiling, like Cyclopean worms poking their heads in to check out the space. Colin Stokes, "The Ship," The New Yorker, May 16, 2016 Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." Quiddity : 1 : whatever makes something the type that it is : essence; "The elegant, punky, petroleum-like smokiness that imbues every good mezcal, and which is its quiddity, comes from the burning of the agave heart." — Ray Harvey, The Coloradoan, 19 May 2016 remunerative : (adjective) For which money is paid.; compensable, paying, salaried, stipendiary; I have worked as an unpaid intern for long enough and am now seeking remunerative employment. boracic : adjective: Poor or broke. ; "I have nothing. I am broke. Boracic. Poor." Michelle Smart; The Sicilian's Unexpected Duty; Harlequin; 2014. See more usage examples of boracic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2018***** locavore : a person who makes an effort to eat food that is grown, raised, o..; The pomegranates, Boston lettuce, and tomatoes came from out of state--it was hard to be a complete locavore in New England during the winter. Steven Raichlen, Island Apart, 2012 Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Schmooze : 1 : to converse informally : chat; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections; Conference attendees will have plenty of chances to schmooze with the industry's power players. subtitle : (noun) Translation of foreign dialogue of a movie or TV program; usually displayed at the bottom of the screen.; caption; Despite having to read the subtitles for the duration of the film, I found myself lost in the storyline and thoroughly enjoyed it. scooby : noun: Clue. ; "'But it was just a guess. I don't actually have a scooby,' the employee added." David A. Fahrenthold; Time Magazine Cover Hanging at Trump Golf Clubs Is a Fake; The Washington Post; Jun 28, 2017. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 09, 2018***** caboshed : Heraldry. (of an animal, as a deer) shown facing forward without ..; ... an heraldic shield featuring a lion's head caboshed, with medusa hair, a single bulging eye, a beard, and tusks ... John Clute, Appleseed, 2001 Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. Periphrasis : 1 : use of a longer phrasing in place of a possible shorter form of expression; "There are countless passages of asinine periphrasis: 'The accelerant enzymes her image infuses in Bob create a chemical cocktail he can only counter with self-preservational condescension.' As these examples suggest, the book is only intermittently comprehensible." — James Marriott, The Times (London), 7 Apr. 2018 swindle : (verb) Deprive of by deceit.; bunco, con, defraud, diddle, goldbrick, gyp, hornswoggle, mulct, nobble, rook, scam, short-change, victimize; He swindled investors out of millions of dollars. scooby : noun: Clue. ; "'But it was just a guess. I don't actually have a scooby,' the employee added." David A. Fahrenthold; Time Magazine Cover Hanging at Trump Golf Clubs Is a Fake; The Washington Post; Jun 28, 2017. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 10, 2018***** tautology : needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than t..; Take away perspective and you are stranded in a universal present, something akin, weirdly, to the unhistoried — and, at the risk of tautology, perspective-less — art of the Middle Ages. Geoff Dyer, "Andreas Gursky's photos visually articulate the world around us, framing modern society," Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2015 Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Wanderlust : : strong longing for or impulse toward wandering; "The trip inspired a new commitment to working with artisans from around the world. It also reanimated her genetic sense of wanderlust. She recently went back to Peru, to meet with a weaver she's been working with since that first trip." — Olivia Stren, Elle, 19 Nov. 2017 disbelieve : (verb) Reject as false; refuse to accept.; discredit; He was inclined to disbelieve her story, but she had several documents to support her claims. scooby : noun: Clue. ; "'But it was just a guess. I don't actually have a scooby,' the employee added." David A. Fahrenthold; Time Magazine Cover Hanging at Trump Golf Clubs Is a Fake; The Washington Post; Jun 28, 2017. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 11, 2018***** tautology : needless repetition of an idea, especially in words other than t..; Take away perspective and you are stranded in a universal present, something akin, weirdly, to the unhistoried — and, at the risk of tautology, perspective-less — art of the Middle Ages. Geoff Dyer, "Andreas Gursky's photos visually articulate the world around us, framing modern society," Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2015 Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." Fathom : 1 : probe; Even those close to him couldn't always fathom why he repeatedly risked his life to climb the world's tallest mountains. buckler : (noun) Armor carried on the arm to intercept blows.; shield; As soon as he deflected his opponent's blow with his buckler, he went on the offensive, slashing away with his sword. zany : adjective: Amusingly strange, comical, or clownish. ; "This is one of the zaniest and most delightfully wacky plays to ever grace any stage at Bard on the Beach." Lysistrata; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Aug 30, 2018. See more usage examples of zany in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our memories are card indexes consulted and then returned in disorder by authorities whom we do not control. -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) *****September 12, 2018***** atweel : Scot. surely; Atweel, I can do that, and help her to buy her parapharnauls. John Galt, The Entail, 1823 Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Deportment : : the manner in which one conducts oneself : behavior; The candidate chosen for the position had an exceptional resume, but it was her deportment and personality as exhibited during interviews that were the deciding factors. adenoidal : (adjective) Sounding as if the nose were pinched.; pinched, nasal; His voice has an adenoidal tone that I find quite irritating. punchinello : noun: A grotesque or absurd person. ; "Unlike Mr. Donahue, she doesn't automatically sympathize with every oddball and Punchinello who feels mistreated." Martha Bayles; Oprah vs. Phil: Warmth Wins Out; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Jan 26, 1987. Thought For The Day: You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty. -Jessica Mitford, author, journalist, and civil rights activist (11 Sep 1917-1996) *****September 13, 2018***** reticulation : a netlike formation, arrangement, or appearance; network; ... Ralph Marvell, stretched on his back in the grass, lay gazing up at a black reticulation of branches between which bits of sky gleamed with the hardness and brilliancy of blue enamel. Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country, 1913 Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Enigmatic : : of, relating to, or resembling an enigma : mysterious; "The magic of the Mona Lisa's smile is that it seems to react to our gaze. What is she thinking? She smiles back mysteriously. Look again. Her smile seems to flicker. We glance away, and the enigmatic smile lingers in our minds, as it does in the collective mind of humanity." — Walter Isaacson, The Atlantic, November 2017 embitter : (verb) Cause to be bitter or resentful.; acerbate, envenom; He would not let this bad experience embitter him and resolved to maintain a positive outlook on life. alazon : noun: A person characterized by arrogance, braggadocio, lack of self awareness, etc. ; "The self often suffers for being the alazon like Don Quixote, Monkey, and Huck." James S. Fu; Mythic and Comic Aspects of the Quest; Singapore University Press; 1977. Thought For The Day: The man who can make others laugh secures more votes for a measure than the man who forces them to think. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter (12 Sep 1902-1981) *****September 14, 2018***** exoteric : popular; simple; commonplace; I was on a holiday, and was engaged in that rich and intricate mass of pleasures, duties, and discoveries which for the keeping off of the profane, we disguise by the exoteric name of Nothing. G. K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles, 1909 Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Taradiddle : 1 : a trivial or childish lie : fib; "The time came when she not only told her taradiddle about having 'hunted quite a lot,' she even came near believing it." — George Orwell, Burmese Days, 1934 hypersensitive : (adjective) Having an allergy or peculiar or excessive susceptibility (especially to a specific factor).; allergic; I am hypersensitive to pollen and suffer terribly from a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes during the spring. eiron : noun: A person characterized by self-deprecation and awareness of irony. ; "Her eiron, her dissembler in this constructed mythical story, is the cyborg, a hybrid creature who takes pleasure in the confusion of boundaries between machine and organism, between human and animal, and indeed between social reality and fiction." Jeanne Cortiel; Demand My Writing; Liverpool University Press; 1999. Thought For The Day: To have and not to give is often worse than to steal. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 15, 2018***** interregnum : any period during which a state has no ruler or only a tempora..; But now, he has been on the job for two decades, save for a brief interregnum when he switched posts with his prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev. Michael McFaul, "I've been in meetings with Putin. Here's what Trump can expect." Washington Post, July 15, 2018 Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Advert : 1 : to turn the mind or attention — used with to; "He also adverted to the practice of demanding that producers take back unsold produce as an 'unfair' practice that concerns the commission." — Patrick Smyth, The Irish Times, 12 Apr. 2018 scathe : (noun) The act of damaging something or someone.; damage, harm, hurt; It is true also that I did lay my hands upon this jack-fool of a brother Ambrose, though, as you can see, I did him little scathe. capitano : noun: A swaggering, cowardly person, especially a soldier, policeman, etc. ; "The capitano strode uphill, cloak flowing, minions a respectful distance behind." Toby Manning; My Father the Stranger; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 1, 2011. See more usage examples of capitano in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Elitism is the slur directed at merit by mediocrity. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2018***** piacular : expiatory; atoning; reparatory; T. S. Eliot made a fetish of using long-dormant adjectives like defunctive, anfractuous, and polyphiloprogenetive; he apparently felt piacular (meaning something done or offered in order to make up for a sin or sacrilegious action) was too run-of-the-mill, so he made up a new form: piaculative. Ben Yagoda, When You Catch an Adjective, Kill It, March 11, 2007 Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Melancholia : : a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions; "Nevertheless, wakened out of her melancholia and called to the dinner table, she changed her mind. A little food in the stomach does wonders." — Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, 1900 idolize : (verb) Love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol.; revere, worship; Naomi idolized her father as she was growing up and only began to recognize his many faults once she reached adulthood. capitano : noun: A swaggering, cowardly person, especially a soldier, policeman, etc. ; "The capitano strode uphill, cloak flowing, minions a respectful distance behind." Toby Manning; My Father the Stranger; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 1, 2011. See more usage examples of capitano in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Elitism is the slur directed at merit by mediocrity. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 17, 2018***** tunesmith : Informal. a person who composes popular music or songs; The monthly pay Walnut Records offered me as a tunesmith would barely amount to enough for rent and groceries, but held the promise of royalties should one of my songs get recorded. Kenny Rogers with Mike Blakely, What Are the Chances, 2013 Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." Resplendent : : shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor; His eyes were drawn to his elegant wife—resplendent in a fashionable evening gown—who had just appeared at the top of the stairway. deportment : (noun) The manner in which a person behaves, especially in physical bearing.; demeanor, conduct, behavior; Marilla had almost begun to despair of ever fashioning this waif of the world into her model little girl of demure manners and prim deportment. capitano : noun: A swaggering, cowardly person, especially a soldier, policeman, etc. ; "The capitano strode uphill, cloak flowing, minions a respectful distance behind." Toby Manning; My Father the Stranger; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 1, 2011. See more usage examples of capitano in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Elitism is the slur directed at merit by mediocrity. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 18, 2018***** aspersion : a damaging or derogatory remark or criticism; slander: casting a..; The full enormity of this remark then dawned on me; it was at once a lie and a cruel aspersion on my mother, who would certainly have got me some lighter clothes had I not discouraged her. L. P. Hartley, The Go-Between, 1953 Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Chiliad : 1 : a group of 1000; Erin's pursuit of an MD degree felt like it took a chiliad, but she achieved her goal and is now running her own pediatric clinic. maltreat : (verb) To treat badly, cruelly, or inconsiderately.; abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, step; Despite assurances that no one would maltreat the accused mass murderer in prison, he arrived at his hearing with two black eyes and a swollen lip. columbine : noun:1. A servant girl.  2. A saucy sweetheart.  3. Any of various plants of the genus Aquilegia. adjective:Of or relating to a dove, in innocence, gentleness, color, etc. ; "She was suddenly confronted by a mental image of the Duke dressed in rags, bowing and dancing with a queen or a columbine and it made her smile." Mary Nichols; The Incomparable Countess; Mills & Boon; 2012. "She has all the serpentine wisdom and columbine innocence so recommended in the Scriptures in her looks and actions." Henry Colburn; The American in Paris - Volume 2; 1838. Thought For The Day: You have to laugh at the things that hurt you just to keep yourself in balance, just to keep the world from running you plumb crazy. -Ken Kesey, novelist (17 Sep 1935-2001) *****September 19, 2018***** psittacine : of or relating to parrots; In 1930, the U.S. Health Service clamped down on the importation of psittacine birds, other than a few permitted to research institutions, zoos, and private parrot fanciers returning from Europe with uninfected birds they had owned for at least six months. , "New Deal for Parrots," The New Yorker, February 2, 1952 Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Lenitive : : alleviating pain or harshness : soothing; Peppermint, chamomile, and ginger are all reputed to have a lenitive effect on the digestive system. frothy : (adjective) Emitting or filled with bubbles as from carbonation or fermentation.; bubbly, effervescing, spumy, foamy; There is nothing better on a balmy summer evening than a frothy ice-cream soda. raddle : noun:Red ocher, used for marking animals, coloring, etc. verb tr.:1. To mark or paint with red ocher.  2. To twist together or interweave.  3. To beat or to cause to have a worn-out appearance. ; "Close to, she saw that the high colour on the raddled cheeks was rouge." Maggie Hope; Orphan Girl; Ebury Press; 2015. "Her hair was bright blond, although it was not raddled and stringy like Echo's but done up in feathery swirls." Ellen Datlow (ed.); Lovecraft's Monsters; Tachyon; 2014. "Disease raddled Mr. Stride's fine, generous mind." Brandy Purdy; The Ripper's Wife; Kensington Publishing; 2014. See more usage examples of raddle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 20, 2018***** dandle : to move (a baby, child, etc.) lightly up and down, as on one's knee..; ... Paul would want me to dandle his baby on my knee. There is a time to dandle, and a time to watch a limited amount of dandling from the comfort and security of a dry easy chair across the room. Gregory Mcdonald, Exits and Entrances, 1988 Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Atone : 1 : to make amends : to provide or serve as reparation or compensation for something bad or unwelcome — usually + for; James tried to atone for the mistakes of his youth by devoting his life to helping others. strangulate : (verb) Kill by squeezing the throat of so as to cut off the air.; strangle, throttle; The police are searching for a serial killer who strangulates his victims. mizzle : noun:Fine rain or drizzle. verb intr.:1. To rain in fine drops.  2. To leave suddenly.  3. To confuse. ; "... cold rain that mizzled down on the sterile acres ..." Patrick Taylor; Now and in the Hour of Our Death; Forge Books; 2014. "She ... sprang to her feet, and exclaiming abruptly 'I must mizzle!' walked off quickly homeward." Thomas Hardy; Jude The Obscure; Osgood, McIlvaine, & Co.; 1895. "He told Macon, 'I looked it up on the map but evidently I was mizzled.' 'Mizzled?' Muriel asked. 'He was misled,' Macon explained." Anne Tyler; The Accidental Tourist; Knopf; 1985. See more usage examples of mizzle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think everybody who has a brain should get involved in politics. Working within. Not criticizing it from the outside. Become an active participant, no matter how feeble you think the effort is. -Cass Elliot, singer (19 Sep 1941-1974) *****September 21, 2018***** dandle : to move (a baby, child, etc.) lightly up and down, as on one's knee..; ... Paul would want me to dandle his baby on my knee. There is a time to dandle, and a time to watch a limited amount of dandling from the comfort and security of a dry easy chair across the room. Gregory Mcdonald, Exits and Entrances, 1988 Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." Milieu : : the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment; "In researching my second film, Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict, I learned just how much independence and bravery it took for Guggenheim to step away from her very traditional roots and move at the age of 20 to Paris, where she … became part of the milieu of the Surrealist artists, and ultimately set out on the path to becoming a world famous patron." — Lisa Vreeland, Town & Country, March 2018 concurrence : (noun) The temporal property of two things happening at the same time.; conjunction, co-occurrence, coincidence; In order that the will of Napoleon and Alexander (on whom the event seemed to depend) should be carried out, the concurrence of innumerable circumstances was needed. rummy : adjective:Odd or unconventional. noun1. Drunkard. 2. Any of various card games in which the objective is to make sets or sequences of three or more cards. ; "Fighting jet lag and no sleep in the last forty-eight hours, Pete felt rummy." Lindsay McKenna; Beyond the Limit; Harlequin; 2006. "'Ol' Rummy, drunk as a skunk,' Smitty laughed." Joseph R. Barry; Basking in the Cold War; Xlibris; 2010. See more usage examples of rummy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 22, 2018***** coup de foudre : love at first sight; Do you believe in love at first sight? The coup de foudre, the heart falling into the stomach, the moment when Cupid's arrow breaches the iron armor of even the hardest of hearts? Sally Christie, The Sisters of Versailles, 2015 Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). Panoply : 1 a : a full suit of armor; "Like many of the islands of the Caribbean, Jamaica is home to a cuisine that combines a heady mixture of flavors, spices, techniques and influences from the panoply of cultures that have inhabited its shores." — Maria Sonnenberg, Florida Today, 11 July 2018 faithless : (adjective) Having the character of, or characteristic of, a traitor.; traitorous, treasonous, unfaithful; They succeeded in overtaking the party of which they were in quest, but concealed their faithless desertion of Scott; alleging that he had died of disease. gage : noun:1. A pledge: something offered as a guarantee.  2. Something thrown down as a symbol of a challenge to fight. (See also: gauntlet) verb tr.:To offer something as a guarantee of good faith. Origin: From Old French g(u)age (to wage, gage), of Germanic origin. The Germanic w sound became g or gu in some French dialects. That's the reason we have the doublets such as wage/gage, warranty/guarantee, ward/guard (also reward/regard), warden/guardian, war/guerre, and William/Guillaume. Earliest documented use: 14th century.   noun:1. An instrument or criterion for measuring or testing.  2. The thickness or size of something. For example, diameter of a gun barrel, thickness of sheet metal, distance between the rails of a railroad track. verb tr.:To measure or estimate. Origin: From Old French gauge, or unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1444.   noun:Any of the varieties of plum, such as the greengage. Origin: After William Gage, botanist who brought it to England from France. Earliest documented use: 1718. ; "Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba, A token from her daughter, my fair love, Both taxing me and gaging me to keep An oath that I have sworn." William Shakespeare; Troilus and Cressida; 1609. "Edward lost his temper and flung down his gage, demanding that the issue should be tried by combat." Georgette Heyer; My Lord John; E.P. Dutton; 1975. "Data is being collected on the bobcats to gage the population and their roaming territory." Steve Scauzillo; Cities, EPA Moving to Curb Use of Rat Poison Linked to Bobcat Deaths; San Gabriel Valley Tribune (West Covina, California); Jul 15, 2013. See more usage examples of gage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen, musician and writer (21 Sep 1934-2016) *****September 23, 2018***** polychromatic : having or exhibiting a variety of colors; ... the degreening of leaves is a widely appreciated natural phenomenon, especially in autumn, when the foliage of deciduous trees turns into polychromatic beauty. S. Hörtensteiner and P. Matile, "How Leaves Turn Yellow: Catabolism of Chlorophyll," Plant Cell Death Processes, 2004 Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. scurvy : (adjective) Of the most contemptible kind.; abject, low-down, scummy, miserable, low; It was a scurvy trick to play on a helpless old lady, but he was desperate for money and therefore went along with the plan to swindle her out of her life savings. gage : noun:1. A pledge: something offered as a guarantee.  2. Something thrown down as a symbol of a challenge to fight. (See also: gauntlet) verb tr.:To offer something as a guarantee of good faith. Origin: From Old French ga(u)ge (to wage, gage), of Germanic origin. The Germanic w sound became g or gu in some French dialects. That's the reason we have the doublets such as wage/gage, warranty/guarantee, ward/guard (also reward/regard), warden/guardian, war/guerre, and William/Guillaume. Earliest documented use: 14th century.   noun:1. An instrument or criterion for measuring or testing.  2. The thickness or size of something. For example, diameter of a gun barrel, thickness of sheet metal, distance between the rails of a railroad track. verb tr.:To measure or estimate. Origin: From Old French gauge, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1444.   noun:Any of the varieties of plum, such as the greengage. Origin: After William Gage, botanist who brought it to England from France. Earliest documented use: 1718. ; "Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba, A token from her daughter, my fair love, Both taxing me and gaging me to keep An oath that I have sworn." William Shakespeare; Troilus and Cressida; 1609. "Edward lost his temper and flung down his gage, demanding that the issue should be tried by combat." Georgette Heyer; My Lord John; E.P. Dutton; 1975. "Data is being collected on the bobcats to gage the population and their roaming territory." Steve Scauzillo; Cities, EPA Moving to Curb Use of Rat Poison Linked to Bobcat Deaths; San Gabriel Valley Tribune (West Covina, California); Jul 15, 2013. See more usage examples of gage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen, musician and writer (21 Sep 1934-2016) *****September 24, 2018***** legerdemain : trickery; deception; ... it was precisely that sort of legerdemain—tapping a dicey loan with the magic wand of financialization—which built the mortgage-securitization industry to begin with. Tad Friend, "Home Economics," The New Yorker, February 4, 2013 Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. Biannual : 1 : occurring twice a year; "The first is status quo: We could leave current daylight saving time in place, and continue to set our clocks an hour forward in spring and an hour back in fall. But some Californians want to end those biannual clock shifts, in part because they correlate with increases in heart attacks, traffic accidents, and workplace accidents." — Joe Mathews, The Californian (Salinas, California), 15 Aug. 2018 objectify : (verb) Make impersonal or present as an object.; depersonalize; Pornography objectifies women. gage : noun:1. A pledge: something offered as a guarantee.  2. Something thrown down as a symbol of a challenge to fight. (See also: gauntlet) verb tr.:To offer something as a guarantee of good faith. Origin: From Old French ga(u)ge (to wage, gage), of Germanic origin. The Germanic w sound became g or gu in some French dialects. That's the reason we have the doublets such as wage/gage, warranty/guarantee, ward/guard (also reward/regard), warden/guardian, war/guerre, and William/Guillaume. Earliest documented use: 14th century.   noun:1. An instrument or criterion for measuring or testing.  2. The thickness or size of something. For example, diameter of a gun barrel, thickness of sheet metal, distance between the rails of a railroad track. verb tr.:To measure or estimate. Origin: From Old French gauge, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1444.   noun:Any of the varieties of plum, such as the greengage. Origin: After William Gage, botanist who brought it to England from France. Earliest documented use: 1718. ; "Here is a letter from Queen Hecuba, A token from her daughter, my fair love, Both taxing me and gaging me to keep An oath that I have sworn." William Shakespeare; Troilus and Cressida; 1609. "Edward lost his temper and flung down his gage, demanding that the issue should be tried by combat." Georgette Heyer; My Lord John; E.P. Dutton; 1975. "Data is being collected on the bobcats to gage the population and their roaming territory." Steve Scauzillo; Cities, EPA Moving to Curb Use of Rat Poison Linked to Bobcat Deaths; San Gabriel Valley Tribune (West Covina, California); Jul 15, 2013. See more usage examples of gage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen, musician and writer (21 Sep 1934-2016) *****September 25, 2018***** toyetic : (of a character or object from a movie, TV show, etc.) potentially..; There’s a singular pleasure that comes with holding a Star Wars toy. The film’s vehicles, weapons, heroes, and villains, after all, are uniquely “toyetic" ... Melissa Leon, "How 'Star Wars' Revolutionized the Toy Industry," The Daily Beast, January 1, 2018 Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Glade : : an open space surrounded by woods; "Whenever they got a glimpse of the sun in an open glade they seemed unaccountably to have veered eastwards." — J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 dilatory : (adjective) Tending or inclined to delay or waste time.; laggard, poky; Frank, dilatory in all his proceedings, was the last of the dramatic company who left the precincts of the stage. spitfire : noun: Someone high-spirited, quick-tempered, and outspoken. ; "Played by Michala Banas with a ready scowl and a vocabulary loaded with expletives, she's a spitfire, a ball of combustible energy." Debi Enker; Supporting Players Pack a Punch; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Nov 10, 2016. See more usage examples of spitfire in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing. -John Brunner, novelist (24 Sep 1934-1995) *****September 26, 2018***** blellum : Scot. Obsolete. an idle, indiscreet talker; A blethering, blustering, drunken blellum ... Robert Burns, "Tam o' Shanter," The Edinburgh Herald, March 18, 1791 Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Secrete : 1 : to deposit or conceal in a hiding place; The squirrel had secreted nuts all over the yard in preparation for winter, and as spring approached, more were still to be found. neoplasm : (noun) An abnormal new growth of tissue in animals or plants.; tumor; The doctor explained that a biopsy would be needed in order to determine whether the neoplasm is benign or malignant. shuteye : noun: Sleep. ; "Zaifa was discreetly taking 40 winks near the edge of our boat. It was probably her first shuteye in more than 20 hours." Elaine Lim; An Enterprising Mother and Wife; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Jun 13, 1998. See more usage examples of shuteye in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Aphorisms respect the wisdom of silence by disturbing it, but briefly. -Yahia Lababidi, aphorist (b. 25 Sep 1973) *****September 27, 2018***** gnathonic : sycophantic; fawning; That Jack's is somewhat of a gnathonic and parasitic soul, or stomach, all Bideford apple-women know ... Charles Kingsley, Westward Ho!, 1855 Facetious : adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Habiliment : 1 plural : characteristic apparatus : trappings; "My riches are these poor habiliments, / Of which if you should here disfurnish me, / You take the sum and substance that I have." — William Shakespeare, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, 1595 half-baked : (adjective) Foolish; totally unsound.; screwball, softheaded, crazy; I refuse to be drawn into another half-baked scheme doomed to failure. rotgut : noun: A cheap or inferior alcoholic drink. ; "Secrecy is like wine. The good stuff is delectable, essential to the functioning of civilisation, a boon, and a blessing. The bad stuff is rotgut, frequently overpriced and dangerously inebriating." Ben Macintyre; The Stench of a Cover-Up over Libya Grows; The Times (London, UK); Jan 10, 2014. See more usage examples of rotgut in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2018***** applesauce : Slang. nonsense; bunk; Nonsense! Fiddlesticks! Baloney! Phoo! Poo! Poppycock! Bah! Twaddle! Don't be silly! My eye! In your hat! That's pure applesauce! Dean Koontz, Life Expectancy, 2004 Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Orotund : 1 : marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : sonorous ; "'This time, it's personal.' Yeah, yeah, you've no doubt heard that orotund threat before in movie trailers for the newest sequel to some action revenge movie starring Charles Bronson, Bruce Willis or Liam Neeson." — Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News, 15 Dec. 2017 southpaw : (noun) A person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right.; lefty; The boxer was not used to fighting a southpaw and took a beating before being knocked out. clutchfist : noun: A miser. ; "Are you really such a clutchfist that you would throw away a London Season only to avoid spending a few guineas?" Julie Caille; The Scandalous Marquis; Zebra Books; 1990. Thought For The Day: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (27 Sep 1722-1803) *****September 29, 2018***** applesauce : Slang. nonsense; bunk; Nonsense! Fiddlesticks! Baloney! Phoo! Poo! Poppycock! Bah! Twaddle! Don't be silly! My eye! In your hat! That's pure applesauce! Dean Koontz, Life Expectancy, 2004 Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Trousseau : : the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares; I am fortunate to be in possession of various family heirlooms, including several items from my great-grandmother's trousseau. stupefy : (verb) Make dull or stupid or muddle with drunkenness or infatuation.; besot; He did not like whiskey, but he drank to stupefy himself. fusspot : noun: One who worries or complains about unimportant things: a fussy person. ; "Anxious about the weight gain, the fusspots at Mazda redesigned the cylinder head to boost output to 140 hp." Mark Toljagic; Miata: Many Flock to Fountain of Youth; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 17, 2010. See more usage examples of fusspot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is by character and not by intellect the world is won. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****September 30, 2018***** diapason : Music. a full, rich outpouring of melodious sound; ... and from the dell below rose in the night, now the monotonous chanting of the frogs, and now, as some great bull-frog took the note, a diapason worthy of a Brescian organ. Stanley J. Weyman, Count Hannibal, 1901 Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Nocuous : : harmful; The factory owners have said that they will upgrade the plant to comply with new regulations on nocuous emissions. snickersnee : (noun) Archaic The act of fighting with knives.; cut-and-thrust, knife fight; The snickersnee ended when one on the fighters lost consciousness due to blood loss. fusspot : noun: One who worries or complains about unimportant things: a fussy person. ; "Anxious about the weight gain, the fusspots at Mazda redesigned the cylinder head to boost output to 140 hp." Mark Toljagic; Miata: Many Flock to Fountain of Youth; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 17, 2010. See more usage examples of fusspot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is by character and not by intellect the world is won. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****October 01, 2018***** nugacity : triviality; insignificance; For this play that appears to address itself to a serious intellectual problem has almost nothing to say on the subject, and proceeds to disguise its nugacity by resorting to any number of modish--or, rather, outmoded--strategies. John Simon, "All's Well That Ends 'Good'," New York, October 25, 1982 Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." Rodomontade : 1 : a bragging speech; "In the hands of the Philadelphia Artists' Collective, [Maria Marten, or, Murder in the Red Barn] becomes a rowdy lark full of rodomontade and dastardly deeds. Directed by Charlotte Northeast with gusto and goofiness, this is both a 19th-century melodrama and a burlesque of a 19th-century melodrama." — Toby Zinman, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5 Jan. 2018 pulsate : (verb) Move with or as if with a regular alternating motion.; quiver, beat; The city pulsated with music and excitement during Carnival. fusspot : noun: One who worries or complains about unimportant things: a fussy person. ; "Anxious about the weight gain, the fusspots at Mazda redesigned the cylinder head to boost output to 140 hp." Mark Toljagic; Miata: Many Flock to Fountain of Youth; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 17, 2010. See more usage examples of fusspot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is by character and not by intellect the world is won. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****October 02, 2018***** nugacity : triviality; insignificance; For this play that appears to address itself to a serious intellectual problem has almost nothing to say on the subject, and proceeds to disguise its nugacity by resorting to any number of modish--or, rather, outmoded--strategies. John Simon, "All's Well That Ends 'Good'," New York, October 25, 1982 Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Manifesto : : a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer; "Mr. Eddie Lampert, the chairman of Sears Holdings and mastermind of the Kmart/Sears merger … famously published a 15-page manifesto in 2009 which covered everything from the economic meltdown to civil liberties, and contained a suggested reading list that included free-market Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek." — Mary Jane Quirk, Consumerist, 8 Jan. 2013 proscribe : (verb) Command against.; disallow, forbid, nix, prohibit, veto, interdict; They are proscribed by federal law from owning guns. plunderbund : noun: A group of political, business, and financial interests engaged in exploiting the public. ; "A surveying suit from a Wal-Mart-type plunderbund visits the hardware store and takes a bullet in the foot for his trouble." Jessica Winter; You Can't Spell Slapshot without S-A-P; The Village Voice (New York); Oct 5, 1999. Thought For The Day: A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. -Jimmy Carter, 39th US President, Nobel laureate (b. 1 Oct 1924) *****October 03, 2018***** notionate : Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. strong-willed or stubborn; He wouldn't let me give a direction. He's fussy sometimes and notionate. George Madden Martin, The House of Fulfilment, 1904 Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Cloister : 1 : to seclude from the world in or as if in a cloister; "They share a desire to let their daughters have a normal childhood. Even as [Nicole] Kidman refuses to discuss them in detail ('Sunday jumps on things if she hears someone at school talking about something I said'), she doesn't want to cloister them either." — John Powers, Vogue, September 2017 caboodle : (noun) Any collection in its entirety.; bunch, lot; The art collection was originally going to be auctioned off piece by piece, but the owner decided at the last moment to donate the whole caboodle to the local museum. orexigenic : adjective: Stimulating the appetite. ; "To oversimplify, ghrelin is an orexigenic hormone that stimulates appetite and promotes weight gain." Christopher Labos; Weight Loss; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Feb 23, 2018. Thought For The Day: Seven blunders of the world that lead to violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle. -Mahatma Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2018***** notionate : Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S. strong-willed or stubborn; He wouldn't let me give a direction. He's fussy sometimes and notionate. George Madden Martin, The House of Fulfilment, 1904 Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Weltschmerz : 1 often capitalized Weltschmerz : mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state; Carson found himself plunging into a state of Weltschmerz as he grew older and discovered that the world was much more complicated than he had envisioned as a youth.  exterminate : (verb) Kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many.; kill off; Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe. palilogy : noun: A repetition of words, especially for emphasis. ; "The living, the living ... I cry a palilogy of parchment!" Neil Baker; G Day: Please God, Get Me off the Hook; Author House; 2010. Thought For The Day: Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back. -Gore Vidal, writer (3 Oct 1925-2012) *****October 05, 2018***** tump : British Dialect. a small mound, hill, or rise of ground; Despite the fine afternoon sunlight all around, the tump itself seemed steeped in perpetual shadow, brooding and ominous. Stephen R. Lawhead, The Spirit Well, 2012 Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Intestine : : internal; specifically : of or relating to the internal affairs of a state or country; News reports of intestine disagreements between the country's two most powerful political factions led to murmurings that the country was on the precipice of civil war. whittle : (verb) To cut small bits or pare shavings from (a piece of wood).; pare; For my eighth birthday, my grandfather taught me how to whittle a toy boat from a scrap of firewood. quincentenary : noun: A 500th anniversary. adjective: Of or relating to a 500th anniversary. ; "This month's quincentenary is of a tragic event that caused untold suffering and still today leaves a legacy of poverty, racism, inequality, and elite wealth across four continents." David Keys; Details of Horrific First Voyages in Transatlantic Slave Trade Revealed; The Independent (London, UK); Aug 18, 2018. See more usage examples of quincentenary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The unrestricted competition so commonly advocated does not leave us the survival of the fittest. The unscrupulous succeed best in accumulating wealth. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2018***** schadenfreude : satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune; Social media exploded with gleeful Schadenfreude. Naomi Fry, "Searching for Meaning in the Leftover Merchandise of Fyre Festival," The New Yorker, May 24, 2018 Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Peripeteia : : a sudden or unexpected reversal of circumstances or situation especially in a literary work; The novel is populated by a number of secondary characters, each of whom plays a crucial role in the protagonist's peripeteia. unnerve : (verb) To cause to lose courage, strength, confidence, self-control, etc.; faze, unsettle, enervate; The look on her father's face unnerved her, and she soon dropped her gaze and meekly waited for him to tell her what her punishment would be. arachnophobia : noun: An irrational fear of spiders. ; "A California university entomology graduate student grew up in Missouri and as a child was often rightfully warned about the dangers of brown recluse spiders. However, she also developed severe arachnophobia to the point where she couldn't even look at a picture of a spider." Richard S. Vetter; The Brown Recluse Spider; Comstock; 2015. See more usage examples of arachnophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance. -Vaclav Havel, writer, Czech Republic president (5 Oct 1936-2011) *****October 07, 2018***** axilla : Anatomy. the armpit; There is a game of croquet set up on the lawn and my second cousin Sonsoles can be found there any hour of the afternoon, bent over, with a mallet in her hand, and looking out of the corner of her eye, between the arm and the axilla, which form a sort of arch for her thoughtful gaze, at the unwary masculine visitor who appears in the harsh afternoon light. Carlos Fuentes, "La Desdichada," Constancia and Other Stories for Virgins, translated by Thomas Christensen, 1990 Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Gloaming : : twilight, dusk; "It was in the gloaming at Duke University in late fall of 1966. There was a wet chill in the air, most of the trees were leafless, and a low cloud cover added to the gloom. " — Bob Williams, The Chronicle (Duke University), 20 Aug. 2018 barrelhouse : (noun) A cheap drinking and dancing establishment.; honky-tonk; After dinner, we grabbed a couple of beers at the local barrelhouse and let loose on the dance floor. arachnophobia : noun: An irrational fear of spiders. ; "A California university entomology graduate student grew up in Missouri and as a child was often rightfully warned about the dangers of brown recluse spiders. However, she also developed severe arachnophobia to the point where she couldn't even look at a picture of a spider." Richard S. Vetter; The Brown Recluse Spider; Comstock; 2015. See more usage examples of arachnophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance. -Vaclav Havel, writer, Czech Republic president (5 Oct 1936-2011) *****October 08, 2018***** brio : vigor; vivacity; Although Stopsack had probably never before directed such an undertaking, he performed his duties with brio, skillfully heaping verbal abuse on the manacled inmates ... James Morrow, Galápagos Regained, 2014 Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Scintillate : 1 : to emit sparks : spark; The critics praised Doreen's performance in the play, declaring that she took a rather mundane script and made it scintillate with wit and excitement. wailful : (adjective) Vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression.; lamenting; The men wavered in indecision for a moment, and then with a long, wailful cry the dilapidated regiment surged forward and began its new journey. arachnophobia : noun: An irrational fear of spiders. ; "A California university entomology graduate student grew up in Missouri and as a child was often rightfully warned about the dangers of brown recluse spiders. However, she also developed severe arachnophobia to the point where she couldn't even look at a picture of a spider." Richard S. Vetter; The Brown Recluse Spider; Comstock; 2015. See more usage examples of arachnophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance. -Vaclav Havel, writer, Czech Republic president (5 Oct 1936-2011) *****October 09, 2018***** librate : to remain poised or balanced; Watching them to the ground, the wings of a hawk, or of the brown owl, stretch out, are drawn against the current air by a string as a paper kite, and made to flutter and librate like a kestrel over the place where the woodlark has lodged ... John Leonard Knapp, Journal of a Naturalist, 1829 Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Occident : : regions or countries lying to the west of a specified or implied point of orientation; "… [We] begin in Jerusalem and skip to Istanbul, from where the Orient Express sets off on its long and winding route to the grayer delights of the Occident." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2017 escargot : (noun) Edible terrestrial snail usually served in the shell with a sauce of melted butter and garlic.; snail; I ordered escargot in an attempt to appear sophisticated, but when the plate of snails was set down before me, I could not bring myself to choke down a single one. anecdata : noun: Anecdotal information gleaned from casual observation. Example: My uncle has been smoking for 20 years and hasn't been diagnosed with cancer yet; that shows that cigarettes are safe. ; "Metcalf notes the same general pattern, though he gives no anecdata to support his contention." Kory Stamper; Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries; Pantheon; 2017. Thought For The Day: When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied: "Only stand out of my light." Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light. -John W. Gardner, author and educator (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 10, 2018***** ineluctable : incapable of being evaded; inescapable: an ineluctable destiny..; The coming of a new day brought a sharper consciousness of ineluctable reality, and with it a sense of the need of action. Edith Wharton, Summer, 1917 Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Ambivalent : : having or showing simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings toward something : characterized by ambivalence; Bianca was ambivalent about starting her first year away at college—excited for the new opportunities that awaited but sad to leave her friends and family back home. bumpkin : (noun) A person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture.; chawbacon, hayseed, hick, rube, yahoo, yokel; Many people take one look at Farmer Dan and assume he is an unsophisticated country bumpkin, but his lectures on sustainable agriculture teach them never to judge a book by its cover. workfare : noun: A social welfare program in which those receiving aid are required to perform work. ; "After winning power in 2010, Mr. Orban implemented a vast workfare program in which menial tasks have been given to hundreds of thousands of jobseekers." Patrick Kingsley & Benjamin Novak; Leader in Hungary Sees Economic Miracle. Is It a Mirage?; The New York Times; Apr 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 11, 2018***** clavier : any musical instrument having a keyboard, especially a stringed ke..; Herr Gleissner composed twelve songs with clavier accompaniment. Alois Senefelder, The Invention of Lithography, translated by J. W. Muller, 1911 Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Luddite : : one of a group of early 19th-century English workmen destroying laborsaving machinery as a protest; broadly : one who is opposed to especially technological change; Responding to an interview question in Parade, July 2008, actress/screenwriter Emma Thompson jested, "I'm a Luddite, and I write longhand with an old fountain pen." mastermind : (verb) Plan and direct (a complex undertaking).; engineer, orchestrate, organize, direct; The finance minister will continue to mastermind economic reform. backronym : noun: A word re-interpreted as an acronym. ; "The name of Maryland's bill, by the way, was the PRIME Act, named of course for Amazon's Prime membership program. But the nomenclature of the obsequious backronym was somehow more embarrassing: Promoting ext-Raordinary Innovation in Maryland's Economy." Andray Domise; The Law of Amazon's Jungle; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jul 20, 2018. See more usage examples of backronym in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set. -Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976) *****October 12, 2018***** clavier : any musical instrument having a keyboard, especially a stringed ke..; Herr Gleissner composed twelve songs with clavier accompaniment. Alois Senefelder, The Invention of Lithography, translated by J. W. Muller, 1911 Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. precept : (noun) Rule of personal conduct.; principle; I forget who it was that recommended men for their soul's good to do each day two things they disliked: it was a wise man, and it is a precept that I have followed scrupulously; for every day I have got up and I have gone to bed. lunk : noun: A dull or slow-witted person. ; "Bob ... being a lunk, he stumbles into a trap." Hitler's Hit Parade; The New Yorker; Jan 10, 2005. See more usage examples of lunk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Will people ever be wise enough to refuse to follow bad leaders or to take away the freedom of other people? -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat, author, and lecturer (11 Oct 1884-1962) *****October 13, 2018***** sennachie : Chiefly Scot., Irish. a professional storyteller of family genea..; ... I do not think he could falsify a folk-tale if he tried. At the most he would change it as a few years' passing from sennachie to sennachie must do perforce. William Butler Yeats, "Irish Folk Tales," The National Observer, 1891 Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Emblazon : 1 a : to inscribe or adorn with or as if with heraldic bearings or devices; Outside the stadium in the hours before the game, thousands of fans wearing shirts and hats emblazoned with the hometown team's logo gathered. malinger : (verb) To feign illness or other incapacity in order to avoid duty or work.; skulk; To make sure that employees do not malinger, the boss insists that all workers submit a doctor's note when they return to work after calling in sick. herstory : noun: History as seen from a woman's point of view, one that doesn't obscure women's role. ; "It's high time that the historical playing field is levelled to introduce a balance between history and herstory." Lise Hand; Our Understanding of History Is Out of Date; The Times (London, UK); Jul 14, 2018. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994) *****October 14, 2018***** postern : a back door or gate; It was the second gate, a postern in the north wall, that accounted for the most noticeable change. James A. Michener, The Source, 1965 Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Quip : 1 a : a clever usually taunting remark : gibe; To almost every comment I made, Adam responded with a quip and a smile. off-key : (adjective) Inaccurate in pitch.; sour, false; Her wailing, off-key vocals made me cringe. herstory : noun: History as seen from a woman's point of view, one that doesn't obscure women's role. ; "It's high time that the historical playing field is levelled to introduce a balance between history and herstory." Lise Hand; Our Understanding of History Is Out of Date; The Times (London, UK); Jul 14, 2018. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994) *****October 15, 2018***** brightwork : polished metal parts, as on a ship or automobile; One other mode of passing time while in port was cleaning and polishing your bright-work; for it must be known that, in men-of-war, every sailor has some brass or steel of one kind or other to keep in high order ... Herman Melville, White Jacket; or, The World in a Man-of-War, 1850 Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Crapulous : 1 : marked by intemperance especially in eating or drinking; "Helena she was called. She was Czech. I, on the other hand, was crapulous and reeked strongly—even to myself—of the odours of the tavern." — Jeremy Clarke, The Spectator, 24 May 2008 wellspring : (noun) An abundant source.; fountainhead; The new recruit was a wellspring of ideas and reinvigorated the department with her out-of-the-box thinking. herstory : noun: History as seen from a woman's point of view, one that doesn't obscure women's role. ; "It's high time that the historical playing field is levelled to introduce a balance between history and herstory." Lise Hand; Our Understanding of History Is Out of Date; The Times (London, UK); Jul 14, 2018. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994) *****October 16, 2018***** linguaphile : a language and word lover; The collection has so many good passages — whole paragraphs that move into pages with never a misstep — that any linguaphile could spend a great afternoon in a little spasm of dazzle. Robin Romm, "Baser Instincts," New York Times, July 19, 2013 Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Tergiversation : 1 : evasion of straightforward action or clear-cut statement : equivocation; "Two chapters stand out. One covers the grinding combat in southern Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010, where the horrific daily reality for fighting soldiers is nicely juxtaposed with the tergiversations of generals and officials safe in Kabul and Washington." — Jason Burke, The Spectator, 3 Feb. 2018 periwig : (noun) A wig for men that was fashionable in the 17th and 18th centuries.; peruke; He wears an immense periwig, flowing down over his shoulders. cornpone : adjective: Rustic; folksy; countrified. noun: Unleavened corn bread, baked or fried. ; "None of those college students [of the band Crooked Still] had mountain blood or cornpone accents, and not a single one could build or operate a still, but it hardly mattered." Bernard Zuel; College Kids Can't Get Enough of Big Twang Theory; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Mar 25, 2011. "Jerry Richardson's apology was perhaps less than heartfelt. 'If our African-American guests were mistreated, was it because of racism?' he wondered aloud. 'I can't tell you. It's impossible to know what's in a person's heart.' That's so dang cornpone." Michael Powell; A Fine, Yes. But the NFL Can't Even Muster a Mean Word; The New York Times; Jun 29, 2018. See more usage examples of cornpone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the mountains of truth you will never climb in vain: either you will get up higher today or you will exercise your strength so as to be able to get up higher tomorrow. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 17, 2018***** linguaphile : a language and word lover; The collection has so many good passages — whole paragraphs that move into pages with never a misstep — that any linguaphile could spend a great afternoon in a little spasm of dazzle. Robin Romm, "Baser Instincts," New York Times, July 19, 2013 Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Nary : : not any : not one; "I must have it back as I have nary other copy." — Flannery O'Connor, letter, 1961 constellate : (verb) To form or cause to form a group or cluster.; cluster, flock, clump; The poets constellate in this town every summer. bayou : noun: A sluggish marshy area of water, typically an overflow or tributary to a lake or river. ; "The network of navigable bayous and cypress swamps veining the area just outside New Orleans was hospitable territory for escaped slaves." Home-Grown and Spirit-Raised; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 22, 2012. See more usage examples of bayou in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A lexicographer's business is solely to collect, arrange, and define the words that usage presents to his hands. He has no right to proscribe words; he is to present them as they are. -Noah Webster, lexicographer (16 Oct 1758-1843) *****October 18, 2018***** thunderstone : any of various stones or fossils formerly thought to be falle..; Palta might not be hidden from the sky; thus the sacred thunder-stone of Terminus at Rome stood under a hole in the roof of Jupiter's temple ... Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, 1955 Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." Acceptation : 1 : acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval; "About 40 fine arts students filled out a two-page application to be a part of the project, Rodriguez said.... Some have done commissioned work and sold their art on Etsy. One received an automatic acceptation to a prestigious art school in Chicago on National Portfolio Day last fall." — Laura Gutschke, The Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News, 8 Apr. 2018 dropsy : (noun) Swelling from excessive accumulation of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities.; edema, hydrops; I must tell you that this thickness and roundness of the waist is caused by a dropsy brought on by over-haste in journeying from the house of Pilate to the Mount of Olives. sagamore : noun: A chief or a leader. ; "He lowered his gaze and dared not to engage again the face of the sagamore." P. Gifford Longley; Captive; Tate Publishing; 2010. See more usage examples of sagamore in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2018***** cryonaut : a person whose dead body has been preserved by the technique of c..; ... cryonics ... has now been around for 60 years, since the death of retired psychology professor James H. Bedford. Alcor, the company that still has his body in a frozen chamber, calls him the first “cryonaut.” Kat Eschner, "The First Cryonic Preservation Took Place Fifty Years Ago Today," Smithsonian, January 12, 2017 Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." do-gooder : (noun) Someone devoted to the promotion of human welfare and to social reforms.; humanitarian, improver; A do-gooder to the core, she spends all of her free time and nearly all of her money helping the homeless. mugwump : noun: An independent, especially in politics. ; "This week's Newspoll confirms rising numbers of mugwumps in Australia. They're darting off in different directions, away from Australia's once influential and long-governing centre-right political party." Janet Albrechtsen; Vacancy Sign Hangs on the Home of Centre-Right; The Australian (Canberra); May 17, 2017. See more usage examples of mugwump in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The past is to be respected and acknowledged, but not to be worshipped. It is our future in which we will find our greatness. -Pierre Trudeau, 15th Prime Minister of Canada (18 Oct 1919-2000) *****October 20, 2018***** ploce : Rhetoric. the repetition of a word or phrase to gain special emphasi..; Ploce is the repetition of the same word under different forms or with different meanings in the same sentence.... as--"Judge not, that ye be not judged." James De Mille, The Elements of Rhetoric, 1878 Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." Linchpin : 1 : a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft); Investors are betting that the new product line will be the linchpin that secures the company's place in the very competitive market in the years and decades to come. disassociate : (verb) Part; cease or break association with.; disjoint, disunite, divorce; She disassociated herself from the organization when she found out that the president had misappropriated funds. totem : noun: A person, object, group, etc. that serves as an emblem or symbol. ; "The Beats, so long a totem of countercultural cool, now seem anomalous, even old-school." Peter Murphy; The Beats That My Heart Skipped; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jul 1, 2017. See more usage examples of totem in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing. -Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist (19 Oct 1784-1859) *****October 21, 2018***** single-hearted : sincere and undivided in feeling or spirit; dedicated; not ..; Whatever becomes of me, I shall remember always this single-hearted devotion of yours, Margaret, and I shall thank God that I know of it and love you for it. Edward Boltwood, "The Touchstone," The Smart Set, May 1910 Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." Superjacent : : lying above or upon : overlying; "Village streets threaded around the hillside, eternally watched over by the superjacent castle." — Evan Rail, The New York Times, 25 Sept. 2011 chapiter : (noun) The upper part of a column that supports the entablature.; capital, cap; Scattered throughout the ruins were ornately carved chapiters that had once supported a soaring coliseum. totem : noun: A person, object, group, etc. that serves as an emblem or symbol. ; "The Beats, so long a totem of countercultural cool, now seem anomalous, even old-school." Peter Murphy; The Beats That My Heart Skipped; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jul 1, 2017. See more usage examples of totem in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing. -Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist (19 Oct 1784-1859) *****October 22, 2018***** humdinger : Informal. a person, thing, action, or statement of remarkable ex..; ... Beethoven gave the Viennese a humdinger, something to make them sit up and take notice. Michael Steinberg, The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, 1998 Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Rebuff : : to reject or criticize sharply : snub; "The wait at [Sushi Sho in the Ritz-Carlton] is worth it for a chance to dine with the chef most famously known for rebuffing Michelin inspectors back home and eschewing the stars they'd have borne." — Cliff Lee, The Globe and Mail (Canada), 14 July 2018 effervesce : (verb) Become bubbly or frothy or foaming.; fizz, foam, froth, sparkle; The champagne effervesced in the glasses. totem : noun: A person, object, group, etc. that serves as an emblem or symbol. ; "The Beats, so long a totem of countercultural cool, now seem anomalous, even old-school." Peter Murphy; The Beats That My Heart Skipped; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jul 1, 2017. See more usage examples of totem in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing. -Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist (19 Oct 1784-1859) *****October 23, 2018***** barnstorm : to conduct a campaign or speaking tour in rural areas by making ..; President Trump and Vice President Pence are barnstorming swing states with 68 days to go before the midterm elections. Jonathan Easley and Alexis Simendinger, "The Hill's Morning Report -- Trump, Pence barnstorm swing states," The Hill, August 30, 2018 Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Brouhaha : : a state of commotion or excitement : hubbub, uproar; There was much brouhaha in the tabloids over the young actor's sudden marriage to the woman who had been his high school sweetheart. preceptor : (noun) Teacher at a university or college (especially at Cambridge or Oxford).; don; Dessalles, the tutor he had brought from Switzerland, was wearing a coat of Russian cut and talking broken Russian to the servants, but was still the same narrowly intelligent, conscientious, and pedantic preceptor. prosopopeia or prosopopoeia : noun: 1. A figure of speech in which an imaginary or absent person is represented as speaking or acting. 2. A figure of speech in which an inanimate object or something abstract is represented as possessing human form: personification. ; "One of the key terms in de Man's critical vocabulary was prosopopeia, the voice that addresses us in a literary work from beyond the grave." James Atlas; The Case of Paul de Man; The New York Times; Aug 28, 1988. See more usage examples of prosopopeia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All one's life as a young woman one is on show, a focus of attention, people notice you. You set yourself up to be noticed and admired. And then, not expecting it, you become middle-aged and anonymous. No one notices you. You achieve a wonderful freedom. It's a positive thing. You can move about unnoticed and invisible. -Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (22 Oct 1919-2013) *****October 24, 2018***** hooly : Scot. cautiously; gently; Just to look that their tackle does not graze on the face o' the crag, and to let the chair down, and draw it up hoolly and fairly--we will halloo when we are ready. Sir Walter Scott, The Antiquary, 1816 Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Mawkish : 1 : lacking flavor or having an unpleasant taste; "Naomi Watts gives a committed, grounded performance as a single mother who finds herself surprisingly agreeable to doing whatever it takes to stay connected to her beloved older son. Few films aspire to be both a mawkish tearjerker and a Hitchcockian thriller, and The Book Of Henry makes a pretty convincing case why more shouldn't." — Tim Grierson, Screen International, 15 June 2017 perturb : (verb) Disturb in mind or make uneasy or cause to be worried or alarmed.; cark, disorder, disquiet, unhinge, distract, trouble; She was rather perturbed by the news that her father was seriously ill. ullage : noun: The amount of liquid by which a container falls short of being full. ; "Too much ullage can be a sign of evaporation, and that's not good." Mark Shanahan; A Finely Honed Palate; Boston Globe; Oct 17, 2015. See more usage examples of ullage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2018***** moonstruck : dreamily romantic or bemused; He wanted to see her ... Otherwise he wouldn't have waited for nearly an hour like some moonstruck schoolboy and worried all the while about the reception he would receive. Matt Braun, Indian Territory, 1985 Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Indoctrinate : 1 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : teach; "Clearly, [in the television series 'The Handmaid's Tale'] the Sons of Jacob have been scarily successful in indoctrinating Americans—or, more specifically, young former Americans—to accept a new set of social mores." — Elena Nicolaou, Refinery29.com, 24 May 2018 skepticism : (noun) Doubt about the truth of something.; disbelief, incredulity, mental rejection; Ghek made no reply, nor did his expressionless face denote either belief or skepticism. trompe l'oeil : noun: 1. A style of painting in which objects are rendered in extremely realistic detail, giving an illusion of reality. 2. A painting, mural, etc., made in this style. ; "The suite had ... an elegant chandelier hung from a trompe l'oeil ceiling of blue sky with puffy clouds." William Friedkin; In Search of Marcel Proust; The New York Times Magazine; May 21, 2017. See more usage examples of trompe l'oeil in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You have to hold your audience in writing to the very end -- much more than in talking, when people have to be polite and listen to you. -Brenda Ueland, writer (24 Oct 1891-1985) *****October 26, 2018***** dirigible : an airship; With gas cells collapsing, framework breaking up, and controls out of order, the great dirigible had reared and plunged and finally had fallen 3,000 feet into the Pacific. Edwin Teale, "Does Latest Disaster Spell Doom for the Dirigible?" Popular Science Monthly, May 1935 Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Fugacious : : lasting a short time : evanescent; The rock band's rise in popularity turned out to be fugacious, and within two years its members had moved on to other careers. trackless : (adjective) Lacking pathways.; pathless, roadless, untrodden; They had to traverse the most dreary and desolate mountains, and barren and trackless wastes, uninhabited by man, or occasionally infested by predatory and cruel savages. ocellus : noun: 1. A small simple eye common to invertebrates. 2. An eyelike colored spot on an animal (as on peacock feathers, butterfly wings, fish, etc.) or on a leaf of a plant. ; "Each octagonal ocellus in the turtle's shell grew like a tiny flower." G.W. Hawkes; Semaphore; MacMurray & Beck; 1998. See more usage examples of ocellus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who compare the age in which their lot has fallen with a golden age which exists only in imagination, may talk of degeneracy and decay; but no man who is correctly informed as to the past, will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, author and statesman (25 Oct 1800-1859) *****October 27, 2018***** timorous : full of fear; fearful: The noise made them timorous; Besides these fearful things, he was expected to do what terrified him into the very core of his somewhat timorous heart. L. T. Meade, A Little Mother to the Others, 1896 Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." nipper : (noun) A small child.; kid, minor, child, tiddler, youngster, nestling, shaver, small fry, tyke; I could not have been much more than a nipper when you last saw me, but now I am all grown up. red-eye : noun: 1. The phenomenon of a person's eyes appearing red in a photograph taken with a flash. 2. A late-night flight or overnight flight. ; "As she sat down beside him, she heard a quiet snore. He must have taken the red-eye. Poor guy. She'd let him sleep." Janice Maynard; Billionaire's Borrowed Baby; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of red-eye in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, "I disagree." We must feel at liberty to speak those words to our neighbors, our clergy, our educators, our news media, our lawmakers and, above all, to the one among us we elect President. -Natalie Merchant, musician and poet (b. 26 Oct 1963) *****October 28, 2018***** ossature : the arrangement of bones in the skeleton or a body part; The ossature of its wings had been like the exquisite work of some Japanese cabinet-maker ... James Hopper, "On the Back of the Dragon," Everybody's Magazine, July 1910 Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Pamphleteer : 1 : to write and publish pamphlets; Though he is remembered today for his novels and essays, George Orwell was also known to pamphleteer for causes important to him. mottle : (verb) Mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained.; blotch, streak; Her first words had caused the red of humiliation to mottle his already ruby visage to a semblance of purple. red-eye : noun: 1. The phenomenon of a person's eyes appearing red in a photograph taken with a flash. 2. A late-night flight or overnight flight. ; "As she sat down beside him, she heard a quiet snore. He must have taken the red-eye. Poor guy. She'd let him sleep." Janice Maynard; Billionaire's Borrowed Baby; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of red-eye in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, "I disagree." We must feel at liberty to speak those words to our neighbors, our clergy, our educators, our news media, our lawmakers and, above all, to the one among us we elect President. -Natalie Merchant, musician and poet (b. 26 Oct 1963) *****October 29, 2018***** ossature : the arrangement of bones in the skeleton or a body part; The ossature of its wings had been like the exquisite work of some Japanese cabinet-maker ... James Hopper, "On the Back of the Dragon," Everybody's Magazine, July 1910 Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Multitudinous : 1 : including a multitude of individuals : populous; The author's appearance is expected to attract a multitudinous gathering that will fill the entire auditorium. recrudesce : (verb) To break out anew or come into renewed activity, as after a period of quiescence.; develop, break; These political movements recrudesce from time to time. red-eye : noun: 1. The phenomenon of a person's eyes appearing red in a photograph taken with a flash. 2. A late-night flight or overnight flight. ; "As she sat down beside him, she heard a quiet snore. He must have taken the red-eye. Poor guy. She'd let him sleep." Janice Maynard; Billionaire's Borrowed Baby; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of red-eye in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is one tradition in America I am proud to inherit. It is our first freedom and the truest expression of our Americanism: the ability to dissent without fear. It is our right to utter the words, "I disagree." We must feel at liberty to speak those words to our neighbors, our clergy, our educators, our news media, our lawmakers and, above all, to the one among us we elect President. -Natalie Merchant, musician and poet (b. 26 Oct 1963) *****October 30, 2018***** diablerie : diabolic magic or art; sorcery; witchcraft; This tragedy, which, considering the wild times wherein it was placed, might have some foundation in truth, was larded with many legends of superstition and diablerie, so that most of the peasants of the neighbourhood, if benighted, would rather have chosen to make a considerable circuit, than pass these haunted walls. Sir Walter Scott, Guy Mannering, 1815 Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Shambles : 1 : slaughterhouse; "The scene is reminiscent of the opening of the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, when Indiana Jones flees a cave half a step ahead of a giant boulder. Instead of running from a rock, Croft spends the game running through a city that crumbles around her as the world is reduced to shambles." — Bob Fekete, Newsweek, 21 Sept. 2018  catnap : (noun) A short sleep or doze.; forty winks, snooze; After making sure that my office door was locked and that I would not be caught, I settled in for a quick catnap at my desk. eucatastrophe : noun: A happy ending, especially one in which, instead of an impending disaster, a sudden turn leads to a favorable resolution of the story. ; "The contrived eucatastrophe of Dennis's play seemingly resonated with and satisfied the audiences." Alison Forsyth; Greek Tragedy and the British Theatre, 1660-1914; Theatre Journal (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 2007. Thought For The Day: Certainly none of the advances made in civilization has been due to counterrevolutionaries and advocates of the status quo. -Bill Mauldin, editorial cartoonist (29 Oct 1921-2003) *****October 31, 2018***** hocus-pocus : unnecessarily mysterious or elaborate activity or talk to cove..; Maybe the English are right: [writer's] block is just a hocus-pocus covering life’s regular, humbling facts. , "Blocked," The New Yorker, June 14, 2004 Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Caterwaul : 1 : to make a harsh cry; The woods were quiet until the sound of a chainsaw caterwauling in the distance broke the calm. typify : (verb) Embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of.; epitomize; The fugue typifies Bach's style of composition. ochlophobia : noun: A fear or dislike of crowds. ; "With just a week before Christmas, the malls are pretty much a no-go zone for anyone with even the mildest form of ochlophobia." Ian Katz; Hate Crowds? Shop Online; South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale); Dec 19, 2005. Thought For The Day: May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof (White House). -John Adams, 2nd US President, and the first one to live in the White House (30 Oct 1735-1826) *****November 01, 2018***** ghosting : Informal. a. the practice of suddenly ending all contact with a p..; In the case of ghosting, a lack of accountability has brought out the worst in humanity, but applying behavioral science to UX design could be the key to unlocking the solution and with it the next billion dollar idea, paving the way for a new era of ghost-free online dating. Jack Rogers, "Ghosting -- Dating's Billion Dollar Problem?" Forbes, August 28, 2018 Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Lycanthropy : 1 : a delusion that one has become a wolf; The 1941 film The Wolf Man starred Lon Chaney, Jr., as a man cursed with lycanthropy. dishearten : (verb) To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit.; put off; These difficult economic conditions dishearten people and undermine their hope. peristeronic : adjective: Relating to pigeons. ; "But I do like the look of a dovecote. After all, these peristeronic palaces do grace the gardens of some of our finest stately homes." Alan Titchmarsh; Tales from Titchmarsh; Hodder & Stoughton; 2011. Thought For The Day: Time engraves our faces with all the tears we have not shed. -Natalie Clifford Barney, poet, playwright, and novelist (31 Oct 1876-1972) *****November 02, 2018***** penumbra : a shadowy, indefinite, or marginal area; ... I couldn't figure out why I was hearing it in the penumbra of an old-growth floodplain forest in South Carolina, a forest that once stretched as far north as Upper Virginia and as far west as East Texas. Rosalind Bentley, "Among the Majestic Trees in Congaree, Slipping Into Silence," New York Times, July 16, 2018 Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Verbose : 1 : containing more words than necessary : wordy; also : impaired by wordiness ; "[The] text … is verbose and vague, and so comically overheated that it can feel like a parody of late Tennessee Williams, when that playwright's florid style had graduated to full rococo." — Elisabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times, 20 Sept. 2018 pertain : (verb) Be relevant to.; concern, bear on, come to, touch on, refer, relate; All the evidence that pertains to the accident was submitted to the court. amatorculist : noun: A pretend or insignificant lover. ; "The titles all start with where he painted them ... The format is Location-Number-Quick-description ... Considering the whole title is 'Thessaloniki-I-Winsome Amatorculist' ... he is guessing it's a painting of his one-night stand." Luchia Dertien; Gnomon; DSP Publications; 2015. Thought For The Day: Who is content with nothing possesses all things. -Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux, poet (1 Nov 1636-1711) *****November 03, 2018***** univocal : having only one meaning; unambiguous; When then-Fox News chief Roger Ailes was presented with allegations of sexual harassment — first in a bombshell lawsuit, later in published reports — his response was univocal: Deny, deny, deny. Erik Wemple, "Harvey Weinstein's puzzling legal threat against the New York Times," Washington Post, October 6, 2017 Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Connive : 1 : to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose; "Arnold worked out a plan not only to turn over the fort and its men to the British but at the same time to connive at the British capture of George Washington." — Gordon S. Wood, The Weekly Standard, 1 June 2018 countrified : (adjective) Characteristic of rural life.; rustic; The house was very handsome, with a lovely countrified garden. abnegation : noun: Self-denial. ; "In the 1980s, [Roy Walford] wrote 'The 120 Year Diet' and then followed it up with even more misery and abnegation in 'Beyond the 120 Year Diet'." Pagan Kennedy; The Secret to a Longer Life? Don't Ask These Dead Longevity Researchers; The New York Times; March 9, 2018. See more usage examples of abnegation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 04, 2018***** grumphie : Chiefly Scot. a familiar name for a pig; "Grumphie smells the weather, / An' grumphie sees the wun'; / He kens when clouds will gather, / An' smoor the blinikin' sun." This extravagant tribute to the pig as a weather prophet is typical of a large number of proverbs, though, perhaps no other animal has been credited with actually seeing the wind. W. J. Humphreys, "Some Weather Proverbs and Their Justification," The Popular Science Monthly, January 1911 Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." Sinew : 1 : tendon; especially : one dressed for use as a cord or thread; "This roast from the shoulder was beefy and juicy…. A thin line of sinew was the only unpleasant distraction." — Cook's Country, June 1995 tune-up : (noun) Exercising in preparation for strenuous activity.; warm-up, prolusion; The scrimmage was a tune-up for the big game. abnegation : noun: Self-denial. ; "In the 1980s, [Roy Walford] wrote 'The 120 Year Diet' and then followed it up with even more misery and abnegation in 'Beyond the 120 Year Diet'." Pagan Kennedy; The Secret to a Longer Life? Don't Ask These Dead Longevity Researchers; The New York Times; March 9, 2018. See more usage examples of abnegation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 05, 2018***** bewhiskered : ancient, as a witticism, expression, etc.; passé; hoary..; That bewhiskered saying that "pride goeth before a fall" is true only in the case of ignorant people, says The International Lifeman. , "Stick Up Your Chin," The Spectator: Life Insurance Supplement, January 7, 1915 Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Gridiron : 1 : a grate for broiling food; "Despite his prowess on the gridiron, he received little attention from Division-I football programs." — Tom Layberger, Forbes, 14 Sept. 2018 pertinacity : (noun) Persistent determination.; doggedness, perseverance, persistency, tenacity; Again and again...with the inexorable pertinacity of a child...did he renew his efforts. abnegation : noun: Self-denial. ; "In the 1980s, [Roy Walford] wrote 'The 120 Year Diet' and then followed it up with even more misery and abnegation in 'Beyond the 120 Year Diet'." Pagan Kennedy; The Secret to a Longer Life? Don't Ask These Dead Longevity Researchers; The New York Times; March 9, 2018. See more usage examples of abnegation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 06, 2018***** dopester : a person who undertakes to predict the outcome of elections, spor..; The 1954 season for predicting the Congressional elections is now in full swing and the political dopesters will be hard at it from now until Nov. 2, when the voters will select more than one-third of the Senators and all of the Congressmen who will sit in the Eighty-fourth Congress. Ruth Silva, "A Look Into a Crystal Election Ball," New York Times, October 10, 1954 Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Mordant : 1 : biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive; "When Clementine tried to tell him that the result might well be a blessing in disguise, [Winston Churchill] maintained his normal standards of mordant wit by replying that 'at the moment it's certainly very well disguised.'" — Roy Jenkins, Churchill: A Biography, 2001 demonstrable : (adjective) Capable of being demonstrated or proved.; provable; The mother showed a demonstrable lack of concern for the general welfare of her children, so they were taken away from her. trumped-up : adjective: Faked or fraudulent. ; "Hell, my reputation was born of grassroots journalism; never was I ever guilty of cheap trumped-up sensationalism!" Ian Way; Envoys from the Stars; Balboa Press; 2015. See more usage examples of trumped-up in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god. -J.B.S. Haldane, scientist (5 Nov 1892-1964) *****November 07, 2018***** dissemble : to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense;..; He counted heavily on his ability to dissemble, knowing that every decent lawyer had at least several drops of dissimulation in his blood. Elizabeth George, Missing Joseph, 1993 Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Umbrage : 1 : a feeling of pique or resentment at some often fancied slight or insult; "Often, after an active morning, she would spend a sunny afternoon in lying stirless on the turf, at the foot of some tree of friendly umbrage." — Charlotte Brontë, Shirley, 1849 middling : (adjective) Lacking exceptional quality or ability.; mediocre, average, fair; The performance was middling at best, but for some reason the audience still rose to its feet at the end of the show for a standing ovation. stormy petrel : noun: 1. One who brings trouble or whose appearance is a sign of coming trouble. 2. Any of various small sea birds of the family Hydrobatidae having dark feathers and lighter underparts, also known as Mother Carey's Chicken. ; "To some, Walker was a stormy petrel as he spoke his mind and did not hesitate to fight for what he thought was right, even at the risk of his career and delaying his knighthood by several years." Lai Soon Ang; Old Soldier Fades Away; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Aug 27, 2001. See more usage examples of stormy petrel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2018***** volute : a spiral or twisted formation or object; The interior of the tiny temple was dim, and wisps of incense smoke made graceful volutes in the air. John Maddox Roberts, SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates, 2005 Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. cleave : (verb) Separate or cut with a tool, such as a sharp instrument.; rive, split; The axe had cleaved open the back of his skull. melancholia : noun: A feeling of deep sadness; depression. ; "The mood, inevitably, tends towards melancholia, but there are moments of brightness." Barry Divola, et al.; Music Reviews; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Oct 13, 2018. See more usage examples of melancholia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The cardinal doctrine of a fanatic's creed is that his enemies are the enemies of God. -Andrew Dickson White, diplomat, author, co-founder and president of Cornell University (7 Nov 1832-1918) *****November 09, 2018***** rococo : ornate or florid in speech, literary style, etc; Should you contemplate purchasing a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez, a "mega-genius" according to Aaron (in private), he will tell you beforehand that García Márquez "is so rococo and torporific you'll need an insulin shot every twenty pages." John Nichols, On Top of Spoon Mountain, 2012 Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Palmary : : outstanding, best; A daughter of missionaries, Pearl S. Buck wrote many works about Chinese life and culture, with her palmary novel, The Good Earth, winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. refutation : (noun) The speech act of answering an attack on your assertions.; defense; His refutation of the charges was short and persuasive. pensive : adjective: Sadly thoughtful; wistful. ; "When we met last spring, I expected the Belfast-born investor ... to be elated. Instead I found him to be pensive and almost post-traumatic." Dearbhail McDonald; 'Nama Nearly Destroyed Me' -- Top London Hotelier; Sunday Independent (Dublin, Ireland); Sep 18, 2016. See more usage examples of pensive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2018***** solmization : Music. the act, process, or system of using certain syllables,..; The pupil seems to gain the knowledge of intervals with the power of making them. But surely it would facilitate the labour were the knowledge of distances first instilled by means of solmization. , "On Reading Music," The Quarterly Musical Magazine and Review, Vol. IX, 1827 Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Boustrophedon : : the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions (as from left to right and from right to left); The archaeologist noticed that the text on the tablet was written in boustrophedon. light-minded : (adjective) Showing inappropriate levity.; flippant; The light-minded woman had been discovering good matches for her daughter almost from the year of her birth. huckster : noun: One who sells things of questionable value in an aggressive or dishonest manner. verb tr.: To sell something of questionable value aggressively or dishonestly. verb intr.: To haggle. ; "Mostly they're just plain, old-fashioned carnival hucksters, picking the pockets of gullible people they play for rubes." Jeff Hester; 'Miracle' Work; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Nov 2018. See more usage examples of huckster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2018***** armistice : a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warrin..; On November 6, Berlin dispatched envoys to carry an armistice proposal to Supreme Allied Commander Marshal Ferdinand Foch. David M. Kennedy, Over Here: The First World War and American Society, 1980 Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Furlong : : a unit of distance equal to 220 yards (about 201 meters); "They tramped on again. But they had not gone more than a furlong when the storm returned with fresh fury." — J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954 laundress : (noun) A working woman who takes in washing.; washerwoman; I do believe the laundress hasn't sent the washing yet, and all the best sheets are in use. huckster : noun: One who sells things of questionable value in an aggressive or dishonest manner. verb tr.: To sell something of questionable value aggressively or dishonestly. verb intr.: To haggle. ; "Mostly they're just plain, old-fashioned carnival hucksters, picking the pockets of gullible people they play for rubes." Jeff Hester; 'Miracle' Work; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Nov 2018. See more usage examples of huckster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 12, 2018***** valorous : having valor; courageous; valiant; brave; He praised his soldiers for their valorous devotion ... Stephen Harrigan, The Gates of the Alamo, 2000 Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Valorous : 1 : possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous; For carrying three wounded members of his squadron out of harm's way, the lieutenant was presented with an award that recognized his valorous actions in the heat of battle. adduce : (verb) Advance evidence for.; abduce, cite; There is no evidence to adduce, and whether or not the man himself committed the murders there is now none to say. huckster : noun: One who sells things of questionable value in an aggressive or dishonest manner. verb tr.: To sell something of questionable value aggressively or dishonestly. verb intr.: To haggle. ; "Mostly they're just plain, old-fashioned carnival hucksters, picking the pockets of gullible people they play for rubes." Jeff Hester; 'Miracle' Work; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Nov 2018. See more usage examples of huckster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It's simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we've been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 13, 2018***** sequacious : Archaic. following, imitating, or serving another person, espec..; In a world peopled with limp critics and sequacious art historians the ruthlessness with which he used the battering ram of talent invariably earned my admiration and almost invariably my support. Grace Glueck, "The Pope of the Art World," New York Times, May 26, 1991 Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." Admonish : 1 a : to indicate duties or obligations to ; The teacher admonished the students to not speak over one another. clavicle : (noun) Bone linking the scapula and sternum.; collarbone; He will be out for the rest of the season thanks to a broken clavicle. metagrobolize : verb tr.: To puzzle or to mystify. ; "Can you bottle anti-commercial sentiment for commercial purposes? Should you? These are questions the Professor might call completely metagrobolizing." Jeff Belle; ODP Shakes Up; EContent (Wilton, Connecticut); Feb/Mar 2001. See more usage examples of metagrobolize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (12 Nov 1840-1917) *****November 14, 2018***** catastrophize : to view or talk about (an event or situation) as worse than ..; I was inspired to catastrophize by my father, who believed that "90 percent of the things we worry about never come to pass." He added cheerily that it was the other 10 percent, coming out of nowhere, that usually did us in. Pat Snyder, "De-stress with a sigh of relief," Tri-Village News, August 18, 2004 Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Recalcitrant : 1 : obstinately defiant of authority or restraint; The magazine, aimed at parents and caregivers of young children, will include the latest in child development science as well as practical information, like tricks for persuading even the most recalcitrant toddler to cooperate. niggle : (verb) Worry unnecessarily or excessively.; fret, fuss; I realize now that the things which used to niggle me did not really matter. quaquaversal : adjective: Sloping downward from a center in all directions. ; "In geological terms, the miners have scattered quaquaversal -- madly off in all directions -- to places like the pulp mill in Pine Falls; the potash mine in Esterhazy Sask; the gold mine in Red Lake, Ont.; and the gold mine in Lupin, NWT." Bill Redekop; A Rocky Future for Mining Town; Free Press (Winnipeg, Canada); Sep 15, 2001. Thought For The Day: If your morals make you dreary, depend upon it they are wrong. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) *****November 15, 2018***** voluptuary : a person whose life is devoted to the pursuit and enjoyment of ..; Hartmann, a voluptuary, lowered a spoonful of brown sugar crystals into his coffee cup, then placed a square of bitter chocolate on his tongue, and, while it was dissolving, lit his first cigarette. The ensuing mélange of tastes and aromas pleased him profoundly ... Anita Brookner, Latecomers, 1988 Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Tomfoolery : : playful or foolish behavior; The antics in the play itself apparently inspired tomfoolery behind the scenes as well, as cast members reported a host of practical jokes including a few on opening night. incite : (verb) Provoke or stir up.; instigate, stir up, set off; Those who incite riots should be held accountable for the damage they cause. whigmaleerie or whigmaleery : noun: 1. A whim. 2. A fanciful contrivance. ; "There was nothing of the wispy character of the whigmaleerie about Granny Gilmour when she opened her neat front door to us." Jane Duncan; My Friend Madame Zora; Bello; 2015. Thought For The Day: Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. It is never a narrowing of the mind or a restriction of the human spirit or the country's spirit. -Jawaharlal Nehru, freedom fighter and the first Prime Minister of India (14 Nov 1889-1964) *****November 16, 2018***** scienter : a mental state in which one has knowledge that one’s action..; Now, there is absolutely nothing in this case to prove that he had any guilty knowledge to the effect that his account was too low to meet the draft in question. You have proven no scienter whatever. Arthur Cheney Train, The Confessions of Artemas Quibble, 1911 Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." Memento : : something that serves to warn or remind; also : souvenir; The box on the shelf in her closet is filled with mementos of Julie's basketball career—awards, newspaper clippings, team photographs, and her old uniform. constrict : (verb) Become tight or as if tight.; constringe, narrow; Severe migraines can be treated with a drug which constricts the blood vessels. bamboozle : verb tr.: 1. To deceive. 2. To confuse. ; "Vietnam began the game with a short passing game using one-touch tactics to bamboozle the Cameroonians and negate their physical size advantage." Vu Duc; Olympic Finland Win BV Cup; The Saigon Times (Vietnam); Nov 20, 2006. See more usage examples of bamboozle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done, is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling. -Johann Kaspar Lavater, poet, writer, philosopher (15 Nov 1741-1801) *****November 17, 2018***** conurbation : an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of severa..; By 1984, there may well be several giant urban conurbations in the world which will make the present Greater Tokyo, New York and London look rather puny. Ruth Glass, "Cities in 1984: Stability and Strife," New Scientist, July 16, 1964 Credulous; Credulity : adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Exculpate : : to clear from alleged fault or guilt; A false lead from an ancestry site is no different than eliminating suspects through regular detective work; except people are more easily exculpated." — Julie O'Connor, The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey), 13 May 2018 highfalutin : (adjective) Affectedly genteel.; hoity-toity, la-di-da, grandiose; I'm glad you didn't load him down with some highfalutin, romantic name that he'd be ashamed of when he gets to be a grandfather. flapdoodle : noun: Nonsense. ; "[An] overuse of technique does not represent expertise and boldness, but an escape into flummery and flapdoodle." Harlan Ellison; Harlan Ellison's Watching; Open Road Media; 2015. Thought For The Day: The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2018***** shunpike : a side road taken instead of a turnpike or expressway to avoid to..; ... she proposed to Mr. Morris that he should take the shunpike for a change. Frank R. Stockton, The Captain's Toll-Gate, 1903 Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Susurrous : : full of whispering sounds; As the vacationers slept, the only sound was the susurrous breeze blowing through the curtains of the open window. open-eyed : (adjective) Carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger.; vigilant, wakeful, argus-eyed; Natasha...got into bed, and long after her candle was out lay open-eyed and motionless, gazing at the moonlight through the frosty windowpanes. flapdoodle : noun: Nonsense. ; "[An] overuse of technique does not represent expertise and boldness, but an escape into flummery and flapdoodle." Harlan Ellison; Harlan Ellison's Watching; Open Road Media; 2015. Thought For The Day: The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 19, 2018***** gallinaceous : belonging or pertaining to the order Galliformes, comprising ..; Yea, verily, there is much to inspire gratitude on this holiday centered on a gallinaceous bird with alarmingly hypertrophied breasts. Glen Martin, “The Science of Holiday Happiness: Why Gratitude Really is Good for You,” California Magazine, November 24, 2014 Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." Chapel : 1 : a subordinate or private place of worship; The school required all of its students to attend chapel daily. readjust : (verb) Adjust anew.; readapt; Some soldiers find it hard to readjust to civilian life when they leave the army. flapdoodle : noun: Nonsense. ; "[An] overuse of technique does not represent expertise and boldness, but an escape into flummery and flapdoodle." Harlan Ellison; Harlan Ellison's Watching; Open Road Media; 2015. Thought For The Day: The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 20, 2018***** sippet : a small piece of bread or the like for dipping in liquid food, as i..; With dinner almost over, the broken meats of the second course not yet removed, Anne pulls a silver dish towards her, and helps herself to a sippet. It is her favourite way to end a meal ... Joanne Limburg, A Want of Kindness, 2015 Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Henchman : 1 : a trusted follower : right-hand man; "The story follows the lives to two very different characters—Frank Guidry, a henchman for one of New Orleans' most powerful and vicious gangsters, and Charlotte, a woman struggling to raise her two daughters while dealing with a feckless, drunken husband." — James D. Watts Jr., The Tulsa (Oklahoma) World, 11 Oct. 2018 deadpan : (adjective) Deliberately impassive in manner.; expressionless, poker-faced, unexpressive, impassive; Although he was distraught when the guilty verdict was read, his deadpan expression made it seem as though he did not care. fiddlestick : noun:1. The bow with which the fiddle is played.  2. Something insignificant. interj.:Nonsense. (typically used as a plural) ; "There is no attitude, nor the slightest trace of imperial snobbery. Empress? Fiddlesticks!" Lawrence Money; Lunch with Lady Primrose Potter Philanthropist; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jun 20, 2015. See more usage examples of fiddlestick in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Destroying species is like tearing pages out of an unread book, written in a language humans hardly know how to read, about the place where they live. -Holmes Rolston III, professor of philosophy (b. 19 Nov 1932) *****November 21, 2018***** cornucopia : an abundant, overflowing supply; There were jars everywhere, a cornucopia of jars, and in the jars various dried herbs and potions ... T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Women, 2009 Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Perforce : : by force of circumstances; "All that frantic traveling was in lieu of any compelling reason to stay home, and those many, many friendships were perforce conducted at long distance." — Blake Bailey, The New York Times Book Review, 28 Dec. 2012 supernumerary : (adjective) More than is needed, desired, or required.; excess, extra, redundant, supererogatory, surplus, superfluous, spare; His appearance...is apt to occasion some little stir at the tea-table of a farmhouse, and the addition of a supernumerary dish of cakes or sweetmeats, or, peradventure, the parade of a silver teapot. upbeat : noun: An unaccented beat before the first beat of a measure. adjective: Cheerful; optimistic. ; "As John Spangenberg of Damascus was readying his blooms for the show, he remained upbeat despite it all. 'I probably lost a quarter of my garden in the spring,' he said." Adrian Higgins; The Photogenic Dahlia Stages a Comeback, and Steals the Show; The Washington Post; Oct 11, 2018. See more usage examples of upbeat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is. -Nadine Gordimer, novelist, Nobel laureate (20 Nov 1923-2014) *****November 22, 2018***** thanksgiver : a person who gives thanks; I am a Thanksgiver. I have a generous and grateful nature. I also have a splendid appetite. , "A Confession," Caricature: Wit and Humor of a Nation in Picture, Song and Story, 1908 Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Noisome : 1 : noxious, harmful; "The streets were narrow and very dirty, the air smoky and noisome, the people mostly wretched." — Ken Follett, The Man From St. Petersburg, 1982 carryall : (noun) A capacious bag or basket.; holdall, tote; She threw her cell phone, wallet, and gym shoes into her carryall and ran out the door. orchestrate : verb tr.: 1. To compose or arrange music for performance by an orchestra. 2. To arrange elements of a situation to achieve a desired result. ; "Nonetheless, the fact remains that a deception took place; Rebecca orchestrated it and Jacob perpetrated it." Shlomo Riskin; Human Accident, Divine Plan; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Nov 12, 1999. See more usage examples of orchestrate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2018***** doorbuster : Informal. a retail item that is heavily discounted for a very l..; At night, they slept in sleeping bags and hammocks as they prepared for the year's biggest competition: beating their neighbors to discounted doorbusters. Abha Bhattarai, "The Black Friday frenzy officially begins today. But many say the thrill is gone." Washington Post, November 23, 2017 Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Cornucopia : 1 : a curved, hollow goat's horn or similarly shaped receptacle (such as a horn-shaped basket) that is overflowing especially with fruit and vegetables (such as gourds, ears of corn, apples, and grapes) and that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance; "While the auction will offer a cornucopia of decorative and fine art spanning many centuries and continents, its crown jewels are the Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and modern paintings." — James Reginato, Vanity Fair, Holiday 2017 histrionic : (adjective) Characteristic of acting or a stage performance; often affected.; melodramatic; Dorothea let out a histrionic groan and threw herself to the floor. concert pitch : noun: 1. A tuning standard for musical instruments in which the note A above middle C is assigned a frequency of 440 cycles per second (audio). 2. A state of being tensely alert or ready. ; "England did not bowl their best, apart from Stuart Broad, who was roused to concert pitch." Scyld Berry; Hope Springs Eternal for West Indies; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Aug 30, 2017. See more usage examples of concert pitch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first. -Charles de Gaulle, French president (22 Nov 1890-1970) *****November 24, 2018***** waggish : roguish in merriment and good humor; jocular; like a wag: Fielding..; He was always ready for either a fight or a frolic; but had more mischief than ill will in his composition, and, with all his overbearing roughness, there was a strong dash of waggish good humor at the bottom. Washington Irving, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 1820 Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Impromptu : 1 : made, done, or formed on or as if on the spur of the moment : improvised; When we got word of Caitlin's good news, we threw an impromptu party to celebrate. cerement : (noun) Burial garment in which a corpse is wrapped.; winding-clothes, pall, shroud; The ghost of Athelstane himself would burst his bloody cerements and stand before us to forbid such dishonor to his memory. trombenik or trombenick : noun: A lazy or a boastful person. ; "Her children, the big trombenik who was good-for-nothing and the little pisher who knows nothing about anything, were destroying her life." Floyd Skloot; 1957; Sewanee Review (Baltimore, Maryland); Winter 2005. Thought For The Day: To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. -Steven Brust, novelist (b. 23 Nov 1955) *****November 25, 2018***** serry : Archaic. to crowd closely together; "Serry your ranks, there," said the Major amiably as they edged past. Edmund Crispin, The Glimpses of the Moon, 1977 Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Audacious : 1 a : intrepidly daring : adventurous; The band has been making original and creative music for well over ten years, but their latest album is by far their most audacious to date. overextend : (verb) Strain excessively.; overstrain; He overextended himself when he accepted the additional assignment and ultimately had to tell his boss that he would not be able to complete it by the deadline. trombenik or trombenick : noun: A lazy or a boastful person. ; "Her children, the big trombenik who was good-for-nothing and the little pisher who knows nothing about anything, were destroying her life." Floyd Skloot; 1957; Sewanee Review (Baltimore, Maryland); Winter 2005. Thought For The Day: To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. -Steven Brust, novelist (b. 23 Nov 1955) *****November 26, 2018***** tsuris : Slang. trouble; woe; Graham, I want Jack's work in the show, don't give me any tsuris on this. Marc Olden, Wellington's, 1977 Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." Occlusion : 1 : the act of occluding : the state of being occluded: such as; The meteorologist said that the weakening occlusion heading up the coast would lead to off-and-on rain showers throughout the night. intercede : (verb) Act between parties with a view to reconciling differences.; arbitrate, liaise, mediate; When I saw my poor brother led away to imprisonment, I attempted to leap down into the Council Chamber, desiring to intercede on his behalf, or at least bid him farewell. trombenik or trombenick : noun: A lazy or a boastful person. ; "Her children, the big trombenik who was good-for-nothing and the little pisher who knows nothing about anything, were destroying her life." Floyd Skloot; 1957; Sewanee Review (Baltimore, Maryland); Winter 2005. Thought For The Day: To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. -Steven Brust, novelist (b. 23 Nov 1955) *****November 27, 2018***** Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Quirk : : curve, twist; "If you quirked your eyebrow at The Shape of Water's merman, your jaw probably dropped clean off when you realized that some viewers were, well, thirsty for the marine man." — Melissa Broder and Samantha Hunt, Elle, 14 Sept. 2018 frame-up : (noun) An act that incriminates someone on a false charge.; setup; He was innocent and the victim of a frame-up. actuate : verb tr.: To put into motion or action; to activate; to motivate. ; "'President Buhari is actuated by nothing else than love for motherland.' he said." Taiwo Adediran; The Presidency Called on Nigerians to Be Wary of Fake News; Royal Times (Nigeria); May 9, 2018. See more usage examples of actuate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best theology is probably no theology; just love one another. -Charles Schulz, cartoonist (26 Nov 1922-2000) *****November 28, 2018***** atelier : a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designe..; Upon his arrival she began by introducing him to her atelier and making a sketch of him. Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 1899 Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Yahoo : 1 capitalized Yahoo : a member of a race of brutes in Swift's Gulliver's Travels who have the form and all the vices of humans; The reputation the teenagers had for being a bunch of self-involved yahoos was belied by their courteous treatment of the stranded motorists. pigeonhole : (verb) Treat or classify according to a mental stereotype.; stereotype, stamp; It would be incorrect to pigeonhole her as a children's author, since many adults also enjoy her books. parley : verb intr.: To have a discussion, especially with an opposing party. noun: A discussion, especially between opposing groups. ; "The removal of lead from all petrol, then, should usher in a Golden Age. In America, since the ban of 1996, researchers estimate that IQ scores have risen by several points and 58m crimes have been avoided. The spread of peace to some of the world's more benighted countries may happen not because leaders parley or Western troops leave, but because the element of wickedness has been taken out of their cars." A Toxin in Your Tank; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 21, 2012. See more usage examples of parley in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it. -Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (27 Nov 1940-1973) *****November 29, 2018***** keek : Scot. and North England. to peep; look furtively; I will be near by him, and when he keeks round to spy ye, I will bring him such a clout as will gar him keep his eyes private for ever. Alfred Ollivant, "Danny," Everybody's Magazine, Volume 6, January to June, 1902 Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Betwixt : : between; "O villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times / seven years, and since I could distinguish betwixt a benefit and / an injury, I never found man that knew how to love himself." — William Shakespeare, Othello, 1622 palmistry : (noun) The practice or art of telling fortunes from the lines, marks, and patterns on the palms of the hands.; chirology, chiromancy; She dabbled in fortunetelling and palmistry. impignorate : verb tr.: To pledge, pawn, or mortgage. ; "First Cash Financial Services is a pawn shop. Yep, a good, old-fashioned pawn shop that makes small loans to folks willing to impignorate family heirlooms, silver, firearms, rings, musical instruments, construction tools, and other tangible personal property." Malcolm Berko; Pawn Shops Offer Sound Investments; Northwest Florida Daily News (Fort Walton Beach); Feb 18, 2010. Thought For The Day: The reward for conformity was that everyone liked you except yourself. -Rita Mae Brown, writer (b. 28 Nov 1944) *****November 30, 2018***** modish : in the current fashion; stylish; It’s a work both modish and antique, apparently postmodern in emphasis but fed by the exploratory energies of the Renaissance. James Wood, "'Flights,' A Novel That Never Settles Down," The New Yorker, October 1, 2018 Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Ritzy : 1 : being, characteristic of, or befitting a snob : snobbish; "Pop star Justin Timberlake … hosted a listening party for his new album at a ritzy Manhattan loft where catering was provided by René Redzepi's impossible-to-get-into Copenhagen restaurant…." — Greg Morabito, Eater.com, 17 Jan. 2018 empathize : (verb) Be understanding of.; sympathize, understand; Having changed schools several times as a child, I empathize with the transfer students. declaim : verb intr.:1. To speak rhetorically.  2. To speak in a pompous manner. verb tr.:1. To recite with eloquence.  2. To state with passion. ; "Will Self makes frequent appearances in the Guardian to declaim the Death of the Novel, only to persist in writing novels that presumably not even he can be bothered to read." Rob Doyle; The Novel Isn't Dead -- It Just Smells Funny; Irish Times (Dublin); Nov 15, 2018. See more usage examples of declaim in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor" -- infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people. -Wendell Phillips, human rights activist and attorney (29 Nov 1811-1884) *****December 01, 2018***** shrievalty : the office, term, or jurisdiction of a sheriff; You must give up your shrievalty immediately and I will get the Shire Court to appoint a caretaker sheriff in your place until the will of the King is known. Bernard Knight, Witch Hunter, 2004 Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Dram : 1 a : a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce; The two of them don't have a dram of sense between them, so I'm not surprised that they got into so much trouble. unreasoning : (adjective) Not based on reason or evidence.; blind; After the funeral, when he saw her preparing to go away, he was seized with an unreasoning dread of being left alone on the farm; and before he knew what he was doing he had asked her to stay there with him. divaricate : verb intr.: To branch off or diverge. adjective: Branched off or diverging widely. ; "After a 3,000-mile journey across five national borders, [Mekong], the mother of rivers divaricates into a complex delta network." Ben Mauk; The Floating World; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 1, 2018. See more usage examples of divaricate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (30 Nov 1835-1910) *****December 02, 2018***** candelabrum : an ornamental branched holder for more than one candle; The menorah is an eight-branched candelabrum that is symbolic of the celebration of Hanukkah. José Antonio Burciaga, "An Anglo, Jewish, Mexican Christmas," Weedee Peepo, 1988 Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." Mayhem : 1 a : willful and permanent deprivation of a bodily member resulting in the impairment of a person's fighting ability; "Joe is not your average Joe. He is a contract killer…. The business is low-grade; payments are made with an envelope of cash stuffed above a ceiling tile, and, at the end of a hard night's mayhem, Joe returns to the small house that he shares with his elderly mother." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2018 chef-d%27oeuvre : (noun) The most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman.; masterpiece; The Mona Lisa is considered by many to be the chef-d'oeuvre of Italian painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist Leonardo da Vinci. divaricate : verb intr.: To branch off or diverge. adjective: Branched off or diverging widely. ; "After a 3,000-mile journey across five national borders, [Mekong], the mother of rivers divaricates into a complex delta network." Ben Mauk; The Floating World; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 1, 2018. See more usage examples of divaricate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (30 Nov 1835-1910) *****December 03, 2018***** beanfeast : Chiefly British Slang. (formerly) an annual dinner or party give..; In August the annual outing, or, as it was called, the bean-feast, at the works took place. G. A. Henty, Sturdy and Strong, 1888 Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." Sciential : 1 : relating to or producing knowledge or science; There was no apparent sciential reason for the birds to have migrated this far south. diskette : (noun) A small plastic magnetic disk enclosed in a stiff envelope with a radial slit; used to store data or programs for a microcomputer.; floppy; Due to their relatively slow speed and small capacity, diskettes have largely been replaced by data storage devices like CDs and USB flash drives. divaricate : verb intr.: To branch off or diverge. adjective: Branched off or diverging widely. ; "After a 3,000-mile journey across five national borders, [Mekong], the mother of rivers divaricates into a complex delta network." Ben Mauk; The Floating World; The New York Times Magazine; Apr 1, 2018. See more usage examples of divaricate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world, and moral courage so rare. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (30 Nov 1835-1910) *****December 04, 2018***** brusquerie : abruptness and bluntness in manner; brusqueness; ... I could see that she was doing her best to irritate me with the brusquerie of her answers. Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Gambler (1866), translated by C. J. Hogarth, 1917 Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Circumvent : 1 : to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem; A couple of clever students were able to circumvent the security protocols on the school's network and gain access to the database storing their grades. philology : (noun) The humanistic study of language and literature.; linguistics; Another master had come, with a degree of doctor of philology from the University of Heidelberg...to teach French to the upper forms and German to anyone who cared to take it up. velutinous : adjective: Soft and smooth like velvet. ; "The rope was painfully soft, as velutinous as a cat." Olivia Hardy Ray; Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem; Bublish; 2011. Thought For The Day: All a man can betray is his conscience. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924) *****December 05, 2018***** postiche : a false hairpiece; ... the Goulet postiche is guaranteed to blend imperceptibly with the wearer's own hair, for I refuse to settle for anything less than a perfect match. Catherine Chidgey, The Transformation, 2003 Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." Perspicacious : : of acute mental vision or discernment : keen; "Captivated by the breadth of its elegant façade—echoed in the grandeur of the interior spaces—the perspicacious owners enlisted their trusted decorator Jacques Grange … to collaborate on a sensitive renovation. — Angus Wilkie, Architectural Digest, December 2017 byproduct : (noun) A product made during the manufacture of something else.; spin-off; Whey is a byproduct of the cheese production process. eldritch : adjective: Weird; supernatural; eerie. ; "There will be readers who pick up Zoe Gilbert's debut novel, Folk, find a sentence like 'Verlyn Webbe has a wing in place of an arm' and run screaming. This is a book full of eldritch, dreamlike stories." Alex Preston; You Don't Have to Be Weird to Live Here ... But It Would Help a Lot; Financial Times (London, UK); Mar 3, 2018. See more usage examples of eldritch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The weakest living creature, by concentrating his powers on a single object, can accomplish something. The strongest, by dispensing his over many, may fail to accomplish anything. The drop, by continually falling, bores its passage through the hardest rock. The hasty torrent rushes over it with hideous uproar, and leaves no trace behind. -Thomas Carlyle, essayist and historian (4 Dec 1795-1881) *****December 06, 2018***** athenaeum : a library or reading room; The back of his state-issued S.U.V. is stacked with notebooks filled with ideas and data culled from books and articles and conversations with nearly four hundred experts; it’s a kind of rolling athenaeum. Tad Friend, "Gavin Newsom, the Next Head of the California Resistance," The New Yorker, November 5, 2018 Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. Abandon : : a thorough yielding to natural impulses; especially : enthusiasm, exuberance; The winning photograph was of a dog bounding with abandon through a field of snow. ascendancy : (noun) The state that exists when one person or group has power over another.; dominance, control; Thanks to widespread governmental corruption and instability, the extremists are gaining ascendancy in the region. kludge : noun: An inelegant, improvised solution to a problem. verb tr.: To improvise a haphazard solution to a problem. ; "Alan was bolting things on as the client requested them and I could tell that the kludges were pushing the original design to its limits." Bernie Wieser; Memoirs of a Self-Loathing IT Professional; Legacy; 2014. See more usage examples of kludge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (5 Dec 1830-1894) *****December 07, 2018***** Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." Dossier : : a file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject; The agency maintains extensive dossiers on all of its employees and contractors. wirework : (noun) Mesh netting made of wires.; grillwork; His white mice live in a little pagoda of gaily-painted wirework, designed and made by himself. xeric : adjective: Relating to very dry conditions. ; "The world around me was in shambles, xeric plains stretching to the horizon in all directions, desiccated vegetation clustered in forlorn hummocks with large stretches of cracked open ground between." Joseph J. Bailey; Soul Stealer: Legacy of the Blade; CreateSpace; 2015. See more usage examples of xeric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936) *****December 08, 2018***** Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." Sandbag : 1 : to bank, stop up, or weight with sandbags; Management must have realized that reading employee survey responses aloud at the company-wide meeting would make employees feel sandbagged, but they chose to do it anyway. self-aggrandizement : (noun) The act or practice of enhancing or exaggerating one's own importance, power, or reputation.; ego trip; The speaker encouraged bursts of applause from the crowd, which many suspected was merely a form of self-aggrandizement. transpicuous : adjective: Easily seen through or understood. ; "I recognize it at once, when in a history text I first read William Penn's dreamy yet transpicuous instructions for the layout of Philadelphia." Andrea Lee; Altered State; The New Yorker; Jun 30, 2008. Thought For The Day: That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. -Willa Cather, novelist (7 Dec 1873-1947) *****December 09, 2018***** Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." Approbation : 1 : commendation, praise; "In 2001, I moved to Lima to study literature at a local university. I fell in with a group of art students—painters, illustrators, sculptors—and even after I'd quit attending classes I'd still visit them, spending long afternoons on the cement floor of a cramped studio that two of them shared. This group became my first real friends in Peru who were not family, and their approbation meant a lot to me." — Daniel Alarcón, The New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2017 scavenger : (noun) Someone who collects things that have been discarded by others.; pack rat, magpie; A devoted scavenger, Harold refused to buy a new sofa, opting instead to search for one that had been abandoned by its previous owner at the curb. transpicuous : adjective: Easily seen through or understood. ; "I recognize it at once, when in a history text I first read William Penn's dreamy yet transpicuous instructions for the layout of Philadelphia." Andrea Lee; Altered State; The New Yorker; Jun 30, 2008. Thought For The Day: That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. -Willa Cather, novelist (7 Dec 1873-1947) *****December 10, 2018***** Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." Galumph : : to move with a clumsy heavy tread; Mary's teenage son galumphed into the house and flung himself onto the couch, sighing heavily. portend : (verb) Indicate by signs.; augur, auspicate, bode, foreshadow, omen, presage, prognosticate, predict, prefigure, betoken, forecast, foretell; Comets, in Western tradition, always portend doom and gloom. transpicuous : adjective: Easily seen through or understood. ; "I recognize it at once, when in a history text I first read William Penn's dreamy yet transpicuous instructions for the layout of Philadelphia." Andrea Lee; Altered State; The New Yorker; Jun 30, 2008. Thought For The Day: That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. -Willa Cather, novelist (7 Dec 1873-1947) *****December 11, 2018***** Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." Repartee : 1 a : a quick and witty reply ; "One of my favorite parts of that scene was Kim's repartee with him, trying to show how smart she is, him pretending to forget the case and her knowing it—all just so he could test her." — Patrick Fabian, quoted in Variety, 11 Sept. 2018 head-to-head : (adjective) Involving two persons; intimately private.; tete-a-tete; The quiet, uncrowded restaurant was the perfect setting for the couple's head-to-head conversation. gyve : noun: A fetter or shackle. verb tr.: To restrain. ; "Some gyve holds us back, but we cannot see it." Matthew Eley; Things to Be Done; The Kenyon Collegian (Gambier, Ohio); Jan 18, 2014. Thought For The Day: Tell all the Truth but tell it slant-- / ... The Truth must dazzle gradually / Or every man be blind. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 12, 2018***** Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." Immure : 1 a : to enclose within or as if within walls; "Agnes … is a suburban lifer, a mousy, resigned little woman whose life is immured by her home, her family, and her church." — Jonathan Richards, The Santa Fe New Mexican, 7 Sept. 2018 oscillate : (verb) Be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action.; hover, vacillate, vibrate; He continues to oscillate between accepting the prestigious promotion and retiring. jinx : noun:1. One that is believed to bring bad luck.  2. A state of bad luck. verb tr.:1. To cast a spell on.  2. To bring bad luck upon. ; "The 76ers broke their road jinx and a losing streak here that goes back more than 4 1/2 years." Keith Pompey; Sixers Find Winning on the Road Is Fun; Philadelphia Daily News; Nov 8, 2018. See more usage examples of jinx in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press but the sealing up of a nation's heart, the excision of its memory. -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 13, 2018***** Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." Lunette : 1 a : something that has the shape of a crescent or half-moon; "All the windows and doors were topped with lunettes of small-paned glass." — Theodore Dreiser, The Financier, 1912 unbridled : (adjective) Not restrained or controlled.; unchecked, uncurbed, ungoverned; My own spirits were high, and I bounded along with feelings of unbridled joy and hilarity. klutz : noun: A clumsy or stupid person. ; "He's a klutz, a danger to himself and others." Your Week on Free TV; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Sep 3, 2018. See more usage examples of klutz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our country is the world -- our countrymen are all mankind. -William Lloyd Garrison, abolitionist, journalist, and suffragist (12 Dec 1805-1879) *****December 14, 2018***** Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." Perennial : 1 : present at all seasons of the year; "Kieran [Culkin] called Saines in 2016 after a two-year hiatus to say, 'You know, I think I want to act again. I want to do This Is Our Youth.' Written by Kenneth Lonergan, … the play has become a perennial showcase for young actors." — Sam Kashner, Vanity Fair, December 2018 intoxication : (noun) A temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol.; drunkenness, inebriety, insobriety, tipsiness; Kevin drank beer after beer, heedless of the hangover that would undoubtedly follow his intoxication. ilka : adjective: Each; every. ; "Ilka problem has its method." James Clerk Maxwell; Rigid Body Sings (poem). Thought For The Day: Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery. -George Polya, mathematician (13 Dec 1887-1985) *****December 15, 2018***** Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Zibeline : : a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair; "It's a simple, elegant design: high-collar, buttons, long sleeves, with lace and a sheer bodice. Its fabric catches the light very delicately—Bridges found the thick zibeline in London." — Hunter Harris, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2018 sanctify : (verb) Render holy by means of religious rites.; hallow, bless, consecrate; Though they are comfortable with the fact that their marriage has not been sanctified in a Christian church, their parents are not. yclept : adjective: Called or named. ; "The teenage jam band tragically yclept Fruitful Dave is awfully exciting." In Rotation; Reader (Chicago, Illinois); Aug 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 16, 2018***** Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Nidus : 1 : a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply; The neighborhood had long been a nidus of crime and vice, but community policing and other interventions have done much to reduce the crime rate in recent years. abbess : (noun) The superior of a group of nuns.; mother superior, prioress; The abbess welcomed the novice to the convent with a warm smile, putting her immediately at ease. yclept : adjective: Called or named. ; "The teenage jam band tragically yclept Fruitful Dave is awfully exciting." In Rotation; Reader (Chicago, Illinois); Aug 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 17, 2018***** Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Vitiate : 1 : to make faulty or defective : impair; Some feared that the superintendent's decision to reinstate the students would vitiate the authority of the principal who suspended them in the first place. well-being : (noun) The state of being healthy, happy, or prosperous.; eudaimonia, welfare; Holistic medicine emphasizes the emotional as well as the physical well-being of the patient. yclept : adjective: Called or named. ; "The teenage jam band tragically yclept Fruitful Dave is awfully exciting." In Rotation; Reader (Chicago, Illinois); Aug 14, 2014. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 18, 2018***** grinch : a person or thing that spoils or dampens the pleasure of others; I'd prefer not to be a grinch, but it’s always been beyond me why people like to argue about literary prizes. Willing Davidson, "Pullet Surprise," The New Yorker, April 20, 2009 Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." Epitome : 1 : a typical or ideal example : embodiment; The cabin we rented was the epitome of country charm: wide pine floors, simple sturdy furniture, and clean linen curtains billowing in the breeze of the open windows. switchblade : (noun) A pocketknife having a spring-operated blade that opens instantly when a release on the handle is pressed.; flick-knife; When I heard his switchblade snap open, I knew that our verbal altercation was about to become something much more gruesome. dogmatic : adjective: Expressing beliefs or opinions forcefully or positively as if they were true. ; "A dogmatic conservative, Mr Ryan has often used the budget process to score ideological points." The Speaker's Shoes; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 24, 2015. See more usage examples of dogmatic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is often the cry extolled when morally questionable acts are advocated by those in power. -Chelsea Manning, activist and whistleblower (b. 17 Dec 1987) *****December 19, 2018***** joyance : Archaic. joyous feeling; gladness; The rooms rang with silvery voices of women and delightful laughter, while the fiddles went merrily, their melodies chiming sweetly with the joyance of his mood. Booth Tarkington, Monsieur Beaucaire, 1900 Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." Millefleur : : having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants; The museum's collection includes several medieval tapestries with millefleur designs. tuneful : (adjective) Having a musical sound; especially a pleasing tune.; melodious; Melodic and tuneful, his songs made me weep. lustrate : verb tr.: 1. To purify by means of rituals or ceremonies. 2. To remove undesirable people from an organization, especially in an abrupt or violent manner. ; "Did the holy man lustrate this chamber ... It was lustrated by prayer and tears." John Buchan; The Blanket of the Dark; Hodder & Stoughton; 1931. "The new Polish law was both very broadly and very badly drawn. Among the categories of people to be lustrated were all journalists and academics." Timothy Garton Ash; Cleansing Poland of the 'Red' Poison; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 25, 2007. See more usage examples of lustrate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (18 Dec 1879-1940) *****December 20, 2018***** gewgaw : something gaudy and useless; trinket; bauble; The Star was proving particularly awkward ... it was refusing to look like the resplendent gewgaw it was. Michael Innes, Honeybath's Haven, 1977 Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." Tchotchke : : knickknack, trinket; "How someone organizes their desk can tell you a lot about how they get work done. That's why we're stepping into the offices of enviably creative (and productive) people to look at what's on their desks—pens and notebooks and gadgets, but also décor and tchotchkes." — Deva Pardue and Maxine Builder, The New York Magazine, 10 Sept. 2018 creaky : (adjective) Worn and broken down by hard use.; decrepit, derelict, flea-bitten, run-down, woebegone; There is a certain house within my familiar recollection...a rusty, crazy, creaky, dry-rotted, dingy, dark, and miserable old dungeon. tourbillion : noun: A whirlwind or whirlpool. ; "It doesn't take long for Kane to realize that this case is much larger and dangerous than he thought, as he's swept into a tourbillion of conspiracy, corruption, bloodshed, and potential revolution." John R. Joyce; Permutations in Holiday Gift Selections; Scientific Computing (Rockaway, New Jersey); Dec 18, 2017. See more usage examples of tourbillion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You must protest / It is your diamond duty / Ah but in such an ugly time / The true protest is beauty. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976) *****December 21, 2018***** hibernal : of or relating to winter; wintry; The sky was in its grey wintry mood where there is no blue break in the clouds to be expected, no bright spell to hope for, nothing for it but to accept the hibernal darkness the way you accept love or death. Jean Rouaud, The World More or Less, translated by Barbara Wright, 1998 Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." Frenetic : When life gets frenetic, things can seem absolutely insane—at least that seems to be what folks in the Middle Ages thought. Frenetik, in Middle English, meant "insane." When the word no longer denoted stark raving madness, it conjured up fanatical zealots. Today, its seriousness has been downgraded to something more akin to "hectic." But if you trace frenetic back through Anglo-French and Latin, you'll find that it comes from Greek phrenitis, a term describing an inflammation of the brain. Phren, the Greek word for "mind," is a root you will recognize in schizophrenic. As for frenzied and frantic, they're not only synonyms of frenetic but relatives as well. Frantic comes from frenetik, and frenzied traces back to phrenitis.; "For Youse and the roughly 90 employees who work at the store, the 5-mile move capped more than a half-year of planning, followed by a frenetic two days in which everything from the one store was transferred to the other." — Chad Umble, LancasterOnline.com, 22 Oct. 2018 finicky : (adjective) Excessively particular, as in tastes or standards.; picky, fussy; She is incredibly finicky about her food and will not eat anything prepared by a stranger. antigodlin : adjective: 1. Out of line; lopsided; out of whack. 2. Diagonal. ; "[Michele Bachmann] has been stunningly, publicly antigodlin about many aspects of the bill, including promoting what PolitFact dubbed the 'Lie of the Year'." Max Sparber; House, MD: Congress Passes Historic Health Care Reform; MinnPost (Minneapolis); Mar 22, 2010. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 22, 2018***** turtledove : a sweetheart or beloved mate; You look anything but miserable, my turtledove. In fact, I never saw you look so well. E. F. Harkins, The Schemers, 1903 Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." Solstice : 1 : either of the two points on the ecliptic at which its distance from the celestial equator is greatest; People all over the world have observed celebrations linked to the summer and winter solstices since ancient times. plenteous : (adjective) Affording an abundant supply.; ample, copious, rich; The vintner was thrilled with the plenteous grape harvest, which would make barrels and barrels of wine. aggrate : verb tr.: To please or gratify. ; "... bending laws and conscience to aggrate men in power ..." Praveen Kumar; Inside India; PublishAmerica; 2009. Thought For The Day: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2018***** stodge : to stuff full, especially with food or drink; gorge; A "City man," on the other hand ... stodges his stomach with rich food three times a day ... T. Clifford Allbutt, "Nervous Diseases and Modern Life," Contemporary Review, February 1895 Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." Compendious : : marked by brief expression of a comprehensive matter : concise and comprehensive; Noah Webster's style of defining for the first American dictionary was compendious. minibar : (noun) Sideboard with compartments for holding bottles.; cellaret; Kevin pulled several bottles of wine from his minibar to serve to his guests. aggrate : verb tr.: To please or gratify. ; "... bending laws and conscience to aggrate men in power ..." Praveen Kumar; Inside India; PublishAmerica; 2009. Thought For The Day: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 24, 2018***** heartstrings : the deepest feelings; the strongest affections: to tug at one..; Little kids singing and smiling never failed to tug at the heartstrings. Susan Wiggs, Candlelight Christmas, 2013 Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." Assuage : 1 : to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses) : ease; "Prince wrote often and eagerly about the idea of sanctuary—places where his spiritual anxieties were assuaged." — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 25 June 2018 self-reliance : (noun) Personal independence.; self-direction, self-sufficiency, autonomy; I should have thought you had learned self-reliance on Berande, instead of needing to lean upon the moral support of every whisky-guzzling worthless South Sea vagabond. aggrate : verb tr.: To please or gratify. ; "... bending laws and conscience to aggrate men in power ..." Praveen Kumar; Inside India; PublishAmerica; 2009. Thought For The Day: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 25, 2018***** Noel : Christmas; ... be sure to wish Tops a joyous Noel. Ron Goulart, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," 1993 Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." Grinch : : one who spoils the pleasure of others : killjoy, spoilsport; "Chalk it up to a weary world eager for uplifting entertainment, the surprise of a diamond-in-the-rough performer or simply the sheer delight of watching Britain's Got Talent judge and notorious grinch Simon Cowell grow a heart right before the audience's eyes." — Michelle Tauber et al., People, 4 May 2009 natation : (noun) The act or art of swimming or floating on water.; floating; Prolonged natation will cause the skin on your hands and feet to swell and wrinkle. morbidezza : noun: An extreme softness, smoothness, or delicacy, especially in works of art, sculpture, music, etc. ; "I accompanied them to the door; what a pretty effect the snow background gives to young faces; it lends a pretty morbidezza to the colouring, a sort of very delicate green tinge to the paler shades." Arthur Christopher Benson; The Altar Fire; The Floating Press; 2014. "The four Bellini songs are all gentle, slow, melancholy melodies dripping with morbidezza." Charles H. Parsons; Treasures of Bel Canto; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Mar/Apr 2016. Thought For The Day: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 26, 2018***** mulligrubs : Southern U.S. ill temper; grumpiness; Ma has a case of the mulligrubs here lately and some of the kinfolks figure it might be caused by reading the papers too much. Bob Kyle, "Fiddlin' Around," The Tuscaloosa News June 1, 1983 Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." Benison : : blessing, benediction; "I offer thanks for the little things and the big things, everyday benisons and once-in-a-blue-moon moments of grace." — Kati Schardl, The Tallahassee (Florida) Democrat, 17 Nov. 2017 inedible : (adjective) Not suitable for food.; uneatable; Though it may look delicious, plastic fruit is inedible and should be used for display only. vociferate : verb tr., intr.: To shout or utter loudly. ; "For months, people rallied in their villages and vociferated on TV." Patrick Lagacé; It's Not a Quebec Spring, But Perhaps a Seattle Moment (Think Protest, Not Grunge); The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 28, 2012. See more usage examples of vociferate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Quite frankly I talk about the fact that I'm a feminist as often as I can, and every time I do it gets huge reaction and media reacts and the Twitterverse explodes and things like that, because here I am saying I'm a feminist. I will keep saying that until there is no more reaction to that when I say it, because that's where we want to get to. -Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (b. 25 Dec 1971) *****December 27, 2018***** memorist : a person who has a remarkably retentive memory; As a memorist he is phenomenally endowed, his retentiveness so acute that he recites readily without reference or prompting, declamations committed in his schoolboys days more than seventy years ago. William Travis, A History of Clay County Indiana, Volume II, 1909 Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." Utmost : 1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme; "The refuge, which is bordered by the Centennial Mountains and Continental Divide to the south and the Gravelly Mountains to the north, is also home to the utmost point of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers." — Kelley Christensen, The Montana Standard, 25 Nov. 2013 unfurl : (verb) To spread or open (something) out or become spread or opened out.; unroll; Unfurl your wings, and fly into superhuman regions…and if your wings, like those of Icarus, melt before the sun, we are here to ease your fall. juxtapose : verb tr.: To place side by side for comparison or contrast. ; "The NRA suggests limiting entry [in schools] to a single point; building a prison-style fence (the report shows a photo of a deficient fence juxtaposed with one that would have made GDR border guards proud); banning greenery outside schools because intruders may hide in trees and bushes or use them to cut through the aforementioned fence; and making do without windows, or only small ones with ballistic protective glass. Front offices should be protected with two sets of automatically locking doors to create an 'entrapment area'. "At the end of the report is a draft for a law to allow schools to arm their teachers." Brutalism; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 30, 2018. See more usage examples of juxtapose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life. -Baba Amte, social worker and activist (26 Dec 1914-2008) *****December 28, 2018***** smackeroo : a noisy kiss; Do you grab the first person to cross your path and plant a big wet smackeroo, or leave the party before midnight to avoid the whole issue? Roxanne Roberts, "A Peck of Advice on the New Year's Eve Kiss," Washington Post, December 30, 1998 Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." Enervate : 1 : to reduce the mental or moral vigor of; Dehydration and prolonged exposure to the sun had enervated the shipwrecked crew, leaving them almost too weak to hail the passing vessel. semiannual : (adjective) Occurring or payable twice each year.; biyearly; Our semiannual family vacation to France usually occurs in December and July. hawkshaw : noun: A detective. ; "Please don't think that Eleanor is so busy hobnobbing with Nobel Prize authors that she neglects her responsibilities as detective. In fact, FDR is always cautioning her to be discreet: 'I believe you are intermeddling in police business, Babs. Please leave the hawkshawing to the hawkshaws.'" Robert Gottlieb; Presidential Progeny Pen White House Whodunits; The New York Observer; Aug 26, 2002. See more usage examples of hawkshaw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One does not ask of one who suffers: What is your country and what is your religion? One merely says: You suffer, that is enough for me. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) *****December 29, 2018***** gussy : Informal. to enhance the attractiveness of in a gimmicky, showy mann..; When a not-so-careful writer tries to gussy up his prose with an upmarket word that he mistakenly thinks is a synonym of a common one, like simplistic for simple or fulsome for full, his readers are likely to conclude the worst: that he has paid little attention what he has read, is affecting an air of sophistication on the cheap, and is polluting a common resource. Steven Pinker, The Sense of Style, 2014 Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." Canorous : : pleasant sounding : melodious; "His artistry, technical proficiency, and canorous melodies have an introspective yet uplifting feeling by virtue of the beauty and honesty that so naturally accompany the acoustic guitar." — Kevin Gillies, Noozhawk (Santa Barbara, California), 26 Nov. 2018 bestir : (verb) To cause to become active.; rouse; If nobody knows the address, you must still bestir yourself in trying to find it. quingentenary : noun: A 500th anniversary. (Also known as a quincentenary) ; "[Ridley Scott's] contribution to the Columbus quingentenary, 1492: 'Conquest of Paradise' (1992), was a dire return to British filmmaking." Brian McFarlane; The Encyclopedia of British Film; Oxford University Press; 2016. Thought For The Day: I am not one of those who believe that a great army is the means of maintaining peace, because if you build up a great profession those who form parts of it want to exercise their profession. -Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president, Nobel laureate (28 Nov 1856-1924) *****December 30, 2018***** champers : British Slang. champagne; He was about to take a whisky, when he was distracted by the larger glasses. "Ah, champers, dear boy," he said, "champers for me." Olivia Manning, The Great Fortune, 1960 Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." Fulcrum : 1 a : prop; specifically : the support about which a lever turns; "Normally, bending involves using the hip as a fulcrum, and erector spinae muscles to support our trunk. When Jackson leaned over, he transferred the fulcrum to the ankle, with the calf and Achilles tendon under strain." — Jake Rossen, Mental Floss, 22 May 2018 immobilize : (verb) To hold fast or prevent from moving.; pin, trap; The police officer was able to immobilize the violent suspect and hold him in place long enough for another cop to assist in handcuffing him. quingentenary : noun: A 500th anniversary. (Also known as a quincentenary) ; "[Ridley Scott's] contribution to the Columbus quingentenary, 1492: 'Conquest of Paradise' (1992), was a dire return to British filmmaking." Brian McFarlane; The Encyclopedia of British Film; Oxford University Press; 2016. Thought For The Day: I am not one of those who believe that a great army is the means of maintaining peace, because if you build up a great profession those who form parts of it want to exercise their profession. -Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president, Nobel laureate (28 Dec 1856-1924) *****December 31, 2018***** totsiens : until we meet again; goodbye; Well Paula I will say 'totsiens' for now ... Emma Brockes, She Left Me the Gun, 2013 Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." Obdurate : 1 a : stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing; Obdurate lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have made it difficult for the state legislature to get anything done this term. parlous : (adjective) Fraught with danger.; perilous, touch-and-go, precarious; Our economy is in a parlous state and has been for some time. quingentenary : noun: A 500th anniversary. (Also known as a quincentenary) ; "[Ridley Scott's] contribution to the Columbus quingentenary, 1492: 'Conquest of Paradise' (1992), was a dire return to British filmmaking." Brian McFarlane; The Encyclopedia of British Film; Oxford University Press; 2016. Thought For The Day: I am not one of those who believe that a great army is the means of maintaining peace, because if you build up a great profession those who form parts of it want to exercise their profession. -Woodrow Wilson, 28th US president, Nobel laureate (28 Dec 1856-1924) *****January 01, 2019***** auspicate : to initiate with ceremonies calculated to ensure good luck; inau..; He was soon in great request to deliver addresses and auspicate new ventures … , “In Memoriam: Edward Thring,” The Cambridge Review, November 2, 1887 Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." layperson : (noun) Someone who is not a clergyman or a professional person.; secular; Many religious doctrines bar the average layperson from conducting certain rites and rituals that are reserved for ordained clergy. fabulist : noun: 1. A writer or teller of fables. 2. A liar. ; "Florida political truisms have turned downright mendacious in 2018. Especially for Republicans, where candidates feel compelled to cozy up to the erratic fabulist occupying the White House; you know, the 'stable genius' who spent last week walking back walk-backs (Not, as it might sound, the latest dance craze)." Fred Grimm; Putnam Faces Roiling Winds of Florida Politics; South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale); Jul 22, 2018. See more usage examples of fabulist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it. -George Marshall, US Army Chief, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Nobel laureate (31 Dec 1880-1959) *****January 02, 2019***** auspicate : to initiate with ceremonies calculated to ensure good luck; inau..; He was soon in great request to deliver addresses and auspicate new ventures … , “In Memoriam: Edward Thring,” The Cambridge Review, November 2, 1887 Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Handsel : 1 : a gift made as a token of good wishes or luck especially at the beginning of a new year; Celebrating the New Year in the Scottish tradition, Jessica gave out a handsel of one silver dollar coin to each of her nieces and nephews. dissemble : (verb) Hide under a false appearance.; cloak, mask; So artfully can this people dissemble their sentiments that we had not been able hitherto to distinguish our real from our pretended favorers. numpty : noun: A fool. ; "Go see Raw before some Hollywood numpty tries to remake it." A Smart and Hilarious Horror Movie; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Apr 22, 2017. Thought For The Day: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. -E. M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970) *****January 03, 2019***** neoteric : modern; new; recent; ... they call me a singular, a pedant, fantastic, words of reproach in this age, which is all too neoteric and light for my humour. Charles Lamb, "Fragments from Burton," John Woodvil, 1802 Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." Campestral : : of or relating to fields or open country : rural; "Just about any amateur naturalist who pays attention to the birds … in campestral Maine will find an eye-opener or two here." — Dana Wilde, The Bangor (Maine) Daily News, 26 Oct. 2009 pent-up : (adjective) Characterized by or showing the suppression of impulses or emotions.; repressed; A fierce fighter, he releases much of his pent-up anger in the boxing ring and has been known to knock out opponents with a single punch. rentier : noun: A person who lives on income from rent, interest, etc. ; "It is she, the landlady, who makes the observation from her situation as the comfortable rentier." Ann Blake; Christina Stead's Politics of Place; University of Western Australia Press; 1999. See more usage examples of rentier in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2019***** noodle : Informal. a. to improvise, experiment, or think creatively: The wri..; 80 percent of surveyed drivers ranked their driving skills as “above average.” Noodle on that one. Tim Herrera, "How to Spot and Overcome Your Hidden Weaknesses," New York Times, April 23, 2018 Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." Rapporteur : : a person who gives reports (as at a meeting of a learned society); "The rapporteur was particularly scathing about bungled efforts to streamline the way welfare payments are made to individual recipients after delays in a shift to a new system … led thousands of people to fall into poverty." — Patrick Kingsley, The New York Times, 16 Nov. 2018 derisive : (adjective) Abusing vocally; expressing contempt or ridicule.; gibelike, jeering, mocking, taunting; Dirk Stroeve was one of those persons whom…you cannot think of without derisive laughter or an embarrassed shrug of the shoulders. fink : noun:1. A contemptible person.  2. An informer.  3. A strikebreaker. verb intr.:1. To inform against someone.  2. To fail to do something promised.  3. To stop working. ; "There is also inside the compound walls a fink, or someone who's had enough, or a conspirator who's sold out the mayor for far less than 30 pieces of silver." Rosie DiManno; Mayor Needs Help to Get Off the Crazy Train; Toronto Star (Canada); Nov 8, 2013. See more usage examples of fink in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. -Douglas William Jerrold, playwright and humorist (3 Jan 1803-1857) *****January 05, 2019***** douceur : a conciliatory gift or bribe; And this in spite of the douceur he received at the opening of the campaign. D. A. Bingham, A Selection of Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon, Volume II, 1884 Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." Abominable : 1 formal : worthy of or causing disgust or hatred : detestable; The children were informed that they had lost all television and computer privileges for a week because of their abominable treatment of the babysitter. quadrilateral : (noun) A four-sided polygon.; tetragon; Our geometry teacher drew several shapes on the chalkboard, including triangles, circles, and quadrilaterals. swellhead : noun: A vain, conceited person. ; "Flynn's Corbett, who has been an overbearing swellhead through most of the film, shows humility and compassion." Bob Bloom; History of CIA Brought to Life in 'Good Shepherd'; Journal & Courier (Lafayette, Indiana); Mar 29, 2007. See more usage examples of swellhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2019***** douceur : a conciliatory gift or bribe; And this in spite of the douceur he received at the opening of the campaign. D. A. Bingham, A Selection of Letters and Despatches of the First Napoleon, Volume II, 1884 Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." Eclectic : 1 : composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous; The new downtown restaurant offers an eclectic menu of items at reasonable prices. papilloma : (noun) A benign epithelial tumor forming a rounded mass.; villoma; Though your papilloma is not cancerous, it is still prudent to have it examined by a medical professional. swellhead : noun: A vain, conceited person. ; "Flynn's Corbett, who has been an overbearing swellhead through most of the film, shows humility and compassion." Bob Bloom; History of CIA Brought to Life in 'Good Shepherd'; Journal & Courier (Lafayette, Indiana); Mar 29, 2007. See more usage examples of swellhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 07, 2019***** palladium : anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard; This palladium of our liberties, this charter of our rights, this emblem of Democracy, has been speaking in a voice of thunder, as we knew it would if the people could be aroused from their slumber. , "The Ballot Box," Advocate, June 23, 1862 Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." Paradigm : 1 : example, pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype; "I was just obsessed as a kid with David and Goliath. It's probably the ultimate conflict paradigm in literature. But I was always on the side of Goliath. I loved Goliath. I didn't like David at all and I wished Goliath could win." — Lee Child, quoted in The Spectator, 1 Dec. 2018 round-shouldered : (adjective) Denoting a faulty posture characterized by drooping shoulders and a slight forward bending of the back.; hunched, stooped, crooked; I remember those girls merely as faces in the schoolroom,...cut off below the shoulders...by the ink-smeared tops of the high desks that were surely put there to make us round-shouldered and hollow-chested. swellhead : noun: A vain, conceited person. ; "Flynn's Corbett, who has been an overbearing swellhead through most of the film, shows humility and compassion." Bob Bloom; History of CIA Brought to Life in 'Good Shepherd'; Journal & Courier (Lafayette, Indiana); Mar 29, 2007. See more usage examples of swellhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 08, 2019***** salvific : of or relating to redemptive power; The naming of the predicament of the self by art is its reversal. Hence, the salvific effect of art. Walker Percy, Lost in the Cosmos, 1983 Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." Demotic : 1 : of, relating to, or written in a simplified form of the ancient Egyptian hieratic writing; "[The Rosetta Stone] features three columns of the same inscription in three languages: Greek, hieroglyphs and demotic Egyptian—and is the text of a decree written by priests in 196 BC, during the reign of pharaoh Ptolemy V." — Ashley Lime, BBC.com, 23 Nov. 2018 rebutter : (noun) A debater who refutes or disproves by offering contrary evidence or argument.; confuter; Although our opponent's speech was well-received by the crowd, our rebutter was confident that she could disprove most of his claims. rurban : adjective: Having characteristics of both rural and urban life. ; "Finance Minister Doug Horner ... calls himself a rurban MLA because he lives in an urban riding [district] but has land in rural area." Darcy Henton; Cuts to Farming 'Slap in the Face'; Calgary Herald (Canada); Mar 9, 2013. Thought For The Day: You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people. -Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995) *****January 09, 2019***** labyrinthine : complicated; tortuous: the labyrinthine byways of modern lite..; ... no one had tried out before then a general theory of chance. ... They revere the judgments of fate, they deliver to them their lives, their hopes, their panic, but it does not occur to them to investigate fate's labyrinthine laws nor the gyratory spheres which reveal it. , "Lottery in Babylon," translated by John M. Fein, Prairie Schooner, Fall 1959 Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." Malinger : : to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work); Sarah's prospects for promotion aren't helped by her well-known tendency to malinger. connive : (verb) Form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner.; scheme, intrigue; We had to send that perfectly innocent man to penal servitude for a crime we know he never committed, and it was only afterward that we could connive in a sneakish way at his escape. squiggle : noun:An irregularly curling or looping line, string, etc. verb tr., intr.:1. To make an irregularly curling or looping line.2. To squirm or wriggle.3. To scribble. ; "There was nothing I wouldn't eat. Well, apart from tinned spaghetti, that is, whose loops and squiggles slopping around in that fluorescent orange sauce somehow managed to turn my stomach when nothing else did." Fionnuala Ward; I Was Fin-ish, But Now I'm Finished with Fish; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Nov 20, 2018. See more usage examples of squiggle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see. -Baltasar Gracian, writer and philosopher (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 10, 2019***** pawky : Chiefly British. cunning; sly; You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear, 1915 Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Behest : 1 : an authoritative order : command; "Let's be clear on this, in the case of a foreclosure sale, while you might not think of it as a 'sale' because it is not a voluntary action taken by the homeowner, but rather a forced action at the behest of the lender, for tax purposes a foreclosure is treated exactly the same as a voluntary sale by the buyer." — Tony Nitti, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2018 demean : (verb) Reduce in worth or character, usually verbally.; degrade, disgrace, put down; The CEO makes it a point to regularly demean employees in front of their colleagues, as he believes that a little public humiliation goes a long way in keeping people in their places. palimony : noun: Financial support or other compensation given by one member of an unmarried couple to another after separation. ; "NBA star Blake Griffin is being sued for palimony by his former girlfriend Brynn Cameron, who alleges he abandoned her and their children to pursue a relationship with Kendall Jenner." Did Blake Griffin Slam-Dunk His Ex-Girlfriend for Kendall Jenner?; The Sun (Lowell, Massachusetts); Feb 16, 2018. See more usage examples of palimony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, and compassion. -Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (9 Jan 1908-1986) *****January 11, 2019***** impresario : a person who organizes or manages public entertainments, especi..; Liam Neeson plays a world-weary, traveling impresario with but one act to promote: an armless and legless artist (Harry Melling) who recites passages from the Bible and Shakespeare and the Gettysburg Address ... Richard Roeper, "'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs': The Coen brothers go west in 6 diverse ways," Chicago Sun-Times, November 16, 2018 Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." Venal : 1 : capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration : purchasable; especially : open to corrupt influence and especially bribery : mercenary; "We have to prove that our institutions are more important than our ideologies, that the dream, the whisper, the precious possibility of America cannot be trampled by the corrupt and the fraudulent, the venal and the lecherous." — Charles M. Blow, The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2018 splenic : (adjective) Of or relating to the spleen.; lienal; Julian was overjoyed as his doctor explained that his splenic tumor had gone into remission. guesstimate : verb tr.: To make an estimate based on guesswork. noun: An estimate based on guesswork. ; "When the measuring cap that comes with the medicine bottle gets gooey and gummed up, the temptation is to grab a kitchen spoon to guesstimate a teaspoon's worth of liquid medicine. It doesn't really work." Roni Caryn Rabin; Health; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Jan 14, 2010. See more usage examples of guesstimate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity. -Lord Acton, historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2019***** terraform : to alter the environment of (a celestial body) in order to make ..; ... Dr. Shara said he strongly suspected that we will terraform Mars. “It goes with the human propensity for expansionism, colonization, the need to be real estate developers.” Dennis Overbye, "Oh, the Places We Could Go," New York Times, November 14, 2011 Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Syllogism : 1 : a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion; "Plato's pupil Aristotle developed the techniques of logical analysis that still enable us to get at the knowledge hidden within us. He examined propositions by stating possible contradictions and developed the syllogism, a method of proof based on stated premises." — Mary Lefkowitz, The New York Times Book Review, 23 Jan. 2000 tongue-in-cheek : (adjective) Cleverly amusing in tone.; bantering, facetious; The student made a tongue-in-cheek remark about his dog having eaten his overdue math homework. contraption : noun: A device that appears to be strange, makeshift, or complicated. ; "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's just a police officer on a hoverbike. Dubai's cops are training on the hi-tech contraptions." Cops Putting Crims in Spot of Hover; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of contraption in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We worry more about the purity of dogma than about the integrity of love. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 13, 2019***** iceblink : a yellowish luminosity near the horizon or on the underside of a ..; Above us the clouds were heavy and leaky, and ahead every depression of the dark mountains and the underside of the black cloud canopy above them was lit with the pale, cold glare of the "ice-blink." Robert E. Peary, Northward Over the "Great Ice," 1898 Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Boycott : : to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (a person, a store, an organization, etc.) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions; "Chinese boycotted Norwegian salmon over the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to the late dissident writer Liu Xiaobo. They stopped buying fruit from the Philippines amid a dispute over territory in the South China Sea." — Associated Press, 13 Dec. 2018 enchantress : (noun) A woman who is considered to be dangerously seductive.; femme fatale, temptress, Delilah, siren; Though his wife stood lovingly by his side all evening, he had eyes only for the enchantress in the emerald dress whose every look, movement, and breath seemed to beckon him. contraption : noun: A device that appears to be strange, makeshift, or complicated. ; "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's just a police officer on a hoverbike. Dubai's cops are training on the hi-tech contraptions." Cops Putting Crims in Spot of Hover; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of contraption in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We worry more about the purity of dogma than about the integrity of love. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 14, 2019***** carom : to strike and rebound; Over the span of its short life, the company has caromed from self-description to self-description. Franklin Foer, World Without Mind: The Existential Threat of Big Tech, 2017 Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Clement : 1 : inclined to be merciful : lenient ; The judge decided to be clement and said she would forgive the young defendants so long as they paid back the money they stole from the fundraiser. diggings : (noun) Temporary living quarters.; domiciliation, lodgings, pad; We were tired and hungry…and when we got to Datchet we took out the hamper, the two bags, and the rugs and coats…and started off to look for diggings. contraption : noun: A device that appears to be strange, makeshift, or complicated. ; "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's just a police officer on a hoverbike. Dubai's cops are training on the hi-tech contraptions." Cops Putting Crims in Spot of Hover; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of contraption in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We worry more about the purity of dogma than about the integrity of love. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 15, 2019***** phatic : denoting speech used to express or create an atmosphere of shared f..; ... everyday conversation is filled with little pauses and filler words, the “phatic” spackle of social interactions. That’s why Alexa says things like “Sorry, I’m not sure about that,” or Siri says “OK, here’s what I found ...” Clive Thompson, "Stop the Chitchat. Bots Don't Need to Sound Like Us," Wired, November 16, 2017 Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." kowtow : (verb) Try to gain favor by cringing or flattering.; bootlick, toady, truckle, fawn, suck up; Josh was next in line for a promotion, but he refused to kowtow to his superiors, and they ultimately chose the suck-up who sat in the cubicle to his right. allicient : adjective: Having the power to attract; appealing. ; "And yet Fiben's heart beat faster as he watched her allicient movements." David Brin; The Uplift War; Phantasia; 1987. Thought For The Day: In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 16, 2019***** ratiocinate : to reason; carry on a process of reasoning; Scholars, and such that love to ratiocinate, will have more and better matter to exercise their wits upon. Sir William Petty, Letter to Samuel Hartlib, January 8, 1647–8 Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Liaison : 1 : a binding or thickening agent used in cooking; "Brennan and Alejandro Castro agreed on a series of steps to build confidence. One called for the Cubans to post an officer in Washington to act as a formal liaison between the two countries' intelligence agencies." — Adam Entous, The New Yorker, 19 Nov. 2018 tyrannical : (adjective) Marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior.; oppressive; He was neither wrathful, cruel, nor tyrannical, but just and gentle as a king could be. cernuous : adjective: Drooping, nodding, or bending forward. ; "Her body was half turned away, her neck stretched forward, head cernuous." Mary Travers; Litany; Smashwords; 2011. See more usage examples of cernuous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit. -Moliere, actor and playwright (15 Jan 1622-1673) *****January 17, 2019***** akimbo : with hand on hip and elbow bent outward: to stand with arms akimbo...; when a knowing, self-important old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his way through the crowd ... and planting himself before Van Winkle, with one arm akimbo, the other resting on his cane, his keen eyes and sharp hat penetrating, as it were, into his very soul ... Washington Irving, Rip Van Winkle, 1819 Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Nomothetic : : relating to, involving, or dealing with abstract, general, or universal statements or laws; "Moreover, there is the often-incorrect assumption that crimes and offenders are sufficiently similar to be lumped together for aggregate study. In such cases the resulting nomothetic knowledge is not just diluted, it is inaccurate and ultimately misleading." — Brent E. Turvey, Criminal Profiling, 2011 contravene : (verb) To act or be counter to; violate.; infringe, run afoul, conflict; This deportation order contravenes basic human rights and must be overturned. xanthic : adjective: Yellow or yellowish. ; "It became denser, became a yellow fog of tiny, xanthic atoms, dancing endlessly." Jack Williamson; Golden Blood; Tamerland Press; 1978. Thought For The Day: Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe. -Robert Service, writer (16 Jan 1874-1958) *****January 18, 2019***** gadabout : a person who moves about restlessly or aimlessly, especially from..; My mother-in-law calls me ... a gadabout? accuses me of going to unheard-of places, and thinks it ought to be joy enough for me to sit at home and count over my ancestors on my fingers. Henry James, The American, 1877 Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." Farouche : 1 : unruly or disorderly : wild; "Though she wrote three 'novels' (more extended free associations than novels as we know them), she is best thought of as a poet of small, farouche poems illustrated with doodles…." — Rosemary Dinnage, The New York Review of Books, 25 June 1987 has-been : (noun) Someone who is no longer popular.; back-number; There is a fine line between pop star and washed-up has-been, and the poor sales of her newest record seem to indicate that she has crossed it. predaceous or predacious : adjective: 1. Preying on other animals. 2. Seeking to exploit others. ; "The Break speaks to the experiences of mothers who, while knowing that their children are made increasingly vulnerable to predacious forces almost immediately as they are let out of the house, must nevertheless find the courage to propel them into the world." Kristy Taylor; One Girl's Trauma Exposes Plight of Nations; Canadian Dimension (Winnipeg); Spring 2017. See more usage examples of predaceous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Little Strokes, Fell great oaks. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2019***** perfunctory : performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial: per..; Rep. Nancy Pelosi issued what seemed like a perfunctory statement backing her colleagues in Democratic leadership. Paul Kane, "House Democratic leaders find strength in numbers to fight challenge to Pelosi," Washington Post, November 20, 2018 Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." Teetotaler : : one who practices or advocates teetotalism : one who abstains completely from alcoholic drinks; "… he is one of those fit older people who have redefined what 74 can look like. It probably helps that he is a teetotaler, a choice he made as a young man, having been disturbed by the effect that alcohol had on members of his family." — David Kamp, Vanity Fair, December 2017 sacristy : (noun) A room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept or meetings are held.; vestry; We were admitted to the sacristy and shown the magnificent robes which the Pope wore when he crowned Napoleon I. hortative : adjective: Strongly urging. ; "Nick Groom's stated aim is hortative: in the face of climate change, local homogenisation, and galloping species loss, he wants culture to be 'enlisted in the defence of the environment'." Melissa Harrison; Lore of the Land; Financial Times (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. See more usage examples of hortative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everyone has a belief system, B.S., the trick is to learn not to take anyone's B.S. too seriously, especially your own. -Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (18 Jan 1932-2007) *****January 20, 2019***** altiloquent : Archaic. (of language) high-flown or pretentious; The altiloquent talker may be called a word-fancier, searching for all the fine words discoverable ... John Bate, Talkers, 1878 Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." Gargantuan : : tremendous in size, volume, or degree : gigantic, colossal; "In 1920, the town council of Chamonix … decided to change the municipality's name to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, thus forging an official link to the mountain … with a summit that soars 12,000 feet above the town center. The council's goal was to prevent their Swiss neighbors from claiming the mountain's glory, but there was really no need: It's impossible when you're in Chamonix to ignore the gargantuan, icy beauty that looms overhead." — Paige McClanahan, The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2018 insomniac : (adjective) Experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness.; sleepless, watchful; Every night, I'm woken by the sound of creaking floorboards as my insomniac husband leaves for another late-night snack. hortative : adjective: Strongly urging. ; "Nick Groom's stated aim is hortative: in the face of climate change, local homogenisation, and galloping species loss, he wants culture to be 'enlisted in the defence of the environment'." Melissa Harrison; Lore of the Land; Financial Times (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. See more usage examples of hortative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everyone has a belief system, B.S., the trick is to learn not to take anyone's B.S. too seriously, especially your own. -Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (18 Jan 1932-2007) *****January 21, 2019***** altiloquent : Archaic. (of language) high-flown or pretentious; The altiloquent talker may be called a word-fancier, searching for all the fine words discoverable ... John Bate, Talkers, 1878 Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Wherewithal : : means or resources for purchasing or doing something; specifically : financial resources : money; If I had the wherewithal, I'd buy that empty lot next door and put in a garden. unfrequented : (adjective) Devoid of creatures.; lonely, solitary; The reference library is quite unfrequented as a rule, and the silence there is so intense that I often find myself holding my breath in a subconscious effort to remain noiseless. hortative : adjective: Strongly urging. ; "Nick Groom's stated aim is hortative: in the face of climate change, local homogenisation, and galloping species loss, he wants culture to be 'enlisted in the defence of the environment'." Melissa Harrison; Lore of the Land; Financial Times (London, UK); Dec 14, 2013. See more usage examples of hortative in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everyone has a belief system, B.S., the trick is to learn not to take anyone's B.S. too seriously, especially your own. -Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (18 Jan 1932-2007) *****January 22, 2019***** creed : any system or codification of belief or of opinion; I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” Martin Luther King, Jr., "I Have a Dream," delivered August 28, 1963 Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Substantive : 1 : having substance : involving matters of major or practical importance to all concerned; "How many more carefully researched reports will need to be released before we finally act in a substantive way to protect our only home, planet Earth?" — Edwin Andrews, The New York Times, 14 Dec. 2018 roughage : (noun) Coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis.; fiber; Fruits and vegetables should be eaten every day to ensure that one gets enough roughage in his diet. aubade : noun: Morning song, poem, or music. ; "Lovers heard the stern aubade -- the watchman on the tower: 'Up! Thou rascal, rise, I see the dawning light; the night doth fly.'" Peter James Merrington; Zebra Crossings; Jacana; 2008. Thought For The Day: Walking is also an ambulation of mind. -Gretel Ehrlich, novelist, poet, and essayist (b. 21 Jan 1946) *****January 23, 2019***** shirty : Informal. bad-tempered; irritable; cranky; ... she was usually all right about most things, if you woke her before she was ready she could get a bit shirty. Beryl Kingston, London Pride, 1991 Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Cumulate : 1 : to gather or pile in a heap; "In the alternative, the company may provide greater input to minority shareholders by allowing shareholders to cumulate their votes and cast them all for one director." — Gregory Monday, The Milwaukee Business Journal, 5 Mar. 2018 clothier : (noun) A merchant who sells men's clothing.; haberdasher; It was for the next generation to patronize clothiers who kept each suit on its separate hanger. prosopography : noun: A study of people in a group, identifying patterns, connections, etc.: a collective biography. ; "William Lubenow's book examines the society's first century via a prosopography of its 255 members." Christopher Kent; Review; Canadian Journal of History (Toronto); Apr 2000. "To give too much away would be to spoil the fun for those keen to delve into Wheen's enthrallingly seedy prosopography. Suffice to say that Hajdu (hoy doo) was a remarkably protean creature set on fame and wealth above all else. Morality, it would seem, assumed less a back seat than a separate car altogether in a lifelong career of self-aggrandisement." Chris Power; The Great Pretender; The Times (London, UK); Oct 19, 2002. Thought For The Day: Death is a friend of ours and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (22 Jan 1561-1626) *****January 24, 2019***** adrenalize : to stir to action; excite: The promise of victory adrenalized t..; It all seemed some sort of overblown, middle-American hysteria, a desire to adrenalize an otherwise sleepy existence. Adam Buckley Cohen, "A Psychological Twister," New York Times, May 28, 2011 Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." Imbroglio : 1 a : an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding; "He was close to scandal—GOP chairman during the Watergate years, vice president during the Iran-Contra imbroglio—yet was not tainted by it." — David M. Shribman, The Boston Globe, 1 Dec. 2018 solitudinarian : (noun) One leading a solitary or secluded life.; recluse, troglodyte, hermit; Peter, a self-proclaimed solitudinarian, lives in a cabin deep in the woods, miles from his closest neighbor. kurbash or kourbash : noun: A whip, especially one made of hippopotamus or rhinoceros hide. verb tr.: To whip with a kurbash. ; "The officer was a lithe, dark woman marked by two ostrich plumes, and a leather kurbash hung on her left wrist." Clayton Emery; Star of Cursrah; Wizards of the Coast; 1999. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2019***** buzzwig : a person of consequence; ... all was suddenly upset by two witnesses ... whom the old Spanish buzwigs doated on as models of all that could be looked for in the best. Thomas De Quincey, "The Spanish Nun," Narrative and Miscellaneous Papers, Volume I, 1853 Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." Adjudicate : 1 : to make an official decision about who is right in (a dispute) : to settle judicially; "… Nichols said in addition to the nine dogs brought to the shelter, it is housing 31 dogs that were confiscated in animal cruelty or neglect cases. She said the shelter has to board the dogs, feed them and care for them until the cases are adjudicated." — Russ Coreyemp, The Times Daily (Florence, Alabama), 16 Dec. 2018 nickel-and-dime : (adjective) Of minor importance.; small-time; He ran his nickel-and-dime operation out of the back of a pickup truck and dreamed of the day when he would own his own storefront. postiche : noun: 1. A hairpiece. 2. An imitation or sham. ; "America that forgot the lessons of Vietnam, plunging ever recklessly into a protracted Iraqi conflict, notwithstanding the electoral postiche of a Middle East democracy." Rotan E. Lee; Press Must Be Free to Expose the Muck; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Feb 11, 2005. See more usage examples of postiche in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1861-1937) *****January 26, 2019***** lipogram : a written work composed of words chosen so as to avoid the use of..; He was translating into English the brilliant novel by Georges Perec, “La Disparition” – a lipogram written entirely without the letter “e.” Andy Martin, "The Treachery of Translators," New York Times, January 28, 2013 Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." Myopic : 1 : affected by myopia : of, relating to, or exhibiting myopia : nearsighted; "This is, on the whole, an encouraging finding. If children became myopic due to looking at objects too closely, then we'd be stuck with an unsolvable dilemma: choosing between teaching children to read and protecting their eyesight." — Brian Palmer, Slate, 16 Oct. 2013 transversal : (adjective) Extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at right angles to the long axis.; cross, thwartwise; The transversal beams of the building's frame were to be made of steel, not wood. safari : noun: An expedition to observe (or, in the past, to hunt) wild animals in their natural habitat. verb intr.: To go on such an expedition. ; "In this vision, the arrival of a wandering tiger becomes a positive event for villagers, an opportunity to offer tourists homestays, or put on small-scale safaris." A Tiger's Tale; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 23, 2017. See more usage examples of safari in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2019***** sashay : Informal. to glide, move, or proceed easily or nonchalantly: She ju..; ... the barman had been of the opinion that the whole karaoke evening was going to be an utter bust; but then the little old man had sashayed into the room ... Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys, 2005 Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Doldrums : 1 : a spell of listlessness or despondency; "A vacation on a tropical island could be just the thing you need to fight against the winter doldrums," said Christine as she handed me the resort's brochure. sidestep : (verb) Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues).; evade, hedge, skirt, parry, fudge, circumvent, dodge, elude, duck, put off; The candidate tried to sidestep the issue during the debate, but eventually he had to make his position clear. safari : noun: An expedition to observe (or, in the past, to hunt) wild animals in their natural habitat. verb intr.: To go on such an expedition. ; "In this vision, the arrival of a wandering tiger becomes a positive event for villagers, an opportunity to offer tourists homestays, or put on small-scale safaris." A Tiger's Tale; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 23, 2017. See more usage examples of safari in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 28, 2019***** oillionaire : Canadian Informal. a millionaire whose wealth is derived from ..; Robert Q. Lewis wonders if everyone has heard about the Texas oillionaire who put in well-to-well carpeting. Hal Boyle, "Mailman Rescues Writer Again," Spokane Daily Chronicle, March 5, 1957 Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Foray : 1 : a sudden or irregular invasion or attack for war or spoils : raid; "Although she debuted a line of jewelry last year, this is her first foray into creating her own makeup line." — Hayley Schueneman, The New York Magazine, 28 Nov. 2018 pertinacious : (adjective) Stubbornly unyielding.; dogged, dour, tenacious, persistent; When he made up his little mind to have or to do anything, all the king's horses and all the king's men could not change that pertinacious little mind. safari : noun: An expedition to observe (or, in the past, to hunt) wild animals in their natural habitat. verb intr.: To go on such an expedition. ; "In this vision, the arrival of a wandering tiger becomes a positive event for villagers, an opportunity to offer tourists homestays, or put on small-scale safaris." A Tiger's Tale; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 23, 2017. See more usage examples of safari in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a funny thing about life: if you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 29, 2019***** plexus : any complex structure containing an intricate network of parts: the..; ... as he thrust his bold hand into the plexus of the money-market, he was delightedly unaware of how he shook the pillars of existence ... Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osbourne, The Wrecker, 1891 Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Sleuth : 1 : to act as a detective : search for information; "Farmer would go sleuthing in the archives of Arizona State University's Center for Meteorite Studies to find evidence of an undiscovered landfall in Canada, and Ward could build a rig that trailed an 11-foot metal detector behind a combine, which is how they unearthed $1 million in pallasite fragments from several square miles of Alberta farmland." — Joshuah Bearman and Allison Keeley, Wired, January 2019 inextirpable : (adjective) Difficult or impossible to eradicate or destroy.; inexterminable; Some weeds seem inextirpable, but they all have at least one weakness that may be exploited. gob : noun: 1. Lump or a large amount of something. 2. Mouth. 3. Sailor. ; "We learned that spending gobs of time together is marvelous." Ted Paul; Can Love Be an Open Book?; Los Angeles Times; Dec 22, 2018. "I'd ... do anything other than watch you shovel pizza in your gob." Jill Poulsen; Unpaid Minions Must Say No to Working Like Slaves; The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Australia); Oct 27, 2018. "'A Girl, A Guy And A Gob' (1941) is a delightful slapstick farce ... Never mind the plot (Lucy pursued by a wealthy snob and a boisterous sailor); just enjoy the fast pace and the many sight gags." Ted Gilling; Having a Ball; Toronto Star (Canada); Jan 7, 1990. See more usage examples of gob in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 30, 2019***** Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Charisma : 1 : a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader); The young singer had the kind of charisma that turns a performer into a star. epitomize : (verb) Embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of.; typify; They are so perfect in their way that they seem to epitomize the very scent and charm of the forest, as if the old wood's daintiest thoughts had materialized in blossom. skelf : noun: 1. A splinter. 2. A tiny amount of something. 3. A thin or slight person. 4. An annoying or troublesome person. ; "Trying to get the garden in order, I got a skelf in my finger." Neil McIntosh; Road to Skelf-Destruction; Daily Record (Glasgow, UK); Jul 7, 2016. "A skelf of doubt has entered the thought processes of SNP supporters, leading many of them to question whether their most basic political assumptions still hold true." Kenny Farquharson; Existentialists and New Youth Hold SNP Key; The Times (London, UK); Jun 7, 2017. "For Ferguson, physically still a skelf, a 22-year-old who made his home Scotland debut less than 12 months ago, it is some responsibility." Jonathan Northcroft; Ferguson Shoulders Extra Load; Sunday Times (London, UK); Nov 5, 2000. Thought For The Day: A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989) *****January 31, 2019***** Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Proliferate : 1 : to grow or cause to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or offspring; "Muskies in Lake St. Clair are a world-class presence because local folks 30 years ago got smart. They agreed on a catch-and-release ethic. Catch the muskie. Put it back into the water. And watch a species proliferate." — Lynn Henning, The Detroit News, 26 December 2018 confederate : (noun) A person who joins with another in carrying out some plan (especially an unethical or illegal plan).; accomplice; What he felt was that he had caught The Man and his confederate with the goods. shingle : noun:1. A tile laid in overlapping rows to cover walls or roofs.  2. A small signboard indicating a professional office. Used in the phrase "to hang one's shingle".  3. A woman's close-cropped haircut tapering from the back of the head to the nape.  4. Waterworn pebbles found on a beach.  5. A place where such pebbles are found. verb tr.:1. To cover with shingles or to lay out something in an overlapping manner.  2. To cut hair in a shingle.  3. To squeeze or hammer puddled iron to remove impurities. ; "[Limited license legal technicians] apprentice under a lawyer for 3,000 hours before they hang their shingles." Robert Ambrogi; Who Says You Need a Law Degree to Practice Law?; The Washington Post; Mar 15, 2015. "Some decisions are carefully constructed towers of logic framed in lists of pros and cons, shingled in trusted advice." G.P. Ching; The Grounded Trilogy Book One; Carpe Luna; 2014. "Officers tracked the woman down using the car's registration number and gave her advice that taking shingle from the beach was illegal." Woman Who 'Stole' Pebbles from a Beach; The Mirror (London, UK); Oct 2, 2013. See more usage examples of shingle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The power to command frequently causes failure to think. -Barbara Tuchman, author and historian (30 Jan 1912-1989) *****February 01, 2019***** Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." Raddled : 1 : being in a state of confusion : lacking composure; We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor's father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage. unexceptionable : (adjective) Beyond any reasonable objection; irreproachable.; unimpeachable; No person need think of applying for this situation unless he could furnish the most unexceptionable references to character and abilities. plenum : noun: 1. An assembly in which all members are present. 2. A space in which air or another gas is at pressure greater than the atmospheric pressure. 3. A space filled with matter, as contrasted with vacuum. 4. A space, above the ceiling or below the floor, that serves as a receiving chamber for heated or cooled air. ; "The plenum passed a resolution requiring his resignation and ditched him." Frederick Forsyth; Icon; Bantam; 1996. See more usage examples of plenum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 02, 2019***** Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." Largesse : 1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior; also : something so given; Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college without going into debt. extenuation : (noun) To act in such a way as to cause an offense to seem less serious.; mitigation, palliation; Forgive me, and let the greatness and the purity of my love for you plead in extenuation of my act. rede : verb tr.:1. To advise.  2. To interpret or explain. noun:1. Advice.  2. An account or a narration. ; "There master Courtenay, sitting in his own chamber, gave his rede." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Well, rede me this riddle." L. Sprague deCamp and Catherine Crook deCamp; The Incorporated Knight; Phantasia Press; 1987. "Yet do not cast all hope away. Tomorrow is unknown. Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun." J.R.R. Tolkien; The Two Towers (vol. 2 of The Lord of the Rings trilogy); George Allen & Unwin; 1954. See more usage examples of rede in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you turn the corner / And you run into yourself / Then you know that you have turned / All the corners that are left. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2019***** Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Portend : 1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of; The old saying about a halo around the moon portending rain has some truth to it: the halo is caused by cirrus clouds drifting 20,000 feet or more above the Earth, and high cirrus clouds often precede stormy weather. backer : (noun) A person who gives financial or other support.; angel; After the backers withdrew their support, the director was forced to cancel the troupe's upcoming Shakespeare production. rede : verb tr.:1. To advise.  2. To interpret or explain. noun:1. Advice.  2. An account or a narration. ; "There master Courtenay, sitting in his own chamber, gave his rede." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Well, rede me this riddle." L. Sprague deCamp and Catherine Crook deCamp; The Incorporated Knight; Phantasia Press; 1987. "Yet do not cast all hope away. Tomorrow is unknown. Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun." J.R.R. Tolkien; The Two Towers (vol. 2 of The Lord of the Rings trilogy); George Allen & Unwin; 1954. See more usage examples of rede in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you turn the corner / And you run into yourself / Then you know that you have turned / All the corners that are left. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 04, 2019***** Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Senescence : 1 : the state of being old : the process of becoming old; "The results revealed that some trees have shorter or longer sleep periods than 12 hours and others show slow continuous movement in one direction probably because of disease or senescence." — ScienceDaily, 20 Apr. 2018 charger : (noun) A horse trained for battle; a cavalry horse.; courser; The knight mounted his charger and rode to meet his countrymen at the front lines. rede : verb tr.:1. To advise.  2. To interpret or explain. noun:1. Advice.  2. An account or a narration. ; "There master Courtenay, sitting in his own chamber, gave his rede." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Well, rede me this riddle." L. Sprague deCamp and Catherine Crook deCamp; The Incorporated Knight; Phantasia Press; 1987. "Yet do not cast all hope away. Tomorrow is unknown. Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun." J.R.R. Tolkien; The Two Towers (vol. 2 of The Lord of the Rings trilogy); George Allen & Unwin; 1954. See more usage examples of rede in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you turn the corner / And you run into yourself / Then you know that you have turned / All the corners that are left. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 05, 2019***** Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†Condone : : to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless; The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned. inestimable : (adjective) Beyond calculation or measure.; incomputable, immeasurable; Human life is of inestimable value. mycology : noun: The study of fungi. ; "[R. Gordon Wasson, a vice president of J.P. Morgan's bank] began spending less time banking and more on mycology, eventually coming to believe that 'our ancestors worshipped a divine mushroom'." Nick Richardson; Revolution in the Head: The Uses and Abuses of Psychedelics; Harper's Magazine (New York); Jun 2018. See more usage examples of mycology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A society that presumes a norm of violence and celebrates aggression, whether in the subway, on the football field, or in the conduct of its business, cannot help making celebrities of the people who would destroy it. -Lewis H. Lapham, editor and writer (b. 8 Jan 1935) *****February 06, 2019***** Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Mettlesome : : full of vigor and stamina : spirited; "'I like this place because everything they have can kill you,' Edith Pearlman says, perusing the menu of a Brookline pub on a recent gray afternoon. The remark proves fitting introduction to both the septuagenarian author and her work: at once mischievous and mettlesome, with a twist near the end." — Leah Hager Cohen, The Boston Globe, 10 Apr. 2012 discourtesy : (noun) A lack of politeness; a failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings or others.; offense; Over-much civility is sometimes no better than over-much discourtesy, for, as the saying is, one can choke a guest with curds. ailurophile : noun: One who loves cats. ; "It's said in publishing that no cat book ever loses money. Maybe it's true: bibliophiles tend to be ailurophiles, and both are tenacious breeds." Emily Toth; Meow mix; Women's Review of Books (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Jul 1, 1995. Thought For The Day: A hungry man is not a free man. -Adlai Stevenson, statesman (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2019***** Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." Ratiocination : 1 : the process of exact thinking : reasoning; "It is beginning to look like television may soon kill not only the theater and the movies but radio, books, magazines, newspapers, and finally articulate speech and all the processes of ratiocination." — Aldous Huxley, letter, 14 Feb. 1949 lordosis : (noun) An abnormal inward (forward) curvature of the vertebral column.; hollow-back; Ethan's lordosis made it difficult for him to maintain an erect posture. orogeny : noun: Folding and faulting of the earth's crust resulting in mountain formation. ; "The burden of too much time was as profound as orogeny: it subjected his ordinary mind to pressures akin to those which caused earthquakes; tectonic shifts." Stephen R. Donaldson; Against All Things Ending; Putnam; 2010. See more usage examples of orogeny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (6 Feb 1887-1985) *****February 08, 2019***** Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Abstruse : : difficult to comprehend : recondite; "Today's physics breakthroughs tend to be so abstruse that summarizing them is like trying to explain the financial-derivatives market to a three-year-old." — The National Review, 16 Apr. 2018 fritter : (verb) Spend frivolously and unwisely.; fool away, dissipate, shoot; Our English youth fritters away its time in idleness and pleasure-seeking. epigeal : adjective: Living close to the ground, as certain plants. ; "He trotted along as if stepping on epigeal plant life, no longer concerned about his height above the true floor of the forest." Steven L. Davenport; A Father's Love; Tate; 2011. Thought For The Day: Language is mobile and liable to change. It is a free country, and man may call a "vase" a "vawse", a "vahse", a "vaze", or a "vase", as he pleases. And why should he not? We do not all think alike, walk alike, dress alike, write alike, or dine alike; why should not we use our liberty in speech also, so long as the purpose of speech, to be intelligible, and its grace, are not interfered with? -James Murray, lexicographer and editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (7 Feb 1837-1915) *****February 09, 2019***** acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Wiseacre : : one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially : smart aleck; "Regardless of how they choose to do so, most people who contact Congress have legitimate concerns—but, as any staffer can tell you, there is a small but enduring subgroup of wiseacres and crackpots. Moore, the former congressional staffer, once took a call from a man who claimed, in all seriousness, to be the true and rightful owner of the moon." — Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2017 braggadocio : (noun) Vain and empty boasting.; rodomontade, bluster; Strutting about with great show and braggadocio, he strove to impress his followers. nidifugous : adjective: Well-developed and able to leave the nest soon after hatching. ; "The young of all species are -- as you well know -- nidifugous, and ours will be no exception. And as they go, they will take some of their spirit with them, leaving us, the founders as mere husks." Malcolm Macdonald; Strange Music; Severn House; 2012. See more usage examples of nidifugous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2019***** Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." Prescind : 1 : to withdraw one's attention; "But to frame an abstract idea of happiness, prescinded from all particular pleasure, or of goodness, from everything that is good, this is what few can pretend to." — George Berkeley, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, 1710 palmist : (noun) Fortuneteller who predicts your future by the lines on your palms.; chiromancer; The palmist's dire predictions weighed heavily on Sally. nidifugous : adjective: Well-developed and able to leave the nest soon after hatching. ; "The young of all species are -- as you well know -- nidifugous, and ours will be no exception. And as they go, they will take some of their spirit with them, leaving us, the founders as mere husks." Malcolm Macdonald; Strange Music; Severn House; 2012. See more usage examples of nidifugous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 11, 2019***** Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Finicky : 1 : extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards; The young boy was a finicky eater, and his parents found it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that he would enjoy. housebound : (adjective) Confined to one's home, as by illness.; shut-in; My mom says that I am housebound for as long as I have the chickenpox. nidifugous : adjective: Well-developed and able to leave the nest soon after hatching. ; "The young of all species are -- as you well know -- nidifugous, and ours will be no exception. And as they go, they will take some of their spirit with them, leaving us, the founders as mere husks." Malcolm Macdonald; Strange Music; Severn House; 2012. See more usage examples of nidifugous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 12, 2019***** Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Bardolater : : a person who idolizes Shakespeare; The song retells the story of "Othello," but in such subtle language that only bardolaters are likely to recognize it. elusion : (noun) The act of avoiding capture (especially by cunning).; slip; There was not much time, however, for thought or elusion, and she yielded as calmly as she could to the necessity of letting him overtake her. bloodnoun : noun: A bullfrog -- a heavy-bodied frog having a deep resonant croak. Also known as bloody noun. ; "You sit here at night, listen to the cicada and the bloodnouns." Jeffery Deaver; The Empty Chair; Pocket Books; 2000. Thought For The Day: I was sixteen years old when the first World War broke out, and I lived at that time in Hungary. From reading the newspapers in Hungary, it would have appeared that, whatever Austria and Germany did was right and whatever England, France, Russia, or America did was wrong. A good case could be made out for this general thesis, in almost every single instance. It would have been difficult for me to prove, in any single instance, that the newspapers were wrong, but somehow, it seemed to me unlikely that the two nations located in the center of Europe should be invariably right, and that all the other nations should be invariably wrong. History, I reasoned, would hardly operate in such a peculiar fashion, and it didn't take long until I began to hold views which were diametrically opposed to those held by the majority of my schoolmates. ... Even in times of war, you can see current events in their historical perspective, provided that your passion for the truth prevails over your bias in favor of your own nation. -Leo Szilard, physicist (11 Feb 1898-1964) *****February 13, 2019***** Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Teem : 1 : to become filled to overflowing : abound; "On Friday, Tselikis stood in front of the Red's Best stall at Boston's Public Market, offering up tidbits about lobsters as they teemed inside a tank." — Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com, 10 June 2016 gullet : (noun) The passage between the pharynx and the stomach.; esophagus, gorge; The bird gave a gulp, and I felt the stone pass along its gullet and down into its crop. sodalist : noun: A member of a sodality (a fellowship or association). ; "The single lamp still burned near Braethen, who watched the smacking lips of the sodalist who'd tried to swear him in." Peter Orullian; The Unremembered; Tor; 2011. See more usage examples of sodalist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It will not do to investigate the subject of religion too closely, as it is apt to lead to infidelity. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (12 Feb 1809-1865) *****February 14, 2019***** Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Cacophony : 1 : harsh or discordant sound : dissonance; specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases; "But never in their most uneasy dreams did they expect the cacophony—a word which here means 'the sound of two metal pots being banged together by a nasty foreman standing in the doorway holding no breakfast at all'—that awoke them." — Lemony Snicket, The Miserable Mill, 2000 deprecatory : (adjective) Tending to diminish or disparage.; belittling, slighting; He depresses me by his abject submission and deprecatory self-abasement when he fears he has gone too far. reprobate : adjective: Depraved. noun: A wicked person. verb tr.: To disapprove or condemn. ; "Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, the boss of a gang of degenerate reprobates." Films of the Day; The Times (London, UK); Jun 23, 2018. See more usage examples of reprobate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2019***** Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." Heartstring : : the deepest emotions or affections — usually used in plural; "While on Facebook, have you ever come across a posting that tugs at your heartstrings? Photos of adorable abandoned puppies, say, or a story about a cute little girl who didn't get any happy birthday wishes? You instinctively click the 'thumbs-up' or add a comment (Happy birthday!) and maybe even decide to share the posting." — Mary C. Hickey, Consumer Reports, June 2018 daredevil : (noun) One who is recklessly bold.; harum-scarum, madcap, swashbuckler, hothead, lunatic; My nephew, daredevil that he is, decided to go surfing during yesterday's tropical storm. appurtenance : noun: 1. An accessory, equipment, gear, etc. associated with an activity or style of living. 2. A subordinate part. 3. In law, rights belonging to a principal property (for example, the right of way). ; "So we buy handbags and hats and other overpriced appurtenances of successful people because we have to nurture our confusing identities." Wan A. Hulaimi; Walking Through the Clutter of Modern World; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur); Feb 1, 2015. See more usage examples of appurtenance in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 16, 2019***** Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." Apotheosis : 1 a : the perfect form or example of something : quintessence; "Four decades after its box office debut, Grease remains a cultural phenomenon.… [Olivia] Newton-John is particularly stellar, with her charming persona and spotless soprano voice making the film the apotheosis of her '70s superstardom." — Billboard.com, 4 Oct. 2018 enliven : (verb) To make lively or spirited.; animate, invigorate; They found her a charming companion, and her dancing and laughter...did much to enliven their journey and keep them contented. appose : verb tr.: To place next to or side by side: to juxtapose. ; "You look at m/e, you smile at m/e infinitely, m/y eyes are apposed to your eyes, / am seized by unnameable joy and horror." Lillian Faderman; Chloe plus Olivia; Viking; 1994. See more usage examples of appose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is not Can they reason?, nor Can they talk?, but Can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 17, 2019***** Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Gibbous : 1 a : marked by convexity or swelling; The fresh layer of snow glistened under the light of the waxing gibbous moon. gristly : (adjective) Difficult to chew.; cartilaginous, rubbery; After several minutes of trying to break down the gristly piece of steak, I gave up and discreetly spat it into my napkin. appose : verb tr.: To place next to or side by side: to juxtapose. ; "You look at m/e, you smile at m/e infinitely, m/y eyes are apposed to your eyes, / am seized by unnameable joy and horror." Lillian Faderman; Chloe plus Olivia; Viking; 1994. See more usage examples of appose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is not Can they reason?, nor Can they talk?, but Can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 18, 2019***** Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." Disavow : 1 : to deny responsibility for : repudiate; It seems the college's president is now trying to disavow her previous statements. cerebrate : (verb) Use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments.; cogitate, think; As they surveyed the damage, Jonathan did not ask his father how he would fix the tree house, instead allowing him stare and cerebrate in silence. appose : verb tr.: To place next to or side by side: to juxtapose. ; "You look at m/e, you smile at m/e infinitely, m/y eyes are apposed to your eyes, / am seized by unnameable joy and horror." Lillian Faderman; Chloe plus Olivia; Viking; 1994. See more usage examples of appose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is not Can they reason?, nor Can they talk?, but Can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 19, 2019***** Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Prestigious : 1 archaic : of, relating to, or marked by illusion, conjuring, or trickery; Carla was overjoyed to receive an acceptance letter from the prestigious university. arboreous : (adjective) Abounding in trees.; woodsy; Oregon's arboreous landscape is both beautiful and serene. OK : adjective:1. Satisfactory; not very good or very bad.  2. Correct.  3. Mediocre.  4. In good health. noun:Approval or permission. verb:To authorize or approve. adverb:In a satisfactory manner. interjection:Used to express acknowledgment or agreement. ; "We've had an OK season. I think we know that we could have done better." Brandon Mcneil; Team Walker Looks for Scotties Breakthrough; Calgary Herald (Canada); Jan 23, 2019. "Coulton denies she gave photographers her OK to attend the coalition launch." Andrew Hornery; PS Private Sydney; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Oct 27, 2007. "She okayed the use of the painting as a label." Virginia Winder; Saving the Day with Beer; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Feb 9, 2019. "[Tony] guides me and makes sure everything is going OK." Liz Lightfoot; "Our Village Was Flooded"; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 6, 2018. "My answer: OK, but I won't pay a dime after that." Sara Al Shurafa; October Was Long; Gulf News (Dubai); Jan 18, 2019. See more usage examples of ok in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (1743-1826) *****February 20, 2019***** Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Emote : : to give expression to emotion especially in acting; "It's not always immediately obvious, but sometimes you fall in love with a band for the way the singers emote." — James Reed, The Boston Globe, 24 Jan. 2012 pettifog : (verb) Argue over petty things.; bicker, brabble, squabble, niggle, quibble; Mrs. Faraday watched in exasperation as her children pettifogged about who deserved the last of her chocolate chip cookies. sockdolager : noun: 1. A decisive blow or remark. 2. Something exceptional or outstanding. ; "Well, here's a sockdolager. A new poll says nearly half of Canadians can't name a single Canadian author." John Robson; Not Reading, It's the Canadian Way; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Jan 2, 2009. Thought For The Day: Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: everything else is public relations. -Anonymous (often misattributed to George Orwell) *****February 21, 2019***** Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Obsequious : : marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness; "Not pleasing others enough amounts to surliness, pleasing too much makes one obsequious—you have to be friendly, but not too friendly. The sweet spot in the middle is where you want to be." — Carlin Flora, Psychology Today, 1 July 2017 lurcher : (noun) Someone waiting in concealment.; lurker, skulker; Amanda caught a glimpse of a figure in the shadows of the alleyway and ran in fear of the mysterious lurcher. teddy bear : noun: 1. A stuffed toy in the shape of a bear. 2. Something or someone (especially a large or hairy person) who resembles a teddy bear in appearance or being endearing. ; "Dipa's coach is Bishweshwar Nandi, no teddy bear himself. The two often have clashes." Akshay Sawai; Dipa Karmakar Calms Down Only When She Gets Her Routine Right; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Feb 9, 2019. See more usage examples of teddy bear in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The negative is the equivalent of the composer's score, and the print the performance. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 22, 2019***** Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Hoopla : 1 : excited commotion : to-do; "Ideas change as data accumulate. If future evidence causes me to change my mind again, that's okay. That's how the scientific method works, always revising what we thought we knew, eventually casting aside the emotional hoopla, and ultimately granting us not a measure of truth so much as a better approximation of reality." — Eric J. Chaisson, The Atlantic, 16 Oct. 2018 peerless : (adjective) Eminent beyond or above comparison.; matchless, nonpareil, one and only, unrivaled, unmatched, one; You shall now learn how great is the knowledge and power of our peerless Sorceress. Watergate : noun: A scandal involving abuse of office, deceit, and cover-up. ; "[Thomas Donaldson] said the nature of Volkswagen's scandal had few parallels: 'I've never seen a corporate Watergate of this stripe.'" Jena McGregor; VW's Next CEO Faces Big Challenge; Los Angeles Times; Sep 27, 2015. See more usage examples of Watergate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some diehard's vote. -David Foster Wallace, novelist, essayist, and short story writer (21 Feb 1962-2008) *****February 23, 2019***** Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Minion : 1 : a servile dependent, follower, or underling; The senior executive has a small platoon of minions to run both personal and business errands for him. belly-up : (adjective) Financially ruined.; bankrupt; The struggling grocery store was forced to lay off several employees to avoid going belly-up. throttlebottom : noun: A purposeless incompetent in public office. ; "[Lyndon B. Johnson] wanted to be Vice President, both to position himself as JFK's successor someday and because he believed that he could convert any job -- even Throttlebottom's -- into a power base." James MacGregor Burns; The Crosswinds of Freedom; Knopf; 1989. Thought For The Day: Avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. -George Washington, 1st US president, general (22 Feb 1732-1799) *****February 24, 2019***** Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." Chockablock : 1 : brought close together; "The one-square-mile borough is chockablock with shops, restaurants, small businesses, and a bustling downtown." — Katie Park, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 13 Jan. 2019 oodles : (noun) A large number or amount.; dozens, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lots, rafts, scads, scores, slews, stacks, tons, wads, piles; Our local bakery has oodles of desserts available for purchase. throttlebottom : noun: A purposeless incompetent in public office. ; "[Lyndon B. Johnson] wanted to be Vice President, both to position himself as JFK's successor someday and because he believed that he could convert any job -- even Throttlebottom's -- into a power base." James MacGregor Burns; The Crosswinds of Freedom; Knopf; 1989. Thought For The Day: Avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. -George Washington, 1st US president, general (22 Feb 1732-1799) *****February 25, 2019***** Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." Sequester : 1 : to set apart : segregate; The reality series will feature ten celebrity contestants who will be sequestered in a haunted mansion for twelve weeks. varlet : (noun) A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel.; knave, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scallywag; What a brazen-fac'd varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me! throttlebottom : noun: A purposeless incompetent in public office. ; "[Lyndon B. Johnson] wanted to be Vice President, both to position himself as JFK's successor someday and because he believed that he could convert any job -- even Throttlebottom's -- into a power base." James MacGregor Burns; The Crosswinds of Freedom; Knopf; 1989. Thought For The Day: Avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. -George Washington, 1st US president, general (22 Feb 1732-1799) *****February 26, 2019***** Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." Impetus : 1 a : a driving force : impulse; The high salary and generous benefits package were impetus enough to apply for the job. antitrust : (adjective) Of laws and regulations; designed to protect trade and commerce from unfair business practices.; antimonopoly; Government antitrust laws prevented the technology company from merging with its only competitor. catchall : noun: 1. A bag or another receptacle for holding odds and ends. 2. Something that covers a wide variety of situations. ; "'Dysfunctional' is one of those eminently useful modern words that serves as a catchall for so many otherwise complicated issues." Carrie Vaughn; Low Midnight; Tor; 2014. See more usage examples of catchall in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The pain passes but the beauty remains. -Pierre-Auguste Renoir, artist [responding to Matisse on why he painted in spite of his painful arthritis] (25 Feb 1841-1919) *****February 27, 2019***** Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." Avuncular : 1 : suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality; At 18 years her senior, May's brother was a steadying force in her life, supportive and avuncular. gleeful : (adjective) Full of high-spirited delight.; elated, joyful, jubilant; As he spoke his boyish face was wreathed in a gleeful smile, and his voice had an exultant ring. pinchpenny : adjective: Unwilling to spend or give money. noun: A miserly person. ; "At the Dollar Market ... Freddy was a steady customer, if a bit of a pinchpenny. He browsed, but never bought." Peter Schworm; Town in Tears over Gadabout Gobbler; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Aug 8, 2009. Thought For The Day: Humankind's wounds, those huge sores that litter the world, do not stop at the blue and red lines drawn on maps. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist, and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2019***** Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Grift : 1 : to obtain (money) illicitly (as in a confidence game); The guidebook warns that the city's con artists grift millions of dollars from unwary tourists annually. purlieu : (noun) An outer adjacent area of any place.; environs; These skulking visitors would keep about the purlieus of the camp until daylight; when, on the first stir of life among the sleepers, they would scamper off until they reached some rising ground. scrapegut or scrape-gut : noun: A fiddler. ; "I am in tune with the fork, and ready ere master scrape-gut yonder has his rosin out." Arthur Maquarie; The Happy Kingdom; Bickers and Son; 1913. Thought For The Day: Fear is a disease that eats away at logic and makes man inhuman. -Marian Anderson, singer (27 Feb 1897-1993) *****March 01, 2019***** Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." Billion : 1 US : a number equal to 1,000 million; also, British : a number equal to 1,000 milliard; If you were to count to a billion at the rate of one number per second, it would take you over 31 and a half years to finish. acquirement : (noun) An ability that has been acquired by training.; skill, accomplishment, attainment, acquisition; They were consequently much dissatisfied, and ready for any employment in which their talents and acquirements might be turned to better account. rakehell : noun: A licentious or immoral person. ; "The titular character, John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was a notorious rakehell as well as being a classically influenced, but principally obscene poet and playwright. He was repeatedly exiled from the court of Charles II for everything from abducting his future wife to vandalising a sundial, and died at the age of 33 from alcoholism and venereal disease." Ian Shuttleworth; Thoroughly Unlikeable, Highly Enjoyable; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 29, 2016. See more usage examples of rakehell in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is good to rub and polish your mind against that of others. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 02, 2019***** Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." Gormless : chiefly British : lacking intelligence : stupid; "It would be difficult to think of many things more gormless than driving a car while blindfolded…." — Fergus Kelly, The Express, 16 Jan. 2019 delude : (verb) To deceive the mind or judgment of.; cozen, deceive, lead on; You cannot delude me into believing that you ate your vegetables, because I saw you feeding broccoli to the dog! do-all : noun: A person who does all kinds of work in a job. ; "'He is a do-all guy for us and is a critical component to what we are doing.'" Dirk Facer; Utah Football: Covey Is Doing This and That for the Utes; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Oct 30, 2018. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 03, 2019***** Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." gravid : (adjective) Carrying developing young or eggs.; pregnant; The program targets gravid mosquitos to prevent their proliferation. do-all : noun: A person who does all kinds of work in a job. ; "'He is a do-all guy for us and is a critical component to what we are doing.'" Dirk Facer; Utah Football: Covey Is Doing This and That for the Utes; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Oct 30, 2018. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 04, 2019***** Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Sentient : 1 : responsive to or conscious of sense impressions; "Frightened of the potential that a vast automated intelligence represents, we often portray sentient intelligences as the equivalent of machine gods—ones that, in many cases, find us wanting." — Mark Hachman, PC Magazine, 15 Apr. 2013 flounder : (verb) Walk with great difficulty.; stagger; Dave refused to run quietly on the trail behind the sled…but continued to flounder alongside in the soft snow, where the going was most difficult, till exhausted. do-all : noun: A person who does all kinds of work in a job. ; "'He is a do-all guy for us and is a critical component to what we are doing.'" Dirk Facer; Utah Football: Covey Is Doing This and That for the Utes; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Oct 30, 2018. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 05, 2019***** Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Feisty : 1 chiefly Southern US and Midland US; "She's feisty. She's bawdy. She's bodacious.... She's a bit of a wild child." — Vicki Lawrence, quoted in The New York Magazine, 5 Oct. 2018 moonstruck : (adjective) Insane and believed to be affected by the phases of the moon.; lunatic; You are the first Avonlea girl who has ever gone to college; and you know that all pioneers are considered to be afflicted with moonstruck madness. mondegreen : noun: A word or phrase resulting from mishearing a word or phrase, especially in song lyrics. Example: "The girl with colitis goes by" for "The girl with kaleidoscope eyes" (in the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"). ; "Sometimes in musical announcements, words lose their meaning, or are misheard, resulting in a delightful mondegreen. ... The audience thought Walter Love had said: 'We are beginning tonight with Howard Ferguson's overture 'Fornication'.'" (instead of "Overture for an Occasion"). Paul Clements; An Irishman's Diary; Irish Times (Dublin); Oct 5, 2016. "[Tim Minchin's] elocution is so exquisite there's not a mondegreen in earshot." Suzanne Simonot; Tim and Tom Show a HOTA Opening Act; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Mar 19, 2018. See more usage examples of mondegreen in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 06, 2019***** Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." Leviathan : 1 a often capitalized Leviathan : a sea monster defeated by Yahweh in various scriptural accounts; "Fossils of the ancient leviathan were unearthed from 480-million-year-old rocks exposed on a hillside in southeastern Morocco." — Sid Perkins, Science, 11 Mar. 2015 steadfast : (adjective) Marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable.; unbendable, unfaltering, unshakable, unwavering, firm, steady, stiff; He remained steadfast in his belief that he had done the right thing. resistentialism : noun: The theory that inanimate objects demonstrate hostile behavior toward us. ; "Scornful and uncooperative objects -- pianos that mock our sausage fingers; computers that develop transient but alarming hypochondria; keys, socks, and teaspoons that scurry off to their secret covens and never return. There are certainly days when resistentialism seems the only explanation." Michael Kaplan and Ellen Kaplan; Bozo Sapiens: Why to Err Is Human; Bloomsbury; 2009. "Resistentialism also has a long history in our literature. In his 'Ode (Inscribed to W.H. Channing)' (1846), Ralph Waldo Emerson saw the resistentialist writing on the wall and proclaimed that 'Things are in the saddle, / And ride mankind.'" Charles Harrington Elster; Are Things Sometimes Against Us?; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Sep 21, 2003. Thought For The Day: Scratch a pessimist and you find often a defender of privilege. -William Beveridge, economist and reformer (5 Mar 1879-1963) *****March 07, 2019***** Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." Abecedarian : 1 a : of or relating to the alphabet; The children recited an abecedarian chant, beginning with "A is for apple" and ending with "Z is for zebra." hoarfrost : (noun) Frozen dew that forms a white coating on a surface.; rime; In the morning, one will arise as fresh as a lark and look at the window, and see the fields overlaid with hoarfrost, and fine icicles hanging from the naked branches. spoonerism : noun: The transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of words, typically producing a humorous result. Examples: "It is now kisstomary to cuss the bride." (Spooner while officiating at a wedding) "Is the bean dizzy?" (Spooner questioning the secretary of his dean) ; "Charles enjoyed spoonerisms: He would often order 'chish and fips' in a restaurant to see if the waitress was listening, and when his oldest son, Ralph, had a daughter, Charles started referring to his other children (Mark and Jean) as Uncle Jark and Aunt Mean." Jean L. Manore; Husband. Father. Veteran. Hiker; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jan 15, 2019. "As for her own red-faced moment on air, Hudson recalled how she coined a somewhat racy spoonerism in a reference to Killorglin's Puck Fair." SecCaigh; AA Roadwatch Broadcasters Celebrate 21 Years; Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); Aug 31, 2010. See more usage examples of spoonerism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: "Yes," I answered you last night; / "No," this morning, Sir, I say. / Colours seen by candlelight, / Will not look the same by day. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (6 Mar 1806-1861) *****March 08, 2019***** Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." Mirandize : : to recite the Miranda warnings to (a person under arrest); "Miranda warnings only kick in if you're going to interrogate a suspect. And so if they didn't Mirandize him, and they didn't ask him any questions, that wouldn't be a problem at all. The remedy for failing to Mirandize someone is that their statements to the officers then become inadmissible at trial. — Barbara McQuade, quoted on MSNBC, 1 Feb. 2019 downplay : (verb) Represent as less significant or important.; understate, minimize; As the police interrogated him, Henry tried desperately to downplay his role in the bank robbery. petrichor : noun: The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell. ; "Verity could smell the heavenly scent of petrichor rising up from the damp, hot summer pavement." Annie Darling; True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop; HarperCollins; 2018. Thought For The Day: If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2019***** Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." Shard : 1 a : a piece or fragment of a brittle substance; broadly : a small piece or part : scrap; There were shards of glass on the floor where the burglars had broken into the building the night before. machination : (noun) A crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end.; intrigue; During his early youth he had to contend against the machinations of a malignant uncle, who would have robbed him of his large possessions. omphaloskepsis : noun: 1. Contemplation of one's navel. 2. Complacent self-indulgent introspection. ; "[The club's] demise has acted as a trigger for one of those periodic outbreaks of omphaloskepsis about the present and future of clubland." Jim Carroll; Ibiza's Clubs May Be Following the Money -- But There's No Substitute for Great Music; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 23, 2016. See more usage examples of omphaloskepsis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) *****March 10, 2019***** Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." contagion : (noun) The communication of an attitude or emotional state among a number of people.; infection; Arobin caught the contagion of excitement which drew him to Edna like a magnet. omphaloskepsis : noun: 1. Contemplation of one's navel. 2. Complacent self-indulgent introspection. ; "[The club's] demise has acted as a trigger for one of those periodic outbreaks of omphaloskepsis about the present and future of clubland." Jim Carroll; Ibiza's Clubs May Be Following the Money -- But There's No Substitute for Great Music; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 23, 2016. See more usage examples of omphaloskepsis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) *****March 11, 2019***** Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. Newspeak : : propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings; "Remember that in 1984, totalitarian newspeak is created not through elaborate sentences and jargon, but through cutting words out of the dictionary and simplifying grammar. Clear, transparent writing can be used for propaganda purposes as easily as can convoluted prose—and maybe even more easily." — Noah Berlatsky, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 16 July 2011 asseverate : (verb) State categorically.; assert, maintain; They descended, passing the man with the pail, who again asseverated that he had let no intruder pass. omphaloskepsis : noun: 1. Contemplation of one's navel. 2. Complacent self-indulgent introspection. ; "[The club's] demise has acted as a trigger for one of those periodic outbreaks of omphaloskepsis about the present and future of clubland." Jim Carroll; Ibiza's Clubs May Be Following the Money -- But There's No Substitute for Great Music; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 23, 2016. See more usage examples of omphaloskepsis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men are not against you; they are merely for themselves. -Gene Fowler, journalist and author (8 Mar 1890-1960) *****March 12, 2019***** Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." Bathetic : : characterized by triteness or sentimentalism; "The TV people inevitably reduce history to a series of bathetic tropes: the flag waving in slow motion, the rescued puppy, the evacuee given the star treatment of American Idol." — Matthew Power, Harper's, December 2005 extrude : (verb) Form or shape by forcing through an opening.; squeeze out; The pasta machine extruded the dough through a series of small holes, thus shaping it into spaghetti. upcycling : noun: The conversion of a discarded object into something of higher value. ; "Clever bargain hunting and upcycling are evident: a G Plan dining table bought on eBay for £9 was laminated a fabulous ochre by car mechanics." A Weekend in... Deal, Kent; The Times (London, UK); Feb 16, 2019. Thought For The Day: I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2019***** Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. Delate : 1 : accuse, denounce; Hepzibah was brought to trial after being delated for the practice of witchcraft. bird%27s-eye : (adjective) As from an altitude or distance.; panoramic; Another pedestrian had entered from the other end…with an astrakhan collar to his coat on this warm night, and a black slouch hat that hid his features from my bird's-eye view. selfie : noun: A self-portrait, typically taken with a phone camera. ; "On December 11, engineers directed InSight [NASA's Mars lander] to take its first selfie." Chelsea Gohd and Jake Parks; InSight Sets up Shop on Mars; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Apr 2019. Thought For The Day: All of life is a foreign country. -Jack Kerouac, author (12 Mar 1922-1969) *****March 14, 2019***** Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. vermiculate : (adjective) Infested with or damaged (as if eaten) by worms.; worm-eaten, wormy; I returned from vacation to find my yard littered with vermiculate, rotting plums that had fallen from the tree while I was away. mansplain : verb tr.: To explain something, especially to a woman, in a condescending manner assuming ignorance on the part of the person spoken to, while the reverse is often true. ; "The way Ireland sees it, male attitudes to women are akin to the rest of the UK's attitude to Northern Ireland. They listen but don't hear, brutalise but plead innocence, call for conversation but merely mansplain." Mark Fisher; Ulster American Review; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 7, 2018. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2019***** Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. Animadversion : 1 : a critical and usually censorious remark — often used with on; "Some of his contemporaries and erstwhile friends, meanwhile, displayed considerable frankness in what they wrote. They did not count on Hemingway reading their animadversions on his character and talents while sitting in a café in Venice." — Norman Birnbaum, The Nation, 19 Dec. 2011 toreador : (noun) Someone who fights bulls.; bullfighter; The toreador stepped out of the path of the charging bull at the last possible moment, drawing cheers from the spectators. gamification : noun: The application of game-related elements to an activity to make it more engaging. ; "Part of its approach involves gamification -- necessary, Neoma says, to hold those wandering minds." Helen Barrett; The Gamified Generation Has Hit Business School; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 10, 2018. Thought For The Day: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2019***** Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. exhale : (verb) Expel air.; breathe out, expire; Exhale when you lift the weight. bingeable : adjective: Able to be consumed in rapid succession; typically said of entertainment, such as movies, television, streaming video, etc. ; "Its format, as a halfhour drama with four episodes a week, makes it very bingeable." Steve Faguy; Why Not Vary Your Program?; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jan 26, 2019. Thought For The Day: It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. -Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (15 Mar 1738-1794) *****March 17, 2019***** Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Encroach : 1 : to enter by gradual steps or by stealth into the possessions or rights of another; "The house had been abandoned for years, with peeling stucco, a half-buried swimming pool, the jungle encroaching on every side." — Paula McLain, Town & Country, August 2018 unrelieved : (adjective) Utter; complete.; undiminished; My fortitude was beginning to sink under the unrelieved oppression of suspense. bingeable : adjective: Able to be consumed in rapid succession; typically said of entertainment, such as movies, television, streaming video, etc. ; "Its format, as a halfhour drama with four episodes a week, makes it very bingeable." Steve Faguy; Why Not Vary Your Program?; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jan 26, 2019. Thought For The Day: It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. -Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (15 Mar 1738-1794) *****March 18, 2019***** Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Smithereens : : fragments, bits; "For the Soviet Union, it didn't matter that Luna 2, which became the first spacecraft to reach the moon, had been smashed into smithereens. The point was to get there first—to mark territory." — Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2019 frivolity : (noun) Something of little value or significance.; frippery, bagatelle, fluff; There is a serious message beneath this frivolity. bingeable : adjective: Able to be consumed in rapid succession; typically said of entertainment, such as movies, television, streaming video, etc. ; "Its format, as a halfhour drama with four episodes a week, makes it very bingeable." Steve Faguy; Why Not Vary Your Program?; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jan 26, 2019. Thought For The Day: It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. -Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (15 Mar 1738-1794) *****March 19, 2019***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Parabolic : 1 : expressed by or being a parable : allegorical; The batter launched the ball into a towering parabolic arc that carried it well over the center field fence. perpetuity : (noun) The property of being perpetual (seemingly ceaseless).; sempiternity; Whoever has travelled in the New England States will remember...the air of order and stillness, of perpetuity and unchanging repose, that seemed to breathe over the whole place. reveille : noun: 1. A signal to wake up in the morning, using a bugle, trumpet, etc., at military installations. 2. Any signal to get out of bed. 3. The hour at which a wake-up signal is sounded. ; "An alarm clock that wakes you with the scent of chocolate? It sounds like something Willy Wonka would create, but the Sensorwake Olfactory Alarm Clock is available from Harrods. Within two minutes of reveille, one of seven fragrances (including seaside, croissants, espresso, and grass) will intensify gradually until you are ready to face the day." Katrina Burroughs; Katrina Burroughs Rounds Up the Latest and Cleverest Gadgets You Didn't Know You Needed; Sunday Times (London, UK); Sep 18, 2016. See more usage examples of reveille in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Smaller than a breadbox, bigger than a TV remote, the average book fits into the human hand with a seductive nestling, a kiss of texture, whether of cover cloth, glazed jacket, or flexible paperback. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2019***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Orthography : 1 a : the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standard usage; English orthography was not yet regularized in William Shakespeare's time, so words often had many different spellings. champ : (verb) To bite or chew upon noisily.; chomp; When my dog gets a bone, he just sits there all night happily champing on it. facies : noun: 1. General appearance. 2. In medicine, a distinctive appearance associated with a pathological condition. 3. In geology, a body of rock with specific characteristics. ; "The cholera victim no longer has any face: he has a facies -- a facies that could only mean cholera. The eye, sunk deep in its socket and seemingly atrophied." Jean Giono; The Horseman on the Roof; North Point Press; 1982. Thought For The Day: It's best to give while your hand is still warm. -Philip Roth, novelist (19 Mar 1933-2018) *****March 21, 2019***** Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Canker : 1 : to become infested with erosive or spreading sores ; "Nevertheless, the self-absorption into which the lovers fall and the death and transfiguration with which the action ends have often been thought of as symptoms of a disease that cankers the human condition." — Simon Williams, Wagner and the Romantic Hero, 2004 exhume : (verb) Dig up for reburial or for medical investigation; of dead bodies.; disinter; Hoping to uncover evidence of foul play, the police chief ordered that the body be exhumed. mythopoeic or mythopeic : adjective: Relating to the making of myths. ; "The work ... is rich with literary and mythopoeic allusions. The story of Jonah's sojourn in the whale's belly comes readily enough to mind -- and Pinocchio's too." Gary Michael Dault; Venture into the Belly of a Whale; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Nov 22, 2008. Thought For The Day: Money may be the husk of many things but not the kernel. It brings you food, but not appetite; medicine, but not health; acquaintances, but not friends; servants, but not loyalty; days of joy, but not peace or happiness. -Henrik Ibsen, playwright (20 Mar 1828-1906) *****March 22, 2019***** Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Hamartia : : a flaw in character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy : tragic flaw; Greed was the hamartia that ultimately brought down the protagonist. corpuscle : (noun) (Nontechnical usage) A tiny piece of anything.; mote, particle, speck, atom, molecule; I would not touch one corpuscle of that germ-ridden filth. obeisance : noun: 1. A gesture of submission, such as a curtsy. 2. Deference or homage. ; "It was a squabble over $2.9 million in property-tax breaks -- small change for ExxonMobil, a company that measures its earnings by the billions. But when the East Baton Rouge Parish school board rejected the energy giant's rather routine request last month, the 'no' vote went off like a bomb in a state where obeisance to the oil, gas, and chemical industries is the norm." Richard Fausset; Daring to Say No to Big Oil; The New York Times; Feb 5, 2019. See more usage examples of obeisance in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our shouting is louder than our actions, / Our swords are taller than us, / This is our tragedy. / In short / We wear the cape of civilization / But our souls live in the stone age. -Nizar Qabbani, poet and diplomat (21 Mar 1923-1998) *****March 23, 2019***** Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Purview : 1 a : the body or enacting part of a statute; "The Supreme Court had ruled that the House has purview over ordering a new election…." — Dan Haar, The New Haven (Connecticut) Register, 13 Feb. 2019 first-class : (adjective) Very good; of the highest quality.; excellent, fantabulous, splendid; The power of the lantern seemed increased a hundredfold, like a lamp through the lenticular plates of a first-class lighthouse. conscientious : adjective: 1. Meticulous or painstaking. 2. Following one's conscience; scrupulous. ; "Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve success through planning and persistence." Ross Gittins; Give Your Personality a Check-Up; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jan 9, 2019. "[Bush Sr. & Muhammad Ali] certainly made for an odd pair of bedfellows, the patrician blue blood who enlisted in the US Navy on his 18th birthday and the most conscientious of all the objectors to the Vietnam War." Dave Hannigan; Ali's Hostage Negotiating Led to Unlikely Bush Friendship; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Dec 6, 2018. See more usage examples of conscientious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 24, 2019***** Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." Reverberate : 1 : to reflect or become reflected; "Inmates' relatives began protesting outside the jail. Inmates responded by banging on the inside of their windows, the clangs and thuds reverberating in the street below." — Jon Schuppe, NBCNews.com, 5 Feb. 2019 thaumaturge : (noun) One who practices magic or sorcery.; necromancer, sorcerer, wizard, magician; The self-proclaimed thaumaturge bowed to his audience before disappearing in a puff of smoke. conscientious : adjective: 1. Meticulous or painstaking. 2. Following one's conscience; scrupulous. ; "Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve success through planning and persistence." Ross Gittins; Give Your Personality a Check-Up; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jan 9, 2019. "[Bush Sr. & Muhammad Ali] certainly made for an odd pair of bedfellows, the patrician blue blood who enlisted in the US Navy on his 18th birthday and the most conscientious of all the objectors to the Vietnam War." Dave Hannigan; Ali's Hostage Negotiating Led to Unlikely Bush Friendship; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Dec 6, 2018. See more usage examples of conscientious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 25, 2019***** Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." Magniloquent : : speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner; The magniloquent sportscaster sometimes got so carried away with his monologues that he would forget to describe the action on the field. arrant : (adjective) Utter; out-and-out.; double-dyed, sodding, thoroughgoing, unadulterated, staring, perfect, pure, everlasting, consummate, complete, stark, gross; That is the most arrant nonsense I have ever heard. conscientious : adjective: 1. Meticulous or painstaking. 2. Following one's conscience; scrupulous. ; "Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve success through planning and persistence." Ross Gittins; Give Your Personality a Check-Up; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jan 9, 2019. "[Bush Sr. & Muhammad Ali] certainly made for an odd pair of bedfellows, the patrician blue blood who enlisted in the US Navy on his 18th birthday and the most conscientious of all the objectors to the Vietnam War." Dave Hannigan; Ali's Hostage Negotiating Led to Unlikely Bush Friendship; Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Dec 6, 2018. See more usage examples of conscientious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 26, 2019***** Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." Bower : 1 : an attractive dwelling or retreat; The couple's rendezvous was a secluded bower in the garden. politesse : (noun) Courteous formality; politeness.; chivalry, gallantry; Carl held the door for Ashley as they entered the restaurant, and she was immediately impressed with his politesse. Grandisonize : verb tr.: To escort in a courteous manner. ; "And now will your ladyship permit me to have the honour of Grandisonizing you into the next apartment?" Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine (Scotland); Jun 1824. Thought For The Day: Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. -Flannery O'Connor, writer (25 Mar 1925-1964) *****March 27, 2019***** Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." Decoct : 1 : to extract the flavor of by boiling; "Though the taste is a bonus, the real draw in this caffeine-free latte is the CBD, or cannabidiol, oil. The CBD served in the lattes is derived from Kentucky-grown hemp, decocted from the flowers and leaves with hot dairy or coconut milk." — Mackensy Lunsford, The Asheville (North Carolina) Citizen-Times, 2 Mar. 2018 nyctalopia : (noun) Inability to see clearly in dim light; due to a deficiency of vitamin A or to a retinal disorder.; moon blindness, night blindness; Sharon's nyctalopia was so severe that she needed a flashlight to find light switches at night. lynch : verb tr.: To punish (typically, killing by hanging) for an alleged crime, without a legal trial. ; "In August a mob there [in Shashamane, Ethiopia] lynched a man wrongly suspected of carrying a bomb." A Colourful Revolution; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2018. See more usage examples of lynch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. -Robert Frost, poet (26 Mar 1874-1963) *****March 28, 2019***** Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." condolence : (noun) An expression of sympathy with another's grief.; commiseration; I hoped that my words of condolence would offer the grieving family some comfort. galvanize : verb tr.: 1. To motivate or to arouse to action. 2. To coat with a rust-resistant material, such as zinc. 3. To stimulate by applying an electric current. ; "And what better way than to galvanise some of the best minds to handle the task." John Antony Xavier; A Herculean Task; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Feb 19, 2019. See more usage examples of galvanize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2019***** Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." Polyglot : 1 a : speaking or writing several languages : multilingual; With vacationers arriving from all over Europe and other parts of the world, merchants in the resort city must adjust to serving a polyglot clientele. heartburn : (noun) A burning sensation, usually centered in the middle of the chest near the sternum, caused by the reflux of acidic stomach fluids that enter the lower end of the esophagus.; pyrosis; Why, a single glass of beer would give me heartburn and spoil my next good meal. mesmerize : verb tr.: 1. To spellbind. 2. To hypnotize. ; "[Luke Spiller] recalls being mesmerised by Pentecostal preachers, whose sermons would 'have people shaking on the ground and jumping out of wheelchairs'." Paul Moody; Bristolian Rhapsody; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 7, 2019. See more usage examples of mesmerize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mind is the effect, not the cause. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2019***** Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." Comminute : : to reduce to minute particles : pulverize; "Type III fractures are comminuted (involve multiple broken pieces of bone), which lead to mechanical blocks to motion and significant elbow joint and ligament damage. Surgery would be required to fix or remove the broken pieces of bone and repair the soft-tissue damage." — Joshua Dines, Forbes.com, 21 Oct. 2018 comminute : (verb) Reduce to small pieces or particles by pounding or abrading.; bray, mash, crunch, grind; The chef comminuted the spices in his mortar for several minutes before sprinkling them on the chicken. Crusoe : noun: A castaway; a person who is isolated or without companionship. verb intr.: To be marooned; to survive or manage through one's ingenuity without outside help. ; "Your mad heart goes Crusoeing through all the romances ..." Arthur Rimbaud (Translation: Oliver Bernard); Collected Poems; Penguin; 1962. "The boy Jim roams the edgelands of the Thames (just as young Stevenson liked to 'go Crusoeing' in the wilds of Scotland)." Ian Thomson; The Old Buccaneers; Financial Times (London, UK); Mar 31, 2012. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****March 31, 2019***** Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home." Scrumptious : : delightful, excellent; especially : delicious; I prepared a scrumptious chocolate cake for our grandfather's 80th birthday. soporific : (adjective) Sleep inducing.; hypnagogic, somniferous; Even he is unable to withstand the soporific influence of the place, and is gradually falling asleep. Crusoe : noun: A castaway; a person who is isolated or without companionship. verb intr.: To be marooned; to survive or manage through one's ingenuity without outside help. ; "Your mad heart goes Crusoeing through all the romances ..." Arthur Rimbaud (Translation: Oliver Bernard); Collected Poems; Penguin; 1962. "The boy Jim roams the edgelands of the Thames (just as young Stevenson liked to 'go Crusoeing' in the wilds of Scotland)." Ian Thomson; The Old Buccaneers; Financial Times (London, UK); Mar 31, 2012. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****April 01, 2019***** Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Etiquette : : the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life; "… the Victorians saw the role of etiquette as something closer to a behavioral amulet capable of protecting one from the polluting forces of vulgarity and vice." — Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2018 two-piece : (noun) A woman's very brief bathing suit.; bikini; Kristen changed into her two-piece and jumped into the pool. Crusoe : noun: A castaway; a person who is isolated or without companionship. verb intr.: To be marooned; to survive or manage through one's ingenuity without outside help. ; "Your mad heart goes Crusoeing through all the romances ..." Arthur Rimbaud (Translation: Oliver Bernard); Collected Poems; Penguin; 1962. "The boy Jim roams the edgelands of the Thames (just as young Stevenson liked to 'go Crusoeing' in the wilds of Scotland)." Ian Thomson; The Old Buccaneers; Financial Times (London, UK); Mar 31, 2012. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****April 02, 2019***** Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." Hoodwink : : to deceive by false appearance : dupe; All would be wise to remember that we're especially likely to be hoodwinked on April Fools' Day. workaday : (adjective) Being a part of general human experience; ordinary.; everyday, mundane, quotidian, routine, unremarkable; Now and then, in this workaday world, things do happen in the delightful storybook fashion, and what a comfort it is. erose : adjective: Irregularly notched or jagged. ; "He looked to the west, a horizon as defined as the erose scars left by the shark." Rich Jackson; Guiding Daniel; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of erose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be. -Abraham Maslow, psychologist (1 Apr 1908-1970) *****April 03, 2019***** Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Fantod : 1 plural fantods a : a state of irritability and tension; The movie's graphic imagery gave me the fantods—I had to turn it off. demitasse : (noun) Small cup of strong black coffee without milk or cream.; cafe noir; He began to frequent another cafe, where more newspapers were taken and his postprandial demitasse cost him a penny extra. scow : noun: A flat-bottomed boat with square ends. ; "Small waves lapped over the scow edge." Jon Keller; Of Sea and Cloud; Tyrus Books; 2014. See more usage examples of scow in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous; it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men. -Emile Zola (2 Apr 1840-1902) *****April 05, 2019***** Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." Rowel : 1 : to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur; "He folded the book shut, touched his hat, moved to the wagon, and roweled the horses around." — Colum McCann, TransAtlantic, 2013 efface : (verb) Remove completely from recognition or memory.; obliterate; Allow me to propose a remedy, to efface the shame, and to render it as if not done. thew : noun: 1. Muscle or tendon. 2. Power; strength; vitality. ; "Alabama-born pro-slavery apologist Daniel Hundley noted: '... With hearts of oak and thews of steel, crouching to no man and fearing no danger ...'." Tommy Brown; "Of All the Hardy Sons of Toil": Class and Race in Antebellum Southcentral and Southeastern Alabama; Alabama Review (Montgomery); Jul 2015. "When I was in junior high, there was a television series with thirtysomethings playing adolescents. The channels crossing one character's forehead became iconic and, in imitation, I took the habit of raising my eyebrows. Many a shameful night preceding my high school years was spent working the thews of strained visages, gesturing furrows during imagined dialogues and reactions, anything to intensify the indentures athwart my forehead." Matthew Lancit; Diary; National Post (Canada); Sep 20, 2007. Thought For The Day: There are no persons capable of stooping so low as those who desire to rise in the world. -Lady Marguerite Blessington, writer (4 Apr 1789-1849) *****April 06, 2019***** Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." Brummagem : : not genuine : spurious; also : cheaply showy : tawdry; The members of the bachelorette party stumbled out of the limousine with the bride wearing a brummagem tiara and sash. flagellate : (verb) To whip or flog.; scourge; The prisoner was flagellated for his recent escape attempt. pelf : noun: Money or wealth, especially when acquired in a dishonorable manner. ; "It is not as if the sheikh is short of pelf. He paid $400 million-odd for the Ingham family's famed Australian racing and breeding operation." Craig Young; Sheikh's Newest Young Star May Be Headed for Bigger Things; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 28, 2011. See more usage examples of pelf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. -Verna Myers, author and speaker (b. 5 Apr 1960) *****April 07, 2019***** Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." Moiety : 1 a : one of two equal parts : half; "They came from the sea—these members of the Eagle moiety—paddling their ceremonial canoes, singing traditional songs. Waiting on the shore were members of the Raven moiety, counterparts to the Eagles in the traditional world of the Haida Indians." — Doug O'Harra, The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, 15 Sep. 1996 anchorite : (noun) A person who has retired into seclusion for religious reasons.; hermit; He lived in Paris more lonely than an anchorite in the deserts of Thebes. pelf : noun: Money or wealth, especially when acquired in a dishonorable manner. ; "It is not as if the sheikh is short of pelf. He paid $400 million-odd for the Ingham family's famed Australian racing and breeding operation." Craig Young; Sheikh's Newest Young Star May Be Headed for Bigger Things; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 28, 2011. See more usage examples of pelf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. -Verna Myers, author and speaker (b. 5 Apr 1960) *****April 08, 2019***** Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." Sashay : 1 : to make a chassé; "… our springs often seem more like a magical mystery tour than just another day on the calendar; life exploding out of the ground, flowers everywhere … ; the smell of freshly cut grass; a lighter step in a young man's foot, young women smiling for no reason at all as they sashay along Queen Street." — J. D. Reid, The Niagara-on-the-Lake Advance, 26 Mar. 2018 cloak-and-dagger : (adjective) Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods.; clandestine, hush-hush, undercover, underground, secret, surreptitious, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger; Action movies often feature spies involved in cloak-and-dagger operations. pelf : noun: Money or wealth, especially when acquired in a dishonorable manner. ; "It is not as if the sheikh is short of pelf. He paid $400 million-odd for the Ingham family's famed Australian racing and breeding operation." Craig Young; Sheikh's Newest Young Star May Be Headed for Bigger Things; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 28, 2011. See more usage examples of pelf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. -Verna Myers, author and speaker (b. 5 Apr 1960) *****April 09, 2019***** Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." Cerebral : 1 a : of or relating to the brain or the intellect; "All exercise is good for the brain. Physical activity increases cerebral blood flow, reduces brain-damaging plaques and works to promote brain health at a cellular level." — Marilynn Preston, The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 29 Jan. 2019 overplay : (verb) Exaggerate one's acting.; ham; The audience groaned as the actor overplayed his grief, beating his chest and wailing to the heavens. bred-in-the-bone : adjective: 1. Deep-rooted. 2. Habitual; inveterate. ; "Her bred-in-the-bone positivity has left its mark on her son." Ruth La Ferla; That Model in the Ad? She's Mom; The New York Times; Jan 17, 2019. Thought For The Day: Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 10, 2019***** Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." Opusculum : : a minor work (as of literature) — usually used in plural; The book is a collection of opuscula written by the author between her two major novels. follow-up : (noun) A subsequent examination of a patient for the purpose of monitoring earlier treatment.; reexamination, review; Heather hated going to the doctor, but she knew it was important to go to her follow-up and make sure everything was healing properly. ossify : verb tr., intr.: 1. To convert or change into bone. 2. To make or become rigid in thinking, attitudes, habits, etc. ; "Mikhail Ugarov and Elena Gremina, playwrights who were husband and wife, were lamenting that Russian theater had grown ossified and distant from society's problems." Sophia Kishkovsky; Moscow Theater Rebels, Husband and Wife, Are Dead; The New York Times; Jun 8, 2018. See more usage examples of ossify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Bad weather always looks worse through a window. -Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician (b. 9 Apr 1928) *****April 11, 2019***** Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." Parthian : 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient Parthia or its people; After being fired, the coach gave a Parthian shot to the general manager informing him that he was a churlish miser. overstate : (verb) To enlarge beyond bounds or the truth.; exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, overdraw, amplify; I don't want to overstate things, but I feel like if I don't eat a hamburger in the next five minutes I am going to die of hunger. bonehead : noun: A stupid person. adjective: Stupid; thoughtless. ; "Mr Bush is widely seen, abroad if not at home, as a bonehead with more brawn than brain." In Search of Monsters; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 20, 2003. See more usage examples of bonehead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure much. -William Hazlitt, essayist (10 Apr 1778-1830) *****April 12, 2019***** Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." Despot : 1 a : a ruler with absolute power and authority; "We like to think that, in a tyrannizing world, the best and the bravest thing is to beat the despots down. The worst thing, though, is that you become a tyrant yourself." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 24 July 2017 pitfall : (noun) An unsuspected difficulty or danger.; booby trap; She's like a gentle little doe feeding on lilies—she doesn't dream of the pitfalls ahead of her. Jell-O : noun: 1. A dessert made from gelatin, sugar, and fruit flavoring. 2. Something soft and wiggly. ; "Ryan Longwel said: ... it's too hard to make a kick when your legs are Jell-O." Mark Craig; On the NFL; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Nov 20, 2016. See more usage examples of Jell-O in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways to slide easily through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both ways save us from thinking. -Theodore Rubin, psychiatrist and writer (11 Apr 1923-2019) *****April 13, 2019***** Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Thole : chiefly dialectal : endure; "There was now temptation to resist, as well as pain to thole." — Robert Louis Stevenson, Kidnapped, 1886 fecundity : (noun) The quality of something that causes or assists healthy growth.; fruitfulness; The island is famous for its fecundity and exports tropical fruits to countries around the globe. bareboned : adjective: Lean; spare; gaunt. ; "It's possible that we are witnessing a transition of communication, an evolution of the English language from a complex system of grammatical structure to a more basic, bareboned approach to writing." Mike Cottrill; Proper Communications Skills a Key to Success; Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Canada); Apr 16, 2012. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 14, 2019***** Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." Cubit : : any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters); The teacher explained that the ancient Egyptians did not measure things in feet and yards as we do but rather calculated measurements using the cubit. devotee : (noun) An ardent follower and admirer.; buff, lover, fan; He became a devotee of the moving-picture shows, spending as much as twenty and thirty cents a day and resolutely sitting out every repetition of program. bareboned : adjective: Lean; spare; gaunt. ; "It's possible that we are witnessing a transition of communication, an evolution of the English language from a complex system of grammatical structure to a more basic, bareboned approach to writing." Mike Cottrill; Proper Communications Skills a Key to Success; Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Canada); Apr 16, 2012. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 15, 2019***** Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." Veritable : : being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary — often used to stress the aptness of a metaphor; "The availability of movies and TV shows on streaming services is a veritable merry-go-round these days, with so many titles coming and going that it's hard to keep things straight." — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, 29 July 2016 will-o%27-the-wisp : (noun) A pale light sometimes seen at night over marshy ground.; friar's lantern, ignis fatuus, jack-o'-lantern; The white face of a dying man seemed suddenly to have floated up out of the darkness, to have come to him like a will-o'-the-wisp from the swamp. bareboned : adjective: Lean; spare; gaunt. ; "It's possible that we are witnessing a transition of communication, an evolution of the English language from a complex system of grammatical structure to a more basic, bareboned approach to writing." Mike Cottrill; Proper Communications Skills a Key to Success; Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Canada); Apr 16, 2012. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 16, 2019***** Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." Katzenjammer : 1 : hangover; "I drank too much that night and woke up submerged in a post-wine katzenjammer the next morning. My head was buzzing, and every fiber of my body slowly shriveled and wilted as the alcohol exited it." — Mac Lethal, Texts from Bennett, 2013 starchy : (adjective) Rigidly formal.; buckram, stiff; Though I often poke fun at the butler's starchy manner, I secretly love the formality and sophistication he brings to my everyday life. bibliotaph or bibliotaphe : noun: One who hoards books. ; "A more pertinent example of the morbid bibliotaph is recorded by Blades; this was the late Sir Thomas Phillipps, of Middle Hill, who acquired *bibliographical treasures simply to bury them*. He bought books by the library, crammed his mansion with them, and *never even saw what he had bought*." Holbrook Jackson; The Anatomy of Bibliomania; University of Illinois Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests, and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (1743-1826) *****April 17, 2019***** Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." Shanghai : 1 a : to put aboard a ship by force often with the help of liquor or a drug ; Nate was shanghaied by his sister into helping her sell shirts at the lacrosse tournament after her friend bailed out. lampblack : (noun) A black colloidal substance consisting wholly or principally of amorphous carbon and used to make pigments and ink.; crock, smut, soot; Our pilgrims would have liked very well to get out their lampblack and stencil-plates and paint their names on that rock. bouquiniste or bouquinist : noun: A dealer in old and used books. ; "Heywood Hill's boxes of books, with their blue-and-white address labels, still offer year-round bounty to customers all over the world, but competition from Amazon, an online bookseller, has forced the fashionable bouquiniste to reinvent itself. Under its new owner, Mitford's nephew the Duke of Devonshire, it has quietly become a leading purveyor of bespoke libraries." For the Person Who Has Everything; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 20, 2014. Thought For The Day: Did you know that the worldwide food shortage that threatens up to five hundred million children could be alleviated at the cost of only one day, only ONE day, of modern warfare. -Peter Ustinov, actor, writer, and director (16 Apr 1921-2004) *****April 18, 2019***** Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." Gullible : : easily duped or cheated; "I'm not so gullible as to think I really won this cash sweepstakes," said Aunt Mary, though she went ahead and opened the envelope that told her she had won, just in case it wasn't a scam. dolorous : (adjective) Marked by or exhibiting sorrow, grief, or pain.; lachrymose, weeping, tearful; She always speaks with a wailing, dolorous voice—you are nervously expecting her to burst into tears every moment. florilegium : noun: A compilation of excerpts; anthology. ; "I was intrigued to find a florilegium of Romantic poetry tucked under a pot of hide glue and was about to settle in to read when I heard a roar of outrage." Deanna Raybourn; A Curious Beginning; Berkeley; 2015. See more usage examples of florilegium in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The cure for anything is salt water -- sweat, tears, or the sea. -Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (17 Apr 1885-1962) *****April 19, 2019***** Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." Adversary : : one that contends with, opposes, or resists : an enemy or opponent; Despite the fact that they have been political adversaries for years, the two state senators worked together to rally bipartisan support for the bill. cogwheel : (noun) A toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion.; gear; Wheels began to revolve faster and faster, levers and cogwheels to work, chimes to play, figures to pop out, and the hands to advance with regular motion. bibliolater : noun: 1. One with extreme devotion to books. 2. One having excessive devotion to the Bible, especially to its literal interpretation. ; "Well trained in the best American scholarly library, and a true bibliolater, [Danile Willard Fiske] was equally well equipped to establish Cornell's Library." Morris Bishop; A History of Cornell; Cornell University Press; 2014. "Regular readers know that I am no bibliolater. But the remedy I'm talking about is from the Bible." Tom Harpur; The Psalms Are Healing Tonic for an Ailing Spirit; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 14, 1996. Thought For The Day: Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2019***** Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." Ecstatic : : of, relating to, or marked by ecstasy; Greta and Paul were ecstatic when their daughter called to tell them that they were soon going to be grandparents. calque : (noun) An expression introduced into one language by translating it from another language.; loan translation; "Superman" is a calque for the German "Ubermensch." pandect : noun: 1. A complete body of the laws of a country, organization, etc. 2. A comprehensive treatise on a subject. ; "Families were told that students at the near 100-percent African-American elementary school would not be allowed to 'wear outlandish hairstyles in school,' as mandated by the improved Saint Rose manual on student pandect." Michael J. Rochon; School Bans 'Afro' Hairdos; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Dec 1, 2000. "The Queen Mother's death cannot have taken him by surprise, yet, [Andrew Motion] says, he resisted the urge to have his pandect on the national grief written and ready to roll the moment Peter Sissons chose his mauve tie." Adam Newey; A Turnip Writes; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 14, 2002. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 21, 2019***** Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." Propitious : 1 : favorably disposed : benevolent; With the economy emerging from a recession, it was a propitious time to invest in a start-up. remodel : (verb) Do over, as of (part of) a house.; redo, reconstruct; We were on a tight budget and bought the fixer-upper knowing that it would take us years to completely remodel the house. pandect : noun: 1. A complete body of the laws of a country, organization, etc. 2. A comprehensive treatise on a subject. ; "Families were told that students at the near 100-percent African-American elementary school would not be allowed to 'wear outlandish hairstyles in school,' as mandated by the improved Saint Rose manual on student pandect." Michael J. Rochon; School Bans 'Afro' Hairdos; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Dec 1, 2000. "The Queen Mother's death cannot have taken him by surprise, yet, [Andrew Motion] says, he resisted the urge to have his pandect on the national grief written and ready to roll the moment Peter Sissons chose his mauve tie." Adam Newey; A Turnip Writes; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 14, 2002. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 22, 2019***** Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." Resurrection : 1 a (capitalized Resurrection) : the rising of Christ from the dead; "After the ceremony was concluded upon the present occasion, I felt all the easier…. [All] the days I should now live would be as good as the days that Lazarus lived after his resurrection; a supplementary clean gain of so many months or weeks as the case might be." — Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851 hamartia : (noun) The character flaw or error of a tragic hero that leads to his downfall.; tragic flaw; Many a noble literary character has been brought low by his hamartia. pandect : noun: 1. A complete body of the laws of a country, organization, etc. 2. A comprehensive treatise on a subject. ; "Families were told that students at the near 100-percent African-American elementary school would not be allowed to 'wear outlandish hairstyles in school,' as mandated by the improved Saint Rose manual on student pandect." Michael J. Rochon; School Bans 'Afro' Hairdos; Philadelphia Tribune (Pennsylvania); Dec 1, 2000. "The Queen Mother's death cannot have taken him by surprise, yet, [Andrew Motion] says, he resisted the urge to have his pandect on the national grief written and ready to roll the moment Peter Sissons chose his mauve tie." Adam Newey; A Turnip Writes; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 14, 2002. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 23, 2019***** Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." Intoxicate : 1 : poison; "But, even as a child, [George] Benjamin preferred classical music: Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring,' Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain,' Dukas's 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice,' and Beethoven above all. He was 'intoxicated by music,' he told me, noting, 'If I had an afternoon off, I would spend it looking at scores, practicing the piano, writing music….'" — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 17 Sept. 2018 silver-tongued : (adjective) Having or exhibiting the power of fluent and persuasive speech.; eloquent, smooth-spoken, fluent, facile; The silver-tongued politician trounced his opponent in the debate and earned enthusiastic applause from his supporters. Adonis : noun: An exceptionally handsome young man. ; "New to the Big Apple, the last thing Lexie Bloom needs is to fall for two guys at once. Especially when she can't have either. One is her personal trainer, an Adonis way out of her league. The other? A Brit Lit professor her svelte boss insists she woo for her -- via text message, no less. Little does she know, the two are the same man." Jolyse Barnet; Text Me, Maybe; Entangled* Publishing; 2016. *[An English lit prof. who moonlights as a personal trainer... entangled indeed. -Ed.] See more usage examples of Adonis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed. -Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (22 Apr 1914-2002) *****April 24, 2019***** Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." Inexorable : : not to be persuaded, moved, or stopped : relentless; "The question is, what is Nashville anymore, if not gritty joints that nurtured musicians and songwriters? Yes, change is the inexorable constant, but at such an accelerated pace, we are seeing the fabric of Nashville culture being ripped away and replaced with the glitz not of rhinestones, but of klieg lights and slick outsiders spoiling for a deal." — Jim Myers, The Nashville Ledger, 1 Mar. 2019 neaten : (verb) Put (things or places) in order.; clean up, square away, tidy, straighten; My mother insists that I neaten up my room and put my toys away before bed every night. Croesus : noun: A very wealthy person. ; "Fiona Bruce nods her way through an exclusive interview with the third richest man in the world. Among the revelations divulged by this corduroy Croesus are, 'it's a competitive business' and, shatteringly, 'I love to read.' Far better value are Gates' spry cronies, their testimonies revealing a nerdish tyrant who, having successfully ctrl+alt+deleted generations of business rivals, is apparently now determined to 'win a Nobel peace prize'." Sarah Dempster; Television: Watch This; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 20, 2008. See more usage examples of Croesus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Somehow, I don't think Jesus came to Earth to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange. -Michael Moore, filmmaker and author (b. 23 Apr 1954) *****April 25, 2019***** Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Writhe : 1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns; Kelly watched the earthworm writhe across the driveway and toward the garden. pitchy : (adjective) Of the blackest black; similar to the color of jet or coal.; sooty; The cavern was lighted for an instant…and then immediately returned to pitchy darkness rendered thicker by the smoke. fortean : adjective: Relating to paranormal phenomena. ; "[Participants] will learn about legendary hauntings, local fortean folklore, and recent accounts of paranormal activity in the city." Erin Heffernan; The Best Events for Halloweekend 2013; The Marquette Tribune (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Oct 31, 2013. Thought For The Day: In the end, the poem is not a thing we see; it is, rather, a light by which we may see--and what we see is life. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 26, 2019***** Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." Nonpareil : : having no equal; The chef is well-known for his mastery at creating savory entrées, but it is his dessert creations that are nonpareil. substandard : (adjective) Falling short of some prescribed norm.; deficient, inferior; Substandard housing endangers the welfare of residents. Apollo : noun: A strikingly handsome young man. ; "[Billy] is an Apollo, filled with goodness and innocence." R.M. Campbell; This 'Billy' Voyages into the Extraordinary; Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington); Jan 15, 2001. See more usage examples of Apollo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas. -Linus Pauling, chemist, peace activist, author, educator; Nobel Prize in chemistry, Nobel Peace Prize (1901-1994) *****April 27, 2019***** Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." Putsch : : a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government; The graduate-level seminar focuses on the events surrounding the August 1991 putsch against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. headliner : (noun) A performer who receives prominent billing.; star; My sister moved to New York with dreams of becoming a headliner on Broadway. Zoilus : noun: A harsh critic. ; "Because Frost is such a master, one feels like a Zoilus in pointing out these slight slips." Robert Faggen; The Cambridge Companion to Robert Frost; Cambridge University Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 28, 2019***** Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Logy : : sluggish, groggy; I was feeling logy after eating such a big meal, so I decided to take a brief nap. upstart : (noun) A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class.; arriviste, nouveau-riche, parvenu; He is an upstart, a man of no name, who will only be the tool of a party in France. Thought For The Day: I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 29, 2019***** Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Resuscitate : 1 : to revive from apparent death or from unconsciousness; also : revitalize; Christine took a CPR class to learn how to resuscitate victims of heart attacks, near drowning, and other medical emergencies. indispose : (verb) Make unwilling.; disincline; I did not wish to indispose him still further by an appearance of marked curiosity. Zoilus : noun: A harsh critic. ; "Because Frost is such a master, one feels like a Zoilus in pointing out these slight slips." Robert Faggen; The Cambridge Companion to Robert Frost; Cambridge University Press; 2001. Thought For The Day: I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 30, 2019***** Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Accolade : 1 a : a mark of acknowledgment : award; "Black Panther has become the No. 1 movie of the year in North America ($700 million) and No. 2 worldwide ($1.35 billion) and has earned a slew of accolades including Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations." — Joi Childs, Hollywoodreporter.com, 7 Jan. 2019 inactivate : (verb) Release from military service or remove from the active list of military service.; demobilize; My leg injury was so severe that my superior officer was forced to inactivate me. Haussmannize : verb tr.: To redevelop or rebuild an area, especially on a massive scale. ; "In addition to monumentalizing himself, [Juan] Balaguer also aimed to Haussmannize the traditional hearths of urban resistance. His principal target was the huge low-income upper town area of Sabana Perdida, northeast of the city center." Mike Davis; Planet of Slums; Verso; 2007. Thought For The Day: This world is divided roughly into three kinds of nations: those that spend lots of money to keep their weight down; those whose people eat to live; and those whose people don't know where their next meal is coming from. -David S. Landes, author, professor of economics and history (29 Apr 1924-2013) *****May 01, 2019***** Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." Circadian : : being, having, characterized by, or occurring in approximately 24-hour periods or cycles (as of biological activity or function); The presence and absence of light can greatly influence an organism's circadian rhythms. brigand : (noun) An armed thief who is (usually) a member of a band.; bandit; You looked more like a brigand than an honest man, with your beard six inches, and your hair a foot long. MacGyver : verb tr.: To improvise an ingenious solution using whatever is available at hand. ; "Check out our suggestions of how to MacGyver a few starter snacks from leftovers you might have from Christmas Day." Myffy Rigby; Hit a New Year's Eve Bullseye at Home; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Dec 27, 2016. "So in the mid-2000s, scientists began to MacGyver a telescope out of previously existing infrastructure." Sarah Kaplan & Joel Achenbach; A New Horizon; The Washington Post; Apr 11, 2019. Thought For The Day: Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 02, 2019***** Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." Valetudinarian : : a person of a weak or sickly constitution; especially : one whose chief concern is his or her ill health; "Dukakis succeeds by balancing the over-the-top comedy with the right dose of realism. His Argan is at once exaggerated and recognizably human…. Paranoid about his health, this classic valetudinarian is really scared of dying alone and unloved." — Charles McNulty, The Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2016 dramaturgy : (noun) The art of writing and producing plays.; dramatics, theater; I know that you plan to become a novelist, but your dialogue is so sharp and witty that you may want to consider dramaturgy. pasteurize : verb tr.: To heat or irradiate something just long enough to kill pathogenic microorganisms. ; "Most pickles you find in a grocery store are pasteurized, making the product shelf stable without refrigeration for up to two years." Nina Misuraca Ignaczak; The Center of the Pickleverse; Crain's Detroit Business (Michigan); Apr 8, 2019. "[Wessex Water] now pasteurises its sewage and sells it as fertiliser." The Money in Europe's Muck; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 20, 1993. See more usage examples of pasteurize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed, no matter which side he's on. -Joseph Heller, novelist (1 May 1923-1999) *****May 03, 2019***** Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Prodigious : 1 : resembling or befitting a prodigy : strange, unusual; "Along with John Ashbery, his elder by two months, Mr. Merwin was one of the defining American poets of his generation, a prodigious and prolific talent who wrote two dozen books of poetry as well as story collections, memoirs, plays and acclaimed translations." — Harrison Smith, The Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2019 funereal : (adjective) Suited to or suggestive of a grave or burial.; sepulchral; The bed and chamber were so funereal and gloomy, you might have fancied, not only that Lady Crawley died in the room, but that her ghost inhabited it. Disneyfy : verb tr.: 1. To sanitize, romanticize, or simplify something to make it more palatable for mass consumption. 2. To turn something of historical or cultural importance into trivial entertainment. ; "One of my biggest problems with human meat consumption is the perverted way we collude in sanitising and Disneyfying it: those boards outside butcher's shops in which a smiley pig in a striped apron and hat holds aloft a tray of chops. He's thrilled to be serving up himself, see! WTF is all that about? Take the national outcry when Marcus, a school lamb raised by children, was slaughtered and his meat shoved in the school raffle. This is traumatising, said parents. Children should be protected from such brutal reality. Why? Everyone who eats meat should be required to visit a slaughterhouse and then if they still want to eat it at least it's an informed decision." Carol Midgley; Don't Hate Me Because I Refuse to Eat Meat; The Times (London, UK); Nov 19, 2013. "An international headhunt to find an archaeologist able to entice more tourists to the Colosseum, the Forum, and Palatine Hill has prompted a furious reaction from critics who fear the sites will be Disneyfied." Tom Kington; Anger over Plans to Disneyfy the Colosseum; The Australian (Sydney); Jan 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen. -Jerome K. Jerome, humorist and playwright (2 May 1859-1927) *****May 04, 2019***** Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Asperity : 1 : roughness of manner or of temper : harshness of behavior or speech that expresses bitterness or anger; When Shelia asked Roger to make a contribution, he glared and said with asperity, "I already contributed—thank you." expedite : (verb) Speed up the progress of; facilitate.; hasten; I will do all I can to expedite the processing of your paperwork, but it could still take over a week for your application to be approved. macadamize : verb tr.: To construct or pave a road with small, broken stones bound with asphalt or tar. ; "[Mark] Twain himself was an early advocate for bicycle transport; for example, he's quoted in an 1895 edition of Portland's Oregonian suggesting the city macadamize its streets, purchase bicycles, and rent them out to citizens." Fletcher Moore Twain's Bike Lessons; Poets & Writers (New York); Sep/Oct 2011. See more usage examples of macadamize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2019***** Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Hypermnesia : : abnormally vivid or complete memory or recall of the past; "Imagine being able to recall anything you've ever dreamt, tasted or read. That's the reality for a woman with a rare condition which means she can remember virtually every single detail of her life—even being able to recite all the Harry Potter books word-for-word. Rebecca Sharrock is one of just 80 people worldwide who have been identified as having … hypermnesia." — Erin Cardiff, The Mirror, 6 Oct. 2015 peddler : (noun) Someone who travels about selling his wares (as on the streets or at carnivals).; hawker, packman, pitchman; He used to tramp the countryside so far and so long that his father would say he feared his son was born to be nothing better than a wandering peddler. macadamize : verb tr.: To construct or pave a road with small, broken stones bound with asphalt or tar. ; "[Mark] Twain himself was an early advocate for bicycle transport; for example, he's quoted in an 1895 edition of Portland's Oregonian suggesting the city macadamize its streets, purchase bicycles, and rent them out to citizens." Fletcher Moore Twain's Bike Lessons; Poets & Writers (New York); Sep/Oct 2011. See more usage examples of macadamize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 06, 2019***** Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Trivial : 1 a : of little worth or importance; "A paper published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology examined how pettiness—being intentionally attentive to trivial details—affects relationships and the way people perceive one another." — Jamie Ducharme, Time, 6 Aug. 2018 decennium : (noun) A period of 10 years.; decade; The past decennium has seen many technological advances, but I sometimes wonder if humanity would have been better off without them. macadamize : verb tr.: To construct or pave a road with small, broken stones bound with asphalt or tar. ; "[Mark] Twain himself was an early advocate for bicycle transport; for example, he's quoted in an 1895 edition of Portland's Oregonian suggesting the city macadamize its streets, purchase bicycles, and rent them out to citizens." Fletcher Moore Twain's Bike Lessons; Poets & Writers (New York); Sep/Oct 2011. See more usage examples of macadamize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 07, 2019***** Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." Ephemeral : 1 : lasting a very short time; The young YouTube star's fame was ephemeral but surprisingly lucrative while it lasted. witticism : (noun) A remark or expression characterized by cleverness in perception and choice of words.; quip, sally, pun, one-liner, riposte, pleasantry, repartee, epigram, bon mot; They received his witticism with a piercing shriek of laughter. legionnaire : noun: A member of a legion (a group of soldiers or former soldiers). ; "We got the enemy in our sight, we say let's take him out. We vomit violent rhetoric like drunken legionnaires. To the victims of this tragedy we send our thoughts and prayers." Roy Zimmerman; Thoughts and Prayers; 2018. (lyrics; video 3.5 min.) See more usage examples of legionnaire in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Just as a cautious businessman avoids tying up all his capital in one concern, so, perhaps, worldly wisdom will advise us not to look for the whole of our satisfaction from a single aspiration. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 08, 2019***** Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Links : 1 Scotland : sand hills especially along the seashore; "Now that spring is here, it means that it's once again time for golfers to hit the links." — Jonathan Saxon, The Herald (Dubois County, Indiana), 27 Mar. 2019 lamentation : (noun) A cry of sorrow and grief.; wail, plaint; It was pitiful to see him press his throat with his fat hand to keep from bursting into sobs and lamentations. moribund : adjective: 1. Nearing death. 2. Stagnant; lacking vigor or vitality. ; "But even as all things are dying, one event can steer The moribund toward more abundant cheer." Roy Zimmerman; Christma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa; 2006. (lyrics; video, 2.5 min) See more usage examples of moribund in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart; and where the old tracks are lost, new country is revealed with its wonders. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 09, 2019***** Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Muse : 1 : to become absorbed in thought; especially : to think about something carefully and thoroughly; "On Twitter and Instagram, he's been acting like a moody teenager, posting photos of himself staring at scenic natural landscapes and musing about the nature of time itself." — Jacob Shamsian, Insider, 25 Mar. 2019 step-down : (noun) A reduction in amount or size.; diminution, decrease; Having just declared bankruptcy, Lester admitted that his grand plans for renovating his kitchen needed a drastic step-down. carny or carney or carnie : noun: 1. A person who works in a carnival. 2. A carnival: a traveling amusement show. 3. The jargon used by carnival workers. ; "I'm the huddled masses. I'm the amber waves of the green. I'm the toothless carny in the shooting gallery at the county fair." Roy Zimmerman; I Approve This Message; 2008. (lyrics; video, 4 min.) Thought For The Day: The buck stops here. -Harry Truman, 33rd US president (8 May 1884-1972) *****May 10, 2019***** Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Stratagem : 1 a : an artifice or trick in war for deceiving and outwitting the enemy; As a stratagem to get the kids to do their chores, Melissa persuaded them to have a race to see which child could finish first. forbearance : (noun) Good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence.; longanimity, patience; Nevertheless, his army rebelled in Spain; this arose from nothing but his too great forbearance, which gave his soldiers more license than is consistent with military discipline. nanny state : noun: A government regarded as having an excessive interest in the welfare of its citizens, as evidenced by public health measures, safety regulations, etc. ; "Like Teddy 'Pinko' Roosevelt That guy was talking about universal healthcare. You're a taxin', appropriatin', regulatin' nanny-statin' Socialist!" Roy Zimmerman; Socialist; 2008. (lyrics; video, 4 min.) Thought For The Day: Life is a long lesson in humility. -James M. Barrie, novelist, short-story writer, and playwright (9 May 1860-1937) *****May 11, 2019***** Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Footle : 1 : to talk or act foolishly; "A very British invention…, the steam locomotive, derived as it was from [George] Stephenson's nippy Rocket machine on parallel tracks, and the experiments of a young boy called James Watt, who footled about with a spoon in the steam from his aunt's kettle." — John Lewis-Stempel, The Express Online (U.K.), 5 Aug. 2018 satiate : (verb) Fill to satisfaction.; replete, sate, fill; There is enough cake to satiate all of our party guests. inveigle : verb tr.: To get something or to persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery. ; "Now I know, that's illegal. But a woman should be one of as many wives as her husband can inveigle." Roy Zimmerman; I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible; 2010. (lyrics; video, 5 min.) See more usage examples of inveigle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960) *****May 12, 2019***** Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Incipient : : beginning to come into being or to become apparent; "I read the motive as being dictated by the necessity of stifling an incipient scandal in order to protect the magic of the marketplace." — James Baldwin, The Evidence of Things Not Seen, 1985 long-suffering : (adjective) Patiently bearing continual wrongs or trouble.; enduring; It called to him across that leagues-wide savannah, and was like a benediction to his long-suffering, pain racked spirit. inveigle : verb tr.: To get something or to persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery. ; "Now I know, that's illegal. But a woman should be one of as many wives as her husband can inveigle." Roy Zimmerman; I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible; 2010. (lyrics; video, 5 min.) See more usage examples of inveigle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960) *****May 13, 2019***** Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Darling : 1 : a dearly loved person; The youngest of three children, he was always his parents' little darling. wrapper : (noun) A loose dressing gown for women.; housecoat, negligee, peignoir; She wore a faded old wrapper, and her gray hair was decidedly untidy. inveigle : verb tr.: To get something or to persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery. ; "Now I know, that's illegal. But a woman should be one of as many wives as her husband can inveigle." Roy Zimmerman; I Want a Marriage Like They Had in the Bible; 2010. (lyrics; video, 5 min.) See more usage examples of inveigle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is more malleable than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape. -Bono, musician and social activist (b. 10 May 1960) *****May 14, 2019***** Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Regale : 1 : to entertain sumptuously : to feast with delicacies; "Mickelson regaled the 1,000 or so spectators at Monday's trophy ceremony on the 18th green by sharing how his late grandfather, Al Santos, was an original caddie here when Pebble Beach opened 100 years ago." — Cam Inman, The East Bay Times (Walnut Creek, California), 11 Feb. 2019 ill-gotten : (adjective) Obtained illegally or by improper means.; dirty; There is a proverb which says that ill-gotten gains never prosper, and the Prince found that the stolen ring brought him ill-luck after all. hermaphrodite : noun:1. An animal or plant having both male and female reproductive organs.  2. Someone or something having opposite qualities or characteristics. adjective:1. Having both male and female reproductive organs.  2. Having opposite qualities or characteristics. ; "To happy music, pretty boys, girls, and hermaphrodites performed a weird group dance on stage." Regina Glei; Dome Child; CreateSpace; 2011. "Balzac described Natty Bumppo, Cooper's half-white Christian, half-Indian hero, known by his Indian name of Hawkeye, as 'a magnificent moral hermaphrodite, between the savage and civilized states'." David Burke; Writers in Paris; Counterpoint; 2008. See more usage examples of hermaphrodite in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten. -Daphne du Maurier, novelist (13 May 1907-1989) *****May 15, 2019***** Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Borne : : transported or transmitted by — used in combination; "By 2050, half the world's population could be at risk of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever or the Zika virus, new research suggests." — Chelsea Harvey, Scientific American, 7 Mar. 2019 recline : (verb) Lean in a comfortable resting position.; recumb, repose; After a particularly stressful day at work, Paige was eager to get into pajamas, recline on her couch, and watch TV. meeple : noun: A game piece shaped in a stylized human form. ; "In 'Five Tribes', players maneuver wooden meeples around the board, with each meeple having a special power." Jenn Bartlett; Introducing Euro Games; Library Journal (New York); Feb 15, 2018. Thought For The Day: Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) *****May 16, 2019***** Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Glitch : 1 a : a usually minor malfunction; also : an unexpected defect, fault, flaw, or imperfection  ; The festival had an excellent lineup of performers, and the few glitches with the sound system did not seriously detract from the overall quality of the entertainment. bugaboo : (noun) An imaginary monster used to frighten children.; bogeyman, booger, bugbear; For me no terrors resided in the thought of bugaboos and wicked ogres. cremains : noun: Ashes remaining after cremation of a body. ; "If the ever-soaring price of condos in New York City has your head spinning, wait until you shop for a cemetery plot. ... Basic cemetery plots across the five boroughs now generally cost $4,500 to $19,000, not including hefty fees for foundations, interments, and maintenance. ... An in-ground plot for cremains at Cypress Hills Cemetery in Brooklyn is only two square feet and starts at $1,200." Jane Margolies; Property for the Afterlife; The New York Times; Mar 17, 2019. [Or simply donate your your body to science and organs to people. -Ed.] See more usage examples of cremains in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991) *****May 17, 2019***** Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. Countermand : 1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order; "Although the Special Counsel regulations may not permit the Acting Attorney General to countermand certain decisions made by the Special Counsel, the Special Counsel remains subject to the Acting Attorney General's plenary supervision." — Jennifer Rubin, The Washington Post Blogs, 13 Aug. 2018 well-timed : (adjective) Done or happening at the appropriate or proper time.; seasonable, timely; When there were quarrels, his kindly smile and well-timed jests reconciled the antagonists. shero : noun: A woman admired for her courage, achievements, or noble qualities. ; "When I met you in New York, you were my shero. I wanted to be you." Brandyn Barbara Artis; Running Barefoot in Paris; Xlibris; 2011. Thought For The Day: As a general truth, communities prosper and flourish, or droop and decline, in just the degree that they practise or neglect to practise the primary duties of justice and humanity. -William Henry Seward, Secretary of State, Governor, and Senator (16 May 1801-1872) *****May 18, 2019***** Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Palimpsest : 1 : writing material (such as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased; "Among those handwritten manuscripts are 130 that have additional secrets: They are palimpsests, documents in which the original text was erased and written over, the parchment considered more valuable than the text." — Sarah Laskow, Atlas Obscura, 29 Aug. 2017 clamorous : (adjective) Conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry.; strident, vociferous, blatant; The clamorous din of voices filled the air, and the judge was unable to restore order and quiet in his courtroom for some time. prissy : adjective: Overly prim and precise so as to appear prudish or finicky. ; "Lucius Malfoy is the boastful and prissy aristocrat who keeps peacocks in his garden and always sits in the best box at the Quidditch World Cup." Janet Albrechtsen; The Trouble Is That Neither Has the Magic; The Australian (Canberra, Australia); Jul 12, 2017. See more usage examples of prissy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2019***** Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Tenacious : 1 a : not easily pulled apart : cohesive; Once Linda has decided on a course of action, she can be very tenacious when it comes to seeing it through. consanguineous : (adjective) Related by blood.; kin, cognate; Howard felt like an outsider in his adoptive family, as if he were somehow intruding on their consanguineous unit. prissy : adjective: Overly prim and precise so as to appear prudish or finicky. ; "Lucius Malfoy is the boastful and prissy aristocrat who keeps peacocks in his garden and always sits in the best box at the Quidditch World Cup." Janet Albrechtsen; The Trouble Is That Neither Has the Magic; The Australian (Canberra, Australia); Jul 12, 2017. See more usage examples of prissy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 20, 2019***** Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." abductor : (noun) Someone who unlawfully seizes and detains a victim (usually for ransom).; kidnapper, snatcher; Until dark the Englishman searched the nearby jungle for a trace of the missing one or a sign of the trail of her abductor. prissy : adjective: Overly prim and precise so as to appear prudish or finicky. ; "Lucius Malfoy is the boastful and prissy aristocrat who keeps peacocks in his garden and always sits in the best box at the Quidditch World Cup." Janet Albrechtsen; The Trouble Is That Neither Has the Magic; The Australian (Canberra, Australia); Jul 12, 2017. See more usage examples of prissy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 21, 2019***** Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." Remittance : 1 a : a sum of money remitted; "PayPal has everything it needs to send money to friends or family or to pay bills, even across borders. Its acquisition of Xoom in 2015 gave it a strong position in digital remittance." — Adam Levy, The Motley Fool, 14 Dec. 2018 luster : (noun) The visual property of something that shines with reflected light.; sheen, shininess; Distant masses of plants and flowers, mingled in ever-varying forms of beauty, are touched by the melancholy luster of the rising moon. amuse-gueule : noun: A small item of food served as an appetizer. ; "To get things going, we were served an amuse-gueule of cauliflower mousse in cups." Gloria Deutsch; Wine, Food, and Art; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Apr 19, 2019. Thought For The Day: A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist (20 May 1806-1873) *****May 22, 2019***** Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." Pungle : 1 : to make a payment or contribution of (money) — usually used with up; Residents have been pungling up to send their little league team to the national championship; donations can be made via credit card or PayPal on the town’s Sports and Recreation website. pommel : (verb) Strike, usually with the fist.; biff; Arthur now uses the school's back entrance because bullies are often loitering in the front, waiting to pommel him in the face. skitterbrook : noun: A coward. ; "The royal skitterbrook's advice to the remnants of his army, still holding out in castles and towns along the borders, was terse and characteristic: 'Let each man look to himself. Expect no help from me.'" Thomas B. Costain; The Conquerors; Doubleday; 1949. Thought For The Day: A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744) *****May 23, 2019***** Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." go-between : (noun) A negotiator who acts as a link between parties.; intercessor, intermediary, mediator; A skilled go-between can prove invaluable to businesses when negotiations become hostile or contentious. cache-sexe : noun: A small garment to cover the genitals. ; "She oscillated listlessly in nothing but a spangled brassiere and a sequin-covered cache-sexe the shape of a heart." Peter Ustinov; Loser; Heinemann; 1961. Thought For The Day: I should dearly love that the world should be ever so little better for my presence. Even on this small stage we have our two sides, and something might be done by throwing all one's weight on the scale of breadth, tolerance, charity, temperance, peace, and kindliness to man and beast. We can't all strike very big blows, and even the little ones count for something. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 24, 2019***** Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." Scavenger : 1 chiefly British : a person employed to remove dirt and refuse from streets; My uncle, a habitual scavenger and clever handyman, found a broken exercise machine left on the curb and fixed it so that it works again. coterie : (noun) An exclusive circle of people with a common purpose.; clique, ingroup, camp, pack; This little coterie of friends was composed of seven famous men, who possessed many talents in common, being poets and musicians, alchemists, philosophers, and mostly hard drinkers as well. scaldabanco : noun: A fiery speaker, especially a preacher. ; "A hot scaldabanco ... verjuicing his sermon with every fright he could, he spit his wrath and spanked the vices of his age without a break or breath." Alexander Theroux; Darconville's Cat; Doubleday; 1981. Thought For The Day: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2019***** Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Apposite : : highly pertinent or appropriate : apt; Before sending the final draft of his novel to his editor, Lyle searched for an apposite quotation that could serve as the book's epigraph. minatory : (adjective) Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.; menacing, ominous, sinister, baleful, forbidding; Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look. gainpain : noun: 1. A long thick glove: gauntlet. 2. A hired soldier: mercenary. ; "The gainpain was a glove, at first of steel and later of leather, for the right hand." The Connoisseur; Nat Mags; 1928. Thought For The Day: A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter (b. 24 May 1941) *****May 26, 2019***** Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Disparage : 1 : to depreciate by indirect means (such as invidious comparison) : to speak slightingly about; "In the early 1990s the president of newly independent Estonia gave a speech in Hamburg. In it, he disparaged the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states. A little-known Russian official was so outraged that he stormed out. It was Vladimir Putin." — The Economist, 2 Feb. 2019 deadening : (adjective) So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.; boring, ho-hum, irksome, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dull, slow; He envied Joe, down in the village,… fantastically and gloriously drunk and forgetful of Monday morning and the week of deadening toil to come. gainpain : noun: 1. A long thick glove: gauntlet. 2. A hired soldier: mercenary. ; "The gainpain was a glove, at first of steel and later of leather, for the right hand." The Connoisseur; Nat Mags; 1928. Thought For The Day: A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter (b. 24 May 1941) *****May 27, 2019***** Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Yen : : a strong desire or propensity; also : urge, craving; "Charlie Partin grew up in the Florida Panhandle, lived for 20 years in New Port Richey, leaving his mark as an architect and an artist, before following a yen to create sculptures in the rolling hills of southeast Nebraska." — Michele Miller, The Tampa Bay Times, 16 Feb. 2019 malcontent : (adjective) Discontented as toward authority.; disaffected, ill-affected, rebellious; The film follows three malcontent teenagers as they gather a following of like-minded peers and wreak havoc with their attempts to buck the system. gainpain : noun: 1. A long thick glove: gauntlet. 2. A hired soldier: mercenary. ; "The gainpain was a glove, at first of steel and later of leather, for the right hand." The Connoisseur; Nat Mags; 1928. Thought For The Day: A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. -Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter (b. 24 May 1941) *****May 28, 2019***** Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Commemorate : 1 : to call to remembrance; A plaque commemorates the battle that took place on this spot 200 years ago. grotesque : (adjective) Characterized by ludicrous, repulsive, or incongruous distortion, as of appearance or manner.; monstrous; The addition of the grotesque, intentionally distorted sculpture entirely changed the character of the surrounding gardens. sabotage : verb tr.: To disrupt, damage, or destroy, especially in an underhanded manner. noun: An instance of such subversion. ; "Could MazeHunter be used by US companies to sabotage the attacker's computer?" Nicholas Schmidle; Digital Vigilantes; The New Yorker; May 7, 2018. See more usage examples of sabotage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2019***** Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Lacuna : 1 : a blank space or a missing part : gap; also : deficiency; The osteocyte is a cell that is isolated in a lacuna of bone. bootless : (adjective) Unproductive of success.; fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain; He would like to have done with life and its vanity altogether—so bootless and unsatisfactory the struggle, so cheerless and dreary the prospect seemed to him. roughshod : adjective:1. Domineering; bullying; brutal.  2. Having horseshoes with projecting nails or calks to prevent slipping. adverb:In a domineering or harsh manner. ; "Since coming to power in 2010, the government of Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, has consistently disdained judicial independence, academic and media freedoms, and the rights of migrants. It has, in the view of many people, run roughshod over some of the core values of the European Union." Orban Sceptics; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2018. See more usage examples of roughshod in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -William Pitt, British prime minister (28 May 1759-1806) *****May 30, 2019***** Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Bread : 1 : a usually baked and leavened food made of a mixture whose basic constituent is flour or meal; His brother was running low on bread, so Michael lent him some money through PayPal to tide him over. convolute : (verb) Practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive.; pervert, sophisticate, twist; Her lawyer had warned her that the prosecutor would convolute her testimony and use it to implicate her in the crime, but it still shocked her to see him do it so shamelessly. old shoe : noun: Something or someone comfortably familiar, especially in an unpretentious manner. ; "'[Amir] is an old shoe that we've come to depend on, and take for granted,' Coach Casey said." Raps Lose in OT to Heat; Waterloo Region Record (Kitchener, Canada); Jan 24, 2013. Thought For The Day: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****May 31, 2019***** Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Disbursement : : the act of paying out money especially from a fund : the act of disbursing; also : funds paid out; Stephanie receives a monthly disbursement from her parents' trust fund. ameliorate : (verb) To make better.; improve, amend; I sought to improve her manners and ameliorate her general tone. vamp : noun:1. The front upper part of a shoe.  2. Something patched up or improvised.  3. A short, introductory musical passage, usually improvised, repeated several times. verb tr.:1. To provide a shoe with a new vamp.  2. To piece together; to improvise. verb intr.:To play a short, introductory musical passage several times. noun:A woman who uses her charm to exploit men. verb tr.:To seduce or exploit. verb intr.:To behave like a vamp. ; "Stilettos with flattering wraparounds and pointed vamps redefine the workaday pump." Ankle Straps; Marie Claire (New York); Oct 2011. "The band vamps for long stretches." John Richardson; "I Should Have Been There to Protect Him???"; Esquire (New York); Jan 2015. "The much-loved salon just vamped up its 10-year-old space with a bright, modern makeover." Chop Chop; That's Shanghai (Beijing, China); Mar 2012. "Jeanie seems efficient and crisp and respectful but in reality she is a vamp with strong powers of seduction and a wild side." New York Tristate; Back Stage (New York); Jan 22, 2015. See more usage examples of vamp in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science. -Hal Clement, science fiction author (30 May 1922-2003) *****June 01, 2019***** Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." sufferable : (adjective) Capable of being borne though unpleasant.; bearable, endurable, supportable; He winced as he felt the bump on his head, but he decided that as long as the pain was sufferable he would attend the dance. shoehorn : verb tr.: To force something into an insufficient or unsuitable space. noun: A tool to help slide one's heel into a shoe. ; "A bull-headed Maltese prime minister shoehorned a chapter on Mediterranean security into the Helsinki Accords." The Cruel Sea; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 14, 2017. See more usage examples of shoehorn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2019***** Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Nectar : 1 a : the drink of the Greek and Roman gods; "Hummingbirds need to eat a third to a half of their body weight daily to fuel their high-energy lifestyle, Allen said. Their diet includes nectar for carbohydrates and insects for protein." — Kym Pokorny, The World (Coos Bay, Oregon), 4 Apr. 2019 unlooked-for : (adjective) Not anticipated.; out of the blue, unforeseen; These unlooked-for blows have shaken me terribly, and these strange calamities have quite broken my spirit. shoehorn : verb tr.: To force something into an insufficient or unsuitable space. noun: A tool to help slide one's heel into a shoe. ; "A bull-headed Maltese prime minister shoehorned a chapter on Mediterranean security into the Helsinki Accords." The Cruel Sea; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 14, 2017. See more usage examples of shoehorn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 03, 2019***** Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Circumspect : : careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences : prudent; "The response in several previously frozen markets for short-term financing was extremely positive, and stock investors were jubilant. However, the reaction in longer-term fixed income and commodities markets, especially for gold, has been more circumspect." — James C. Cooper, Business Week, 8 Oct. 2007 dewy-eyed : (adjective) Naive, innocent, or trusting, especially in a romantic or childlike way.; childlike, simple; I knew that if I ever told her the truth about what I had done, she would lose that dewy-eyed innocence that I had worked so hard to preserve. shoehorn : verb tr.: To force something into an insufficient or unsuitable space. noun: A tool to help slide one's heel into a shoe. ; "A bull-headed Maltese prime minister shoehorned a chapter on Mediterranean security into the Helsinki Accords." The Cruel Sea; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 14, 2017. See more usage examples of shoehorn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 04, 2019***** Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Nuance : 1 : a subtle distinction or variation; "Poetry can enrich the academic and creative life of every student—from a second-grade English Language Learner exploring the nuances of language to the high school student learning to craft stories beyond their next text message." — Suma Karaman Rosen, The Detroit Free Press, 5 Apr. 2019 multitudinous : (adjective) Too numerous to be counted.; innumerable, myriad, numberless, uncounted, unnumbered, countless, infinite; Here, along the lines of multitudinous houses, up one street and down another, he wondered which of them might be occupied by her. stigma : noun: 1. A mark of shame or infamy. 2. A birthmark or scar. 3. An identifying mark of a disease. 4. The tip of the pistil of a flower where pollen is deposited. 5. A mark burned into the skin of a person. ; "Her appearance has changed as well, and I don't mean just the intense reticulation of lines and wrinkles, the true stigmata of life." Rabih Alameddine; An Unnecessary Woman; Grove Press; 2014. See more usage examples of stigma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Follow your inner moonlight; don't hide the madness. -Allen Ginsberg, poet (3 Jun 1926-1997) *****June 05, 2019***** Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Amalgamate : : to unite in or as if in a mixture of elements; especially : to merge into a single body; "Rolls-Royce has operational service centres around the world, in which expert engineers are analysing the data being fed back from their engines. It can amalgamate the data from its engines to highlight factors and conditions under which engines might need maintenance." — Bernard Marr, Forbes, 1 June 2015 immerse : (verb) Devote (oneself) fully to.; engross, engulf, steep, soak up, absorb, plunge; I swear I will immerse myself in my studies and improve these poor grades. ala : noun: A wing or a winglike part, such as a bone, a petal of a flower, a small room opening into a larger room, a Roman allied military unit, etc. ; "We have two alae, and the ironwork for some war machines that could be assembled if needed." Jo Walton; The King's Name; Tor; 2001. See more usage examples of ala in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some, and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 06, 2019***** Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Malapert : : impudently bold : saucy; "Fair ladies, brave knights, churls, varlets, squires, scurvy knaves, men-at-arms, malapert rogues—all were merry." — P. G. Wodehouse, The Man Upstairs and Other Stories, 1914 hookah : (noun) An oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water.; calean, chicha, hubble-bubble, kalian, narghile, shisha, water pipe; Though I constantly lecture him about the dangers of smoking, my Iranian grandfather refuses to get rid of his hookah. stratum : noun: A layer of something, as rock, tissue, people at an economic level, etc. ; "On the highway from Damascus to Aleppo, towns and villages lie desolate. A new stratum of dead cities has joined the ones from Roman times." Smaller, in Ruins, and More Sectarian; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 30, 2018. See more usage examples of stratum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm sometimes asked "Why do you spend so much of your time and money talking about kindness to animals when there is so much cruelty to men?" I answer: "I am working at the roots." -George T. Angell, reformer (5 Jun 1823-1909) *****June 07, 2019***** Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Kinetic : 1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith; "See, that's where the height of the spaghetti mound comes in. The entire question hinges on how much momentum the meatball obtains as it rolls down. If the mound is very tall, the force of gravity could transform the meatball's potential energy into sufficient kinetic energy." — Arthur B. McDonald, The Washington Post Magazine, 17 Mar. 2019 anteroom : (noun) A large entrance or reception room or area.; foyer, lobby, vestibule, hall; The butler had me wait in the anteroom while he went to get the master of the house. gutta : noun: 1. A drop. 2. One of a series of ornaments, typically in the shape of a truncated cone on buildings (in the Doric order in classical architecture). ; "Guttae occasionally are pyramid-shaped with flat sides rather than cones or cylinders." Stephen Mouzon & Susan Henderson; Traditional Construction Patterns; McGraw-Hill; 2004. Thought For The Day: It's impossible to be loyal to your family, your friends, your country, and your principles, all at the same time. -Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author (6 Jun 1913-1983) *****June 08, 2019***** Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Bombast : : pretentious inflated speech or writing; Laura complained that the editorial columns in her local newspaper were full of bombast and offered little in the way of intelligent opinion. pestle : (noun) A heavy tool of stone or iron (usually with a flat base and a handle) that is used to grind and mix material (as grain or drugs or pigments) against a slab of stone.; pounder, muller; Sometimes she might have been seen … kneading poee-poee with terrific vehemence, dashing the stone pestle about as if she would shiver the vessel into fragments. charisma : noun: A personal charm or appeal that inspires devotion, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc. ; "The stigmata associated with dying unexpectedly at the age of forty-two after making the difficult journey through the Alps from Paris, from complications giving birth to her eighth child, only seems to have enhanced her charismata, since the city of Lyon rallied around to give her the unprecedented honour of a state funeral." Rosalind Kerr; The Rise of the Diva on the Sixteenth-Century Commedia dell'Arte Stage; University of Toronto Press; 2015. See more usage examples of charisma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) *****June 09, 2019***** Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Quibble : 1 : to evade the point of an argument by caviling about words; "A few researchers and doctors have also quibbled with some of the details in the dietary advice…." — Eliza Barclay, Vox.com, 24 Jan. 2019 verdure : (noun) The lush appearance of flourishing vegetation.; greenness; Midsummer eve had come, bringing deep verdure to the forest, and roses in her lap, of a more vivid hue than the tender buds of Spring. charisma : noun: A personal charm or appeal that inspires devotion, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc. ; "The stigmata associated with dying unexpectedly at the age of forty-two after making the difficult journey through the Alps from Paris, from complications giving birth to her eighth child, only seems to have enhanced her charismata, since the city of Lyon rallied around to give her the unprecedented honour of a state funeral." Rosalind Kerr; The Rise of the Diva on the Sixteenth-Century Commedia dell'Arte Stage; University of Toronto Press; 2015. See more usage examples of charisma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) *****June 10, 2019***** Truculent : adj. Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. "Truculent children." Vocation : 1 a : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; especially : a divine call to the religious life; "The superpower I've always wished for is invisibility, and I chose my vocation accordingly. A novelist gets 140,000 words per one tiny author photo. That's a visibility ratio I can live with." — Barbara Kingsolver, quoted in The New Statesman (UK), 15 Oct. 2018 empower : (verb) Give or delegate power or authority to.; authorize; The army is now empowered to operate on a shoot-to-kill basis. charisma : noun: A personal charm or appeal that inspires devotion, loyalty, enthusiasm, etc. ; "The stigmata associated with dying unexpectedly at the age of forty-two after making the difficult journey through the Alps from Paris, from complications giving birth to her eighth child, only seems to have enhanced her charismata, since the city of Lyon rallied around to give her the unprecedented honour of a state funeral." Rosalind Kerr; The Rise of the Diva on the Sixteenth-Century Commedia dell'Arte Stage; University of Toronto Press; 2015. See more usage examples of charisma in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) *****June 11, 2019***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Ineffable : 1 a : incapable of being expressed in words : indescribable; "Undaunted, in 'Why You Like It' Nolan Gasser attempts to explain the ineffable ways music produces sensations in listeners' brains: its power to move people to tears, evoke awe and induce involuntary toe-tapping." — The Economist, 27 Apr. 2019 groundbreaking : (adjective) Being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before.; innovative; Groundbreaking innovations in technology have made electronic devices both smaller and more powerful. Socratic method : noun: A method of teaching in which, instead of giving the answer, the teacher guides students to it by asking them a series of questions. ; "'I wait for no more than -- how many minutes?' she asks, dipping into the Socratic method. 'Seven,' the room answers in unison." Janelle Nanos; Joanne Chang Won't Rest Until Everything Is Perfect; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Nov 29, 2015. See more usage examples of Socratic method in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (10 Jun 1915-2005) *****June 12, 2019***** Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." Chasten : 1 : to correct by punishment or suffering : discipline; also : purify; He was very arrogant as a younger man, but he has been sufficiently chastened by life's hardships and is now more cognizant of his own failings and weaknesses. nuptial : (adjective) Of or relating to a wedding.; bridal, spousal; My fiancé was less than thrilled when I suggested that we write our own nuptial vows. Midas touch : noun: The ability to easily make anything profitable. ; "When it came to raising money, Wellfount Corp. had something of a Midas touch. In the past decade, the Indianapolis-based pharmacy company raised about $50 million." John Russell; Once a Rising Star, Wellfount Collapses with Little Warning; Indianapolis Business Journal (Indiana); Apr 12, 2019. See more usage examples of Midas touch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I never saw an ugly thing in my life: for let the form of an object be what it may, -- light, shade, and perspective will always make it beautiful. -John Constable, painter (11 Jun 1776-1837) *****June 13, 2019***** Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." Equivocal : 1 a : subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse; When I asked Frances how her job was going, she gave me an equivocal response: "Let's just say I won't be a sous-chef for much longer." illusionist : (noun) Someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience.; conjurer, magician, prestidigitator; The illusionist snapped his fingers and was suddenly holding a dove, much to the delight of his adoring audience. philippic : noun: A bitter condemnation, usually in a speech. ; "It was from the front that he sent a letter -- a philippic, really -- home to his wife, Margaret, that is more than a raging description of his feelings." Michael Prodger; Old Gods, New Monsters; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 28-Nov 3, 2016. See more usage examples of philippic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2019***** Demure : adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber." Scrutinize : 1 : to examine closely and minutely   ; "I think the biggest misconception out there is that every accident a commercial motor vehicle is involved in, the general public feels it is the big rig's fault. Little does the general public know that everything from what needs to be inspected each day on these vehicles to hours of service to maintenance procedures, and even training, is so highly scrutinized either through regulations or insurance policies, or even our internal audits and tracking." — Matt McDonald, quoted in The Caledon Enterprise, 15 Apr. 2019 windpipe : (noun) Membranous tube with cartilaginous rings that conveys inhaled air from the larynx to the bronchi.; trachea; Poisonous vapors … crept like evil spirits over the ship, stealing into the nostrils and windpipes of the unwary and causing fits of sneezing and coughing. herm : noun: A square pillar topped with a bust. ; "Her head bows, again by accident, in its direction, as though to a totem, or a herm." Adam Gopnik; This Odyssey of Ours; Town and Country (New York); May 2017. See more usage examples of herm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (13 Jun 1865-1939) *****June 15, 2019***** Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." Oneiric : : of or relating to dreams : dreamy; The paintings, filled with fantastical imagery conjured by the artist's imagination, have a compellingly oneiric quality. forgo : (verb) Do without or cease to hold or adhere to.; foreswear, waive, dispense with, relinquish; The tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence, but the fangs of remorse tore my bosom and would not forgo their hold. Achilles' heel or Achilles heel : noun: A seemingly small but critical weakness in an otherwise strong position. ; "The danger of being seen as courting noxious supporters is a long-standing worry for right-of-centre politicians. Preston Manning ... has argued that it is the Achilles heel of the conservative movement." John Geddes & Jason Markusoff; Target Andrew Scheer; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jun 2019. See more usage examples of achille's heel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2019***** Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." Recidivism : : a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially : relapse into criminal behavior; The judge took the guilty felon's rate of recidivism into account when she deliberated her sentence. lowlife : (noun) A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible.; dirty dog, git, puke, rotter, scum bag, skunk, so-and-so, stinker, bum, crumb, rat; Only a lowlife would steal money from his own child. Achilles' heel or Achilles heel : noun: A seemingly small but critical weakness in an otherwise strong position. ; "The danger of being seen as courting noxious supporters is a long-standing worry for right-of-centre politicians. Preston Manning ... has argued that it is the Achilles heel of the conservative movement." John Geddes & Jason Markusoff; Target Andrew Scheer; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jun 2019. See more usage examples of achille's heel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 17, 2019***** Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." Assiduous : : showing great care, attention, and effort : marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application; "Ryan Murphy …, in his last FX series before founding his Netflix empire, was also assiduous about hiring transgender actors and creative staff…." — James Poniewozik, The New York Times, 1 June 2018 denude : (verb) To divest of covering; make bare.; strip; Rake in hand, Flora set out to denude her lawn of fallen leaves. Achilles' heel or Achilles heel : noun: A seemingly small but critical weakness in an otherwise strong position. ; "The danger of being seen as courting noxious supporters is a long-standing worry for right-of-centre politicians. Preston Manning ... has argued that it is the Achilles heel of the conservative movement." John Geddes & Jason Markusoff; Target Andrew Scheer; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jun 2019. See more usage examples of achille's heel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 18, 2019***** Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Flounce : 1 a : to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions; "With skirts flouncing, 15 young women ascended the steps … to a traditional Mexican birthday song played in a mariachi style." — Laurel Wamsley and Vanessa Romo, NPR, 19 July 2017 infest : (verb) To inhabit or overrun in numbers or quantities large enough to be harmful, threatening, or obnoxious.; overrun; During the year that followed, Clayton was several times attacked by the great apes which now seemed to continually infest the vicinity of the cabin. Socratic irony : noun: A profession of ignorance in a discussion in order to elicit clarity on a topic and expose misconception held by another. ; "On two occasions, two former members of our federal government resorted to Socratic irony in dealing with me regarding the Electric Map. Our former US Representative 'simulated ignorance' when confronted with the issue." John Longanecker; Electric Map Impressive; Gettysburg Times (Pennsylvania); Jun 10, 2016. See more usage examples of Socratic irony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 19, 2019***** Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Boilerplate : 1 : syndicated material supplied especially to weekly newspapers in matrix or plate form; "'I think the middle class is getting clobbered,' he said one day, over lunch. 'I think there has to be a significant change in both, over time, fiscal policy and tax policy.' He was trying to get that view 'further insinuated into the White House,' he said. It seemed like boilerplate, and I didn't quote it." — Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2019 fabricate : (verb) Make up something artificial or untrue.; cook up, invent, manufacture; Did Harold really wrestle a bear, or did he fabricate the story to impress us? Midas-eared : adjective: 1. Having poor judgment. 2. Having inability to appreciate something. ; "The root cause of Triton's financial dilemma can be traced directly to their Midas-eared actions." William J. Dunne; Letters; News Journal (Chicago, Illinois); Nov 24, 1976. Thought For The Day: The ability of so many people to live comfortably with the idea of capital punishment is perhaps a clue to how so many Europeans were able to live with the idea of the Holocaust: Once you accept the notion that the state has the right to kill someone and the right to define what is a capital crime, aren't you halfway there? -Roger Ebert, film-critic (18 Jun 1942-2013) *****June 20, 2019***** Assiduous : adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." Insuperable : : incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved; Though it had appeared that the visiting team had an insuperable lead, the home team rallied to win in the end. claptrap : (noun) Pompous or pretentious talk or writing.; blah, bombast, fustian, rant; He talks a lot of pretentious claptrap and rarely gets down to brass tacks. philippize : verb tr.: To behave, especially to speak or write, as if corruptly influenced. ; "[Dr. Richard Price] naturally philippizes and chants his prophetic song in exact unison with their designs." Edmund Burke; Reflections on the Revolution in France; 1790. Thought For The Day: Experience makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 21, 2019***** Vexatious : adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation." Demeanor : : behavior toward others : outward manner; The professor's friendly and laid-back demeanor made him a favorite among the students. insouciance : (noun) Blithe lack of concern; nonchalance.; carefreeness, lightheartedness, lightsomeness; He replied with characteristic insouciance, "So what?" hermeneutic : adjective: Interpretive or explanatory. ; "Sandra's descent into madness, in 'The Unmapped Country' (1973), takes the form of a hermeneutic disease, whereby everything -- even birdsong or 'the placing of twigs and leaves' in a park -- is construed as a cosmic message." Andrew Gallix; The Unmapped Country; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 12, 2018. See more usage examples of hermeneutic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice? -Lillian Hellman, playwright (20 Jun 1905-1984) *****June 22, 2019***** Pedantic : adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details." Tonsorial : : of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber; "Once again Ryan's Barber Shop and Shaving Parlor … provided the tonsorial team the chairs and the needed supplies for the men to sit down and get their faces cleaned up or hair trimmed." — Steve Moran, The Asbury Park (New Jersey) Press, 6 Dec. 2018 ascription : (noun) Assigning some quality or character to a person or thing.; attribution; The ascription to me of honors I had not earned left me feeling guilty and ashamed. achillize : verb tr.: To harass or chase. ; "Parker 'hectors and achillizes all the noncomformists'." Martin Dzelzainis & Edward Holberton; The Oxford Handbook of Andrew Marvell; Oxford University Press; May 28, 2019. Thought For The Day: Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) *****June 23, 2019***** Deciduous : adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company." Puckish : : impish, whimsical; "Ms. Jamon, with her charm and puckish humor, makes the restaurant feel like a home. For Christmas in 2009, after their move from Los Angeles, there was a fully decorated tree hanging upside down from the ceiling. 'Everything in the world seems upside down,' she said, 'so I decided to match it.'" — John Willoughby, The New York Times, 14 Mar. 2019 snivel : (verb) Cry or whine with snuffling.; blubber; Put your handkerchief away—don't snivel before me. achillize : verb tr.: To harass or chase. ; "Parker 'hectors and achillizes all the noncomformists'." Martin Dzelzainis & Edward Holberton; The Oxford Handbook of Andrew Marvell; Oxford University Press; May 28, 2019. Thought For The Day: Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) *****June 24, 2019***** Paradigm : n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed." Lade : 1 a : to put a load or burden on or in : load; "… we might, for example, see what are arguably Mr. Boontje's two most influential designs: his Blossom chandelier for Swarovski, a sparkling spray of branches laden with rosy crystals; and the more affordable Garland light…." — Pilar Viladas, The New York Times, 9 May 2019 epigram : (noun) A witty, often paradoxical remark, concisely expressed.; quip; These gentlemen were obliged to be civil in public, yet they cut at each other with epigrams that were as sharp as razors. achillize : verb tr.: To harass or chase. ; "Parker 'hectors and achillizes all the noncomformists'." Martin Dzelzainis & Edward Holberton; The Oxford Handbook of Andrew Marvell; Oxford University Press; May 28, 2019. Thought For The Day: Man is condemned to be free; because once thrown into the world, he is responsible for everything he does. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) *****June 25, 2019***** Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Contraption : : device, gadget; "In Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation worked with an engineering company to create a 40-foot-long drinking fountain for the finish line of its race. The contraption, known as the Bubbler, allows multiple people to drink at the same time and is estimated to have saved about 85,000 plastic bottles and wax cups since 2007, according to the foundation." — Sarah Mervosh, The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2019 billow : (verb) Rise up as if in waves.; wallow; Smoke from the burning building billowed up into the sky, obscuring the sun. hippodrome : noun: A stadium for horse races, chariot races, horse shows, etc. verb tr.: To manipulate or prearrange the outcome of a contest. ; "The smaller fairs were the backbone of the IMCA [International Motor Contest Association] schedule and these were routinely hippodromed." Don Radbruch; Dirt Track Auto Racing, 1919-1941; McFarland; 2004. See more usage examples of hippodrome in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All men -- whether they go by the name of Americans or Russians or Chinese or British or Malayans or Indians or Africans -- have obligations to one another that transcend their obligations to their sovereign societies. -Norman Cousins, author, editor, journalist, and professor (24 Jun 1915-1990) *****June 26, 2019***** Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." Gritty : 1 : containing or resembling grit; "Unlike a lot of natural deodorants that also use baking soda but have a gritty texture, this stick has a gel-like consistency that doesn't aggravate tender underarm skin." — Kristine Gill, Real Simple, 7 May 2019 deface : (verb) Mar or spoil the appearance of.; blemish, disfigure; The vandals defaced the statue by drawing a mustache on it. horse race : noun: 1. The treating of a contest, especially an election, as if a sport, focusing on polls, perceptions, etc., instead of substantive issues, such as policies. 2. A close contest. ; "The natural interest in the horse race of politics makes it easy to overlook the problems for both sides this week with the detail of what they offer Australian voters." David Crowe; Doughnut Election; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Apr 12, 2019. See more usage examples of horse race in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In our age there is no such thing as "keeping out of politics". All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. -George Orwell, novelist (25 Jun 1903-1950) *****June 27, 2019***** Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Supersede : 1 a : to cause to be set aside; "What may someday supersede Einstein's hypothesis is any genius' good guess. In the meantime, not only the theory of relativity but also Newton's laws, with all their known limitations, serve us rather well in navigating through space and in constructing bridges and dams on earth." — Henry Petroski, To Engineer is Human, 1992 flagitious : (adjective) Shockingly brutal or cruel.; atrocious, monstrous, grievous; All faults or defects, from the slightest misconduct to the most flagitious crime, Pantocyclus attributed to some deviation from perfect regularity in the bodily figure. chivalry : noun: 1. The ideal qualifications of a knight: courtesy, honor, bravery, gallantry, etc. 2. The institution of knighthood, a group of knights, a gallant deed, etc. ; "If Ambler details the death of chivalry, she also exposes the dark underbelly of that very culture -- a culture that feared outsiders and prized violence, while purporting to embody the values of 'honour' and bravery." Reformer or Violent Thug?: A New Biography of Simon de Montfort Is Enthralling and Horrifying in Equal Parts; Sunday Times (London, UK); Jun 2, 2019. See more usage examples of chivalry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him... a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create -- so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating. -Pearl S. Buck, novelist, Nobel laureate (26 Jun 1892-1973) *****June 28, 2019***** Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Acquisitive : : strongly desirous of acquiring and possessing; The game aims to teach middle schoolers to balance their acquisitive instincts with a consideration of what will benefit society as a whole. thin-skinned : (adjective) Quick to take offense.; huffy, touchy, feisty; My thin-skinned students often mistake my constructive criticism for personal attacks. warhorse : noun: 1. A horse used in war. Also known as a charger. 2. An experienced, dependable person, thing, etc., one who has gone through many contests, battles, struggles, etc. 3. Something, such as a play, a piece of music, etc., that has been performed often to become hackneyed. ; "Ageless warhorse Petero Civoniceva says ending his highly decorated rugby league career back in Brisbane Broncos' colours would be a fairytale finish." Wayne Heming; Petero Hasn't Ruled Out Broncos Farewell; Brisbane Times (Australia); Oct 16, 2009. See more usage examples of warhorse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The idealists and visionaries, foolish enough to throw caution to the winds and express their ardor and faith in some supreme deed, have advanced mankind and have enriched the world. -Emma Goldman, social activist (27 Jun 1869-1940) *****June 29, 2019***** Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Volition : 1 : the power of choosing or determining : will; "The rules of the universe created certain compulsions, as did the formal and structural conventions I'd put in motion. Slowly, without any volition from me…, the characters started to do certain things, each on his or her own, the sum total of which resulted, in the end, in a broad, cooperative pattern that seemed to be arguing for what I'd call a viral theory of goodness." — George Saunders, The Guardian, 4 Mar. 2017 charmer : (noun) Someone with an assured and ingratiating manner.; smoothie, sweet talker; Joseph was such a charmer that he was able to convince Hannah to give him the last of her mother's homemade cookies. wrangler : noun: 1. A cowboy who takes care of horses. 2. A person who engages in debates, quarrels, or disputes. 3. A person who handles animals, puppets, babies, unruly humans, etc., especially on a film set. ; "Whether Mr. Ryan would be a wrangler of House conservatives ... is a subject of much debate." Gabriel Trip; Ryan, Quiet for Now, Is Said to Be Planning for an Active Role; The New York Times; Nov 4, 2012. See more usage examples of wrangler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2019***** Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." ferocious : (adjective) Extremely aggressive or violent.; fierce, furious, savage; There were rumors that Miller's guard dog was as feriocious as they come, but in reality he was just a docile hound. wrangler : noun: 1. A cowboy who takes care of horses. 2. A person who engages in debates, quarrels, or disputes. 3. A person who handles animals, puppets, babies, unruly humans, etc., especially on a film set. ; "Whether Mr. Ryan would be a wrangler of House conservatives ... is a subject of much debate." Gabriel Trip; Ryan, Quiet for Now, Is Said to Be Planning for an Active Role; The New York Times; Nov 4, 2012. See more usage examples of wrangler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****July 01, 2019***** Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Plummy : 1 a : full of plums; "… meetings are spent in youthful yammering about art, music and poetry, in that plummy British way…." — Michael O'Sullivan, The Washington Post, 6 May 2019 low-key : (adjective) Restrained in style or quality.; subdued; After the wild party she had last year, Elena was looking forward to finally having a low-key birthday celebration. wrangler : noun: 1. A cowboy who takes care of horses. 2. A person who engages in debates, quarrels, or disputes. 3. A person who handles animals, puppets, babies, unruly humans, etc., especially on a film set. ; "Whether Mr. Ryan would be a wrangler of House conservatives ... is a subject of much debate." Gabriel Trip; Ryan, Quiet for Now, Is Said to Be Planning for an Active Role; The New York Times; Nov 4, 2012. See more usage examples of wrangler in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****July 02, 2019***** Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise - especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Afflatus : : a divine imparting of knowledge or power : inspiration; "Allmusic lists quite a few tunes called 'Crystal City,' like this smooth-jazz number by André Ward and this prog-rock song by Steve Hillage, but it wasn't immediately clear whether the Arlington neighborhood served as afflatus for any of them." — Andrew Beaujon, Washingtonian, 13 Nov. 2018 befuddle : (verb) Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly.; confound, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, throw; The question befuddled even the teacher, who promised to research the subject that night and have an answer for her students the next day in class. cat's pajamas (or pyjamas) : noun: Something or someone truly excellent. ; "And while Katie Holmes may think her new fiance Tom Cruise is the cat's pajamas, moviegoers found his familiarity just a little less thrilling." Gregory Levine; Depp Makes Box Office Sweeter for Warner; Forbes (New York); Jul 18, 2005. Thought For The Day: Guard within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. -George Sand [pen name of Amantine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin], novelist (1 Jul 1804-1876) *****July 03, 2019***** Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Burgeon : 1 a : to send forth new growth (such as buds or branches) : sprout; The trout population in the stream has burgeoned since the town implemented its laws against overfishing. lustrous : (adjective) Reflecting light.; glistening, shiny, glossy; There arrived through the post a small card-board box addressed to me, which I found to contain a very large and lustrous pearl. Zeno's paradox : noun: 1. Any of various paradoxes proposed by Zeno, dealing with change and motion. 2. The appearance of getting closer and closer to a goal, but never reaching there. ; "It sounds like biography writing as Zeno's paradox -- getting infinitesimally closer to the end without ever reaching it." Jennifer Szalai; Robert Caro's Path to Literary Power; The New York Times; Apr 11, 2019. Thought For The Day: A man who is 'ill-adjusted' to the world is always on the verge of finding himself. One who is adjusted to the world never finds himself, but gets to be a cabinet minister. -Hermann Hesse, novelist, poet, Nobel laureate (2 Jul 1877-1962) *****July 04, 2019***** Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Sedulous : 1 : involving or accomplished with careful perseverance; "To start: a black screen, her name in white. As the overture plays, the scene unfolds with sedulous magic—smoke and steam coil and unfurl, lightening the screen and darkening her name. A man with a lantern appears, tumbling through space, as the architecture of a train station emerges through the condensation of vapor." — Irene Hsiao, The Chicago Reader, 19 Feb. 2019 postnatal : (adjective) Occurring immediately after birth.; postpartum; Premature babies often spend the postnatal period in the neonatal intensive care unit, where they receive specialized care. Godwin's law : noun: The idea that as a debate progresses, it becomes inevitable that someone would compare another to Hitler or the Nazis. ; "In 2017, neo-Nazis claimed to be offended by the video game Wolfenstein 2, since it had the hero shooting Nazis. If you self-identify as a neo-Nazi, you can't claim Godwin's Law when people lump you in with Hitler and the Nazis." Eamonn Brosnan; Taking Offence for All the Wrong Reasons; Winnipeg Free Press (Canada); Mar 21, 2019. Thought For The Day: Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you any more. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) [while admiring fish in an aquarium] *****July 05, 2019***** Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Girandole : 1 : a radiating and showy composition (such as a cluster of skyrockets fired together); "The centerpiece of the decorative program was the figure of Eternity seated on a triumphal chariot drawn by four horses, itself a fuoco d'artificio (fireworks spectacle), and flanked by two smaller girandoles of three hundred rockets each." — Kevin Salatino, Incendiary Art: The Representation of Fireworks in Early Modern Europe, 1997 contusion : (noun) An injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration.; bruise; The purple and green contusion on my arm looks much worse than it actually feels. child's play : noun: Something trivial; a task easily accomplished. ; "Mars -- different in almost all respects from Earth -- is nonetheless the closest thing to a sister planet, at least one close-by. But close is a relative term. Our elliptical orbits are such that we come as close as 34 million miles to each other and as far as 250 million. A rocket leaving Earth for Mars has a choice of many possible paths, but the most economical in terms of fuel is called a Hohmann transfer and takes between six and nine months one way. Our two orbits are such, however, that a crew arriving at Mars from a Hohmann would have to wait a year or more for a favorable return alignment. Therefore, a round trip would take more than two years. Compared with Apollo's eight days, that is huge, and creates a host of new issues. All in all, Apollo was child's play compared to a Mars landing." Michael Collins; Excerpted from the Preface to the 2019 edition of "Carrying the Fire: An Astronaut's Journeys"; Natural History (New York); Jul/Aug 2019. See more usage examples of child's play in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864) *****July 06, 2019***** Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." Inkhorn : : ostentatiously learned : pedantic; Richard's use of inkhorn terminology in his essay didn't impress his professor, whereas simple language demonstrating a clear understanding of the material would have done the trick. skullduggery : (noun) Crafty deception or trickery or an instance of it.; hanky panky, hocus-pocus, jiggery-pokery, slickness, trickery; No one trusted Glenn enough to invest in his new business venture, as he had a history of skullduggery. Plato's cave : noun: An illusory place or experience. ; "The truth comes out and worlds fall apart in 'The Wild Duck'. Henrik Ibsen's family drama shines a light on a sham marriage. ... It is a Plato's cave of a play." Matt Trueman; Theatre: The Wild Duck; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 26, 2018. "Born in captivity in the Chicago zoo, Bruno emerges from his Plato's cave through the salvation of spoken language." Zsuzsi Gartner; Young Writer Goes Ape; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 5, 2011. Thought For The Day: Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature. -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963) *****July 07, 2019***** Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Planet : 1 a (1) : any of the large bodies that revolve around the sun in the solar system (2) : a similar body associated with another star; "Dell is the father of Steph Curry, and Steph (in case you've been living on another planet) plays for the Golden State Warriors, the team that Drake's beloved Raptors have to beat if they're going to bring an NBA Championship home." — Charlotte Wilder, Yahoo! Sports, 31 May 2019 crepitate : (verb) Make a crackling sound.; crackle; My physical therapist jokes that I have bubble wrap in my knee, because it crepitates every time that I squat down. Plato's cave : noun: An illusory place or experience. ; "The truth comes out and worlds fall apart in 'The Wild Duck'. Henrik Ibsen's family drama shines a light on a sham marriage. ... It is a Plato's cave of a play." Matt Trueman; Theatre: The Wild Duck; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 26, 2018. "Born in captivity in the Chicago zoo, Bruno emerges from his Plato's cave through the salvation of spoken language." Zsuzsi Gartner; Young Writer Goes Ape; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 5, 2011. Thought For The Day: Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature. -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963) *****July 08, 2019***** Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. Churlish : 1 : of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar; "After welcoming me to my upstairs suite, Doug announces that it's time for guests to enjoy a complimentary mint julep and cheese plate, an offer that would be churlish to turn down." — Paul Oswell, The Atlanta Magazine, 16 May 2019 capsize : (verb) Overturn accidentally.; turn turtle; Do not rock the boat or it will capsize! Plato's cave : noun: An illusory place or experience. ; "The truth comes out and worlds fall apart in 'The Wild Duck'. Henrik Ibsen's family drama shines a light on a sham marriage. ... It is a Plato's cave of a play." Matt Trueman; Theatre: The Wild Duck; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 26, 2018. "Born in captivity in the Chicago zoo, Bruno emerges from his Plato's cave through the salvation of spoken language." Zsuzsi Gartner; Young Writer Goes Ape; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 5, 2011. Thought For The Day: Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature. -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963) *****July 09, 2019***** Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Metathesis : : a change of place or condition: such as; The study examined metathesis in the speech of children between the ages of three and six. fishgig : (noun) An implement with a shaft and barbed point used for catching fish.; lance, spear; I gently slid the salmon off my fishgig and passed it to my son, who placed it with the rest of the day's catch. eudemonic : adjective: Relating to or conducive to happiness. ; "The air conditioning didn't reach back here and the heat was breathtaking, lapping at my face the way would a eudemonic dog." Leon Rooke; Swinging Through Dixie; Biblioasis; 2016. "[Gordon Brown] does not understand that an educational system can be a eudaemonic triumph even if it encourages disciplines that add not a penny to national output." Boris Johnson; The Pursuit of Happiness; The Spectator (London, UK); May 23, 2007. See more usage examples of eudemonic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue, no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people. -Jean de la Fontaine, poet and fabulist (8 Jul 1621-1695) *****July 10, 2019***** Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Flair : 1 : a skill or instinctive ability to appreciate or make good use of something : talent; also : inclination, tendency; "Chef Rohan is proficient in handling specialty restaurants and has a flair for culinary art trends." — Business World, 1 Apr. 2019 betide : (verb) To happen or happen to.; bechance, befall; Woe betide anyone who got in his way. tradecraft : noun: The techniques and methods of espionage and clandestine operations. ; "Hundreds more [Russian spies] were exposed by sloppy tradecraft, such as the use of sequentially numbered passports." Do Svidaniya Secrecy; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 9, 2019. See more usage examples of tradecraft in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As a child I was taught that to tell the truth was often painful. As an adult I have learned that not to tell the truth is more painful, and that the fear of telling the truth -- whatever the truth may be -- that fear is the most painful sensation of a moral life. -June Jordan, writer, teacher, and activist (9 Jul 1936-2002) *****July 11, 2019***** Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Lionize : : to treat as an object of great interest or importance; While her name was not attached to her books in her lifetime (she published anonymously), Jane Austen continues two centuries hence to be lionized as one of the English language's greatest novelists. squander : (verb) Spend thoughtlessly; throw away.; waste, blow; Each man swore that for once he would be sensible and not squander his money. roadstead : noun: A partly sheltered stretch of water near the shore where ships can anchor. Also called roads. ; "It was learnt that the area where the ship was berthed is a roadstead for vessels, and that the explosion caused damage to vehicles parked opposite a bank at the Marina Jetty." Godwin Oritse; NPA to Sanction Vessel Owners Over Explosion; Vanguard (Apapa, Nigeria); Nov 28, 2011. See more usage examples of roadstead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life can be perfectly satisfying without major achievements. -Alice Munro, short-story writer and Nobel Prize winner (b. 10 Jul 1931) *****July 12, 2019***** Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Ostentatious : : attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness : overly elaborate or conspicuous : characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation; Since striking it rich, Edwin has embraced a more ostentatious lifestyle, wearing expensive designer clothes, driving high-end sports cars, and frequenting the trendiest upscale nightclubs. prorogue : (verb) Hold back to a later time.; postpone, put off, defer, set back, shelve, table, remit, hold over; My students begged me to prorogue the upcoming European history exam so that they could have more time to study. sudarium : noun: A handkerchief. ; "Lead me to the river with your mirror. Unwrap the sudarium from my face." F.D. Reeve; Deepstep Come Shining; Poetry (Chicago, Illinois); Jul 2000. "A prominent association between pity and handkerchiefs can be found in the story of St. Veronica, who has pity on the suffering Christ and offers him what is either her veil or a sudarium with which to wipe his face." Shawn Smith; Love, Pity, and Deception in Othello; Papers on Language and Literature (Edwardsville, Illinois); Winter 2008. Thought For The Day: If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day. -E.B. White, writer (11 Jul 1899-1985) *****July 13, 2019***** Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Dearth : The facts about the history of the word dearth are quite simple: the word derives from the Middle English form derthe, which has the same meaning as our modern term. That Middle English form is assumed to have developed from an Old English form that was probably spelled dierth and was related to dÄ“ore, the Old English form that gave us the word dear. (Dear also once meant "scarce," but that sense of the word is now obsolete.) Dearth, in one form or another, has been used to describe things that are in short supply since at least the 13th century, when it often referred to a shortage of food.; "In an age of extreme polarization and dearth of good will, music is a powerful force that brings people together…." — Aaron Davis, letter in Billboard.com, 26 Apr. 2019 neologism : (noun) A newly invented word or phrase.; coinage; Neologisms are often coined when people begin using newly released technology. otherguess : adjective: Of another kind. ; "The worlds beyond living and dying, undarkened of doubts and negations, Where other ideals Faith follows and otherguess Gods they call Lord." John Payne; Flower o' Thorn; Villon Society; 1909. Thought For The Day: Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (12 Jul 1817-1862) *****July 14, 2019***** Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Torrid : 1 a : parched with heat especially of the sun : hot; "There are tales of torrid love affairs…." — Madeleine Aggeler, The Cut, 31 May 2019 self-seeking : (noun) Taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the consequences for others.; opportunism, self-interest, expedience; He had one devoted friend at least, and he had conquered one soul in the world that was neither rudimentary nor tainted with self-seeking. otherguess : adjective: Of another kind. ; "The worlds beyond living and dying, undarkened of doubts and negations, Where other ideals Faith follows and otherguess Gods they call Lord." John Payne; Flower o' Thorn; Villon Society; 1909. Thought For The Day: Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (12 Jul 1817-1862) *****July 15, 2019***** Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." Embezzle : : to appropriate (something, such as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own use; The company's senior accounts manager embezzled thousands of dollars from her employer by way of a loophole in the accounting procedures. sinewy : (adjective) (Of a person) possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful.; brawny, hefty, muscular; She saw the sinewy form leap to the shoulder of the lion, hurtling against the leaping beast like a huge, animate battering ram. otherguess : adjective: Of another kind. ; "The worlds beyond living and dying, undarkened of doubts and negations, Where other ideals Faith follows and otherguess Gods they call Lord." John Payne; Flower o' Thorn; Villon Society; 1909. Thought For The Day: Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (12 Jul 1817-1862) *****July 16, 2019***** Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Nosegay : : a small bunch of flowers : posy; "On arrival, the Queen was presented with her traditional nosegay of fresh spring flowers…." — Robert Hardman, The Daily Mail (London), 19 Apr. 2019 collocation : (noun) The act of positioning close together (or side by side).; juxtaposition, apposition; Nina gained notoriety among interior designers for her brilliant collocation of unusual colors and shapes. superlunary : adjective: 1. Situated beyond the moon. 2. Celestial; exalted. ; "But it is Finck's memoir, 'Passing for Human', that is putting her in the superlunary realm of graphic novelists." Leslie Newell Peacock; Liana Finck; Arkansas Times (Little Rock); Apr 1, 2019. See more usage examples of superlunary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The bicycle is the most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart. -Iris Murdoch, writer (15 Jul 1919-1999) *****July 17, 2019***** Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Auxiliary : 1 a : offering or providing help; "And meantime I had an auxiliary interest which had never paled yet, never lost its novelty for me since I had been in Arthur's kingdom: the behavior—born of nice and exact subdivisions of caste—of chance passers-by toward each other." — Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, 1889 colewort : (noun) A hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head.; borecole, kale; Although he thought his aunt's boiled colewort was disgusting, Harold politely ate the meal without complaint. meniscus : noun 1. The curved surface of a column of liquid. 2. Something having a crescent-shape. 3. A lens that is concave on one side and convex on the other. 4. A thin cartilage disk between bones in a joint, such as in a knee or wrist. ; "My father listens silently, but I can feel a meniscus of rage rising in him, coating his throat with bile." Siddhartha Mukherjee; Runs in the Family; The New Yorker; Mar 28, 2016. See more usage examples of meniscus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every student needs someone who says, simply, "You mean something. You count." -Tony Kushner, playwright (b. 16 Jul 1956) *****July 18, 2019***** Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Provender : 1 : dry food for domestic animals : feed; The restaurant's chef-owner prides himself on creating dishes from local provender. meddlesome : (adjective) Intrusive in a meddling or offensive manner.; busybodied, interfering, officious; Though she means well, my meddlesome mother invariably drives away all of my boyfriends with her unwelcome intrusions. moonstruck : adjective: 1. In a dreamy state. 2. Romantically dazed. 3. Mentally deranged. ; "Fantasio is a moonstruck student who adopts the persona of a sad clown to woo the Princess Elsbeth, soon to be married against her will to the Prince of Mantua." Tim Ashley; Opera: Fantasio; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 17, 2013. "Recall that Jerry Brown has been the [California] governor twice. He started pushing for clean energy during his first term back in the 1970s, when most people thought his starry-eyed talk about solar and wind power was crazy. Those and other exploits earned him the sobriquet 'Governor Moonbeam'. Now we know he was not a moonstruck hippie; he was a visionary." Justin Gillis; How Jerry Brown Can Seal His Legacy as a Climate Champion; The New York Times; Sep 7, 2018. See more usage examples of moonstruck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind. -Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (17 Jul 1921-1944) *****July 19, 2019***** Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Speculate : 1 a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect; "Both celebrities have been tweeting each other for a while now, leading fans to speculate about their relationship status." — Suzette Fernandez, Billboard.com, 5 June 2019 clear-eyed : (adjective) Mentally acute or penetratingly discerning.; perspicacious; John's clear-eyed assessment of the company's problems saved it from bankruptcy. blue moon : noun: A long time. ; "I started to appreciate this weird thing for what it was. Just two people who rarely have time to see each other, who aren't quite right for each other, who enjoy each other's company every once in a blue moon." Natalie B. Compton; Midair Meeting Lands in Reality; Los Angeles Times; Jun 22, 2019. See more usage examples of blue moon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is a looking glass and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. -William Makepeace Thackeray, novelist (18 Jul 1811-1863) *****July 20, 2019***** Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Gnomic : 1 : characterized by aphorism ; "That narrative power is real, as in the case of Shireen, but it came not from having a story but from telling it and persuading others of its truth. And we didn't see a trace of that in Bran's ascension. He generally fails to speak in anything other than fractured, gnomic phrases. He doesn't tend to connect." — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 21 May 2019 treacly : (adjective) Overly sweet.; cloying, saccharine, syrupy; I enjoyed it as a child, but as an adult I found the candy treacly to the point of being inedible. lunule : noun: 1. The crescent-shaped whitish area at the base of the fingernail. 2. Any crescent-shaped mark, object, etc. ; "The majestic creature was yellow with black stripes and had beautiful blue lunules along its hind wings." Gary Clark; Butterfly Expert to Speak on Future of Migratory Wonders; Houston Chronicle; Apr 16, 2005. "Stick it up your lunula. Shane O'Doherty, a contestant on the Irish TV version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is ready to sue the producer in a dispute over an answer. At the level equal to about $35,000 US, he was asked, 'Where in the body is the lunula located?' His final answer was 'in the heart', but the host booted him off, saying the lunula is part of the fingernail." But now O'Doherty says he has come up with several medical reference books using the same word for a part of the heart. See you in court." Doug Camilli; Pen to Perfect Paper; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Jun 25, 2001. See more usage examples of lunule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in. -George McGovern, senator and author (19 Jul 1922-2012) *****July 21, 2019***** Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari - to have an opinion. Cogent : 1 a : appealing forcibly to the mind or reason : convincing; At the town meeting, citizens presented many cogent arguments in support of building a new senior center. perspicacity : (noun) The capacity to assess situations or circumstances shrewdly and to draw sound conclusions.; judgment; It was a marvelous effort of perspicacity to discover that I did not love her. lunule : noun: 1. The crescent-shaped whitish area at the base of the fingernail. 2. Any crescent-shaped mark, object, etc. ; "The majestic creature was yellow with black stripes and had beautiful blue lunules along its hind wings." Gary Clark; Butterfly Expert to Speak on Future of Migratory Wonders; Houston Chronicle; Apr 16, 2005. "Stick it up your lunula. Shane O'Doherty, a contestant on the Irish TV version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is ready to sue the producer in a dispute over an answer. At the level equal to about $35,000 US, he was asked, 'Where in the body is the lunula located?' His final answer was 'in the heart', but the host booted him off, saying the lunula is part of the fingernail." But now O'Doherty says he has come up with several medical reference books using the same word for a part of the heart. See you in court." Doug Camilli; Pen to Perfect Paper; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Jun 25, 2001. See more usage examples of lunule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in. -George McGovern, senator and author (19 Jul 1922-2012) *****July 22, 2019***** Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Redaction : 1 a : an act or instance of preparing something for publication ; "The city released Craddock's emailed resignation, but redacted the send and receive times as well as the recipients. A city attorney said the entire document is considered a personnel record and is subject to redaction under the state's Freedom of Information Act." — Alissa Skelton, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), 14 June 2019 egotism : (noun) An inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others.; self-importance; I confess, too, that I was irritated by the egotism which seemed to demand that every line of my pamphlet should be devoted to his own special doings. lunule : noun: 1. The crescent-shaped whitish area at the base of the fingernail. 2. Any crescent-shaped mark, object, etc. ; "The majestic creature was yellow with black stripes and had beautiful blue lunules along its hind wings." Gary Clark; Butterfly Expert to Speak on Future of Migratory Wonders; Houston Chronicle; Apr 16, 2005. "Stick it up your lunula. Shane O'Doherty, a contestant on the Irish TV version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, is ready to sue the producer in a dispute over an answer. At the level equal to about $35,000 US, he was asked, 'Where in the body is the lunula located?' His final answer was 'in the heart', but the host booted him off, saying the lunula is part of the fingernail." But now O'Doherty says he has come up with several medical reference books using the same word for a part of the heart. See you in court." Doug Camilli; Pen to Perfect Paper; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Jun 25, 2001. See more usage examples of lunule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in. -George McGovern, senator and author (19 Jul 1922-2012) *****July 23, 2019***** Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Whinge : British : to complain fretfully : whine; "I was angry, I went home to my wife and I complained. I was whinging an Olympic level of whinging to Deb, my wife, and moaning about this person and that person." — Hugh Jackman, quoted in MailOnline, 4 June 2019 verbiage : (noun) The excessive and often meaningless use of words; verbosity.; repetition, tautology, redundancy, circumlocution, prolixity, periphrasis, pleonasm; He is generally a smooth and fluent versifier, but his fluency is his undoing; he wraps up his material in too great a mass of verbiage. solecism : noun: 1. A grammatical mistake or a nonstandard usage. 2. A breach of etiquette. 3. An error, inconsistency, or impropriety. ; "Purists who carp about grammatical solecisms such as 'try and find' instead of 'try to find' should refer to a 2007 study which found that Brits use 'try and' 71 per cent of the time in speech and 24 per cent in writing, compared with Americans who used it only 24 per cent of the time in speech and 5 per cent in writing." Michael Skapinker; The Language of Shakespeare: American English is Truer to Tradition Than the British Like to Think; Financial Times (London, UK); Mar 24, 2018. See more usage examples of solecism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. / Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, / I lift my lamp beside the golden door! -Emma Lazarus, poet and playwright (22 Jul 1849-1887) [from a poem written to raise funds for building the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty] *****July 24, 2019***** Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." Desideratum : : something desired as essential; "The strength of his class depended to some extent on sound money management—but depended to a much larger extent on marriages based cynically on the sorts of children likely to be produced. Healthy, charming, wise children were the desiderata." — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., The Sirens of Titan, 1959 heliotherapy : (noun) Therapeutic exposure to sunlight.; insolation; Heliotherapy has long been used as a treatment for various skin conditions. Manchurian candidate : noun: A person, especially a politician, acting as a puppet of a foreign power. ; "The Russians have succeeded with bringing down the US without firing a shot. We have the Manchurian candidate who has succeeded beyond their wildest dreams." John Kostick Jr.; Letters; The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Apr 30, 2019. Thought For The Day: Television's perfect. You turn a few knobs, a few of those mechanical adjustments at which the higher apes are so proficient, and lean back and drain your mind of all thought. And there you are watching the bubbles in the primeval ooze. You don't have to concentrate. You don't have to react. You don't have to remember. You don't miss your brain because you don't need it. Your heart and liver and lungs continue to function normally. Apart from that, all is peace and quiet. You are in the man's nirvana. And if some poor nasty minded person comes along and says you look like a fly on a can of garbage, pay him no mind. He probably hasn't got the price of a television set. -Raymond Thornton Chandler, writer (23 Jul 1888-1959) *****July 25, 2019***** Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Hapless : : having no luck : unfortunate; "Whatever your view of Team USA's rout over Thailand or the way they celebrated every goal over that hapless opponent, the 13-0 opening victory fueled conversation and interest for Sunday's United States-Chile match." — Phil Rosenthal, The Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2019 overwrought : (adjective) Deeply agitated especially from emotion.; distraught; Now that the horror of absolute solitude was upon them, her overwrought nerves gave way, and the reaction came. Dunkirk : noun: 1. A desperate evacuation or retreat. 2. A crisis requiring drastic measures to avoid total disaster. ; "We are in the worst situation we've been in since I've been at the club. This is our Dunkirk." Colin Tattum; Football; Birmingham Mail (UK); Dec 20, 2005. See more usage examples of Dunkirk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: So I accept these awards on behalf of the cake bakers and all of those other women who can do some things quite as important, if not more important, than flying, as well as in the name of women flying today. -Amelia Earhart (24 Jul 1897-1937) *****July 26, 2019***** Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." Undergird : 1 archaic : to make secure underneath; "The organ tones that undergirded much of her recent work suggested a secular version of the church nave. Here, the walls close in and we're transported somewhere deceptively plain, to what might be an afternoon recital in someone's home." — Thea Ballard, Pitchfork, 8 June 2019 eschew : (verb) Avoid and stay away from deliberately; stay clear of.; shun; Unlike many Hollywood starlets, she eschews publicity and does her best to avoid being photographed in public. Siberia : noun: An undesirable or isolated location assigned to those who have fallen out of favor or are being disciplined. ; "The balcony, once a Siberia for diners without boldfaced names, could become a desired location." Florence Fabricant; Everything's Up to Date (for 1958, That Is); The New York Times; Apr 26, 2017. See more usage examples of Siberia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The less justified a man is in claiming excellence for his own self, the more ready he is to claim all excellence for his nation, his religion, his race or his holy cause. A man is likely to mind his own business when it is worth minding. When it is not, he takes his mind off his own meaningless affairs by minding other people's business. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) *****July 27, 2019***** Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Motley : 1 : variegated in color; Many of the jesters at the medieval festival were dressed in a bright motley garb. paunchy : (adjective) Having a large belly.; abdominous, potbellied; He was … a plump, paunchy, sturdy-looking fellow. ultima Thule : noun: 1. The northernmost part of the world believed habitable by the ancients. 2. A distant or remote goal or place. 3. The farthest point. ; "On what's known as the shy-bold continuum of human behaviour, Unst stands out as an ultima Thule of shyness." Ian Jack; We Used to Think Shyness Was Refined. That Was Before Social Media; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 17, 2016. See more usage examples of ultima Thule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All great truths begin as blasphemies. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 28, 2019***** Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Bildungsroman : : a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character; "It's a thoroughly contemporary bildungsroman in which the protagonist is the Vietnamese-born son of an illiterate and violence-prone single mother. He's living in the United States with her and his schizophrenic grandmother when he comes to terms with the alternating harshness and warmth of his family…." — Leigh Haber, Oprah Magazine, 3 June 2019 reimburse : (verb) To pay back or compensate (another party) for money spent or losses incurred.; refund, repay, remunerate; As long as my siblings are willing to reimburse me for my expenses, I am happy to go into town on my day off and buy all of the snacks and decorations for the family reunion. ultima Thule : noun: 1. The northernmost part of the world believed habitable by the ancients. 2. A distant or remote goal or place. 3. The farthest point. ; "On what's known as the shy-bold continuum of human behaviour, Unst stands out as an ultima Thule of shyness." Ian Jack; We Used to Think Shyness Was Refined. That Was Before Social Media; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 17, 2016. See more usage examples of ultima Thule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All great truths begin as blasphemies. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 29, 2019***** Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Evince : 1 : to constitute outward evidence of; "Randall Park is solid, handsome, capable, and utterly charming—a leading man whose talents as sly foil to a larger, more outsized personality evinced by his performance in Fresh Off the Boat are given their full due here." — Megan Reynolds, Jezebel, 3 June 2019 disinterest : (noun) Freedom from selfish bias or self-interest; impartiality.; neutrality; The old judge, who usually conducted herself with disinterest, seemed to favor the prosecution from the start in this case. ultima Thule : noun: 1. The northernmost part of the world believed habitable by the ancients. 2. A distant or remote goal or place. 3. The farthest point. ; "On what's known as the shy-bold continuum of human behaviour, Unst stands out as an ultima Thule of shyness." Ian Jack; We Used to Think Shyness Was Refined. That Was Before Social Media; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 17, 2016. See more usage examples of ultima Thule in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All great truths begin as blasphemies. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 30, 2019***** Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Addlepated : 1 : being mixed up : confused; "Her addlepated mind flitted butterflylike from one often unrelated subject to another." — Tessa Harris, The Anatomist's Apprentice, 2011 obstinacy : (noun) The trait of being difficult to handle or overcome.; mulishness, stubbornness; If any tribe shall refuse to recognize the authority of the French, by bowing down to the laced chapeau of Mowanna, let them abide the consequences of their obstinacy. hypocoristic : adjective: Relating to a pet name or diminutive form of a name. noun: A pet name or diminutive form of a name. ; "Malena is the hypocoristic form of Madalena, but there is nothing diminutive about supermodel-actress Monica Belluci." Edwin Jahiel; Tornatore's 'Malena' Another Unknown but Moving Film; News Gazette (Champaign, Illinois); Mar 2, 2001. Thought For The Day: We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects. -Alexis de Tocqueville, statesman and historian (29 Jul 1805-1859) *****July 31, 2019***** Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." Phalanx : 1 : a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files; broadly : a body of troops in close array; "Despite Beyoncé missing in action, Skylar Grey filled her shoes admirably, as she sang the hook and played the piano. In addition to Grey, a phalanx of violinists helped anchor the heartfelt performance." — Carl Lamarre, Billboard.com, 12 Nov. 2017 hullabaloo : (noun) Disturbance usually in protest.; turmoil, upheaval, agitation, excitement; In the morning Joan was roused by a great row and hullabaloo. filiation : noun: 1. The fact of being descended or derived from someone or something. 2. The act of determining such relationship. 3. Forming of a new branch. ; "French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner recently asked the German government to grant citizenship to French war babies who seek it after tracing their filiation." Edward Cody; "At Last I Had a Father"; The Gazette (Montreal, Canada); Dec 12, 2009. See more usage examples of filiation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I could I would always work in silence and obscurity, and let my efforts be known by their results. -Emily Bronte, novelist (30 Jul 1818-1848) *****August 01, 2019***** Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Importune : 1 a : to press or urge with troublesome persistence; "[Sarah] Polk feigned neutrality or loyalty, depending on what suited her, and she successfully importuned Andrew Johnson, the military governor of Tennessee and then American president, to pardon ex-rebels or to grant such favors as being able to sell her cotton untaxed." — Megan Reynolds, Jezebel, 3 June 2019 puckish : (adjective) Naughtily or annoyingly playful.; impish, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, arch, wicked; My puckish new roommate apparently thought it would be funny to hide my car keys in the teapot. teknonymy or tecnonymy : noun: The custom of naming a parent after their child. ; "Indeed, the taboo against using personal names is so strong, and the urge to teknonymy so strong, that the child in question can be imaginary. Sim cites with disapproval the example of a young housewife on a TV gameshow being asked to introduce to the audience the gentleman standing besides her. Her reply [meant] 'This is my husband (the father of our as-yet-unconceived child)'." Ho-min Sohn; Korean Language in Culture and Society; University of Hawaii Press; 2006. Thought For The Day: Kind words, kind looks, kind acts, and warm hand-shakes, - these are means of grace when men in trouble are fighting their unseen battles. -John Hall, pastor (31 Jul 1829-1898) *****August 02, 2019***** Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Luftmensch : : an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income; "People like Luftmenschen, and they've liked them for a long time. The image of Thales, called the world's first philosopher, cannot be proven, but it's comforting to think that intellectuals have their heads in the clouds and stumble into the well before their feet." — Susan Neiman, Einstein for the 21st Century, 2008 delegacy : (noun) A group of representatives or delegates.; deputation, mission, commission; The Finnish delegacy arrived on Estonian soil early this morning and was greeted by a number of government officials. puerperal : adjective: Relating to childbirth or following childbirth. ; "In the 1830s, women having babies at lying-in hospitals ran a far greater risk of dying from puerperal sepsis than women having babies at home." John Irving; The Long, Cruel History of the Anti-Abortion Crusade; The New York Times; Jun 23, 2019. See more usage examples of puerperal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All visible objects, man, are but as pasteboard masks. But in each event -- in the living act, the undoubted deed -- there, some unknown but still reasoning thing puts forth the mouldings of its features from behind the unreasoning mask. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891) *****August 03, 2019***** Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Clarion : : brilliantly clear; also : loud and clear; "The guitars take off like fighter planes and [Stef Chura] delivers a clarion, country-steeped vocal, somewhere between Kitty Wells and Kurt Cobain." — Megan Reynolds, Jezebel, 3 June 2019 eye-popping : (adjective) Amazingly impressive; suggestive of the flashing of lightning.; dazzling, fulgurant; The highlight of our New Year's celebration was easily the fireworks display, which was eye-popping and glorious. pedantic : adjective: Characterized by an excessive, narrow adherence to rules without practical judgment. ; "And another cleric, William Gilpin, the father of the Picturesque movement, drew up a list of pedantic instructions on how to view the landscape. He quickly became the subject of satire." The Heart with Pleasure Fills; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 3, 2010. See more usage examples of pedantic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2019***** Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." transfigure : (verb) Change completely the nature or appearance of.; metamorphose, transmogrify; To you, my friend, she would have appeared a hideous and ugly creature, but to me she was beautiful—so gloriously does love transfigure its object. pedantic : adjective: Characterized by an excessive, narrow adherence to rules without practical judgment. ; "And another cleric, William Gilpin, the father of the Picturesque movement, drew up a list of pedantic instructions on how to view the landscape. He quickly became the subject of satire." The Heart with Pleasure Fills; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 3, 2010. See more usage examples of pedantic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 05, 2019***** Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Faze : : to disturb the composure of : disconcert, daunt; My grandfather was a stolid individual who was not easily fazed by life's troubles. shirty : (adjective) (British informal) Ill-tempered or annoyed.; snorty; He was a bit shirty with her when she arrived late. pedantic : adjective: Characterized by an excessive, narrow adherence to rules without practical judgment. ; "And another cleric, William Gilpin, the father of the Picturesque movement, drew up a list of pedantic instructions on how to view the landscape. He quickly became the subject of satire." The Heart with Pleasure Fills; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 3, 2010. See more usage examples of pedantic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 06, 2019***** Attrition : n. 1. A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death. 2. A gradual diminution in number or strength. "The company's attrition rate was quite high." Passim : : in one place and another : here and there; The old cookbooks that once belonged to Michael's grandmother had some of her own recipes and other annotations penciled on the pages passim. wonted : (adjective) Commonly used or practiced; usual.; habitual, accustomed, customary; Professor Erlin lost his wonted calm: he beat the table with his fist, and drowned all opposition with the roar of his fine deep voice. cordillera : noun: A chain of mountains or mountain ranges. ; "There is a cordillera of laundry, an artificial Christmas tree still working its way back into the storage closet, a hockey bag putrefying at the bottom of the stairs." Jane MacDougall; There Was an Owl in the Basement; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Mar 16, 2013. Thought For The Day: Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you. -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 07, 2019***** Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Totem : 1 a : an object (such as an animal or plant) serving as the emblem of a family or clan and often as a reminder of its ancestry; also : a usually carved or painted representation of such an object; The Delaware Indians of eastern North America belonged to one of three groups whose totems were the turkey, the turtle, and the wolf. hail-fellow : (adjective) Heartily friendly and congenial.; comradely; Everyone in the tour group was instantly enamored by the guide and his hail-fellow demeanor. bondieuserie : noun: A piece of banal religious art, devotional object, ornament, etc. ; "Extant churches were 'cleansed', stripped of altars, stained glass, paintings, and dubious bondieuserie." Jonathan Meades; Vatican II and Architecture's Wild Men; The Spectator (London, UK); Apr 15, 2017. Thought For The Day: The perfection of a clock is not to go fast, but to be accurate. -Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, moralist and essayist (6 Aug 1715-1747) *****August 08, 2019***** Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Ransack : 1 : to look through thoroughly in often a rough way; The kids had ransacked the cabinets looking for snacks, leaving not a chip or cracker uneaten. subroutine : (noun) A set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program.; procedure, function; Apparently, the program was crashing because there were careless typos in the code for a pivotal subroutine. pareidolia : noun: The tendency to see a specific pattern or meaningful images in random stimulus. ; "Perhaps pareidolia explains how changing clouds inspired widespread reports of armies in the sky during the political upheavals of the 1600s." Paul Simons; Weather Eye; The Times (London, UK); Mar 23, 2017. Thought For The Day: No amount of belief makes something a fact. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 09, 2019***** Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Aggregate : 1 : a mass or body of units or parts somewhat loosely associated with one another; The university's various departments spent an aggregate of 1.2 million dollars in advertising last year. chopine : (noun) A woman's shoe with a very high thick sole.; platform; In centuries past, some women wore chopines so large that they had difficulty maintaining their balance without assistance. akratic : adjective: Characterized by weakness of will that results in acting contrary to one's better judgment. ; "Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema, you name it. Too many young people, especially young women, are taking it up without any real understanding of the risks, and when they do understand the risks they are akratic -- they just can't help themselves." Boris Johnson; Banning Smoking in Cars Is Bizarre, Intrusive -- and Right; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Feb 10, 2014. Thought For The Day: When I can look Life in the eyes, / Grown calm and very coldly wise, / Life will have given me the Truth, / And taken in exchange -- my youth. -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933) *****August 10, 2019***** Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." ennoble : (verb) Give a title to someone; make someone a member of the nobility.; gentle; It would be interesting to see how brave he was; besides, the King would have good reason to ennoble him if he overcame them. satyagraha : noun: The policy of passive nonviolent resistance as a protest against injustice. ; "Colin Kaepernick is an NFL pariah. His stand for social justice by taking a knee during the national anthem last season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers has left him sitting on his couch as NFL training camps commence this week. "His sideline satyagraha, designed to bring attention to civil rights violations and disparities in treatment from law enforcement in this country, makes him unemployable in a league that frowns upon individuality, and values compliance and conformity from its players." Christopher L. Gasper; Kaepernick Saga Cuts Against the Grain; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jul 23, 2017. See more usage examples of satyagraha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns. -P.L. Travers, author (9 Aug 1899-1996) *****August 11, 2019***** Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. Balkanize : 1 : to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units; "Tech companies and civil rights advocates warn that the increasing push by nations to create their own internet rules will Balkanize the internet and potentially lead to privacy violations and the stifling of political dissent." — Cecilia Kang and Katie Benner, The New York Times, 7 Jan. 2017 adorable : (adjective) Lovable especially in a childlike or naive way.; endearing, lovely; She frowned at his facetiousness—a pretty, adorable frown that made him put his arm around her and kiss it away. satyagraha : noun: The policy of passive nonviolent resistance as a protest against injustice. ; "Colin Kaepernick is an NFL pariah. His stand for social justice by taking a knee during the national anthem last season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers has left him sitting on his couch as NFL training camps commence this week. "His sideline satyagraha, designed to bring attention to civil rights violations and disparities in treatment from law enforcement in this country, makes him unemployable in a league that frowns upon individuality, and values compliance and conformity from its players." Christopher L. Gasper; Kaepernick Saga Cuts Against the Grain; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jul 23, 2017. See more usage examples of satyagraha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns. -P.L. Travers, author (9 Aug 1899-1996) *****August 12, 2019***** Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Démarche : 1 a : a course of action : maneuver; "On Feb. 23, less than a week after the U.S. démarche to the Cuban government, DeLaurentis accompanied two visiting U.S. senators … to see President Raúl Castro at the Palace of the Revolution." — Tim Golden and Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 14 Feb. 2018 roofless : (adjective) Physically or spiritually homeless or deprived of security.; dispossessed; How matters were finally settled I do not know, but we found ourselves roofless, shelterless, and without a copper. satyagraha : noun: The policy of passive nonviolent resistance as a protest against injustice. ; "Colin Kaepernick is an NFL pariah. His stand for social justice by taking a knee during the national anthem last season as a member of the San Francisco 49ers has left him sitting on his couch as NFL training camps commence this week. "His sideline satyagraha, designed to bring attention to civil rights violations and disparities in treatment from law enforcement in this country, makes him unemployable in a league that frowns upon individuality, and values compliance and conformity from its players." Christopher L. Gasper; Kaepernick Saga Cuts Against the Grain; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jul 23, 2017. See more usage examples of satyagraha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns. -P.L. Travers, author (9 Aug 1899-1996) *****August 13, 2019***** Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Plaintive : : expressive of suffering or woe : melancholy; "Dean Nicholson was pedaling up a hill in Bosnia … when he heard a plaintive meow. He looked over his shoulder. In the lambent December light, he saw a gray-and-white kitten chasing him up the incline." — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 Apr. 2019 marketer : (noun) Someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money.; seller, trafficker, vendor; George made his fortune as a cigar and tobacco marketer, but now he is turning his attention to other products. moon shot : noun: 1. A mission to the moon. 2. A highly ambitious, unlikely project with great potential impact. 3. In sports, an act of hitting or throwing a ball very high. ; "Sen. Angus King: You know, Joe Biden, this is a deeply personal issue for him, and he's talked about a cancer moon shot." Trump's 2020 Campaign Kick-off Rehashes Grievances; New Day (New York); Jun 19, 2019. "Mooney sent a moon shot over the centerfield fence for a three-run homer and a 4-0 lead." Dave Seamon; Lady Cougars Shut Out Crestwood; Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, Pennsylvania); May 1, 2019. See more usage examples of moon shot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It has always seemed strange to me that in our endless discussions about education so little stress is laid on the pleasure of becoming an educated person, the enormous interest it adds to life. To be able to be caught up into the world of thought -- that is to be educated. -Edith Hamilton, educator and writer (12 Aug 1867-1963) *****August 14, 2019***** Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." Smite : 1 : to strike sharply or heavily especially with the hand or an implement held in the hand; The cartoon's villain was, as tradition would have it, smote by an anvil dropping mysteriously from the sky. rough-cut : (adjective) Lacking refinement or cultivation or taste.; uncouth, vulgar, coarse, common; My mechanic is a rough-cut man who makes little time for pleasantries, but I use him because he always gives me an honest price and does good work. light-year : noun: 1. A unit of length equal to the distance traveled by light in one year in a vacuum, about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion km. 2. Very far, in distance or time. ; "Baseball under Manfred's leadership moved a light-year ahead of the NFL when it came to sensitivity toward people of color by setting an example in its sport about what would no longer be acceptable in branding." Kevin B. Blackistone; MLB's Manfred Led the Way. Will the NFL Choose to Follow?; The Washington Post; Feb 12, 2019. See more usage examples of light-year in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The Supreme Ethical Rule: Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself. -Felix Adler, professor, lecturer, and reformer (13 Aug 1851-1933) *****August 15, 2019***** Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Garniture : 1 : embellishment, trimming; "Above the fireplace: a scene of a cow jumping over the moon, in an elaborate gilt frame. On the mantle below, we see a clock…, flanked by garniture sturdy enough to be a murder weapon out of Agatha Christie." — Rumaan Alam, Slate, 23 Aug. 2016 interrogatory : (noun) Formal systematic questioning.; examination; The defendant refused to confess his guilt, despite the prosecutor's aggressive interrogatory. rocket science : noun 1. The science of rocket design, construction, and flight. 2. Something requiring advanced knowledge and intelligence. ; "California requires barbers to study full-time for nearly a year, a curriculum that costs $12,000 at Arthur Borner's Barber College in Los Angeles. Mr. Borner says his graduates earn more than enough to recoup their tuition, though he questions the need for such a lengthy program. 'Barbering is not rocket science,' he said." No Right to Work; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 7, 2011. Thought For The Day: Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things. -Russell Baker, columnist and author (14 Aug 1925-2019) *****August 16, 2019***** Monolithic : adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change. Miscible : : capable of being mixed; specifically : capable of mixing in any ratio without separation of two phases; Oil and water are not miscible—if you pour oil in a glass of water, it will float to the top.  tweedy : (adjective) Of textiles; having a rough surface.; homespun, nubby, slubbed; Instead of offering something soft and comfortable, the saleswoman handed me a sweater knitted of tweedy yarns. lift-off : noun: 1. The action of being airborne, such as that of a rocket, aircraft, etc. 2. The launch of a project, an initiative, etc. ; "While those negotiations grind on, some artists have quietly begun to work again. Some are anticipating the lift-off of Brandaid-Haiti, a Canada-based non-profit initiative aimed at reviving market share for Haiti's arts and crafts industry." Jessica Leeder; Jacmel's Artists Starving for an Audience; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 19, 2010. See more usage examples of lift-off in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no human being who, as a result of desiring to build a better life, should be named or declared illegal. -Alejandro G. Inarritu, film director, producer, screenwriter, and composer (b. 15 Aug 1963) *****August 17, 2019***** Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Satiate : : to satisfy (a need, a desire, etc.) fully or to excess; After eating three pieces of pie and one of cake at the potluck, Jamie's sweet tooth was finally satiated. actuate : (verb) To motivate or incite into action.; incite, motivate, prompt, propel, move; She hoped he would not be actuated by any such degrading curiosity. space cadet : noun: 1. A trainee astronaut. 2. A person who behaves strangely or appears to be out of touch with reality. ; "It seems odd to think of how [Kate] Bush was once popularly perceived: not with the reverence she's held in now, but as a dippy space cadet with a penchant for saying 'wow'." Alexis Petridis; Kate Bush -- Every UK Single Ranked!; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 23, 2018. See more usage examples of space cadet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2019***** Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Tortuous : 1 : marked by repeated twists, bends, or turns : winding; "What a cast! A tsunami of lawyers, such as William Evarts, Benjamin Butler and others swept over Washington with a vengeance, launching long-winded speeches—one lasted 14 hours—and tortuous explanations of policies." — Sam Coale, The Providence Journal, 23 May 2019 with-it : (adjective) In accord with the most fashionable ideas or style.; cutting-edge, up-to-date; Angela takes her fashion cues from whatever the with-it boutiques downtown are promoting. space cadet : noun: 1. A trainee astronaut. 2. A person who behaves strangely or appears to be out of touch with reality. ; "It seems odd to think of how [Kate] Bush was once popularly perceived: not with the reverence she's held in now, but as a dippy space cadet with a penchant for saying 'wow'." Alexis Petridis; Kate Bush -- Every UK Single Ranked!; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 23, 2018. See more usage examples of space cadet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 19, 2019***** Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Hiatus : 1 a : a break in or as if in a material object : gap; "The bus service will run from Dec. 3 to Dec. 21 before going on hiatus for the holidays. Regular service will resume on Jan. 7." — Alison Brownlee, The Huntsville Forester, November 27, 2012 harum-scarum : (adjective) Cheerfully irresponsible.; devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, slaphappy, freewheeling, carefree; I was a harum-scarum, reckless lad, and he had had an education, and was already marked for the sword-belt. space cadet : noun: 1. A trainee astronaut. 2. A person who behaves strangely or appears to be out of touch with reality. ; "It seems odd to think of how [Kate] Bush was once popularly perceived: not with the reverence she's held in now, but as a dippy space cadet with a penchant for saying 'wow'." Alexis Petridis; Kate Bush -- Every UK Single Ranked!; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 23, 2018. See more usage examples of space cadet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 20, 2019***** Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Brandish : 1 : to shake or wave (something, such as a weapon) menacingly; Michael appeared before the town council brandishing a petition signed by 500 people asking the town to increase funding for the public skate park. behemoth : (noun) Someone or something that is abnormally large and powerful.; colossus, goliath, monster, giant; Little Nick was surprisingly excited as the trainers lifted him onto the elephant, and he showed no fear as he rode the behemoth around the ring. pythagorize : verb intr.: To philosophize or speculate in the manner of Pythagoras or the Pythagoreans. verb tr.: To convert (a person or thing) into another. ; "Your presupposed celestial unity shall make all kinds of words spring up in you; and when your scattered numbers resonate, pythagorize within your constellations." By Ruben Dario (translated by Elinor Randall); Quoted in The Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry; Oxford University Press; 2009. Thought For The Day: The door of a bigoted mind opens outwards so that the only result of the pressure of facts upon it is to close it more snugly. -Ogden Nash, poet (19 Aug 1902-1971) *****August 21, 2019***** Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." Ethereal : 1 a : of or relating to the regions beyond the earth; "Like Howe's Omniverse, van Herpen's finale piece used aluminum and stainless steel on the skeleton, covering it with a thin layer of feathers that ruffled, turning as if graced with gust of wind. The penultimate look channeled the same ethereal vibe, featuring laser-cut strips of fabric that give the appearance of pulsating angel wings." — Barry Samaha, Surface, 2 July 2019 avocation : (noun) An activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment.; hobby, pursuit, sideline; Garth had failed in the building business, which he had unfortunately added to his other avocations of surveyor, valuer, and agent. malaprop : verb intr.: To misuse a word by confusing it with a similar-sounding word, producing a humorous effect. For example, "pineapple of perfection" for "pinnacle of perfection" (from the play The Rivals). ; "Why not throw caution to the birds, as he had malaproped, and make the call?" Arnold Grossman; Going Together; Fulcrum Publishing; 2007. See more usage examples of malaprop in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 22, 2019***** Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Misnomer : 1 : the misnaming of a person in a legal instrument; "When you see flashes along the horizon on a summer night, it could be lightning within a storm that's more than 100 miles away. 'Heat lightning' is a misnomer—they're just ordinary strikes that lack thunder and appear diffuse when witnessed from a long distance." — John Boyer, The Richmond (Virginia) Times Dispatch, 27 June 2019 gloaming : (noun) The time of day immediately following sunset.; crepuscule, dusk, nightfall, twilight; When the sun was fairly down, we slipped back to the hotel in the charitable gloaming, and went to bed again. nestorize : verb tr.: To fill someone with the idea of being very wise. ; "I must stop this sort of Nestorizing to myself and save it for the lecture platform and the press." Gore Vidal; 1876; Random House; 1976. Thought For The Day: I have no respect for people who deliberately try to be weird to attract attention, but if that's who you honestly are, you shouldn't try to "normalize" yourself. -Alicia Witt, actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist (b. 21 Aug 1975) *****August 23, 2019***** Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Chivy : 1 : to tease or annoy with persistent petty attacks; Marielle watched her little brother as he chivied an olive from the jar with his fingers. galosh : (noun) A waterproof overshoe.; arctic, rubber, gumshoe; This rain is not going to stop any time soon, so you had better dig your galoshes out of the closet. dewitt : verb tr.: To kill by mob violence. ; "As Lockhard in his papers says, 'Had Mr. Campbell himself been in town they had certainly dewitted him.'" Constance Russell; Three Generations of Fascinating Women; Longmans, Green; 1905. Thought For The Day: "Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course." -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (22 Aug 1920-2012) *****August 24, 2019***** Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." Excursion : 1 a : a going out or forth : expedition; Lewis Carroll's Through The Looking Glass is an excursion into a fantastical world where nothing is what it seems to be, and everything appears to be what it is not. hideout : (noun) A place of shelter or concealment.; den; There are rumors that criminals once used this abandoned warehouse as a hideout, but they have never been confirmed. aladdinize : verb tr.: To magically transport or transform someone or something. ; "The latter too became so quiet and empty as to induce the sensation of having been Aladdinized to some 'solemn and deserted' street in Palmyra." Nick Yablon; Untimely Ruins; The University of Chicago Press; 2009. Thought For The Day: It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll, / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul. -William Ernest Henley, poet, critic, and editor (23 Aug 1849-1903) *****August 25, 2019***** Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Sporadic : : occurring occasionally, singly, or in irregular or random instances; The team's regular meetings became sporadic over the summer months, when at some points up to half of its members were on vacation. flip-flop : (verb) Reverse (a direction, attitude, or course of action).; alternate, interchange, tack, switch; Larry may promise you a ticket now, but I would not be surprised if he flip-flops on that decision later. aladdinize : verb tr.: To magically transport or transform someone or something. ; "The latter too became so quiet and empty as to induce the sensation of having been Aladdinized to some 'solemn and deserted' street in Palmyra." Nick Yablon; Untimely Ruins; The University of Chicago Press; 2009. Thought For The Day: It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll, / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul. -William Ernest Henley, poet, critic, and editor (23 Aug 1849-1903) *****August 26, 2019***** Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Kludge : : a haphazard or makeshift solution to a problem and especially to a computer or programming problem; Andy knocked out a hasty kludge to circumvent the buggy code until a more robust solution could be developed. synthetic : (adjective) Not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially.; man-made; I am a great animal lover and will not even wear synthetic leather for fear that it will be mistaken for the real thing. aladdinize : verb tr.: To magically transport or transform someone or something. ; "The latter too became so quiet and empty as to induce the sensation of having been Aladdinized to some 'solemn and deserted' street in Palmyra." Nick Yablon; Untimely Ruins; The University of Chicago Press; 2009. Thought For The Day: It matters not how strait the gate, / How charged with punishments the scroll, / I am the master of my fate: / I am the captain of my soul. -William Ernest Henley, poet, critic, and editor (23 Aug 1849-1903) *****August 27, 2019***** Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Wangle : 1 : to resort to trickery; "He wangled an invitation to a White House Christmas party, where he and his wife posed for a photo with then-President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama." — Barbara Demick and Victoria Kim, The Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2019 stager : (noun) An experienced person who has been through many battles; someone who has given long service.; old hand, old-timer, warhorse, veteran; The proposal was seductive, but La Ramee was an old stager, acquainted with all the traps a prisoner was likely to set. ere : conjunction: Before (earlier in time). ; "Starting around 2013, the cockatiel haircuts and mini-hawks were increasingly balanced out with shadowy facial hair. Ere long, full beards arrived." Simon Doonan; Style Tribes of Football; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 9, 2018. Thought For The Day: No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 28, 2019***** Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Desuetude : : discontinuance from use or exercise : disuse; The old bridge, which fell into desuetude after the railroad was shut down, has recently been opened as a pedestrian walkway. beseem : (verb) Accord or comport with.; befit, suit; Therefore it beseems us as true knights to prick on bravely, not idly weep. ecce : interjection: Behold! (used to call attention to someone or something). ; "Ecce the rise of literature in the modern vernaculars, even the mother tongue." Thomas Paul Bonfiglio; Why is English Literature?; Palgrave Pivot; 2013. "Behold a global business in distress -- incoherently managed, resistant to the modernizing forces of the Internet age, tainted by scandal and corruption. It needs to tweak its marketing, straighten out its finances, up its recruiting game, and repair its battered brand. Ecce Catholicism Inc." Bill Keller; Catholicism Inc.; The New York Times; Feb 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher (27 Aug 1770-1831) *****August 29, 2019***** Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Irascible : : marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger; That tidy little house belongs to an irascible crank who never has a kind word for any of his neighbors. scarecrow : (noun) An effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds.; straw man; She was determined, therefore, to contrive as lifelike a scarecrow as ever was seen … so that it should begin its sentinel's duty that very morning. minim : noun: 1. The least amount of anything. 2. In music, a half note. 3. A unit of liquid measure, equivalent to 1/60 of a fluid dram (about one drop of liquid). 4. In calligraphy, a short vertical stroke, as in the letters i, m, n, u. ; "There's a minim of grace in that gesture, of self-forgiveness and, yes, of hope, however fugitive." William Giraldi; 'This Life Is Not Easy': The Redemption of Raymond Carver; Commonweal (New York); May 3, 2019. "Her mother would think as she spoke, in italics, while father, who supplemented his orchestral salary by copying music, would put each idea slowly and deliberately into his mind in the way he put minims to paper." Margaret Holmes; Ye Who Know Love: 'Sophie'; Rowan Holmes; 2008. "Measuring with a dropper eight minims of Tincura Opii into a glass of sherry, the chemist JG. Hallam, late of Camden Town, said to himself, I am an average man. This was a somatic measurement. No, a judgment, as twelve minims of laudanum was sufficient to put an average man to sleep." Michael Redhill; Consolation; Anchor Canada; 2009. Thought For The Day: Too many parents make life hard for their children by trying, too zealously, to make it easy for them. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (28 Aug 1749-1832) *****August 30, 2019***** Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Augur : 1 : to foretell especially from omens; "The new discovery should provide insight into the elusive origins of the strange bright signals, and augurs a dawning era in which they will be found and studied by the thousands." — Nola Taylor Redd, Scientific American, 13 Aug. 2018 plausive : (adjective) Expressing or manifesting praise or approval.; approbative, affirmative; Her father's plausive nod was likely as much praise as Jane would receive from her stoic parents. tirrit : noun: An instance of panic, temper, upset, etc. ; "'These tirrits and frights will be the death of me,' cries Mrs. Quickly when Ancient Pistol is swaggering in her house." Tom Taylor's and Charles Reade's Plays; The Gentleman's Magazine (London, UK); Jan 1855. Thought For The Day: Each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand mediocre minds appointed to guard the past. -Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, dramatist, and Nobel laureate (29 Aug 1862-1949) *****August 31, 2019***** Fastidious : adj. 1. Very attentive to and concerned about accuracy and detail. 2. excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to please: "A fastidious eater." 3. Very concerned about matters of cleanliness. Martinet : 1 : a strict disciplinarian; "Her father was a diet-and-exercise martinet, imposing a strict regimen on her as a condition for receiving an allowance." — Michael Upchurch, The Boston Globe, 20 Aug. 2017 paragon : (noun) Model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal.; nonesuch, nonpareil, apotheosis, ideal, saint; Nowadays, with our modern mania for morality, everyone has to pose as a paragon of purity, incorruptibility, and all the other seven deadly virtues. murdrum : noun: 1. A murder, especially in secret. 2. A fine paid for a murder. ; "The coroner knew that the smith was doing what he could to avoid the murdrum fine." Bernard Knight; The Elixir of Death; Pocket Books; 2006. Thought For The Day: The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850) *****September 01, 2019***** Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." Brackish : 1 : somewhat salty; The mangrove swamp is home to many species of plants and animals that thrive in brackish water. supplant : (verb) Take the place or move into the position of.; supersede, replace; The word processor has largely supplanted electric typewriters. murdrum : noun: 1. A murder, especially in secret. 2. A fine paid for a murder. ; "The coroner knew that the smith was doing what he could to avoid the murdrum fine." Bernard Knight; The Elixir of Death; Pocket Books; 2006. Thought For The Day: The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****September 02, 2019***** Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Calliope : 1 capitalized Calliope : the Greek Muse of heroic poetry; The distant song of a calliope let everyone know the carnival was back in town. embroil : (verb) Force into some kind of situation, condition, or course of action.; drag in, sweep up, tangle; Any hostilities could further embroil UN troops in the fighting. murdrum : noun: 1. A murder, especially in secret. 2. A fine paid for a murder. ; "The coroner knew that the smith was doing what he could to avoid the murdrum fine." Bernard Knight; The Elixir of Death; Pocket Books; 2006. Thought For The Day: The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****September 03, 2019***** Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Extemporize : 1 : to do something extemporaneously : improvise; especially : to compose, perform, or speak extemporaneously; "Donald's own trio consisted of piano, bass and cello. Each player's part was written, not extemporized." — Anthony Weller, The Los Angeles Times, 3 Feb. 2019  blabbermouth : (noun) Someone who gossips indiscreetly.; talebearer, tattler, tattletale; If you share that secret with a blabbermouth like Joe, then he will turn around and share it with anyone who will listen. unbirthday : noun: A day other than one's birthday. ; "Steve Irwin won't be at his son's 14th birthday, or his unbirthday." Frances Whiting; Shooting Star; The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); Nov 25, 2017. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, and philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 04, 2019***** Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Fecund : 1 : fruitful in offspring or vegetation : prolific; As an artist, she gets most of her inspiration from nature; her daily walks in the woods are a fecund source of ideas. corrode : (verb) Cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid.; rust, eat; Nothing can be a stronger proof of the malignant quality of the air than that the rust will immediately corrode both the iron and brass if they are not carefully covered with straw. runcible : noun: A utensil that is a combination of a fork and spoon. Also known as a spork. adjective: Shaped like a combination fork and spoon. ; "Hello, we said, to the beautiful dark starlit bar and the luxury therein: the runcible spoons with their slippery cargo: the snarled silk of tinned bean sprout, the wrinkled flame of the dried lily." Lynn Emanuel; The Dig and Hotel Fiesta; University of Illinois Press; 1994. See more usage examples of runcible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Form follows function. -Louis Sullivan, architect (3 Sep 1856-1924) *****September 05, 2019***** Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Minim : 1 : a musical half note; "And yet there are transcendent sparks in [writer Raymond Carver's work that] I keep going back to, moments of human communion that raise his people briefly above the wreckage of their worlds.… What's notable here is the clause he felt able to let her go, and also what he does immediately after these lines: 'He brought his arm down and turned to his children.' … There's a minim of grace in that gesture, of self-forgiveness and, yes, of hope, however fugitive." — William Giraldi, Commonweal, 23 Apr. 2019 importune : (verb) Beg persistently and urgently.; insist; She had come to the conclusion that he spoke no other English, and so she ceased to importune him for information. chirality : noun: The property of not being superimposable on its mirror image: dissymmetry. ; "Hands, feet, and shoes, [Richard Dawkins] explains, have chirality, i.e., 'there's a left one and a right one and you can't rotate either to make the other'. Socks, on the other hand, are interchangeable. So, he suggests, embrace the diversity and wear your odd socks with pride." Rose Wild; The Science Professor Needs to Put a Sock in It; The Times; (London, UK); May 28, 2016. Thought For The Day: The rightness of a thing isn't determined by the amount of courage it takes. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 06, 2019***** Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." Adscititious : : derived or acquired from something extrinsic; "We should choose our books as we would our companions, for their sterling and intrinsic merit, not for their adscititious or accidental advantages." — Charles Caleb Colton, Lacon, 1832 connivance : (noun) Agreement on a secret plot.; collusion; If you escaped, Salensus Oll would know that only through my connivance could you have succeeded. esemplastic : adjective: Having the capability of molding diverse ideas or things into unity. ; "I once told Giselle she was the essence of the esemplastic act, for as she was giving me the curl of her tongue at that moment, she would pause to speak love words to me in three languages." William Kennedy; Very Old Bones; Viking; 1992. Thought For The Day: If he does not fight, it is not because he rejects all fighting as futile, but because he has finished his fights. He has overcome all dissensions between himself and the world and is now at rest... We shall have wars and soldiers so long as the brute in us is untamed. -Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher and second president of India (5 Sep 1888-1975) *****September 07, 2019***** Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." Skulk : 1 : to move in a stealthy or furtive manner; The cat often skulks around the foyer, waiting for someone to open the front door. farinaceous : (adjective) Composed of or covered with particles resembling meal in texture or consistency.; grainy, granular, gritty, coarse-grained, mealy; My husband's cooking efforts have left a farinaceous residue in my frying pan that I do not look forward to cleaning. gonzo : adjective: Having a bizarre, subjective, idiosyncratic style, especially in journalism. ; "Hendrix, backed by his new band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, launched into a fierce two-hour set that produced one of the greatest filmed moments of the 60s: his gonzo rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner." Douglas Brinkley; Rocking the Revolution; The Australian (Canberra); Aug 16, 2019. See more usage examples of gonzo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2019***** Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Germane : : being at once relevant and appropriate : fitting; The message board moderator politely reminded new members to keep their posts germane to the topic being discussed. dabble : (verb) Work with in an amateurish manner.; smatter, play around; She dabbles in astronomy, but she does not have any formal training in it. gonzo : adjective: Having a bizarre, subjective, idiosyncratic style, especially in journalism. ; "Hendrix, backed by his new band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, launched into a fierce two-hour set that produced one of the greatest filmed moments of the 60s: his gonzo rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner." Douglas Brinkley; Rocking the Revolution; The Australian (Canberra); Aug 16, 2019. See more usage examples of gonzo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 09, 2019***** Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. groggy : (adjective) Stunned or confused and slow to react (as from blows or drunkenness or exhaustion).; foggy, logy, stuporous, dazed; Groggy from lack of sleep, Elena walked right into a kitchen chair while stumbling toward the coffee pot. gonzo : adjective: Having a bizarre, subjective, idiosyncratic style, especially in journalism. ; "Hendrix, backed by his new band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, launched into a fierce two-hour set that produced one of the greatest filmed moments of the 60s: his gonzo rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner." Douglas Brinkley; Rocking the Revolution; The Australian (Canberra); Aug 16, 2019. See more usage examples of gonzo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 10, 2019***** Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Olfactory : : of or relating to the sense of smell; "The glands located between the cat's toes secrete a scent whenever he scratches on objects such as a tree or a scratching post. This activity provides an olfactory territory mark in addition to the visual." — Pam Johnson-Bennett, Think Like a Cat, 2011 louver : (noun) One of a set of parallel slats in a door or window to admit air and reject rain.; fin; Rain will continue slipping through that broken louver until we fix it. eustress : noun: A positive, beneficial form of stress. ; "Ann was mired ankle-deep in eustress. If she pulled one foot out of its boot, where would she put that foot while she pulled the other foot to freedom?" Elizabeth Schaeffer; The Skein; Trafford; 2012. Thought For The Day: There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 11, 2019***** Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." malefic : (adjective) Having or exerting a malignant influence.; malevolent, malign, evil; I would bet my life that Amelia's grades would improve if she stopped going out with those malefic hoodlums every night. nullibiety : noun: The state of being or existing nowhere. ; "Occasionally, some of them show heightened brainwave activity. ... That's what is so intriguing. At the very least it contradicts nullibiety." John Farris; You Don't Scare Me; Crossroad Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos. -Stephen Jay Gould, paleontologist, biologist, author (10 Sep 1941-2002) *****September 12, 2019***** Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Repertoire : 1 a : a list or supply of dramas, operas, pieces, or parts that a company or person is prepared to perform; "But the make-or-break element of any interior Mexican restaurant is its mole repertoire, and I was curious to see how these sauces would turn out. My favorite was a light, sweet, chile-based mole served with chunky butternut squash topped with sweet-potato crisps." — Patricia Sharpe, The Texas Monthly, June 2019 anastrophe : (noun) The reversal of the normal order of words.; inversion; Anastrophe, when used correctly, can give writing an impact that traditional sentence structures cannot always achieve. excarnation : noun: 1. The removing of flesh, especially from a corpse before burial. 2. The supposed separation of the soul from the body at death. ; "I looked at Sam. 'Why didn't they bury people here? Would they just leave the body in a chamber? Wouldn't animals get at them?' She shook her head. 'They didn't bury them. They did excarnation. Afterward they'd arrange the bones in a grave.'" Elizabeth Hand; Hard Light; Thomas Dunne Books; 2016. "The move toward excarnation is apparent in what is becoming more and more a fleshless society. In medicine, 'bedside manner' and hand on pulse has ceded to the anonymous technologies of imaging in diagnosis and treatment." Richard Kearney; Losing Our Touch; The New York Times; Aug 30, 2014. Thought For The Day: You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty. -Jessica Mitford, author, journalist, and civil rights activist (11 Sep 1917-1996) *****September 13, 2019***** Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Deleterious : : harmful often in a subtle or unexpected way; "With an injury, the body automatically responds with an inflammatory process to neutralize the toxic microorganisms, repair the affected tissues and eliminate debris from the wound. That is beneficial, but chronic inflammation is deleterious, causing a continuous supply of free-radicals, overwhelming our antioxidant immunities." — Phyllis Van Buren, The St. Cloud (Minnesota) Times, 24 Apr. 2019 forfend : (verb) Prevent the occurrence of; prevent from happening.; deflect, head off, avert, avoid, debar, obviate; Norman of Torn, if you are not the son of the old man you call father may God forfend that England ever guesses your true parentage. dysphemism : noun: The substitution of a harsher, deprecating, or offensive term in place of a relatively neutral term. ; "If my soft touch there with 'people seeking refuge' seems too forgiving, take your pick of the wide array of dysphemisms already available for those fleeing violence and terror, from 'anchor babies' to 'illegal aliens' to the more grammatically efficient 'illegals'-- which crams 'them' into a space-saving adjective." Michael Andor Brodeur; United States of Euphemism: ICE, Border Separations, and How Americans Say the Unspeakable; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jun 24, 2018. See more usage examples of dysphemism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong. All human progress, even in morals, has been the work of men who have doubted the current moral values, not of men who have whooped them up and tried to enforce them. The truly civilized man is always skeptical and tolerant, in this field as in all others. His culture is based on "I am not too sure." -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) *****September 14, 2019***** Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Abscond : : to depart secretly and hide oneself; "The camera tracked [the black bear] as he moved in a sturdy lurch, … holding his dangling, unnecessary arms close to his chest like a mime absconding with a snatched purse." — Jon Mooallem, The New York Times Magazine, 21 Dec. 2016 high-pressure : (adjective) Aggressively and persistently persuasive.; forceful, aggressive, compelling, intensive, persistent, persuasive; I do not usually buy cologne, but the high-pressure salesman eventually convinced me to give in. nocebo : noun: A substance producing harmful effects in someone because it is believed to be harmful, but which in reality is harmless. ; "As Geoff Watts shows, the nocebo's impact can be very harmful. Maybe it's because fear is more powerful than hope." Gillian Reynolds; Radio: Review Pick of the Week; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Feb 14, 2015. Thought For The Day: To have and not to give is often worse than to steal. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 15, 2019***** Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Travail : 1 a : work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil; "Time and again, the company made shrewd business decisions that, through the many travails of two centuries, has left it standing." — Robert Klara, Adweek.com, 20 May 2019 whirlybird : (noun) An aircraft without wings that obtains its lift from the rotation of overhead blades.; eggbeater, helicopter, chopper; The boy's remote-controlled whirlybird zipped across the lawn and over the backyard fence. nocebo : noun: A substance producing harmful effects in someone because it is believed to be harmful, but which in reality is harmless. ; "As Geoff Watts shows, the nocebo's impact can be very harmful. Maybe it's because fear is more powerful than hope." Gillian Reynolds; Radio: Review Pick of the Week; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Feb 14, 2015. Thought For The Day: To have and not to give is often worse than to steal. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 16, 2019***** Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Continual : 1 : continuing indefinitely in time without interruption; The continual blaring of the car's alarm outside made it very difficult for Jane to focus on her work that morning. cross-grained : (adjective) Difficult to deal with.; contrarious; Gabriel Grub was an ill-conditioned, cross-grained, surly fellow—a morose and lonely man, who consorted with nobody but himself. nocebo : noun: A substance producing harmful effects in someone because it is believed to be harmful, but which in reality is harmless. ; "As Geoff Watts shows, the nocebo's impact can be very harmful. Maybe it's because fear is more powerful than hope." Gillian Reynolds; Radio: Review Pick of the Week; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Feb 14, 2015. Thought For The Day: To have and not to give is often worse than to steal. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 17, 2019***** Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." Yooper : : a native or resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan — used as a nickname; "The district has always elected Yoopers to represent them in Congress, rather than someone from the lower peninsula like Morgan." — Melissa Nann Burke, The Detroit News, 6 Nov. 2018 turndown : (noun) The act of refusing an offer.; nonacceptance; The turndown was polite but very firm, leaving no doubt that Roger thought our salary proposal was insufficient. dotard : noun: One whose mental faculties have deteriorated, especially due to old age. ; "Years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school, there was an election for student council or something, and one of the candidates promised longer recess if he were elected. "Naturally, he won, proving that 'longer recess' is the childhood equivalent of 'Mexico will pay for it.' When it comes to elections, some voters will hear what they want to hear, even if deep down they know you are lying or exaggerating or being a delusional dotard." Greg Jayne; Climate Change May Hoist Inslee; Columbian (Vancouver, Washington); Apr 14, 2019. "Leonato: I speak not like a dotard nor a fool, As, under privilege of age, to brag What I have done being young, or what would do Were I not old." William Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing; 1623. See more usage examples of dotard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 18, 2019***** Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Labile : 1 : readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown : unstable; "From the outset, we see Queen Anne—portrayed brilliantly by Olivia Colman—as frail, obese and emotionally-labile. One minute, she's calmly speaking to her confidante…. The next, she's accosting a boy servant in a hysterically bizarre scene…. — Lipi Roy, Forbes.com, 24 Feb. 2019 dapper : (adjective) Marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners.; jaunty, natty, raffish, rakish, spiffy, spruce, dashing, snappy; He smiled pleasantly upon her, looking very dapper in evening dress and a silk hat. sodden-witted : adjective: Dull. ; "Upon our oath, only knaves and sodden-witted loons would quibble that Sir Tony's decree to restore knighthoods and damehoods was inspired." Michael West; Selling Medibank Doesn't Add Up; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Mar 29, 2014. "Thersites: Ay, do, do; thou sodden-witted lord! thou hast no more brain than I have in mine elbows." William Shakespeare; Troilus and Cressida; 1609. Thought For The Day: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 19, 2019***** Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Bivouac : 1 : to make a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter : camp; The search party bivouacked under a nearby ledge until the storm passed. counterbalance : (verb) Oppose and mitigate the effects of by contrary actions.; countervail, neutralize, counteract; That gentleman grew every day fonder of little Tommy, as if he intended to counterbalance his severity to the father with … affection towards the son. scullion : noun: 1. A servant who does menial work in a kitchen, such as washing dishes. 2. A lowly or contemptible person. ; "The exiled ex-monarch was attended by a huge number of maids, valets, gardeners, and scullions." Nazi Skeletons in Coco's Closet; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jul 13, 2019. "Falstaff: Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe." William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 2; 1599. See more usage examples of scullion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A decent provision for the poor is the true test of civilization. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 20, 2019***** Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Issuable : 1 : open to contest, debate, or litigation; "The common shares issuable upon exercise of the options are subject to a four-month hold period from the original date of grant." — Yahoo! Finance, 25 July 2019 chasten : (verb) Censure severely.; castigate, chastise, objurgate, correct; His mother will undoubtedly chasten him for those insensitive remarks. knotty-pated : adjective: Blockheaded or thickheaded. ; "Only a knotty-pated beldame would think she could singlehandedly stop a war." Angeline Fortin; Taken; My Personal Bubble; 2014. "Time was, everyone mauled Mr Trump. Boris Johnson, now the foreign secretary [now the prime minister], said he betrayed a 'stupefying ignorance' and branded him 'unfit' to lead America. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, turned to Shakespeare: 'Trump's a clay-brained guts, knotty-pated fool, whoreson obscene greasy tallow-catch,* right?'" A Difficult Hole; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 28, 2017. *a very fat person "Prince Henry: These lies are like their father that begets them, gross as a mountain, open, palpable. Why, thou claybrained guts, thou knotty-pated fool, thou whoreson, obscene, greasy tallow-catch." William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 1; 1623. Thought For The Day: I think everybody who has a brain should get involved in politics. Working within. Not criticizing it from the outside. Become an active participant, no matter how feeble you think the effort is. -Cass Elliot, singer (19 Sep 1941-1974) *****September 21, 2019***** Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." Misprision : 1 a : neglect or wrong performance of official duty; The article asserts that the health guru's recommendations are based on a misprision of what it means to be healthy. anthropomorphous : (adjective) Suggesting human characteristics for animals or inanimate things.; humanlike; My comic strip features an anthropomorphous frog that walks upright, wears a bowtie and vest, and speaks only in rhyming couplets. gorbellied : adjective: Having a large belly: fat. ; "Saint Thomas, Stephen, smiling, said, whose gorbellied works I enjoy reading in the original." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Falstaff: Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs." William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 1; 1623. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 22, 2019***** Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). Redoubtable : 1 : causing fear or alarm : formidable; The theater has hired a redoubtable director to direct its upcoming production. minimalism : (noun) An art movement in sculpture and painting that began in the 1950s and emphasized extreme simplification of form and color.; reductivism; The sculpture—simply a perfect sphere—must have been created at the height of minimalism. gorbellied : adjective: Having a large belly: fat. ; "Saint Thomas, Stephen, smiling, said, whose gorbellied works I enjoy reading in the original." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Falstaff: Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs." William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 1; 1623. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 23, 2019***** Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. Detritus : 1 geology : loose material (such as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration; "Much to our shock, when my roommates and I opened the cabinets above and underneath our sink, we stood witness to an unbelievable mess. All of the detritus left as a result of the incomplete, shoddy work of 'renovating' the apartment appeared to have just been shoved behind the doors. Bags of random trash, dust bunnies, and paper towels filled the space." — Daniel Varghese, GQ.com, 6 Aug. 2019 coriaceous : (adjective) Resembling or made to resemble leather; tough but pliable.; leatherlike; Natalie ran her fingers lightly across the plant's large, coriaceous leaves. gorbellied : adjective: Having a large belly: fat. ; "Saint Thomas, Stephen, smiling, said, whose gorbellied works I enjoy reading in the original." James Joyce; Ulysses; Sylvia Beach; 1922. "Falstaff: Hang ye, gorbellied knaves, are ye undone? No, ye fat chuffs." William Shakespeare; Henry IV, Part 1; 1623. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 24, 2019***** Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. Suffuse : : to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light : flush, fill; "Also beguiling … are such installation works as 'Spatial Environment in Red Light'…. It's a walk-through enclosure containing six parallel corridors and suffused with a neon redness that, having saturated your optic nerves, turns the world green when you exit." — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2019 installment : (noun) A part of a broadcast serial.; episode; The latest installment of my favorite television show will air this Thursday. hebetic : adjective: Relating to or happening at puberty. ; "How intent Io is on imitating the frenzy of the hebetic girls." Gene Wolfe; Latro in the Mist; Orb Books; 2003. Thought For The Day: Very few established institutions, governments, and constitutions ... are ever destroyed by their enemies until they have been corrupted and weakened by their friends. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 25, 2019***** Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Axiomatic : 1 : taken for granted : self-evident; "It's axiomatic that intellectuals like to deal with ideas. Ideas are to the intellectual what paint is to the painter and stone is to the mason." — Jonah Goldberg, The Baltimore Sun, 10 June 2019 illogic : (noun) Invalid or incorrect reasoning.; inconsequence; Often have I, the modern, been perturbed and vexed by the foolishness, illogic, obtuseness, and general all-round stupendous stupidity of myself, the primitive. eventide : noun: The evening time. ; "Morning flowers lifted their petals from their eventide repose." Joseph J. Bailey; Shadow's Rise; 2012. See more usage examples of eventide in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men are often capable of greater things than they perform. They are sent into the world with bills of credit and seldom draw to their full extent. -Horace Walpole, novelist and essayist (24 Sep 1717-1797) *****September 26, 2019***** Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." hombre : (noun) An informal term for a youth or man.; guy, bozo, cat; I am the kind of hombre who enjoys a good steak for dinner. cacophony : noun: A harsh mixture of sounds. ; "The goat's noisy discontent joined in the cacophony of human and animal sounds." Rebecca Kertz; A Secret Amish Love; Mills & Boon Love Inspired; 2017. See more usage examples of cacophony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we listen, the air is heavy with poems, ripe for plucking. -Yahia Lababidi, aphorist (b. 25 Sep 1973) *****September 27, 2019***** Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Frowsy : 1 : musty, stale; The lamp, discovered in a frowsy Midwestern antique store, turned out to be quite valuable. undersell : (verb) To sell goods for a lower price than (another seller).; undercut; The executive instituted a store-wide sale in an effort to undersell the popular new competitor. indefeasible : adjective: Not subject to being revised, defeated, or annulled. ; "The document states, 'The Hellenic Republic considers itself to be a proud and indefeasible member of the European Union and an irrevocable member of the euro zone.'" Greece Submits Fresh List of Reforms; Irish Times (Dublin); Apr 2, 2015. See more usage examples of indefeasible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In a world of fugitives, the person taking the opposite direction will appear to run away. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2019***** Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Cleave : 1 : to divide (something) by or as if by a cutting blow : split; "The surface you're cutting against will have a greater impact on your knife's edge than the food you're chopping up, assuming you aren't regularly cleaving through massive bones." — Paul Stephen, The San Antonio Express News, 10 July 2019 off-color : (adjective) In violation of good taste even verging on the indecent.; indelicate; The shareholder's meeting was entirely the wrong forum for his off-color joke. contumacy : noun: Stubborn rebelliousness or insubordination. ; "But knowing that a failure to comply might very well be regarded as contumacy, I reluctantly surrendered the names." Catherine Jinks; The Inquisitor; St. Martin's Minotaur; 2002. See more usage examples of contumacy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (27 Sep 1722-1803) *****September 29, 2019***** Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Hegemony : 1 : preponderant influence or authority over others : domination; "According to Chinese analysts' telling of World War II, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the invasion of China proper in 1937 were part of the U.S. strategy to pit the two Asian nations against each other in an endless war that would prevent either from rising to threaten American hegemony in the western Pacific." — Michael Pillsbury, The Hundred-Year Marathon, 2015 disheveled : (adjective) In disarray; extremely disorderly.; frowzled, rumpled, tousled; With tender hands Mercy smoothed the disheveled hair and arranged the crumpled dress. contumacy : noun: Stubborn rebelliousness or insubordination. ; "But knowing that a failure to comply might very well be regarded as contumacy, I reluctantly surrendered the names." Catherine Jinks; The Inquisitor; St. Martin's Minotaur; 2002. See more usage examples of contumacy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (27 Sep 1722-1803) *****September 30, 2019***** Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Elysian : 1 : of or relating to Elysium; "On such a balmy summer day, on this Elysian isle, anything seemed possible." — Dorothy West, The Wedding, 1995 red-blooded : (adjective) Endowed with or exhibiting great bodily or mental health.; full-blooded, lusty, hearty; George was admired as a true red-blooded athlete who always performed with vigor and aplomb. contumacy : noun: Stubborn rebelliousness or insubordination. ; "But knowing that a failure to comply might very well be regarded as contumacy, I reluctantly surrendered the names." Catherine Jinks; The Inquisitor; St. Martin's Minotaur; 2002. See more usage examples of contumacy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (27 Sep 1722-1803) *****October 01, 2019***** Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." Buttress : 1 architecture : a projecting structure of masonry or wood for supporting or giving stability to a wall or building; "The root system of one of the cedars has been hollowed out into a den, in which Neasloss finds black bear hair. One of the tree's buttresses has been chopped long ago by what he recognizes was a nephrite ax, the green jade axes that the coastal people used until 1846, when they adopted steel axes." — Alex Shoumatoff, Smithsonian, September 2015 extenuate : (verb) Lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of.; mitigate, palliate; Let him, if he be able, justify or extenuate the shameful outrage he has offered to the dictates of truth and to the rules of fair dealing. thinko : noun: A careless error in thinking. ; "Jordan Edwards, a black 15-year-old, was in the passenger seat of a car at a house party in Balch Springs, near Dallas, when he was shot and killed by a policeman with a rifle. The policeman's boss later told reporters that the car had been driving 'aggressively' backwards towards the officer. But after reviewing body-camera footage, it came to light that the car had been heading away from, not towards the officer. The police chief's retraction? 'I misspoke.' ... But the Balch Springs police chief ... went beyond thinkos." Hit and Misspeak; The Economist (London, UK); May 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) *****October 02, 2019***** Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Mitigate : 1 : to cause to become less harsh or hostile : mollify; "Although Apple Hill receives the bulk of their visitors in October, most of its ranches and wineries are open from mid-August through December.… Last year, October traffic was mitigated by a grant-funded pilot program that brought a shuttle to Apple Hill." — Dylan Svoboda, The Mountain Democrat (Placerville, California), 14 Aug. 2019 caravansary : (noun) An inn in some eastern countries with a large courtyard that provides accommodation for caravans.; khan; A steady stream of travelers both arriving and leaving kept the caravansary bustling well into the night. besaiel : noun: A grandfather's father: great-grandfather. ; "She is met by Rickhill for the defendant alleging an older fine made in the thirteenth year of Edward II, great-grandfather (besaiel) of King Richard now reigning." Michigan Law Review; University of Michigan (Ann Arbor); 1915. Thought For The Day: For there is no friend like a sister / In calm or stormy weather; / To cheer one on the tedious way, / To fetch one if one goes astray, / To lift one if one totters down, / To strengthen whilst one stands. -Christina Rossetti, poet (1830-1894) *****October 03, 2019***** Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Sawbones : slang : physician, surgeon; "After abandoning his destitute family in 1913, Brinkley bought a medical degree from a 'diploma mill' in St. Louis. An itinerant preacher assured him that he did not have to be a bona fide sawbones to cure the ills of the world." — Bartee Haile, The Courier (Montgomery County, Texas), 19 Jan. 2018 presentment : (noun) A show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view.; demonstration; He added a few remarks of a financial character, which completed a sufficiently striking presentment of his resources. apophenia : noun: The perception of connections or meaning in unrelated or random phenomena. ; "It was apophenia, which made you see the shape of a person in what were only cigarette fumes floating in the air." Elisabeth Sheffield; Helen Keller Really Lived: A Novel; University of Alabama Press; 2014. See more usage examples of apophenia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth never damages a cause that is just. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2019***** Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Pursy : 1 : having a puckered appearance; "There was a picture of a pale gent with a narrow face and a woman with dark eyes and a pursy mouth." — Stephen King, Misery, 1987 eyestrain : (noun) A tiredness of the eyes caused by prolonged close work by a person with an uncorrected vision problem.; asthenopia; Extended computer use is a common cause of eyestrain. anacoluthon : noun: An abrupt change in the middle of a sentence making one part inconsistent with the other. ; "And what you might call the master figure in Ms Palin's speech was anacoluthon: sentences that set off boldly in one direction and, with a wrench of grammar, jump the tracks and end up pointing in quite another. 'Trump's candidacy, it has exposed not just that tragic ramifications of that betrayal of the transformation of our country, but too, he has exposed the complicity on both sides of the aisle that has enabled it, OK?' 'Where, in the private sector, you actually have to balance budgets in order to prioritise, to keep the main thing, the main thing, and he knows the main thing: a president is to keep us safe economically and militarily.'" Sam Leith; Palin's Rhetoric Soup Is Tasty Fare for American Conservatives; Financial Times (London, UK); Jan 22, 2016. See more usage examples of anacoluthon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity. -Thomas Wolfe, novelist (3 Oct 1900-1938) *****October 05, 2019***** Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Futhark : : the runic alphabet : any of several alphabets used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th centuries; "The oldest inscriptions in the futhark were found in Denmark and northern Germany, dating from the first century AD; at that time the inventory consisted of twenty-four signs. Later, by the eighth century, the range used in Denmark was reduced to sixteen…." — George L. Campbell & Christopher Moseley, The Routledge Handbook of Scripts and Alphabets, 2012 indubitable : (adjective) Too obvious to be doubted.; veritable, undeniable, indisputable, irrefutable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, unarguable, incontestable; In the course of the day they saw indubitable signs that the buffalo had been roaming there in great numbers. delphinestrian : noun: A dolphin rider. ; "A boy venturing to swim farther out than his companions, was met by a dolphin, who after playing about him a little, slipped under him, and taking him on his back, carried him out still farther, to the great terror of the young delphinestrian." Leigh Hunt; The Indicator; Joseph Appleyard (London, UK); 1822. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2019***** Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Divulge : : to make known (something, such as a secret); "Mita Shah, a former marketing statistician, was once a devoted customer of this strip-mall parlor—so devoted that, one day in 2000, she divulged her much-finessed recipe for mango ice cream to the owner. It was such a hit, he offered her a job." — Ligaya Mishan, The New York Times, 2 July 2019 antimicrobial : (noun) An agent (as heat or radiation or a chemical) that destroys microorganisms that might carry disease.; disinfectant, germicide; Karen attempts to avoid getting sick by scrubbing her hands several times a day with a potent antimicrobial. delphinestrian : noun: A dolphin rider. ; "A boy venturing to swim farther out than his companions, was met by a dolphin, who after playing about him a little, slipped under him, and taking him on his back, carried him out still farther, to the great terror of the young delphinestrian." Leigh Hunt; The Indicator; Joseph Appleyard (London, UK); 1822. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 07, 2019***** Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Amaranthine : 1 a : of or relating to an amaranth; "At 37-years-old, most players accept they have reached their twilight years, yet goalkeepers can lead an almost amaranthine existence…." — Chris Tait, The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland), 2 Apr. 2012 glister : (noun) The quality of shining with a bright reflected light.; glitter, sparkle, scintillation; Brian had to shield his eyes from the glister of Frank's enormous watch in the sunlight. delphinestrian : noun: A dolphin rider. ; "A boy venturing to swim farther out than his companions, was met by a dolphin, who after playing about him a little, slipped under him, and taking him on his back, carried him out still farther, to the great terror of the young delphinestrian." Leigh Hunt; The Indicator; Joseph Appleyard (London, UK); 1822. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 08, 2019***** Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Redound : 1 : to have an effect for good or ill; "When no one is an expert, everyone becomes an expert, and authority thus redounds to the person who is least troubled by that paradox." — Justin Peters, Slate, 10 Sept. 2018 espial : (noun) The act of detecting something; catching sight of something.; catching, detection, spotting, spying; Laure refused to condescend to an act of espial which no curiosity could justify, and she consequently became the object of much reprobation. Gummidge : noun: A peevish, pessimistic person. ; "His sister and I, inveterate Mrs Gummidges, glumly point out when he tries to cheer us up with this conceit that when things are going well, the nature of the wheel makes it equally certain that disaster is only a spin away." Jane Shilling; Don't Worry -- You Can Look Back Fondly on a Midlife Crisis; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Nov 23, 2015. Thought For The Day: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. -Desmond Tutu, clergyman (b. 7 Oct 1931) *****October 09, 2019***** Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Caustic : 1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive; A caustic substance had eaten away at the metal of the plaque, and the inscription was now impossible to read. horologist : (noun) Someone who makes or repairs watches.; watchmaker; My neighbor, Paula, is an amateur horologist, so she may be able to figure out why your watch has stopped. Tigger : noun: Someone filled with energy, cheerfulness, and optimism. ; "We need more Randy Pauschs in the world, where six months to live doesn't stop a man from living life to the fullest. When we are having a bad day, think of his life and story and be a Tigger." Caroline Yablon; Always Be a Tigger; The Lariat (Waco, Texas); Feb 3, 2019. Thought For The Day: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 10, 2019***** Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Scapegoat : 1 : a male goat upon whose head are symbolically placed the sins of the people after which he is sent into the wilderness in the biblical ceremony for Yom Kippur; The financial advisor was a convenient scapegoat for some of the ill-fated business ventures that the company had undertaken over the years. habitant : (noun) A person who inhabits a particular place.; denizen, dweller; The cave's only habitant appeared filthy and unshaven, suggesting that he had been living there for some time. Debbie Downer : noun: Someone who is persistently negative and pessimist. ; "Being a Debbie Downer isn't just a pain for people around you -- it could also be shortening your life, a new study finds." Lauren Steussy; Optimists Live Longer, Study Says; New York Post; Aug 29, 2019. Thought For The Day: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) *****October 11, 2019***** Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Blandish : 1 : to coax with flattery : cajole; "… and all that was left of Pym, it seemed to me, as I wove my lies and blandished, and perjured myself before one kangaroo court after another, was a failing con man tottering on the last legs of his credibility." — John Le Carré, A Perfect Spy, 1986 petiole : (noun) The slender stem that supports the blade of a leaf.; leafstalk; Beth pruned her plants methodically, snipping dead leaves at their petioles and throwing them in the compost. Tapleyism : noun: Extreme optimism, even under most hopeless circumstances. ; "I have a good share of Tapleyism in me and come out strong under difficulties." William James; Memories and Studies; Longmans, Green, and Co.; 1911. Thought For The Day: When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set. -Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976) *****October 12, 2019***** Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. henchman : (noun) Someone who assists in a plot.; collaborator, partner in crime, confederate; During the rest of that short and successful strike, Bill constituted himself Mary Condon's henchman and messenger. Eeyore : noun: A gloomy, pessimistic person. ; "'My husband was Mr. Positivity with his cancer. I am an Eeyore by nature -- gloom and doom and grump. He died. I didn't. So go figure,' posted another." Brian Blum; Playing the Cancer Card; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jul 20, 2018. Thought For The Day: Most men resemble great deserted palaces: the owner occupies only a few rooms and has closed off wings where he never ventures. -Fran Mauriac, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Oct 1885-1970) *****October 13, 2019***** Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Wheedle : 1 : to influence or entice by soft words or flattery; Suzie and Timmy wheedled the babysitter into letting them stay up an hour past their bedtime. roly-poly : (adjective) Short and plump.; pudgy, tubby, dumpy; He went about in fear and trembling of the fat roly-poly puppy who was unafraid of his snarl. Eeyore : noun: A gloomy, pessimistic person. ; "'My husband was Mr. Positivity with his cancer. I am an Eeyore by nature -- gloom and doom and grump. He died. I didn't. So go figure,' posted another." Brian Blum; Playing the Cancer Card; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jul 20, 2018. Thought For The Day: Most men resemble great deserted palaces: the owner occupies only a few rooms and has closed off wings where he never ventures. -Fran Mauriac, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Oct 1885-1970) *****October 14, 2019***** Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Triskaidekaphobia : : fear of the number 13; "We've gathered a list of 13 local theater productions to help you get into that eerie Halloween feeling. Just don't let triskaidekaphobia—fear of the number 13—stop you from seeing one of these theater productions opening across the state this month." — Whitney Butters Wilde, The Deseret News, 1 Oct. 2018 hackbut : (noun) An obsolete firearm with a long barrel.; arquebus, hagbut, harquebus; It is unusual to encounter a hackbut outside of a museum, as the weapon has no practical application in modern combat. Eeyore : noun: A gloomy, pessimistic person. ; "'My husband was Mr. Positivity with his cancer. I am an Eeyore by nature -- gloom and doom and grump. He died. I didn't. So go figure,' posted another." Brian Blum; Playing the Cancer Card; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jul 20, 2018. Thought For The Day: Most men resemble great deserted palaces: the owner occupies only a few rooms and has closed off wings where he never ventures. -François Mauriac, writer, Nobel laureate (11 Oct 1885-1970) *****October 15, 2019***** Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Exoteric : 1 a : suitable to be imparted to the public; As a specialist writing for a broader audience, Annette faces the challenge of producing an exoteric synthesis of complex information. choleric : (adjective) Quickly aroused to anger.; hot-tempered, hotheaded, irascible, quick-tempered, short-tempered; Gordon was a man by nature ill-suited to be a schoolmaster: he was impatient and choleric. Friday face : noun: A glum expression or a person with such an expression. ; "I see ya got your Friday face on, looking gloomy." Luca Di Fulvio; The Boy Who Granted Dreams; Bastei; 2015. Thought For The Day: Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969) *****October 16, 2019***** Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Belfry : 1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure; "The mission stands a little back of the town, and is a large building, or rather collection of buildings, in the centre of which is a high tower, with a belfry of five bells…." — Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Two Years Before the Mast, 1840 long-winded : (adjective) Using or containing too many words.; verbose, wordy, tedious, windy; To say the politician's speech was long-winded would be to utter an understatement as unequaled as his pontification was protracted. Sunday punch : noun: A powerful, devastating blow. ; "I don't know if this was nature's own little shock therapy or just the peace that passeth understanding like it's standing still, the kind you get from knowing that you have taken life's best Sunday punch and you're still standing, figuratively." Howard Owen; Rock of Ages; Permanent Press; 2006. See more usage examples of Sunday punch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I cannot believe in a God who wants to be praised all the time. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 17, 2019***** Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Genial : 1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild; "What country seems more sensible? The even discourse, the reflexive politeness, the brilliant yet genial wit, that easy embrace of hellish cold: Canada is a rock. Canada is the neighbor who helps clean out your garage.… Canada is always so … solid." — S. L. Price, Sports Illustrated, 12 Mar. 2019 bemoan : (verb) Regret strongly.; bewail, deplore, lament; When he is under the depressing influence of the after-consequences, he bemoans his sufferings and his errors, and charges them both upon me. blue Monday : noun: A depressing Monday. ; "Among Indians, any great feast, like the dance of the ayash tyucotz described in the preceding chapter, is not followed by the blue Monday with which modern civilization is often afflicted. Intoxicating drinks were unknown to the sedentary inhabitants of New Mexico previous to the advent of Europeans." Adolph Bandelier; The Delight Makers; Dodd, Mead and Co.; 1890. Thought For The Day: Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 18, 2019***** Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." Maunder : 1 : chiefly British : grumble; The bed-and-breakfast was delightful but we felt a bit captive in the morning as our host maundered on while we hovered at the door, hoping to escape before the morning had passed. overzealous : (adjective) Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea.; fanatical, rabid; The pop star's overzealous fans climbed over the security barriers in an attempt to get closer to her. Sunday driver : noun: One who drives slowly, poorly, or overcautiously. ; "The film, which is based on a true story, chugs along like a Sunday driver taking the scenic route." Wendy Ide; The Mule review -- Crime in the Slow Lane; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 27, 2019. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2019***** Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." Hobbyhorse : 1 a : a figure of a horse fastened about the waist in the morris dance; "Apologies for hopping back on my hobbyhorse, but the lifeblood of every program is recruiting. The first thing Tech's next coach must do is rustle up pro-style quarterbacks and tight ends because, for 11 years, Tech hasn't had one." — Mark Bradley, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 28 Nov. 2018 equitation : (noun) The sport of sitting on the back of a horse while controlling its movements.; horseback riding; Arthur and Jennifer debated the finer points of equitation as they rode side by side across the field. girl Friday : noun: A female assistant, especially in an office, who does a wide variety of duties. ; "What a glum little thing she is, pasty, with dark hair scraped back in a most unbecoming fashion. She seemed larger when I'd interviewed her -- more presence, more spark. 'I'm looking for a girl Friday,' I'd said, and she'd replied, 'Well, I'm a Friday kind of girl.'" Sandra Ireland; Bone Deep; Gallery Books; 2019. See more usage examples of girl Friday in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You know full well as I do the value of sisters' affections: There is nothing like it in this world. -Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet (1816-1855) *****October 20, 2019***** Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." Deke : : to fake an opponent out of position (as in ice hockey); "[Carl Yastrzemski] led the league in (outfield) assists seven times. He was great at deking the runner into thinking he'd catch the ball or it was over the wall. Most of the assists were on guys trying for doubles." — Jon Miller, quoted in The San Francisco Chronicle, 13 June 2019 ragbag : (noun) A motley assortment of things.; farrago, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, melange, mishmash, mingle-mangle, oddments, omnium-gatherum; The bottom drawer of the teacher's desk contained a ragbag of confiscated items ranging from comic books to false teeth. girl Friday : noun: A female assistant, especially in an office, who does a wide variety of duties. ; "What a glum little thing she is, pasty, with dark hair scraped back in a most unbecoming fashion. She seemed larger when I'd interviewed her -- more presence, more spark. 'I'm looking for a girl Friday,' I'd said, and she'd replied, 'Well, I'm a Friday kind of girl.'" Sandra Ireland; Bone Deep; Gallery Books; 2019. See more usage examples of girl Friday in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You know full well as I do the value of sisters' affections: There is nothing like it in this world. -Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet (1816-1855) *****October 21, 2019***** Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." Knackered : British : tired, exhausted; "Even the most perky 20-something is going to age, have kids and get knackered eventually. And like millions before them they will turn on their TV for respite, rescue, recreation and Ready Steady Cook as their lives unfold." — Mark Ritson, Marketing Week, 14 Feb. 2019 lectern : (noun) Desk or stand with a slanted top used to hold a text at the proper height for a lecturer.; reading desk; On the small rock platform stood an old bronze lectern or reading-stand, groaning under a great German Bible. girl Friday : noun: A female assistant, especially in an office, who does a wide variety of duties. ; "What a glum little thing she is, pasty, with dark hair scraped back in a most unbecoming fashion. She seemed larger when I'd interviewed her -- more presence, more spark. 'I'm looking for a girl Friday,' I'd said, and she'd replied, 'Well, I'm a Friday kind of girl.'" Sandra Ireland; Bone Deep; Gallery Books; 2019. See more usage examples of girl Friday in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You know full well as I do the value of sisters' affections: There is nothing like it in this world. -Charlotte Bronte, novelist and poet (1816-1855) *****October 22, 2019***** Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Comprise : 1 : to be made up of; The city developers' plans include a massive recreational complex that comprises a concert hall, four restaurants, two hotels, and a theater. rapturous : (adjective) Experiencing or manifesting ecstatic joy or delight.; rapt, rhapsodic; The audience greeted the speaker with rapturous applause. agerasia : noun: Not growing old, or looking younger than one's age. ; "Nahla Syrup stood and smiled warmly. She looked like Desdemona and not a whole lot older, though I attributed her agerasia to flawless skin, bright eyes, and the SpongeBob earrings that dangled from her ears." Daphne Uviller; Wife of the Day; Brownstone Books; 2016. See more usage examples of agerasia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What sane person could live in this world and not be crazy? -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (21 Oct 1929-2018) *****October 23, 2019***** Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Fiduciary : : of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust: such as; "A pet trust can be part of an existing trust or it can be drawn up separately. In a trust, you name the caretaker and you establish a fiduciary obligation for them to care for the pets in the manner and style you choose." — Charlie Powell, The Moscow-Pullman Daily News (Idaho & Washington), 24 Aug. 2019 gormandize : (verb) Overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself.; binge, glut, gorge, ingurgitate, overeat, overindulge, pig out, scarf out, satiate, stuff; After June all the little Court Society of Pumpernickel used to ... make for a hundred watering-places, where they drank at the wells, … rushed with hundreds of their kind to gormandize at the tables d'hote, and idled away the summer. aposiopesis : noun: An abrupt breaking off in the middle of a sentence, as if one is unable or unwilling to proceed. ; "Particular cases of aposiopesis can -- but do not lay it on too thick -- give the impression of being so overcome with emotion that you cannot speak." Sam Leith; Tricks to Engage an Audience Through Being Lost for Words; Financial Times (London, UK); Aug 4, 2015. "And they are not ready to talk about next season. But, aposiopesis." Woody Paige; Nuggets' Future?; The Denver Post (Colorado); Apr 25, 2011. See more usage examples of aposiopesis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Think for yourself and question authority. -Timothy Leary, psychologist and writer (22 Oct 1920-1996) *****October 24, 2019***** Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Spoonerism : : a transposition of usually initial sounds of two or more words (as in tons of soil for sons of toil); "The girlfriend is part of the origin story of Ritt Momney [instead of Mitt Romney]. That was the name Rutter and his friends at East High School gave to the band they formed their junior year. There wasn't much of a thought process behind the name, a spoonerism of Utah's junior senator and the czar of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City." — Sean P. Means, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 July 2019 visage : (noun) The face or facial expression of a person.; physiognomy, smiler, kisser, phiz, countenance, mug; A small bonnet of black silk … was placed on the back of her head, but so as not to shade her visage in the least. marcescent : adjective: Withering without falling off. ; "She took up scissors and trimmed the hair above his ears and clipped away the frizzy marcescent strands languishing in the desert of his bald head." Keith Quincy; Samuel; Xlibris; 2002. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2019***** Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Noachian : 1 : of or relating to the patriarch Noah or his time; "So you thought the weather of 2009 was a bit on the insane side, with a spring that seemed to last until fall and Noachian levels of rainfall? Not really, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center in Ithaca, N.Y." — Thomas J. Morgan, The Providence Journal, 21 Nov. 2009 impostor : (noun) A person who makes deceitful pretenses.; pseudo, role player, sham, pretender, fraud, fake; I am not a hero to you now, as I tried to seem before, but simply a nasty person, an impostor. rupestral : adjective: Relating to rocks. For example, living on, carved on, growing on, made of, etc. ; "Among numerous rupestral engravings with representations of lightning flashes, dating around two millennia BCE, there is a particular one called 'the sorcerer'". Christian Bouquegneau and Vladimir Rakov; How Dangerous Is Lightning?; Dover; 2010. See more usage examples of rupestral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness. -Brenda Ueland, journalist, editor, and writer (24 Oct 1891-1985) *****October 26, 2019***** Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Coruscate : 1 : to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes : sparkle; "You can sense [Mickaline] Thomas's affection for these ostentatiously fabulous women. They sport towering Afros, floral-print shifts, gold lamé belts…. Lips and eyelids coruscate enough to light the way at night." — Ariella Budick, The Financial Times, 7 Nov. 2012 unguent : (noun) Semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation.; ointment, salve, balm, unction; The doctor instructed her to apply the unguent to her rash every day for a week. proditomania : noun: The feeling or the belief that everyone around is out to get you. ; "This writer takes the most pessimistic view of present conditions in France. ... 'conviction that the nation is invincible by land and by sea, and the concomitant proditomania ... symptoms of the dire disease which has eaten into the vitals of the citizens of the third republic." Albert Shaw; The American Monthly Review of Reviews;* Jan 1898. *We'd rather pick a usage example from the Review of Reviews of Reviews but sometimes you have to compromise in life and settle for what's available. -Ed. Thought For The Day: A painter is a man who paints what he sells; an artist, on the other hand, is a man who sells what he paints. -Pablo Picasso, artist and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973) *****October 27, 2019***** Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." Aerie : 1 : the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop; "Cradled in the limbs of an ancient (unharmed) oak, the rustic Barn Owl Tree House is a cedar-paneled aerie overlooking the valley." — Dale Leatherman, The Washingtonian, February 5, 2019 crackpot : (noun) A whimsically eccentric person.; fruitcake, nut case, screwball, crank; By wearing a tinfoil hat everywhere he goes, Mr. Williams has earned himself a reputation as the town crackpot. proditomania : noun: The feeling or the belief that everyone around is out to get you. ; "This writer takes the most pessimistic view of present conditions in France. ... 'conviction that the nation is invincible by land and by sea, and the concomitant proditomania ... symptoms of the dire disease which has eaten into the vitals of the citizens of the third republic." Albert Shaw; The American Monthly Review of Reviews;* Jan 1898. *We'd rather pick a usage example from the Review of Reviews of Reviews but sometimes you have to compromise in life and settle for what's available. -Ed. Thought For The Day: A painter is a man who paints what he sells; an artist, on the other hand, is a man who sells what he paints. -Pablo Picasso, artist and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973) *****October 28, 2019***** Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Pedagogical : : of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education; New teachers will be evaluated on pedagogical skills such as lesson planning and classroom management. short-handed : (adjective) Lacking the usual or necessary number of workers, employees, or assistants.; undermanned, understaffed; Three of our waitresses called in sick today, so we are rather short-handed at the moment. proditomania : noun: The feeling or the belief that everyone around is out to get you. ; "This writer takes the most pessimistic view of present conditions in France. ... 'conviction that the nation is invincible by land and by sea, and the concomitant proditomania ... symptoms of the dire disease which has eaten into the vitals of the citizens of the third republic." Albert Shaw; The American Monthly Review of Reviews;* Jan 1898. *We'd rather pick a usage example from the Review of Reviews of Reviews but sometimes you have to compromise in life and settle for what's available. -Ed. Thought For The Day: A painter is a man who paints what he sells; an artist, on the other hand, is a man who sells what he paints. -Pablo Picasso, artist and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973) *****October 29, 2019***** Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Undulate : 1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate; "He could hear the muffled fart of a tuba from the German oompah band warming up in Feltman's beer garden. Beyond the garden was the Ziz coaster, hissing and undulating through the trees with the peculiar sound that gave it its name." — Kevin Baker, Dreamland, 1999 have-not : (noun) A person with few or no possessions.; poor person; The have-nots of the world often do not have access to the technology that many others take for granted. Sinon : noun: One who misleads or betrays. ; "Samir was excited. So there was a man on the inside, close to the prime minister. A Sinon." Dan T. Sehlberg; Mona; Scribe; 2014. See more usage examples of sinon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thing that every creed promises a paradise which will be absolutely uninhabitable for anyone of civilized taste. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (28 Oct 1903-1966) *****October 30, 2019***** Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Lackadaisical : : lacking life, spirit, or zest : languid; "What used to be a bar with barely passable food, boring décor and lackadaisical service has a new incarnation. Everything has been improved, starting with its transformation into a lively tavern with a menu of popular comfort foods, as well as choices for more adventurous eaters." — Marc Bona, Cleveland.com, 6 Apr. 2017 bypast : (adjective) Well in the past; former.; bygone, departed, foregone, gone; Seeing that park brought back sweet memories of bypast summers spent playing baseball with the neighborhood boys. grobian : noun: A coarse, buffoonish person. ; "I'm basically a loudmouth grobian who'd rather guffaw than grimace." Jim Macnie; Solid Sender; Down Beat (Chicago, Illinois); May 2000. Thought For The Day: He who has provoked the lash of wit, cannot complain that he smarts from it. -James Boswell, biographer and lawyer (29 Oct 1740-1795) *****October 31, 2019***** Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Respite : 1 : a period of temporary delay; The station's meteorologist had predicted that the bad weather would continue throughout the week without respite. pricey : (adjective) Expensive.; costly, dear; Vincent's menu may be a little pricey, but the food is simply spectacular. Scheherazade : noun: A storyteller, especially one who tells long, entertaining stories. ; "Yes, Cusk is a Scheherazade here, holding us fast with stories." Karen Brady; Framework of Narrator's Life Emerges Through Others' Stories; Buffalo News (New York); Jan 31, 2015. Thought For The Day: Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 01, 2019***** Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Phantasm : 1 : a product of fantasy: as; "In each maze, you will follow in the footsteps of the Ghostbusters—Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston—as they venture through recreated scenes from the film, including the firehouse, New York Public Library and the Temple of Gozer, as an army of ghoulish spirits, specters and phantasms attack." — Devoun Cetoute, The Miami Herald, 17 July 2019 emancipate : (verb) Free from slavery or servitude.; manumit; The abolitionists fought to put an end to the slave trade and emancipate all of those who had been so cruelly enslaved. Red Queen hypothesis : noun: The hypothesis that organisms must constantly adapt and evolve in order to survive in an evolutionary arms race. ; "The Red Queen hypothesis -- adapt or die -- offers a particularly dour outlook for those who measure their pulse online. Alice never gains any Instagram followers. Her extinction is internet invisibility." Kaitlin Phillips; In This Tale of Online Intimacy, the Only Wise Characters Are Luddites; The New York Times; Apr 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: There is a budding morrow in midnight. -John Keats, poet (31 Oct 1795-1821) *****November 02, 2019***** Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Apocryphal : 1 : of doubtful authenticity : spurious; "The first official sighting of the creature dates from 1912, although apocryphal stories have the monster overturning the canoe of a Quapaw Indian and sinking a Confederate gunboat during the Civil War." — Scott Liles, The Baxter Bulletin (Mountain Home, Arkansas), 28 Aug. 2019 unskillful : (adjective) Poorly done.; botchy, butcherly; I am afraid that what was first done was unskillful, if not worse than useless. rodomont : noun: A vain boaster. ; "Tyson wasn't just being a rodomont about [the city of] Columbus accomplishments. She said that sharing the city's experiences was a way to help other countries with their own government reforms." Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson Touting Columbus to Inspire African Nations; Call & Post (Cleveland, Ohio); Nov 7, 2012. Thought For The Day: A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." -Stephen Crane, writer (1 Nov 1871-1900) *****November 03, 2019***** Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Dilapidated : : decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse; Although extensive renovations would be needed to convert the dilapidated warehouse into apartments, Sam still thought it was a sound investment. off-guard : (adjective) Not prepared or vigilant.; napping; The burglar caught our security personnel off-guard and escaped the facility before they had even sounded the alarm. rodomont : noun: A vain boaster. ; "Tyson wasn't just being a rodomont about [the city of] Columbus accomplishments. She said that sharing the city's experiences was a way to help other countries with their own government reforms." Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson Touting Columbus to Inspire African Nations; Call & Post (Cleveland, Ohio); Nov 7, 2012. Thought For The Day: A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." -Stephen Crane, writer (1 Nov 1871-1900) *****November 04, 2019***** Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." Fraught : 1 : full of or accompanied by something specified — used with with; "Ruth didn't think of herself as the kind of person who cared deeply about the outcome of a game played by fifth graders … but even she found it impossible not to get swept up in the excitement as the clock wound down, and every play became fraught with danger and possibility." — Tom Perrotta, The Abstinence Teacher, 2007 cantata : (noun) A musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text.; oratorio; Instead of the band a choir began singing a cantata composed by Paul Ivanovich Kutuzov. rodomont : noun: A vain boaster. ; "Tyson wasn't just being a rodomont about [the city of] Columbus accomplishments. She said that sharing the city's experiences was a way to help other countries with their own government reforms." Councilwoman Priscilla Tyson Touting Columbus to Inspire African Nations; Call & Post (Cleveland, Ohio); Nov 7, 2012. Thought For The Day: A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." -Stephen Crane, writer (1 Nov 1871-1900) *****November 05, 2019***** Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Sobriquet : : a descriptive name or epithet : nickname; "As a member of Congress, he voted against so many bills that he earned the 'Dr. No' sobriquet…." — Ben Terris, The Washington Post, 3 Sept. 2019 immortalize : (verb) Make famous forever.; eternalize; The small Transylvania town was immortalized in the famous story of Dracula. glad hand or glad-hand : noun: A hearty welcome or greeting, often insincere. verb tr., intr.: To greet warmly, often insincerely. ; "The PM himself was unable to suppress a beam of triumph, as he glad-handed his fellow leaders." Heather Stewart & Lisa O'Carroll; Brexit Deal May Be a Rare Win-Win for Boris Johnson; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 17, 2019. See more usage examples of glad hand in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2019***** Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Posthaste : : with all possible speed; "You must leave posthaste," Virginia theatrically admonished her guests, "or you'll miss your ferry!" affiance : (verb) To bind in a pledge of marriage; betroth.; plight, engage; I have been affianced to a fine young man and am looking forward to my upcoming nuptials. fingerpost : noun: 1. A post with one or more signs pointing toward one or more places. 2. Something or someone serving as a guide. ; "The title [of the poem] isn't a hint or a fingerpost so much as the Reader's Digest condensed version." William Logan; Shelley's Wrinkled Lip, Smith's Gigantic Leg; Parnassus: Poetry in Review (New York); 2011. See more usage examples of fingerpost in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 07, 2019***** Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Chilblain : : an inflammatory swelling or sore caused by exposure (as of the feet or hands) to cold; "If you thought chilblains only belonged in 19th century novels, think again. They crop up in response to extreme cold…. You're more likely to get chilblains in extreme weather through sitting in an under-heated house or working in a chilly office than walking through sub-zero temperatures outside." — JR Thorpe, Bustle, 7 Feb. 2019 sashay : (verb) To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others.; prance, strut, swagger, tittup, ruffle, cock; She sashayed around the room flaunting her designer dress and impeccably coiffed hair. chirocracy : noun: Government that rules by physical force. ; "Although he did not explicitly say so, it seems likely that our author regarded contemporary society as going through the stages of 'dangerous democracy' and 'anarchy or chirocracy'; after all, in 1577, the royal government of the Netherlands had collapsed, the States had taken matters into their own hands." Tabitta Van Nouhuys; The Ages of Two-Faced Janus; Brill; 1998. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2019***** Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Espouse : 1 : marry ; "Tradition associates [the period of the Lyrid meteor showers] with the Chinese teacher and philosopher Confucius, one of the first to espouse the principle: 'Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.'" — The Telegraph (UK), 10 Oct. 2019 strabismus : (noun) Abnormal alignment of one or both eyes.; squint; Andrew's strabismus has hampered his vision for years, but he is finally exploring the medical options available to correct the defect. bareknuckle : adjective, adverb 1. Without using boxing gloves. 2. Rough; unrestrained by rules or scruples. ; "This will be bareknuckle brawl on the mountainside and the strongest, smartest rider will win." Lawrence Ostlere; Froome vs Thomas: Two Old Friends Set to Be Tested by Opposing Ambitions; The Independent (London, UK); Jul 24, 2018. See more usage examples of bareknuckle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement, and at the same time share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be most useful. -Marie Curie, scientist, Nobel laureate (7 Nov 1867-1934) *****November 09, 2019***** Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Lyric : 1 a : suitable for singing to the lyre or for being set to music and sung; Critics are praising the novel as a lyric masterpiece that bravely lays out the emotional tensions experienced by its young protagonist. addlepated : (adjective) Stupid and confused.; muddleheaded, puddingheaded; George was so shocked by the failure of his overseas investments that he began babbling to his accountant like an addlepated nincompoop. manumission : noun: Release from slavery, servitude, or restraint. ; "It wasn't the menacing red lights of the bygone peripheral [Kinect] that intrigued me, nor the unremarkable games it birthed, but its mandate of manumission. When paired with an Xbox, it urged us all to leave the controller on the couch and physicalize our intentions instead." Ripley D Light; Totally WIRED; Wired (San Francisco, California); Oct 2019. See more usage examples of manumission in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2019***** Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Aphorism : 1 : a concise statement of a principle; "Michael sighed…. He had known that his mother had told Gina that cryptic aphorism, but he'd long since forgotten and could not think why it had any particular significance, now. No more significance than his father's cryptic aphorism: What are people for, except to let you down." — Joyce Carol Oates (as Rosamond Smith), Snake Eyes, 1992 honorable : (adjective) Deserving of esteem and respect.; estimable, respectable, good; You are offended at being put on duty a bit, but why not apologize to an old and honorable officer? manumission : noun: Release from slavery, servitude, or restraint. ; "It wasn't the menacing red lights of the bygone peripheral [Kinect] that intrigued me, nor the unremarkable games it birthed, but its mandate of manumission. When paired with an Xbox, it urged us all to leave the controller on the couch and physicalize our intentions instead." Ripley D Light; Totally WIRED; Wired (San Francisco, California); Oct 2019. See more usage examples of manumission in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 11, 2019***** Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Teleological : : exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature; "The standard story about mass printing is a story of linear, teleological progress. It goes like this: Before Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, books were precious objects, handwritten by scribes and available primarily in Latin. Common people … were left vulnerable to exploitation by powerful gatekeepers—landed élites, oligarchs of church and state—who could use their monopoly on knowledge to repress the masses. After Gutenberg, books became widely available, setting off a cascade of salutary movements and innovations…." — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 23 Sept. 2019 blather : (verb) To talk foolishly.; smatter, babble; Patrick, oblivious to his sister's visible disinterest, continued to blather about the woes of his fantasy baseball team. manumission : noun: Release from slavery, servitude, or restraint. ; "It wasn't the menacing red lights of the bygone peripheral [Kinect] that intrigued me, nor the unremarkable games it birthed, but its mandate of manumission. When paired with an Xbox, it urged us all to leave the controller on the couch and physicalize our intentions instead." Ripley D Light; Totally WIRED; Wired (San Francisco, California); Oct 2019. See more usage examples of manumission in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 12, 2019***** Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Armistice : : temporary stopping of open acts of warfare by agreement between the opponents : truce; The Korean War ended with an armistice signed in July of 1953, though a permanent peace accord was never reached. misadventure : (noun) An instance of misfortune.; mischance, mishap; D'Artagnan ran home immediately, and although it was three o'clock in the morning and he had some of the worst quarters of Paris to traverse, he met with no misadventure. froward : adjective: Difficult to deal with; contrary. ; "Sir Andrew, who was far from valorous, thought there might be wisdom in the Justice's words, and remembered that he had troubles enough of his own with a froward wife without taking up the burdens of others." Rafael Sabatini; The Sea-Hawk; Martin Secker; 1915. See more usage examples of froward in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers don't necessarily have to say anything to each other -- they can sit in a room and be together and just be completely comfortable with each other. -Leonardo DiCaprio, actor and director (b. 11 Nov 1974) *****November 13, 2019***** Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." Bruit : : report, rumor — usually used with about; "Analysts have bruited about the notion that Comcast and Disney might team up and divide Fox's assets to prevent a drawn-out bidding war—a turn of events that Mr. Iger has dismissed." — Edmund Lee, The New York Times, 20 June 2018 drowse : (verb) Sleep lightly or for a short period of time.; doze, snooze; Through one after another of those gray days Alexander drowsed and mused, drinking in the grateful moisture. listless : adjective: Devoid of energy or enthusiasm. ; "She grew froward -- by turns high-spirited and listless, voluble and dumb, doting and cynical." John Barth; Lost in the Funhouse; Doubleday; 1968. See more usage examples of listless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (12 Nov 1840-1917) *****November 14, 2019***** Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Gambit : 1 : a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position; "The tournament, first held in 1934, was Roberts's gambit for attracting attention, members, and money. He persuaded Jones to come out of retirement to compete in it—an instant lure to fans and players alike—but at first Jones wouldn't agree to calling it the Masters, finding the word too grandiose." — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 24 June 2019 overshadow : (verb) To render insignificant or less important in comparison.; eclipse, dominate; They were warlike little nations and defied, in those days, governments that overshadow them now as mountains overshadow molehills. indolent : adjective: 1. Lazy, lethargic, averse to exertion. 2. Painless or causing little pain; slow to develop or heal. Used in medicine, for example, indolent ulcer. ; "He becomes listless, indolent, flabby as a jellyfish." Stefan Zweig (Translation: Anthea Bell); The Collected Stories of Stefan Zweig; Pushkin Press; 2013. See more usage examples of indolent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I know what I have given you. I do not know what you have received. -Antonio Porchia, poet (13 Nov 1886-1968) *****November 15, 2019***** Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Incongruous : : lacking congruity: as; The sight of a horse and carriage amongst the cars on the road was a bit incongruous. inadvertent : (adjective) Happening by chance or unexpectedly or unintentionally.; accidental; An autobiography, when confronted by a careful editor with documentary evidence, is usually found to be full of obviously inadvertent errors. matronly : adjective: 1. Stately; dignified. 2. Characteristic of a mature, plump, unfashionable woman. ; "She had grown somewhat stouter of late, and her movements were already a little matronly, a little indolent." Anton Chekhov (translation: Constance Garnett); The Darling and Other Stories; Macmillan; 1916. See more usage examples of matronly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed, and love of power. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 14 Nov 1947) *****November 16, 2019***** Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." dramatist : (noun) Someone who writes plays.; playwright; My goal as a dramatist is to have my plays live on long after I am gone. valorous : adjective: Courageous; brave; bold. ; "Martha Washington, matronly and dowdy ... smiled. 'I can assure you that the General holds the utmost respect for General Arnold as well. Without his valorous service, none of us might be here tonight celebrating the French alliance.'" Jack Edward Shay; The Dock of Broken Dreams; Xlibris; 1999. See more usage examples of valorous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (15 Nov 1887-1972) *****November 17, 2019***** Credulous; Credulity : adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Officious : 1 : volunteering one's services where they are neither asked nor needed : meddlesome; "There are too many yellow flags being thrown around the NFL. Whether it's too many rules or too many officious officials, it's gotten ridiculous." — Brent Musburger, The Las Vegas Review Journal, 21 Sept. 2019 rumpus : (noun) A noisy, confused, or disruptive commotion.; ruckus, ruction, commotion, din, tumult; He left before the rumpus devolved into an all-out brawl and so avoided spending the night in jail with his buddies. valorous : adjective: Courageous; brave; bold. ; "Martha Washington, matronly and dowdy ... smiled. 'I can assure you that the General holds the utmost respect for General Arnold as well. Without his valorous service, none of us might be here tonight celebrating the French alliance.'" Jack Edward Shay; The Dock of Broken Dreams; Xlibris; 1999. See more usage examples of valorous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (15 Nov 1887-1972) *****November 18, 2019***** Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Carouse : 1 : to drink liquor freely or excessively; Each fall the campus newspaper runs an editorial urging students to recognize that studying and getting involved in official campus activities benefits them far more than carousing does. cajole : (verb) Influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering.; blarney, coax, inveigle, sweet-talk, wheedle, palaver; The little girl cajoled her father into buying her a new dress. valorous : adjective: Courageous; brave; bold. ; "Martha Washington, matronly and dowdy ... smiled. 'I can assure you that the General holds the utmost respect for General Arnold as well. Without his valorous service, none of us might be here tonight celebrating the French alliance.'" Jack Edward Shay; The Dock of Broken Dreams; Xlibris; 1999. See more usage examples of valorous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (15 Nov 1887-1972) *****November 19, 2019***** Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." embrasure : (noun) An opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through.; porthole; As they passed over the drawbridge, Alleyne marked the gleam of arms in the embrasures to right and left. gongoozler : noun: An idle spectator. ; "To get rid of a gongoozler, stare at him through binoculars." Terry Darlington; Narrow Dog To Carcassonne; Bantam; 2005. Thought For The Day: Physicists are made of atoms. A physicist is the atom's way of knowing about atoms. -George Wald, scientist and Nobel laureate (18 Nov 1906-1997) *****November 20, 2019***** Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Recondite : 1 : difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend : deep; "Ocampo (1903-1993) is a legend of Argentinian literature, and this collection of her short stories brings some of her most recondite and mysterious works to the English-speaking world." — Publisher's Weekly Review, 25 June 2019 adjudge : (verb) To pronounce formally.; declare, hold; It was a tight race, but Frankie was ultimately adjudged the winner. hail-fellow : noun: A congenial companion. adjective: Enthusiastically friendly. ; "But I would give my head to be like everybody else -- to be hail-fellow with those men out at the shed, for instance." E.W. Hornung; The Boss of Taroomba; The Floating Press; 2014. See more usage examples of hail-fellow in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do not believe that it is very much of an advance to do the unnecessary three times as fast. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 21, 2019***** Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Expedite : 1 : to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up; To expedite the processing of your request, please include your account number on all documents. overtop : (verb) Look down on.; command, overlook, dominate; The brow of the upland overtops the square tower of the Colebrook Church. connoisseur : noun: An expert who is knowledgeable enough to pass critical judgment in a field, especially in fine arts, cuisines, etc. ; "These days olive oil must be savoured with the heightened diligence of a connoisseur." 'Shall We Strippagio?' How to Be an Olive Oil Snob; The Times (London, UK); Oct 24, 2019. See more usage examples of connoisseur in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is. -Nadine Gordimer, novelist, Nobel laureate (20 Nov 1923-2014) *****November 22, 2019***** Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Fortitude : : strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage; "She showed fortitude in 2013, when the restaurant, known for its cheery pink exterior, had a major fire. The taqueria soon reopened with a new, brick exterior and the same great food, and Perez said business is better than ever." — Cassidy McDonald, The Wisconsin State Journal, 22 Sept. 2015 bestride : (verb) Get up on the back of.; climb on, hop on, jump on, mount; A man who bestrides a horse must be essentially different from a man who cowers in a canoe. gangrel : noun: 1. A vagrant or drifter. 2. A tall, thin, long-limbed person. ; "She is an enthusiastic reader and collector of books, provides shelter to the gangrels in her tower." Dietmar Bohnke; Shades of Gray; Galda + Wilch Verlag; 2004. Thought For The Day: Work saves us from three great evils: boredom, vice, and need. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2019***** Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Heterodox : 1 : contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional; "His heterodox moves have been the ones requiring most careful explanation on social media. He bucks his party in not voting for measures he supports … because he disagrees with the underlying legislative approach." — Isaac Stanley-Becker and Felicia Sonmez, The Washington Post, 20 May 2019 expunge : (verb) Remove by erasing or crossing out or as if by drawing a line.; excise, scratch, strike; She forced herself to expunge most of her beloved descriptions, though it took three re-writings before the story could be pruned down to please the fastidious Mr. Harrison. vulgarian : noun: A boorish, lewd, and crude person who makes a conspicuous display of wealth. ; "Maxie, how can a clean-cut child such as yourself bear to be around such a vulgarian?" Max Allan Collins; USS Powderkeg; Brash Books; 2019. See more usage examples of vulgarian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves! -Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (22 Nov 1869-1951) *****November 24, 2019***** Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Jilt : : to cast off or reject (someone, such as a lover) capriciously or unfeelingly; "A Georgia court ruled that a man who jilted his fiancée is liable for $50,000 in damages." — Robert W. Wood, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2013 megahit : (noun) A product or event, such as a movie or concert, that is exceedingly successful.; smash hit, blockbuster; After a series of flops brought the film studio to the brink of bankruptcy, it released several megahits that restored its solvency. vulgarian : noun: A boorish, lewd, and crude person who makes a conspicuous display of wealth. ; "Maxie, how can a clean-cut child such as yourself bear to be around such a vulgarian?" Max Allan Collins; USS Powderkeg; Brash Books; 2019. See more usage examples of vulgarian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves! -Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (22 Nov 1869-1951) *****November 25, 2019***** Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Billingsgate : : coarsely abusive language; A steady stream of billingsgate could be heard coming from my brother's room as he tried to recover the files lost when his computer crashed.  subsist : (verb) Support oneself.; exist, survive, live; I was more agile than they and could subsist upon coarser diet. vulgarian : noun: A boorish, lewd, and crude person who makes a conspicuous display of wealth. ; "Maxie, how can a clean-cut child such as yourself bear to be around such a vulgarian?" Max Allan Collins; USS Powderkeg; Brash Books; 2019. See more usage examples of vulgarian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, would that my mind could let fall its dead ideas, as the tree does its withered leaves! -Andre Gide, author, Nobel laureate (22 Nov 1869-1951) *****November 26, 2019***** Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." Sempiternal : : of never-ending duration : eternal; "For those who don't ride public transit and for most of their adulthoods travel via automobile between a few tightly curated situations ... Bourbon Street's sempiternal carnival gives them unmediated contact with all sorts of people they might not otherwise encounter." — Jules Bentley, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), 20 Aug. 2018 repast : (noun) The food served and eaten at one time.; meal; Numerous exquisite dishes ... were placed successively before the guests, and the richest wines of France flowed in profusion during this splendid repast. shell-shocked : adjective: Stunned, confused, and exhausted as a result of experiencing intense stress, such as in a war zone. ; "Perhaps Canada's politicians felt a bit shell-shocked after living dangerously during these stressful Trumpian moments, but that is no excuse." Tony Burman; After Trump; Toronto Star (Canada); Oct 19, 2019. See more usage examples of shell-shocked in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We haven't yet learned how to stay human when assembled in masses. -Lewis Thomas, physician and author (25 Nov 1913-1993) *****November 27, 2019***** Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Retinue : : a group of retainers or attendants; "The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." — Anthony Rieber, Newsday, 29 Mar. 2014 thieve : (verb) To steal (someone's possessions).; cop, glom, snitch, knock off, hook; The unscrupulous but skilled pickpocket thieved no fewer than a dozen wallets on even the slowest day. hatchet job : noun: Malicious criticism meant to harm someone's reputation. ; "It's a hatchet job, they're out to blacken her name." Mike Scantlebury; Secret Garden Festival; Lulu; 2018. See more usage examples of hatchet job in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. -Eugene Ionesco, playwright (26 Nov 1909-1994) *****November 28, 2019***** Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Fawn : 1 : to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner; "Like tech C.E.O.s today, Edison attracted an enormous following, both because his inventions fundamentally altered the texture of daily life and because he nurtured a media scrum that fawned over every inch of his laboratory and fixated on every minute of his day." — Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2019 reprove : (verb) To speak disapprovingly to (a person); rebuke or scold.; admonish; He reproved the child for his bad behavior and sent him to bed without supper. battle-axe or battle-ax : noun: 1. A broadax used as a weapon of war. 2. A typically older woman with a reputation for being sharp-tongued, domineering, and aggressive. ; "Blair Davis became the most entertaining Wheel of Fortune contestant ever last night. When he was introduced by Pat Sajak, Davis said: 'I've been trapped in a loveless marriage for the last 12 years to an old battle-axe named Kim. She cursed my life with three stepchildren: Star, RJ, and Ryan, and I have one rotten grandson.'" Jay Greeson; 5-at-10; Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tennessee); Oct 16, 2019. See more usage examples of battle-axe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We want our sound to go into the soul of the audience, and see if it can awaken some little thing in their minds... Cause there are so many sleeping people. -Jimi Hendrix, musician, singer, and songwriter (27 Nov 1942-1970) *****November 29, 2019***** Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Comestible : : edible; "After all the figs have fully ripened on our farm…, we'll start collecting grapes if the birds haven't nabbed them first and then comes the olive harvest, our most precious comestible commodity." — Carol Drinkwater, The Daily Mail (London), 16 Aug. 2019 milliner : (noun) Someone who makes and sells hats.; hatter, modiste; The milliner is making me a special pillbox hat with a detachable veil to wear on my wedding day. smoking gun : noun: Something that serves as incriminating evidence, especially of a crime. ; "John Sauven, an executive director at Greenpeace UK, said: 'The link between climate change and extreme weather used to be a fingerprint, it now looks more like a smoking gun.'" Damian Carrington; Climate Change Made UK Heatwave 30 Times More Likely -- Met Office; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 6, 2018. See more usage examples of smoking gun in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One must be very naive or dishonest to imagine that men choose their beliefs independently of their situation. -Claude Levi-Strauss, anthropologist (28 Nov 1908-2009) *****November 30, 2019***** Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Mutt : 1 : a stupid or insignificant person : fool; Our family's new dog is an affable, shaggy-haired mutt who is a delight to anyone who visits our home. fire-eater : (noun) A belligerent grouch.; hothead; That old fire-eater next door is always screaming at me to keep my dog off of his lawn. great guns : noun: Someone or something impressive. adverb: With energy and enthusiasm; successfully. interjection: Expressing surprise or disbelief. ; "[Douglas Carter] Beane's career has been going great guns anyway." Misha Berson; Taking a Jab at Hollywood Homophobia; The Seattle Times; Aug 15, 2008. "Fortunately, my chooks* are back on the lay, our vegies are going great guns (thank you, spring sunshine), and my regular fresh food market has amazing specials at closing time on Saturdays." Zoe Furman; Nearly $70 for a Pie? It's Just too Expensive; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Oct 22, 2019. *chook = chicken (Australian slang) Thought For The Day: If I can do no more, let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. -Louisa May Alcott, writer and reformist (29 Nov 1832-1888) *****December 01, 2019***** Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Incognito : : with one's identity concealed; "I do walk around the [Las Vegas] Strip. I walk with my head down and a baseball cap on and—so far—no one has noticed. I’ve been incognito." — Paula Abdul, quoted in The Las Vegas Review-Journal, 17 Nov. 2019 intermit : (verb) Cease an action temporarily.; pause, break; Pray to the gods to intermit the plague. great guns : noun: Someone or something impressive. adverb: With energy and enthusiasm; successfully. interjection: Expressing surprise or disbelief. ; "[Douglas Carter] Beane's career has been going great guns anyway." Misha Berson; Taking a Jab at Hollywood Homophobia; The Seattle Times; Aug 15, 2008. "Fortunately, my chooks* are back on the lay, our vegies are going great guns (thank you, spring sunshine), and my regular fresh food market has amazing specials at closing time on Saturdays." Zoe Furman; Nearly $70 for a Pie? It's Just too Expensive; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Oct 22, 2019. *chook = chicken (Australian slang) Thought For The Day: If I can do no more, let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. -Louisa May Alcott, writer and reformist (29 Nov 1832-1888) *****December 02, 2019***** Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." Pointillistic : 1 : composed of many discrete details or parts; "[Herman] Wouk is often grouped with middlebrow writers of popular historical fiction … but his novels are better understood as pointillistic character studies in historical settings." — Adelle Waldman, The New York Times, 17 May 2019 disparage : (verb) To speak of in a slighting or disrespectful way.; belittle, pick at; When it came to the principal's attention that Mrs. Smith regularly disparaged her students' efforts, she was removed from the classroom and reprimanded. great guns : noun: Someone or something impressive. adverb: With energy and enthusiasm; successfully. interjection: Expressing surprise or disbelief. ; "[Douglas Carter] Beane's career has been going great guns anyway." Misha Berson; Taking a Jab at Hollywood Homophobia; The Seattle Times; Aug 15, 2008. "Fortunately, my chooks* are back on the lay, our vegies are going great guns (thank you, spring sunshine), and my regular fresh food market has amazing specials at closing time on Saturdays." Zoe Furman; Nearly $70 for a Pie? It's Just too Expensive; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Oct 22, 2019. *chook = chicken (Australian slang) Thought For The Day: If I can do no more, let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. -Louisa May Alcott, writer and reformist (29 Nov 1832-1888) *****December 03, 2019***** Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." censer : (noun) A container for burning incense (especially one that is swung on a chain in a religious ritual).; thurible; The organ was muttering, censers were swinging, candles were glinting on the distant altar, and robed priests were filing silently past them. fulgor or fulgour : noun: Splendor; brightness. ; "Red Sea under a serene sky, under a sky scorching and unclouded, enveloped in a fulgor of sunshine." Joseph Conrad; Lord Jim; Blackwood's Magazine; 1900. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 04, 2019***** Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Ersatz : : being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation; "If you want to keep your drinks cold without constantly running to the ice machine, using the laundry bag as an ersatz ice chest is a great option…." — Melissa Locker, Time, 7 Oct. 2019 penitent : (adjective) Feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds.; repentant; She now presented herself, with an elaborate apology, and with the nearest approach to a penitent expression of which her face was capable. inquiline : noun: An animal living in the nest, burrow, or home of another. ; "That he has never allowed himself to be absorbed fully into the English tradition is something many critics have misunderstood. Naipaul is best understood as an inquiline, as a man whom the English have tried to absorb, but a man who has clung to displacement like a floating buoy." The Voyage in -- A Way in the World by V.S. Naipaul; The New Republic (Washington, DC); Jun 13, 1994. "In 'Talent' a young English girl worms her way into the life of a Fifth Avenue extended family with theatrical and musical connections. Since they are dysfunctional, and don't communicate with each other, they are unaware of what exactly the girl, Ellie, is up to. So when this inert inquiline turns up repeatedly at one of the family houses and sits in silence, nobody asks her to depart." Patrick French; East Is West; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 1, 2011. Thought For The Day: A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not necessarily in that order. -Jean-Luc Godard, film director (b. 3 Dec 1930) *****December 05, 2019***** Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." lettered : (adjective) Highly educated; having extensive information or understanding.; knowledgeable, well-read, learned; They are few in number, but it is a choice audience, a lettered audience. jouissance : noun: Pleasure; ecstasy. ; "Artists were allowed, indeed encouraged, to lead more libidinous lives on behalf of others who had, of necessity, to leave their jouissance at the door while they worked." Hanif Kureishi; The Last Word; Scribner; 2015. Thought For The Day: I live my life in widening circles that reach out across the world. I may not complete this last one but I will try. -Rainer Maria Rilke, poet and novelist (4 Dec 1875-1926) *****December 06, 2019***** Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. Acquiesce : : to accept, comply, or submit tacitly or passively —often used with in or to; Eventually, the professor acquiesced to the students' request to have the seminar's final class be a potluck. fracas : (noun) Noisy quarrel.; affray, altercation; A loud and violent fracas took place between the infantry Colonel and his lady, who were dining at the Cafe de Paris. worricow : noun: A hobgoblin, scarecrow, or a person of frightening appearance. ; "Our world seems to be disinfected of all such 'superstitious' numina as 'witches, warlocks, and worricows'." Carl Jung; Man and His Symbols; Doubleday; 1964. Thought For The Day: Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we see everywhere today is only temporary. Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life. -Walt Disney, entrepreneur and animator (5 Dec 1901-1966) *****December 07, 2019***** Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." Gingerly : : very cautious or careful; "The reality: I am averse to wet clothes, squishy shoes and algae in my hair, so I cautiously stepped into a kayak, trying my darndest not to rock the boat, and set out at a gingerly pace on a still lake." — Liz Carey, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), 15 May 2012 vaporing : (noun) Boastful or bombastic talk or behavior.; brag, gasconade; Captain Bonneville purchased a supply of buffalo meat from his braggadocio friends; who, with all their vaporing, were in fact a very forlorn horde. hyaloid : adjective: Glassy or transparent. ; "He squinted through the hyaloid membrane of the docking chamber's blister and sighted upward along the elastic cable." Donald Moffitt; Second Genesis; Open Road; 2014. See more usage examples of hyaloid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) *****December 08, 2019***** Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." Vexillology : : the study of flags; "I was recently watching a rerun episode of The Big Bang Theory that featured one of the main characters. Sheldon Cooper was videoing a new episode of Sheldon Cooper Presents: Fun With Flags, a YouTube/podcast show that Sheldon makes to teach vexillology, the scientific study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags." — Alicia Vandine, The Brighton Independent (Belleville, Ontario), 12 July 2019 single-minded : (adjective) Steadfast; resolute.; resolved; He was single-minded in his determination to stop smoking. hyaloid : adjective: Glassy or transparent. ; "He squinted through the hyaloid membrane of the docking chamber's blister and sighted upward along the elastic cable." Donald Moffitt; Second Genesis; Open Road; 2014. See more usage examples of hyaloid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) *****December 09, 2019***** Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." Circumscribe : 1 a : to constrict the range or activity of definitely and clearly; "Perhaps most important, the government was given a circumscribed mission statement—to secure the life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of its citizens, with their consent—and, in the form of the Bill of Rights, a set of lines it could not cross in its use of violence against them." — Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, 2011 toothsome : (adjective) Extremely pleasing to the sense of taste.; delectable, scrumptious, yummy, delicious, luscious; I cannot get enough of your toothsome honey-sweetened gingerbread! hyaloid : adjective: Glassy or transparent. ; "He squinted through the hyaloid membrane of the docking chamber's blister and sighted upward along the elastic cable." Donald Moffitt; Second Genesis; Open Road; 2014. See more usage examples of hyaloid in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) *****December 10, 2019***** Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." Oxymoron : : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words (such as cruel kindness); broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements; "Truly antisocial celebrity-level pop is probably an oxymoron, but part of the thrill of one new arrival, Billie Eilish, is that she gets close to achieving it." — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 May 2019 buccaneer : (noun) Someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation.; sea rover, pirate; The buccaneer on the wave might relinquish his calling and become at once if he chose, a man of probity and piety on land. corbie messenger : noun: A messenger who does not arrive or return in time. ; "I will be no corbie-messenger in mine old age -- your message to your son shall be done as truly by me as if it concerned another man's neck." Walter Scott; The Abbott; Archibald Constable and John Ballantyne; 1820. Thought For The Day: I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 11, 2019***** Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." Reiterate : : to state or do over again or repeatedly sometimes with wearying effect; "Flanery reiterated that the new hotel, HRM facility and expanded seating will not require Churchill Downs to expand outside of its current property. Churchill Downs will continue to have a 'constant dialogue' with neighbors, Flanery said." — Sarah Ladd, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), 31 Oct. 2019 well-heeled : (adjective) Having plenty of money.; prosperous, well-off, well-to-do, comfortable, easy; The price tag is out of reach of all but the most well-heeled. land of nod : noun: Sleep. ; "There is one objective on a Cabin (called SleepBus in an earlier iteration), and that is to reach the destination via the land of nod." Why an Eight-Hour Bus Ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco Might Beat a Flight; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 8, 2017. Thought For The Day: Who has not found the heaven below / Will fail of it above. / God's residence is next to mine, / His furniture is love. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 12, 2019***** Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." Sodden : 1 a : dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages; "… with these apt closing words Mr. Slyme fell forward with his head upon the table, and so declined into a sodden sleep." — Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, 1844 wayfarer : (noun) A traveler going on a trip.; journeyer; A little way past the inn we came upon a notice-board whereon the lord of the manor warned all wayfarers against trespassing. Apollyon : noun: One who destroys; another name for the Devil. ; "William Shuter, though, ... saw the text as a word of warning to Oscar Wilde, in the early 1890s infatuated with the young, beautiful, narcissistic, and heartless Lord Alfred Douglas, an Apollyon capable of doing great harm to an ageing impressionable aesthete." Walter Pater; Imaginary Portraits; Macmillan; 1887. Thought For The Day: Everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth. -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 13, 2019***** Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." large-minded : (adjective) Marked by breadth or tolerance of views; broad-minded.; liberal, tolerant; My plan must have seemed very foolish to her, but she was often large-minded about humoring the desires of other people. magdalene or magdalen : noun: A penitent woman, particularly a reformed prostitute. ; "Aniseed is inseparably linked in my mind to the bodies of fallen women. It is the madeleine that evokes a Magdalene." Jonathan Meades; Filthy English; Jonathan Cape; 1984. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a subject as precise as geometry. -Gustave Flaubert, novelist (12 Dec 1821-80) *****December 14, 2019***** Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." Tractable : 1 : capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled : docile; "He also looks … at the biological and cultural implications of 'self-domestication,' a process by which humans school themselves out of their feral nature and into habits of being that moderate violence—though, as he adds, while other domesticated species such as dogs and guinea pigs are 'delightfully tractable,' human adaptability and cultural learning add up to something more." — Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2018 ballyhoo : (noun) Blatant or sensational promotion.; hoopla, hype, plug; The ballyhoo that accompanied Kyle's campaign for student council was ultimately unnecessary, as no one chose to run against him. goliath : noun: A giant; a person or organization of enormous size or power. ; "Amazon's 'second headquarters' may be no such thing. Not for the first time, The Onion, a satirical website, got it right. 'You are all inside Amazon's second headquarters,' Jeff Bezos announces to horrified Americans as massive dome envelops nation. That headline captured both the American e-commerce goliath's endless expansion in recent years and the stratospheric level of hype around its quest to find a second headquarters." HQ2 times 2; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of goliath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) *****December 15, 2019***** Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Impugn : : to assail by words or arguments : oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity; The defense attorneys did their best to impugn the credibility of the prosecution's key witnesses. superfluity : (noun) Extreme excess.; overplus, plethora, embarrassment; He will look at the city which is within him, and take heed that no disorder occur in it, such as might arise either from superfluity or from want. goliath : noun: A giant; a person or organization of enormous size or power. ; "Amazon's 'second headquarters' may be no such thing. Not for the first time, The Onion, a satirical website, got it right. 'You are all inside Amazon's second headquarters,' Jeff Bezos announces to horrified Americans as massive dome envelops nation. That headline captured both the American e-commerce goliath's endless expansion in recent years and the stratospheric level of hype around its quest to find a second headquarters." HQ2 times 2; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of goliath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) *****December 16, 2019***** Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Delectation : : delight, enjoyment; "All of Europe is in mourning for its past. Bookstores are stocked with albums of photographs offering up the vanished past for our delectation and reflex nostalgia." — Susan Sontag, Where the Stress Falls, 2001 ectothermic : (adjective) Of or relating to an organism that regulates its body temperature largely by exchanging heat with its surroundings; cold-blooded.; heterothermic, poikilothermic; Many scientists suggest that a warming climate would negatively impact ectothermic organisms, especially those living in high-heat environments. goliath : noun: A giant; a person or organization of enormous size or power. ; "Amazon's 'second headquarters' may be no such thing. Not for the first time, The Onion, a satirical website, got it right. 'You are all inside Amazon's second headquarters,' Jeff Bezos announces to horrified Americans as massive dome envelops nation. That headline captured both the American e-commerce goliath's endless expansion in recent years and the stratospheric level of hype around its quest to find a second headquarters." HQ2 times 2; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of goliath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) *****December 17, 2019***** Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Mellifluous : 1 : having a smooth rich flow; "As you explore each room, you also hear a mellifluous voice-over uttering the relevant environmental facts and recommendations…. The 13,000-square-foot exhibition, which was designed with social media in mind, requires a free iPhone app to experience fully." — Laurel Graeber, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2019 pugilism : (noun) The skill, practice, and sport of fighting with the fists.; boxing, fisticuffs; My mother thinks pugilism is barbaric, but I reserve that designation for mixed-martial arts. homily : noun: A lecture of a moralizing or admonishing nature, usually tedious and trite. ; "With public confidence in politics wobbling, enter that paragon of virtues Anthony Charles Lynton Blair. The old hoofer took to a pulpit at the Reuters news agency to deliver one of his husky homilies about how vulgar politics has become since his faction waned." Quentin Letts; Trust Is Vital, Says the Man Who Led Us to War; The Times (London, UK); Nov 26, 2019. See more usage examples of homily in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick, science fiction writer (16 Dec 1928-1982) *****December 18, 2019***** Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." Flibbertigibbet : : a silly flighty person; She plays a flibbertigibbet in the movie—a character completely at odds with her real-life reputation as a prolific writer and masterful actor and director. quittance : (noun) Payment of a debt or obligation.; repayment; I should have flung at him a quittance for my foolish stepfather's debts, and then dismissed him. raguly : adjective: Having a row of oblique notches. ; "Two of the front windows as appears by the two crosses raguly, represent me and my son." William Lawrence; The Pyramid and the Urn; Iona Sinclair; 1994. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****December 19, 2019***** Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." Aught : 1 : anything; "Xury said it was a lion, and it might be so, for aught I know...." — Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe, 1719 free-spoken : (adjective) Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion.; candid, forthright, frank, point-blank, straight-from-the-shoulder, outspoken, plainspoken, blunt; They appeared remarkable figures, free-spoken men with whom one could be at ease. empanoply : verb tr.: To enclose in complete armor. ; "It was a shrewd thrust, that pierced the armour of conscience in which he sought to empanoply himself." Rafael Sabatini; The Sea-Hawk; Martin Secker; 1915. Thought For The Day: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977) *****December 20, 2019***** Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." Haggard : 1 of a hawk : not tamed; "When I met her at her subsidized apartment in the fall of 2018, she still had the haggard air of someone learning how to use the subway, navigate welfare programs, and raise two children by herself in an alien country." — Doug Bock Clark, GQ, 26 Mar. 2019 ululate : (verb) Emit long loud cries.; howl, wail, yaup, yawl, roar; The mourners began to ululate loudly, shattering the meditative silence of the cemetery with their cries of grief. logodaedaly : noun: Skill in using or coining words. ; "No, I think that Burgess, a consummate practitioner of logodaedaly, chose 'atomy'* for deliberate ambiguity, implying that the love borne for Roxane by Cyrano had started out as a skeletal friendship but later became a grand Herculean passion." Jeff Aronson; An/Atomy; BMJ: British Medical Journal (London, UK); Oct 14, 2000. *In his translation of Cyrano de Bergerac: "But the tough atomy I thought to seize And crush, turned out an infant Hercules." Thought For The Day: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976) *****December 21, 2019***** Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." Xenophobia : : fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign; "George Kennan, who served at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow…, wrote in 1947 that Soviet hostility toward the West was based upon more than Marxist ideology or traditional Russian xenophobia." — Philip Gold, Insight, 29 Dec. 1986 bugbear : (noun) An object of dread or apprehension.; hobgoblin; What have I done to be made a bugbear of, and to be shunned and dreaded as if I brought the plague? eutrapely : noun: Liveliness and ease of conversation. ; "All of whom defend that virtuous, urbane wit which is eutrapely." Michael A. Screech; Laughter at the Foot of the Cross; University of Chicago Press; 1997. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 22, 2019***** Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." Kowtow : 1 : to show obsequious deference : fawn; "[Cyndi] Lauper wanted a hit record. She wanted one badly after PolyGram dropped her first band Blue Angel following a failed debut in 1980. But she wouldn't kowtow to music execs in pursuit of that hit." — Jed Gottlieb, The Boston Herald, 17 Nov. 2018 execrate : (verb) Find repugnant.; abhor, abominate, loathe; I was raised to execrate all those whose skin color differs from mine, but I have learned to look beyond the external and get to know people for who they truly are. eutrapely : noun: Liveliness and ease of conversation. ; "All of whom defend that virtuous, urbane wit which is eutrapely." Michael A. Screech; Laughter at the Foot of the Cross; University of Chicago Press; 1997. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 23, 2019***** Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." Fulgent : : dazzlingly bright : radiant; "Reigning as queen of the ball was Miss Skylar Nicole Ballard…. Her majesty's regal ensemble included a gown of white silver lace, tulle and regency organza…. Completing the raiment were … the fulgent crown and scepter." — The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate (nola.com), 10 Feb. 2019 thermal : (adjective) Relating to or associated with heat.; caloric; The scientists had not anticipated such extreme thermal conditions and were forced to delay the experiment indefinitely. eutrapely : noun: Liveliness and ease of conversation. ; "All of whom defend that virtuous, urbane wit which is eutrapely." Michael A. Screech; Laughter at the Foot of the Cross; University of Chicago Press; 1997. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 24, 2019***** Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." Discriminate : 1 a : to see the special features of; "Cashless restaurants … have faced criticism that they discriminate against low-income consumers who may not have bank accounts." — Leslie Patton, Bloomberg.com, 13 Nov. 2019 parterre : (noun) Seating at the rear of the main floor (beneath the balconies).; parquet circle; They found the whole of the audience in the parterre standing up and directing their gaze towards the box formerly possessed by the Russian ambassador. jactancy : noun: Boasting or boastfulness. ; "She did not show any great jactancy. Rather, she was somewhat reluctant to show her ability." A. Flammer and W. Kinzelbach; Discourse Processing; Elsevier; 2000. Thought For The Day: Every noon as the clock hands arrive at twelve, / I want to tie the two arms together, / And walk out of the bank carrying time in bags. -Robert Bly, poet (b. 23 Dec 1926) *****December 25, 2019***** Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." Luminaria : : a traditional Mexican Christmas lantern originally consisting of a candle set in sand inside a paper bag; "Mount Vernon Avenue will be illuminated by thousands of luminarias and feature storefront windows hand-painted for the holidays." — The Alexandria (Virginia) Living Magazine, 9 Nov. 2019 downswing : (noun) A worsening of business or economic activity.; downturn; Panicked investors scrambled to secure their assets as the market took a severe downswing for the third time in a month. oryzivorous : adjective: Rice-eating. ; "China is an oryzivorous country." Mark McKenna; The Word Gang; Precipitation Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: You have not converted a man because you have silenced him. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 26, 2019***** Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." Evergreen : 1 : having foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season ; "For years, it was assumed that in order to have a garden of constant color, you needed to plant vivid annual flowers in every season. This was a somewhat costly proposition, however, especially when compared to a garden of evergreen and colorful succulents, where red, blue, yellow, green, pink and gold are on display 365 days a year." — Joshua Siskin, The Orange County (California) Register, 29 Oct. 2019 ireful : (adjective) Feeling or showing extreme anger.; irate; The ireful, angry chief was not so easily mollified. gaminesque : adjective: Playfully impudent or mischievous. ; "She had evidently been a big, bouncing, bright gaminesque girl at fifteen, and very amusing and very much admired." H.G. Wells; The Wife of Sir Isaac Harman; Macmillan; 1914. Thought For The Day: If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on the shoulders of giants. -Isaac Newton, philosopher and mathematician (25 Dec 1642-1727) *****December 27, 2019***** Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." Whipsaw : 1 : to saw with a whipsaw; The community has been growing steadily safer and more prosperous after years of being whipsawed by climbing crime rates and plunging employment. bolide : (noun) An especially luminous meteor (sometimes exploding).; fireball; Nancy stared in awe through her telescope as a bolide rocketed into her view, shining brightly in the night sky. twiforked or twi-forked : adjective: Divided in two; two-pronged. ; "The evening before the serpent came, Just at the first hour of the night, She reached a flagon* of crystal bright, Sweet Eve, Young Eve, Snow-white, rose-red, a twi-forked flame, The evening before the serpent came, Kindled and burnt in the heart of Eve." Susan Sutton Smith (ed.); Complete Poems and Collected Letters of Adelaide Crapsey; State University of New York Press; 1977. *A large bottle for liquor Thought For The Day: The hair is real -- it's the head that's a fake. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (26 Dec 1921-2000) *****December 28, 2019***** Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." Punctilio : 1 : a minute detail of conduct in a ceremony or in observance of a code; "It is hard to write a novel in a Christian setting in such a secular age; 'The End of the Affair' manages to make even the punctilios of Catholic doctrine feel profoundly relevant." — Alex Preston, The Independent, 17 Feb. 2012 factious : (adjective) Of, relating to, produced by, or characterized by internal dissension.; divisive; Fouquet has raised against your majesty a troop of factious rioters to extricate his friends from punishment. amaxophobia : noun: The fear of riding in a vehicle. ; "The poor woman is scared to death ... Anne must have seen the same thing in her rearview mirror. 'Great,' she said just loud enough for Mary Helen to hear, "not only are we driving Miss Daisy, but we are driving Miss Daisy with amaxophobia." Carol Anne O'Marie; The Corporal Works of Murder; St Martin's Press; 2003. Thought For The Day: Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) *****December 29, 2019***** Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." Impervious : 1 a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable  ; "Because porcelain is impervious to water, stains and temperature changes, it's a durable and practical choice for high-traffic areas." — Michelle Brunner, The Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2019 precognition : (noun) Knowledge of an event before it occurs.; foreknowledge; Many envied Maya's ability to know the future, but she considered her precognition a burden and a curse. amaxophobia : noun: The fear of riding in a vehicle. ; "The poor woman is scared to death ... Anne must have seen the same thing in her rearview mirror. 'Great,' she said just loud enough for Mary Helen to hear, "not only are we driving Miss Daisy, but we are driving Miss Daisy with amaxophobia." Carol Anne O'Marie; The Corporal Works of Murder; St Martin's Press; 2003. Thought For The Day: Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) *****December 30, 2019***** Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." Gallivant : 1 informal : to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure; After graduating from college, Maureen spent a year gallivanting all over before coming back home to find a job. finagle : (verb) To obtain or achieve by indirect, usually deceitful methods.; wangle, manage; Howard was able to finagle an extra ten dollars out of his parents by telling them that he needed the money to buy a schoolbook. amaxophobia : noun: The fear of riding in a vehicle. ; "The poor woman is scared to death ... Anne must have seen the same thing in her rearview mirror. 'Great,' she said just loud enough for Mary Helen to hear, "not only are we driving Miss Daisy, but we are driving Miss Daisy with amaxophobia." Carol Anne O'Marie; The Corporal Works of Murder; St Martin's Press; 2003. Thought For The Day: Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) *****December 31, 2019***** Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." Penultimate : 1 : next to the last; The penultimate episode of the TV series features some shocking plot twists that set up what will surely be a thrilling series finale. oppugn : (verb) Challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of.; question; Given your history of rumor-mongering, I am inclined to oppugn your claims in this matter. humdinger : noun: Someone or something outstanding, remarkable, or unusual. ; "Ne3 is pretty good, but McShane's next move was a real humdinger." England on Point: Chess; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Oct 30, 2019. "Because of the exceedingly easy questions -- How many wheels has a tricycle? -- speed was the thing. Despite the low bar, it is famous for some reputed humdinger answers that have gone into the lore. One contestant, asked Hitler's first name, tried 'Heil?' Another thought the ayatollah might be a céilí band. What was Gandhi's first name? Goosey Goosey." Deirdre Falvey; How 'Stop the Lights!' Became a National Catchphrase; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 21, 2018. See more usage examples of humdinger in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 30 Dec 1949) *****January 01, 2020***** Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." Shindig : 1 a : a social gathering with dancing; "In the program notes, director Isaac Lamb says he's aiming for the vibe of a ceilidh—an impromptu Irish shindig with instruments, singing, dancing and booze." — Lee Williams, The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon), 11 Oct. 2019 lying-in : (noun) Concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child.; childbed, confinement, parturiency, travail, labor; After seven hours of lying-in, Carol gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl. ripsnorter : noun: Something or someone remarkable in excellence, intensity, strength, etc. ; "A searing, stratospheric violin wail leads into a ripsnorter of a finale." Martin Buzacott; Massive Sound with a Melody Intact; The Australian (Canberra); Jul 10, 2017. Thought For The Day: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954) *****January 02, 2020***** Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Redux : : brought back—used postpositively; Following a spell of unseasonably warm weather in late March, April felt like winter redux as temperatures plunged back below freezing. burgeon : (verb) To grow or develop rapidly.; increase, flower, progress, mature, thrive, flourish, bloom, bud, blossom, prosper; Our meager food supply simply cannot sustain the burgeoning population. ballyhoo : noun: 1. Clamor or uproar. 2. Sensational or extravagant promotion. verb tr.: To promote or publicize in a sensational or extravagant manner. ; "The Conservatives have already embarrassed themselves by joining last week's ballyhoo over rescinding the knighthood of Sir Fred Goodwin, the RBS chief whose mess Mr Hester was brought in to fix." Stephen Hester Is Being Paid Well for Tackling One of the Most Important Jobs in Britain; The Times (London, UK); Jan 28, 2012. "Mr. Jasmin resorted to old-fashioned ballyhoo to promote the fair. He described the man-made islands in the middle of the St. Lawrence River as coming 'out of the water like Botticelli's Venus.'" Tom Hawthorn; Promoter Brought Expo 67 to the World; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Aug 16, 2019. See more usage examples of ballyhoo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. -E.M. Forster, novelist (1 Jan 1879-1970) *****January 03, 2020***** Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." Cosmeticize : : to make (something unpleasant or ugly) superficially attractive; The documentary takes a hard look at life in the camp, never once cosmeticizing the experience of its inhabitants. enkindle : (verb) Call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses).; arouse, elicit, evoke, provoke, fire, raise; Melissa's coy smile enkindled the hopes of the young man seeking her favor. foofaraw : noun: 1. Excessive or unnecessary ornamentation. 2. Fuss; commotion. ; "The foofaraw included a fake grass skirt undulating from the rear bumper." Kelly O'Dell Stanley; Praying Upside Down; Tyndale; 2015. Sometimes, even unicorns don't care for the foofaraw. Check out this cartoon from The New Yorker. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2020***** Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." Foible : 1 : the part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point; "From family foibles to practical jokes to heritage-based barbs, we embrace it all with laughter and shrugs. Everybody's got skeletons in their closet; we might as well laugh." — Paula Brewer, The Bangor (Maine) Daily News, 22 Nov. 2019 pretermit : (verb) Leave undone or leave out.; neglect, omit, overleap, overlook, miss, drop; Tom overslept and would need to pretermit his usual morning workout if he wanted to make it to work on time. lollapalooza : noun: An exceptional person, thing, or event. ; "Young Man Winter did a massive marshmallow job on the region a week ago. It was a snowstorm of Brobdingnagian dimensions. ... It was a lulu wrapped in a lollapalooza inside a humdinger." Robertson Cochrane; One Humdinger of a Snow Job; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Dec 19, 1992. Thought For The Day: Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. -Douglas William Jerrold, playwright and humorist (3 Jan 1803-1857) *****January 05, 2020***** Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." Mendacious : : given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth; Students in the class analyze political speeches and learn how to separate exaggerations and mendacious claims from verifiable facts. hypnopedia : (noun) The art or process of learning while asleep by means of lessons recorded on disk or tapes.; sleep-learning; Hypnopedia may not be a proven learning technique, but I figure it can't hurt to replay my professors' lectures throughout the night just in case. lollapalooza : noun: An exceptional person, thing, or event. ; "Young Man Winter did a massive marshmallow job on the region a week ago. It was a snowstorm of Brobdingnagian dimensions. ... It was a lulu wrapped in a lollapalooza inside a humdinger." Robertson Cochrane; One Humdinger of a Snow Job; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Dec 19, 1992. Thought For The Day: Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. -Douglas William Jerrold, playwright and humorist (3 Jan 1803-1857) *****January 06, 2020***** Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." Permutation : 1 : often major or fundamental change (as in character or condition) based primarily on rearrangement of existent elements; also : a form or variety resulting from such change; "Scientists have performed many permutations of the original MHC study, but the results suggest that people choose mates that have MHC genes that are dissimilar to their own—although not too dissimilar." — Caitlin O'Connell, Elephant Don: The Politics of a Pachyderm Posse, 2015 calumnious : (adjective) (Used of statements) Harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign.; defamatory, denigrating, libelous, slanderous; He concluded by calling for an investigation, which might dispose of the calumnious report before it had time to spread. lollapalooza : noun: An exceptional person, thing, or event. ; "Young Man Winter did a massive marshmallow job on the region a week ago. It was a snowstorm of Brobdingnagian dimensions. ... It was a lulu wrapped in a lollapalooza inside a humdinger." Robertson Cochrane; One Humdinger of a Snow Job; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Dec 19, 1992. Thought For The Day: Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest. -Douglas William Jerrold, playwright and humorist (3 Jan 1803-1857) *****January 07, 2020***** Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." Agrarian : 1 : of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure; "Young children were encouraged to take part in adult activities as soon as they were able.... In agrarian societies they had always been expected to help out at home and in the fields from an early age." — The Economist, 5 Jan. 2019 rebuff : (verb) Reject outright and bluntly.; snub, repel; When we left school he made advances to me; I did not rebuff them, for I was flattered, but we soon parted. ombrifuge : noun: Something that provides protection from the rain, especially an umbrella. ; "When you are caught in a shower and spot a convenient ombrifuge ... should you run to it or walk?" The Independent (London, UK); Apr 30, 1998. Thought For The Day: Hate is a dead thing. Who of you would be a tomb? -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 08, 2020***** Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." Dragoon : 1 : to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops; The ragtag force, composed mostly of young men dragooned from the surrounding villages, quickly surrendered to the more professional army of its foes. hardihood : (noun) The trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger.; boldness, daring; He could not walk the street with any peace of mind, so conscious was he that the gentle and timid would turn aside to avoid him, and that others would make it a point of hardihood to throw themselves in his way. exemplum : noun: 1. An example or model. 2. An anecdote used to illustrate a moral truth or support an argument. ; "His own life became in some ways an exemplum of classical standards, through the elegance of the book-lined rooms that he inhabited and the impeccable decorum of his clothes." Professor David Watkin (obituary); The Times (London, UK); Sep 10, 2018. Thought For The Day: There are years that ask questions and years that answer. -Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and writer (7 Jan 1891-1960) *****January 09, 2020***** Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." Surfeit : 1 : an overabundant supply : excess; "The fracking boom in the United States has led to a surfeit of natural gas worldwide." — Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 Dec. 2019       impendent : (adjective) Close in time; about to occur.; imminent, at hand; After a long and grueling career at the factory, Larry was eagerly anticipating his impendent retirement. splanchnic : adjective: Of or relating to the internal organs or viscera. ; "I discovered that the splanchnic nerve is actually three nerves and all control the visceral functions in various manners." Isaac Asimov; Robot Visions; Roc; 1990. See more usage examples of splanchnic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is better to sleep on things beforehand than lie awake about them afterwards. -Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 10, 2020***** Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Belated : 1 : delayed beyond the usual time; Olivia called her friend on his birthday to let him know that a belated gift from her was on its way. seemly : (adjective) Conforming to standards of conduct and good taste; suitable.; becoming, comely, comme il faut, decent, decorous; Her friends think it is not seemly for her to be dating a man half her age, but she only cares that he makes her happy. singultus : noun: A hiccup. ; "He waved at me -- for silence and focus -- as I was endeavoring to control my singultus which often occurs whenever I see a quarry." Yemi D. Prince; The Birth of a Child in a Fishing Boat; Langaa; 2016. See more usage examples of singultus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It seems to me that those songs that have been any good, I have nothing much to do with the writing of them. The words have just crawled down my sleeve and come out on the page. -Joan Baez, musician (b. 9 Jan 1941) *****January 11, 2020***** Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." Elixir : 1 a (1) : a substance held to be capable of changing base metals into gold; While the new sports complex is hardly an elixir for all of the city's economic woes, it should spur some much-needed job growth. nitty-gritty : (noun) The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience.; essence, heart and soul, inwardness, gist, pith, substance, meat, nub, kernel, sum, core, marrow, center; While I will devote some time to Thomas Edison's personal life, his many inventions will compose the nitty-gritty of my presentation. indagate : verb tr.: To search into; to investigate. ; "I need to get him to indagate any potential infringement." Richard David Kennedy; The Profit Book One; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2020***** Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Convoke : : to call together to a meeting; "The gloves were off now, and to mobilize every possible moral and military advantage, the pope convoked a general church Council in Rome for 1241." — Adrian House, Francis of Assisi, 2000 opulence : (noun) Wealth as evidenced by sumptuous living.; luxuriousness, sumptuousness; The estate had formerly belonged to a gentleman of opulence and taste, who had bestowed some considerable attention to the adornment of his grounds. indagate : verb tr.: To search into; to investigate. ; "I need to get him to indagate any potential infringement." Richard David Kennedy; The Profit Book One; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 13, 2020***** Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Weal : : a sound, healthy, or prosperous state : well-being; Before presenting the bill to the legislature, the senator spoke of devotion to the general weal. miscue : (noun) A minor inadvertent mistake usually observed in speech or writing or in small accidents or memory lapses etc.; parapraxis, slip-up; Any politician's career will feature a miscue or two, but our buffoonish mayor makes public gaffes on an almost weekly basis. indagate : verb tr.: To search into; to investigate. ; "I need to get him to indagate any potential infringement." Richard David Kennedy; The Profit Book One; Lulu; 2015. Thought For The Day: Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 14, 2020***** Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Glom : 1 : take, steal; "It would not surprise me if the sampling 'Fleabag' receives from glomming an Emmy sets it up as a series that makes viewers eagerly await new seasons." — Neal Zoren, The Delaware County (Pennsylvania) Daily Times, 30 Sept. 2019 regnant : (adjective) Exercising power or authority.; reigning, ruling; She became queen regnant upon the death of her father and soon gained a reputation for being a firm but fair ruler. eftsoons : adverb: 1. Soon after. 2. Again. 3. From time to time. ; "Eftsoons we turned to the volume of Shakespeare that we had at hand." Al Sicherman; Al's 'Midsummer Night's Dream'; Minneapolis Star and Tribune (Minnesota); Aug 9, 1987. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 15, 2020***** Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." so-called : (adjective) Doubtful or suspect.; alleged, supposed; The so-called master detective tripped over the murder weapon just as he was declaring the case insolvable. faute de mieux : adverb: For want of something better. ; "Mrs May survives faute de mieux. The Tory party can't agree on who should succeed her and both factions fear that the alternative would be worse for them." James Forsyth: The Plots Thicken; The Spectator (London, UK); Oct 14, 2017. Thought For The Day: When one has been threatened with a great injustice, one accepts a smaller as a favour. -Jane Welsh Carlyle, letter writer (14 Jan 1801-1866) *****January 16, 2020***** Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Artifice : 1 a : clever or artful skill : ingenuity ; "A generation that's grown up with Snapchat-filtered selfies and pop feminism seems to have an innate understanding that artifice doesn't negate authenticity, or that a penchant for towering wigs and acrylic nails doesn't prevent someone from being a songwriting genius." — Lindsay Zoladz, The New York Times, 21 Nov. 2019 balderdash : (noun) Trivial nonsense.; fiddle-faddle, piffle; Our earnings reports prove that the rumors of our company's imminent collapse are balderdash. amain : adverb: 1. With all one's strength. 2. At full speed. 3. With great haste. ; "The wind now rising amain, he in vain strove." Herman Melville; Moby Dick; Harper; 1851. See more usage examples of amain in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable. -Moliere, actor and playwright (15 Jan 1622-1673) *****January 17, 2020***** Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Hirsute : 1 : hairy; Turner wore a hirsute mask as part of his werewolf costume for the school play. friable : (adjective) Easily broken into small fragments or reduced to powder.; crumbly; The men disturbed the loose, friable earth of the slope ... disclosing human bones already nearly uncovered by the action of water and frost. certes : adverb: Certainly. ; "Certes, no man in his right mind would come near her with a huge wolfhound at her side." Shari Anton; Twilight Magic; Grand Central Publishing; 2007. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 18, 2020***** Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." Tontine : : a joint financial arrangement whereby the participants usually contribute equally to a prize that is awarded entirely to the participant who survives all the others; "For denizens of the realm, tontines were a very popular twist on the annuity because they appealed to the gambling spirit. An annuity would pay you a steady trickle of money (boring). A tontine would pay you more and more as time went on because other people would be dying and you would be accumulating their shares." — Jeff Guo, The Washington Post, 28 Sept. 2015 arcadian : (adjective) (Used with regard to idealized country life) Idyllically rustic.; bucolic, pastoral; Often she found herself dreaming of the arcadian days of her people, when they had not lived in cities nor been vexed with labor unions and employers' associations. alfresco : adverb, adjective: Outdoors; in the open air. ; "Abrupt reforms in the late 1980s sent many young men on to the streets. And the alternatives to living alfresco are better than in New York." Where Have All the Homeless Gone?; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 14, 2004. See more usage examples of alfresco in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2020***** Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." Vicarious : 1 : experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another ; "'Gravity' is a brilliantly realized, completely riveting, dread-drenched science fiction thriller about two astronauts stranded in orbit around Earth. And it turns out to be one amazing vicarious experience, simultaneously dream and nightmare, with a set of cinematic illusions that simply—well, maybe not so simply—astounds." — Bill Wine, The Chestnut Hill Local (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 15 Nov. 2019 bilious : (adjective) Irritable as if suffering from indigestion.; dyspeptic, liverish; The man walked into my shop looking bilious and ill-tempered, and it was clear that my day was about to get a lot less pleasant. alfresco : adverb, adjective: Outdoors; in the open air. ; "Abrupt reforms in the late 1980s sent many young men on to the streets. And the alternatives to living alfresco are better than in New York." Where Have All the Homeless Gone?; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 14, 2004. See more usage examples of alfresco in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 20, 2020***** Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." Intercalate : 1 : to insert (something, such as a day) in a calendar; "The fossiliferous deposits … consist of pale pinkish-orange brown clays, brownish grey siltstones and shale, and greenish grey fine to medium grained sandstones intercalated with dark grey conglomerates…." — M. A. Khan, et al., The Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 31 Dec. 2011 undistinguished : (adjective) Not worthy of notice.; insignificant; In spite of a loud voice … and an implacable manner, he had been an undistinguished member of most of the existing aeronautical associations. alfresco : adverb, adjective: Outdoors; in the open air. ; "Abrupt reforms in the late 1980s sent many young men on to the streets. And the alternatives to living alfresco are better than in New York." Where Have All the Homeless Gone?; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 14, 2004. See more usage examples of alfresco in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I cannot conceive otherwise than that He, the Infinite Father, expects or requires no worship or praise from us, but that He is even infinitely above it. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 21, 2020***** Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Dauntless : : incapable of being intimidated or subdued : fearless, undaunted; With dauntless persistence, the ship's crew navigated the vessel through the unexpected storm, escaping with minimal damage and no casualties. reproachful : (adjective) Expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective.; admonishing, reproving, admonitory; The milkmaid cast many reproachful glances over her shoulder at the clumsy strangers, holding her nicked elbow close to her side. ad litem : adjective: Appointed by a court to represent someone, such as a child, who is considered incapable of representing themselves in a lawsuit. ; "'And what does Kiley want?' The judge directed his question to the guardian ad litem. 'Your Honor, she's not even three years old,' Diane said. 'I didn't ask if she wanted to run off and live with Santa Claus. I'm simply asking a question of our assigned guardian ad litem, since presumably she needs to justify her public-interest salary here today.'" Lee Child; Vengeance; Mulholland Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: Is it [hunting] really a sport if you have all the equipment and your opponent doesn't know a game is going on? -Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and writer (b. 20 Jan 1956) *****January 22, 2020***** Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Bonhomie : : good-natured easy friendliness; "For older athletes, the bonhomie among teammates and rivals who have spent years sprinting or skating together, or boxing one another out under the rim, is often as important as the exercise. Many have become friends off the court, sharing meals and socializing after games." — Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe, 4 Dec. 2019 embonpoint : (noun) The bodily property of being well rounded.; plumpness, roundness; He had the lavish embonpoint of a pig. errant : adjective: 1. Traveling, especially in search of adventure. 2. Erring, straying, or moving aimlessly. ; "For all my lady-errant escapades, I still hold the proprieties in respect." Robert Barr; The Charm of the Old World Romances; E-artnow; 2016. See more usage examples of errant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Walking is also an ambulation of mind. -Gretel Ehrlich, novelist, poet, and essayist (b. 21 Jan 1946) *****January 23, 2020***** Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Nurture : 1 : to supply with nourishment ; The mayor pushed for tax credits for small businesses as a way to nurture economic growth. dupery : (noun) Something intended to deceive; deliberate trickery intended to gain an advantage.; hoax, put-on, humbug, fraudulence; Even the most intelligent among us may be tempted by the dupery of Internet con artists if we are not careful. aforethought : adjective: Planned or premeditated; not by accident. ; "[Jack] Taylor has definitely killed two men, one more or less by accident, the other with malice aforethought." Patrick Anderson; One Tough Tippler; The Washington Post; Jan 27, 2003. See more usage examples of aforethought in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Death is a friend of ours and he that is not ready to entertain him is not at home. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (22 Jan 1561-1626) *****January 24, 2020***** Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." Outlandish : 1 : of or relating to another country : foreign; "In a letter sent to his mother … [T.S. Eliot] wrote, 'I really think that I have far more influence on English letters than any other American has ever had, unless it be Henry James.' It's an outlandish claim, even if one allows for the kind of hyperbole to be found in a letter meant to impress one's parents." — Kevin Dettmar, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2019 enlace : (verb) Spin, wind, or twist together.; intertwine; Thanks to her naval training, Megan was able to enlace the threads and form a complicated knot, securing the lumber safely to the roof of my truck. immemorial : adjective: Very old; beyond memory or recorded history. ; "Central bankers like giving the impression that they have played such roles since time immemorial, but as Lord King points out the reality is otherwise. The Fed was created only in 1913." Mervyn King and the Financial Crisis; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 12, 2016. See more usage examples of immemorial in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2020***** Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." Euphoria : : a feeling of well-being or elation; "In February 2014, Xenia gave birth to their daughter, Ella. Ben still recalls the euphoria of watching the nurse place their newborn on Xenia's chest. He still can't quite believe the song that played on the operating room radio, the refrain resounding in that moment: God only knows what I'd be without you." — Caitlin Gibson, The Washington Post Magazine, 9 Dec. 2019 snippet : (noun) A small piece of anything (especially a piece that has been snipped off).; piece, scrap, fragment, part, particle, snatch, shred; She went round the farm-garden, nibbling off snippets of all the different sorts of herbs that are used for stuffing roast duck. laureate : adjective: Having special distinction or recognition in a field. noun: A person honored for achieving distinction in a field. ; "To foster financial education, the US President or the Secretary of the Treasury should appoint an investor laureate to serve the nation." Steven M. Sears; The Indomitable Investor; Wiley; 2012. [May we suggest Bernie Madoff as our first investor laureate? -Ed.] See more usage examples of laureate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1861-1937) *****January 26, 2020***** Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." Lackluster : : lacking in sheen, brilliance, or vitality : dull, mediocre; In spite of its owner's hard work, the coffee shop was forced to close due to lackluster sales. teetotal : (adjective) Practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages.; dry; I happen to be teetotal, so I will forgo the wine being served with dinner. laureate : adjective: Having special distinction or recognition in a field. noun: A person honored for achieving distinction in a field. ; "To foster financial education, the US President or the Secretary of the Treasury should appoint an investor laureate to serve the nation." Steven M. Sears; The Indomitable Investor; Wiley; 2012. [May we suggest Bernie Madoff as our first investor laureate? -Ed.] See more usage examples of laureate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1861-1937) *****January 27, 2020***** Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Sublimate : 1 : to pass or cause to pass directly from the solid to the vapor state; "These ice crystals are temporary from day to day. They develop at night when the air is at its coldest but melt or sublimate away during the day in warmer air or sunlight." — Robert Dryja, The Los Alamos (New Mexico) Daily Post, 29 Nov. 2019 self-righteous : (adjective) Excessively or hypocritically pious.; holier-than-thou, pharisaic, sanctimonious, pietistic; My self-righteous neighbor Mary makes herself out to be a paragon of virtue and chastity, but I know that she has some dirty little secrets of her own. laureate : adjective: Having special distinction or recognition in a field. noun: A person honored for achieving distinction in a field. ; "To foster financial education, the US President or the Secretary of the Treasury should appoint an investor laureate to serve the nation." Steven M. Sears; The Indomitable Investor; Wiley; 2012. [May we suggest Bernie Madoff as our first investor laureate? -Ed.] See more usage examples of laureate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1861-1937) *****January 28, 2020***** Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Parvenu : : one that has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it; "It's impossible to exaggerate the rapidity with which Lexus came to dominate the North American luxury market. At its introduction in 1989, its competitors denigrated it as mere parvenu.... By 1990, the LS had become the bestselling large luxury sedan in the land." — David Booth, The Calgary Herald, 19 July 2019 appellation : (noun) Identifying word or words by which someone or something is called and classified or distinguished from others.; designation, denomination; When the adventurers … met, in the center of the forests, immense plains, covered with rich verdure or rank grasses, they naturally gave them the appellation of meadows. bibliophilia : noun: The love of books. ; "If you've ever flirted with bibliophilia, ever dabbled in recreational sniffing and fondling of books, be advised: this magnificent volume [Winter Papers 5] might push you over the edge." Kevin Barry and Olivia Smith; A winter wonderland; Sunday Times (London, UK); Dec 22, 2019. Thought For The Day: A fellow of mediocre talent will remain a mediocrity, whether he travels or not; but one of superior talent (which without impiety I cannot deny that I possess) will go to seed if he always remains in the same place. -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer and musician (27 Jan 1756-1791) *****January 29, 2020***** Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Diligent : : characterized by steady, earnest, and energetic effort : painstaking; After many hours of diligent research, the students were ready to compile their results. corpulent : (adjective) Bulky of body; portly.; rotund; In his later years, the once-svelte cat took on a more corpulent frame as his mobility decreased. chrestomathy : noun: 1. A volume of selected literary passages, usually by one author. 2. A selection of literary passages from a foreign language, especially one assembled for studying a language. ; "In a word, they think [Ted Cruz] is a supremely self-absorbed show pony. Perhaps relevant: The Ted Cruz 2016 pocket Constitution that his volunteers distribute features a Ted Cruz introduction and a Ted Cruz chrestomathy before the document's text." Joseph Rago; Ted Cruz Likes Being Hated; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Jan 23, 2016. See more usage examples of chrestomathy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sit down and put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 30, 2020***** Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Allege : 1 : to assert without proof or before proving; The lawsuit alleges that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway. callow : (adjective) Lacking adult maturity or experience; immature.; unfledged; Although he is 25, he still behaves like a callow youth in some ways. biblioclast : noun: One who destroys or mutilates books. ; "Mr Raving was none too subtle a blend of born-again Christian, mini-arsonist, and my computer studies master. Once during a lesson, I had to retrieve a text-book from my bag necessitating the removal of everything else. Raving went, well, raving when he saw a copy of Eric Von Daniken's 'Chariots of the Gods' appear. He grabbed the book almost before it landed on my desk and, with a zeal that would have made a Nazi biblioclast proud, set it alight and threw it into the bin while crossing himself with a ruler. A week later I was summoned to the office of the school library to explain why I hadn't returned said book. I said: 'Because Mr Raving destroyed it, sir.' Aghast he replied: 'Another one?!'" Spike Breakwell; Disabled: Joe Egg's School Days; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Feb 29, 2004. Thought For The Day: A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against its government. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989) *****January 31, 2020***** Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Gist : 1 : the ground of a legal action; I didn't catch every word, but I heard enough to get the gist of the conversation. poultice : (noun) A soft moist mass of bread, meal, clay, or other adhesive substance, usually heated, spread on cloth, and applied to warm, moisten, or stimulate an aching or inflamed part of the body.; cataplasm, plaster; I heard from the ship's doctor that he had been obliged to put a large mustard poultice on this very gentleman's stomach. feuilleton : noun: 1. The part of a European newspaper devoted to light literature, criticism, and the like; also something printed in this section. 2. A novel published in installments. 3. A short literary piece ; "Finally, the Sueddeutsche Zeitung offers tongue-in-cheek reading of the situation on the front page of its feuilleton section, saying, 'Germany is a world champion -- at least in exporting goods. We even offer up our students to study abroad, especially when they are talented.'" Germans Stew Over Joblessness; Der Spiegel (Hamburg, Germany); Mar 15, 2005. "He's to run my next as a feuilleton. This -- this venture is to be rather more serious in tone than any that he's done hitherto." Joseph Conrad and Ford Madox Ford; The Inheritors; William Heinemann; 1901. Thought For The Day: The power to command frequently causes failure to think. -Barbara Tuchman, author and historian (30 Jan 1912-1989) *****February 01, 2020***** Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." Macabre : 1 : having death as a subject : comprising or including a personalized representation of death; "The secret of Killing Eve is that its macabre sense of humor and spy-story subversions are ornamental compared with the series' grist: the strange, transformative pull the two main characters have on each other." — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2019 lineal : (adjective) In a straight unbroken line of descent from parent to child.; direct; Du Bois, the present librarian of Ardis, is a lineal descendant of this revolutionary pair. bibliophage : noun: One who loves to read books; a bookworm. ; "An author and publisher himself, [Karl] Lagerfeld was a bibliophile of epic appetite. (Practically a bibliophage, he is said to have torn the pages out of thick paperbacks as he read them.) He bought French books, English books, books of poetry, signed books, first editions, monographs, everything he could find." Lauren Collins; The Lagerfeld Economy; The New Yorker; Dec 2, 2019. Also see, "I Am the "Book Murderer", But I Tear Them Apart Out of Love." Bibliophage or biblioclast? You decide. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 02, 2020***** Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." Fissile : 1 : capable of or prone to being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage; "The facility itself is buried under a mountain. Several hundred feet down, in two cavernous halls, neat rows of centrifuges spin uranium gas to produce fissile isotopes, which could be used for nuclear energy—or, if concentrated enough, a nuclear bomb." — The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019 self-worth : (noun) Respect for or a favorable opinion of oneself.; dignity, self-regard; This is the third time Luke has been fired in the past year, and I can only imagine the damage that it is doing to his self-worth. bibliophage : noun: One who loves to read books; a bookworm. ; "An author and publisher himself, [Karl] Lagerfeld was a bibliophile of epic appetite. (Practically a bibliophage, he is said to have torn the pages out of thick paperbacks as he read them.) He bought French books, English books, books of poetry, signed books, first editions, monographs, everything he could find." Lauren Collins; The Lagerfeld Economy; The New Yorker; Dec 2, 2019. Also see, "I Am the "Book Murderer", But I Tear Them Apart Out of Love." Bibliophage or biblioclast? You decide. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 03, 2020***** Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Prognosticate : 1 : to foretell from signs and symptoms : predict; The university's political science professor has successfully prognosticated the outcomes of the last 8 presidential elections. brattle : (verb) Make a rattling sound.; clack, clatter; Whenever I hear my dishes brattle in the cabinet, I know that the train will be passing by shortly. bibliophage : noun: One who loves to read books; a bookworm. ; "An author and publisher himself, [Karl] Lagerfeld was a bibliophile of epic appetite. (Practically a bibliophage, he is said to have torn the pages out of thick paperbacks as he read them.) He bought French books, English books, books of poetry, signed books, first editions, monographs, everything he could find." Lauren Collins; The Lagerfeld Economy; The New Yorker; Dec 2, 2019. Also see, "I Am the "Book Murderer", But I Tear Them Apart Out of Love." Bibliophage or biblioclast? You decide. Thought For The Day: To blame the poor for subsisting on welfare has no justice unless we are also willing to judge every rich member of society by how productive he or she is. Taken individual by individual, it is likely that there's more idleness and abuse of government favors among the economically privileged than among the ranks of the disadvantaged. -Norman Mailer, author (31 Jan 1923-2007) *****February 04, 2020***** Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Hierophant : 1 : a priest in ancient Greece; specifically : the chief priest of the Eleusinian mysteries; "My choir knew their order and moved into it neatly. One expects that nowadays; then, one often saw choirs jostling about, even arguing aloud about where to stand. I bowed to the High Priestess—here was no Polykrates who'd expect to be noticed first—took in the other hierophants with a general reverence, and made the Archon my homage." — Mary Renault, The Praise Singer, 1978 rootless : (adjective) Wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community.; vagabond; Away the rootless hobos shuffled, bindles over their shoulders, their only destination the shifting horizon. Moloch : noun: Someone or something to which extreme sacrifices are made. ; "Sacrifice all to the Moloch of convenience and you might end up on the altar, too." Jon Talton; If Amazon Go Technology Goes Big, Grocery Workers May Get the Sack; The Seattle Times (Washington); Dec 7, 2018. Thought For The Day: Writers, like teeth, are divided into incisors and grinders. -Walter Bagehot, journalist and businessman (3 Feb 1826-1877) *****February 05, 2020***** Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†Scumble : 1 a : to make (something, such as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush; "In an accomplished artist's hands, oil paint is fluid; it can be scumbled or glazed; it's a more versatile medium than tempera." — Cate McQuaid, The Boston Globe, 11 Mar. 2018 farsightedness : (noun) Seeing ahead; knowing in advance; foreseeing.; prospicience, prevision; Felicia has an uncommon farsightedness when it comes to the stock market and has made millions with her investments. bezoar : noun: A stone-like mass formed in the stomach or intestines of some animals, formerly believed to be a remedy for poison. ; "Other objects will seem familiar to readers: a bezoar, a stone taken from an animal's stomach, like the one Harry used after Ron was poisoned; an 18th-century orrery, a model of the solar system, with tiny, movable planets, ..." Jennifer E. Smith; Even Harry Potter Has a Past; The New York Times; Oct 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: There comes a point when a man must refuse to answer to his leader if he is also to answer to his own conscience. -Hartley Shawcross, barrister, politician, and prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal (4 Feb 1902-2003) *****February 06, 2020***** Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Ancillary : 1 : of lower or secondary class or rank : subordinate, subsidiary; One ancillary benefit of Beatrice's job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of new releases. overblown : (adjective) Puffed up with vanity.; pompous, grandiloquent, pontifical, portentous; The book contains a heavy dose of overblown lyrical description. cavalcade : noun: 1. A procession of riders on horses, vehicles, etc. 2. A noteworthy series of events. ; "Steve Bannon, Mr Trump's former chief strategist and the architect of his presidential campaign, headlined a motley crew of far-right Republicans who offered a cavalcade of bilious, resentment-filled speeches promoting Mr Moore while pandering to Alabamians' prickliness. 'Nobody comes down here and tells Alabamians what to do,' said Mr Bannon, a Virginian, speaking after a Texan and several Midwesterners." Roy Moore Is Defeated in Alabama's Senate Election: Decency Wins; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 13, 2017. See more usage examples of cavalcade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A hungry man is not a free man. -Adlai Stevenson, statesman (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2020***** Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." Canard : 1 a : a false or unfounded report or story; especially : a fabricated report; "Naysayers have been saying that theater is dying, of course, only since the moment it was born. And as a theater critic, I work to debunk that persistent canard." — Lily Janiak, The San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Dec. 2019 cleaver : (noun) A butcher's knife having a large square blade.; chopper; Beside this range was a butcher block upon which lay a great cleaver with a keen edge. saber-rattling or sabre-rattling : noun: Threatening words or action, for example, in the form of a flamboyant display of military power. ; "Word just came down that something is heating up between Egypt and Israel. Probably only a bunch of saber-rattling, but it could turn serious." Kim Barnes; In the Kingdom of Men; Knopf; 2012. See more usage examples of saber-rattling in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's a schizoid quality to our relationship with animals, in which sentiment and brutality exist side by side. Half the dogs in America will receive Christmas presents this year, yet few of us pause to consider the miserable life of the pig -- an animal easily as intelligent as a dog -- that becomes the Christmas ham. -Michael Pollan, professor and writer (b. 6 Feb 1955) *****February 08, 2020***** Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Infantilize : 1 : to make or keep infantile; "Food manufacturers have been infantilizing us by selling calorie-dense, salty, sweet stuff in brightly colored packages with exciting punctuation for a very long time. And we're buying it." — Tamar Haspel, The Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2019 foment : (verb) Try to stir up public opinion.; agitate, stir up; They accused him of trying to foment a revolution and threw him in jail for treason. calash : noun: 1. A light horse-drawn carriage with a folding top. 2. The folding top of a carriage. 3. A folding bonnet formerly worn by women. ; "We left Canada in a horse-drawn calash." William J. Mann; The Biograph Girl; Kensington Books; 2000. "He hunched down into the seat and stared at the flattened calash of the carriage." Meagan McKinney; Till Dawn Tames the Night; Dell; 1991. "Wear your calash, and not your plain bonnet." Mary Cable; Avery's Knot; Putnam; 1981. See more usage examples of calash in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this. -Emo Phillips, comedian, actor (b. 7 Feb 1956) *****February 09, 2020***** acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Lenticular : 1 : having the shape of a double-convex lens; Amateur astronomers might be interested in what the observatory markets as the "largest lenticular telescope on Earth." veracious : (adjective) Precisely accurate.; right; The trial transcript provides me with a veracious account of all that transpired in the courtroom. calash : noun: 1. A light horse-drawn carriage with a folding top. 2. The folding top of a carriage. 3. A folding bonnet formerly worn by women. ; "We left Canada in a horse-drawn calash." William J. Mann; The Biograph Girl; Kensington Books; 2000. "He hunched down into the seat and stared at the flattened calash of the carriage." Meagan McKinney; Till Dawn Tames the Night; Dell; 1991. "Wear your calash, and not your plain bonnet." Mary Cable; Avery's Knot; Putnam; 1981. See more usage examples of calash in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this. -Emo Phillips, comedian, actor (b. 7 Feb 1956) *****February 10, 2020***** Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." Expunge : 1 : to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion; As part of the plea bargain, the defendant's record will be expunged after 100 hours of community service. cutpurse : (noun) A thief who steals from the pockets or purses of others in public places.; pickpocket, dip; The heartless cutpurse targets commuters on crowded subways and buses, stealing from those who appear distracted or tired. calash : noun: 1. A light horse-drawn carriage with a folding top. 2. The folding top of a carriage. 3. A folding bonnet formerly worn by women. ; "We left Canada in a horse-drawn calash." William J. Mann; The Biograph Girl; Kensington Books; 2000. "He hunched down into the seat and stared at the flattened calash of the carriage." Meagan McKinney; Till Dawn Tames the Night; Dell; 1991. "Wear your calash, and not your plain bonnet." Mary Cable; Avery's Knot; Putnam; 1981. See more usage examples of calash in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this. -Emo Phillips, comedian, actor (b. 7 Feb 1956) *****February 11, 2020***** Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Debonair : 1 : suave, urbane; "Bacs, 47, has sharp features, including a pointed nose; he carries permanent stubble and slicks back his silvered hair, in the style of a debonair, world-conquering James Bond villain." — Cam Wolf, GQ, May 13, 2019 assiduity : (noun) Great and constant diligence and attention.; concentration; Nell immediately applied herself with great assiduity to the decoration and preparation of the room. interdigitate : verb tr., intr.: To interlock like the fingers of two hands. ; "'Oh, by the way, do you only interdigitate once a day?' "She stopped and looked up at me. She was mentally replaying what I had just said to her. 'What did you say?' she said indignantly -- wondering if I just had been incredibly rude to her. She was getting ready to be really ticked off. Short fuse was a side to Mia I had only guessed at. "'I asked you if you only interdigitate once a day?' I replied innocently working hard to keep the grin off my face. She obviously did not know what the hell I was talking about, but she was not ready to let me know it. I started walking again. She stood still for a moment and then scurried up beside me. We walked for another few yards before I asked again. "She hesitated and then grudgingly -- as if she had committed some major sin -- quietly replied, 'No, I've not set any limit on that. Should I?' "'Oh no,' I replied, 'I kind of enjoyed holding your hand earlier, but when you didn't take mine a minute or so ago, I wasn't sure if you had set some sort of personal daily limit.' "She started to giggle and then punched my shoulder -- hard. 'You are truly nuts -- one of your oars is clearly out of the water -- and that's a fact.' And she took my hand. 'Where did you get that word? What was it?' "'Interdigitate,' I replied. 'The first time I heard the word was when a kid in my Sex-Ed class -- his name was Jerry Piels, I think -- asked our female Sex-Ed teacher if she thought interdigitation before marriage was morally wrong." Al Rennie; Clearwater Journals; Smashwords; 2011. "So the days would have passed, literary labour interdigitating with agricultural." V.S. Naipaul; The Mimic Men; Andre Deutsch; 1967. Thought For The Day: I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth. -Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (10 Feb 1685-1750) *****February 12, 2020***** Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Obloquy : 1 : a strongly condemnatory utterance : abusive language; The manager walked quickly back to the dugout as insults and obloquy rained down from the stands. bambino : (noun) A young child.; toddler, yearling, tot; Up on the hill, Aunt Joan sat with my new cousin on a picnic blanket, cradling the little bambino in her arms. titular : adjective: 1. Of or relating to a title. 2. In the name only: having a title without accompanying responsibilities and powers. ; "It is uncertain whether Prince Charles, her heir, will step into her shoes as titular head of the show." An Amiable Delusion; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 14, 2018. See more usage examples of titular in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The government ought not to be invested with power to control the affections, any more than the consciences of citizens. -Lydia Maria Child, activist, novelist, and journalist (11 Feb 1802-1880) *****February 13, 2020***** Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Resile : : recoil, retract; especially : to return to a prior position; "Sir Keir Starmer, who has also announced his candidacy, said his aim was also to restore 'trust' in Labour. The manifesto, he conceded, was 'overloaded,' yet he did not resile from its ambitions." — The Telegraph (London), 6 Jan. 2020 redact : (verb) Formulate in a particular style or language.; couch, put, frame, cast; Your presentation is solid, but I have asked Michael to redact portions of the text to make it more accessible to our Japanese business partners. cockloft : noun: A small loft just below the roof. ; "There's also ... stairs leading to the cockloft, which has twin beds." Liz Bird; The 30 Cosiest Cottages in Britain; The Times (London, UK); Nov 28, 2015. See more usage examples of cockloft in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) *****February 14, 2020***** Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Gustatory : : relating to or associated with eating or the sense of taste; "December may be full of sparkling holiday soirees, intimate dinners with friends or boisterous family gatherings. This glorious gustatory time is perfect for preparing luscious hors d'oeuvres, creative cocktails, delectable desserts and time-honored traditional treats." — Robin Glowa, The Ridgefield (Connecticut) Press, 14 Dec. 2019 unnameable : (adjective) Too sacred to be uttered.; ineffable, unspeakable, unutterable; The deliberate enunciation of the ancient, unnameable runes shocked the holy men devoted to guarding the idol. cuntline or contline or cantline : noun: 1. The spiraling groove between two strands of a rope. 2. The space between bilges (the widest part) of two casks stowed side by side. ; "The cuntline in the rope of our legs." Nadine Botha; Ants Moving the House Millimetres; Deep South; 2005. Thought For The Day: The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2020***** Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." Cupid : 1 : the Roman god of erotic love; I purchased a large Valentine's Day card decorated with hearts and cupids. walkaway : (noun) An easy victory.; blowout, romp, runaway, shoo-in, laugher; Stanley has a gift for science and has won first prize at his past four science fairs, so this year's fair is almost a guaranteed walkaway for him. cummingtonite : noun: A mineral, otherwise known as magnesium iron silicate hydroxide. ; "And cummingtonite is actually a mineral, not a rock. Although that doesn't explain why the cracks in mineral rocks are called cleavage." Johanna Edwards; How to Be Cool; Berkley Books; 2007. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 16, 2020***** Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." Vinaceous : : of the color of red wine; The dove had a slight vinaceous tinge on its breast and tail. paterfamilias : (noun) The male head of family or tribe.; patriarch; In my family, Grandpa Ed is the unquestioned paterfamilias, and we all defer to him when it comes to important household decisions. cummingtonite : noun: A mineral, otherwise known as magnesium iron silicate hydroxide. ; "And cummingtonite is actually a mineral, not a rock. Although that doesn't explain why the cracks in mineral rocks are called cleavage." Johanna Edwards; How to Be Cool; Berkley Books; 2007. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 17, 2020***** Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Stipulate : 1 : to make an agreement or covenant to do or forbear something : contract; "The county charter stipulates that county council appoint four citizens—two from each of the major political parties—to the election board. Those four then select a fifth member, who may be of any political affiliation, to serve as chairperson." — Eric Mark, The Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), 9 Jan. 2020 inauthentic : (adjective) Intended to deceive.; spurious; Jim congratulated me on my promotion, but his inauthentic excitement did little to mask his jealousy. cummingtonite : noun: A mineral, otherwise known as magnesium iron silicate hydroxide. ; "And cummingtonite is actually a mineral, not a rock. Although that doesn't explain why the cracks in mineral rocks are called cleavage." Johanna Edwards; How to Be Cool; Berkley Books; 2007. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is often an arbitrary veneration of real estate above principles. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 18, 2020***** Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." Probity : : adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness; The tale of young George Washington's refusal to tell a lie after cutting down his father's cherry tree was told to us as grade schoolers to illustrate his probity. vilipend : (verb) Belittle.; deprecate; In my culture, men commonly vilipend women and treat them as second-class citizens. faff : verb intr.: To waste time without accomplishing much. noun: Fuss; activity perceived as a waste of time. ; "As Parkinson's law observes, 'work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion', and since I was no longer time-limiting my tasks, I was much more liable to faff." Time to Microschedule Your Life?; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Feb 1, 2020. "She wastes about 90 percent of her time faffing around after her dog." Russell Brand; Revolution; Random House; 2014. Thought For The Day: Time is the fairest and toughest judge. -Edgar Quinet, historian (17 Feb 1803-1875) *****February 19, 2020***** Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Bootless : : useless, unprofitable; "At the first glimpse of his approach, Don Benito had started, a resentful shadow swept over his face; and, as with the sudden memory of bootless rage, his white lips glued together." — Herman Melville, Benito Cereno, 1855 arcanum : (noun) Information known only to a special group.; secret; I would love to have Mrs. Anderson's delicious muffin recipe, but that arcanum is shared only with her blood relatives. scroop : verb intr.: To make a scraping or grating sound. noun: A scraping sound, especially the rustle of a silk fabric. ; "I heard a soft scroop as the front door latch clicked home." Jane K. Cleland; Consigned to Death; St. Martin's Press; 2007. Thought For The Day: It's not a business with me. ... I'm not a professional of poetry; I'm a farmer of poetry. -Jack Gilbert, poet (18 Feb 1925-2012) *****February 20, 2020***** Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Eradicate : 1 : to do away with as completely as if by pulling up by the roots; Widespread, global vaccination has been successful in eradicating smallpox. infirmity : (noun) The state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age).; debility, feebleness, frailty, valetudinarianism; We all knew it was infirmity, not indifference, that kept Grandma Jane from attending my graduation. fanfaronade : noun: 1. Bragging or blustering behavior. 2. Fanfare. ; "But what of Trump's boast that 'MEXICO HAS AGREED TO IMMEDIATELY BEGIN BUYING LARGE QUANTITIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT FROM OUR GREAT PATRIOT FARMERS!'? The use of ALL CAPS -- a little too insistent -- and the employment of a description for farmers that sounds as if it was lifted from Pravda, circa 1935, should indicate that this fanfaronade, too, wasn't quite on the level. And, indeed, Mexican officials told Bloomberg News on Saturday they never discussed agricultural purchases in the days leading up the ballyhooed accord." Max Boot; Another Illusory Victory for Trump; The Washington Post; Jun 11, 2019. Thought For The Day: There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book. -Carson McCullers, writer (19 Feb 1917-1967) *****February 21, 2020***** Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Judgment : 1 a : the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing; Theresa showed good judgment by clearing her family out of the house as soon as she smelled gas. noggin : (noun) informal A person's head.; bonce, dome; You should always protect your noggin first and foremost, kids. jape : noun: A joke or prank. verb intr.: To joke or play a trick. verb tr.: To mock or trick. ; "To [Boris] Johnson, we are all just suckers -- easily manipulated by his fabricated boyish japes and his deliberately tousled blond hair." John McDonnell; If You Want a More Equal Society, You Have to Choose Labour; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 11, 2019. See more usage examples of jape in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 22, 2020***** Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Numismatic : 1 : of or relating to the study or collection of coins, tokens, and paper money; Andrew brought his father's collection of 19th-century coins to an antique dealer to find out if any were of numismatic value. turnkey : (noun) Someone who guards prisoners.; jailer, screw; The turnkey will take you to the prisoner's cell and leave you there. whicker : verb intr.: 1. To neigh. 2. To laugh in a half-suppressed manner. ; "She whickered, that soft, chortlelike noise that passed for a laugh among her people." Steve Perry; The Vastalimi Gambit; Penguin; 2013. See more usage examples of whicker in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return. -W.H. Auden, poet (21 Feb 1907-1973) *****February 23, 2020***** Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Pontificate : 1 : to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way; Stan loves to hear himself talk and will often pontificate on even the most trivial issues. benignity : (noun) The quality of being kind and gentle.; graciousness; As he opened his mouth to speak, a look almost of benignity, of kindliness, momentarily lighted up his fierce and terrible countenance. raguly : adjective: Having a row of oblique notches. ; "Two of the front windows as appears by the two crosses raguly, represent me and my son." William Lawrence; The Pyramid and the Urn; Iona Sinclair; 1994. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****February 24, 2020***** Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." Misbegotten : 1 : unlawfully conceived : illegitimate; The city's misbegotten attempt to install new traffic signals at the busy intersection only caused greater confusion for motorists. scoundrel : (noun) A wicked or evil person; someone who does evil deliberately.; villain; I am afraid to leave you here with these devilish scoundrels. whicker : verb intr.: 1. To neigh. 2. To laugh in a half-suppressed manner. ; "She whickered, that soft, chortlelike noise that passed for a laugh among her people." Steve Perry; The Vastalimi Gambit; Penguin; 2013. See more usage examples of whicker in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I and the public know / What all schoolchildren learn, / Those to whom evil is done / Do evil in return. -W.H. Auden, poet (21 Feb 1907-1973) *****February 25, 2020***** Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." Acumen : : keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters; The author's detective possesses a superior acumen that enables her to solve the most bizarre and puzzling of mysteries. sprite : (noun) A small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers.; fairy, fay; She seemed rather an airy sprite, which, after playing its fantastic sports for a little while upon the cottage floor, would flit away with a mocking smile. somedeal : adverb: Somewhat; to some degree. ; "A great, sweet lady like you wouldn't think it, of course, but it's a godsend at times for a lone woman when she's ugly enough to turn cream sour, and somedeal crooked o' the body into the bargain." George W. Gough; The Yeoman Adventurer; G.P. Putnam's Sons; 1917. Thought For The Day: When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 26, 2020***** Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." Dissemble : 1 : to hide under a false appearance; "The front room of the gallery will feature the artist's new work presented in large scale and a salon style arrangement of miniature vignettes that dissemble various elements of his inhabited landscapes." — The Register-Star (Hudson, New York), 14 Nov. 2019 storyteller : (noun) Someone who tells lies.; fabricator, fibber; Ms. Jordan is a veteran teacher, so she has no patience for storytellers who try to weasel out of her assignments with fanciful excuses. abaft : adverb: Toward the rear or stern. preposition: Behind. ; "The Irish sense of home place is almost a clinically identifiable organ, abaft the gizzard and above the spleen." Kevin Myers; Mailmen and Google Earth Already Deliver What Postcodes Can't; Sunday Times (London, UK); Aug 2, 2015. See more usage examples of abaft in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the cellars of the night, when the mind starts moving around old trunks of bad times, the pain of this and the shame of that, the memory of a small boldness is a hand to hold. -John Leonard, critic (25 Feb 1939-2008) *****February 27, 2020***** Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." Injunction : 1 : the act or an instance of enjoining : order, admonition; The family gathered in the room to hear the matriarch's dying injunctions. ribbing : (noun) The act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances.; tantalization, teasing; After falling from his chair in front of the entire senior management team, Harold spent the rest of the week suffering his coworkers' ribbing. natheless : adverb: Nevertheless; notwithstanding. ; "A mossy ship's skipper -- any ship's skipper -- is, as I have said, a small god, but a god natheless." Harry Turtledove; The Quest for the Great Gray Mossy; Analog Science Fiction & Fact (New York); Jan/Feb 2020. Thought For The Day: Knowing exactly how much of the future can be introduced into the present is the secret of great government. -Victor Hugo, poet, novelist, and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2020***** Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Trenchant : 1 : keen, sharp; "Felix had a confident, gayly trenchant way of judging human actions which Mr. Wentworth grew little by little to envy; it seemed like criticism made easy." — Henry James, The Europeans, 1878 well-disposed : (adjective) Inclined to help or support; not antagonistic or hostile.; friendly, favorable; Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humored, well-disposed girl. endlong : adverb: From end to end; lengthwise. ; "[A]s the axis revolves it also travels endlong." Robert Willis; Principles of Mechanism; Cambridge University Press; Nov 25, 2010. Thought For The Day: The use of solar energy has not been opened up because the oil industry does not own the sun. -Ralph Nader, activist, author, speaker, and attorney (b. 27 Feb 1934) *****February 29, 2020***** Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." Coax : 1 : to influence or gently urge by caressing or flattering : wheedle ; "Toasting the pine nuts until they're properly golden brown to the center and not just on the surface is key in coaxing out maximum flavor." — Molly Willett, Bon Appétit, December 2019/January 2020 inebriate : (verb) Fill with sublime emotion.; beatify, exhilarate, tickle pink, exalt, thrill; He receives your propositions with an enthusiasm which cheers, and plunges into their accomplishment with an alacrity which almost inebriates. somewhither : adverb: To some place; somewhere. ; "We cannot after all avoid always sailing somewhither." Wendell V. Harris; Multiculturalism and Cultural Warfare; Philosophy and Literature, suppl. Special Issue: Raymond Carver (Baltimore, Marland); Oct 1998. Thought For The Day: He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak. -Michel De Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 01, 2020***** Exogenous : adj. Of, relating to, or developing from external factors. "There have been exogenous factors pushing up the stock price." Untenable : 1 : not able to be defended; Faced with a budget deficit, the company's CEO made the untenable decision to lay off several upper management employees while still making sure he received a salary bonus. vendue : (noun) The public sale of something to the highest bidder.; auction; Most of George's possessions will be sold at vendue to help settle his sizable debts. somewhither : adverb: To some place; somewhere. ; "We cannot after all avoid always sailing somewhither." Wendell V. Harris; Multiculturalism and Cultural Warfare; Philosophy and Literature, suppl. Special Issue: Raymond Carver (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 1998. Thought For The Day: He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak. -Michel De Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 02, 2020***** Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." Interpolate : 1 a : to alter or corrupt (something, such as a text) by inserting new or foreign matter; "But his reputation rested equally on his abilities as a composer and arranger for large ensembles, interpolating bebop's crosshatched rhythms and extended improvisations into lush tapestries." — Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times, 26 Jan. 2020 breakup : (noun) The termination or disintegration of a relationship (between persons or nations).; dissolution; The breakup of the Soviet Union had long-term consequences for international politics. somewhither : adverb: To some place; somewhere. ; "We cannot after all avoid always sailing somewhither." Wendell V. Harris; Multiculturalism and Cultural Warfare; Philosophy and Literature, suppl. Special Issue: Raymond Carver (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 1998. Thought For The Day: He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak. -Michel De Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 03, 2020***** Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." Perquisite : 1 : a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to regular salary or wages; especially : one expected or promised; One of the job's perquisites is use of a company car. labored : (adjective) Requiring or showing effort.; heavy; He knocked again, harder than before, for behind him he heard the steps and the labored breathing of his persecutors. canker-blossom : noun: One who destroys good things. ; "Remember when Eric Clapton wasn't such an frothy, knotty-pated, canker-blossom?" Making a Mix - Sean Beirne; New Haven Register (Connecticut); Feb 3, 2006. "Hermia: O me! (to Helena) You juggler! You canker-blossom! You thief of love! What, have you come by night And stol'n my love's heart from him?" William Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream; 1600. Thought For The Day: We have come to a point where it is loyalty to resist, and treason to submit. -Carl Schurz, revolutionary, statesman, and reformer (2 Mar 1829-1906) *****March 04, 2020***** Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Rectitudinous : 1 : characterized by the quality of being honest and morally correct; The senatorial candidate's supporters insist that he is possessed of a rectitudinous character and a spotless record. flagellation : (noun) Beating with a whip or strap or rope as a form of punishment.; flogging, lashing, tanning; The poor servant boy bore the scars of flagellation, which was his master's preferred punishment for nearly any infraction. cure-all : noun: A remedy to any problem. ; "In December 2017 Hongmao Yaojiu, a popular traditional tonic from Inner Mongolia that has long billed itself as a cure-all for the elderly, was denounced online by a doctor as ineffective and harmful." Spin Doctors; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 16, 2019. See more usage examples of cure-all in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there be such a thing as truth, it must infallibly be struck out by the collision of mind with mind. -William Godwin, philosopher and novelist (3 Mar 1756-1836) *****March 05, 2020***** Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Albeit : : even though : although; Kara's big break as an actress came in a big-budget Academy Award-nominated movie, albeit in a minor role where she played a hotel clerk. clepsydra : (noun) Clock that measures time by the escape of water.; water clock, water glass; The Wicked Witch dared not use a clepsydra, as its contents could destroy her. wantwit : noun: A fool; one lacking good sense. ; "You silly wantwit, you've shut down all their ovens, haven't you? Right in the middle of mainmeal." Desmond Ellis; The Undergardeners; Orca; 2013. Thought For The Day: When I listen to love, I am listening to my true nature. When I express love, I am expressing my true nature. All of us love. All of us do it more and more perfectly. The past has brought us both ashes and diamonds. In the present we find the flowers of what we've planted and the seeds of what we are becoming. I plant the seeds of love in my heart. I plant the seeds of love in the hearts of others. -Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist (b. 4 Mar 1948) *****March 06, 2020***** Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." Filch : : to steal secretly or casually; "Last November, thieves broke into a jewel room at the Royal Palace in Dresden, Germany, and took off with an array of precious jewelry…. One piece they failed to filch, however, was the Dresden Green, an elaborate diamond hat pin crafted around an extremely rare, almond-shaped celadon-green diamond." — Sebastian Smee, The Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2020 pokey : (noun) A correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence).; jail, slammer, clink; The burglar was caught red-handed and thrown in the pokey. know-it-all : noun: One who acts as if they know everything, dismissing others' ideas or advice. ; "He shakes his head smiling. 'Still an insufferable know-it-all.' She gives him a taut, bitter grin. 'And you're still so smugly, blithely ignorant.'" Robert Jackson Bennett; City of Stairs; Crown; 2014. See more usage examples of know-it-all in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sometimes they seem like living shapes, / The people of the sky, / Guests in white raiment coming down / From heaven, which is close by. -Lucy Larcom, teacher and author (5 Mar 1824-1893) *****March 07, 2020***** Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." Oleaginous : 1 : resembling or having the properties of oil : oily; also : containing or producing oil; The clerk's charm is in the eye of the beholder: where some see a quick smile and ready compliment, others see an oleaginous demeanor. imperious : (adjective) Having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy.; prideful, sniffy, supercilious, swaggering, haughty, lordly, overbearing, disdainful; She gave him a witheringly imperious look and sauntered off with her nose in the air. makepeace : noun: One who reconciles persons at odds with each other; a peacemaker. ; "However, I promise, as a makepeace, to introduce, for their amusement and instruction, two or three traditionary tales from my collection of Highland Wonders." Superstitions of Highlanders and Londoners; The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal; 1822. "With a little prodding from Max she'd also picked out a strand of pearls for herself and a beaded handbag for Lorna as a makepeace gesture." Jill Marie Landis, Jo Leigh, Jackie Braun; Destination: Marriage; Harlequin; 2008. See more usage examples of makepeace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (6 Mar 1806-1861) *****March 08, 2020***** Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." venial : (adjective) Easily excused or forgiven.; pardonable, forgivable; He was given a slap on the wrist for the venial offense. makepeace : noun: One who reconciles persons at odds with each other; a peacemaker. ; "However, I promise, as a makepeace, to introduce, for their amusement and instruction, two or three traditionary tales from my collection of Highland Wonders." Superstitions of Highlanders and Londoners; The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal; 1822. "With a little prodding from Max she'd also picked out a strand of pearls for herself and a beaded handbag for Lorna as a makepeace gesture." Jill Marie Landis, Jo Leigh, Jackie Braun; Destination: Marriage; Harlequin; 2008. See more usage examples of makepeace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (6 Mar 1806-1861) *****March 09, 2020***** Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." Chapfallen : 1 : having the lower jaw hanging loosely; "His appearance caused shouts of merriment in the camp,—but Tom for once could not join in the mirth raised at his expense: he was completely chapfallen…." — Washington Irving, Adventures of Captain Bonneville, 1837 vertigo : (noun) A reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall.; dizziness, lightheadedness, giddiness; He began to sway from side to side, as from vertigo, and before I could spring from my chair to support him his knees gave way. makepeace : noun: One who reconciles persons at odds with each other; a peacemaker. ; "However, I promise, as a makepeace, to introduce, for their amusement and instruction, two or three traditionary tales from my collection of Highland Wonders." Superstitions of Highlanders and Londoners; The New Monthly Magazine and Literary Journal; 1822. "With a little prodding from Max she'd also picked out a strand of pearls for herself and a beaded handbag for Lorna as a makepeace gesture." Jill Marie Landis, Jo Leigh, Jackie Braun; Destination: Marriage; Harlequin; 2008. See more usage examples of makepeace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. -Elizabeth Barrett Browning, poet (6 Mar 1806-1861) *****March 10, 2020***** Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." Devise : 1 a : to form in the mind by new combinations or applications of ideas or principles : invent; The author's childhood home was devised to the city, and the Historical Commission will turn it into a museum devoted to her life and her works of fantasy and science fiction. chummy : (adjective) (Used informally) Associated on close terms.; buddy-buddy, thick; The bartender is chummy with his regular customers. quidditative : adjective: Relating to the essential nature of something or someone. ; "And if a butterflying pair of wings can precipitate disaster at the other edge of the world, are those not the real angels to oppose God? Aren't they the ones who can never be allowed into heaven? And isn't that why they have beauty that nothing shares, totally quidditative?" Alec McGuire; Luther; demiHorse Books; 2009. Thought For The Day: Why should a poet pray thus? poets scorn / The boundaried love of country, being free / Of winds, and alien lands, and distances, / Vagabonds of the compass, wayfarers, / Pilgrims of thought. -Vita Sackville-West, poet and novelist (9 Mar 1892-1962) *****March 11, 2020***** Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. Escapade : : a usually adventurous action that runs counter to approved or conventional conduct; "There was a report that people with spotlights were turning picnic tables on their end and using them for snow escapades on Pine Street and West Second Street in Cle Elum." — The Daily Record (Ellensburg, Washington), 22 Jan. 2020 functionary : (noun) A worker who holds or is invested with an office.; official; The functionary next in consequence to the agent was the blacksmith, a most important, and, indeed, indispensable personage in a frontier community. microcephalic : adjective: 1. Having an abnormally small head. 2. Small-minded. ; "The dwarves weren't infants, they had beards, though that one -- Sleepy? Dopey? -- seemed microcephalic, with a tiny pointed head and huge ears." Tama Janowitz; They Is Us; HarperCollins; 2016. "Olga was amazed. What imbeciles men were! A country at the mercy of this microcephalic uncle of hers." Rufino Blanco-Fombona (Translation from Spanish by Isaac Goldberg); The Man of Gold; Brentano's; 1920. "Mr Hay's letter today is symptomatic of the microcephalic xenophobia which characterises the debate (or lack of it) on entry to the EEC." Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); May 20, 1971. See more usage examples of microcephalic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All that separates, whether of race, class, creed, or sex, is inhuman, and must be overcome. -Kate Sheppard, suffragist (10 Mar 1847-1934) *****March 12, 2020***** Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." Byzantine : 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient city of Byzantium; "Unlike most Greek Orthodox churches in the U.S., though, St. Anna won't have a traditional Byzantine dome. While that might seem unusual, Savas said, it's hardly unheard of—there are churches in Greece that were built without that architectural feature." — Kathy Stephenson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Feb. 2020 comestible : (noun) Any substance that can be used as food.; eatable, edible, pabulum, victual; The kitchen table was laden with meats, cheeses, and countless other delectable comestibles. chrysocracy : noun: Rule by the wealthy. ; "[The] television show 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' is a ritzy, glitzy, ironyfree chronicle of the nouveau riche. The programme, aired on the US cable channel E!, is avidly watched in this country. In some respects it is a salutary demonstration of how the British aristocracy have been well and truly supplanted by the international chrysocracy." Judith Woods; Class vs Trash; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Sep 26, 2014. Thought For The Day: All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated, and well supported in logic and argument than others. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2020***** Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. Retronym : : a term (such as analog watch, film camera, or snail mail) that is newly created and adopted to distinguish the original or older version, form, or example of something (such as a product) from other, more recent versions, forms, or examples; "… first came paperback book, differentiated from a book with a cloth or leather binding, provoking the retronym hardcover book." — William Safire, The New York Times Magazine, 18 Nov. 2007 barbate : (adjective) Having hair on the cheeks and chin.; bearded, whiskered; I returned from the camping trip malodorous and barbate, in desperate need of a shower and a shave. lachrymogenic : adjective: Inducing tears. ; "For there is no more lachrymogenic experience than the school Nativity play -- to see one's little darling, enrobed in tea-towel/pashmina, clutching toy sheep/live special breed etc." Gill Hornby; Hankies at the Ready as the Nativity Season Arrives; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 12, 2009. Thought For The Day: It is the hardest thing in the world to be in love, and yet attend to business. A gentleman asked me this morning, 'What news from Lisbon?' and I answered, 'She is exquisitely handsome.' -Richard Steele, writer and politician (bap. 12 Mar 1672-1729) *****March 14, 2020***** Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. Ambidextrous : 1 a : using both hands with equal ease or dexterity; "Holiday is ambidextrous. He is the rare basketball player who shoots jump shots with one hand (right) but prefers to finish inside with the other (left)." — Christian Clark, NOLA.com (New Orleans, Louisiana), 2 Dec. 2019 commix : (verb) To bring or combine together or with something else.; amalgamate, mingle, unify; Chef Gordon is famous for his ability to commix unusual ingredients and create tasty, original dishes from them. pleniloquence : noun: Excessive talking. ; "Their debate has become increasingly embroiled in pleniloquence over minutiae, as they dispute the actual number of lawyers in Germany, Korea, etc." Frank B. Cross; Lawyers, the Economy, and Society; American Business Law Journal (Oxford, Ohio); Summer 1998. Thought For The Day: The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing, it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident. -Hugh Walpole, writer (13 Mar 1884-1941) *****March 15, 2020***** Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. Hoise : : lift, raise; especially : to raise into position by or as if by means of tackle; "The closest Brennan has come to hoising the AHL's holy grail has been the conference finals on a couple of occasions, most recently with the Toronto Marlies." — Dave Isaac, The Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), 5 May 2018 confound : (verb) Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly.; befuddle, confuse, discombobulate, fox, bedevil, throw; For many years medical scientists were confounded by these seemingly contradictory facts. pleniloquence : noun: Excessive talking. ; "Their debate has become increasingly embroiled in pleniloquence over minutiae, as they dispute the actual number of lawyers in Germany, Korea, etc." Frank B. Cross; Lawyers, the Economy, and Society; American Business Law Journal (Oxford, Ohio); Summer 1998. Thought For The Day: The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing, it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident. -Hugh Walpole, writer (13 Mar 1884-1941) *****March 16, 2020***** Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. Minutia : : a minute or minor detail — usually used in plural; The book argues that it is easy to get bogged down in the minutiae of everyday life and fail to notice important opportunities. allocable : (adjective) Capable of being distributed.; apportionable; Although our department's budget was increased this year, only a small portion of the funds are allocable to travel expenses. pleniloquence : noun: Excessive talking. ; "Their debate has become increasingly embroiled in pleniloquence over minutiae, as they dispute the actual number of lawyers in Germany, Korea, etc." Frank B. Cross; Lawyers, the Economy, and Society; American Business Law Journal (Oxford, Ohio); Summer 1998. Thought For The Day: The most wonderful of all things in life, I believe, is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a glowing depth, beauty, and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing, it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident. -Hugh Walpole, writer (13 Mar 1884-1941) *****March 17, 2020***** Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Palpate : : to examine by touch especially medically; "Therapy, though, felt different to me. I found performing a concrete task with specific steps, such as palpating an abdomen or starting an IV, less nerve-racking than figuring out how to apply the numerous abstract psychological theories I'd studied over the past several years to the hundreds of possible scenarios that any one therapy patient might present." — Lori Gottlieb, Maybe You Should Talk To Someone, 2019 flitter : (verb) Move back and forth very rapidly.; flicker, flutter, quiver, waver; The hummingbird flittered from one flower to the next, darting instinctively to wherever the nectar was most plentiful. razzle-dazzle : noun: Noisy excitement, showy display, or extravagant actions, especially when executed in an effort to distract or confuse. ; "Donal Keating, a physicist who leads Microsoft's forensics work, has turned the lab into an anti-piracy playpen full of microscopes and other equipment used to analyze software disks. ... The grand question surrounding Microsoft's anti-piracy razzle-dazzle is whether it's worth the cost." Ashlee Vance; Chasing Pirates: Inside Microsoft's War Room; The New York Times; Nov 6, 2010. See more usage examples of razzle-dazzle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all other sects? -James Madison, 4th US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2020***** Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Crwth : : an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that is plucked or bowed; An Irish journeyman is expected to perform at the St. Patrick's Day celebration; he is an accomplished player of the hornpipe and crwth. laid-back : (adjective) Unhurried and relaxed.; mellow; The interview was so laid-back that it felt more like I was chatting with a friend than promoting myself as a candidate for the job. hobnob : verb intr.: To associate socially, especially with people of higher status. ; "I salivated at the mouth-watering prospect of hobnobbing with the big shots." Gideon Nkala; Surviving a Spinal Cord Injury; Mmegi (Gaborone, Botswana); Mar 14, 2011. See more usage examples of hobnob in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We open our mouths and out flow words whose ancestries we do not even know. We are walking lexicons. In a single sentence of idle chatter we preserve Latin, Anglo-Saxon, Norse: we carry a museum inside our heads, each day we commemorate peoples of whom we have never heard. -Penelope Lively, writer (b. 17 Mar 1933) *****March 19, 2020***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Abbreviate : : to make briefer; especially : to reduce (a word or name) to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole; Due to time constraints, the last speaker at the ceremony had to abbreviate her speech. peachy : (adjective) (Informal) Splendid; fine.; bully, corking, cracking, dandy, nifty, smashing, swell, groovy, keen, great; Martha and I are in the middle of an extended vacation in Hawaii, so everything is just peachy as far as we are concerned. artsy-fartsy (also arty-farty) : adjective: Pretentiously artistic or sophisticated. ; "He isn't serving arty-farty flourishes of distilled wotnot to attract food snobs." Grace Dent; The Packhorse Inn; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 5, 2019. "An optimist will say that we may be entering a new golden age of accessible and activist poetic writing, one that actually, unlike artsy-fartsy poetry, serves a political function." Russell Smith; Poetics in the Age of the Twitter Rant; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jan 19, 2019. Thought For The Day: There is no doubt that I have lots of words inside me; but at moments, like rush-hour traffic at the mouth of a tunnel, they jam. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2020***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Viridity : 1 a : the quality or state of being green; The bright colors of spring training baseball, with its blue Florida skies and the viridity of its playing fields, annually gave Roger hope and comfort after a bleak New England winter. self-reproach : (noun) A feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed).; compunction, remorse; There came to her a chill self-reproach that she had not returned sooner, to help her mother in these domesticities, instead of indulging herself out-of-doors. flimflam : noun:1. Nonsense.  2. Deception. verb tr.:1. To deceive.  2. To swindle. ; "James Stewart, a business columnist for The Times, noted that Citigroup's flimflam made 'Goldman Sachs mortgage traders look like Boy Scouts.'" Thomas Friedman; Did You Hear the One About the Bankers?; The New York Times; Oct 29, 2011. See more usage examples of flimflam in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many people consider the things government does for them to be social progress but they regard the things government does for others as socialism. -Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (19 Mar 1891-1974) *****March 21, 2020***** Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Fusty : 1 British : impaired by age or dampness : moldy; "She was there as an intermediary to translate the fusty old world of politics to a feisty new generation." — Stephanie Ebbert, The Boston Globe, 13 Jan. 2020 noncompliance : (noun) The failure to obey.; disobedience; After seemingly ignoring her boss's requests for months, Sue was finally fired for noncompliance. lardy-dardy : adjective: Pretentious; affected; dandyish. ; "Gov was too lardy-dardy with them, Gov had made my sisters too superior to breathe." Ursula Holden; Tin Toys; Methuen; 1987. Thought For The Day: The sheep have gone on strike / they are demanding better slaughtering conditions. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (b. 20 Mar 1931) *****March 22, 2020***** Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Incommunicado : : without means of communication : in a situation or state not allowing communication; Their government has agreed to give the Red Cross access to the prisoners who are being held incommunicado. beatific : (adjective) Marked by utter benignity; resembling or befitting an angel or saint.; angelic, saintly; As I focused on her beatific smile, I found my anxiety lifting, and in its place there was utter calm. lardy-dardy : adjective: Pretentious; affected; dandyish. ; "Gov was too lardy-dardy with them, Gov had made my sisters too superior to breathe." Ursula Holden; Tin Toys; Methuen; 1987. Thought For The Day: The sheep have gone on strike / they are demanding better slaughtering conditions. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (b. 20 Mar 1931) *****March 23, 2020***** Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Lampoon : : to make the subject of a satire : ridicule; "From 'Seinfeld' to 'Veep,' I think [Julia] Louis-Dreyfus' greatness lies in her ability to savagely skewer the ridiculousness of the men around her while simultaneously lampooning herself." — Jake Coyle, The Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2020 insupportable : (adjective) Incapable of being justified or explained.; unwarrantable, indefensible; No matter how hard the candidate's aides tried, they could not spin his insupportable comments. lardy-dardy : adjective: Pretentious; affected; dandyish. ; "Gov was too lardy-dardy with them, Gov had made my sisters too superior to breathe." Ursula Holden; Tin Toys; Methuen; 1987. Thought For The Day: The sheep have gone on strike / they are demanding better slaughtering conditions. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (b. 20 Mar 1931) *****March 24, 2020***** Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." Welkin : 1 a : the vault of the sky : firmament; "If you stand in the trees you might see … owls, vibrant red cardinals and goldfinches lift into the welkin." — Emily Clark, The Carver Reporter (Plymouth, Massachusetts), 25 June 2018 previse : (verb) Realize beforehand.; foreknow, foresee, anticipate; Sadly, I did not previse the trouble that would arise from showing up at my ex-wife's house uninvited. horse marine : noun: 1. Something imaginary. 2. Someone out of their element; a misfit. 3. A marine part of a cavalry or a cavalryman doing marine duty. ; "Elizabeth: He's never even kissed me. Arnold: I'd try telling that to the horse marines if I were you." W.S. Maugham; Circle; Heinemann; 1921. Thought For The Day: The successful revolutionary is a statesman, the unsuccessful one a criminal. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2020***** Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." Timorous : 1 : of a timid disposition : fearful; The study suggests that timorous people suffer from stress more frequently than their bolder peers. stalking-horse : (noun) Something serving to conceal plans; a fictitious reason that is concocted in order to conceal the real reason.; pretext; Steve said he needed a book from the library, but that was just a stalking-horse to talk to the girl who worked behind the counter. chevalier : noun: A chivalrous man, one having qualities of courtesy, honor, bravery, gallantry, etc. ; "You have procured us a dish of great excellence, which will last for several days, and have conducted yourself like a true chevalier, without fear and without reproach." Johann D. Wyss; The Swiss Family Robinson; Penguin; 2007. See more usage examples of chevalier in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our homeland is the whole world. Our law is liberty. We have but one thought, revolution in our hearts. -Dario Fo, actor, playwright, theater director, Nobel laureate (24 Mar 1926-2016) *****March 26, 2020***** Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." Gibe : 1 : to utter taunting words; "My PR firm introduced Tom and me, and I came ready to impress. I had read every piece he had written in the last five years. I playfully gibed him about obscure predictions he had made years ago in other articles, and was prepared to thoughtfully discuss his most recent column." — Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone, 2005 dilly-dally : (verb) To waste time, especially in indecision; dawdle or vacillate.; drag one's feet, procrastinate, stall, shillyshally; If you continue to dilly-dally, we will be late for choir practice. unhorse : verb tr.: 1. To dislodge from a horse. 2. To unseat from a position of power. ; "But unlike the 1992 campaign in which Clinton rode a US recession to unhorse George Bush, there's no consensus on what this election is all about." Jack Knox; Readers Tell Us What Matters to Them in Election; Times-Colonist (Victoria, Canada); Sep 19, 2019. See more usage examples of unhorse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A pedestal is as much a prison as any small space. -Gloria Steinem, activist, editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) *****March 27, 2020***** Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." Ninja : : a person trained in ancient Japanese martial arts and employed especially for espionage and assassinations; "Mando's one-man raid on the client's compound is lit darkly to better convey that our gunslinger can also operate like a ninja, but in the process it made the action there a bit harder to make out than some of the fight scenes from the two previous weeks." — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2019 keepsake : (noun) Something of sentimental value.; souvenir, relic, token; I had no keepsake to speak to me of my lost darling but the flag which she had embroidered with her own hand. Hippocrene : noun: Poetic or literary inspiration. ; "But, instead of merely serving as bistros for coffee and cake connoisseurs, these cafés also serve as a Hippocrene of sorts for writers to brew up inspiration." Nida Sayed; Riverside Rendezvous; The Times of India (New Delhi); Jun 14, 2015. Thought For The Day: We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. -Viktor Frankl, author, neurologist and psychiatrist, Holocaust survivor (26 Mar 1905-1997) *****March 28, 2020***** Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." Cordial : 1 a : showing or marked by warm and often hearty friendliness, favor, or approval : politely pleasant and friendly; Even though we disagree with one another on many points, we have long maintained a cordial relationship. taproom : (noun) A room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter.; bar, ginmill, saloon; I go to a local taproom after work every Friday and unwind over a pint. horse sense : noun: Common sense. ; "'There's so much more to it than that, just dealing with personalities in the room, reading the room, conversations, and then just good, old-fashioned horse sense.'" Bruce Miles; Maddon Wants More for Established Managers; Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois); Aug 23, 2019. See more usage examples of horse sense in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2020***** Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." Derogate : 1 : to cause to seem inferior : disparage; "While one could argue that the phrase ['OK Boomer'] in itself derogates the very term used to describe an older age bracket of generational Baby Boomers (those born between the 1940s and 1960s), it would be more useful to examine how and when people use such a new phrase." — Kameryn Griesser, The Battalion (Texas A & M University), 19 Nov. 2019 brouhaha : (noun) Loud confused noise from many sources.; hubbub, katzenjammer, uproar; The judge tried in vain to silence the spectators and end the brouhaha in his courtroom. horse sense : noun: Common sense. ; "'There's so much more to it than that, just dealing with personalities in the room, reading the room, conversations, and then just good, old-fashioned horse sense.'" Bruce Miles; Maddon Wants More for Established Managers; Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois); Aug 23, 2019. See more usage examples of horse sense in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 30, 2020***** Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." Quixotic : 1 : foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals; especially : marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action; "'Amazon' covers nearly a quarter-century of business history, from [Jeff] Bezos' rise at a data-obsessed Wall Street hedge fund to his seemingly quixotic attempt to crash into the book business." — The New Jersey Herald, 18 Feb. 2020 pilothouse : (noun) An enclosed compartment from which a vessel can be navigated.; wheelhouse; Alone in the pilothouse, Captain Anderson enjoyed the tranquil expanse of ocean before him as he silently steered the ship. horse sense : noun: Common sense. ; "'There's so much more to it than that, just dealing with personalities in the room, reading the room, conversations, and then just good, old-fashioned horse sense.'" Bruce Miles; Maddon Wants More for Established Managers; Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois); Aug 23, 2019. See more usage examples of horse sense in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 31, 2020***** Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home." goodly : (adjective) Large in amount or extent or degree.; sizable, tidy, hefty, respectable, healthy; I was ravenous, so I heaped a goodly portion of mashed potatoes onto my plate and started eating. Olympian : adjective:1. Lofty; surpassing others.  2. Like an Olympian god: majestic or aloof.  3. Of or relating to the Olympic Games.  4. Of or relating to Mount Olympus or gods and goddesses believed to be living there. noun:1. A person of great achievement or position.  2. A contestant in the Olympic Games.  3. A native or inhabitant of Olympia, Greece.  4. One of the ancient Greek gods. ; "Many of their decisions, such as giving every state two senators regardless of population, were the product not of Olympian sagacity but of grubby power-struggles and compromises." The Perils of Constitution-Worship; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 23, 2010. "As a modern woman and mother, with her children backstage, Ms. McCartney understands the Olympian task of dressing for what life throws at you." Suzy Menkes; Stella McCartney's Olympian Task; The New York Times; Mar 5, 2012. See more usage examples of Olympian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The more I think it over, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) *****April 01, 2020***** Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Plenary : 1 : complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified; "The President always retains the plenary power granted to him by the Constitution to pardon or commute sentences, and does so at his sole discretion, guided when he sees fit by the advice of the Pardon Attorney." — Nicole Navas, quoted in The Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2020 spiteful : (adjective) Showing malicious ill will and a desire to hurt; motivated by spite.; vindictive; In light of Mr. Smith's spiteful and callous regard for his victims, Judge Davis sentenced him to life in prison. balkanize : verb tr.: To divide a region, group, etc., into small, often hostile, entities. ; "The governor balkanized the Kano Emirate by creating four other emirates." Emir Sanusi and Goje -- What Happened to Their Probes?; This Day (Lagos, Nigeria); Jun 14, 2019. See more usage examples of balkanize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: But at my back I always hear / Time's winged chariot hurrying near; / And yonder all before us lie / Deserts of vast eternity. -Andrew Marvell, poet (31 Mar 1621-1678) *****April 02, 2020***** Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." Loon : 1 : lout, idler; "He eagerly races by local cop Tom … at 300 mph, unwittingly shedding magical blue hair as he goes. He also teases Crazy Carl …, the local loon who no one believes when he insists he's seen a blue alien. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Sonic wanted to get caught so he could have a family, friends, heck—a connection with anyone." — Dan Hudak, The Monterey County (California) Weekly, 13 Feb. 2020 chatterbox : (noun) (Informal) A person who talks constantly, especially about trivial matters.; babbler, prater, spouter, magpie; That abominable chatterbox, Evgenie Pavlovitch, monopolizes the whole of the conversation. Areopagus : noun: A high court. ; "In a sense the Irish church is approaching an Areopagus of its own. We are called before the bar of true faith." Paschal Scallon; Letters; America (New York); Sep 10, 2007. See more usage examples of Areopagus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 03, 2020***** Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Pleonasm : 1 : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense (as in the man he said) : redundancy; The grammarian's recent post discussed pleonasms, such as "past history" and "personal friend." washed-out : (adjective) Having lost freshness or brilliance of color.; bleached, faded; Michael is finally buying new jeans to replace that torn, washed-out pair he has been wearing for years. Everest : noun: The highest point of something: achievement, ambition, challenge, etc. ; "[Joyce Yang's] recital ended with Liszt's Piano Sonata, a half-hour, single-movement piece that still ranks as an Everest of difficulty for pianists." Terry Blain; A Piano Star Lights up Liszt with Pyrotechnic Technique; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Feb 4, 2020. See more usage examples of Everest in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You see, war is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate. / You know we've got to find a way / To bring some lovin' here today. -Marvin Gaye, singer and songwriter (2 Apr 1939-1984) *****April 04, 2020***** Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." Cocoon : : to wrap or envelop in or as if in a cocoon; Lily got out of the water and cocooned herself in a large beach blanket. decollate : (verb) To behead.; decapitate; King Louis XVI was decollated by means of a guillotine in 1793. Pelion : noun: A huge or difficult task. ; "But children nowadays are subjected to new habit-forming pressures that pile Pelion on their Ossa." Theodore Dalrymple; I Blame the Parents; The Spectator (London, UK); Mar 21, 2015. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 05, 2020***** Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." Solecism : 1 : an ungrammatical combination of words in a sentence; also : a minor blunder in speech; "We meet at the stroke of midday on an autumnal day in his West London apartment, where I instantly commit two sins from the Common list: being on time and being Scottish. My host kindly overlooks this double solecism and has made a jug of what he calls rosé cup…." — Jan Moir, The Daily Mail (UK), 14 Sept. 2019 catchy : (adjective) Having concealed difficulty.; tricky; Despite Ms. Brown's assurances to the contrary, her exam was surprisingly catchy, and many students received a failing grade. Pelion : noun: A huge or difficult task. ; "But children nowadays are subjected to new habit-forming pressures that pile Pelion on their Ossa." Theodore Dalrymple; I Blame the Parents; The Spectator (London, UK); Mar 21, 2015. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 06, 2020***** Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." Forsooth : : in truth : indeed — often used to imply contempt or doubt; "For sure and forsooth, that means savings for you, dear Renaissance-loving reveler, if you purchase your entry to the weekend-whimsical Irwindale festival by Jan. 6, 2020." —NBCLosAngeles.com, 26 Dec. 2019 encumbrance : (noun) Any obstruction that impedes or is burdensome.; hindrance, preventive, interference, hitch; I had regarded his presence as an encumbrance to the expedition, but ... I am now well convinced that his power of endurance is as great as my own. Pelion : noun: A huge or difficult task. ; "But children nowadays are subjected to new habit-forming pressures that pile Pelion on their Ossa." Theodore Dalrymple; I Blame the Parents; The Spectator (London, UK); Mar 21, 2015. Thought For The Day: Never bear more than one trouble at a time. Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 07, 2020***** Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." Incarcerate : 1 : to put in prison; Because the accused man presented a serious threat to society, the judge ordered that he remain incarcerated while he awaited trial. inconstancy : (noun) Unfaithfulness by virtue of being unreliable or treacherous; fickleness, falseness; If he does not return, instead of accusing him of the inconstancy which you insinuate, I will tell you that he died loving me and me only. Mae West : noun: An inflatable life jacket. ; "Although she never did learn to swim, she donned her Mae West and loved to fish." Laura Rouse; The Poughkeepsie Journal (New York); Jul 15, 2014. See more usage examples of Mae West in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2020***** Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." Maverick : When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term maverick was being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails.; "'My record company wanted more of "The River & The Thread" but I couldn't do it,' she said. 'It seemed false. So I went in another direction.' It's not surprising for [Rosanne] Cash, who has been a maverick during her lengthy career, to go another way." — Ed Condran, The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), 6 Feb. 2020 cacography : (noun) Poor handwriting.; scrawl, scribble, scratch; The pharmacist struggled to decipher Dr. Clark's cacography on my prescription and eventually had to call his office to get some clarification. Adonic : adjective: Strikingly handsome. ; "The back cover of 'Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite' shows [Roger Daltrey] in all his tousle-haired, bare-chested, early-70s Adonic glory." Tony Fletcher; The Hardest-Working Man in Rock; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Dec 15, 2018. See more usage examples of Adonic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave. -Billie Holiday, jazz singer and songwriter (7 Apr 1915-1959) *****April 09, 2020***** Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." Berserk : : frenzied, crazed — usually used in the phrase go berserk; The dog inevitably goes berserk whenever he hears the doorbell. nonobjective : (adjective) Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature.; abstract, nonfigurative; The focal point of the living room was a massive, nonobjective painting that looked to me like nothing more than a chaotic mess of colors and splotches. vandal : noun: One who willfully damages another's property. ; "Whether true Conservatives can save their party from such vandals is one of the great political issues of our time." On Parliamentarians Talented, Vainglorious, Entertaining, and Anarchic; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 5, 2019. See more usage examples of vandal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is short, short, brother! / Ain't it the truth? / And there is no other / Ain't it the truth? / You gotta rock that rainbow while you still got your youth! -Yip Harburg, lyricist (8 Apr 1896-1981) *****April 10, 2020***** Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." Seder : : a Jewish home or community service including a ceremonial dinner held on the first or first and second evenings of the Passover in commemoration of the exodus from Egypt; Ari enjoys the stories, songs, and rituals that accompany dinner on the night of the seder. tactile : (adjective) Of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch.; haptic, tactual; Hannah's velvet couch was such a tactile delight that she often chose to sleep on it rather than her bed. nimrodize : verb intr.: To behave like a tyrant. ; "And for a crowne who would not Nimrodize." Christopher Brooke; The Complete Poems of Christopher Brooke; 1872. Thought For The Day: Imagine a world in which generations of human beings come to believe that certain films were made by God or that specific software was coded by him. Imagine a future in which millions of our descendants murder each other over rival interpretations of Star Wars or Windows 98. Could anything -- anything -- be more ridiculous? And yet, this would be no more ridiculous than the world we are living in. -Sam Harris, author (b. 9 Apr 1967) *****April 11, 2020***** Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." Permeate : 1 : to diffuse through or penetrate something; "As social media continues to permeate daily life, artists are also met with increasing demand from fans for content. Their enthusiasm is good for artists—but also challenging to satisfy." — Tatiana Cirisano, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2019 mutable : (adjective) Capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature.; changeable; The concierge warned me that the island's mutable weather patterns could interfere with our plans for an outdoor wedding, but our big day turned out to be sunny and mild. Chadband : noun: An oily, hypocritical person. ; "'Peace, maid-servants and men-servants,' said he, after the manner of Chadband. 'There is no need for alarm. I am a stranger, and you must take me in.'" Fergus Hume; The Millionaire Mystery; Chatto & Windus; 1901. Thought For The Day: Joy is the best makeup. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 12, 2020***** Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." Pandiculation : : a stretching and stiffening especially of the trunk and extremities (as when fatigued and drowsy or after waking from sleep); "And finally pandiculation, a brain reflex action pattern similar to how a dog gets up from rest, putting his front paws out and lengthening his back as he relaxes his belly. Pandiculation can wake up the muscular system at the brain level and provide deep relaxation." — Jennifer Nelson, Mother Nature Network, 18 Sept. 2017 soothsayer : (noun) One who claims to be able to foretell events or predict the future; a seer.; forecaster, predictor, prognosticator; My mother does indeed sometimes send for a soothsayer and question him, but I give his prophesying no heed. Chadband : noun: An oily, hypocritical person. ; "'Peace, maid-servants and men-servants,' said he, after the manner of Chadband. 'There is no need for alarm. I am a stranger, and you must take me in.'" Fergus Hume; The Millionaire Mystery; Chatto & Windus; 1901. Thought For The Day: Joy is the best makeup. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 13, 2020***** Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Expiate : 1 : to extinguish the guilt incurred by; Although the editorial had characterized the mayor's failure to disclose the details of the meeting as a lapse that could not be expiated, many of the city's citizens seemed ready to forgive all. tomfoolery : (noun) Foolish or senseless behavior.; lunacy, craziness, folly, indulgence; Having had enough of our tomfoolery, the teacher sternly warned us to settle down and behave. Chadband : noun: An oily, hypocritical person. ; "'Peace, maid-servants and men-servants,' said he, after the manner of Chadband. 'There is no need for alarm. I am a stranger, and you must take me in.'" Fergus Hume; The Millionaire Mystery; Chatto & Windus; 1901. Thought For The Day: Joy is the best makeup. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 14, 2020***** Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." Hypnagogic : : of, relating to, or occurring in the period of drowsiness immediately preceding sleep; "Many of us have experienced hypnagogic hallucinations, the often terrifying perceptions … that occur as we hover between sleep and wakefulness. Hallucinations tend to comprise shadowy figures nearby, often perceived as intruders." — Devon Frye, Psychology Today, 15 Aug. 2019 wallop : (verb) (Informal) To beat soundly; strike hard.; whack, wham, whop; The chef was so enraged that I feared she might wallop me over the head with her frying pan. rad : noun: One who advocates fundamental or far-reaching change or reform. adjective: Extraordinary; wonderful; fashionable; hip; cool. ; "'Are you sure you want to get mixed up with these rads?' 'These rads probably have the right idea.' She unlocked her bike. 'Our water is very important. People don't seem to realize we can't live without clean water.'" Joyce and Jim Lavene; Perfect Poison; Penguin; 2008. "'Steep': Extreme skiers hurl themselves down precipices and discuss how totally rad their sport is." Phelim O'Neill; DVD Releases; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 20, 2008. See more usage examples of rad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Go to where the silence is and say something. -Amy Goodman, investigative journalist, columnist and author (b. 13 Apr 1957) *****April 15, 2020***** Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." Umbra : 1 a : a conical shadow excluding all light from a given source; specifically : the conical part of the shadow of a celestial body excluding all light from the primary source; "Thus far, though, no one on the ISS has managed to 'thread the needle,' with a view passing through the narrow umbra of a total solar eclipse." — David Dickinson, Sky & Telescope, 4 Aug. 2017 saturate : (verb) Infuse or fill completely.; impregnate; This light, subdued and colored, seemed almost a radiation from the trunks themselves, so strongly did they saturate it with their hue. phiz : noun: Face; facial expression. ; "Elvira, no great beauty, did possess a somewhat long and equine phiz -- although it was cruel of Luperini to mention it." Paul Di Filippo; Monarch of the Feast; Analog Science Fiction & Fact (New York); Jul/Aug 2019. See more usage examples of phiz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity. -Arnold Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 16, 2020***** Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." Deflagrate : 1 : to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off; Certain materials, such as black powder, will deflagrate rather than cause a violent explosion when they are ignited. high-and-mighty : (adjective) Offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power.; autocratic, bossy, peremptory, magisterial, dominating; Mr. Smith's high-and-mighty demeanor made him very unpopular with his employees, who did not appreciate his domineering managerial style. pleb : noun: 1. A commoner, one belonging to the working class. 2. An uncultured or unsophisticated person. 3. A person of low social status. ; "For Cicero, free speech was the prerogative of the 'best men' in the Senate, not the plebs." Jacob Mchangama; Even Noxious Ideas Need Airing -- Censorship Only Makes Them Stronger; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 31, 2020. See more usage examples of pleb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest analgesic, soporific, stimulant, tranquilizer, narcotic, and to some extent even antibiotic -- in short, the closest thing to a genuine panacea -- known to medical science is work. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 17, 2020***** Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." Caduceus : 1 : the symbolic staff of a herald; specifically : a representation of a staff with two entwined snakes and two wings at the top; "The tattoo starts at Harry Crider's left shoulder…. It's a caduceus—a long staff, wrapped by intertwining snakes and topped with a pair of wings." — Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 20 Sept. 2019 short-lived : (adjective) Lasting a very short time.; ephemeral, fugacious, passing, transitory, transient; Any hope that the speech would end the war was short-lived, as fighting resumed within hours. divvy : noun: Dividend; share. verb tr.: To divide and share. noun: A foolish person. adjective: Foolish. ; "They have tried to fairly divvy up shifts among the deli's eight employees and also gave employees the chance to stay home with no repercussions." Bryce Airgood; Building Owner Tells Deli Not to Pay Rent: Says to Use April Money to Pay Its Staff Instead; Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan); Mar 26, 2020. "'Why would you tell people not to go there but leave the pubs open? It's a bit silly. I think the prime minister's a bit of a divvy,' said Melissa Parker." Josh Halliday, et al; "We Can't Afford to Shut": PM's Covid-19 Advice Leaves Pubs and Shops in Limbo; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 17, 2020. See more usage examples of divvy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Once we are destined to live out our lives in the prison of our mind, our one duty is to furnish it well. -Peter Ustinov, actor, writer, and director (16 Apr 1921-2004) *****April 18, 2020***** Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." Vanilla : 1 : flavored with the extract of the vanilla bean; "Training for sales, marketing and installation staff takes place in a series of small conference rooms on one side of the floor.… They're rather vanilla, but the company plans to enliven them by hiring graffiti artists to paint colorful murals on the parapet wall outside the windows." — Sandy Smith, Philadelphia Magazine, 14 Feb. 2019 decriminalize : (verb) Make legal.; legalize, legitimize; Politicians remain divided over whether or not to decriminalize marijuana use in the United States. phenom : noun: A person of outstanding ability or promise. ; "Can art assume consciousness? The New York-based phenom Ian Cheng has described his digital simulations as 'video games that play themselves'." Andrea K. Scott; Spring Preview; The New Yorker; Mar 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 19, 2020***** Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." Regurgitate : 1 : to become thrown or poured back; "When [Kawhi] Leonard says, 'The youth is the future, and good education, they need it,' like he did Wednesday night in Phoenix, he's not just regurgitating a cliché. It's a sincere belief. After signing with the Clippers, the team's community relations team brought a number of service ideas to Leonard, with the team's superstar immediately zeroing in on efforts in public schools, in Moreno Valley, where he grew up, and in Los Angeles." — Dan Woike, The Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2020 stringy : (adjective) Lean and sinewy.; wiry; This other man was shorter of leg and longer of arm, with muscles that were stringy and knotty rather than rounded and swelling. phenom : noun: A person of outstanding ability or promise. ; "Can art assume consciousness? The New York-based phenom Ian Cheng has described his digital simulations as 'video games that play themselves'." Andrea K. Scott; Spring Preview; The New Yorker; Mar 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 20, 2020***** Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." Alienist : : psychiatrist; "Enter two protagonists, also historical figures. One is the novelist Benito Pérez Galdós, 'the most famous Spanish writer whom many English-speaking readers may not know by name or reputation.' The other is the eminent alienist (as psychiatrists were then called) Luis Simarro." — The Kirkus Reviews, 6 Mar. 2020 flag-waving : (adjective) Fanatically patriotic.; jingoistic, ultranationalistic, chauvinistic; I will not be silenced by some flag-waving bully who cannot tolerate a little criticism of our government. phenom : noun: A person of outstanding ability or promise. ; "Can art assume consciousness? The New York-based phenom Ian Cheng has described his digital simulations as 'video games that play themselves'." Andrea K. Scott; Spring Preview; The New Yorker; Mar 13, 2017. Thought For The Day: Everybody's talking about people breaking into houses but there are more people in the world who want to break out of houses. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 21, 2020***** Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." Peccant : 1 : guilty of a moral offense : sinning; "Cavil at Dylan Thomas's overdoings; praise this bit and dispraise that bit; but there he was, there he is, an emblem of poetry, which is Being itself…. And the world honored him for it, while chopping him to pieces…. It's the loony, peccant villagers of Under Milk Wood…. It’s Auntie Hannah in 'A Child's Christmas in Wales,' who liked port, and who stood in the middle of the snowbound back yard, singing like a big-bosomed thrush.'" — James Parker, The Atlantic, December 2014 unblemished : (adjective) Free from physical or moral spots or stains.; unmarred, unmutilated; His unblemished reputation as a man of honor and principle follows him wherever he goes. perforce : adverb: Out of necessity. ; "Mr Gryseels, like many modern museum bosses, is perforce a canny diplomat." The Burden of History; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2018. See more usage examples of perforce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, the comfort -- the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -- having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (20 Apr 1826-1887) *****April 22, 2020***** Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." Colloquy : 1 : conversation, dialogue; The company's employees worried and speculated as the executive team remained closeted in an intense colloquy for the entire morning. unhoped-for : (adjective) So unexpected as to have not been imagined.; unthought-of; It seemed as if an invisible bond had burst, and that I had struggled out into unhoped-for liberty. totes : adverb: Totally; absolutely; definitely. ; "Good for her for not pretending that everything is totes amazeballs." Ann Wason Moore; How Giving Birth Can Be Blissful; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Jan 6, 2018. Thought For The Day: When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (21 Apr 1838-1914) *****April 23, 2020***** Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." Obstinate : 1 : perversely adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion; The project that had been the group's main focus for weeks was temporarily stymied by one member's obstinate refusal to compromise. purchasable : (adjective) Capable of being corrupted.; bribable, corruptible, venal, dishonest; If there is just one purchasable juror assigned to my case, I may have a chance of beating the charges. cumbrously : adverb: In an awkward or ponderous manner. ; "Mr. Chadband moves softly and cumbrously, not unlike a bear who has been taught to walk upright." Charles Dickens; Bleak House; Bradbury & Evans; 1853. Thought For The Day: The voice of conscience is so delicate that it is easy to stifle it; but it is also so clear that it is impossible to mistake it. -Madame De Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 24, 2020***** Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." Facilitate : : to make easier : help bring about; "The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 freed most of America's important waterways from private ownership and thereby facilitated the uninterrupted movement of American commerce." — Mark R. Brown, Cleveland.com, 11 Mar. 2020 twaddle : (verb) Speak (about unimportant matters) rapidly and incessantly.; blabber, palaver, piffle, prate, prattle, tattle, gabble, gibber, clack, maunder, chatter; The two teens twaddled about what they had eaten for lunch that day until the teacher tersely told them to pay attention. askance : adverb: 1. With suspicion or disapproval. 2. With a side glance. ; "We tend to look askance at anyone showing symptoms of national fervour. We are not comfortable with outward displays of our pride in Australia and we question the wisdom and the need for individuals to express their national pride by flying the Australian flag." Graham Richardson; Voters Would Back Action -- If They Were to See Any; The Australian (Canberra); Feb 21, 2020. See more usage examples of askance in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: But man, proud man, / Drest in a little brief authority, / Most ignorant of what he's most assured, / His glassy essence, like an angry ape, / Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven / As make the angels weep. -William Shakespeare, playwright and poet (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 25, 2020***** Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Arboreal : 1 : of or relating to a tree : resembling a tree; "[The hammocks] are relatively indestructible, mimic the arboreal nests used by orangutans, and provide a resting area for the gibbons as they swing among the treetops." — Jim Redden, The Portland (Oregon) Tribune, 25 Aug. 2014 forsake : (verb) Leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch.; desert, desolate, abandon; I pity the man who would forsake his own flesh and blood for mere money. natch : adverb: Naturally; of course. ; "Kate Morgenroth's debut novel, 'Kill Me First', is a wholly fresh and absorbing work ... [The killer] gathers the residents of a nursing home together, pairs them up, and then asks each to choose whom he should kill, the questionee or their partner. All conform to expectations (kill the other guy!) except one woman named Sarah, who says (natch) 'kill me first'." Whodunit, and Why; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 19, 1999. Thought For The Day: For what is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding: it is the deepest part of autobiography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 26, 2020***** Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." Nabob : 1 : a provincial governor of the Mogul empire in India; "The extreme concentration of wealth in the United States in the late 1800s and again in the 1920s were major contributors to recurrent economic slumps and market crashes…, climaxing with the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. Those crises led to two congressional investigations early in the last century, in which lawmakers tried to hold the millionaire nabobs of those eras responsible." — Michael Hiltzik, The Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2019 chintzy : (adjective) Embarrassingly stingy.; cheap; I cannot afford to spend much on her gift, but if I wait for things to go on sale, I can stay within my budget without appearing chintzy. natch : adverb: Naturally; of course. ; "Kate Morgenroth's debut novel, 'Kill Me First', is a wholly fresh and absorbing work ... [The killer] gathers the residents of a nursing home together, pairs them up, and then asks each to choose whom he should kill, the questionee or their partner. All conform to expectations (kill the other guy!) except one woman named Sarah, who says (natch) 'kill me first'." Whodunit, and Why; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 19, 1999. Thought For The Day: For what is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding: it is the deepest part of autobiography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 27, 2020***** Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." Promulgate : 1 : to make (an idea, belief, etc.) known to many people by open declaration : proclaim; "Gov. John Bel Edwards signed two bills into law June 26 allowing alcohol delivery in Louisiana, but retailers and third-party delivery companies must first secure permits issued by ATC [Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control] to deliver the goods. The state agency is charged with promulgating the rules surrounding alcohol delivery." — Annie Ourso Landry, The Greater Baton Rouge (Louisiana) Business Report, 2 July 2019 wherefore : (noun) The cause or intention underlying an action or situation.; why; We know the how, but to catch the killer, we must ascertain the wherefore. natch : adverb: Naturally; of course. ; "Kate Morgenroth's debut novel, 'Kill Me First', is a wholly fresh and absorbing work ... [The killer] gathers the residents of a nursing home together, pairs them up, and then asks each to choose whom he should kill, the questionee or their partner. All conform to expectations (kill the other guy!) except one woman named Sarah, who says (natch) 'kill me first'." Whodunit, and Why; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 19, 1999. Thought For The Day: For what is a poem but a hazardous attempt at self-understanding: it is the deepest part of autobiography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 28, 2020***** Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Zephyr : 1 a : a breeze from the west; "There was not even a zephyr stirring; the dead noonday heat had even stilled the songs of the birds." — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876 stepper : (noun) A professional dancer.; hoofer; My petite friend Anna has made a name for herself as a gifted stepper, proving that you need not be tall and long-limbed to succeed as a dancer. ambivert : noun: One having the characteristics of both an extrovert and an introvert. ; "Being an ambivert, I speak very less or nothing at unknown people and a lot at close ones." Sasidhar Kareti; Unconditional Uncommitted; Notion Press; 2018. Thought For The Day: The being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 29, 2020***** Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Garnish : 1 a : decorate, embellish; "[Mariah] Carey pioneered featuring rappers on pop hits, and to date she has garnished 56 of her tracks with guest verses." — Billboard.com, 25 Apr. 2019 egocentric : (adjective) Limited to or caring only about yourself and your own needs.; self-centered; My sister is so egocentric that when I broke my arm on her birthday, her primary concern was that her party would be ruined. hapless : adjective: Unfortunate. ; "Sticking his gun into the patrolman's abdomen, Chuck once more pulled the trigger, and again the gun didn't fire. By then O'Sullivan had joined the fray, and the officers arrested the hapless gunman." Matthew Bernstein; The Fix Is In; Wild West (Leesburg, Virginia); Jun 2020. See more usage examples of hapless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People don't alter history any more than birds alter the sky, they just make brief patterns in it. -Terry Pratchett, novelist (Apr 28 1948-2015) *****April 30, 2020***** Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Disingenuous : : lacking in candor; also : giving a false appearance of simple frankness : calculating; "There are plenty of ways to be passive aggressive toward someone on their birthday, including … making a disingenuous comment about whatever he is doing for his special day when you know you aren't invited…." — Sylvan Lane, Mashable, 27 June 2014 warmonger : (noun) A person who advocates war or warlike policies.; militarist; After a fiery speech in which he called for the destruction of his nation's enemies, the dictator was denounced by the international community as a dangerous warmonger. superbious : adjective: Proud; insolent. ; "I find myself a superbious match, That, of course, being me. I made my mind up long ago: I am what is best for me and all those with me. Nobody else, just me." Cameron Mcnaughton; Imaginings; AuthorHouse; 2019. Thought For The Day: I don't need time. What I need is a deadline. -Duke Ellington, jazz pianist, composer, and conductor (29 Apr 1899-1974) *****May 01, 2020***** Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." Emblem : 1 : a picture with a motto or set of verses intended as a moral lesson; "The picture, changed or unchanged, would be to him the visible emblem of conscience." — Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 comely : (adjective) Very pleasing to the eye.; bonny, sightly, fair; The door was opened by a comely young woman, with ruddy cheeks and a bright, kind eye that promised conversation. hoary : adjective: 1. Gray or white, as from age. 2. Ancient. 3. Trite. ; "They are a cool blend of youth and experience, with a couple of hoary veterans to keep the kids from spinning into space." Brad Rock; Jazz Dreaming of a Blazing Future; Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah); Dec 9, 2013. See more usage examples of hoary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learn that ten percent of all the world's species are parasitic insects. It is hard to believe. What if you were an inventor, and you made ten percent of your inventions in such a way that they could only work by harnessing, disfiguring, or totally destroying the other ninety percent? -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 02, 2020***** Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." Appellation : 1 : an identifying name or title : designation; "Mr. Bling is the preferred appellation of Mauricio Benitez, a Colombian artist who has made portraits of Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, and several of the Kardashians and whose preferred medium is Swarovski crystals." — Amanda Whiting, The Washingtonian, 22 Dec. 2019 abhorrence : (noun) Hate coupled with disgust.; detestation, execration, loathing, odium, abomination; I took her hand and violently dashed it from me, with an expression of abhorrence and indignation that could not be suppressed. precocious : adjective: Exhibiting advanced development at an early age. ; "In 1971 a precocious German academic -- at 32 years old, the holder of five degrees in engineering and economics -- hosted a conference." A Tour of the Magic Mountain; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 18, 2020. See more usage examples of precocious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. -Joseph Addison, writer (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 03, 2020***** Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Gratuitous : 1 : not called for by the circumstances : not necessary, appropriate, or justified : unwarranted; "The language of lawyers often disparagingly referred to as legalese is abstruse, verbose, rife with gratuitous Latin phrases, and designed to create a linguistic barrier between lawyers and non-lawyers." — Mark A. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2020 embellish : (verb) Add details to.; aggrandize, pad, embroider, lard, dramatize, blow up; My friends are always suspicious of my stories, because I tend to embellish the facts for dramatic effect. precocious : adjective: Exhibiting advanced development at an early age. ; "In 1971 a precocious German academic -- at 32 years old, the holder of five degrees in engineering and economics -- hosted a conference." A Tour of the Magic Mountain; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 18, 2020. See more usage examples of precocious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. -Joseph Addison, writer (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 04, 2020***** Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Politesse : : formal politeness : decorousness; "The politesse of good society and the politesse of the dueling ground were, as we shall see, cut out of the same cloth." — Robert A. Nye, Masculinity and Male Codes of Honor in Modern France, 1993 undergird : (verb) Make secure underneath.; brace up; We need to undergird the ship if we hope to keep it from breaking apart in this violent storm. precocious : adjective: Exhibiting advanced development at an early age. ; "In 1971 a precocious German academic -- at 32 years old, the holder of five degrees in engineering and economics -- hosted a conference." A Tour of the Magic Mountain; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 18, 2020. See more usage examples of precocious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. -Joseph Addison, writer (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 05, 2020***** Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Collimate : : to make parallel; "Amazingly, some astrophysical jets—streams of charged particles collimated and accelerated over astronomical distances—also exhibit a helical structure." — Mario Livio, The Huffington Post, 6 Dec. 2017 cenotaph : (noun) A monument built to honor people whose remains are interred elsewhere or whose remains cannot be recovered.; empty tomb; On the anniversary of the attack on Hiroshima, we observed a minute of silence beside the cenotaph dedicated to the bomb's victims. handfast : noun: A contract or agreement, especially about a betrothal or marriage. verb tr.: To engage to be married or to bind in wedlock. ; "The couple's decision to be handfasted under the full moon is particularly blessed and by our lights very romantic." Dear Abby: I Agree with You; The Washington Post; Oct 13, 2002. Thought For The Day: It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. -William Kingdon Clifford, mathematician and philosopher (4 May 1845-1879) *****May 06, 2020***** Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Lorn : : left alone and forlorn : desolate, forsaken; "So the day passes, and it is evening. Rough and I have been to see a grave. It is a lorn place, and the wind has grown shrill, and we come home feeling rather desolate." — Rosa Mulholland, "Bracken Hollow" in Irish Monthly, February 1890 absolutism : (noun) A form of government in which all power is vested in a single ruler or other authority.; dictatorship, monocracy, one-man rule, totalitarianism, tyranny, authoritarianism, despotism; Sir Robert Walpole, ruling the country with unscrupulous absolutism, had now put an end to the employment of literary men in public life. repugnant : adjective: Distasteful; offensive; objectionable. ; "Aid for schools does not automatically raise spending on schools. The government may react by diverting the money it was going to spend on schools to another purpose, such as weapons or presidential palaces. Even attempts to fund worthwhile projects can facilitate repugnant ones." Bankrolling Bigotry; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 14, 2020. See more usage examples of repugnant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That's the terrible hypnotism of war, the brute mass-impulse, the pride and national spirit, the instinctive simplicity of men that makes them worship what is their own above everything else. I've thrilled and shouted with patriotic pride, like everyone else. Music and flags and men marching in step have bewitched me, as they do all of us. And then I've gone home and sworn to root this evil instinct out of my soul. God help -- let's love the world, love humanity -- not just our own country! -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2020***** Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." Quintessence : 1 : the fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies; Roasting marshmallows over an open fire and making s'mores is the quintessence of camping in the great outdoors. well-founded : (adjective) Based on sound reasoning or evidence.; tenable; In order to survive as an organization, we must be willing to accept well-founded criticism and make positive changes. backhanded : adjective: 1. Indirect or ambiguous, having double meaning; sarcastic or malicious. 2. Performed with the back of the hand facing forward. ; "In an extraordinary backhanded compliment, Pierre Rolin compared Helen Macintyre to the Dr Seuss character the Grinch, saying: 'I think deep down there is a beautiful heart, a lovely person, who was damaged and who was absorbed by tragedy.'" Polly Dunbar and Alexis Parr; Boris Johnson's Amazing Love Pentagon!; Daily Mail (London, UK); Feb 6, 2011. See more usage examples of backhanded in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Thinking is an experimental dealing with small quantities of energy, just as a general moves miniature figures over a map before setting his troops in action. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 08, 2020***** Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Truckle : : to act in a subservient manner : submit; "Walt Whitman became a pop star for reminding his countrymen of the duty never to truckle: 'Take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men.'" — Virginia Heffernan, The Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2018 winded : (adjective) Out of breath, as from strenuous exercise.; pursy, blown; After crossing the finish line, the winded runner fell to the ground and lay there panting. ironfisted : adjective: 1. Ruthless; tyrannical. 2. Stingy; tight-fisted. ; "There is no way that this ironfisted approach will bring about reconciliation." Veera Prateepchaikul; Sonthi's Efforts to Do Right May Backfire; Bangkok Post (Thailand); Apr 2, 2012. Thought For The Day: On each race is laid the duty to keep alight its own lamp of mind as its part in the illumination of the world. To break the lamp of any people is to deprive it of its rightful place in the world festival. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 09, 2020***** Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Verboten : : forbidden; especially : prohibited by dictate; "An array of other city meetings have been canceled…. Scott said his office is working as fast as it can to find new, 21st-century solutions to the needs of the community and of city government at a time when physical gatherings are verboten." — Kevin Rector and Liz Bowie, The Baltimore Sun, 30 Mar. 2020 renovate : (verb) Restore to a previous or better condition.; restitute; This old farmhouse may look ramshackle now, but it will be the epitome of rustic charm once I renovate it. dead hand : noun: 1. The stifling influence of something, especially of the past on the present. 2. The perpetual ownership of property by institutions, such as churches. ; "If the corona curves continue to crest, Covid-19 might expose as much about the dead hand of capitalism (the corruption, the hubris, the greed) as Chernobyl ever did about communism." Ben Schott; Diary; The Spectator (London, UK); Apr 4, 2020. See more usage examples of dead hand in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers. -Thomas Pynchon, novelist (b. 8 May 1937) *****May 10, 2020***** Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Decoupage : 1 : the art of decorating surfaces by applying cutouts (as of paper) and then coating with usually several layers of finish (such as lacquer or varnish); Her eye was drawn to a small table that had been decorated with decoupage. pitiless : (adjective) Without mercy or pity.; remorseless, ruthless; He looked into the pitiless eyes of his enemy and knew then that this would be a fight to the death. dead hand : noun: 1. The stifling influence of something, especially of the past on the present. 2. The perpetual ownership of property by institutions, such as churches. ; "If the corona curves continue to crest, Covid-19 might expose as much about the dead hand of capitalism (the corruption, the hubris, the greed) as Chernobyl ever did about communism." Ben Schott; Diary; The Spectator (London, UK); Apr 4, 2020. See more usage examples of dead hand in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers. -Thomas Pynchon, novelist (b. 8 May 1937) *****May 11, 2020***** Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Indomitable : : incapable of being subdued : unconquerable; "'An American in Paris' is the new Tony Award-winning musical about an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war." — The Richmond County (North Carolina) Daily Journal, 31 Mar. 2020 choler : (noun) An irritable petulant feeling.; crossness, fretfulness, fussiness, peevishness; I felt quite amused at his unwarranted choler, and while he stumped indignantly up and down I fell to dwelling upon the romance of the fog. dead hand : noun: 1. The stifling influence of something, especially of the past on the present. 2. The perpetual ownership of property by institutions, such as churches. ; "If the corona curves continue to crest, Covid-19 might expose as much about the dead hand of capitalism (the corruption, the hubris, the greed) as Chernobyl ever did about communism." Ben Schott; Diary; The Spectator (London, UK); Apr 4, 2020. See more usage examples of dead hand in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers. -Thomas Pynchon, novelist (b. 8 May 1937) *****May 12, 2020***** Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Aggrandize : 1 : to make great or greater : increase, enlarge; "I read [Ball Four by Jim Bouton] when I was 14, and, although I've never gone back to re-read or study it, it changed my view of the so-called heroes that played and play sports at a high level. They were and are great at what they do…. But they are only human, with remarkable skills and contributions to be appreciated. In some ways and cases, though, they are ordinary, less than ordinary, not to be aggrandized or worshipped." — Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 11 July 2019 gadget : (noun) A device or control that is very useful for a particular job.; appliance, contraption, contrivance, gizmo, widget, convenience; David has this fancy new gadget that can peel a whole head of garlic in seconds. gazump : verb tr.: 1. To raise the price after accepting an offer from a buyer. 2. To offer a higher price to a seller on something that's already being sold to another. 3. To preempt something, especially by questionable means. 4. To swindle. ; "Its 'final' offer was gazumped by a last-minute interloper." Alistair Osborne; Hedge Your Bets over Sirius Bid; The Times (London, UK); Feb 20, 2020. "Ms. Lively used her website to gazump all gossip sites by announcing her pregnancy." Vanessa Friedman; The Goop Effect; The New York Times; Nov 16, 2014. See more usage examples of gazump in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You are the sky. Everything else -- it's just the weather. -Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun and author (b. 1936) *****May 13, 2020***** Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Flotsam : 1 : floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; broadly : floating debris; The young couple's apartment was adorned with the flotsam and jetsam of thrift stores and yard sales. palpitate : (verb) Shake with fast, tremulous movements.; quake, quiver; The encounter with the robber made me palpitate with fear, and hours passed before I stopped shaking. al desko : adverb: At one's desk. ; "He works in the financial sector, an all-male workplace except for two secretaries, and they all eat lunch al desko." Emma Woolf; The Ministry of Thin; Soft Skull Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun. -Katharine Hepburn, actress (12 May 1907-2003) *****May 14, 2020***** Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Pelagic : : of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic; "Smith counted 10 rock pigeons and another red-breasted merganser, along with a thin-billed pelagic cormorant and three Brandt's cormorant." — Paul Rowley, The Vashon-Maury Island (Washington) Beachcomber, 14 Jan. 2020 wamble : (verb) Move unsteadily or with a weaving or rolling motion.; waggle; As John wambled into the kitchen for his morning coffee, his head pounding and stomach reeling, he made a silent vow never to get drunk again. grinagog : noun: One who is always grinning. ; "Now you both look like grinagog, the cat's uncle. Come, Galli, wipe that smile off your face." James G. Anderson & Mark Sebanc; The Stoneholding; Baen; 2009. Thought For The Day: How simple life becomes when things like mirrors are forgotten. -Daphne du Maurier, novelist (13 May 1907-1989) *****May 15, 2020***** Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Refulgence : : a radiant or resplendent quality or state : brilliance; "Looking back, … I am inclined to date the burgeoning refulgence of our love to something more like the calendar equivalent of April." — Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, 2010 timorous : (adjective) Full of apprehensiveness; timid.; trepid, fearful; The timorous child huddled alone in the corner while the rest of his classmates played in the schoolyard. pot-valor : noun: Boldness or courage induced by the consumption of alcohol. ; "Along the way, puffed with pot-valor, I imagined how I would scale the wall and enter the loft." Steve Stern; Tikkun (San Francisco, California); Jan/Feb 2000. Thought For The Day: When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1978) *****May 16, 2020***** Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Stymie : : to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of; "Ventura County supervisors are reviving an effort to build a bicycle path for commuting and recreation in a railroad corridor that parallels Highway 126, a project that's been stymied in the past by agricultural interests who say it could jeopardize their crops." — Kathleen Wilson, The Ventura County (California) Star, 23 Mar. 2020 glower : (noun) A sullen or angry stare.; glare; His frown deepened into a glower of resentment. gazunder : verb tr.: To reduce the amount of an offer after it has been accepted by the seller. ; "What if the buyer tries to gazunder you? 'If you feel your boundaries were transgressed, but you sell, that may affect your self-esteem for decades. But if you are too rigid, that could cost you. Meditation* helps you find a pragmatic middle ground.'" Hugh Graham; What's the Secret of Sealing the Deal? For Britain's First "Mindful Estate Agent", It's a Meditation Session; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 9, 2020. *At first I thought it was a typo for "mediation", but no, it is "meditation". See the title of the article. -Ed. Thought For The Day: As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view. -Madeleine Albright, diplomat and author (b. 15 May 1937) *****May 17, 2020***** Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. Bodacious : 1 Southern & Midland : outright, unmistakable; "House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has made a bodacious name for himself on several fronts. The California lawmaker has now set an all-time annual fundraising record for any Republican…." — Jennifer Harper, The Washington Times, 29 Jan. 2020 lollygag : (verb) To waste time by puttering aimlessly; dawdle.; footle, hang around, mill about, tarry, loiter, lounge, lurk, linger, loaf; I spent my vacation just lollygagging around my house, but now it is time to get back to work. gazunder : verb tr.: To reduce the amount of an offer after it has been accepted by the seller. ; "What if the buyer tries to gazunder you? 'If you feel your boundaries were transgressed, but you sell, that may affect your self-esteem for decades. But if you are too rigid, that could cost you. Meditation* helps you find a pragmatic middle ground.'" Hugh Graham; What's the Secret of Sealing the Deal? For Britain's First "Mindful Estate Agent", It's a Meditation Session; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 9, 2020. *At first I thought it was a typo for "mediation", but no, it is "meditation". See the title of the article. -Ed. Thought For The Day: As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view. -Madeleine Albright, diplomat and author (b. 15 May 1937) *****May 18, 2020***** Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Malapropism : : the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context; "A malapropism is using the wrong word, but one that sounds similar to the right word—like saying that medieval cathedrals are supported by flying buttocks. A good malapropism can throw you off, so that you scrape your head trying to figure out the error, and then having to think what the word should have been. (It's flying buttresses, by the way)." — Britt Hanson, The Tuscon (Arizona) Weekly, 3 July 2014 somnambulate : (verb) To walk or perform another act while asleep or in a sleeplike condition.; sleepwalk; We had to put special locks on the door to prevent me from unwittingly leaving the house when I somnambulate. gazunder : verb tr.: To reduce the amount of an offer after it has been accepted by the seller. ; "What if the buyer tries to gazunder you? 'If you feel your boundaries were transgressed, but you sell, that may affect your self-esteem for decades. But if you are too rigid, that could cost you. Meditation* helps you find a pragmatic middle ground.'" Hugh Graham; What's the Secret of Sealing the Deal? For Britain's First "Mindful Estate Agent", It's a Meditation Session; Sunday Times (London, UK); Feb 9, 2020. *At first I thought it was a typo for "mediation", but no, it is "meditation". See the title of the article. -Ed. Thought For The Day: As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view. -Madeleine Albright, diplomat and author (b. 15 May 1937) *****May 19, 2020***** Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Exiguous : : excessively scanty : inadequate; New computer equipment would be prohibitively expensive, given the rural school's exiguous resources. molder : (verb) To crumble to dust; disintegrate.; rot, decompose; Far better that crows and ravens ... should pick my flesh from my bones, than that they should be prisoned in a workhouse coffin and molder in a pauper's grave. transect : verb tr.: To cut across. noun: 1. A narrow section through a natural feature. 2. A path along which measurements or observations are made. ; "The 1.7-square-mile borough is transected by two commercial districts -- Main Street and Route 28." Jill P. Capuzzo; Reaching a Truce with Floodwaters; The New York Times; Oct 20, 2013. "Known among hikers as the PCT, the Pacific Crest Trail is a network of paths that leads from the Mexican border to British Columbia ... The full transect is a massive undertaking and requires months of physical exertion, often at high elevations." Robert Isenberg; US Man to Hike 2,650 Miles to Fund Costa Rican Shrine; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); May 10, 2014. See more usage examples of transect in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (1887-1985) *****May 20, 2020***** Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." Disabuse : : to free from error, misconception, or fallacy; "While it's difficult to predict how the practice of hiring will evolve over time, one thing is clear: it is extremely difficult to disabuse people of their biases, especially when those biases become cultural norms." — Mark Travers, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2020 gambit : (noun) A maneuver, stratagem, or ploy, especially one used at an initial stage.; tactic, move, policy, scheme, strategy, trick, device, ploy; They said the plan was no more than a clever political gambit. surfeit : noun:1. Excess.  2. Overindulgence in eating or drinking.  3. Satiety or disgust caused by overindulgence. verb tr.:To do or supply anything to excess. verb intr.:1. To overindulge.  2. To suffer from overindulgence. ; "With a surfeit of municipal golf courses, including numerous ones like Presidio GC ... people are asking why state-owned land is being used to serve the recreational needs of a few." Meraj Shah; Walk in the Park; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 3, 2020. "On April 7 it will be 250 years since William Wordsworth was born ... In usual times we'd probably already be surfeited by anniversary celebrations." Fiona Sampson; Wordsworth's Gracious Straightforwardness Revolutionised English Verse; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Apr 4, 2020. See more usage examples of surfeit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 21, 2020***** Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." Neoteric : : recent in origin : modern; "From the runways of Paris to the boutiques of New York to the time-sucking scroll of my social media-feeds, it seemed as if every few weeks I encountered some neoteric innovation that made me smirk or scratch my head, sometimes simultaneously." — Jacob Gallagher, The Wall Street Journal, 30 Dec. 2019 fuss-budget : (noun) A person who fusses over trifles.; fusspot, worrier, worrywart; Stop being such a fuss-budget, and just relax and have fun! reconnoiter or reconnoitre : verb tr., intr.: To explore or scout an area for gathering information. noun: An act of reconnoitering. ; "A river voyage is an easy way to reconnoitre a remote region." Sarah Nicholson; Just Around the Bend; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Feb 24, 2019. "A quick reconnoiter found no kind of habitat, and little of anything made for human hands." C Stuart Hardwick; Dangerous Company; Analog Science Fiction & Fact (New York); Mar/Apr 2019. See more usage examples of reconnoiter in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is not without its rocks ahead. People are apt to put it down to an easy temper and seldom recognize it as the secret striving of a generous nature; whilst, on the other hand, the ill-natured get credit for all the evil they refrain from. -Honore De Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 22, 2020***** Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." Cowcatcher : : an inclined frame on the front of a railroad locomotive for throwing obstacles off the track; For his entry in the town parade, John outfitted his black truck with a cowcatcher and smoke stack to resemble a 19th-century locomotive. shinny : (verb) Climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling.; skin, clamber, scramble, sputter, struggle; I had to shinny up the tree to rescue my stranded cat. traject : verb tr.: To transport or transmit. noun: Transport, transmission, or passage. ; "As her shot trajected toward the hoop, the whole IU bench rose to its feet." Dylan Wallace; From Walk-on to Scholarship; Indiana Daily Student (Bloomington, Indiana); Mar 4, 2019. "During the whole traject I met with no living things save an enormous black eagle." Edmund O'Donovan; The Merv Oasis; Smith, Elder & Co.; 1882. Thought For The Day: Be thou the first true merit to befriend, his praise is lost who stays till all commend. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744) *****May 23, 2020***** Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." Preen : 1 of a bird : to groom with the bill especially by rearranging the barbs and barbules of the feathers and by distributing oil from the uropygial gland; "Adding a water source to your yard also will attract birds, providing not only drinking water for them but a place to wash their feathers and preen." — Joan Morris, The Mercury News (San Jose, California), 13 Apr. 2020 shipshape : (adjective) Of places; characterized by order and neatness; free from disorder.; trim, well-kept; Toys were strewn everywhere in the playroom, but we worked together to clean it up and soon had the place shipshape. interpose : verb tr., intr.:1. To place in between.  2. To intrude or to interrupt. noun:1. The act of, or an instance of, putting something in between.  2. An interference or interruption. ; "'Right -- of course we're doing right,' William answered her, 'if, after what you've heard, you can marry a man of such incomprehensible confusion, such deplorable --' 'Don't, William,' Katharine interposed." Virginia Woolf; Night and Day; Duckworth; 1919. "Most remarkable is the interpose of Christmas dance during the interval at Sara's. [Walter Murch's journal]" Charles Koppelman; Behind the Seen; Pearson; 2004. See more usage examples of interpose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 24, 2020***** Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." chipper : (adjective) Having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air.; debonair, jaunty; If I seem chipper today, it is because I found a $50 bill on my walk to work this morning. interpose : verb tr., intr.:1. To place in between.  2. To intrude or to interrupt. noun:1. The act of, or an instance of, putting something in between.  2. An interference or interruption. ; "'Right -- of course we're doing right,' William answered her, 'if, after what you've heard, you can marry a man of such incomprehensible confusion, such deplorable --' 'Don't, William,' Katharine interposed." Virginia Woolf; Night and Day; Duckworth; 1919. "Most remarkable is the interpose of Christmas dance during the interval at Sara's. [Walter Murch's journal]" Charles Koppelman; Behind the Seen; Pearson; 2004. See more usage examples of interpose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 25, 2020***** Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Xeriscape : : a landscaping method developed especially for arid and semiarid climates that utilizes water-conserving techniques (such as the use of drought-tolerant plants, mulch, and efficient irrigation); After the severe drought led to local water restrictions, some residents began to look into xeriscape for more easily maintainable yards. orison : (noun) Reverent petition to a deity.; petition, prayer; Jehan go every evening to chapel, and sing there an anthem with verse and orison to Madame the glorious Virgin Mary. interpose : verb tr., intr.:1. To place in between.  2. To intrude or to interrupt. noun:1. The act of, or an instance of, putting something in between.  2. An interference or interruption. ; "'Right -- of course we're doing right,' William answered her, 'if, after what you've heard, you can marry a man of such incomprehensible confusion, such deplorable --' 'Don't, William,' Katharine interposed." Virginia Woolf; Night and Day; Duckworth; 1919. "Most remarkable is the interpose of Christmas dance during the interval at Sara's. [Walter Murch's journal]" Charles Koppelman; Behind the Seen; Pearson; 2004. See more usage examples of interpose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. -Arthur Conan Doyle, physician and writer (22 May 1859-1930) *****May 26, 2020***** Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Instigate : : to goad or urge forward : provoke; "The big thing about effective advertising is that it uses data effectively to instigate behavior." — Nicole Ortiz, Adweek, 14 Apr. 2020 ebullience : (noun) Zestful enthusiasm.; exuberance; Once Sam's fever broke, his natural ebullience began to return, and he was soon begging to be allowed outside to play. heterochromatic : adjective: Having many different colors. ; "Emma's heterochromatic eyes -- one brown and one nearly black -- shone with excitement." Sonali Dev; Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors; William Morrow; 2019. Thought For The Day: To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common -- this is my symphony. -William Henry Channing, clergyman and reformer (25 May 1810-1884) *****May 27, 2020***** Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Homonymous : 1 : ambiguous; "The Chelyabinsk meteorite became a media celebrity after the videos of its explosion in mid-air, occurring in February 2013 near the homonymous city, went viral on social networks." — Luca Maltagliati, Nature, 17 Feb. 2017 drudgery : (noun) Hard, menial, and monotonous work.; donkeywork, plodding, grind; The novelty soon wore off, and though she thought she was prepared for drudgery, she found it very tedious to go on doing the same thing day after day. homophene : noun: A word or phrase that, when spoken, appears to be the same as a different word or phrase on a person's lips, for example my and pie. ; "We had a session on homophenes which could cause misunderstanding, for example, married and buried, wet suit and wedding suit, big kiss and biscuits. Much laughter. Members volunteered their own stories of misunderstandings." David Lodge; Deaf Sentence; Penguin; 2009. Thought For The Day: Satire should, like a polished razor keen, wound with a touch that's scarcely felt or seen. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 28, 2020***** Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Longueur : : a dull and tedious passage or section (as of a book, play, or musical composition) — usually used in plural; The otherwise crisp pacing of the movie is marred by some unnecessary longueurs that do little to advance the main story. conflagration : (noun) A very intense and uncontrolled fire.; inferno; All the stock was destroyed in a warehouse conflagration. heteroclite : noun:1. A person who is unconventional; a maverick.  2. A word that is irregularly formed. adjective:1. Deviating from the ordinary rule; eccentric.  2. (In grammar) Irregularly inflected. ; "South Africa indeed repeated before the executive organ of the UN a heteroclite set of tropes that mixed bad faith with ideological dogmatism from a bygone era." Zweli Matshelwa; The Flagrant Isolation of South Africa; New Zimbabwe; Apr 11, 2020. Thought For The Day: Freedom is hammered out on the anvil of discussion, dissent, and debate. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2020***** Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Empirical : 1 : originating in or based on observation or experience; "'We have really good empirical research dating back to the 1980s demonstrating that kids who are restricted around treat foods often just want to eat them more,' said Charlotte Markey, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Rutgers University…." — Virginia Sole-Smith, The New York Times, 17 Apr. 2020 extricate : (verb) To remove or free from complication, hindrance, or difficulty.; disencumber, disentangle; It will take quite a hefty sum to extricate me from my financial difficulties. homologate : verb tr.: To approve officially, especially a car, engine, etc., for sale in a particular market or for its use in racing. ; "In fact we had earlier this year set a date for the UCI (officials) to come here and homologate the track." Covid-19 Slams the Brakes on Johor Velodrome; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Apr 30, 2020. Thought For The Day: We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn their faces away. -Walker Percy, author (28 May 1916-1990) *****May 30, 2020***** Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Assail : 1 : to attack violently : assault; Most worthwhile achievements require that one persevere even when assailed by doubts. insuperable : (adjective) Impossible to overcome.; insurmountable, unconquerable; The fact that he had made her an offer, and she had refused him, had placed an insuperable barrier between her and him. heterography : noun: 1. A spelling different from the one in current use. 2. Use of the same letter(s) to convey different sounds, for example, gh in rough and ghost. ; "Rather than a note on orthography, this might better be characterized as an explanation of unavoidable heterography. ... Where alternate spellings might be more familiar to some readers, I have listed them in parentheses." Carolyn J Dean; A Culture of Stone; Duke University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****May 31, 2020***** Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Gamut : 1 : the whole series of recognized musical notes; "Possibly the most interesting man-made structural material is reinforced concrete…. It is economical, available almost everywhere, fire-resistant, and can be designed to be light-weight to reduce the dead load or to have a whole gamut of strengths to satisfy structural needs." — Mario Salvadori, Why Buildings Stand Up, 1990 prehension : (noun) The act of gripping something firmly with the hands (or the tentacles).; taking hold, grasping, seizing; A well-developed tail … might subsequently come to be worked in for all sorts of purposes, as a fly-flapper, an organ of prehension, or as an aid in turning. heterography : noun: 1. A spelling different from the one in current use. 2. Use of the same letter(s) to convey different sounds, for example, gh in rough and ghost. ; "Rather than a note on orthography, this might better be characterized as an explanation of unavoidable heterography. ... Where alternate spellings might be more familiar to some readers, I have listed them in parentheses." Carolyn J Dean; A Culture of Stone; Duke University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****June 01, 2020***** Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Palmy : 1 : marked by prosperity : flourishing; "The new breed of the Silicon Valley lived for work. They were disciplined to the point of back spasms. They worked long hours and kept working on weekends. They became absorbed in their companies the way men once had in the palmy days of the automobile industry." — Tom Wolfe, Hooking Up, 2000 clerisy : (noun) Educated people considered as a group; the literati.; intelligentsia; I have heard it said that intellectual curiosity is the mark of a member of the clerisy. heterography : noun: 1. A spelling different from the one in current use. 2. Use of the same letter(s) to convey different sounds, for example, gh in rough and ghost. ; "Rather than a note on orthography, this might better be characterized as an explanation of unavoidable heterography. ... Where alternate spellings might be more familiar to some readers, I have listed them in parentheses." Carolyn J Dean; A Culture of Stone; Duke University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****June 02, 2020***** Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Stiction : : the force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move; "Stiction is stationary friction. Starting the bolt turning takes more force than keeping it turning. The tighter the bolt, the more stiction can affect torque readings." — Jim Kerr, SRTForums.com, 4 Mar. 2004 olfaction : (noun) The faculty that enables us to distinguish scents.; smell; My stuffed nose not only impeded my olfaction, it also dulled my sense of taste. bokeh : noun: The blurred effect in a photograph, typically as a soft out-of-focus background, that results in a pleasing effect and helps to draw attention to the subject of the photograph. ; "All I remember now are those lights that decorated my soul behind a bokeh." Mukhpreet Khurana; Unlocked Silences; Notion Press; 2018. Thought For The Day: I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it. -Alanis Morissette, musician (b. 1 June 1974) *****June 03, 2020***** Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Eolian : : borne, deposited, produced, or eroded by the wind; The park is known for its eolian caves—chambers formed in sandstone cliffs by powerful winds. give-and-take : (noun) An exchange of views on some topic.; discussion, word; Paul and I were having a civil give-and-take on the issue of gun control, but Maria became uncomfortable and insisted that we change the subject. sensei : noun: A teacher, mentor, or a master in a field. ; "Kim Severson has a terrific story in The Times about a mom at her daughter's school who has become Kim's school-lunch sensei." Sam Sifton; How To Win School Lunch; The New York Times; Sep 22, 2019. Thought For The Day: The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 04, 2020***** Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Compunction : 1 a : anxiety arising from awareness of guilt; "A big reason why Illinois' population continues to plummet is that college-age youth feel no compunction at all about heading out of state for college." — editorial board, The Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2020 clincher : (noun) An argument that is conclusive.; determiner; My final point was the clincher and won me the debate. sayonara : interjection: Goodbye. ; "So while New Zealand have already said sayonara to the Webb Ellis Cup, perhaps there are advantages to having to hang around for Friday's hated third-place playoff." A Shock Defeat, a Deserved Victory; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Oct 28, 2019. See more usage examples of sayonara in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is nothing more dangerous than a government of the many controlled by the few. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 05, 2020***** Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Posture : 1 : to cause to assume a given posture : pose; "During the rut, grabbing a bite to eat was an afterthought for bucks, but right now and in the weeks to come, choosing a prime food source is key to their survival. Sure … bucks are still banging antlers and posturing to prove who's boss. But this is all happening at, or around, the best food sources in the area." — Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 6 Jan. 2020 two-dimensional : (adjective) Lacking the expected range or depth.; flat; The actress's two-dimensional performance was especially disappointing given the emotional complexity of the character she was playing. origami : noun: 1. The art of folding paper into various shapes. 2. An object made by folding paper. ; "But tasting exposes origami folds of scents and flavors." Andrew Ross; At The Garrison, 'Thoughtful' Food You Won't Soon Forget; Portland Press Herald (Maine); Nov 10, 2019. "A toothy man in dungarees grinned back at me. Slim sort, with a face creased in a thousand places, like an unfolded bit of origami." Dot Gumbi; The Pirates of Maryland Point; 2016. See more usage examples of origami in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I sit on a man's back, choking him and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all possible means -- except by getting off his back. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (1828-1910) *****June 06, 2020***** Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Rendition : : the act or result of rendering something: such as; "Still, Cosme is bound to offer the 'hood plenty of surprises, including a mescal-spiked, cactus-studded rendition of Manhattan clam chowder." — Jeff Gordinier, The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2014 introverted : (adjective) Marked by interest in or preoccupation with oneself or one's own thoughts as opposed to others or the environment; shy or reserved.; introspective, self-examining; Bobby is an introverted child, so it is unlikely that he would feel comfortable entering the talent show. seppuku : noun: 1. Ritual suicide by disembowelment. 2. Ruining one's own interests. ; "Sean Duffy didn't actually commit media seppuku until Tuesday when he went on CNN to question the patriotism of Ukrainian-born Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman." Jack Shafer; The Toughest Job in Journalism Is Defending Trump on CNN; Politico (Arlington, Virginia); Oct 30, 2019. See more usage examples of seppuku in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks. -Sarah Moore Grimke, abolitionist (1792-1873) *****June 07, 2020***** Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Capricious : : governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable; "Like all great children's writers, [Jacqueline] Wilson and [E.] Nesbit understood how strange and capricious children could be…." — Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2020 cheapjack : (adjective) Inferior in quality or value.; shoddy, tawdry; The boardwalk is rife with shabby shops selling cheapjack souvenirs. seppuku : noun: 1. Ritual suicide by disembowelment. 2. Ruining one's own interests. ; "Sean Duffy didn't actually commit media seppuku until Tuesday when he went on CNN to question the patriotism of Ukrainian-born Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman." Jack Shafer; The Toughest Job in Journalism Is Defending Trump on CNN; Politico (Arlington, Virginia); Oct 30, 2019. See more usage examples of seppuku in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks. -Sarah Moore Grimke, abolitionist (1792-1873) *****June 08, 2020***** Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Advocate : : to support or argue for (a cause, policy, etc.) : to plead in favor of; "During quarantine, teachers are broadcasting lessons from their own homes and figuring out new remote-learning technology and platforms on the fly, all while continuing to educate and connect with our kids. Advocating for the children of the world is no easy task, so I wanted to show teachers a little extra love right now." — Reese Witherspoon, quoted in The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2020 feisty : (adjective) Lively, resilient, and self-reliant.; spunky, plucky; The feisty girl ignored neighbors' suggestions that she call the fire department for help and instead scrambled up the tree to get the cat herself. seppuku : noun: 1. Ritual suicide by disembowelment. 2. Ruining one's own interests. ; "Sean Duffy didn't actually commit media seppuku until Tuesday when he went on CNN to question the patriotism of Ukrainian-born Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman." Jack Shafer; The Toughest Job in Journalism Is Defending Trump on CNN; Politico (Arlington, Virginia); Oct 30, 2019. See more usage examples of seppuku in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks. -Sarah Moore Grimke, abolitionist (1792-1873) *****June 09, 2020***** Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Gest : 1 : a tale of adventures; especially : a romance in verse; "The best authentic source of Robin Hood stories is the late medieval poem A Gest of Robyn Hode…, a compilation of traditional ballads and stories." — Guy McDonald, England, 2003 enumerate : (verb) Specify individually.; itemize, recite; A spokesperson enumerated the strikers' demands. Yarra-banker : noun: 1. A vagrant or a loafer. 2. A soapbox orator or agitator. ; "There were many jokes about the draftsman [and poet Bernard O'Dowd] who was so pedantic about the right place for a comma and yet could write exuberantly about the Yarra-banker in the May Day procession keeping step with Christ." Victor Kennedy and Nettie Palmer; Bernard O'Dowd; Melbourne University Press; 1954. Thought For The Day: The true birthplace is that wherein for the first time one looks intelligently upon oneself; my first homelands have been books, and to a lesser degree schools. -Marguerite Yourcenar, novelist (8 Jun 1903-1987) *****June 10, 2020***** Truculent : adj. Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. "Truculent children." Lissome : 1 a : easily flexed; "A couple of images haunt me from this 'West Side Story,' and both do come from video. One is of an anonymous, lissome figure, barely detectable as he or she dances at the end of a long, dark street. The other is of a television playing while Maria and Anita are arguing about a recent gang slaying." — Ben Brantley, The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2020 itty-bitty : (adjective) (Informal) Very small.; teensy-weensy; These itty-bitty computer processors are surprisingly powerful. Klondike : noun: A rich source of something valuable. ; "The film can hardly be said to contain 'a Klondike of creative ideas'." Paul Grainge; Film Histories; Edinburgh University Press; 2007. See more usage examples of Klondike in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) *****June 11, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Troubadour : 1 : one of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians often of knightly rank who flourished from the 11th to the end of the 13th century chiefly in the south of France and the north of Italy and whose major theme was courtly love; "John Prine was a raspy-voiced heartland troubadour who wrote and performed songs about faded hopes, failing marriages, flies in the kitchen and the desperation of people just getting by. He was, as one of his songs put it, the bard of 'broken hearts and dirty windows.'" — Matt Schudel, The Independent (UK), 19 Apr. 2020 bedevil : (verb) Be confusing or perplexing to; cause to be unable to think clearly.; befuddle, confound, discombobulate, fox, throw; Jerry frequently bedevils his conversation partners by rapidly and abruptly changing topics. Rubicon : noun: A point of no return, one where an action taken commits a person irrevocably. ; "Singapore has adopted various measures to combat the increasingly ominous spectre of climate change. Swift and decisive action must be taken before Singapore, and the world at large, crosses the Rubicon leading to irreversible ecological impact that affects each and every Singaporean." Stanley Lai; Defining Interface Between IP Rights and Climate Change; Business Times (Singapore); Apr 28, 2020. See more usage examples of Rubicon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from the door. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (10 Jun 1915-2005) *****June 12, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Vilipend : 1 : to hold or treat as of little worth or account : contemn; As a women's rights movement pioneer, Susan B. Anthony fought against the dicta of those who would vilipend women by treating them as second-class citizens. omniscient : (adjective) Having infinite knowledge or understanding.; all-knowing; Every episode of the popular soap opera begins with an omniscient narrator revealing the featured character's innermost thoughts. meander : verb intr.:1. To follow a winding course.  2. To move aimlessly.  3. To speak or write without a focus. noun:1. A curve or bend in a path, stream, etc.  2. A winding path.  3. A circuitous journey; a ramble. ; "His beguiling but loose thesis pretty much allows Mr Nuttall to go where he like ... so 'Shakespeare the Thinker' meanders, but it meanders beautifully." With a Glass of Dry Sherry; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 9, 2007. See more usage examples of meander in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Not until black demonstrators resorted to violence did the national government work seriously for civil rights legislation ... In 1850 white abolitionists, having given up on peaceful means, began to encourage and engage in actions that disrupted plantation operations and liberated slaves. Was that all wrong? -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jun 1949) *****June 13, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Fictitious : 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of fiction : imaginary; "'Outbreak' follows a team of U.S. Army medical researchers as they struggle to contain a fictitious disease, dubbed the Motaba virus, that's quickly spreading in a California town. In the film, they're successful in halting it in its tracks." — Brent Lang, Variety, 15 Apr. 2020 unflinching : (adjective) Showing neither fear nor indecision; resolute.; unintimidated, unshrinking, unblinking; He held a silent combat with his inward agony, defying, meanwhile, my sympathy with an unflinching, ferocious stare. Niagara : noun: An outpouring; a deluge. ; "The sight of the eyes triggered something -- something massive. A Niagara of memory came thundering back." Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, and R.L. Stine; Gaslighted; Simon & Schuster; 2014. See more usage examples of Niagara in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Whodunit : : a detective story or mystery story; "What made Broadchurch so inherently watchable was its odd-couple detectives: David Tennant's Hardy was as bitter and cantankerous as Olivia Colman's Miller was open and warm. The whodunit unfurled episode by episode, crossing off suspects who doubled as relatives and friends." — Gwen Inhat, The A.V. Club, 10 Apr. 2020 buttery : (adjective) Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech.; fulsome, oleaginous, smarmy, unctuous, soapy, oily; John's buttery praise was getting him nowhere with our new boss, who was clearly astute enough to discern an attempt to curry favor. Niagara : noun: An outpouring; a deluge. ; "The sight of the eyes triggered something -- something massive. A Niagara of memory came thundering back." Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, and R.L. Stine; Gaslighted; Simon & Schuster; 2014. See more usage examples of Niagara in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 15, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Divagate : : to wander or stray from a course or subject : diverge, digress; The novel divagates and meanders through a labyrinth of subplots and asides. accustom : (verb) Make psychologically or physically used (to something).; habituate; Endeavor, then, to accustom yourself to our manner of living in these northern climes as you did to those of Rome, Florence, Milan, and Madrid. Niagara : noun: An outpouring; a deluge. ; "The sight of the eyes triggered something -- something massive. A Niagara of memory came thundering back." Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, and R.L. Stine; Gaslighted; Simon & Schuster; 2014. See more usage examples of Niagara in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 16, 2020***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Bellwether : : one that takes the lead or initiative : leader; also : an indicator of trends; "The tech giant has long been a bellwether for global industry, and investors will now hope that is still the case. Apple said on Thursday that its revenue rose nearly 1 percent to $58.3 billion in the first three months of the year…." — Jack Nicas, The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2020 nemesis : (noun) A source of harm or ruin.; bane, scourge, curse; My doctor says I need to improve my diet immediately, but fast food, my great nemesis, tempts me every day during my commute home. lithophone : noun: Any of various musical instruments in which sound is produced by striking pieces of stone. ; "The lithophone, which consists of five, 130-pound pieces of marble and mallets, are designed by Graubner in Herrischried, Germany." Mark Billings; With Built-In Instruments, Park Truly a Musical Destination; Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois); Jun 3, 2007. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2020***** Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." Null : 1 : having no legal or binding force : invalid; "If a teacher organization is found in contempt, any collective bargaining agreement they worked on would be rendered null and they would be barred from collecting dues." — Jesse Paul, The Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2018 jocular : (adjective) Characterized by jokes and good humor.; jesting, joking; The jocular atmosphere of the mess hall disappeared when the drill sergeant entered the room. aischrolatreia : noun: Excessive devotion to filth or obscenity. ; "His beauty worship finished in aischrolatreia." Frank Crane; Adventures in Common Sense; John Lane Company; 1916. Thought For The Day: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 18, 2020***** Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Harangue : 1 : a speech addressed to a public assembly; The comedian's stand-up act included some delightfully incisive harangues against celebrity culture. burble : (verb) Flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise.; guggle, gurgle, ripple, babble; The brook burbled over the smooth stones, splitting and rejoining as it meandered toward the larger creek. henotheism : noun: Belief in or worship of one god without denying the possibility of others. ; "Of course, it is certainly easier and more economical to please a few gods rather than many, so henotheism slowly superseded polytheism, from which monotheism was a small, albeit logical step." Frank Luger; Lebenswert; Lulu; 2019. Thought For The Day: Silence will save me from being wrong (and foolish), but it will also deprive me of the possibility of being right. -Igor Stravinsky, composer (17 Jun 1882-1971) *****June 19, 2020***** Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Conflate : 1 a : to bring together : fuse  ; "Some wonder if students are conflating a decision to put off school for a year, and maybe take a job, with the more formal process of an actual gap year—a planned experience that has career and academic benefits." — Bill Schackner, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11 May 2020 disqualify : (verb) Make unfit or unsuitable.; indispose; Timmy's dream of joining the Air Force was shattered when he learned that his color blindness would disqualify him. hyponym : noun: A more specific term in a general class. For example, "purple" is a hyponym of "color". ; "In fact, the word prunes at this time was used as a hyponym for all and any dried fruit." Sue-Belinda Meehan; Ask Sue-Belinda; Townsville Bulletin; (Australia); Dec 15, 2014. See more usage examples of hyponym in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. -Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter, composer, poet, and activist (b. 18 Jun 1942) *****June 20, 2020***** Assiduous : adj. 1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection." 2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." Stalwart : : marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit; "Hubert and Phan—two defenders—stepped in … and played key roles in a stalwart defensive attack that gave up a mere 17 goals all season." — Chris Jackson, The Coppell (Texas) Gazette, 11 May 2020 telepathy : (noun) Apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions.; thought transference; I sometimes wonder how he knows what I am thinking and whether it is attributable to telepathy. geratology : noun: 1. The study of aging and related decline. 2. The study of a species approaching extinction. ; "She found herself working toward a degree in home economics, with a concentration in consumer services. She minored in geratology and has combined the disciplines to specialize in helping the elderly receive the products and services they need." Randy Gleason; ISU Degree at Long Last for 'Old Gal'; Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois); May 8, 1993. Thought For The Day: Having been unable to strengthen justice, we have justified strength. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 21, 2020***** Vexatious : adj. 1. Full of annoyance or distress; harassed. 2. Causing or creating vexation; annoying. "Her ex-husband put her in a vexatious situation." Envisage : 1 : to view or regard in a certain way; In planning out their new patio, Betty and Sherman envisaged a place where they could grill food on the barbecue and invite friends over to relax. necropsy : (noun) An examination and dissection of a dead body to determine cause of death or the changes produced by disease.; autopsy, postmortem; Scientists performed a necropsy on the seal to determine whether its death was related to the recent chemical spill. geratology : noun: 1. The study of aging and related decline. 2. The study of a species approaching extinction. ; "She found herself working toward a degree in home economics, with a concentration in consumer services. She minored in geratology and has combined the disciplines to specialize in helping the elderly receive the products and services they need." Randy Gleason; ISU Degree at Long Last for 'Old Gal'; Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois); May 8, 1993. Thought For The Day: Having been unable to strengthen justice, we have justified strength. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 22, 2020***** Pedantic : adj. 1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. "A pedantic attention to details." Masterful : 1 a : inclined and usually competent to act as master; "But he hasn't stopped challenging himself or his players or opponents on the baseball field.... Maddon has earned a reputation as a bright and innovative tactician, but more as a masterful leader and developer of young players in particular." — Kirk Wessler, The Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois), 9 Oct. 2015 confute : (verb) Prove to be false.; disprove; He took out a packet of old letters and began turning them over as if in search of one that would confute Terence's suspicions. geratology : noun: 1. The study of aging and related decline. 2. The study of a species approaching extinction. ; "She found herself working toward a degree in home economics, with a concentration in consumer services. She minored in geratology and has combined the disciplines to specialize in helping the elderly receive the products and services they need." Randy Gleason; ISU Degree at Long Last for 'Old Gal'; Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois); May 8, 1993. Thought For The Day: Having been unable to strengthen justice, we have justified strength. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 23, 2020***** Deciduous : adj. Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral. "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company." Crux : 1 : a puzzling or difficult problem : an unsolved question; "Manipulation is a key trait of individuals with controlling personalities. Call it gaslighting, whitewashing, or rewriting the script: The crux of the matter is the manipulator's desire to control the narrative and either be the hero or the victim." — Kristy Lee Hochenberger, Psychology Today, 22 Feb. 2020 antedate : (verb) Be earlier in time; go back further.; antecede, forego, precede, predate; No man can antedate his experience, or guess what faculty or feeling a new object shall unlock. golden calf : noun: Someone or something unworthy that is excessively esteemed. ; "[Conservatives] are about to elect a golden calf as their next leader and, by default, their prime minister." George Pitcher; It's Time for Christians to Speak Out Against Boris Johnson; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 18, 2019. See more usage examples of golden calf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This book (All Quiet on the Western Front) is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war. -Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (22 Jun 1898-1970) *****June 24, 2020***** Paradigm : n. A typical example or pattern of something; a model. "The economic paradigm was flawed." Fraternize : 1 : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms; The boss warned that fraternizing with the junior employees could be a risky career move for a manager. vituperation : (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter, deep-seated ill will.; invective, vitriol; From one open shop came the sound of blows and vituperation, and just as the officer came up to it a man in a gray coat with a shaven head was flung out violently. silver spoon : noun: Inherited wealth. ; "'We started this with a base of knowledge on the wine business, not with a silver spoon or a bunch of money that we made in Silicon Valley,' she said." Bill Swindell; North Coast Wineries Fight for Survival Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic; The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California); May 31, 2020. See more usage examples of silver spoon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's like, at the end, there's this surprise quiz: Am I proud of me? I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth what I paid? -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 25, 2020***** Vernacular : n. The language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region. An idiomatic word, phrase, or expression. The idiom of a particular trade or profession: "In the legal vernacular." Gourmand : 1 : one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking; "Their love was a tale of two gourmands. 'Marty and I fell in love and we loved to eat. Marty knew every restaurant in New York that did second helpings, and we knew every restaurant in Queens that didn't charge for dessert.'" — Marisa Meltzer, This Is Big, 2020 bespoke : (adjective) (Of clothing) custom-made.; tailored, made-to-order; The cost of a bespoke suit is prohibitive, but if I am to interview for an executive position, I had better look the part. tinhorn : noun: Someone who pretends to have money, skill, influence, etc. adjective: Inferior or insignificant, while pretending to be otherwise. ; "I'm a veteran, and toted an assault rifle for a couple of years in a war. was a useful and necessary tool of military combat, but I haven't needed or wanted one since I left the military 50 years ago. "I was a hunter before I went in the service, and enjoyed it thoroughly, except for maybe eating what I shot. It was always a little tougher and gamier than the same stuff in the supermarket. After the service, I stopped hunting, because I didn't want to shoot at anything if it wasn't shooting at me, and gunfire made me jumpy. "Today, I don't want to be anywhere near a woods full of tinhorn troopers with their military toys." Mike Pfrang; Your Views; Wisconsin State Journal (Madison); Aug 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: History is a vast early warning system. -Norman Cousins, editor and author (24 Jun 1915-1990) *****June 26, 2020***** Accoutrement : n. Additional items of dress or equipment, carried or worn by a person or used for a particular activity. The General dressed for battle in shining accoutrements." Omnipotent : 1 often capitalized Omnipotent : having absolute power over all : almighty; "To the omnipotent leader, rules and norms are meant for everyone but them." — Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, The Harvard Business Review, 12 Apr. 2019 incriminate : (verb) Suggest that someone is guilty.; inculpate, imply; Every paper which would incriminate him was destroyed before he left the house. brass tacks : noun: Practical details; essentials; realities. ; "It is one thing to enthuse, but can be quite another to get down to brass tacks." Barry Davis; The Flow of Love; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Feb 8, 2019. Thought For The Day: In our age there is no such thing as "keeping out of politics". All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia. -George Orwell, novelist (25 Jun 1903-1950) *****June 27, 2020***** Pervicacious : adj. Stubborn, extremely willful, obstinate. "He became quite pervicacious in his old age." Yokel : : a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town; Many of the town's residents felt that the documentary unfairly portrayed them as bumbling yokels. mesmerize : (verb) To hold (someone) as if spellbound.; spellbind, bewitch; She was mesmerized by the snake's intricate, colorful scales and could not help but take an inadvisable step toward it. ironclad : adjective: 1. Covered with iron. 2. Inflexible, unbreakable, or indisputable. ; "In medieval England peasants were permitted to graze their sheep on the lands of the nobility. There were no restrictions on how much their livestock could feed, but there was one ironclad rule: the peasants were not allowed to collect their animals' droppings." Agrichemicals; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 18, 2017. See more usage examples of ironclad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (1901-1976) [Jun 26 is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture https://www.un.org/en/observances/torture-victims-day] *****June 28, 2020***** Oxymoron : n.pl. A phrase in which two words of contradictory meaning are used together for special effect, for example, “wise fool†or “to make haste slowly.†Incontrovertible : : not open to question : indisputable; "'Why are you kids inside? It's nice outside.' It wasn't a question. It was a directive. Out the door, pronto. Further, to us kids, the logic seemed incontrovertible. Indeed, if the sun were shining, why wouldn't we be playing under it?" — Phil Luciano, The Journal Star (Peoria, Illinois), 12 May 2020 snooze : (noun) A brief light sleep.; catnap, forty winks, nap; Carey had retired as usual after dinner for a little snooze in the drawing-room, but he was in an irritable mood and could not sleep. ironclad : adjective: 1. Covered with iron. 2. Inflexible, unbreakable, or indisputable. ; "In medieval England peasants were permitted to graze their sheep on the lands of the nobility. There were no restrictions on how much their livestock could feed, but there was one ironclad rule: the peasants were not allowed to collect their animals' droppings." Agrichemicals; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 18, 2017. See more usage examples of ironclad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (1901-1976) [Jun 26 is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture https://www.un.org/en/observances/torture-victims-day] *****June 29, 2020***** Antithesis : n.pl. 1. Direct contrast; opposition. 2. The direct or exact opposite. "Hope is the antithesis of despair." Argot : : the language used by a particular type or group of people : an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group; "Should all go well, after three weeks or more, the state would move on to phase two, which officials, creating a new virus-age argot, have labeled 'Cautious.'" — Matt Stout and Tim Logan, The Boston Globe, 18 May 2020 indurate : (adjective) Emotionally hardened.; callous, pachydermatous; My father was once an affectionate man, but he returned from the war cold and indurate. ironclad : adjective: 1. Covered with iron. 2. Inflexible, unbreakable, or indisputable. ; "In medieval England peasants were permitted to graze their sheep on the lands of the nobility. There were no restrictions on how much their livestock could feed, but there was one ironclad rule: the peasants were not allowed to collect their animals' droppings." Agrichemicals; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 18, 2017. See more usage examples of ironclad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (1901-1976) [Jun 26 is the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture https://www.un.org/en/observances/torture-victims-day] *****June 30, 2020***** Arduous : adj. 1. Demanding great effort or labor; difficult. "An arduous undertaking." 2. Testing severely the powers of endurance; strenuous. "A long and arduous process." Parse : 1 a : to divide (a sentence) into grammatical parts and identify the parts and their relations to each other; The lawyer meticulously parsed the wording of the final contract to be sure that her client would get all that he was asking for. gangly : (adjective) Tall and thin and having long slender limbs.; lanky, rangy; The gangly man's suit sleeves and pant legs flapped like empty fire hoses as he walked. onymous : adjective: Bearing the author's name; named. ; "And there, on a raised and ornate table ... the king's writings, undeniably onymous at last." Arthur Phillips; The Egyptologist; Random House; 2004. See more usage examples of onymous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Transport of the mails, transport of the human voice, transport of flickering pictures -- in this century, as in others, our highest accomplishments still have the single aim of bringing men together. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2020***** Secular : adj. 1. Worldly rather than spiritual. 2. Not specifically relating to religion or to a religious body. "A secular book." Louche : : not reputable or decent; "Here, he's just a dude, with an earring and a motorcycle, a dude who wears jeans to military court. Freeman's best when he's not trying to win re-election or standing at the Pearly Gates, when he's just a guy slouching in dungarees, looking a little louche." — Wesley Morris, The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2020 stockpile : (noun) Something kept back or saved for future use or a special purpose.; reserve, backlog; Over the years, Gina has amassed quite a stockpile of office supplies from her job. swashbuckle : verb intr.: To swagger, bluster, behave recklessly, etc. ; "Ever since DNA was first used in 1986 to catch a killer, it's swashbuckled its way through society as an almost infallible weapon of truth: convicting the guilty, freeing the innocent, revealing bloodlines, paternity, and identity." Carolyn Abraham; Unravelling the Canadian Gene Machine; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 3, 2018. Thought For The Day: Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone. -Czeslaw Milosz, poet and novelist (30 Jun 1911-2004) *****July 02, 2020***** Aplomb : n.  Self-confident assurance, skill, and poise - especially in difficult or challenging circumstances. Farrago : : a confused mixture : hodgepodge; "Combining these plots is a terrible idea for multiple reasons. One is simply logistical; the fusion turns two improbable but engaging stories into a ludicrous farrago." — Laura Miller, Slate, 8 Nov. 2019 pouter : (noun) Someone with a habitually sullen or gloomy expression.; picklepuss, sourpuss; What will it take for you to stop being such a pouter and enjoy yourself? zig : noun: A sharp turn or angle in a zigzag course. verb intr.: To make a sharp turn. ; "The state senator ... zigged to the right in order to appeal to primary voters, pledging to abolish the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency." Ben Jacobs; Sarah Palin's Hog Castrating Clone May Cost GOP Iowa's Senate Seat if She Wins Primary; The Daily Beast (New York); Jun 3, 2014. Thought For The Day: The American who first discovered Columbus made a bad discovery. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 03, 2020***** Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Obtain : 1 : to gain or attain usually by planned action or effort; The experiment was designed to obtain more accurate data about weather patterns. dispirit : (verb) Lower someone's spirits; make downhearted.; cast down, deject, depress, dismay, demoralize; I try to maintain a positive outlook, but the sad stories that are often featured on the nightly news inevitably dispirit me. rort : noun: 1. A fraudulent scheme or practice. 2. A wild party. ; "What a rort -- being paid to swim in a private session!" Euan Mitchell; Feral Tracks; OverDog Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: We must dissent from the fear, the hatred, and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that buried its head in the sand waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education, or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and timeless absence of moral leadership. We must dissent, because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (2 Jul 1908-1993) *****July 04, 2020***** Gratuitous : adj. 1. Given or granted without return or recompense; unearned. 2. Unnecessary or unwarranted; unjustified: A gratuitous remark. Stentorian : : extremely loud; "'Let it Be' … was uncannily similar to 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' not only in sentiment, but even to its churchy flavor. 'They're both very gospely songs,' [David] Wills says. 'I think 1968 was a very turbulent year … and in 1969 there was this life-affirming achievement of going to the moon. So I think that was in the zeitgeist, those stentorian, stately gospel piano-based songs.'" — Jim Beckerman, NorthJersey.com, 14 May 2020 despondent : (adjective) Feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom.; heartsick; I did my best to take Mike's mind off his problems, but he was too despondent to smile at my corny jokes. couth : adjective: Cultured; refined; sophisticated. noun: Refinement; sophistication. ; "In public life, brassy, unclassy, light on couth. In private life, elegant home, antiques, Tiffany dinner service." Cindy Adams; You Can't Find a Better Lady; New York Post; Sep 2, 2014. See more usage examples of couth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 05, 2020***** Ambivalence : n. 1. Uncertainty or indecisiveness as to which course to follow. 2. The coexistence of opposing attitudes or feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person, object, or idea. Aphelion : : the point farthest from the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet); "Our planet reaches aphelion only once a year, and the event typically falls approximately 14 days after the June solstice, which marks the first day of summer for the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter for the Southern Hemisphere. Similarly, perihelion happens two weeks after the December solstice." — Hanneke Weitering, Space.com, 4 July 2019 lifelike : (adjective) Free from artificiality.; natural; The mannequin's appearance is so lifelike that customers often mistake it for a salesperson. couth : adjective: Cultured; refined; sophisticated. noun: Refinement; sophistication. ; "In public life, brassy, unclassy, light on couth. In private life, elegant home, antiques, Tiffany dinner service." Cindy Adams; You Can't Find a Better Lady; New York Post; Sep 2, 2014. See more usage examples of couth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 06, 2020***** Causative : adj. 1. Indicative that the subject causes an act to be performed or a condition to come into being. "A causative factor of war." Deracinate : 1 : uproot; The old-fashioned gardening book recommended deracinating every other plant in the row to allow the survivors room to grow. high-spirited : (adjective) Joyously unrestrained.; ebullient, exuberant; These beer busts were a diversion of these high-spirited young fellows whereby they whiled away the tedium of existence by making fools of their betters. couth : adjective: Cultured; refined; sophisticated. noun: Refinement; sophistication. ; "In public life, brassy, unclassy, light on couth. In private life, elegant home, antiques, Tiffany dinner service." Cindy Adams; You Can't Find a Better Lady; New York Post; Sep 2, 2014. See more usage examples of couth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us. -Franz Kafka, novelist (3 Jul 1883-1924) *****July 07, 2020***** Progeny : n.pl. 1. Something that originates or results from something else; outcome; issue. 2. A result of creative effort; a product. Legerdemain : 1 : sleight of hand; "An example of Mr. Northam's political legerdemain is his tax proposal, which avoided the minefields of income or sales tax increases. Instead, he suggested hiking the gas tax while scrapping mandatory annual vehicle inspections and halving vehicle registration fees." — The Washington Post, editorial, 20 Dec. 2019 immensity : (noun) Unusual largeness in size or extent or number.; vastness, enormousness, grandness, greatness, wideness; This projectile was but an atom in the immensity of the ocean. redshirt : noun:A college athlete who practices with the team, but does not take part in official games. verb tr., intr.:1. To extend eligibility by a year by making an athlete practice, but not participate, in official games.  2. To delay enrolling a child by a year to avoid their being one of the youngest in the class. ; "'Nothing new.' John shrugged. 'School's going well, football, too.' 'He's a redshirt this year, isn't he?' 'He is. It'll give him an extra year of eligibility.'" Karen Kingsbury; A Time to Embrace; Thomas Nelson; 2010. "My own son was born in August, so he is a prime candidate for redshirting. ... We're not going to be holding him back, though." Leah McLaren; Holding Children Back Is Not the Right Start; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 11, 2015. Thought For The Day: In an earlier stage of our development most human groups held to a tribal ethic. Members of the tribe were protected, but people of other tribes could be robbed or killed as one pleased. Gradually the circle of protection expanded, but as recently as 150 years ago we did not include blacks. So African human beings could be captured, shipped to America, and sold. In Australia white settlers regarded Aborigines as a pest and hunted them down, much as kangaroos are hunted down today. Just as we have progressed beyond the blatantly racist ethic of the era of slavery and colonialism, so we must now progress beyond the speciesist ethic of the era of factory farming, of the use of animals as mere research tools, of whaling, seal hunting, kangaroo slaughter, and the destruction of wilderness. We must take the final step in expanding the circle of ethics. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor of bioethics (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2020***** Savant : n. A person of learning; wise or scholarly. Sound : 1 a : free from injury or disease; The doctor's statement affirmed that the wealthy man was of sound mind when he decided to bequeath all of his money to the charitable foundation. graven : (adjective) Cut or impressed into a surface.; engraved, etched, inscribed, incised; The lines from the corners of his mouth seemed graven into his face. smarty-pants : noun: Someone who presents as being obnoxiously clever. ; "There's satisfaction in seeing a smarty-pants taken down a peg." Hadley Freeman; The Critical Drubbing for Will Self's Book Shows There's a Subtle Art to Memoir; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 16, 2019. Thought For The Day: People's souls are like gardens. You can't turn your back on someone because his garden's full of weeds. You have to give him water and lots of sunshine. -Nancy Farmer, author (b. 7 Jul 1941) *****July 09, 2020***** Indigenous : adj. Originating and living or occurring naturally in an area or environment. "The cactus is indigenous to Arizona." Emulate : 1 a : to strive to equal or excel; Younger children will often try to emulate the behavior of their older siblings. all-out : (adjective) Using all available resources.; full-scale; Holding nothing back, the candidate launched an all-out attack on his critics. sansculotte or sans-culotte : noun: A radical or revolutionary. ; "[Steven] Pinker is not a sansculotte running amok with a box opener through handbooks. Instead he simply advocates cutting free from prescriptive ancien grammatical regimes." Sam Pickering; The Essence of Style; Sewanee Review (Baltimore, Maryland); Spring 2015. Thought For The Day: The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard and very polished people. -Jean de la Fontaine, poet and fabulist (8 Jul 1621-1695) *****July 10, 2020***** Metaphor : n. A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. Example: "She was drowning in money." Bromide : 1 : a binary compound of bromine with another element or a radical including some (such as potassium bromide) used as sedatives; "In many ways, he's an outlier on the self-help circuit. Thomas isn't selling shortcuts to success or feel-good bromides. He makes achievement sound grueling. His knack is for transforming those he meets—a CEO, an NBA All-Star, a guy manning the desk at a hotel—into the sort of person who loves digging deep and grinding hard." — Leslie Pariseau, GQ, 28 May 2020 built-in : (adjective) Existing as an essential constituent or characteristic.; inherent, integral, constitutional; I have learned to tame it, but competitiveness is a built-in part of my personality, and I cannot discard it completely. descamisado : noun: A very poor person. ; "Oscar and Jesse James walked past cardboard and blanket in a dry outflow wall-pipe, which was some descamisado's home." Robert Newman; The Fountain at the Center of the World; Soft Skull Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: I wanted to live my life so that people would know unmistakably that I am alive, so that when I finally die people will know the difference for sure between my living and my death. -June Jordan, writer, teacher, and activist (9 Jul 1936-2002) *****July 11, 2020***** Analogous : adj. 1. Similar or alike in such a way as to permit the drawing of an analogy. "The brain and the Acme 1000 supercomputer are analogous to each other." Histrionic : 1 : deliberately affected : overly dramatic or emotional : theatrical; "How many water coolers, cocktail parties, and backyard barbecues have you been to where someone has exclaimed, usually in a flourish of histrionic frustration, that they wish they had their own island?" — Carmella DeCaria, The Westchester Magazine, 18 Jan. 2018 torturous : (adjective) Extremely painful.; agonizing, excruciating, harrowing; Losing someone you love is a torturous experience. bloody shirt : noun: A symbol used to incite people to partisan outrage or animosity. ; "His impeachment would be a bloody shirt that Republicans would wave to justify their intransigence for decades to come." Geoffrey Kabaservice; Removing Trump Wouldn't 'Overturn' 2016; The Washington Post; Feb 2, 2020. Thought For The Day: The truth is that every morning war is declared afresh. And the men who wish to continue it are as guilty as the men who began it, more guilty perhaps, for the latter perhaps did not foresee all its horrors. -Marcel Proust, novelist (10 Jul 1871-1922) *****July 12, 2020***** Embellish : tr.v. 1. To make beautiful, as by ornamentation; decorate. 2. To add fictitious details to exaggerate the truth: "A dramatic account that embellished the true story." Confabulate : 1 : to talk informally : chat; Before accepting my offer to purchase their handmade quilt, Polly and Linda took a moment to confabulate. interject : (verb) To insert between other elements.; interpose, throw in, come in, inject, put in; He listened thoughtfully, interjecting only the odd word. bloody shirt : noun: A symbol used to incite people to partisan outrage or animosity. ; "His impeachment would be a bloody shirt that Republicans would wave to justify their intransigence for decades to come." Geoffrey Kabaservice; Removing Trump Wouldn't 'Overturn' 2016; The Washington Post; Feb 2, 2020. Thought For The Day: The truth is that every morning war is declared afresh. And the men who wish to continue it are as guilty as the men who began it, more guilty perhaps, for the latter perhaps did not foresee all its horrors. -Marcel Proust, novelist (10 Jul 1871-1922) *****July 13, 2020***** Salient : adj.  1. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent.  "A salient argument." Frisson : : a brief moment of emotional excitement : shudder, thrill; "There's that frisson of excitement when we get the text or the ring notifying us when dinner has arrived at our doorstep." — Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2020 flinty : (adjective) Showing unfeeling resistance to tender feelings.; granitic, obdurate, stony; He maintained a hard, careless deportment, indicative of neither joy nor sorrow: if anything, it expressed a flinty gratification at a piece of difficult work successfully executed. bloody shirt : noun: A symbol used to incite people to partisan outrage or animosity. ; "His impeachment would be a bloody shirt that Republicans would wave to justify their intransigence for decades to come." Geoffrey Kabaservice; Removing Trump Wouldn't 'Overturn' 2016; The Washington Post; Feb 2, 2020. Thought For The Day: The truth is that every morning war is declared afresh. And the men who wish to continue it are as guilty as the men who began it, more guilty perhaps, for the latter perhaps did not foresee all its horrors. -Marcel Proust, novelist (10 Jul 1871-1922) *****July 14, 2020***** Auspices : n.pl. 1. With the protection or support of someone or something, especially an organization: "Financial aid is being provided under the auspices of NATO." Parsimonious : 1 : exhibiting or marked by thrift or economy; especially : frugal to the point of stinginess; "A Monopoly board sat on a makeshift table in the center of the room, with each player's signature token poised on the Go square: the racing car (Mark), the cannon (Steve), the top hat (me), and a shiny penny (Rob, appropriately enough, since he was known for his parsimonious ways when haggling over deals)." — John Walsh, The Providence Journal, 14 Sept. 2019 adulterate : (verb) Corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones.; dilute, debase, load, stretch; Our supply of coffee was running out, so I suggested we adulterate it with ground acorns to make it last longer. scansorial : adjective: Related to climbing. ; "After one heavy night's drinking a student of one of the colleges had returned to find the gates of his college firmly closed against him. Undaunted, he proceeded to climb the towering, wrought-iron obstacle ... The ascent went well and he even paused momentarily to celebrate his achievement sitting aside the summit of the college crest with its Latin motto which encouraged such metaphorical, if not literal, scansorial achievements." Hadyn J Adams; The Spinner of the Years; AuthorHouse; 2013. Thought For The Day: The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934) *****July 15, 2020***** Episodic : adj. Happening at irregular intervals. "He has episodic migraines." Tutelage : 1 a : instruction especially of an individual; Under the tutelage of her high school swim coach, Lynn has greatly improved her times at meets. statuesque : (adjective) Suggestive of a statue, as in proportion, grace, or dignity.; stately; She was of majestic form and stature, her attitudes were imposing and statuesque, and her gestures and movements distinguished by a noble and stately grace. stridor : noun: A harsh, grating or creaking sound. ; "Abruptly the stridor yielded to a cadence of almost tender mellowness." Curt Maury; The Glitter and Other Stories; iUniverse; 2010. See more usage examples of stridor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The power to define the situation is the ultimate power. -Jerry Rubin, activist and author (14 Jul 1938-1994) *****July 16, 2020***** Egregious : adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. "The judge's conduct was egregious." Indite : 1 : make up, compose; "Meanwhile, the single gentleman, the Notary, and Mr Garland, repaired to a certain coffee-house, and from that place indited and sent a letter to Miss Sally Brass, requesting her … to favour an unknown friend who wished to consult her…." — Charles Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop, 1840 paltry : (adjective) Contemptibly small in amount.; petty, trivial, trifling, beggarly, derisory, measly, piddling; The miserly millionaire was criticized for his paltry donation, but even public shaming was not enough to make him part with more money. disquisition : noun: A formal discussion on a subject: discourse or dissertation. ; "Boris Johnson's disquisition to the United Nations described potential futures in which 'your fridge will beep for more cheese', 'pink-eyed terminators' are sent back in time to 'cull the human race', and synthetic biologists create 'terrifying limbless chickens'." Weekly Review; Harper's Magazine; Oct 1, 2019. See more usage examples of disquisition in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Choose only one master -- Nature. -Rembrandt, painter and etcher (15 Jul 1606-1669) *****July 17, 2020***** Venality : n. 1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt judge." Callous : 1 a : being hardened and thickened; "[Noël Coward] deliberately made the characters callous and cynical. 'You can't sympathise with any of them,' he said. 'If there was heart [in the play] it would have been a sad story.'" — Lloyd Evans, The Spectator, 28 Mar. 2020 habiliment : (noun) A covering designed to be worn on a person's body.; clothing, wearable, vesture, wear; The figure was tall and gaunt, and shrouded from head to foot in the habiliments of the grave. sanguinary : adjective: 1. Relating to blood. 2. Blood-red. 3. Involving bloodshed. 4. Bloodthirsty. ; "The blood of their victims paints a mask of sanguinary celebration on their visages." Stephen Stuart; Pax; Trafford Publishing; 2010. See more usage examples of sanguinary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nothing limits intelligence more than ignorance; nothing fosters ignorance more than one's own opinions; nothing strengthens opinions more than refusing to look at reality. -Sheri S. Tepper, novelist (16 Jul 1929-2016) *****July 18, 2020***** Voracity; Voracious : adj. Consuming or eager to consume great amounts of food; ravenous. 2. Having or marked by an insatiable appetite for an activity or pursuit; greedy: "A voracious reader." Mien : 1 : air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor; The minister projected a stern and serious mien from the pulpit, but we found him to be friendly and welcoming when we spoke with him in the social hall after the service. firmament : (noun) The vault or expanse of the heavens; the sky.; celestial sphere, empyrean, heavens, welkin; The stars shine in the endless firmament. concupiscence : noun: Strong desire; lust. ; "So, Seb's kiss hadn't actually settled a day and a night later. Certainly, it had made her body feel very good, cranking those long dormant cogs of concupiscence back into motion." Freya North; Secrets; Sourcebooks; 2012. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 19, 2020***** Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Jink : : to move quickly or unexpectedly with sudden turns and shifts (as in dodging); "Two fighters immediately launched missiles, and the American aircraft jinked up, then down to lose them." — Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising, 1986 merriment : (noun) High-spirited fun and enjoyment; hilarity.; fun, playfulness; All merriment was now at an end, and the subsequent discourse consisted only of grave relations of matters of fact. concupiscence : noun: Strong desire; lust. ; "So, Seb's kiss hadn't actually settled a day and a night later. Certainly, it had made her body feel very good, cranking those long dormant cogs of concupiscence back into motion." Freya North; Secrets; Sourcebooks; 2012. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 20, 2020***** Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." falsify : (verb) Tamper, with the purpose of deception.; fudge, fake, misrepresent, wangle, manipulate, cook; The researcher was tempted to falsify his data in order to secure funding for his study. concupiscence : noun: Strong desire; lust. ; "So, Seb's kiss hadn't actually settled a day and a night later. Certainly, it had made her body feel very good, cranking those long dormant cogs of concupiscence back into motion." Freya North; Secrets; Sourcebooks; 2012. Thought For The Day: Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. -Cory Doctorow, author and journalist (b. 17 Jul 1971) *****July 21, 2020***** Opine : v.tr. To state as an opinion. Latin: opinari - to have an opinion. Derelict : 1 : abandoned especially by the owner or occupant; also : run-down; "On Tuesday, crews … were busy using excavators to tear down derelict buildings on the two sites to make way for future construction." — Bea Lewis, The New Hampshire Union Leader, 27 May 2020 goggle : (verb) Look with amazement; look stupidly.; gape, gawk, gawp; He goggled at her in astonishment. Goldilocks : adjective: Just right; a happy medium; optimal; not at either extreme. ; NOTES: Trespass much? What would have happened if, instead of Goldilocks, the protagonist was a boy named Dreadlocks? Share on our website or email us at words@wordsmith.org. The word is often seen in astronomy, as the Goldilocks zone, meaning an area that's at just the right distance from a star for a planet there to support life. Thought For The Day: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. -Carlos Santana, musician (b. 20 Jul 1947) *****July 22, 2020***** Repugnant : adj. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive. Inculcate : : to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions; "[Edgar Allan Poe] was in general not a didactic writer; in fact, he criticized stories and poems that sought to inculcate virtue and convey the truth." — Paul Lewis, The Baltimore Sun, 12 May 2020 epicurean : (adjective) Displaying luxury and furnishing gratification to the senses.; sybaritic, luxuriant, voluptuous; I starved myself all day to make sure I would have room for the epicurean feast that was to be my dinner. Cinderella : noun: 1. One who deserves success or recognition, but instead suffers from neglect or obscurity. 2. One who achieves sudden triumph or recognition, especially after a long period of neglect or obscurity. ; "Perhaps because dentistry is the Cinderella of the public health system, receiving little attention, these problems have been allowed to persist." Paul Cullen; Grindingly Slow Progress on Inquiry into Children's Orthodontic Damage; Irish Times (Dublin); Apr 2, 2019. "The Badgers are the Cinderella of the Final Four thanks to toppling a national championship winner." Ben Steele; Sconnie Final Four Is Set; Green Bay Press Gazette (Wisconsin); Apr 1, 2020. See more usage examples of Cinderella in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2020***** Eclectic : adj. 1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in decorating; an eclectic approach to management." Requisite : : needed for a particular purpose : essential, necessary; "Once the application process was formalized, the Institute received nearly two hundred applications from women all across the country; other women interested in applying had been turned away because they didn't have the requisite qualifications." — Maggie Doherty, The Equivalents, 2020 convalesce : (verb) To return to health and strength after illness.; recover, recuperate; After two weeks in the hospital, I was sent home to convalesce for three months. ugly duckling : noun: One that seems unattractive or unpromising at first but has great potential and later turns out to be quite attractive or successful. ; "Nearly every transport advocacy group in Melbourne bemoans a lack of investment in our bus network. The ugly duckling of the transport network, and a mode that fails to attract attention on the front pages of newspapers, it is perhaps the cheapest and most obvious way to tackle congestion." Stuart James; Fork in Road for Public Transport Solutions; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); May 21, 2020. See more usage examples of ugly duckling in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What's done to children, they will do to society. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (22 Jul 1893-1990) *****July 24, 2020***** Redact(ed) : tr.v. Edit something: to edit, revise, or delete content in preparation for publication. "The documents were redacted so personal information wasn't released to the public." Gyre : : a circular or spiral motion or form; especially : a giant circular oceanic surface current; Sophia will be focusing her graduate studies on the effects of ocean gyres on North America's climate. gallivant : (verb) Wander aimlessly in search of pleasure.; gad, jazz around; Mike spent years gallivanting around and indulging his every whim before settling down and entering the workforce. sleeping beauty : noun: Someone or something that lies dormant for a long time. ; "Eighty fatalities and 1,000 wounded citizens later, a pall had descended on Prague, which would now be a sleeping beauty for more than two decades." Amotz Asa-El; The Prague Spring at 50; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Aug 24, 2018. See more usage examples of sleeping beauty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: At least half the mystery novels published violate the law that the solution, once revealed, must seem to be inevitable. -Raymond Thornton Chandler, writer (23 Jul 1888-1959) *****July 25, 2020***** Circuitous : adj. Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course: "He took a circuitous route to avoid traffic." Bowdlerize : 1 literature : to expurgate (something, such as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar; "Certainly, there's no risk that all art will be bowdlerized into nice stories about people saving puppies, but it's not wrong to note a fading appetite for antiheroes and bad behavior." — Jonah E. Bromwich, The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2020 hangdog : (adjective) Downcast, furtive, or guilty in appearance or manner.; guilty, shamefaced; His hangdog look and shamed silence were proof enough of his guilt. prince charming : noun: A suitor who fulfills the expectations of his beloved. ; "Judith reluctantly attends a cocktail party where she meets Howard Rose, a charismatic lawyer ... But Judith will come to realize Howard is no prince charming." Adriana Delgado; Beachy Books (Even If You're Not Going Near the Beach); The Palm Beach Post (Florida); May 28, 2020. See more usage examples of Prince Charming in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either. -Robert Graves, poet and novelist (24 Jul 1895-1985) *****July 26, 2020***** Cathartic : adj. Producing a feeling of being purified emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience or therapeutic technique. "The strength of the movie had a cathartic effect on her." egregious : (adjective) Conspicuously and outrageously bad or reprehensible.; flagrant, glaring, crying, rank, gross; His account of that night was full of egregious lies, and I was astonished that anyone could believe his testimony. prince charming : noun: A suitor who fulfills the expectations of his beloved. ; "Judith reluctantly attends a cocktail party where she meets Howard Rose, a charismatic lawyer ... But Judith will come to realize Howard is no prince charming." Adriana Delgado; Beachy Books (Even If You're Not Going Near the Beach); The Palm Beach Post (Florida); May 28, 2020. See more usage examples of Prince Charming in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either. -Robert Graves, poet and novelist (24 Jul 1895-1985) *****July 27, 2020***** Truncate : tr.v. 1. To shorten or cut off. 2. To shorten (a number) by dropping one or more digits after the decimal point. Epistolary : 1 : of, relating to, or suitable to a letter; "Jonathan Franzen, with whom he had struck up an epistolary friendship, offered to get together that April when he was in Boston." — D. T. Max, Every Love Story is a Ghost Story: A Life of David Foster Wallace, 2012 titter : (verb) To laugh in a restrained, nervous way.; giggle; Mention sex therapy and most people will titter with embarrassment. prince charming : noun: A suitor who fulfills the expectations of his beloved. ; "Judith reluctantly attends a cocktail party where she meets Howard Rose, a charismatic lawyer ... But Judith will come to realize Howard is no prince charming." Adriana Delgado; Beachy Books (Even If You're Not Going Near the Beach); The Palm Beach Post (Florida); May 28, 2020. See more usage examples of Prince Charming in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's no money in poetry, but then there's no poetry in money, either. -Robert Graves, poet and novelist (24 Jul 1895-1985) *****July 28, 2020***** Intuitive : adj. Known automatically: known directly and instinctively, without being discovered or consciously perceived. "He intuitively knew that one day she would become a movie star." Anomaly : 1 : something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified : something anomalous; "Thermal Scanning uses intelligent thermal technology and checks the temperature of everyone entering the premises and triggers necessary alarms in case of an anomaly in the temperature." — Business World, 12 June 2020 upbraid : (verb) Express criticism towards.; reproach; Eleanor upbraided her husband for forgetting to pick up the dry cleaning. corroborate : verb tr.: To confirm or support a claim, theory, etc. ; "Previously, it was not possible to corroborate the claims due to a lack of evidence." Biochemical Weapons Expert Flees N. Korea; The Philippines News Agency (Manila); Jul 3, 2015. See more usage examples of corroborate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (1880-1966) *****July 29, 2020***** Caveat : n. 1. A warning or proviso: something said as a warning, caution, or qualification. "The agreement contains the usual caveats." Mesmerize : 1 : to subject to mesmerism; also : hypnotize; The crowd was mesmerized by the flawlessly synchronous movements of the acrobats. dither : (noun) An excited state of agitation.; fuss, pother, tizzy, flap; I was in such a dither while getting dressed this morning that I accidentally left the house with mismatched shoes. palmary : adjective: Of supreme importance; outstanding; praiseworthy. ; "The edition is a palmary achievement both in Johnsonian scholarship and in book production." Mary, Viscountess Eccles; The Times (London, UK); Sep 1, 2003. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****July 30, 2020***** Attenuate : v. 1. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: "The layoffs attenuated the company's sales forecast." Pejorative : : having negative connotations; especially : tending to disparage or belittle : depreciatory; The captain has come under fire for making pejorative remarks about teammates. purloin : (verb) To steal, often in a violation of trust.; cabbage, filch, pilfer, snarf, swipe, abstract, nobble, pinch, sneak, hook, lift; Someone at the party purloined my emerald ring! willowy : adjective 1. Of or related to a willow tree. For example, bordered, shaded, or covered by willows. 2. Gracefully tall, slender, and lithe. ; "As soon as Steve Jobs learned that his beautiful, willowy, blonde girlfriend, Laurene Powell, was pregnant in 1991, he began musing that he might still be in love with the previous beautiful, willowy, blonde girlfriend, Tina Redse." Maureen Dowd; Limits of Magical Thinking; The New York Times; Oct 25, 2011. See more usage examples of willowy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If only I may grow: firmer, simpler, -- quieter, warmer. -Dag Hammarskjold, Secretary General of the United Nations, Nobel laureate (29 Jul 1905-1961) *****July 31, 2020***** Solicitous : adj. 1. Marked by or given to anxious care and often hovering attentiveness. 2. Extremely careful; meticulous: "solicitous in matters of behavior." 3. Anxious or concerned: "a solicitous parent." Catastrophe : 1 : a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin; "We are a nation that's used to catastrophes. We deal with avalanches, earthquakes, eruptions, and so on." — Alma Möller, quoted in The New Yorker, 1 June 2020 higgledy-piggledy : (adjective) In utter disorder.; hugger-mugger, jumbled, topsy-turvy, disorderly; My mother ordered me to straighten up my room and get rid of the higgledy-piggledy piles of clothing littering my floor. birch : noun:1. Any of various hardy trees or shrubs of the genus Betula.  2. A birch twig or a bundle of them. verb tr.:1. To beat with (or as if with) a birch.  2. To admonish or to punish. ; "Even after it became aware of suspected money-laundering in accounts, CBA [The Commonwealth Bank of Australia] didn't monitor its customers ... [Nicole Rose, CEO of AUSTRAC, the anti-money-laundering unit performed] a thorough birching of the nation's biggest financial institution." Richard Gluyas; Everything Failed, but Now Comyn Can Start Rebuilding; The Australian (Canberra); Jun 5, 2018. See more usage examples of birch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there were dreams to sell, / What would you buy? / Some cost a passing bell; / Some a light sigh, / That shakes from life's fresh crown / Only a rose-leaf down. -Thomas Lovell Beddoes, poet, dramatist, and physician (30 Jun 1803-1849) *****August 01, 2020***** Cornucopia : n. A large amount of something; a great supply, an abundance: "A cornucopia of employment opportunities." Rife : 1 : prevalent especially to an increasing degree; "Like most colleges and universities, ad schools have found themselves going virtual … because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. However, students soon graduating from these programs are facing a job market rife with layoffs, hiring freezes and canceled internships…." — Doug Zanger, Adweek, 8 June 2020 circumnavigate : (verb) Travel around, either by plane or ship.; compass; Ferdinand Magellan was the first explorer to circumnavigate the globe. fig : noun:1. A tree or shrub of the genus Ficus or its fruit.  2. Something of little value.  3. A gesture of contempt.   verb tr.:To dress up. noun:Dress or array. ; "We already knew that Mr. Trump cared not a fig for human rights in China. He reportedly told Mr. Xi last year that he would soften the US response to a crackdown in Hong Kong in order to get a trade agreement, his singular pursuit." Mr. Trump and China's Camps; The Washington Post; Jun 21, 2020. "The Australian Army Fanfare Team ... cut a vividly colonial set of figures in the public galleries, fully figged in scarlet tunics and pipeclayed helmets." Jonathan Green; The Last Word Express; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jun 3, 2003. See more usage examples of fig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 02, 2020***** Apathetic : adj. 1. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive. 2. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent. "He seemed very apathetic about the company's closure." Hotdog : : to perform in a conspicuous or often ostentatious manner; especially : to perform fancy stunts and maneuvers (as while surfing or skiing); The wide receiver hotdogged into the end zone after catching the touchdown pass. lampoon : (verb) Ridicule with satire.; satirize; Joe's coworkers lampoon his affected way of speaking. fig : noun:1. A tree or shrub of the genus Ficus or its fruit.  2. Something of little value.  3. A gesture of contempt.   verb tr.:To dress up. noun:Dress or array. ; "We already knew that Mr. Trump cared not a fig for human rights in China. He reportedly told Mr. Xi last year that he would soften the US response to a crackdown in Hong Kong in order to get a trade agreement, his singular pursuit." Mr. Trump and China's Camps; The Washington Post; Jun 21, 2020. "The Australian Army Fanfare Team ... cut a vividly colonial set of figures in the public galleries, fully figged in scarlet tunics and pipeclayed helmets." Jonathan Green; The Last Word Express; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jun 3, 2003. See more usage examples of fig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 03, 2020***** Insidious : adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures. Ombudsman : 1 : a government official (as in Sweden or New Zealand) appointed to receive and investigate complaints made by individuals against abuses or capricious acts of public officials; "High-performing nursing homes usually have waiting lists, said Salli Pung, the state of Michigan's long-term care ombudsman." — Craig Mauger, The Detroit News, 26 June 2020 obduracy : (noun) Resoluteness by virtue of being unyielding and inflexible.; adamance, unyieldingness; My obduracy and hardheadedness often gets me in trouble at the negotiating table. fig : noun:1. A tree or shrub of the genus Ficus or its fruit.  2. Something of little value.  3. A gesture of contempt.   verb tr.:To dress up. noun:Dress or array. ; "We already knew that Mr. Trump cared not a fig for human rights in China. He reportedly told Mr. Xi last year that he would soften the US response to a crackdown in Hong Kong in order to get a trade agreement, his singular pursuit." Mr. Trump and China's Camps; The Washington Post; Jun 21, 2020. "The Australian Army Fanfare Team ... cut a vividly colonial set of figures in the public galleries, fully figged in scarlet tunics and pipeclayed helmets." Jonathan Green; The Last Word Express; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jun 3, 2003. See more usage examples of fig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 04, 2020***** Prognosticate : tr.v. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. "The armchair quarterback tried to prognosticate the play from his recliner." Risible : 1 a : capable of laughing; "When they arrived … they were treated to a sight that was as surreal as it was risible: Kamo Petrossian dressed in whites and sporting a captain's hat complete with gold braid and embroidered badge, strutting about the sun deck, clutching a champagne flute." — Peter Crawley, Mazzeri, 2013 heart-to-heart : (noun) An intimate talk in private.; tête-à-tête; It felt good to open up, and I left our heart-to-heart feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. iron-hearted : adjective: Cruel; unfeeling. ; "the steely Gullah slave who was his grey-eyed great-great-great-grandmother survived endless snares to savor a life, scot-free of iron-hearted masters, harsh shouts, & malarial fields." Cyrus Cassells; Praise Song; African American Review (St Louis, Missouri); Fall 2015. Thought For The Day: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2020***** Axiom : n. 1. An established rule, principle, or law. 2. A self-evident or universally recognized truth; a maxim. 3. A self-evident principle or one that is accepted as true without proof as the basis for argument. Aficionado : : a person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity : devotee; Mickey's brother, an aficionado of jazz, was a regular at the downtown clubs and often bought new records on the day they were released. declamatory : (adjective) Ostentatiously lofty in style.; bombastic, orotund, tumid, turgid, large; He has a reputation for making bold, declamatory statements. pugnacious : adjective: Having a quarrelsome nature; belligerent. ; "Sean Hannity, the pugnacious Fox host whose tough-guy persona attracted a passionate right-wing audience." Julian E. Zelizer; Burning Down the House; Penguin; 2020. See more usage examples of pugnacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Appealing to tribe, appealing to fear, pitting one group against another, telling people that order and security will be restored if it weren't for those who don't look like us or don't sound like us or don't pray like we do, that's an old playbook. It's as old as time. And in a healthy democracy it doesn't work. Our antibodies kick in, and people of goodwill from across the political spectrum call out the bigots and the fearmongers, and work to compromise and get things done and promote the better angels of our nature. -Barack Obama, 44th US President (b. 4 Aug 1961) *****August 06, 2020***** *****August 07, 2020***** Tempestuous : adj. Tumultuous; stormy: "A tempestuous relationship." Grubstake : : to provide with material assistance (such as a loan) for launching an enterprise or for a person in difficult circumstances; "Kimbro, on the other hand, traveled widely, still hoping to find the speculator who would grubstake him for the big attack on the hidden field. He would go anywhere, consult with anyone, and offer almost any kind of inducement: 'Let me have the money, less than a year, ten-percent interest, and I'll give you one-thirty-second of my participation.'" — James A. Michener, Texas, 1985 dingle : (noun) A small wooded hollow.; dell; For no reason but that his fancy led him, he … walked down the grassy sunny slope of the open meadow, and so came to the little dingle. chicken-livered : adjective: Cowardly; easily frightened. ; "Hadn't I told her that he was no better'n a chicken-livered traitor?" Theresa Nelson; The Year We Sailed the Sun; Atheneum; 2015. Thought For The Day: One of the primary tests of the mood of a society at any given time is whether its comfortable people tend to identify, psychologically, with the power and achievements of the very successful or with the needs and sufferings of the underprivileged. -Richard Hofstadter, historian (6 Aug 1916-1970) *****August 08, 2020***** Enervate : tr.v. 1. To weaken or destroy the strength or vitality. 2. Lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor. "Prolonged exposure to the sun and dehydration enervated the desert racing team." Midriff : 1 : the mid-region of the human torso : midsection; Even the store's winter line of clothing includes a number of midriff-baring tops, albeit paired with oversized cardigans or flannel shirts. embolden : (verb) To foster boldness or courage in; encourage.; cheer, hearten; Emboldened by the success of his first novel, he started on a second. hysteric : adjective: Exhibiting an uncontrolled or overly emotional state, volatility, attention-seeking behavior, etc. noun: An overly emotional or unstable person. ; "And they say, you know what, he is hysteric. He is the nut." General Wesley Clark Says Petraeus Is Right Man for Afghanistan; Analyst Wire; Jun 25, 2010. "[Her] father is suddenly transformed into a stranger -- a hostile hysteric who's lost all contact with the here and now." Sandra Hall; Strong McConville Gives Drama Punch; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Mar 8, 2020. See more usage examples of hysteric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 09, 2020***** Aesthetic(s) : adj. 1. Of or concerning the appreciation of beauty or good taste. 2. Characterized by a heightened sensitivity to beauty. "The aesthetic design of the building is amazing!" Beholden : : being under obligation for a favor or gift : indebted; "When the Second Continental Congress ratified the final text of this Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, it was launching into uncharted territory. They were creating a vision for a country that did not yet exist. As Ronald Reagan would later say, 'This idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man's relation to man.'" — Brad Wenstrup, The Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer, 4 July 2020 recidivate : (verb) To return to a previous pattern of behavior, especially to return to criminal habits.; relapse, retrogress, lapse, regress, fall back; I did not mean to recidivate, but burgling homes is second nature to me. hysteric : adjective: Exhibiting an uncontrolled or overly emotional state, volatility, attention-seeking behavior, etc. noun: An overly emotional or unstable person. ; "And they say, you know what, he is hysteric. He is the nut." General Wesley Clark Says Petraeus Is Right Man for Afghanistan; Analyst Wire; Jun 25, 2010. "[Her] father is suddenly transformed into a stranger -- a hostile hysteric who's lost all contact with the here and now." Sandra Hall; Strong McConville Gives Drama Punch; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Mar 8, 2020. See more usage examples of hysteric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 10, 2020***** Nocturnal : adj. Occurring or coming out at night: "A nocturnal lifestyle." Ferret : 1 : to hunt game with ferrets; "Quarantining was invented during the first wave of bubonic plague in the 14th century, but it was deployed more systematically during the Great Plague [of London, 1665-1666]. Public servants called searchers ferreted out new cases of plague, and quarantined sick people along with everyone who shared their homes.'" — Annalee Newitz, The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2020 coddle : (verb) Treat with excessive indulgence.; baby, cocker, cosset, featherbed, mollycoddle, pamper, spoil, indulge; I have warned her not to spoil the children, but she chooses to coddle them anyway. hysteric : adjective: Exhibiting an uncontrolled or overly emotional state, volatility, attention-seeking behavior, etc. noun: An overly emotional or unstable person. ; "And they say, you know what, he is hysteric. He is the nut." General Wesley Clark Says Petraeus Is Right Man for Afghanistan; Analyst Wire; Jun 25, 2010. "[Her] father is suddenly transformed into a stranger -- a hostile hysteric who's lost all contact with the here and now." Sandra Hall; Strong McConville Gives Drama Punch; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Mar 8, 2020. See more usage examples of hysteric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who believe without reason cannot be convinced by reason. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (b. 7 Aug 1928) *****August 11, 2020***** Gothic : adj. 1. Relating to an architectural style reflecting the influence of the medieval Gothic. 2. Relating to a style of fiction characterized by the use of desolate or remote settings and macabre, mysterious, or violent incidents. Vivacious : : lively in temper, conduct, or spirit : sprightly; The host was a vivacious woman with a knack for making people feel comfortable. manumit : (verb) Free from slavery or servitude.; emancipate; If I truly wanted to manumit the slave boy, I would have to buy his freedom. Jim Crow or jim crow : noun: The systematic practice of discriminating against Black people. ; "As droves of Black Americans fled the violence of Jim Crow, Canada's government and residents organized to refuse you entry and even deport those fortunate enough to clear the bureaucratic obstacles." Andray Domise; Canada's Own Legacy of Oppression; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jul 2020. See more usage examples of Jim Crow in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The President is not only the leader of a party, he is the President of the whole people. He must interpret the conscience of America. He must guide his conduct by the idealism of our people. -Herbert Hoover, 31st US President (10 Aug 1874-1964) *****August 12, 2020***** Erudite : adj. Deep, extensive learning. "He has a reputation as an erudite intellectual with a deep understanding of the issues." Malaise : 1 : an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness; "Nothing can make you forget the malaise of social distancing like the pain of being a teenager." — Ariel Shapiro, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2020 drudge : (noun) A laborer who is obliged to do menial work.; navvy, peon, galley slave; Picking up after my ungrateful kids every day makes me feel like little more than a household drudge. Simon Legree : noun: A harsh taskmaster. ; "The Simon Legree of the plot was Brahms, who routinely dumped on any young composer rash enough to seek his imprimatur." Don O'Connor; Bruckner & Rott: Quartets; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Jul/Aug 2012. See more usage examples of Simon Legree in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2020***** Impugn : tr.v. To attack as false or questionable; challenge in argument: "To impugn a political opponent's record." Yaw : 1 a of a ship : to deviate erratically from a course (as when struck by a heavy sea); especially : to move from side to side; "A crane had been brought in to lift the submersible from the truck onto the raft.… Even with its heavy load the raft pitched and yawed as it was towed along." — Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos, Blue Gold, 2000 erudition : (noun) Profound scholarly knowledge.; encyclopedism, learning, scholarship; They, like himself, had been bred in the studious cloisters of a university, and were supposed to possess all the erudition which mankind has hoarded up from age to age. Uncle Tom : noun: A person regarded as betraying their cultural allegiance by being subservient to another. ; "Fuming that he had been racially profiled, pulled from his car at gunpoint on his way to a team practice in Detroit, Russell proceeded to beat on white teammates until Reed intervened, asking, 'What the hell are you doing?' 'Be quiet, Uncle Tom,' Russell snapped at his captain." Harvey Araton; The Old Knicks Made Basketball Games the 'Hippest Place' in New York; The New York Times; May 8, 2020. See more usage examples of Uncle Tom in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you would be pungent, be brief; for it is with words as with sunbeams -- the more they are condensed, the deeper they burn. -Robert Southey, poet (12 Aug 1774-1843) *****August 14, 2020***** Dexterous : adj. Skillful in the use of the hands. Having mental skill or adroitness; clever. Done with dexterity. "A dexterous wood craftsman." charnel : (adjective) Gruesomely indicative of death or the dead.; ghastly, sepulchral; The charnel smell coming from the suspect's basement left little doubt that he was the killer we were seeking. topsy : noun: Something growing without intention or direction. ; "The securities lending business had grown like topsy without any proper supervision, ballooning to as much as $2 billion." Ben Butler; Fast Cars, Big Houses, Hot Money; The Australian (Canberra); Sep 13, 2018. "But [Channel 4 is] also that uniquely British thing: a hodge podge that works, an institution you couldn't invent because, somehow, it's just grown. Topsy TV." Peter Preston; If Channel 4 Didn't Exist, You Couldn't Invent It; The Independent (London, UK); May 10, 2016. Thought For The Day: Drama is life with the dull bits cut out. -Alfred Hitchcock, film-maker (13 Aug 1899-1980) *****August 15, 2020***** Eccentric : adj. 1. Departing from a recognized, conventional, or established norm or pattern. 2. n. One that deviates markedly from an established norm, especially a person of odd or unconventional behavior. "His eccentricities now extend to never leaving his home." Quiescent : 1 : marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest; "'Inflation' means a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services, either at the consumer or producer level. It certainly is dormant or quiescent right now." — Edward Lotterman, The St. Paul (Minnesota) Press, 28 July 2019 abridge : (verb) Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements.; abbreviate, shorten, contract, reduce, cut; I write with so much difficulty, the cold is so severe, I am so fearful of being detected and consigned to an underground cell and total darkness, that I must abridge this narrative. Aunt Tom : noun: A woman considered to be a traitor to a cause. ; "When [Phyllis] Schlafly suggested the reason there were so few women in Congress was that they weren't willing to do the work to win elections and were more interested in having babies, [Betty] Friedan fired back by calling her 'a traitor to your sex, an Aunt Tom'." Meredith Blake; How Accurate Is 'Mrs. America's' Depiction of Betty Friedan? We Checked; Los Angeles Times; Apr 24, 2020. Thought For The Day: The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy. -John Galsworthy, author, Nobel laureate (14 Aug 1867-1933) *****August 16, 2020***** Monolithic : adj. 1. Massive, solid, and uniform: "The monolithic cathedral." 2. Large and unchanging: massive, uniform in character, and slow to change. Subterfuge : 1 : deception by artifice or stratagem in order to conceal, escape, or evade; "First, an antivirus product may upload the complete text of files flagged to the cloud, where it can be analyzed by separate tools…. Some malware can detect when a running process may examine it, and will then engage in subterfuge." — Macworld, 4 May 2020 foppish : (adjective) Affecting extreme elegance in dress and manner.; dandyish; Though not foppish, he appreciated fine clothes. Aunt Tom : noun: A woman considered to be a traitor to a cause. ; "When [Phyllis] Schlafly suggested the reason there were so few women in Congress was that they weren't willing to do the work to win elections and were more interested in having babies, [Betty] Friedan fired back by calling her 'a traitor to your sex, an Aunt Tom'." Meredith Blake; How Accurate Is 'Mrs. America's' Depiction of Betty Friedan? We Checked; Los Angeles Times; Apr 24, 2020. Thought For The Day: The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy. -John Galsworthy, author, Nobel laureate (14 Aug 1867-1933) *****August 17, 2020***** Eponym : n. A person whose name is or is thought to be the source of the name of something, such as a city or country. "George Washington is the eponym of Washington DC." Inveigh : : to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently : rail; "Wearing a blue suit, [Hannah] Gadsby begins by pointing to a prop dog made of crayons onstage, immediately making fun of herself, a notable shift since 'Nanette,' when she inveighed against self-deprecation." — Jason Zinoman, The New York Times¸ 26 May 2020 venerate : (verb) To hold in deep respect.; revere; In our culture, we venerate the elderly and pay heed to their wisdom. Aunt Tom : noun: A woman considered to be a traitor to a cause. ; "When [Phyllis] Schlafly suggested the reason there were so few women in Congress was that they weren't willing to do the work to win elections and were more interested in having babies, [Betty] Friedan fired back by calling her 'a traitor to your sex, an Aunt Tom'." Meredith Blake; How Accurate Is 'Mrs. America's' Depiction of Betty Friedan? We Checked; Los Angeles Times; Apr 24, 2020. Thought For The Day: The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy. -John Galsworthy, author, Nobel laureate (14 Aug 1867-1933) *****August 18, 2020***** Clandestine : adj. 1. Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose. "The CIA maintains clandestine operations in many countries." Cognizable : 1 : capable of being judicially heard and determined; "The state also argued that the plaintiffs failed to show 'that they have suffered a cognizable burden to their right to vote' or that Florida’s election procedures are unconstitutional." — Dara Kam, The Naples (Florida) Daily News, 28 May 2020 fallacious : (adjective) Intended to deceive.; deceitful, fraudulent; In his closing argument, the prosecutor entreated the jurors not to fall for the defendant's fallacious testimony. zoonosis : noun: Any disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. ; "Disease control had been studied there since the founding ... various zoonoses, like the Marburg virus, that move from monkey to human." Karen Joy Fowler; We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves; Penguin; 2013. See more usage examples of zoonosis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have always supported measures and principles and not men. I have acted fearless and independent and I never will regret my course. I would rather be politically buried than to be hypocritically immortalized. -Davy Crockett, frontiersman, soldier, and politician (17 Aug 1786-1836) *****August 19, 2020***** Diatribe : n. 1. A bitter, sharply abusive denunciation, attack, or criticism: "Repeated diatribes against the candidates." Braggadocio : 1 a : empty boasting; "The musical numbers, all penned by Miranda, slide easily from the braggadocio of '90s rap to the lilt of Harlem jazz and beyond. Miraculously, nothing sounds excessively show-tuney." — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 June 2020 browbeat : (verb) Discourage or frighten with threats or a domineering manner; intimidate.; bully, swagger; The police attempted to browbeat me into revealing my accomplices, but I would never squeal on my friends. fomites : noun: Any inanimate object, such as a book, money, carpet, etc., that can transmit germs from one person to another. ; "Fomites were recognized back in 1763 when the British military sent blankets that were infested with smallpox to Indians, who contracted the disease from the blankets, many dying from the ensuing epidemic." Frederick Ross; A Deadly Thaw; FriesenPress; 2018. See more usage examples of fomites in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I've never been married, but I tell people I'm divorced so they won't think something's wrong with me. -Elayne Boosler, comedian (b. 18 Aug 1952) *****August 20, 2020***** Cavernous : adj. Resembling a cavern, as in depth, vastness, or effect: a cavernous hole; cavernous echoes. Dulcet : 1 : sweet to the taste; "James Blake has long been one of our favorite live performers, bringing his gentle, dulcet tenor and aching emotion to each and every concert." — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2020 superable : (adjective) Capable of being surmounted or excelled.; conquerable; Bankruptcy is unpleasant, to say the least, but it is a superable problem. asymptomatic : adjective: Not showing any symptoms of disease. ; "Greg is standing somewhat apart from the crowd. He tested positive for the disease earlier this week, and though he's asymptomatic he's come to observe the people he will soon be forced to join." Tony Burgess; The Bewdley Mayhem; ECW Press; 2014. See more usage examples of asymptomatic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I dreamt that my hair was kempt. Then I dreamt that my true love unkempt it. -Ogden Nash, poet (19 Aug 1902-1971) *****August 21, 2020***** Homogeneous : adj. 1. Uniform in structure or composition. 2. Of the same or similar nature or kind: "The corporation maintains tight-knit, homogeneous board members." specie : (noun) Coin money, as distinguished from bullion or paper money.; coinage, metal money, mintage; The king then descended and went himself to see the barrels of specie, in gold and silver, which ... four men had just rolled into a cellar. Typhoid Mary : noun: A person from whom a disease or something undesirable spreads. ; "I walked out of the ward wearing the surgical mask and kept it on for forty-eight hours to avoid becoming Typhoid Mary." Kenneth Schneyer; Life of the Author Plus Seventy; Analog Science Fiction & Fact (New York); Sep 2013. "Insomnia is a global pandemic whose Typhoid Mary was Thomas Edison, forcing fake sunlight into hours when ancient biology demands shut-eye." Dreamland: Adventures in the Strange Science of Sleep; The Scientist (Midland, Canada); Sep 2012. "One memorable time I'd actually shown up on my first day to find that the company had declared bankruptcy that morning. More than one person had suggested I was the Typhoid Mary of high tech." Margaret Dumas; The Balance Thing; HarperCollins; 2010. "She wasn't going to sit home on prom night the way she'd been doing so much lately. You'd think she was Typhoid Mary when it came to dates. So she wore her black strapless dress to the party and tried to pretend she was having a great time in the gymnasium." Ruth Jean Dale; Shane's Last Stand; Harlequin; 2013. Thought For The Day: If we were to wake up some morning and find that everyone was the same race, creed, and color, we would find some other cause for prejudice by noon. -George D. Aiken, US senator (20 Aug 1892-1984) *****August 22, 2020***** Ignominious : adj. Deserving or causing public disgrace or shame; humiliating: "An ignominious defeat." Exhort : 1 : to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly; "You'd think it was easy, making a little cube with dots, but it's hard to make a die that isn't biased. The foreman would walk up and down exhorting us: 'The fate of honest men and women lies in your hands. A single crooked die can ruin a man for life.'" — Margot Livesey, Banishing Verona, 2004 digress : (verb) Lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking.; divagate, stray, wander; I try not to digress too much during my lectures, but I am not always successful at avoiding tangential topics. vaccinate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To administer a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease. 2. To immunize against something. ; "'You're right. Laura and I are taking it slowly, that's all. She's come as a surprise to me.' 'Because you thought you'd vaccinated yourself against getting serious,' his father said sardonically." Janice Kay Johnson; To Love a Cop; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of vaccinate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There can be a new tomorrow / There can be a brighter day / There can be a new tomorrow / Love will find a way. -Jackie DeShannon, singer-songwriter (b. 21 Aug 1941) *****August 23, 2020***** Temerity : n. Excessive confidence or boldness; audacity: "No one had the temerity to question her decision." Parochial : 1 : of or relating to a church parish; The book is marred by the parochial viewpoint of its author, who fails to take into account the interplay between local and global economies. reconnoiter : (verb) To make a preliminary inspection of, especially in order to gather military information.; scout; I resolved to go out for a few minutes to reconnoiter, and make myself acquainted with any facilities for flight or hiding which the situation of the house might present. vaccinate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To administer a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease. 2. To immunize against something. ; "'You're right. Laura and I are taking it slowly, that's all. She's come as a surprise to me.' 'Because you thought you'd vaccinated yourself against getting serious,' his father said sardonically." Janice Kay Johnson; To Love a Cop; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of vaccinate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There can be a new tomorrow / There can be a brighter day / There can be a new tomorrow / Love will find a way. -Jackie DeShannon, singer-songwriter (b. 21 Aug 1941) *****August 24, 2020***** Colloquialism : n. 1. An informal word or phrase that is more common in conversation than in formal speech or writing. Colloquialisms can include words such as "gonna" and phrases such as "ain't nothin'" and "dead as a doornail." Forte : 1 : one's strong point; "Fried chicken is its forte, including spicy and boneless versions.… Its other specialty is breakfast…." — Tristan Navera, The Columbus (Ohio) Business First, 14 July 2020 nettlesome : (adjective) Causing irritation or annoyance.; annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, pesky, pestering, vexatious, plaguy, teasing, pestiferous; As punishment, I was given the nettlesome task of filling out each of the forms in triplicate. vaccinate : verb tr., intr.: 1. To administer a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease. 2. To immunize against something. ; "'You're right. Laura and I are taking it slowly, that's all. She's come as a surprise to me.' 'Because you thought you'd vaccinated yourself against getting serious,' his father said sardonically." Janice Kay Johnson; To Love a Cop; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of vaccinate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There can be a new tomorrow / There can be a brighter day / There can be a new tomorrow / Love will find a way. -Jackie DeShannon, singer-songwriter (b. 21 Aug 1941) *****August 25, 2020***** Egalitarian : adj. Affirming, promoting, or characterized by belief in equal political, economic, social, and civil rights for all people. Estival : : of or relating to the summer; "Horror stories are far more estival than autumnal. Before I ever read [Stephen] King, I learned to love being scared at summer camp, where the older kids would tell us ghost stories by campfire and flashlight. Horror ripens when the pole is tilted toward the sun—when school is out, children are unsupervised, heat makes people crazy, unexplored woods begin to beckon…." — Jeva Lange, The Week, 10 July 2019 stouthearted : (adjective) Brave; courageous.; stalwart; Undaunted by the storm, the stouthearted park ranger proceeded with his search for the missing hiker. cliticize : verb tr., intr.: To attach or become attached. ; "Say anything to me and I see her face; her name and image have been cliticized, in my mind as necessary adjuncts of life, birth, breath." John McManus; Stop Breakin Down; Picador; 2000. Thought For The Day: To fall in love is to create a religion that has a fallible god. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (24 Aug 1899-1986) *****August 26, 2020***** Bloviate : i.v. To speak or write at length in a pompous or boastful manner. Requite : 1 a : to make return for : repay; "Before [Steve Junga] was The Blade's inimitable authority on high school sports, he was a 7-year-old on the East Side in love with the Tigers, who in 1968 requited him by rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit against Bob Gibson and the Cardinals to win the World Series." — David Briggs, The Blade (Toledo, Ohio), 7 Apr. 2020 indolence : (noun) Inactivity resulting from a dislike of work.; laziness; She had set out at an early hour, but had lingered on the road, inclined by her indolence to believe that if she waited under a warm shed the snow would cease to fall. ordonnance : noun: The systematic arrangement of parts in art, literature, architecture, etc. ; "[Bishop Lancelot] Andrewes takes a word and derives the world from it; squeezing and squeezing the word until it yields a full juice of meaning which we should never have supposed any word to possess. In this process the qualities which we have mentioned, of ordonnance and precision, are exercised." William H. Pritchard; The Prose Eliot; The Hudson Review (New York); Spring 2015. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (b. 25 Aug 1949) *****August 27, 2020***** Rhetorical : adj. Of or relating to rhetoric. Characterized by language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous. Testimonial : 1 a : a statement testifying to benefits received; "According to research from UPS, … 40% [of Millennials] refer to online reviews and testimonials before purchasing a product…." — Bill McLoughlin, Furniture Today, 9 Dec. 2019 ingress : (noun) The act of going or coming in; an entering.; incoming, entrance; From the time elapsing between the ingress of the beast and the screams, it seems probable that it was not immediately perceived. settlor : noun: One who makes a settlement of property. ; "The settlor was one of Oliver's personal clients, and it was Oliver who advised him to make the settlement and did all the arrangements." Sarah Caudwell; The Sirens Sang of Murder; Collins; 1989. See more usage examples of settlor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 28, 2020***** Transitory : adj. 1. Not lasting, enduring, permanent, or eternal. 2.Lasting only a short time; brief; short-lived; temporary. "It was a transitory stage in the actor's career." Kindred : 1 : of a similar nature or character : like; "Osterholm over the last few decades has been part of expert panels addressing … infectious zoonotic viruses kindred to Covid-19 such as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)." — Todd Wilkinson, The Mountain Journal (Bozeman, Montana), 12 Apr. 2020 benignant : (adjective) Characterized by kindness and warm courtesy, especially of a king to his subjects.; gracious; Through just and even-handed governance, the benignant sovereign earned the loyalty of his subjects. exorcise : verb tr.: 1. To drive out something or someone undesirable, such as an evil spirit, malign influence, troubling feeling, etc. 2. To free a person or place of an evil spirit. ; "Chewing on her lower lip, she knew somehow, she had to exorcise her feelings for the young man before he took up permanent residence in her heart." Lizzie Starr; Keltic Design; Elizabeth Struble; 2016. "And voters have a White House to exorcise." Brian Dickerson; Donald Trump Suggests November Election Isn't Safe -- But He's the One in Trouble; Detroit Free Press; Jul 30, 2020. See more usage examples of exorcise in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road. -William Least Heat-Moon, travel writer (b. 27 Aug 1939) *****August 29, 2020***** Vicarious : adj. 1. Experienced in the imagination through the feelings or actions of another person: "A vicarious thrill." 2. Acting or done for another: "A vicarious atonement." Undertaker : 1 : one who undertakes : one who takes the risk and management of business : entrepreneur ; The undertaker offered the family several choices of coffins for the burial service. febrifuge : (noun) Any medicine that lowers body temperature to prevent or alleviate fever.; antipyretic; The doctor gave me a febrifuge to take if my temperature spiked. equipollent : adjective: Equal in power, force, effect, etc. ; "[Sebright] locked gazes with Neale in a silent, furious battle of equipollent wills." Michael P. Kube-McDowell; Enigma; Berkley Books; 1986. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers, and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****August 30, 2020***** Assuage : v. 1. To make milder or less severe; relieve; ease; mitigate: "to assuage one's pain." 2. to appease, satisfy, or relieve: "To assuage one's hunger." 3. to soothe or calm: "To assuage his fears;" "To assuage her anger." Asunder : 1 : into parts; "Though they sip their port in close contiguity, they are poles asunder in their minds and feelings." — Anthony Trollope, The Small House at Allington, 1862 mucilaginous : (adjective) Having the sticky properties of an adhesive.; gluey, glutinous, gummy, sticky, viscous, pasty; I attempted to recreate the delectable-looking homemade marshmallows featured in the magazine but succeeded only in making a mucilaginous mess. equipollent : adjective: Equal in power, force, effect, etc. ; "[Sebright] locked gazes with Neale in a silent, furious battle of equipollent wills." Michael P. Kube-McDowell; Enigma; Berkley Books; 1986. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers, and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****August 31, 2020***** Cadge : : beg, sponge; "Reiner had his car and was driving to Manhattan to drop the book off to his editor. Wouk cadged a ride in, and Reiner took him up on his polite offer to read it." — Frank Lovece, Newsday (Long Island, New York), 30 June 2020 conjuration : (noun) Calling up a spirit or devil.; invocation; The mother felt like one who has evoked a spirit, but, by some irregularity in the process of conjuration, has failed to win the master-word that should control this new and incomprehensible intelligence. equipollent : adjective: Equal in power, force, effect, etc. ; "[Sebright] locked gazes with Neale in a silent, furious battle of equipollent wills." Michael P. Kube-McDowell; Enigma; Berkley Books; 1986. Thought For The Day: If only the sun-drenched celebrities are being noticed and worshiped, then our children are going to have a tough time seeing the value in the shadows, where the thinkers, probers, and scientists are keeping society together. -Rita Dove, poet (b. 28 Aug 1952) *****September 01, 2020***** Vacillate : v. Alternate or waver between different opinions or actions; be indecisive. "Her tendency to vacillate made her a poor director." Longanimity : : a disposition to bear injuries patiently : forbearance; The fans continue to show their longanimity by coming back year after year to cheer on the perpetually losing team. ruminate : (verb) Reflect deeply on a subject.; meditate, mull over, muse, ponder, chew over, think over, excogitate, speculate, contemplate; When Prince Bladud had been shut up in the lofty turret for the greater part of a year …, he naturally began to ruminate on a plan of escape. wheel horse : noun: 1. Someone responsible and diligent, especially one who bears the biggest share of burden in a group. 2. A horse harnessed closest to the front wheel(s) of a carriage. ; "Germany is widely viewed as the economic wheel horse of the EU and, in that sense, is on the hook." Greece's Turmoil: Wall Street's Role in the Crisis Should Be Revealed; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Mar 4, 2010. "[Chris Pronger] is the wheel horse of a defensive side that smothers high-flying offences." David Shoalts; Immovable Net-Front Object, Meet Irresistible Blueline Force; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 28, 2010. See more usage examples of wheel horse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly. -Charles Reznikoff, poet (31 Aug 1894-1976) *****September 02, 2020***** Tenacious : adj. 1. Not readily letting go of, giving up, or separated from an object that one holds, a position, or a principle: "A tenacious hold." 2. Not easily dispelled or discouraged; persisting in existence or in a course of action: "A tenacious legend." Allusion : 1 : an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; also : the use of such references; "The learning by rote and the endeavours to remember the complex prosodic structures of Shakespearean verses also stretch the muscles of the mind. The speeches are all dramatic, full of emotional appeal and inclusive of several allusions to Greco-Roman mythology. One thinks of these allusions and wonders about their meanings or metaphoric resonances." — Sophie Barry, Business World, 17 June 2020 speculative : (adjective) Showing curiosity.; inquisitive, wondering, questioning; He raised a speculative eyebrow but said nothing about her earlier absence, suspecting that she would not want to discuss it in front of their hosts. Caballine or caballine : adjective: 1. Giving inspiration. 2. Relating to horses. ; "In memory of which nobody is now matriculated in the said University of Poitiers unless he has drunk from the Caballine fountain of Croustelles." François Rabelais (Translation: M.A. Screech); Gargantua and Pantagruel; 1938. Thought For The Day: The less a statesman amounts to, the more he loves the flag. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 03, 2020***** Pundit : n. 1. Somebody who expresses an opinion: somebody who acts as a critic or authority on a particular subject, especially in the media. "The election results threw the political pundits into confusion." 2. Somebody wise: somebody with knowledge and wisdom. Pediculous : : infested with lice : lousy; All of the campers in the cabin had to be checked for lice when one boy’s sleeping bag was discovered to be pediculous. inundate : (verb) Fill quickly beyond capacity; as with a liquid.; deluge, flood, swamp; If we inundate the senator's office with letters of protest, we are certain to get her attention. horse's mouth : noun: The original or authentic source of some information. ; "Mrs Bates was fishing. She knew full well that he and Lula had been seeing each other -- she just wanted confirmation from the horse's mouth." Louisa Heaton; His Perfect Bride?; Harlequin; 2015. Thought For The Day: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) *****September 04, 2020***** Juxtapose : tr.v. 1. To place side by side, especially for comparison or contrast. "The exhibition juxtaposes Picasso's early drawings with some of his later works." Matriculate : 1 : to enroll as a member of a body and especially of a college or university ; A spokesperson for the college said the school is expected to matriculate approximately 1,000 students for the fall semester. diadem : (noun) An ornamental jeweled headdress signifying sovereignty.; crown; Standing upright within the chariot was a beautiful girl clothed in flowing robes of silver gauze and wearing a jeweled diadem upon her dainty head. chivalrous : adjective: Having qualities of chivalry, such as courtesy, honor, bravery, gallantry, etc. ; "Having been ensnared by talk of work as 'fashion models' or 'dancers', a growing number of such women are rescued by semi-chivalrous male customers, who alert the police." A Tragic Crossroads; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 16, 2008. See more usage examples of chivalrous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A harbor, even if it is a little harbor, is a good thing, since adventurers come into it as well as go out, and the life in it grows strong, because it takes something from the world, and has something to give in return. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) *****September 05, 2020***** Agnostic : n. A person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena. Docile : 1 : easily taught; "The zoo has one bearded dragon, dubbed Six because that number was painted on its back when it arrived…. Six is not on public exhibit but because it's friendly and docile, the bearded dragon is an ambassador in the zoo's Wild Connections animal encounter program." — Meg Jones, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2020 prefatory : (adjective) Serving as an introduction or preface.; introductory; Without wasting a moment in prefatory words of any sort, I entered on my narrative. cock-horse : adverb: Mounted with a leg on each side. noun: A hobby horse. ; "'Do you want to ride a cock-horse today, Johnny?' she asked." Jak. E. Rander; An Eye for an Eye; Xlibris; 2012. Thought For The Day: In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. -Ivan Illich, philosopher and priest (4 Sep 1926-2002) *****September 06, 2020***** Vacuous : adj. Having or showing a lack of thought or intelligence; mindless: "a vacuous smile." Heyday : : the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity; "The theater engaged Mr. Leslie ‘Les' Jones to build and paint the sets. He was in his early sixties when I arrived—he'd been a legendary scene painter during the heyday of vaudeville." — Kate Bornstein, A Queer and Present Danger, 2012 hogwash : (noun) Worthless, false, or ridiculous speech or writing; nonsense.; bunkum, guff, rot; The entire article is hogwash, and I demand that you print a retraction posthaste! cock-horse : adverb: Mounted with a leg on each side. noun: A hobby horse. ; "'Do you want to ride a cock-horse today, Johnny?' she asked." Jak. E. Rander; An Eye for an Eye; Xlibris; 2012. Thought For The Day: In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. -Ivan Illich, philosopher and priest (4 Sep 1926-2002) *****September 07, 2020***** Garrulous : adj. Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters. "A garrulous reprimand." Colloquial : 1 a : used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also : unacceptably informal; The author can switch from formal academic language to a charmingly colloquial style, depending on the audience and subject of her writing. adjoin : (verb) Lie adjacent to another or share a boundary.; abut, edge, border, march; Canada adjoins the United States. cock-horse : adverb: Mounted with a leg on each side. noun: A hobby horse. ; "'Do you want to ride a cock-horse today, Johnny?' she asked." Jak. E. Rander; An Eye for an Eye; Xlibris; 2012. Thought For The Day: In a consumer society there are inevitably two kinds of slaves: the prisoners of addiction and the prisoners of envy. -Ivan Illich, philosopher and priest (4 Sep 1926-2002) *****September 08, 2020***** Insolent : adj. Showing a rude or arrogant lack of respect. "The child's insolent behavior was unacceptable." Plaudit : 1 : an act or round of applause; "For all of the accolades, and two Grammys she's won, this might be the song and album that finally earns McKenna the plaudits her vocals also richly deserve." — Jay N. Miller, The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Massachusetts), 22 July 2020 chaparral : (noun) Dense vegetation consisting of stunted trees or bushes.; scrub, bush; Only the canyons were wooded, while the higher and more distant hills were furry with chaparral. Ballardian : adjective: Relating to a dystopian world, especially one characterized by social and environmental degradation, assisted by technology. ; "'Bunker', self-evidently a work for our times, shimmers with a Ballardian imagery of disaster and melt-down." Ian Thomson; Bunker: Building for the End Times by Bradley Garrett - Review; The Spectator (London, UK); Aug 22, 2020. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 09, 2020***** Innervate : v. To stimulate or supply nervous energy. Impregnable : 1 : incapable of being taken by assault : unconquerable; "The castle was built on the corner of a great rock, so that on three sides it was quite impregnable…." — Bram Stoker, Dracula, 1897 preponderate : (verb) To be greater than something else, as in power, force, quantity, or importance; predominate.; overbalance, outweigh; In balancing his faults with his perfections, the latter seemed rather to preponderate. griselda : noun: A meek and patient woman. ; "Quite evidently she is not a Griselda, but possessed with a shocking desire to exculpate herself and her friends." Harriet Beecher Stowe; Lady Byron Vindicated; Boston, Fields, Osgood, & Co.; 1870. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 10, 2020***** Decadent : n. A person who is luxuriously self-indulgent. (adj.) Characterized by or reflecting a state of decay or cultural decline, as in being self-indulgent or morally corrupt. Bunkum : : insincere or foolish talk : nonsense; I hesitated to voice my opinions, fearful that my companions would deride my views as bunkum. stopgap : (noun) An improvised substitute for something lacking; a temporary expedient.; make-do, makeshift; This is not an acceptable long term solution, just a stopgap. Homeric : adjective 1. Relating to Homer, his works, or his time. 2. Epic; large-scale; heroic. ; "During the summer holidays, my school friends and I played Homeric games of hide-and-seek that lasted for weeks and covered the whole of Shanghai." J.G. Ballard; The Kindness of Women; HarperCollins; 1991. See more usage examples of Homeric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On seeing weather-beaten trees: Is it as plainly in our living shown, / By slant and twist, which way the wind hath blown?- Adelaide Crapsey, poet (9 Sep 1878-1914) *****September 11, 2020***** Didactic : adj. (1) Intended to teach, particularly in having moral instruction as an ulterior motive. (2) In the manner of a teacher, particularly so as to treat someone in a patronizing way. "The didactic speech influenced the weaker members of the audience." Encumber : 1 : weigh down, burden; "Those who do handle radioactive material must first don protective suits that are inherently cumbersome and are further encumbered by the air hoses needed to allow the wearer to breathe." — The Economist, 20 June 2019 prodigality : (noun) The trait of spending extravagantly.; profligacy, extravagance; She spent her first half-year's dividend from the Venice Hotel Company, with characteristic prodigality, in presents for the children. Juno : noun: A woman of stately bearing and beauty. ; Juno was the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth in Roman mythology. She was the sister and wife of Jupiter. He was known for chasing women and that did not make Juno very happy. As a result, the name Juno is sometimes also used as a synonym for a jealous woman. Thought For The Day: The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best -- and therefore never scrutinize or question. -Stephen Jay Gould, paleontologist, biologist, and author (10 Sep 1941-2002) *****September 12, 2020***** Masticate : v. To chew (as in food). To reduce to pulp by crushing, grinding or kneading. "The patient was unwilling to masticate or swallow his food." Ruddy : 1 : having a healthy reddish color; "There was a stout man with a ruddy complexion, a merchant probably, half asleep." — Elif Shafak, The Architect’s Apprentice, 2014 privation : (noun) Lack of the basic necessities or comforts of life.; neediness, want; They endured years of privation during the war and were used to going without. Pavlovian : adjective: Relating to a conditioned or predictable response; automatic; involuntary. ; "It wasn't that I actively disliked football, it was more a Pavlovian response to having spent every weekend travelling from stadium to stadium for five long years with my ex." Lindsey Kelk; One in a Million; HarperCollins; 2018. See more usage examples of Pavlovian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 13, 2020***** Lascivious : adj. Feeling or revealing an overt and often offensive sexual desire. "He gave her a lascivious wink." Inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd. "The lascivious old man." Foment : : to promote the growth or development of : rouse, incite; Rumors that the will was a fake fomented a lot of bitterness between the two families. hilarity : (noun) Great merriment.; glee, mirthfulness; When she was gone, I felt as if there was to be no more fun—though it is difficult to say what she had contributed to the hilarity of the party. Pavlovian : adjective: Relating to a conditioned or predictable response; automatic; involuntary. ; "It wasn't that I actively disliked football, it was more a Pavlovian response to having spent every weekend travelling from stadium to stadium for five long years with my ex." Lindsey Kelk; One in a Million; HarperCollins; 2018. See more usage examples of Pavlovian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 14, 2020***** Superfluous : adj. Unnecessary, being beyond what is required or sufficient. "The repeated warnings were superfluous." "Superfluous details." Verbiage : 1 : a profusion of words usually of little or obscure content; "One resident … said during a virtual focus group that a lot of his community was concerned reading the changes of verbiage from 'flood control task force' to 'infrastructure resilience.'" — Paul Wedding, The Houston Chronicle, 31 Jul. 2020 perjury : (noun) Criminal offense of making false statements under oath.; bearing false witness, lying under oath; After evidence of my innocence came to light, the so-called witness who testified against me was arrested on charges of perjury. Pavlovian : adjective: Relating to a conditioned or predictable response; automatic; involuntary. ; "It wasn't that I actively disliked football, it was more a Pavlovian response to having spent every weekend travelling from stadium to stadium for five long years with my ex." Lindsey Kelk; One in a Million; HarperCollins; 2018. See more usage examples of Pavlovian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 15, 2020***** Paradox : n. A statement or proposition that seems self-contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth. An opinion or statement contrary to commonly accepted opinion, but may be factual. Purport : 1 : to have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming (something implied or inferred); also : claim; "One study at M.I.T. purported to show that the subway was a superspreader early in the pandemic, but its methodology was widely disputed." — Christina Goldbaum, The New York Times, 2 Aug. 2020 ho-hum : (adjective) So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.; boring, deadening, irksome, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dull, slow; Lectures on human psychology always pique my interest, but this ho-hum speaker put me right to sleep. toxophily : noun: The practice of, love of, or addiction to, archery. ; "The archers stiffened under his intolerant gaze. I say intolerant because that Seg surely was when it came to matters concerning toxophily." Alan Burt Akers; The Lohvian Cycle II; Bladud Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest", but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2020***** Endemic : adj. Native to a specific region or environment and not occurring naturally anywhere else. "Malaria is endemic in tropical climates." (n.) An endemic plant or animal. Sisyphean : : of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort; "I felt stuck in a Sisyphean loop, writing the same press release over and over. Even more, I was tired of promoting other people's creations instead of creating something myself." — Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni, 2013 mincing : (adjective) Affectedly dainty or refined.; dainty, niminy-piminy, prim, twee; And the prince, imagining that he was mimicking his wife, made a mincing curtsey at each word. supercargo : noun: 1. An officer on a merchant ship who is in charge of the cargo. 2. A superintendent or an agent. ; "Thurso carries a passenger nobody sees but himself, a kind of divine supercargo who relays messages from some more abstract deity." Barry Unsworth; Sacred Hunger; Hamish Hamilton; 1992. "Robert Campbell of the University of Rhode Island, one of Healey's supercargo of scientists, outlined the details." Awakening; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 14, 2015. See more usage examples of supercargo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understand this, I mean to arrive at the truth. The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it. -Agatha Christie, author (15 Sep 1890-1976) *****September 17, 2020***** Atrocious : adj. Horrifyingly wicked: "Atrocious cruelties." Of a very poor quality; extremely bad or unpleasant: "Atrocious weather." Cronyism : : partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications; "From the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the New Deal, America's national parties retained their incoherence because most of the important political power was at the state and local level…. Some states and cities were better governed than others, and there was plenty of cronyism and corruption throughout the country, but the stakes of national elections were lower than today." — Lee Drutman, The Cato Policy Report (The Cato Institute), July/August 2020 greenhorn : (noun) A newcomer, especially one who is unfamiliar with the ways of a place or group.; novice, beginner, apprentice, naïf, learner, ingénue, tyro, newbie, neophyte; I am a bit of a greenhorn in the kitchen, but I am a fast learner and expect to be cooking like a pro in no time. votive : adjective: Relating to a vow, wish, desire, etc. ; "Prehistoric reverence for watery places might suggest that the shield was deposited there as a votive gift to the gods -- potentially after a successful battle." David Keys; Ancient Celtic Warriors Perfected Bouncy Shields; The Independent (London, UK); May 24, 2019. See more usage examples of votive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are? -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 18, 2020***** Abysmal : adj. Extremely bad; appalling. "The results were pretty abysmal;" "Abysmal failure." Limpid : 1 a : marked by transparency : pellucid; "She leaned toward him, entreaty in her eyes, and as he looked at her delicate face and into her pure, limpid eyes, as of old he was struck with his own unworthiness." — Jack London, Martin Eden, 1909 lummox : (noun) A clumsy or stupid person.; gawk, goon, lout, lubber, oaf, stumblebum, clod, lump; The beefy lummox blundered through the buffet line, knocking aside countless other patrons in his rush to fill his plate. verbigerate : verb intr.: To obsessively repeat meaningless words and phrases. ; "Then she started verbigerating 'Hallelujah' for hours." C.G. Jung; Collected Works of C.G. Jung: Psychogenesis of Mental Disease, Vol 3; Princeton University Press; 1960. "[Raymond Poincare] never varied his ideas, seldom his expressions; for his whole term in 1922-24 he went on stubbornly verbigerating in the face of history." Vincent Sheean; Personal History; Doubleday; 1935. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get the news from poems yet men die miserably every day for lack of what is found there. -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 19, 2020***** Fractious : adj. (1) Easily irritated; bad-tempered: "they fight and squabble like fractious kids." (2) (of an organization) Difficult to control; unruly. Delve : 1 :  to dig or labor with or as if with a spade; "'My brother and I,' said he, 'were, as you may imagine, much excited as to the treasure which my father had spoken of. For weeks and for months we dug and delved in every part of the garden, without discovering its whereabouts.'" — Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four, 1890 happenstance : (noun) A chance circumstance.; coincidence; Marriage loomed only as an outgrowth of happenstance; you met a person. recreant : adjective:1. Unfaithful to a cause, duty, person, belief, etc.  2. Cowardly. noun:1. A disloyal person.  2. A coward. ; "Here are some of the lovely closing lines of 'Fever' -- about a father of two young children abandoned by his recreant wife -- as he waves goodbye to a nanny who can no longer help him." William Giraldi; 'This Life Is Not Easy': The Redemption of Raymond Carver; Commonweal (New York); May 3, 2019. See more usage examples of recreant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 20, 2020***** Austerity : n. (1) Sternness or severity of manner or attitude. (2) Extreme plainness and simplicity of style or appearance. Fountainhead : 1 : a spring that is the source of a stream; "For all that Paradise Valley represents as a fountainhead of visual awe, the living is not easy for those who steward its most coveted, valuable and threatened asset—its open space, [Whitney Tilt] asserts." — Todd Wilkinson, The Mountain Journal (Bozeman, Montana), 30 July 2020 apportion : (verb) Give out as one's portion or share.; divvy up, share, deal; It is not for us men to apportion the shares of moral guilt and retribution. recreant : adjective:1. Unfaithful to a cause, duty, person, belief, etc.  2. Cowardly. noun:1. A disloyal person.  2. A coward. ; "Here are some of the lovely closing lines of 'Fever' -- about a father of two young children abandoned by his recreant wife -- as he waves goodbye to a nanny who can no longer help him." William Giraldi; 'This Life Is Not Easy': The Redemption of Raymond Carver; Commonweal (New York); May 3, 2019. See more usage examples of recreant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 21, 2020***** Luminous : adj. Bright or shining, esp. in the dark. Glowing with health, vigor, or a particular emotion: "Her eyes were luminous with joy." Ubiquitous : : existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread; "Within China, WeChat is ubiquitous, serving as an all-in-one app that's important for making payments and even for displaying someone's coronavirus test results." — David Ingram, NBCNews.com, 7 Aug. 2020 ebullition : (noun) An unrestrained expression of emotion.; effusion, outburst, blowup, gush; The count bit his lips till the blood almost started, to prevent the ebullition of anger which his proud and irritable temper scarcely allowed him to restrain. recreant : adjective:1. Unfaithful to a cause, duty, person, belief, etc.  2. Cowardly. noun:1. A disloyal person.  2. A coward. ; "Here are some of the lovely closing lines of 'Fever' -- about a father of two young children abandoned by his recreant wife -- as he waves goodbye to a nanny who can no longer help him." William Giraldi; 'This Life Is Not Easy': The Redemption of Raymond Carver; Commonweal (New York); May 3, 2019. See more usage examples of recreant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (18 Sep 1709-1784) *****September 22, 2020***** Mitigate : v. (1) Make less severe, serious, or painful: "he wanted to mitigate the damages in court." (2) Lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake). Juncture : 1 : a point of time; especially : one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances; "At this juncture in the editing process," said Philip, "it is important that all facts have been double-checked and sources verified." chivvy : (verb) Annoy continually or chronically.; beset, harass, harry, hassle, molest, plague, provoke; The senator is very demanding and is reputed to endlessly chivvy her staff to work harder. fancy-pants : noun: Someone attractive, silly, or pretentious. adjective: Snobbish; pretentious; newfangled; overly complicated. ; "Let's concentrate on the ones that make it, not waste space on some damn fancy-pants New Yorker who wants to make a big splash by dragging her old ideas to a new location." Lucy Burdette; Death with All the Trimmings; Obsidian; 2014. "Well, it's not as accurate as DNA testing, but hey, it's what they used to use before all these fancy-pants tests." B.J. Daniels; A Woman with a Mystery; Harlequin; 2001. Thought For The Day: Good books don't give up all their secrets at once. -Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947) *****September 23, 2020***** Determinate : adj. Having exact and discernible limits or form. Operose : : tedious, wearisome; "Reading this biography reminded me that Lawrence's prose, though old-fashioned and a bit operose, is full of beautiful things." — Matthew Walther, The Spectator, 11 Oct. 2014 beseech : (verb) Ask for or request earnestly.; adjure, entreat, conjure, bid, press; Daddy, I beseech you to stop smoking before it is too late. shirtsleeve : adjective: 1. Relating to pleasant warm weather. 2. Informal; direct. 3. Hardworking; having a can-do attitude. ; "On a shirtsleeves October evening, it was possibly written in the stars." Chris Irvine; Grand Finale for Wane; Sunday Times (London, UK); Oct 14, 2018. "This shirtsleeve diplomacy seems to work." The Election: 100% United; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Apr 8, 2005. See more usage examples of shirtsleeve in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket, and do not pull it out and strike it merely to show you have one. If you are asked what o'clock it is, tell it, but do not proclaim it hourly and unasked, like the watchman. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2020***** Divergence : n. (1) A difference or conflict in opinions, interests, wishes, etc. (2) The process or state of diverging. Crabwise : 1 : sideways; "Covered in river scum, hair hanging down his forehead like oily kelp, he found his way to the hold, clambering on hands and knees, inching crabwise over rough-hewn wooden boards, and picking his way past intriguing crates of explorer supplies to find the out-of-view spot he'd settled on during his reconnaissance mission nine days before." — Laurie Gwen Shapiro, Outside, 24 Jan. 2018 vexatious : (adjective) Causing irritation or annoyance.; annoying, bothersome, galling, irritating, nettlesome, pesky, pestering, plaguey, teasing, pestiferous; Our new acquaintance had become involved in a vexatious difficulty with his pipe which had suddenly betrayed his trust and disappointed his anticipation of self-indulgence. trouser role : noun: In opera, drama, film, etc.: 1. A role in which a female character pretends to be a male. 2. A male part played by a female actor. Also known as a breeches role or a pants role. ; "'Ms. Sonnier will be singing the part of Romeo.' I paused, playing back the sentence in my mind. 'Romeo?' 'That's correct, sir. It's a trouser role.'" Reed Arvin; The Last Goodbye; HarperCollins; 2009. Thought For The Day: The radical novelty of modern science lies precisely in the rejection of the belief ... that the forces which move the stars and atoms are contingent upon the preferences of the human heart. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 25, 2020***** Propitious : adj. (1) Indicating a good chance of success; favorable. "It was a propitious time to leave the party without offending the host." (2) Favorably disposed toward someone. Nepotism : : favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship; It was strongly believed that nepotism played a role in helping Jessica get the sales manager position at her cousin's store. misgiving : (noun) (Often plural) A feeling of uncertainty, apprehension, or doubt.; unease, worry, anxiety, suspicion, reservation, hesitation, distrust, qualm, trepidation, scruple, dubiety; Within all was dark; but she entered as freely and with as little misgiving or restraint as if it had been broad daylight. brownshirt : noun: A member of police or military trained for carrying out a sudden assault, especially one marked by brutality and violence. ; "All the windows had already been smashed, and a brownshirt with a sledgehammer was dementedly swinging it against the heavy doors. All this was lit by the bonfire in front of the building, which other storm troopers kept refueling with stuff brought out from within." David Downing; Diary of a Dead Man on Leave; Soho Press; 2019. See more usage examples of brownshirt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In my youth I thought of writing a satire on mankind; but now in my age I think I should write an apology for them. -Horace Walpole, novelist and essayist (24 Sep 1717-1797) *****September 26, 2020***** Tactile : adj. (1) Of or connected with the sense of touch. (2) Perceptible by touch or apparently so; tangible: "A tactile keyboard." Translucent : 1 : permitting the passage of light:; "The dish starts with the gentle, slow sweating of diced onions. Once the onions are translucent, the minced garlic and jalapeno get added to the pot." — Anita L. Arambula, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2020 iniquity : (noun) Morally objectionable behavior.; evil, wickedness, immorality; Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon them ... and discovered their hoarded iniquity of deed or thought. seat-of-the-pants : adjective: 1. Using experience, instinct, or guesswork as opposed to methodical planning. 2. Done without instruments. ; "In a sprint race, he likely wouldn't do all that well against seat-of-the-pants racers. But make it a test of endurance, which 500 miles most definitely is, and a calm/steady approach could prove to be the right way." Norris McDonald; Methodical Racer Kellett Takes Aim at Indy 500; Toronto Star (Canada); Aug 22, 2020. Thought For The Day: I will not play at tug o' war. / I'd rather play at hug o' war, / Where everyone hugs instead of tugs. -Shel Silverstein, writer (25 Sep 1930-1999) *****September 27, 2020***** Facetious : adj. Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant. Emollient : : something that softens or soothes; "It was a nasal emollient called Ponaris. It was once, the packaging advertised, a NASA staple—included in the agency's medical space kit on every Apollo mission.… The package promised that it would help rose fever, which I'd become convinced I had gotten from all that potpourri, so I bought it." — Chantel Tattoli, The Strategist, 18 May 2020 asinine : (adjective) Utterly stupid or silly.; fatuous, inane, vacuous, mindless; The class clown's asinine behavior in the classroom landed him, once again, in detention. seat-of-the-pants : adjective: 1. Using experience, instinct, or guesswork as opposed to methodical planning. 2. Done without instruments. ; "In a sprint race, he likely wouldn't do all that well against seat-of-the-pants racers. But make it a test of endurance, which 500 miles most definitely is, and a calm/steady approach could prove to be the right way." Norris McDonald; Methodical Racer Kellett Takes Aim at Indy 500; Toronto Star (Canada); Aug 22, 2020. Thought For The Day: I will not play at tug o' war. / I'd rather play at hug o' war, / Where everyone hugs instead of tugs. -Shel Silverstein, writer (25 Sep 1930-1999) *****September 28, 2020***** Existential : adj. (1) Of or relating to existence. (2) Concerned with existence, esp. human existence as viewed in the theories of existentialism. "An existential threat." Rambunctious : : marked by uncontrollable exuberance : unruly; When the kids get a bit too rambunctious, the parents sit them down for a time-out. elegy : (noun) A mournful poem; a lament for the dead.; lament, requiem, dirge; Standing beside his departed friend's casket, Mike delivered a moving elegy that brought everyone in the room to tears. seat-of-the-pants : adjective: 1. Using experience, instinct, or guesswork as opposed to methodical planning. 2. Done without instruments. ; "In a sprint race, he likely wouldn't do all that well against seat-of-the-pants racers. But make it a test of endurance, which 500 miles most definitely is, and a calm/steady approach could prove to be the right way." Norris McDonald; Methodical Racer Kellett Takes Aim at Indy 500; Toronto Star (Canada); Aug 22, 2020. Thought For The Day: I will not play at tug o' war. / I'd rather play at hug o' war, / Where everyone hugs instead of tugs. -Shel Silverstein, writer (25 Sep 1930-1999) *****September 29, 2020***** Caprice : n. A sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior. Abstain : 1 : to choose not to do or have something : to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice; "For more than a hundred and fifty days a year, Ethiopian Orthodox Christians abstain from animal products, in accordance with religious fasting." — Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 17 July 2020 presumptuous : (adjective) Excessively forward.; assumptive; You might think it presumptuous of me to offer you relationship advice when we barely even know each other, but please hear me out. Pactolian : adjective: Golden; lavish. ; "Governmental support of science was not yet Pactolian, but the well-connected Pasteur never had to stop research for lack of funds." H.W. Paul; Science, Vine, and Wine in Modern France; Cambridge University Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: There is always more goodness in the world than there appears to be, because goodness is of its very nature modest and retiring. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****September 30, 2020***** Indolent; Indolence : n. Having or showing a disposition to avoid exertion; slothful, lazy: "an indolent person." Gauntlet : 1 : a glove worn with medieval armor to protect the hand; "No, Jack answered. He stared up at the advancing knight, and his hand wrapped itself tightly around the guitar-pick in his pocket. The spike-studded gauntlets came up toward the visor of its bird-helmet. They raised it." — Stephen King and Peter Straub, The Talisman, 1984 fisticuffs : (noun) Fighting with the fists.; boxing, pugilism; We used to settle our arguments with fisticuffs, but now that we are mature adults, we talk out our differences instead of punching each other. Jedburgh justice : noun: Punishment before trial. ; "A Black defendant is presumed guilty and he or she has a legal duty to prove his or her innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt. There are still no guarantees, however. This is Jedburgh justice." Alton H Maddox, Jr.; FDR's "Raw Deal and Blacks"; New York Amsterdam News; Jun 14, 2007. Thought For The Day: No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2020***** Salacious : adj. Treating sexual matters in an indecent way. Lustful; lecherous: "A salacious grin." Sinuous : 1 a : of a serpentine or wavy form : winding; The hikers followed a sinuous path that curved around a lake and in between two small hills. abnegation : (noun) Renunciation of your own interests in favor of the interests of others.; self-denial; The monks took to abnegation and scourging as expiation for the sins of the world. Derwenter : noun: An ex-convict. ; "A visitor to the tent of a pair of newlyweds at Forest Creek found the digger's wife ... barely sober enough to utter these memorable words, 'I'm a Derwenter, and I don't care who knows it.'" Robyn Annear; Nothing But Gold; Text Publishing; 1999. Thought For The Day: No human being is illegal. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) *****October 02, 2020***** Alchemy : n. 1. A power or process of transforming something common into something special. 2. An inexplicable or mysterious process by which paradoxical results are achieved with no obvious rational explanation. Inordinate : 1 : exceeding reasonable limits : immoderate; "The goalie in hockey, like a quarterback in football, has an inordinate amount of influence on a game." — Dave Hyde, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 31 July 2020 poltroon : (noun) An abject coward.; craven, recreant; What a miserable little poltroon had fear, engendered of unjust punishment, made of me in those days. palouser : noun: 1. Strong, dangerous winds. 2. An improvised lantern. 3. A country bumpkin. ; "But with the impetus of a palouser ... these fires converged into one and then burned ferociously for two days." Larry Sears; The Big Burn; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Oct 6, 2009. "When we got opposite the camp we couldn't see nothing at all, and I hollered for someone to come out with a palouser and light us in to camp." Elers Koch; Forty Years a Forester; University of Nebraska Press; 2019. Thought For The Day: A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. -Jimmy Carter, 39th US President, Nobel laureate (b. 1 Oct 1924) *****October 03, 2020***** Vitriol; Vitriolic : n. Cruel, bitter, scathing criticism; Abusive feeling or expression. "A vitriolic tone of voice." Pachyderm : : any of various nonruminant mammals (such as an elephant, a rhinoceros, or a hippopotamus) of a former group (Pachydermata) that have hooves or nails resembling hooves and usually thick skin; especially : elephant; "'Rhino births are significant events at the Zoo so we are thrilled to share news of Niki's pregnancy and cannot wait to welcome this new addition to our herd,' said Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo curator of pachyderms." — The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City), 15 Feb. 2020 brusque : (adjective) Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt.; curt, short, gruff; I did not think of asking him for details, and he told me the story roughly in brusque, disconnected sentences. scamander : verb intr.: To take a winding course. ; "She was scamandering about, touching articles with her fingers." Jamie O'Neill; At Swim, Two Boys; Scribner; 2002. Thought For The Day: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2020***** Capacious : adj. Having a lot of space inside; roomy. "A capacious closet." Enhance : : heighten, increase; especially : to increase or improve in value, quality, desirability, or attractiveness; The newspaper company had hoped that including more full-color illustrations and adding extra news features would enhance its product and reverse the decline in circulation. lighthearted : (adjective) Not being burdened by trouble, worry, or care; happy and carefree.; lightsome, blithe; We knew that things were hard for our Bohemian neighbors, but the two girls were lighthearted and never complained. scamander : verb intr.: To take a winding course. ; "She was scamandering about, touching articles with her fingers." Jamie O'Neill; At Swim, Two Boys; Scribner; 2002. Thought For The Day: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 05, 2020***** Predacious : adj. Predatory; Given to victimizing, plundering, or destroying for one's own gain. "A victim of predacious behavior." Meliorism : : the belief that the world tends to improve and that humans can aid its betterment; "Meliorism is that comfortable midway point between pessimism and optimism, wherein its possessor conceives of her actions as capable of bringing about a better future." — Will Self, Prospect, 12 July 2019 advisement : (noun) Careful consideration.; weighing, deliberation; The petition was taken under advisement. scamander : verb intr.: To take a winding course. ; "She was scamandering about, touching articles with her fingers." Jamie O'Neill; At Swim, Two Boys; Scribner; 2002. Thought For The Day: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 06, 2020***** Vitiate : v. Spoil or impair the quality or efficiency of. "The government programs were vitiated by excessive red tape." Destroy or impair the legal validity of. Appreciable : : capable of being perceived or measured; "In fact, frozen water molecules detected at both poles have no appreciable order to their arrangement…." — NASA.gov, 22 July 2020 discombobulate : (verb) To throw into a state of confusion.; befuddle, confound, confuse, fox, bedevil, fuddle, throw; The student's surprising question discombobulated the teacher, who found herself tongue-tied for the first time in her career. unicorn : noun: 1. A mythical horse-like creature with a horn on the forehead. 2. Something or someone rare or unusual: highly desirable but hard or impossible to find. 3. A startup valued at one billion dollars or more. ; "The network president, Tina Perry, called the show 'a unicorn in the TV universe'." Leigh-Ann Jackson; 'Black Love' Keeps It Simple: Honesty, not Antics; The New York Times; Sep 3, 2020. "'Yes, we are looking for companies that could be unicorns but we're not focused on that as the sole outcome,' says Casey." Marie Boran; Is Ireland too Risk Averse to Produce Its Own Unicorns?; Irish Times (Dublin); Aug 30, 2018. See more usage examples of unicorn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Even a purely moral act that has no hope of any immediate and visible political effect can gradually and indirectly, over time, gain in political significance. -Vaclav Havel, writer, Czech Republic president (5 Oct 1936-2011) *****October 07, 2020***** Spurious : adj. Not genuine, authentic, or true; not from the claimed, pretended, or proper source; counterfeit. Not being what it purports to be; false or fake. "Spurious claims." Forebear : : ancestor, forefather; also : precursor; Although several of her male forebears had graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Tina was the first woman from her family to do so. parsimony : (noun) Extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily.; penny-pinching, thrift; Due to the parsimony of the local council, only one bench was installed in the new park. bunyip : noun: An impostor. adjective: Counterfeit; phony. ; "Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Abbott was trying to create a fake class system in Australia, a 'bunyip aristocracy'." Labor Likens Tony Abbott to Marty McFly; AAP General News Wire (Sydney, Australia); Mar 26, 2014. Thought For The Day: It's said that "power corrupts", but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable. -David Brin, scientist and science fiction author (b. 6 Oct 1950) *****October 08, 2020***** Pejorative : adj. Expressing contempt or disapproval. Disparaging; belittling. "He used pejorative overtones in his speech." Pecuniary : 1 : consisting of or measured in money; "The theft from interstate or foreign shipment carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and is punishable by a fine of $250,000 or twice the amount of the pecuniary gain or loss from the offense." — The U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, press release, 27 July 2020 venerable : (adjective) Worthy of respect or reverence, as because of great age, high office, or noble character.; revered, august; Nothing could exceed the love and respect which the younger cottagers exhibited towards their venerable companion. gremlin : noun: A source of trouble, especially problems of technical nature. ; "Nobody who has watched the virtual assemblies could hail them as a success, troubled as they have been with technological gremlins." John Ivison; Time to Cancel the "Morning Show"; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); May 22, 2020. See more usage examples of gremlin in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a very narrow field. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 09, 2020***** Sardonic : adj. Grimly mocking or cynical. "His sardonic smile." Collogue : 1 dialect : intrigue, conspire; "And how long have you been so thick with Dunsey that you must collogue with him to embezzle my money?" — George Eliot, Silas Marner, 1861 libertine : (adjective) Unrestrained by convention or morality.; debauched, degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, profligate, riotous, fast; Such an expression is often mistaken for manly frankness, when in truth it arises from the reckless indifference of a libertine disposition ... totally unconnected with personal merit. snark : noun:1. A mysterious, imaginary animal.  2. Something or someone hard to track down.  3. A snide remark. verb intr.:To make a snide remark. ; "But [John Cage's] snark hunt proved rather dull. Takis's own search ends more happily." Simon Ings; Exhibitions: Takis; The Spectator (London, UK); Jul 13, 2019. "That is why the quest for evidence that infallibly indicates guilt (or innocence) is a snark hunt." Larry Laudan; Eyewitness Identifications: One More Lesson on the Costs of Excluding Relevant Evidence; Perspectives on Psychological Science; May 16, 2012. Thought For The Day: When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and asked whether he could do anything for the famed teacher, Diogenes replied: "Only stand out of my light." Perhaps some day we shall know how to heighten creativity. Until then, one of the best things we can do for creative men and women is to stand out of their light. -John W. Gardner, author and educator (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 10, 2020***** Veracity : n. Conformity to facts; accuracy. "What is the veracity of these allegations." Habitual truthfulness. "Her veracity and character." Leitmotif : 1 : a melodic phrase or figure that accompanies the reappearance of an idea, person, or situation in a music drama; The overcoming of obstacles and a love of theater are the two leitmotifs of her autobiography. rankle : (verb) Gnaw into; make resentful or angry.; eat into, grate, fret; If you were aiming to rankle me with your sexist comments, you succeeded! Bigfoot : noun: A prominent person in a commanding position, especially a journalist. verb tr.: To dominate or to take control of a situation from someone. verb intr.: To behave in an authoritative, domineering manner. ; "That FDA commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, told CNN Friday that this kind of political bigfooting can happen at any time." Elizabeth Cohen; Here's How Trump Could Bigfoot the FDA and Get a Vaccine Out Ahead of the Science; CNN.com; Sep 5, 2020. See more usage examples of Bigfoot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: From everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing in my eyes is better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and being equal to everyone, useful, always built with a sense, on the spot where most human needs are crossing, they are more durable than other buildings and they do not serve for anything secret or bad. -Ivo Andric, novelist, Nobel laureate (9 Oct 1892-1975) *****October 11, 2020***** Abstruse : adj. Difficult to understand; obscure. "An abstruse argument presented by the lawyers." Pertinacious : 1 a : adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design; "In fact, the exorcism was quite ineffectual upon the pertinacious demon, or whatever the apparition might be." — Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Marble Faun, 1859 amicable : (adjective) Characterized by or exhibiting friendliness or goodwill.; friendly, civil, peaceful, polite, harmonious, amiable, courteous, cordial, sociable, fraternal; Our dispute was finally settled in an amicable manner, and we parted as friends. Bigfoot : noun: A prominent person in a commanding position, especially a journalist. verb tr.: To dominate or to take control of a situation from someone. verb intr.: To behave in an authoritative, domineering manner. ; "That FDA commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, told CNN Friday that this kind of political bigfooting can happen at any time." Elizabeth Cohen; Here's How Trump Could Bigfoot the FDA and Get a Vaccine Out Ahead of the Science; CNN.com; Sep 5, 2020. See more usage examples of Bigfoot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: From everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing in my eyes is better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and being equal to everyone, useful, always built with a sense, on the spot where most human needs are crossing, they are more durable than other buildings and they do not serve for anything secret or bad. -Ivo Andric, novelist, Nobel laureate (9 Oct 1892-1975) *****October 12, 2020***** Labyrinth : n. A complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze. "Exploring the labyrinth of waterways." An intricate and confusing arrangement. Shill : 1 : to act as a decoy especially for a gambler or pitchman; After his retirement from professional football, the quarterback shilled for a brand of charcoal briquettes in a popular series of commercials. capricious : (adjective) Characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behavior.; whimsical, impulsive; My wife's capricious mood swings are beginning to worry me, and I fear she may need professional help. Bigfoot : noun: A prominent person in a commanding position, especially a journalist. verb tr.: To dominate or to take control of a situation from someone. verb intr.: To behave in an authoritative, domineering manner. ; "That FDA commissioner, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, told CNN Friday that this kind of political bigfooting can happen at any time." Elizabeth Cohen; Here's How Trump Could Bigfoot the FDA and Get a Vaccine Out Ahead of the Science; CNN.com; Sep 5, 2020. See more usage examples of Bigfoot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: From everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing in my eyes is better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and being equal to everyone, useful, always built with a sense, on the spot where most human needs are crossing, they are more durable than other buildings and they do not serve for anything secret or bad. -Ivo Andric, novelist, Nobel laureate (9 Oct 1892-1975) *****October 13, 2020***** Bromide : n. A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. "Her speech contained the usual bromides about teamwork." A tiresome or dull person; a bore. Mythomania : : an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating; The idea of trust is an important theme in the book; the reader is never sure of the extent of the protagonist's mythomania. plethora : (noun) Extreme excess.; overplus, superfluity, embarrassment; The mind of man can scarce conceive the plethora of carnivorous life in this lost world; and their prey, of course, is even more abundant. endonym : noun: A name used internally to refer to a place, people, language, etc. For example, Germany's endonym is Deutschland, because that's what Germans call their country. ; "PLU [People Like Us] is the English elite's secret name for their own upper-middle-class tribe ... So I'll be a good little anthropologist and call this tribe by its own smugly self-satisfied endonym." Kate Fox; People Like Us; New Statesman (London, UK); Oct 10, 2014. Thought For The Day: The mosque is too far from home, so let's do this / Let's make a weeping child laugh. -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) *****October 14, 2020***** Doleful : adj Expressing sorrow; mournful. "A doleful look." Causing misfortune or grief. "Doleful consequences." Usurp : 1 a : to seize and hold (office, place, functions, powers, etc.) in possession by force or without right; "The directors of seven European film festivals shared the stage at the opening of the 77th Venice film festival to help kick-start an industry that they said was in danger of being usurped by streaming sites such as Netflix because of the Covid-19 pandemic." — Lanre Bakare, The Guardian (London), 2 Sept. 2020 malarkey : (noun) Speech or writing designed to obscure, mislead, or impress; bunk.; idle words, jazz, nothingness, wind; Snookered by a lot of malarkey about drilling costs, a Texas jury ... added $3 billion of punitive damages. basilect : noun: The least prestigious variety of a language. ; "The constant babble of thousands of beings speaking hundreds of languages, patois, pidgin, and favored dialects blended together to create a rich basilect brew." Michael Reaves; Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II: Street of Shadows; Ballantine Books; 2008. Thought For The Day: You can't do anything with anybody's body to make it dirty to me. Six people, eight people, one person -- you can do only one thing to make it dirty: kill it. Hiroshima was dirty. -Lenny Bruce, comedian and social critic (13 Oct 1925-1966) *****October 15, 2020***** Malicious : adj. Characterized by malice; intending or intended to do harm. "Malicious rumors." Benefic : : producing good or helpful results or effects : beneficent; "A broad range of biological effects has been attributed to aromatic plants and their components…. There are many reports proving the benefic effects against depression, anxiety, epilepsy, stroke, and Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD)." — Sandra Gonçalves et al., in Oxidative Stress and Dietary Antioxidants in Neurological Diseases, 2020 modicum : (noun) A small, moderate, or token amount.; little, bit, drop, touch, inch, scrap, dash, grain, particle, fragment, atom, pinch, ounce, shred, crumb, tinge, mite, tad, speck, iota; Her modicum of strength had been exhausted, and she was unable even to move from her position. metonymy : noun: A figure of speech in which someone or something is referred to by the name of something associated. For example, the use of the word crown to refer to monarchy. ; "Before I mailed the letters to Violet in Paris, I xeroxed them and put the copies in my drawer. ... I keep the letters as objects, charmed by their various metonymies." Siri Hustvedt; What I Loved; Henry Holt; 2004. See more usage examples of metonymy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. -E.E. Cummings, poet (14 Oct 1894-1962) *****October 16, 2020***** Incorrigible : adj. Not able to be corrected, improved, or reformed. "His bad habits were incorrigible." Kiln : : an oven, furnace, or heated enclosure used for processing a substance by burning, firing, or drying; The art studio has purchased a kiln and now offers courses in ceramics. staid : (adjective) Characterized by sedate dignity and often a strait-laced sense of propriety.; serious, sober, quiet, calm, grave, steady, composed, solemn; I instinctively stood up a little straighter when the staid duke entered the parlor. homeoteleuton : noun: A repetition of the same or similar endings in a sequence of words. ; "Fittingly, the poem rhymes abab, although the 'b' rhyme in the first stanza is more homeoteleuton than true rhyme." Al Benthall; Worlds of Eye and Ear in the Poems of William Harmon; The Mississippi Quarterly; Jan 2004. Thought For The Day: One will rarely err if extreme actions be ascribed to vanity, ordinary actions to habit, and mean actions to fear. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 17, 2020***** Efficacious : adj. Successful in producing a desired or intended result; effective. "Efficacious treatment for the disease." Futile : 1 : serving no useful purpose : completely ineffective; "Austin Rivers … played a role in the fourth-quarter comeback attempt that proved futile." — Reuters, 11 Sept. 2020 contentious : (adjective) Inclined or showing an inclination to dispute or disagree, even to engage in lawsuits.; combative, disputatious, litigious; The captain felt like he was constantly mediating disputes between his contentious crew members. heterophemy : noun: The use of a word different from the one intended. ; "In effect, Hyacinth's nervousness results in a classic case of heterophemy: his disrupted mental condition leads him 'to speak without thinking'." Gavin Jones; Strange Talk; University of California Press; 1999. Thought For The Day: Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 18, 2020***** Tepid : adj. Showing little enthusiasm: "The president had a tepid response to the proposal." Homologate : : sanction, allow; especially : to approve or confirm officially; For the discus thrower's record to be counted as official, the equipment she used needs to be homologated by the collegiate athletic association. truculent : (adjective) Defiantly aggressive.; belligerent, combative, pugnacious, bellicose, obstreperous; Bitter and truculent when excited, I spoke as I felt, without reserve or softening. heterophemy : noun: The use of a word different from the one intended. ; "In effect, Hyacinth's nervousness results in a classic case of heterophemy: his disrupted mental condition leads him 'to speak without thinking'." Gavin Jones; Strange Talk; University of California Press; 1999. Thought For The Day: Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 19, 2020***** Provenance : n. The beginning of something's existence; something's origin. The place of origin or earliest known history of something. "An exquisite vase of Chinese provenance." Obverse : 1 : the side of a coin or currency note bearing the chief device and lettering; broadly : a front or principal surface; The artist of the medal designed an obverse graced with a profile portrait and a reverse adorned with a pictorial scene. seditious : (adjective) In opposition to a civil authority or government.; insurgent, subversive; In an attempt to discourage rebellion, the dictator announced that anyone found in possession of seditious literature would be executed. heterophemy : noun: The use of a word different from the one intended. ; "In effect, Hyacinth's nervousness results in a classic case of heterophemy: his disrupted mental condition leads him 'to speak without thinking'." Gavin Jones; Strange Talk; University of California Press; 1999. Thought For The Day: Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 20, 2020***** Onerous : adj. Involving heavy obligations. Involving a burdensome amount of effort and difficulty. "The court's stipulations were onerous." Quotidian : 1 : occurring every day; "Disability technology can be so quotidian that nondisabled users don't even notice. GPS and spell-check, so ubiquitous for so many people, are technologies that assist me with dyslexia." — David M. Perry, The New York Times, 20 July 2020 profligacy : (noun) The trait of spending extravagantly.; prodigality, extravagance; They fell on hard times but did not curb their spending, and this profligacy soon brought them to the brink of bankruptcy. bident : noun: A two-pronged instrument, weapon, implement, etc. ; "I landed on the nearest demon, knocking him down while ramming both ends of my bone weapon through his eyes. ... I yanked the bident out and immediately flew up, leaving the other demon to smack into the wall." Jeaniene Frost; Wicked Bite; Avon; 2020. "During this tight match ... Aaron Boretos cheered on his team by shaking his bident." John Cannon; It Was All a Blur; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Jan 15, 2010. Thought For The Day: Life is mostly froth and bubble, / Two things stand like stone, / Kindness in another's trouble, / Courage in your own. -Adam Lindsay Gordon, poet (19 Oct 1833-1870) *****October 21, 2020***** Dismal : adj Gloomy. Depressing; dreary. "The business was a dismal failure;" "Dismal weather." Visage : 1 : the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal; "But aside from the visage of Grumpy Cat—who may not have been grumpy at all—feline faces don't tell us much about how cats feel."— Karin Brulliard, The Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2019 indignation : (noun) Strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, insulting, or base; righteous anger.; outrage; I could hardly contain my indignation at his disparaging comments. trumpery : noun: 1. Something showy but worthless. 2. Nonsense or rubbish. 3. Deceit; fraud; trickery. ; "The room was crowded with a chilly miscellany of knick-knacks and ornaments, gewgaws, and trumpery of every kind." Leo Bruce; Case for Three Detectives; Academy Chicago; 1980. "History, made up as it is of so much trumpery, treachery, and tyranny, needs deeds of valor, of sacrifice, and of heroism if it is to be palatable." The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond; Zenith Press; 2014. See more usage examples of trumpery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have three ex-wives. I can't remember any of their names, so I just call 'em Plaintiff. -Lewis Grizzard, humorist (20 Oct 1946-1994) *****October 22, 2020***** Incendiary : adj. Designed to cause fires. "An incendiary device." Dorsal : 1 : relating to or situated near or on the back especially of an animal or of one of its parts; I might have identified the bird as a yellow-throated vireo if I'd had more than a dorsal view. antediluvian : (adjective) So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period.; antiquated, archaic; My grandfather's antediluvian ideas about relationships and marriage are frequently at odds with my views. pensive : adjective: Sadly thoughtful; wistful. ; "When we met last spring, I expected the Belfast-born investor ... to be elated. Instead, I found him to be pensive and almost post-traumatic." Dearbhail McDonald; 'Nama Nearly Destroyed Me' -- Top London Hotelier; Sunday Independent (Dublin, Ireland); Sep 18, 2016. See more usage examples of pensive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Biographical history, as taught in our public schools, is still largely a history of boneheads: ridiculous kings and queens, paranoid political leaders, compulsive voyagers, ignorant generals, the flotsam and jetsam of historical currents. The men who radically altered history, the great creative scientists and mathematicians, are seldom mentioned if at all. -Martin Gardner, mathematician and writer (21 Oct 1914-2010) *****October 23, 2020***** Gravitas : n. Dignity, seriousness, or solemnity in manner. "He has the necessary gravitas to lead the company." Adduce : : to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis; "She was tranquil, yet her tranquility was evidently constrained; and as her confusion had before been adduced as a proof of her guilt, she worked up her mind to an appearance of courage." — Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, 1818 intrepid : (adjective) Invulnerable to fear or intimidation.; audacious, dauntless, fearless, brave, hardy; The intrepid climber, undeterred by the knowledge that none had yet survived an attempt to summit this peak, eagerly set out from base camp. devi : noun: A goddess. ; "She is in reality a devi with enormous power and titanic strengths." Anita Myles; Feminism and the Post-modern Indian Women Novelists in English; Sarup & Sons; 2006. Thought For The Day: Think for yourself and question authority. -Timothy Leary, psychologist and writer (22 Oct 1920-1996) *****October 24, 2020***** Docile : adj. Submissive. Ready to accept control or instruction. "The dog was very docile around children." Guttersnipe : 1 : a young vagabond : an outcast boy or girl in the streets of a city; "He had blackmailed another ten dollars out of the urchin, also forcing the waif to watch the wagon while he spent the afternoon at Loew's State watching a film about drag-racing teenagers. The guttersnipe was definitely a discovery…."— John Kennedy Toole, A Confederacy of Dunces, 1980 panjandrum : (noun) An important or self-important person.; dignitary, high muckamuck, high-up, VIP; A word from my boss, a panjandrum of the filmmaking industry, can make or break a person's Hollywood career. Joe or joe : noun: 1. A fellow; guy. 2. Coffee. ; "Sure, [Richard Jewell] made some mistakes, but he was just a regular Joe." Mark Daniell; Real-Life Hero; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Dec 13, 2019. "He took a sip. 'Wow, this is a great cup of joe!'" John Teofilo Padilla Jr.; Joe and the Peace Eternal; Archway; 2018. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2020***** Frugal; Frugality : adj. Economical with regard to money or food. Simple and plain that costs very little: "A frugal meal." Sophomoric : 1 : conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature; Judd's behavior at the party was sophomoric, but I've seen a more mature side to him in other settings. conceited : (adjective) Holding or characterized by an unduly high opinion of oneself.; swollen-headed, egotistical, vain; She was a conceited, boastful old thing, and even misfortune could not humble her. Joe or joe : noun: 1. A fellow; guy. 2. Coffee. ; "Sure, [Richard Jewell] made some mistakes, but he was just a regular Joe." Mark Daniell; Real-Life Hero; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Dec 13, 2019. "He took a sip. 'Wow, this is a great cup of joe!'" John Teofilo Padilla Jr.; Joe and the Peace Eternal; Archway; 2018. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 26, 2020***** Reciprocal; Reciprocate : adj. Done or performed in return: "Reciprocal respect." Emissary : 1 : one designated as the agent of another : representative ; "America has a long tradition of deploying political emissaries. They can have the authority of a direct line to the president." — The Economist, 13 Aug. 2020 belittle : (verb) To represent or speak of as contemptibly small or unimportant; disparage.; denigrate, derogate, minimize; Why should I bother trying to get good grades when all you do is belittle my achievements? Joe or joe : noun: 1. A fellow; guy. 2. Coffee. ; "Sure, [Richard Jewell] made some mistakes, but he was just a regular Joe." Mark Daniell; Real-Life Hero; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Dec 13, 2019. "He took a sip. 'Wow, this is a great cup of joe!'" John Teofilo Padilla Jr.; Joe and the Peace Eternal; Archway; 2018. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 27, 2020***** Ambivalent; Ambivalence : adj. Having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone. "She has ambivalent feelings about the relationship." Repine : 1 : to feel or express dejection or discontent : complain; "All his journeys were ruggedly performed; for he was always steadfast in a purpose of saving money for Emily's sake, when she should be found. In all this long pursuit, I never heard him repine; I never heard him say he was fatigued, or out of heart." — Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850 countermand : (verb) To cancel or reverse (a previously issued command or order).; repeal, rescind, annul, revoke, vacate, reverse, overturn, lift; Countermand the order for cake, send a wire putting off the wedding, dismiss the bridesmaids, [and] tell the organist he can stop practicing. coquelicot : adjective: Of orangish-red or reddish-orange color. noun: Such a color. ; "Do you know, I saw the prettiest hat you can imagine, in a shop window in Milsom Street just now -- very like yours, only with coquelicot ribbons instead of green." David M. Shapard; The Annotated Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen; Anchor Books; 2013. Thought For The Day: I have a trunk containing continents. -Beryl Markham, adventurer (26 Oct 1902-1986) *****October 28, 2020***** Slavish : adj. Showing no originality; blindly imitative: "A slavish copy of the original work." Dexterous : 1 : mentally adroit and skillful : clever ; As a shortstop, Alex is a dexterous fielder who is adept at catching any ground ball or line drive hit at him. poppycock : (noun) Senseless talk.; hooey, stuff and nonsense; There's been talk of an outbreak, and two or three suspicious signs I'm willing to admit, but personally I think it's all poppycock. capacious : adjective: Having a lot of space; roomy. ; "[Trump's] capacious definition of sucker includes those who lose their lives in service to their country, as well as those who are taken prisoner, or are wounded in battle." Jeffrey Goldberg; Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are 'Losers' and 'Suckers'; The Atlantic; Sep 3, 2020. See more usage examples of capacious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Manners are a sensitive awareness of the feelings of others. If you have that awareness, you have good manners, no matter what fork you use. -Emily Post, author and columnist (27 Oct 1872-1960) *****October 29, 2020***** Dubious : adj. Hesitating or doubting. Not to be relied upon; suspect. "He seemed dubious about the idea." Cassandra : 1 : a daughter of Priam endowed with the gift of prophecy but fated never to be believed ; "They have rented a huge, nearly empty 'furnished' house online and it is here that the story begins to focus. Here, in a remote location everyone's nightmares get worse. The villagers … are Cassandras, implicitly warning of impending doom." — Stephen Schaefer, The Boston Herald, 19 June 2020 bedraggled : (adjective) In deplorable condition.; broken-down, dilapidated, ramshackle, tatterdemalion, derelict; It was a tall, shabby building, that cannot have been painted for years, and it had so bedraggled an air that the houses on each side of it looked neat and clean. double-talk : noun:1. Speech that's a mix of actual words and gibberish.  2. Evasive or ambiguous language meant to deceive or confuse. verb tr., intr.:To engage in double-talk or to try to persuade with it. ; "No amount of double-talk or diversionary tactics would be able to sway this jury." J. Leon Pridgen II; Color of Justice; Strebor Books; 2011. See more usage examples of double-talk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Journalist Ed Murrow: "Who owns the patent on this vaccine?" Jonas Salk: "Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?" -Jonas Salk, medical researcher and developer of polio vaccine (28 Oct 1914-1995) *****October 30, 2020***** Corpulent : adj. Physically bulky; fat. "The once corpulent woman is now trim and fit." Rue : : to feel penitence, remorse, or regret for; "He rued his small feet, which turned inwards ever so slightly. When standing still, he always had to remember to turn his feet out, to avoid looking pigeon-toed." — Natasha Solomons, Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, 2010 hypothecate : (verb) To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds.; conjecture, speculate, theorize, suppose; Dr. Jones was quick to hypothecate that the unexpected chemical reaction was the result of student tampering, even though no one had been seen messing around with his equipment. vaporous : adjective: 1. Relating to vapor. 2. Producing vapors; volatile. 3. Vague; hazy; obscure; insubstantial; transitory; unreliable; fanciful. 4. Translucent. ; "Our mother was vaporous. She emerged from her bedroom only at night and always in her nightgown, a sheath of flowered flannel with a disturbingly childlike bow at the neck." Karen Joy Fowler; We are All Completely Beside Ourselves; Penguin; 2013. See more usage examples of vaporous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Certainly none of the advances made in civilization has been due to counterrevolutionaries and advocates of the status quo. -Bill Mauldin, editorial cartoonist (29 Oct 1921-2003) *****October 31, 2020***** Pontificate : v. To speak or behave in a pompous or dogmatic manner. "He pontificates at great length in political matters." Truculent : 1 : aggressively self-assertive : belligerent; Warren's truculent demeanor made him unpleasant to work with, particularly as deadlines approached. subjugate : (verb) Make subservient; force to submit or subdue.; subject; Their central idea, their grand aim, is to subjugate you, keep you down, make you feel insignificant and humble in the blaze of their cosmopolitan glory. luteous : adjective: 1. Of an orange-yellow or greenish-yellow color. 2. Muddy. ; "Of the five-thousand-odd species of stinkbug in the world, the brown marmorated kind is the most destructive, the most annoying, and possibly the ugliest. It is roughly the size of a dime, although thicker, but its head is unusually small, even for an insect, which gives it an appropriately thuggish look. Its six legs prop its shield-shaped body up in the air, as if they were pallbearers at the funeral of a Knight Templar. Its antennae are striped with bands of dark and light, while its eyes, should you get close enough to gaze into them, are the vivid red of an alarm clock at night. The 'marmorated' in its name means 'marbled', but 'mottled' is closer to the truth. Entomologists, who have a color palette as elaborate as Benjamin Moore's, describe the underside of its body as 'distinctly pale luteous'." Kathryn Schulz; Home Invasion; The New Yorker; Mar 12, 2018. Thought For The Day: May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof (White House). -John Adams, 2nd US President, and the first one to live in the White House (30 Oct 1735-1826) *****November 01, 2020***** Lugubrious : adj. Looking or sounding sad and dismal; mournful. "The lugubrious country song reminded her of an ex-boyfriend." Wraith : 1 a : the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition; "Walberswick is populated in part by refugees and retirees of London's artistic circles.... Just keep in mind that it's regarded as one of the most haunted villages in Suffolk. George Orwell reportedly saw a wraith in the church cemetery while visiting." — James Lileks, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 14 May 2020 meditate : (verb) Reflect deeply on a subject.; mull, muse, ponder, think over, excogitate, ruminate, speculate, contemplate; I will meditate on the problem and see if I can come up with a solution. luteous : adjective: 1. Of an orange-yellow or greenish-yellow color. 2. Muddy. ; "Of the five-thousand-odd species of stinkbug in the world, the brown marmorated kind is the most destructive, the most annoying, and possibly the ugliest. It is roughly the size of a dime, although thicker, but its head is unusually small, even for an insect, which gives it an appropriately thuggish look. Its six legs prop its shield-shaped body up in the air, as if they were pallbearers at the funeral of a Knight Templar. Its antennae are striped with bands of dark and light, while its eyes, should you get close enough to gaze into them, are the vivid red of an alarm clock at night. The 'marmorated' in its name means 'marbled', but 'mottled' is closer to the truth. Entomologists, who have a color palette as elaborate as Benjamin Moore's, describe the underside of its body as 'distinctly pale luteous'." Kathryn Schulz; Home Invasion; The New Yorker; Mar 12, 2018. Thought For The Day: May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof (White House). -John Adams, 2nd US President, and the first one to live in the White House (30 Oct 1735-1826) *****November 02, 2020***** Contentious : adj. Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial. Involving a heated argument. "The terms of the agreement remain contentious between the parties." Hallowed : 1 : holy, consecrated; "The first thing one learns in attending concerts of classical music is never to applaud between movements. Doing so, we are told, shows disrespect for the composer's intentions and the performers' interpretation. In Saturday night's concert by the Spokane Symphony..., that hallowed rule was enthusiastically, even raucously, broken." — Larry Lapidus, The Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington), 26 Mar. 2017 retread : (verb) To make or do over again, especially with minimal revision; rehash.; make over, rework; I refuse to write a script that retreads old romantic comedies, no matter how many times producers request that I do. luteous : adjective: 1. Of an orange-yellow or greenish-yellow color. 2. Muddy. ; "Of the five-thousand-odd species of stinkbug in the world, the brown marmorated kind is the most destructive, the most annoying, and possibly the ugliest. It is roughly the size of a dime, although thicker, but its head is unusually small, even for an insect, which gives it an appropriately thuggish look. Its six legs prop its shield-shaped body up in the air, as if they were pallbearers at the funeral of a Knight Templar. Its antennae are striped with bands of dark and light, while its eyes, should you get close enough to gaze into them, are the vivid red of an alarm clock at night. The 'marmorated' in its name means 'marbled', but 'mottled' is closer to the truth. Entomologists, who have a color palette as elaborate as Benjamin Moore's, describe the underside of its body as 'distinctly pale luteous'." Kathryn Schulz; Home Invasion; The New Yorker; Mar 12, 2018. Thought For The Day: May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof (White House). -John Adams, 2nd US President, and the first one to live in the White House (30 Oct 1735-1826) *****November 03, 2020***** Excoriate : v. Censure or criticize severely; Severely berate: "He was excoriated for his mistakes." Exult : 1 : to be extremely joyful : rejoice; "… the film is scratching a particular of-the-moment itch such that watching them play right now feels more vibrant than only listening to them play.… And maybe it's just a treat to see them and watch how Springsteen exults in this band of brothers and sisters, how he praises and salutes them in their first album together of mainly original material in eight years...." — Sarah Rodman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Oct. 2020 depute : (verb) Transfer power to someone.; delegate; She deputes her father, the grand vizier, to make an offer to the king of her hand. cushy : adjective: 1. Easy; not burdensome. 2. Soft; comfortable. ; "Few relish the thought of losing a cushy job in a recession." Google Grows Up; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 1, 2020. See more usage examples of cushy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago. -Rose Bird, Chief Justice of California Supreme Court (2 Nov 1936-1999) *****November 04, 2020***** Taciturn : adj. Reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little. "Today the normally taciturn man would not stop talking." Candidate : 1 a : one that aspires to or is nominated or qualified for an office, membership, or award; "But there are nine vaccine candidates around the world that have reached phase III trials, the large, final stage of testing that usually comes before regulatory approval. It is likely that not all of them will reach the clinic." — Clare Wilson, The New Scientist, 19 Sept. 2020 syrupy : (adjective) Cloyingly sweet or sentimental.; saccharine, treacly; I can appreciate a sentimental or romantic film, but syrupy "chick flicks" are another thing altogether. pogonip : noun: A dense winter fog having ice particles. ; "The valley floor is covered with a blanket of snow, the trees glisten with the shimmering ice crystals of pogonip and the holiday season is almost over." Wendy Hanson Mazet; Live Christmas Tree After-Care; Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada); Dec 28, 2013. See more usage examples of pogonip in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no such thing as not voting: you either vote by voting, or you vote by staying home and tacitly doubling the value of some diehard's vote. -David Foster Wallace, novelist, essayist, and short story writer (21 Feb 1962-2008) *****November 05, 2020***** Accommodate; Accommodating : v. Provide lodging or sufficient space for. "The room will accommodate ten people." Fit in with the wishes or needs of another: "It's difficult to accommodate his new management style." Erudite : : having or showing knowledge that is gained by studying; "And so the arguments about animal minds went on, often technical, sometimes absurd, at times brilliant, in many guises and versions. They were catalogued and analyzed at length by Pierre Bayle…. (Bayle was a Protestant also living in exile in Holland, an erudite scholar and original thinker, and one of the great skeptics of the seventeenth century.)" — Noga Arikha, Passions and Tempers: A History of the Humours, 2007 imperishable : (adjective) Unceasing.; abiding, enduring; There is for you in the history of peoples and kings a brilliant place, an immortal, imperishable glory. pishogue : noun: Sorcery; witchcraft; spell. ; "You have totally glamoured me with your pishogue." N.E. Tovell; Tides of the Undead; iUniverse; 2011. Thought For The Day: Too many people spend money they haven't earned, to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2020***** Insular : adj. Ignorant of or uninterested in cultures, ideas, or people outside a person's own experience. "An insular taste in music." Lacking contact with other people. "She seemed too insular to leave her house." Perseverate : 1 : to repeat or recur persistently : to go back over previously covered ground; To ensure the accuracy of data, the scientist necessarily perseverates, repeating each experiment many times and comparing the results. engrossing : (adjective) Capable of arousing and holding the attention.; absorbing, fascinating, gripping, riveting; The book was so engrossing that I did not notice when the lights were turned out in the library. zarf : noun: A sleeve or holder designed to hold a hot cup. ; "He brought steaming conical cups in plastic zarfs, two by two, to the craving, sobering hands all around him." Jonathan Franzen; The Twenty-Seventh City; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 1988. See more usage examples of zarf in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: So many gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind is all the sad world needs. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 07, 2020***** Voracious : adj. An eager approach to an activity; Wanting or devouring great quantities of something or somebody: "She has a voracious appetite for life." Accident : 1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance; "A large cask of wine had been dropped and broken, in the street. The accident had happened in getting it out of a cart; the cask had tumbled out with a run, the hoops had burst, and it lay on the stones just outside the door of the wine-shop, shattered like a walnut-shell." — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859 imperium : (noun) The domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised.; empire; Our fainéant new leader has been neglecting his administrative duties, and already the imperium is growing weak and beginning to fray at the borders. picaro : noun: A rogue; an adventurer. ; "Too often his bedeviling qualities get passed over as the colorful traits of a picaro." Lee Siegel; The Tower of Babel; The Nation (New York); Nov 17, 2005. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2020***** Magnanimous : adj. Very generous or forgiving, particularly toward a rival or someone less powerful than oneself. Multifarious : : having or occurring in great variety : diverse; "The word 'fate,' of course, did not help me, being inadequate to describe the sense of a multifarious, infinitely complex, dreamy yet purposeful universe which I had in mind—being altogether too singular a word…." — Fay Weldon, The Cloning of Joanna May, 1989 foregather : (verb) Collect in one place.; assemble, meet; The captains of every ship in the fleet rowed into the lagoon to foregather on its secluded beach. picaro : noun: A rogue; an adventurer. ; "Too often his bedeviling qualities get passed over as the colorful traits of a picaro." Lee Siegel; The Tower of Babel; The Nation (New York); Nov 17, 2005. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 09, 2020***** Evocative; Evocate : adj. Bringing strong memories, images, or feelings to mind. Octothorpe : : the symbol #; "… Messina chose to use this symbol for collating Twitter searches in 2007 because he wanted a sign that could be input from a low-tech cellphone. He had two options: octothorpe or asterisk. He chose the former." — Roman Mars, Slate.com, 17 Dec. 2014 hang-up : (noun) An unforeseen obstacle.; rub, hitch, snag; My real estate agent says there are some legal hang-ups that might delay the sale of our home. picaro : noun: A rogue; an adventurer. ; "Too often his bedeviling qualities get passed over as the colorful traits of a picaro." Lee Siegel; The Tower of Babel; The Nation (New York); Nov 17, 2005. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 10, 2020***** Perfidious : adj. Deceitful and untrustworthy. "A perfidious relationship." Reprove : 1 : to scold or correct usually gently or with kindly intent; "'Being in confinement has made me reflect on what actually matters—which is progress and seeing others achieve greatness.' [Joan] Smalls is taking to her Instagram account to reprove those that have remained silent during a time when the whole world is looking for reform." — Harper's, 11 June 2020 smooth-tongued : (adjective) Artfully persuasive in speech.; glib; Then uprose smooth-tongued Nestor, the facile speaker of the Pylians, and the words fell from his lips sweeter than honey. anemious : adjective: Growing in windy conditions. ; "By late afternoon the light that washed over the garden turned it into a lake of gold, with islands of shadow; the blown lilies, the long tendrils of roses and the anemious grasses streamed like plants that grow in water." Edith Pope; River in the Wind; Scribner; 1954. Thought For The Day: The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2020***** Sycophant : n. A person who acts attentively toward someone in order to gain advantage; a servile flatterer. Bailiwick : 1 law enforcement : the office or jurisdiction of a bailiff; "Until his death in 1764, at 67, [William Hogarth's] soul resided in Drury Lane and Grub Street, the bailiwick of actors, tradesmen and engravers like himself." — Michael Kimmelman, The New York Times, 30 Nov. 1997 staunch : (adjective) Firm and dependable, especially in loyalty.; steadfast, unswerving; John is a staunch supporter of free speech, but it nonetheless pains him when hate groups abuse the privilege. acedious : adjective: Characterized by apathy, boredom, or sloth. ; "His life of shameless self-indulgence, love of hunting, and scornful disregard of the rule in matters of labor, study, and claustration [confinement] show him to be an acedious monk." Robert M. Correale & Mary Hamel; Sources and Analogues of the Canterbury Tales, Volume 2; D.S. Brewer; 2002. Thought For The Day: A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truly vanquished. -Friedrich Schiller, poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 12, 2020***** Antipathy : n. A deep-seated feeling of dislike; aversion. "His antipathy for first wife dates back to his divorce." Impeccable : 1 : free from fault or blame : flawless; Although the restaurant was a bit expensive, we found its memorable cuisine, luxurious decor, and impeccable service to be well worth the price. otiose : (adjective) Serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being.; superfluous, wasted, pointless, senseless; More than half of his acceptance speech was otiose nonsense, and the rest was just a rehash of his campaign promises. adventitious : adjective: 1. Arising from an external source. 2. Happening by chance. 3. Appearing in an unusual place. ; "The great thing about tomatoes is that they form adventitious roots all along their stems, so overgrown seedlings, well watered, may still develop great root systems and bear lots of fruit." Barbara Damrosch; Never Got Around to Sowing for Spring? You Still Have Time; The Washington Post; Jun 8, 2017. "The 'bank holiday' and Emergency Banking Act were adventitious measures rather than ones FDR had been planning all along." George Selgin; Assessing the Not-So-Great New Deal; USA Today; Sep 2020. See more usage examples of adventitious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A brother is a friend given by nature. -Gabriel Legouvé, poet (1764-1812) *****November 13, 2020***** Propensity : n. An inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way. "He has a propensity for clear thinking." Abnegate : 1 formal : deny, renounce; "If the goal is only ensuring balance, then journalists can feel their work is done when they have reported accusations flung from each side, abnegating the responsibility to examine the validity of the attacks." — Deborah Tannen, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2004 uncorroborated : (adjective) Unsupported by other evidence.; unsubstantiated; Reports of a tornado are uncorroborated at this time, but residents have begun seeking shelter anyway. caesious : adjective: Bluish or grayish green. ; "Leaves [are] medium green on upper surface, caesious beneath." Peter Sell and Gina Murrell; Flora of Great Britain and Ireland; Cambridge University Press; 2006. Thought For The Day: Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (12 Nov 1840-1917) *****November 14, 2020***** Officious : adj. Assertive of authority in an annoyingly domineering way, esp. with regard to petty or trivial matters. Intrusively enthusiastic in offering help or advice; interfering. "The officious man is widely disliked." Farrier : : a person who shoes horses; "His first memory was of a mule his father owned named Hyacinth, and his subsequent memories were all of the saddlebred horses his father trained, or retrained…. His father had begun as a farrier, then added working with sour or broken-down animals and getting them back into the show ring." — Jane Smiley, Horse Heaven, 2000 denominate : (verb) Assign a name or title to.; designate; The creature ... even went to the trouble of teaching me the rudiments of what it was vain enough to denominate its language. *****November 15, 2020***** Sentient : adj. Characterized by sensation and consciousness. Able to perceive or feel things: "Sentient life forms." Infinitesimal : 1 : taking on values arbitrarily close to but greater than zero; Stella includes a lottery ticket in every birthday card she sends despite the infinitesimal chances that it will be a winning one. lacing : (noun) The act of inflicting corporal punishment with repeated blows.; whacking, beating, drubbing, licking, thrashing, trouncing; If my mother ever caught me smoking, I would get the lacing of a lifetime. annelidous : adjective: Of or relating to worms. ; "The mud in many places was thrown up by numbers of some kind of worm, or annelidous animal." Charles Darwin; Voyage of the Beagle; 1839. Thought For The Day: It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) *****November 16, 2020***** Opprobrious : adj. Disgraceful; shameful. "His actions were opprobrious." Libertine : 1 disparaging : a freethinker especially in religious matters; "Thus am I crushed between the upper millstone of the Mr Redford, who thinks me a libertine, and the nether popular critic, who thinks me a prude." — George Bernard Shaw, Mrs Warren's Profession, 1902 roister : (verb) Engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.; carouse, riot; Grab your hats and your flasks, lads; we're going to roister till sunup. annelidous : adjective: Of or relating to worms. ; "The mud in many places was thrown up by numbers of some kind of worm, or annelidous animal." Charles Darwin; Voyage of the Beagle; 1839. Thought For The Day: It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) *****November 17, 2020***** Credulous; Credulity : adj. A tendency to be too ready to believe that something is real or true. "A credulous rumor." Snivel : 1 : to run at the nose; "Leonard … really wanted to meet the Microsoft co-founder.… It didn't go so great, as Leonard lost his cool and sniveled all over Gates' tie." — Kurt Schlosser, GeekWire, 29 Mar. 2018 astound : (verb) Affect with wonder.; amaze, astonish; I used to believe that nothing could astound me, but daredevil skydiver Felix Baumgartner proved me wrong when he jumped from a balloon 24 miles above the Earth. gambit : noun: 1. An opening in which a minor piece is sacrificed to obtain a strategic advantage. 2. A maneuver used to secure an advantage. 3. A remark used to open or redirect a conversation. ; "This was a risky gambit for both cola rivals. But it paid off." Fire-Starter; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 26, 2020. See more usage examples of gambit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2020***** Abrogate : v. Repeal or do away with a law, right, or agreement. "To abrogate a law." Fulvous : : of a dull brownish yellow : tawny; The dog had an unusual coat of fulvous fur with black and white splotches. legerity : (noun) The gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble.; agility, lightsomeness; Common house cats have an extraordinary legerity that enables them to almost always land on their feet. propugnaculum : noun: A fortress; defense; protection. ; "Something rather paradoxical has been happening to this Self, this base camp of behaviorism, this propugnaculum of steadfastness, this command post of the soul." Philip Mirowski; Machine Dreams; Cambridge University Press; 2002. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 19, 2020***** Egress : n. The action of going out of or leaving a place. "The company's egress procedures." Bugbear : 1 : an imaginary goblin or specter used to excite fear; "Taxation without representation was famously a bugbear of American colonists in the 18th century." — The Economist, 2 July 2020 voidance : (noun) The act of removing the contents of something.; emptying, evacuation; The voidance of one's inbox after a long vacation is an unenviable task. flatfooted : adjective: 1. Clumsy; unimaginative; uninspired. 2. Forthright. 3. Unprepared. 4. Uncompromising. 5. Having the arch of the foot flattened so the entire sole touches the ground. ; "I pick up a book, sigh over its flawed reasoning and flat-footed writing." James C. Howell; The Beauty of the Word; Westminster John Knox Press; 2011. "I want to come out flatfooted and ask you boys to OK the proposition of a Symphony Orchestra for Zenith." Sinclair Lewis; Babbitt; Harcourt, Brace & Co.; 1922. "The dog, caught flatfooted by his master's sudden move, was forced to run to catch up." Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman; The Hand of Chaos; Bantam Books; 1993. "Litvinoff's life was defined by a delight in the weight of the real; his friend's by a rejection of reality, with its army of flat-footed facts." Nicole Krauss; The History of Love; Norton; 2006. "Look at these boot prints, amigo. They turn in at the heel, worn down on the inside. This man is flat footed, that's the way he walks." Edna Evans; Gypsy Fires; Writers Club Press; 2001. See more usage examples of flatfooted in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anger is a great force. If you control it, it can be transmuted into a power which can move the whole world. -William Shenstone, poet (18 Nov 1714-1763) *****November 20, 2020***** Trepidation : n. A feeling of fear or agitation about something that may or may not actually happen. "He entered the cave with considerable trepidation." Cohesive : : exhibiting or producing cohesion : causing parts or members to unify or stick together; "His hair was slicked artfully back from his brow in one cohesive wave." — Kate Christensen, In the Drink, 1999 berate : (verb) Censure severely or angrily.; chew out, chide, rebuke, reproof, scold, lambast, reprimand, remonstrate; The coach berated the players for their lackluster performance on the field. consanguineous : adjective: Related by blood; having a common ancestor. ; "Europe's royalty is also known for historic inter-familial relationships. Records show that the Spanish Habsburg kings frequently engaged in consanguineous marriage. Nine of the 11 marriages that occurred over the dynasty's 200-year reign were consanguineous, with two uncle-niece marriages and one first-cousin marriage." Lianne Kolirin; King Tut Wasn't the Only One Keeping it in the Family; Express (London, UK); Oct 20, 2014. See more usage examples of consanguineous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One cannot hire a hand; the whole man always comes with it. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 21, 2020***** Obfuscate : v. Render obscure, unclear, or unintelligible. Bewilder (someone). "The eclipse will obfuscate the sun's light." Emigrate : : to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere; "… graduates and skilled technical workers are also emigrating, usually with a plan to save up for a few years and then return." — The Economist, 5 Nov. 2013 infrangible : (adjective) Not capable of being violated or infringed.; inviolable, absolute; These rights we consider infrangible, no matter what else you may take away from us. ham-handed : adjective: Clumsy; tactless; lacking social grace. ; "There was a certain thrill, a challenge in taking an ordinary man who was ham-handed with compliments and possessed of two left feet, and turn him into something sublime." Bronwyn Scott; A Lady Seduces; Harlequin; 2013. See more usage examples of ham-handed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. -Joe Biden, president-elect of the United States (b. 20 Nov 1942) *****November 22, 2020***** Formidable : adj. Inspiring fear or respect through being impressively powerful, large, or capable. "A formidable opponent." Grandiloquence : : a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language; "The film finds its grounding in the closing scene when it strips away its grandiloquence and Beyoncé sings an a cappella version of 'Spirit' backed by a gospel choir…." — Aidin Vaziri, The San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Aug. 2020 baronial : (adjective) Impressive in appearance.; imposing, noble, stately; Just as he had constructed a baronial residence for himself and his posterity, the fire rolled down upon the hearth and crumbled it to ashes. ham-handed : adjective: Clumsy; tactless; lacking social grace. ; "There was a certain thrill, a challenge in taking an ordinary man who was ham-handed with compliments and possessed of two left feet, and turn him into something sublime." Bronwyn Scott; A Lady Seduces; Harlequin; 2013. See more usage examples of ham-handed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. -Joe Biden, president-elect of the United States (b. 20 Nov 1942) *****November 23, 2020***** Confluence : n. The act or process of merging. A flowing together of two or more streams. "A fortunate confluence of factors led to his success." Debouch : 1 : to cause to emerge : discharge; "… Mr. Holcomb … was talking about a small room that debouched from a well-maintained weight room in the basement…." — Barry Stringfellow, The MV Times (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts), 15 Mar. 2017 headstrong : (adjective) Determined to have one's own way.; stubborn, willful, obstinate; Every man is in his youth impetuous, headstrong, and obstinate in maintaining his own opinion. ham-handed : adjective: Clumsy; tactless; lacking social grace. ; "There was a certain thrill, a challenge in taking an ordinary man who was ham-handed with compliments and possessed of two left feet, and turn him into something sublime." Bronwyn Scott; A Lady Seduces; Harlequin; 2013. See more usage examples of ham-handed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe at our best America is a beacon for the globe. And we lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. -Joe Biden, president-elect of the United States (b. 20 Nov 1942) *****November 24, 2020***** Intrinsic : adj. Belonging naturally; essential. "Intrinsic stock value." Vaunted : : highly or widely praised or boasted about ; The team was able to overcome their opponents' vaunted defense and achieve an upset victory. monotonous : (adjective) Tediously repetitious or lacking in variety.; humdrum; Spending eight hours a day on an assembly line is monotonous work, but I am grateful to have a job. euphoria : noun: A feeling or state of elation or well-being. ; "What is different, though, is the absence of euphoria. Few seem to want to cheer the rally in risky eurobonds." Still Crazy After Falling Yields; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 12, 2017. "When they finally reached it a fraction of a moment later, a shower of euphoria rained on them, drenching them both." Marie Ferrarella; Christmas Cowboy Duet; Harlequin; 2014. See more usage examples of euphoria in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a sort of homecoming. -Paul Celan, poet and translator (23 Nov 1920-1970) *****November 25, 2020***** Overt : adj. Done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden. "Overt hostility." Mogul : 1 capitalized Mogul : an Indian Muslim of or descended from one of several conquering groups of Mongol, Turkish, and Persian origin; especially : Great Mogul; "The philanthropic foundation created by the hedge fund mogul Ray Dalio is donating $50 million to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to address health social inequalities." — The New York Times, 14 Oct. 2020 guttersnipe : (noun) A child who spends most of his time in the streets especially in slum areas.; street urchin; In Shaw's Pygmalion, an elocution expert plucks a guttersnipe from Covent Garden market and teaches her to talk like a lady. quaternion : noun: A set of four persons, things, etc. ; "There were four of us then, not merely two, and in our quaternion the vintage sap flowed freely, flowed and bled and boiled as it may never again." John Hawkes; The Blood Oranges; New Directions; 1972. See more usage examples of quaternion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To understand is not to forgive. It is simply better than the alternative, which is not to understand. -Alec Nove, economist, author, and professor (24 Nov 1915-1994) *****November 26, 2020***** Serendipity; Serendipitous : n. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. "A fortunate stroke of serendipity." Posthumous : 1 : born after the death of the father; Published eleven years following his death in 1969, John Kennedy Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces earned the author posthumous fame as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. grinder : (noun) A large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States.; hoagie, Italian sandwich, poor boy, sub, Cuban sandwich, zep, torpedo, wedge, bomber, hero; I usually have a salad for lunch, but today I am going to treat myself to a carb-laden, ham-stuffed grinder. urticaceous : adjective: 1. Relating to a nettle. 2. Stinging. ; "[Rhizostoma Aldrovandi] possesses an urticaceous apparatus, which produces an effect similar to the stinging nettle when applied to the skin." Louis Figuier; The Ocean World; Appleton; 1869. Thought For The Day: Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 27, 2020***** Apoplectic : adj. Overcome with anger; extremely indignant. "He showed apoplectic rage." Victual : 1 : food usable by people; "One day, I will have a large and well-organized fruit and vegetable garden that will furnish far more of my victuals." — Adrian Higgins, The Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2020 uncouth : (adjective) Lacking refinement or cultivation or taste.; rough-cut, vulgar, coarse, common; He was an uncouth fellow, ragged and dirty and unshaven. autotelic : adjective: Having a purpose, motivation, or meaning in itself; not driven by external factors. ; "I knew I had found my theme, but it was an artistic, an academic, an autotelic choice, having nothing to do with extraneous matters." Reginald Hill; Death's Jest-Book; Harper; 2019. See more usage examples of autotelic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best theology is probably no theology; just love one another. -Charles Schulz, cartoonist (26 Nov 1922-2000) *****November 28, 2020***** Sagacious : adj. Shrewd; showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. "A sagacious remark." Ulterior : 1 : going beyond what is openly said or shown and especially what is proper; "People need someone in office that they can trust, that they know has no ulterior motives or is beholden to any entities other than the city." — Mark Rockeymoore, quoted in The San Marcos (Texas) Daily Record, 20 Oct. 2020 hard-bitten : (adjective) Tough and callous by virtue of experience.; hard-boiled, pugnacious; He graduated from college a naïve idealist, but just a few years of chasing down stories had turned him into a cynical, hard-bitten journalist. vinaceous : adjective: 1. Relating to wine. 2. Of the color of red wine: reddish. ; "He took another piece made of darker clay. It had been burnished to make it shine like vinaceous enamel." Bob Shacochis; Easy in the Islands; Grove Press; 2004. See more usage examples of vinaceous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it. -Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (27 Nov 1940-1973) *****November 29, 2020***** Histrionic : adj. Overly theatrical or dramatic. n. Exaggerated dramatic behavior designed to attract attention. "His histrionic reaction disrupted the meeting." Capitulate : 1 a : to surrender often after negotiation of terms; "Real estate experts say retailers are increasingly looking to pay rent as a percentage of sales, making it a variable expense on their balance sheets rather than a fixed one.… While there could be some hesitation to strike a deal like this, landlords could end up capitulating to keep a space occupied." — Lauren Thomas, CNBC.com, 24 Sept. 2020 rakish : (adjective) Marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness.; devil-may-care, raffish; A black patch over one eye gave him a fearfully rakish look. vinaceous : adjective: 1. Relating to wine. 2. Of the color of red wine: reddish. ; "He took another piece made of darker clay. It had been burnished to make it shine like vinaceous enamel." Bob Shacochis; Easy in the Islands; Grove Press; 2004. See more usage examples of vinaceous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it. -Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (27 Nov 1940-1973) *****November 30, 2020***** Titular : adj. Relating to or constituting a title. "The titular head of the business." Hinterland : 1 : a region lying inland from a coast; "All the same, the large turnout, particularly unusual in Russia's quiescent hinterland, posed a bold challenge to the Kremlin, exposing deep wells of public anger as Russia struggles with the economic damage left by the coronavirus pandemic and growing fatigue with political stagnation." — Andrew Higgins, The New York Times, 18 July 2020 malefactor : (noun) Someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime.; criminal, crook, felon, outlaw; A judge having sentenced a malefactor to the penitentiary was proceeding to point out to him the disadvantages of crime and the profit of reformation. vinaceous : adjective: 1. Relating to wine. 2. Of the color of red wine: reddish. ; "He took another piece made of darker clay. It had been burnished to make it shine like vinaceous enamel." Bob Shacochis; Easy in the Islands; Grove Press; 2004. See more usage examples of vinaceous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use only that which works and take it from any place you can find it. -Bruce Lee, martial artist and actor (27 Nov 1940-1973) *****December 01, 2020***** Ingratiate : tr.v. Bring oneself into favor or good graces of another, especially by deliberate effort. "She soon ingratiated herself with her new boss." Ambient : 1 : existing or present on all sides : encompassing; "These sophisticated spaces are stocked with elements to lure homeowners outdoors: water and fire features; … ambient lighting to set the mood." — Rachel Hutton, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 21 Oct. 2020 empennage : (noun) The rear part of an aircraft.; tail; The pop superstar is so vain that she had her likeness plastered across her private jet's empennage. yeanling : noun: The young of an animal, especially of a sheep or a goat. adjective: New-born; infant. ; "In residence therein is a handsome chestnut colt the Lewises bought for $200,000 as a yeanling. His name is Charismatic." Larry Bortstein; Battle-Tested Kentucky Derby; Orange County Register (Santa Ana, California); Apr 30, 1999. Thought For The Day: Laws are like cobwebs which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (30 Nov 1667-1745) *****December 02, 2020***** Futile : adj. Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless. "All of his attempts to rectify the situation proved futile." Equity : 1 a : justice according to natural law or right; specifically : freedom from bias or favoritism; "Diversity, equity and inclusion education is critical to developing effective leadership and building a workforce with equitable opportunities to contribute, succeed and grow." — Max Stier, Ourpublicservice.org, 20 Nov. 2020 tumult : (noun) Violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob.; garboil, uproar; He could hear a great tumult in the street and looked out the window to see a lynch mob heading for the jail. ursiform : adjective: Having the form or appearance of a bear. ; "The cuddly ursiform creatures return in a new animated tale [Care Bears: Oopsy Does It!]." Summer Movie Sneaks; Los Angeles Times (California); May 6, 2007. Thought For The Day: What the tongue has promised, the body must submit to. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 03, 2020***** Abate : v. To reduce in amount, degree, or intensity; lessen. "The wind finally abated." Tyro : : a beginner in learning : novice; The ranch has one riding trail for tyros and several more challenging options for experienced riders. defile : (verb) To damage or sully (someone's good name, reputation, etc.).; sully, taint, corrupt, cloud; My father was an honest man, and I will not allow you to defile his memory by publishing an article that casts suspicion on his business dealings. leptodactylous : adjective: Having slender fingers or toes. ; "The Triaenopus ... has besides three leptodactylous toes pointing forwards, a fourth extending backwards in a remarkable way." John C. Warren; Remarks on some Fossil Impressions in the Sandstone Rocks of Connecticut River; Outlook Verlag; 2018. Thought For The Day: Science does correct itself and that's the reason why science is such a glorious thing for our species. -Nigel Calder, science writer (2 Dec 1931-2014) *****December 04, 2020***** Eviscerate : v. Deprive or take away (something) of its essential content. "The compromise eviscerated the proposed agreement." Brainiac : : a very intelligent person; "As the Kendall Square Association advocates for transportation fixes, the Cambridge group likes to say that you can't find the cure for cancer while sitting in traffic. You can't. But all this congestion might just spur you, or some other brainiac, to find a cure for traffic." — John Chesto, The Boston Globe, 31 Jan. 2020 hideaway : (noun) An area where you can be alone.; retreat; During the summers, we leave the city behind and get some much-needed rest and relaxation at our secluded mountain hideaway. zaftig : adjective: Full-figured; pleasingly plump; buxom. ; "One year the zaftig look was in among models, the next year the waif was all the rage." Eric Van Lustbader; Second Skin; Gallery Books; 2015. See more usage examples of zaftig in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924) *****December 05, 2020***** Licentious : adj. Promiscuous and unprincipled. Lacking moral discipline. "The judge treated her in a most licentious manner." Distend : 1 : extend; "At the Aurora … the finest performers in Josh Costello’s cast … add still further pleasure to the avalanche of wit. They make it sing—and croak and hiss and squeal, thunder and bark and gurgle. They distend syllables. They ride the waves of diphthongs. They scale octaves in a breath and then find a comedic thump of a note to land on. It’s pitch as punch line." — Lily Janiak, The San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Apr. 2019 ringer : (noun) A person who is almost identical to another.; clone; I have been told I am a ringer for Bono, but the similarities end the moment I pick up a microphone. noctilucent : adjective: Shining at night. ; "But it was the noctilucent clouds that made the deepest impression on [Samantha Cristoforetti] -- wispy clouds that form high in the atmosphere and that the sun illuminates from below." Guy Chazan; "We Could Be Gone and the Earth Would Keep on Moving"; Financial Times (London, UK); Aug 29, 2020. See more usage examples of noctilucent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Is there any religion whose followers can be pointed to as distinctly more amiable and trustworthy than those of any other? If so, this should be enough. I find the nicest and best people generally profess no religion at all, but are ready to like the best men of all religions. -Samuel Butler, writer (4 Dec 1835-1902) *****December 06, 2020***** Avuncular : adj. Kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person. "An avuncular manner." Of or relating to an uncle. Incandescent : 1 a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat; The attic was lit by a single incandescent bulb, but that was all the light we needed to read the labels on the storage boxes. loup-garou : (noun) A monster able to change appearance from human to wolf and back again.; lycanthrope, werewolf, wolfman; The loup-garou killed without mercy when in wolf form and repented his terrible actions as soon as he returned to his human form. noctilucent : adjective: Shining at night. ; "But it was the noctilucent clouds that made the deepest impression on [Samantha Cristoforetti] -- wispy clouds that form high in the atmosphere and that the sun illuminates from below." Guy Chazan; "We Could Be Gone and the Earth Would Keep on Moving"; Financial Times (London, UK); Aug 29, 2020. See more usage examples of noctilucent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Is there any religion whose followers can be pointed to as distinctly more amiable and trustworthy than those of any other? If so, this should be enough. I find the nicest and best people generally profess no religion at all, but are ready to like the best men of all religions. -Samuel Butler, writer (4 Dec 1835-1902) *****December 07, 2020***** Ethereal : adj. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. "Her fragrance lingered in the room, an ethereal reminder of her presence." 2. Highly refined; delicate. "Ethereal beauty." Mangle : 1 : to injure with deep disfiguring wounds by cutting, tearing, or crushing; "Named for the two geologic periods on either side of the event, the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction happened with remarkable speed. Intense cold, constant darkness, wildfires, tsunamis, unbearable heat in the impact area, and eventual acid rain mangled the planet." — Michael Greshko, National Geographic, 29 June 2020 oeuvre : (noun) The total output of a writer or artist (or a substantial part of it).; body of work; The musicologist studied the entire Wagnerian oeuvre. noctilucent : adjective: Shining at night. ; "But it was the noctilucent clouds that made the deepest impression on [Samantha Cristoforetti] -- wispy clouds that form high in the atmosphere and that the sun illuminates from below." Guy Chazan; "We Could Be Gone and the Earth Would Keep on Moving"; Financial Times (London, UK); Aug 29, 2020. See more usage examples of noctilucent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Is there any religion whose followers can be pointed to as distinctly more amiable and trustworthy than those of any other? If so, this should be enough. I find the nicest and best people generally profess no religion at all, but are ready to like the best men of all religions. -Samuel Butler, writer (4 Dec 1835-1902) *****December 08, 2020***** Assertive : adj. 1.Inclined to bold or confident assertion; aggressively self-assured. "She is an assertive businesswoman." Lucrative : : producing wealth : profitable; The author parlayed the success of her books into a lucrative second career as a public speaker.    drivel : (noun) Foolish or senseless talk.; nonsense, rubbish, garbage; I was hoping my teacher would not actually listen to my presentation, because I knew it was absolute drivel, but the "F" on my transcript was proof that I had not fooled anyone. brazen : adjective:1. Shamelessly bold.  2. Made of or relating to brass. verb tr.:To face an embarrassing or difficult situation in a shamelessly bold manner. ; "[Trump] denied, despite hard evidence, that he ever supported the Iraq war. Pundits were dismayed. But his supporters love him all the more for his brazen adherence to the integrity of his 'brand' over minor details like the truth." Lee Siegel; The Selling of Donald J. Trump; The New York Times; Sep 10, 2016. See more usage examples of brazen in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2020***** Precocious : adj. Manifesting or characterized by unusually early development or maturity, especially in mental aptitude. "A precocious child." Paucity : 1 : smallness of number : fewness; The manager overheard two customers complaining about the paucity of stylish designs in the store. gewgaw : (noun) Cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing.; fallal, gaud, trinket, bangle, bauble, novelty; "Trim off these gewgaws," said his father, plucking the scraps of ribbon and the feathers from his hat, "and over your own dress wear my cloak." auricomous : adjective: Relating to golden hair. ; "The amber-haired women -- palpably indebted to auricomous fluids for the colour of their tresses -- objected to the dark burnished gold of Violet Tempest's hair." Mary Elizabeth Braddon; Vixen: Complete; Floating Press; 2011. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954) *****December 10, 2020***** Contrite : adj. 1. Arising from sense of guilt: done or said out of a sense of guilt or remorse. 2. Very sorry: genuinely and deeply sorry about something. "He was suitably contrite." Rescind : 1 : to take away : remove; "As part of that Phase I work, the board rescinded an earlier agreement to buy the old bus station at 221 W. Fourth Ave. That $109,000 will be used instead to help pay for the infrastructure work." — Byron Tate, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 30, Oct. 2020 inexpugnable : (adjective) Incapable of being overcome, challenged, or refuted.; impregnable; I felt the inexpugnable strength of common sense being insidiously menaced by this gruesome, by this insane, delusion. philargyry : noun: The love of money; greed. ; "The Popes (labouring daily more and more with this incurable disease of philargyry)." William Lambarde; A Perambulation of Kent; Henrie Middleton; 1576. Thought For The Day: The mind is its own place, and in itself / Can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 11, 2020***** Elucidate : v. Make (something) clear; explain. "The presentation will help to elucidate the project." Spontaneous : 1 : proceeding from natural feeling or native tendency without external constraint; "'You're coming to San Diego?' said Courtney excitedly. 'I am. I've decided to be spontaneous for once.' She paused. 'Which means that the visit is on short notice. Sorry about that.'" — Douglas E. Richards, The Cure, 2013 greensward : (noun) Surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots.; sod, turf; There were lovely patches of greensward all about, with stately trees bearing rich and luscious fruits. tinpot : adjective: Unimportant; of little worth. ; "Every little prince and duke and archbishop up there is a lord of his own domain, with a tinpot army and his own coins and postage stamps and custom inspectors." Harry Turtledove; Through Darkest Europe; Tom Doherty Associates; 2018. See more usage examples of tinpot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no frigate like a book / To take us lands away, / Nor any coursers like a page / Of prancing poetry. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 12, 2020***** Acrid : adj. Having an irritatingly strong and unpleasant taste or smell. Angry and bitter. "An acrid odor filled the room." Contraband : 1 : illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling; The officers searched the car for weapons, drugs, and other contraband. natter : (verb) Talk socially without exchanging too much information.; chew the fat, chitchat, claver, confab, chat, jaw, shoot the breeze, confabulate, gossip, chaffer, chatter, visit; My teenage daughter can natter on the phone for hours. lead balloon : noun: A complete failure. ; "The band's name was pinched from Keith Moon, The Who's drummer, who had suggested in 1966 that a potential group involving him and Mr Page, without a quality singer, would go down like a lead balloon. Mr Page kept a note of "Led Zeppelin", and thought it was perfect for a new band that would combine music heavy and light." Fifty Years on, Led Zeppelin Are Still Idols for Aspiring Rock Stars; The Economist (London); Aug 9, 2018. Thought For The Day: Let us not forget that violence does not live alone and is not capable of living alone: it is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds. Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence. Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle. -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 13, 2020***** Nescient; Nescience : adj. Lacking knowledge; ignorant. "His nescience of the topic was obvious." Antediluvian : 1 : of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible; "But in the White Mountains grow the oldest trees on Earth, the gnarled antediluvian bristlecone pines." — Nick Burns, The New Statesman, 16 Sept. 2020 frowsty : (adjective) Stale and unclean smelling.; fusty, musty; As a college student, all I could afford was a frowsty basement apartment, but it served its purpose. lead balloon : noun: A complete failure. ; "The band's name was pinched from Keith Moon, The Who's drummer, who had suggested in 1966 that a potential group involving him and Mr Page, without a quality singer, would go down like a lead balloon. Mr Page kept a note of "Led Zeppelin", and thought it was perfect for a new band that would combine music heavy and light." Fifty Years on, Led Zeppelin Are Still Idols for Aspiring Rock Stars; The Economist (London); Aug 9, 2018. Thought For The Day: Let us not forget that violence does not live alone and is not capable of living alone: it is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds. Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence. Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle. -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 14, 2020***** Irascible : adj. Characterized by or arising from anger. (of a person) Easily made angry. "He was always irascible and quick to get into a fight." Flout : 1 : to treat with contemptuous disregard : scorn; "Research shows that people who intentionally flout convention and stand out are perceived as more competent ... than people who conform." — Sunny Bonnell, quoted in The Investor's Business Daily, 6 Mar. 2020 dog-tired : (adjective) Drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted.; fagged, fatigued, played out, washed-out, worn out, spent; I can see myself now, worn out and dog-tired after the long day, lying on the mats of the palace veranda. lead balloon : noun: A complete failure. ; "The band's name was pinched from Keith Moon, The Who's drummer, who had suggested in 1966 that a potential group involving him and Mr Page, without a quality singer, would go down like a lead balloon. Mr Page kept a note of "Led Zeppelin", and thought it was perfect for a new band that would combine music heavy and light." Fifty Years on, Led Zeppelin Are Still Idols for Aspiring Rock Stars; The Economist (London); Aug 9, 2018. Thought For The Day: Let us not forget that violence does not live alone and is not capable of living alone: it is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds. Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence. Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle. -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 15, 2020***** Ostracize : v. Exclude (someone) from a society or group. "She felt ostracized by society." Homage : 1 a : a feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord; One scene in the movie was clearly an homage to the director's mentor and idol. dulcet : (adjective) Pleasing to the ear.; mellifluous, honeyed, sweet; I turned on the record, closed my eyes, and allowed the dulcet tones of the cello to melt away the stress of my day. irrefutable : adjective: Impossible to deny or disprove; indisputable. ; "Irrefutable evidence of the worst trait of modern Hawthorn: its propensity to go into meltdown when heat is applied and sustained." Mike Sheahan; Heat's on the Hawks; The Mercury (Hobart Town, Australia); Apr 14, 2003. See more usage examples of irrefutable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 16, 2020***** Tenuous : adj. Very weak or slight; insubstantial. "A tenuous argument." Prehensile : 1 : adapted for seizing or grasping especially by wrapping around; "The seahorse has a long, tubular snout with a round, toothless mouth. Normally they remain motionless, holding onto coral, rocks or seaweed with their prehensile tail." — Terry Lilley, The Garden Island (Lihue, Hawaii), 11 Oct. 2020 hostler : (noun) Someone employed in a stable to take care of the horses.; stableboy, groom; The coachman said not a word, except to swear awfully at the hostler for not bringing him a fresh team of horses. amnesia : noun: Loss of memory or a gap in one's memory. ; "'Maybe I didn't believe you had amnesia before. But voluntarily performing for a crowd?' He tilted his fork toward her plate. 'Not devouring chocolate cake? I believe now. You've shown irrefutable evidence of a total personality shift.'" Rachelle Paige Campbell; Love Overboard; Wild Rose; 2020. See more usage examples of amnesia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser, poet and activist (15 Dec 1913-1980) *****December 17, 2020***** Ignoble : adj. Not honorable in character or purpose; shameful. "An ignoble act." Vilify : 1 : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame; "The gentleman next door had been vilified by Nicholas; rudely stigmatised as a dotard and an idiot; and for these attacks upon his understanding, Mrs. Nickleby was, in some sort, accountable." — Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby, 1839 endorse : (verb) Give support or one's approval to.; second, back; Before I can move forward with a project of this magnitude, my boss must first endorse it. psychogenic : adjective: Originating in the mind (having a psychological rather than a physiological cause). ; "'Turns out I don't really have amnesia, I'm just hysterical.' His gaze whipped to hers, fierce, indignant. 'Psychogenic amnesia is no less real than organic. It's a self-preservation mechanism.'" Catherine Mann & Olivia Gates; Escaping with the Billionaire; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of psychogenic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No society that feeds its children on tales of successful violence can expect them not to believe that violence in the end is rewarded. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 18, 2020***** Colloquial (ism) : adj. (of language) Used in ordinary conversation; not formal or literary. "His lecture was quite engaging due to his colloquial speech." Doyen : 1 a : the senior member of a body or group; We watched a TV documentary by Jacques Cousteau, the doyen of undersea explorers. titivate : (verb) Make neat, smart, or trim.; slick up, spiff up, spruce; I hope that my plan to titivate the restaurant will help draw more customers to our establishment when we reopen next month. polydipsia : noun: Excessive or abnormal thirst. ; "Patients with psychogenic polydipsia were driven to drink excessively: Sinks had to be disabled. Toilets drained. In the worst cases, like this one, the heart failed due to fluid overload." Dustin Thomason; 12.21: A Novel; Dial Press; 2012. See more usage examples of polydipsia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been." -John Greenleaf Whittier, poet (17 Dec 1807-1892) *****December 19, 2020***** Elegiac : adj. Having a mournful quality. "An elegiac poem." Idiopathic : 1 : arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause : primary; "Konnikova is a popular psychology writer…. Her interest was sparked by the unfairness of life—idiopathic illness striking at random, her husband's start-up failing, and so on." — Hermione Eyre, The Spectator, 27 June 2020 bric-a-brac : (noun) Small, usually ornamental objects valued for their antiquity, rarity, originality, or sentimental associations.; knickknackery, whatnot; The realtor recommended that I pack away some of my bric-a-brac before showing the apartment to potential buyers. propensity : noun: An inclination to behave in a particular way. ; "Mackenzie also mentions an infant of three who had polydipsia from birth and drank daily nearly two pailfuls of water. At the age of twenty-two she married a cobbler, unaware of her propensity, who found that his earnings did not suffice to keep her in water alone, and he was compelled to melt ice and snow for her." George M. Gould & Walter L. Pyle; Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine; W.B. Saunders; 1897. See more usage examples of propensity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (18 Dec 1879-1940) *****December 20, 2020***** Obsequious : adj. Obedient or attentive to an excessive degree. "The obsequious service resulted in an excellent tip." Comity : 1 a : friendly social atmosphere : social harmony; "Most Las Vegas rides from the casino back to the rooms breed comity, compassion—everyone's been fleeced by the same con—but this crew stews and accuses." — Walter Kirn, Up in the Air, 2001 afflict : (verb) Cause physical pain or suffering in.; smite; My grandmother is afflicted with arthritis, and it makes it hard for her to get around. propensity : noun: An inclination to behave in a particular way. ; "Mackenzie also mentions an infant of three who had polydipsia from birth and drank daily nearly two pailfuls of water. At the age of twenty-two she married a cobbler, unaware of her propensity, who found that his earnings did not suffice to keep her in water alone, and he was compelled to melt ice and snow for her." George M. Gould & Walter L. Pyle; Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine; W.B. Saunders; 1897. See more usage examples of propensity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (18 Dec 1879-1940) *****December 21, 2020***** Recondite : adj. (of a subject or knowledge) Little known, obscure, abstruse. "Recondite information." Presage : 1 : to give an omen or warning of : foreshadow; The sudden gloom and ominous dark clouds clearly presaged a nasty storm. valuate : (verb) Evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of.; appraise, assess, measure; The jewelry must be valuated by a professional before the marital assets can be divided. propensity : noun: An inclination to behave in a particular way. ; "Mackenzie also mentions an infant of three who had polydipsia from birth and drank daily nearly two pailfuls of water. At the age of twenty-two she married a cobbler, unaware of her propensity, who found that his earnings did not suffice to keep her in water alone, and he was compelled to melt ice and snow for her." George M. Gould & Walter L. Pyle; Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine; W.B. Saunders; 1897. See more usage examples of propensity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art should be like a holiday: something to give a man the opportunity to see things differently and to change his point of view. -Paul Klee, painter (18 Dec 1879-1940) *****December 22, 2020***** Incisive : adj. (of a person or mental process) Intelligently analytical and clear-thinking. Accurate and sharply focused. "The incisive detective soon solved the crime." Gelid : : extremely cold : icy; "A fleet of military aircraft and navy and merchant ships continue searching the gelid waters north of Antarctica for a Chilean Air Force cargo plane that went missing on Monday evening with 38 people on board." — Pascale Bonnefoy and Austin Ramzy, The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2019 rectitude : (noun) Righteousness as a consequence of being honorable and honest.; uprightness; We are all equally satisfied of the complete rectitude of Miss Isabel's conduct, and we are all equally interested in the vindication of her good name. misocainea : noun: A hatred of new ideas. ; "A crucial objective of our program is to remove any innate misocainea 'hatred of new ideas', and replace it with the entrepreneurial principle of 'change is an opportunity to create competitive advantage'." Bill Weaver; Change for the Better; Scientific Computing & Instrumentation (Morris Plains, New Jersey); Jan 2005. See more usage examples of misocainea in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (1887-1985) *****December 23, 2020***** Surreal : adj. Having the disorienting quality of a dream; unreal; fantastic. "There was something surreal about the diving accident." Opprobrium : 1 : something that brings disgrace; "Nonetheless, I remained a fellow traveler. In those days, the term was one of approval, not opprobrium." — Ellen Feldman, Scottsboro, 2008 elephantine : (adjective) Of great mass; huge and bulky.; gargantuan, giant, jumbo; As we approached the city, the silhouettes of its elephantine buildings came into view. polygyny : noun: The practice of having two or more female partners. ; "King Maha Vajiralongkorn's critics say his naming of a consort represents the return of polygyny to the royal court." Shashank Bengali; A Royal Consort's Charm Offensive; Los Angeles Times; Nov 18, 2020. See more usage examples of polygyny in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember the quiet wonders. The world has more need of them than it has for warriors. And this I will tell you as well: One cannot seek to uphold honor in a being that has none. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 24, 2020***** Unctuous : adj. (of a person) Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering. "Anxious to please in an unctuous way." Convalesce : : to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness; According to the article, the athlete is still convalescing from her recent injury but expects to resume her training schedule by the end of the month. baffle : (verb) Be a mystery or bewildering to.; dumbfound, flummox, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, amaze, stupefy, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get; An apple tree producing square fruit would undoubtedly baffle experts. audiophile : adjective: One who has a keen interest in high-fidelity sound reproduction. ; "'Ronald was an audiophile,' Nancy replied. 'He was constantly buying new equipment and tinkering with it to get the best sound possible.'" Andrea Kane; The Silence That Speaks; MIRA Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: One can be ignorant without being bigoted, but one can't be bigoted without being ignorant. -Dale Robert Greenley, microbiologist (b. 23 Dec 1946) *****December 25, 2020***** Timorous : adj. Showing or suffering from nervousness, fear, or a lack of confidence: "A timorous demeanor." Efficacious : : having the power to produce a desired effect; "And as I mentioned, at the conference today, vaccines are close by. They're coming. I said 'Help is on the way,' which to me, I think, should motivate people, even more, to double down because pretty soon we're going to get a heck of a lot of help from a very efficacious vaccine." — Doctor Anthony Fauci, quoted on CNN, 19 Nov. 2020 hardtack : (noun) Very hard unsalted biscuit or bread; a former ship's staple.; pilot bread, sea biscuit; When we dock, the first thing I am going to do is toss the rest of my hardtack into the water and get myself a loaf of fresh, crusty bread at the nearest bakery. deontology : noun: The theory or study of duty and obligation, with a focus on the right action as determined by a set of rules, irrespective of the consequences of the action. ; "What is the right thing to do? How do we decide what is right? Philosophers had the question to themselves for centuries. Utilitarianism versus deontology. John Stuart Mill against Kant in the ultimate cage match." Liam Durcan; Garcia's Heart; McClelland & Stewart; 2009. Thought For The Day: Habit with him was all the test of truth, / It must be right: I've done it from my youth. -George Crabbe, poet and naturalist (24 Dec 1754-1832) *****December 26, 2020***** Affinity : n. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something. "He has an affinity for science fiction movies." Noel : 1 : a Christmas carol; "No surprise, the 12 tracks aren't exactly traditional noels. They celebrate the season with upbeat, fast songs about animals, food, pirates, and more." — Michael Walsh, Nerdist, 6 Nov. 2020 hornswoggle : (verb) Deprive of by deceit.; bunco, con, defraud, diddle, goldbrick, mulct, nobble, rook, scam, swindle, short-change, victimize; I might be a thief, but even I think it is shameful to hornswoggle an old lady out of her life savings! silvicolous : adjective: Living or growing in woods. ; "The four-camera survey method was the only method to completely detect the ground-dwelling silvicolous community (bobcat, coyote, eastern gray squirrel, eastern wild turkey, Virginia opossum, raccoon, white-tailed deer)." Brent S. Pease, et al; Single-Camera Trap Survey Designs Miss Detections; PLoS ONE (San Francisco, California); Nov 30, 2016. Thought For The Day: The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs, and explosions, and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy; and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. -Rod Serling, writer of the science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone (25 Dec 1924-1975) *****December 27, 2020***** Prescient; Prescience : adj. Having or showing knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. "You should be prescient about choosing your employer." Verdigris : : a green or bluish deposit formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces; "Verdigris is poisonous when ingested, and for that reason—and to prevent copper's metallic flavor from leaching into food—copper cookware is lined with metal such as tin or stainless steel." — Jacob Dean, Yahoo! Life, 25 Nov. 2020      android : (noun) An automaton that resembles a human being.; humanoid, mechanical man; I programmed the android to mimic my expressions, but something about its subtly inhuman smile leaves me, a scientist, unsettled. silvicolous : adjective: Living or growing in woods. ; "The four-camera survey method was the only method to completely detect the ground-dwelling silvicolous community (bobcat, coyote, eastern gray squirrel, eastern wild turkey, Virginia opossum, raccoon, white-tailed deer)." Brent S. Pease, et al; Single-Camera Trap Survey Designs Miss Detections; PLoS ONE (San Francisco, California); Nov 30, 2016. Thought For The Day: The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs, and explosions, and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy; and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. -Rod Serling, writer of the science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone (25 Dec 1924-1975) *****December 28, 2020***** Virulent : adj. Extremely severe or harmful in its effects. Bitterly hostile or antagonistic; hateful. "Virulent criticism." Franchise : 1 a : the right or license granted to an individual or group to market a company's goods or services in a particular territory; also : a business granted such a right or license; "The primary elections won't be decided for another month, but Laramie County residents can start casting their votes Friday. Here’s a rundown of how to exercise your franchise, courtesy of Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee…." — Austin Huguelet, The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, 5 July 2018 palliate : (verb) Lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of.; extenuate, mitigate; There has been in the past no excuse, no circumstance, that could palliate the offense. silvicolous : adjective: Living or growing in woods. ; "The four-camera survey method was the only method to completely detect the ground-dwelling silvicolous community (bobcat, coyote, eastern gray squirrel, eastern wild turkey, Virginia opossum, raccoon, white-tailed deer)." Brent S. Pease, et al; Single-Camera Trap Survey Designs Miss Detections; PLoS ONE (San Francisco, California); Nov 30, 2016. Thought For The Day: The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs, and explosions, and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy; and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own for the children, and the children yet unborn. -Rod Serling, writer of the science fiction TV series The Twilight Zone (25 Dec 1924-1975) *****December 29, 2020***** Portent : n. A sign or warning that something significant is likely to happen. "an occurrence of crucial portent." Suffrage : 1 : a short intercessory prayer usually in a series; "The assembled citizens who spoke out against slavery and demanded universal suffrage have contemporary counterparts demanding racial justice today." — Ken Paulson, The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), 13 Dec. 2020 blowhard : (noun) A very boastful and talkative person.; braggart, line-shooter, vaunter; If I have to listen to that blowhard brag about his latest project for one more minute, I am going to lose my mind! bounder : noun: An ill-bred, vulgar man. ; "Bad manners, shoddy behavior toward women, gambling debts, cheating at cards, drunkenness, and despicable behavior in general, gave a man a bad reputation, earned him the names of blackguard, bounder, cad, and worse." Barbara Taylor Bradford; The Heir; St. Martin's Press; 2007. "'You bounder, you.' She leaped off her horse and ran for him. 'I knew you'd come!' Stanhope laughed. 'I take great exception to being called a bounder, madam. I have not yet reached that lofty status,' he said, and greeted her enthusiastic hug with one of his own." Julia London; The Scoundrel and the Debutante; HQN Books; 2015. See more usage examples of bounder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. -Rose Franken, author and playwright (28 Dec 1895-1988) *****December 30, 2020***** Missive : n. A written message; a letter. "He received a missive from his company manager." Constitution : 1 a : the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it; "Historically, Americans maintained the agility of democracy by amending the constitution, on average, at least once a decade, until the pace stalled, half a century ago. Other than a minor amendment in 1992, to adjust congressional salaries, the last major change to the constitution was in 1971, when the voting age was lowered to eighteen." — Evan Osnos, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2020 indiscretion : (noun) A petty misdeed.; peccadillo; He had awakened with a terrible headache and a sense of some hideous indiscretion. toplofty : adjective: Haughty; pretentious. ; "'You hired me, and until we get to Tampico, take note. I give the orders and you follow them. Comprende?' 'You are certainly toplofty for a hired hand.' Martha Hix; Wild Sierra Rogue; Lyrical Press; 2016. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****December 31, 2020***** Malodorous : adj. Smelling very unpleasant; an offensive odor. "A malodorous side of town." Prerogative : 1 a : an exclusive or special right, power, or privilege: such as; "The prerogative of civilian leaders to decide military matters is a key tenet of American constitutional governance and healthy civilian-military relations…." — Jason Dempsey, The New Republic, 13 Apr. 2020 downcast : (adjective) Filled with melancholy and despondency.; low-spirited, gloomy, dispirited, blue, depressed, grim; He walked through the door with a glum, downcast expression, and I knew without asking that the interview had not gone well. worrywart : noun: One who worries excessively and unnecessarily. ; "When Biden takes the presidential oath in January, many will write articles scolding those who expressed concern about a coup as worrywarts." Zeynep Tufekci; "This Must Be Your First"; The Atlantic; Dec 7, 2020. See more usage examples of worrywart in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there. -L.P. Hartley, writer (30 Dec 1895-1972) *****January 01, 2021***** Profligate : Adj. Recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources. A profligate lifestyle resulted in his bankruptcy." Contestation : : controversy, debate; The book examines how political contestation has changed in recent decades. lather : (noun) Agitation resulting from active worry.; fret, stew, swither, sweat; "I'm not going to get into a lather over this defeat," said the manager. airling : noun: A carefree, thoughtless person. ; "'Does that mean he is short a few marbles upstairs?' Matthew asked. ... he knocked on his own head and said, 'Airling,' which got them all laughing." Sylvia Abolis Mennear; Enchanted Castle On The River; Xlibris; 2015. Thought For The Day: The only way human beings can win a war is to prevent it. -George Marshall, US Army Chief, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Nobel laureate (31 Dec 1880-1959) *****January 02, 2021***** Sapid : adj. Having a strong, pleasant taste; palatable. "The wine tasting was a most sapid event." (of talk or writing) Pleasant or interesting. Reprise : 1 a : a musical repetition:; "What was sweet and touching and only slightly comic in its original presentation becomes ridiculous in its reprise. It is the same song, and it is not." — Steve Swayne, How Sondheim Found His Sound, 2005 tongue-lashing : (noun) A scolding.; chiding, objurgation; My mother gave me a tongue-lashing for staying out past my curfew and grounded me for a week. altricial : adjective: Born in an undeveloped and helpless condition and requiring parental care and feeding for some time. ; "But the girls ... are probably more developed than the relatively altricial boys they're competing against. If anything, these girls might have an advantage. And many young women, even with the species-wide size disparity, have proven themselves on varsity-level teams, especially in lightweight wrestling brackets." Gooding Needs to Let the Girls Play; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Sep 12, 2013. "Around Maria Izabelle he felt more like a newly hatched altricial bird -- blind and helpless." George R. Hopkins; Collateral Consequences; Xlibris; 2009. See more usage examples of altricial in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ring out false pride in place and blood, / The civic slander and the spite; / Ring in the love of truth and right, / Ring in the common love of good. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson, poet (1809-1892) *****January 03, 2021***** Obdurate : adj. Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action. "Despite her plea, he remained obdurate." Feckless : 1 : weak, ineffective; "Many years ago, in my feckless youth, I took a 20-hour Greyhound bus trip across the Midwest to Boston." — Phil Clapham, The Vashon-Maury Island (Washington) Beachcomber, 23 Nov. 2020 nonplus : (verb) To put at a loss as to what to think, say, or do.; bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get; He was nonplussed by the sudden announcement that the company where he had worked for the past 20 years was declaring bankruptcy and shutting its doors. altricial : adjective: Born in an undeveloped and helpless condition and requiring parental care and feeding for some time. ; "But the girls ... are probably more developed than the relatively altricial boys they're competing against. If anything, these girls might have an advantage. And many young women, even with the species-wide size disparity, have proven themselves on varsity-level teams, especially in lightweight wrestling brackets." Gooding Needs to Let the Girls Play; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Sep 12, 2013. "Around Maria Izabelle he felt more like a newly hatched altricial bird -- blind and helpless." George R. Hopkins; Collateral Consequences; Xlibris; 2009. See more usage examples of altricial in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ring out false pride in place and blood, / The civic slander and the spite; / Ring in the love of truth and right, / Ring in the common love of good. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson, poet (1809-1892) *****January 04, 2021***** Audacious; Audacity : adj. Showing a willingness to take risks. "An audacious attack on the company." Showing an impudent lack of respect. "An audacious move." Apologia : : a defense especially of one's opinions, position, or actions; "Susan Sontag, probably the most influential writer on the intersection of violence and photography, didn't buy this argument. With forensic prose, she cut through complacent apologias for war photography and set photojournalistic images of violence squarely in the context of viewers' voyeurism." — Teju Cole, The New York Times Magazine, 24 May 2018 interpolate : (verb) To alter (a text) by the insertion of new matter, especially deceptively or without authorization.; falsify; He interpolated a lot of spurious matter into the manuscript. altricial : adjective: Born in an undeveloped and helpless condition and requiring parental care and feeding for some time. ; "But the girls ... are probably more developed than the relatively altricial boys they're competing against. If anything, these girls might have an advantage. And many young women, even with the species-wide size disparity, have proven themselves on varsity-level teams, especially in lightweight wrestling brackets." Gooding Needs to Let the Girls Play; McClatchy-Tribune Business News (Washington, DC); Sep 12, 2013. "Around Maria Izabelle he felt more like a newly hatched altricial bird -- blind and helpless." George R. Hopkins; Collateral Consequences; Xlibris; 2009. See more usage examples of altricial in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ring out false pride in place and blood, / The civic slander and the spite; / Ring in the love of truth and right, / Ring in the common love of good. -Alfred, Lord Tennyson, poet (1809-1892) *****January 05, 2021***** Equivocal : adj. Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous. Uncertain or questionable in nature. "Congress was equivocal on its domestic spending package." Dissociate : 1 : to separate from association or union with another; Although both politicians are members of the same party, the Senator is trying to dissociate herself from the unpopular governor. dispassionate : (adjective) Devoid of or uninfluenced by emotion or prejudice.; unemotional, cool, collected, calm, unmoved, unfazed, unruffled, imperturbable, unexcitable; You are not impulsive, you are not romantic, you are accustomed to view everything from the strong dispassionate ground of reason and calculation. approbation : noun: Approval, praise, commendation, or official sanction. ; "Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools." Richard Steele; The Art of Conversation; The Spectator; 1711. See more usage examples of approbation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2021***** Canonize : v. Regard as being above reproach or of great significance. "He canonized women." Comely : 1 : pleasurably conforming to notions of good appearance, suitability, or proportion; "No one looks particularly handsome or comely wearing a face mask." — Robin Givhan, The Washington Post, 26 May 2020 linchpin : (noun) A central cohesive source of support and stability.; backbone, keystone, mainstay, anchor; Reduced spending is the linchpin of their economic program. promontory : noun: 1. A point of high land projecting into a body of water. 2. A projecting part of the body, for example, of a bone. ; "No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." John Donne; Devotions upon Emergent Occasions; 1624. See more usage examples of promontory in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is our belief that social justice begins at home. We want those who have helped us to produce this great institution and are helping to maintain it to share our prosperity. We want them to have present profits and future prospects. ... Believing as we do, that a division of our earnings between capital and labor is unequal, we have sought a plan of relief suitable for our business. -James Couzens, Ford Motor Company treasurer, announcing the doubling of wages to $5/day on Jan 5, 1914 [The Wall Street Journal said it is "to apply biblical or spiritual principles into a field where they do not belong ... (Ford has) committed economic blunders, if not crimes." Ford actually doubled its profits in two years.] *****January 07, 2021***** Compendium : n. A collection of concise but detailed information about a particular subject. A collection of things, esp. one systematically gathered. "Compendium of old stories gathered by topic." Pugilism : : boxing; "Floyd Mayweather says he'd be willing to come out of retirement to fight Conor McGregor again—but only for, say, 'an easy $300 million.' Which just goes to show that Floyd—in finance as well as pugilism—remains a big fan of the must-score system." — Dwight Perry, The Seattle Times, 2 Oct. 2020 feral : (adjective) Of or suggestive of a wild animal.; savage; The mugger's feral scowl was terrifying enough to make me empty my pockets without hesitation. exigency : noun: An urgent need or requirement. ; "How happy is the little stone That rambles in the road alone, And doesn't care about careers, And exigencies never fears; Whose coat of elemental brown A passing universe put on; And independent as the sun, Associates or glows alone, Fulfilling absolute decree In casual simplicity." Emily Dickinson; Poems by Emily Dickinson: Second Series; Roberts Brothers; 1891. See more usage examples of exigency in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Are you a politician asking what your country can do for you or a zealous one asking what you can do for your country? -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 08, 2021***** Discern; Discerning : v. Perceive or recognize (something). Distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses. "Discern who is telling the truth." Devious : 1 a : wandering, roundabout; Our guide took us by a devious route to the center of the city. corpulence : (noun) Bulkiness or largeness of body; fatness; portliness.; stoutness; The corpulence of the adult pig astounded those who had never seen one before. construe : verb tr., intr.: To interpret, understand, analyze, or explain. ; "But men may construe things after their fashion, clean from the purpose of the things themselves." William Shakespeare; Julius Caesar; 1623. See more usage examples of construe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are years that ask questions and years that answer. -Zora Neale Hurston, folklorist and writer (7 Jan 1891-1960) *****January 09, 2021***** Tangential : adj. Superficially relevant; divergent. Diverging from a previous course or line; erratic. "He took credit for anything tangentially related to their work." Amok : 1 : in a violently raging, wild, or uncontrolled manner; "Legitimate software can also run amok if it's not coded to play nicely with others." — Rob Pegoraro, USA Today, 27 Nov. 2020 enrapture : (verb) To fill with delight.; enchant, enthrall, ravish, transport; The Harry Potter books have enraptured millions of young readers. disinterested : adjective: 1. Free of bias or self-interest; impartial. 2. Indifferent or not interested. 3. No longer interested. ; "The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men." Norman Angell; Peace and the Public Mind (Nobel lecture); Jun 12, 1935. See more usage examples of disinterested in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it. -Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 10, 2021***** Phalanx : n. A group of people or things of a similar type forming a compact body or brought together for a common purpose. "A phalanx of lawyers took charge of the case." Baksheesh : : payment (such as a tip or bribe) to expedite service; "Penn noted that from 2014 until May, the state's largest utilities pumped some $57 million in campaign contributions to members of the Florida Legislature.… And just to make sure that investment in turning the state House and Senate into a buffet line of legalized baksheesh was protected, the utilities also spent $6 million on lobbying…." — Daniel Ruth, The Tampa Bay (Florida) Times, 12 July 2019 wanderlust : (noun) Very strong or irresistible impulse to travel.; itchy feet; His wanderlust would not allow him to stay long in one spot. disinterested : adjective: 1. Free of bias or self-interest; impartial. 2. Indifferent or not interested. 3. No longer interested. ; "The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men." Norman Angell; Peace and the Public Mind (Nobel lecture); Jun 12, 1935. See more usage examples of disinterested in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it. -Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 11, 2021***** Servile : adj. Having or showing an excessive willingness to serve or please others. "She wrote a servile letter to her upset neighbor." Haptic : 1 : relating to or based on the sense of touch; "Unlike most haptic systems, which rely on some sort of vibration motor, the technology behind the Hands Omni gloves instead uses something simpler: air. Small bladders are placed in the gloves' fingertips and, when the user reaches out to grab something in the virtual game world, the device selectively inflates those bladders, putting pressure on the user's fingertips and evoking the sensation of actually touching a physical object." — Dan Moren, Popular Science, 27 Apr. 2015 insipid : (adjective) Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty.; flavorless, bland; I'll be glad when my kids start to enjoy real food, instead of these insipid frozen meals. disinterested : adjective: 1. Free of bias or self-interest; impartial. 2. Indifferent or not interested. 3. No longer interested. ; "The force which makes for war does not derive its strength from the interested motives of evil men; it derives its strength from the disinterested motives of good men." Norman Angell; Peace and the Public Mind (Nobel lecture); Jun 12, 1935. See more usage examples of disinterested in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who insist on the dignity of their office show they have not deserved it. -Baltasar Gracian, philosopher and writer (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 12, 2021***** Vituperative : adj. Bitter and abusive. "The critic's vituperative review was needlessly harsh." Mimesis : : imitation, mimicry; "Art preserves, through mimesis, what no longer exists, offers a permanent record of impermanent reality—in this way, it can be not only a comfort but a remedy for grief." — Jackson Arn, The Forward (New York), 13 June 2020 bamboozle : (verb) To take in by elaborate methods of deceit.; lead by the nose, play false, snow, hoodwink; I don't know how he did it, but Johnny managed to bamboozle me into swapping my pudding for his carrot sticks. vardy : noun: Judgment or opinion. ; "O! miss, you must give your vardi too!" Jonathan Swift; A complete collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, According to the Most Polite Mode and Method Now Used at Court, and in the Best Companies of England; B. Motte & C. Bathurst; 1738. Thought For The Day: Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is. -William James, psychologist and philosopher (11 Jan 1842-1910) *****January 13, 2021***** Ardent : adj. Enthusiastic or passionate. "He is an ardent sports fan." Pedantic : 1 : of, relating to, or being a pedant; "It is always very difficult to know how to pronounce [the name van Gogh]—it's not easy for someone English or American, we just don't have that sound. Then it sounds pedantic if you insist on the Dutch pronunciation." — Martin Bailey, quoted on CNN, 7 Feb. 2020 glutton : (noun) A person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously.; gourmand, gorger, gannet, gobbler, pig; He is a real glutton when it comes to junk food, but somehow he stays skinny as a toothpick. juberous : adjective: Doubtful; undecided; hesitating. ; "The most commonly cited justifications are docket pressure and overburdened prosecutors and judges, Goodwin said. I am juberous of these assertions." Erin Beck; Federal Judge Rejects Drug Plea; Charleston Gazette-Mail (West Virginia); Jun 27, 2017. "Makes me feel a little juberous, though, knowin' he might be around here somewhere." Jetta Carleton; The Moonflower Vine; HarperCollins; 2009. Thought For The Day: Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. -Edmund Burke, statesman and writer (12 Jan 1729-1797) *****January 14, 2021***** Incessant : adj. Continuing without pause or interruption. "The incessant noise kept him awake." Rapport : : a friendly, harmonious relationship; especially : a relationship characterized by agreement, mutual understanding, or empathy that makes communication possible or easy; Once our daughter had developed a rapport with her piano teacher, she began to show some real enthusiasm for learning and practicing the piano. aseptic : (adjective) Free of or using methods to keep free of pathological microorganisms.; sterile; The use of aseptic instruments in the operating room has significantly reduced the incidence of postsurgical infections. scrooch : verb intr.: To crouch or huddle. verb tr.: To squeeze. ; "We asked the model to scrooch down so we didn't see so much of the leggings." Elizabeth Thomas; Project Child's Play; The Horn Book Magazine (Boston, Massachusetts); Sep/Oct 2011. "What Kilgore Trout did with that cigar was scrooch it out in the saucer. He scrooched and scrooched and scrooched it, by his own admission to Monica and me, as though it were responsible not only for the yelling of the smoke alarm, but for all the din outside as well." Kurt Vonnegut; Timequake; Putnam; 1997. Thought For The Day: Sometimes laughter hurts, but humor and mockery are our only weapons. -Cabu (pen name of Jean Cabut), cartoonist and co-founder of Charlie Hebdo (13 Jan 1938-2015) *****January 15, 2021***** Patronize : v. Treat with an apparent kindness that betrays a feeling of superiority. "She detests being patronized." Frequent an establishment as a customer. "He always patronizes the same restaurant." Servile : 1 : of or befitting a menial position; "Ms. [Judith] Jamison remembers Ailey's teaching her 'Cry' in the company's original studios…. 'It took Alvin eight days to choreograph…. Our musicality was always very close. He wonderfully combined movement and emotion, so little explanation was necessary. I was to be a woman who did the most servile of work but was never defeated by it. I was a mother protecting her children. I was a queen who'd come from Africa.'" — Valerie Gladstone, The New York Times, 26 Nov. 2000 cutaneous : (adjective) Relating to or existing on or affecting the skin.; dermal; The dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic ointment to treat my cutaneous infection. meech : verb intr.: 1. To move in a furtive manner. 2. To loiter. 3. To whine. ; "It never occurred to the legions of Allied intelligence agents meeching through the shadows of neutral Lisbon that he was a fellow operative." Howard Blum; Night of the Assassins; Harper; 2020. "If I ever come right again, she won't have anything to feel meeching about." William Dean Howells; The Rise of Silas Lapham; Penguin; 2014. Thought For The Day: Compassion, in which all ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to mankind. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 16, 2021***** Amicable : adj. Having a spirit of friendliness; without arguments or serious disagreement. "An amicable agreement between the two firms." Vulcanize : : to treat crude or synthetic rubber or similar plastic material with chemicals to give it useful properties (such as elasticity, strength, and stability); "In 1939 [Charles] Cornell invented a safer and more efficient way of patching holes in tires. Previously people put a piece of rubber on the tire and put heat on it as part of the vulcanization process. Cornell discovered a way to use chemicals to vulcanize the patch to the tire without heat, revolutionizing the industry, [Mike] Murray said." — Maria DeVito, The Newark (Ohio) Advocate, 18 Mar. 2017 pooh-bah : (noun) An arrogant or conceited person of importance.; high-muck-a-muck; The self-appointed pooh-bah of our little society, Shirley oversees every one of our projects and, naturally, nothing ever gets done. snoot : noun: 1. A snob. 2. A nose or snout. verb tr.: To treat with disdain. ; "Both are snoots sneering down from a pedestal of their own construction." Catherine Shoard; Satire to Tortures; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 12, 2014. "The young man rose from his stool, walked around the counter, and busted Brother Lester on the snoot with a solid right." William W. Johnstone; The Devil's Cat; Lyrical Press; 2015. "He is a really good artist. ... if folks snooted at what I do, well, there was always his stuff that they could approve of." Hope Holland; What I Did in the Park Last Weekend; Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland); Jun 10, 2017. Thought For The Day: We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor. -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 17, 2021***** Benign : adj. Mild or favorable (result). Gentle, kind, good. "The results were benign and required no treatment." Effusive : 1 : marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm; Lila's history teacher wrote an effusive letter of recommendation. imposture : (noun) The act or instance of engaging in deception under an assumed name or identity.; impersonation; I am not Prince Camaralzaman, but a princess like yourself and his wife, and I beg you to listen to my story, then I am sure you will forgive my imposture. snoot : noun: 1. A snob. 2. A nose or snout. verb tr.: To treat with disdain. ; "Both are snoots sneering down from a pedestal of their own construction." Catherine Shoard; Satire to Tortures; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 12, 2014. "The young man rose from his stool, walked around the counter, and busted Brother Lester on the snoot with a solid right." William W. Johnstone; The Devil's Cat; Lyrical Press; 2015. "He is a really good artist. ... if folks snooted at what I do, well, there was always his stuff that they could approve of." Hope Holland; What I Did in the Park Last Weekend; Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland); Jun 10, 2017. Thought For The Day: We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor. -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 18, 2021***** Impish : adj. Mischievous. Inclined to do slightly naughty things for fun. "He approached her with an impish grin on his face." Modicum : : a small portion : a limited quantity; "While his narrative on the politics of the place is interesting and edifying it's the passages about his adventures by land, air and sea that really capture the wild beauty and remoteness of a region he grew to love. And he exhibits more than a modicum of derring-do. 'I have always flown pretty close to the sun,' [Aaron] Smith says." — Phil Brown, The Courier Mail (Australia), 5 Dec. 2020 forebear : (noun) A person from whom one is descended.; ancestor, predecessor, progenitor; I am hoping that a visit to the land of my forebears will help me get in touch with my roots. snoot : noun: 1. A snob. 2. A nose or snout. verb tr.: To treat with disdain. ; "Both are snoots sneering down from a pedestal of their own construction." Catherine Shoard; Satire to Tortures; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 12, 2014. "The young man rose from his stool, walked around the counter, and busted Brother Lester on the snoot with a solid right." William W. Johnstone; The Devil's Cat; Lyrical Press; 2015. "He is a really good artist. ... if folks snooted at what I do, well, there was always his stuff that they could approve of." Hope Holland; What I Did in the Park Last Weekend; Carroll County Times (Westminster, Maryland); Jun 10, 2017. Thought For The Day: We all too often have socialism for the rich and rugged free market capitalism for the poor. -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 19, 2021***** Accolade : n. An expression of praise or admiration. An award or privilege granted; an acknowledgment of merit. "The scientist was given many accolades for his research." Preeminent : 1 : exhibiting eminence especially in standing above others in some quality or position : prominent; "Over the course of 80 years, Chuck Norris has done it all. He served in the military before becoming one of the most universally recognized martial artists of all time, and his skills led to a successful career in films, beginning with a legendary battle against the great Bruce Lee in the iconic action movie, Way of the Dragon, before becoming one of the preeminent action heroes of the 1980s." — Zak Wojnar, Screen Rant, 4 Dec. 2020 languish : (verb) To suffer deprivation, hardship, or neglect.; decline, waste away, fade away, flag, weaken, wilt; He languished in prison for nearly two decades before he was exonerated. diversivolent : adjective: Desiring strife. ; "No more diversivolent or superficial creature have I ever known." Stephen Marche; Shining at the Bottom of the Sea; Riverhead; 2007. Thought For The Day: The main problem in any democracy is that crowdpleasers are generally brainless swine who can go out on a stage and whup their supporters into an orgiastic frenzy -- then go back to the office and sell every one of the poor bastards down the tube for a nickel apiece. -Hunter S. Thompson, journalist and author (18 Jul 1937-2005) *****January 20, 2021***** Bellicose : adj. Hostile in manner or temperament. Demonstrating aggression or a willingness to fight. "His bellicose behavior concerned authorities." Conjecture : 1 : to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork : guess; Some scientists have conjectured that Jupiter's moon Europa could sustain life. induct : (verb) Place ceremoniously or formally in an office or position.; seat, invest; There was a ceremony to induct the president of the academy. smatchet : noun: An insignificant contemptible person. ; "Again he wondered how Mieka could be such an infuriating, impossible little smatchet one moment and so gentle and thoughtful the next." Melanie Rawn; Touchstone; Tom Doherty Associates; 2012. Thought For The Day: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****January 21, 2021***** Atrophy : n. A decrease in size or wasting away or progressive decline, as from disuse. "Misleading and infrequent reporting have facilitated the atrophy of self-sufficiency." Gulosity : : excessive appetite : greediness; "After a Christmas period generally spent lying down, motionless and swollen, it was time to get back to a life of squats, lunges and sub-9,000 calorie days. Before letting go of my acquired gulosity completely, I decided to indulge in one last meal of excess." — James Ashford, The Independent (UK), 11 Jan. 2013 dustup : (noun) An angry dispute.; quarrel, run-in, wrangle, row, words; The teacher put a stop to the boys' dustup before it could come to blows. mensch : noun: A decent, upright, honorable person. ; "A mensch is a good man, a loyal man, an honest man. A mensch is the answer to the question, 'What do women really want from men?' ... A mensch is not usually interested in fame. ... A mensch is a veterinarian who will meet you at his office late at night when your cat is sick." Ira Wood; The Kitchen Man; Leapfrog Press; 1998. "'You're a mensch,' Mr Eizenstat told Mr Biden. But probably not a president." Biden Ridin'; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 4, 2015. See more usage examples of mensch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our nation is shaped by the constant battle between our better angels and our darkest impulses. It is time for our better angels to prevail. -Joe Biden, 46th US President (b. 20 Nov 1942) *****January 22, 2021***** Demonstrative : adj. Tending to show feelings, especially the open expression of emotion. "A demonstrative argument." Exact : 1 : to call for forcibly or urgently and obtain; "The choice between forgiveness and revenge is an age-old tale. Amy March burned Jo March's manuscript out of spite after her older sister wasn't sympathetic to her in Louisa May Alcott's 'Little Women.' Stephen King's Carrie used her telekinetic powers to exact revenge on her high school classmates who bullied her." — Shelby Fleig and Anna Spoerre, The Des Moines (Iowa) Register, 12 Mar. 2020 vainglorious : (adjective) Characterized by or exhibiting excessive vanity; boastful.; swelled, big; I saw right through the vainglorious young man and rejected his advances. unflappable : adjective: Staying calm even in difficult circumstances. ; "Nothing seemed to faze the unflappable Alvin." Margie House Neal; Hummingbird Memories; Xlibris; 2012. See more usage examples of unflappable in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The test of a democracy is not the magnificence of buildings or the speed of automobiles or the efficiency of air transportation, but rather the care given to the welfare of all the people. -Helen Adams Keller, lecturer and author (27 Jun 1880-1968) *****January 23, 2021***** Disparate : adj. Essentially different in kind; not allowing comparison. markedly distinct in quality or character. "He is a strong leader capable of managing a disparate team to achieve their goals." Sarcophagus : : a stone coffin; broadly : coffin; After archeologists unearthed the sarcophagus, they opened it up to discover, along with the king's body, almost a hundred gold coins. yesteryear : (noun) The time that has elapsed.; past; The teen idols of yesteryear are now middle-aged has-beens. circumspect : adjective: Careful to consider all circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. ; "Everything about him was methodical and circumspect, both as to his duties in operating the ship, but also concerning the rules many men regarded as less strict or obligatory." Kim Paffenroth; Pale Gods; Permuted Press; 2013. See more usage examples of circumspect in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us. -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 24, 2021***** Melancholy : n. A deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness. adj. Sad, gloomy, or depressed. "She was in a melancholy mood." robust : (adjective) Marked by richness and fullness of flavor.; full-bodied, racy, rich; There is nothing like the robust flavor of fresh-brewed coffee. circumspect : adjective: Careful to consider all circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. ; "Everything about him was methodical and circumspect, both as to his duties in operating the ship, but also concerning the rules many men regarded as less strict or obligatory." Kim Paffenroth; Pale Gods; Permuted Press; 2013. See more usage examples of circumspect in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us. -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 25, 2021***** Gourmand : n. A person who enjoys eating and often eats too much; gluttonous. A connoisseur of good food. "The traveling gourmand seldom passed up a restaurant." Insouciance : : lighthearted unconcern : nonchalance; "Perhaps coming home hadn't been such a great idea after all. Instead of her mother's insouciance rubbing off on Liv, she'd just sunk further into the mires of misery as she realised that the weight of the world was resting squarely on her shoulders." — Clare Naylor, Dog Handling, 2002 prognosticate : (verb) Indicate by signs.; augur, auspicate, bode, omen, portend, foreshadow, presage, predict, prefigure, betoken, forecast, foretell; This neighborhood has seen an urban renewal that prognosticates a social and cultural renaissance. circumspect : adjective: Careful to consider all circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. ; "Everything about him was methodical and circumspect, both as to his duties in operating the ship, but also concerning the rules many men regarded as less strict or obligatory." Kim Paffenroth; Pale Gods; Permuted Press; 2013. See more usage examples of circumspect in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am so convinced of the advantages of looking at mankind instead of reading about them, and of the bitter effects of staying at home with all the narrow prejudices of an islander, that I think there should be a law amongst us to set our young men abroad for a term among the few allies our wars have left us. -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 26, 2021***** Amorphous : adj. Without a clearly defined shape or form. Vague; ill-organized; unclassifiable. "The amorphous package caused alarm to many people in the terminal." Optimization : : an act, process, or methodology of making something (such as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible; specifically : the mathematical procedures (such as finding the maximum of a function) involved in this; "A writer who is unfamiliar with writing for websites and SEO (search engine optimization) would do well to learn the basic principles. These include where and how to use keywords, how to structure sentences and paragraphs, and how to link to other websites." — SFGate.com, 9 Jan. 2021 begrudge : (verb) To envy the possession or enjoyment of.; envy; I begrudge him his success. cynegetic : adjective: Relating to the chase or hunting. ; "It's his cynegetic knowledge that becomes the instrument of his initiation into Minne's hunt." Marcelle Thiébaux; The Stag of Love; Cornell University Press; 2014. "In a rich footnote, Chamayou notes the privileged place dogs of war are often afforded in cynegetic politics." Benjamin Meiches; Non-Human Humanitarians; Review of International Studies (London, UK); Jan 2019. Thought For The Day: We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2021***** Efficacy : n. The ability to produce a desired or intended result. "The efficacy of the new marketing plan has not been proven." Obeisance : 1 : a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow; "Even with the smartphone's on-purpose designed-in distraction notification architecture, our prostration at their non-human feet is the real issue. Our obeisance demotes the advanced human, and we pretend it doesn't. We don't take charge of our attention. Our little robots do. And we caress them." — Nancy Kline, The Guardian (UK), 24 Oct. 2020 tellurian : (noun) An inhabitant of the earth; a terrestrial.; earthling; I was the first tellurian the Martians had ever seen, and they were as curious about me as I was about them. caterwaul : verb intr.:1. To make a shrill sound as if of a cat in heat or of cats quarreling.  2. To quarrel noisily. noun:1. The cry of a cat in heat.  2. A shrill sound, such as a shriek or a loud cry. ; "She threw her arms around me and started caterwauling like the wail of the damned." Dan Andriacco; Holmes Sweet Holmes; MX Publishing; 2018. See more usage examples of caterwaul in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2021***** Empathy; Empathetic : adj. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another. "Her doctor was empathetic to her condition." Itinerant : : traveling from place to place; especially : covering a circuit; "Born on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona, Cesar Chavez entered the whirlpool of itinerant labor as a child after his family lost possession of their ranch. They moved wherever the harvest took them." — Ilan Stavans, Cesar Chavez: A Photographic Essay, 2009 entwine : (verb) Spin, wind, or twist together.; interlace; He entwined his fingers with hers. dogged : adjective: Stubbornly determined or persistent. ; "It took years of dogged work by journalists, lawyers, and campaigners to establish how widespread the practice [phone hacking by Mirror] was." Hanging on the Telephone; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 14, 2020. See more usage examples of dogged in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right. -Learned Hand, jurist (27 Jan 1872-1961) *****January 29, 2021***** Churlish : adj. Rude in a mean-spirited and surly way. "It was rather churlish of him to complain about the small donations." Jeopardy : 1 : exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury : danger; Rather than risk placing passengers in jeopardy, the pilot waited for the storm to pass before taking off. bowdlerize : (verb) Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate.; expurgate, sanitize; The publisher refused to bowdlerize the classic novel, so the school board voted to place it on the district's banned books list. canicular : adjective: Relating to the dog days. ; "The old woman is visibly exhausted in the canicular heat of summer." Tegan Raleigh; Sale at Camaïeu; Literary Review (Madison, Wisconsin); Summer 2015. See more usage examples of canicular in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A grain of poetry suffices to season a century. -José Martí, poet, journalist, and freedom fighter (28 Jan 1853-1895) *****January 30, 2021***** Congruent; Congruous : adj. In agreement or harmony. Suitable; appropriate. "The company's operations were congruent with its business plan." Categorical : 1 : absolute, unqualified; "The Fair School Funding Plan … offers … categorical funding to determine the actual costs of safety and mental health programs and educations for disadvantaged and gifted students and those with disabilities or the need to learn English. — David J. Coehrs, The Swanton (Ohio) Enterprise, 8 Dec. 2020 calcareous : (adjective) Of, containing, or resembling calcium carbonate.; chalky; Immense accumulations of bird-guano gave the sides of Mount Mendif the appearance of calcareous rocks. fat cat : noun: A rich, privileged person, especially one who influences elections by making contributions to political campaigns. ; "The cheaper the labor, the less safety measures made for proper handling of materials, the less eco-friendly, the more it pays the rich fat cat owning the company for the most part." Samuel Hathy; Journey of the Internal Dermis; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of fat cat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so. -Romain Rolland, writer, Nobel laureate (29 Jan 1866-1944) *****January 31, 2021***** Brusque : adj. Abrupt and curt in manner or speech; discourteously blunt. "Her boss gave a brusque reply." Retrocede : 1 : to go back : recede; "Under the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, agreed when the United Kingdom retroceded [Hong Kong] to China, the city of 7.5 million has its own legislature and system of laws and courts." — Amy Gunia, Time, 1 July 2020 reprehensible : (adjective) Bringing or deserving severe rebuke or censure.; condemnable, deplorable; I must apologize for my children's reprehensible behavior, which I assure you will not go unpunished. fat cat : noun: A rich, privileged person, especially one who influences elections by making contributions to political campaigns. ; "The cheaper the labor, the less safety measures made for proper handling of materials, the less eco-friendly, the more it pays the rich fat cat owning the company for the most part." Samuel Hathy; Journey of the Internal Dermis; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of fat cat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so. -Romain Rolland, writer, Nobel laureate (29 Jan 1866-1944) *****February 01, 2021***** Peevish : adj. Easily irritated, particularly by unimportant things. "He was peevish around smokers." Nostrum : : a usually questionable remedy or scheme : panacea; Critics argue that the mayor's plan to revitalize the downtown area by offering tax breaks to businesses is a costly and ineffective nostrum. soi-disant : (adjective) Calling oneself thus.; self-styled; I do not think either of these soi-disant friends is overflowing with love for the other. fat cat : noun: A rich, privileged person, especially one who influences elections by making contributions to political campaigns. ; "The cheaper the labor, the less safety measures made for proper handling of materials, the less eco-friendly, the more it pays the rich fat cat owning the company for the most part." Samuel Hathy; Journey of the Internal Dermis; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of fat cat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I find war detestable but those who praise it without participating in it even more so. -Romain Rolland, writer, Nobel laureate (29 Jan 1866-1944) *****February 02, 2021***** Surreptitious : adj. Kept secret, particularly because it would not be approved of. "His surreptitious drug habit could land him in jail." Gadabout : : a person who goes from place to place in social activity; "He always thought death was just around the corner. He had no time to waste. As a young man he had been a gadabout, without focus. 'Where some in his situation would have found God, Stephen [Hawking] found physics,' says Mlodinow." — Marcus Berkmann, The Daily Mail (UK), 24 Sept. 2020 knavery : (noun) Lack of honesty; acts of lying or cheating or stealing.; dishonesty; Trust no one; the king's court is a hotbed of intrigue and malicious knavery. Faustian : adjective: Surrendering one's integrity for something, such as power, money, fame, etc. ; "It was a Republican president, Ronald Reagan, who issued the ringing challenge to the Soviet Union 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.' That party has now been transformed into Russian apologists, more concerned with defending Donald Trump than defending the country. ... They all will have their own justifications that amount to a personal Faustian bargain predicated on the self-delusion that some particular issue or cause is more important than their oath of office." Stuart Stevens; It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump; Knopf; 2020. "'It's always been this Faustian bargain with Trump,' Dan Eberhart admitted this week. The chief executive of Canary, a Denver-based drilling services company, had put up with 'the ridiculousness' associated with Donald Trump because he also delivered pro-growth policies and low taxes. "Mr Eberhart gave $100,000 to Trump-supporting political committees and helped raise another $600,000 from other donors despite experiencing recriminations 'all the time' for supporting a historically divisive president, he said.  "But having watched Wednesday's deadly violence at the Capitol building after the president egged on a mob of supporters, he told the Financial Times: 'I'm done. I don't want my mom to think I'm involved with this.'" Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson; US Business Leaders Rue Their 'Faustian Bargain' with Trump; Financial Times (London, UK); Jan 8, 2021. See more usage examples of Faustian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Let America be America again. / Let it be the dream it used to be. ... / Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed - / Let it be that great strong land of love / Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme / That any man be crushed by one above. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2021***** Nascent : adj. Recently coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential. Not yet fully developed; emerging. "The business remains nascent but very promising." Esoteric : 1 : designed for or understood by those with specific knowledge or training : difficult to understand; The judge's decisions were difficult to parse because they were loaded with esoteric legal terminology. exteriorize : (verb) Make external or objective, or give reality to.; objectify, externalize; We exteriorize our feelings of grief by erecting monuments to the deceased. Turveydropian : adjective: Overly concerned with one's appearance, demeanor, etc. ; "The drawing-room door is flung wide open, and Dorking, the butler, entering with Turveydropian deportment, announces, 'Mr. Saville.'" Cecil Dunstan; Quita: A Novel; Ward and Downey; 1891. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 04, 2021***** Potentate : n. One who has the power and position to rule over others: A monarch or ruler. "Industrial potentates." Quisling : : one who commits treason : traitor, collaborator; "Not only do they confound the escape of the prisoner with the flight of the deserter; but they would seem to prefer the acquiescence of the 'quisling' to the resistance of the patriot." — J. R. R. Tolkien, "On Fairy-Stories," 1947 squirm : (verb) To move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling).; twist, worm, wriggle, writhe, wrestle; He tried to squirm free, but the police officer had a firm grip on the man's wrists. Gallionic : adjective: Indifferent or uncaring. ; "She was never loose or gallionic about the gravity of her situation." Charles D'Ambrosio; Loitering; Tin House Books; 2014. Thought For The Day: Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 05, 2021***** Recidivate; Recidivism : intr. v. To return to a previous pattern of behavior. Relapse: go back to bad or criminal behavior. "The convictions for those over sixty are unlikely to recidivate.†Prepossessing : 1 archaic : creating prejudice; "When she left a while later, with Jeff, Annie turned at the door to look for Graham. She found him—he was so tall, so prepossessing, that he was easy to spot." — Sue Miller, Monogamy, 2020 analgesic : (noun) A medicine used to relieve pain.; anodyne, painkiller; An over-the-counter analgesic is not going to suffice for this pain. dunce : noun: A person regarded as dim-witted or foolish. ; "It feels surprising that the big beasts of the US gambling scene, Las Vegas casino companies, are such digital dunces that they require UK-listed companies to tell them how to run an online betting business." Nils Pratley; No Need for Entain to Rush into Accepting MGM Resorts Offer; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 4, 2021. See more usage examples of dunce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poor is the power of the lead that becomes bullets compared to the power of the hot metal that becomes types. -Georg Brandes, critic and scholar (4 Feb 1842-1927) *****February 06, 2021***** Nuance : n. A subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound. "Subtle nuances of her on-screen character." Absolve : 1 : to set (someone) free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt; "Hugh almost blurted out his belief that the Bishop would be sure to absolve Bran, for his contrition was beyond doubting and the greatest guilt lay with Guy, but he stopped just in time, knowing that Bran blamed no one but himself." — Sharon Kay Penman, The Reckoning, 1991 rambunctious : (adjective) Noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline.; boisterous, robustious, unruly; I can hardly believe that the staid businessman standing before me was once the rambunctious playmate of my youth. vandalize : verb tr.: To willfully damage another's property. ; "Mobs of Trump supporters, hopped up on Trump's conspiracy theory of a stolen election and encouraged to go to the Capitol by the President himself, stormed and vandalized our nation's Capitol building. ... "[Mitch] McConnell himself stood by while the seeds of extremism were planted, leading to -- in his words -- 'the unhinged crowd', or, in other words, the domestic terrorists who came for him and his fellow legislators." Daniel Lubetzky; There's Only One Way to Stop Violent Extremists; CNN; Jan 12, 2021. See more usage examples of vandalize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to picture the great Creator conceiving of a program of one creature (which He has made) using another living creature for purposes of experimentation. There must be other, less cruel ways of obtaining knowledge. -Adlai Stevenson II, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2021***** Sycophant; Sycophantic : Attempting to win favor from influential people by flattery; A servile self-seeking flatterer. "There was sycophantic laughter from the audience at their bosses jokes." Sere : 1 : being dried and withered; "We had a beautiful day for our picnic. November dreamed that it was May. The air was soft and mellow, with pale, aerial mists in the valleys and over the leafless beeches on the western hill. The sere stubble fields brooded in glamour, and the sky was pearly blue." — L. M. Montgomery, The Story Girl, 1911 guileless : (adjective) Free of deceit.; transparent; She was so guileless that he had no option but to believe her. vandalize : verb tr.: To willfully damage another's property. ; "Mobs of Trump supporters, hopped up on Trump's conspiracy theory of a stolen election and encouraged to go to the Capitol by the President himself, stormed and vandalized our nation's Capitol building. ... "[Mitch] McConnell himself stood by while the seeds of extremism were planted, leading to -- in his words -- 'the unhinged crowd', or, in other words, the domestic terrorists who came for him and his fellow legislators." Daniel Lubetzky; There's Only One Way to Stop Violent Extremists; CNN; Jan 12, 2021. See more usage examples of vandalize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to picture the great Creator conceiving of a program of one creature (which He has made) using another living creature for purposes of experimentation. There must be other, less cruel ways of obtaining knowledge. -Adlai Stevenson II, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 08, 2021***** Ruminate : v. Think deeply about something. "We sat ruminating on the nature of existence." Ragamuffin : : a ragged often disreputable person; especially : a poorly clothed often dirty child; "[Bill Eddins] saw the photograph on sale years ago and ever after has recited the story of its purchase to visitors of his office. 'It's not me in the picture. We were too poor to afford a camera,' the story goes. 'But if we had had enough money to afford photography, that's what I would have looked like.' The ragamuffin, 5 or 6 years old, stared straight out of the frame at the viewer with a look that seemed to say, 'It's sure hot, mister, ain't it.'" — Colin Warren-Hicks, The Pensacola (Florida) News Journal, 16 Dec. 2020 paladin : (noun) Someone who fights for a cause.; champion, fighter, hero; Like the ancient paladins, he has only undertaken this war to obtain a look from his lady love. vandalize : verb tr.: To willfully damage another's property. ; "Mobs of Trump supporters, hopped up on Trump's conspiracy theory of a stolen election and encouraged to go to the Capitol by the President himself, stormed and vandalized our nation's Capitol building. ... "[Mitch] McConnell himself stood by while the seeds of extremism were planted, leading to -- in his words -- 'the unhinged crowd', or, in other words, the domestic terrorists who came for him and his fellow legislators." Daniel Lubetzky; There's Only One Way to Stop Violent Extremists; CNN; Jan 12, 2021. See more usage examples of vandalize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to picture the great Creator conceiving of a program of one creature (which He has made) using another living creature for purposes of experimentation. There must be other, less cruel ways of obtaining knowledge. -Adlai Stevenson II, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 09, 2021***** acuity : n. Sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. "The sun's glare can cause discomfort and reduces visual acuity." Febrile : : marked or caused by fever : feverish; "The best news, [Michael Schwab] said, is his daughter is healthy…. Her pediatrician later said she probably had roseola, a common childhood viral infection marked by a sudden fever accompanied by a febrile seizure that is typically harmless." — Jenny Deam, The Houston (Texas) Chronicle, 27 Nov. 2020 confection : (noun) A food rich in sugar.; sweet; One of the perks of working in a candy shop is getting to try all the new confections. glossophobia : noun: The fear of public speaking. ; "Year after year in the UK, glossophobia claims the top spot as Britain's no. 1 phobia, repeatedly knocking 'fear of death' down into second position. ... At a funeral, the average Briton would rather be in the casket than deliver the eulogy." Richard O. Smith; The Man with His Head in the Clouds; Signal Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: When a man is wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2021***** Rapier : n. Quick and incisive. A sharp-pointed sword used for thrusting. "Rapier combat was not for the meek." "Rapier wit." Belie : 1 a : to give a false impression of; Martin's easy banter and relaxed attitude belied his nervousness. blackball : (verb) Expel from a community or group.; banish, cast out, ostracize, shun, ban; They must not know about my sordid past, because if they did, they would immediately blackball me. agathokakological : adjective: Made up of both good and evil. ; "When any project dominates your life for a sizeable length of time, let alone the best part of six years, you have to accept the agathokakological nature of the beast." Ronan O'Callaghan; Walzer, Just War and Iraq; Routledge; 2016. Thought For The Day: My country is the world and my religion is to do good. -Thomas Paine, philosopher and writer (9 Feb 1737-1809) *****February 11, 2021***** Ghoulish : adj. Suggesting the horror of death and decay; morbid or disgusting. "The ghoulish mask was a scary Halloween favorite." Caveat : 1 a : a warning enjoining one from certain acts or practices; "Hospitality worker and workers' rights advocate Chloe Ann-King said raising the minimum wage was crucial for the already low-wage industry. While she welcomed the increase, it came with a caveat as business owners would hire fewer staff, putting increased pressure on existing workers." — Anuja Nadkarni, Stuff (Wellington, New Zealand), 8 Jan. 2021 contrarious : (adjective) Difficult to deal with.; cross-grained; I do not know how people tolerate teenage girls; they are the most contrarious creatures ever to walk the Earth! pensum : noun: A task given, especially as a punishment. ; "I preferred this to the hand-cramping pensums Mademoiselle would think up, such as making me copy out two hundred times the proverb Qui aime bien, châtie bien [Spare the rod and spoil the child]." Vladimir Nabokov; Speak, Memory; Victor Gollancz; 1951. Thought For The Day: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet and novelist (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 12, 2021***** Hyperbole; Hyperbolic : n. Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. "The company chairman may have been guilty of too much hyperbole during the shareholders meeting." Voracious : 1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous; "The Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris) is a voracious creature both in the larval stage and when it becomes a perfect insect. It inhabits bare banks and sandy heaths, preying indiscriminately on other insects, often mounting upon the wing with the rapidity of a blue-bottle fly." — C. S. Cooper and W. Percival Westell, Trees & Shrubs of the British Isles, 1909 wretch : (noun) A person pitied for his misfortune.; poor devil; If the poor wretch waked in the flames and perished, no one cared. perlage : noun: The assemblage of bubbles, in a glass of champagne, for example. ; "He was studying the exact point at which the wave ... its outermost edge trimmed with a delicate perlage ... evaporated into nothingness." Alessandro Baricco; Ocean Sea; Knopf; 2000. Thought For The Day: Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages. -Thomas Edison, inventor (11 Feb 1847-1931) *****February 13, 2021***** Peckish : adj. Ill-tempered; irritable; Chiefly British feeling slightly hungry. "He felt rather peckish close to bedtime." Nebula : 1 : any of numerous clouds of gas or dust in interstellar space; "Many nebulae are today known and loved by their numbers in [the New General Catalogue of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars]: NGC 6822 is a faint nearby irregular galaxy, NGC 7027 is a planetary nebula, NGC 6960 is a supernova remnant…." — Frederick R. Chromey, To Measure the Sky, 2010 gravitas : (noun) Formality in bearing and appearance.; lordliness, dignity; Our national father figure needs gravitas, [but] he's pitched himself as the kid brother. sialoquent : adjective: Spraying saliva when speaking. ; "The powerful trio [CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler] were greeted with disdain and disbelief. Sialoquent congressmen vented their rage one by one." Levi Tillemann; The Great Race; Simon & Schuster; 2015. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) [Ichneumonidae: The family of parasitic wasps that deposit eggs inside or on top of the larvae of other insects. Once hatched, the ichneumonid larva slowly eats its host alive from inside out.] *****February 14, 2021***** Canard : n. A false or unfounded rumor or story. "The tabloid included some of Hollywood's oldest canards." Limn : 1 : to draw or paint on a surface; "The book limns how the two men, so different in their origins and art, were remarkably similar in profound ways." — Nancy Hass, The New York Times, 17 Dec. 2020 boondocks : (noun) A remote and undeveloped area.; backwoods, hinterland; I have fond memories of my childhood home, but I would never trade city life to go back to the boondocks. sialoquent : adjective: Spraying saliva when speaking. ; "The powerful trio [CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler] were greeted with disdain and disbelief. Sialoquent congressmen vented their rage one by one." Levi Tillemann; The Great Race; Simon & Schuster; 2015. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) [Ichneumonidae: The family of parasitic wasps that deposit eggs inside or on top of the larvae of other insects. Once hatched, the ichneumonid larva slowly eats its host alive from inside out.] *****February 15, 2021***** Peripatetic : adj. Traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. "He maintained a peripatetic lifestyle." Prothalamion : : a song in celebration of a marriage; "In that month Ghalib wrote a prothalamion on the occasion of the forthcoming marriage of the king's youngest son, Mirza Jawan Bakht." — Ralph Russell, The Oxford India Ghalib, 2003 demure : (adjective) Affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way.; coy, overmodest; Lowering her glance unexpectedly till her dark eye-lashes seemed to rest against her white cheeks, she presented a perfectly demure aspect. sialoquent : adjective: Spraying saliva when speaking. ; "The powerful trio [CEOs of GM, Ford, and Chrysler] were greeted with disdain and disbelief. Sialoquent congressmen vented their rage one by one." Levi Tillemann; The Great Race; Simon & Schuster; 2015. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) [Ichneumonidae: The family of parasitic wasps that deposit eggs inside or on top of the larvae of other insects. Once hatched, the ichneumonid larva slowly eats its host alive from inside out.] *****February 16, 2021***** Mellifluous : adj. Sweet or musical; pleasant to hear. "She had a mellifluous voice." Durable : : able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration; also : designed to be durable; The couch is covered in an eye-catching yet durable fabric that will last for years. prescience : (noun) Knowledge of actions or events before they occur.; foresight, clairvoyance, precognition, second sight, foreknowledge, prevision; Did she realize in a flash of prescience that there was no earthly future for our sweet Cecily? merchant prince : noun: A merchant or businessman with sufficient wealth to wield political power. ; "This man understands the art of the deal. He wants to be the merchant prince of Northwest Texas, and this railroad can do just that for him and for all of you." Sara Luck; Claiming the Heart; Pocket Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (15 Feb 1564-1642) *****February 17, 2021***** Penitent : n. Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant. "After the robbery, the thief was penitent and returned the property." Underwhelm : : to fail to impress or stimulate; "Nesmith's short stints continue to underwhelm. During one four-minute stretch in the fourth quarter, he missed a 3-pointer by a wide margin and committed three fouls." — Adam Himmelsbach, The Boston Globe, 4 Jan. 2021 unavailing : (adjective) Producing no result or effect.; futile, ineffectual, otiose; Immediately conscious how unavailing any struggle against such an overwhelming force must prove, he submitted to his fate. journeyman : noun: A worker, athlete, performer, etc. who is competent and reliable, but undistinguished. ; "Mike Jones: A journeyman who would have receded into NFL anonymity had he not seized his Super Bowl moment by making a game-ending, title-saving tackle ... in the Rams' only Super Bowl victory." Nate Davis; The 55 Greatest Players in Super Bowl History; USA Today; Jan 30, 2021. See more usage examples of journeyman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As against having beautiful workshops, studios, etc., one writes best in a cellar on a rainy day. -Van Wyck Brooks, writer, critic (16 Feb 1886-1963) *****February 18, 2021***** Boorish : adj. Resembling or characteristic of a boor; rude and clumsy in behavior. "His boorish behavior was unacceptable to the directors." Indissoluble : : not dissoluble; especially : incapable of being annulled, undone, or broken : permanent; "He was the only soul aboard with whom I could speak openly, in an absolute sense; for that matter, he to me the same. We were locked together in an indissoluble embrace, its nature the most simple and straightforward first principle: that no hurt should reach the men that we could prohibit." — William Brinkley, The Last Ship, 1988 perpetrate : (verb) Perform an act, usually with a negative connotation.; commit, pull; Only a sadistic, depraved person could perpetrate a crime like this. gold-digger : noun: One who forms a romantic relationship with a rich person for money. ; "Dear Coleen, I'm a divorced woman in my 50s with two grown-up children, who don't live at home. Before the first lockdown, I met a man I really fell for, although at 39 he's a lot younger than I am. "He moved in with me in the summer and we get on really well -- he's made this whole horrible pandemic much easier and I'm enjoying having him around. "However, my kids and other members of my family have been negative about it. My daughter called him a gold-digger and my son refuses to have anything to do with him." Getting Stick for Seeing Younger Man; Daily Record (Glasgow, UK); Jan 19, 2021. See more usage examples of gold-digger in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man is known by the company he keeps. A company is known by the men it keeps. -Thomas J. Watson, businessman (17 Feb 1874-1956) *****February 19, 2021***** Epicene : adj. Having characteristics of both sexes or no characteristics of either sex; of indeterminate sex. "Clothing fashions are becoming increasingly epicene." Toady : : one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors : sycophant; The editorial unfairly characterizes the appointee as one of the mayor's toadies, ignoring her long record of service to the community. involution : (noun) The act of involving or complicating or the state of being involved or complicated.; intricacy, elaboration; The tale itself is a mere sketch, with no involution of plot, nor any great interest of events. roughhouse : verb tr.: To handle roughly, but in a playful manner. verb intr.: To engage in boisterous play. noun: Boisterous play. ; "As their child grew older, they'd roughhouse on the lawn, hold sock battles in the living room." Leigh Duncan; His Favorite Cowgirl; Harlequin; 2014. See more usage examples of roughhouse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What a strange machine man is! You fill him with bread, wine, fish, and radishes, and out come sighs, laughter, and dreams. -Nikos Kazantzakis, poet and novelist (18 Feb 1883-1957) *****February 20, 2021***** Untenable : adj. Not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection. "She was in an untenable situation that was difficult to get out of." Anodyne : 1 : serving to alleviate pain; "Since much of TikTok is wordless and anodyne, Tik-Tok seems the perfect corporate antidote to more pointed and politicized commentary on Twitter or Facebook." — Elizabeth C. Tippett, Government Technology, 3 Dec. 2020 billet : (verb) Provide housing for (military personnel).; canton, quarter; The citizens who were forced to billet soldiers in their own private homes were understandably irritated by the imposition. body blow : noun: A severe setback or disappointment. ; "The penalty is a seven-year ban from buying American components. For ZTE this is a body blow." Casting Illusions Aside; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. -Constantin Brancusi, sculptor (19 Feb 1876-1957) *****February 21, 2021***** Machinate : v. Engage in plots and intrigues; scheming. "To machinate the overthrow of the government." Perdure : : to continue to exist : last; "The making of a variety show—a nearly extinct genre that perdures as comedy fodder—is also the subject of David Cerda's 'The Rip Nelson Holiday Quarantine Special,' presented by the Chicago company Hell in a Handbag." — Elizabeth Vincentelli, The New York Times, 2 Dec. 2020 cornucopia : (noun) The property of being extremely abundant.; profuseness, richness; The cornucopia of job opportunities overwhelmed the immigrants, who had come from a town with only one employer. body blow : noun: A severe setback or disappointment. ; "The penalty is a seven-year ban from buying American components. For ZTE this is a body blow." Casting Illusions Aside; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. -Constantin Brancusi, sculptor (19 Feb 1876-1957) *****February 22, 2021***** Conflate : v. Combine two or more texts, ideas, etc. into one. "Their ideas were conflated in ways that were not helpful." Cognoscente : : a person who has expert knowledge in a subject : connoisseur; "Though he was recognized among certain cognoscenti during his most active years, [American photographer Todd] Webb … had plenty to distract him from the trifles of stardom—including time spent as a fire ranger for the U.S. Forestry Service, naval photographer in World War II, gold prospector in Panama, and resident of, in turn, Provence, France; Bath, England; and Portland, Maine." — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2017 one-horse : (adjective) Small and remote and insignificant.; jerkwater; I am leaving this one-horse town and heading into the big city to seek my fortune! body blow : noun: A severe setback or disappointment. ; "The penalty is a seven-year ban from buying American components. For ZTE this is a body blow." Casting Illusions Aside; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2018. Thought For The Day: Architecture is inhabited sculpture. -Constantin Brancusi, sculptor (19 Feb 1876-1957) *****February 23, 2021***** Luddite : n. A person opposed to increased industrialization or new technology, and is often someone who is incompetent when using new technology. "He was a luddite that preferred his typewriter over a computer." Retarget : : to direct (something) toward a different target; "The beauty of retargeting is that computers do all the work. They figure out who you need to retarget and serve them the ad. If a person viewed your webpage but left without buying your product, donating to your charity, signing up for your newsletter, or doing whatever it is you need them to do, retargeting ads are a great way to direct them back to your site so you can close the deal." — Entrepreneur, 4 June 2020 eldritch : (adjective) Suggesting the operation of supernatural influences.; uncanny, weird, unearthly; An eldritch screech from someone—or something—in the distance sent chills down my spine. Queenborough mayor : noun: A position involving pomp and show, but no real power or authority. ; "A Queenborough mayor behind his mace, And fops in military show, Are sovereign for the case in view." Matthew Green; The Spleen; 1754. Thought For The Day: The closing years of life are like the end of a masquerade party, when the masks are dropped. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (22 Feb 1788-1860) *****February 24, 2021***** Misogynous; Misogyny; Misogynistic : adj. Of or characterized by a hatred of women. "Police believe it was a misogynous assault." reverential : (adjective) Feeling or manifesting veneration.; venerating, respectful; A pilgrimage is a reverential act, performed by reverent people. borstal : noun: A reformatory for young offenders. ; "Susan Smith: I was 13 when I got pregnant in 1967, and my boyfriend was 14. ... I was sentenced to two years' 'supervision' and my boyfriend to six months in borstal." Alison Roberts; Forced Adoption; Daily Mail (London, UK); Apr 17, 2015. "Topsy was a mixed blessing. As a result of coming from a dog borstal, she was a bit troubled and would take any opportunity to tear things up." Russel Brand; My Booky Wook; Hodder & Stoughton; 2007. See more usage examples of borstal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 25, 2021***** Glower : v. Have an angry or sullen look on one's face; scowl. "The librarian glowered at her for talking too loud." Fathom : 1 : to make a searching exploratory investigation : probe; Even those close to him can't always fathom why he repeatedly risks his life to climb the world's tallest mountains. excrescence : (noun) Something that bulges out or is protuberant or projects from its surroundings.; extrusion, gibbosity, hump, jut, bulge, protrusion, protuberance, swelling, bump, prominence; A roof, Richard contended, was a part of the edifice that the ancients always endeavored to conceal, it being an excrescence in architecture that was only to be tolerated on account of its usefulness. Poplarism : noun: The policy of giving generous compensation, benefits, unemployment relief, etc. ; "Poplarism sought to unite the unemployed and employed by establishing a discourse, embodied in policy, that no working person should be allowed to fall below a level set by a measure of human need." Gerry Mooney, Michael Lavalette; Class Struggle and Social Welfare; Routledge; 2000. Thought For The Day: Come, live in my heart and pay no rent. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 26, 2021***** Coltish : adj. Energetic but awkward in one's movements or behavior. Playful, not trained or disciplined. "Coltish horseplay to celebrate their graduation." Slipshod : 1 a : wearing loose shoes or slippers; "'What's worse is the rules about misinformation on social media are confusing and inconsistent, and enforcement of those policies is slipshod at best,' says Bill Fitzgerald, a privacy and technology researcher in CR's Digital Lab." — Consumer Reports, 13 Aug. 2020 hidebound : (adjective) Stubbornly conservative and narrow-minded.; traditionalist; It is no use trying to reason with your grandfather, he is a hidebound old man who will never understand your position on the matter. Shrewsbury clock : noun: Something precise or exact. ; "Virginia would be with them, [Roger A Pryor, a secessionist] promised. 'Give the old lady time! She's a little rheumatic! ... But as sure as tomorrow's sun, once the first gun is fired, Virginia will be in the Southern Confederacy in an hour by a Shrewsbury clock!" Ben Williams; House Divided; Houghton & Mifflin; 1947. Thought For The Day: To be capable of embarrassment is the beginning of moral consciousness. Honor grows from qualms. -John Leonard, critic (25 Feb 1939-2008) *****February 27, 2021***** Apocryphal : adj. Of doubtful authenticity, although widely circulated as being true. "Apocryphal stories dating from Hollywood's golden age." Megillah : 1 slang : a long involved story or account; "Well, one fine day last spring, I was laying off for a week at the Americana in New York when Solly phones me—a megillah about this inspiration that he and some other bookers had that morning in the steam room." — S. J. Perelman, The New Yorker, 18 Aug. 1965 caterwaul : (verb) To cry or screech like a cat in heat.; yowl; Ever since the neighborhood strays chose my garden as the place to congregate and caterwaul, I have not had a sound night's sleep. Scarborough warning : noun: A very short notice or no notice. ; "Come if you must, but winter's here -- Old-fashioned Scarborough warning." Paul Routledge; Lines from Gill Top; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Jan 31, 2006. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2021***** Circumspect : adj Wary and unwilling to take risks. "His circumspect approach to investing." Turbid : 1 a : thick or opaque with or as with roiled sediment; The speed of the water flowing over the dam becomes obvious only when one observes the turbid water roiling below. locomote : (verb) To move from one place to another.; go, travel; Unlike most other fish, seahorses maintain an upright position when they locomote. Scarborough warning : noun: A very short notice or no notice. ; "Come if you must, but winter's here -- Old-fashioned Scarborough warning." Paul Routledge; Lines from Gill Top; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Jan 31, 2006. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****March 01, 2021***** Sartorial : adj. Of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress. "Sartorial taste; "Sartorial elegance." Deference : : respect and esteem due a superior or an elder; also : affected or ingratiating regard for another's wishes; "The 41-page filing answered government arguments that appeals rules give trial judges a lot of deference to make findings about facts, such as whether a juror is following court rules." — Steve Patterson, The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville, Florida), 19 Jan. 2021 malleable : (adjective) Capable of being shaped or bent or drawn out.; tractile, ductile, pliant, tensile; I am not very handy with a chisel, so when I sculpt, I prefer to use malleable materials that I can bend and shape as I please. Scarborough warning : noun: A very short notice or no notice. ; "Come if you must, but winter's here -- Old-fashioned Scarborough warning." Paul Routledge; Lines from Gill Top; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Jan 31, 2006. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****March 02, 2021***** Maniacal : adj. Characterized by excessive enthusiasm or excitement. "A maniacal grin on his face." Gazette : 1 : a paper that is printed and distributed usually daily or weekly and that contains news, articles of opinion, features, and advertising : newspaper; The weekly gazette includes a list of the names of students who have made local schools' honor rolls. situated : (adjective) Having a place or location.; located, placed, set; This vast region is situated between the fifteenth and tenth degrees of north latitude. lilliput : adjective: Tiny. noun: Someone or something very small. ; "It doesn't go boom like one big nuclear bomb, it goes like a string of snap-crackers unend, little grenades in a lilliput war." Joseph Harry Silber; Bum; Lulu; 2012. Thought For The Day: What is the opposite of two? A lonely me, a lonely you. -Richard Wilbur, poet and translator (1 Mar 1921-2017) *****March 03, 2021***** Amorous : adj. Showing, feeling, or relating to intimate desire. "She did not appreciate his amorous advances." Organoleptic : 1 : being, affecting, or relating to qualities (such as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (such as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs; "The goal of beverage distillers is generally a beverage, often very traditional in nature, with very specific organoleptic properties…." — Paul Schwarz and Yin Li, in Barley: Production, Improvement, and Uses, 2011 avowal : (noun) An open statement of affirmation; frank acknowledgment or admission.; avouchment; He had no right to extort a confession of attachment from me when he had made no correspondent avowal himself. Laputan : adjective: Absurdly fanciful or impractical. ; "As a mathematician, Prof. Nowak's particular Laputan conceit is that human nature (before it is upgraded) is to be discovered in increasingly sophisticated computer programs rather than by examining the real thing." Peter Foster; Science Good, Markets Bad; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); May 7, 2011. See more usage examples of Laputan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Religious freedom should work two ways: we should be free to practice the religion of our choice, but we must also be free from having someone else's religion practiced on us. -John Irving, novelist (b. 2 Mar 1942) *****March 04, 2021***** Protagonist : n. The main figure or one of the most prominent figures in a real situation. The leading character or a major character in a drama, movie, novel, or other fictional text. "The unnamed protagonist was the hit of the film." Contaminate : 1 a : to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association; "Marin Audubon Society president Barbara Salzman said she plans to review the city's environmental report, but expressed concern about the potential for tank leakage to contaminate groundwater." — Will Houston, The Marin Independent Journal (Marin County, California), 28 Jan. 2021 liniment : (noun) A medicinal liquid that is rubbed into the skin to relieve muscular stiffness and pain.; embrocation; The veterinarian instructed me to apply the liniment to the horse's sore leg twice a day. struldbrug : noun: Someone very old and decrepit. ; "The most startling moment came in a Q&A session, when a normal, healthy-looking middle-aged woman volunteered the information that she had been given a life expectancy of 100. Apparently this is now not unusual. She did not seem wholly happy about it, understandably: the prospect seemed more of a burden than a blessing. She did not want to be a struldbrug." Margaret Drabble; "I Am Not Afraid of Death. I Worry About Living"; The Guardian (London, UK); Oct 29, 2016. Thought For The Day: Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it's the only one you have. -Emile Chartier, philosopher (3 Mar 1868-1951) *****March 05, 2021***** Tumult : n. Confusion or disorder. A loud, confused noise, esp. one caused by a large mass of people. "He quickly became aware of the violent tumult behind the trees." Smorgasbord : 1 : a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (such as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes); "Each week, Bayle will highlight a spread inspired by both her New England and European adventures; this week's lineup features … a smorgasbord starter kit featuring rye bread, cultured butter, cheese, pickles, cranberry preserves, and more." — Erin Kuschner, Boston.com, 8 Jan. 2021 lily-livered : (adjective) Weak or lacking in courage; cowardly.; chickenhearted, yellow-bellied; I have never seen such a lily-livered bunch of wimps in my life! yahoo : noun: A person who is boorish, loud, disruptive, etc. interjection: Expressing excitement, delight, or triumph. ; "Delta CEO Ed Bastian is proposing a solution to passengers who create in-flight troubles -- a lifetime ban from flying, at least on Delta. ... Bastian should follow through on his proposal, and other airlines should consider similar bans. Doing so might prove an actual deterrent to the yahoos who think they have the right to behave badly and turn a simple flight onto an ordeal for fellow passengers and the flight crew." Keep the Skies Friendly; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); Feb 9, 2021. See more usage examples of yahoo in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Creativity -- like human life itself -- begins in darkness. We need to acknowledge this. All too often, we think only in terms of light: "And then the lightbulb went on and I got it!" It is true that insights may come to us as flashes. It is true that some of these flashes may be blinding. It is, however, also true that such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary. -Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist (b. 4 Mar 1948) *****March 06, 2021***** Verbose : (ver·bose) adj.  Using or containing a great and usually an excessive number of words; wordy. "She was too verbose in her narrative." Abhor : : to regard with extreme repugnance : to feel hatred or loathing for : loathe; Mariah is an animal rights activist who abhors any mistreatment of animals. stolid : (adjective) Having or revealing little emotion or sensibility; not easily aroused or excited.; impassive; Her face showed nothing but stolid indifference. Brobdingnag : noun: Something very large. adjective: Huge. ; "[Ford] has already got small, medium, large, and Brobdingnag covered with Escape, Flex, Edge, Explorer, and Expedition." Jim Kenzie; Roomy Compact SUV Has Split Personality; Toronto Star (Canada); Jun 2, 2018. Thought For The Day: For 50 million years our biggest problems were too few calories, too little information. For about 50 years our biggest problem has been too many calories, too much information. We have to adjust, and I believe we will really fast. I also believe it will be wicked ugly while we're adjusting. -Penn Jillette, magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author (b. 5 Mar 1955) *****March 07, 2021***** Contemporaneous : (con·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.  Originating, existing, or happening during the same period of time: "The contemporaneous court cases for the two defendants." Impunity : : exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss; "Rather than subsidizing transportation that serves few, disturbs many and pollutes with impunity, money could be directed toward green transportation that serves everyone." — Anne Wilson, letter in The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado), 26 Jan. 2021 ailment : (noun) An often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining.; complaint, ill; She pretended that she was always well now, and concealed her ailments so craftily that we had to probe for them. Brobdingnag : noun: Something very large. adjective: Huge. ; "[Ford] has already got small, medium, large, and Brobdingnag covered with Escape, Flex, Edge, Explorer, and Expedition." Jim Kenzie; Roomy Compact SUV Has Split Personality; Toronto Star (Canada); Jun 2, 2018. Thought For The Day: For 50 million years our biggest problems were too few calories, too little information. For about 50 years our biggest problem has been too many calories, too much information. We have to adjust, and I believe we will really fast. I also believe it will be wicked ugly while we're adjusting. -Penn Jillette, magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author (b. 5 Mar 1955) *****March 08, 2021***** Enigmatic : (en·ig·mat·ic) adj.  Of or resembling an enigma; puzzling: "An enigmatic tax form." Meticulous : : marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details; "He wasn't much for drafting legislation, but Eliot was meticulous about royal etiquette, which included getting all the Fillorian hunting protocol exactly right." — Lev Grossman, The Magician King, 2011 coruscate : (verb) Be lively or brilliant or exhibit virtuosity.; sparkle, scintillate; The flutist's music coruscated throughout the concert hall. Brobdingnag : noun: Something very large. adjective: Huge. ; "[Ford] has already got small, medium, large, and Brobdingnag covered with Escape, Flex, Edge, Explorer, and Expedition." Jim Kenzie; Roomy Compact SUV Has Split Personality; Toronto Star (Canada); Jun 2, 2018. Thought For The Day: For 50 million years our biggest problems were too few calories, too little information. For about 50 years our biggest problem has been too many calories, too much information. We have to adjust, and I believe we will really fast. I also believe it will be wicked ugly while we're adjusting. -Penn Jillette, magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author (b. 5 Mar 1955) *****March 09, 2021***** Perpetuity : (per·pe·tu·i·ty) n.pl.  1. Time without end; eternity.  2. The quality or condition of being perpetual: "The terms of the agreement remain in effect in perpetuity." Pivot : 1 : a shaft or pin on which something turns; "In my first product business, I didn't know when to pivot and lost everything as a result. When your output (money) exceeds your input, or you can't afford to pay yourself, it's time to pivot.... The pivot should be a part of your strategic plan." — India Gary-Martin, quoted in Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021 underscore : (verb) Give extra weight to (a communication).; emphasize; When I gave my son permission to attend the party, I made sure to underscore my willingness to ground him for life should he let a mere drop of alcohol touch his lips. autokinesy : noun: Self-propelled or self-directed motion or energy. ; "There may be a simple internal energy or vital autokinesy." Journal of the History of Ideas; Johns Hopkins University Press; 1962. Thought For The Day: A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanging; it is the skin of living thought and changes from day to day as does the air around us. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) *****March 10, 2021***** Ravenous : (rav·en·ous) adj.  1. Extremely hungry; voracious.  2. Rapacious; predatory.  3. Greedy for gratification: "Ravenous for power." Luminary : 1 : a person of prominence or brilliant achievement; "[Lloyd] Richards, a luminary who, with the original production of A Raisin in the Sun, became the first Black director to stage a Broadway play, emphasized dramaturgy." — Abigail Aguirre, Vogue, January 2021 rubicund : (adjective) Inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life.; ruddy, sanguine, florid; "Please your honor," answered the drum-major, whose rubicund visage had lost all its color, "the fault is none of mine." hypogeusia : noun: A diminished sense of taste. ; "It's lucky that the vic [victim] had that medical condition, hypogeusia, leaving him unable to taste food properly." Morgana Best; Any Given Sundae: Australian Amateur Sleuth; 2016. Thought For The Day: What I want to happen to religion in the future is this: I want it to be like bowling. It's a hobby, something some people will enjoy, that has some virtues to it, that will have its own institutions and its traditions and its own television programming, and that families will enjoy together. It's not something I want to ban or that should affect hiring and firing decisions, or that interferes with public policy. It will be perfectly harmless as long as we don't elect our politicians on the basis of their bowling score, or go to war with people who play nine-pin instead of ten-pin, or use folklore about backspin to make decrees about how biology works. -PZ Myers, author, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 11, 2021***** Plagiarize : (pla·gia·rize) v.  1. To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one's own.  2.To appropriate for use as one's own passages or ideas from another. Felicitate : 1 archaic : to make happy; "Recently, the United Nations recognised Sasmita’s [Sasmita Lenka, a divisional forest officer] efforts and felicitated her with the Asia Environment Enforcement Awards 2020 under the 'gender leadership' and 'impact' category." — Himanshu Nitnaware, The Better India (Bangalore, India), 3 Feb. 2021 precipitancy : (noun) The quality of happening with headlong haste or without warning.; suddenness, abruptness; "I hope there will be no women besides our own party," Lady Bareacres said, after reflecting upon the invitation which had been made, and accepted with too much precipitancy. sanguinolency : noun: Addiction to bloodshed. ; "His advisors' sanguinolency has produced a climate of lethophobia [fear of oblivion]." Gary Pettus; Words to Live by in Age of Trump; The Clarion Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi); Dec 13, 2016. Thought For The Day: Anyone who wishes to become a good writer should endeavour, before he allows himself to be tempted by the more showy qualities, to be direct, simple, brief, vigorous, and lucid. -H.W. Fowler, lexicographer (10 Mar 1858-1933) *****March 12, 2021***** Demonstrable : (de·mon·stra·ble) adj.  1. Capable of being demonstrated or proved: "demonstrable truths."  2. Obvious or apparent: "demonstrable lies." Tutelary : 1 : having the guardianship of a person or a thing; The ancient Romans revered certain gods and goddesses as tutelary deities. louche : (adjective) Of questionable taste or morality.; shady; It did not surprise me that the owner of that louche nightclub downtown was arrested for selling illegal drugs to the patrons. coequality : noun: The state of being equal with one another, as in rank, power, value, etc. ; "Agatha Christie's 'The Secret Adversary' firmly establishes the coequality of investigative duo Tommy and Tuppence." Fiction Reviews; Publishers Weekly (New York); Aug 13, 2018. Thought For The Day: The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas-covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal, is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2021***** Lucid : (lu·cid) adj.  1. Easily understood; intelligible. 2. Mentally sound; sane or rational. "A lucid conversation." 3. Translucent or transparent. Williwaw : 1 a : a sudden violent gust of cold land air common along mountainous coasts of high latitudes; "Following a short morning landing at a place called Cape San Isidro—where, due to gusts and williwaws, we were restricted to one of those unremarkable cruise excursions that involve several dozen people walking aimlessly around a beach—we sailed west." — Chris Moss, The Daily Telegraph (London), 1 Dec. 2020 luxuriant : (adjective) Produced or growing in extreme abundance.; lush, profuse, riotous, exuberant; The rivulet was hidden by the luxuriant vegetation of the banks save at one point, where I caught a triangular patch of its glittering water. enunciatory : adjective: Announcing; declaring; pronouncing. ; "'You know, they say there are as many different Hamlets as there are actors to play him,' says Walken, asked to consider the issue of his trademark enunciatory style." Steven Rea; Many Mimics, But No One Delivers a Line Like Walken; Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania); Feb 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools. -Richard Steele, author and editor (12 Mar 1672-1729) *****March 14, 2021***** Placid : (plac·id) adj.  1. Satisfied; complacent.  2. Undisturbed by tumult or disorder; calm or quiet. Ungainly : 1 a : lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy; "Hayes first set eyes on 'Seneca,' when he was an ungainly yearling. Now 12, he's developed strength and coordination with good training, but he never outgrew that awkwardness." — Amber Heintzberger, The Chronicle of the Horse, 5 Feb. 2021 protract : (verb) Lengthen in time; cause to be or last longer.; prolong, draw out, extend; What, even, if he got away ... before any returned with the true story of his guilt—of what value would this advantage be other than to protract for a few days his mental torture and his life? enunciatory : adjective: Announcing; declaring; pronouncing. ; "'You know, they say there are as many different Hamlets as there are actors to play him,' says Walken, asked to consider the issue of his trademark enunciatory style." Steven Rea; Many Mimics, But No One Delivers a Line Like Walken; Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania); Feb 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools. -Richard Steele, author and editor (12 Mar 1672-1729) *****March 15, 2021***** Nexus : (nex·us) n.  A means of connection; a link or tie: "The nexus between the mob and gambling."  2. A connected series or group.  3. The core or center. Attitudinize : : to assume an affected mental attitude : pose; "She kept her position; she seemed absorbed in the view. 'Is she posing—is she attitudinizing for my benefit?' Longueville asked of himself." — Henry James, Confidence, 1879 ardor : (noun) Feelings of great warmth and intensity.; fervency, fire; He spoke with great ardor at the rally, inspiring the crowd with his passionate words. enunciatory : adjective: Announcing; declaring; pronouncing. ; "'You know, they say there are as many different Hamlets as there are actors to play him,' says Walken, asked to consider the issue of his trademark enunciatory style." Steven Rea; Many Mimics, But No One Delivers a Line Like Walken; Philadelphia Inquirer (Pennsylvania); Feb 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: Whenever you commend, add your reasons for doing so; it is this which distinguishes the approbation of a man of sense from the flattery of sycophants and admiration of fools. -Richard Steele, author and editor (12 Mar 1672-1729) *****March 16, 2021***** Expeditious : (ex·pe·di·tious) adj.  Acting or done with speed and efficiency. Circumlocution : 1 : the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea; "Yorgos Lanthimos' The Favourite is set in the early 18th century at the court of England's Queen Anne but don't expect any elaborate euphemisms and elegant circumlocutions.… [The] dialogue … cuts straight to the heart of things while frequently cutting to the quick, as well." — Sandra Hall, The Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald, 21 Dec. 2018 scattergood : (noun) Someone who spends money prodigally.; spendthrift; I prefer to think of myself not as a scattergood but as a collector of rare designer shoes and handbags. Coventry : noun: A state of ostracism. ; "When I was about twelve, all the girls at school stopped talking to me ... I arrived at school and gradually realized that I had been sent to Coventry. It made me miserable, so upset." Rowan Coleman; The Day We Met; Ballantine; 2015. See more usage examples of Coventry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. -Ben Okri, poet and novelist (b. 15 Mar 1959) *****March 17, 2021***** Ostentatious : (os·ten·ta·tious) adj.  Characterized by or given to pretentiousness. "The chandelier was the most ostentatious I have ever seen." Replete : 1 : fully or abundantly provided or filled; "Early pictures of the garden show a space painfully empty of the layering and vitality of a replete garden." — Adrian Higgins, The Washington Post, 7 Oct. 2020 urbane : (adjective) Showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience.; svelte, polished, refined; In his mind, he was suave and urbane, but in real life, he was just the opposite. Roman matron : noun: A woman having a dignified bearing. ; "A learned woman's morals were always suspect, especially if she earned her living. Catharine Macaulay, a republican historian, could pose as a Roman matron all she liked, but that did not stop caricaturists mocking her for using cosmetics and for her male friendships." Clever Girls; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 22, 2008. Thought For The Day: I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the rights of the people by the gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. -James Madison, fourth US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2021***** Formative : (for·ma·tive) adj.  Of or relating to formation, growth, or development: the formative stages of a child. Blarney : 1 : skillful flattery : blandishment; The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his blarney. coronal : (noun) Flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes.; chaplet, lei, wreath, garland; Instead of a veil, the bride chose to adorn her head with an elaborate coronal of purple hydrangeas and pink roses. Canterbury tale : noun: A story that is long, tedious, or absurdly implausible. ; "If someone had told a Canterbury tale in hopes of getting his part of the bounty -- well, I'm sure Mrs. d'Aubigny's brother would pay just as well for the truth." Madeleine E. Robins; Petty Treason; Tor; 2006. "What he had forgotten was whatever Canterbury tale he had spun to achieve his objective." Elisabeth Kidd; For Love of Celia; Walker & Co.; 1988. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 19, 2021***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Fiscal : 1 : of or relating to taxation, public revenues, or public debt; "Last year proved enormously successful for many of the largest names in US finance, as volatility and then unprecedented fiscal and monetary support in the engine room of global finance kept bankers and traders busier than at any time since the financial crisis." — Alex Newman, Investors' Chronicle, 8 Feb. 2021 cock-a-hoop : (adjective) Exhibiting self-importance.; boastful, braggart, crowing, self-aggrandizing, big; I didn't mean to be cock-a-hoop about my promotion, but I couldn't help telling everyone I encountered! Trojan horse : noun: Something or someone placed in order to subvert from within. ; "David Uhlmann, the former Justice Department official, warned, ... 'the Kochs are using criminal-justice reform as a Trojan horse for their efforts to weaken environmental, health, and safety regulations.'" Jane Mayer; New Koch; The New Yorker; Jan 25, 2016. See more usage examples of Trojan horse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm somewhat shy about the brutal facts of being a carnivore. I don't like meat to look like animals. I prefer it in the form of sausages, hamburger and meat loaf, far removed from the living thing. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2021***** Epicurean : (ep·i·cu·re·an) adj.  Devoted to the pursuit of sensual pleasure, particularly the enjoyment of gourmet food. Prevaricate : : to deviate from the truth : equivocate; "It amused him to hear the ethical and emotional platitudes of lawyers, to see how readily they would lie, steal, prevaricate, misrepresent in almost any cause and for any purpose." — Theodore Dreiser, The Financier, 1912 belligerence : (noun) A hostile or warlike attitude, nature, or inclination.; pugnacity, aggressiveness; The little lawyer glared at me a moment, and then the belligerence faded out of his face. Kentish cousins : noun: Distant relatives. ; "It is due to the correspondence maintained between the Hampshire and the Kentish cousins that various facts relating to the period of Jane Austen's girlhood were not long ago discovered by one of the authors of 'Life and Letters'." Helen Amy; The Jane Austen Files; Amberley Publishing; 2015. Thought For The Day: It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (19 Mar 1891-1974) *****March 21, 2021***** Cerebral : (cer·e·bral) adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." Equinox : 1 : either of the two points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator intersects the ecliptic; "The first recorded New Year’s celebration traces back to Mesopotamia, where 4,000 years ago the ancient Babylonians kicked off an 11-day festival called Akitu on the vernal equinox." — Cody Cottier, Discover (discovermagazine.com), 30 Dec. 2020 disaffect : (verb) Arouse hostility or indifference in where there had formerly been love, affection, or friendliness.; alienate, estrange; She loved him, but the sweaty gym clothes he left behind every time he borrowed her car began to seriously disaffect her. Kentish cousins : noun: Distant relatives. ; "It is due to the correspondence maintained between the Hampshire and the Kentish cousins that various facts relating to the period of Jane Austen's girlhood were not long ago discovered by one of the authors of 'Life and Letters'." Helen Amy; The Jane Austen Files; Amberley Publishing; 2015. Thought For The Day: It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (19 Mar 1891-1974) *****March 22, 2021***** Halcyon : (hal·cy·on) Adj 1. Calm; peaceful; tranquil: "Halcyon seas." 2. Rich; wealthy; prosperous: "Halcyon times before the recession." Cannibalize : 1 a : to take salvageable parts from (something, such as a disabled machine) for use in building or repairing another machine; "As it turns out, the company's 787 campus in North Charleston is helping to downsize the design of the aircraft. The concern is that a new jet in the 270-passenger category would cannibalize the Dreamliner program, which remains a critical revenue source for Boeing." — John McDermott, Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 26 Jan. 2021 combatant : (noun) A person or group engaged in or prepared for a fight, struggle, or dispute.; battler, belligerent, fighter, scrapper; Here the two combatants drew their swords and threw off their doublets, for neither had any defensive armor. Kentish cousins : noun: Distant relatives. ; "It is due to the correspondence maintained between the Hampshire and the Kentish cousins that various facts relating to the period of Jane Austen's girlhood were not long ago discovered by one of the authors of 'Life and Letters'." Helen Amy; The Jane Austen Files; Amberley Publishing; 2015. Thought For The Day: It would indeed be ironic if, in the name of national defense, we would sanction the subversion of one of those liberties which make the defense of our nation worthwhile. -Earl Warren, jurist (19 Mar 1891-1974) *****March 23, 2021***** Pernicious : (per·ni·cious) adj Having a harmful effect, particularly in a gradual or subtle way. "The hostile takeover will have a pernicious effect on the business." Inimitable : : not capable of being imitated : matchless; "Both writers were inimitable even as they were widely imitated.… Barthelme's particular brilliance was so original, so sui generis, despite its tutelage at the feet of pages by Joyce, Beckett, and Stein, that even his own brothers Frederick and Steven, also fiction writers of intelligence and style, wrote more like Carver." — Lorrie Moore, The New York Review of Books, 26 Mar. 2009 cognoscente : (noun) A person with superior, usually specialized knowledge or highly refined taste.; connoisseur; I may not be a cognoscente of art, but I know talent when I see it, and this painter has it in spades. plotz : verb intr.: To faint, collapse, explode, or flop down, as from excitement, frustration, surprise, exhaustion, etc. ; "I laughed so hard I almost plotzed." Giles Coren; Fiction Review; The Times (London, UK); Sep 3, 2016. Thought For The Day: Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen. -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) *****March 24, 2021***** Bifurcate; bifurcation : (bi·fur·cate) v Divide into two branches or forks: "The river bifurcates at the base of the mountain." Jurisprudence : 1 : the science or philosophy of law; A basic premise of American jurisprudence is that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. tuffet : (noun) A low seat or a stool to rest the feet of a seated person.; footrest, footstool, ottoman; He reclined in his chair with a contented sigh and put his feet up on the nearest tuffet. frum : adjective: Religious; observant of religious laws. ; "And I say this even though some of my best friends are frum and I'm a completely fake agnostic, because I still quietly recite the Shema [a liturgical prayer] when things get awkward." Jonathan Margolis; Not Strictly Kosher; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 30, 2009. Thought For The Day: We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming. -Wernher von Braun, rocket scientist (23 Mar 1912-1977) *****March 25, 2021***** Frenetic : (fre·net·ic) adj Fast and energetic in a rather wild and uncontrolled way: "A frenetic ride on the snowboard." Quash : : to nullify especially by judicial action; "His appeal [of a zoning decision allowing the school to be built], which attorneys for the district and developer said threatened the entire project, was quashed by a judge in February for being late." —  Jack Tomczuk, Northeast Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 11 Mar. 2020 jollity : (noun) A jolly or merry mood, condition, or activity; gaiety.; joviality; The genial festival of Christmas ... lights up the fireside of home with mirth and jollity. shonda : noun: 1. Disgrace or shame. 2. Someone or something that brings shame or disgrace. ; "I was pegged as a gang leader who had organized a prayer and study group that influenced and caused a deadly silence that incited a riot. "'Three years, it's a shonda, but, it's the best I could do,' my green-eyed lawyer said." Sister Souljah; A Moment of Silence: Midnight III; Atria/Emily Bestler Books; 2015. Thought For The Day: Simplicity of life, even the barest, is not a misery, but the very foundation of refinement. -William Morris, designer, poet, and novelist (24 Mar 1834-1896) *****March 26, 2021***** Vociferous : (vo·cif·er·ous) adj Characterized by vehemence, clamour, or noisiness: "A vociferous crowd." Hobbit : : a member of a fictitious peaceful and genial race of small humanlike creatures that dwell underground; "The extensive pathways are lush with mossy carpets, gnarly tree roots that provide natural steps to climb, and elfin-sized tree hollows, straight out of a Lord of the Rings movie set. It feels as though a hobbit or even Gandalf stepping out from behind one of the majestic beech tree trunks would be a perfectly normal possibility." — The New Zealand Herald, 17 Feb. 2021 helter-skelter : (adverb) In headlong and disorderly haste.; wildly, rashly, recklessly, pell-mell; Montgomery cracked his whip at them, and forthwith they all turned and fled helter-skelter into the trees. yichus : noun: Prestige, social status, or pedigree. ; "If you were a published author, for example, that would be yichus, or if you came from a family he heard of, that would be yichus." Bernard Beck; One American Dream; Amberjack; 2017. Thought For The Day: Law and justice are not always the same. When they aren't, destroying the law may be the first step toward changing it. -Gloria Steinem, activist, author, and editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) *****March 27, 2021***** Perspicacious : (per·spi·ca·cious) adj Having strong insight into and understanding of things. "She showed perspicacious judgment." Sesquipedalian : 1 : having many syllables : long ; Jacob's editor advised him to pare away the sesquipedalian prose he favored and opt for simpler language that would reach more readers. shrivel : (verb) Wither, as with a loss of moisture.; shrink; The heat shriveled the unwatered seedlings. gelt : noun: Money. ; "When I struck gelt ... I rented a furnished bungalow, a pretty little place in a row of bungalows." Maureen Howard; The Silver Screen; Viking; 2004. See more usage examples of gelt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. -Sterling Hayden, actor, author, and WWII veteran (26 Mar 1916-1986) *****March 28, 2021***** Mendacious : (men·da·cious) adj Not telling the truth; lying: "A mendacious politician;" "A mendacious defendant." Reminisce : : to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences; After the official reunion dinner, the old friends gathered at a pub to reminisce about their high school days, now long past. concordant : (adjective) Being in agreement: harmonious.; accordant, agreeable, consonant, conformable; No one was surprised that the candidate's views were concordant with those of the outgoing mayor, as the mayor had long been his mentor. gelt : noun: Money. ; "When I struck gelt ... I rented a furnished bungalow, a pretty little place in a row of bungalows." Maureen Howard; The Silver Screen; Viking; 2004. See more usage examples of gelt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. -Sterling Hayden, actor, author, and WWII veteran (26 Mar 1916-1986) *****March 29, 2021***** Rapacious : (ra·pa·cious) Adj Aggressively greedy or ravenous; plundering: "A rapacious salesman." Exodus : 1 capitalized : the mainly narrative second book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture; "Much has been made of the 'Silicon Valley Exodus.' The conventional wisdom holds that the discovery of feasible remote work arrangements during this pandemic has employers—and their employees—fleeing the Bay Area for more affordable destinations." — Sam Liccardo, The San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Feb. 2021 elapse : (verb) Pass by.; glide by, go by, slide by, slip by, slip away, go along; A month has elapsed since our last meeting, so let us begin by reviewing the minutes from that session. gelt : noun: Money. ; "When I struck gelt ... I rented a furnished bungalow, a pretty little place in a row of bungalows." Maureen Howard; The Silver Screen; Viking; 2004. See more usage examples of gelt in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are brainwashed by our economic system until we end up in a tomb beneath a pyramid of time payments, mortgages, preposterous gadgetry, playthings that divert our attention from the sheer idiocy of the charade. The years thunder by. The dreams of youth grow dim where they lie caked in dust on the shelves of patience. Before we know it, the tomb is sealed. -Sterling Hayden, actor, author, and WWII veteran (26 Mar 1916-1986) *****March 30, 2021***** Myopic; Myopia : n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning: "Myopic thinking." Diffident : 1 : hesitant in acting or speaking through lack of self-confidence; Always diffident and soft-spoken, Tony did not raise any objection when the cashier overcharged him for his purchase. brainy : (adjective) Having or marked by unusual and impressive intelligence.; smart as a whip, brilliant; The brainy teen was surprised to see books she had read in fourth grade on her summer reading list for high school. Coventrate : verb tr.: To devastate, such as by heavy bombing. ; "Fighter and bomber commands were at the heart of the defensive and offensive strategy; Germany's cities would be Coventrated." Paul Oestreicher; The Legacy of Dresden; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 3, 2004. Thought For The Day: At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted. -Eric Idle, comedian, actor, and author (b. 29 Mar 1943) *****March 31, 2021***** Penurious : (pe·nu·ri·ous) adj Extremely poor; poverty-stricken; miserly. "The penurious family was forced from their home." Alacrity : : promptness in response : cheerful readiness; "Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple...." — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876 dodder : (verb) Walk unsteadily.; coggle, totter; The two elderly ladies were slowly doddering along, minding their own business, when a bike messenger sped by them on the sidewalk and nearly knocked them over. Roman holiday : noun: An entertainment event where pleasure is derived from watching gore and barbarism. ; "John might remind you of James Bond, but he has no interest in the honeys. Carnage is his release." Jeannette Catsoulis; Review: 'John Wick: Chapter 2': a Roman Holiday with Shots, Not Sparks; The New York Times; Feb 9, 2017. Thought For The Day: It's my rule never to lose my temper till it would be detrimental to keep it. -Sean O'Casey, playwright (30 Mar 1880-1964) *****April 01, 2021***** Loquacious : (lo·qua·cious) adj Very talkative; garrulous. "Her loquacious sales pitch lasted the entire afternoon." Foist : 1 a : to introduce or insert surreptitiously or without warrant; "I probably should have apologized for bringing her into this house and foisting my family upon her, burdening her with her own role in our domestic drama." — Ani Katz, A Good Man, 2020 squall : (verb) Utter a sudden loud cry.; cry, scream, yell, shout, holler, hollo, call; The new mother breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she heard her newborn squalling. canter : verb tr./intr.:1. To move at an easy pace.  2. To ride a horse at a canter. noun:1. An easy pace.  2. A three-beat gait of a horse. ; "The offshore industry needed Marintek's blessing before any new structure could be built. Lund spotted him, broke off her conversation and headed over. It meant walking all the way round the pool, which she did at her usual canter." Frank Schatzing; The Swarm; HarperCollins; 2009. See more usage examples of canter in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I became a vegetarian after realizing that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and unhappy like we do. -Cesar Chavez, farm worker and activist (31 Mar 1927-1993) *****April 02, 2021***** Reciprocity : (rec·i·proc·i·ty) n A reciprocal condition or relationship. "The president's proposal calls for full reciprocity." gratify : (verb) Yield (to); give satisfaction to.; pander, indulge; No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. Trojan : noun: 1. A person from Troy. 2. One who exhibits great stamina, energy, and hard work. 3. A merry fellow. 4. In computing, a piece of malware that appears harmless, but causes damage. ; "Are you my alter-ego? Come, my Trojan half." Richard St. Abam; Fading Glory; Lightning Source; 2019. "When discussing his work ethic, Fabri said: 'This guy had just worked like a Trojan.'" Adrian Proszenko & Chris Barrett; Xerri Bomb League; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); May 27, 2020. See more usage examples of trojan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Make no judgments where you have no compassion. -Anne McCaffrey, writer (1 Apr 1926-2011) *****April 03, 2021***** Chagrin : n.  A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event. "He decided to take the day off, much to the chagrin of his boss." Pertain : 1 a (1) : to belong as a part, member, accessory, or product ; "The author's careful attention to history—especially as it pertains to the struggle creative women like Curie and Fuller faced for acceptance as creative equals to men—helps round out the text with feminist insights." — Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2020 hummock : (noun) A small natural hill.; hillock, knoll, mound; The servant girl took a break from her work in the fields to roll down the hummock, unaware that the lord of the manor was watching. Kentish fire : noun: Prolonged cheering. ; "Then Kim would join the Kentish-fire of good wishes and bad jokes, wishing the couple a hundred sons and no daughters, as the saying is." Rudyard Kipling; Kim; Macmillan; 1901. Thought For The Day: How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself. -Kenneth Tynan, theater critic and author (2 Apr 1927-1980) *****April 04, 2021***** Nefarious : adj.  Infamous by way of being extremely wicked. Wicked in the extreme; abominable; iniquitous; atrociously villainous; execrable; detestably vile. "His nefarious scheme cost investors millions of dollars." Moxie : 1 : energy, pep; "On offense, the Giants need more speed, more talent, more explosive plays, more creativity, more power, more moxie. More everything." — Paul Schwartz, The New York Post, 21 Feb. 2021 doodad : (noun) Something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known.; gizmo, gubbins, thingamabob, thingamajig, thingummy, whatchamacallit, whatsis, widget, doohickey, doojigger, gimmick; My twin sister and I have a special bond, so when she asks to borrow my doodad, I know exactly what she is talking about. Kentish fire : noun: Prolonged cheering. ; "Then Kim would join the Kentish-fire of good wishes and bad jokes, wishing the couple a hundred sons and no daughters, as the saying is." Rudyard Kipling; Kim; Macmillan; 1901. Thought For The Day: How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself. -Kenneth Tynan, theater critic and author (2 Apr 1927-1980) *****April 05, 2021***** Voluminous : adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing. "Voluminous paperwork." Hare : : to go swiftly : tear; "I was just in time to see a feller in motorcycle gear pull away from the wire and run down the street. The dogs hared off after him." — Liza Cody, Bucket Nut, 1992 delimit : (verb) Set, mark, or draw the boundaries of something.; demarcate; This map that my mother drew delimits how far from home I am allowed to wander without an adult. Kentish fire : noun: Prolonged cheering. ; "Then Kim would join the Kentish-fire of good wishes and bad jokes, wishing the couple a hundred sons and no daughters, as the saying is." Rudyard Kipling; Kim; Macmillan; 1901. Thought For The Day: How far should one accept the rules of the society in which one lives? To put it another way: at what point does conformity become corruption? Only by answering such questions does the conscience truly define itself. -Kenneth Tynan, theater critic and author (2 Apr 1927-1980) *****April 06, 2021***** Insipid : adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. "The insipid play caused many to walk out of the theater." Reputation : 1 a : overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general; "It takes a lot of bravery to host a global conference online for the very first time, and exhibitors needed to apply what they've learned in digital communications, reputation, how to drive online buzz, and how to create relevant engagement inside of energy-sucking platforms to stand out unlike ever before." — Marty Swant, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2021 shimmy : (verb) Tremble or shake.; wobble; I need to take the car to a mechanic because it begins to shimmy every time it is driven at high speed. Apgar or apgar : noun: A method of assessing a newborn's health. Also known as Apgar score. ; "She placed the eye drops in and pronounced his apgar of nine and ten." Marsha Brooks; The Architect; Xlibris; 2014. Thought For The Day: You can't hold a man down without staying down with him. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 07, 2021***** Fortuitous : adj.  Happening by accident or chance. Happening by a fortunate accident or chance. Lucky or fortunate. "The check could not have arrived at a more fortuitous time." Hoosegow : US, informal + humorous : jail; "Lee Young-ae stars as a woman released from prison after serving time for a murder she didn't commit; no sooner is she out of the hoosegow than she begins her quest to hunt down the real murderers." — G. Allen Johnson, The San Francisco Chronicle, 6 Oct. 2020 runoff : (noun) The occurrence of surplus liquid (as water) exceeding the limit or capacity.; overflow, overspill; Our basement flooded with runoff from the nearby creek after the torrential downpour. Pinkerton : noun: A detective. ; "She had her chance due to the carelessness of a Pinkerton hired by Flo's mother to investigate her death." Emily M. Danforth; Plain Bad Heroines: A Novel; William Morrow; 2020. Thought For The Day: We take our colors, chameleon-like, from each other. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2021***** Ubiquitous : adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. "Ubiquitous cell phones." Brusque : 1 : markedly short and abrupt; "'Where are you getting all this?' Dinah asked, drawing startled or disapproving glances from a few who worried that she was being too brusque with the boss. 'It's only been, what, four hours?'" — Neal Stephenson, Seveneves, 2015 grouch : (verb) Show one's unhappiness or critical attitude.; grumble, scold; He always grouches about his job, but deep down he really loves it. Yarborough or yarborough : noun: In a card game, a weak hand, especially one in which no card is above a nine. ; "For days on end I can't seem to get a hand much better than a yarborough." Louis Joseph Vance; Nobody; George H. Doran; 1915. Thought For The Day: It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. -William Ellery Channing, clergyman and writer (7 Apr 1780-1842) *****April 09, 2021***** Antiquated : adj.  Very old; aged. Too old to be fashionable, suitable, or useful; outmoded, obsolete. "The committee thought the marketing strategy was too antiquated to approve." Savvy : : to understand; "The agency's Denver office sent Siringo, who savvied some Spanish, to Santa Fe." — Ollie Reed Jr., The Albuquerque (New Mexico) Tribune, 30 June 2001 barefaced : (adjective) With no effort to conceal.; bald; They attacked him in various ways—with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all. Orwellism : noun: Something misleading, such as a word or phrase used euphemistically or ambiguously for propaganda purposes. ; "[Premier Kathleen Wynne] also embraced one of neo-liberalism's core tenets: privatization of public goods, under the hideous Orwellism of 'broadening' its ownership." Rick Salutin; Neo-Liberalism Is a Spent Force and Patrick Brown Knows It; Toronto Star (Canada); Dec 1, 2017. Thought For The Day: It's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 10, 2021***** Atypical : adj.  Not conforming to type; unusual or irregular. Deviating from what is usual or common or to be expected; often somewhat odd or strange. "The strong sales were atypical of the normally weak market." Vendetta : 1 : a feud between different clans or families : blood feud; "In the pilot episode of Superman & Lois, The CW series introduced a mysterious villain known as the Stranger. While this villain kept his identity a secret, he had a personal vendetta against Superman and planned on taking him out for good." — Ian Cardona, Comic Book Resources (CBR.com), 5 Mar. 2021 inductee : (noun) Someone who is drafted into military service.; conscript, draftee; Before beginning basic training, each inductee was given a haircut and a uniform. Oakley : noun: A complimentary ticket or pass. Also known as an Annie Oakley. ; "He was given an Oakley for the vaudeville theater show." F. Jutte; Het Engelse Taaleigen van Amerika; W.E.J. Tjeenk Willink; 1966. See more usage examples of Oakley in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The poet is a kinsman in the clouds / Who scoffs at archers, loves a stormy day; / But on the ground, among the hooting crowds, / He cannot walk, his wings are in the way. -Charles Baudelaire, poet, critic and translator (9 Apr 1821-1867) *****April 11, 2021***** Placate : (pla·cate) verb To appease or pacify; make (someone) less angry or hostile. "The customer service representative tried to placate the dissatisfied customer." Fatuous : : complacently or inanely foolish : silly; "You would have to be an inattentive person never to have noticed the incongruity between the well-informed but fatuous opinions of your forward-thinking peers on the one hand, and the simple but wise judgments of your parents or grandparents on the other." — Barton Swaim, Commentary, November 2020 siriasis : (noun) Sudden prostration due to exposure to the sun or excessive heat.; insolation, sunstroke, thermic fever; We were stranded in the desert, and it was not long before members of our party began exhibiting signs of siriasis. Oakley : noun: A complimentary ticket or pass. Also known as an Annie Oakley. ; "He was given an Oakley for the vaudeville theater show." F. Jutte; Het Engelse Taaleigen van Amerika; W.E.J. Tjeenk Willink; 1966. See more usage examples of Oakley in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The poet is a kinsman in the clouds / Who scoffs at archers, loves a stormy day; / But on the ground, among the hooting crowds, / He cannot walk, his wings are in the way. -Charles Baudelaire, poet, critic and translator (9 Apr 1821-1867) *****April 12, 2021***** Bucolic : (bu·col·ic) adj. Of or relating to the pleasant aspects of country life. "He retired to a more bucolic life on his farm." Drub : 1 : to beat severely; Morale after the game was low: the hometown team had been drubbed by the worst team in the league. subaltern : (adjective) Inferior in rank or status.; junior-grade, lower-ranking, petty, secondary, lowly; The subaltern officer stood at attention as his superiors examined the floor he had just finished scrubbing. Oakley : noun: A complimentary ticket or pass. Also known as an Annie Oakley. ; "He was given an Oakley for the vaudeville theater show." F. Jutte; Het Engelse Taaleigen van Amerika; W.E.J. Tjeenk Willink; 1966. See more usage examples of Oakley in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The poet is a kinsman in the clouds / Who scoffs at archers, loves a stormy day; / But on the ground, among the hooting crowds, / He cannot walk, his wings are in the way. -Charles Baudelaire, poet, critic and translator (9 Apr 1821-1867) *****April 13, 2021***** Pugnacious : adj. 1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully. "Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious." Gallant : 1 : showy in dress or bearing : smart; "But travel-stained though he was, he was well and even richly attired, and without being overdressed looked a gallant gentleman." — Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, 1841 lilliputian : (adjective) Very small.; bantam, diminutive, flyspeck, midget, petite, tiny; How am I supposed to fit everything I will need for summer camp in this lilliputian trunk?! vulnerary : noun: Something used for the healing of wounds. adjective: Useful in healing of wounds. ; "Melinda relies upon art to work as a vulnerary." Speak: The Graphic Novel; Kirkus Reviews (New York); Feb 15, 2018. "Periwinkle is also a vulnerary herb, for healing wounds and staunching bleeding." Jane Powers; The Language of Love; Irish Times (Dublin); Feb 14, 2004. Thought For The Day: If life's lessons could be reduced to single sentences, there would be no need for fiction. -Scott Turow, author and lawyer (b. 12 Apr 1949) *****April 14, 2021***** Anomalous : (a·nom·a·lous) adj. Deviating from what is standard, normal, or expected. "The marketing department could not explain the anomalous sales performance." Minatory : : having a menacing quality; "Then the squirrel seemed to notice Vinnie; to turn a minatory black eye toward him. The eye extended out from its head an inch or two on a little silvery stalk and tilted this way and that." — John Shirley, Crawlers, 2003 antecede : (verb) Be earlier in time; go back further.; antedate, forego, precede, predate; Even though it was found in a higher stratum, the stone tool antecedes the bronze one unearthed nearby. soporific : adjective:1. Inducing sleep.  2. Sleepy or drowsy.  3. Dull or monotonous. noun:Something that induces sleep. ; "I snoozed some more, full of bloat-inducing road food and my mother's soporific prattle." Mickey J. Corrigan; Red Hot Blues; Wild Rose Press; 2014. See more usage examples of soporific in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendancy. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (13 Apr 1743-1826) *****April 15, 2021***** Recalcitrant : (re·cal·ci·trant) adj. Stubborn, often defiant of authority; difficult to manage or control. "After months of recalcitrant behavior, the employee was terminated." Discomfit : 1 : to put into a state of perplexity and embarrassment : disconcert; Jacob was discomfited by the new employee's forward, probing questions. fortify : (verb) To strengthen physically, mentally, or morally.; sustain, encourage, confirm, cheer, strengthen, reassure, brace, stiffen, hearten, embolden, invigorate; Prayer fortified the congregants during their crisis. mummery : noun: An absurd, pretentious, or hypocritical performance. ; "To crown this scene of farce and mummery, a clergyman is mounted in their pulpit to harangue them on the blessings of independence." Danielle Allen; A Forgotten Founder; The Atlantic (Boston, Massachusetts); Mar 2021. See more usage examples of mummery in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play. -Arnold J. Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 16, 2021***** Prodigious : (pro·di·gious) adj. Remarkably or impressively great in extent, size, or degree. "Her prodigious sales performance resulted in a promotion." Obstreperous : 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous; "Throughout a long career, [Lawrence Ferlinghetti] showed courage, taste and willingness to put up with sometimes obstreperous writers for the sake of literature. He first won widespread renown by publishing Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl' and defending the book in a court case in 1957 when it was declared obscene." — Benjamin Ivry, The Forward (New York), 24 Feb. 2021 statecraft : (noun) The art of conducting public affairs.; statesmanship, diplomacy; Only through superior statecraft was he able to avoid a war while simultaneously achieving favorable trade conditions. intransigence : noun: Unwillingness to compromise, especially from an extreme position. ; "But many politicians won't budge and the people who elect them won't hold them accountable for their intransigence." Charles M. Blow; Mass Shootings and Our Depraved Political Stagnation; The New York Times; Mar 24, 2021. See more usage examples of intransigence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence. -Thomas Szasz, author, professor of psychiatry (15 Apr 1920-2012) *****April 17, 2021***** Derisive : (de·ri·sive) adj. Expressing contempt or ridicule; mocking or scornful. "A derisive laugh." Lodestone : 1 : magnetite possessing polarity; "… the city was a lodestone of rock-and-roll and rhythm-and-blues innovation." — John Beifuss, The Memphis (Tennessee) Commercial Appeal, 2 Nov. 2020 chastise : (verb) Censure severely.; castigate, chasten, objurgate, correct; She chastised him for his insensitive remarks about her weight until he was the one crying. diffidence : noun: Timidity or shyness. ; "It's remarkable to find such swagger ... by the slouch of diffidence and doubt." Anthony Lane; Join In; The New Yorker; Jul 22, 2019. See more usage examples of diffidence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 18, 2021***** Duplicitous : adj.  Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech. "They warned him not to trust the duplicitous telemarketer." Purloin : : to appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust; "A comfortable career of prosperity, if it does not make people honest, at least keeps them so. An alderman coming from a turtle feast will not step out of his carnage to steal a leg of mutton; but put him to starve, and see if he will not purloin a loaf." — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848 indigent : (adjective) So poor as to lack even necessities; very needy.; destitute, impoverished, necessitous, poverty-stricken; As we drove through the slum, our car was mobbed by indigent children begging for money. diffidence : noun: Timidity or shyness. ; "It's remarkable to find such swagger ... by the slouch of diffidence and doubt." Anthony Lane; Join In; The New Yorker; Jul 22, 2019. See more usage examples of diffidence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 19, 2021***** Disingenuous : adj. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating.  "It was disingenuous of her to claim she had no financial interest in the company." Forfend : 1 a archaic : forbid; "All too often, the selfie is looked down upon with condescension, viewed as the narcissist's calling card, treated with scorn and disdain. But why? Heaven forfend we show evidence of loving ourselves." — Rachel Thompson, Mashable, 24 Dec. 2020 jabber : (verb) Talk in a noisy, excited, or declamatory manner.; mouth off, rabbit on, rant, rave, spout; The instant I walked through the door, my sister began to jabber about her latest preteen crisis—something to do with wearing the wrong color of nail polish to school on a Wednesday. diffidence : noun: Timidity or shyness. ; "It's remarkable to find such swagger ... by the slouch of diffidence and doubt." Anthony Lane; Join In; The New Yorker; Jul 22, 2019. See more usage examples of diffidence in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 20, 2021***** Ostensible : adj.  Stated or appearing to be true, but not necessarily so. Being such in appearance, plausible rather than demonstrably true or real. "The ostensible purpose of the trip was for business." Chlamys : : a short oblong mantle worn by young men of ancient Greece; "Perhaps her effect on him was as despotic and intoxicating as the poets claimed. Rumors reached Rome that he had abandoned his toga for the Greek chlamys; that she reviewed his troops with a bodyguard of Praetorians; that he followed her litter humbly on foot…." — Judith Thurman, Cleopatra's Nose, 2007 intermingle : (verb) To mix or cause to mix or mingle together.; blend, intermix; The office mail has been intermingled with the outgoing mail, and it is going to take me all afternoon to sort through it! woodshed : noun:1. A place for storing firewood.  2. A place for administering punishment.  3. A place for intensive practice, especially music practice. verb tr., intr.:1. To practice diligently, especially on a musical instrument.  2. To punish or reprimand.  3. To coach a witness before a trial. ; "With McEnroe you never got the feeling he'd woodshedded for hours at that half-volley." Al Murray; I Was There When ... John McEnroe Played His Last Semi; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 3, 2003. "Were you ever taken to the woodshed?" Donald G. McNeil Jr.; Fauci on What Working for Trump Was Really Like; The New York Times; Jan 24, 2021. "Occasionally, when a prospective developer or consultant sent her flowers before a meeting, she would demand, 'Would that guy send these if I was Mr. Mayor?' Her staff learned to hide these bouquets, just so the poor mopes who sent them would not get woodshedded by the mayor before they made their pitch." Joseph Sabino Mistick; Councilwomen Pittsburgh Tough; Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Pennsylvania); Nov 25, 2012. "Paul Ravich will have these witnesses woodshedded to the point of no surprises." David D. Williams; Gamesmanship; SandLine Press; 2014. See more usage examples of woodshed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a beauty in discovery. There is mathematics in music, a kinship of science and poetry in the description of nature, and exquisite form in a molecule. Attempts to place different disciplines in different camps are revealed as artificial in the face of the unity of knowledge. All literate men are sustained by the philosopher, the historian, the political analyst, the economist, the scientist, the poet, the artisan and the musician. -Glenn T. Seaborg, scientist, Nobel laureate (19 Apr 1912-1999) *****April 21, 2021***** Euphemism : n. A mild, inoffensive expression that is substituted for one that is often considered harsh or offensive. "To pass away" is a euphemism for "to die." Adulate : 1 a : to praise effusively and slavishly : flatter excessively : fawn upon; A portrait of the family patriarch, a man adulated by the public but generally feared by his family, hung above the mantle. environ : (verb) Extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle.; border, surround, skirt, ring; They are everywhere, above us, on our left, on our right; they environ us on all sides. balk or baulk : noun:1. A check or hindrance.  2. A defeat or disappointment.  3. A beam or rafter.  4. A ridge; an unplowed strip of land between furrows. verb intr.:To stop, hesitate, or refuse to proceed. verb tr.:To thwart or hinder. ; "Nothing, agreed, is alien to love When pure desire has overflowed its baulks." Robert Graves; Collected Poems; Cassell; 1965. "She balked at the bedroom door, digging in her heels. 'It's just a bedroom, Katie,' he said. 'We have to pass through it to get to the bathroom where my first aid supplies are.'" Lori Wilde; A Wedding for Christmas; Avon; 2016. See more usage examples of balk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am, indeed, a king, because I know how to rule myself. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) *****April 22, 2021***** Austere : adj. 1. Markedly simple without adornment or ornamentation. "An austere office;" "An austere writing style." 2. Strict or stern in appearance or manner. "He was an austere movie critic." Touchstone : 1 : a fundamental or quintessential part or feature : basis; "Reviewers mocked the movie 'Love Story,' but it was among the biggest box office hits of its time and became a cultural touchstone, especially for the catchphrase 'Love means never having to say you're sorry.'" — Hillel Italie, The Associated Press, 18 Feb. 2021 fragrancy : (noun) A pleasingly sweet olfactory property.; redolence, bouquet, sweetness; The fragrancy of her perfume seemed to attract every man in the room, drawing them to her like flies to honey. festoon : noun: A decorative chain or string, of flowers, leaves, ribbons, etc., hanging between two points. verb tr.: To make or hang festoons; to decorate. ; "The usnea lichen hangs in festoons from the white spruce trees." Henry David Thoreau; Walden; Ticknor and Fields; 1854. "Mr A asked for an opinion about the big boat in the Suez canal instead, and I told him that opinions were my bread and butter and he'd have to festoon me with cash for those." Zoe Williams; The Rules Are Easing, the Sun Is Out -- and I Have Forgotten How to Socialise; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 4, 2021. See more usage examples of festoon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In nothing does man, with his grand notions of heaven and charity, show forth his innate, low-bred, wild animalism more clearly than in his treatment of his brother beasts. From the shepherd with his lambs to the red-handed hunter, it is the same; no recognition of rights -- only murder in one form or another. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (21 Apr 1838-1914) *****April 23, 2021***** Ambiguous : adj.  Open to more than one interpretation: "An ambiguous response." Doubtful or uncertain. "The survey results were ambiguous." Ebullient : 1 : boiling, agitated; "Coach Kristen Kirkman, who guided the Bulldogs' boys and girls, is ebullient about her junior class, which she hopes can take the program even beyond last season's Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association finishes of fifth for boys and fourth for girls." — Sonny Dearth, The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), 14 Jan. 2021 halfhearted : (adjective) Feeling or showing little interest or enthusiasm.; lukewarm, tepid; I made a halfhearted attempt to start a conversation with him and gave up as soon as it became clear he was not really interested in talking to me either. bivouac : noun: A temporary encampment, in the open air, typically without tents or cover. verb intr.: To take shelter temporarily for the night. ; "'Why can't we just go back to the bivouac and sleep?' Cadet Norris whined." Christopher Cummings; Barbara's Bivouac; DoctorZed Publishing; 2019. "I understand he is numbered among the legions who have bivouacked in your bed." Cecelia Holland; The Belt of Gold; Knopf; 1984. See more usage examples of bivouac in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We understand death for the first time when he puts his hand upon one whom we love. -Madame De Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 24, 2021***** Copious : adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy.  "He took copious notes during the business meeting." Bogart : 1 : to cause (someone) to do something by means of force or coercion : bully; "At the end of a long day, it's tempting to dive into your social feeds or Netflix queue the minute you've finished eating. But back before screens bogarted all our free time, an after-dinner stroll was a popular activity and one associated with improved health and digestion." — Markham Reid, Time, 26 Sept. 2018 seclude : (verb) Keep away from others.; sequester, withdraw; During my moody teenage years, I would often seclude myself in my room to brood. savvy : verb: To understand or know. noun: Know-how, practical knowledge, or shrewdness. adjective: Shrewd or knowledgeable, especially in practical matters. ; "'I have never savvied the outlaw mind,' Fred said." Ralph Compton; The Evil Men Do; Signet; 2015. "He was clearly a hoodlum with a lot of street savvy." Robert Littell; A Nasty Piece of Work; St. Martin's Press; 2013. See more usage examples of savvy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 25, 2021***** Altruism : n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). "Despite his miserly demeanor, his life is driven by Altruism." "Altruistic motives." Impresario : 1 : the promoter, manager, or conductor of an opera or concert company; The former heavyweight retired from the ring and later became a boxing impresario. scurry : (verb) To move about or proceed hurriedly.; scamper, scuttle, skitter; Once we heard thunder and saw lightning, we scurried from the beach and sprinted back to the house. savvy : verb: To understand or know. noun: Know-how, practical knowledge, or shrewdness. adjective: Shrewd or knowledgeable, especially in practical matters. ; "'I have never savvied the outlaw mind,' Fred said." Ralph Compton; The Evil Men Do; Signet; 2015. "He was clearly a hoodlum with a lot of street savvy." Robert Littell; A Nasty Piece of Work; St. Martin's Press; 2013. See more usage examples of savvy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 26, 2021***** Laborious : adj.  Hard-working; industrious. Marked by or requiring long, hard work. "It was a laborious project, but they still kept it under budget." Clandestine : : marked by, held in, or conducted with secrecy : surreptitious; "Salons have been shut down under stay-at-home orders to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. In Los Angeles, the result has been a robust clandestine haircut scene." — Emily Guerin, NPR, 23 May 2020 exhilarate : (verb) Fill with sublime emotion.; beatify, inebriate, tickle pink, exalt, thrill; The beauty of the art exhibit exhilarated me so much that I could not wait to get home and paint. savvy : verb: To understand or know. noun: Know-how, practical knowledge, or shrewdness. adjective: Shrewd or knowledgeable, especially in practical matters. ; "'I have never savvied the outlaw mind,' Fred said." Ralph Compton; The Evil Men Do; Signet; 2015. "He was clearly a hoodlum with a lot of street savvy." Robert Littell; A Nasty Piece of Work; St. Martin's Press; 2013. See more usage examples of savvy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go. -Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) *****April 27, 2021***** Diminutive : adj. Extremely small in size; tiny. A very small person or thing. "Although diminutive in stature, they were a formidable opponent;" "A diminutive report." Epicure : : one with sensitive and discriminating tastes especially in food or wine; "At the back of the shop, Atwell and his apprentice, former chef Ryan Perrier, sharpen upwards of 3,500 blades a year on Japanese whetstones for a range of customers, including local chefs and at-home epicures." — Sara Anne Donnelly, Down East, June 2020 levelheaded : (adjective) Exercising or showing good judgment.; sound, intelligent, healthy; While I stood around bawling uselessly, my levelheaded sister calmly called a towing company and then our parents to let them know that the car had broken down. rostrum : noun: 1. A platform, stage, dais, etc., for public speaking. 2. A beaklike projection on a warship, used for ramming another ship. 3. A snout, beak, or bill of an animal. ; "MPs blocked the parliament's rostrum before the start of an extraordinary meeting." Party of Regions Blocks Parliament Rostrum; Kyiv Post (Ukraine); Feb 3, 2010. See more usage examples of rostrum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A new word is like a fresh seed sown on the ground of the discussion. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 28, 2021***** Pragmatic : adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles. "The CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success." Rococo : 1 a : of or relating to an artistic style especially of the 18th century characterized by fanciful curved asymmetrical forms and elaborate ornamentation; Among the items being auctioned off is a beautiful set of six chairs carved in a rococo style. artificer : (noun) A skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft.; artisan, journeyman, craftsman; There are native tanners, shoemakers, weavers, blacksmiths, stonecutters, and other artificers attached to each establishment. carapace : noun: 1. A hard shell on the back of animals such as turtles, crabs, etc. 2. An attitude developed as a protective measure against something. ; "Hank, played by Dean Norris, is a false man, too, his carapace of swagger and bad jokes barely covering an unmanageable anxiety." James Parker; 'Til Meth Do Us Part; The Atlantic Monthly (Boston); Jul/Aug 2013. See more usage examples of carapace in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Reading is seeing by proxy. -Herbert Spencer, philosopher (27 Apr 1820-1903) *****April 29, 2021***** Temporal : adj.  Relating to, or limited by time. Lasting only for a time; not eternal.  Also: fleeting, passing, momentary, temporary, transient, short-lived. "The beneficial effects of the loan were temporal." Herald : 1 : to give notice of : announce; The appearance of robins heralded the arrival of spring. transmogrify : (verb) Change completely the nature or appearance of.; metamorphose, transfigure; In Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis," a human being transmogrifies into a bug. hackle : noun:1. Hairs or feathers on the neck or back of some animals that stand up when the animal is agitated.  2. Temper; anger.  3. A comb for dressing fiber. verb tr.:To comb flax, hemp, or other fibers with a hackle. ; "He'd made her hackles rise faster than a bee's wings could flap. The gall of him saying he would wait for her to propose to him was shocking." Amelia Grey; The Duke In My Bed; St. Martin's; 2014. See more usage examples of hackle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a rumor going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist. -Terry Pratchett, novelist (28 Apr 1948-2015) *****April 30, 2021***** Exacerbate : transitive verb.  To make more violent, bitter, or severe; to irritate or make worse. "The continued delays were greatly exacerbated by the lack of workers on the project." Amicable : : characterized by friendly goodwill : peaceable; "Those two weeks in the high country passed with the most amicable feeling between us, and it was not until the last day that Layton showed the unpleasant side of his personality that we all knew existed." — Shannon Burke, Into the Savage Country, 2015 misanthropic : (adjective) Characterized by a hatred or mistrustful scorn for humankind.; cynical; Perhaps rendered more misanthropic by the infirmities that come with years upon a ship, she had made up her mind to kill all hands at once. pinnacle : noun:1. The highest point.  2. An architectural ornament capping a tower, buttress, etc. verb tr.:1. To reach the peak of achievement, development, etc.  2. To form a pinnacle. ; "From then on began a remarkable journey of perseverance, courage, and fortitude that propelled Nadella to the pinnacle of Microsoft." Raj Chengappa; Microsoft's Satya Nadella Has a Message for You; India Today (New Delhi); Oct 2, 2017. See more usage examples of pinnacle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking. -Jerry Seinfeld, comedian (b. 29 Apr 1954) *****May 01, 2021***** Nebulous : adj. 1. Lacking definition or definite content. 2. Lacking definite form or limits; vague. "The test results were nebulous and determined to be unusable." Dross : 1 : the scum or unwanted material that forms on the surface of molten metal; "From King John's compulsion by feudal lords to sign the Magna Carta to the execution of King Charles by Parliamentarian forces, English governance was forged, with the dross constantly falling away, in situations as real and uncertain as in our time." — Douglas D. Ford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3 Nov. 2020 sleight : (noun) Adroitness in using the hands.; dexterity; Only through his unequaled sleight can the juggler manage to keep eight chainsaws safely aloft. hightail : verb intr.: To move quickly, especially in retreat or in fleeing. ; "Isaac kills one of the vagrants to save his friend. Unaware that Poe will end up taking the rap for the murder, Isaac hightails it by rail. Meanwhile, Poe samples another of America's decrepit institutions: its prison system." Nailing It; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 25, 2009. See more usage examples of hightail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 02, 2021***** Anachronism : n. One that is out of its proper, chronological, or historical order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time. "A sword is an anachronism in modern warfare." Fustian : 1 a : a strong cotton and linen fabric; "In 1798, William Wordsworth arrived from Bristol at the cottage of his friend, Samuel Taylor Coleridge…. Twenty-five years later, William Hazlitt, who was also in residence at the time, still remembered his first sight of the future poet laureate, a tall 'Don Quixote-like' figure, quaintly dressed in a brown fustian jacket and striped pantaloons." — Rachel Cook, The Guardian, 14 Apr. 2020 peccadillo : (noun) A petty misdeed.; indiscretion; I have stayed with my husband for the sake of our children, but I can tolerate his frequent peccadilloes no longer. hightail : verb intr.: To move quickly, especially in retreat or in fleeing. ; "Isaac kills one of the vagrants to save his friend. Unaware that Poe will end up taking the rap for the murder, Isaac hightails it by rail. Meanwhile, Poe samples another of America's decrepit institutions: its prison system." Nailing It; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 25, 2009. See more usage examples of hightail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 03, 2021***** Ominous : adj. Menacing; threatening. "Ominous black clouds;" "An ominous scream prior to the shooting." Abjure : 1 formal a : to renounce upon oath; "Pop was indeed eating itself. 'If you've gone eight bars and there hasn't been an inanity,' argued [musician Green Gartside], 'it's time for a "baby" or an "ooh" or a "love" or something.' Perhaps the Pixies 1989 song 'La La Love You' takes this to its logical conclusion, abjuring all lyrics except repeated declarations of love, the 'maybes' and the 'babys.' It is music at its most self-referential." — Peter Salmon, The Quietus, 17 Oct. 2020 sententious : (adjective) Concise and full of meaning.; pithy; He was a man of few words, but when he did speak, his sententious statements struck at the very heart of the matter. hightail : verb intr.: To move quickly, especially in retreat or in fleeing. ; "Isaac kills one of the vagrants to save his friend. Unaware that Poe will end up taking the rap for the murder, Isaac hightails it by rail. Meanwhile, Poe samples another of America's decrepit institutions: its prison system." Nailing It; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 25, 2009. See more usage examples of hightail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) *****May 04, 2021***** Incongruous : adj. 1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible. 2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent. "A plan incongruous with reason." 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate. "She showed incongruous behavior." Conciliatory : : tending to win over from a state of hostility or distrust : intended to gain the goodwill or favor of someone; As the irate customer yelled, the manager adopted a soothing, conciliatory tone and promised that the situation would be remedied. inequity : (noun) Injustice by virtue of not conforming with rules or standards.; unfairness; Even though I am older, my brother gets more allowance money than I do, and this inequity strains my relationship with my parents. Zen or zen : noun: An activity, approach, state of mind, etc., emphasizing intuition and insights, instead of fixation on goals. adjective: Calm, peaceful, unruffled. ; "Periods in my life have been very zen and calm. But after a while of swimming around in a blissful lake of contentment, I chuck a gigantic rock in it, cause huge ripples and start again somewhere else." Shappi Khorsandi; Happiness?; The Independent (London, UK); Oct 26, 2019. See more usage examples of zen in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is not titles that make men illustrious, but men who make titles illustrious. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2021***** Esoteric : adj. 1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest. "Her software's success was based on an esoteric programming language." Succumb : 1 : to yield to superior strength or force or overpowering appeal or desire; "Of all the food experiences I have missed in the last year, one stands out: my regular trip to a falafel stall on the edge of London's Shepherd's Bush Market. It sold the greatest falafels I've ever tasted: crisp and crunchy on the outside, succumbing to a fluffy interior, bright green with parsley and coriander." — Keith Kendrick, Good Food, March 2021 conflate : (verb) Mix together different elements.; coalesce, fuse, mix, merge, commingle, flux, blend, meld, combine; My kids think that I spend all day making up bedtime stories for them, but in truth, I spin each yarn as I go and merely conflate elements from various fairy tales rather than concoct a new narrative. butterfingered : adjective: Clumsy or careless, especially frequently dropping things. ; "The New Jersey country club [Alpine Country Club] that was sued by a patron [Maryana Beyder] after a waiter dumped red wine on her $30,000 Hermes handbag is turning on the butterfingered staffer -- they claim in new legal papers is liable for the flub." Craig McCarthy and Emily Saul; NJ Country Club Sues Waiter Who Dumped Wine on Member's $30K Hermes Bag; New York Post; Nov 11, 2019. [All that's wrong with the humanity in three acts: Woman seeks fulfillment with a $30k handbag; sues a club for inadvertently dyeing it from pink to red; the club goes after its own waiter who makes, perhaps, $30k in a whole year. -Ed.] See more usage examples of butterfingered in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. -William Kingdon Clifford, mathematician and philosopher (4 May 1845-1879) *****May 06, 2021***** Acerbic : adj. Sharp or biting, as in character or expression. "The director occasionally allowed an acerbic tone to an otherwise subtle dialogue." Sprightly : 1 : marked by a gay lightness and vivacity : spirited; "It began with a sprightly melody, exact and almost priggish, which seemed an absurd contrast to the surroundings. People should have been … tiptoeing in fancy dress." — Alix Ohlin, Dual Citizens, 2019 vaporous : (adjective) So thin as to transmit light.; cobwebby, diaphanous, filmy, gauzy, see-through, transparent, gossamer, sheer; She was draped in vaporous silks that in the moonlight gave her the appearance of an unearthly apparition. canary : noun: 1. A small finch, native to the Canary Islands, having greenish to yellow color, and known for its melodious song. 2. A bright yellow color. 3. A singer. 4. An informer. ; "He enjoyed a close friendship with the MGM canary Kathryn Grayson, with whom he starred in Show Boat." Obituary of Howard Keel; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Nov 9, 2004. "The two high-ranking mobsters were named in a 39-count indictment in Brooklyn federal court yesterday, which made use of wiretaps and the recordings of a canary who is working with the government." Stefanie Cohen; Bonfire of the Bonannos Busts 19; New York Post; Feb 7, 2007. See more usage examples of canary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2021***** Odious : (o·di·ous) adj. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive. Deserving of hatred or repugnance. "The detective said it was the most odious crime she had ever seen." dubitable : (adjective) Open to doubt or suspicion.; doubtful, in question, dubious; Tom insists that his business is doing well, but from the looks of his threadbare suit and worn shoes, his success is dubitable. panache : noun: 1. A confident, stylish manner; swagger. 2. A tuft of feathers on a headdress, such as a helmet, hat, etc. ; "Peter Sculthorpe's Tabuh Tabuhan ... dominated the afternoon concert through sheer sureness of touch and sometimes even panache." Clever Choice of Quartets; The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); Mar 11, 2021. See more usage examples of panache in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Not thinking critically, I assumed that the "successful" prayers were proof that God answers prayer while the failures were proof that there was something wrong with me. -Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 1949) *****May 08, 2021***** Incredulous : adj. 1. Skeptical; disbelieving. "Most people are incredulous of stories about flying saucers." 2. Expressive of disbelief. "An incredulous stare." Archipelago : 1 : an expanse of water with many scattered islands; "The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, is recognized globally as a megadiverse nation and a biodiversity hotspot." — The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 30 Mar. 2021 straggly : (adjective) Spreading out in different directions.; rambling, sprawling; The gardener's job was to tame the yard's few straggly bushes and make them look neat and presentable for the party that evening. alterity : noun: Otherness: the state or quality of being other or different. ; "We don't want to get lost because we'd prefer not to see the reality of where we are and so be either appalled by its conformity or thrilled by its alterity." Will Self; On Location; New Statesman (London, UK); Apr 4, 2014. Thought For The Day: The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of his tail. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 09, 2021***** Quixotic : adj. 1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. "It was clearly a quixotic case against the defendant." Frugal : : characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources; "Frugal diners might prefer hitting Ulrich's on Monday nights, when all burgers are $3 off. It's one of the best deals Downtown, or anywhere in town." — Nick Vlahos, The Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star, 1 Mar. 2021 inanity : (noun) Total lack of meaning or ideas.; mindlessness, pointlessness, senselessness, vacuity; My classmates' inanity forced me to seek intelligent conversation elsewhere. alterity : noun: Otherness: the state or quality of being other or different. ; "We don't want to get lost because we'd prefer not to see the reality of where we are and so be either appalled by its conformity or thrilled by its alterity." Will Self; On Location; New Statesman (London, UK); Apr 4, 2014. Thought For The Day: The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of his tail. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 10, 2021***** Specious : adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. "A specious argument." 2. Deceptively attractive. Paean : 1 : a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, thanksgiving, or triumph; "But Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town,' set amid the mountains there, is no folksy paean to simplicity. It's a boldly experimental play about the beauty of the everyday, and human beings' tragic propensity to look right past that." — Laura Collins-Hughes, The New York Times, 6 Jan. 2021 rascality : (noun) The trait of indulging in disreputable pranks.; prankishness, roguishness; I had underestimated the rascality of my roommate, who had replaced my shoelaces with spaghetti yet again. alterity : noun: Otherness: the state or quality of being other or different. ; "We don't want to get lost because we'd prefer not to see the reality of where we are and so be either appalled by its conformity or thrilled by its alterity." Will Self; On Location; New Statesman (London, UK); Apr 4, 2014. Thought For The Day: The sparrow is sorry for the peacock at the burden of his tail. -Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, author, songwriter, painter, educator, composer, Nobel laureate (7 May 1861-1941) *****May 11, 2021***** Cognitive : adj. 1. Relating to the process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception. 2. Having a basis in or reducible to empirical factual knowledge. "A Cognitive model for success." Shrive : 1 : to administer the sacrament of reconciliation to; "Once every three months, Pancho took his savings and drove into Monterey to confess his sins, to do his penance, and be shriven and to get drunk, in the order named." — John Steinbeck, The Pastures of Heaven, 1932 somatic : (adjective) Affecting or characteristic of the body as opposed to the mind or spirit.; corporeal, bodily; Though anxiety attacks are psychological in nature, they have numerous somatic effects, including palpitations, shortness of breath, and dizziness. unshirted : adjective: 1. Serious; unmitigated. 2. Plain; undisguised. ; "Trump did outdo former holders of the office in one regard: producing unshirted chaos." Doyle McManus; How Do Biden's First 100 Days in Office Compare with Trump's?; Los Angeles Times; Apr 25, 2021. "Maloof first gave Carter his unshirted opinion about some of his recent votes." Tom Baxter & Jim Galloway; Lebanese Legend Gets Irish Wake; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia); Aug 13, 2004. Thought For The Day: The softer you sing, the louder you're heard. -Donovan, musician (b. 10 May 1946) *****May 12, 2021***** Pensive : adj. Deeply, often wistfully or dreamily thoughtful. Expressive of melancholy thoughtfulness. "She was feeling pensive after seeing an old boyfriend." Importunate : 1 : troublesomely urgent : overly persistent in request or demand; "It seems apt that in the play's first scene, set at 6 a.m. in Lagos, Nigeria, an importunate young customer asks the barber he's so rudely awakened to give him an 'aerodynamic' cut." — Ben Brantley, The New York Times, 4 Dec. 2019 addendum : (noun) Textual matter that is added onto a publication, usually at the end.; supplement, postscript; In his pocket was a bottle, carefully corked, empty save for a little roll of paper, which proved to be the addendum to the log. Arrow-collar : adjective: Conventionally attractive and suave. ; "But Pisoni, whose Arrow-Collar looks, crack timing, and acute articulation are tailor-made for the acting career he eventually achieved, has more than classic routines on his mind." David C. Nichols; A Circus Life of Laughs and Heart; Los Angeles Times; Sep 26, 2013. Thought For The Day: Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes. -Edsger W. Dijkstra, computer scientist (11 May 1930-2002) *****May 13, 2021***** Auspicious : adj. Marked by success; prosperous. Suggesting a positive and successful future. "An auspicious time to purchase the stock." Veracity : 1 : conformity with truth or fact : accuracy; English poet Thomas Gray wrote, "Any fool may write a most valuable book by chance, if he will only tell us what he heard and saw with veracity." crabbed : (adjective) Irritable and perverse in disposition; ill-tempered.; fussy, grouchy, grumpy, cross; I first put out my tacky lawn ornaments as a practical joke, but after my persnickety, crabbed neighbor lodged a complaint about them, I dug my heels in and refused to take them down. button-down : adjective: 1. Conservative, unimaginative, conventional, staid, repressed, etc. 2. Relating to a collar that can be fastened to the garment. 3. Relating to a garment having such a collar or having buttons from the collar to the waist. ; "Mr Golub is often brash ... has always stuck out in Amex's button-down corporate culture." Don't Leave Home Without Me; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 30, 1993. See more usage examples of button-down in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I do not torture animals, and I do not support the torture of animals, such as that which goes on at rodeos: cowardly men in big hats abusing simple beasts in a fruitless search for manhood. -George Carlin, comedian, actor, and author (12 May 1937-2008) *****May 14, 2021***** Visceral : adj. 1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect. "A visceral business decision." 2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. Exhilarate : : to make (someone) very happy and excited or elated; "To be working, to be making a film for the cinema, at a time when so many people were wondering if that would ever be possible again, was exhilarating. We proved to ourselves the heady fact that we can still work, even under this pandemic, it does not need to rob us of everything we cherish." — Tilda Swinton, quoted in The Asbury Park (New Jersey) Press, 10 Mar. 2021 flyaway : (adjective) Guided by whim and fancy.; flighty, head-in-the-clouds, scatterbrained; The flyaway young girl came to the formal dinner covered in dirt, as she had opted to roll down the hill instead of going around it like her sisters. sleeveless : adjective: 1. Unprofitable; futile; unreasonable; irrelevant. 2. Without sleeves. ; "I pictured them drearily slogging through the blackened midwinter slush on sleeveless errands." Jennifer Howard; What Does Everyone Need This Time of Year?; The Washington Post; Dec 3, 2000. See more usage examples of sleeveless in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The Panama Canal was dug with a microscope. -Ronald Ross, doctor and Nobel laureate (13 May 1857-1932) [alluding to the research done to get rid of the mosquito] *****May 15, 2021***** Gregarious : adj. 1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." Blithesome : : with lightheartedness or unconcern : gay, merry; "The stranger had given a blithesome promise, and anchored it with oaths; but oaths and anchors equally will drag; naught else abides on fickle earth but unkept promises of joy." — Herman Melville, The Piazza Tales, 1856 impale : (verb) Pierce with a sharp stake or point.; spike, transfix; My mother always warned me not to run with scissors, lest I fall and impale myself on the blades. shirttail : noun:1. The part of a shirt reaching below the waist, especially in the back.  2. A brief item added at the end of a newspaper article.  3. Something small or unimportant. adjective:1. Very young or immature.  2. Very small or trivial.  3. Distantly related. ; "Your mother thinks I'm a damned old idiot to give a shirttail boy a gun that's just about as tall as the boy is." Robert Ruark; Old Man's Boy Grows Up; Hamish Hamilton; 1962. "It was a good place to live back then, back when Hollywood was just a shirttail country town on the interurban line." Grover Lewis, Dave Hickey, Robert Draper; Splendor in the Short Grass; University of Texas Press; 2005. "A previously unknown species of sea lily has turned up ... a shirttail cousin to the starfish." Science Notebook; Science News (Washington, DC); Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of shirttail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) *****May 16, 2021***** Capricious : adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." Heinous : : hatefully or shockingly evil : abominable; The former dictator will stand trial for the role he played in his government's heinous treatment of political dissidents. malodor : (noun) A distinctive odor that is offensively unpleasant.; fetor, reek, stench, stink, mephitis; The malodor from the skunk filled the night air and sent us running indoors. shirttail : noun:1. The part of a shirt reaching below the waist, especially in the back.  2. A brief item added at the end of a newspaper article.  3. Something small or unimportant. adjective:1. Very young or immature.  2. Very small or trivial.  3. Distantly related. ; "Your mother thinks I'm a damned old idiot to give a shirttail boy a gun that's just about as tall as the boy is." Robert Ruark; Old Man's Boy Grows Up; Hamish Hamilton; 1962. "It was a good place to live back then, back when Hollywood was just a shirttail country town on the interurban line." Grover Lewis, Dave Hickey, Robert Draper; Splendor in the Short Grass; University of Texas Press; 2005. "A previously unknown species of sea lily has turned up ... a shirttail cousin to the starfish." Science Notebook; Science News (Washington, DC); Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of shirttail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) *****May 17, 2021***** Dogmatic : adj. 1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. "A dogmatic speech." 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. egoist : (noun) A conceited and self-centered person.; swellhead; There is nothing in this world that the egoist loves more than himself. shirttail : noun:1. The part of a shirt reaching below the waist, especially in the back.  2. A brief item added at the end of a newspaper article.  3. Something small or unimportant. adjective:1. Very young or immature.  2. Very small or trivial.  3. Distantly related. ; "Your mother thinks I'm a damned old idiot to give a shirttail boy a gun that's just about as tall as the boy is." Robert Ruark; Old Man's Boy Grows Up; Hamish Hamilton; 1962. "It was a good place to live back then, back when Hollywood was just a shirttail country town on the interurban line." Grover Lewis, Dave Hickey, Robert Draper; Splendor in the Short Grass; University of Texas Press; 2005. "A previously unknown species of sea lily has turned up ... a shirttail cousin to the starfish." Science Notebook; Science News (Washington, DC); Oct 8, 2011. See more usage examples of shirttail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. -Hal Borland, author and journalist (14 May 1900-1978) *****May 18, 2021***** Myriad : adj.  Constituting a very large, indefinite number; innumerable: "The myriad snowflakes in the winter." Divers : : of an indefinite number greater than one : various; "Thus, by divers little makeshifts, in that ingenious way which is commonly denominated 'by hook and by crook,' the worthy pedagogue got on tolerably enough, and was thought, by all who understood nothing of the labor of headwork, to have a wonderfully easy life of it." — Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," 1820 endeavor : (verb) Attempt by employing effort.; strive; The candidate promised to endeavor to improve the quality of life in the inner city, but once in office, she did nothing of the sort. Hoyle : noun: 1. A rule book. 2. Rules. ; "Considering the underhanded tactics he used in that election ... but medieval Hungarian aristocrats don't fight according to Hoyle." Theodora Goss; The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl; Saga Press; 2020. See more usage examples of Hoyle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A change in perspective is worth 80 IQ points. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2021***** Ephemeral : adj. 1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of fashion trends." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. Peruse : 1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study; Dmitri perused the menu while we waited for a table. alleviative : (adjective) Moderating pain or sorrow by making it easier to bear.; lenitive, mitigative, palliative; After the blacksmith burned his hand, he applied an alleviative salve to lessen the searing pain. Houdini : noun: An escape artist. verb intr.: To escape. ; "But Andrews has proven himself a Houdini when it comes to escaping such traps." Brett Martin; Top Brass; Vanity Fair (New York); Mar 2021. "Lucy has houdinied out of her car seat and is now climbing into the front." Carrie Mac; Equinox Gales; Antigonish Review (Canada); Winter 2006. See more usage examples of Houdini in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A book of verses underneath the bough, / A jug of wine, a loaf of bread -- and thou / Beside me singing in the wilderness -- / Oh, wilderness were paradise enow! -Omar Khayyam, poet, mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and physician (18 May 1048-1131) *****May 20, 2021***** Plethora : n. A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: "Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make." Rictus : 1 : the gape of a bird's mouth; "You could make a strong case that the current face of the Mariners' franchise, generically speaking, is frozen in a rictus of frustration.… Perhaps one day soon a savior will emerge and lead the Mariners to unachieved heights." — Larry Stone, The Seattle Times, 31 Mar. 2021 intemperate : (adjective) Given to excessive indulgence of bodily appetites, especially for intoxicating liquors.; hard, heavy; As he was prone to intemperate behavior at the alehouse, she expected him to stumble out of the carriage, hiccupping, in the wee hours of the morning. tawdry : adjective: Cheap, showy, and gaudy. ; "When they visit Las Vegas and stay at Caesar's Palace, she gazes in wonder at the tawdry casino." Why Did Sebastian Lelio Remake "Gloria"?; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 12, 2019. "'His library will service the man,' says the architect. 'His will be something very tawdry and very tacky.'" Andrew Buncombe; 'Tacky', 'Tawdry', and a Project of Self-Aggrandisement; The Independent (London, UK); Feb 4, 2021. See more usage examples of tawdry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Red roses for young lovers. French beans for longstanding relationships. -Ruskin Bond, author (b. 19 May 1934) *****May 21, 2021***** Petulant; Petulance : adj. 1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior. 2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. "She was fired over her petulant attitude to our customers." Copious : 1 a : yielding something abundantly; Jacqueline took copious notes during the long lecture and shared them with the rest of her study group. thwack : (verb) Deliver a hard blow to.; smack; Frustrated at being unable to fix it, Dad thwacked the engine, and it started right up. McDonaldization : noun: 1. Standardization that focuses on efficiency, predictability, control, etc., at the expense of individuality or creativity. 2. The spread of the influence of American culture. ; "The educators will be forced to take the vision of the economists and turn that into reality ... success will be measured by achievement tests alone. In that sense, I feel that the Dovrat report symbolizes the McDonaldization of Israeli schools." David B. Green; "It's Unconscionable That the Voice of the Teachers Is Not Heard"; The Jerusalem Report (Israel); Mar 7, 2005. "Huntington is skeptical about the implications of the McDonaldization of the world." Wendell Bell; Humanity's Common Values Seeking a Positive Future; The Futurist (Washington, DC); Sep/Oct 2004. Thought For The Day: Vocations which we wanted to pursue, but didn't, bleed, like colors, on the whole of our existence. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 22, 2021***** Mercurial : adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "His mercurial temperament made him difficult to work for." Altruism : 1 : unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others; Julian's altruism is evident in the way he spends his time, including the ten hours per week that he spends volunteering at the homeless shelter. objurgate : (verb) Express strong disapproval of.; condemn, decry, excoriate, reprobate; During the sentencing, the judge objurgated the crime in the strongest possible terms. pooh-bah : noun: 1. A person who holds a high office or has great influence. 2. A pompous, self-important person. 3. A person holding many offices or positions of power. ; "Yeah, yeah. I know every sport has a federation, a long history and a stuffy pooh-bah in charge." Allan Maki; Blog Hits; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Aug 12, 2008. See more usage examples of pooh-bapooh-bah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In words as fashions the same rule will hold,/ Alike fantastic if too new or old;/ Be not the first by whom the new are tried,/ Nor yet the last to lay the old aside. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744) *****May 23, 2021***** Autonomous : adj. 1. Independent in mind or judgment; self-directed. 2. Not controlled by others or by outside forces; independent: "The business divisions operate autonomously." Heliacal : : relating to or near the sun — used especially of the last setting of a star before and its first rising after invisibility due to conjunction with the sun; "Early sky watchers kept watch on the heavens in their attempts to correlate celestial and terrestrial activity and noticed that, during this brutally hot season, the star Sirius rose around the same time as the sun (its 'heliacal rising,' as we call it today), and the two moved across the daytime sky together." — Dennis Mammana, The Noozhawk (Santa Barbara, California), 9 Aug. 2020 perfervid : (adjective) Characterized by intense emotion.; ardent, fervent, fervid, fiery, impassioned, torrid; Their perfervid love affair was punctuated by shouting, hysterical crying, and desperate apologies. pooh-bah : noun: 1. A person who holds a high office or has great influence. 2. A pompous, self-important person. 3. A person holding many offices or positions of power. ; "Yeah, yeah. I know every sport has a federation, a long history and a stuffy pooh-bah in charge." Allan Maki; Blog Hits; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Aug 12, 2008. See more usage examples of pooh-bapooh-bah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In words as fashions the same rule will hold,/ Alike fantastic if too new or old;/ Be not the first by whom the new are tried,/ Nor yet the last to lay the old aside. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744) *****May 24, 2021***** Innocuous : adj. 1. Having no adverse effect; harmless. 2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. "The innocuous looking e-mail actually contained a virus." Gadfly : 1 : any of various flies (such as a horsefly, botfly, or warble fly) that bite or annoy livestock; "One of a handful of well-known corporate gadflies, she often cut a distinctive figure, appearing in costumes that she thought would underscore her messages to company leaders. For an American Broadcasting Company meeting in 1966, not long after the network's campy series 'Batman' had its premiere, she wore a Batman mask; for a meeting of U.S. Steel shareholders in 1968, she wore an aluminum dress." — Emily Flitter, The New York Times, 7 Nov. 2018 slyboots : (noun) A shifty, deceptive person.; dodger, fox; I can never trust that slyboots at the office—she is polite to my face, but I always catch her belittling me to our coworkers! pooh-bah : noun: 1. A person who holds a high office or has great influence. 2. A pompous, self-important person. 3. A person holding many offices or positions of power. ; "Yeah, yeah. I know every sport has a federation, a long history and a stuffy pooh-bah in charge." Allan Maki; Blog Hits; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Aug 12, 2008. See more usage examples of pooh-bapooh-bah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In words as fashions the same rule will hold,/ Alike fantastic if too new or old;/ Be not the first by whom the new are tried,/ Nor yet the last to lay the old aside. -Alexander Pope, poet (21 May 1688-1744) *****May 25, 2021***** Feckless : adj. 1. Careless and irresponsible. "The kids were feckless during spring break." 2. Lacking purpose or vitality; feeble or ineffective - unlikely to be successful. "It was a feckless attempt to make the company a success." Chouse : : cheat, trick; In Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, the miserable Mr. Cruncher fumes, "If I ain't … been choused this last week into as bad luck as ever a poor devil of a honest tradesman met with!" compensable : (adjective) Being such as to entitle or warrant compensation.; remunerative, paying, salaried, stipendiary; Once I traded my unpaid internship for a compensable job, I was able to move out of my parents' house into a place of my own. chutzpah or chutzpa : noun: Shameless boldness; brazen nerve; gall. ; "'So the place that eschewed masks for months and organized mass rallies and White House superspreader events is going to vaccinate their staffers before we can vaccinate all of our first responders? That's some serious chutzpah,' tweeted Jonathan Reiner, professor of medicine and surgery at George Washington University." David Jackson; Trump, Pence, Congress, Justices Will Be Offered Vaccine in Coming Days; USA Today; (McLean, Virginia); Dec 15, 2020. "'I wrote, and the House passed, the toughest election security reform bill to date, which then died in the Senate at Mitch McConnell's hands,' Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said in an email. 'It takes a special kind of chutzpah to block every single bill to make our elections more secure and then question the legitimacy of this election.'" Nicole Perlroth; Election Security Experts Push Back Against Trump's Voter Fraud Claims; The New York Times; Nov 17, 2020. See more usage examples of chutzpah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is like a library owned by an author. In it are a few books which he wrote himself, but most of them were written for him. -Harry Emerson Fosdick, preacher and author (24 May 1878-1969) *****May 26, 2021***** Sanguine : adj. Cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident: "A sanguine disposition;" "Sanguine expectations." Bumbershoot : : umbrella; "Actually, it may be time to dig out the underused bumbershoot from the back of your closet.… According to Bagnall, these balmy days may be over for a while as three coming storms line up to bring cooler and wetter conditions…." — Steven Mayer, The Bakersfield Californian, 22 Jan. 2021 savoir-faire : (noun) The ability to say or do the right or graceful thing.; diplomacy, discretion, finesse, poise, tact, urbanity; While greeting the prince in the ballroom, I stumbled over my words, but my sister—with all her savoir-faire—knew just what to say. quixotry : noun: Absurdly chivalrous, idealistic, or impractical ideas or behavior. ; "Neither British nor German hesitated at any time to violate the neutrality of Turkish territorial waters, but by the strange quixotry of a tacit gentlemen's agreement, hostilities between passing vessels and planes were almost unknown." Alistair MacLean & Sam LLewellyn; The Complete Navarone; HarperCollins; 2008. Thought For The Day: May my silences become more accurate. -Theodore Roethke, poet (25 May 1908-1963) *****May 27, 2021***** Anecdotal : adj. Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." Desolate : 1 : devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted; "In the final stretch of the long journey from Pyongyang to Moscow, a Russian diplomat loads his family's possessions onto a wooden cart.… Through the biting February cold, the cart inches through the desolate North Korean countryside as the diplomat pushes from behind to help the group of eight reach the Russian borders." — Jean H. Lee, The Wilson Quarterly, 3 Mar. 2021 symposiarch : (noun) The person who proposes toasts and introduces speakers at a banquet.; toastmaster; As head of the committee hosting the event, my father was the symposiarch and ushered each speaker onstage with a few introductory remarks. blowzy : adjective: 1. Having a coarsely ruddy complexion. 2. Disheveled. ; "In her somewhat soiled apron and blue print dress, her face flushed and her hands dirty, she looked the honest, blowzy, noisy wench that she probably was." Leo Bruce; Case with No Conclusion; Chicago Review Press; 2014. See more usage examples of blowzy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: But the fruit that can fall without shaking, / Indeed is too mellow for me. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 28, 2021***** Furtive : adj. 1. Marked by quiet, caution or secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed. "A furtive kiss." 2. Characterized by stealth; surreptitious. "A furtive attempt to take control of the business." Flotilla : 1 : a fleet of ships or boats; especially : a navy organizational unit consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships ; "Sometimes, a hot bite, a cold drink, and a flotilla of paddle boats is just right. In fact, after this winter of our discontent, it's just perfect." — Merrill Shindler, The Daily Breeze (Torrance, California), 19 Mar. 2021 stealthy : (adjective) Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed.; furtive, surreptitious, sneaky; Jane thought she was being stealthy as she sneaked in past curfew, but her mother heard the door creak as soon as it opened. quincunx : noun: An arrangement of five objects with one at each corner and one at the center. ; "Until 'Ring', the last/third book of Alexis's quincunx arrives, treat 'The Night Piece' as its centre." Bert Archer; 'Always Funny, Mostly Unnerving'; Toronto Star (Canada); Oct 10, 2020. Thought For The Day: There are those who say to you -- we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say we are 172 years late. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2021***** Extemporaneous : adj. 1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu. 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." Lymphatic : 1 a : of, relating to, or produced by lymph, lymphoid tissue, or lymphocytes; "Apple cider vinegar is known to boost the immune system, help break up mucus, and support lymphatic drainage. Experts recommend mixing one to two tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water and lemon juice three times a day to relieve allergy symptoms." — The Kane County Chronicle (Geneva, Illinois), 21 Apr. 2021 multifaceted : (adjective) Having many aspects.; multifarious, many-sided; This is a multifaceted problem and cannot be solved by a singular approach. whizbang : noun:1. Someone or something extraordinarily successful.  2. Someone or something flashy, impressive, technologically innovative, etc.  3. A firework that makes whizzing sounds and loud bangs. adjective:1. Highly successful or talented.  2. Flashy, impressive, fast-paced, loud, etc. ; "You told me that you have whizbang people in the Devanez family who can read minds and do all kinds of crap." Iris Johansen; The Perfect Witness; St. Martin's; 2014. "It was in fact a touch firmer over bumps -- despite being equipped with the optional whizbang suspension." Joshua Dowling; Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jun 29, 2019. See more usage examples of whizbang in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Why is it that one can look at a lion or a planet or an owl or at someone's finger as long as one pleases, but looking into the eyes of another person is, if prolonged past a second, a perilous affair? -Walker Percy, author (28 May 1916-1990) *****May 30, 2021***** Synergism : n. Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts. "The directors saw considerable synergism in the business merger." (also Synergy). Inroad : 1 : an advance or penetration often at the expense of someone or something — usually used in plural; "'These are no longer cars,' said Marc Rogers, the principal security researcher at the cybersecurity firm CloudFlare. 'These are data centers on wheels. Any part of the car that talks to the outside world is a potential inroad for attackers.'" — Nicole Perlroth, The New York Times, 7 June 2017 oppress : (verb) Come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority.; crush, suppress; If you are a tyrant by nature, the temptation is strong, I allow; but no generous mind delights to oppress the weak, but rather to cherish. whizbang : noun:1. Someone or something extraordinarily successful.  2. Someone or something flashy, impressive, technologically innovative, etc.  3. A firework that makes whizzing sounds and loud bangs. adjective:1. Highly successful or talented.  2. Flashy, impressive, fast-paced, loud, etc. ; "You told me that you have whizbang people in the Devanez family who can read minds and do all kinds of crap." Iris Johansen; The Perfect Witness; St. Martin's; 2014. "It was in fact a touch firmer over bumps -- despite being equipped with the optional whizbang suspension." Joshua Dowling; Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jun 29, 2019. See more usage examples of whizbang in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Why is it that one can look at a lion or a planet or an owl or at someone's finger as long as one pleases, but looking into the eyes of another person is, if prolonged past a second, a perilous affair? -Walker Percy, author (28 May 1916-1990) *****May 31, 2021***** Haughty : adj. Condescending: behaving in a superior, condescending, or arrogant way. "He always seemed haughty in company meetings." Nettle : 1 : to strike or sting with or as if with nettles; You could tell by his nervous reaction that the town official was nettled by the reporter's probing questions. unimpeachable : (adjective) Free of guilt; not subject to blame.; blameless, inculpable, irreproachable; As is indeed not unfrequent with women of unimpeachable virtue ... at a distance she not only excused illicit love, she positively envied it. whizbang : noun:1. Someone or something extraordinarily successful.  2. Someone or something flashy, impressive, technologically innovative, etc.  3. A firework that makes whizzing sounds and loud bangs. adjective:1. Highly successful or talented.  2. Flashy, impressive, fast-paced, loud, etc. ; "You told me that you have whizbang people in the Devanez family who can read minds and do all kinds of crap." Iris Johansen; The Perfect Witness; St. Martin's; 2014. "It was in fact a touch firmer over bumps -- despite being equipped with the optional whizbang suspension." Joshua Dowling; Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jun 29, 2019. See more usage examples of whizbang in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Why is it that one can look at a lion or a planet or an owl or at someone's finger as long as one pleases, but looking into the eyes of another person is, if prolonged past a second, a perilous affair? -Walker Percy, author (28 May 1916-1990) *****June 01, 2021***** Prolific : adj. Productive: Producing abundant works or results. "A prolific artist." "A prolific writer." Elegiac : 1 a : of, relating to, or consisting of two dactylic hexameter lines the second of which lacks the arsis in the third and sixth feet; "And so 'Names of Horses,' a very different but also elegiac poem, with its litany of remembered farm animals' names, helped lead to 'Names of My Mother's Friends'…, with its litany of women's names of a previous generation, and its tribute to names and ways of life that have passed out of currency." — Judy Kronenfeld, The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, California), 3 Apr. 2021 exemplify : (verb) To furnish or serve as an example of; typify.; represent; Her character exemplifies the emotional turmoil of many women. Fort Knox : noun: 1. An inordinate amount of wealth. 2. A place extraordinarily secure and thus impossible to break into. ; "The net result is a Fort Knox of vested-interest cash fighting for fewer and fewer genuinely contestable seats in an increasingly unrepresentative electorate." Peter Hartcher; Democracy Is Fragile. Guard It; Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia); Oct 17, 2020. "Q: Your TV wife, Mandy Moore, recently let it drop that there was a big hot plot twist at the start of Season 4. Can you hint at what we should expect? A: I think I'm a little more of a Fort Knox than Mandy Moore." Kathryn Shattuck; Milo Ventimiglia Finds a Good Guy Lane; The New York Times; Aug 4, 2019. Thought For The Day: The poet judges not as a judge judges but as the sun falling around a helpless thing. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2021***** Extrapolate : v.tr. To infer or estimate by extending or projecting known information. "He extrapolated the historical data to determine the projected outcome." Anfractuous : : full of windings and intricate turnings : tortuous; "Then, as the road resumed its anfractuous course, clinging to the extreme margin of this tumbled and chaotic coast, the fun began. It was impossible to count the roller-coaster climbs and downward swoops; ravines skirted; rivers ingeniously bridged; bends tight as the loops in a thumbprint; naked rockfaces; cliff-edge encounters, hundreds of feet above the ocean, each of which induced a sickly pang of vertigo." — Jonathan Raban, The New York Times, 10 June 2011 kingpin : (noun) The most important person in a group or undertaking.; bigwig, top banana; A years-long undercover operation finally yielded the evidence needed to bring down the country's most notorious drug kingpin. hallmark : noun: 1. A mark of quality, genuineness, or excellence. 2. A distinguishing feature or characteristic. ; "She was full of the fierce self-reliance that had been a hallmark of her life. 'You mustn't worry about me,' she assured me as we parted." Solveig Torvik; Nikolai's Fortune; University of Washington Press; 2014. See more usage examples of hallmark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendor and travail of the earth. -Henry Beston, naturalist and author (1 Jun 1888-1968) *****June 03, 2021***** Avarice : n. Immoderate desire, greed for wealth: an unreasonably strong desire to obtain and keep money. "His life was consumed by ambition and avarice." Colleague : : an associate or coworker typically in a profession or in a civil or ecclesiastical office and often of similar rank or status : a fellow worker or professional; Rochelle's creativity, professional demeanor, and ability to get things done soon earned her the respect of her colleagues. byword : (noun) A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.; adage, proverb, saw; I knew a wise man that had it for a byword, when he saw men hasten to a conclusion, "Stay a little, that we may make an end the sooner." midas : noun: 1. One with the ability to easily turn anything profitable. 2. One who is extremely wealthy. ; "Which show created by TV midas David Croft wasn't a hit?" Jack Seale; Be Kind, Don't Rewind; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 30, 2016. See more usage examples of Midas in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The business of the poet and the novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things and the grandeur underlying the sorriest things. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) *****June 04, 2021***** Specificity : n. 1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general. "His input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion." Peach : 1 :  to inform against : betray; "They'll think his lordship, or perhaps his brother, peached on them." — Grace Burrowes, Gabriel: Lord of Regrets, 2013 materfamilias : (noun) A female head of a family or tribe.; matriarch; As materfamilias, my grandmother calls the shots on holidays like Thanksgiving, and no one dares question her. golden parachute : noun: An agreement to pay generous compensation to a company executive if dismissed. ; "His faux optimism only made Brooke wonder how big a golden parachute the new owners must have opened for him. He was no doubt making a soft landing into a pile of several million dollars." Talia Carner; Hotel Moscow; William Morrow; 2015. "The documentary spends a lot of time on Adam Neumann, who ended up with a $1.7 billion golden parachute. Through various interviews with reporters, customers, and employees, the documentary tries to characterize the man. But my favorite characterization comes from Neumann himself. A montage of clips from public interviews shows Neumann repeatedly telling the same story about what his wife Rebekah once told him: 'You have a lot of potential, but you're full of shit.'" Danielle Abril; WeWork's Distorted Reality; Fortune; Apr 8, 2021. See more usage examples of golden parachute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: 'Writing' is the Latin of our times. The modern language of the people is video and sound. -Lawrence Lessig, professor and political activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 05, 2021***** Precipitous : adj. Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought. "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." Rigmarole : 1 : confused or meaningless talk; "We know now, thanks to Reddit threads and social media doing its due diligence, the real reason McDonald's ice cream machines always seem to be broken is because they're not—they just take four hours and an 11-step process to clean. This rigmarole is often what's actually preventing McDonald's employees from serving up your hot fudge sundae." — Megan Scott, Mashed.com, 23 Oct. 2020 aimless : (adjective) Devoid of direction or purpose.; random, wayward, goalless, haphazard, vagrant, directionless, unguided; After several hours of aimless driving, we were getting low on fuel. pyrite : noun: 1. A shiny yellow mineral of iron disulfide. Also known as iron pyrites or fool's gold. 2. Something that appears valuable but is worthless. ; "Consider some successes, and what came after them. The Beatles were gold; Wings were pyrite. Bruce Lee is a legend; Bruce Li is a punchline." Kurt Blumenau; MJ Cafe to Follow the Loop, But with a Different Menu; Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Apr 17, 2007. See more usage examples of pyrite in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 06, 2021***** Hubris : n. 1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. 2. A strong belief in a person's own importance. "He was disciplined for his hubris." Didactic : 1 a : designed or intended to teach; Many of the shows on the channel are didactic, teaching children about such things as the importance of recycling, exercise, and honesty through the actions of animated characters. percutaneous : (adjective) Passed, done, or effected through the skin.; transdermal; I simply apply the ointment to my arm, and the medication makes its way into my bloodstream in a process called percutaneous absorption. pyrite : noun: 1. A shiny yellow mineral of iron disulfide. Also known as iron pyrites or fool's gold. 2. Something that appears valuable but is worthless. ; "Consider some successes, and what came after them. The Beatles were gold; Wings were pyrite. Bruce Lee is a legend; Bruce Li is a punchline." Kurt Blumenau; MJ Cafe to Follow the Loop, But with a Different Menu; Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Apr 17, 2007. See more usage examples of pyrite in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 07, 2021***** Systemic : adj. Relating to or common to a system. A problem, risk, or change that is a basic one, experienced by the whole of a system or organization and not just particular parts of it. "The systemic risks of the investment." Glean : 1 : to gather grain or other produce left by reapers; "Every year since Arecibo's completion, in 1963, hundreds of researchers from around the world had taken turns pointing the radio telescope toward the sky to glean the secrets of the universe." — Daniel Alarcón, The New Yorker, 29 Mar 2021 candor : (noun) The quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.; forthrightness, frankness, directness; While I appreciate candor, sometimes a little white lie is necessary to protect a person's feelings. pyrite : noun: 1. A shiny yellow mineral of iron disulfide. Also known as iron pyrites or fool's gold. 2. Something that appears valuable but is worthless. ; "Consider some successes, and what came after them. The Beatles were gold; Wings were pyrite. Bruce Lee is a legend; Bruce Li is a punchline." Kurt Blumenau; MJ Cafe to Follow the Loop, But with a Different Menu; Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania); Apr 17, 2007. See more usage examples of pyrite in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire, then you've got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is inconvenient. Life is lumpy. A lump in the oatmeal, a lump in the throat, and a lump in the breast are not the same kind of lump. One needs to learn the difference. -Robert Fulghum, author (b. 4 Jun 1937) *****June 08, 2021***** Supercilious : adj. 1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending. "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." Solipsism : : a theory holding that the self can know nothing but its own modifications and that the self is the only existent thing; also : extreme egocentrism; "The solipsism born of social distancing and months of relative confinement leads me to see everything in relation to my current problem, which is online kindergarten." — Lydia Kiesling, The New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2020 piquant : (adjective) Having an agreeably pungent taste.; spicy, zesty; When I feel like spicing things up at dinner, I pour a little of this piquant dressing over my salad. Humpty Dumpty : noun: 1. A short, rotund person. 2. Something or someone broken beyond repair. ; "Owner Bubba McCutcheon ... a Humpty Dumpty figure who gives customers tapes of Christian music he records on a karaoke machine." Susan Hogan-Albach; After the Ashes; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Mar 23, 1997. "My AirPod was now a Humpty Dumpty in so many pieces I'd never be able to reassemble it again." Geoffrey A. Fowler; Everyone's AirPods Will Die; The Washington Post; Oct 8, 2019. See more usage examples of Humpty Dumpty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) *****June 09, 2021***** Garish : adj. 1. Marked by strident color or excessive ornamentation; gaudy. 2. Loud and flashy. "Garish makeup." Bumptious : : presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive; "The brash, bumptious New Yorkers I'd encountered in college had assured me that everything in New York was 'the best.'" — Herbert Buchsbaum, The New York Times, 19 Jan. 2021 anathema : (noun) A person or thing detested or loathed.; bete noire; Because of what he did to Sam, he is anathema to me now. tuffet : noun: 1. A clump of something. 2. A mound. 3. A low seat, stool, cushion, etc. ; "Richard Dormer is a hairy tuffet of charisma in the lead role." Robbie Collin & Tim Robey; Film; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Mar 30, 2013. "'Sharon 1975' was painted when she was 40 and features her sitting on a tuffet and holding a single red rose." Mark Brunswick; Sharon Olson, Pinup Model; Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota); Oct 29, 2015. See more usage examples of tuffet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Many wealthy people are little more than janitors of their possessions. -Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (8 Jun 1867-1959) *****June 10, 2021***** Truculent : adj. Eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant. "Truculent children." Enjoin : 1 : to direct or impose by authoritative order or with urgent admonition; "And yet, to satisfy this good old man, / I would bend under any heavy weight/ That he'll enjoin me to." — William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, 1598-99 panacea : (noun) A remedy for all diseases, evils, or difficulties.; cure-all; Here the glib politician crying his legislative panaceas, and here the peripatetic Cheap-Jack holding aloft his quack cures for human ills. Mother Hubbard : noun: A loose shapeless dress for a woman. ; "She wore loose Mother Hubbard of gray cloth in which there had once been colored flowers, but the color was washed out now." John Steinbeck; The Grapes of Wrath; Viking; 1939. See more usage examples of Mother Hubbard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 11, 2021***** Benevolent : adj. 1. Charitable: performing good or charitable acts and not seeking to make a profit. 2. Characterized by or suggestive of doing good; showing kindness or goodwill. Majuscule : : a large letter (such as a capital); "At least the random emphatic majuscules on blogs are uncommon enough to make a rhetorical impression, though perhaps one not quite worthy of Serious Journalism." — Katy Waldman, Slate, 25 Aug. 2016 aegis : (noun) Protection.; auspices; Bandits dare not approach me on the roads, as I am under the imperial aegis. sukey : noun: A tea-kettle. ; "I'll just get the sukey going, and then we'll have a nice cup of tea." Marghanita Laski; The Village; Cresset Press; 1952. Thought For The Day: [Destroying rainforests for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal. -E.O. Wilson, biologist, naturalist, and author (b. 10 Jun 1929) *****June 12, 2021***** Pervasive : adj. Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate. "The pervasive odor of garlic." Poignant : 1 a : painfully affecting the feelings : piercing; "Across Texas and the U.S. this year, high schools and universities scrambled to find ways to give students a meaningful graduation amid the coronavirus pandemic. There have been virtual events, drive-through ceremonies in parking lots and more traditional in-person events that took several days to ensure social distancing…. Images from those atypical ceremonies provide a poignant reminder of the ways life changed as the coronavirus spread." — Jamie Stengle, The Associated Press, 27 Dec. 2020 copious : (adjective) Yielding or containing plenty; affording ample supply.; plenteous, ample, rich; I brought copious provisions for our camping trip, so even if we don't catch any fish, we'll have plenty to eat. Simple Simon : noun: A simpleton. ; "The bespectacled, plump, Roshu came across as earnest and tentative, a Simple Simon." Shefalee Vasudev; The Powder Room; Random House; 2012. Thought For The Day: When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jul 1949) *****June 13, 2021***** Divisive : adj. Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split. "Divisive politics." Virtuoso : 1 : one who excels in the technique of an art; especially : a highly skilled musical performer (as on the violin); "Perhaps most captivating is the sheer range of strange, delicate and piercing sounds the brilliant Bjarke Mogensen draws from the accordion; who needs synthesizers when you have this virtuoso in your ensemble? — The New York Times, 6 May 2021 glorify : (verb) To honor with praise, admiration, or worship.; exalt, extol, laud, proclaim; People glorify all sorts of bravery except the bravery they might show on behalf of their nearest neighbors. Simple Simon : noun: A simpleton. ; "The bespectacled, plump, Roshu came across as earnest and tentative, a Simple Simon." Shefalee Vasudev; The Powder Room; Random House; 2012. Thought For The Day: When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jul 1949) *****June 14, 2021***** Demure : adj. 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behavior. "Despite her demure appearance, she is an accomplished mountain climber." Titanic : : having great magnitude, force, or power : colossal; "A supernova occurs when a massive star in the bright disk of the galaxy runs out of fuel at the end of its life. With no 'fire' in its belly to beat back gravity's inexorable pull, the star implodes and then rebounds in a titanic explosion that rips it apart." — Bob King, The Duluth (Minnesota) News Tribune, 30 Aug. 2020 bumptious : (adjective) Crudely or loudly assertive.; cocky, forward, arrogant, brash, swaggering, vaunting, pushy; I could hardly believe that the bumptious young suitor I had once turned away had grown into the polite, refined gentleman standing before me. Simple Simon : noun: A simpleton. ; "The bespectacled, plump, Roshu came across as earnest and tentative, a Simple Simon." Shefalee Vasudev; The Powder Room; Random House; 2012. Thought For The Day: When it comes to having a central nervous system, and the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. -Ingrid Newkirk, animal rights activist (b. 11 Jul 1949) *****June 15, 2021***** Acrimonious : adj. 1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." Deride : 1 : to laugh at or insult contemptuously; Although derided by classmates for his cocksure insistence that he would be a millionaire by the age of 25, he achieved his goal when his Internet startup went public. abscond : (verb) To leave quickly and secretly and hide oneself, often to avoid arrest or prosecution.; go off, run off, decamp, bolt; Just as the case was about to go to trial, the lawyer panicked and absconded with his client's money. bolshie or bolshy : adjective:1. Rebellious; uncooperative; combative.  2. Politically radical. noun:1. Someone who is rebellious, uncooperative, combative, etc.  2. A politically radical person. ; "I was a bolshie teenager, full of argument." Katherine Hassell; Jeremy Vine: My Family Values; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 11, 2015. See more usage examples of bolshie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2021***** Intrepid : adj. 1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something. "A team of intrepid explorers." Fealty : 1 a : the fidelity of a vassal or feudal tenant to his lord; "Ordinary English soccer fans dispatched the Super League with a populist putsch even before it had scheduled its first game. Those fans went into the streets, demonstrating loudly and insisting they would abandon teams to which they had professed lifelong fealty." — Kevin Cullen, The Boston Globe, 22 Apr. 2021 remonstrance : (noun) An expression of protest, complaint, or reproof, especially a formal statement of grievances.; expostulation, objection; M'Lellan turned a deaf ear to every remonstrance, and kept on his willful way. lackadaisical : adjective: Lacking enthusiasm; indifferent; lazy. ; "Because its games have done so well, Tencent has been lackadaisical in monetising other parts of its business." WeFlat; The Economist (London, UK); Nov 10, 2018. See more usage examples of lackadaisical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One day I was speeding along at the typewriter, and my daughter -- who was a child at the time -- asked me, "Daddy, why are you writing so fast?" And I replied, "Because I want to see how the story turns out!" -Louis L'Amour, novelist (1908-1988) *****June 17, 2021***** Obtuse : adj. 1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect. 2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity. "An obtuse remark." 3. Not distinctly felt. "An obtuse pain." Jocund : : marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness; "'Get drunk … on words!' proclaims this pub crawl/reading event: More than 80 writers will take over some 35 Capitol Hill and First Hill venues (mostly bars, as well as places like Elliott Bay Book Company and the Frye Art Museum) to knock back a few and present their own work to increasingly jocund crowds." — Gavin Borchert, The Seattle (Washington) Magazine, October 2019 mendacious : (adjective) Lying; untruthful.; dishonest, deceptive, deceitful, duplicitous; She was more upset with the mendacious child for his dishonesty than his initial misbehavior. blitz : noun:1. A swift, sudden military attack, especially aerial bombardment.  2. An intense campaign, for example, an ad blitz. verb tr.:To attack, destroy, conquer, etc. ; "I blitzed the final exam, so I'm now, officially, a starchy old accountant, stiff, dull, and sober." V.K. Black; Unexpected Places; Harlequin; 2014. Thought For The Day: The [Nobel] prize is such an extraordinary honor. It might seem unfair, however, to reward a person for having so much pleasure over the years, asking the maize plant to solve specific problems and then watching its responses. -Barbara McClintock, scientist, Nobel laureate (16 Jun 1902-1992) *****June 18, 2021***** Guile : n. Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit. Particular skill and cleverness in tricking or deceiving people. "Considerable guile was involved in the transaction." Harry : 1 : to make a pillaging or destructive raid on : assault; Seven-year-old Kaitlyn harried her little sister with pokes, hair pulling, and teasing, badgering her until she burst into tears. chagrin : (noun) A keen feeling of mental unease, as of annoyance or embarrassment, caused by failure, disappointment, or a disconcerting event.; mortification, humiliation; Much to my chagrin, my rival won the election hands down. zounds : interjection: Used to express surprise or indignation. ; "Zounds, you may be saying, it's disheartening to think that the esteemed Jersey columnist would have stooped to that." Neil Genzlinger; Sometimes the Medium Is the Message; The New York Times; Feb 18, 2001. Thought For The Day: Just as appetite comes by eating so work brings inspiration. -Igor Stravinsky, composer (17 Jun 1882-1971) *****June 19, 2021***** Precarious : adj. 1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop." 2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions. 3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises. "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." Calumny : 1 : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation; "[Heinrich von Kleist] sets his novella in the 14th century, when duelling was seen as a trial by battle in which the 'Judgment of God' would prevail. A murder, a wronged noblewoman, shame, calumny, castles, a melodramatic ending, Kleist's story pulls together all the key elements of the genre." — Dan Glaister, The Guardian (London), 12 May 2021 inchoate : (adjective) Only partly in existence; imperfectly formed.; incipient; Dave looked at Mr. James Ward wonderingly, until that gentleman broke his train of inchoate thought. extrality : noun: Exemption from local laws: the privilege of living in a foreign country, but subject only to the home country's jurisdiction. ; "Numerous Americans ... went to great lengths to seek exemption from US jurisdiction, preferring to deal with the Chinese authorities; in the 1920s, American missionaries even asked the State Department to have extrality suspended -- without success." Lucian W. Pye; Recent Books on International Relations; Foreign Affairs (New York); Jan/Feb 2002. Thought For The Day: The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His. -Roger Ebert, film-critic (18 Jun 1942-2013) *****July 19, 2021***** Epochal : adj. 1. Highly significant or important; momentous: "Epochal decisions made by the president." 2. Without parallel: "Epochal stupidity." Parry : 1 : to ward off (something, such as a weapon or blow); "Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesyri had a clearer opportunity midway through the first half but his header was blocked by a low save from Spain keeper Unai Simon, who thwarted the Moroccan again before half-time, parrying his shot and then scurrying back to prevent the ball from trickling over the line." — ESPN, 3 May 2021 deplorable : (adjective) Worthy of severe condemnation or reproach.; condemnable, criminal, reprehensible, vicious; He had committed a deplorable act of violence, and the judge gave him the maximum sentence for his crime. Hawthorne effect : noun: An improvement in workers' performance attributed to the special attention they received when singled out for a study. ; "AJC: What do you think of the popularity of shows like 'The Bachelor' or 'Fear Factor'? Janeane Garofalo: They're not reality shows. They're completely imitation-of-life shows. It's the Hawthorne effect. You are aware of the camera, so your actions aren't real." Rodney Ho; Interview: Garofalo, One Funny Technophobe; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia); Nov 22, 2002. Thought For The Day: We denizens of Earth have a common vice: We take what we're offered, whether we need it or not. You can get into a lot of trouble that way. -Robert Sheckley, science-fiction author (16 Jul 1928-2005) *****July 20, 2021***** Effusive : adj. 1. Unrestrained or excessive in emotional expression; gushy: "An effusive manner." 2. Profuse; overflowing: "effusive praise." Capricious : : governed or characterized by caprice : impulsive, unpredictable; "Like all great children's writers, [Jacqueline] Wilson and [E.] Nesbit understood how strange and capricious children could be…." — Guy Lodge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2020 ransack : (verb) To search carefully for plunder; pillage.; foray, reave, rifle, loot, plunder, strip; My apartment looked like a tornado had torn through it after it was ransacked by a band of thieves. quotennial : adjective: Yearly. ; "The Dallas Cowboys defense has been a point of contention with fans over the past few years." Daniel Ruppert; Dallas Cowboys: Quality vs Quantity, the Quotennial Question; FanSided; Feb 14, 2017. Thought For The Day: I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (19 Jul 1916-1992) *****July 21, 2021***** Attenuate : 1 : to lessen the amount, force, magnitude, or value of : weaken; The use of computers, with their quiet keyboards, in place of typewriters greatly attenuated the noise level of the office. extemporaneous : (adjective) Carried out or performed with little or no preparation.; impromptu, off-the-cuff, offhand, unrehearsed, ad-lib; Though she had not practiced for some time, Mary's extemporaneous piano recital wowed her dinner guests. philocynic : noun: A dog lover. adjective: Fond of dogs. ; "Ironically, Dr. Seuss, creator of The Cat in the Hat, much preferred dogs. Other celebrated philocynics include Sigmund Freud, Helen Keller, Sir Isaac Newton, Fyodor Dostoevsky, E.B. White, and John Steinbeck." Bradley Trevor Greive; Why Dogs Are Better Than Cats; Andrews McMeel; 2009. Thought For The Day: It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. -Edmund Hillary, mountaineer and explorer (20 Jul 1919-2008) *****July 22, 2021***** Receipt : 1 a : a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money; If you find that the item has been damaged during shipping, please contact us upon receipt to request a return shipping label. traipse : (verb) Walk or tramp about.; shlep; I spent the holiday exploring the countryside, traipsing from town to town with just a knapsack of supplies on my back. obviate : verb tr.: To render unnecessary; to remove, avoid, or prevent. ; "In addition to bringing me a $112 government disability check every month, my insomnia leaves me with that many more hours per day to get things done, obviates the necessity for hotel rooms while traveling, and otherwise enhances life." Lawrence Block; The Scoreless Thai; HarperCollins; 2009. See more usage examples of obviate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best people possess a feeling for beauty, the courage to take risks, the discipline to tell the truth, the capacity for sacrifice. Ironically, their virtues make them vulnerable; they are often wounded, sometimes destroyed. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2021***** Guttural : 1 : articulated in the throat; We asked the bouncer for directions, but he only responded with an inarticulate guttural grunt. abysmal : (adjective) Extremely or hopelessly bad or severe.; dreadful, terrible, awful, appalling, dismal, dire, ghastly, hideous, atrocious, godawful; We have been having abysmal weather lately, but the Sun is finally expected to make an appearance next week! mamaguy : verb tr.: To tease or deceive, especially by flattery. noun: An instance of this. ; "'And I find your skin and all looking nice.' 'Hush your mouth. Mamaguying an old woman like me.'" Ingrid Persaud; Love After Love; Random House; 2021. Thought For The Day: If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint. -Edward Hopper, painter (22 Jul 1882-1967) *****July 24, 2021***** Expropriate : 1 : to deprive of possession or proprietary rights; The city council rejected a proposal to expropriate private property for the highway expansion. contrivance : (noun) An elaborate or deceitful plan or expedient.; stratagem, plan, design, measure, scheme, trick, plot, dodge, expedient, ruse, artifice, machination; This "shortage" is nothing more than a contrivance to raise prices. diplomatics : noun: The study of documents, especially historical documents, in an effort to authenticate, date, interpret, etc. ; "Vella's manuscript could not have survived a careful examination conducted according to the rule of diplomatics." Marco Codebò; Narrating from the Archive; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975) *****July 25, 2021***** Lexical : 1 : of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction; As stated in the catalog, the university's second-year language courses are designed to emphasize lexical skills. parsimonious : (adjective) Excessively unwilling to spend.; penurious; I had to sue my parsimonious landlord for not giving me enough heat this winter. diplomatics : noun: The study of documents, especially historical documents, in an effort to authenticate, date, interpret, etc. ; "Vella's manuscript could not have survived a careful examination conducted according to the rule of diplomatics." Marco Codebò; Narrating from the Archive; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975) *****July 26, 2021***** Hagiography : 1 : biography of saints or venerated persons; "Music documentaries can veer into hagiography. That's not this story. It goes up and down, with constant left turns and surprises you don't expect." — Edgar Wright, quoted in The Houston Chronicle, 16 June 2021 braggart : (noun) One given to loud, empty boasting; a bragger.; blowhard, boaster, bragger, line-shooter, vaunter; He was generally considered a braggart, and others found it hard to be excited about his self-proclaimed successes. diplomatics : noun: The study of documents, especially historical documents, in an effort to authenticate, date, interpret, etc. ; "Vella's manuscript could not have survived a careful examination conducted according to the rule of diplomatics." Marco Codebò; Narrating from the Archive; Fairleigh Dickinson University Press; 2010. Thought For The Day: Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph. -Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia (23 Jul 1892-1975) *****July 27, 2021***** Urbane : : notably polite or polished in manner; "When had my willful and boorish cousin turned into this urbane young artist greeting the guests at her opening reception?" wondered James. plaint : (noun) A cry of sorrow and grief.; lament, lamentation, wail; The plaints of the bereaved widow and her young children haunt me in my sleep. misericord : noun: 1. Compassion, pity, or mercy. 2. Something to provide support to a standing person. 3. A place where rules are relaxed. 4. A dagger used to deliver the death stroke to a seriously wounded person. ; "Roddy chose a tapestried stool as a misericord, uncomfortable enough to avert the danger of relaxing." David Stuart Leslie; Two Gentlemen Sharing; Secker & Warburg; 1963. "'By St. Loy!' Joan cried suddenly. 'We'll pleasure ourselves now. Will you take ale, lady, in the misericord?' Sweeping with mockery, she led me, while the following shadows loomed behind, down a low passage with a dim, fanned roof and gilded bosses. 'A shapely building, this,' I murmured." Rosemary Hawley Jarman; We Speak No Treason; Little, Brown; 1971. "He kept his enemy in sight as his fingers searched frantically for the misericord fastened to his swordbelt." Tara O'Dell; My Gallant Knight; Zebra; 1999. Thought For The Day: Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 28, 2021***** Jeremiad : : a prolonged lamentation or complaint; also : a cautionary or angry harangue; The news story was a scathing jeremiad against the invasion of privacy on celebrities. graybeard : (noun) A man who is very old.; old man, Methuselah; "So, fellow-pilgrims," said he, "here we are, seven wise men, and one fair damsel—who, doubtless, is as wise as any graybeard of the company." contrafactum : noun: A composition that makes use of an existing piece of music with different lyrics. ; "At other times, the relationship between contrafacta seems far-fetched. Why should 'Peter's Denial' have the same music as Judas's reproach of Jesus for befriending Mary Magdalene?" Joseph P. Swain; The Broadway Musical; Scarecrow Press; 2002. Thought For The Day: Euphemism is a euphemism for lying. -Bobbie Gentry, singer and songwriter (b. 27 Jul 1944) *****July 29, 2021***** Bivouac : 1 : to make a temporary encampment under little or no shelter; The climbers bivouacked under the cliff's ledge. abjure : (verb) To renounce under oath; forswear.; recant, retract, resile; For nearly 21 years after his resignation as Prime Minister in 1963, he abjured all titles, preferring to remain just plain "Mr." akrasia : noun: The lack of will or self-control resulting in one acting against one's better judgment. ; "By better ordering your thoughts you become less susceptible to the weakness of akrasia, [Steven Nadler] writes in his latest book, 'Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die'." Joe Humphreys; A Philosophical New Year Resolution for Reason Over Self-Gratification; Irish Times (Dublin); Dec 31, 2020. Thought For The Day: I have forced myself to contradict myself in order to avoid conforming to my own taste. -Marcel Duchamp, artist (28 Jul 1887-1968) *****July 30, 2021***** Palaver : 1 a : a long discussion or meeting parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication; Enough of this palaver. We have a lot to discuss. alacrity : (noun) Cheerful willingness.; briskness, eagerness; Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. aquabib : noun: 1. A water-drinker. 2. A teetotaler. ; "He came across a hulking pewter herbivore failing to slake his thirst despite becoming increasingly watery. 'Stop drinking,' Billy ordered the sippopotamus, for the aquabib truly had had enough." Morgan Benson; The Mating Rituals of the Burning Giraffe; Xlibris; 2010. Thought For The Day: I have noticed that when chickens quit quarreling over their food they often find that there is enough for all of them I wonder if it might not be the same with the human race. -Don Marquis, humorist and poet (29 Jul 1878-1937) *****July 31, 2021***** Wherefore : 1 : for what reason or purpose : why; "O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, 1594-95 harbinger : (noun) One that indicates or foreshadows what is to come.; herald, precursor, forerunner; The grim and persistent harbinger of evil aroused the man to renewed determination. eidolon : noun: 1. An idealized form. 2. A phantom. ; "She is an eidolon, an archetype for the evolution of humankind, from the waters to the sky." Dana Redfield; Jonah: A Novel; Hampton Roads Publishing; 2000. "You are magical. An eidolon. I sometimes doubt that you exist." Bert O. States; Girl of My Dreams; The Hudson Review (New York); Autumn 1998. Thought For The Day: I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself. -Emily Bronte, novelist (30 Jul 1818-1848) *****August 01, 2021***** Dally : 1 a : to act playfully; especially : to play amorously; Alton has been dallying with the idea of starting a bakery. dispraise : (noun) Disapproval; censure.; disparagement; Heaven forbid that she should say a syllable in dispraise of any member of that excellent family, above all, of my Lady, whom the whole world admires. eidolon : noun: 1. An idealized form. 2. A phantom. ; "She is an eidolon, an archetype for the evolution of humankind, from the waters to the sky." Dana Redfield; Jonah: A Novel; Hampton Roads Publishing; 2000. "You are magical. An eidolon. I sometimes doubt that you exist." Bert O. States; Girl of My Dreams; The Hudson Review (New York); Autumn 1998. Thought For The Day: I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself. -Emily Bronte, novelist (30 Jul 1818-1848) *****August 02, 2021***** Pulchritude : : physical comeliness; The magazine features a photo essay of celebrities who are famed for their Hollywood stardom and pulchritude. canorous : (adjective) Richly melodious.; songful; When I sing in the shower, my off-key caterwauling takes on a surprisingly canorous tone. eidolon : noun: 1. An idealized form. 2. A phantom. ; "She is an eidolon, an archetype for the evolution of humankind, from the waters to the sky." Dana Redfield; Jonah: A Novel; Hampton Roads Publishing; 2000. "You are magical. An eidolon. I sometimes doubt that you exist." Bert O. States; Girl of My Dreams; The Hudson Review (New York); Autumn 1998. Thought For The Day: I am now quite cured of seeking pleasure in society, be it country or town. A sensible man ought to find sufficient company in himself. -Emily Bronte, novelist (30 Jul 1818-1848) *****August 03, 2021***** Exemplary : 1 a : deserving imitation : commendable; also : deserving imitation because of excellence; The novel is exemplary of 18th-century Romanticism. animadversion : (noun) Strong criticism.; censure; I meant no animadversions against any one, and certainly intended no disrespectful allusions to your mother. verigreen : noun: A simple or gullible person. ; "Mr. Verigreen is persuaded to put up his watch ... and greeny [loses] his watch." Outdone; The New York Daily Times; Jun 14, 1854. Thought For The Day: Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2021***** Berate : : to scold or condemn vehemently and at length; "Don't berate yourself over canceling plans," the lifestyle expert said. "It is sometimes more important that you allow for time to take care of yourself." exacerbate : (verb) Make worse.; aggravate, worsen, exasperate; The heavy rainfall merely exacerbated the region's flood problems. raffish : adjective: 1. Vulgar or tawdry. 2. Unconventional; carefree; rakish. ; "According to one account: 'There was an attractive, worldly, raffish side to [Marcus Dick's] personality -- his baggy clothes ... and knowing, leery smile.'" Sean O'Grady; Cress of the Met, Caught in the Eye of the Storm Again; The Independent (London, UK); Mar 22, 2021. See more usage examples of raffish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2021***** Flexuous : 1 : having curves, turns, or windings; The last leg of the trail is a flexuous path leading up the mountain to a spectacular panoramic view of the valley. cacophony : (noun) Jarring, discordant sound; dissonance.; blare, blaring, clamor, din; I heard a cacophony of horns during the traffic jam. clamant : adjective: 1. Loud. 2. Demanding attention; urgent. ; "Hanging out of the other window, he beheld the clamant Baron urging the guard with frenzied entreaty." J. Storer Clouston; Count Bunker; Blackwood; 1906. See more usage examples of clamant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our sincerest laughter With some pain is fraught; Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought. -Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet (4 Aug 1792-1822) *****August 06, 2021***** Infix : : a derivational or inflectional affix appearing in the body of a word (such as Sanskrit -n- in vindami "I know" as contrasted with vid "to know"); The Philippine language of Tagalog adds infixes such as -um- and -su- to verbs to convey different tenses and voices. raconteur : (noun) One who tells stories and anecdotes with skill and wit.; anecdotist; Dave is quite the raconteur and will no doubt keep my guests entertained throughout the evening. draggletailed : adjective: Dirty or untidy. ; "Em'leen was always draggletailed and badly shod." John Galsworthy; Tatterdemalion; Scribner; 1920. Thought For The Day: Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck. -Guy de Maupassant, short story writer and novelist (5 Aug 1850-1893) *****August 07, 2021***** Moot : 1 a : open to question : debatable; We thought of containers for anyone who wanted to bring home cookies, but it's a moot point now since they have all been eaten. banality : (noun) The condition or quality of being banal; triviality.; unoriginality, predictability, dullness, ordinariness, staleness, vapidity, triteness; My friends pursued their course with uneventfulness; they had no longer any surprises for me; even their love-affairs had a tedious banality. faitour : noun: A cheat or impostor. ; "Herod's eagerness to slay those faitours who threaten his supremacy ...." Deanne Williams; The French Fetish from Chaucer to Shakespeare; Cambridge University Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: There are none so sour as those who are sweet to order. -Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues, essayist (6 Aug 1715-1747) *****August 08, 2021***** Pink : 1 a : to perforate in an ornamental pattern; "I've pinked myself many times on colorful map pins and been nicked by damaged wire spiral bindings." — Tim Alton, The Indianapolis Business Journal, 23 Aug. 2012 garrulous : (adjective) Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk.; chatty, gabby, loquacious, talkative, talky; One day the elder Pokrovski came to see us, and chattered in a brisk, cheerful, garrulous sort of way. faitour : noun: A cheat or impostor. ; "Herod's eagerness to slay those faitours who threaten his supremacy ...." Deanne Williams; The French Fetish from Chaucer to Shakespeare; Cambridge University Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: There are none so sour as those who are sweet to order. -Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues, essayist (6 Aug 1715-1747) *****August 09, 2021***** Resilience : 1 : the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress; Cold temperatures caused the material to lose resilience. irascible : (adjective) Prone to outbursts of temper; easily angered.; hotheaded, quick-tempered, choleric, short; He was a singularly irascible man; any little thing would disturb his temper. faitour : noun: A cheat or impostor. ; "Herod's eagerness to slay those faitours who threaten his supremacy ...." Deanne Williams; The French Fetish from Chaucer to Shakespeare; Cambridge University Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: There are none so sour as those who are sweet to order. -Luc de Clapiers, Marquis de Vauvenargues, essayist (6 Aug 1715-1747) *****August 10, 2021***** Abject : 1 : sunk to or existing in a low state or condition : very bad or severe; The youth offered an abject apology for his misdeed. panegyric : (noun) A formal eulogistic composition intended as a public compliment.; encomium, eulogy, paean; It is traditional to deliver a panegyric to the departed. constitutional : noun:A walk taken for one's health. adj.:1. Relating to the constitution, a set of principles governing a state, organization, etc.  2. Relating to someone's physical or mental condition.  3. Relating to the fundamental makeup of something or someone; essential. ; "'So, tell me, what is on your agenda for today?' 'Well, we need to visit the laundry, and then I was going to take my daily constitutional, maybe take lunch, then indulge in a hot bath.'" Monica Wright; Bridal Veil; iUniverse; 2014. See more usage examples of constitutional in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What magical trick makes us intelligent? The trick is that there is no trick. The power of intelligence stems from our vast diversity, not from any single, perfect principle. -Marvin Minsky, scientist and author (9 Aug 1927-2016) *****August 11, 2021***** Garnish : 1 a : decorate, embellish; The mashed potatoes were garnished with chives. cantankerous : (adjective) Ill-tempered and quarrelsome; disagreeable.; bloody-minded; I am an extremely considerate neighbor, yet the cantankerous old lady next door is constantly lodging complaints about me with our landlord. commensurate : adjective: 1. Proportionate. 2. Having the same measure. ; "The question is whether Democrats are able to advance a bill that ... is remotely commensurate with the problem at hand." The Switch; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 20, 2021. See more usage examples of commensurate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die. -Herbert Hoover, 31st US president (10 Aug 1874-1964) *****August 12, 2021***** intransigent : (adjective) Refusing to moderate a position, especially an extreme position; uncompromising.; adamant, inexorable, adamantine; My father is an intransigent conservative opposed to every liberal tendency. dialectic : noun: A discussion employed in investigating the truth of a thesis. adjective: Relating to such a discussion. ; "'We must first go back to the idea of the dialectic, Prof.' 'Ah, yes, we ended in the middle, or should I say the muddle, of the dialectic last week, didn't we? This is in fact the nature of the dialectic, always in motion, surging forward and racing.'" Namwali Serpell; The Old Drift; Hogarth Press; 2019. See more usage examples of dialectic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The true civilization is where every man gives to every other every right that he claims for himself. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2021***** gargantuan : (adjective) Of immense size, volume, or capacity; gigantic.; elephantine, giant, jumbo; He was full to capacity after polishing off a gargantuan, five-course meal. curtal : noun:1. A woodwind instrument, an early form of bassoon, also known as a dulcian.  2. An animal with a tail docked off.  3. Anything abridged or cut short. adj.:1. Having a docked tail.  2. Abridged or cut short. ; "'May I assume you hold some musical or artistic talent, Miss Adeline?' 'Certainly,' Adeline said with a nod. 'I am quite skilled on the curtal.'" Amanda Mariel & Christina McKnight; Georgina; Brook Ridge Press; 2017. "I and my curtal and my two lackeys all ventured through the eye of a Spanish needle." Ben Jonson; Chloridia: Rites to Chloris and Her Nymphs; 1631. See more usage examples of curtal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People share a common nature but are trained in gender roles. -Lillie Devereux Blake, novelist, essayist, and reformer (12 Aug 1833-1913) *****August 14, 2021***** reverberate : (verb) Ring or echo with sound.; resound, ring, echo; The explosion reverberated through the castle. niddering : noun: A coward or wretch. adjective: Cowardly. ; "Niddering Mary and her flock of timorous lambs at the Securities and Exchange Commission are punishing the wrong folks." Malcolm Berko; Crime and Lack of Punishment; Creators Syndicate; Jan 2, 2013. Thought For The Day: There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. -Alfred Hitchcock, film-maker (13 Aug 1899-1980) *****August 15, 2021***** supercilious : (adjective) Feeling or showing haughty disdain.; haughty, prideful, sniffy, swaggering, lordly, disdainful; He smiled in a supercilious manner and said I had better do as I was asked. niddering : noun: A coward or wretch. adjective: Cowardly. ; "Niddering Mary and her flock of timorous lambs at the Securities and Exchange Commission are punishing the wrong folks." Malcolm Berko; Crime and Lack of Punishment; Creators Syndicate; Jan 2, 2013. Thought For The Day: There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. -Alfred Hitchcock, film-maker (13 Aug 1899-1980) *****August 16, 2021***** apotheosis : (noun) Exaltation to divine rank or stature.; deification, exaltation; How strange was this miracle of fame, I pondered, this strange apotheosis by which a mere private name becomes a public symbol. niddering : noun: A coward or wretch. adjective: Cowardly. ; "Niddering Mary and her flock of timorous lambs at the Securities and Exchange Commission are punishing the wrong folks." Malcolm Berko; Crime and Lack of Punishment; Creators Syndicate; Jan 2, 2013. Thought For The Day: There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it. -Alfred Hitchcock, film-maker (13 Aug 1899-1980) *****August 17, 2021***** pernicious : (adjective) Tending to cause death or serious injury.; baneful, pestilent, deadly; The pernicious effects of alcoholism are well documented in the medical literature. brogue : noun: 1. A sturdy shoe typically with ornamental perforations and a wing tip. 2. A heavy shoe of untanned leather. 3. A strong accent, especially Irish or Scottish when speaking English. ; "Eggsy is being fitted for dress shoes -- and learning the difference between oxfords and brogues." Michael O'Sullivan; Bespoke and Swagger; The Washington Post; Feb 13, 2015. "Slightly built, with glasses, Tomm Moore speaks in a brogue that gives the word 'film' two syllables." Rebecca Keegan; Artist Tomm Moore Is 'Living the Dream'; Los Angeles Times; Jan 9, 2015. See more usage examples of brogue in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I'm not at all contemptuous of comforts, but they have their place and it is not first. -E.F. Schumacher, economist and author (16 Aug 1911-1977) *****August 18, 2021***** tommyrot : (noun) Pretentious or silly talk or writing.; baloney, bilgewater, bosh, drool, humbug, twaddle, tarradiddle; Spare me the tommyrot and just get to the point! revamp : verb tr.: To renovate, refurnish, revise, etc. noun: An instance of renovation, refurnishing, etc. ; "Mercedes has totally revamped the existing GLE for its fourth generation." Yogendra Pratap; Road Rulers; India Today (New Delhi); May 13, 2019. See more usage examples of revamp in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I speak two languages, Body and English. -Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (17 Aug 1893-1980) *****August 19, 2021***** cognizant : (adjective) Fully informed; conscious.; aware; Tarzan, although cognizant of his mighty powers, realized also his limitations. clever clogs : noun: Someone perceived to be intelligent or knowledgeable in an annoying way. ; "In response to clients' complaints about its able but arrogant employees, one management consultancy asked comedians to teach its clever clogs how to be less obnoxious (or at least come across as such)." Funny Business; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 24, 2019. See more usage examples of clever clogs in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) *****August 20, 2021***** ebullient : (adjective) Zestfully enthusiastic.; exuberant, high-spirited; His ebullient spirits were always on tap on the slightest provocation, and, as he was afterwards to demonstrate, he could weary a puppy with play. shoestring : noun:1. A string used to tie a shoe: shoelace.  2. A small amount. adj.:Involving little. ; "'It could be done on a shoestring -- just a few hundred thousand.' 'Pesos or dollars?'" Patrick Dennis; Genius; Harcourt; 1962. See more usage examples of shoestring in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is only one way to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball, and that is to have either a clear conscience or none at all. -Ogden Nash, poet (19 Aug 1902-1971) *****August 21, 2021***** clairvoyance : (noun) Apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses.; ESP, extrasensory perception, second sight; The police officer doubted my clairvoyance until I was able to lead him to the missing woman's remains. bauchle : noun:1. An old, worn-out shoe.  2. Something useless or worn out.  3. A useless person; a fool. verb tr.:To subject to disgrace or contempt. ; "'Your accent isn't that thick all the time.' 'No. After all these years, I can put it on or off like a bauchle.'" Joey W. Hill; Taken by a Vampire; Penguin; 2013. "Well, if he's a bauchle, I'll be able to turn him down wi' a clear conscience." George MacDonald Fraser; The Complete McAuslan; Skyhorse; 2009. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 22, 2021***** profligate : (adjective) Shamelessly immoral or debauched.; degenerate, degraded, dissipated, dissolute, libertine, riotous, fast; We both know that he has been profligate in every sense of the word; that he has neither integrity nor honor; that he is as false and deceitful as he is insinuating. bauchle : noun:1. An old, worn-out shoe.  2. Something useless or worn out.  3. A useless person; a fool. verb tr.:To subject to disgrace or contempt. ; "'Your accent isn't that thick all the time.' 'No. After all these years, I can put it on or off like a bauchle.'" Joey W. Hill; Taken by a Vampire; Penguin; 2013. "Well, if he's a bauchle, I'll be able to turn him down wi' a clear conscience." George MacDonald Fraser; The Complete McAuslan; Skyhorse; 2009. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 23, 2021***** proclivity : (noun) A natural propensity or inclination; predisposition.; leaning, propensity; John has a proclivity for exaggeration, so take everything he says with a grain of salt. bauchle : noun:1. An old, worn-out shoe.  2. Something useless or worn out.  3. A useless person; a fool. verb tr.:To subject to disgrace or contempt. ; "'Your accent isn't that thick all the time.' 'No. After all these years, I can put it on or off like a bauchle.'" Joey W. Hill; Taken by a Vampire; Penguin; 2013. "Well, if he's a bauchle, I'll be able to turn him down wi' a clear conscience." George MacDonald Fraser; The Complete McAuslan; Skyhorse; 2009. Thought For The Day: I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. -Edgar Guest, poet (20 Aug 1881-1959) *****August 24, 2021***** palpable : (adjective) Capable of being handled, touched, or felt.; tangible; Every time she held the skimmer under the pump to cool it for the work her hand trembled, the ardor of his affection being so palpable that she seemed to flinch under it like a plant in too burning a sun. grum : adjective: Surly, gloomy, or stern. ; "The winners, who were happy, and the losers, who were grum and captious." Lew Wallace; Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ; Harper; 1880. Thought For The Day: There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts. -George Matthew Adams, newspaper columnist (23 Aug 1878-1962) *****August 25, 2021***** cacophonous : (adjective) Having a harsh, unpleasant sound; discordant.; jarring, grating, raucous, strident, dissonant, inharmonious; The school's cafeteria was as cacophonous as a hen yard. meld : verb tr.intr.:1. To blend or merge. 2. To declare or make known. For example, in some card games, to declare or display a card or a combination of cards so as to score points. noun:1. A blend or merger.  2. A card or a combination of cards declared or laid down to score points. ; "America's elite law firms are having a banner year. Associates, often toiling from home, have melded with their laptops. Senior partners, holed up in their second homes in the Hamptons, barely have time to enjoy the beach." White Shoes Are Made for Earnin'; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 17, 2021. See more usage examples of meld in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is often forgotten that (dictionaries) are artificial repositories, put together well after the languages they define. The roots of language are irrational and of a magical nature. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (24 Aug 1899-1986) *****August 26, 2021***** indomitable : (adjective) Incapable of being overcome, subdued, or vanquished.; never-say-die, invincible, unconquerable; A man of indomitable courage, it was said that the only thing he shied at was the sight of his own blood, which was thick and of an unusual color. splurge : verb tr., intr.: To spend lavishly or wastefully. verb intr.: To make an ostentatious display. noun: An extravagant or ostentatious display or expenditure. ; "The singer had obviously splurged on the ab roller. Her stomach was flawless." Kylie Adams; Fly Me to the Moon; Kensington; 2001. See more usage examples of splurge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind. -John Neal, author and critic (25 Aug 1793-1876) *****August 27, 2021***** somnolent : (adjective) Drowsy; sleepy.; slumbery, slumberous; The monotonous sound of his voice had a somnolent effect, and I found myself nodding off during the speech. greige : noun:1. A color between gray and beige.  2. A fabric or yarn that has not undergone bleaching, dyeing, or other finishing processes. adj.:1. Of a gray-beige color.  2. Unbleached, undyed, or unfinished. ; "For beige isn't a colour, it's a state of mind. It was the Italian designer Giorgio Armani who gave the world beige -- or, more correctly, his still more sludgy greige -- as a lifestyle." Hannah Betts; Meghan's Beige Love Affair Isn't a Patch on Our Brilliantly Bonkers Decor; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Aug 7, 2021. Thought For The Day: We can pay our debt to the past by putting the future in debt to ourselves. -John Buchan, poet, novelist, and politician (26 Aug 1875-1940) *****August 28, 2021***** apostate : (noun) A person who abandons his religion, party, cause, etc.; deserter, ratter, turncoat, recreant, renegade; He was an early apostate, leaving the party last year. rumption : noun: An uproar or commotion. ; "Come down off your high ropes, Gus, and tell me what all this rumption is about!" Maggie MacKeever; Our Tabby; Fawcett; 1987. Thought For The Day: Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher (27 Aug 1770-1831) *****August 29, 2021***** nonpareil : (noun) A person or thing that is unsurpassed or unmatched; peerless example.; nonesuch, apotheosis, ideal, paragon, saint; An 'Only' is a nonpareil, the feller that does one kind of a turn better'n any other feller. rumption : noun: An uproar or commotion. ; "Come down off your high ropes, Gus, and tell me what all this rumption is about!" Maggie MacKeever; Our Tabby; Fawcett; 1987. Thought For The Day: Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher (27 Aug 1770-1831) *****August 30, 2021***** picayune : (adjective) Of little value or importance; paltry.; fiddling, footling, niggling, piddling, piffling, trivial, petty, lilliputian, little; Giving a police officer a free meal may be against the law, but it seems to be a picayune infraction. rumption : noun: An uproar or commotion. ; "Come down off your high ropes, Gus, and tell me what all this rumption is about!" Maggie MacKeever; Our Tabby; Fawcett; 1987. Thought For The Day: Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion. -Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, philosopher (27 Aug 1770-1831) *****August 31, 2021***** ephemeral : (adjective) Lasting a very short time.; fugacious, passing, short-lived, transitory, transient; Spare me in my ephemeral happiness, leave it to me for a few days, for a few minutes. blackguard : noun:1. A scoundrel.  2. A foul-mouthed person. verb tr.:To disparage with abusive language. verb intr.:To speak abusively. ; "To write a novel is to be in the clutches of a cast of tyrants and blackguards." His Other Hand -- Collected Poems 1953-1993 by John Updike; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 29, 1994. "Mr Walker said his client had been 'blackguarded in a tabloid publication'." Georgina Mitchell; Suggestion Rush Recited Lines 'A Slur'; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 6, 2019. See more usage examples of blackguard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. -Spanish proverb *****September 01, 2021***** penchant : (noun) A definite liking; a strong inclination.; preference, taste, predilection; Our boss humored Bobby's penchant for playing jokes on people until he found himself on the receiving end of one such prank. cwm : noun: A steep bowl-shaped mountain basin, carved by glaciers. Also known as a cirque. ; "Often, the water gathered in the cwms before overflowing to the valley below." Peter Bond; Exodus: Earth Fights Back; Eloquent Books; 2010. See more usage examples of cwm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When the last tree is cut, the last fish is caught, and the last river is polluted; when to breathe the air is sickening, you will realize, too late, that wealth is not in bank accounts and that you can't eat money. -Alanis Obomsawin, filmmaker (b. 31 Aug 1932) *****September 02, 2021***** castigate : (verb) Censure severely.; chasten, chastise, objurgate; Often he would look back on his day of toil, and castigate himself for failing to fulfill his true purpose of the day. victual : noun: Food, especially food fit for human consumption. verb tr.: To provide with food. verb intr.: To obtain food or to eat. ; "An army marches on its stomach. And if the victuals were not up to snuff, then moods grumbled louder than hungry tummies." Jeremy Lee; Jeremy Lee's Recipe for a Hearty Brigade Pudding; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 4, 2017. See more usage examples of victual in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Flattery won't hurt you if you don't swallow it. -Kin Hubbard, humorist (1 Sep 1868-1930) *****September 03, 2021***** vacillate : (verb) To swing indecisively from one course of action or opinion to another.; hover, oscillate, vibrate; I vacillated about what to say for so long that the man on the phone asked if I was still there. gunwale : noun: The upper edge of the side of a ship or a boat. ; "Lord's was full to the gunwales on Thursday; never fuller." Michael Henderson; A Day for Deadheads as Rain Drowns Out the Famous Lord's Buzz; The Times (London, UK); Aug 17, 2019. See more usage examples of gunwale in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Progressive societies outgrow institutions as children outgrow clothes. -Henry George, economist, journalist, and philosopher (2 Sep 1839-1897) *****September 04, 2021***** muffle : (verb) Deaden (a sound or noise), especially by wrapping.; mute, tone down, dampen, dull; I was up past my bedtime, so I tried to muffle my sneeze by holding my pillow over my face. sidhe : noun: 1. A fairy. 2. The race of fairies. 3. A mound or hill where fairies are believed to live. ; "From cops to killers, from sidhe to ravens, Duff provides distinct voices to a wide cast of characters." Karen Toonen; The Absolute Book; The Booklist (Chicago, Illinois); May 1, 2021. Thought For The Day: The old poets little knew what comfort they could be to a man. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) *****September 05, 2021***** allegory : (noun) A visible symbol representing an abstract idea.; emblem; The blindfolded figure with scales is an allegory of justice. sidhe : noun: 1. A fairy. 2. The race of fairies. 3. A mound or hill where fairies are believed to live. ; "From cops to killers, from sidhe to ravens, Duff provides distinct voices to a wide cast of characters." Karen Toonen; The Absolute Book; The Booklist (Chicago, Illinois); May 1, 2021. Thought For The Day: The old poets little knew what comfort they could be to a man. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) *****September 06, 2021***** obeisance : (noun) A gesture or movement of the body, such as a curtsy, that expresses deference or homage.; bow; And so without a word he led her to the door, opened it, and bowed yet lower as she swept out, but still without a tinge of mockery in the obeisance. sidhe : noun: 1. A fairy. 2. The race of fairies. 3. A mound or hill where fairies are believed to live. ; "From cops to killers, from sidhe to ravens, Duff provides distinct voices to a wide cast of characters." Karen Toonen; The Absolute Book; The Booklist (Chicago, Illinois); May 1, 2021. Thought For The Day: The old poets little knew what comfort they could be to a man. -Sarah Orne Jewett, poet and novelist (3 Sep 1849-1909) *****September 07, 2021***** relegate : (verb) To assign to an obscure place, position, or condition.; demote, bump; After allowing the other team to score on three consecutive shots, he was relegated to the bench. Galahad : noun: One who is known for integrity, courteousness, and nobility. ; "I'm not a Galahad. I'm a bully, too." Max Phillips; Fade to Blonde; Hard Case Crime; 2004. See more usage examples of Galahad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2021***** cloistered : (adjective) Secluded from the world; sheltered.; sequestered; The dean said the cloistered atmosphere of the academy was doing little to prepare students for the real world. Baedeker : noun: A guidebook. ; "Mr. Van Ostern's memos, distributed to a mailing list that has grown to 30,000 people, have become the quintessential Baedeker to New Hampshire presidential politics." David M. Shribman; It's Primary Season in New Hampshire. Time to Go Skiing!; The New York Times; Jan 30, 2020. See more usage examples of baedeker in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: America has been called a melting pot, but it seems better to call it a mosaic, for in it each nation, people, or race which has come to its shores has been privileged to keep its individuality, contributing at the same time its share to the unified pattern of a new nation. -King Baudouin of Belgium (7 Sep 1930-1993) *****September 09, 2021***** promontory : (noun) A high ridge of land or rock jutting out into a body of water; a headland.; foreland; Two miles farther on we were stopped by the promontory which shelters the bay from the southerly winds. zephyr : noun: 1. A wind blowing from the west. 2. A gentle breeze. 3. A soft and light garment, fabric, or yarn. 4. Anything having a soft, fine quality. ; "What lingers, days after you leave the cinema, is ... the zephyr of emotional intensity that blows through the film [Arrival]." Anthony Lane; Talk to Them; The New Yorker; Nov 14, 2016. See more usage examples of zephyr in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People forget years and remember moments. -Ann Beattie, novelist (b. 8 Sep 1947) *****September 10, 2021***** convivial : (adjective) Fond of feasting, drinking, and good company; sociable.; jolly, merry, festive, jovial; Weston was chatty and convivial, and no friend to early separations of any sort. Janus-faced : adjective: 1. Looking in two different directions. 2. Having two contrasting aspects. 3. Hypocritical or deceitful. ; "Rabin was always a complex figure and his Janus-faced policies -- on the one hand the tough soldier who allegedly encouraged the army to 'break bones' during the first intifada and on the other hand the 'man of peace' -- loomed large in Israeli history." Seth J. Frantzman; Balancing Security and Necessity; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Mar 24, 2017. See more usage examples of Janus-faced in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there existed no external means for dimming their consciences, one-half of the men would at once shoot themselves, because to live contrary to one's reason is a most intolerable state, and all men of our time are in such a state. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 11, 2021***** saturnine : (adjective) Showing a brooding ill humor.; glowering, moody, morose, sullen, glum, dour, sour, dark; Since he had heard of Lilla's death, the gloom of his remorse had made more hopeless his cruel, selfish, saturnine nature. ritz : noun:Luxury, glamor, opulence, etc. verb tr.:1. To make a show of luxury or opulence.  2. To behave haughtily toward someone; to snub. ; "In the film [Elysium], Earth's rich live on a ritzed-out, ultra-technological satellite in orbit, and leave the poor to fight it out for resources back on the planet." Jacob Hersh; Countdown to the 3rd: A Hair-Raising Scandal; The Daily Evergreen (Pullman, Washington); Sep 10, 2020. "I didn't ask to see you. You sent for me. I don't mind your ritzing." Raymond Chandler; The Big Sleep; Knopf; 1939. See more usage examples of ritz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In a perfect union the man and woman are like a strung bow. Who is to say whether the string bends the bow, or the bow tightens the string? -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) *****September 12, 2021***** pedantic : (adjective) Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules.; donnish, academic; Pedantic and hypercritical, meddlesome and fault-finding, he was a terror to the clerks under him. ritz : noun:Luxury, glamor, opulence, etc. verb tr.:1. To make a show of luxury or opulence.  2. To behave haughtily toward someone; to snub. ; "In the film [Elysium], Earth's rich live on a ritzed-out, ultra-technological satellite in orbit, and leave the poor to fight it out for resources back on the planet." Jacob Hersh; Countdown to the 3rd: A Hair-Raising Scandal; The Daily Evergreen (Pullman, Washington); Sep 10, 2020. "I didn't ask to see you. You sent for me. I don't mind your ritzing." Raymond Chandler; The Big Sleep; Knopf; 1939. See more usage examples of ritz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In a perfect union the man and woman are like a strung bow. Who is to say whether the string bends the bow, or the bow tightens the string? -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) *****September 13, 2021***** lassitude : (noun) A state or feeling of weariness, diminished energy, or listlessness.; lethargy, sluggishness; Her rapid footsteps shook her own floors, and she routed lassitude and indifference wherever she came. ritz : noun:Luxury, glamor, opulence, etc. verb tr.:1. To make a show of luxury or opulence.  2. To behave haughtily toward someone; to snub. ; "In the film [Elysium], Earth's rich live on a ritzed-out, ultra-technological satellite in orbit, and leave the poor to fight it out for resources back on the planet." Jacob Hersh; Countdown to the 3rd: A Hair-Raising Scandal; The Daily Evergreen (Pullman, Washington); Sep 10, 2020. "I didn't ask to see you. You sent for me. I don't mind your ritzing." Raymond Chandler; The Big Sleep; Knopf; 1939. See more usage examples of ritz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In a perfect union the man and woman are like a strung bow. Who is to say whether the string bends the bow, or the bow tightens the string? -Cyril Connolly, critic and editor (10 Sep 1903-1974) *****September 14, 2021***** truant : (noun) Someone who shirks duty.; nonattender, no-show; As the two truants rolled up the avenue ... the sense of duties neglected added zest to their holiday. felix culpa : noun: An error or disaster that has fortunate consequences. ; "I've watched hundreds of clients turn all sorts of disasters -- getting cancer, losing a loved one, going bankrupt -- into felix culpae." Martha Beck; Reversal of Bad Fortune; O, The Oprah Magazine (New York); Jul 2014. "Seawater had protected us, at least after Duke William, and his invasion was a felix culpa, since it bound Britain into European civilisation and prevented us from becoming part of south Scandinavia." Bruce Anderson; The Depths of Tranquillity; The Spectator (London, UK); Sep 15, 2018. Thought For The Day: Much of writing might be described as mental pregnancy with successive difficult deliveries. -J.B. Priestley, author (13 Sep 1894-1984) *****September 15, 2021***** asperity : (noun) Harshness of manner; ill temper or irritability.; sharpness; Mr. Nickleby looked very indignant at the handmaid on being thus corrected, and demanded with much asperity what she meant. glossolalia : noun: Unintelligible utterances occurring during religious excitation, schizophrenia, etc. Also known as speaking in tongues. ; "He gave Traycee-Lay a quick, irritated look because her glossolalia, which came out something like: 'Oh my Guhd, oh my Guhd... yasyas yas, yasyas yas... in-nin-nin' ... her glossolalia was interfering with his delivery." John Eppel; Hatchings; Ama Books; 2006. See more usage examples of glossolalia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Once we assuage our conscience by calling something a "necessary evil", it begins to look more and more necessary and less and less evil. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2021***** scrawl : (verb) Write carelessly.; scribble; The note that my brother scrawled before his quick exit was unreadable. sinisterity : noun: 1. Left-handedness. 2. Skillfulness in the use of the left hand. 3. Awkwardness or clumsiness. 4. Evilness, unluckiness, etc. ; "I caught the errant missile left-hand, backhand without thinking or blinking. 'Well held!' exclaimed Percy, astounded at my feat of instinctive sinisterity." Ben Schott; Jeeves and the King of Clubs; Hutchinson; 2018. "The sinisterity of Mitterand's presidency was manifested in a ballooning of the French secret services and numerous wiretapping scandals." Jonathan Widell; Jacques Vergès, Devil's Advocate; McGill University; 2012. Thought For The Day: We would often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives which produced them. -Francois, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, writer (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 17, 2021***** obdurate : (adjective) Hardened against feeling; hardhearted.; granitic, stony, flinty; The child's misery would move even the most obdurate heart. sympatric : adjective: Occurring in the same geographical area. ; "The Mojave yucca is often sympatric with the Joshua tree but has fibrous leaf edges." James Cornett; Desert Scape: Joshua Tree Not World's Largest Yucca; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Sep 30, 2012. See more usage examples of sympatric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Soon silence will have passed into legend. Man has turned his back on silence. Day after day he invents machines and devices that increase noise and distract humanity from the essence of life, contemplation, meditation. Tooting, howling, screeching, booming, crashing, whistling, grinding, and trilling bolster his ego. -Jean Arp, artist and poet (16 Sep 1887-1948) *****September 18, 2021***** exonerate : (verb) Pronounce not guilty of criminal charges.; acquit, exculpate, discharge, clear; After the long trial, the suspect was exonerated of the murder charges, much to his relief. spuddle : verb intr.: To work feebly. noun: A feeble action or movement. ; "'I come home from the races and my dad is spuddling about on the farm,' he says." Rick Broadbent; 'I Don't Want Fame -- Just Glory and Money'; The Times (London, UK); Dec 26, 2020. Thought For The Day: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 19, 2021***** splenetic : (adjective) Affected or marked by ill humor or irritability.; bristly, prickly, waspish; The splenetic tone of the complaint letter made James dread meeting its author in person. spuddle : verb intr.: To work feebly. noun: A feeble action or movement. ; "'I come home from the races and my dad is spuddling about on the farm,' he says." Rick Broadbent; 'I Don't Want Fame -- Just Glory and Money'; The Times (London, UK); Dec 26, 2020. Thought For The Day: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 20, 2021***** ineluctable : (adjective) Not to be avoided or escaped; inevitable.; inescapable, unavoidable; Those war plans rested on a belief in the ineluctable superiority of the offense over the defense. spuddle : verb intr.: To work feebly. noun: A feeble action or movement. ; "'I come home from the races and my dad is spuddling about on the farm,' he says." Rick Broadbent; 'I Don't Want Fame -- Just Glory and Money'; The Times (London, UK); Dec 26, 2020. Thought For The Day: What power has love but forgiveness? -William Carlos Williams, poet (17 Sep 1883-1963) *****September 21, 2021***** uproarious : (adjective) Marked by or causing boisterous merriment or convulsive laughter.; hilarious, screaming; My brother spent the evening regaling us with uproarious tales of the pranks he and his bunkmates used to play on the other campers. vorpal : adjective: 1. Sharp. 2. Deadly. ; "Their vorpal blades glowed in the darkness with a pale blue light." Piers Anthony, et al; Quest for the Fallen Star; Tom Doherty; 2010. Thought For The Day: There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will have truly defeated age. -Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934) *****September 22, 2021***** calumniate : (verb) To make maliciously or knowingly false statements about.; asperse, besmirch, defame, slander, smirch, denigrate, sully, smear; Martha knew it was wrong to calumniate her former employer, but she was still so angry about being fired that she could not help herself. consilience : noun: The linking or agreement of different disciplines when forming a theory or coming to a conclusion. ; "This lucrative sub-industry has further blossomed in recent years due to efforts made by the wealthy founder of the Templeton investment fund, Sir John Templeton, to find harmony and consilience between science and religion. ... Let there be no doubt that as they are currently practiced, there is no common ground between science and religion." Paul Kurtz; Science and Religion: Are They Compatible?; Prometheus; 2013. "A consilience with science offers the humanities many possibilities for new insight." Steven Pinker; The Intellectual War on Science; The Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, DC); Feb 13, 2018. Thought For The Day: Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. -H.G. Wells, writer (21 Sep 1866-1946) *****September 23, 2021***** quench : (verb) To satisfy (one's thirst, desires, etc.).; slake, allay, assuage; He stopped to quench his thirst at a stream. psychobabble : noun: Language laden with jargon from psychotherapy or psychiatry, used without concern for accuracy. ; "Unable to resist knee-jerk references to Freud and Jung, Ms. Zimmerman has her actors spout some psychobabble about myths as public dreams, dreams as private myths, and the like." Amy Gamerman; A Timely Gift of Timeless Ovid; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Oct 10, 2001. See more usage examples of psychobabble in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The characteristic of a well-bred man is, to converse with his inferiors without insolence, and with his superiors with respect and with ease. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2021***** languorous : (adjective) Lacking spirit or liveliness.; lackadaisical, languid, dreamy; The sun was low in the west, and the breeze soft and languorous that came up from the south, charged with the seductive odor of the sea. rheology : noun: The study of the deformation and flow of matter. ; "If you have ever given a bottle of tomato ketchup a good shake to make it pour more easily, then you have experimented with rheology. ... If you want to make the perfect ketchup, therefore, rheology is important." Sticky Fingers; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 3, 2011. "Rather than arguing his case, he withdrew from the conference 'because of unforeseen personal problems'. I wondered if plagiarism was the 'unforeseen personal problem'. Interesting. Some Facebook items shed more light on his personal rheology." A. Reynolds; Past Perfect; Archway Publishing; 2014. See more usage examples of rheology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our conscience is not the vessel of eternal verities. It grows with our social life, and a new social condition means a radical change in conscience. -Walter Lippmann, journalist (23 Sep 1889-1974) *****September 25, 2021***** beneficent : (adjective) Characterized by or performing acts of kindness or charity.; benevolent; In 1909, nuns were running more than 1,000 beneficent institutions. locavore : noun: One who eats locally grown food. ; "Next week we'd be shooting an episode in which Daphne dated a self-righteous locavore, a fellow who raised his own chickens and made his own goat cheese." Jennifer Weiner; The Next Best Thing; Atria Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing. -John Brunner, novelist (24 Sep 1934-1995) *****September 26, 2021***** spendthrift : (noun) One who spends money recklessly or wastefully.; scattergood, spend-all, spender; You talk as if a miser on Monday were always a spendthrift on Tuesday. locavore : noun: One who eats locally grown food. ; "Next week we'd be shooting an episode in which Daphne dated a self-righteous locavore, a fellow who raised his own chickens and made his own goat cheese." Jennifer Weiner; The Next Best Thing; Atria Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing. -John Brunner, novelist (24 Sep 1934-1995) *****September 27, 2021***** indelible : (adjective) Impossible to remove, erase, or wash away; permanent.; permanent, lasting, enduring, ineradicable, ineffaceable, inexpungible, inextirpable; Before I left for camp, my mother wrote my name inside all of my clothes with indelible ink. locavore : noun: One who eats locally grown food. ; "Next week we'd be shooting an episode in which Daphne dated a self-righteous locavore, a fellow who raised his own chickens and made his own goat cheese." Jennifer Weiner; The Next Best Thing; Atria Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing. -John Brunner, novelist (24 Sep 1934-1995) *****September 28, 2021***** clandestine : (adjective) Kept or done in secret, often in order to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.; hush-hush, cloak-and-dagger, undercover, underground, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, secret, surreptitious; The clandestine affairs of the congressman are being investigated by the ethics committee. handmaiden : noun: 1. Someone or something that is subservient to another. 2. A personal maid. ; For years the legal case in Bangladesh had gone nowhere. The country's criminal justice system, slow and the handmaiden of the executive of the day, stood still." Delayed Detonations; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 7, 2014. See more usage examples of handmaiden in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The central function of imaginative literature is to make you realize that other people act on moral convictions different from your own. -William Empson, literary critic and poet (27 Sep 1906-1984) *****September 29, 2021***** imbroglio : (noun) A difficult or intricate situation; an entanglement.; embroilment; And then there's a general imbroglio, everyone standing up and the kid hollering and the dog barking. snoutfair : noun: A good-looking person. adjective: Good-looking. ; "It's time you returned home to find a suitable husband instead of spuddling snoutfairs here in town." Victoria Malvey; Chasing a Rogue; Pocket Books; 2002. Thought For The Day: A man's life is interesting primarily when he has failed -- I well know. For it is a sign that he has tried to surpass himself. -Georges Clemenceau, statesman (28 Sep 1841-1929) *****September 30, 2021***** innocuous : (adjective) Having no adverse effect.; harmless; That mushroom may look innocuous, but it is in fact deadly. sticky-fingered : adjective: Given to stealing. ; "Rare book thefts occur all the time. ... Some sticky-fingered collectors covet them simply to add luster to their shelves." Marc Wortman and Christopher Sotomayor; The Case Of The Purloined Books; Vanity Fair (New York); Apr 2021. Thought For The Day: A proverb is a short sentence based on long experience. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2021***** vilify : (verb) To make vicious and defamatory statements about.; revile, vituperate, rail; The Nazi propaganda vilified the Jews. gobsmacked : adjective: Utterly surprised; flabbergasted. ; "People were completely gobsmacked at a politician ... wait for it ... telling the unvarnished truth!" Think of It as Jabs for Jobs; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Aug 15, 2021. See more usage examples of gobsmacked in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Racism tends to attract attention when it's flagrant and filled with invective. But like all bigotry, the most potent component of racism is frame-flipping -- positioning the bigot as the actual victim. So the gay do not simply want to marry; they want to convert our children into sin. The Jews do not merely want to be left in peace; they actually are plotting world take-over. And the blacks are not actually victims of American power, but beneficiaries of the war against hard-working whites. This is a respectable, more sensible bigotry, one that does not seek to name-call, preferring instead to change the subject and straw man. -Ta-Nehisi Coates, writer and journalist (b. 30 Sep 1975) *****October 02, 2021***** contiguous : (adjective) Having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching.; neighboring, adjacent, conterminous; The windows of the back rooms overlooked an enormous court, which formed the center of the square made by the buildings which faced the four contiguous streets. hardfisted : adjective: 1. Stingy. 2. Tough, aggressive, or ruthless. 3. Having hands made rough by labor: hardhanded. ; "Callovan inherited his wealth from his hard-fisted old father." Francis Clement Kelley; The City and the World and Other Stories; Extension Press; 1913. "The plains were crawling with rough, hardfisted men, who had been weaned on skinned knuckles and a swift kick to the balls." Matt Braun; Cimarron Jordan; Pocket Books; 1975. See more usage examples of hardfisted in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs. -Daniel J Boorstin, historian, professor, attorney, and writer (1 Oct 1914-2004) *****October 03, 2021***** antipathy : (noun) A strong feeling of aversion or repugnance.; aversion, distaste; He divined the fanatical love of freedom in her, the deep-seated antipathy for restraint of any sort. hardfisted : adjective: 1. Stingy. 2. Tough, aggressive, or ruthless. 3. Having hands made rough by labor: hardhanded. ; "Callovan inherited his wealth from his hard-fisted old father." Francis Clement Kelley; The City and the World and Other Stories; Extension Press; 1913. "The plains were crawling with rough, hardfisted men, who had been weaned on skinned knuckles and a swift kick to the balls." Matt Braun; Cimarron Jordan; Pocket Books; 1975. See more usage examples of hardfisted in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs. -Daniel J Boorstin, historian, professor, attorney, and writer (1 Oct 1914-2004) *****October 04, 2021***** plaintive : (adjective) Expressing sorrow; melancholy.; mournful; She uttered a plaintive sob, closed her fine eyes, and fled, trying in vain to still the beating of her heart. hardfisted : adjective: 1. Stingy. 2. Tough, aggressive, or ruthless. 3. Having hands made rough by labor: hardhanded. ; "Callovan inherited his wealth from his hard-fisted old father." Francis Clement Kelley; The City and the World and Other Stories; Extension Press; 1913. "The plains were crawling with rough, hardfisted men, who had been weaned on skinned knuckles and a swift kick to the balls." Matt Braun; Cimarron Jordan; Pocket Books; 1975. See more usage examples of hardfisted in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In our world of big names, curiously, our true heroes tend to be anonymous. In this life of illusion and quasi-illusion, the person of solid virtues who can be admired for something more substantial than his well-knownness often proves to be the unsung hero: the teacher, the nurse, the mother, the honest cop, the hard worker at lonely, underpaid, unglamorous, unpublicized jobs. -Daniel J Boorstin, historian, professor, attorney, and writer (1 Oct 1914-2004) *****October 05, 2021***** pusillanimous : (adjective) Lacking courage; cowardly.; spineless, craven; Why, you pusillanimous piece of dirt, you'd run with your tail between your legs if I said boo! chosisme : noun: A literary style which focuses on description of objects, not on interpretation, plot, characterization, etc. ; "'How are things?' someone asks the author at a party. That sets him off. How are things? You mean, in what way do things exist? How should I know? What, even, is a thing? I'd better write a book about it. And so he does: a book of short meditations on everyday objects, a contemporary exercise in happy chosisme." Steven Poole; How Are Things?; The Guardian (London, UK); Nov 5, 2005. Thought For The Day: The unrestricted competition so commonly advocated does not leave us the survival of the fittest. The unscrupulous succeed best in accumulating wealth. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2021***** roguery : (noun) Reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others.; mischief, devilment, rascality; Ms. Adams caught Tommy dipping Sally's pigtail in his inkwell and gave him detention for his roguery. pilcrow : noun: A symbol (¶) used to indicate paragraph breaks. ; "I suggest adding a pilcrow for persons who read while driving." Vladimir Nabokov; Ada or Ardor: A Family Chronicle; McGraw-Hill; 1969. Thought For The Day: Within one linear centimeter of your lower colon there lives and works more bacteria (about 100 billion) than all humans who have ever been born. Yet many people continue to assert that it is we who are in charge of the world. -Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and author (b. 5 Oct 1958) *****October 07, 2021***** mellifluous : (adjective) Pleasing to the ear.; mellisonant, dulcet, sweet; Her mellifluous voice could make him agree to anything. paremiography or paroemiography : noun: 1. The writing or collecting of proverbs. 2. A collection of proverbs. ; "But such are the pitfalls of lexicography in general and paremiography in particular. It takes time for 'new' words and phrases to be picked up, and some expressions never make it into dictionaries and collections." Wolfgang Mieder; "Good fences make good neighbours": History and Significance of an Ambiguous Proverb; Folklore (Abingdon, UK); Aug 2003. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 08, 2021***** bewitch : (verb) Cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something.; hex, jinx, enchant; After reading Harry Potter, I spent hours on end trying to bewitch a broomstick to fly. dithyramb : noun: 1. A piece of writing or speech in an inflated or wildly enthusiastic manner. 2. An impassioned Greek choral song, originally in honor of the god Dionysus or Bacchus. ; "Although [John Moore] extols the art of tending bar, and goes into dithyrambs over the delicate hues and shades of liquors and liqueurs, the storyline invites more cause than effect, like a watered drink at happy hour." Len Gasparini; Where Everybody Knows Your Name; The Toronto Star (Canada); May 21, 2000. "Telephonically, I cornered US poet laureate Billy Collins in his office overlooking the Capitol. Interrupted in mid-dithyramb (my poetic license has not expired), Collins bobbed and weaved, poetically." Alex Beam; When Poets Take License Too Far; Boston Globe; Oct 29, 2002. Thought For The Day: No, no, you're not thinking, you're just being logical. -Niels Bohr, physicist (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 09, 2021***** ostracize : (verb) Expel from a community or group.; banish, blackball, cast out, shun, ban; I have been ostracized by my teammates ever since I accidentally scored the winning goal for our opponents in the championship game. obelus : noun: 1. A sign (- or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to indicate a spurious or doubtful word or passage. 2. A sign (†) used to indicate reference marks. Also known as obelisk or dagger. ; "The young scribe returned to the works of Trismegistus and, at the old man's command, added an obelus after each asterisk." Joanne Reay; Romeo Spikes; Gallery Books; 2011. Thought For The Day: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 10, 2021***** zealot : (noun) An immoderate, fanatical, or extremely zealous adherent to a cause, especially a religious one.; drumbeater, partisan; Jane, who had dabbled in vegetarianism during high school, became an environmental zealot while in college. obelus : noun: 1. A sign (- or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to indicate a spurious or doubtful word or passage. 2. A sign (†) used to indicate reference marks. Also known as obelisk or dagger. ; "The young scribe returned to the works of Trismegistus and, at the old man's command, added an obelus after each asterisk." Joanne Reay; Romeo Spikes; Gallery Books; 2011. Thought For The Day: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 11, 2021***** collude : (verb) Act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose.; conspire, connive; Several local officials have been jailed on charges of colluding with the Mafia. obelus : noun: 1. A sign (- or ÷) used in ancient manuscripts to indicate a spurious or doubtful word or passage. 2. A sign (†) used to indicate reference marks. Also known as obelisk or dagger. ; "The young scribe returned to the works of Trismegistus and, at the old man's command, added an obelus after each asterisk." Joanne Reay; Romeo Spikes; Gallery Books; 2011. Thought For The Day: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct 1912-2002) *****October 12, 2021***** inviolate : (adjective) Free from violation, injury, desecration, or outrage.; intact, whole, untouched, undisturbed, unsullied, unpolluted, unstained, undefiled; The old America had only one foreign policy, and that was to hold inviolate the Monroe doctrine. dovecote or dovecot : noun: 1. A structure with holes for housing domestic pigeons. 2. A settled group, especially one of a quiet, conservative nature. ; "The studio became a dovecote for the right wing. 'These are believers talking to believers. It was like listening to a convention of preachers discussing the merits of tithing.'" James Kilpatrick; Create Similes with Care of Frugal Stonemason; The Augusta Chronicle (Georgia); Jul 8, 2000. See more usage examples of dovecote in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity. -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer (11 Oct 1884-1962) *****October 13, 2021***** supine : (adjective) Inactive, passive, or inert, especially from indolence or indifference.; lethargic, passive, apathetic, listless; No other colony showed such supine, selfish helplessness in allowing her own border citizens to be mercilessly harried. puttock : noun: 1. Any of various birds of prey. 2. A greedy person, especially one who preys on others. ; "He feeds on sin like a puttock." Simon Palfrey; Attending to Tom; Shakespeare Quarterly (Oxford, UK); Spring 2014. Thought For The Day: Someone is Hindu, someone is Muslim, someone is Christian / Everyone is hell-bent on not becoming a human being. -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) *****October 14, 2021***** tawdry : (adjective) Tastelessly showy.; flashy, garish, gaudy, gimcrack, loud, meretricious, tacky, tatty, trashy, brassy, cheap; It was a tawdry affair, all Cupids and cornucopias, like a third-rate wedding-cake. raven messenger : noun: A messenger who does not arrive or return in time. ; "But by then Zanja should be far away, with no raven messenger to tell the news." Laurie J. Marks; Earth Logic; Tor; 2004. Thought For The Day: The age difference between myself (29) and the oldest House members is ~60 years. For better or worse, young people will live in the world Congress leaves behind. That's why I focus on our future: addressing climate change and runaway income inequality, ending school-to-prison pipelines, etc. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman to serve in the US Congress (b. Oct 13, 1989) *****October 15, 2021***** instigate : (verb) Provoke or stir up.; incite; The violence was instigated by ex-members of the secret police. pigeonhole : noun:1. A hole or recess for a pigeon to nest or rest.  2. One of a series of small compartments for filing papers, etc.  3. A stereotypical category, not reflecting the complexities. verb tr.:1. To place in, or as if, in a pigeonhole.  2. To lay aside for future consideration.  3. To stereotype, to put into a preconceived, rigid category. ; "She hardly knew Rory, so pigeonholing him into one of her ten male types would be wrong. But the tattoos, earrings, and leather suggested a guy who was carrying around lots of pain and anger." Hope Ramsay; The Bride Next Door; Grand Central Publishing; 2018. See more usage examples of pigeonhole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969) *****October 16, 2021***** alfresco : (adverb) In the fresh air.; outdoors; Dining alfresco is one of my great summer pleasures. war hawk : noun: One who advocates war, military intervention, or other aggressive measures. ; "Our approach to the Middle East is simple. We see a natural resource, or an opportunity to crank up the American war machine, and we go for it. The Clintons and Bushes are two sides of the same war hawk coin. We send our young to fight under the allure of American pride." Daniel Cody; Congress in Perspective; The Chronicle (Hempstead, New York); Sep 16, 2021. See more usage examples of war hawk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 17, 2021***** impede : (verb) Be a hindrance or obstacle to.; hinder; By questioning every proposal, she is impeding the progress of our project. war hawk : noun: One who advocates war, military intervention, or other aggressive measures. ; "Our approach to the Middle East is simple. We see a natural resource, or an opportunity to crank up the American war machine, and we go for it. The Clintons and Bushes are two sides of the same war hawk coin. We send our young to fight under the allure of American pride." Daniel Cody; Congress in Perspective; The Chronicle (Hempstead, New York); Sep 16, 2021. See more usage examples of war hawk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 18, 2021***** imbibe : (verb) To take in or assimilate (ideas, facts, etc.).; soak up, absorb; Thus, like figs, do these doctrines fall for you, my friends: imbibe now their juice and their sweet substance. war hawk : noun: One who advocates war, military intervention, or other aggressive measures. ; "Our approach to the Middle East is simple. We see a natural resource, or an opportunity to crank up the American war machine, and we go for it. The Clintons and Bushes are two sides of the same war hawk coin. We send our young to fight under the allure of American pride." Daniel Cody; Congress in Perspective; The Chronicle (Hempstead, New York); Sep 16, 2021. See more usage examples of war hawk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) *****October 19, 2021***** inured : (adjective) Made tough by habitual exposure.; hardened; Doctors become inured to death. brewstered : adjective: Very rich. ; "He says he's gonna buy a Mackie D's when he's brewstered. Wade tells him that the franchise on that is a million." Graham Johnson; Gang War; Mainstream Publishing; 2011. Thought For The Day: The notion of making money by popular work, and then retiring to do good work, is the most familiar of all the devil's traps for artists. -Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (18 Oct 1865-1946) *****October 20, 2021***** jejune : (adjective) Not interesting; dull.; insipid; The jejune novel was full of trite phrases and dull banter that went on for pages at a time, but I nevertheless read it from cover to cover. hoover : noun:A vacuum cleaner. verb tr.:1. To clean, especially with a vacuum cleaner.  2. To consume or acquire quickly, eagerly, or in large amounts. ; "For now, campaigns from both parties are hoovering up as many cellphone numbers as possible, and Parscale has said texting will be at the center of Trump's reelection strategy." McKay Coppins; The Billion-Dollar Disinformation Campaign to Reelect the President; The Atlantic (Boston, Massachusetts); Mar 2020. Thought For The Day: Traditionalists are pessimists about the future and optimists about the past. -Lewis Mumford, writer and philosopher (19 Oct 1895-1990) *****October 21, 2021***** jocose : (adjective) Given to joking; merry.; jesting, jocular, joking; Larry, who was usually so jocose, said he didn't have time for pranks. cookie monster : noun: Someone or something that is insatiably hungry or greedy. ; "The internet's cookie monsters are harvesting your secrets." Caroline Baylon; Big Brother Is Cashing in on You; OpenDemocracy (London, UK); Mar 28, 2014. "Think of black holes as giant cosmic Cookie Monsters." Ethan Siegel; No, Black Holes Don't Suck Everything Into Them; Forbes (New York); Jun 19, 2019. Thought For The Day: My mother used to tell me -- she would tell my sister -- my mother would look at me and she'd say, "Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you are not the last." And that's why breaking those barriers is worth it. As much as anything else, it is also to create that path for those who will come after us. -Kamala Harris, first female vice president of the US (b. Oct 20, 1964) *****October 22, 2021***** nullify : (verb) Declare invalid.; annul, invalidate, void, quash, avoid; He used his broad executive powers to nullify decisions by local government. marplot : noun: A meddlesome person who spoils a plan by interference. ; "And if Ben tried to say they were surely now all past the age for such folly, the others would accuse him of being a marplot." Annie Burrows; A Scandal at Midnight; Harlequin; 2021. See more usage examples of marplot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We read books to find out who we are. -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (21 Oct 1929-2018) *****October 23, 2021***** gauche : (adjective) Lacking social polish; tactless.; unpolished, graceless; Wendy was quite friendly, but her lack of manners made her seem gauche in formal settings. Panglossian : adjective: Blindly or unreasonably optimistic. noun: One who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances. ; "The clueless desert viceroys ... misled reporters with their Panglossian scenarios of progress." Maureen Dowd; Neocons Slither Back; The New York Times; Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of panglossian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. -Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (22 Oct 1919-2013) *****October 24, 2021***** recalcitrant : (adjective) Marked by stubborn resistance to and defiance of authority or guidance.; refractory; Neither could he mobilize his army to go forth to war, nor could he punish his recalcitrant subjects. Panglossian : adjective: Blindly or unreasonably optimistic. noun: One who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances. ; "The clueless desert viceroys ... misled reporters with their Panglossian scenarios of progress." Maureen Dowd; Neocons Slither Back; The New York Times; Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of panglossian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. -Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (22 Oct 1919-2013) *****October 25, 2021***** effete : (adjective) Weak, ineffectual, or decadent as a result of overrefinement.; weak, feeble, ineffectual; So beautiful is she that I am always ... mentally limiting her capacities to those of the effete and overcivilized beauties of the outer crust. Panglossian : adjective: Blindly or unreasonably optimistic. noun: One who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances. ; "The clueless desert viceroys ... misled reporters with their Panglossian scenarios of progress." Maureen Dowd; Neocons Slither Back; The New York Times; Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of panglossian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That is what learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life, but in a new way. -Doris Lessing, novelist, poet, playwright, Nobel laureate (22 Oct 1919-2013) *****October 26, 2021***** resolute : (adjective) Firm in purpose or belief; steadfast.; determined, stalwart, staunch, persevering; I am resolute in my opposition to these proposals, so don't bother trying to sway me. breadcrumb : noun: 1. A small fragment of bread. 2. One in a series of markers placed as a navigational aid. 3. One of several hints or clues leading to a person, place, etc. ; "He leads you around with a trail of almost imperceptible breadcrumbs into worlds you never knew existed." Kit de Waal; John le Carré Remembered by Writers and Friends; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 15, 2020. See more usage examples of breadcrumb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who compare the age in which their lot has fallen with a golden age which exists only in imagination, may talk of degeneracy and decay; but no man who is correctly informed as to the past, will be disposed to take a morose or desponding view of the present. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, author and statesman (25 Oct 1800-1859) *****October 27, 2021***** foible : (noun) A minor weakness or failing of character.; fault, defect, imperfection; His father's foibles did not prevent his son from loving and honoring him. Tom Thumb : noun: 1. A very short person. 2. An insignificant or unimportant person, especially one who lacks the power or ability in spite of high rank. ; "He can't wear clothes built for a giant, nor for a Tom Thumb either." James P. Blaylock; Land of Dreams; JABberwocky Literary Agency; 2012. See more usage examples of Tom Thumb in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No government can love a child, and no policy can substitute for a family's care. But at the same time, government can either support or undermine families as they cope with moral, social, and economic stresses of caring for children. -Hillary Clinton, secretary of state and senator (b. 26 Oct 1947) *****October 28, 2021***** cogent : (adjective) Appealing to the intellect or powers of reasoning; convincing.; weighty; Having put forth an indisputably cogent argument, Sally won the debate. Domdaniel : noun: A place of wickedness. ; "They generally proceeded to the Domdaniel, riding on spits, pitchforks, or broomsticks." Charles Mackay; Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions; Richard Bentley; 1841. Thought For The Day: This country will not be a permanently good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a reasonably good place for all of us to live in. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (27 Oct 1858-1919) *****October 29, 2021***** descry : (verb) To catch sight of (something difficult to discern).; spot, spy; From the top of the hill I descried a solitary rider. Chicken Licken : noun: Someone who is a pessimist and alarmist, always warning others of impending calamities. ; "Haldane has been an eternal optimist during the crisis, telling people they must reject the economics of Chicken Licken." Mark Shapland; Rush To Shop Fuelled By Pandemic Savings; Daily Mail (London, UK); Apr 13, 2021. Thought For The Day: The human mind is inspired enough when it comes to inventing horrors; it is when it tries to invent a heaven that it shows itself cloddish. -Evelyn Waugh, novelist (28 Oct 1903-1966) *****October 30, 2021***** pallid : (adjective) Having an abnormally pale or wan complexion.; pasty, colorless, ashen; In the gray of the morning the two students, pallid and haggard from anxiety, met at the medical college. open sesame : noun: Something that is an easy and effective way to bring out a desired result, gain access, etc. ; "Fully recognizing that FREE FOOD is the open sesame to our hearts, the Dolphins ... roll out new food options for fans this season." Hal Habib; Dolfans, You Asked for Better Stadium Food -- and You Got It. Sort of; Palm Beach Post (Florida); Sep 3, 2014. See more usage examples of open sesame in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? -Fanny Brice, entertainer (29 Oct 1891-1951) *****October 31, 2021***** pliant : (adjective) Easily bent or flexed; pliable.; bendable; The connections of the several sections of the raft are slack and pliant, so that the raft may be readily bent into any sort of curve required by the shape of the river. open sesame : noun: Something that is an easy and effective way to bring out a desired result, gain access, etc. ; "Fully recognizing that FREE FOOD is the open sesame to our hearts, the Dolphins ... roll out new food options for fans this season." Hal Habib; Dolfans, You Asked for Better Stadium Food -- and You Got It. Sort of; Palm Beach Post (Florida); Sep 3, 2014. See more usage examples of open sesame in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? -Fanny Brice, entertainer (29 Oct 1891-1951) *****November 01, 2021***** malady : (noun) A disease, a disorder, or an ailment.; illness, sickness; He was stricken with a crippling malady. open sesame : noun: Something that is an easy and effective way to bring out a desired result, gain access, etc. ; "Fully recognizing that FREE FOOD is the open sesame to our hearts, the Dolphins ... roll out new food options for fans this season." Hal Habib; Dolfans, You Asked for Better Stadium Food -- and You Got It. Sort of; Palm Beach Post (Florida); Sep 3, 2014. See more usage examples of open sesame in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? -Fanny Brice, entertainer (29 Oct 1891-1951) *****November 02, 2021***** muster : (verb) Gather or bring together.; rally, summon; Mustering all her strength, she pulled hard on the oars. charientism : noun: An insult disguised as a jest or a compliment. ; "Bryant, ever the master of charientism, cheerfully waved the thought away." Christopher Fowler; Bryant & May: The Lonely Hour; Bantam; 2019. Thought For The Day: The wisest man is he who does not fancy that he is so at all. -Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux, poet and critic (1 Nov 1636-1711) *****November 03, 2021***** apogee : (noun) The farthest or highest point; the apex.; summit, height, peak, climax, pinnacle, zenith, acme; It took many years for the industry to reach its apogee, but only a few more for it to become defunct. oracy : noun: The ability to express oneself in speech. ; "Passing things on. Oracy, storytelling. My wife says that for us, word of mouth is first and foremost." Paula Coston; On the Far Side, There's a Boy; John Hunt Publishing; 2014. "There was so much he had wanted to say but could not. Words had formed in his mind but he had been deprived of oracy." Peter Clements; The Third Temple; Strategic Book Group; 2012. Thought For The Day: All great human deeds both consume and transform their doers. Consider an athlete, or a scientist, or an artist, or an independent business creator. In the service of their goals they lay down time and energy and many other choices and pleasures; in return, they become most truly themselves. -Lois McMaster Bujold, author (b. 2 Nov 1949) *****November 04, 2021***** aplomb : (noun) Self-confident assurance; poise.; assuredness, sang-froid, cool; The defense attorney smiled with an air of aplomb, knowing that his client's acquittal was all but assured. haecceity or hecceity : noun: The quality that makes something or someone what they are. ; "Because what it is to love someone is to, in a sense, love them independently of their qualities. It's to love them. Their essence, their haecceity, their utter specificity." Ezra Klein Interviews Amia Srinivasan: The New York Times; Sep 3, 2021. See more usage examples of haecceity in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (3 Nov 1909-1995) *****November 05, 2021***** bedaub : (verb) To smear all over with something thick, sticky, or dirty.; besmear; The hunter bedaubed himself with mud as a form of camouflage. balter : verb intr.: To dance clumsily or walk unsteadily. verb tr., intr.: To clot, clog, or tangle. ; "Knock back a few and you'll be baltering all around the lounge room." Rory Gibson; How to Live on a Beer Budget; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Apr 6, 2020. "Think of journaling as baltering with a pen in hand. Free to doodle or draw or paint." Terry Hershey; Praying on Paper; St. Anthony Messenger (Cincinnati, Ohio); Dec 2020/Jan 2021. Thought For The Day: I would rather be the man who bought the Brooklyn Bridge than the one who sold it. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2021***** bereft : (adjective) Suffering the death of a loved one; bereaved.; grief-stricken, grieving, mourning; Mourn not for those who have died, but for those who are bereft. caducous : adjective: Tending to fall easily or before the usual time. ; "It was a morning after storm ... the dishevelled lawn littered with a caducous fall of leaves." John Banville; The Sea; Knopf; 2007. "Caducous ideas could set back any efforts to achieve unity." Carmen Madera; Enkindled: The Wild Scent of Desire; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of caducous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do you wish the world were happy? / Then remember day by day, / Just to scatter seeds of kindness / As you pass along the way. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 07, 2021***** broach : (verb) To bring up (a subject) for discussion or debate.; initiate; I felt uncomfortable, but after two weeks of waiting for repayment, I decided to broach the subject of the outstanding loan. caducous : adjective: Tending to fall easily or before the usual time. ; "It was a morning after storm ... the dishevelled lawn littered with a caducous fall of leaves." John Banville; The Sea; Knopf; 2007. "Caducous ideas could set back any efforts to achieve unity." Carmen Madera; Enkindled: The Wild Scent of Desire; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of caducous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do you wish the world were happy? / Then remember day by day, / Just to scatter seeds of kindness / As you pass along the way. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 08, 2021***** augury : (noun) A sign of something coming; an omen.; foretoken, preindication; Many analysts see the dire unemployment statistics as an augury of a continued recession. caducous : adjective: Tending to fall easily or before the usual time. ; "It was a morning after storm ... the dishevelled lawn littered with a caducous fall of leaves." John Banville; The Sea; Knopf; 2007. "Caducous ideas could set back any efforts to achieve unity." Carmen Madera; Enkindled: The Wild Scent of Desire; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of caducous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do you wish the world were happy? / Then remember day by day, / Just to scatter seeds of kindness / As you pass along the way. -Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet (5 Nov 1850-1919) *****November 09, 2021***** whorl : (noun) A form that coils or spirals; a curl or swirl.; curlicue, gyre, ringlet, roll; He ... made each individual line of the bewildering maze of whorls or curves or loops ... stand out bold and black by reinforcing it with ink. materteral : adjective: Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an aunt. ; "Several things had prevented me from giving full attention to my nephew, X. Let us examine this lack of materteral attention and its causes." Kirstin Scott; Motherlunge; Western Michigan University; 2013. Thought For The Day: Once and for all / the idea of glorious victories / won by the glorious army / must be wiped out / Neither side is glorious / On either side they're just frightened men messing their pants / and they all want the same thing / Not to lie under the earth / but to walk upon it / without crutches. -Peter Weiss writer, artist, and filmmaker (8 Nov 1916-1982) *****November 10, 2021***** tacit : (adjective) Implied by or inferred from actions or statements.; understood, silent; Management has given its tacit approval to the plan. attrite : adjective: Regretting one's wrongdoing only because of the fear of punishment. verb tr., intr.: also attrit (uh-TRIT) 1. To wear down, erode, or weaken through sustained attacks, friction, etc. 2. To reduce the size of a workforce by not replacing those who leave. 3. To drop out from a course of study, job, training, etc. ; "His heart is 'attrite' ... there will be parts of his life that he must deeply regret, parts that will not fit." Philip Kitcher; Joyce's Kaleidoscope; Oxford University Press; 2009. "Would it be death by 100 cuts as they nicked up the rent and attrited our spirit with a collapsed infrastructure (the toilet at my end of the hall had been clogged for a month) or would they simply burst in and begin defenestrating us?" Larry Duberstein; The Day the Bozarts Died; Permanent Press; 2015. "The coastline shifts, sands attrite and recede with little regard to human desires." Dominick Mazzagetti; The Jersey Shore; Rutgers University Press; 2018. Thought For The Day: For all our conceits about being the center of the universe, we live in a routine planet of a humdrum star stuck away in an obscure corner ... on an unexceptional galaxy which is one of about 100 billion galaxies. ... That is the fundamental fact of the universe we inhabit, and it is very good for us to understand that. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2021***** slake : (verb) To satisfy (a craving); quench.; allay, assuage; My first act on coming to this water was, of course, to slake my thirst. autonym : noun: 1. A person's own name, as distinguished from a pseudonym. 2. A work published under the real name of the author. ; "If Macmillans refused then some other house should be tried. Why not send to F. Unwin -- it might do for the pseudonym series -- or autonym if you do not like the idea of a nom de guerre." Joseph Conrad; The Selected Letters of Joseph Conrad; Cambridge University Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: As freely as the firmament embraces the world, / or the sun pours forth impartially his beams, / so mercy must encircle both friend and foe. -Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 12, 2021***** gaffe : (noun) A clumsy social error; a faux pas.; slip, solecism, gaucherie; He knew by the silence that greeted his speech that he had made some kind of gaffe. exoteric : adjective: 1. Not limited to an inner circle of select people. 2. Suitable for the general public. 3. Relating to the outside; external. ; "Ancient commentators distinguish between [Aristotle's] esoteric and exoteric writings -- the former were highly technical pieces, written for use within the school, and the latter well-crafted pieces for public consumption." Jeremy Stangroom & James Garvey; The Great Philosophers; Arcturus; 2015. See more usage examples of exoteric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. -Joyce (from "Children's Letters to God") *****November 13, 2021***** hovel : (noun) A small, miserable dwelling.; shack, shanty, hut, hutch; Compared to the manor house, their own modest home seemed like a hovel. spear side : noun: 1. The male line of descent. 2. The male part of a family, group, etc. ; "If I wanted to be facetious, I would declare that I am descended from Turing's machine on my spear side, and from a library on my spindle side." Stanislaw Lem; Imaginary Magnitude; Harcourt Brace; 1981. "With [Gabby] Logan being lined up as one of the faces of BBC Sport and with Jacqui Oatley doing a decent job on Match of the Day, the distaff side may soon equalise against the spear side." Andrew Tong; Captain Terry Is Subjected to Fresh Trial by Gabby; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); May 6, 2007. Thought For The Day: An idea or institution may arise for one reason and be maintained for quite a different reason. -Joseph McCabe, writer, speaker, and former priest (12 Nov 1867-1955) *****November 14, 2021***** feign : (verb) To give a false appearance of.; sham, simulate, assume; When confronted about the crime, the suspect feigned ignorance of even the most general details. spear side : noun: 1. The male line of descent. 2. The male part of a family, group, etc. ; "If I wanted to be facetious, I would declare that I am descended from Turing's machine on my spear side, and from a library on my spindle side." Stanislaw Lem; Imaginary Magnitude; Harcourt Brace; 1981. "With [Gabby] Logan being lined up as one of the faces of BBC Sport and with Jacqui Oatley doing a decent job on Match of the Day, the distaff side may soon equalise against the spear side." Andrew Tong; Captain Terry Is Subjected to Fresh Trial by Gabby; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); May 6, 2007. Thought For The Day: An idea or institution may arise for one reason and be maintained for quite a different reason. -Joseph McCabe, writer, speaker, and former priest (12 Nov 1867-1955) *****November 15, 2021***** churl : (noun) A rude, boorish person.; boor, barbarian, peasant; He is a drunken, brawling, perilous churl, as you may find to your cost. spear side : noun: 1. The male line of descent. 2. The male part of a family, group, etc. ; "If I wanted to be facetious, I would declare that I am descended from Turing's machine on my spear side, and from a library on my spindle side." Stanislaw Lem; Imaginary Magnitude; Harcourt Brace; 1981. "With [Gabby] Logan being lined up as one of the faces of BBC Sport and with Jacqui Oatley doing a decent job on Match of the Day, the distaff side may soon equalise against the spear side." Andrew Tong; Captain Terry Is Subjected to Fresh Trial by Gabby; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); May 6, 2007. Thought For The Day: An idea or institution may arise for one reason and be maintained for quite a different reason. -Joseph McCabe, writer, speaker, and former priest (12 Nov 1867-1955) *****November 16, 2021***** cache : (noun) A secret store of valuables or money.; hoard, stash; In case of an emergency, I have a small cache of money and weapons hidden in the shed. farouche : adjective: 1. Wild; fierce. 2. Shy; unsociable. ; "I badly needed a guide to get me to the Khyber Pass, and I decided that what I required was the most farouche-looking guy ... and the toughest modern automobile." Christopher Hitchens; Love, Poverty, and War; Nation Books; 2004. "At an event organised by the Writers' Centre in Norwich the other week, one of the volunteers ... observed that when she was young, writers were semi-mythical creatures, farouche, barely ever seen in the flesh." Will Self; The Novelist Offers His Tips for Reading Your Work Aloud; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); May 25, 2013. Thought For The Day: He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done, is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling. -Johann Kaspar Lavater, poet, writer, philosopher (15 Nov 1741-1801) *****November 17, 2021***** cabal : (noun) A secret scheme or plot.; conspiracy; She pretended that a wicked plot was being hatched against her, a cabal which would come to a head in the coming days. dinky : adjective: 1. (In the US) Small; insignificant; undesirable. 2. (In the UK) Attractively tiny; cute. ; "My hometown is a dinky place no one's ever heard of, and it could use some philanthropic donations for the budget gaps." Kylie Gilmore; Rogue Beast; Extra Fancy Books; 2020. "Ms [Ghislaine] Maxwell was invariably described as an 'Oxford-educated British socialite'. She dropped dinky British phrases into her conversation." Fading Anglophilia; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 11, 2020. See more usage examples of dinky in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2021***** parry : (verb) To deflect, evade, or avoid.; hedge, sidestep, skirt, circumvent, dodge, elude, duck; He parried every inquiry so successfully that soon he was the one asking the questions. shifty : adjective: 1. Evasive; untrustworthy. 2. Changing directions frequently. 3. Resourceful: able to accomplish what needs done. ; "He was shifty and sly -- there was something very distasteful and loathsome about him." Mari Emm; A Rumour From The Firehouse; AuthorHouse; 2015. "The smart, shifty forward showed he could excel at the pro game." Jason Bell; Just Ducky; Winnipeg Free Press (Canada); Oct 13, 2021. See more usage examples of shifty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are a landscape of all we have seen. -Isamu Noguchi, sculptor and architect (17 Nov 1904-1988) *****November 19, 2021***** quaff : (verb) To swallow hurriedly or greedily or in one draught.; gulp, swig; Recently returned to port, the sailors quaffed their ale with gusto. Endsville or endsville : noun:1. Something that is most excellent or the ultimate.  2. Something that is most undesirable; the end. adj.:1. Most excellent.  2. Most undesirable. ; "'To have peace in yourself -- that must be the greatest thing in the world,' he said soberly. 'That is what I am looking for. To me that is the greatest thing in living. It is Endsville itself.'" Hal Boyle; La Rosa Hopes to Launch Own Television Program; Zanesville Signal (Ohio); Oct 19, 1954. "'Once they start involving the cattle grounds and building networks of roads it will be Endsville for the caribou,' he warns." Darcy Henton; Diamond Fever Gripping N.W.T. Amid Enthusiasm Comes Concern Over Environment, Land Claims; Toronto Star (Canada); Mar 31, 1996. Thought For The Day: A scientist is in a sense a learned small boy. There is something of the scientist in every small boy. Others must outgrow it. Scientists can stay that way all their lives. -George Wald, scientist and Nobel laureate (18 Nov 1906-1997) *****November 20, 2021***** lucid : (adjective) Mentally sound; sane or rational.; coherent, logical; Most of the time, he just muttered incomprehensibly to himself, but in his occasional lucid moments, he was an engaging conversationalist. presently : adverb: 1. In a short while: soon. 2. At the present time: now. ; "Presently, it has 56 permanent workers and engages an average of 100 casual workers daily." Alberto Mario Noretti; Maphlix Trust Ghana to Employ 400 Workers; Ghanaian Times (Accra); Sep 30, 2021. "These hills, now motionless as statues, would presently glide forward." Algernon Blackwood; Four Weird Tales; Good Press; 2019. See more usage examples of presently in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 21, 2021***** nonce : (noun) The present or particular occasion.; time being; Her tendency to discover a touch of sadness had for the nonce disappeared. presently : adverb: 1. In a short while: soon. 2. At the present time: now. ; "Presently, it has 56 permanent workers and engages an average of 100 casual workers daily." Alberto Mario Noretti; Maphlix Trust Ghana to Employ 400 Workers; Ghanaian Times (Accra); Sep 30, 2021. "These hills, now motionless as statues, would presently glide forward." Algernon Blackwood; Four Weird Tales; Good Press; 2019. See more usage examples of presently in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 22, 2021***** banal : (adjective) Drearily commonplace and often predictable; trite.; stock, threadbare, hackneyed, old-hat, well-worn, tired; By his twelfth book, his plots had become downright banal. presently : adverb: 1. In a short while: soon. 2. At the present time: now. ; "Presently, it has 56 permanent workers and engages an average of 100 casual workers daily." Alberto Mario Noretti; Maphlix Trust Ghana to Employ 400 Workers; Ghanaian Times (Accra); Sep 30, 2021. "These hills, now motionless as statues, would presently glide forward." Algernon Blackwood; Four Weird Tales; Good Press; 2019. See more usage examples of presently in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all. -Peter Drucker, management consultant, professor, and writer (19 Nov 1909-2005) *****November 23, 2021***** argot : (noun) A specialized vocabulary or set of idioms used by a particular group.; jargon, lingo, patois, vernacular, slang, cant; He was a natural linguist, and he kept notebooks, making a scientific study of the workers' slang or argot, until he could talk quite intelligibly. Piltdowner : noun: Someone who is crude, uncouth, or unintelligent. ; "He really talks like this, the Piltdowner. No wonder he's thick." Jonathan Gash; Gold from Gemini; Harper & Row; 1978. Thought For The Day: What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other? -George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans), novelist (22 Nov 1819-1880) *****November 24, 2021***** freewheeling : (adjective) Not concerned with or constrained by rules, conventions, or responsibilities.; devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, harum-scarum, slaphappy, carefree; Enjoy your fun while you can because it won't be long before you have to bid farewell to your freewheeling lifestyle and settle down. Devonshire : verb tr.: To clear land by burning turf, stubble, etc. ; "The Devonshired land came to no more than ten of the two thousand acres that comprised Walton's commons." Ineke Murakami; Winstanley's "Righteous Actors"; Theatre Survey (New York); Sep 2021. Thought For The Day: To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. -Steven Brust, novelist (b. 23 Nov 1955) *****November 25, 2021***** whet : (verb) To make more keen; stimulate.; quicken, pique; The aroma of frying bacon whetted my appetite. kersey : adjective: Plain; simple. ; "Henceforth my wooing mind shall be express'd In russet yeas and honest kersey noes." William Shakespeare; Love's Labour's Lost; 1590s. (russet = plain, simple) Thought For The Day: Do we need weapons to fight wars? Or do we need wars to create markets for weapons? -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2021***** waft : (verb) To carry or be carried gently on or as if on the air or water.; drift, float, blow; The scent of her perfume wafted through the room. Halifax : noun: Hell. ; "'In fact, you can go to Halifax for all I care.' He spit on the floor and stomped out of the door." Lana Mowdy; Tara's Forgotten Son; PublishAmerica; 2007. See more usage examples of Halifax in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When a man wantonly destroys one of the works of man we call him Vandal. When he wantonly destroys one of the works of God we call him Sportsman. -Joseph Wood Krutch, writer and naturalist (25 Nov 1893-1970) *****November 27, 2021***** sere : (adjective) Dried up or withered.; shriveled; The desert was edged with sere vegetation. Aldermaston : noun: Relating to a protest, disapproval, dissent, etc. ; "You who join in marches on the capital and cultivate an Aldermaston mystique on occasion." Umberto Eco (translation: William Weaver); Misreadings; Mariner Books; 1993. "Perhaps they'd met on an Aldermaston march. Hadn't Considine said something about a girl involving him in the campaign in the first place?" Robert Goddard; Beyond Recall; Holt; 1998. Thought For The Day: I would not enter on my list of friends, / (Though graced with polish'd manners and fine sense, / Yet wanting sensibility) the man / Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. -William Cowper, poet (26 Nov 1731-1800) *****November 28, 2021***** orphic : (adjective) Having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence; beyond ordinary understanding.; occult, mysterious, mystical, secret; The orphic symbols on the tome could only be deciphered by the blind wizard. Aldermaston : adjective: Relating to a protest, disapproval, dissent, etc. ; "You who join in marches on the capital and cultivate an Aldermaston mystique on occasion." Umberto Eco (translation: William Weaver); Misreadings; Mariner Books; 1993. "Perhaps they'd met on an Aldermaston march. Hadn't Considine said something about a girl involving him in the campaign in the first place?" Robert Goddard; Beyond Recall; Holt; 1998. Thought For The Day: I would not enter on my list of friends, / (Though graced with polish'd manners and fine sense, / Yet wanting sensibility) the man / Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. -William Cowper, poet (26 Nov 1731-1800) *****November 29, 2021***** iota : (noun) A very small amount; a bit.; scintilla, shred, smidgeon, whit; There was not an iota of truth to that tale. Aldermaston : adjective: Relating to a protest, disapproval, dissent, etc. ; "You who join in marches on the capital and cultivate an Aldermaston mystique on occasion." Umberto Eco (translation: William Weaver); Misreadings; Mariner Books; 1993. "Perhaps they'd met on an Aldermaston march. Hadn't Considine said something about a girl involving him in the campaign in the first place?" Robert Goddard; Beyond Recall; Holt; 1998. Thought For The Day: I would not enter on my list of friends, / (Though graced with polish'd manners and fine sense, / Yet wanting sensibility) the man / Who needlessly sets foot upon a worm. -William Cowper, poet (26 Nov 1731-1800) *****November 30, 2021***** jibe : (verb) To be in accord; agree.; correspond, match; I expected to find some discrepancies in the books, but your figures jibe with mine. polyhistor : noun: A person of great or wide learning. Also polyhistorian. ; "Roberto Calasso is the consummate polyhistor. He has published books on such diverse subjects as Greek and Hindu mythology, Talleyrand and his age, and Tiepolo and his use of pink ..." John Simon; Paris Review; New York Times Book Review; Nov 18, 2012. "You have to be a polyhistor to run this place. They don't call me genius for nothing." Clinton Smith; Deep Six; HarperCollins; 2004. Thought For The Day: The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been. -Madeleine L'Engle, writer (29 Nov 1918-2007) *****December 01, 2021***** gibe : (noun) A derisive or provoking remark.; barb, dig, shot; The referee heard the gibes from the crowd, but, ever the professional, ignored them. bombinate : verb intr.: To buzz or hum. ; "He hummed a ditty to himself and realized he could bombinate twice as loud in a void thrice as great as his head." Nidhi Singh; In Perpetual Dread of Happiness; Bards and Sages Quarterly (Bellmawr, New Jersey); Apr 2017. See more usage examples of bombinate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning, etc., beginning from his youth and so go on to old age, what a bundle of inconsistencies and contradictions would appear at last! -Jonathan Swift, satirist (30 Nov 1667-1745) *****December 02, 2021***** numismatist : (noun) A collector and student of money (and coins in particular).; coin collector; I'm not sure that I would go so far as to call myself a numismatist, but I do have jars and jars full of change at home. echoism : noun: The formation of words by imitating sounds; also a word created in this manner. ; "The Steens' inventive use of echoism transforms the noises of a car wash into a symphony of sounds, creating a sublimely poetic experience." Car Wash; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Nov 15, 2000. "'Oh, don't be such a fuddy-duddy!' 'A what?' 'An old-fashioned bore.' 'It sounds like reduplicating echoism to me. This occidental slang does not become you, Rapture. Don't forget you are a princess.'" Piers Anthony; Wielding a Red Sword; Del Rey; 1986. Thought For The Day: One trouble with living beyond your deserved number of years is that there's always some reason to live another year. And I'd like to live another year so that Nixon won't be President. If he's re-elected I'll have to live another four years. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) [Nixon resigned in 1974.] *****December 03, 2021***** raze : (verb) To level to the ground; demolish.; pull down, tear down; They would raze our cities, leaving not one stone upon another. cynophilist : noun: One who loves dogs. ; "While man's control of dogs underlies the dog owner's declaration of love, cat people enjoy admitting that cats are smarter than they are, and, having been anointed by cats, they themselves are, therefore, somehow superior to cynophilists." Mark Cushing; Pet Nation; Penguin; 2020. "There will also be a tofu dog and a Bahn Mi dog, and for the gluten-free cynophilist, dogs will come wrapped in lettuce." What's Cookin'; Arkansas Times (Little Rock); May 25, 2017. Thought For The Day: There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you'd been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you're suspended knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 04, 2021***** rend : (verb) To tear or split apart or into pieces violently.; rip, rive; The widow began to rend her clothes in grief. timbrology : noun: The collecting or study of postage stamps and related matter. ; "Because it was perpetually night-time on Callisto, people tended to get in from work and stay in for the night. ... This led to the rise of other pastimes; numismatics, timbrology, writing, and cards." Roxbrough; Murder Museum; Xlibris; 2018. Thought For The Day: Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924) *****December 05, 2021***** mire : (noun) An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog.; morass, quag, quagmire; At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. timbrology : noun: The collecting or study of postage stamps and related matter. ; "Because it was perpetually night-time on Callisto, people tended to get in from work and stay in for the night. ... This led to the rise of other pastimes; numismatics, timbrology, writing, and cards." Roxbrough; Murder Museum; Xlibris; 2018. Thought For The Day: Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924) *****December 06, 2021***** akin : (adjective) Similar in quality or character.; kindred; The students watched the principal approaching with a feeling akin to terror. timbrology : noun: The collecting or study of postage stamps and related matter. ; "Because it was perpetually night-time on Callisto, people tended to get in from work and stay in for the night. ... This led to the rise of other pastimes; numismatics, timbrology, writing, and cards." Roxbrough; Murder Museum; Xlibris; 2018. Thought For The Day: Every age is fed on illusions, lest men should renounce life early and the human race come to an end. -Joseph Conrad, novelist (3 Dec 1857-1924) *****December 07, 2021***** bode : (verb) To be an omen of.; augur, portend, foreshadow, presage, foretell; Her hesitation at his proposal boded trouble in their future. daedal : adjective: Ingenious; skillful; intricate; artistic. ; "The best of the projects in the magazine were truly daedal: ingenious, cleverly intricate, and diversified." Eric Kraft; Taking Off; St. Martin's Press; 2014. See more usage examples of daedal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936) *****December 08, 2021***** ken : (noun) Range of what one can know or understand.; cognizance; This level of mathematics is beyond my ken. involute : adjective:1. Intricate; complex.  2. Curled inward. noun:A curve traced by a point on a string while winding or unwinding it around another curve. verb intr.:1. To curl up. 2. To return to a former condition or to a normal state. ; "A shoddy piece of research obfuscated by crepuscular logic and involute style." Trevanian; The Eiger Sanction; Outlet; 1972. "Undivide, and involute, and shrink back to safety." Chris Adrian; The Children's Hospital; McSweeney's; 2007. See more usage examples of involute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum -- even encourage the more critical and dissident views. That gives people the sense that there's free thinking going on, while all the time the presuppositions of the system are being reinforced by the limits put on the range of the debate. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2021***** diffident : (adjective) Lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid.; unsure; Because she was only a first-year student, she was diffident when offering a comment on the professor's lecture. xylophilous : adjective: Growing on or living in wood. ; "Almost any type of nook or cranny may be used, but the most common are tubes in the hollowed pith of twigs or vacant insect borings in dead wood (xylophilous wasps)." Kenneth G. Ross and Robert W. Matthews; The Social Biology of Wasps; Cornell University Press; 1991. Thought For The Day: All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 10, 2021***** sycophant : (noun) A servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people.; crawler, toady, lackey; The sycophant erupted into laughter before the mayor had even finished the joke. seraphic : adjective: Like an angel: serene, beautiful, pure, blissful, etc. ; "When the spell of immobility resumes, seraphic harmonies give way to a colossal, demonic setting." Alexander M. Ross; No Exit; The New Yorker; Aug 22, 2016. See more usage examples of seraphic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Those who put out the people's eyes, reproach them for their blindness. -John Milton, poet (9 Dec 1608-1674) *****December 11, 2021***** quiescence : (noun) A state of quiet (but possibly temporary) inaction.; dormancy; The volcano erupted after centuries of quiescence. lentic : adjective: Relating to or living in still water. ; "At her side, Clo snarled, 'That lentic spawn of a caiman's balls.'" Laura Lam and Elizabeth May; Seven Devils; DAW; 2020. See more usage examples of lentic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I can stop one Heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain / If I can ease one Life the Aching / Or cool one Pain / Or help one fainting Robin / Unto his Nest again / I shall not live in Vain. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 12, 2021***** ubiquitous : (adjective) Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time.; omnipresent; She is the most ubiquitous media personality around. lentic : adjective: Relating to or living in still water. ; "At her side, Clo snarled, 'That lentic spawn of a caiman's balls.'" Laura Lam and Elizabeth May; Seven Devils; DAW; 2020. See more usage examples of lentic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I can stop one Heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain / If I can ease one Life the Aching / Or cool one Pain / Or help one fainting Robin / Unto his Nest again / I shall not live in Vain. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 13, 2021***** inimical : (adjective) Injurious or harmful in effect; adverse.; hurtful, injurious; The inimical effects of smoking have been thoroughly documented. lentic : adjective: Relating to or living in still water. ; "At her side, Clo snarled, 'That lentic spawn of a caiman's balls.'" Laura Lam and Elizabeth May; Seven Devils; DAW; 2020. See more usage examples of lentic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I can stop one Heart from breaking / I shall not live in vain / If I can ease one Life the Aching / Or cool one Pain / Or help one fainting Robin / Unto his Nest again / I shall not live in Vain. -Emily Dickinson, poet (10 Dec 1830-1886) *****December 14, 2021***** inveigle : (verb) To win over by coaxing, flattery, or artful talk.; cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle; The salesman inveigled him so successfully that he paid twice the original price. apple knocker : noun: 1. An ignorant or unsophisticated person. 2. A baseball player, especially a batter. 3. A fruit picker, farmer, or seller. ; "Look, just because I live on a tobacco farm doesn't mean I'm some apple-knocker." Harper Lin; Scandals in Savannah; Harper Lin Books; 2020. "That big apple knocker out there on the mound is batting ninth now on my card." Philip Roth; The Great American Novel; Holt; 1973. Thought For The Day: Pedantry and mastery are opposite attitudes toward rules. To apply a rule to the letter, rigidly, unquestioningly, in cases where it fits and in cases where it does not fit, is pedantry ... To apply a rule with natural ease, with judgment, noticing the cases where it fits, and without ever letting the words of the rule obscure the purpose of the action or the opportunities of the situation, is mastery. -George Polya, mathematician (13 Dec 1887-1985) *****December 15, 2021***** harangue : (noun) A speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression; a tirade.; rant; The coach's angry harangue during halftime somehow managed to motivate the team. banana oil : noun: 1. Nonsense. 2. Insincere talk or flattery. ; "Eisenberger insists the timing has nothing to do with political convenience. But that's pure banana oil." Andrew Dreschel; Council Votes to Drag its Feet for a Year; The Spectator (Hamilton, Canada); Nov 25, 2009. See more usage examples of banana oil in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Style is time's fool. Form is time's student. -Stewart Brand, writer and editor (b. 14 Dec 1938) *****December 16, 2021***** charlatan : (noun) A person who makes elaborate, fraudulent, and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or fraud.; mountebank; In a somber tone, the charlatan proclaimed that he could cure the woman with only a banana peel—for a small fee, of course. razz : noun: A sound, similar to breaking wind, made by pushing the tongue between the lips and blowing air through the mouth. verb intr.: To make such a sound. verb tr.: To tease or heckle. ; "One of the ladies in line ended the razzing with, 'Honey, we're just kidding. You've done a lot for us around here.'" Jane Running Doe; Neil's Summer Vacation; Page Publishing; 2019. See more usage examples of razz in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 17, 2021***** gossamer : (adjective) Sheer, light, delicate, or tenuous.; ethereal; Tasting cotton candy for the first time, the child was thrilled by the gossamer treat. sour grapes : noun: Finding fault with or expressing disdain for something one cannot have. ; "Although everything about him was theoretically perfect, personally I hadn't been particularly impressed. Okay, maybe it was sour grapes." Elizabeth Young; A Promising Man; William Morrow; 2002. See more usage examples of sour grapes in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 18, 2021***** remonstrate : (verb) To reason or plead in protest, objection, or complaint.; protest, challenge, argue, object, dispute, dissent, expostulate; I remonstrate against these outrages upon reason and truth, of course, but it does no good. peachy : adjective: 1. Resembling a peach. 2. Excellent; highly desirable. ; "And the oil business is looking peachy. ... This has encouraged gas producers to scurry after oil in liquid-rich shale beds such as the Bakken in North Dakota." Put That in Your Pipe; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2012. See more usage examples of peachy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****December 19, 2021***** chicanery : (noun) Deception by trickery or sophistry.; guile; The trial revealed a world of crime, corruption and political chicanery. peachy : adjective: 1. Resembling a peach. 2. Excellent; highly desirable. ; "And the oil business is looking peachy. ... This has encouraged gas producers to scurry after oil in liquid-rich shale beds such as the Bakken in North Dakota." Put That in Your Pipe; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2012. See more usage examples of peachy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****December 20, 2021***** exculpate : (verb) To clear of guilt or blame.; acquit, assoil, exonerate, discharge, clear; He was exculpated from the charge when the real criminal confessed. peachy : adjective: 1. Resembling a peach. 2. Excellent; highly desirable. ; "And the oil business is looking peachy. ... This has encouraged gas producers to scurry after oil in liquid-rich shale beds such as the Bakken in North Dakota." Put That in Your Pipe; The Economist (London, UK); May 5, 2012. See more usage examples of peachy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Contentment is, after all, simply refined indolence. -Thomas Chandler Haliburton, author, judge, and politician (17 Dec 1796-1865) *****December 21, 2021***** huffy : (adjective) Quick to take offense.; touchy; I tried to give my coworker some advice after the meeting, but she perceived it as criticism, got all huffy, and stormed away. skewgee : adjective: Askew; mixed-up; confused. ; "I remember it was all skewgee the day he went away and I straightened it for him." Ernest Buckler; The Cruelest Month; McClelland & Stewart; 1963. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 22, 2021***** vitriolic : (adjective) Bitterly scathing; caustic.; acid, blistering, venomous, acrid, acerbic, bitter, virulent; The critic showed no mercy in writing the most vitriolic review of her career. banjax : verb tr.: To destroy, damage, defeat, injure, etc. ; "All these years I've never had an accident, and now this. I'm a bit banjaxed. Once you do anything to your hip, you're finished." Cathy Kelly; It Started With Paris; Orion; 2014. "However, that elation was quickly tempered by suspicions that it would not take much to banjax the deal." Art of Phase One Trade Deal Is Making Sure it Works; Beijing Review (China); Jan 16, 2020. Thought For The Day: I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2021***** impel : (verb) To urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate.; compel, drive, push, inspire, instigate, goad; I don't consider myself an activist, but I was impelled by recent events to take a stand on this issue. surquedry or surquidry : noun: Overbearing pride. ; "His gaze was that of a spoiled child -- surquedry unjustified by any achievement, any true power." Stephen R. Donaldson; One Tree; Ballantine; 1982. Thought For The Day: No one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell. -Charles de Lint, writer (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 24, 2021***** impracticable : (adjective) Not capable of being carried out or put into practice.; unfeasible, unworkable; Refloating the sunken ship intact proved impracticable because of its fragility. zoophobia : noun: 1. An unusual fear of animals. 2. A dislike of keeping animals in captivity. ; "You see something in the form of a spider and you recoil from it without thinking. You don't stop to think that a spider is nature's creation. You don't see the beauty in it. Instead, your thinking is dominated by a visceral revulsion. Look at all the derogatory terms in your language derived from other species. Rat. Snake. Dog. Worm. The list goes on and on. These are nature's creatures, yet you can't help but denigrate them, reducing them to the level of insults. Zoophobia is endemic in mankind as much as racism." Nathan Kuzack; Holohive; Nathan Kuzack; 2019. "Chris McGimpsey compared the local Bellevue Zoo to a 'Victorian peep show' where we 'gawk at animals through the bars'. Some go further yet, likening zoos to slavery and colonialism, an exploitative format that is in its swansong. All this zoophobia shows a growing disquiet towards the use of animal captivity as entertainment." Oliver Bennett; Can Zoos Be Redesigned for a More Ethical Generation?; The Independent (London, UK); Aug 26, 2018. See more usage examples of zoophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If they give you ruled paper, write the other way. -Juan Ramon Jimenez, poet, Nobel Prize in literature (23 Dec 1881-1958) *****December 25, 2021***** fugacious : (adjective) Passing away quickly; evanescent.; ephemeral, passing, short-lived, transitory, transient; Restless, shifting, fugacious as time itself is a certain vast bulk of the population of the red brick district of the lower West Side. mundificative : adjective: Having the power to cleanse. noun: A cleansing medicine or preparation. ; "'The wound still appears hot.' 'Then let us prepare the mundificative.' Jamie produced a metal bowl and hung it across the flames, then added the turpentine oil and a little water." Simon Fairfax; A Knight and a Spy 1410; Nielsen; 2020. Thought For The Day: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 26, 2021***** nefarious : (adjective) Evil; wicked; sinful.; villainous; The impenetrable and inescapable prison housed the most nefarious criminals. mundificative : adjective: Having the power to cleanse. noun: A cleansing medicine or preparation. ; "'The wound still appears hot.' 'Then let us prepare the mundificative.' Jamie produced a metal bowl and hung it across the flames, then added the turpentine oil and a little water." Simon Fairfax; A Knight and a Spy 1410; Nielsen; 2020. Thought For The Day: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 27, 2021***** querulous : (adjective) Given to complaining; peevish.; fretful, whiny; The teacher's patience was wearing thin, but the querulous student nevertheless continued to whine about how much homework she was assigning. mundificative : adjective: Having the power to cleanse. noun: A cleansing medicine or preparation. ; "'The wound still appears hot.' 'Then let us prepare the mundificative.' Jamie produced a metal bowl and hung it across the flames, then added the turpentine oil and a little water." Simon Fairfax; A Knight and a Spy 1410; Nielsen; 2020. Thought For The Day: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923) *****December 28, 2021***** detractor : (noun) One who disparages or belittles the worth of something.; depreciator, disparager, knocker; His stellar performance silenced many of his detractors. agathism : noun: The doctrine that, in the end, all things tend toward good. ; "His stubbornness and agathism have been an inspiration to me. I don't naturally have his persistence. So I often ask my mother to put him on the phone when I am struggling with something. It doesn't matter what the issue is or that he can't possibly know the future. I just want to hear his standard line, the only setting he has: Everything will be OK in the end." Mieke Eerkens; All Ships Follow Me; Picador; 2019. Thought For The Day: When I approach a child, he inspires in me two sentiments; tenderness for what he is, and respect for what he may become. -Louis Pasteur, chemist and bacteriologist (27 Dec 1822-1895) *****December 29, 2021***** intimate : (verb) To indicate or make known indirectly.; hint, imply, suggest; The young gentleman smiled, as if to intimate that the latter fragments of discourse were playfully ironical. yesternight : noun: Last night. adverb: During last night. ; "It didn't help that she'd searched for him so long yesternight, she'd been forced to dig under the roots of a windblown tree at dayrise." Charles Coleman Finlay; A Democracy of Trolls; Fantasy & Science Fiction (Hoboken, New Jersey); Oct/Nov 2002. Thought For The Day: In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. -Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (28 Dec 1902-2001) *****December 30, 2021***** impecunious : (adjective) Lacking money; penniless.; penurious; It was hard to believe that the impecunious man asking me if I could spare any change had once been the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. quaestuary or questuary : adjective: 1. Relating to financial matters. 2. Done only for monetary gain. ; "The quaestuary 12 football clubs creating the European Super League have forgotten in their avariciousness the vital element of successful sporting competition: tradition." Mark Boyle; The European Super League Clubs Cannot Buy Tradition, Their Lifeblood; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Apr 20, 2021. Thought For The Day: The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears. -John Vance Cheney, poet (29 Dec 1848-1922) *****December 31, 2021***** edacious : (adjective) Characterized by voracity; devouring.; ravenous, voracious, wolfish, esurient, rapacious, ravening; The edacious vultures soon devoured the animal's remains. habitus : noun: 1. The physical characteristics of a person, especially as relating to disease. 2. The way someone of a particular social group perceives and responds to the world. ; "He suffered from sleep apnea and also without question his body habitus, his morphology, contributed to the problem." Warren J. Stucki; The Reluctant Carnivore; Sunstone Press; 2018. "Her customers were probably more interested in her numerous connections and great potentials than her habitus and unorthodox behavior." Charles Uzoaru; Trapped in Broad-Day Light; AuthorHouse; 2015. See more usage examples of habitus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most important discoveries will provide answers to questions that we do not yet know how to ask and will concern objects we have not yet imagined. -John N. Bahcall, astrophysicist (30 Dec 1934-2005) *****January 01, 2022***** decadence : (noun) A process, condition, or period of deterioration or decline, as in morals or art.; degeneracy, degradation; The art of the late 19th century was an expression of the decadence and immorality of the ruling class. eschatology : noun: The doctrine or the study of final or ultimate matters, such as, death, judgment, end of the world, etc. ; "And now climate change has given us an eschatology for reckoning with our guilt: coming soon, some hellishly overheated tomorrow, is Judgment Day." Jonathan Franzen; Carbon Capture; The New Yorker; Apr 6, 2015. See more usage examples of eschatology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954) *****January 02, 2022***** attrition : (noun) Erosion by friction.; corrasion, detrition, abrasion; The attrition of the stone stairway had occurred by centuries of foot traffic. eschatology : noun: The doctrine or the study of final or ultimate matters, such as, death, judgment, end of the world, etc. ; "And now climate change has given us an eschatology for reckoning with our guilt: coming soon, some hellishly overheated tomorrow, is Judgment Day." Jonathan Franzen; Carbon Capture; The New Yorker; Apr 6, 2015. See more usage examples of eschatology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954) *****January 03, 2022***** redolence : (noun) A pleasingly sweet olfactory property.; bouquet, fragrance; The moonlight and the redolence of flowers made the garden a romantic spot. eschatology : noun: The doctrine or the study of final or ultimate matters, such as, death, judgment, end of the world, etc. ; "And now climate change has given us an eschatology for reckoning with our guilt: coming soon, some hellishly overheated tomorrow, is Judgment Day." Jonathan Franzen; Carbon Capture; The New Yorker; Apr 6, 2015. See more usage examples of eschatology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An artist should never be a prisoner of himself, prisoner of style, prisoner of reputation, prisoner of success, etc. -Henri Matisse, artist (31 Dec 1869-1954) *****January 04, 2022***** prevaricate : (verb) To stray from or evade the truth; equivocate.; beat around the bush, palter, tergiversate; At the press conference, the politician continued to prevaricate on the issue rather than provide a direct answer. neoist : noun: One who favors or employs new ideas, styles, techniques, etc. adjective: Favoring new ideas, styles, techniques, etc. ; "When you are a neoist ... you pursue your art and let the rats fall where they may." Next a Sinking Ship; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 16, 1983. Thought For The Day: It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him. -J.R.R. Tolkien, novelist and philologist (3 Jan 1892-1973) *****January 05, 2022***** pedestrian : (adjective) Lacking in vitality, imagination, or distinction.; prosaic; His style is so pedestrian that the book is really boring. rounder : noun: A drunkard, idler, or self-indulgent person. ; "There are people on King Street, rounders and workers alike, moving briskly along the neat sidewalk." Bill Dunphy; Take Care in the Core; The Spectator (Hamilton, Canada); Jan 10, 2002. See more usage examples of rounder in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2022***** turpitude : (noun) A corrupt or depraved or degenerate act or practice.; depravity; Seeing the various turpitudes of modern society shook her faith in humanity. hotspur : noun: A rash, hotheaded person. adjective: Having a rash, hotheaded temperament. ; "He was a spirited child, claiming, 'I used to be a hotspur, though my mother eventually managed to curb my temper.'" Franciszek Macharski: Scholarly Archbishop of Krakow; The Times (London, UK); Aug 30, 2016. See more usage examples of hotspur in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We all live under the same sky, but we don't all have the same horizon. -Konrad Adenauer, statesman (5 Jan 1876-1967) *****January 07, 2022***** termagant : (noun) A quarrelsome, scolding woman.; shrew; His aunt was such a termagant that he dreaded her annual visit. blellum : noun: An idle, talkative person. ; "I have had the so-called 'pleasure' of yon Braid's company all afternoon, and I can honestly say I have rarely met a more pompous, self-important old blellum." Bruce Durie; The Murder of Young Tom Morris; Gath-Askelon Publishing; 2004. Thought For The Day: The lust for comfort murders the passions of the soul. -Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 08, 2022***** skimpy : (adjective) Containing little excess.; lean; When the car repairs maxed out my already skimpy budget, I knew my shopping days were over. pot-valiant : noun: A person displaying boldness or courage while drunk. adjective: Displaying bravado under the influence of alcohol. ; "You've knocked back a few, you're feeling pot-valiant." John Beck; Best Bets for Welcoming 2009; The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California); Dec 21, 2008. Thought For The Day: You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people. -Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995) *****January 09, 2022***** ecumenical : (adjective) Of worldwide scope or applicability.; universal; The movement against violence is intended to be an ecumenical one, applicable to all nations. pot-valiant : noun: A person displaying boldness or courage while drunk. adjective: Displaying bravado under the influence of alcohol. ; "You've knocked back a few, you're feeling pot-valiant." John Beck; Best Bets for Welcoming 2009; The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California); Dec 21, 2008. Thought For The Day: You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people. -Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995) *****January 10, 2022***** favored : (adjective) Preferred above all others and treated with partiality.; best-loved, pet, preferred, favorite; My sister is clearly the favored child—she has a later curfew and gets away with things I never could! pot-valiant : noun: A person displaying boldness or courage while drunk. adjective: Displaying bravado under the influence of alcohol. ; "You've knocked back a few, you're feeling pot-valiant." John Beck; Best Bets for Welcoming 2009; The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California); Dec 21, 2008. Thought For The Day: You cannot begin to preserve any species of animal unless you preserve the habitat in which it dwells. Disturb or destroy that habitat and you will exterminate the species as surely as if you had shot it. So conservation means that you have to preserve forest and grassland, river and lake, even the sea itself. This is not only vital for the preservation of animal life generally, but for the future existence of man himself -- a point that seems to escape many people. -Gerald Durrell, naturalist and author (7 Jan 1925-1995) *****January 11, 2022***** sumptuous : (adjective) Of a size or splendor suggesting great expense; lavish.; deluxe, opulent, princely, luxurious; The sumptuous homes of the wealthy were full of gilding and ornament. black swan : noun: 1. An unpredictable occurrence that has major consequences. 2. Something extremely rare. ; "'You'd better have plans for a black swan,' McGill's Moore said. 'Companies are going to think a lot more about risk. Boards need to ask themselves what they will do if something like COVID-19 happens again.'" Frédéric Tomesco; Quebec Inc.; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jun 27, 2020. "You're my black swan, Belle. I love you. And now things will never be the same for me." Sara Sheridan; Brighton Belle; Kensington Books; 2016. See more usage examples of black swan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth is the only merit that gives dignity and worth to history. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2022***** denigrate : (verb) To disparage; belittle.; derogate; He helped you a great deal on this project, so don't take all the credit and denigrate his influence. gowk : noun:1. A foolish person.  2. A cuckoo. verb tr.:To make a fool of or to stupefy. verb intr.:To stare foolishly. ; "You can find a gowk and send him off to get an unobtainable item (like striped paint or a one-ended stick)." The Original April Fools' Pranks; The Washington Post; Apr 1, 2007. "I don't doubt we all gowked at the girl as if she had been a two-headed calf." Michael Innes; Lament For A Maker; Orion; 1985. Thought For The Day: Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. -William James, psychologist (11 Jan 1842-1910) *****January 13, 2022***** undulate : (verb) To cause to move in a smooth wavelike motion.; roll; The singer undulated her hips to the rhythm of the song. lame duck : noun: 1. An elected official soon going to be out of office due to losing a re-election bid, not running again, or being ineligible to run again. 2. Something or someone weak, unsuccessful, ineffectual, disabled, helpless, etc. 3. Someone who cannot fulfill their contracts, especially one who has lost a great deal of money in stocks or other speculations. ; "'The country needs leadership not a lame duck PM who has lost the faith of his MPs and cabinet ... ,' Jenny Chapman said." Denis Staunton; Tory MPs Warn Johnson He Is Running Out of Friends; Irish Times (Dublin); Dec 20, 2021. See more usage examples of lame duck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 14, 2022***** enfeeble : (verb) To make weak; deprive of strength.; debilitate, drain; Although his age enfeebled him, he could still walk long distances without tiring. henpeck : verb tr.: To criticize, nag, pester, etc. in a persistent manner. ; "The idea was to use law enforcement officers to henpeck some of the local troublemakers so they'd move along and know they're being watched,' David Gray said." Christina Jedra; Smith to Ask for Cameras on 'Hot Spots'; Maryland Gazette (Glen Burnie); Oct 31, 2015. "'You don't have anyone to henpeck at home, so you're taking it out on me.' 'How do you know I don't have anyone to henpeck?' Marybeth asked him flippantly. 'I only said I wasn't married. Now, are you going to behave or not?'" Pamela Toth; A Warming Trend; Silhouette Books; 1992. See more usage examples of henpeck in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 15, 2022***** encomium : (noun) A formal expression of praise; a tribute.; eulogy, paean, panegyric; We stand humbled by his heroics, and cannot help feeling that this encomium is inadequate to extol his virtue. ostrichism : noun: The act or policy of refusing to face reality or unpleasant facts. ; "Deciding that ostrichism is the better part of valor, I keep my eyes closed." Adam Davies; Mine All Mine; Riverhead; 2008. Thought For The Day: We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 16, 2022***** disciple : (noun) One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.; adherent; An avowed disciple of Jonson and his classicism and a greater poet than Fletcher is Robert Herrick, who, indeed, after Shakespeare and Milton, is the finest lyric poet of these two centuries. ostrichism : noun: The act or policy of refusing to face reality or unpleasant facts. ; "Deciding that ostrichism is the better part of valor, I keep my eyes closed." Adam Davies; Mine All Mine; Riverhead; 2008. Thought For The Day: We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 17, 2022***** penurious : (adjective) Unwilling to spend money; stingy.; parsimonious; When solicited for a donation, the penurious man began to extend a nickel, but, thinking twice, withdrew it. ostrichism : noun: The act or policy of refusing to face reality or unpleasant facts. ; "Deciding that ostrichism is the better part of valor, I keep my eyes closed." Adam Davies; Mine All Mine; Riverhead; 2008. Thought For The Day: We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. -Albert Schweitzer, philosopher, physician, musician, Nobel laureate (14 Jan 1875-1965) *****January 18, 2022***** stentorian : (adjective) Extremely loud.; booming; He was woken by the stentorian voice of his teacher, demanding to know why he wasn't paying attention. mitzvah : noun: 1. A good deed. 2. A duty, obligation, or commandment. ; "There are three sorts of reaction to the commutation of [Chelsea Manning's] jail term. First, there are those who say that what she did was a mitzvah to the world, that she should never have been tried but instead given a citation of thanks, a pension and a condo near Venice Beach." David Aaronovitch; America's Might Lies in the Power to Forgive: Obama's Decision to Commute the Sentence of the WikiLeaks Whistleblower Is a Sign of Moral Strength, Not Weakness; The Times (London, UK); Jan 19, 2017. See more usage examples of mitzvah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fatigue is the best pillow. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2022***** upshot : (noun) The final outcome.; conclusion, result; The upshot of the disagreement was that they broke up the partnership. cherub : noun: A person, especially a child, with a sweet innocent appearance. ; "Can a baby be born bad? Or does poor parenting explain why the cherub has grown up to become a psychopath?" Medical Diagnosis of Malfeasance; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 2, 2011. See more usage examples of cherub in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If triangles had a God, he would have three sides. -Charles de Montesquieu, philosopher and writer (18 Jan 1689-1755) *****January 20, 2022***** idiosyncrasy : (noun) A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.; peculiarity; Of all her idiosyncrasies, I find her tendency to dance while cooking the most charming. tzedakah or zedakah : noun: Charitable giving or charity, especially when seen as a moral obligation. ; "A homeless man sat with his knees drawn up in front of him. A little girl leaned against him, clutching a scrap of blanket. I steered over to them and dropped a dollar in his cup. Some might see it as extravagant for tzedakah, but Nathaniel and I could have been them." Mary Robinette Kowal; The Calculating Stars; Tom Doherty Associates; 2018. Thought For The Day: Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night. -Edgar Allan Poe, poet and short-story writer (19 Jan 1809-1849) *****January 21, 2022***** wizened : (adjective) Lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.; shrunken, withered, shriveled; The wizened face of the man of law was twisted into a wrinkled smile. shekel or sheqel : noun: 1. Money; wealth; cash. 2. A monetary unit of Israel. ; "'Boys and girls,' the air hostess goes, 'we have arrived in Rovaniemi, Lapland -- home of Santa Claus!' There's, like, an excited cheer from everyone on-board, except my children, of course. Leo shouts, 'Santa's not real!', which is obviously not what the other kids want to hear. Or their parents, who have handed over serious shekels for this Christmas in the North Pole Adventure." Ross O'Carroll-Kelly; Santa's Gaff Is a Seriously Impressive Pile; Irish Times (Dublin); Nov 27, 2021. See more usage examples of shekel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Don't get so tolerant that you tolerate intolerance. -Bill Maher, comedian, actor, and writer (b. 20 Jan 1956) *****January 22, 2022***** vitreous : (adjective) Of, relating to, resembling, or having the nature of glass.; glassy; The lake was so calm it looked vitreous in the pre-dawn light. Sabbath : noun: 1. A day of the week observed as a day of rest. 2. A period of rest. 3. A meeting of witches and sorcerers (typically spelled as sabbat). ; "He had been careful not to schedule anything for this day; a day of Sabbath." James T. Elder; Along the Road; WestBow Press; 2012. "We find ourselves in a sabbath of barely clad witches with loosened hair and sharp bamboo canes that they thump loudly on the ground while they jab their toes into the floor like percussive instruments rhythmically beating against the music's wailing." Jennifer Homans; Border Crossing; The New Yorker; Apr 22, 2019. See more usage examples of sabbath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In those parts of the world where learning and science have prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue. -Ethan Allen, revolutionary (21 Jan 1738-1789) *****January 23, 2022***** vacuous : (adjective) Devoid of intelligence.; asinine, fatuous, inane, mindless; The interviewer could tell by the candidate's vacuous comments that he was not qualified for the position. Sabbath : noun: 1. A day of the week observed as a day of rest. 2. A period of rest. 3. A meeting of witches and sorcerers (typically spelled as sabbat). ; "He had been careful not to schedule anything for this day; a day of Sabbath." James T. Elder; Along the Road; WestBow Press; 2012. "We find ourselves in a sabbath of barely clad witches with loosened hair and sharp bamboo canes that they thump loudly on the ground while they jab their toes into the floor like percussive instruments rhythmically beating against the music's wailing." Jennifer Homans; Border Crossing; The New Yorker; Apr 22, 2019. See more usage examples of sabbath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In those parts of the world where learning and science have prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue. -Ethan Allen, revolutionary (21 Jan 1738-1789) *****January 24, 2022***** vendetta : (noun) A feud between two families or clans that arises out of a slaying and is perpetuated by retaliatory acts of revenge.; blood feud; No one remembers how the vendetta between the families began, but it will only end when the desire for revenge is not heeded. Sabbath : noun: 1. A day of the week observed as a day of rest. 2. A period of rest. 3. A meeting of witches and sorcerers (typically spelled as sabbat). ; "He had been careful not to schedule anything for this day; a day of Sabbath." James T. Elder; Along the Road; WestBow Press; 2012. "We find ourselves in a sabbath of barely clad witches with loosened hair and sharp bamboo canes that they thump loudly on the ground while they jab their toes into the floor like percussive instruments rhythmically beating against the music's wailing." Jennifer Homans; Border Crossing; The New Yorker; Apr 22, 2019. See more usage examples of sabbath in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In those parts of the world where learning and science have prevailed, miracles have ceased; but in those parts of it as are barbarous and ignorant, miracles are still in vogue. -Ethan Allen, revolutionary (21 Jan 1738-1789) *****January 25, 2022***** umbrage : (noun) A feeling of anger caused by being offended.; offense; I had tried to phrase it politely, but he still took umbrage at my question. wrongous : adjective: Unfair, lacking propriety, illegal, etc. ; "Partner Gerald Cunningham issued the following statement to The Times: '... medical evidence of physical and or psychological and or mental injury as a result of substantiated wrongous actions on the part of Nuns of the Order and staff ...'" Anna Blundy; Holy Terrors; The Times (London, UK); Jan 24, 1998. "As such, to reject or deny her right would be wrongous, it was decided." Nigel Tranter; Marchman; Hodder & Stoughton; 2012. Thought For The Day: As the pain that can be told is but half a pain, so the pity that questions has little healing in its touch. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1862-1937) *****January 26, 2022***** circumspect : (adjective) Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent.; discreet; Because the drug was shown to have adverse side effects, physicians are now more circumspect about recommending its use. eupnea : noun: Normal breathing. ; "She sighed, watching the condensation of her eupnea collect in the air like a puff of smoke from a pipe." Matt Bronleewe; House of Wolves; Thomas Nelson; 2008. See more usage examples of eupnea in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant, and kind. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2022***** vitiate : (verb) To corrupt morally; debase.; debauch, deprave, pervert; Ten minutes with these ruffians would vitiate the most honorable gentlemen. postposition : noun: 1. The placing of something after another. 2. Something placed in this manner, especially a word or an element placed after another. ; "What did Nazareth know? Thousands of verb endings. Tens of thousands of postpositions. She wanted to know what other women knew, and she had set about closing the gap." Suzette Haden Elgin; The Judas Rose; DAW; 1987. See more usage examples of postposition in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, TV host, actor, and writer (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2022***** odious : (adjective) Arousing or meriting strong dislike, aversion, or intense displeasure.; abominable, detestable, execrable; Pray do not talk of that odious man. apocryphal : adjective: 1. Of dubious authorship or authenticity. 2. False; erroneous; fictitious. ; "The stories, so richly portrayed in so many Byzantine churches, about Mary's birth to Joachim and Anna ... are not found in canonical scripture, but in the apocryphal Book of James." Geoffrey Rowell; How the Age of Reason Yielded to the Allure of Divine Mystery; The Times (London, UK); Sep 6, 2003. "The title 'When Pigs Fly' refers to an (apocryphal or not, you decide) episode in the late Crabtree's youth when a guidance counselor likened his chances of succeeding in show business to the likelihood of flying swine." Leah B. Green; Scaled-Down "Pigs" Proves That Size Doesn't Matter; The Seattle Times; Mar 4, 2005. See more usage examples of apocryphal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I will remember that what has brought us up from savagery is a loyalty to truth, and truth cannot emerge unless it is subjected to the utmost scrutiny -- will you not agree that a society which has lost sight of that, cannot survive? -Learned Hand, jurist (27 Jan 1872-1961) *****January 29, 2022***** surfeit : (noun) An excessive amount.; overabundance, excess; The surfeit of goods produced caused prices to fall, hurting the economy. anergy : noun: 1. Lack of energy. 2. The lack of an immune response to a foreign substance. ; "The girl wondered if the man did not have the ability to react to the skin test because of anergy or inactivity of his immune system." William Lynes; 606 University; iUniverse; 2016. See more usage examples of anergy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 30, 2022***** squalor : (noun) A filthy and wretched condition or quality.; sordidness, squalidness; The squalor in which the refugees lived alarmed the aid workers, who knew they had to work quickly to improve these conditions. anergy : noun: 1. Lack of energy. 2. The lack of an immune response to a foreign substance. ; "The girl wondered if the man did not have the ability to react to the skin test because of anergy or inactivity of his immune system." William Lynes; 606 University; iUniverse; 2016. See more usage examples of anergy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****January 31, 2022***** travail : (noun) Work, especially when arduous or involving painful effort.; effort, exertion, labor, toil; She deserved to take a vacation after her long travail. anergy : noun: 1. Lack of energy. 2. The lack of an immune response to a foreign substance. ; "The girl wondered if the man did not have the ability to react to the skin test because of anergy or inactivity of his immune system." William Lynes; 606 University; iUniverse; 2016. See more usage examples of anergy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. -Colette, author (28 Jan 1873-1954) *****February 01, 2022***** equanimity : (noun) The quality of being calm and even-tempered.; calmness, composure; Because she was prepared for the news, she was able to respond with equanimity. waffle : noun: A crisp cake made by baking batter in an appliance with a gridlike pattern. ; "Patrons had paid up to $1875 to hear the big man one last time. [Pavarotti] had been contracted to sing two performances of 'Tosca'; he arrived in New York, sang the dress rehearsal, and came down with what was described as 'influenza'. On both nights, he waffled, said no, said yes, then cancelled shortly before the curtain went up." Alex Ross; Journey's End; The New Yorker; May 27, 2002. "Brexit was always a bundle of contradictions held together by a shared hostility to the EU and a vague optimism about freedom. Mr [Boris] Johnson's taste for waffle and fudge made him the perfect leader of the movement as long as it was about protest." Tidying Boris Up; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 5, 2020. See more usage examples of waffle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victor over anger, to smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts, to hate hate and to love love, to go on when it would seem good to die, to seek ever after the glory and the dream, to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be, that is what any man can do, and so be great. -Zane Grey, author (31 Jan 1872-1939) *****February 02, 2022***** sedulous : (adjective) Persevering and constant in effort or application.; assiduous; Her sedulous efforts to learn French eventually enabled her to become almost fluent. taw : verb intr.:To shoot a marble. noun:1. A large marble used as a shooter.  2. A line from which the players shoot marbles. ; "And your marbles ain't tawed." Don Pirata; Cark and Moil; iUniverse; 2000. "My grandfather tawed my baseball glove. I was the only kid on the diamond with a white glove, but I didn't mind because it was so darn soft." Lisa Diane Kastner (ed.); Running Wild; Running Wild Press; 2017. See more usage examples of taw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I tire so of hearing people say, / Let things take their course. / Tomorrow is another day. / I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. / I cannot live on tomorrow's bread. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2022***** fatuous : (adjective) Foolish or silly, especially in a smug or self-satisfied way.; asinine; He made these fatuous pronouncements with such conviction that no one dared to contradict him. chum : noun:1. A close friend.  2. A roommate. verb intr.:1. To be a close friend or to be friendly.  2. To share a room, especially in a dormitory at a school or college. ; "And once you've chummed up with your God, you'll never be alone again, poor you. For that's the end of you. You and your God chumming it through time and eternity." D.H. Lawrence; Kangaroo; Martin Secker; 1923. "If he could be manipulated into doing something useful, then so be it. With the water sufficiently chummed, she then sat back, kept her mouth shut, and watched to see if he'd bite." Brad Thor; The Athena Project; Atria Books; 2010. See more usage examples of chum in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Jobs are like going to church: it's nice once or twice a year to sing along and eat something and all that, but unless you really believe there's something holy going on, it gets to be a drag going in every single week. -Thomas Michael Disch, science fiction author and poet (2 Feb 1940-2008) *****February 04, 2022***** incendiary : (adjective) Arousing to action or rebellion.; inflammatory, incitive, instigative, rabble-rousing, seditious; The incendiary remarks in the pamphlet spurred the villagers to revolt. marl : noun:1. An earthy deposit containing clay and lime.  2. Earth. verb tr.:To fertilize with marl. ; "She dug her fingers and toes into the soft marl trying to haul her body out, but her foot slipped, and she slithered further down." Jackie Ladbury; The Potter's Daughter; Ruby Fiction; 2019. "Trixie was dressed in grey marl leggings and a loose pink T-shirt." Celina Grace; Chimera; CreateSpace; 2015. See more usage examples of marl in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 05, 2022***** fissure : (noun) A long narrow opening.; crevice, crack, cleft; In a narrow little fissure, just within reach of my forefinger, I felt the chain. grouse : verb intr.: To complain or to grumble. noun: A complaint. ; "'Woman up,' Sebille groused. 'It's just a little scuff.'" Sam Cheever; Turtle Croakies; Electric Prose; 2020. "All in all the show [Books That Made Us] can be summed up as, 'Books are grouse'." Your Week on Free TV; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 22, 2021. See more usage examples of grouse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate. -E.J. Pratt, poet (4 Feb 1882-1964) *****February 06, 2022***** lascivious : (adjective) Given to or expressing lust; lecherous.; libidinous, lustful, lewd; Frustrated by his constant lascivious comments, she decided to report him to the supervisor. grouse : verb intr.: To complain or to grumble. noun: A complaint. ; "'Woman up,' Sebille groused. 'It's just a little scuff.'" Sam Cheever; Turtle Croakies; Electric Prose; 2020. "All in all the show [Books That Made Us] can be summed up as, 'Books are grouse'." Your Week on Free TV; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 22, 2021. See more usage examples of grouse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate. -E.J. Pratt, poet (4 Feb 1882-1964) *****February 07, 2022***** denizen : (noun) An inhabitant; a resident.; dweller; I wandered through the empty streets, looking for a single denizen of this hamlet, but found not one. grouse : verb intr.: To complain or to grumble. noun: A complaint. ; "'Woman up,' Sebille groused. 'It's just a little scuff.'" Sam Cheever; Turtle Croakies; Electric Prose; 2020. "All in all the show [Books That Made Us] can be summed up as, 'Books are grouse'." Your Week on Free TV; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 22, 2021. See more usage examples of grouse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The mark of the educated man is not in his boast that he has built his mountain of facts and stood on the top of it, but in his admission that there may be other peaks in the same range with men on the top of them, and that, though their views of the landscape may be different from his, they are nonetheless legitimate. -E.J. Pratt, poet (4 Feb 1882-1964) *****February 08, 2022***** debacle : (noun) A sudden, disastrous collapse, downfall, or defeat; a rout.; fiasco; The team had had high hopes before the debacle of their final game, in which they did not manage to score any points. cacoethes : noun: An irresistible urge to do something, especially something inadvisable. ; "[Evan Knapp] evokes the youthful state of being 'teenager know-it-all strong', driven by cacoethes." Evan Knapp; Where There Is Movement; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Feb 1, 2020. "He had a cacoethes for coining neologisms." Anand Bose; Ghazals of A Pen; BookRix; 2020. See more usage examples of cacoethes in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. -Charles Dickens, novelist (7 Feb 1812-1870) *****February 09, 2022***** carouse : (verb) To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking.; roister; They were so happy to be finished with exams that they continued to carouse until morning, when the bartender finally asked them to leave. refoulement : noun: The forcing of refugees or asylum seekers to return to a place where they are likely to face persecution. ; "[Jennifer] Harbury, who is sixty-six, has made a career of challenging alleged abuses of immigrants, including refoulements. She grew up in Connecticut and California, in a family that had fled Nazi persecution in Holland during the Second World War." Sarah Stillman; No Refuge; The New Yorker; Jan 15, 2018. Thought For The Day: Every increased possession loads us with new weariness. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2022***** pedagogy : (noun) The art or profession of teaching.; instruction; The true aim of pedagogy is ensuring that students learn how to learn. memetic : adjective: Relating to memes. ; "In Nov 2016, members of the 4chan community announced: 'We actually elected a meme as president.' ... [They] had channelled their combined memetic attacks to help elect a reality TV star to the highest office in the land. The nihilistic memes of Clown World had manifested in reality." Brian McGleenon; It's a Doge-Eat-Doge World; The Independent (London, UK); Jan 13, 2022. Thought For The Day: The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for whites or women for men. -Alice Walker, poet and novelist (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 11, 2022***** lackadaisical : (adjective) Lacking spirit, liveliness, or interest.; languid, languorous, dreamy; In spite of his lackadaisical manner, he has moments of energy that would surprise you. bimarian : adjective: Relating to two seas. ; "The morning after the bimarian flight home ..." Morgan Benson; The Mating Rituals of the Burning Giraffe; Xlibris; 2010. Thought For The Day: What is laid down, ordered, factual is never enough to embrace the whole truth: life always spills over the rim of every cup. -Boris Pasternak, poet, novelist, Nobel laureate (10 Feb 1890-1960) *****February 12, 2022***** insouciant : (adjective) Marked by blithe unconcern.; casual, nonchalant; He showed an insouciant disregard for cold weather, wearing only a T-shirt in the show. graphomania : noun: An obsessive inclination to write. ; "He was one of the least prolific painters of his era. In 40 years, he completed, at most, 15 paintings and left much work -- including the 'Mona Lisa' -- deliberately unfinished. In contrast, a kind of graphomania seemed to seize him. By some counts, the notebooks run to 16,000 pages -- only a fraction of which have been viewed." Parul Sehgal; What Made Leonardo Such a Great Artist? Science, Says A New Book; The New York Times; Dec 14, 2020. Thought For The Day: We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind, and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (11 Feb 1847-1931) *****February 13, 2022***** cogitate : (verb) To take careful thought or think carefully about; ponder.; cerebrate; You must earnestly cogitate before making this decision, and not simply flip a coin. graphomania : noun: An obsessive inclination to write. ; "He was one of the least prolific painters of his era. In 40 years, he completed, at most, 15 paintings and left much work -- including the 'Mona Lisa' -- deliberately unfinished. In contrast, a kind of graphomania seemed to seize him. By some counts, the notebooks run to 16,000 pages -- only a fraction of which have been viewed." Parul Sehgal; What Made Leonardo Such a Great Artist? Science, Says A New Book; The New York Times; Dec 14, 2020. Thought For The Day: We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind, and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (11 Feb 1847-1931) [See this discussion.] *****February 14, 2022***** occlude : (verb) To cause to become closed.; obturate, impede, obstruct, jam, block; The excess inventory had occluded the exit, and was deemed a hazard by the safety inspector. graphomania : noun: An obsessive inclination to write. ; "He was one of the least prolific painters of his era. In 40 years, he completed, at most, 15 paintings and left much work -- including the 'Mona Lisa' -- deliberately unfinished. In contrast, a kind of graphomania seemed to seize him. By some counts, the notebooks run to 16,000 pages -- only a fraction of which have been viewed." Parul Sehgal; What Made Leonardo Such a Great Artist? Science, Says A New Book; The New York Times; Dec 14, 2020. Thought For The Day: We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind, and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (11 Feb 1847-1931) [See this discussion.] *****February 15, 2022***** palaver : (noun) Talk intended to charm or beguile.; blandishment, cajolery; Then she would pounce upon me with a lot of that drivelling poodle palaver and kiss me on the nose—but what could I do? aphrodite : noun: A beautiful woman. ; "An aphrodite doesn't use her skill for unfair gain. It has therapeutic applications." Poul Anderson; The Rebel Worlds; New American Library; 1969. See more usage examples of aphrodite in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For one human being to love another: that is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the last test and proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation. -Rainer Maria Rilke, poet and novelist (4 Dec 1875-1926) *****February 16, 2022***** paucity : (noun) Smallness of number; fewness.; dearth; Despite the paucity of natural resources, the country was able to develop its industry. titanism : noun: A spirit of nonconformity, rebelliousness, or revolt, against authority, convention, etc. ; "But this means that man's work must be purified of titanism, of self-will, of aspirations to self-assertion and power." Thomas Merton; Seasons of Celebration; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 1965. See more usage examples of titanism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (b. 15 Feb 1945) *****February 17, 2022***** perfidy : (noun) Deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust.; treachery, betrayal, treason; Discovering that he had sold her confidences to the tabloids, she was outraged at his perfidy. boreal : adjective: Northern; relating to the north, north wind, northern regions, etc. ; "'Bruised Lands' is a compendium of human violence against the natural landscape. From the boreal forests in Northern Alberta -- destroyed by the oil sands industry -- to lignite surface mining in Westphalia, Alan Gignoux photographs the raised welts and deep, enduring scars we've left on the Earth." Snapshot; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 30, 2021. See more usage examples of boreal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: They know enough who know how to learn. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 18, 2022***** prattle : (verb) To talk or chatter idly or meaninglessly.; blabber, piffle, gabble, prate; The group of tourists on the plane wouldn't stop talking, and I fell asleep listening to them prattle. vulcanize : verb tr.: To harden or improve, for example, rubber by application of sulfur and heat. verb intr.: To become hardened. ; "These vulcanized hearts, they only become more resistant when you ask for mercy." Saul Bellow; Humboldt's Gift; Viking; 1975. See more usage examples of vulcanize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we would only give, just once, the same amount of reflection to what we want to get out of life that we give to the question of what to do with a two weeks' vacation, we would be startled at our false standards and the aimless procession of our busy days. -Dorothy Canfield Fisher, author, reformer, and activist (17 Feb 1879-1958) *****February 19, 2022***** polemic : (noun) A controversial argument, especially one refuting or attacking a specific opinion or doctrine.; tirade, diatribe; He launched into the polemic, not caring whom he offended or won over, intent only on getting his point across. gorgonize : verb tr.: To paralyze, petrify, or hypnotize. ; "She'd nearly gorgonized him. He shuddered and drained his glass." James P. Blaylock; The Last Coin; Ace; 1988. Thought For The Day: It seems that for success, in science or art, a dash of autism is essential. For success the necessary ingredients may be an ability to turn away from the everyday world, from the simple practical, an ability to rethink a subject with originality so as to create in new untrodden ways. -Hans Asperger, physician (18 Feb 1906-1980) *****February 20, 2022***** besmirch : (verb) Charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone.; asperse, calumniate, defame, slander, denigrate, sully, smear; She denied everything the tabloids wrote about her, stating that they were only trying to besmirch her reputation. gorgonize : verb tr.: To paralyze, petrify, or hypnotize. ; "She'd nearly gorgonized him. He shuddered and drained his glass." James P. Blaylock; The Last Coin; Ace; 1988. Thought For The Day: It seems that for success, in science or art, a dash of autism is essential. For success the necessary ingredients may be an ability to turn away from the everyday world, from the simple practical, an ability to rethink a subject with originality so as to create in new untrodden ways. -Hans Asperger, physician (18 Feb 1906-1980) *****February 21, 2022***** mollify : (verb) To calm in temper or feeling; soothe.; appease, assuage, conciliate, pacify, placate; She was so outraged that nothing her friends said could mollify her anger. gorgonize : verb tr.: To paralyze, petrify, or hypnotize. ; "She'd nearly gorgonized him. He shuddered and drained his glass." James P. Blaylock; The Last Coin; Ace; 1988. Thought For The Day: It seems that for success, in science or art, a dash of autism is essential. For success the necessary ingredients may be an ability to turn away from the everyday world, from the simple practical, an ability to rethink a subject with originality so as to create in new untrodden ways. -Hans Asperger, physician (18 Feb 1906-1980) *****February 22, 2022***** nascent : (adjective) Coming into existence; emerging.; beginning; The nascent republic had to formulate its laws while continuing its war for independence. Sehnsucht : noun: Yearning or longing. ; "On Christmas morning 1868, it came to me, my new Sehnsucht. I suspect it was the aroma of baked bread." Jane Kirkpatrick; A Mending at the Edge; WaterBrook; 2008. Thought For The Day: The secret of joy is the mastery of pain. -Anais Nin, writer (21 Feb 1903-1977) *****February 23, 2022***** nostrum : (noun) Hypothetical remedy for all ills or diseases.; cure-all, panacea, catholicon; Stay healthy, for science is no closer to a nostrum than alchemy was. lei : noun: A garland, typically made of flowers, or leaves, shells, nuts, feathers, etc. ; "Jade put a lei around Jett's neck." Lynne Westwood; The Fabulous Snobby Cats of Heavenly Hills; Tate; 2007. See more usage examples of lei in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (22 Feb 1788-1860) *****February 24, 2022***** maudlin : (adjective) Effusively or tearfully sentimental.; bathetic, mawkish, schmaltzy, mushy; When the farewells were in danger of becoming maudlin, he judged that it was time to leave. verstehen : noun: The use of empathy in understanding human actions and behavior, especially in interpreting sociological or historical events. ; "As a statistician, she had no background or interest in verstehen, and Waldemar had little interest in her." Werner Cohn; Early Companions; iUniverse; 2005. Thought For The Day: Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013) *****February 25, 2022***** laggard : (noun) Someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind.; dawdler, trailer, poke; He was such a laggard that his friends were already paying the bill by the time he reached the café. kapu : noun: Taboo. ; "I haven't explored deeply into the caverns as they are considered kapu." Kristie Clark; Dragon Clan; Delphi; 2021. Thought For The Day: We're here to put a dent in the universe. -Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (24 Feb 1955-2011) *****February 26, 2022***** languid : (adjective) Lacking energy or vitality; weak.; lackadaisical, languorous; He gave a languid wave of the hand to signify his indifference. wissenschaft : noun: Knowledge, learning, and science or their systematic pursuit. ; "Philosophy and literature are well and good, but perhaps a little Wissenschaft along the way would not be amiss." Ellen Vanstone; Mom's the Word; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Aug 6, 2016. Thought For The Day: I look at the world and I notice it's turning / While my guitar gently weeps / With every mistake we must surely be learning / Still my guitar gently weeps. -George Harrison, singer-songwriter (25 Feb 1943-2001) *****February 27, 2022***** clemency : (noun) A disposition to show mercy, especially toward an offender or enemy.; mercy; He was willing to show clemency, promising not to report the theft if his property was returned. wissenschaft : noun: Knowledge, learning, and science or their systematic pursuit. ; "Philosophy and literature are well and good, but perhaps a little Wissenschaft along the way would not be amiss." Ellen Vanstone; Mom's the Word; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Aug 6, 2016. Thought For The Day: I look at the world and I notice it's turning / While my guitar gently weeps / With every mistake we must surely be learning / Still my guitar gently weeps. -George Harrison, singer-songwriter (25 Feb 1943-2001) *****February 28, 2022***** blandishment : (noun) Flattery intended to persuade.; cajolery, palaver; Not even his favorite daughter's blandishment could persuade him to submit to her whims. wissenschaft : noun: Knowledge, learning, and science or their systematic pursuit. ; "Philosophy and literature are well and good, but perhaps a little Wissenschaft along the way would not be amiss." Ellen Vanstone; Mom's the Word; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Aug 6, 2016. Thought For The Day: I look at the world and I notice it's turning / While my guitar gently weeps / With every mistake we must surely be learning / Still my guitar gently weeps. -George Harrison, singer-songwriter (25 Feb 1943-2001) *****March 01, 2022***** petulant : (adjective) Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered.; peevish, testy, cranky, fractious; After their fight, her friend came to make amends, but she was feeling petulant and sulky and ignored him. palmate : adjective: Shaped like a hand with the fingers spread. ; "And over the slabs lay a mantle Of fallen palmate leaves -- The bodiless hands of autumn With nothing up their sleeves." Geoffrey Brock; Forever Street; Poetry (Chicago, Illinois); Aug 2004. See more usage examples of palmate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Not being able to govern events, I govern myself. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 02, 2022***** antecedent : (noun) Anything that precedes something similar in time.; forerunner; This era is one of heedless consumption, but perhaps you can blame that on its antecedent. two-fisted : adjective: 1. Tough; aggressive. 2. Energetic; enthusiastic. 3. Using both hands. ; "So why would any red-blooded, two-fisted guy hesitate to bubble up?" Jim Beckerman; It's Time Men Discover Bubble Baths, Says Wayne Entrepreneur; The Poughkeepsie Journal (New York); Dec 8, 2020. "Ms. Kelton is a two-fisted writer and there is a lot to like in her rousing call to action." Ian McGugan; Is Modern Monetary Theory Revolutionary or Imaginary?; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Sep 19, 2020. Thought For The Day: Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art. -Frederic Chopin, pianist and composer (1 Mar 1810-1849) *****March 03, 2022***** temerity : (noun) Foolhardy disregard of danger; recklessness.; audaciousness, audacity; Everyone was shocked at her temerity in addressing the king in such a manner. pugilism : noun: The hobby or sport of fighting with fists: boxing. ; "Scott Morrison is not a natural diplomat, preferring the pugilism of domestic politics over the international stage." Ben Packham; Joe Blow to Leave Lingering Bruise; The Australian (Canberra); Nov 2, 2021. See more usage examples of pugilism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not. -Dr. Seuss, author and illustrator (2 Mar 1904-1991) *****March 04, 2022***** affront : (noun) A deliberately offensive act or something producing the effect of deliberate disrespect.; insult; Your deliberate implication that I stole the money is an affront to my character. cack-handed : adjective: 1. Clumsy; awkward. 2. Left-handed. ; "One of the all-time-great corporate emails was sent several years ago, by a manager at Shell to pep up a team of oil engineers on a project in the far east of Russia. 'Personally, I, like most others, love winning,' he raved. 'I despise cowards and play to win all of the time.' ... Copying from the army is seldom so cack-handed, but the idea that managers have lessons to learn from uniformed types persists." Into Battle They Don't Go; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 30, 2021. "'I'm the cack-handed one.' Her giggle was one of nervousness. She held up her left hand. 'I had it tied behind me back at school when I was wee.'" Patrick Taylor; An Irish Country Practice; Tom Doherty Associates; 2017. Thought For The Day: Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus. -Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922) *****March 05, 2022***** captious : (adjective) Marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults.; faultfinding; She found the new professor to be captious, marking all the grammatical errors in her essays while ignoring the points she had tried to make. manuduction : noun: 1. The act of guiding, leading, or introducing. 2. Something that guides, leads, or introduces. ; "Steered now by Aunt Lily's gentle hold of her hand ... Shasta genially accepted after a short while of the aunt's fickle manuduction." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford; 2009. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 06, 2022***** baneful : (adjective) Causing harm, ruin, or death; harmful.; pernicious, pestilent, deadly; He instructed him in the poisonous qualities of arsenic, and furnished him with an ample supply of that baneful drug. manuduction : noun: 1. The act of guiding, leading, or introducing. 2. Something that guides, leads, or introduces. ; "Steered now by Aunt Lily's gentle hold of her hand ... Shasta genially accepted after a short while of the aunt's fickle manuduction." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford; 2009. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 07, 2022***** apropos : (adjective) Being at once opportune and to the point.; relevant, timely; His book about safe investment, published right before the stock market crash, was more apropos than he expected. manuduction : noun: 1. The act of guiding, leading, or introducing. 2. Something that guides, leads, or introduces. ; "Steered now by Aunt Lily's gentle hold of her hand ... Shasta genially accepted after a short while of the aunt's fickle manuduction." William Penn; Love in the Time of Flowers; Trafford; 2009. Thought For The Day: It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years to make the stars and planets, but five billion years to make man! -George Gamow, physicist and cosmologist (4 Mar 1904-1968) *****March 08, 2022***** apprise : (verb) To give notice to; inform.; notify, advise; During the drive home from the airport, they had time to apprise her of everything that had changed since she had been gone. aphrodisiac : noun: Something, such as a food or drug, that increases sexual desire. adjective: Arousing sexual desire. ; "Writing gave [Jackie Collins] a power like no one else's, the ultimate aphrodisiac." Hollywood Undressed; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 26, 2015. "'Everything I do at Lyon Broadcasting makes me very, very happy.' 'Ah.' He nodded. 'Success is your aphrodisiac, I guess.'" Roz Denny Fox; The Lyon Legacy; Harlequin; 2011. See more usage examples of aphrodisiac in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2022***** sanguine : (adjective) Of a healthy reddish color.; rubicund, ruddy; He had a sanguine complexion that was matched by his cheerful outlook. titanic : adjective: 1. Of great power, strength, size, etc. 2. Relating to or made of the element titanium. ; "Show business lost a titanic talent in composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim." Joseph P. Kahn; A Wistful Farewell to the Notables Who Left Us in 2021; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 1, 2022. See more usage examples of titanic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A page of history is worth a volume of logic. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) *****March 10, 2022***** amatory : (adjective) Of, relating to, or expressive of love, especially sexual love.; amorous, romantic; She showed her friends the stack of old love letters and read them excerpts from the couple's amatory correspondence. borasco : noun: 1. A sudden violent gust of wind, typically accompanied by rain, snow, or sleet. Also known as a squall. 2. A bad spell; something unproductive, especially a mine (the opposite of bonanza). ; "There was a borasco of shouts and bootfalls." Gary Barwin; Yiddish for Pirates; Random House; 2016. "Ten minutes later, they both climbed weakly off the bed and dressed. Amy looked over at Dan and said, 'I hope this eases your disappointment in the mine.' 'It does,' he said. 'No matter that I struck borrasca once again. Amy, you are my real pot of gold.'" Wesley Ellis; Lone Star and the Nevada Gold; Jove; 1994. Thought For The Day: Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it! -Yuri Gagarin, first human in space (9 Mar 1934-1968) *****March 11, 2022***** meretricious : (adjective) Attracting attention in a vulgar manner.; flashy, garish, gaudy, tawdry, trashy, tacky; The town's tasteful welcome sign was replaced with a meretricious monstrosity, a blinking neon tower. vulcanic : adjective: 1. Relating to volcanoes. 2. Fiery; explosive; full of anger, energy, etc. ; "The Nicoletta story coincided with another provocatory, headline-grabbing move by the vulcanic Luciano Gaucci." Paddy Agnew; She Can Bend It Like Baggio But She Can't Bend the Rules; Irish Times (Dublin); Nov 15, 2003. Thought For The Day: The basis of all animal rights should be the Golden Rule -- we should treat them as we would wish them to treat us were any other species in our dominant position. -Christine Stevens, activist and conservationist (10 Mar 1918-2002) *****March 12, 2022***** bravado : (noun) Defiant or swaggering behavior.; bluster; In a moment it was hand-to-hand fighting, and Trent was cursing already the bravado which had brought him out to the open. gorgonian : adjective: Terrible; repulsive. noun: Any of various corals having a hard, treelike skeleton. ; "Or had that long, highpitched, inhuman cry been real? A gorgonian scream out in the hills, echoing off the unseen moons?" Anthony Huso; The Last Page; Tom Doherty; 2010. See more usage examples of gorgonian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2022***** bolster : (verb) To buoy up or hearten.; boost; Visitors bolstered the patient's morale. gorgonian : adjective: Terrible; repulsive. noun: Any of various corals having a hard, treelike skeleton. ; "Or had that long, highpitched, inhuman cry been real? A gorgonian scream out in the hills, echoing off the unseen moons?" Anthony Huso; The Last Page; Tom Doherty; 2010. See more usage examples of gorgonian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 14, 2022***** bombast : (noun) Grandiloquent, pompous speech or writing.; claptrap, fustian; He found that he could look back upon the brass and bombast of his earlier gospels and see them truly. gorgonian : adjective: Terrible; repulsive. noun: Any of various corals having a hard, treelike skeleton. ; "Or had that long, highpitched, inhuman cry been real? A gorgonian scream out in the hills, echoing off the unseen moons?" Anthony Huso; The Last Page; Tom Doherty; 2010. See more usage examples of gorgonian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are not an endangered species ourselves yet, but this is not for lack of trying. -Douglas Adams, author (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 15, 2022***** doggerel : (noun) Crudely or irregularly fashioned verse, often of a humorous or burlesque nature.; jingle; I want the man I love and honor to be something finer and higher than a perpetrator of jokes and doggerel. antre : noun: A cave, cavern, cavity, etc. ; "And they mortar'd up the antre's opening." Aleksis Kivi (translation: Douglas Robinson); The Brothers Seven; Zeta Books; 2017. Thought For The Day: The ideals which have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2022***** foretoken : (noun) An event that is experienced as indicating important things to come.; augury, preindication, sign; He refused to think that the rain was a foretoken of gloom for his date that night. reeve : verb tr.: To pass (a rope or the like) through. noun: A local official. ; "Bill and his crew were reeving new cordage to replace the ropes stretched and frayed by the enormous pressures encountered during the recent storm." Robert J. Joseph; Worlds Apart; FriesenPress; 2020. "His father ran a sod farm and served as a reeve on the local council." Jonny Wakefield; Glitter Eggs & Toy Guns; Edmonton Journal (Canada); Aug 15, 2020. See more usage examples of reeve in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020) *****March 17, 2022***** assuage : (verb) To make (something burdensome or painful) less intense or severe.; alleviate, relieve, palliate; Food, however, became scarce, and I often spent the whole day searching in vain for a few acorns to assuage the pangs of hunger. vesta : noun: A short wooden match. ; "Para Handy passed the newly bought carton of vestas to Macphail, who took out one of the boxes, carefully extracted a match, and struck it on the side of the box." Stuart Donald; Complete New Tales of Para Handy; Gardners; 2001. Thought For The Day: You can sometimes count every orange on a tree but never all the trees in a single orange. -A.K. Ramanujan, poet (16 Mar 1929-1993) *****March 18, 2022***** ascetic : (noun) A person who renounces material comforts and leads a life of austere self-discipline, especially as an act of religious devotion.; abstainer; His rough clothes and starved frame gave him the look of an ascetic, and he refused the food they tried to give him. talpa : noun: 1. A mole (the animal). 2. A cyst. ; "Damon; Do te know... that a talpa on the neck means you'll be wealthy?" L. J. Smith; The Vampire Diaries; 1991-2014. Thought For The Day: Religions are not revealed: they are evolved. If a religion were revealed by God, that religion would be perfect in whole and in part, and would be as perfect at the first moment of its revelation as after ten thousand years of practice. There has never been a religion that fulfills those conditions. -Robert Blatchford, journalist and author (17 Mar 1851-1943) *****March 19, 2022***** askance : (adverb) With disapproval, suspicion, or distrust.; sidelong; I glanced askance at this strange creature, and found him watching me with his queer, restless eyes. paean : noun: An expression of praise, joy, or triumph, typically in the form of a song. verb tr.: To make such an expression. ; "Chief executives ... when they do write, as a business publisher admits, you often 'weep for the trees'. Think only of Jack Welch's paean to great (i.e., his own) leadership called 'Winning'. Its first pearl of wisdom is: 'Winning in business is great, because when companies win, people thrive and grow.'" How Bosses Should Write Books; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 2, 2021. See more usage examples of paean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We take our bearings, daily, from others. To be sane is, to a great extent, to be sociable. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2022***** portmanteau : (noun) A large leather suitcase that opens into two hinged compartments.; Gladstone; With both sides stuffed to capacity, he needed to sit on top of the portmanteau in order to close it. paean : noun: An expression of praise, joy, or triumph, typically in the form of a song. verb tr.: To make such an expression. ; "Chief executives ... when they do write, as a business publisher admits, you often 'weep for the trees'. Think only of Jack Welch's paean to great (i.e., his own) leadership called 'Winning'. Its first pearl of wisdom is: 'Winning in business is great, because when companies win, people thrive and grow.'" How Bosses Should Write Books; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 2, 2021. See more usage examples of paean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We take our bearings, daily, from others. To be sane is, to a great extent, to be sociable. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 21, 2022***** tatterdemalion : (noun) A person wearing ragged or tattered clothing.; ragamuffin; It was a crew of tatterdemalions that limped and straggled and wandered back into Barnesdale that day. paean : noun: An expression of praise, joy, or triumph, typically in the form of a song. verb tr.: To make such an expression. ; "Chief executives ... when they do write, as a business publisher admits, you often 'weep for the trees'. Think only of Jack Welch's paean to great (i.e., his own) leadership called 'Winning'. Its first pearl of wisdom is: 'Winning in business is great, because when companies win, people thrive and grow.'" How Bosses Should Write Books; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 2, 2021. See more usage examples of paean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We take our bearings, daily, from others. To be sane is, to a great extent, to be sociable. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 22, 2022***** mountebank : (noun) A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes, or tricks.; charlatan; Walking down the street, they saw a mountebank beguiling his audience with tales of miracles achieved through his remedies. rusticate : verb intr.:1. To go to or live in the country.  2. To live or spend time in seclusion. verb tr.:1. To send to the country.  2. To suspend (a student) from a university as a punishment.  3. To make rustic or rural.  4. To make something, such as a masonry surface, rough, textured, jagged, etc. ; "I will then be forced to rusticate in the country for months to recover from such a deadly blow." Vanessa Kelly; Mastering the Marquess; Zebra; 2009. "When he was rusticated from Oxford for failing his exams, the late journalist Auberon Waugh was told by his father, Evelyn: 'There are only two possible careers for a man who has been sent down from Oxford. You must become either a schoolmaster or a spy.'" Harry Mount; The First Rule of Spy Club? Never Ask to Join Spy Club; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Jul 2, 2021. "[The house] comes with a rusticated stucco exterior." Weekender Sets Kogan Back $13m; The Australian (Canberra); Feb 15, 2021. See more usage examples of rusticate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For sleep, riches, and health to be truly enjoyed, they must be interrupted. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (21 Mar 1763-1825) *****March 23, 2022***** lanceolate : (adjective) Tapering from a rounded base toward an apex.; lancelike; The bush had lanceolate leaves with sharp tips that could sting unwary passersby. flagellate : verb tr.: To punish, especially by whipping. noun: An organism having a whip-like appendage that's used for locomotion, such as swimming. adjective: Relating to such an organism. ; "This being macho Mexico, even women who want to whip themselves are not allowed the same freedoms as men. Animas who want to lash themselves must do so in private. Their public manifestations must remain free of any form of self-flagellation or blood-letting." Linda Diebel; The Right to Bear Whips: In Macho Mexico, Even Women Who Want to Flagellate Themselves Are Discriminated Against; Toronto Star (Canada); Mar 28, 1999. "A novel that three of us had turned down last year ... had just been shortlisted for the Booker. There was no real point in that kind of after-the-event flagellation, but we flagellated away all the same." Judith Flanders; A Bed of Scorpions; Minotaur; 2016. See more usage examples of flagellate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A wise man fights to win, but he is twice a fool who has no plan for possible defeat. -Louis L'Amour, novelist (22 Mar 1908-1988) *****March 24, 2022***** hegemony : (noun) The predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others.; domination; Many great works of art were created during the hegemony of Athens in Greece. mollify : verb tr.: 1. To pacify or appease. 2. To soften or reduce, as in intensity. ; "Mr. Gordhan is not mollified. The apology, he wrote in a newspaper article, did not go far enough." Global Firms and the Gupta Connection; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2017. See more usage examples of mollify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One cannot be deeply responsive to the world without being saddened very often. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2022***** tergiversate : (verb) To use evasions or ambiguities; to change sides.; equivocate, prevaricate, palter; She refused to tergiversate on the subject, stating her opinion concisely and openly. quillet : verb intr.: To quibble. noun: A subtlety or quibble. ; "Why in this showing their sympathy for the Irish in this hour of very debate has Mr. Asquith quibbled and quilleted." The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, and Art; Apr 29, 1893. "Shakespeare thought about the theory and practice of the law. He thought about its majesty, its divinity, its awesomeness; its quips and quillets." Nicholas Monk, et al; Open-Space Learning; Bloomsbury; 2011. Thought For The Day: I do not want art for a few, any more than education for a few, or freedom for a few. -William Morris, poet and novelist (24 Mar 1834-1896) *****March 26, 2022***** obstreperous : (adjective) Noisily and stubbornly defiant.; unruly; Although the teacher ordered them to sit down, the obstreperous boys continued their antics. fleer : verb intr.: To laugh in a derisive manner. noun: A mocking look. ; "A meeting of JKYSAC ... censured the statement of [ministers who] mocked and fleered on their plights." No Right to Mock the Refugees' Plight: JKYSAC; The Northlines (Jammu, India); Jul 7, 2014. "Leon. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me." William Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing; 1600. See more usage examples of fleer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career. -Gloria Steinem, activist, editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) *****March 27, 2022***** paradigm : (noun) One that serves as a pattern or model.; epitome, prototype; Their company is a paradigm of the small high-tech firms that have recently sprung up in this area. fleer : verb intr.: To laugh in a derisive manner. noun: A mocking look. ; "A meeting of JKYSAC ... censured the statement of [ministers who] mocked and fleered on their plights." No Right to Mock the Refugees' Plight: JKYSAC; The Northlines (Jammu, India); Jul 7, 2014. "Leon. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me." William Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing; 1600. See more usage examples of fleer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career. -Gloria Steinem, activist, editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) *****March 28, 2022***** lugubrious : (adjective) Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.; dreary, woeful, morose, funereal, doleful; He was so lugubrious that he could find melancholy in a child's birthday party. fleer : verb intr.: To laugh in a derisive manner. noun: A mocking look. ; "A meeting of JKYSAC ... censured the statement of [ministers who] mocked and fleered on their plights." No Right to Mock the Refugees' Plight: JKYSAC; The Northlines (Jammu, India); Jul 7, 2014. "Leon. Tush, tush, man! never fleer and jest at me." William Shakespeare; Much Ado About Nothing; 1600. See more usage examples of fleer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career. -Gloria Steinem, activist, editor (b. 25 Mar 1934) *****March 29, 2022***** plectrum : (noun) A small thin piece of metal, plastic, bone, or similar material, used to pluck the strings of certain instruments, such as the guitar or lute.; pick; When he first struck the guitar's strings with his plectrum, we knew we were in for a great performance. defrock : verb tr.: To remove from a position of authority, privilege, etc. ; "In a 2017 special election, Doug Jones upset Roy Moore, a twice-defrocked state Supreme Court justice." Tim Dickinson; The Battle for the Senate; Rolling Stone (New York); Dec 2019. See more usage examples of defrock in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2022***** sensibility : (noun) Mental responsiveness; discernment; awareness.; aesthesia; After nine months in a coma, the patient began to exhibit sensibility. divest : verb tr.: 1. To remove, give up, or sell off. 2. To take away or deprive. 3. To strip of clothing, ornament, etc. ; "In Texas, for example, the legislature is considering a bill that would require two state pension funds to divest from companies that do business with Sudan's government. ... And the Texas legislation is not as bold as it could be. If the pension funds can show that divesting hurts their bottom line, they will be allowed to reinvest in the companies in question." Divestment from Sudan; The Economist (London, UK); May 12, 2007. "She was staring at Podell as he unwrapped his muffler, then divested himself of his greatcoat." Barbara Metzger; Valentines; Ivy Books; 1995. See more usage examples of divest in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****March 31, 2022***** panorama : (noun) An unbroken view of an entire surrounding area.; vista; The panorama from the summit, with glistening lakes and green forests in every direction, is unmatched in the east. travesty : noun:1. Mockery.  2. A debased or grotesque imitation. verb tr.:1. To represent in a false or absurd manner.  2. To caricature or parody. ; "'Drive My Car' unfolds [into] a grand, simmering story of love and regret. It'd be a travesty if it didn't earn a nomination here." Glenn Whipp; Oscar Predictions; Los Angeles Times; Feb 7, 2022. "I have to think it's a travesty. That they arrested him because he's Japanese." David Guterson; Snow Falling on Cedars; Harcourt Brace; 1994. See more usage examples of travesty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Conscience is a man's compass, and though the needle sometimes deviates, though one often perceives irregularities when directing one's course by it, one must still try to follow its direction. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) *****April 01, 2022***** ersatz : (adjective) Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial.; imitation; He was fairly sure that no coffee beans had been involved in its production, but he was tired enough to drink the ersatz coffee anyway. revet : verb tr.: 1. To cover a wall, embankment, etc., with masonry or other supporting material. 2. To recheck or reexamine. ; "The site includes three 90x50 feet drive-in revetted bunkers built into the sides of the valley." Nicholas Blanford; Experts Cast Doubt on Spiegel Claim of Syrian Nuclear Facility; The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); Jan 11, 2015. See more usage examples of revet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime. -Andrew Marvell, poet (31 Mar 1621-1678) *****April 02, 2022***** potentate : (noun) One who has the power and position to rule over others.; dictator; She was a potentate in her home, all her relatives being too cowed to protest her decisions. investiture : noun: A formal ceremony in which someone is given an official title, rank, honors, etc. ; "We have, however, maintained control over merchandising relating to the investiture itself and have come up with some exciting ideas. Firstly, everyone attending will be able to purchase a photo of themselves with Australia's first president." Ross Fitzgerald & Ian McFadyen; The Dizzying Heights; Hybrid Publishers; 2019. See more usage examples of investiture in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 03, 2022***** gelid : (adjective) Very cold; icy.; arctic, frigid, glacial, polar; After only a few minutes in the gelid wind, they were shivering too hard to speak. investiture : noun: A formal ceremony in which someone is given an official title, rank, honors, etc. ; "We have, however, maintained control over merchandising relating to the investiture itself and have come up with some exciting ideas. Firstly, everyone attending will be able to purchase a photo of themselves with Australia's first president." Ross Fitzgerald & Ian McFadyen; The Dizzying Heights; Hybrid Publishers; 2019. See more usage examples of investiture in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 04, 2022***** contretemps : (noun) An unforeseen event that disrupts the normal course of things; an inopportune occurrence.; mishap, predicament, calamity; His cross-country tour had its full share of comic contretemps. investiture : noun: A formal ceremony in which someone is given an official title, rank, honors, etc. ; "We have, however, maintained control over merchandising relating to the investiture itself and have come up with some exciting ideas. Firstly, everyone attending will be able to purchase a photo of themselves with Australia's first president." Ross Fitzgerald & Ian McFadyen; The Dizzying Heights; Hybrid Publishers; 2019. See more usage examples of investiture in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it. -Milan Kundera, novelist, playwright, and poet (b. 1 Apr 1929) *****April 05, 2022***** caper : (noun) A playful leap or hop.; capriole; The child's playfulness was amusing at first, but they soon grew tired of his capers. litmus test : noun: 1. A test in which a single indicator prompts the decision. 2. A test to determine if a solution is acidic or alkaline. ; "People are always saying you need to take a vacation with someone before you can really determine whether the relationship has any longevity. They are wrong. ... No, dear readers, shopping at Costco is the relationship litmus test." Ammi Midstokke; Couple Survives Costco Ordeal; Spokesman Review (Washington); Feb 3, 2022. "Niobe was not a metaphor for a litmus test, she was a litmus test. Straight men turned colors in her presence." Larry Beinhart; The Librarian; PublicAffairs; 2004. See more usage examples of litmus test in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2022***** thither : (adverb) To or toward that place; in that direction.; there; Let us stroll thither, and examine the matter nearer. flashpoint : noun: 1. The point at which a situation turns critical, for example, resulting in violence. 2. A location or situation where conflict, violence, etc., flare up. 3. The lowest temperature at which a substance's vapors ignite in the presence of an ignition source. ; "Road funding has been a flashpoint in Gilmore during long arguments about a new bridge." David Crowe; Labor Fires First in Battle for Gilmore; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jan 28, 2022. See more usage examples of flashpoint in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Few things can help an individual more than to place responsibility on him, and to let him know that you trust him. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 07, 2022***** mercantile : (adjective) Of or relating to merchants or trade.; commercial; With so many vendors, the mercantile aspect of the historical site has nearly overtaken its original purpose. chain reaction : noun: 1. A series of events, each triggered or influenced by the previous. 2. A chemical or nuclear reaction that results in products that cause further reactions. ; "The result will be an economic chain reaction affecting nearly everyone in the country." Jason Markusoff; Look Up. Way Up: That's Where the Price of Everything Is Going; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jan 2022. See more usage examples of chain reaction in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This habit of forming opinions, and acting upon them without evidence, is one of the most immoral habits of the mind. ... As our opinions are the fathers of our actions, to be indifferent about the evidence of our opinions is to be indifferent about the consequences of our actions. -James Mill, philosopher (6 Apr 1773-1836) *****April 08, 2022***** detriment : (noun) A damage or loss.; hurt; Her employers were understanding, and she was able to take a long leave of absence without detriment to her career. borax : adjective: Cheap and showy. noun: A white crystalline compound, also known as sodium borate, used in manufacturing, cleaning, etc. ; "You've got to know your stuff before you go into a relatively cheap place and start buying, or you'll run into trouble ... You know about borax, don't you?" Emily Hahn; Francie Comes Home; Franklin Watts; 1956. "Al the furniture maven knew it was cheap stuff, borax." Laurence Shames; Welcome to Paradise; Villard; 1999. See more usage examples of borax in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best portion of a good man's life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love. -William Wordsworth, poet (7 Apr 1770-1850) *****April 09, 2022***** atrophy : (verb) To waste away; wither or deteriorate.; shrivel, weaken; She had not painted in many years, and she was worried that her creativity had atrophied. boiling point : noun: 1. The point at which a situation turns into a crisis. 2. The point at which one loses one's temper. 3. The temperature at which a liquid boils. ; "Before the unrest, NGOs working in townships warned of simmering tensions taken to boiling point by Covid-19." The Shaming of South Africa: The Economist (London, UK); Jul 24, 2021. See more usage examples of boiling point in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 10, 2022***** jilt : (verb) To deceive or drop (a lover) suddenly or callously.; forsake; Since being jilted by his fiancée, he had grown to distrust all women. boiling point : noun: 1. The point at which a situation turns into a crisis. 2. The point at which one loses one's temper. 3. The temperature at which a liquid boils. ; "Before the unrest, NGOs working in townships warned of simmering tensions taken to boiling point by Covid-19." The Shaming of South Africa: The Economist (London, UK); Jul 24, 2021. See more usage examples of boiling point in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 11, 2022***** cardinal : (adjective) Of foremost importance; paramount.; fundamental, central, primal; The cardinal rule of membership in the secret society was never to reveal its existence to outsiders. boiling point : noun: 1. The point at which a situation turns into a crisis. 2. The point at which one loses one's temper. 3. The temperature at which a liquid boils. ; "Before the unrest, NGOs working in townships warned of simmering tensions taken to boiling point by Covid-19." The Shaming of South Africa: The Economist (London, UK); Jul 24, 2021. See more usage examples of boiling point in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 12, 2022***** detritus : (noun) The remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up.; debris, rubble; The streets of the new town were built over the detritus of past habitations. Pyrrhonism : noun: Extreme or absolute skepticism. ; "Instead, [David Hume] recommends a more moderate or academic skepticism that tones down Pyrrhonism." James Fieser; David Hume; Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy; 2022. Thought For The Day: Everyone, in some small sacred sanctuary of the self, is nuts. -Leo Rosten, author (11 Apr 1908-1997) *****April 13, 2022***** pastoral : (adjective) Idyllically rustic.; arcadian, bucolic; Last I heard he bought a cottage on farmland and now leads a perfectly pastoral existence. morphetic : adjective: Relating to sleep or dreams. ; "The white-blossomed limbs bowed in the slight breeze and cast their morphetic perfume to the nostrils. A man, if he were unwary, might succumb to them and dream." Danielle Parker; Galen the Deathless; In Bret Funk (ed.); Beacons of Tomorrow; Tyrannosaurus Press; 2008. Thought For The Day: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) *****April 14, 2022***** carcass : (noun) Remains from which the substance or character is gone.; remains, remnants; At one end of the camp lies the carcass of an aircraft which crashed in the mountains. Rothschild : noun: A very rich person. ; "Then there's Robert, who seems to think he's a Rothschild, thinking of building himself a huge local-stone mansion." Graham Masterton; Lady of Fortune; Bloomsbury; 2013. See more usage examples of Rothschild in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests, and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance. -Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect, and author (13 Apr 1743-1826) *****April 15, 2022***** ether : (noun) The element believed in ancient and medieval civilizations to fill all space above the sphere of the moon and to compose the stars and planets.; quintessence; The stars, the ancients believed, both inhabited and were composed of the ether. roorback : noun: A false story or slander, especially one spread for political purposes. ; "'Tom wants to employ a Roorback,' declared Sutton. 'You want to spread a false story?' St. Clair scratched his head." Allan Levine; Evil of the Age; Heartland; 2008. Thought For The Day: A book, once it is printed and published, becomes individual. It is by its publication as decisively severed from its author as in parturition a child is cut off from its parent. The book "means" thereafter, perforce, -- both grammatically and actually, -- whatever meaning this or that reader gets out of it. -James Branch Cabell, novelist, essayist, critic (14 Apr 1879-1958) *****April 16, 2022***** quotidian : (adjective) Everyday; commonplace.; mundane, routine, workaday; There's nothing quite like a real train conductor to add color to a quotidian commute. Hercules : noun: A man of extraordinary strength or size. ; "[Doug Gilmour] looks nothing like a Hercules who can lift whole teams and whole buildings." David Shoalts; New Jersey Staves Off Elimination; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 1998. See more usage examples of Hercules in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (15 Apr 1452-1519) *****April 17, 2022***** parlance : (noun) A particular manner of speaking.; idiom; In vulgar parlance the condiments of a repast are called by the American "a relish," substituting the thing for its effect. Hercules : noun: A man of extraordinary strength or size. ; "[Doug Gilmour] looks nothing like a Hercules who can lift whole teams and whole buildings." David Shoalts; New Jersey Staves Off Elimination; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 1998. See more usage examples of Hercules in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (15 Apr 1452-1519) *****April 18, 2022***** quandary : (noun) A state of uncertainty or perplexity.; dilemma; The situation was awkward, but nothing like the quandary they had found themselves in when their car had broken down on a deserted road. Hercules : noun: A man of extraordinary strength or size. ; "[Doug Gilmour] looks nothing like a Hercules who can lift whole teams and whole buildings." David Shoalts; New Jersey Staves Off Elimination; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 1, 1998. See more usage examples of Hercules in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (15 Apr 1452-1519) *****April 19, 2022***** dichotomy : (noun) Division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions.; duality; One of the novel's themes is the dichotomy of Eastern and Western culture. travest : verb tr.: To mock or to parody. ; "The idea of Providence was very gaily travested by Daudet in 'Tartarin in the Alps'." H.G. Wells; God the Invisible King; Cassell; 1917. Thought For The Day: The objector and the rebel who raises his voice against what he believes to be the injustice of the present and the wrongs of the past is the one who hunches the world along. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2022***** confabulate : (verb) To talk casually.; chat, natter; Three old friends met in a café to confabulate together. anathematize : verb tr.: To denounce, condemn, or curse. ; "Korak looked searchingly down upon her, mentally anathematizing the broad-brimmed hat that hid her features from his eyes." Edgar Rice Burroughs; The Son of Tarzan; A.C. McClurg; 1915. See more usage examples of anathematize in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) *****April 21, 2022***** cantabile : (adjective) In a smooth, lyrical, flowing style.; singing; The last part of the movement, a sweet, cantabile passage, resonated with the young audience. immiserate : verb tr.: To impoverish or to make miserable. ; "He also asks whether revolutionaries elevate or immiserate their populations." Western Hemisphere; Foreign Affairs (New York); Nov/Dec 2021. "He immiserates the Earth, Roger. We all ten billion immiserate the Earth by being here." Carter Scholz; Gypsy; PM Press; 2015. Thought For The Day: The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions. -Robert Lynd, writer (20 Apr 1879-1949) *****April 22, 2022***** intaglio : (noun) A figure or design carved into or beneath the surface of hard metal or stone.; diaglyph; The intaglio was so incredibly detailed that it almost looked like a photograph. betrump : verb tr.: 1. To deceive or cheat. 2. To elude. ; "The site, 'Funny or Die', is political as hell. It's currently helping a beTrumped and bewildered nation grapple with that stranger than fiction phenomenon." Steven Gaydos; Short' Revealed Secret Plan of the Garynistas; Variety (Los Angeles); May 24, 2016. Thought For The Day: Neither great poverty nor great riches will hear reason. -Henry Fielding, author (21 Apr 1707-1754) *****April 23, 2022***** hieratic : (adjective) Of or associated with sacred persons or offices.; priestly, sacerdotal; The laws did not apply to the hieratic class, whose members were held as nearly gods. manuscribe : verb tr.: 1. To write by hand. 2. To autograph. ; "This explains the litany of [letters] ... which he so loved as patricianly to manuscribe after his name." James Joyce; Finnegans Wake; Faber and Faber; 1939. "I dare say it could be made bigger; but I know what 100 pages of copy, bright consummate copy, imply behind the scenes of weary manuscribing." Robert Louis Stevenson; The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson to His Family and Friends, Volume 1; Methuen; 1901. Thought For The Day: Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts. -Madame de Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 24, 2022***** dilettante : (noun) A dabbler in an art or a field of knowledge.; sciolist; He claimed to be serious about his paintings, but he was at heart a mere dilettante. manuscribe : verb tr.: 1. To write by hand. 2. To autograph. ; "This explains the litany of [letters] ... which he so loved as patricianly to manuscribe after his name." James Joyce; Finnegans Wake; Faber and Faber; 1939. "I dare say it could be made bigger; but I know what 100 pages of copy, bright consummate copy, imply behind the scenes of weary manuscribing." Robert Louis Stevenson; The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson to His Family and Friends, Volume 1; Methuen; 1901. Thought For The Day: Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts. -Madame de Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 25, 2022***** phantasmagoric : (adjective) Characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions.; surrealistic; The phantasmagoric imagery, with melting clocks and unreal landscapes, is what attracts many to Salvador Dali's work. manuscribe : verb tr.: 1. To write by hand. 2. To autograph. ; "This explains the litany of [letters] ... which he so loved as patricianly to manuscribe after his name." James Joyce; Finnegans Wake; Faber and Faber; 1939. "I dare say it could be made bigger; but I know what 100 pages of copy, bright consummate copy, imply behind the scenes of weary manuscribing." Robert Louis Stevenson; The Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson to His Family and Friends, Volume 1; Methuen; 1901. Thought For The Day: Politeness is the art of choosing among your thoughts. -Madame de Stael, writer (22 Apr 1766-1817) *****April 26, 2022***** bathos : (noun) Insincere or grossly sentimental pathos.; mawkishness; The opera's conclusion was emotional to the point of bathos, with the soprano dying heroically to save her lover. typomania : noun: 1. An obsession with typography. 2. An obsession with typology or symbolism. 3. An obsession with getting published. ; "Of all the truly calamitous afflictions of the modern world, typomania is one of the most alarming and least understood. It was first diagnosed by the German designer Erik Spiekermann as a condition peculiar to the font-obsessed, and it has one common symptom: an inability to walk past a sign (or pick up a book or a menu) without needing to identify the typeface. Sometimes font freaks find this task easy, and they move on; and sometimes their entire day is wrecked until they nail it." Simon Garfield; Confessions of a Typomaniac; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Sep 3, 2011. "[Arthur Mee] seemed almost to be in the grip of some kind of grapho- or typomania, simultaneously imposing and effacing himself through book, after book, after book, after book." Ian Sansom; "Why Do I Cry?"; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 21, 2007. Thought For The Day: The rain begins with a single drop. -Manal al-Sharif, human rights activist (b. 25 Apr 1979) *****April 27, 2022***** ostentatious : (adjective) Intended to attract notice and impress others.; pretentious, showy; His ostentatious displays of wealth did nothing to impress his neighbors, who were proud of their middle-class status. epistemology : noun: The study of knowledge, especially its nature, origin, limits, validity, etc. ; "Freud's misogyny, his reification of Victorian shibboleth, his because-I-said-so epistemology -- all of these have been justly relegated to the dustbin of psychology." Gary Greenberg; The War on Unhappiness; Harper's (New York); Sep 2010. "A professor of philosophy, Teddy, returns to London after six years in America to introduce his wife, Ruth, to his father, a butcher named Max, to his uncle Sam, a chauffeur, and to his brothers ... Teddy, a professional maker of meanings, insists, 'I'm the one who can see. That's why I can write my critical works.' Ruth, however, has a physicality that overrides Teddy's epistemology." John Lahr; Demolition Man; The New Yorker; Dec 24, 2007. See more usage examples of epistemology in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everyday language is a part of the human organism and is no less complicated than it. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 28, 2022***** cudgel : (noun) A short heavy stick.; bastinado, club; She woke up with her head hurting as though it had been hit with a cudgel. yestereve : noun: Yesterday evening. adverb: During yesterday evening. ; "Listen, Gin, I'm sorry about yestereve. We had no right to stay as long as we did." Michelle M. Pillow; Emerald Knight; Createspace; 2005. Thought For The Day: If we are to have another contest in the near future of our national existence, I predict that the dividing line will not be Mason and Dixon's but between patriotism and intelligence on the one side, and superstition, ambition and ignorance on the other. -Ulysses S. Grant, military commander, 18th US President (27 Apr 1822-1885) *****April 29, 2022***** seminal : (adjective) Highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development.; germinal, originative; He prepared a speech describing his experiment, never realizing that his presentation would be the seminal event in the development of a new theory. marcescence : noun: The retention of dead leaves, etc., as opposed to shedding. ; "The Christmas cactus had lost its normal splendid tautness; the usual fat plump fronds were slightly wizened. Its very marcescence so reflected my inner state that I could barely stand to look at the thing." Norma Harrs; Love Minus One & Other Stories; Dundurn Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: War, at first, is the hope that one will be better off; next, the expectation that the other fellow will be worse off; then, the satisfaction that he isn't any better off; and, finally, the surprise at everyone's being worse off. -Karl Kraus, writer (28 Apr 1874-1936) *****April 30, 2022***** diaphanous : (adjective) Of such fine texture as to be transparent or translucent.; filmy, gauzy, sheer, vaporous; She wore a hat with a diaphanous veil that did not obscure her features. aggiornamento : noun: A process of modernization or bringing up to date. ; "The traditional political parties may believe, indeed, that it is only a matter of carrying out an aggiornamento, that all they have to do is 'modernising', install an app and get on the social networks." Technopolitics and the New Territories for Political Action; openDemocracy (London, UK); Jun 20, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 01, 2022***** pleonastic : (adjective) Characterized by the repetition of the same sense in different words.; redundant, tautological; "A true fact" and "a free gift" are pleonastic expressions. aggiornamento : noun: A process of modernization or bringing up to date. ; "The traditional political parties may believe, indeed, that it is only a matter of carrying out an aggiornamento, that all they have to do is 'modernising', install an app and get on the social networks." Technopolitics and the New Territories for Political Action; openDemocracy (London, UK); Jun 20, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 02, 2022***** inspissate : (verb) To undergo thickening or cause to thicken, as by boiling or evaporation.; condense, thicken; The recipe then instructed the cook to inspissate the sauce by adding flour. aggiornamento : noun: A process of modernization or bringing up to date. ; "The traditional political parties may believe, indeed, that it is only a matter of carrying out an aggiornamento, that all they have to do is 'modernising', install an app and get on the social networks." Technopolitics and the New Territories for Political Action; openDemocracy (London, UK); Jun 20, 2016. Thought For The Day: Science is built with facts as a house is with stones, but a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house. -Jules Henri Poincaré, mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (29 Apr 1854-1912) *****May 03, 2022***** pendent : (adjective) Hanging down; projecting.; dangling, overhanging, suspended; An examination of the cave revealed nothing but hundreds of sleeping bats pendent from the ceiling. clickbait : noun: A sensationalized, often misleading, headline that is designed to entice users to click on a hyperlink. ; "'Amy's fishing for clickbait!' she said, with an eye roll. 'What?' Amy snapped. 'I am not! My articles have depth and substance, Janet!'" Lisette Prendergast; Bianca De Lumiere; Full Time Unicorn Press; 2020. Thought For The Day: Man can be the most affectionate and altruistic of creatures, yet he's potentially more vicious than any other. He is the only one who can be persuaded to hate millions of his own kind whom he has never seen and to kill as many as he can lay his hands on in the name of his tribe or his God. -Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author (2 May 1903-1998) *****May 04, 2022***** vertiginous : (adjective) Having or causing a whirling sensation.; whirling, dizzy; At the end of the trail, they still faced a vertiginous climb up the face of the cliff. omnishambles : noun: A situation that is a complete mess, especially when resulting from mismanagement. ; "The Sudanese pound lost more than 50% of its value between 2011 and 2015. Iran, an economic omnishambles itself, offered no succour." General Agreement; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 31, 2020. Thought For The Day: Peace has a mind of its own, and doesn't follow victory around. -Norman Corwin, writer, producer, and teacher (3 May 1910-2011) *****May 05, 2022***** parochial : (adjective) Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook.; insular; After moving to a big city, she had little patience for what she considered to be her parents' parochial attitudes. listicle : noun: An article or other piece of writing structured in the form of a list. ; "Jesus, if I was to write a listicle on how to kickstart a successful marriage, that would be rule number one. Figure out how much you hate each other before you say 'I do.'" Kate Meader; Dawn with Love; Loveswept; 2018. Thought For The Day: Do not think of knocking out another person's brains because he differs in opinion from you. It would be as rational to knock yourself on the head because you differ from yourself ten years ago. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 06, 2022***** phalanx : (noun) A compact or close-knit body of people.; crowd, unit; The party members disagreed on many topics, but when it came to social issues, they formed a solid phalanx. acquihire : noun: The purchase of a company for its talent rather than its products or services. verb tr.: To buy a company in this manner. ; "Danna and Kuba personify the reason why God invented acquihires several years back." Rob Reid; After On; Del Rey; 2017. Thought For The Day: Lots of times you have to pretend to join a parade in which you're not really interested in order to get where you're going. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2022***** subsist : (verb) Support oneself.; exist, survive, live; I was more agile than they and could subsist upon coarser diet. paywall : noun: A system of restricting access to online content or services, making them accessible only upon payment. ; "The squalid predation of many for-profit colleges. Georgia's preposterous decision to put its legal code behind a private paywall. The examples demonstrate that private engagement, poorly managed, can indeed undermine public goods and services." John D. Donahue; Is It Unwise to Privatize?; The Washington Monthly; Nov/Dec 2021. "Publishing behind paywalls is immoral." Mike Taylor; Hiding Your Research Behind a Paywall Is Immoral; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: In the small matters trust the mind, in the large ones the heart. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 08, 2022***** lobe : (noun) A rounded projection, especially an anatomical part.; projection; She fastened her earrings, three brilliant pendants that glistened most beautifully, through the pierced lobes of her ears. paywall : noun: A system of restricting access to online content or services, making them accessible only upon payment. ; "The squalid predation of many for-profit colleges. Georgia's preposterous decision to put its legal code behind a private paywall. The examples demonstrate that private engagement, poorly managed, can indeed undermine public goods and services." John D. Donahue; Is It Unwise to Privatize?; The Washington Monthly; Nov/Dec 2021. "Publishing behind paywalls is immoral." Mike Taylor; Hiding Your Research Behind a Paywall Is Immoral; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: In the small matters trust the mind, in the large ones the heart. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 09, 2022***** circumlocution : (noun) The use of unnecessarily wordy and indirect language.; ambage, periphrasis, evasion; He is long-winded and prone to circumlocution in his public speeches. paywall : noun: A system of restricting access to online content or services, making them accessible only upon payment. ; "The squalid predation of many for-profit colleges. Georgia's preposterous decision to put its legal code behind a private paywall. The examples demonstrate that private engagement, poorly managed, can indeed undermine public goods and services." John D. Donahue; Is It Unwise to Privatize?; The Washington Monthly; Nov/Dec 2021. "Publishing behind paywalls is immoral." Mike Taylor; Hiding Your Research Behind a Paywall Is Immoral; The Guardian (London, UK); Jan 17, 2013. Thought For The Day: In the small matters trust the mind, in the large ones the heart. -Sigmund Freud, neurologist, founder of psychoanalysis (6 May 1856-1939) *****May 10, 2022***** hermitage : (noun) The habitation of a hermit or group of hermits.; abbey, monastery, retreat; He spent two years in his hermitage near the lake, pondering the mysteries of the universe. timeous : adjective: In good time. ; "I knew Bridget always ran out of supplies during a party and thought I should make timeous provision." Andre Brink; Before I Forget; Sourcebooks; 2007. Thought For The Day: Remove all periods / They are scars made by words / I couldn't bring myself to say -Charles Simic, poet (b. 9 May 1938) *****May 11, 2022***** prolix : (adjective) Tediously prolonged; tending to speak or write at excessive length.; voluble, wordy; She was engaged in editing a prolix manuscript, trying to cut the length by at least a third. yealing : noun: Someone who is the same age as oneself. ; "O ye, my dear-remember'd, ancient yealings, Were ye but here to share my wounded feelings!" Robert Burns; The Brigs Of Ayr; 1786. Thought For The Day: The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it's considered to be your style. -Fred Astaire, dancer, actor, singer, musician, and choreographer (10 May 1899-1987) *****May 12, 2022***** tryst : (noun) An agreement, as between lovers, to meet at a certain time and place.; assignation, rendezvous; They tried to keep their weekly meetings a secret, but soon neighbors began to whisper about their trysts. witching hour : noun: Midnight. ; "Mari, a student, prefers to be awake, and spends the witching hours drinking coffee and reading in an all-night restaurant." Sleepless in Tokyo; The Economist (London, UK); May 17, 2007. Thought For The Day: The difference between false memories and true ones is the same as for jewels: it is always the false ones that look the most real, the most brilliant. -Salvador Dali, painter (11 May 1904-1989) *****May 13, 2022***** gallimaufry : (noun) A jumble; a hodgepodge.; patchwork, melange, ragbag; Inside the chest, he found a gaudy gallimaufry of old dresses, feathers, and sequins. meridian : noun:1. A line connecting the North Pole to the South Pole or a circle passing through the two poles.  2. Midday.  3. The highest point, as of power, prosperity, development, etc. adj.:1. Relating to a meridian.  2. Relating to midday.  3. Relating to the highest point of someone's power, prosperity, development, etc. ; "The beauty of the Marquesa de Tellería was still striking, though she had already passed the meridian of life." Benito Pérez Galdós (translation: Gamel Woolsey); The Spendthrifts; Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 1951. See more usage examples of meridian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (12 May 1802-1861) *****May 14, 2022***** pompous : (adjective) Characterized by excessive self-esteem or exaggerated dignity.; overblown, grandiloquent, portentous; He read the proclamation aloud in a pompous voice, although nobody was paying attention. ephemeral : adjective: Lasting a very short time; transitory. noun: Anything short-lived. ; "'Collin is an ephemeral artist,' Nikolaus bragged. 'Oh, whoa, like street art and fireworks?' Travis asked. ... 'You're an artist too?' Collin asked. 'I wish. I'm a hairdresser.' 'That's an ephemeral art,' Collin said." Anitra Lynn McLeod; Oops! Gargoyle; 2020. "You do not recognize the name now, but you would have in 2000. This is the problem of ephemeral fame. Katherine Harris was the Secretary of something for the state of Florida. She was in the middle of the controversy over vote-counting in the 2000 election. Her nights were apparently no less frenetic than her days during that period. She had dreams. In one of them, she confided to friends, she saw herself riding a horse into a stadium full of Republican fans and delivering the trophy of victory to them. I am not certain how her dream squares with her duties of impartiality. I suspect the American legal profession has developed a legally protected freedom to dream, established through a lot of expensive litigation." Philip Blackpeat; The War of Art; iUniverse; 2005. See more usage examples of ephemeral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One day work is hard, and another day it is easy; but if I had waited for inspiration I am afraid I should have done nothing. The miner does not sit at the top of the shaft waiting for the coal to come bubbling up to the surface. One must go deep down, and work out every vein carefully. -Arthur Sullivan, composer (13 May 1842-1900) *****May 15, 2022***** grovel : (verb) To lie or creep in a prostrate position, as in subservience or humility.; cower, cringe, fawn; The prisoners groveled before the emperor, hoping that he would commute their sentences. ephemeral : adjective: Lasting a very short time; transitory. noun: Anything short-lived. ; "'Collin is an ephemeral artist,' Nikolaus bragged. 'Oh, whoa, like street art and fireworks?' Travis asked. ... 'You're an artist too?' Collin asked. 'I wish. I'm a hairdresser.' 'That's an ephemeral art,' Collin said." Anitra Lynn McLeod; Oops! Gargoyle; 2020. "You do not recognize the name now, but you would have in 2000. This is the problem of ephemeral fame. Katherine Harris was the Secretary of something for the state of Florida. She was in the middle of the controversy over vote-counting in the 2000 election. Her nights were apparently no less frenetic than her days during that period. She had dreams. In one of them, she confided to friends, she saw herself riding a horse into a stadium full of Republican fans and delivering the trophy of victory to them. I am not certain how her dream squares with her duties of impartiality. I suspect the American legal profession has developed a legally protected freedom to dream, established through a lot of expensive litigation." Philip Blackpeat; The War of Art; iUniverse; 2005. See more usage examples of ephemeral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One day work is hard, and another day it is easy; but if I had waited for inspiration I am afraid I should have done nothing. The miner does not sit at the top of the shaft waiting for the coal to come bubbling up to the surface. One must go deep down, and work out every vein carefully. -Arthur Sullivan, composer (13 May 1842-1900) *****May 16, 2022***** excoriate : (verb) To censure strongly.; abrade, condemn, denounce; The newspaper printed an editorial that excoriated the administration for its inaction. ephemeral : adjective: Lasting a very short time; transitory. noun: Anything short-lived. ; "'Collin is an ephemeral artist,' Nikolaus bragged. 'Oh, whoa, like street art and fireworks?' Travis asked. ... 'You're an artist too?' Collin asked. 'I wish. I'm a hairdresser.' 'That's an ephemeral art,' Collin said." Anitra Lynn McLeod; Oops! Gargoyle; 2020. "You do not recognize the name now, but you would have in 2000. This is the problem of ephemeral fame. Katherine Harris was the Secretary of something for the state of Florida. She was in the middle of the controversy over vote-counting in the 2000 election. Her nights were apparently no less frenetic than her days during that period. She had dreams. In one of them, she confided to friends, she saw herself riding a horse into a stadium full of Republican fans and delivering the trophy of victory to them. I am not certain how her dream squares with her duties of impartiality. I suspect the American legal profession has developed a legally protected freedom to dream, established through a lot of expensive litigation." Philip Blackpeat; The War of Art; iUniverse; 2005. See more usage examples of ephemeral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One day work is hard, and another day it is easy; but if I had waited for inspiration I am afraid I should have done nothing. The miner does not sit at the top of the shaft waiting for the coal to come bubbling up to the surface. One must go deep down, and work out every vein carefully. -Arthur Sullivan, composer (13 May 1842-1900) *****May 17, 2022***** trepidation : (noun) A state of alarm or dread.; apprehension; With trepidation, the children approached the haunted house. ceraceous : adjective: Waxy. ; "The cloth ... was thickly coated with wax or some ceraceous substance." Seabury Quinn; The Dark Angel; Skyhorse; 2018. Thought For The Day: I want people to talk to one another no matter what their difference of opinion might be. -Studs Terkel, author and broadcaster (16 May 1912-2008) *****May 18, 2022***** wastrel : (noun) One who wastes, especially one who wastes money; an idler or a loafer.; prodigal, profligate; Despite his parents' best efforts to teach him responsibility, Sam grew up to be a wastrel who squandered his entire fortune. hebdomadal : adjective: Weekly. ; "I still look forward to the hebdomadal arrival of SI as I did when I was a boy and read my brother's subscription." Raymond J. De Souza; Sixty years of Sports Illustrated; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Aug 21, 2014. See more usage examples of hebdomadal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The best way to predict the future is to invent it. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2022***** spurious : (adjective) Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin; not genuine.; specious, unauthentic; The professor explained to the student that her essay had received a "C" due to numerous examples of spurious reasoning. piscine : adjective: Fishy. ; "When all aquatic possibilities have been exhausted, it can take to dry land, slithering through moist brush and grass in pushes toward new waters that can last for hours. The eel is, thus, a fish that transcends the piscine condition. Perhaps it doesn't even realize it is a fish." Patrik Svensson (Translation: Agnes Broomé); The Book of Eels; Ecco; 2021. See more usage examples of piscine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Sin is geographical. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970) *****May 20, 2022***** turgid : (adjective) Excessively ornate or complex in style or language.; bombastic, declamatory, orotund, tumid, large; Growing impatient with the politician's turgid prose, she turned off her television. odontalgia : noun: Toothache. ; "What's his tag say, Hemingby? ... Odontalgia. Treatment: Oil of Cloves?" Richard Pike; Do Not Forget Me Quite; Troubador; 2014. See more usage examples of odontalgia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 21, 2022***** flummox : (verb) To confuse; perplex.; baffle, bewilder, nonplus, puzzle; The game was designed to flummox its players, presenting them with a series of complex riddles. abligurition : noun: Extravagance, especially in matters of food and drink. ; "I just recently learned that Roman Emperor Vitellius once ate one thousand oysters in one day, which is a very impressive act of abligurition." John Green; An Abundance of Katherines; Penguin; 2008. Thought For The Day: Vocations which we wanted to pursue, but didn't, bleed, like colors, on the whole of our existence. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 22, 2022***** smarmy : (adjective) Hypocritically, complacently, or effusively earnest.; fulsome, oleaginous, unctuous; His smarmy speech left no doubt that he actually felt superior to those he was meant to be praising. abligurition : noun: Extravagance, especially in matters of food and drink. ; "I just recently learned that Roman Emperor Vitellius once ate one thousand oysters in one day, which is a very impressive act of abligurition." John Green; An Abundance of Katherines; Penguin; 2008. Thought For The Day: Vocations which we wanted to pursue, but didn't, bleed, like colors, on the whole of our existence. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 23, 2022***** sentient : (adjective) Endowed with feeling and unstructured consciousness.; animate; The living knew themselves just sentient puppets on God's stage. abligurition : noun: Extravagance, especially in matters of food and drink. ; "I just recently learned that Roman Emperor Vitellius once ate one thousand oysters in one day, which is a very impressive act of abligurition." John Green; An Abundance of Katherines; Penguin; 2008. Thought For The Day: Vocations which we wanted to pursue, but didn't, bleed, like colors, on the whole of our existence. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (20 May 1799-1850) *****May 24, 2022***** opprobrious : (adjective) Expressing contemptuous reproach; bringing disgrace.; abusive, scornful, shameful, ignominious; His opprobrious conduct during an assembly earned him a series of Saturday detentions. nudum pactum : noun: An unenforceable contract, one that's void because of lack of consideration (something of value promised in exchange). ; "Of course, if they're what you can't have, they're without value and your bargain is nudum pactum." John D. Casey; Testimony and Demeanor; Knopf; 1979. Thought For The Day: A house is no home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. -Margaret Fuller, author, critic, and women's rights advocate (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2022***** chattel : (noun) An article of movable personal property.; personalty; Slaves were treated as chattel by plantation owners, who bought, sold, and even bet them in poker games. titubation : noun: 1. Unsteady movement, such as the staggering, lurching, or nodding of the head or the body. 2. Stuttering or stammering. ; "He walked hesitatingly to a chair, his titubation increasing." Harlan Cozad McIntosh; This Finer Shadow; Dial Press; 1941. Thought For The Day: No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined. -Harry Emerson Fosdick, preacher and author (24 May 1878-1969) *****May 26, 2022***** moire : (adjective) Having a wavy or rippled surface pattern. Used of fabric.; watered; As the lady sat down, the folds of her moire silk dress rustled about her. twattle : noun: Idle talk; nonsense. verb intr.: To talk idly. ; "I refuse to listen to any more of this twattle." Mack Reynolds; The Cosmic Eye; Wildside Press; 2020. "After all the lectures we five went to the canteen and twattled for a while." Katie Khanna; Unanswered Questions; Partridge Publishing; 2016. Thought For The Day: It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (25 May 1803-1882) *****May 27, 2022***** mercurial : (adjective) Quick and changeable in temperament.; quicksilver, erratic, fickle, volatile; Her mercurial nature made it difficult to gauge how she would react. cock of the walk : noun: A person who behaves in an arrogant and domineering manner in a group. ; "The great Vic Donovan? Cock of the walk, captain of the guard, and all that rot." Ellen Byerrum; Raiders of the Lost Corset; Signet; 2006. "Father, that woman is so bossy. She thinks she's the cock of the walk." Shirley J. Mize; Hell at Tannehill; Infinity; 2006. Thought For The Day: A man that is ashamed of passions that are natural and reasonable is generally proud of those that are shameful and silly. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 28, 2022***** virid : (adjective) Bright green with or as if with vegetation.; verdant; The lake was virid with bright algae on the surface. penetralia : plural noun: The innermost, secret, or hidden parts of something. ; "It soon becomes clear that the disappearances have something to do with the caves hidden in the penetralia of the surrounding forest." Time-Travel Drama Weaves a Tangled Web; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 12, 2020. "The most absolute lawlessness exists under the shadow of the tallest temples of the law, and in the penetralia of that society which vaunts itself as the supreme civilization of the world." Emerson Hough; Story of the Outlaw; Grosset and Dunlap; 1906. See more usage examples of penetralia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 29, 2022***** schism : (noun) A separation or division into factions.; discord, split; Heretics were burned for attempting to create a schism in the Catholic Church. penetralia : plural noun: The innermost, secret, or hidden parts of something. ; "It soon becomes clear that the disappearances have something to do with the caves hidden in the penetralia of the surrounding forest." Time-Travel Drama Weaves a Tangled Web; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 12, 2020. "The most absolute lawlessness exists under the shadow of the tallest temples of the law, and in the penetralia of that society which vaunts itself as the supreme civilization of the world." Emerson Hough; Story of the Outlaw; Grosset and Dunlap; 1906. See more usage examples of penetralia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 30, 2022***** balustrade : (noun) A rail and the row of balusters or posts that support it, as along the front of a gallery.; banister, handrail; She leaned over the balustrade, trying to see what was happening below. penetralia : plural noun: The innermost, secret, or hidden parts of something. ; "It soon becomes clear that the disappearances have something to do with the caves hidden in the penetralia of the surrounding forest." Time-Travel Drama Weaves a Tangled Web; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 12, 2020. "The most absolute lawlessness exists under the shadow of the tallest temples of the law, and in the penetralia of that society which vaunts itself as the supreme civilization of the world." Emerson Hough; Story of the Outlaw; Grosset and Dunlap; 1906. See more usage examples of penetralia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Compassion is not weakness and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism. -Hubert Humphrey, US Vice President (27 May 1911-1978) *****May 31, 2022***** scruple : (noun) An uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action.; misgiving, qualm; Lady Macbeth is impatient with her husband's scruples and goads him into killing the king. frenemy : noun: Someone with whom one is friendly, despite feeling hostility. ; "Another question is whether Dubai can stay ahead of regional rivals that covet its crown. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi, a 90-minute drive away, is a frenemy: it is both a source of bail-outs and a would-be usurper." Navigating the Storm; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 22, 2020. Thought For The Day: Speculation is perfectly all right, but if you stay there you've only founded a superstition. If you test it, you've started a science. -Hal Clement, science fiction author (30 May 1922-2003) *****June 01, 2022***** conceit : (noun) A favorable and especially unduly high opinion of one's own abilities or worth.; amour-propre, vanity; She was convinced that she was worthy of marrying royalty, but her vanity and conceit only made her less attractive to the prince. glamp : verb intr.: To camp in comforts or luxuries not typically available in camping, such as electricity, plumbing, beds, etc. ; "She was the kind of woman who booked the poshest cabin at the top of the mountain and glamped in warmth and luxury." Shanae Johnson; His Strength to Stand; 2021. Thought For The Day: I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-contain'd, / I stand and look at them long and long. / They do not sweat and whine about their condition, / They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins, / They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, / Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the mania of owning things, / Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived thousands of years ago, / Not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2022***** macerate : (verb) To make soft, usually by steeping in liquid, and cause to disintegrate as a result.; soften; The stale bread was left to macerate in a bowl of milk for a few hours. insinuendo : noun: An assertion or hint that's disparaging and suggestive. ; "She said that she wasn't comparing apples to oranges, she was comparing a big juicy hard ripe red apple to a little shriveled soft one, which is a phrase she often uses back at me. I took all that as an insinuendo about, well, personal things, and quite without basis, by the way." Daniel Cross; Coopers Crossing; iUniverse; 2018. Thought For The Day: War is merely the continuation of policy by other means. -Carl von Clausewitz, general and military theorist (1 Jun 1780-1831) *****June 03, 2022***** fritinancy : (noun) A chirping or creaking, as of a cricket.; chirping; As night fell, the fritinancy of insects outside their open window grew loud enough to keep them awake. coopetition : noun: A collaboration between rivals. ; "'I mean the fight turned into some kind of --' 'Coopetition?' Bill2.0 suggests. 'I was going to say love fest.' Steve2.0 says." Shearling Coats; Silicon Valley Girls; 2019. Thought For The Day: If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the Inquisition might have let him alone. -Thomas Hardy, novelist and poet (2 Jun 1840-1928) *****June 04, 2022***** pinguid : (adjective) Fat; oily.; oily; His car was splattered with some sort of pinguid substance, and trying to wash it away only seemed to spread the mess. glamazon : noun: A tall, glamorous, self-assured woman. ; "[Model Grace Elizabeth] has exhibited a chameleonic beauty that can shift from sweet girl next door one moment to striking glamazon the next." Alison Syrett; Amazing Grace; InStyle (New York); Dec 2018. Thought For The Day: We are on the cusp of this time where I can say, "I speak as a citizen of the world" without others saying, "God, what a nut." -Lawrence Lessig, professor and activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 05, 2022***** ultramarine : (noun) A blue pigment made from powdered lapis lazuli; a vivid or strong blue to purplish blue.; indigo, French blue; She found a piece of fabric dyed ultramarine, which would make a perfect sash for the light blue dress she was making. glamazon : noun: A tall, glamorous, self-assured woman. ; "[Model Grace Elizabeth] has exhibited a chameleonic beauty that can shift from sweet girl next door one moment to striking glamazon the next." Alison Syrett; Amazing Grace; InStyle (New York); Dec 2018. Thought For The Day: We are on the cusp of this time where I can say, "I speak as a citizen of the world" without others saying, "God, what a nut." -Lawrence Lessig, professor and activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 06, 2022***** empirical : (adjective) Relying on or derived from observation or experiment.; objective; Scientists insist on empirical results, not mere speculation, to support their theories. glamazon : noun: A tall, glamorous, self-assured woman. ; "[Model Grace Elizabeth] has exhibited a chameleonic beauty that can shift from sweet girl next door one moment to striking glamazon the next." Alison Syrett; Amazing Grace; InStyle (New York); Dec 2018. Thought For The Day: We are on the cusp of this time where I can say, "I speak as a citizen of the world" without others saying, "God, what a nut." -Lawrence Lessig, professor and activist (b. 3 Jun 1961) *****June 07, 2022***** mucilage : (noun) A sticky substance used as an adhesive.; glue, gum; They wanted to make a model airplane, but lacked the mucilage needed to hold the pieces together. Coronation Street : adjective: Working-class. ; "She was not a Coronation Street person. ... Pamela had a terminal fear of all things working-class." Carole Matthews; Let's Meet on Platform 8; Headline; 1997. Thought For The Day: Fearing no insult, asking for no crown, receive with indifference both flattery and slander, and do not argue with a fool. -Aleksandr Pushkin, poet, novelist, and playwright (6 Jun 1799-1837) *****June 08, 2022***** emollient : (adjective) Softening and soothing, especially to the skin.; demulcent, salving, softening; In the winter, she applied emollient cream to her hands to prevent the skin from cracking. stepney : noun: 1. A spare wheel or a spare tire. 2. Something or someone treated as a backup. ; "'It's the off-tyre here!' he muttered angrily. 'You have a stepney, of course?'" Mark Hodder; Sexton Blake Versus the Master Crooks; Rebellion; 2020. "Here we can't manage one wife, and you have a stepney before your first wife has even been declared legally dead." Kiran Manral; Missing Presumed Dead; Amaryllis; 2018. Thought For The Day: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) *****June 09, 2022***** mnemonic : (noun) A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering.; aide-memoire; The students came up with a mnemonic to help themselves remember the colors of the rainbow. Pepper Alley : noun: 1. Rough treatment. 2. Severe beating. ; "Barlow came again to fight, but soon found himself in Pepper Alley." Henry Downes Miles; Pugilistica; Weldon; 1880. Thought For The Day: There are no persons capable of stooping so low as those who desire to rise in the world. -Marguerite Gardiner, writer (1 Sep 1789-1849) *****June 10, 2022***** refulgent : (adjective) Shining radiantly; resplendent.; effulgent, radiant, beaming; Standing by the edge of the sea, they witnessed a refulgent sunset. Carnaby : adjective: Fashionable or stylish. ; "We arrived ten minutes late and found her knocking her knees, shivering in the cold breeze whipping off the ocean, looking like a waif in her Carnaby dress, Twiggy lashes, and boyish haircut." Rayda Jacob; The Middle Children; Second Story Press; 1994. Thought For The Day: My sole inspiration is a telephone call from a director. -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) *****June 11, 2022***** verisimilitude : (noun) The quality of appearing to be true or real.; vraisemblance; While recounting the preposterous tale, he threw in a few convincing details to add verisimilitude to the narrative. Acacia Avenue : noun: The middle class. ; "Could Acacia Avenue boycott the paper of the noughties if it gets too naughty?" Roy Greenslade; Mail Domination; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 6, 2005. Thought For The Day: A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (10 Jun 1915-2005) *****June 12, 2022***** torrid : (adjective) Scorching; burning.; fervent, fiery, ardent, burning; The torrid noonday sun shone down on the travelers in the desert. Acacia Avenue : noun: The middle class. ; "Could Acacia Avenue boycott the paper of the noughties if it gets too naughty?" Roy Greenslade; Mail Domination; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 6, 2005. Thought For The Day: A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (10 Jun 1915-2005) *****June 13, 2022***** pariah : (noun) A social outcast.; castaway, leper, untouchable; The rumors of his traitorous actions were enough to make him a pariah among his peers, though nothing was ever proven. Acacia Avenue : noun: The middle class. ; "Could Acacia Avenue boycott the paper of the noughties if it gets too naughty?" Roy Greenslade; Mail Domination; The Guardian (London, UK); Jun 6, 2005. Thought For The Day: A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (10 Jun 1915-2005) *****June 14, 2022***** ossify : (verb) To change into bone; to become set in a rigidly conventional pattern.; rigidify, petrify; It takes millions of years for organic remains to ossify and turn into fossils. Orphean : adjective: 1. Melodious. 2. Enchanting. 3. In the manner of Orpheus's journey to the underworld. ; "Orphean strains of lute music floated preposterously up on the stench." Geraldine McCaughrean; Vainglory; Romaunce Books; 1991. "I had already made not one but several Orphean journeys. I had not yet accepted her loss." Robin Jenkins; Childish Things; Canongate Books; 2001. Thought For The Day: The intellect of man is forced to choose / Perfection of the life, or of the work, / And if it take the second must refuse / A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (13 Jun 1865-1939) *****June 15, 2022***** providence : (noun) Prudent management; economy.; foresight, prudence, economy; Because of Father's providence, we were all able to go to college. Proteus : noun: One who can easily change appearance, form, character, principles, etc. ; "Peter with many sides. He changes colours like a chameleon, and his coat like a snake. He is a Proteus of a Peter. He was at first sublime, pathetic, impressive, profound; then dull." Percy Bysshe Shelley; Peter Bell the Third; 1839. Thought For The Day: Everyone confesses that exertion which brings out all the powers of body and mind is the best thing for us; but most people do all they can to get rid of it, and as a general rule nobody does much more than circumstances drive them to do. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2022***** disperse : (verb) To drive off or scatter in different directions.; dissipate, spread, dispel; When it seemed that a riot was about to start, the police arrived to disperse the crowd. eolian or aeolian : adjective: Relating to or caused by the wind. ; "'If an extremely tenuous atmosphere like that of Pluto can support the generation of bedforms from wind-driven sediment, what kind of eolian activity might we see on places like Io (a moon of Jupiter) or Triton?' [Matt Telfer] wrote." Amina Khan; Tiny Pluto Reveals Big Surprises; Los Angeles Times; Jun 4, 2018. See more usage examples of eolian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2022***** magnum+opus : (noun) A great work, especially a literary or artistic masterpiece.; masterpiece; Paradise Lost is generally considered to be Milton's magnum opus. panderer : noun: One who caters to the base desires, whims, or prejudices of others. ; "'I think what the governor has to do is reach out to everybody, not try to be everybody's friend, not give everybody everything they want,' Bloomberg said as Hochul stood beside him near Ground Zero. ... 'She's got to be a leader, not a panderer.'" Chris Sommerfeldt; Bloomy to Kathy: So, This Is How You Govern; New York Daily News; Sep 9, 2021. See more usage examples of panderer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 18, 2022***** execrable : (adjective) Of very poor quality; unequivocally detestable.; hateful, odious, deplorable; The meal they were served was execrable from beginning to end, but they were too hungry to care. chimeric : adjective: 1. Made up of parts that are very different. 2. Fanciful; imaginative; illusory. ; "And yet 'The Snow Leopard' manages to convey the impression of being subtly yet fundamentally about its stated subject matter, albeit in some chimeric way -- part literal, part figurative." Kathryn Schulz; Cat Tales; The New Yorker; Jul 12, 2021. See more usage examples of chimeric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 19, 2022***** apoplexy : (noun) Sudden impairment of neurological function, especially that resulting from a cerebral hemorrhage.; stroke, cerebrovascular accident; The medical evidence showed conclusively that death was due to apoplexy. chimeric : adjective: 1. Made up of parts that are very different. 2. Fanciful; imaginative; illusory. ; "And yet 'The Snow Leopard' manages to convey the impression of being subtly yet fundamentally about its stated subject matter, albeit in some chimeric way -- part literal, part figurative." Kathryn Schulz; Cat Tales; The New Yorker; Jul 12, 2021. See more usage examples of chimeric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 20, 2022***** obtrude : (verb) To impose (oneself or one's ideas) on others with undue insistence or without invitation.; push out, thrust out; He never hesitated to obtrude his opinion on others, believing that everyone must value what he had to say. chimeric : adjective: 1. Made up of parts that are very different. 2. Fanciful; imaginative; illusory. ; "And yet 'The Snow Leopard' manages to convey the impression of being subtly yet fundamentally about its stated subject matter, albeit in some chimeric way -- part literal, part figurative." Kathryn Schulz; Cat Tales; The New Yorker; Jul 12, 2021. See more usage examples of chimeric in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The ultimate sense of security will be when we come to recognize that we are all part of one human race. Our primary allegiance is to the human race and not to one particular color or border. I think the sooner we renounce the sanctity of these many identities and try to identify ourselves with the human race the sooner we will get a better world and a safer world. -Mohamed ElBaradei, diplomat, Nobel laureate (b. 17 Jun 1942) *****June 21, 2022***** scatology : (noun) Obscene language or literature, especially that dealing pruriently or humorously with excrement and excretory functions.; vulgarism, obscenity; She hated to encounter scatology in her reading, believing it to be the lowest form of humor. verbify : verb tr.: To convert into a verb. ; "But Israelis freely verbify foreign words too.... In the wake of Condoleezza Rice's shuttle diplomacy last year, Israeli officials reportedly coined lecondel, meaning to go back and forth repeatedly to no effect." Lush Life; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 4, 2008. See more usage examples of verbify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People change and forget to tell each other. -Lillian Hellman, playwright (20 Jun 1905-1984) *****June 22, 2022***** azure : (adjective) A light purplish blue.; cerulean, lazuline, sapphire, sky-blue; The large silver kite gleamed against the azure expanse of sky. proparoxytone : adjective: Having stress on the third-from-the-last syllable. noun: Such a word. ; "One has merely to hear a word like 'anthropos' to say to oneself, 'Aha, proparoxytone,' and place the acute on the antepenult." Alfred Andersch (Translator: Leila Vennewitz); The Father of a Murderer; New Directions; 1994. See more usage examples of proparoxytone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) *****June 23, 2022***** perspicacious : (adjective) Having or showing penetrating mental discernment; clear-sighted.; sagacious, sapient; She was much too perspicacious to be taken in by such a spurious argument. abstruse : adjective: Hard to understand; obscure. ; "'You Americans are abstruse,' I can't forget his saying one night while we watched TV. My philosophy professor had assigned a French essay on wrestling, but I'm not good at French so was viewing the Worldwide Wrestling Championship Tournament instead. 'What does abstruse mean,' I humbly inquired. 'To be abstruse means to be recondite....' 'So what does recondite mean,' I tried again. 'Oh, it's something hard to understand.' 'Don't patronize me. Just tell me what it means.'" Jane Ransom; Bye-Bye; NYU Press; 1997. See more usage examples of abstruse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) *****June 24, 2022***** obviate : (verb) To anticipate and dispose of effectively; render unnecessary.; rid of, eliminate; Her discovery of an old wedding dress in the attic obviated the need for her to buy a costume for the party. grandiloquent : adjective: High-flown or pompous. ; "By the time I was eight, the most grandiloquent gangster could have added nothing to my vocabulary -- I had an awful tongue." Jean Stafford; Bad Characters; The New Yorker; Nov 26, 1954. See more usage examples of grandiloquent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's like, at the end, there's this surprise quiz: Am I proud of me? I gave my life to become the person I am right now. Was it worth what I paid? -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 25, 2022***** recluse : (noun) A person who withdraws from the world to live in seclusion and often in solitude.; solitudinarian, troglodyte, hermit, solitary; He was regarded by the townspeople as a recluse, since no one ever saw him receive visitors. sesquipedalianism : noun: 1. The practice of using big words. 2. A very long word. ; "My son, showing that when it comes to sesquipedalianism, the fruit does not fall far from the tree, texted me: 'Is the airplane whose prop eviscerates a large bald man in Raiders of the Lost Ark a real plane or is it a contrivance?'" Peter Garrison; Remember the German Airplane?; Flying (New York); Apr 2016. Thought For The Day: Pray, verb. To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (24 Jun 1842-1914) *****June 26, 2022***** girth : (noun) The distance around something; the circumference.; circumference, perimeter; It was an enormous tree, its girth twice as great as what a man could embrace. sesquipedalianism : noun: 1. The practice of using big words. 2. A very long word. ; "My son, showing that when it comes to sesquipedalianism, the fruit does not fall far from the tree, texted me: 'Is the airplane whose prop eviscerates a large bald man in Raiders of the Lost Ark a real plane or is it a contrivance?'" Peter Garrison; Remember the German Airplane?; Flying (New York); Apr 2016. Thought For The Day: Pray, verb. To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (24 Jun 1842-1914) *****June 27, 2022***** quail : (verb) To shrink back in fear; cower.; cringe, flinch, recoil, wince; The little boy quailed at the teacher's angry voice. sesquipedalianism : noun: 1. The practice of using big words. 2. A very long word. ; "My son, showing that when it comes to sesquipedalianism, the fruit does not fall far from the tree, texted me: 'Is the airplane whose prop eviscerates a large bald man in Raiders of the Lost Ark a real plane or is it a contrivance?'" Peter Garrison; Remember the German Airplane?; Flying (New York); Apr 2016. Thought For The Day: Pray, verb. To ask the laws of the universe to be annulled on behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (24 Jun 1842-1914) *****June 28, 2022***** agile : (adjective) Characterized by quickness, lightness, and ease of movement; nimble.; nimble, spry, quick; She moved quickly and was agile as a gymnast. mainpast : noun: 1. A household. 2. A member of a household. 3. A servant. 4. A dependent. ; "I told him it wasn't up to me, that I was in the queen's mainpast." Harold Covington; Rose of Honor; Dorrance; 1980. Thought For The Day: The highest result of education is tolerance. -Helen Keller, author and lecturer (27 Jun 1880-1968) *****June 29, 2022***** panache : (noun) Distinctive and stylish elegance.; dash, elan, flair, style; He wooed her with the confident panache of a cavalry officer. openhanded : adjective: 1. Generous; liberal. 2. Delivered with an open hand, as a blow. ; "[Adam McKay] was generous with his own mind, in the way that newly rich people are often openhanded with money, as they know they can always get more." Michael Lewis; Big Short, Big Screen; Vanity Fair (New York); Holiday 2015-2016. See more usage examples of openhanded in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2022***** escalate : (verb) To increase, enlarge, or intensify.; intensify, step up; Tensions escalated as the politicians refused to compromise. light-fingered : adjective: 1. Prone to or skilled at stealing. 2. Having nimble fingers or having a light touch. ; "Every country has its charlatans and rogues, be they light-fingered British MPs or pork-happy American congressmen." Because We're Worth It; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 12, 2014. See more usage examples of light-fingered in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Real misanthropes are not found in solitude, but in the world; since it is experience of life, and not philosophy, which produces real hatred of mankind. -Giacomo Leopardi, poet, essayist, and philosopher (29 Jun 1798-1837) *****July 01, 2022***** perturbing : (adjective) Causing distress or worry or anxiety.; distressful, disturbing, worrisome; The kindergarten teacher found her student's erratic behavior to be perturbing, and she resolved to consult with the child's parents. thumbsucker : noun: 1. Someone who likes to suck their thumb. 2. A journalistic piece that deals with the background and interpretation of events instead of hard news. ; "On the day the twin towers fell, after watching the carnage unfold on TV for most of the morning, I drove into work and, seized with the significance of the moment, composed an epic thumbsucker on How Our World Had Changed." Andrew Coyne; This Changes Everything, Unless It Doesn't; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Apr 11, 2020. Thought For The Day: In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot. -Czeslaw Milosz, poet and novelist (30 Jun 1911-2004) *****July 02, 2022***** lissome : (adjective) Easily bent; supple.; lithe, supple, slender; There was a grace, which no austerity could diminish, about every movement of her lissome, slender form. southpaw : noun: A left-handed person. adjective: Left-handed. ; "Are you right-handed or southpaw?" Kat Savage; For Now; CreateSpace; 2018. See more usage examples of southpaw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 03, 2022***** analogue : (noun) Something that bears an analogy to something else.; parallel; Surimi is marketed as an analogue of crabmeat. southpaw : noun: A left-handed person. adjective: Left-handed. ; "Are you right-handed or southpaw?" Kat Savage; For Now; CreateSpace; 2018. See more usage examples of southpaw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 04, 2022***** escarpment : (noun) A steep slope or long cliff that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.; scarp; The basalt cliffs of the outside were reproduced upon the inside, forming an escarpment about two hundred feet high, with a woody slope beneath it. southpaw : noun: A left-handed person. adjective: Left-handed. ; "Are you right-handed or southpaw?" Kat Savage; For Now; CreateSpace; 2018. See more usage examples of southpaw in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is almost impossible to carry the torch of truth through a crowd without singeing somebody's beard. -Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, scientist and philosopher (1 Jul 1742-1799) *****July 05, 2022***** recompense : (verb) To award compensation for; make a return for.; compensate, indemnify, repair; I wish to recompense you for the time and money that you spent while helping my sister find her lost dog. staycation : noun: A vacation spent at home or close to home. verb intr.: To vacation at or close to home. ; "If anyone actually asked about her vacation, she would make up some grand lie about a boring staycation that involved bingewatching Downton Abbey and eating ice cream straight from the carton." Kimberly Van Meter; The Flyboy's Temptation; Harlequin; 2016. Thought For The Day: What other dungeon is so dark as one's own heart! What jailer is as inexorable as one's self! -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864) *****July 06, 2022***** diminution : (noun) Change toward something smaller or lower.; decline; The thermometer indicated a certain diminution of temperature. orature : noun: Songs, poems, stories, etc., transmitted orally across generations. ; "Tanya Evanson: I'm interested in pushing those boundaries, and seeing how literature, and, by extension, orature, can be presented live." Lynn Saxberg; Poetry in Motion; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Aug 23, 2018. Thought For The Day: The surest sign of intelligent life in the universe is that they haven't attempted to contact us. -Bill Watterson, comic strip artist (b. 5 Jul 1958) *****July 07, 2022***** unadulterated : (adjective) Not mingled or diluted with extraneous matter.; pure; Because she did not like artificial or diluted flavors, she made sure to purchase unadulterated maple syrup. pennant : noun: 1. A long tapering flag. 2. A flag symbolizing a sports championship or another achievement. 3. A victory, championship, etc. ; "Earl squinted into the rising sun, focusing on a blue and white pennant that fluttered from the top of the flagpole." Edward D. Hoch; The Frankenstein Factory; Hale; 1976. "[Jackie] Robinson had to agree to play a season in the minors. With Montreal in 1946, Robinson batted .349. After the team won the International League pennant, he recalled Montreal fans hurrying after him outside the ballpark. He began to run. The crowd ran behind him. He began to weep. 'I started crying,' he told me, 'because I thought here are all these whites running after a Negrο, to get his autograph, not to lynch him.'" Roger Kahn; The Jackie Robinson I Remember; The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education; Dec 31, 1996. See more usage examples of pennant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: All the arguments to prove man's superiority cannot shatter this hard fact: in suffering the animals are our equals. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2022***** crass : (adjective) So crude and unrefined as to be lacking in discrimination and sensibility.; unrefined; Jenny's mother was horrified by the crass behavior of the young man whom her daughter had befriended. flexitarian : noun: One who follows a primarily vegetarian diet but occasionally consumes animal products. adjective: Primarily but not completely vegetarian. ; "38% of American consumers said that they guzzle plant-based milk, but only 12% did so exclusively. The others were flexitarian, drinking both moo juice and the nutty or beany variety." Fake Moos; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 12, 2019. Thought For The Day: Men rarely (if ever) managed to dream up a god superior to themselves. Most gods have the manners and morals of a spoiled child. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 09, 2022***** calamitous : (adjective) Having extremely unfortunate or dire consequences; bringing ruin.; disastrous, fatal, fateful, black; Sire, I ask your majesty's pardon for the calamitous news which I bring. bromance : noun: A close friendship between men. ; "But Kai's most elaborate billionaire bromance has been with Mark Zuckerberg. They went foiling together on Kauai, and the paparazzi caught Zuckerberg looking extra silly. Zuckerberg later described Kai as 'magical'." William Finnegan; Big Breaks; The New Yorker; May 30, 2022. Thought For The Day: What is called discretion in men is called cunning in animals. -Jean de la Fontaine, poet and fabulist (8 Jul 1621-1695) *****July 10, 2022***** blithe : (adjective) Carefree and lighthearted.; lighthearted, lightsome; The blithe young couple was a pleasant sight to see. bromance : noun: A close friendship between men. ; "But Kai's most elaborate billionaire bromance has been with Mark Zuckerberg. They went foiling together on Kauai, and the paparazzi caught Zuckerberg looking extra silly. Zuckerberg later described Kai as 'magical'." William Finnegan; Big Breaks; The New Yorker; May 30, 2022. Thought For The Day: What is called discretion in men is called cunning in animals. -Jean de la Fontaine, poet and fabulist (8 Jul 1621-1695) *****July 11, 2022***** loquacious : (adjective) Very talkative; garrulous.; chatty, gabby, garrulous, talkative, talky; The loquacious woman was often mocked by neighborhood children for her incessant talking. bromance : noun: A close friendship between men. ; "But Kai's most elaborate billionaire bromance has been with Mark Zuckerberg. They went foiling together on Kauai, and the paparazzi caught Zuckerberg looking extra silly. Zuckerberg later described Kai as 'magical'." William Finnegan; Big Breaks; The New Yorker; May 30, 2022. Thought For The Day: What is called discretion in men is called cunning in animals. -Jean de la Fontaine, poet and fabulist (8 Jul 1621-1695) *****July 12, 2022***** sardonic : (adjective) Scornfully or cynically mocking.; wry; He continued to grin with a sardonic humor, with a cynical mockery and defiance. staddle : noun: A base, support, or supporting framework. ; "When Donald Frazier set his mind on marrying a Catholic, the staddle on which his mother's church was built had already begun to crumble." John Gardner; Stillness & Shadows; Knopf; 1986. See more usage examples of staddle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I hold one share in the corporate earth and am uneasy about the management. -E.B. White, writer (11 Jul 1899-1985) *****July 13, 2022***** destitute : (adjective) Lacking resources or the means of subsistence; completely impoverished.; impoverished, indigent, necessitous, needy, poverty-stricken; Though they were poor and destitute, they refused to ask others for help or charity. dragoon : verb tr.: To force someone to do something; coerce. ; "The government tightly controls cotton, Uzbekistan's third-biggest export (after gold and gas) ... It normally dragoons public-sector workers to harvest the bolls. But this autumn thousands of doctors, nurses, and teachers were sent home from the fields. The government says greater mechanisation and higher wages for pickers will soon allow it to do without forced labour altogether." From a Low Base; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 16, 2017. See more usage examples of dragoon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Love is so short and forgetting is so long. -Pablo Neruda, poet, diplomat, Nobel laureate (12 Jul 1904-1973) *****July 14, 2022***** occult : (adjective) Of, relating to, or dealing with supernatural influences, agencies, or phenomena.; supernatural; His superstitions led him to the study of occult subjects, much to the dismay of his highly rational parents. specie : noun: 1. Money, especially in a form that has an intrinsic value (for example, coins made from precious metals as opposed to paper money). 2. Type or kind (used in the phrase "in specie" meaning "in a similar manner"). ; "For all we know, the banks may never open again! I've heard they've nearly run out of specie!" Kia Corthron; Moon and the Mars; Seven Stories Press; 2021. See more usage examples of specie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest threat to freedom is the absence of criticism. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934) *****July 15, 2022***** sufferance : (noun) A disposition to tolerate or accept people or situations.; toleration, acceptance; Everyone admired her sufferance in the face of a number of unfortunate events. navvy : noun: A laborer or a construction worker. ; "It was a navvy all covered with mortar, white dust, and mud." Ali Smith; The Book Lover; Anchor Books; 2006. See more usage examples of navvy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Live your life as an experiment. -Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun and author (b. 14 Jul 1936) *****July 16, 2022***** abscission : (noun) The act of cutting off.; cutting off; He had surgery for the abscission of a malignancy. compromis : noun: An agreement, especially between nations, to submit disputes to arbitration. ; "Nabil el-Arabi: They are the ones who are acting not in accordance with, and contrary to, the compromis which we have signed. ... Once the arbitration panel accepted our position, it should have been over." Menachem Shalev; Israel's Diplomatic 'Nemesis' at Taba, Nabil El-Arabi; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jan 29, 1989. Thought For The Day: I daresay anything can be made holy by being sincerely worshipped. -Iris Murdoch, writer (15 Jul 1919-1999) *****July 17, 2022***** deleterious : (adjective) Having a harmful effect; injurious.; injurious, hurtful; A guest speaker came to the high school to warn the students about the deleterious effects of smoking. compromis : noun: An agreement, especially between nations, to submit disputes to arbitration. ; "Nabil el-Arabi: They are the ones who are acting not in accordance with, and contrary to, the compromis which we have signed. ... Once the arbitration panel accepted our position, it should have been over." Menachem Shalev; Israel's Diplomatic 'Nemesis' at Taba, Nabil El-Arabi; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jan 29, 1989. Thought For The Day: I daresay anything can be made holy by being sincerely worshipped. -Iris Murdoch, writer (15 Jul 1919-1999) *****July 18, 2022***** procurator : (noun) One authorized to manage the affairs of another; an agent.; proxy, placeholder; The wealthy businessman's procurator arrived at the auction to bid on his behalf. compromis : noun: An agreement, especially between nations, to submit disputes to arbitration. ; "Nabil el-Arabi: They are the ones who are acting not in accordance with, and contrary to, the compromis which we have signed. ... Once the arbitration panel accepted our position, it should have been over." Menachem Shalev; Israel's Diplomatic 'Nemesis' at Taba, Nabil El-Arabi; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Jan 29, 1989. Thought For The Day: I daresay anything can be made holy by being sincerely worshipped. -Iris Murdoch, writer (15 Jul 1919-1999) *****July 19, 2022***** chalkstone : (noun) A deposit of urates around a joint or in the external ear; diagnostic of advanced or chronic gout.; tophus; Once the doctor saw the chalkstone, he knew his patient was suffering from gout. speechify : verb intr.: To make a speech, especially in a tedious or pompous manner. ; "It is wise to be sceptical when politicians speechify on religion." One Nation Under Gods; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 3, 2012. See more usage examples of speechify in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013) *****July 20, 2022***** satirist : (noun) A humorist who uses ridicule and irony and sarcasm.; ironist, ridiculer; The satirist got into trouble with the network after he ridiculed a number of prominent donors on his live television show. agrostology : noun: The study of grasses. ; "'Agrostology is not the most er... flamboyant of professions. That's my proper field.' 'I see. Rutabagas are just a sideline. But think of all the cows you've made happy.'" Charlotte MacLeod; Rest You Merry; G.K. Hall; 1979. Thought For The Day: I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in. -George McGovern, senator and author (19 Jul 1922-2012) *****July 21, 2022***** aguacate : (noun) A pear-shaped tropical fruit with green or blackish skin and rich yellowish pulp enclosing a single large seed.; alligator pear, avocado, avocado pear; Jim prepared his special aguacate dip and served it with tortilla chips. smilet : noun: A little smile. ; "As the muscles of your face force a smilet, your face starts to crack." Mavi'nin Sesi; Light of Lilith-11; Cosmo Publishing; 2021. "His eyes glittered as he gauged her humor. 'Quid pro quo?' 'Tit for tat,' she consented with a smilet, and realized to her shame that she was flirting." Rona Sharon; Royal Blood; Kensington Books; 2009. Thought For The Day: To be able to say how much you love is to love but little. -Petrarch, scholar and poet (20 Jul 1304-1374) *****July 22, 2022***** underlayment : (noun) A pad placed under a carpet.; carpet pad, rug pad; After they removed the underlayment, the young cousins were able to slide the rug across the hardwood floor as though it were a sled on ice. tergiversation : noun: 1. Misleading, evasive, or ambiguous speech or action. 2. Desertion of a party, position, cause, etc. ; "The tobacco industry is a master of tergiversation. On the one hand, it claims that plain-packaging legislation has boosted cigarette sales by leading to a price war, but at the same time it resorts to the law and lobbying to try and abolish it." James Moore; Letters; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Jul 18, 2014. See more usage examples of tergiversation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime. Ask the infantry and ask the dead. -Ernest Hemingway, author and journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2022***** histrionics : (noun) Theatrical arts or performances.; theatrical performance, representation; They had lunch, then went to the theater to enjoy an hour of histrionics. meta : adjective:1. Self-referential.  2. Relating to members of its own category. adverb:In a self-referential manner. noun:Something that is self-referential. prefix:Denoting transformation, transcending, going beyond, etc. ; "The watchers became the watched. It was all so very meta." Sean Williams, et al; Solaris Rising 3; Solaris; 2014. "A new comedy about fantasy football, which follows a group of armchair quarterbacks as they try to tackle life. How meta would it be if people started betting on what was going to happen on the show?" TV Guide; Oct 26, 2009. More meta examples: Graffiti in Paris. This sentence has five words. What are your favorite examples of meta? Share below or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state). Thought For The Day: Illness is in part what the world has done to a victim, but in a larger part it is what the victim has done with his world. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (22 Jul 1893-1990) *****July 24, 2022***** face-off : (noun) A hostile disagreement face-to-face.; confrontation, encounter, showdown; The relationship between the two officers deteriorated until they had a noisy face-off at the chief's office. meta : adjective:1. Self-referential.  2. Relating to members of its own category. adverb:In a self-referential manner. noun:Something that is self-referential. prefix:Denoting transformation, transcending, going beyond, etc. ; "The watchers became the watched. It was all so very meta." Sean Williams, et al; Solaris Rising 3; Solaris; 2014. "A new comedy about fantasy football, which follows a group of armchair quarterbacks as they try to tackle life. How meta would it be if people started betting on what was going to happen on the show?" TV Guide; Oct 26, 2009. More meta examples: Graffiti in Paris. This sentence has five words. What are your favorite examples of meta? Share below or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state). Thought For The Day: Illness is in part what the world has done to a victim, but in a larger part it is what the victim has done with his world. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (22 Jul 1893-1990) *****July 25, 2022***** suitor : (noun) A man who is courting a woman.; suer, wooer; The princess had many suitors, but the only man she was interested in was a poor farmhand. meta : adjective:1. Self-referential.  2. Relating to members of its own category. adverb:In a self-referential manner. noun:Something that is self-referential. prefix:Denoting transformation, transcending, going beyond, etc. ; "The watchers became the watched. It was all so very meta." Sean Williams, et al; Solaris Rising 3; Solaris; 2014. "A new comedy about fantasy football, which follows a group of armchair quarterbacks as they try to tackle life. How meta would it be if people started betting on what was going to happen on the show?" TV Guide; Oct 26, 2009. More meta examples: Graffiti in Paris. This sentence has five words. What are your favorite examples of meta? Share below or email us at words@wordsmith.org. As always, include your location (city, state). Thought For The Day: Illness is in part what the world has done to a victim, but in a larger part it is what the victim has done with his world. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (22 Jul 1893-1990) *****July 26, 2022***** seafarer : (noun) A sailor or mariner.; old salt, Jack-tar, mariner, sea dog, seaman, gob, Jack, tar; Then he arose quickly, like a seafarer who all at once seeth the land; and he shouted for joy: for he saw a new truth. John Henry : noun: A person's signature. ; "The clerk insisted: 'You have to sign this or you can't use it here.' So, Steve scribbled his John Henry on the card." D.F. Oliveria; Stereotype at the Plate; Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington); Mar 18, 2006. See more usage examples of John Henry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There would be no society if living together depended upon understanding each other. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) *****July 27, 2022***** ventail : (noun) A medieval hood of mail suspended from a basinet to protect the head and neck.; camail; The sword caught him just below the jaw, but the ventail protected his neck. mollycoddle : noun: A pampered or overprotected person. verb tr.: To overprotect or pamper. ; "What a mollycoddle you are, crying for your parents." Sabrina Jeffries; What the Duke Desires; Simon & Schuster; 2013. "Why are we mollycoddling these people? ... There is a reason why we don't ask drunks how they feel about not being allowed to drive the car." Jonn Elledge; Why Does the Media Mollycoddle Anti-Vaxxers?; The New Statesman (London, UK); Aug 18, 2021. See more usage examples of mollycoddle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. -Carl Jung, psychiatrist (26 Jul 1875-1961) *****July 28, 2022***** harelip : (noun) A congenital cleft in the middle of the upper lip.; cheiloschisis, cleft lip; The insurance company argued that the surgery to correct her harelip was not medically necessary. Jones : noun: 1 One's neighbors or social equals. Typically used in the phrase: keeping up with the Joneses. noun: 2. An addiction or craving, especially for drugs. verb intr.: To have an intense longing. ; "Dunton had kept his private life completely separate from his profession and avoided any nonsense of competing with Joneses." Geoffrey Household; The Courtesy of Death; Brown; 1967. "And aren't we all always jonesing for a way out or in, a better deal, a shorter distance to x, more y." Ellen Doré Watson; In Which We Are What We Repeatedly Do; Ploughshares (Cambridge, Massachusetts); Spring 2022. See more usage examples of Jones in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It was my shame, and now it is my boast, That I have loved you rather more than most. -Hilaire Belloc, writer and poet (27 Jul 1870-1953) *****July 29, 2022***** rancor : (noun) Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will.; bitterness, resentment, gall; After a year Edinburgh dropped him, thus supplying substantial fuel for his ingrained poor man's jealousy and rancor at the privileged classes. patsy : noun: One who is easily taken advantage of, by being deceived, unfairly blamed, or ridiculed. ; "When Mogoeng Mogoeng was named chief justice by Mr Zuma, many worried that he would be a patsy. Yet he has steadfastly overseen rulings that thwart or chide the president." South Africa's Democracy; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 19, 2015. See more usage examples of patsy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****July 30, 2022***** cesspit : (noun) A pit for refuse or sewage.; sump, sink, cesspool; The cesspit smelled foul, but without it all the refuse would have been strewn around the town. jasper : noun: 1. A person; guy. 2. A wasp. 3. A compact, opaque quartz, typically in dull shades of red, yellow, and brown. ; "We'll show those jaspers in Chicago, Montreal, and Vancouver." Geoffrey Stevens; Looking for Encore, City Seeks Spectacles; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Aug 1, 1989. See more usage examples of jasper in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country. -Alexis de Tocqueville, statesman and historian (29 Jul 1805-1859) *****July 31, 2022***** turncoat : (noun) One who traitorously switches allegiance.; apostate, deserter, ratter, recreant, renegade; He was a turncoat who betrayed his friends to curry favor with the King. jasper : noun: 1. A person; guy. 2. A wasp. 3. A compact, opaque quartz, typically in dull shades of red, yellow, and brown. ; "We'll show those jaspers in Chicago, Montreal, and Vancouver." Geoffrey Stevens; Looking for Encore, City Seeks Spectacles; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Aug 1, 1989. See more usage examples of jasper in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country. -Alexis de Tocqueville, statesman and historian (29 Jul 1805-1859) *****August 01, 2022***** liegeman : (noun) A feudal vassal or subject.; feudatory, liege, vassal; The liegeman was expected to provide military support if his lord went to battle. jasper : noun: 1. A person; guy. 2. A wasp. 3. A compact, opaque quartz, typically in dull shades of red, yellow, and brown. ; "We'll show those jaspers in Chicago, Montreal, and Vancouver." Geoffrey Stevens; Looking for Encore, City Seeks Spectacles; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Aug 1, 1989. See more usage examples of jasper in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic country. -Alexis de Tocqueville, statesman and historian (29 Jul 1805-1859) *****August 02, 2022***** legate : (noun) An official emissary, especially an official representative of the pope.; official emissary; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Caprara was the legate of Pope Pius VII in France. obtrude : verb tr.: To impose one's ideas, opinions, etc. verb intr.: To thrust forward or to intrude. ; "I shall allow you neither to entangle yourself in an engagement, nor to embarrass my affianced wife by obtruding yourself upon her." Georgette Heyer; Bath Tangle; William Heinemann; 1955. "Part of a pale-blue window obtrudes. But nothing disrupts the composition's essential harmony." Peter Schjeldahl; Going Flat Out; The New Yorker; May 16, 2022. See more usage examples of obtrude in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I asked a man in prison once how he happened to be there and he said he had stolen a pair of shoes. I told him if he had stolen a railroad he would be a United States Senator. -Mother Jones (Mary Harris Jones), schoolteacher, dressmaker, organizer, and activist (1 Aug 1837-1930) *****August 03, 2022***** paronomasia : (noun) A humorous play on words.; pun, punning, wordplay; His attempts at comedy usually flopped, especially when he recited his favorite paronomasia, "I do it for the pun of it." mundify : verb tr.: To wash, cleanse, or purify. ; "He may have been in the washroom... er... mundifying." Harry Stephen Keeler; The Matilda Hunter Murder; Dutton; 1931. Thought For The Day: I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2022***** vibrissa : (noun) Any of the long stiff hairs that project from the snout or brow of most mammals, as the whiskers of a cat.; whisker, sensory hair; The mouse's vibrissae alerted it to the presence of a predator. discerp : verb tr.: To tear off or to rip into pieces. ; "Trace shook her head and inhaled through o'd lips, imagining a mother bear or cougar finding, catching, and killing the fawn, discerping it to share with April-born cubs or kits." Scott Elliott; Temple Grove; University of Washington Press; 2013. See more usage examples of discerp in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. -P.D. James (Phyllis Dorothy James), novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2022***** rhizome : (noun) A horizontal, usually underground stem that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes.; rootstalk; It was not apparent that the neighboring stalk belonged to the original plant because the rhizome connecting the two was underground. elute : verb tr.: To wash out or extract, especially with a solvent. ; "The caustic solvent of intercontinental travel has eluted away the fragile coating of polite civility each of them wears when at his unstressed best, leaving bare the chafed prickliness of self-justified irritability familiar to all who over-indulge in time zones." John Mickey; Ultimatum Day; iUniverse; 2006. See more usage examples of elute in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What did I know, what did I know / of love's austere and lonely offices? -Robert Hayden, poet and educator (4 Aug 1913-1980) *****August 06, 2022***** orthography : (noun) A method of representing a language or the sounds of language by written symbols; spelling.; writing system; She was familiar with many of the regional dialects, but she did not recognize this orthography. micrify : verb tr.: To make small or insignificant. ; "With no way to micrify anything ... I had to let everything in one-to-one, raw, and unreduced." Harry Dodge; My Meteorite; Penguin; 2020. Thought For The Day: How would you describe the difference between modern war and modern industry -- between, say, bombing and strip mining, or between chemical warfare and chemical manufacturing? The difference seems to be only that in war the victimization of humans is directly intentional and in industry it is "accepted" as a "trade-off". -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 07, 2022***** farrago : (noun) An assortment or a medley; a conglomeration.; hodgepodge, omnium-gatherum, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, ragbag; If the farrago of newspaper clippings, stale coffee mugs, and chewed-on pencils strewn around the office was any indication, her boss had been at the office all night. micrify : verb tr.: To make small or insignificant. ; "With no way to micrify anything ... I had to let everything in one-to-one, raw, and unreduced." Harry Dodge; My Meteorite; Penguin; 2020. Thought For The Day: How would you describe the difference between modern war and modern industry -- between, say, bombing and strip mining, or between chemical warfare and chemical manufacturing? The difference seems to be only that in war the victimization of humans is directly intentional and in industry it is "accepted" as a "trade-off". -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 08, 2022***** cloudburst : (noun) A heavy rain.; pelter, soaker, torrent, waterspout, deluge, downpour; We enjoyed the lovely recliners on the ship's deck until a sudden cloudburst sent us running for our cabins. micrify : verb tr.: To make small or insignificant. ; "With no way to micrify anything ... I had to let everything in one-to-one, raw, and unreduced." Harry Dodge; My Meteorite; Penguin; 2020. Thought For The Day: How would you describe the difference between modern war and modern industry -- between, say, bombing and strip mining, or between chemical warfare and chemical manufacturing? The difference seems to be only that in war the victimization of humans is directly intentional and in industry it is "accepted" as a "trade-off". -Wendell Berry, farmer and author (b. 5 Aug 1934) *****August 09, 2022***** capote : (noun) A long, usually hooded cloak or coat.; hooded coat; The men wore matching black capotes with hoods that obscured their features, and we watched in terror as they advanced in the dim light. cynical : adjective: 1. Believing that people are motivated primarily by self-interest. 2. Behaving in a selfish manner, callously violating accepted standards. 3. Pessimistic; jaded; negative. 4. Contemptuous; mocking. ; "'Fairy tales look great on paper. In real life, not so much.' 'Cynical.'" Jill Kemerer; Small-Town Bachelor; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of cynical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No one worth possessing / Can be quite possessed. -Sara Teasdale, poet (8 Aug 1884-1933) *****August 10, 2022***** hypocorism : (noun) A name of endearment; a pet name.; pet name; "Billy" is a hypocorism for "William." lemming : noun: 1. Any of various small, thickset, short-tailed, furry rodents. 2. One who mindlessly conforms or follows, especially toward disaster. ; "Lucy ... had an almost inexplicably strong following among the big-platinumblonde-acid-wash-jean lemmings of Southeast High School." Ron Bahar; The Frontman; SparkPress; 2018. See more usage examples of lemming in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A writer is, after all, only half his book. The other half is the reader and from the reader the writer learns. -P.L. (Pamela Lyndon) Travers, author, creator of the "Mary Poppins" series (9 Aug 1899-1996) *****August 11, 2022***** singlet : (noun) A collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body.; undershirt, vest; Its owner had taken off his tunic, and in white trousers and a thin, short-sleeved singlet prowled behind the chair-backs nursing his meager elbows. serpentine : adjective:1. Of or relating to a snake.  2. Winding, twisting, or coiling.  3. Intricate; cunning; treacherous. verb intr.:To move or lie in a winding course. noun:1. Something winding, twisting, or coiling.  2. A dull green mineral with a texture resembling the skin of a snake. ; "In addition to her famous serpentine coiffure, Medusa was said to have two kinds of blood coursing through her veins: on her left side, her blood was lethal; on her right side, it was life-giving." Jerome Groopman; Pumped; The New Yorker; Jan 14, 2019. "For almost five hours you then fly over a dark green carpet festooned with serpentine rivers, some a muddy brown, others inky black." Murder in the Amazon; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 25, 2022. "But while Mr Yeltsin may look like the innocent flower, his folksy -- even crude -- exterior conceals the serpentine heart of a cunning party functionary who rose to the top of the ruthless Soviet hierarchy." Chrystia Freeland; Crown Prince in Command; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 22, 1996. See more usage examples of serpentine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I like the pluralism of modernity; it doesn't threaten me or my faith. And if one's faith is dependent on being reinforced in every aspect of other people's lives, then it is a rather insecure faith, don't you think? -Andrew Sullivan, author and editor (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 12, 2022***** outlander : (noun) A person from a foreign country; a foreigner.; alien, foreigner, noncitizen; As long as the number of outlanders remained small, the natives were friendly toward them. jackrabbit : noun: Any of various hares having long ears and very long hind legs. verb intr.: To move or begin to move very quickly. adjective: Moving or beginning to move very quickly. ; "I stare him down, heart jackrabbiting out of my chest." Julia Kent; Shopping for a Billionaire Boxed Set; Kindle; 2021. See more usage examples of jackrabbit in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It has always seemed absurd to suppose that a god would choose for his companions, during all eternity, the dear souls whose highest and only ambition is to obey. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2022***** gegenschein : (noun) A faint glowing spot in the sky, exactly opposite the position of the sun.; counterglow; The gegenschein is so faint that it cannot be seen if there is any moonlight or if it falls in the vicinity of the Milky Way. chevachee : noun: An expedition, raid, or campaign. ; "Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, brings a secret weapon with him today. It, or rather she, is his mother-in-law. ... This makes it a unique chevachee in the long history of Anglo-French ententes cordiales and not so cordiales." Blair Force One; The Times (London, UK); Feb 16, 2002. "The word chevachee is the most apt way of describing the Mongol raiding tactics in 1211, for it is an act of plundering on a relentless and extensive scale." James Waterson; Defending Heaven; Pen & Sword Books; 2013. Thought For The Day: I hate with a murderous hatred those men who, having lived their youth, would send into war other youth, not lived, unfulfilled, to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making their wars that boys must die. -Mary Roberts Rinehart, novelist (12 Aug 1876-1958) *****August 14, 2022***** flapjack : (noun) A flat cake of thin batter fried on both sides on a griddle.; flannel-cake, battercake, flapcake, hotcake, pancake, griddlecake; His flapjacks were so thin and light that they could have passed for crêpes. chevachee : noun: An expedition, raid, or campaign. ; "Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, brings a secret weapon with him today. It, or rather she, is his mother-in-law. ... This makes it a unique chevachee in the long history of Anglo-French ententes cordiales and not so cordiales." Blair Force One; The Times (London, UK); Feb 16, 2002. "The word chevachee is the most apt way of describing the Mongol raiding tactics in 1211, for it is an act of plundering on a relentless and extensive scale." James Waterson; Defending Heaven; Pen & Sword Books; 2013. Thought For The Day: I hate with a murderous hatred those men who, having lived their youth, would send into war other youth, not lived, unfulfilled, to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making their wars that boys must die. -Mary Roberts Rinehart, novelist (12 Aug 1876-1958) *****August 15, 2022***** clavus : (noun) A hard thickening of the skin (especially on the top or sides of the toes) caused by the pressure of ill-fitting shoes.; corn; Years of wearing uncomfortable stilettos had left a large clavus on her foot. chevachee : noun: An expedition, raid, or campaign. ; "Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President, brings a secret weapon with him today. It, or rather she, is his mother-in-law. ... This makes it a unique chevachee in the long history of Anglo-French ententes cordiales and not so cordiales." Blair Force One; The Times (London, UK); Feb 16, 2002. "The word chevachee is the most apt way of describing the Mongol raiding tactics in 1211, for it is an act of plundering on a relentless and extensive scale." James Waterson; Defending Heaven; Pen & Sword Books; 2013. Thought For The Day: I hate with a murderous hatred those men who, having lived their youth, would send into war other youth, not lived, unfulfilled, to fight and die for them; the pride and cowardice of those old men, making their wars that boys must die. -Mary Roberts Rinehart, novelist (12 Aug 1876-1958) *****August 16, 2022***** rubella : (noun) A mild contagious eruptive disease caused by a virus and capable of producing congenital defects in infants born to mothers infected during the first three months of pregnancy.; German measles, epidemic roseola, three-day measles; The parents were relieved when the doctor said that their son's rubella would improve in a matter of days. plutography : noun: The genre that chronicles the lifestyles of the rich and famous. ; "These works are China's closest approximation to plutography; Cheng's attention to the brand names and schools by which the old rich set themselves apart from upstarts shows an eye for detail." Pang-Yuan Chi and David Der-wei Wang; Chinese Literature in the Second Half of a Modern Century; Indiana University Press; 2000. Thought For The Day: O, what a tangled web we weave, / When first we practice to deceive! -Walter Scott, novelist and poet (15 Aug 1771-1832) *****August 17, 2022***** hothouse : (noun) A heated greenhouse for plants that require an even, relatively warm temperature.; conservatory, indoor garden; When those young ladies left your hothouse door open, with a frosty east wind blowing right in … it killed a good many of your plants. miniate : verb tr.: 1. To decorate a manuscript, book, etc., with colors, gold, silver, etc. 2. To paint in red, titles, headings, or important parts of a book or manuscript. ; "There, after the fall of the Soviet empire, the goods from distant Asian lands -- Siberian caviar, miniated manuscripts, Uzbek fabrics, ... were now back in full display." Arianna Dagnino; Transcultural Writers and Novels in the Age of Global Mobility; Purdue University Press; 2015. See more usage examples of miniate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We perceive when love begins and when it declines by our embarrassment when alone together. -Jean de la Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2022***** cinder : (noun) A fragment of incombustible matter left after a wood or coal or charcoal fire.; clinker; Ella loved to read by the fire; her cruel stepsisters dubbed her "Cinderella," since her face was often blackened with cinder dust. irredentist : noun: One advocating the restoration of territory that earlier belonged to one's country. ; "Many products ... featured a map of Greater Hungary, the larger, pre-World War I territory whose restoration is the ultimate aim of the country's irredentists." Jacob Mikanowski; The Call of the Drums; Harper's (New York); Aug 2019. See more usage examples of irredentist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I speak two languages, Body and English. -Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (17 Aug 1893-1980) *****August 19, 2022***** gaberdine : (noun) A loose coverall (coat or frock) reaching down to the ankles.; dust coat, smock, duster; He was an unshaven little man in a threadbare coat like a gaberdine, with his feet in slippers, and I thought him a harmless fool. recurse : verb tr., intr. 1. To describe, define, or perform something in terms of itself. 2. To perform an operation by repeated application of a technique, such that the results of the first step are put through the same technique again. ; "But as I recursed through the doors time and time again, what was changing? Nothing seemed to change? I seemed to be caught in an endless loop that would eventually lead to madness." Gil Waugh; Mind Surfing; iUniverse; 2008. "I will break society's recursing corruption. Civilization is reaching its base case." Justin March; American Hex; BookRix; 2013. Thought For The Day: Someone needs to explain to me why wanting clean drinking water makes you an activist and why proposing to destroy water with chemical warfare doesn't make a corporation a terrorist. -Winona LaDuke, activist, environmentalist, economist, and writer (b. 18 Aug 1959) *****August 20, 2022***** amylum : (noun) A complex carbohydrate found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots and stem pith of plants, notably in corn, potatoes, wheat, and rice.; starch; She was on a strict diet and avoided foods with high levels of amylum, sugar, and saturated fat. decalcomania : noun: 1. The process of transferring a design from a specially prepared paper onto another surface. 2. A decal: a design on a specially prepared paper made to be transferred onto another surface. ; "He put wet theatrical-quality decalcomania tattoos onto his right upper arm." Anthony Wolff; The Case of the Monja Blanca; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of decalcomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Errors like straws upon the surface flow: / Who would search for pearls must dive below. -John Dryden, poet and dramatist (19 Aug 1631-1700) *****August 21, 2022***** coppice : (noun) A thicket or grove of small trees or shrubs, especially one maintained by periodic cutting or pruning to encourage suckering, as in the cultivation of cinnamon trees for their bark.; thicket, brush, copse, brushwood; They determined on walking round Beechen Cliff, that noble hill whose beautiful verdure and hanging coppice render it so striking an object from almost every opening in Bath. decalcomania : noun: 1. The process of transferring a design from a specially prepared paper onto another surface. 2. A decal: a design on a specially prepared paper made to be transferred onto another surface. ; "He put wet theatrical-quality decalcomania tattoos onto his right upper arm." Anthony Wolff; The Case of the Monja Blanca; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of decalcomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Errors like straws upon the surface flow: / Who would search for pearls must dive below. -John Dryden, poet and dramatist (19 Aug 1631-1700) *****August 22, 2022***** planchet : (noun) A flat disk of metal ready for stamping as a coin; a coin blank.; coin blank; Occasionally, a planchet will escape the mint without having been stamped into a coin. decalcomania : noun: 1. The process of transferring a design from a specially prepared paper onto another surface. 2. A decal: a design on a specially prepared paper made to be transferred onto another surface. ; "He put wet theatrical-quality decalcomania tattoos onto his right upper arm." Anthony Wolff; The Case of the Monja Blanca; AuthorHouse; 2014. See more usage examples of decalcomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Errors like straws upon the surface flow: / Who would search for pearls must dive below. -John Dryden, poet and dramatist (19 Aug 1631-1700) *****August 23, 2022***** embrocation : (noun) A medicinal liquid that is rubbed into the skin to relieve muscular stiffness and pain.; liniment; The dressings on my wound and the embrocation on my sprained wrist steadily subdue the pains which I have felt so far. groundhog day : noun: A situation in which events are repeated as if in a loop, especially when such events are of a tedious or monotonous nature. ; "Giaan Rooney: There are no two days that are the same ... and that's what I needed after the groundhog day experience of a swimming career." Lisa Mayoh; Pandemic Pause; The Daily Telegraph (Surry Hills, Australia); Jul 23, 2022. See more usage examples of Groundhog Day in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: "Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course." -Ray Bradbury, science-fiction writer (22 Aug 1920-2012) *****August 24, 2022***** footpad : (noun) A thief who preys on pedestrians.; padder; The footpad was known to local police, as he had a habit of preying on tourists in the center of town. rashomon : adjective: Relating to differing accounts or subjective interpretations of an event. ; "The rashomon stories recounting the death of Jhondie Maglinte Helis are typical of the Philippines' war on drugs under President Rodrigo Duterte. ... The officers say they shot and killed the pair after both of them drew guns in an attempt to resist arrest. Civilian witnesses tell a different, if depressingly familiar, story: that the officers captured and summarily executed [them]." Silenced Witness; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 26, 2021. Thought For The Day: If an animal does something, we call it instinct; if we do the same thing for the same reason, we call it intelligence. -Will Cuppy, journalist (23 Aug 1884-1949) *****August 25, 2022***** stripling : (noun) A juvenile between the onset of puberty and maturity.; adolescent, teenager; He appeared on a jutting headland by the shore of the fruitless sea, seeming like a stripling in the first flush of manhood. King Kong : noun: Something or someone of great size, strength, etc. adjective: Huge. ; "I am getting a King Kong headache, and if it holds true to form, we have about ten minutes to finish our business here, while I can still think." Christine Michels; A Season Of Miracles; Silhouette; 1998. Thought For The Day: I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does. -Jorge Luis Borges, writer (24 Aug 1899-1986) *****August 26, 2022***** flunky : (noun) A person of unquestioning obedience.; stooge, yes-man; I liked the play, but I felt that the character of Joe was too much of a flunky, always trying to please Roger and never standing up for himself. Mad Max : adjective: Dystopian, post-apocalyptic, anarchic. ; "For the humans who survived, it's turned into a Mad Max, dog-eat-dog nightmare, while shifters and wizards have forged communities in the forest away from the violence." Nikki Jefford, et al; Once Upon A Quest; Fiddlehead Press; 2018. Thought For The Day: We have met the enemy and he is us. -Walt Kelly, cartoonist (25 Aug 1913-1973) *****August 27, 2022***** gastropod : (noun) Any of various mollusks of the class Gastropoda, such as the snail, slug, cowrie, or limpet, characteristically having a single, usually coiled shell or no shell at all, a ventral muscular foot for locomotion, and eyes and feelers located on a distinct head.; univalve; The sound of a shell crushing beneath his foot told him that he had just caused a gastropod's demise. Godzilla : noun: 1. Someone or something of enormous size. 2. Someone or something fierce, frightening, monstrous, etc. ; "She'd had too much to drink. ... She'd known she would wake up with a Godzilla of a hangover." Candace Bushnell; Lipstick Jungle; Hyperion; 2008. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 28, 2022***** tegument : (noun) A natural outer covering; an integument.; skin, cutis; When it became apparent that the burn victim would need a skin graft, the doctors decided to use tegument from his thigh. Godzilla : noun: 1. Someone or something of enormous size. 2. Someone or something fierce, frightening, monstrous, etc. ; "She'd had too much to drink. ... She'd known she would wake up with a Godzilla of a hangover." Candace Bushnell; Lipstick Jungle; Hyperion; 2008. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 29, 2022***** ophthalmologist : (noun) A medical doctor specializing in the treatment of diseases of the eye.; oculist, eye doctor; The ophthalmologist asked the patient to read letters off of a chart posted across the room. Godzilla : noun: 1. Someone or something of enormous size. 2. Someone or something fierce, frightening, monstrous, etc. ; "She'd had too much to drink. ... She'd known she would wake up with a Godzilla of a hangover." Candace Bushnell; Lipstick Jungle; Hyperion; 2008. Thought For The Day: In the new version of the law of supply and demand, jobs are so cheap -- as measured by the pay -- that a worker is encouraged to take on as many of them as she possibly can. -Barbara Ehrenreich, journalist and author (b. 26 Aug 1941) *****August 30, 2022***** excursus : (noun) A message that departs from the main subject.; digression, divagation, parenthesis, aside; After yet another long excursus on the subject of housecats, the absent-minded professor finally returned to his main point. rose-colored : adjective: 1. Optimistic or cheerful, especially naively or to an unrealistic degree. Often used in the form "to see through rose-colored glasses". 2. Of a bright pink or red color. ; "Tom Foley sometimes talked of the '60s in Congress with a certain rose-colored reverence." Jim Camden; Shutdown Wouldn't Have Been Allowed; Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington); Oct 20, 2013. See more usage examples of rose-colored in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The decent moderation of today will be the least of human things tomorrow. At the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the opinion of good sense and of the good medium was certainly that people ought not to burn too large a number of heretics; extreme and unreasonable opinion obviously demanded that they should burn none at all. -Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, dramatist, and Nobel laureate (29 Aug 1862-1949) *****August 31, 2022***** teetotum : (noun) A top, usually having four lettered sides, that is used to play various games of chance.; spinning top, whirligig, top; The boy was thrilled to get a bright red teetotum for his birthday and spent all summer watching it spin. Taj Mahal : noun: Something, especially a building, that is luxurious or an extraordinary example of its kind. ; "Said [Glenda Baskin] Glover, the president: 'Faculty look forward to working in a reasonable environment. They're not looking for a Taj Mahal, but they don't want to work in a building with water leaking from the ceiling.'" Katherine Mangan; The Betrayal of Historically Black Colleges; The Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, DC); Oct 15, 2021. See more usage examples of Taj Mahal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The more physics you have the less engineering you need. -Ernest Rutherford, physicist, Nobel laureate in chemistry (30 Aug 1871-1937) *****September 01, 2022***** harmonium : (noun) An organlike keyboard instrument that produces tones with free metal reeds actuated by air forced from a bellows.; reed organ; She had played the harmonium for years, but her arthritic fingers could no longer master the keys. hotheaded : adjective: 1. Easily angered. 2. Very angry. 3. Rash. ; "But the government's response ... shows it sees the revolt as more than a spontaneous outburst by hotheaded, underpaid soldiers." Keeping Its Head Above Water; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 13, 2009. See more usage examples of hotheaded in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952) *****September 02, 2022***** twelvemonth : (noun) A year.; year; But wilt thou not give me another twelvemonth to pay my debt? chicken feed : noun: A small amount of something, especially money. ; "It wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't chicken feed, either." Linda Reilly; Escape Claws; Lyrical Press; 2017. See more usage examples of chicken feed in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Genius is the gold in the mine, talent is the miner who works and brings it out. -Marguerite Gardiner, writer (1 Sep 1789-1849) *****September 03, 2022***** fancier : (noun) A person having a strong liking for something.; enthusiast; I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom seen a better grown goose. third rail : noun: 1. A topic believed to be too controversial or charged to discuss. 2. A rail that runs near a railroad track to supply high-voltage power to an electric train. ; "For more than 20 years borders have been the third rail of Australian politics, and on Thursday -- Anthony Albanese -- unwittingly, he says -- tripped over it." The Daily Telegraph (Australia); 2022. "The abortion issue was already a third rail of Canadian politics before the latest US developments." Toronto Star (Canada); 2022. "Mr. Macron took on the third rail of French politics -- reforming the country's byzantine pension system." The Wall Street Journal (New York); 2022. "German politicians are also openly considering nuclear energy, a third rail of German politics for decades." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); 2022. "Labour reform was the infamous third rail of Indian politics, to be touched by foolhardy politicians." The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); 2020. "[Shinzo Abe] mused publicly about whether Japan should host US nuclear weapons, touching the third rail of Japanese politics." The Australian (Canberra); 2022. "The fate of that [oligarchs'] wealth is the third rail of Russian politics." The Christian Science Monitor (Boston); 2003. "[Rent control is] the third rail of Swedish politics." The New York Times; 2019. "Gender equality, however, will remain the third rail of Saudi politics." The American Prospect (Princeton, New Jersey); 2007. "And [Elizabeth Ames] said the NHS was a sacred cow. 'It's the third rail of UK politics.'" The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); 2019. Meanwhile in Florida... "They call Disney the third rail of politics in Florida." The Washington Post; 2022. See more usage examples of third rail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) *****September 04, 2022***** pileus : (noun) The umbrellalike fruiting structure forming the top of a stalked fleshy fungus, such as a mushroom; the cap.; cap; The recipe instructs the chef to separate the pileus from the stalk, presumably because the former adds more flavor to the dish. third rail : noun: 1. A topic believed to be too controversial or charged to discuss. 2. A rail that runs near a railroad track to supply high-voltage power to an electric train. ; "For more than 20 years borders have been the third rail of Australian politics, and on Thursday -- Anthony Albanese -- unwittingly, he says -- tripped over it." The Daily Telegraph (Australia); 2022. "The abortion issue was already a third rail of Canadian politics before the latest US developments." Toronto Star (Canada); 2022. "Mr. Macron took on the third rail of French politics -- reforming the country's byzantine pension system." The Wall Street Journal (New York); 2022. "German politicians are also openly considering nuclear energy, a third rail of German politics for decades." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); 2022. "Labour reform was the infamous third rail of Indian politics, to be touched by foolhardy politicians." The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); 2020. "[Shinzo Abe] mused publicly about whether Japan should host US nuclear weapons, touching the third rail of Japanese politics." The Australian (Canberra); 2022. "The fate of that [oligarchs'] wealth is the third rail of Russian politics." The Christian Science Monitor (Boston); 2003. "[Rent control is] the third rail of Swedish politics." The New York Times; 2019. "Gender equality, however, will remain the third rail of Saudi politics." The American Prospect (Princeton, New Jersey); 2007. "And [Elizabeth Ames] said the NHS was a sacred cow. 'It's the third rail of UK politics.'" The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); 2019. Meanwhile in Florida... "They call Disney the third rail of politics in Florida." The Washington Post; 2022. See more usage examples of third rail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) *****September 05, 2022***** bezant : (noun) A gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages.; solidus; The gold coin I found on my archaeology dig turned out to be an authentic bezant. third rail : noun: 1. A topic believed to be too controversial or charged to discuss. 2. A rail that runs near a railroad track to supply high-voltage power to an electric train. ; "For more than 20 years borders have been the third rail of Australian politics, and on Thursday -- Anthony Albanese -- unwittingly, he says -- tripped over it." The Daily Telegraph (Australia); 2022. "The abortion issue was already a third rail of Canadian politics before the latest US developments." Toronto Star (Canada); 2022. "Mr. Macron took on the third rail of French politics -- reforming the country's byzantine pension system." The Wall Street Journal (New York); 2022. "German politicians are also openly considering nuclear energy, a third rail of German politics for decades." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); 2022. "Labour reform was the infamous third rail of Indian politics, to be touched by foolhardy politicians." The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); 2020. "[Shinzo Abe] mused publicly about whether Japan should host US nuclear weapons, touching the third rail of Japanese politics." The Australian (Canberra); 2022. "The fate of that [oligarchs'] wealth is the third rail of Russian politics." The Christian Science Monitor (Boston); 2003. "[Rent control is] the third rail of Swedish politics." The New York Times; 2019. "Gender equality, however, will remain the third rail of Saudi politics." The American Prospect (Princeton, New Jersey); 2007. "And [Elizabeth Ames] said the NHS was a sacred cow. 'It's the third rail of UK politics.'" The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); 2019. Meanwhile in Florida... "They call Disney the third rail of politics in Florida." The Washington Post; 2022. See more usage examples of third rail in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) *****September 06, 2022***** luminary : (noun) A person who is an inspiration to others.; notable, guiding light, leading light, notability; He is considered a luminary in his field, due to the groundbreaking research he has published. roseate : adjective: 1. Like a rose, especially in color: pink, red, etc. 2. Bright; favorable; promising. 3. Unreasonably optimistic. ; "This roseate future isn't pending, which causes one to despair." Randy Boyagoda, Magic and Greed: Ngugi wa Thiong'o's New Novel; Harper's Magazine (New York); Sep 2006. See more usage examples of roseate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterward. -Arthur Koestler, novelist and journalist (5 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 07, 2022***** artifice : (noun) A deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture.; ruse; What could the bewildered scouts do, masters as they were of every war-like artifice save this one, but trot helplessly after him, exposing themselves fatally to view. daisy-chain : verb tr., intr.: To connect in a sequence, especially in a way such that one element latches on to the next (instead of being connected by another medium, such as a piece of thread). noun: An interlinked sequence of things, events, people, etc. ; "In the somber scene orderlies guide British Tommies blinded by mustard gas ... Daisy-chained like young schoolboys, the helpless soldiers shuffle along a duckboard through a tangle of similarly wounded men as planes dogfight overhead and oblivious footballers hold a match in the far distance." Museum Showcases Sargent's Iconic WWI Painting Gassed; Military History (Herndon, Virginia); Jul 2018. "Life is one long daisy chain of surprises, isn't it?" Michael J.A. Speyer; The Chronicles of Samuel Sassodoro, Book Two; Lulu; 2007. See more usage examples of daisy-chain in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2022***** agendum : (noun) Something to be done, especially an item on a program or list.; order of business; It was getting late, so the members of the board decided to leave the last agendum for the next meeting. orchidacity : noun: Showiness. ; "Where orchidacity is the fashion homespun leaves one unsatisfied." James Agate; Ego 9; Harrap; 1948. Thought For The Day: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) *****September 09, 2022***** necrology : (noun) A notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography.; obituary; She dreamed of being a famous news reporter, but for years, she was stuck writing necrologies at the local paper. tall_poppy : noun: Someone conspicuously successful, especially one likely to attract hostility. ; "It remains a national pastime to scan the landscape for tall poppies, ensuring none of us get above ourselves." Scanning for Poppies; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 28, 2017. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 10, 2022***** carrefour : (noun) A junction where one street or road crosses another.; crossroad, crossway, intersection, crossing; When his jalopy broke down right in the middle of a busy carrefour, he swore he would invest in a more reliable car. wallflower : noun 1. Someone who does not mingle at a social event, such as a party, dance, etc. 2. A person or an organization that is forced to stay at the sidelines of some activity. ; "Virgin has been like a wallflower at a wedding reception, watching everyone else pair off." Always the Bridesmaid: Virgin Atlantic; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of wallflower in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not to lie in a negative sense by remaining silent. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 11, 2022***** vendee : (noun) One to whom something is sold; a buyer.; emptor, purchaser, buyer; There were three vendees from three different companies at the auction, and each hoped to acquire the same valuable item. wallflower : noun 1. Someone who does not mingle at a social event, such as a party, dance, etc. 2. A person or an organization that is forced to stay at the sidelines of some activity. ; "Virgin has been like a wallflower at a wedding reception, watching everyone else pair off." Always the Bridesmaid: Virgin Atlantic; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of wallflower in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not to lie in a negative sense by remaining silent. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 12, 2022***** amphetamine : (noun) A central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression.; pep pill, upper, speed; The doctor prescribed amphetamines to stimulate the narcoleptic patient's nervous system so that he would be less likely to unexpectedly fall asleep. wallflower : noun 1. Someone who does not mingle at a social event, such as a party, dance, etc. 2. A person or an organization that is forced to stay at the sidelines of some activity. ; "Virgin has been like a wallflower at a wedding reception, watching everyone else pair off." Always the Bridesmaid: Virgin Atlantic; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2012. See more usage examples of wallflower in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not to lie in a negative sense by remaining silent. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) *****September 13, 2022***** veiling : (noun) Sheer material, such as gauze or fine lace, used for veils.; netting, gauze; The seamstress attached a lace trim to the veiling, so that it would match the bride's dress. coruscate : verb intr.: 1. To sparkle, flash, or gleam. 2. To display great style or technique. ; "Her face was wrinkled and old like the pages of a well-loved book, her eyes shone, and her silvery hair coruscated in the moonlight." Aoife O'Connell; Cafe Terrace at Night; Stone Soup (Santa Cruz, California); Dec 2019. "A coruscating memoir by Fan Yusu, a domestic worker living in Beijing, was a national sensation when it was published online in 2017." Production-Line Poets; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 14, 2021. See more usage examples of coruscate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) *****September 14, 2022***** enchiridion : (noun) A concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location.; handbook, vade mecum; Over the years, the prisoner had spent time memorizing every enchiridion he could find and had become a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge. plenitude : noun: 1. The state of being full. 2. Abundance. ; "Your stomachs are round with the plenitude of eating." Jack London; The Iron Heel; Macmillan; 1907. See more usage examples of plenitude in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 15, 2022***** pettifogger : (noun) A petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer.; shyster; He was by all accounts a pettifogger, and judges dreaded having him appear in their courtrooms. rufescent : adjective: Reddish. ; "[The] rufescent flames of autumn are soon to pass." Brianna R. Burton; Poetry: A Literary Diaries Collection; Burton Media Group; 2012. Thought For The Day: Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2022***** aviary : (noun) A large enclosure for holding birds in confinement.; volary, bird sanctuary; We visited the aviary to see the exotic birds advertised in the brochure. brume : noun: Fog or mist. ; "The asphalt gave way to a dirt road through a rain forest, its canopy wreathed in brume." Damon Tabor; The Greater The Sinner; The New Yorker; Mar 14, 2016. Thought For The Day: Before we set our hearts too much on anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (15 Sep 1613-1680) *****September 17, 2022***** pyrite : (noun) A brass-colored mineral, FeS2, occurring widely and used as an iron ore and in producing sulfur dioxide for sulfuric acid.; fool's gold; The children thought the gleaming bits of metal they had found were gold, and their nurse refrained from telling them they were simply flecks of pyrite. altiloquent : adjective: Pompous or pretentious. ; "He reasons that most of us have a high opinion of ourselves and we feel validated when we hear others volunteering their own similar perceptions of our grandeur -- so long as those words come across as sincere rather than altiloquent." James Adonis; Sucking Up: Does It Work?; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 21, 2014. Thought For The Day: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 18, 2022***** sectionalism : (noun) Excessive devotion to local interests and customs.; provincialism, localism; He believes that Manhattan is the center of the universe, and his sectionalism is so acute that he is reluctant to visit friends in Brooklyn. altiloquent : adjective: Pompous or pretentious. ; "He reasons that most of us have a high opinion of ourselves and we feel validated when we hear others volunteering their own similar perceptions of our grandeur -- so long as those words come across as sincere rather than altiloquent." James Adonis; Sucking Up: Does It Work?; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 21, 2014. Thought For The Day: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 19, 2022***** pastille : (noun) A medicated lozenge used to soothe the throat.; troche, cough drop; She believed that pastilles and lozenges were no better for a sore throat than regular hard candy. altiloquent : adjective: Pompous or pretentious. ; "He reasons that most of us have a high opinion of ourselves and we feel validated when we hear others volunteering their own similar perceptions of our grandeur -- so long as those words come across as sincere rather than altiloquent." James Adonis; Sucking Up: Does It Work?; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 21, 2014. Thought For The Day: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) *****September 20, 2022***** sheepcote : (noun) A pen for sheep.; fold, sheep pen; It was the second time in a month that a predator had managed to tear through the sheepcote's wire. bridezilla : noun: A woman who is overbearing and obnoxious in planning her wedding. ; "She was a bit of a bridezilla herself. At her wedding, Katie changed the bridesmaid dresses at the last minute and put us in ones that we all hated." Georgina Lawton; You Be the Judge; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 22, 2022. Thought For The Day: We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams. -Jeremy Irons, actor (b. 19 Sep 1948) *****September 21, 2022***** costermonger : (noun) One who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, or other goods from a cart, barrow, or stand in the streets.; barrow-man; Too far, in fancy, above the rest of mankind to trouble about their petty distinctions, he is equally at home with duke or costermonger. autolatry : noun: Self-worship. ; "It was not, she dreaded to surmise, the shadow of men merely drunk on vanity ... only as a result of deranged and maniac autolatry could such a construct have been born." Chase A Folmar; Frolic on the Amaranthyn; Sable Star Press; 2022. See more usage examples of autolatry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mistakes are part of the dues that one pays for a full life. -Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934) *****September 22, 2022***** cembalo : (noun) A clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots.; harpsichord; Although the piano is a more versatile instrument with a greater range, some musicians still enjoy playing the cembalo for its distinct sound. allotriophagy : noun: An abnormal desire to eat things not usually eaten, such as chalk or clay. Also known as pica. ; "A taste for blood may very well be a form of allotriophagy." Tatsuaki Ishiguro; Biogenesis; Kodansha; 2015. Thought For The Day: Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. -Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947) *****September 23, 2022***** oenophile : (noun) A connoisseur of fine wines.; wine lover; The oenophile was heartbroken when months of heavy rain ruined a particularly promising grape harvest. zoanthropy : noun: The delusion that one is a beast. ; "Symptoms of zoanthropy typically range from one hour to several decades. The delusions are said to be more prevalent in rural and non-industrial areas." Daniel Boffey; Case of Belgian Woman Who Thought She Was a Chicken Linked to Depression; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 28, 2020. See more usage examples of zoanthropy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2022***** decrepitude : (noun) The quality or condition of being weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.; dilapidation; Despite his sixty years and snow-white hair, his handshake was firmly hearty, and he showed no signs of decrepitude. orography : noun: The study of the physical geography of mountains, such as features, topographic relief, etc. ; "Cloudbursts ... occur because of rapid lifting of the monsoon clouds by the steep orography of the region." Steep Rise in Cases of Extreme Monsoon Rain; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Sep 18, 2012. "Harald to her was a great continent or an exotic wild beast. The abrupt orography of his torso became irresistibly attractive to her." Al Bas; Harald and the Holy Cross; Eloquent Books; 2008. See more usage examples of orography in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. -Bruce Springsteen, musician (b. 23 Sep 1949) *****September 25, 2022***** polyglot : (noun) A person having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages.; linguist; He was a polyglot who spoke nine languages fluently. orography : noun: The study of the physical geography of mountains, such as features, topographic relief, etc. ; "Cloudbursts ... occur because of rapid lifting of the monsoon clouds by the steep orography of the region." Steep Rise in Cases of Extreme Monsoon Rain; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Sep 18, 2012. "Harald to her was a great continent or an exotic wild beast. The abrupt orography of his torso became irresistibly attractive to her." Al Bas; Harald and the Holy Cross; Eloquent Books; 2008. See more usage examples of orography in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. -Bruce Springsteen, musician (b. 23 Sep 1949) *****September 26, 2022***** unwieldy : (adjective) Difficult to carry or manage because of size, shape, weight, or complexity.; unmanageable; She shifted the unwieldy groceries in her arms and looked for an empty shopping cart. orography : noun: The study of the physical geography of mountains, such as features, topographic relief, etc. ; "Cloudbursts ... occur because of rapid lifting of the monsoon clouds by the steep orography of the region." Steep Rise in Cases of Extreme Monsoon Rain; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Sep 18, 2012. "Harald to her was a great continent or an exotic wild beast. The abrupt orography of his torso became irresistibly attractive to her." Al Bas; Harald and the Holy Cross; Eloquent Books; 2008. See more usage examples of orography in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. -Bruce Springsteen, musician (b. 23 Sep 1949) *****September 27, 2022***** petrolatum : (noun) A semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for lubrication.; mineral jelly, petroleum jelly; While her friends bought expensive designer lip balms, she stuck with her grandmother's remedy, a big jar of petrolatum. timeserver : noun: 1. One who makes little effort at work, such as while waiting to retire or find another job. 2. One who changes views to conform to prevailing circumstances. 3. A computer that transmits precise time information on a network. ; "He was a timeserver, awaiting the oncoming pension with all the anticipation of a hitchhiker at a truck stop." Ian Rankin; A Question of Blood; Orion; 2003. "You believe in nothing firm or fixed. You are a timeserver." Alasdair Gray; Poor Things; Bloomsbury; 1992. See more usage examples of timeserver in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2022***** nutriment : (noun) A source of nourishment; food.; sustenance, victuals, aliment, nourishment, nutrition; The animals' habitat was destroyed in the storm, and they wandered the ravaged plains searching for nutriment. sandboy : noun: 1. A very happy person. 2. One who deals in sand. ; "And the carefree Costa Ricans, 12th in the contentment league, are not alone. Arabs and ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates (17th) are happy as sandboys. The UK rates only 18th, below Luxembourg (a made-up country), Belgium (ditto), Israel (all right if you're not an Arab), the USA (ditto if not black), and Austria (the dull country)." Paul Routledge; Stuff Your "Happy" Nations. GB's Best; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Apr 6, 2012. See more usage examples of sandboy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering. -Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (27 Sep 1821-1881) *****September 29, 2022***** avidity : (noun) Keen interest or enthusiasm.; eagerness, avidness, keenness; A devoted fan, he followed the tennis tournament with avidity. musicaster : noun: A mediocre musician. ; "It was no longer a sanctuary, but a howling place. ... indigent musicasters ... chanted unfortunately." J.K. Huysmans (Translation: C. Kegan Paul); En Route; Kegan, Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co.; 1918. Thought For The Day: It is by character and not by intellect the world is won. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****September 30, 2022***** netherworld : (noun) The world of the dead.; Scheol, underworld, Hades, infernal region, Hell; He had nightmares about going to some fiery, haunted netherworld and awoke the next morning vowing to repent. grumbletonian : noun: A habitual complainer. ; "Don't fill your conversation with complaints and criticisms. No one wants to hang out with a grumbletonian." Brett McKay & Kate McKay; The Art of Manliness; How Books; 2009. Thought For The Day: Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! -Miguel de Cervantes, writer (29 Sep 1547-1616) *****October 01, 2022***** nectary : (noun) A glandlike organ, located outside or within a flower, that secretes nectar.; honey gland; Deep in the Amazon, we came across a species of flower sporting a nectary larger than any we had ever seen. logodaedalist : noun: One skilled in using or coining words. ; "She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Vera." Brian Boyd; Letters; The New York Times Book Review; Nov 29, 2015. Thought For The Day: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) *****October 02, 2022***** thurible : (noun) A censer used in certain ecclesiastical ceremonies or liturgies.; censer; As the priest swung the thurible, incense poured out the holes in its lid. logodaedalist : noun: One skilled in using or coining words. ; "She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Vera." Brian Boyd; Letters; The New York Times Book Review; Nov 29, 2015. Thought For The Day: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) *****October 03, 2022***** ossicle : (noun) A small bone, especially one of the three bones of the middle ear.; bonelet; Because of their distinctive shapes, the ossicles in the ear are called the hammer, the anvil, and the stirrup. logodaedalist : noun: One skilled in using or coining words. ; "She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Vera." Brian Boyd; Letters; The New York Times Book Review; Nov 29, 2015. Thought For The Day: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) *****October 04, 2022***** diffidence : (noun) The quality or state of being diffident; timidity or shyness.; self-distrust, self-doubt; The youth sat down as directed, but reluctantly and with diffidence. ludicrous : adjective: So absurd as to provoke laughter. ; "He could have just taken my word and not dragged us all through that ludicrous charade." Wendy Wax; Leave it to Cleavage; Bantam; 2004. See more usage examples of ludicrous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back. -Gore Vidal, writer (3 Oct 1925-2012) *****October 05, 2022***** snuggery : (noun) A small secluded room.; cubby, cubbyhole; Now that they were alone, in this snuggery, which seemed barely large enough to contain so great a man's moustaches, the parties understood each other. jaunty : adjective: 1. Stylish. 2. Lively; self-confident. ; "A matching hat ... was perched atop her head at a jaunty angle." Helen Dickson; Miss Cameron's Fall from Grace; Harlequin; 2012. "Beneath his jaunty veneer, Brás Cubas harbours a melancholy pessimism." Dead Man's Blues; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 15, 2020. See more usage examples of jaunty in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He serves his party best who serves the country best. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2022***** witless : (adjective) Lacking intelligence or wit; foolish.; nitwitted, soft-witted, senseless; He was a witless soul who never learned from his mistakes. hipster : noun: One whose interests in clothing, music, etc., tend to be outside the mainstream, especially in a self-conscious way. ; "A jaunty guest, some type of hipster, saunters up and speaks." Ben Will; Smacking Lips; Booktango; 2013. See more usage examples of hipster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are times when we must sink to the bottom of our misery to understand truth, just as we must descend to the bottom of a well to see the stars in broad daylight. -Vaclav Havel, writer, Czech Republic president (5 Oct 1936-2011) *****October 07, 2022***** rapport : (noun) Relationship, especially one of mutual trust or emotional affinity.; resonance; They had an excellent rapport and would never keep secrets from one another. decarbonize : verb tr., intr.: 1. To reduce or remove carbon emissions by curtailing the use of fossil fuels. verb tr.: 2. To remove carbon deposits from something, such as an internal combustion engine. ; "We could decarbonize. Clean the air till it squeaked. Quit coal and oil and gas, and plant trees where the companies had ripped up the land." Premee Mohamed; The Void Ascendant; Rebellion Publishing; 2022. "He wants his plugs decarbonized. No doubt this is a shock to you." P.G. Wodehouse; Right Ho, Jeeves; Herbert Jenkins; 1934. Thought For The Day: It's said that "power corrupts", but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable. -David Brin, scientist and science fiction author (b. 6 Oct 1950) *****October 08, 2022***** callback : (noun) A recall of a recently sold product by the manufacturer to correct a defect.; recall; The manufacturer was forced to issue a callback of the toy when it was declared a choking hazard. surly : adjective: 1. Rude; sullen; unfriendly. 2. Ominous or dismal (used for weather, clouds, sky, ocean, etc.). ; "If she often seemed surly and bad-tempered while playing tennis, seemingly taking no joy whatsoever from the sport, it's easy to understand why now." Mary Hannigan; Emma Raducanu Needs to Rediscover the Joy of Sport; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 8, 2022. "Unfortunately, we were driven astray by treacherous winds across an enormous expanse of surly sea." Don Beach; Searching Heaven's Vault; Writers Club Press; 2002. See more usage examples of surly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 09, 2022***** abstemious : (adjective) Marked by temperance in indulgence.; temperate, sparing, moderate, sober, austere, frugal, ascetic, self-denying, abstinent, continent; All drank except Lee Goom, the abstemious cabin boy. surly : adjective: 1. Rude; sullen; unfriendly. 2. Ominous or dismal (used for weather, clouds, sky, ocean, etc.). ; "If she often seemed surly and bad-tempered while playing tennis, seemingly taking no joy whatsoever from the sport, it's easy to understand why now." Mary Hannigan; Emma Raducanu Needs to Rediscover the Joy of Sport; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 8, 2022. "Unfortunately, we were driven astray by treacherous winds across an enormous expanse of surly sea." Don Beach; Searching Heaven's Vault; Writers Club Press; 2002. See more usage examples of surly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 10, 2022***** emporium : (noun) A large retail store or place of business.; department store; The furniture emporium was packed with couches, but Sarah couldn't find a single one she liked. surly : adjective: 1. Rude; sullen; unfriendly. 2. Ominous or dismal (used for weather, clouds, sky, ocean, etc.). ; "If she often seemed surly and bad-tempered while playing tennis, seemingly taking no joy whatsoever from the sport, it's easy to understand why now." Mary Hannigan; Emma Raducanu Needs to Rediscover the Joy of Sport; Irish Times (Dublin); Sep 8, 2022. "Unfortunately, we were driven astray by treacherous winds across an enormous expanse of surly sea." Don Beach; Searching Heaven's Vault; Writers Club Press; 2002. See more usage examples of surly in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth. -Niels Bohr, physicist, Nobel laureate (7 Oct 1885-1962) *****October 11, 2022***** danseuse : (noun) A woman who is a ballet dancer.; ballerina; The painting depicted a beautiful danseuse putting on her ballet shoes while waiting in the wings of the theater. Copernican : adjective: 1. Very important; radically different; paradigm shifting. 2. Relating to Copernicus or his theory that the earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun. ; "My fervent hope is for a Copernican shift: from a Trumpian, money-centered world to a human-centered world." Peter A. Bakke; Concerning Trump; AuthorHouse; 2020. "This emerging picture of sentience, of rich inner lives, among surprisingly varied nonhuman species represents something of a Copernican revolution in how we view other beings on our planet." Yudhijit Bhattacharjee; What Are Animals Thinking? They Feel Empathy, Grieve, Seek Joy Just Like Us; National Geographic; Oct 2022. "In childhood, most people don't hold the Copernican view, but instead think as if the heavens were in motion around them. ... In the world at large, people who are able to free themselves from this self-centered way of thinking are truly uncommon." Genzaburo Yoshino (Translator: Bruno Navasky); How Do You Live?; Algonquin; 2021. See more usage examples of Copernican in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A profound unmitigated loneliness is the only truth of life. -R.K. Narayan, novelist (10 Oct 1906-2001) *****October 12, 2022***** torpid : (adjective) Lethargic; apathetic.; inert, sluggish; They are always in a torpid state, and are apt to yawn and go to sleep over any intellectual toil. ritzy : adjective: Stylish, glamorous, elegant, fashionable, etc., especially in an ostentatious manner. ; "Ostentatious displays of wealth are less frequent since Xi Jinping took over ... but sports cars, ritzy restaurants, and luxury clothing stores are still common in big cities." Inequality in China; The Economist (London, UK); May 14, 2016. See more usage examples of ritzy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth, universal brotherhood and good will, and a constant and earnest striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded. -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat, author, and lecturer (11 Oct 1884-1962) *****October 13, 2022***** monolithic : (adjective) Massive, solid, and uniform.; massive, monumental; During her travels, she studied the monolithic proportions of Stalinist architecture. bacchanalize : verb intr.: To engage in wild revelry. ; "We three could bacchanalize a little. But Jennifer mustn't know about it." Alexander Akishin; In the Valley of Armageddon; iUniverse; 2003. Thought For The Day: A child upon seeing a grand mosque exclaimed, / God, just one of you and such a big house! -Nida Fazli, poet (12 Oct 1938-2016) *****October 14, 2022***** perambulator : (noun) A small vehicle with four wheels in which a baby or child is pushed around.; stroller, baby buggy, pram, pushchair, go-cart, pusher, carriage; Charlotte is quite spoiled; each of her dolls has its own perambulator, parasol, and wardrobe. Overton window : noun: The range of beliefs, attitudes, etc., considered acceptable at any given time. ; "The Overton window on climate policy in Canada has shifted remarkably in just two years. In 2019, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer fought the election explicitly against Trudeau's carbon tax, but this time out, Erin O'Toole's Conservatives had their own carbon pricing plan." The Election That Disappointed Everyone; Chatelaine (Toronto, Canada); Sep 21, 2021. Thought For The Day: They'll tell you you're too loud, that you need to wait your turn and ask the right people for permission. Do it anyway. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. Oct 13, 1989) *****October 15, 2022***** despondency : (noun) Depression of spirits from loss of hope, confidence, or courage; dejection.; despondence, disconsolateness; He slipped through all the grades of despondency until he reached a bottom of absolute gloom. Barmecide : noun: One giving only the illusion of abundance or some benefits. ; "We can recreate in a factional moment whole years gone past ... overdrawing upon a Barmecide deposit of minutes, staking fresh claims upon a mirage?" Abraham Merritt; The Metal Monster; Musaicum Books; 2018. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 16, 2022***** piecemeal : (adverb) By a small amount at a time; in stages.; bit by bit, in stages, little by little; The research structure has developed piecemeal over the course of a century. Barmecide : noun: One giving only the illusion of abundance or some benefits. ; "We can recreate in a factional moment whole years gone past ... overdrawing upon a Barmecide deposit of minutes, staking fresh claims upon a mirage?" Abraham Merritt; The Metal Monster; Musaicum Books; 2018. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 17, 2022***** perusal : (noun) Reading carefully with intent to remember.; poring over, studying; Many biographies have been written about her, but a perusal of her personal diaries is still the best way to learn about her life. Barmecide : noun: One giving only the illusion of abundance or some benefits. ; "We can recreate in a factional moment whole years gone past ... overdrawing upon a Barmecide deposit of minutes, staking fresh claims upon a mirage?" Abraham Merritt; The Metal Monster; Musaicum Books; 2018. Thought For The Day: To read fast is as bad as to eat in a hurry. -Vilhelm Ekelund, poet (14 Oct 1880-1949) *****October 18, 2022***** cordate : (adjective) Having a heart-shaped outline.; heart-shaped, cordiform; When a cordate leaf fell from the tree, she considered it a sign that she would soon find love. shrinkflation : noun: The practice of reducing the size of products while selling at the same price. ; "Shrinkflation is a very real thing, pretty soon a bag of salty, fatty air will be all that is left!" OT Strange; The Restoration of The Real; Lulu; 2021. Thought For The Day: Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2022***** stokehold : (noun) The area or compartment into which a ship's furnaces or boilers open.; fireroom, stokehole; When the ship was sinking, many passengers were able to escape, but the stokehold crew was trapped below deck. selectorate : noun: A smaller group of people, as opposed to the general population, involved in picking a person, especially for a political position. ; "Because this was not a general election, most of Britain was sitting on the sidelines while a selectorate of 172,437 dues-paying Conservative Party members -- less than 0.3 percent of the population -- determined the country's political future." Karla Adam & William Booth; As Johnson's Successor, Truss Inherits a UK in Peril; The Washington Post; Sep 6, 2022. Thought For The Day: The past is to be respected and acknowledged, but not to be worshipped. It is our future in which we will find our greatness. -Pierre Trudeau, 15th Prime Minister of Canada (18 Oct 1919-2000) *****October 20, 2022***** decanter : (noun) A vessel used for decanting, especially a decorative bottle used for serving wine.; carafe; Sir Percival was sitting at the table with a decanter of wine before him. frizzle : verb intr.: To make a sizzling or sputtering noise. verb tr.: To fry until crisp or curled. verb intr.: To form into small tight curls; to frizz. noun: A short curl. ; "She ... put a measure of batter on the frying pan. It frizzled for a moment." Karin Altenberg; Breaking Light; Quercus; 2016. See more usage examples of frizzle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man of courage never needs weapons, but he may need bail. -Lewis Mumford, writer and philosopher (19 Oct 1895-1990) *****October 21, 2022***** clodhopper : (noun) A thick and heavy shoe.; brogan, brogue, work shoe; He trotted noisily across the hardwood floors in his clodhoppers. Sloane Ranger : noun: A young, fashionable, upper-class person. ; "Go full-on Sloane Ranger in high-rise jeans and an oversize blazer." Fabulous at Every Age; Harper's Bazaar (New York); Sep 2018. Thought For The Day: A society which is mobile, which is full of channels for the distribution of a change occurring anywhere, must see to it that its members are educated to personal initiative and adaptability. Otherwise, they will be overwhelmed by the changes in which they are caught and whose significance or connections they do not perceive. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 22, 2022***** peavey : (noun) A stout lever with a sharp spike; used for handling logs.; cant dog; The lumberjack rammed the peavey's spike into the log and rolled it toward the pile. fertigation : noun: The application of fertilizer by adding it to the water in an irrigation system. ; "Meg could tell that Christopher was assessing their condition even as he expounded on the alternatives for irrigation. They had covered most of the acreage when he arrived at a final point. 'Have you considered fertigation?'" Sheila Connolly; Golden Malicious; Berkley; 2013. Thought For The Day: Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (21 Oct 1929-2018) *****October 23, 2022***** ignominy : (noun) Great personal dishonor or humiliation.; disgrace, shame; The celebrated actor suffered the ignominy of being sent to prison. fertigation : noun: The application of fertilizer by adding it to the water in an irrigation system. ; "Meg could tell that Christopher was assessing their condition even as he expounded on the alternatives for irrigation. They had covered most of the acreage when he arrived at a final point. 'Have you considered fertigation?'" Sheila Connolly; Golden Malicious; Berkley; 2013. Thought For The Day: Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (21 Oct 1929-2018) *****October 24, 2022***** glossa : (noun) A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity.; tongue, clapper, lingua; The creature had an enormously long glossa that it used to catch insects. fertigation : noun: The application of fertilizer by adding it to the water in an irrigation system. ; "Meg could tell that Christopher was assessing their condition even as he expounded on the alternatives for irrigation. They had covered most of the acreage when he arrived at a final point. 'Have you considered fertigation?'" Sheila Connolly; Golden Malicious; Berkley; 2013. Thought For The Day: Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new. -Ursula K. Le Guin, author (21 Oct 1929-2018) *****October 25, 2022***** templet : (noun) A model or standard for making comparisons.; guide; By using a templet, the artist was able to reproduce the exact same design on each of the tiles. misophonia : noun: An intolerance of certain sounds, such as chewing, slurping, etc. ; "I sipped my coffee, slurping it as loudly as possible to irritate Max. He absolutely hated the sounds people made when eating or drinking -- misophonia, I think." Stephanie Berchiolly; Train Bound to Forty; 2022. "His distinct Long Island accent that hits my misophonia-cursed ears just the wrong way." Chapter 1: Back to the Single Life; Cosmopolitan (New York); Feb 2022. Thought For The Day: You have to hold your audience in writing to the very end -- much more than in talking, when people have to be polite and listen to you. -Brenda Ueland, writer (24 Oct 1891-1985) *****October 26, 2022***** masjid : (noun) A Muslim place of worship.; mosque; Though her friends prayed there often, this was her first visit to the masjid. lawfare : noun: The use of the legal system to overwhelm an opponent. ; "'What we're seeing in Manila is lawfare,' says Australian journalist and press freedom advocate Peter Greste. 'The government doesn't need to be successful. It just needs to throw enough cases at Rappler and hope that something sticks, and if it doesn't, you end up tying them up in court, costing them enormous amounts of money and time, and causing massive mental stress.'" Tim Elliott; Hot Press; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Sep 18, 2021. Thought For The Day: Art is the elimination of the unnecessary. -Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973) *****October 27, 2022***** reticent : (adjective) Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself.; untalkative; She was so reticent about her personal life that even her roommates did not know she had a boyfriend. gerontocracy : noun: The system of government by old people. ; "For the third time in six years, the gerontocracy that is the Conservative party membership has selected the UK's next prime minister. The party jealously guards the details of this rarefied selectorate but academics put the average age at 57, with just 6 per cent under the age of 25." Will Tanner; Voiceless Youth Should Worry an Ageing Tory Party; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 6, 2022. See more usage examples of gerontocracy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have a trunk containing continents. -Beryl Markham, adventurer (26 Oct 1902-1986) *****October 28, 2022***** variola : (noun) An acute, highly infectious, often fatal disease caused by a poxvirus and characterized by high fever and aches with subsequent widespread eruption of pimples that blister, produce pus, and form pockmarks.; smallpox; We could tell from the scars on the faces of the villagers that a variola epidemic had passed through the area in their lifetimes. gamesmanship : noun: 1. The use of legal, but unethical, tactics in a contest. For example, psychological intimidation, manipulation, distraction, etc. 2. The use of questionable means to gain an advantage. ; "Horschel even tried to gamesmanship on Scheffler, wearing the same white shirt and salmon-colored slacks he donned for last year's Dell championship match." Kirk Bohls; Scheffler Making a Run at No. 1 World Ranking; Austin American-Statesman (Texas); Mar 27, 2022. "But political gamesmanship aside, the victims here are real people whose lives have been disrupted -- many of whom left family and friends behind, lost their jobs and belongings, and travelled thousands of miles, only to be used as props in an election-year stunt." Could Gov. DeSantis' Stunt Bring Immigration Reform? It's Not Likely; Pensacola News Journal (Florida); Sep 25, 2022. See more usage examples of gamesmanship in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think there is only one quality worse than hardness of heart, and that is softness of head. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (27 Oct 1858-1919) *****October 29, 2022***** bedlam : (noun) A place or situation of noisy uproar and confusion.; chaos, pandemonium, topsy-turvydom, topsy-turvyness; They quarreled and bickered more than ever among themselves, till at times the camp was a howling bedlam. phonophobia : noun: 1. A fear of or intolerance of loud sounds. 2. A hypersensitivity to sound. 3. An aversion to the sound of one's own voice. ; "You were the one ... eating your lunch in the noisiest place on the planet, despite your raging phonophobia." Brea Brown; Quiet, Please!; Wayzgoose Press; 2020. "John, a grown man, becomes an insecure bundle of nerves with sweaty palms and constricted breathing whenever he has to make a telephone call. ... John is probably suffering from phonophobia." For Some, Telephone Is Terrifying; The Citizen (Ottawa, Canada); Dec 17, 1985. [Is John fearful of sound, hearing his own voice, or the phone? -Ed.] See more usage examples of phonophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. -Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher, humanist, and theologian (28 Oct 1466-1536) *****October 30, 2022***** villein : (noun) A person who is bound to the land and owned by the feudal lord.; helot, serf; The novel told the story of a young villein who fell in love with the daughter of his feudal lord. phonophobia : noun: 1. A fear of or intolerance of loud sounds. 2. A hypersensitivity to sound. 3. An aversion to the sound of one's own voice. ; "You were the one ... eating your lunch in the noisiest place on the planet, despite your raging phonophobia." Brea Brown; Quiet, Please!; Wayzgoose Press; 2020. "John, a grown man, becomes an insecure bundle of nerves with sweaty palms and constricted breathing whenever he has to make a telephone call. ... John is probably suffering from phonophobia." For Some, Telephone Is Terrifying; The Citizen (Ottawa, Canada); Dec 17, 1985. [Is John fearful of sound, hearing his own voice, or the phone? -Ed.] See more usage examples of phonophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. -Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher, humanist, and theologian (28 Oct 1466-1536) *****October 31, 2022***** heritor : (noun) A person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another.; heir, inheritor; When the wealthy businessman named his son as heritor of his estate, he could not have known that the boy would squander the inheritance on silly moneymaking schemes. phonophobia : noun: 1. A fear of or intolerance of loud sounds. 2. A hypersensitivity to sound. 3. An aversion to the sound of one's own voice. ; "You were the one ... eating your lunch in the noisiest place on the planet, despite your raging phonophobia." Brea Brown; Quiet, Please!; Wayzgoose Press; 2020. "John, a grown man, becomes an insecure bundle of nerves with sweaty palms and constricted breathing whenever he has to make a telephone call. ... John is probably suffering from phonophobia." For Some, Telephone Is Terrifying; The Citizen (Ottawa, Canada); Dec 17, 1985. [Is John fearful of sound, hearing his own voice, or the phone? -Ed.] See more usage examples of phonophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes. -Desiderius Erasmus, philosopher, humanist, and theologian (28 Oct 1466-1536) *****November 01, 2022***** rondel : (noun) A poem similar to a rondeau, having 13 or 14 lines with two rhymes throughout. The first and second lines reappear in the middle and at the end, although sometimes only the first line appears at the end.; rondeau; Her poetry club issued a new challenge every week; last week, everyone had to write a funny rondel about chewing gum. retcon : noun: The introduction of new information to give a different interpretation of an established storyline. ; "And if it goes wrong with her, we can just back it up, retcon it, make it didn't happen?" Heather W Adams; Missing the Boat; Bookwyrm; 2021. Thought For The Day: Most virtue is a demand for greater seduction. -Natalie Clifford Barney, poet, playwright, and novelist (31 Oct 1876-1972) *****November 02, 2022***** confluence : (noun) A gathering, flowing, or meeting together at one juncture or point.; meeting; He had long noted that the greatest disasters were rarely the result of one misfortune but were the result of a confluence of several of them. flak : noun: 1. Severe criticism. 2. Anti-aircraft fire. ; "I'll take the praise or the flak, whichever comes." Bobbi Smith; Treasures & Pleasures; Invoke Books; 2016. "In 2015 Uzbekistan Airways started measuring how heavy flyers were for safety reasons. But predictably, the practice has got some airlines a lot of flak from their passengers." The Case for Weighing Passengers Before Flights: Fat Tax; The Economist (London, UK); May 3, 2019. See more usage examples of flak in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Who is content with nothing possesses all things. -Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux, poet (1 Nov 1636-1711) *****November 03, 2022***** lashings : (noun) Lavish quantities.; oodles, dozens, gobs, heaps, loads, lots, rafts, scads, scores, slews, stacks, tons, wads, piles, mountain; Famished, the men ate lashings of spaghetti and meatballs when they finally reached their destination. hazmat : noun: Dangerous material, for example, something toxic, explosive, or inflammable. adjective: Relating to hazardous material. ; "Charity Stinks. At least it will for Nathan Oystrick and Jordan LaVallee, a couple of AHL players who have decided to wear their hockey equipment for 27 hours because someone said it would be a fun way to raise money for a couple of charities. [They] have to play in next Wednesday's game against Peoria Riverman then stay fully dressed overnight before practicing the next day, making appearances at a handful of Chicago restaurants and finally shedding their wretched gear at precisely 10 pm. No word on whether hazmat officials will be standing by in case of a spill." Allan Maki; Charity Stinks; Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Dec 12, 2007. Thought For The Day: His mother had often said, When you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that action. She had emphasized the corollary of this axiom even more vehemently: when you desired a consequence you had damned well better take the action that would create it. -Lois McMaster Bujold, writer (b. 2 Nov 1949) *****November 04, 2022***** febricity : (noun) The condition of having a fever.; feverishness, pyrexia; His febricity was an indication that his wound had become infected. larp : noun:A role-playing game in which participants assume various characters and use costumes and props. verb intr.:1. To play such a game.  2. To pretend to be what one is not. ; "If Collins is pro-choice, then I'm Baba Yaga. It's time the political press stopped playing along with her centrist LARPing." Erin Gloria Ryan; It's Time to Stop Calling Susan Collins "Pro-Choice"; The Daily Beast (New York); Sep 25, 2021. "Chaos League, the Italian collective, created a larp about water shortages in the developing world, in which players received only half a litre of water per day." Neima Jahromi; The Great Pretenders; The New Yorker; May 30, 2022. Thought For The Day: An artist discovers his genius the day he dares not to please. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (3 Nov 1901-1976) *****November 05, 2022***** diagnostician : (noun) A person who diagnoses, especially a physician specializing in medical diagnostics.; pathologist; She was an excellent diagnostician and was immediately able to identify the cause of the patient's symptoms. blad : noun: A promotional flier or a book extract packaged to showcase and promote a book. ; "During Book Expo, the imprint threw a party for Bittman at Jean-Georges, where giveaways included a 32-page blad, a package of spices, and recipe postcards." Lynn Andriani; The Minimalist Thinks Big; Publishers Weekly (New York); Jul 25, 2005. Thought For The Day: When the Judgment Day comes civilization will have an alibi, "I never took a human life, I only sold the fellow the gun to take it with. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 06, 2022***** confrere : (noun) A fellow member of a fraternity or profession; a colleague.; colleague, fellow; She was an intimidating presence in the boardroom, and even her confreres were nervous around her. blad : noun: A promotional flier or a book extract packaged to showcase and promote a book. ; "During Book Expo, the imprint threw a party for Bittman at Jean-Georges, where giveaways included a 32-page blad, a package of spices, and recipe postcards." Lynn Andriani; The Minimalist Thinks Big; Publishers Weekly (New York); Jul 25, 2005. Thought For The Day: When the Judgment Day comes civilization will have an alibi, "I never took a human life, I only sold the fellow the gun to take it with. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 07, 2022***** sander : (noun) A power tool used for sanding wood; a loop of sandpaper is moved at high speed by an electric motor.; smoother; After tearing up the old carpeting, they used a sander to smooth the splintered hardwood floor. blad : noun: A promotional flier or a book extract packaged to showcase and promote a book. ; "During Book Expo, the imprint threw a party for Bittman at Jean-Georges, where giveaways included a 32-page blad, a package of spices, and recipe postcards." Lynn Andriani; The Minimalist Thinks Big; Publishers Weekly (New York); Jul 25, 2005. Thought For The Day: When the Judgment Day comes civilization will have an alibi, "I never took a human life, I only sold the fellow the gun to take it with. -Will Rogers, humorist (4 Nov 1879-1935) *****November 08, 2022***** serigraph : (noun) A print made using a stencil process in which an image or design is superimposed on a very fine mesh screen and printing ink is squeegeed onto the printing surface through the area of the screen that is not covered by the stencil.; silk screen print, silkscreen; Nicole examined the dragonfly serigraph on the t-shirt to make sure the image had transferred clearly. incarnate : adjective:1. Embodied in flesh.  2. Personified.  3. Flesh-colored; blood red.. verb tr.:1. To give bodily form to.  2. To make real; to actualize.  3. To personify. ; "Now we have this little boy who's just light and joy incarnate." Kara Baskin; Foster Care, Fleeting Custody, Enduring Love; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Apr 15, 2022. "This woman was poetry incarnate! She was pity incarnate! She was passion incarnate!" Joseph Hocking; The Everlasting Arms; Hodder & Stoughton; 1919. See more usage examples of incarnate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. -Albert Camus, writer and philosopher (7 Nov 1913-1960) *****November 09, 2022***** megrim : (noun) A severe recurring vascular headache; occurs more frequently in women than men.; hemicrania, migraine, sick headache; Her megrims were severe, and she often had to miss work because of the terrible pain. unplugged : adjective: 1. Authentic; unadorned. 2. Refraining from the constant use of electronic communication and entertainment devices. 3. Relating to music performed with acoustic rather than electric instruments. 4. Not connected to an electrical outlet. 5. Without a plug or stopper (of a container of liquid). 6. Low-key; intimate. ; "Groeschel's religious order is orthodoxy unplugged. He and his young friars wear long beards and gray medieval habits, girded by a rope tied into three knots -- reminders of their vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience ('No bling-bling, no sweet thing, Christ is King,' in the community vernacular)." Peter J. Boyer; A Hard Faith; The New Yorker; May 16, 2005. "Will knew all about Vista Del Mar being unplugged. It was fine with him as he was into the place being authentic. 'And it will be a lot safer. I've seen guests walk right off the paved path without realizing it. They have their noses stuck in their screens.'" Betty Hechtman; Silence of the Lamb's Wool; Penguin; 2014. "[Wayne] Shorter must have felt that something was amiss as well. By 1997, he returned to making acoustic recordings. The final performances on 'Footprints' are blissfully unplugged." Steve Futterman; Wayne's World; The New Yorker; Dec 20, 2004. "The stepson turned the TV back on and the stepfather unplugged it, which happened several times. Tempers flared and Kevin shoved his stepfather, who hit his head against a concrete wall and died on the spot." CE Noticias Financieras English; Aug 7, 2022. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2022***** verrucose : (adjective) Covered with warts or wartlike projections.; wartlike, warty; The witch extended her verrucose arm and shook her gnarled finger in the little boy's face. a gogo : adjective: In abundance. ; "There was music, dancing, and champagne a gogo." Lina Simoni; The Scent Of Rosa's Oil; Kensington; 2008. Thought For The Day: Every one of us is precious in the cosmic perspective. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2022***** maelstrom : (noun) A whirlpool of extraordinary size or violence.; whirlpool, vortex; Suddenly going down in a maelstrom, within three rods of the planks, he wholly disappeared from view, as if diving under the keel. presumptive : adjective: 1. Assumed; expected; inferred. 2. Giving a reasonable basis for belief. ; "This Saturday night in their living room they are playing Twenty Questions with their four best friends [including] the boozing and brawling Fred and his fourth wife presumptive, the ignorant but jolly Carol." John Simon; John Simon on Theater; Applause Theatre & Cinema Books; 2005. See more usage examples of presumptive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Use the talents you possess, for the woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except the best. -Henry van Dyke, poet (10 Nov 1852-1933) *****November 12, 2022***** halcyon : (adjective) Marked by peace and prosperity.; prosperous, golden; We spent a few halcyon years in New York before the stock market crashed. at large : adjective:1. Having a wide scope.  2. As a whole.  3. Not captured. adverb:In a general manner. ; "He signed on for a five-year stint in ... the enviable position of Editor-at-Large which allowed him to pursue anything he fancied." John Patrick Kavanagh; Weekend at Prism; Riverdale; 2016. "Most of those believed to be responsible are still at large." An Anti-Corruption Party Triumphs; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 17, 2021. See more usage examples of at large in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 13, 2022***** windbreaker : (noun) A trademark used for a warm outer jacket having close-fitting, often elastic, cuffs and waistband.; anorak, parka, windcheater; George's windbreaker was torn, and he shivered in the cold night air. at large : adjective:1. Having a wide scope.  2. As a whole.  3. Not captured. adverb:In a general manner. ; "He signed on for a five-year stint in ... the enviable position of Editor-at-Large which allowed him to pursue anything he fancied." John Patrick Kavanagh; Weekend at Prism; Riverdale; 2016. "Most of those believed to be responsible are still at large." An Anti-Corruption Party Triumphs; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 17, 2021. See more usage examples of at large in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 14, 2022***** salubrious : (adjective) Conducive or favorable to health or well-being.; healthy, good for you; She owned a cheerful vegetarian restaurant where she sold protein shakes and other salubrious refreshments. at large : adjective:1. Having a wide scope.  2. As a whole.  3. Not captured. adverb:In a general manner. ; "He signed on for a five-year stint in ... the enviable position of Editor-at-Large which allowed him to pursue anything he fancied." John Patrick Kavanagh; Weekend at Prism; Riverdale; 2016. "Most of those believed to be responsible are still at large." An Anti-Corruption Party Triumphs; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 17, 2021. See more usage examples of at large in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. -Vietnamese proverb *****November 15, 2022***** wakeless : (adjective) (Of sleep) deep or unbroken.; profound, sound, heavy; He fell into a deep, wakeless sleep. malcontent : noun: One who is chronically dissatisfied. adjective: Chronically dissatisfied, complaining, rebellious, etc. ; "I had met for hours alone with the malcontents and tried to both listen to their ideas and to explain the other side of the issues to them. It had not worked." Mallory James; Nowhere Man; iUniverse; 2018. See more usage examples of malcontent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love. -Claude Monet, painter (14 Nov 1840-1926) *****November 16, 2022***** seamster : (noun) A tailor.; sartor, tailor; We found a talented seamster who fixed the ill-fitting pants in an hour. fanboy : noun: A boy or man who is an extremely enthusiastic follower of someone or something. verb intr.: To behave in an obsessive way about someone or something. ; "Ayn Rand fanboys are not exactly famous for their doctrinal consistency, and [Joshua] Schulte's concerns about 'Big Brother' don't appear to have occasioned much soul-searching in the years he spent building surveillance weapons for a spy agency." Patrick Radden Keefe; The Surreal Case of a CIA Hacker's Revenge; The New Yorker; Jun 6, 2022. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (15 Nov 1887-1972) *****November 17, 2022***** hillock : (noun) A small natural hill.; knoll, mound, hammock; Umbopa pointed out to us a slight and indistinct hillock on the flat surface of the plain about eight miles away. thaumaturge : noun: 1. A miracle worker. 2. A magician. ; "Gottlieb brought me health like a thaumaturge. He came a first time to examine the situation, then several more times, equipped with vials and syringes, and a last time, when he said, 'Rise and walk.' The pain had disappeared." Primo Levi; The Complete Works of Primo Levi; Liveright; 2015. See more usage examples of thaumaturge in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The world is like a Mask dancing. If you want to see it well, you do not stand in one place. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2022***** sybarite : (noun) A person devoted to pleasure and luxury; a voluptuary.; voluptuary; This official sybarite dressed, dined, and visited a dozen or fifteen salons between eight at night and three in the morning. temporizer : noun: One who delays, waiting for a favorable time, or to avoid making a decision. ; "He isn't the overly cautious temporizer that his critics claim, but someone willing to take risks in the name of a good cause." Tory Must Seize the Moment; Toronto Star (Canada); Oct 23, 2018. See more usage examples of temporizer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you hire only those people you understand, the company will never get people better than you are. Always remember that you often find outstanding people among those you don't particularly like. -Soichiro Honda, industrialist (17 Nov 1906-1991) *****November 19, 2022***** cat%27s-paw : (noun) A person used by another as a dupe or tool.; pawn, instrument; He was humiliated to learn that he had been made a cat's-paw in the businessman's unscrupulous dealings. casuist : noun: One who employs deceptive or excessively subtle reasoning, especially on moral issues. ; "A Franciscan casuist says there is no theological impediment against an automated bell." For Whom the Bell No Longer Tolls: Jerusalem; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 5, 2013. See more usage examples of casuist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939) *****November 20, 2022***** abiogenesis : (noun) The supposed development of living organisms from nonliving matter.; spontaneous generation, autogenesis, autogeny; Early notions of abiogenesis, now considered incorrect, held that living organisms generate from decaying organic substances, like maggots from meat. casuist : noun: One who employs deceptive or excessively subtle reasoning, especially on moral issues. ; "A Franciscan casuist says there is no theological impediment against an automated bell." For Whom the Bell No Longer Tolls: Jerusalem; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 5, 2013. See more usage examples of casuist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939) *****November 21, 2022***** necropolis : (noun) A cemetery, especially a large and elaborate one belonging to an ancient city.; cemetery, burial ground, graveyard, memorial park; A guardian in a braided cap walked listlessly through the room like a ghost stalking through a necropolis. casuist : noun: One who employs deceptive or excessively subtle reasoning, especially on moral issues. ; "A Franciscan casuist says there is no theological impediment against an automated bell." For Whom the Bell No Longer Tolls: Jerusalem; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 5, 2013. See more usage examples of casuist in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Wanting to meet an author because you like his work is like wanting to meet a duck because you like paté. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 18 Nov 1939) *****November 22, 2022***** hodgepodge : (noun) A mixture of dissimilar ingredients; a jumble.; patchwork, jumble; Paul's screenplay was a hodgepodge of comedy, drama, slapstick, and tragedy. truffle : verb intr.:To search, rummage, dig up, etc. verb tr.:To stuff or to intersperse with something. noun:1. Any of various edible fungi that grow underground.  2. A soft, round candy made with chocolate, often coated with cocoa powder. ; "I figure there's no need to mention how Michael is truffling around trying to find out what Sarah intended to write about." Jane Pek; The Verifiers; Knopf; 2022. "Bass serves up a rich smorgasbord of a memoir, truffled with pungent anecdotes, sometimes funny, sometimes sorrowful, always savory." Liesl Schillinger; Travel; New York Times Book Review; Jun 3, 2018. See more usage examples of truffle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2022***** swellhead : (noun) A person regarded as arrogant or conceited.; egoist, egotist; He was dismissed by many as a swellhead, but his ridiculously high estimation of himself sustained him through all sorts of challenging situations. scunner : verb intr.:1. To disgust or sicken.  2. To feel disgust or to flinch. noun:1. Dislike or disgust.  2. A rascal; nuisance. ; "The smell was so scunnering it made him want to puke up." Obituary: Stanley Robertson; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 5, 2009. "Perhaps if she did not call her a scunner right off, they might be friends." Marti Talbott; A Time of Madness; MT Creations Corporation; 2011. See more usage examples of scunner in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I like not only to be loved, but to be told that I am loved; the realm of silence is large enough beyond the grave. -George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), novelist (22 Nov 1819-1880) *****November 24, 2022***** hirsute : (adjective) Covered with hair; hairy.; hairy; The hirsute man used to joke that he looked like a grizzly bear. tomcat : noun:1. A male domestic cat.  2. A womanizer. verb intr.:To pursue women promiscuously. ; "Just before Khloe gave birth last year, there were rumours about [Tristan Thompson] cheating. In recent weeks the NBA star, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, is reported to have been tomcatting around again." Cracking up with the Kardashians; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Feb 21, 2019. See more usage examples of tomcat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is a sort of homecoming. -Paul Celan, poet and translator (23 Nov 1920-1970) *****November 25, 2022***** djinni : (noun) In Muslim legend, a spirit often capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people.; genie, jinnee, jinni; The djinni offered to grant Aladdin three wishes. whinge : verb intr.: To whine or to complain. noun: A whine or complaint. ; "Wrinkles, work, our weight, and the weather -- we all whinge and moan about them." An Intensely Personal Story; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Jun 10, 2002. "Occasional whinges are okay, but constant griping is not." Carolyn Hax; Everyone Can Benefit When You Help Bad Gift Givers; The Washington Post; Dec 29, 2015. Thought For The Day: Flags are bits of colored cloth that governments use first to shrink-wrap people's brains and then as ceremonial shrouds to bury the dead. -Arundhati Roy, writer and activist (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2022***** beebread : (noun) A brownish substance consisting of a mixture of pollen and honey and used by bees as food.; ambrosia; The worker bees prepared the beebread, which was then fed to the larvae. nitch : noun: A notch or a small cut. verb tr.: To make a small cut or notch. ; "'With a nitch in it,' she added, referring to the dimple at its crest." Oxford S. Stroud; To Yield a Dream; NewSouth Books; 2002. "I engraved, or nitched, on the broad end of the oar." Jack London; The Star Rover; Macmillan; 1915. Thought For The Day: The man who dies rich dies disgraced. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 27, 2022***** phagocyte : (noun) A cell, such as a white blood cell, that engulfs and absorbs waste material, harmful microorganisms, or other foreign bodies in the bloodstream and tissues.; scavenger cell; The doctor was fond of referring to phagocytes as "sanitation workers." nitch : noun: A notch or a small cut. verb tr.: To make a small cut or notch. ; "'With a nitch in it,' she added, referring to the dimple at its crest." Oxford S. Stroud; To Yield a Dream; NewSouth Books; 2002. "I engraved, or nitched, on the broad end of the oar." Jack London; The Star Rover; Macmillan; 1915. Thought For The Day: The man who dies rich dies disgraced. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 28, 2022***** physic : (noun) A medicine or drug, especially a cathartic.; aperient, cathartic, purgative; "Affery, woman," said Mr. Flintwinch, with a friendly grin on his expressive countenance, "if you ever have a dream of this sort again, it'll be a sign of your being in want of physic." nitch : noun: A notch or a small cut. verb tr.: To make a small cut or notch. ; "'With a nitch in it,' she added, referring to the dimple at its crest." Oxford S. Stroud; To Yield a Dream; NewSouth Books; 2002. "I engraved, or nitched, on the broad end of the oar." Jack London; The Star Rover; Macmillan; 1915. Thought For The Day: The man who dies rich dies disgraced. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (25 Nov 1835-1919) *****November 29, 2022***** phytophagous : (adjective) Feeding on plants, including shrubs and trees.; plant-eating, phytophilous; The dot moth is phytophagous, feeding on a wide variety of plants. marathon : noun:1. A footrace of 26 miles, 385 yards (42.195 km).  2. Any long-distance race, for example, a swimming marathon.  3. An endurance event or contest, such as a dance marathon.  4. An event of greater than usual length, for example, a Netflix marathon. adjective:Relating to something that requires a lot of effort and endurance. verb tr.:To take part in a long race, task, event, etc., or one that requires long sustained effort. ; What was meant as a brief run of negotiations became a marathon." An Unenriching Debate; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 10, 2022. "The first day of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's long-awaited pre-indictment hearing ... finally ended after a marathon session lasting nearly 12 hours." Yonah Jeremy Bob; PM's Lawyers Present New Evidence; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Oct 3, 2019. "We were in a musical mood, and so we marathoned Shine, Amadeus, and Immortal Beloved (one of your favorite films)." C.J. Cala; Some Blue Suited Bird; Createspace; 2016. See more usage examples of marathon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (28 Nov 1757-1827) *****November 30, 2022***** trenchant : (adjective) Having keenness and forcefulness and penetration in thought, expression, or intellect.; searching; His trenchant criticism redirected the debate and gave everyone something new to consider. troche : noun: A small tablet or lozenge, typically round and sweetened. ; "'Have a troche, Kronborg,' he said, producing some. 'Sent me for samples. Very good for a rough throat.'" Willa Cather; The Song of the Lark; Houghton and Mifflin; 1915. See more usage examples of troche in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I can do no more, let my name stand among those who are willing to bear ridicule and reproach for the truth's sake, and so earn some right to rejoice when the victory is won. -Louisa May Alcott, writer and reformist (29 Nov 1832-1888) *****December 01, 2022***** frowzy : (adjective) Unkempt; slovenly.; slovenly; Between his frowzy clothes and late arrival, he made a decidedly bad first impression. interlope : verb intr.: To intrude or interfere. ; "How dare they interlope on my isolation ... I want to be alone." Mick O'Reilly; Walking the Camino de Santiago; Gulf News (Dubai); Jan 3, 2018. See more usage examples of interlope in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of a thing he was never reasoned into. -Jonathan Swift, satirist (30 Nov 1667-1745) *****December 02, 2022***** hovercraft : (noun) A craft capable of moving over water or land on a cushion of air created by jet engines.; ground-effect machine; The police lost track of the bank robbers at the water's edge, where the thieves escaped in a hovercraft. prodrome : noun: An early symptom that indicates the onset of a disease or an episode of something such as a migraine. ; "Other sufferers experience a migraine prodrome -- a general feeling that a migraine will strike. This usually occurs one or two hours before the headache starts." What's Behind the Pain of Migraines; USA Today (McLean, Virginia); Oct 2000. See more usage examples of prodrome in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I like talking about things that are taboo because it makes them not taboo anymore. -Sarah Silverman, comedian (b. 1 Dec 1970) *****December 03, 2022***** bellicose : (adjective) Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious.; battleful, combative, contentious; She had always found him to be bellicose and was not surprised when he was expelled from the military academy for his belligerent and violent behavior. dromomania : noun 1. A compulsive desire to travel. 2. An excessive enthusiasm for running. ; "Dromomania was his curse. ... Compulsive traveling. Wanderlust." Harlan Ellison; Goodbye to All That; McSweeney's; 2002. See more usage examples of dromomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 04, 2022***** recidivist : (noun) Someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior, especially for the same criminal behavior.; habitual criminal, repeater; After his third arrest for petty theft, it became clear to the local police that they had a recidivist on their hands. dromomania : noun 1. A compulsive desire to travel. 2. An excessive enthusiasm for running. ; "Dromomania was his curse. ... Compulsive traveling. Wanderlust." Harlan Ellison; Goodbye to All That; McSweeney's; 2002. See more usage examples of dromomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 05, 2022***** perfidious : (adjective) Of, relating to, or marked by perfidy; treacherous.; punic, treacherous; After Frank betrayed him, James swore he would never forgive his friend's perfidious behavior. dromomania : noun 1. A compulsive desire to travel. 2. An excessive enthusiasm for running. ; "Dromomania was his curse. ... Compulsive traveling. Wanderlust." Harlan Ellison; Goodbye to All That; McSweeney's; 2002. See more usage examples of dromomania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The question is whether or not you choose to disturb the world around you, or if you choose to let it go on as if you had never arrived. -Ann Patchett, writer (b. 2 Dec 1963) *****December 06, 2022***** tambour : (noun) A small wooden embroidery frame consisting of two concentric hoops between which fabric is stretched.; embroidery frame, embroidery hoop; She was addicted to needlepoint and took her tambour wherever she went. cherubic : adjective: Having a sweet, innocent appearance. ; "I can't help but think how proud I am of the beautiful little boy with the cherubic face as he matures into a fine young man." Rebecca Whitfield-Baker; When the School Bell Chimes for the Last Time; The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); Oct 30, 2022. See more usage examples of cherubic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Can anything be sadder than work left unfinished? Yes, work never begun. -Christina Rossetti, poet (5 Dec 1830-1894) *****December 07, 2022***** cutoff : (noun) A route shorter than the usual one.; shortcut, crosscut; My father claimed he knew a great cutoff, but it turned out to be longer than our original route. nidus : noun: 1. A nest. 2. A source or the central point, especially of infection where bacteria or other pathogens breed. ; "The first permanent building was ... the nidus of the new town and the start of tremendous growth." Tracy Conrad; Indio's School Bell to Shine Again as Symbol; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Sep 18, 2022. See more usage examples of nidus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I think that I shall never see / A poem lovely as a tree. -(Alfred) Joyce Kilmer, journalist and poet (6 Dec 1886-1918) *****December 08, 2022***** tableland : (noun) A flat, elevated region; a plateau or mesa.; plateau; The hikers climbed all morning, planning to stop for lunch when they reached the tableland. pelagic : adjective: Relating to or living in the open ocean, far from land. ; "Captain Melcott shifted his hands in the rudimentary sign language used by the pelagic mermaids. It was rather different than the much more nuanced one favoured by the coastal merfolk." Celia Lake; Sailor's Jewel; Celia Lake; 2021. See more usage examples of pelagic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: That is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. -Willa Cather, novelist (7 Dec 1873-1947) *****December 09, 2022***** soapbox : (noun) A platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it.; dais, podium, pulpit, rostrum, stump, ambo; The author ascended the soapbox and began to read from his latest novel. rutilant : adjective: Glowing, shining, or glittering with a red or golden light. ; "[Jerome Savary's] shows are so richly staged and choreographed that each time you blink you miss some stage action, and so musically rutilant that you leave the theater slightly dazed." Katherine Knorr; A swingin' Paris of the 40's; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Nov 26, 2003. Thought For The Day: There are two kinds of light -- the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. -James Thurber, writer and cartoonist (8 Dec 1894-1961) *****December 10, 2022***** vitriol : (noun) Abusive or venomous language used to express blame or censure or bitter deep-seated ill will.; invective, vituperation; At first, she patiently listened to him vent his frustration, but when he began to spout vitriol, she told him she had to leave. tatterdemalion : adjective: Ragged, tattered. noun: A person in ragged clothes. ; "This country's tatterdemalion safety net fails to catch so many in the best of times; the number of people it will let through over the coming months is unfathomable." Thomas Beard; Cut. And Action; Artforum International (New York); Jun 2020. See more usage examples of tatterdemalion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nothing so soothes our vanity as a display of greater vanity in others; it makes us vain, in fact, of our modesty. -Louis Kronenberger, writer (9 Dec 1904-1980) *****December 11, 2022***** apologist : (noun) A person who argues in defense or justification of something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.; vindicator, justifier; English youth have been so educated time out of mind, and we have hundreds of thousands of apologists and admirers of injustice, misery, and brutality, as perpetrated among children. tatterdemalion : adjective: Ragged, tattered. noun: A person in ragged clothes. ; "This country's tatterdemalion safety net fails to catch so many in the best of times; the number of people it will let through over the coming months is unfathomable." Thomas Beard; Cut. And Action; Artforum International (New York); Jun 2020. See more usage examples of tatterdemalion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nothing so soothes our vanity as a display of greater vanity in others; it makes us vain, in fact, of our modesty. -Louis Kronenberger, writer (9 Dec 1904-1980) *****December 12, 2022***** dolmen : (noun) A prehistoric megalith typically having two upright stones and a capstone.; cromlech; All that was left of the pre-historic community was a dolmen, an enigma that stood in nature like a letter from a lost alphabet. tatterdemalion : adjective: Ragged, tattered. noun: A person in ragged clothes. ; "This country's tatterdemalion safety net fails to catch so many in the best of times; the number of people it will let through over the coming months is unfathomable." Thomas Beard; Cut. And Action; Artforum International (New York); Jun 2020. See more usage examples of tatterdemalion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nothing so soothes our vanity as a display of greater vanity in others; it makes us vain, in fact, of our modesty. -Louis Kronenberger, writer (9 Dec 1904-1980) *****December 13, 2022***** tiffin : (noun) A meal at midday; a luncheon.; luncheon, dejeuner, lunch; His impudence still rankled when I came into the dining room at tiffin time. bibliophagist : noun: One who loves to read books; a bookworm. ; "Birkerts has always been a bibliophagist, from his early days roaming in The Jungle Book and adventuring with the Hardy Boys and James Bond, and he recognizes one of his life's great fortunes -- to be able to read and write both for pleasure and profit." Books for the Ages; Kirkus Reviews (Austin, Texas); Nov 15, 2006. Thought For The Day: Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work. -Gustave Flaubert, novelist (12 Dec 1821-1880) *****December 14, 2022***** circuitous : (adjective) Being or taking a roundabout, lengthy course.; roundabout; He prided himself on his sense of direction, so Jane refrained from mentioning that the route he had chosen was circuitous and unnecessarily long. prosateur : noun: A writer of prose. ; "In the end, this increasingly deluded prosateur is writing stories about himself." Michael Dirda; When a Critic Ventures Into Fiction, the Results Are Unpredictable; The Washington Post; Nov 20, 2005. Thought For The Day: The walls of books around me, dense with the past, formed a kind of insulation against the present world and its disasters. -Ross Macdonald, novelist (13 Dec 1915-1983) *****December 15, 2022***** tirade : (noun) A long angry or violent speech, usually of a censorious or denunciatory nature; a diatribe.; philippic, broadside; Milady had listened to all this menacing tirade with a smile of disdain on her lips, but rage in her heart. bibliopole : noun: A bookseller, especially of rare works. ; "An old London bibliopole ... Heywood Hill has been selling books in Mayfair since 1936, when its catalogue included the first British edition of James Joyce's Ulysses." For the Person Who Has Everything... Bespoke Libraries; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 20, 2014. See more usage examples of bibliopole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 16, 2022***** crosspatch : (noun) A peevish, irascible person; a grouch.; crank, grouch, grump, churl; He was known to all as a crosspatch, but all that changed with the birth of his first grandchild. peritext : noun: The material surrounding the main text of a book, such as covers, preface, bibliography, colophon, etc. ; "An effusively adulatory introduction from feminist scholar Bechdel and a postscript from Fawkes bookend the illustrated portion and offer insights into Brontë's value as an author and biographical subject, while written descriptions of select source materials function as lengthy citations for the reader who wants to learn more. That's heavy peritext for such a brief graphic novel." Adam McConville; Charlotte Brontë before Jane Eyre by Glynnis Fawkes (review); Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (Baltimore, Maryland); Oct 2019. Thought For The Day: The universe is made of stories, not of atoms. -Muriel Rukeyser, poet and activist (15 Dec 1913-1980) *****December 17, 2022***** bourdon : (noun) A pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single continuous tone.; drone pipe; The continuous note emanating from the bourdon was hypnotic and carried the listener off into another world. bibliophobe : noun: A person with a strong aversion to books. ; "While the US is governed by a tempestuous bibliophobe who expresses himself with all-caps and exclamation marks, David Johnston is avuncular and studious." Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 18, 2022***** stevedore : (noun) One who is employed in the loading or unloading of ships.; dock worker, dock-walloper, docker, dockhand, loader, longshoreman, lumper; As the stevedore worked, he dreamed of the day he would be able to leave the docks behind and see the world from the deck of a ship. bibliophobe : noun: A person with a strong aversion to books. ; "While the US is governed by a tempestuous bibliophobe who expresses himself with all-caps and exclamation marks, David Johnston is avuncular and studious." Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 19, 2022***** virgule : (noun) A punctuation mark (/) used to separate related items of information.; separatrix, solidus, slash, diagonal, stroke; Because the poem was reproduced in block text, virgules were used to indicate where the lines had originally been separated. bibliophobe : noun: A person with a strong aversion to books. ; "While the US is governed by a tempestuous bibliophobe who expresses himself with all-caps and exclamation marks, David Johnston is avuncular and studious." Jonathan Kay; A True Canadian; Johnston Turned Out to Be the Governor General We Needed; National Post (Canada); Jul 22, 2017. Thought For The Day: One of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder where you are when you don't come home at night. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (16 Dec 1901-1978) *****December 20, 2022***** menhir : (noun) A tall upright megalith; found primarily in England and northern France.; standing stone; The neo-pagans made the huge menhir the site of their annual spring celebration. folkmoot : noun: A general assembly of the people of a town, city, county, etc. ; "In cases of dispute the folkmoot decides who is worthiest to succeed." Patricia Wright; I Am England; Bodley Head; 1987. Thought For The Day: And the evil is done in hopes that evil surrenders / But the deeds of the devil are burned too deep in the embers / And a world of hunger in vengeance will always remember. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976) *****December 21, 2022***** phylactery : (noun) Either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays.; tefillin; Just before his bar mitzvah, David got a brand new set of phylacteries. qualm : noun: 1. An uneasy feeling about the rightness of a course of action. 2. A sudden feeling of sickness, faintness, or nausea. ; "Justice Samuel Alito, in his majority opinion, had no qualms about focusing his analysis on a period when American women were second class citizens, decades away from winning the right to vote." History Test; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 20, 2022. See more usage examples of qualm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 22, 2022***** miscellanea : (noun) Miscellaneous items or written works collected together.; assortment, mixed bag, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, smorgasbord, variety, mixture; The office was littered with papers, files, and assorted miscellanea. pastillage : noun: A sugar paste that's molded into shapes and figures for decorating cakes, etc. ; "A wedding cake, covered in a soft ivory fondant, and a series of pale pink camellias, beautifully formed out of pastillage." Linda W. Yezak; Cat Lady's Secret; Harbourlight; 2014. Thought For The Day: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2022***** inexorable : (adjective) Not capable of being persuaded by entreaty; relentless.; relentless, grim, unappeasable, unrelenting, unforgiving, stern; The inexorable investigator questioned the witness repeatedly, long after she had been reduced to tears and claimed to know nothing more. psalm : noun: A sacred poem or song. verb intr.: To sing a poem or song. ; "I look up at a new commotion, not the usual blackbirds psalming from the unleaved branches." Maureen Duffy; Environmental Studies; Enitharmon; 2013. See more usage examples of psalm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time. -Jean-Michel Basquiat, artist (22 Dec 1960-1988) *****December 24, 2022***** slacker : (noun) One who shirks work or duty, especially one who tries to evade military service in wartime.; shirker; My partner was a slacker, so I had to do all the work on the project. pointillage : noun: A style of painting in which small dots are applied to the canvas. Also known as pointillism. ; "A dog's footpads are filled with blood vessels, so he bled significantly during the night, at the same time making the beige carpet in Klaus's spare bedroom into a wall-to-wall pointillage of bloody paw prints." Brad Steel; Mute; Graphos Books; 2005. Thought For The Day: I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create. -Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (23 Dec 1908-2002) *****December 25, 2022***** phloem : (noun) The food-conducting tissue of vascular plants, consisting of sieve tubes, fibers, parenchyma, and sclereids.; bast; "Girdling" a tree, or cutting through its phloem tubes, results in the starvation of the roots and, ultimately, the death of the tree. pointillage : noun: A style of painting in which small dots are applied to the canvas. Also known as pointillism. ; "A dog's footpads are filled with blood vessels, so he bled significantly during the night, at the same time making the beige carpet in Klaus's spare bedroom into a wall-to-wall pointillage of bloody paw prints." Brad Steel; Mute; Graphos Books; 2005. Thought For The Day: I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create. -Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (23 Dec 1908-2002) *****December 26, 2022***** transient : (adjective) Enduring a very short time.; ephemeral, fugacious, passing, short-lived, transitory; The elderly woman was depressed and spent her days lamenting the transient beauty of youth. pointillage : noun: A style of painting in which small dots are applied to the canvas. Also known as pointillism. ; "A dog's footpads are filled with blood vessels, so he bled significantly during the night, at the same time making the beige carpet in Klaus's spare bedroom into a wall-to-wall pointillage of bloody paw prints." Brad Steel; Mute; Graphos Books; 2005. Thought For The Day: I've also seen that great men are often lonely. This is understandable, because they have built such high standards for themselves that they often feel alone. But that same loneliness is part of their ability to create. -Yousuf Karsh, portrait photographer (23 Dec 1908-2002) *****December 27, 2022***** prate : (verb) To talk idly and at length; chatter.; blabber, palaver, piffle, prattle; I know the age better than you do, though you will prate about it so tediously. eunoia : noun: 1. A feeling of goodwill. 2. A state of good mental health. ; "But never put away your eunoia -- my conscience says." Jesús de Rodríguez; She Fears; Lulu; 2018. Thought For The Day: If you pray for rain long enough, it eventually does fall. If you pray for floodwaters to abate, they eventually do. The same happens in the absence of prayers. -Steve Allen, television host, musician, actor, comedian, and writer (26 Dec 1921-2000) *****December 29, 2022***** hireling : (noun) One who works solely for compensation, especially a person willing to perform for a fee tasks considered menial or offensive.; pensionary; The hireling said he would be willing to clean out the cesspool—for the right price. limnophilous : adjective: Fond of or living in inland bodies of water such as lakes, pools, etc. ; "Limnophilous species can obtain CO₂ in acidic waters and/or from sediments and most lakes worldwide are CO₂ supersaturated." Donat-P Häder & Kunshan Gao (eds.); Aquatic Ecosystems in a Changing Climate; CRC Press; 2018. Thought For The Day: Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly. -Rose Franken, author and playwright (28 Dec 1895-1988) *****December 30, 2022***** capstone : (noun) The top stone of a structure or wall.; stretcher, coping stone, copestone; When the structure's capstone was finally in place, the builders threw themselves a party to celebrate their achievement. pharmacopoeia or pharmacopeia : noun: 1. A book listing approved drugs and related information. 2. A stock of drugs. ; "Shortly you can read about it in my pharmacopoeia. ... I have enlisted the city's best physics and barbers to work with me to assemble a book of reliable medicinal treatments. ... I'm on a crusade to wipe out quackery." Nina Siegal; The Anatomy Lesson; Nan A. Talese; 2014. See more usage examples of pharmacopoeia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most perfect technique is that which is not noticed at all. -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****December 31, 2022***** discomfit : (verb) To make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert.; discompose, untune, upset, disconcert; Her extreme candor would often discomfit strangers who suddenly found themselves privy to her most private thoughts. oxygeusia : noun: An acute sense of taste. ; "Don't you see, Watson? If the thief had oxygeusia as he had claimed, he wouldn't have partaken of so much of that bland corn at the supper. Can you believe it, six bowel movements?" Anu Garg, channeling Arthur Conan Doyle; The Adventure of Slivered Maize; 2022. Thought For The Day: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 30 Dec 1949) *****January 01, 2023***** desiccant : (noun) A substance, such as calcium oxide or silica gel, that has a high affinity for water and is used as a drying agent.; drier, drying agent, siccative; The shipment was packed with a desiccant to prevent humidity from warping the wood during transport. oxygeusia : noun: An acute sense of taste. ; "Don't you see, Watson? If the thief had oxygeusia as he had claimed, he wouldn't have partaken of so much of that bland corn at the supper. Can you believe it, six bowel movements?" Anu Garg, channeling Arthur Conan Doyle; The Adventure of Slivered Maize; 2022. Thought For The Day: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 30 Dec 1949) *****January 02, 2023***** dobbin : (noun) A quiet plodding workhorse.; farm horse; The dobbin had been a loyal and faithful worker, and the farmer was sad to see the quiet horse's health decline. oxygeusia : noun: An acute sense of taste. ; "Don't you see, Watson? If the thief had oxygeusia as he had claimed, he wouldn't have partaken of so much of that bland corn at the supper. Can you believe it, six bowel movements?" Anu Garg, channeling Arthur Conan Doyle; The Adventure of Slivered Maize; 2022. Thought For The Day: In religion, faith is a virtue. In science, faith is a vice. -Jerry Coyne, biology professor (b. 30 Dec 1949) *****January 03, 2023***** scaremonger : (noun) A person who spreads frightening rumors and stirs up trouble.; stirrer; When he started spreading the rumor that the government was bent on destroying our homes, we decided that he was a scaremonger and stopped paying attention. hark : verb intr.: 1. To listen attentively. 2. Hark back: to allude to or return to a previous topic, time, event, etc. ; "Such renamings often purport to hark back to an unsullied past, but are really exercises in nationalist mythmaking." A Guide to Renamed Cities; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 26, 2022. See more usage examples of hark in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2023***** medial : (adjective) Relating to, situated in, or extending toward the middle; median.; median; They took up defensive posts all along the field, with Ray in the medial position. tarn : noun: A small mountain lake. ; "New Zealand is a supermodel of a nation ... Getting a full-frontal view of Taranaki Maunga admiring his handsome reflection in an alpine tarn is the high point of this [hike.]" Lorna Thornber; To a Thrill; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Jan 13, 2022. See more usage examples of tarn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Still round the corner there may wait, / a new road or a secret gate. -J.R.R. Tolkien, novelist and philologist (3 Jan 1892-1973) *****January 05, 2023***** montage : (noun) A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs.; collage; The children's gift to their grandmother was a montage of family pictures. topos : noun: A traditional theme, literary motif, etc. ; "That's not surprising since the patriarchy has chosen to suppress her terrible tale, an all too familiar topos." Peter Innes; The Man with the Grasshopper Mind; iUniverse; 2008. See more usage examples of topos in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2023***** strapper : (noun) A powerfully built, robust person.; bruiser, bull, Samson; Grandmother described everyone in larger-than-life terms. Even scrawny Bill from down the block was "a regular strapper." spiv : noun: An unscrupulous person or a petty criminal, especially one who is sharply dressed. verb intr.: To make a living unscrupulously. ; "She attracts spivs, conmen, and losers like iron filings to a magnet." Sheila Riley; The Mersey Orphan; Boldwood Books; 2019. See more usage examples of spiv in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 07, 2023***** lionize : (verb) To look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity.; celebrate; She lionized her older brother and was always proud to be seen with him. rive : verb tr.: To tear, split, fracture, etc. verb intr.: To become split or cracked. ; "There will come a time When rivers flow unchecked And the machines of humankind are red with rust There will come a time When trees no longer fall Riven by the chainsaw's eager blade." Restless; Glory Days; Earth First! (Tucson, Arizona); Winter 2022. See more usage examples of rive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The lights of stars that were extinguished ages ago still reach us. So it is with great men who died centuries ago, but still reach us with the radiations of their personalities. -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 08, 2023***** pharos : (noun) A tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships.; lighthouse, beacon; The pharos was no longer operational and served as a tourist attraction in the sleepy beach town. rive : verb tr.: To tear, split, fracture, etc. verb intr.: To become split or cracked. ; "There will come a time When rivers flow unchecked And the machines of humankind are red with rust There will come a time When trees no longer fall Riven by the chainsaw's eager blade." Restless; Glory Days; Earth First! (Tucson, Arizona); Winter 2022. See more usage examples of rive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The lights of stars that were extinguished ages ago still reach us. So it is with great men who died centuries ago, but still reach us with the radiations of their personalities. -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 09, 2023***** escapist : (noun) A person who escapes into a world of fantasy.; wishful thinker, dreamer; She calls herself a mere optimist, but we believe her unconditionally sunny outlook makes her an escapist. rive : verb tr.: To tear, split, fracture, etc. verb intr.: To become split or cracked. ; "There will come a time When rivers flow unchecked And the machines of humankind are red with rust There will come a time When trees no longer fall Riven by the chainsaw's eager blade." Restless; Glory Days; Earth First! (Tucson, Arizona); Winter 2022. See more usage examples of rive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The lights of stars that were extinguished ages ago still reach us. So it is with great men who died centuries ago, but still reach us with the radiations of their personalities. -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (6 Jan 1883-1931) *****January 10, 2023***** insentient : (adjective) Devoid of sensation or consciousness; inanimate.; insensate; Jim thought he might be losing his mind when he caught himself talking to insentient objects. idiolatry : noun: Self worship. ; "The idiolatry led to this ruin and the ruin of his race." Paul Collins; God's New Man; Bloomsbury; 2005. See more usage examples of idiolatry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for truth -- and truth rewarded me. -Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (9 Jan 1908-1986) *****January 11, 2023***** welter : (noun) A confused mass; a jumble.; clutter, jumble, mare's nest, muddle, smother; Surrounded by a welter of papers and magazines, Susan began work on her scrapbook. cynanthropy : noun: A delusion in which one believes oneself to be a dog. ; "Our guides were two people with trembling tongues: mine a moribund old man whose tongue was hanging out like a tired dog's: a case of cynanthropy." Fernando del Paso (translation: Elisabeth Plaister); Palinuro of Mexico; Dalkey Archive Press; 1996. Thought For The Day: All government -- indeed, every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue and every prudent act -- is founded on compromise and barter. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2023***** pellucid : (adjective) Admitting the passage of light; transparent or translucent.; transparent, crystal clear, limpid, crystalline, lucid; The water in the fountain, pellucid as crystal, was alive with myriads of gold and silver fishes. bolt-hole : noun: 1. A place of escape, hiding, or seclusion. 2. A hole through which to escape when in danger. ; "[New Zealand's] growing reputation among the superrich as a bolt-hole -- a place insulated from the perils of nuclear war or pandemic -- has probably helped to bolster that image." Natasha Frost; What a Job Posting That Went Viral Says About New Zealand; The New York Times; Nov 4, 2022. See more usage examples of bolt-hole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 13, 2023***** facetious : (adjective) Playfully jocular; humorous.; bantering, tongue-in-cheek; She was quite gullible and could never tell when his remarks were facetious or when he was being serious. hyperacusis : noun: A heightened sensitivity to sounds. ; "Too bad I have hyperacusis and can hear dog whistles. And secrets from men who kiss me in closets." Julia Kent; Shopping for a CEO; CreateSpace; 2015. See more usage examples of hyperacusis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 14, 2023***** ruffian : (noun) A cruel and brutal fellow.; bully, hooligan, roughneck; He had been a bully in grade school, so no one was surprised to hear that he is still considered a ruffian. yesternoon : noun: The afternoon of the previous day. ; "Yesternoon, whilst Annie was taking a catnap, I carried all the eggs over to the Smiths' like you told me." Cathy Marie Hake; Forevermore; Bethany House; 2008. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 15, 2023***** ampoule : (noun) A small glass vial that is sealed after filling and used chiefly as a container for a hypodermic injection solution.; phial, vial; Because of his medical condition, he was obligated to carry an ampoule of medicine and a hypodermic needle with him at all times. yesternoon : noun: The afternoon of the previous day. ; "Yesternoon, whilst Annie was taking a catnap, I carried all the eggs over to the Smiths' like you told me." Cathy Marie Hake; Forevermore; Bethany House; 2008. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 16, 2023***** driblet : (noun) A small quantity (especially of a liquid).; drop; A driblet of water escaped from the corner of her mouth. yesternoon : noun: The afternoon of the previous day. ; "Yesternoon, whilst Annie was taking a catnap, I carried all the eggs over to the Smiths' like you told me." Cathy Marie Hake; Forevermore; Bethany House; 2008. Thought For The Day: To move freely you must be deeply rooted. -Bella Lewitzky, dancer (13 Jan 1916-2004) *****January 17, 2023***** going-over : (noun) A severe scolding.; castigation, bawling out, chewing out, dressing down, upbraiding, earful; When he was caught chewing gum in class, he knew he would have to endure a going-over from the teacher. suede-shoed : adjective: Affecting smartness and respectability. ; "'We expect a lot of suede-shoed lobbyists from Washington to come in and try to convince the people of Florida that they need casinos,' Sowinski said." John Kennedy; Prominent Consultant Hired to Run Casino Campaign; Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida); Jun 28, 1994. Thought For The Day: Be kind to thy father, for when thou wert young, / Who loved thee so fondly as he? / He caught the first accents that fell from thy tongue, / And joined in thy innocent glee. -Margaret Courtney, poet (1822-1862) *****January 18, 2023***** abattoir : (noun) A building where animals are butchered.; slaughterhouse, butchery, shambles; The largest abattoirs are those of the meatpacking industry. saboteur : noun: One who disrupts, damages, or destroys, especially in an underhanded manner. ; "Yes, this saboteur has escalated the attacks." Case Lane; The Origin Point; Clane Media Books; 2016. See more usage examples of saboteur in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Little Strokes, Fell great oaks. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2023***** incognizant : (adjective) Lacking knowledge or awareness.; unaware; He was incognizant of the new political situation and needed his brother to brief him on the details. well-heeled : adjective: Having plenty of money. ; "Italy insisted on a carve-out for luxury goods in the EU's [sanctions on Russia], lest well-heeled Muscovites go without their Gucci." The Economic Weapon; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 5, 2022. See more usage examples of well-heeled in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I knew of something that could serve my nation but would ruin another, I would not propose it to my prince, for I am first a man and only then a Frenchman ... because I am necessarily a man, and only accidentally am I French. -Montesquieu, philosopher, lawyer, and writer (18 Jan 1689-1755) *****January 20, 2023***** rigmarole : (noun) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense.; twaddle, story, saga, trash, jargon, yarn, gibberish, spiel; When I asked why he missed the meeting, he gave me some rigmarole about the train being late. sneakernet : noun: The transfer of electronic information by physically moving it (storing it on a device and moving the device), instead of doing it over a computer network. ; "We bollocks up the network. Jam the local signal. So they resort to a sneakernet." Peter Watts; Blindsight; Tor; 2006. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 21, 2023***** prodigal : (adjective) Rashly or wastefully extravagant.; profligate, spendthrift, extravagant; Her prodigal spending left her with a mountain of bills and an empty bank account. boot-faced : adjective: Having a stern, angry, or sad expression. ; "Jacqueline Wilson says, 'Every time you see a librarian in a soap opera it's a boot-faced woman going 'Shush!' I've never come across a librarian like that.'" Jan Dalley; Turning Over a New leaf; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 30, 2006. Thought For The Day: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. -Federico Fellini, film director and writer (20 Jan 1920-1993) *****January 22, 2023***** habitue : (noun) A regular patron.; regular, fixture; He was a habitue at the bar, but he never had more than two drinks in a night. boot-faced : adjective: Having a stern, angry, or sad expression. ; "Jacqueline Wilson says, 'Every time you see a librarian in a soap opera it's a boot-faced woman going 'Shush!' I've never come across a librarian like that.'" Jan Dalley; Turning Over a New leaf; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 30, 2006. Thought For The Day: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. -Federico Fellini, film director and writer (20 Jan 1920-1993) *****January 23, 2023***** lachrymator : (noun) A gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds.; teargas; When the demonstration turned violent, the police used a potent lachrymator to disperse the mob. boot-faced : adjective: Having a stern, angry, or sad expression. ; "Jacqueline Wilson says, 'Every time you see a librarian in a soap opera it's a boot-faced woman going 'Shush!' I've never come across a librarian like that.'" Jan Dalley; Turning Over a New leaf; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 30, 2006. Thought For The Day: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. -Federico Fellini, film director and writer (20 Jan 1920-1993) *****January 24, 2023***** patrolman : (noun) A policeman who patrols a given region.; flatfoot; The patrolman was familiar with the area and knew the noises he was hearing were coming from foraging raccoons, not people. ikigai : noun: 1. A sense of purpose or something that gives a sense of purpose; a reason for living. 2. Something that brings fulfillment or enjoyment. ; "Have you found your ikigai? It's never too late to start on a better path to living." Harvey MacKay; Here's a Design for Living; Arizona Republic (Phoenix); Oct 10, 2022. Thought For The Day: The shepherd always tries to persuade the sheep that their interests and his own are the same. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2023***** lyceum : (noun) A school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12.; secondary school, Gymnasium, lycee, middle school; "That lyceum has ruined him," she added, remembering the insistence with which the chevalier had spoken of the evils of education in such schools. chaebol : A large conglomerate of businesses, tightly controlled by a person or a family. ; "A chaebol of some two dozen oligarchs ... lorded over Armenia's privatization, rendering it into the most monopolized economy in the former USSR." Alexander Clapp; Prisoner of the Caucasus; The National Interest (Washington, DC); Mar/Apr 2017. "If there were true states' rights in this country, California wouldn't have to shell out for farm subsidies to Iowa, welfare to Kentucky, or security expenses for the Trump family chaebol." Liz Roth; Federal, State Taxes: Who Supports Whom?; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Jun 8, 2017. Thought For The Day: Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. -William Congreve, dramatist (24 Jan 1670-1729) *****January 26, 2023***** artistry : (noun) A superior skill that one can learn by study and practice and observation.; prowess, art; They were wrought to such a pitch of nervous dread by the uncanny artistry of their witch-doctor, they were helpless with terror. cosh : noun:1. A short, thick, heavy stick, used as a weapon. Also known as a truncheon, blackjack, bludgeon, etc.  2. An attack with, or as if with, such a weapon. verb tr.:To hit with, or as if with, such a weapon. ; "Steven Spielberg: We, too, felt the pain of the 2008 global financial crisis and were under the cosh." Sandeep Bamzai; Hollywood Idol Charms Bollywood's Best; India Today (New Delhi); Mar 25, 2013. "Larry Page and Sergey Brin, wrote a landmark paper explicitly warning that advertising-led search engines would be biased against the true needs of consumers. But their idealism was coshed by the dotcom crash of 2000-01, which forced them to turn a profit." Is Google an Evil Genius?; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 19, 2019. See more usage examples of cosh in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 27, 2023***** samizdat : (noun) A system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature.; underground press; The samizdat was successful in disseminating the banned literature until an informant turned in its chief operator. ombudsman : noun: An official who investigates complaints by individuals against an organization. ; "The dandy man stormed off, sulking and promising to take the matter to an ombudsman of some kind." Maurice Gray; Tannadee; Troubador; 2020. See more usage examples of ombudsman in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I learned compassion from being discriminated against. Everything bad that's ever happened to me has taught me compassion. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2023***** pirogue : (noun) A canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk.; dugout canoe, dugout; Then I'll take you some night in the pirogue when the moon shines. toco : noun: Chastisement; punishment; beatings. ; "Give him toco! ... Wallop him hard!" Malcolm Archibald; The Fireraisers; Next Chapter; 2019. Thought For The Day: That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where nonconformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose. -Learned Hand, jurist (27 Jan 1872-1961) *****January 29, 2023***** buffoonery : (noun) Acting like a clown or buffoon.; clowning, harlequinade, prank, frivolity; Mrs. Williams had little patience for the class clown's buffoonery, and she would often send him to the principal's office. toco : noun: Chastisement; punishment; beatings. ; "Give him toco! ... Wallop him hard!" Malcolm Archibald; The Fireraisers; Next Chapter; 2019. Thought For The Day: That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where nonconformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose. -Learned Hand, jurist (27 Jan 1872-1961) *****January 30, 2023***** miscreant : (noun) A person without moral scruples.; reprobate; And here, gentlemen, the foul play of these miscreants must come out. toco : noun: Chastisement; punishment; beatings. ; "Give him toco! ... Wallop him hard!" Malcolm Archibald; The Fireraisers; Next Chapter; 2019. Thought For The Day: That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where nonconformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose. -Learned Hand, jurist (27 Jan 1872-1961) *****January 31, 2023***** valance : (noun) An ornamental drapery hung across a top edge, as of a bed, table, or canopy.; cornice, pelmet, valance board; Large valances of silk, embroidered with flowers of gay colors, which were rather faded, fell from the wide windows. churl : noun: 1. A rude person. 2. A miserly person. 3. A peasant. ; "Either way, the thing is a gift horse, and, churl that I am, I mean to study its teeth." Joe Bennett; Start of My Golden Years; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand) Mar 30, 2022. "The churls still have their money in their pouches, or hidden in the ground." Harry Harrison; The Hammer & The Cross; Tor; 1993. "A churl's farm on the London Road is falling into my hands because there are no heirs." Nerys Jones; Godiva; Pan Macmillan; 2008. See more usage examples of churl in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness in ourselves is the honey that blunts the sting of unkindness in another. -Walter Savage Landor (30 Jan 1775-1864) *****February 01, 2023***** coagulate : (verb) To cause transformation of (a liquid or sol, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass.; clot; The medical students watched blood coagulate as part of their lesson in clotting reactions. dickey, dicky, or dickie : noun:1. A detachable shirtfront, collar, bib, etc.  2. A small bird.  3. A donkey.  4. The driver's seat or rear seat in a carriage.  5. The luggage compartment of a vehicle; also known as trunk or a boot. adjective:1. Not working properly.  2. In poor health. ; "What she didn't realize was that she wasn't wearing a blouse, only a dickey." Jo James; Be Still My Heart; PublishAmerica; 2007. "Then he went to his bedroom and packed up ... and put this in the dickey of his car." H.G. Wells; Men Like Gods; Cassell; 1923. "And, despite a dicky heart and a brush with cancer, he's about to embark on nationwide tour." Rachael Bletchly; They Named Me Wilde But I Was Too Tired for Girls; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Apr 13, 2019. See more usage examples of dickey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Do not be too quick to assume your enemy is a savage just because he is your enemy. Perhaps he is your enemy because he thinks you are a savage. Or perhaps he is afraid of you because he feels that you are afraid of him. And perhaps if he believed you are capable of loving him he would no longer be your enemy. -Thomas Merton, monk, writer (31 Jan 1915-1968) *****February 02, 2023***** inalienable : (adjective) That cannot be transferred to another or others.; unforfeitable; When he decided to fight for his inalienable rights, he did not realize that his actions would go down in history. dingbat : noun:1. An eccentric or crazy person.  2. An ornamental typographical symbol, such as ✲, ❏, ☛, ♥.  3. An object, such as a brick, used as a missile.  4. A gadget or an object whose name is unknown or forgotten. Aka, thingamajig, gizmo, etc.  5. A two- to three-story boxy apartment building with parking spaces directly under it. adjective:Eccentric or crazy. ; "In Arizona, for example, Mr McCain faces a tough primary battle against a dingbat [J.D. Hayworth] who frets about man-on-horse nuptials." United States: The Anti-Crist; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 3, 2010. "When something blows, you don't muck around trying to find one transistor or whatever the little dingbat is." Poul Anderson; Tales of the Flying Mountains; Collier; 1971. "'It wasn't an awareness of its seismic vulnerability that stopped the expansion of dingbats. It was more to do with the price of land,' Hess said." Rosanna Xia & Jon Schleuss; Many Buildings Likely Need Quake Retrofit; Los Angeles Times; Apr 16, 2016. See more usage examples of dingbat in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you turn the corner / And you run into yourself / Then you know that you have turned / All the corners that are left. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) *****February 03, 2023***** endothermic : (adjective) Characterized by or causing the absorption of heat; endoergic.; heat-absorbing, endothermal; Endothermic reactions are often described as reactions that "feel cold," and they contrast with exothermic reactions, in which heat is released. decollate : 1. To behead. 2. To separate sheets of paper, from a multiple-copy printout, for example. ; "But supple loops of the Grene's tail whipped around the neck of the silver behemoth as if to decollate." R. Dennis Baird; Talon of Light; AuthorHouse; 2004. "These printouts were then manually decollated, bursted, sorted, folded, and inserted into envelopes." Subashini Selvaratnam; Boosting Operational Efficiency; New Straits Times (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); Sep 26, 2005. "The decollate was quite revealing but not unseemly. I didn't do it for him. Even telling herself that, it rang false." Chasity Bowlin; The Other Wife; Amazon; 2021. See more usage examples of decollate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Mistakes are the portals of discovery. -James Joyce, novelist (2 Feb 1882-1941) *****February 04, 2023***** didactic : (adjective) Intended to instruct.; didactical; "The principal difficulty in your case," remarked Holmes, in his didactic fashion, "lay in the fact of there being too much evidence." lave : noun:Residue or remainder. verb tr.:1. To wash or bathe.  2. To flow.  3. To pour. ; "She took nearly a quarter of the butter home with her, and ate most of it, and gave the lave to her cat." Colin MacKay; The Song of the Forest; Canongate; 1986. "The ocean laves his feet." Anthony Lane; Heat of the Action; The New Yorker; Feb 7, 2022. See more usage examples of lave in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 05, 2023***** nosebag : (noun) A canvas bag that is used to feed an animal (such as a horse).; feedbag; The stableboy replaced the horse's nosebag, which had torn in two places. lave : noun:Residue or remainder. verb tr.:1. To wash or bathe.  2. To flow.  3. To pour. ; "She took nearly a quarter of the butter home with her, and ate most of it, and gave the lave to her cat." Colin MacKay; The Song of the Forest; Canongate; 1986. "The ocean laves his feet." Anthony Lane; Heat of the Action; The New Yorker; Feb 7, 2022. See more usage examples of lave in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 06, 2023***** sawhorse : (noun) A frame with legs, used to support pieces of wood being sawed.; buck, horse, sawbuck; While thus engaged they came to the edge of a wood, and the boy sat down to rest upon an old sawhorse that some woodcutter had left there. lave : noun:Residue or remainder. verb tr.:1. To wash or bathe.  2. To flow.  3. To pour. ; "She took nearly a quarter of the butter home with her, and ate most of it, and gave the lave to her cat." Colin MacKay; The Song of the Forest; Canongate; 1986. "The ocean laves his feet." Anthony Lane; Heat of the Action; The New Yorker; Feb 7, 2022. See more usage examples of lave in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something. -Gertrude Stein, novelist, poet, and playwright (3 Feb 1874-1946) *****February 07, 2023***** diluent : (noun) An inert substance used to dilute.; dilutant; The artist thinned the paint to a pale yellow using a diluent and a bit of white. armipotent : adjective: Strong in war, battle, contest, etc. ; "The ever-looming contest she engaged in every hour of the day placed her clearly in the path of ... some force much larger than McCutcheon and more armipotent than an indirect application of any given sermon." C. Coolidge Wilson; A Box of Crosses; Wipf and Stock; 2018. Thought For The Day: A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (6 Feb 1902-1994) *****February 08, 2023***** mickle : (noun) A large number or amount or extent.; hatful, lot, mint, muckle, peck, slew, spate, tidy sum, wad, stack, raft, pile, plenty, mass, batch, heap, deal, flock, pot, mess, sight; It was only when he found a mickle of old letters in the basement that he learned his grandmother had been a prolific and talented writer. legation : noun: 1. A diplomatic mission ranking below an embassy. 2. The premises of such a mission. 3. The diplomat and staff of such a mission. ; "The opening of a papal legation [in Saudi Arabia] and construction of a church, predicts a royal adviser, are only a matter of time." Hosannahs in the Sand?; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 4, 2018. See more usage examples of legation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it. -Charles Dickens, novelist (7 Feb 1812-1870) *****February 09, 2023***** beatitude : (noun) Supreme blessedness or happiness.; blessedness, beatification; You have it in your power to raise two human beings from a state of actual suffering to such unspeakable beatitude as only generous, noble, self-forgetting love can give. lipography : noun: The omission of a letter or syllable in writing. ; "It fell upon these saints of adultery, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas, to accomplish by art, or by the error that is art, a masterpiece of lipography. For the omission of the word 'not' from Exodus XX:14 -- 'Thou shalt commit adultery' -- they received a fine of £300 and then, it seems, they were lost in history." Cliff Fell; The Adulterer's Bible: Poems; Victoria University Press; 2003. Thought For The Day: I believe that the first test of a truly great man is his humility. I do not mean by humility, doubt of his own powers. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not in them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2023***** hostelry : (noun) A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers.; auberge, inn, lodge; Three large rooms were assigned to them in the monastery hostelry. ribald : adjective: Relating to coarse humor of sexual nature. noun: A person who uses such language or humor. ; "Time had not dimmed Mrs. Sapia's ribald sense of humor and joie de vivre. 'At Brightview, she had a sign on her door that said, Hot Men Only Allowed Here,' Ms. Fowler said, with a laugh. When she fell in a parking lot and they were waiting for the paramedics, her son Ralph asked his mother, 'What's going on, Mom?' She answered, 'I wanted to see if those firefighters are really hot.'" Frederick N. Rasmussen; Anna E. 'Betty' Sapia, Ocean City Restaurateur; The Baltimore Sun (Maryland); Sep 28, 2022. See more usage examples of ribald in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I find it difficult to feel responsible for the suffering of others. That's why I find war so hard to bear. It's the same with animals: I feel the less harm I do, the lighter my heart. I love a light heart. And when I know I'm causing suffering, I feel the heaviness of it. It's a physical pain. So it's self-interest that I don't want to cause harm. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 11, 2023***** shogunate : (noun) A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.).; monocracy, dictatorship; The people had philosophical problems with the shogunate, but they had to admit that trade and commerce were flourishing under its rule. nosography : noun: The systematic description of diseases. ; "The author's predilection for clinical notation accentuates the case history aspect of the novel: At the thought of an impending visit to her father, Lisa 'felt a burning in her bladder and an uneasiness in her stomach. Her kidneys constricted at the base of her back.' This nosography intrudes rather unpleasantly on the ordinary stream-of-consciousness-plus-recollection style of narrative technique." Sally Poivoir; The Abuse of Little Lisa; Houston Chronicle (Texas); Sep 9, 1990. Thought For The Day: I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth. -Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (10 Feb 1685-1750) *****February 12, 2023***** arboretum : (noun) A place where an extensive variety of woody plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes.; botanical garden; The botany class took a field trip to the arboretum to examine its extensive collection of rare plants. nosography : noun: The systematic description of diseases. ; "The author's predilection for clinical notation accentuates the case history aspect of the novel: At the thought of an impending visit to her father, Lisa 'felt a burning in her bladder and an uneasiness in her stomach. Her kidneys constricted at the base of her back.' This nosography intrudes rather unpleasantly on the ordinary stream-of-consciousness-plus-recollection style of narrative technique." Sally Poivoir; The Abuse of Little Lisa; Houston Chronicle (Texas); Sep 9, 1990. Thought For The Day: I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth. -Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (10 Feb 1685-1750) *****February 13, 2023***** firedrake : (noun) A fire-breathing dragon of Germanic mythology.; dragon; Unlike other firedrakes, the dragon in this story liked to recite poetry and was a connoisseur of fine wines. nosography : noun: The systematic description of diseases. ; "The author's predilection for clinical notation accentuates the case history aspect of the novel: At the thought of an impending visit to her father, Lisa 'felt a burning in her bladder and an uneasiness in her stomach. Her kidneys constricted at the base of her back.' This nosography intrudes rather unpleasantly on the ordinary stream-of-consciousness-plus-recollection style of narrative technique." Sally Poivoir; The Abuse of Little Lisa; Houston Chronicle (Texas); Sep 9, 1990. Thought For The Day: I see too plainly custom forms us all. Our thoughts, our morals, our most fixed belief, are consequences of our place of birth. -Aaron Hill, dramatist and writer (10 Feb 1685-1750) *****February 14, 2023***** milium : (noun) A small, white or yellowish cystlike mass just below the surface of the skin, caused by retention of the secretion of a sebaceous gland.; whitehead; The soap promised to eradicate milia by thoroughly cleansing the skin and unclogging pores. aeneous : adjective: Bronze- or brass-colored. ; "The sifting dust scattered aeneous light, making everything around the company glow as with fairy fire." Kenneth Mark Hoover; Quaternity; Chizine; 2015. Thought For The Day: The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2023***** pogonip : (noun) A dense winter fog containing ice particles.; ice fog; He trudged on through the pogonip, oblivious to the delicate ice crystals melting on his face and hands. argent : adjective: Of the color silver or white. ; "In bright sunlight the fish's argent color is iridescent." Scenes from the Beach; Sun Herald (Gulfport, Mississippi); Oct 29, 2001. See more usage examples of argent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hands that help are better far / Than lips that pray. / Love is the ever gleaming star / That leads the way, / That shines, not on vague worlds of bliss, / But on a paradise in this. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899) *****February 16, 2023***** salient : (adjective) Strikingly conspicuous.; prominent, outstanding, striking, spectacular; I took in much of this in the few seconds during which we stood facing each other, and I also observed another salient feature of her appearance: she was frightfully dirty. stramineous : adjective: 1. Straw-colored. 2. Of or relating to straw. 3. Like straw: Valueless. ; "Glistening yellow in the stramineous light, the worms boiled and reared and thudded in fury." Brian Aldiss; Hothouse; Faber and Faber; 1962. Thought For The Day: The question is not Can they reason?, nor Can they talk?, but Can they suffer? -Jeremy Bentham, jurist and philosopher (15 Feb 1748-1832) *****February 17, 2023***** apex : (noun) The highest point.; acme, vertex, peak; Though he was afraid of heights, he forced himself to climb to the roof's apex to fix the leak. rubicund : adjective: Red or reddish. ; "I may blush easily, go rubicund in the sun, and have covert yet mentally alert blue eyes." Ron Charles; Race Reversal; The Washington Post; Jan 18, 2009. See more usage examples of rubicund in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 18, 2023***** teem : (verb) To be full of things; abound or swarm.; pullulate, swarm; The street teemed with hundreds of policemen who questioned every potential witness. virescent : adjective: 1. Greenish. 2. Turning green. ; "Flaxenhaired and grayeyed, the woman was an ethereal vision in gold and alabaster rising from the virescent sea mists swirling around her." Laurie McBain; Dark Before the Rising Sun; Avon; 1982. Thought For The Day: Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience? -Thomas J. Watson, Chairman and CEO of IBM (17 Feb 1874-1956) *****February 19, 2023***** philistine : (noun) A smug, ignorant, especially middle-class person who is regarded as being indifferent or antagonistic to artistic and cultural values.; anti-intellectual; He may have an advanced degree in mathematics, but the man is a total philistine when it comes to the arts. virescent : adjective: 1. Greenish. 2. Turning green. ; "Flaxenhaired and grayeyed, the woman was an ethereal vision in gold and alabaster rising from the virescent sea mists swirling around her." Laurie McBain; Dark Before the Rising Sun; Avon; 1982. Thought For The Day: Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience? -Thomas J. Watson, Chairman and CEO of IBM (17 Feb 1874-1956) *****February 20, 2023***** cannoneer : (noun) A serviceman in the artillery.; gunner, artilleryman; You were a cannoneer that day there, and you were among the first to enter the accursed fortress when it fell. virescent : adjective: 1. Greenish. 2. Turning green. ; "Flaxenhaired and grayeyed, the woman was an ethereal vision in gold and alabaster rising from the virescent sea mists swirling around her." Laurie McBain; Dark Before the Rising Sun; Avon; 1982. Thought For The Day: Recently, I was asked if I was going to fire an employee who made a mistake that cost the company $600,000. No, I replied, I just spent $600,000 training him. Why would I want somebody to hire his experience? -Thomas J. Watson, Chairman and CEO of IBM (17 Feb 1874-1956) *****February 21, 2023***** abdicate : (verb) To relinquish (power or responsibility) formally.; renounce; The King abdicated the throne when he married a divorcee. memoriter : adverb: By memory; by heart. adjective: Involving memorization. ; "A mere presentation of data that the student might be expected to repeat memoriter." Louis Gottschalk; A Professor of History in a Quandary; American Historical Review; 1954. Thought For The Day: Jokes of the proper kind, properly told, can do more to enlighten questions of politics, philosophy, and literature than any number of dull arguments. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (1920-1992) *****February 22, 2023***** guile : (noun) Treacherous cunning; skillful deceit.; craftiness, foxiness, slyness, wiliness, cunning; Her mild eyes seemed incapable of any severity or guile, and yet she has committed a murder. astern : adverb, adjective: 1. At the rear of a ship or another vessel. 2. In a reverse direction. 3. Backward. ; "He kept staring astern , and now I saw he wasn't looking at the line, he was gazing much farther back, to the horizon." Grant Sutherland; The Consignment; Bantam; 2003. See more usage examples of astern in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The little I know, I owe to my ignorance. -Sacha Guitry, actor, director, screenwriter, and playwright (21 Feb 1885-1957) *****February 23, 2023***** evince : (verb) To show or demonstrate clearly; manifest.; express, show; The baby couldn't tell us she disliked the cereal, but she evinced her distaste by grimacing. sinistrad : adverb, adjective: Toward the left side. ; "The ascending colon ... turns sinistrad." D.R. Khanna & P.R. Yadav; Biology of Mammals; Discovery; 2005. Thought For The Day: Every man feels instinctively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action. -James Russell Lowell, poet, editor, and diplomat (22 Feb 1819-1891) *****February 24, 2023***** reticle : (noun) A grid or pattern placed in the eyepiece of an optical instrument, used to establish scale or position.; graticule, reticule; Looking through the microscope's eyepiece, he was able to establish the size of the molecule with the help of a reticle. agley : adverb, adjective: 1. Awry. 2. Wrong. ; "Upstairs, things weren't precisely going wrong, but they were going just a bit agley." Donald E. Westlake; Dancing Aztecs; M. Evans; 2011. Thought For The Day: The theory of democratic government is not that the will of the people is always right, but rather that normal human beings of average intelligence will, if given a chance, learn the right and best course by bitter experience. -W.E.B. Du Bois, educator, civil rights activist, and writer (23 Feb 1868-1963) *****February 25, 2023***** succinct : (adjective) Characterized by clear, precise expression in few words; concise and terse.; compendious, summary, compact; Some students enjoyed the teacher's succinct style, while others wished she would elaborate on certain topics. gratis : adverb, adjective: Without payment; free. ; "All involved volunteered their services and worked gratis." Barry Davis; The Jerusalem Art Show Goes on; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Apr 17, 2020. See more usage examples of gratis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Come, live in my heart and pay no rent. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 26, 2023***** burnish : (verb) To make smooth or glossy by or as if by rubbing; polish.; furbish, buff, flush; Every afternoon, she would obsessively burnish the floors until the parlor gleamed like an ice rink. gratis : adverb, adjective: Without payment; free. ; "All involved volunteered their services and worked gratis." Barry Davis; The Jerusalem Art Show Goes on; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Apr 17, 2020. See more usage examples of gratis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Come, live in my heart and pay no rent. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 27, 2023***** hydroponics : (noun) A technique of growing plants (without soil) in water containing dissolved nutrients.; aquiculture, tank farming; The soil where he lived was poor in nutrients, so he decided to try his luck with hydroponics. gratis : adverb, adjective: Without payment; free. ; "All involved volunteered their services and worked gratis." Barry Davis; The Jerusalem Art Show Goes on; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Apr 17, 2020. See more usage examples of gratis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Come, live in my heart and pay no rent. -Samuel Lover, songwriter, composer, novelist, and artist (24 Feb 1797-1868) *****February 28, 2023***** cozen : (verb) To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud.; deceive, delude, lead on; He has wronged me and deceived me enough, he shall not cozen me further! pinion : noun:1. A feather or a wing, especially the terminal segment of a wing.  2. A small cogwheel engaging with a larger wheel or a rack. verb tr.:1. To cut or bind the wing of a bird.  2. To bind, restrain, shackle, etc. ; "Icarus did it with feathers glued together with wax ... Giovanni Battista Danti tried it with pinions of iron and feathers." Obituary: Paul MacCready; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 8, 2007. "A few years later, Cattelan pinioned his Milan dealer, Massimo De Carlo, to the gallery wall with several layers of heavy-duty duct tape." Calvin Tomkins; The Prankster; The New Yorker; Oct 4, 2004. See more usage examples of pinion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Talk not of wasted affection; affection never was wasted. -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882) *****March 01, 2023***** rhetorician : (noun) A person who delivers a speech or oration.; orator, speechifier, speechmaker; They continued to correspond, she in the unweighed language of unwavering affection, he in the chilly phraseology of the polished rhetorician. deacon : noun:In a church, a person appointed as a lay leader to a position below a pastor, priest, etc. verb tr.:1. To present the best part of something.  2. To pack or arrange in a way so that the finest pieces (such as fruit) are visible.  3. To adulterate; to doctor; to falsify.  4. To kill a calf or another animal soon after birth.  5. To ordain as a deacon.  6. To read aloud lines of a verse before singing. verb intr.:To lie. ; "And again, when you catch a fellow off guard who seemed all right the first time, you may find that he deaconed himself for your benefit, and that all the big strawberries were on top." George Horace Lorimer; Old Gorgon Graham; Doubleday; 1903. "'It's pretty late,' Andrew said. 'Why don't we just stay at a roadhouse?' 'I don't think so.' 'Why not?' I deaconed. 'It would be my first time.' 'Don't worry. I'll show you.' Girls notoriously claimed they did it because they were drunk. But, in fact, I was drunk -- on euphoria." Paul M. Levitt; Chin Music; Roberts Rinehart; 2001. See more usage examples of deacon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The souls of emperors and cobblers are cast in the same mold. The same reason that makes us wrangle with a neighbor creates a war between princes. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 02, 2023***** cadge : (verb) Ask for and get free; be a parasite.; bum, grub, mooch, sponge; Though she had a pantry full of groceries, Sheila loved to cadge her meals from her sister. infame : noun: A person having a bad reputation. verb tr.: To defame: to attack the reputation or to disgrace. adjective: Having a bad reputation. ; "She had called him a coward, a sneak, an infame, a liar, childish, stubborn, and uncaring 'you are a fool.'" Conor Fitzgerald; The Namesake; Bloomsbury; 2012. "So what if I am an evil person from ancient times? So what if I am infamed for thousands of years?" Ying Xing; Supreme Immortal, Volume 2; Funstory; 2020. Thought For The Day: What is the opposite of two? A lonely me, a lonely you. -Richard Wilbur, poet and translator (1 Mar 1921-2017) *****March 03, 2023***** fanfare : (noun) A spectacular public display.; ostentation; Because they were considered hometown heroes, the returning astronauts were greeted with much fanfare. scend or send : verb intr.: To rise or lift by, or as if by, a wave. noun: The rising movement of a wave or a ship on a wave. ; "But the riches that scended over the waves of the Dark Ocean arrived on the Dark Continent with an unintended gift." Rachel Kushner; The Strange Case of Rachel K; New Directions; 2015. See more usage examples of scend in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One does not advance the swimming abilities of ducks by throwing the eggs in the water. -Multatuli (pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker), novelist (2 Mar 1820-1887) *****March 04, 2023***** surcease : (noun) A stopping.; cessation; More than anything else in the world, my frayed and frazzled mind wanted surcease from weariness in the way it knew surcease would come. swan : noun:1. Any of various long-necked large waterbirds, usually in white plumage.  2. Someone or something of unusual beauty, grace, purity, etc. verb intr.:1. To move about in an idle, aimless way.2. To declare or to swear. ; "[François Poulain] scoffs at Europeans who swan around thinking they are better than everyone else." Judith Shulevitz; I Found the Feminism I Was Looking for in the Lost Writings of a 17th-Century Priest; The Atlantic (New York); Sep 2021. "'It will be okay,' he said. 'I swan.'" Homer Hickam; Red Helmet; Thomas Nelson; 2008. See more usage examples of swan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. -Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922) *****March 05, 2023***** inveigh : (verb) To give vent to angry disapproval; protest vehemently.; rail; The detective had, indeed, good reasons to inveigh against the bad luck which pursued him. swan : noun:1. Any of various long-necked large waterbirds, usually in white plumage.  2. Someone or something of unusual beauty, grace, purity, etc. verb intr.:1. To move about in an idle, aimless way.2. To declare or to swear. ; "[François Poulain] scoffs at Europeans who swan around thinking they are better than everyone else." Judith Shulevitz; I Found the Feminism I Was Looking for in the Lost Writings of a 17th-Century Priest; The Atlantic (New York); Sep 2021. "'It will be okay,' he said. 'I swan.'" Homer Hickam; Red Helmet; Thomas Nelson; 2008. See more usage examples of swan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. -Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922) *****March 06, 2023***** paring : (noun) Something, such as a skin or peel, that has been pared off.; shaving, sliver; We do not mourn over the parings of our nails nor the cut locks of our hair, though they were once part of ourselves. swan : noun:1. Any of various long-necked large waterbirds, usually in white plumage.  2. Someone or something of unusual beauty, grace, purity, etc. verb intr.:1. To move about in an idle, aimless way.2. To declare or to swear. ; "[François Poulain] scoffs at Europeans who swan around thinking they are better than everyone else." Judith Shulevitz; I Found the Feminism I Was Looking for in the Lost Writings of a 17th-Century Priest; The Atlantic (New York); Sep 2021. "'It will be okay,' he said. 'I swan.'" Homer Hickam; Red Helmet; Thomas Nelson; 2008. See more usage examples of swan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us. -Alexander Graham Bell, inventor (3 Mar 1847-1922) *****March 07, 2023***** fatuity : (noun) Something that is utterly stupid or silly.; absurdity, fatuousness, silliness; In his fatuity, the beggar believed the princess to be in love with him. interpunction : noun: 1. Punctuation. 2. A punctuation mark. 3. The insertion of punctuation marks in a text. ; "In one continuous plethoric outburst, uninterrupted of course by any form of interpunction, he expresses the universally present yet ever unsatisfiable desire for wholeness." Martinus Arnoud Bakker; Book Review; World Literature Today (Norman, Oklahoma); Winter 1994. "Our life is full of interpunctions, or commas; death is but the period or full point." Thomas Jackson; Maran Atha; A. Maxey; 1657. Thought For The Day: Beauty is the purgation of superfluities. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (6 Mar 1475-1564) *****March 08, 2023***** reredos : (noun) A painted or carved screen placed above and behind an altar or communion table.; altarpiece; The artist is best known for the reredos he painted for the church in his hometown. exuviate : verb tr., intr.: To shed or cast off. ; "Jianfei coiled in her quilt like a serpent exuviating." Lijian Zhao; Red Love; AuthorHouse; 2018. See more usage examples of exuviate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we had paid no more attention to our plants than we have to our children, we would now be living in a jungle of weeds. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2023***** larynx : (noun) The part of the respiratory tract between the pharynx and the trachea, having walls of cartilage and muscle and containing the vocal cords enveloped in folds of mucous membrane.; voice box; By cunning operations on tongue, throat, larynx, and nasal cavities a man's whole enunciation and manner of speech could be changed. cyesis : noun: Pregnancy. ; "She greeted me at the door, her cyesis immediately evident, about the eighth month of it." Blossom Elfman; The Girls of Huntington House; Houghton Mifflin; 1972. Thought For The Day: Death tugs at my ear and says, "Live, I am coming." -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (1809-1894) *****March 10, 2023***** affectation : (noun) A show, pretense, or display.; pose, mannerism; Strickland would not go near them, not from any affectation of stoicism, for I found him seated on a three-legged stool when I went into the studio one day and he was alone, but because he did not like them. cogitate : verb tr., intr.: To think, reflect, meditate, etc. ; "Ask someone how she thinks and you might learn that she talks to herself silently, or cogitates visually, or moves through mental space by traversing physical space. I have a friend who thinks during yoga, and another who browses and compares mental photographs. I know a scientist who plays interior Tetris, rearranging proteins in his dreams. My wife often wears a familiar faraway look; when I see it, I know that she's rehearsing a complex drama in her head, running all the lines." Joshua Rothman; Thought Process; The New Yorker; Jan 16, 2023. See more usage examples of cogitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What has occurred over the course of the last few centuries is a growing (but by no means universal or certain) recognition that science gets the job done, while religion makes excuses. Sometimes they are very pretty excuses that capture the imagination of the public, but ultimately, when you want to win a war or heal a dying child or get rich from a discovery or explore Antarctica, you turn to science and reason, or you fail. -PZ Myers, biology professor (b. 9 Mar 1957) *****March 11, 2023***** curlicue : (noun) A fancy twist or curl, such as a flourish made with a pen.; squiggle; Her penmanship was beautiful, but with so many curlicues, it was hard to read. blatteroon : noun: A babbler. ; "Watch your tongue, you blatteroon!" Gavin Wood; Tales of the Jacobite Grenadiers; AuthorHouse; 2016. Thought For The Day: The basis of all animal rights should be the Golden Rule -- we should treat them as we would wish them to treat us were any other species in our dominant position. -Christine Stevens, activist and conservationist (10 Mar 1918-2002) *****March 12, 2023***** leeway : (noun) A margin of freedom or variation, as of activity, time, or expenditure; latitude.; margin, allowance, tolerance; Lisa's parents gave her a lot of leeway with her curfew, but they expected her to finish all her chores before she left the house. blatteroon : noun: A babbler. ; "Watch your tongue, you blatteroon!" Gavin Wood; Tales of the Jacobite Grenadiers; AuthorHouse; 2016. Thought For The Day: The basis of all animal rights should be the Golden Rule -- we should treat them as we would wish them to treat us were any other species in our dominant position. -Christine Stevens, activist and conservationist (10 Mar 1918-2002) *****March 13, 2023***** cultivable : (adjective) Capable of being farmed productively.; arable, tillable; Though she had inherited a large farm, it was practically worthless because of the lack of cultivable land. blatteroon : noun: A babbler. ; "Watch your tongue, you blatteroon!" Gavin Wood; Tales of the Jacobite Grenadiers; AuthorHouse; 2016. Thought For The Day: The basis of all animal rights should be the Golden Rule -- we should treat them as we would wish them to treat us were any other species in our dominant position. -Christine Stevens, activist and conservationist (10 Mar 1918-2002) *****March 14, 2023***** sanies : (noun) A thin, fetid, greenish fluid consisting of serum and pus discharged from a wound, ulcer, or fistula.; pus, festering, ichor, purulence, suppuration; The doctor bandaged my hand and told me to call him if sanies began to ooze from the wound. aderation or adaeration : noun: The act of giving a monetary value to something. ; "Hendy ... uses the adaeration rate of 1 solidus = 10 artabai." J.A.S. Evans; The Age of Justinian; Routledge; 2000. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2023***** coeval : (adjective) Originating or existing during the same period; lasting through the same era.; coetaneous, contemporaneous; The range was composed of grand, solid, abrupt masses of granite, which appeared as if they had been coeval with the beginning of the world. saturnalian : adjective: Marked by unrestrained revelry, overindulgence, licentiousness, etc. ; "By day he worked for the nightlife impresario Serge Becker. By night, he held saturnalian parties at a downtown strip." Alex Williams; Taavo Somer Can Make Anything Cool, Even Golf; The New York Times; Oct 3, 2021. Thought For The Day: Hail to the man who went through life always helping others, knowing no fear, and to whom aggressiveness and resentment are alien. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2023***** hauteur : (noun) Haughtiness in bearing and attitude.; arrogance, haughtiness, lordliness; There was no trace of hauteur in her expression, and she seemed humbled and meek. bissextile : adjective: Relating to the leap year or the extra day in a leap year. noun: Leap year. ; "You do know that 2012 will be a bissextile year, don't you?" Jack Dillard; Chocolate Milk for You, Water for Your Tree; The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana); Dec 11, 2011. See more usage examples of bissextile in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is better to prevent crimes than to punish them. -Cesare Beccaria, philosopher and politician (15 Mar 1738-1794) *****March 17, 2023***** august : (adjective) Inspiring awe or admiration; majestic.; lordly, grand; He was of august lineage, and was widely admired for his family connections. lunation : noun: The time between two new moons, about 29 and a half days. A lunar month. ; "'A mountainside stripped bare in, say, one lunation. And another forest gone in another lunation, and so on.' Tam swallowed heavily. 'That would destroy the planet before long.'" L.S. King; Children of the Enaisi; Loriendil Publishing; 2017. See more usage examples of lunation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The fetters imposed on liberty at home have ever been forged out of the weapons provided for defence against real, pretended, or imaginary dangers from abroad. -James Madison, 4th US president (16 Mar 1751-1836) *****March 18, 2023***** putsch : (noun) A sudden attempt by a group to overthrow a government.; coup, coup d'etat, takeover; The people had been expecting a putsch for years, but they were surprised to wake up one morning and find themselves the subjects of a new government. occiput : noun: The back part of the head or skull. ; "Senator Smoot (Republican, Ut.) Is planning a ban on smut. Oh rooti-ti-toot for Smoot of Ut. And his reverend occiput. Smite, Smoot, smite for Ut., Grit your molars and do your dut., Gird up your l--ns, Smite h-p and th-gh, We'll all be Kansas By and by. Ogden Nash; Invocation; 1931. Note: This is the opening stanza of Ogden Nash's poem on Senator Reed Smoot of Utah whose anti-porn stance led to a newspaper headline "Smoot Smites Smut". See more usage examples of occiput in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 19, 2023***** aide-memoire : (noun) A memorandum setting forth the major points of a proposed discussion or agreement, used especially in diplomatic communications.; position paper; After the conference, they wrote an aide-memoire and sent copies of it to everyone in the department who had been unable to attend the meeting. occiput : noun: The back part of the head or skull. ; "Senator Smoot (Republican, Ut.) Is planning a ban on smut. Oh rooti-ti-toot for Smoot of Ut. And his reverend occiput. Smite, Smoot, smite for Ut., Grit your molars and do your dut., Gird up your l--ns, Smite h-p and th-gh, We'll all be Kansas By and by. Ogden Nash; Invocation; 1931. Note: This is the opening stanza of Ogden Nash's poem on Senator Reed Smoot of Utah whose anti-porn stance led to a newspaper headline "Smoot Smites Smut". See more usage examples of occiput in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 20, 2023***** scrooge : (noun) A mean-spirited miserly person.; niggard, skinflint, churl; The old scrooge was married to his money, and spending a penny was, to him, as traumatic as divorce. occiput : noun: The back part of the head or skull. ; "Senator Smoot (Republican, Ut.) Is planning a ban on smut. Oh rooti-ti-toot for Smoot of Ut. And his reverend occiput. Smite, Smoot, smite for Ut., Grit your molars and do your dut., Gird up your l--ns, Smite h-p and th-gh, We'll all be Kansas By and by. Ogden Nash; Invocation; 1931. Note: This is the opening stanza of Ogden Nash's poem on Senator Reed Smoot of Utah whose anti-porn stance led to a newspaper headline "Smoot Smites Smut". See more usage examples of occiput in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. -Bayard Rustin, civil rights activist (17 Mar 1912-1987) *****March 21, 2023***** glockenspiel : (noun) A percussion instrument with a series of metal bars tuned to the chromatic scale and played with two light hammers.; orchestral bells; She was always capricious in her tastes, but even her close friends were surprised when she dismissed her piano teacher and took up the glockenspiel. Capuan : adjective: Luxurious. ; "Or occupy yourself elsewhere until we are returned to our Capuan comforts." J.M. Clements; Spartacus: Swords and Ashes; Titan Books; 2012. Thought For The Day: What didn't you do to bury me / But you forgot that I was a seed. -Dinos Christianopoulos, poet (20 Mar 1931-2020) *****March 22, 2023***** excursionist : (noun) A tourist who is visiting sights of interest.; rubberneck, sightseer, tripper; The city's economy depends on tourism, and an influx of enthusiastic excursionists is always welcome. Canterbury or canterbury : noun: A rack with open top and slatted partitions for magazines, sheet music, documents, etc. ; "Mr. Chadwick pored over stacks of yellowed sheet music his mother had kept in a rosewood Canterbury." Mavis Gallant; Varieties of Exile; New York Review of Books; 2003. See more usage examples of canterbury in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Because the heart beats under a covering of hair, of fur, feathers, or wings, it is, for that reason, to be of no account? -Jean Paul Richter, writer (21 Mar 1763-1825) *****March 23, 2023***** preachment : (noun) A tiresome or unwelcome moral lecture or discourse; tedious sermonizing.; homily; Don't torment me with your preachments now, unless you want to kill me outright. helotage : noun: A state of servitude or bondage. ; "If access to the web does indeed become the determinant of future knowledge and economic growth ... the poor will be condemned to a helotage even worse than that which they are suffering now." Tom Holland; Nothing Will Ever Be the Same Again; New Statesman (London, UK); Nov 22, 1999. Thought For The Day: There is far too much law for those who can afford it and far too little for those who cannot. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 24, 2023***** smattering : (noun) A small, scattered amount or number.; handful; Her skin had a healthy glow, and her nose was dotted with a smattering of freckles. Elysium : noun: A place of perfect happiness. ; "They're used to the chancellor gloating about how wonderful everything is, and how they live in an Elysium created by Gordon Brown." Simon Hoggart; Things Can Only Get Much Worse; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 23, 2008. See more usage examples of Elysium in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Understanding a person does not mean condoning; it only means that one does not accuse him as if one were God or a judge placed above him. -Erich Fromm, psychoanalyst and author (23 Mar 1900-1980) *****March 25, 2023***** ingrate : (noun) A person who shows no gratitude.; thankless wretch, ungrateful person; This bird was a godsend to us, and I should be an ingrate if I forgot to make honorable mention of him in these pages. Canaan : noun: A land of promise, abundance, and fulfillment. ; "It is shameful that the most effective arrangements should not be made for the safety of these helpless beings who come to these shores with the hope of finding a Canaan." Marie E. Zakrzewska; A Woman's Quest; D. Appleton; 1924. See more usage examples of Canaan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations. -Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and painter (24 Mar 1919-2021) *****March 26, 2023***** demigod : (noun) A person with great powers and abilities.; superman, Ubermensch; The saints and demigods whom history worships we are constrained to accept with a grain of allowance. Canaan : noun: A land of promise, abundance, and fulfillment. ; "It is shameful that the most effective arrangements should not be made for the safety of these helpless beings who come to these shores with the hope of finding a Canaan." Marie E. Zakrzewska; A Woman's Quest; D. Appleton; 1924. See more usage examples of Canaan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations. -Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and painter (24 Mar 1919-2021) *****March 27, 2023***** bluejacket : (noun) An enlisted person in the US or British Navy.; sailor; The big steam pinnace went off to her ship to bring over a few bluejackets to furl my sails for me. Canaan : noun: A land of promise, abundance, and fulfillment. ; "It is shameful that the most effective arrangements should not be made for the safety of these helpless beings who come to these shores with the hope of finding a Canaan." Marie E. Zakrzewska; A Woman's Quest; D. Appleton; 1924. See more usage examples of Canaan in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Poetry is the shadow cast by our streetlight imaginations. -Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet and painter (24 Mar 1919-2021) *****March 28, 2023***** immiscible : (adjective) That cannot undergo mixing or blending.; unmixable; When two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, are shaken together, an emulsion is produced. trochilic : adjective: Relating to the wheel or the rotary motion. ; "The swirling fog augured a time sublime. Trochilic mist ... still did not hear me yelp." Alexa Pope; Even More Gifts from Swift; Lulu; 2011. Thought For The Day: If you view religion as necessary for ethics, you've reduced us to the ethical level of four-year-olds. "If you follow these commandments you'll go to heaven, if you don't you'll burn in hell" is just a spectacular version of the carrots and sticks with which you raise your children. -Susan Neiman, philosopher and author (b. 27 Mar 1955) *****March 29, 2023***** cerumen : (noun) A soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal.; earwax; A buildup of cerumen was irritating Billy's ear, so his mother gently cleaned the area with a cotton swab. rotiform : adjective: Wheel-shaped. ; "An internal pipe is designed in the interior of the handle, whose both ends are connected to the T-shaped pipe and a rotiform joint." Taiwanese Inventor Develops Improved Teeth Cleaner; US Fed News Service (Washington, DC); Oct 17, 2007. Thought For The Day: A scholar is just a library's way of making another library. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2023***** peignoir : (noun) A woman's loose-fitting dressing gown.; neglige, wrapper, housecoat; The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier's eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them. zodiac : noun: 1. A circular diagram with 12 parts, each named after a constellation, used in astrology. 2. A circle, circuit, etc. ; "The richest travels are those along the thoroughfares of the mind -- a welcome insight in this era of trips not taken, sights not seen, back streets not explored. Or as the Khan comes to understand: 'The empire is nothing but a zodiac of the mind's phantasms.'" In the Mind's Eye; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 22, 2020. See more usage examples of zodiac in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: At least one way of measuring the freedom of any society is the amount of comedy that is permitted, and clearly a healthy society permits more satirical comment than a repressive, so that if comedy is to function in some way as a safety release then it must obviously deal with these taboo areas. This is part of the responsibility we accord our licensed jesters, that nothing be excused the searching light of comedy. If anything can survive the probe of humour it is clearly of value, and conversely all groups who claim immunity from laughter are claiming special privileges which should not be granted. -Eric Idle, comedian, actor, and author (b. 29 Mar 1943) *****March 31, 2023***** prohibitionist : (noun) A reformer who opposes the use of intoxicating beverages.; dry; She was a tireless prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet. exorbitant : adjective: Greatly exceeding what's considered reasonable, especially in cost or price. ; "In a city like New York, with exorbitant housing costs, ninety-five thousand dollars a year does not buy the same comforts." Jennifer Gonnerman; The Total Package; The New Yorker; Jan 16, 2023. See more usage examples of exorbitant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. -Vincent van Gogh, painter (30 Mar 1853-1890) *****April 01, 2023***** apologue : (noun) A moral fable, especially one having animals or inanimate objects as characters.; allegory, parable, fable; The minister liked to incorporate apologues into his sermons, thinking the moral tales about sly foxes and witty rabbits would appeal to the children in the congregation. encyclical : noun: An official letter. adjective: For wide circulation. ; "[Robert Armstrong] also possessed a dry humour. One encyclical he sent to senior Whitehall officials deploring leaks was itself leaked. When the journalist, now filmmaker, Paul Greengrass, raised this during a Granada TV World in Action interview, Armstrong replied: 'I was very sad that it took so long as six weeks to leak. I hoped it would leak much sooner than that.'" Richard Norton-Taylor; Lord Armstrong of Ilminster; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 5, 2020. See more usage examples of encyclical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author, speaker and professor (31 Mar 1924-1998) *****April 02, 2023***** calamari : (noun) Squid prepared as food.; squid; Lisa ordered calamari at the Italian restaurant. encyclical : noun: An official letter. adjective: For wide circulation. ; "[Robert Armstrong] also possessed a dry humour. One encyclical he sent to senior Whitehall officials deploring leaks was itself leaked. When the journalist, now filmmaker, Paul Greengrass, raised this during a Granada TV World in Action interview, Armstrong replied: 'I was very sad that it took so long as six weeks to leak. I hoped it would leak much sooner than that.'" Richard Norton-Taylor; Lord Armstrong of Ilminster; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 5, 2020. See more usage examples of encyclical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author, speaker and professor (31 Mar 1924-1998) *****April 03, 2023***** battlement : (noun) A notched parapet built on top of a wall, with alternating merlons and crenels for decoration or defense.; crenelation, crenellation; I came upon it by a winding ledge of road, which clung to the bare side of the hill like the battlements of some huge castle. encyclical : noun: An official letter. adjective: For wide circulation. ; "[Robert Armstrong] also possessed a dry humour. One encyclical he sent to senior Whitehall officials deploring leaks was itself leaked. When the journalist, now filmmaker, Paul Greengrass, raised this during a Granada TV World in Action interview, Armstrong replied: 'I was very sad that it took so long as six weeks to leak. I hoped it would leak much sooner than that.'" Richard Norton-Taylor; Lord Armstrong of Ilminster; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 5, 2020. See more usage examples of encyclical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -Leo Buscaglia, author, speaker and professor (31 Mar 1924-1998) *****April 04, 2023***** jongleur : (noun) A wandering minstrel, poet, or entertainer in medieval England and France.; folk singer, minstrel, poet-singer, troubadour; The group of jongleurs was so popular that King Edward requested a private performance. nemophilist : noun: One who loves forests. ; "It was sad that such an ardent nemophilist should be afraid in the forest." Edgar Rice Burroughs; Tarzan and the Castaways; Canaveral Press; 1965. Thought For The Day: Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart. -Washington Irving, writer (3 Apr 1783-1859) *****April 05, 2023***** palpitation : (noun) A trembling or shaking.; shakiness, trembling, quiver, vibration; Cornelius put his hand on his heart, to repress as it were its violent palpitation. spindrift : noun: Spray of water, snow, sand, etc., blown by the wind. ; "We run into a small squall and get tossed about on the ocean waves, spindrift soaking our faces." Katja Gaskell; Coastal Treasures; The Independent (London, UK); Jan 17, 2021. See more usage examples of spindrift in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We allow our ignorance to prevail upon us and make us think we can survive alone, alone in patches, alone in groups, alone in races, even alone in genders. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2023***** vallecula : (noun) Any furrow or channel on a bodily structure or part.; groove; The medical students studied the diagram depicting the vallecula between the hemispheres of the brain. mononymous : adjective: Having or known by a name consisting of only one word. ; "The mononymous food critic Curnonsky, known as France's Prince of Gastronomy." Katherine Mcgrath; People Places Things; The New York Times; Feb 16, 2023. Thought For The Day: Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance. -Verna Myers, author and speaker (b. 5 Apr 1960) *****April 07, 2023***** deprecate : (verb) To belittle.; depreciate; The teacher should not deprecate his student's efforts. noctivagant : noun: One who wanders in the night. adjective: Wandering in the night. ; "And while some sleepwalkers simply rearrange the furniture in modest ways, my mother's two noctivagant journeys that year were decidedly more extreme." Chris Bohjalian; The Premonition; Doubleday; 2016. Thought For The Day: Nature never said to me: Do not be poor. Still less did she say: Be rich. Her cry to me was always: Be independent. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) *****April 08, 2023***** chloasma : (noun) A patchy brown or dark brown skin discoloration that usually occurs on a woman's face and may result from hormonal changes, as in pregnancy.; mask of pregnancy, melasma; She developed chloasma on her face during her pregnancy, but it disappeared when her baby was a few months old. betweenity : noun: The state of lying in the interval separating two conditions, qualities, extremes, etc. ; "Several years ago, very much between books, I was struggling to come to terms with the interplay between political culture and contemporary communications ... More recently -- and to stress the serendipity of betweenity -- I was idly looking out the window of a train in western Australia when the structure of a volume (bringing together previously published essays with new ones) magically presented itself." Robert Schmuhl; Filling the Fallow Period Between Writing Books; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Aug 12, 2001. Thought For The Day: You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave. -Billie Holiday, jazz singer and songwriter (7 Apr 1915-1959) *****April 09, 2023***** abidance : (noun) Adherence.; compliance, conformity; In my parents' household, strict abidance by the rules was required, so naturally I rebelled. betweenity : noun: The state of lying in the interval separating two conditions, qualities, extremes, etc. ; "Several years ago, very much between books, I was struggling to come to terms with the interplay between political culture and contemporary communications ... More recently -- and to stress the serendipity of betweenity -- I was idly looking out the window of a train in western Australia when the structure of a volume (bringing together previously published essays with new ones) magically presented itself." Robert Schmuhl; Filling the Fallow Period Between Writing Books; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Aug 12, 2001. Thought For The Day: You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave. -Billie Holiday, jazz singer and songwriter (7 Apr 1915-1959) *****April 10, 2023***** philippic : (noun) A verbal denunciation characterized by harsh, often insulting language; a tirade.; tirade, broadside; Ferrars looked exceedingly angry, and drawing herself up more stiffly than ever, pronounced in retort a bitter philippic. betweenity : noun: The state of lying in the interval separating two conditions, qualities, extremes, etc. ; "Several years ago, very much between books, I was struggling to come to terms with the interplay between political culture and contemporary communications ... More recently -- and to stress the serendipity of betweenity -- I was idly looking out the window of a train in western Australia when the structure of a volume (bringing together previously published essays with new ones) magically presented itself." Robert Schmuhl; Filling the Fallow Period Between Writing Books; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Aug 12, 2001. Thought For The Day: You've got to have something to eat and a little love in your life before you can hold still for any damn body's sermon on how to behave. -Billie Holiday, jazz singer and songwriter (7 Apr 1915-1959) *****April 11, 2023***** helicon : (noun) A tuba that coils over the shoulder of the musician.; bombardon; As the marching band strolled by, Karen could see that the small boy carrying the giant helicon was sweating profusely. anastrophe : noun: The inversion of the usual order of words. ; "Should you try anastrophe, do you think? No, no one but Yoda pulls that off." Mike Kerrigan; Could Virgil Write a Good College Essay?; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Oct 13, 2022. See more usage examples of anastrophe in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Joy is the best makeup. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) *****April 12, 2023***** scapegrace : (noun) A scoundrel.; rascal; Both Kuragin and Dolokhov were at that time notorious among the rakes and scapegraces of Petersburg. auxesis : noun: 1. An overstatement or hyperbole, especially when arranged in a sequence of increasing intensity. 2. Growth resulting from the increase in the size of a cell (as opposed to from cell division, which is known as merisis). ; "[Lucilla] had seen Gaius Vinius in his worst light. Petty, peremptory, authoritarian, unrealistic, self-centered, and vain. ... Nemurus would have called it hyperbolic auxesis. Vinius would have called that crap." Lindsey Davis; Master and God; St. Martin's Press; 2012. See more usage examples of auxesis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man has to live with himself, and he should see to it that he always has good company. -Charles Evans Hughes, jurist (11 Apr 1862-1948) *****April 13, 2023***** varsity : (noun) The principal team representing a university, college, or school in sports, games, or other competitions.; first team; She was determined to make the varsity basketball team and practiced her game all summer. apothegm : noun: A terse, witty, instructive saying. ; "When you feel down, count your blessings. Beatrice had so often heard people, even people she greatly respected, utter that apothegm with the same confidence with which pharmaceutical reps tout the virtues of Zoloft or Prozac." Melanie Forde; Hillwilla; D Street Books; 2018. "'To live outside the law, you must be honest.' [Hunter] Thompson, like a lot of people in the sixties and seventies, interpreted Dylan's famous apothegm to mean that in order to be honest you must live outside the law. By the time the fallacy in this reading became obvious, his persona ... was engraved in pop-culture stone." Louis Menand; Believer; The New Yorker; Mar 7, 2005. See more usage examples of apothegm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Who are we but the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, and believe? -Scott Turow, author and lawyer (b. 12 Apr 1949) *****April 14, 2023***** clotheshorse : (noun) A person excessively concerned with dress.; dandy, dude, fashion plate, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell; The clotheshorse could be found at the boutique once a week, poring over a variety of suits, sweaters, and ties, and inevitably buying at least three of each. anacronym : noun: An acronym or abbreviation whose expansion is not widely known. ; "'Rats,' said Tony. 'What did I hear? Who said that' The sergeant demanded. 'R.A.T.S.' Tony said. 'Roll and Triage Session, it's an anacronym.' Robert Franklin Jackson; The Blues of Portsmouth P.D.; Xlibris; 2019. "I use the anacronym BAD for her kind. Beautiful And Deadly." Ebony Olson; Protective Instinct; Eb&Muse; 2021. Thought For The Day: Protesting is an act of love. It is born of a deeply held conviction that the world can be a better, kinder place. Saying "no" to injustice is the ultimate declaration of hope. -Amy Goodman, investigative journalist, columnist, and author (b. 13 Apr 1957) *****April 15, 2023***** schoolman : (noun) A scholar who is skilled in academic disputation.; academician; The symposium was scheduled to end at seven, but the schoolman continued to lecture the group for an additional hour. merismus : noun: Describing the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts. ; "Anderson argues that the terms 'good and evil' may be a merismus which refers to all of the law." Virginia Miller; A King and a Fool?; Brill; 2019. Thought For The Day: Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity. -Arnold Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 16, 2023***** redoubt : (noun) A small, often temporary defensive fortification.; sconce; Great mounds had been heaped about the crest of the hill, making a huge redoubt of it. merismus : noun: Describing the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts. ; "Anderson argues that the terms 'good and evil' may be a merismus which refers to all of the law." Virginia Miller; A King and a Fool?; Brill; 2019. Thought For The Day: Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity. -Arnold Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 17, 2023***** entrepot : (noun) A place where goods are stored or deposited and from which they are distributed.; transshipment center; Bahrain has been an entrepot of trade between Arabia and India since the second millennium BCE. merismus : noun: Describing the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts. ; "Anderson argues that the terms 'good and evil' may be a merismus which refers to all of the law." Virginia Miller; A King and a Fool?; Brill; 2019. Thought For The Day: Civilizations in decline are consistently characterised by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity. -Arnold Toynbee, historian (14 Apr 1889-1975) *****April 18, 2023***** declination : (noun) A polite refusal of an invitation.; regrets; His declination of the dinner invitation was a great disappointment to the would-be host. craic : noun: Good times involving pleasant company, enjoyable conversation, etc. ; "'Unbelievable golf course, brilliant craic, and stoked to record my best major finish with a T16,' Ryan Fox said on his Instagram account." Fox Signs off with a Flourish; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Jul 23, 2019. Thought For The Day: Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less of love than the child that lost a dog yesterday. -Thornton Wilder, writer (17 Apr 1897-1975) *****April 19, 2023***** celerity : (noun) Swiftness of action or motion; speed.; rapidity, quickness; These rapid attentions were bestowed with the celerity and skill of a practiced surgeon. anime : noun: A style of animation originating in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, exaggerated expressions, oversized heads, large expressive eyes, etc., meant for adults as well as children. ; "Armed with brutal adolescent candor, she would rather sit behind her closed door, playing video games and watching anime." Alexandra Schwartz; All the Wrong Places; The New Yorker; Aug 17, 2020. See more usage examples of anime in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man's freedom. You can only be free if I am free. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2023***** melange : (noun) A mixture.; mishmash, farrago, hodgepodge, mingle-mangle, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag; The movie was a strange melange of romance, science fiction, comedy, and drama. turquoise : noun: 1. A blue, bluish-green, or greenish-gray semi-precious stone. 2. A bluish-green color. ; "The breeze is balmy. The sea is turquoise. A blood-orange sun slips under the equatorial horizon." Lamu, an Island Bubble; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 12, 2022. See more usage examples of turquoise in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is a beauty in discovery. There is mathematics in music, a kinship of science and poetry in the description of nature, and exquisite form in a molecule. Attempts to place different disciplines in different camps are revealed as artificial in the face of the unity of knowledge. All literate men are sustained by the philosopher, the historian, the political analyst, the economist, the scientist, the poet, the artisan, and the musician. -Glenn T. Seaborg, scientist, Nobel laureate (19 Apr 1912-1999) *****April 21, 2023***** acquittance : (noun) A written release from an obligation, specifically a receipt indicating payment in full.; release; After years of haggling over debts and money owed, the two men resolved their dispute and drew up an acquittance. quarry : noun:1. A large, deep pit from which material such as slate, stone, etc. are extracted.  2. A rich source.  3. Something or someone hunted or chased.  4. A square or diamond-shaped stone, tile, glass pane, etc. verb tr.:To dig, cut into, or extract. ; "Gems abound in the sparkling sky of the winter Milky Way. Obvious treasures like the Orion Nebula, the Crab Nebula, and the Pleiades are no doubt favorites. But all manner of intriguing and lesser-known quarries lie scattered, awaiting your attention and a dark, moonless sky." David J Eicher; Wintertime Delights; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Feb 2022. "Thirty seconds later, and right on cue, my quarry appeared and walked off down the road with his small backpack slung over one shoulder, we set off in pursuit." IvanB; Bitter; BookBaby; 2013. See more usage examples of quarry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Oh, the comfort -- the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person -- having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (20 Apr 1826-1887) *****April 22, 2023***** apiary : (noun) A place where bees and beehives are kept, especially a place where bees are raised for their honey.; bee house; She had started her apiary with a small capital, a book of practical hints, and a second-hand queen. cosplay : noun:1. The act or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game, film, etc.  2. The act of, or an instance of, pretending to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb tr.:1. To dress up as a fictional character in cosplay.  2. To pretend to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb intr.:To take part in cosplay. ; "[Putin] has been photographed riding horseback, shirtless. He has posed riding a motorcycle and doing judo and going spear fishing (again shirtless). In televised hockey exhibitions with government officials, he shoots goal after goal on an opposing team that puts up flimsy defense. All this biceps-kissing, pump-you-up cosplay moved not only his domestic admirers but also some American conservatives." James Poniewozik; Zelensky Once Played President for Laughs. But Now It's for Keeps; The New York Times; Mar 10, 2022. "I was excited to see [Tiana, a Disney princess], and I've even cosplayed her, but... why did it take so long to get a black Disney princess?" Briana Lawrence; At Face Value; Uncanny Magazine; May/June 2018. Thought For The Day: So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world. -Immanuel Kant, philosopher (21 Apr 1724-1804) *****April 23, 2023***** coagulum : (noun) A lump of material formed from the content of a liquid.; clot; His nose began to bleed again when a hearty sneeze dislodged the coagulum that had formed inside his nostril. cosplay : noun:1. The act or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game, film, etc.  2. The act of, or an instance of, pretending to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb tr.:1. To dress up as a fictional character in cosplay.  2. To pretend to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb intr.:To take part in cosplay. ; "[Putin] has been photographed riding horseback, shirtless. He has posed riding a motorcycle and doing judo and going spear fishing (again shirtless). In televised hockey exhibitions with government officials, he shoots goal after goal on an opposing team that puts up flimsy defense. All this biceps-kissing, pump-you-up cosplay moved not only his domestic admirers but also some American conservatives." James Poniewozik; Zelensky Once Played President for Laughs. But Now It's for Keeps; The New York Times; Mar 10, 2022. "I was excited to see [Tiana, a Disney princess], and I've even cosplayed her, but... why did it take so long to get a black Disney princess?" Briana Lawrence; At Face Value; Uncanny Magazine; May/June 2018. Thought For The Day: So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world. -Immanuel Kant, philosopher (22 Apr 1724-1804) *****April 24, 2023***** bucolic : (adjective) Of or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic.; rustic, arcadian, pastoral; The illustrations in the book depicted pleasant, bucolic scenes with farmers happily toiling in the fields. cosplay : noun:1. The act or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game, film, etc.  2. The act of, or an instance of, pretending to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb tr.:1. To dress up as a fictional character in cosplay.  2. To pretend to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb intr.:To take part in cosplay. ; "[Putin] has been photographed riding horseback, shirtless. He has posed riding a motorcycle and doing judo and going spear fishing (again shirtless). In televised hockey exhibitions with government officials, he shoots goal after goal on an opposing team that puts up flimsy defense. All this biceps-kissing, pump-you-up cosplay moved not only his domestic admirers but also some American conservatives." James Poniewozik; Zelensky Once Played President for Laughs. But Now It's for Keeps; The New York Times; Mar 10, 2022. "I was excited to see [Tiana, a Disney princess], and I've even cosplayed her, but... why did it take so long to get a black Disney princess?" Briana Lawrence; At Face Value; Uncanny Magazine; May/June 2018. Thought For The Day: So act that your principle of action might safely be made a law for the whole world. -Immanuel Kant, philosopher (22 Apr 1724-1804) *****April 25, 2023***** libelous : (adjective) Harmful and often untrue; tending to discredit or malign.; calumnious, defamatory, denigrating, libellous, slanderous; The article, being libelous, had to be returned as impossible; and I had to renounce my dream of dragging its author into the limelight. littoral : adjective: Relating to or situated at the shore. noun: A shore, especially the area between high tide and low tide levels. ; "This could shift the balance of power within littoral countries. Coastal Bremen, one of Germany's poorest states, could gain clout at the expense of rich but landlocked Bavaria." Europe's New Powerhouse; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 7, 2023. "Where to stay insofar as the river itself is the primary attraction, it only makes sense to stay somewhere with a river view. Fortunately, there's a literal abundance of littoral opportunity." Marshall S. Berdan; New York's Thousand Island Blessing; Newsday (Long Island, New York); Jul 28, 2019. See more usage examples of littoral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: History is all explained by geography. -Robert Penn Warren, novelist and poet (24 Apr 1905-1989) *****April 26, 2023***** roomer : (noun) A tenant in someone's house.; boarder, lodger; My aunt took in roomers for years and is still in touch with many of her former tenants. ocellated : adjective: 1. Having eyelike spots. 2. Eyelike. ; "Among them, I see a beautiful torpedo ocellated: has a brown back and five large round stains, dark and bluish: they are surrounded by a clear halo and give to the animal an almost mystical beauty." Luigi Savagnone; The Man Mermaid; Lulu; 2016. See more usage examples of ocellated in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit. -Edward R. Murrow, journalist (25 Apr 1908-1965) *****April 27, 2023***** declivity : (noun) A downward slope or bend.; fall, downslope, declension, declination, decline, descent; As best I could, I stumbled after him down a steep declivity beginning at the forest's edge. aweigh : adjective, adverb: Just clear of the bottom (used for a ship's anchor). ; "There were passengers on the wharf observing the loading of the ship's supplies and cargo but the order 'anchors aweigh' was still twelve hours away." Danny B. Butler; Madeleine, Daughter of the King; iUniverse; 2012. "Moreover, there was no way of blocking it from escaping to the sea, and no ship afloat on this coast that could catch them once they were aweigh." Skye Smith; The Hoodsman; Skye Smith; 2019. See more usage examples of aweigh in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. -Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher (26 Apr 1889-1951) *****April 28, 2023***** perquisite : (noun) A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one's due.; fringe benefit, perk; We had promised her a liberal perquisite in the event of our success. euthanasia : noun: The practice of ending life to relieve suffering. Example: someone hopelessly injured, terminally ill, suffering from an incurable disease, etc. ; "Belgium has become the first nation to legalise euthanasia for children of any age. Other countries need to face the issue too." Rachel Nuwer; The World Needs to Talk About Child Euthanasia; New Scientist (London, UK); Feb 24, 2014. "'What are your feelings on euthanasia?' Miss Arkansas blinked her false eyelashes up and down a few times before she began her carefully modulated response: 'I was raised with the belief that people the world over deserve the same respect, care, and consideration as the people in the United States. We are all one big family of humans, no matter where we hail from. As such, I believe we must respect and care and give consideration to the youth everywhere including the youth in Asia.'" Gemma Halliday; Deadly in High Heels; CreateSpace; 2015. See more usage examples of euthanasia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taught from their infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) *****April 29, 2023***** anonym : (noun) A pseudonym.; nom de guerre, pseudonym; Aware that all kinds of people would be reading the bulletin board, he used an anonym when posting messages on it. rawky : adjective: Foggy; damp; cold. ; "'Tis bloody rawky weather!" William Grace; Omniverse: Book II; Outskirts Press; 2019. Thought For The Day: I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up. -Karl Kraus, writer (28 Apr 1874-1936) *****April 30, 2023***** watchword : (noun) A slogan used to rally support for a cause.; cry; "Fight and fall, but fly not," that was our watchword. rawky : adjective: Foggy; damp; cold. ; "'Tis bloody rawky weather!" William Grace; Omniverse: Book II; Outskirts Press; 2019. Thought For The Day: I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up. -Karl Kraus, writer (28 Apr 1874-1936) *****May 01, 2023***** propinquity : (noun) The property of being close together.; proximity; She loved Emma Jane, but it was a friendship born of propinquity and circumstance, not of true affinity. rawky : adjective: Foggy; damp; cold. ; "'Tis bloody rawky weather!" William Grace; Omniverse: Book II; Outskirts Press; 2019. Thought For The Day: I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up. -Karl Kraus, writer (28 Apr 1874-1936) *****May 02, 2023***** fumigate : (verb) To subject to smoke or fumes, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect.; fume; When we found out there was an infestation next door, we considered fumigating our house too. Yoda : noun: A wise mentor, adviser, guru, etc. ; "Mimi was my personal Yoda of dieting wisdom. She'd once lost a ton of weight to get her first job in television, and she was always updating me with her latest tips and tricks for staying fit." Kathryn Lilley; A Killer Workout; Obsidian; 2008. Thought For The Day: I live in the world rather as a spectator of mankind than as one of the species. -Joseph Addison, essayist and poet (1 May 1672-1719) *****May 03, 2023***** haversack : (noun) A bag carried over one shoulder to transport supplies, as on a hike.; backpack, knapsack; She carried the heavy haversack for most of the hike. droid : noun: 1. A humanoid robot. 2. A person who behaves in a robot-like manner, showing little emotion or personality. ; "Now that Keir Starmer has done Piers Morgan's Life Stories to prove he's not a droid but a loveable guy with bags of charisma, expect more of the same." Brian Reade; Keir PR Drive Goes Down a Cul-de-Sac; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Jun 5, 2021. Thought For The Day: Man can be the most affectionate and altruistic of creatures, yet he's potentially more vicious than any other. He is the only one who can be persuaded to hate millions of his own kind whom he has never seen and to kill as many as he can lay his hands on in the name of his tribe or his God. -Benjamin Spock, pediatrician and author (2 May 1903-1998) *****May 04, 2023***** variegate : (verb) Make something more diverse and varied.; vary; After the third consecutive dinner of mashed potatoes, we began to hope that the cook would begin to variegate the menu. Jedi : noun: Someone having great skills and powers. ; "He probably believed his issues with declining global markets, international currencies, and what other troubles a Jedi like him had to endure and solve were far too complicated for someone like Mark, a mere podiatrist." Dorothea Benton Frank; Folly Beach; HarperLuxe; 2011. Thought For The Day: A prince who is not wise himself will never take good advice. -Niccolo Machiavelli, political philosopher and author (3 May 1469-1527) *****May 05, 2023***** gainsay : (verb) To oppose, especially by contradiction.; challenge, dispute; In vain did the poor old father weep and implore her pity; she was firm, and he dared not gainsay her. padawan : noun: 1. An apprentice or student. 2. A naive, ignorant, or untrained person. ; "Let me explain, my ignorant little padawan. Those satellites up there are subject to all sorts of outside influences. Small changes in gravity, micro objects colliding with it, even temperature changes can all make the satellite move out of alignment." Bryan Whelan; Mind Your Own Business; Xlibris; 2016. "He's my Yoda and I'm his Padawan. But maybe he'll be with me when I'm coaching my son for the first time. ... He'll be looking down." Jane Havsy; Morristown Beard Teacher, Coach Remembered; Daily Record (Morristown, New Jersey); Aug 17, 2022. Thought For The Day: If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both. -Horace Mann, educational reformer (4 May 1796-1859) *****May 06, 2023***** solemnity : (noun) A trait of dignified seriousness.; staidness, sedateness; Do I seem to have lost my solemnity, my gravity, my poise, my dignity? dark side : noun: 1. The side that's dark or unlit. 2. The side that's undesirable or evil. ; "She sensed a dark side to him, beneath the polished charm." Marianne Willman; The Wish; St. Martin's Press; 2000. Thought For The Day: There are three ingredients to the good life; learning, earning, and yearning. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 07, 2023***** sunspot : (noun) Any of the relatively cool dark spots appearing periodically in groups on the surface of the sun that are associated with strong magnetic fields.; macula; Come, cheer up, old man; there's no use in losing your grip and going back to this child's play merely because this big sunspot is drifting across your shiny new disk. dark side : noun: 1. The side that's dark or unlit. 2. The side that's undesirable or evil. ; "She sensed a dark side to him, beneath the polished charm." Marianne Willman; The Wish; St. Martin's Press; 2000. Thought For The Day: There are three ingredients to the good life; learning, earning, and yearning. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 08, 2023***** chrism : (noun) A consecrated mixture of oil and balsam, used for anointing in church sacraments such as baptism and confirmation.; holy oil, sacramental oil; Though his parents told him it was unlikely, he believed he could remember the smell of the chrism used in his baptism. dark side : noun: 1. The side that's dark or unlit. 2. The side that's undesirable or evil. ; "She sensed a dark side to him, beneath the polished charm." Marianne Willman; The Wish; St. Martin's Press; 2000. Thought For The Day: There are three ingredients to the good life; learning, earning, and yearning. -Christopher Morley, writer (5 May 1890-1957) *****May 09, 2023***** chophouse : (noun) A restaurant that specializes in steaks.; steakhouse; The best steak we ever ate was at a small chophouse in California. Vulcan : noun:1. A blacksmith or a metalworker.  2. A miner.  3. A person whose leg is broken or deformed.  4. A cuckold: a man whose wife is unfaithful.  5. One who is extremely logical and shows a lack of emotions, humor, etc. adj.:Extremely logical, unemotional, etc. ; "Your eyes dwell on a Vulcan -- a real blacksmith, brown, broad-shouldered." Charlotte Brontë; Jane Eyre; Smith, Elder & Co.; 1847. "From a logical standpoint, it makes perfect sense. What the hell, if she had to release her inner Vulcan to hide behind, then so be it." Stacy Gail; Ugly Ducklings Finish First; Carina Press; 2013. Thought For The Day: No two persons ever read the same book. -Edmund Wilson, critic (8 May 1895-1972) *****May 10, 2023***** soupcon : (noun) A very small amount; a trace.; mite, tinge, jot, hint, pinch, speck, touch; This dish could use a soupcon of salt. Taylorism : noun: 1. A method of analyzing workflow for process optimization. Also known as scientific management. 2. A modified form of Calvinism. Also known as New Haven theology. ; "At the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum, automated scheduling software has created a new high-tech Taylorism that is brutal for all low-paid workers, but particularly hard for working families." Rana Foroohar; Women Will Redefine the Labour Market; Financial Times (London, UK); Sep 20, 2021. Thought For The Day: How can we expect righteousness to prevail when there is hardly anyone willing to give himself up individually to a righteous cause... It is such a splendid sunny day, and I have to go. But how many have to die on the battlefield in these days, how many young, promising lives. What does my death matter if by our acts thousands are warned and alerted. -Sophie Scholl, student and anti-Nazi activist (9 May 1921-1943) [Her last words before being executed by guillotine.] *****May 11, 2023***** editorialist : (noun) A journalist who writes editorials.; columnist; He grew so weary of armchair-general editorialists that he stopped reading the Op-Ed pages altogether and picked up a book on political theory. Palladian : adjective: 1. Wise or learned. 2. Relating to wisdom, knowledge, or learning. 3. Of or relating to the classical architectural style of Andrea Palladio. ; "From under the cloak's hood, an errant strand of bronze hair dangled across her Palladian face." Jonathan Malone; Invictus; 2020. "The Palladian mansion was three stories tall, constructed of gray stone, and had so many windows that Sophie suspected the duke paid a fortune in window taxes." Maya Rodale; Groom of One's Own; Avon; 2010. See more usage examples of Palladian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The softer you sing, the louder you're heard. -Donovan, musician (b. 10 May 1946) *****May 12, 2023***** syncope : (noun) A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary deficiency of oxygen in the brain; a swoon.; deliquium, faint, swoon; She was an enormous flirt, laughing at all the men's jokes and even feigning syncope to garner their concern. gomer : noun: 1. A naive and inept trainee or worker. 2. An undesirable hospital patient, one who may be unpleasant, senile, or unresponsive to treatment. 3. A conical chamber used in guns and mortars. ; "I was certain any gomer could figure the plan." Robert Barr; For the Love of Flight; Dorrance Publishing; 2014. "Another category of gomers was little old ladies in their seventies whose chief complaint was constipation." Otis Webb Brawley, MD; How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks About Being Sick in America; St. Martin's Press; 2011. Thought For The Day: Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability. -Edsger W. Dijkstra, computer scientist (11 May 1930-2002) *****May 13, 2023***** raffish : (adjective) Marked by smartness in dress and manners.; jaunty, natty, rakish, dapper, spiffy, spruce, dashing, snappy, smart; His raffish costume befits his confident personality. alexander : verb tr.: 1. To praise or flatter. 2. To hang someone. ; "Alexandered, endless in triumphant march I forged this world new mint for me." Frank Miller; Poets Unbound; Writers Club Press; 2001. "It is getting almost dangerous to talk to me. I lay violent hands on people ... have people the minute they don't agree with me, alexandered, at once." Gerald Stanley Lee; The Ghost in the White House; Dutton; 1920. Thought For The Day: At some point, someone who worked at Rockefeller Center must have said, "Boys, I have a great idea for Christmas. Let's kill a beautiful tree that's been alive for seventy-five years and bring it to New York City. We'll stand it up in Rockefeller Plaza and conceal its natural beauty by hanging shiny, repulsive, man-made objects on it, and let it stand there slowly dying for several weeks while simpleminded children stare at it and people from Des Moines take pictures of it. That way, perhaps we can add our own special, obscene imprint to Christmas in Midtown. -George Carlin, comedian, actor, and author (12 May 1937-2008) *****May 14, 2023***** pyrosis : (noun) A painful burning sensation in the chest caused by gastroesophageal reflux (backflow from the stomach irritating the esophagus); symptomatic of an ulcer or a diaphragmatic hernia or other disorder.; heartburn; Even after he swore off spicy foods, his pyrosis kept him up at night. alexander : verb tr.: 1. To praise or flatter. 2. To hang someone. ; "Alexandered, endless in triumphant march I forged this world new mint for me." Frank Miller; Poets Unbound; Writers Club Press; 2001. "It is getting almost dangerous to talk to me. I lay violent hands on people ... have people the minute they don't agree with me, alexandered, at once." Gerald Stanley Lee; The Ghost in the White House; Dutton; 1920. Thought For The Day: At some point, someone who worked at Rockefeller Center must have said, "Boys, I have a great idea for Christmas. Let's kill a beautiful tree that's been alive for seventy-five years and bring it to New York City. We'll stand it up in Rockefeller Plaza and conceal its natural beauty by hanging shiny, repulsive, man-made objects on it, and let it stand there slowly dying for several weeks while simpleminded children stare at it and people from Des Moines take pictures of it. That way, perhaps we can add our own special, obscene imprint to Christmas in Midtown. -George Carlin, comedian, actor, and author (12 May 1937-2008) *****May 15, 2023***** sobriquet : (noun) An affectionate or humorous nickname.; cognomen, moniker, nickname, soubriquet; Usually he saw things long before others were aware that there was anything to see—a trait that had won for him the sobriquet of Hawk. alexander : verb tr.: 1. To praise or flatter. 2. To hang someone. ; "Alexandered, endless in triumphant march I forged this world new mint for me." Frank Miller; Poets Unbound; Writers Club Press; 2001. "It is getting almost dangerous to talk to me. I lay violent hands on people ... have people the minute they don't agree with me, alexandered, at once." Gerald Stanley Lee; The Ghost in the White House; Dutton; 1920. Thought For The Day: At some point, someone who worked at Rockefeller Center must have said, "Boys, I have a great idea for Christmas. Let's kill a beautiful tree that's been alive for seventy-five years and bring it to New York City. We'll stand it up in Rockefeller Plaza and conceal its natural beauty by hanging shiny, repulsive, man-made objects on it, and let it stand there slowly dying for several weeks while simpleminded children stare at it and people from Des Moines take pictures of it. That way, perhaps we can add our own special, obscene imprint to Christmas in Midtown. -George Carlin, comedian, actor, and author (12 May 1937-2008) *****May 16, 2023***** cistron : (noun) A section of DNA that contains the genetic code for a single polypeptide and functions as a hereditary unit.; gene, factor; When cistrons are located in reproductive cells, they pass their information to the next generation. Hail Mary : noun: A last-ditch attempt, made in desperation, having little chance of success, but potentially resulting in a big payoff. ; "He saw a crack, a slight opening, a way to pull off a Hail Mary." Vince Flynn; Transfer of Power; Pocket Books; 2008. See more usage examples of Hail Mary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. -Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991) *****May 17, 2023***** swarthy : (adjective) Having a dark complexion or color.; dusky, swart, dark-skinned; He is a noble of very lofty carriage, black hair, swarthy complexion, piercing eye, white teeth, and has a scar on his temple. kingpin : noun: 1. The most important person in an organization, especially one who is the head of a crime organization. 2. The tallest, foremost, or the central pin in an arrangement of bowling pins. 3. A main bolt, for example, a large vertical bolt in an axle of a vehicle. ; "Cartels have a way of reorganising, and new kingpins are already moving into the vacant space in the market." Laundering in Texas; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 26, 1996. See more usage examples of kingpin in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: As a general truth, communities prosper and flourish, or droop and decline, in just the degree that they practise or neglect to practise the primary duties of justice and humanity. -William Henry Seward, Secretary of State, Governor, and Senator (16 May 1801-1872) *****May 18, 2023***** vainglory : (noun) Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities.; boastfulness; I share my substance with the poor, making no display of good works, lest I let hypocrisy and vainglory, those enemies that subtly take possession of the most watchful heart, find an entrance into mine. wheelhouse : noun: 1. An enclosed area on a boat or ship that houses the steering wheel. 2. In baseball, the area in which it's easiest for the batter to hit the ball with the most power. 3. One's area of interest or expertise. ; "I didn't say it was outside of my wheelhouse. I've done it before." Kimberly Van Meter; A Wrong Bed Christmas; Harlequin; 2015. See more usage examples of wheelhouse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Most creativity is a transition from one context into another where things are more surprising. There's an element of surprise, and especially in science, there is often laughter that goes along with the 'Aha'. Art also has this element. Our job is to remind us that there are more contexts than the one that we're in -- the one that we think is reality. -Alan Kay, computer scientist (b. 17 May 1940) *****May 19, 2023***** shivaree : (noun) A noisy mock serenade for newlyweds.; belling, callithump; The clamorous shivaree stood in stark contrast to the refined, reserved marital ceremony it followed. snooker : verb tr.: To cheat, dupe, trap, stymie, etc. ; "'Marty was a con artist and he had me snookered,' remembers Edgell." Kristian Hammerstad; Ticketmaster's Dark History; The American Prospect (Washington, DC); Feb 2023. See more usage examples of snooker in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No man treats a motorcar as foolishly as he treats another human being. When the car will not go, he does not attribute its annoying behavior to sin; he does not say, "You are a wicked motorcar, and I shall not give you any more petrol until you go." He attempts to find out what is wrong and to set it right. An analogous way of treating human beings is, however, considered to be contrary to the truths of our holy religion. -Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, author, Nobel laureate (18 May 1872-1970) *****May 20, 2023***** attenuate : (adjective) Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.; faded, weakened; She placed a record in the player, and the attenuate tones of the old recording swept through the house. jump ball : noun: 1. A contest too close to call. 2. An undecided situation or one with no preference. ; "The early votes are still a jump ball." Colin Lancaster; Fed Up!; Harriman House; 2021. "It was a jump ball as to whether I walked out." Michael Z. Lewin; Missing Woman; Open Road; 2016. See more usage examples of jump ball in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 21, 2023***** tittle : (noun) A tiny or scarcely detectable amount.; iota, scintilla, shred, smidgeon, whit; Sydney Carton drank nothing but a tittle coffee. jump ball : noun: 1. A contest too close to call. 2. An undecided situation or one with no preference. ; "The early votes are still a jump ball." Colin Lancaster; Fed Up!; Harriman House; 2021. "It was a jump ball as to whether I walked out." Michael Z. Lewin; Missing Woman; Open Road; 2016. See more usage examples of jump ball in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 22, 2023***** graver : (noun) A tool used by an engraver.; pointel; The jewelry designer's studio was attached to her shop, so customers could watch her hammer metals and draw elegant designs with her graver. jump ball : noun: 1. A contest too close to call. 2. An undecided situation or one with no preference. ; "The early votes are still a jump ball." Colin Lancaster; Fed Up!; Harriman House; 2021. "It was a jump ball as to whether I walked out." Michael Z. Lewin; Missing Woman; Open Road; 2016. See more usage examples of jump ball in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely. -Lorraine Hansberry, playwright and painter (19 May 1930-1965) *****May 23, 2023***** distend : (verb) To cause to expand by or as if by internal pressure; dilate.; dilate; It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. baloney or boloney : noun: Nonsense, such as foolish, deceptive, or pretentious talk. ; "Don't give me baloney about being drafted. There is no draft." Daniel M. Jaffe; The Genealogy of Understanding; Lethe Press; 2014. See more usage examples of baloney in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I like to say that arms are not for killing. They are for hugging. -Betty Williams, peace activist, Nobel laureate (22 May 1943-2020) *****May 24, 2023***** feckless : (adjective) Generally incompetent and ineffectual.; inept; Much to his wife's dismay, Jim refused to call a professional, and continued his feckless attempts at repairing the plumbing in the house. daisy cutter : noun: 1. In a ball game, a ball that moves close to the ground. 2. A horse that lifts its feet very little off the ground. 3. A bomb powerful enough to flatten a large area, such as a forest. ; "First used in Vietnam, daisy cutters would reappear years later, eviscerating bodies and landscapes in Afghanistan." Thuy Linh Tu; An American Dream Built on Warfare (permalink); The New York Times; Apr 5, 2022. "Palmer did not play golf courses; he attacked them. Armed with a brutish swing that more resembled a hockey slap shot than a daisy cutter, Palmer brought energy and zest to the staid game." T. Rees Shapiro; "The King" Attracted Fans to Golf With His Charisma, Risky Shots; The Washington Post; Sep 26, 2016. See more usage examples of daisy cutter in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850) *****May 25, 2023***** rejoinder : (noun) A quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one).; riposte, comeback, retort, replication, counter, return; Her eyes darkened, and he expected an indignant rejoinder. swan song or swansong : noun: A farewell or final performance, appearance, or accomplishment. ; "Although Gadsby meant 'Nanette' to be a kind of swan song, she was so jazzed by its success that she came out of her brief retirement." Hilton Als; Only Disconnect; The New Yorker; Jul 29, 2019. See more usage examples of swan song in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is the people who scream the loudest about America and Freedom who seem to be the most intolerant for a differing point of view. -Rosanne Cash, singer-songwriter and author (b. 24 May 1955) *****May 26, 2023***** bookplate : (noun) A label bearing the owner's name or other identification that is pasted usually on the inside cover of a book.; ex libris; I learned from the bookplate that the previous owner of my copy of Gone with the Wind had been a woman named Scarlett. haircut : noun: A reduction in value. ; "The latest projections point to an 11% haircut for Medicare and a 23% one for Social Security when their trust funds run dry." Third-Rail Thriller; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 15, 2023. See more usage examples of haircut in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Stop fixing your bodies and start fixing the world! -V (formerly Eve Ensler), playwright and activist (b. 25 May 1953) *****May 27, 2023***** anemometer : (noun) An instrument for measuring wind force and velocity.; wind gauge; The storm chasers loaded their van with high-tech gear, including a number of powerful anemometers. Piccadilly Circus : noun: A place that is very busy, crowded, or noisy. ; "And surely Oslo fjord should be a Piccadilly Circus of boats? But I couldn't see a single one." Dick Francis; Slay Ride; Harper & Row; 1973. Thought For The Day: There is no remedy so easy as books, which if they do not give cheerfulness, at least restore quiet to the most troubled mind. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 28, 2023***** furuncle : (noun) A painful sore with a hard pus-filled core.; boil; His doctor referred him to a dermatologist who would examine the furuncle on his leg. Piccadilly Circus : noun: A place that is very busy, crowded, or noisy. ; "And surely Oslo fjord should be a Piccadilly Circus of boats? But I couldn't see a single one." Dick Francis; Slay Ride; Harper & Row; 1973. Thought For The Day: There is no remedy so easy as books, which if they do not give cheerfulness, at least restore quiet to the most troubled mind. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 29, 2023***** revetment : (noun) A facing, as of masonry, used to support an embankment.; stone facing; Like seawalls, revetments armor and protect the land behind them. Piccadilly Circus : noun: A place that is very busy, crowded, or noisy. ; "And surely Oslo fjord should be a Piccadilly Circus of boats? But I couldn't see a single one." Dick Francis; Slay Ride; Harper & Row; 1973. Thought For The Day: There is no remedy so easy as books, which if they do not give cheerfulness, at least restore quiet to the most troubled mind. -Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, author (26 May 1689-1762) *****May 30, 2023***** baleen : (noun) A horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets.; whalebone; Baleen, formerly used in buggy whips, parasol ribs, and corsets, has largely been replaced by plastic in these items. rusticle : noun: An icicle-like formation of rust, as on an underwater shipwreck. ; "Andrea Leadsom [British MP] resigned, forcing a mini-reshuffle. This was not so much rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, as getting into James Cameron's mini-submarine, dropping to the wreck 12,500 ft below, sweeping down the rusticle-festooned grand staircase, and swapping out one of the light fittings because it looks 'a bit much'." Marina Hyde; Exit Theresa May; The Guardian (London, UK); May 24, 2019. See more usage examples of rusticle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (29 May 1917-1963) *****May 31, 2023***** arriviste : (noun) A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.; nouveau-riche, parvenu, upstart; The arriviste tried to gain acceptance into society through ostentatious displays of his newfound wealth, but his actions only inspired resentment. infodemic : noun: A glut of mostly unreliable, rapidly spreading information relating to an event, crisis, disease, etc. ; "Anke Richter says: 'But we didn't really see that the infodemic did creep in, because you can't stop that with MIQ at the border.'" Kirsty Johnston; The "Cult-Like" Features of Vax Misinformation; Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Mar 17, 2022. Thought For The Day: Your love to me was like an unread book. -Countee Cullen, poet, novelist, and playwright (30 May 1903-1946) *****June 01, 2023***** flattop : (noun) A large warship that carries planes and has a long flat deck for take-offs and landings.; aircraft carrier; Before the invasion, the general ordered a large flattop to anchor several miles offshore to facilitate a swift aerial attack. interrobang or interabang : noun: A punctuation mark (‽) formed by a question mark (?) superimposed on an exclamation point (!). ; "I feel the quick bursts of interjections and interrobangs course through my gut." Suzanne Samples; A Mad Girl's Love Song; Lulu; 2016. Thought For The Day: After you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, and so on -- have found that none of these finally satisfy, or permanently wear -- what remains? Nature remains. -Walt Whitman, poet (31 May 1819-1892) *****June 02, 2023***** nadir : (noun) An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything.; low-water mark, rock bottom; They lost everything in the fire and reached the nadir of their fortunes. tulgey : adjective: Thick, dark, and scary. ; "Fairy-tale treatments in our late century increasingly stray from enlightened enchantment into the dark and tulgey woods." David Jays; A Grimm business; New Statesman (London, UK); Dec 11, 1998. Thought For The Day: A career is wonderful, but you can't curl up with it on a cold night. -Marilyn Monroe, actress (1 Jun 1926-1962) *****June 03, 2023***** cincture : (noun) A band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers.; waistband, waistcloth, girdle, sash; Their adornments were completed by passing a few loose folds of white tappa, in a modest cincture, around the waist. nobodaddy : noun: 1. God. 2. Someone who is no longer considered worthy of respect. ; "We should remember that Nicolson at least was trying to rehabilitate Tennyson, to raise him from the fallen pantheon of nineteenth-century Nobodaddies." Philip Larkin; Further Requirements; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "He was a nobodaddy and a clod, and any pimplefaced boy could see that talking to him was a waste of breath." Paul Auster; Mr. Vertigo; Faber; 1994. Thought For The Day: There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 04, 2023***** crotchet : (noun) An odd, whimsical, or stubborn notion.; oddity, queerness, quirk; He is perhaps the sanest man and has the fewest crotchets of any I chance to know. nobodaddy : noun: 1. God. 2. Someone who is no longer considered worthy of respect. ; "We should remember that Nicolson at least was trying to rehabilitate Tennyson, to raise him from the fallen pantheon of nineteenth-century Nobodaddies." Philip Larkin; Further Requirements; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "He was a nobodaddy and a clod, and any pimplefaced boy could see that talking to him was a waste of breath." Paul Auster; Mr. Vertigo; Faber; 1994. Thought For The Day: There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 05, 2023***** arborist : (noun) A specialist in the care of woody plants, especially trees.; tree surgeon; The arborist informed the homeowners that the sick tree would need to be cut down. nobodaddy : noun: 1. God. 2. Someone who is no longer considered worthy of respect. ; "We should remember that Nicolson at least was trying to rehabilitate Tennyson, to raise him from the fallen pantheon of nineteenth-century Nobodaddies." Philip Larkin; Further Requirements; University of Michigan Press; 2004. "He was a nobodaddy and a clod, and any pimplefaced boy could see that talking to him was a waste of breath." Paul Auster; Mr. Vertigo; Faber; 1994. Thought For The Day: There is a price to pay for speaking the truth. There is a bigger price for living a lie. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) *****June 06, 2023***** raring : (adjective) Full of eagerness; enthusiastic.; impatient; Standing at the starting line of the race, he shifted from foot to foot and was raring to go. barometer : noun: 1. A device for determining atmospheric pressure in predicting weather. 2. Something used as a gauge or as an indicator of change. 3. A standard for measuring something. ; "Since the Vietnam War, the US military has shied away from body counts as a barometer of success, but Lt. General Sean MacFarland, the commander of the US-led coalition in Iraq, estimated in August that forty-five thousand fighters had been 'taken off the battlefield' in the Islamic State." Robin Wright; After the Islamic State; The New Yorker; Dec 12, 2016. "If history is a barometer, this will get much stormier and play out over quite a while." Dan K. Thomasson; Watergate Portends More Troubles; Daily Record (Wooster, Ohio); May 24, 2017. See more usage examples of barometer in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assault of thoughts on the unthinking. -John Maynard Keynes, economist (5 Jun 1883-1946) *****June 07, 2023***** windsock : (noun) A tapered, open-ended sleeve pivotally attached to a standard, that indicates the direction of the wind blowing through it.; drogue, air sock, wind cone; The air traffic controller noted that the airport's windsock was fully extended. favonian : adjective: 1. Relating to the west wind. 2. Mild; gentle; benign. ; "A face, a favonian little face hovers in his memory, slipping in and out of focus." Natalee Caple; Mackerel Sky; St. Martin's Press; 2004. Thought For The Day: There are two kinds of fools: One says, "This is old, therefore it is good"; the other says, "This is new, therefore it is better." -William R. Inge, clergyman, scholar, and author (6 Jun 1860-1954) *****June 08, 2023***** paroxysm : (noun) A sudden uncontrollable attack.; convulsion, fit; Michael strained backward in a paroxysm of rage, making fierce short jumps to the end of the tether as he snarled and growled with utmost fierceness. autumnal : adjective: 1. Relating to the season of autumn. 2. Past the prime of life or maturity. ; "At this autumnal stage of his career, however, [Barry Harris] apparently prefers to understate the case, having little left to prove." Howard Reich; Harris Warms Up Season at Showcase; Chicago Tribune; Jan 7, 2006. See more usage examples of autumnal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world, I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary, and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair, and disrespect. -Nikki Giovanni, poet and professor (b. 7 Jun 1943) *****June 09, 2023***** weather vane : noun: 1. A device having a pointer rotating on a vertical spindle, used to indicate the direction of the wind. 2. Someone or something constantly changing. ; "'You haven't changed your mind since yesterday?' Pierre asked ... 'Certainly not, I'm not a weather vane,' Xavière said stiffly." Simone de Beauvoir; She Came to Stay; World Publishing Company; 1954. See more usage examples of weather vane in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: An idea is salvation by imagination. -Frank Lloyd Wright, architect (8 Jun 1867-1959) *****June 10, 2023***** interlanguage : (noun) A common language used by speakers of different languages.; lingua franca, koine; Koine Greek was the interlanguage of the empire of Alexander the Great and was widely spoken throughout the eastern Mediterranean. hibernal : adjective: Of or relating to winter. ; "Stay too long in the hibernal realm, And the chill begins to overwhelm." Stewart Stafford; Hibernal Realm; 2021. See more usage examples of hibernal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) *****June 11, 2023***** multifarious : (adjective) Having great variety; diverse.; multifaceted, many-sided; This famous old French trading post continued to be a rallying point for a multifarious and motley population. hibernal : adjective: Of or relating to winter. ; "Stay too long in the hibernal realm, And the chill begins to overwhelm." Stewart Stafford; Hibernal Realm; 2021. See more usage examples of hibernal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) *****June 12, 2023***** tyro : (noun) A beginner in learning something.; beginner, initiate, novice; I once heard a pirate swear, but his best efforts would have seemed like those of a tyro alongside of Perry's masterful and scientific imprecations. hibernal : adjective: Of or relating to winter. ; "Stay too long in the hibernal realm, And the chill begins to overwhelm." Stewart Stafford; Hibernal Realm; 2021. See more usage examples of hibernal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Ethics, decency, and morality are the real soldiers. -Kiran Bedi, police officer and social activist (b. 9 Jun 1949) *****June 13, 2023***** cumulonimbus : (noun) An extremely dense, vertically developed cumulus with a relatively hazy outline and a glaciated top extending to great heights, usually producing heavy rains, thunderstorms, or hailstorms.; thundercloud; The cumulonimbus looming above our heads did not bode well for the future of our barbecue. stymie : verb tr.: To obstruct, thwart, stump, etc. noun: A hindrance. ; "The country has become a vetocracy, in which many people and agencies have the power to stymie any given development." Free the Bulldozers; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 3, 2022. "The food comes to the table and to my benefit, puts a stymie to the conversation." Daniel Vincennie; Simple Minded; Lulu; 2018. See more usage examples of stymie in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) *****June 14, 2023***** pressmark : (noun) A mark consisting of characters written on a book; used to indicate shelf location.; call number, call mark; Long days spent examining pressmarks had taken a toll on the librarian's eyes. sluice : noun:1. An artificial channel, stream, etc.  2. A valve or gate to control the flow of a liquid.  3. A body of water controlled by a sluice gate. verb tr.:1. To let out, by or as if by, opening a gate.  2. To wash, flush, cleanse, etc.  3. To send logs, gold-bearing gravel, or other material down a sluice. verb intr.:To flow, as if from or through a sluice. ; "She pulled her cell phone from her bag with trembling fingers and keyed in Angie's number, her sluice of emotions obliterating her conviction." Tracey Richardson; Heartsick; Bella Books; 2017. "I was not born to this wariness. I came of age as my kind do -- armed with ache and swathed in rectitude, a rough carving sluiced under a torrent of disregard." Rita Dove; Unaccompanied Anthem; Poetry (Chicago, Illinois); Apr 2023. See more usage examples of sluice in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Adults who are racked with death anxiety are not odd birds who have contracted some exotic disease, but men and women whose family and culture have failed to knit the proper protective clothing for them to withstand the icy chill of mortality. -Irvin D. Yalom, psychiatrist and professor (b. 13 Jun 1931) *****June 15, 2023***** pinnace : (noun) A light boat propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a tender for merchant and war vessels.; ship's boat, cutter, tender; Seated upon the projection formed by the hull of the pinnace, I inhaled the salt breeze with delight. chirk : verb tr.: To cheer. verb intr.: To make a shrill noise. adjective: Lively; cheerful. ; "He seemed so kind o' blue and lonesome I couldn't help trying to chirk him up." Hamlin Garland; The Forester's Daughter; Harper; 1914. "I don't guess I'm feeling quite chirk enough for reading anyhow." Peg Kingman; Original Sins; Norton; 2010. See more usage examples of chirk in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) *****June 16, 2023***** mettlesome : (adjective) Full of mettle; spirited and plucky.; spirited, game, gritty, spunky; Joe, being a mettlesome fellow, returned the stranger's angry glance with a steady look. skeeve : verb tr.: To disgust. noun: A disgusting person. ; "People have a thing about feet ... People get skeeved.'" Katherine Rosman; He Took His Shoes Off 20 Years Ago; The New York Times; Mar 1, 2023. "He's a skeeve. Never liked him. Never hang with him. He just ain't right." Kristen Ashley; Free; Rock Chick; 2019. Thought For The Day: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) *****June 17, 2023***** fecund : (adjective) Marked by intellectual productivity.; prolific, fertile; He had a fecund imagination and wrote four novels in two years. souse : verb tr.:1. To soak or steep.  2. To pickle, cook in a marinade, etc.  3. To make intoxicated. noun:1. Something or someone soaked.  2. The liquid used in soaking.  3. Food steeped in pickle; also such liquid.  4. A drunkard.  5. A period of heavy drinking. ; "The one named to be King was soused and drenched with laundry-water by his fellows until he could contrive to make one of his persecutors laugh." Kyril Bonfiglioli; All the Tea in China; Secker & Warburg; 1978. "W.C. Fields wasn't always a drunk. ... Only later when he became a comedian did Fields also become a souse." Mark Jacob; 10 Things You Might Not Know About: Drunkenness; Chicago Tribune; Oct 5, 2008. See more usage examples of souse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 18, 2023***** cowpuncher : (noun) A hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback.; cattleman, cowboy, cowhand, cowherd, cowman, cowpoke; The only time the cowpuncher was not on horseback was when he was repairing the fence around the estate. souse : verb tr.:1. To soak or steep.  2. To pickle, cook in a marinade, etc.  3. To make intoxicated. noun:1. Something or someone soaked.  2. The liquid used in soaking.  3. Food steeped in pickle; also such liquid.  4. A drunkard.  5. A period of heavy drinking. ; "The one named to be King was soused and drenched with laundry-water by his fellows until he could contrive to make one of his persecutors laugh." Kyril Bonfiglioli; All the Tea in China; Secker & Warburg; 1978. "W.C. Fields wasn't always a drunk. ... Only later when he became a comedian did Fields also become a souse." Mark Jacob; 10 Things You Might Not Know About: Drunkenness; Chicago Tribune; Oct 5, 2008. See more usage examples of souse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 19, 2023***** reprobate : (noun) A morally unprincipled person.; miscreant; The prison was full of notorious reprobates. souse : verb tr.:1. To soak or steep.  2. To pickle, cook in a marinade, etc.  3. To make intoxicated. noun:1. Something or someone soaked.  2. The liquid used in soaking.  3. Food steeped in pickle; also such liquid.  4. A drunkard.  5. A period of heavy drinking. ; "The one named to be King was soused and drenched with laundry-water by his fellows until he could contrive to make one of his persecutors laugh." Kyril Bonfiglioli; All the Tea in China; Secker & Warburg; 1978. "W.C. Fields wasn't always a drunk. ... Only later when he became a comedian did Fields also become a souse." Mark Jacob; 10 Things You Might Not Know About: Drunkenness; Chicago Tribune; Oct 5, 2008. See more usage examples of souse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: H. sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) *****June 20, 2023***** flinders : (noun) Bits, fragments, or splinters.; slivers, splinters; The bullet blew the glass bottle into flinders. radioactive : adjective 1. Involving something extremely controversial that may rub off on others. 2. Spontaneously emitting radiation, as from an unstable atomic nucleus or in a nuclear reaction. ; "We're all constantly running social harm risk analysis -- trying to figure out how close we can get to people involved in controversy without becoming radioactive ourselves." Joel Stein; Gifts & Guidance; Town and Country (New York); Dec 2019. See more usage examples of radioactive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who believe themselves sinners; the sinners who believe themselves righteous. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (19 Jun 1623-1662) *****June 21, 2023***** indigence : (noun) Poverty; neediness.; beggary, pauperism, penury, need; The luxury of one class is counterbalanced by the indigence of another. broad-spectrum : adjective: Effective in a wide variety of uses. ; "So far as Bellingham could tell some massive broad-spectrum spell had simply erased every trace of the network he had so laboriously assembled." David Mosey; Outlaws Are Optional; Xlibris; 2004. Thought For The Day: Since when do we have to agree with people to defend them from injustice? -Lillian Hellman, playwright (20 Jun 1905-1984) *****June 22, 2023***** promulgate : (verb) To make known (a decree, for example) by public declaration; announce officially.; exclaim, proclaim; Where is the staircase from which Charles VI promulgated his edict of pardon? high-octane : adjective: 1. High-energy; powerful; dynamic. 2. In relation to engine fuels, having a high octane number resulting in anti-knock properties and higher efficiency. ; "Mr. [Arthur] Hayes's high-octane lifestyle certainly comes closest to that of the fictional British spy." Ride to Freedom; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 18, 2021. See more usage examples of high-octane in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live. -Francoise Sagan, playwright and novelist (21 Jun 1935-2004) *****June 23, 2023***** ramose : (adjective) Having many branches.; branching; The ramose tree sheltered us from the blistering sun. viral : adjective: 1. Spreading rapidly and widely from person to person, often through social media rather than traditional avenues. 2. Relating to or caused by a virus. ; "This past July, [Bishop Lamor] Whitehead made national headlines when videos of him being robbed during a church service, while wearing what was reported as several hundred thousand dollars' worth of jewelry, went viral." Eric Lach; Friend of the Mayor; The New Yorker; Jan 30, 2023. See more usage examples of viral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This book (All Quiet on the Western Front) is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped shells, were destroyed by the war. -Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (22 Jun 1898-1970) *****June 24, 2023***** escarp : (noun) A steep artificial slope in front of a fortification.; protective embankment; Instead of trying to breach the escarp, the army encircled the fortress, planning to starve out the inhabitants above. critical mass : noun: The minimum amount or number of something required to initiate or sustain a process or effect. ; "But as a critical mass of mustache wearers has gathered, the style has slowly become free of the subculture associations it garnered in the 1980s." Shira Telushkin; The Mustache Is Back; The New York Times; Jun 1, 2023. See more usage examples of critical mass in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What the Caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 25, 2023***** phlegmatic : (adjective) Having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional.; indifferent, cold, heavy, dull, stoical, bovine, apathetic, frigid, lymphatic, listless, impassive, stolid, unfeeling, undemonstrative; No sign of astonishment appeared on Emil's phlegmatic face. critical mass : noun: The minimum amount or number of something required to initiate or sustain a process or effect. ; "But as a critical mass of mustache wearers has gathered, the style has slowly become free of the subculture associations it garnered in the 1980s." Shira Telushkin; The Mustache Is Back; The New York Times; Jun 1, 2023. See more usage examples of critical mass in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What the Caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 26, 2023***** epicure : (noun) A person devoted to refined sensuous enjoyment (especially good food and drink).; gastronome, bon vivant, foodie, gourmet; He fancied himself an epicure and dined out at the finest restaurants every night. critical mass : noun: The minimum amount or number of something required to initiate or sustain a process or effect. ; "But as a critical mass of mustache wearers has gathered, the style has slowly become free of the subculture associations it garnered in the 1980s." Shira Telushkin; The Mustache Is Back; The New York Times; Jun 1, 2023. See more usage examples of critical mass in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What the Caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) *****June 27, 2023***** touchstone : (noun) A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.; criterion, standard, measure; You appear to me to be the very touchstone of responsibility. byzantine : adjective: 1. Highly complex or intricate. 2. Involving scheming or intrigue. 3. Relating to the architectural or decorative style developed in the Byzantine Empire. 4. Relating to the ancient city of Byzantium or the Byzantine Empire. ; "An initial reform would simplify a byzantine tax code." Big Plans, Not Much Money; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 7, 2023. See more usage examples of byzantine in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person. -Virginia Satir, psychotherapist and author (26 Jun 1916-1988) *****June 28, 2023***** roustabout : (noun) A member of a ship's crew who performs manual labor.; deckhand; He worked as a roustabout on the Mississippi from the time he was a boy. Erewhonian : adjective: 1. Opposed to machines, automation, or technology, like a Luddite. 2. Treating disease as crime and ill people as criminals. ; "To talk about the continued relevance of the book can single you out as a modern Erewhonian." Paul Duguid; Material Matters: The Past and Futurology of the Book; The Future of the Book, edited by Geoffrey Nunberg; University of California Press; 1996. "If patients know they will be pilloried and punished for past behaviour, they will run from the health-care system much as many offenders run from the law. Medicine would simply cease to be medicine if it became an Erewhonian penal system." Peter Mcknight; Medicine Isn't Medicine If Used as Punishment; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Feb 2, 2022. Thought For The Day: There is no greater fallacy than the belief that aims and purposes are one thing, while methods and tactics are another. -Emma Goldman, social activist (27 Jun 1869-1940) *****June 29, 2023***** billfold : (noun) A pocket-size case for holding papers and paper money.; wallet, notecase, pocketbook; The thief was at the bar, eyeing the patrons' billfolds and gauging their levels of intoxication. Pearl Harbor : noun: A sudden, devastating attack. verb tr.: To attack suddenly with devastating results. ; "A year and a half ago, Jones was injured in an accident at his shop, 'my Pearl Harbor,' he says. A truck tire rim he was working on burst, badly injuring the side of his head, his right shoulder, and left wrist." Mark Felsenthal; One Man's Treasures; Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia); Aug 2, 1989. "'[The mayor] Pearl Harbored the fire station,' Mitchell said. 'It was a sneak attack. He runs out of town and nobody can find him.'" Jerry Thomas; Union to Fight Closing of Fire Station in Chelsea; Boston Globe; Sep 2, 1990. See more usage examples of Pearl Harbor in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? -Jean Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) *****June 30, 2023***** rivulet : (noun) A small brook or stream.; rill, runnel, streamlet, run; A tiny rivulet of cold water trickled outward from the opening. Delphic : adjective: Obscure or ambiguous. ; "So, what are they trying to say? It's a challenge to sieve lucid answers from the artist who, while enormously amiable, is prone to somewhat Delphic statements when it comes to explaining his work." Rachel Spence; The Chilean artist Eugenio Dittborn; Financial Times (London, UK); Oct 16, 2021. See more usage examples of Delphic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) *****July 01, 2023***** viscus : (noun) A main organ that is situated inside the body.; internal organ; The doctor showed the students a detailed model of the viscus and explained its many functions. Roman peace : noun: A peace imposed and maintained by force. ; "There is a Roman peace, true, but it is a cruel peace if you ask me." Thomas Harlan; The Shadow of Ararat; Tom Doherty Associates; 2007. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 02, 2023***** decollete : (adjective) Cut low at the neckline.; low-cut, low-necked; She wore a decollete dress that many of the guests deemed inappropriately revealing. Roman peace : noun: A peace imposed and maintained by force. ; "There is a Roman peace, true, but it is a cruel peace if you ask me." Thomas Harlan; The Shadow of Ararat; Tom Doherty Associates; 2007. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 03, 2023***** hydrophyte : (noun) A plant adapted to grow in water.; aquatic plant; Water lilies and other hydrophytes dotted the surface of the lake. Roman peace : noun: A peace imposed and maintained by force. ; "There is a Roman peace, true, but it is a cruel peace if you ask me." Thomas Harlan; The Shadow of Ararat; Tom Doherty Associates; 2007. Thought For The Day: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) *****July 04, 2023***** inebriety : (noun) A temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol.; drunkenness, tipsiness, intoxication; He was a man who would have made a success of life a century and a half ago when conversation was a passport to good company and inebriety no bar. cantrip : noun: 1. A magic spell. 2. A trick, sham, prank, etc. ; "Unless you have come across a cantrip that will cause currency to rain from the skies, I must continue to practice my profession." Matthew Hughes; Sweet Trap; Fantasy & Science Fiction (Hoboken, New Jersey); Jun 2007. Thought For The Day: It has been said that a pretty face is a passport. But it's not, it's a visa, and it runs out fast. -Julie Burchill, writer and journalist (b. 3 Jul 1959) *****July 05, 2023***** engram : (noun) A physical alteration thought to occur in living neural tissue in response to stimuli, posited as an explanation for memory.; memory trace; The neuroscientist likened engrams in neural tissue to data on the hard drive of a computer. maladdress : noun: Rudeness; tactlessness; clumsiness; awkwardness. ; "Even when under the cosh, [Professor Olabisi Ugbebor] does not display maladdress towards anyone." Celebrating a Woman of Many Firsts; This Day (Lagos, Nigeria); Feb 10, 2021. Thought For The Day: There are few uglier traits than this tendency -- witnessed in men no worse than their neighbors -- to grow cruel, merely because they possessed the power of inflicting harm. -Nathaniel Hawthorne, writer (4 Jul 1804-1864) *****July 06, 2023***** cataplasm : (noun) A medical dressing consisting of a soft heated mass of meal or clay that is spread on a cloth and applied to the skin to treat inflamed areas or improve circulation etc.; poultice, plaster; In an effort to reduce the inflammation, they wrapped the horse's leg in a cataplasm made of leaves. asportation : noun: The carrying away of something unlawfully. ; "Wargo was charged with sixth-offense shoplifting by asportation." Ayer Woman Charged as Serial Shoplifter; Sentinel & Enterprise (Fitchburg, Massachusetts); Oct 22, 2013. Thought For The Day: Take a commonplace, clean it and polish it, light it so that it produces the same effect of youth and freshness and originality and spontaneity as it did originally, and you have done a poet's job. The rest is literature. -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963) *****July 07, 2023***** ennui : (noun) Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom.; boredom, tedium; On rainy days, of which we have had a good many of late, it is quite painful to witness his ennui. epicrisis : 1. A quotation followed by a commentary upon it. 2. A summary, review, or discussion of a case. 3. A secondary crisis, something that follows a crisis. ; "Even the very limited experience gained by our seminar has led me to corrections and additions which will be discussed in an epicrisis." Owsei Temkin; The Double Face of Janus; Johns Hopkins University Press; 2006. "The epicrisis has to be written, you know. ... You can't be discharged until the epicrisis is ready." Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (Translation: David Burg & Nicholas Bethell); Cancer Ward; Dial Press; 1968. Thought For The Day: In an earlier stage of our development most human groups held to a tribal ethic. Members of the tribe were protected, but people of other tribes could be robbed or killed as one pleased. Gradually the circle of protection expanded, but as recently as 150 years ago we did not include blacks. So African human beings could be captured, shipped to America, and sold. In Australia white settlers regarded Aborigines as a pest and hunted them down, much as kangaroos are hunted down today. Just as we have progressed beyond the blatantly racist ethic of the era of slavery and colonialism, so we must now progress beyond the speciesist ethic of the era of factory farming, of the use of animals as mere research tools, of whaling, seal hunting, kangaroo slaughter, and the destruction of wilderness. We must take the final step in expanding the circle of ethics. -Peter Singer, philosopher and professor of bioethics (b. 6 Jul 1946) *****July 08, 2023***** threnody : (noun) A poem or song of mourning or lamentation.; coronach, dirge, requiem, lament; He had made all the plans for his funeral, choosing and purchasing a casket and even selecting the threnody he wanted played. oxytone : adjective: Having stress on the last syllable. noun: A word having stress on the last syllable. ; "What a lot our language misses by the clipped and oxytone 'lament'!" Egerton Castle & Agnes Castle; A Little House in War Time; Good Press; 2022. See more usage examples of oxytone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 09, 2023***** camarilla : (noun) A group of confidential, often scheming advisers.; cabal, faction, junto; The people thought the war was for a righteous cause, but in truth, it was the brainchild of a greedy camarilla that hoped to profit from it. oxytone : adjective: Having stress on the last syllable. noun: A word having stress on the last syllable. ; "What a lot our language misses by the clipped and oxytone 'lament'!" Egerton Castle & Agnes Castle; A Little House in War Time; Good Press; 2022. See more usage examples of oxytone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 10, 2023***** stymie : (verb) Hinder or prevent the progress or accomplishment of.; blockade, obstruct, embarrass, hinder; He worked to improve his athletic skills, but his weak knees stymied his progress at every turn. oxytone : adjective: Having stress on the last syllable. noun: A word having stress on the last syllable. ; "What a lot our language misses by the clipped and oxytone 'lament'!" Egerton Castle & Agnes Castle; A Little House in War Time; Good Press; 2022. See more usage examples of oxytone in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (7 Jul 1907-1988) *****July 11, 2023***** timbre : (noun) The combination of qualities of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds of the same pitch and volume.; tone, quality; The timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely. reflexive : adjective: 1. Unthinking; instinctive; spontaneous. 2. Thoughtful; reflective. 3. In grammatical contexts: Directed on itself. ; "[Julia Ratti said:] 'Perhaps we shouldn't just do that out of a reflexive nature, we should think about it.'" Brian Duggan; Sparks Going Its Own Way, for Now; Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada); May 6, 2012. "The ability to think and be reflexive elevates the status of the mind to the definition of a human being." Jessica R. Johnston, ed.; The American Body in Context; Scholarly Resources; 2001. See more usage examples of reflexive in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full. -Marcel Proust, novelist (10 Jul 1871-1922) *****July 12, 2023***** fetor : (noun) An offensive odor; a stench.; malodor, reek, stench, stink, mephitis; He waited in the basement, trying to ignore the moldy fetor that permeated the air. nervy : adjective: 1. Nervous or anxious. 2. Brash. 3. Bold. ; "[The undercover cop Lachlan McCulloch] had the nervy alertness that shrinks call hypervigilance. He says: 'I felt like a zebra walking into a lion's den, having to convince the lion I wasn't a zebra at all.'" Andrew Rule; I Lost Me; Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Apr 16, 2023. "Someone nervy enough to tackle Stanley on his home turf." Matt Wolf; Paul Mescal Electrifies in a Revelatory 'Streetcar'; The New York Times; Jan 18, 2023. See more usage examples of nervy in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality. -John Quincy Adams, 6th president of the US (11 Jul 1767-1848) *****July 13, 2023***** antechamber : (noun) A smaller room serving as an entryway into a larger room.; foyer, lobby, vestibule, hall, anteroom, entrance hall; He led the way across the hall, through the common drawing-room and one useless antechamber, into a room magnificent both in size and furniture. mathematical : adjective: 1. Relating to mathematics. 2. Absolute or certain. 3. Possible, but highly improbable. ; "By March, through superior voter targeting and organization, his nomination had become a mathematical certainty." Tom Rosenstiel; Shining City; HarperCollins; 2017. "There's also a mathematical chance at a four-way tie, but let's not get too worked up yet." Michael Fornabaio; Many Contributors Helping Yale Challenge for Ivy Football Title; New Haven Register (Connecticut); Nov 9, 2021. See more usage examples of mathematical in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everything you've learned in school as "obvious" becomes less and less obvious as you begin to study the universe. For example, there are no solids in the universe. There's not even a suggestion of a solid. There are no absolute continuums. There are no surfaces. There are no straight lines. -R. Buckminster Fuller, engineer, designer, and architect (12 Jul 1895-1983) *****July 14, 2023***** enervating : (adjective) Causing debilitation.; debilitative, enfeebling, weakening; The air of the place, so fresh in the spring and early summer, was stagnant and enervating now. moot : adjective:1. Open to discussion: debatable.  2. Of little practical value, hence not worth considering. noun:1. An assembly or court.  2. A discussion or argument. verb tr.:1. To bring up for discussion or debate.  2. To make something irrelevant or insignificant as a result of the issue being resolved. ; "The position of Greek banks is almost as untenable as the government's; it is a moot point which will buckle first." When the Talking Has to Stop; The Economist (London, UK); May 30, 2015. "And besides, it is moot. I have won." Michele Jaffe; The Water Nymph; Gallery Books; 2001. See more usage examples of moot in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man dies in all who keep silent in the face of tyranny. -Wole Soyinka, playwright, poet, Nobel laureate (b. 13 Jul 1934) *****July 15, 2023***** myelinated : (adjective) Covered with a layer of myelin.; medullated; The medical textbook had a detailed diagram of myelinated nerve fibers. mosey : verb intr.: 1. To move in a leisurely manner. 2. To leave quickly. ; "Everyone moseys here. There is no hurry to get anywhere." Sandra Block; What Happened That Night; Sourcebooks; 2018 "So he took his money and moseyed. No one stopped him." Phil Brody; The Holden Age of Hollywood; Medallion; 2012. See more usage examples of mosey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You are the sky. Everything else -- it's just the weather. -Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun and author (b. 14 Jul 1936) *****July 16, 2023***** polliwog : (noun) A larval frog or toad.; tadpole; The boy found it hard to believe that this tiny, legless polliwog would someday sprout limbs and hop away a fully formed frog. mosey : verb intr.: 1. To move in a leisurely manner. 2. To leave quickly. ; "Everyone moseys here. There is no hurry to get anywhere." Sandra Block; What Happened That Night; Sourcebooks; 2018 "So he took his money and moseyed. No one stopped him." Phil Brody; The Holden Age of Hollywood; Medallion; 2012. See more usage examples of mosey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You are the sky. Everything else -- it's just the weather. -Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun and author (b. 14 Jul 1936) *****July 17, 2023***** clairvoyant : (adjective) Having the supposed power to see objects or events that cannot be perceived by the senses.; precognitive, second-sighted; An advertisement marked "fortune-teller" listed the abilities of a supposedly clairvoyant woman. mosey : verb intr.: 1. To move in a leisurely manner. 2. To leave quickly. ; "Everyone moseys here. There is no hurry to get anywhere." Sandra Block; What Happened That Night; Sourcebooks; 2018 "So he took his money and moseyed. No one stopped him." Phil Brody; The Holden Age of Hollywood; Medallion; 2012. See more usage examples of mosey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: You are the sky. Everything else -- it's just the weather. -Pema Chodron, Buddhist nun and author (b. 14 Jul 1936) *****July 18, 2023***** overtone : (noun) An ulterior, usually implicit meaning or quality; an implication or a hint. Often used in the plural.; connotation, hint, implication, undercurrent, intimation; There were overtones of discontent in his speech. visceral : adjective: 1. Related to viscera. 2. Instinctive, not reasoning or intellectual. 3. Dealing with base emotions; earthy, crude. ; "The movie is less visceral than the book, omitting scenes of a turtle and a shark being butchered on the lifeboat." Brian D. Johnson; A New Life for Pi; Maclean's (Toronto, Canada); Nov 7, 2012. "They endured visceral racial hostility openly expressed, doors slammed in their faces when they sought jobs and accommodations, and disheartening signs: 'No Blacks, No Irish, No dogs.'" Barrington M. Salmon; The Queen is Dead. Maybe the Monarchy Needs to Die, Too; Washington Informer; Sep 15, 2022. See more usage examples of visceral in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are stars whose radiance is visible on Earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark. They light the way for humankind. -Hannah Senesh, poet, playwright, and paratrooper (17 Jul 1921-1944) *****July 19, 2023***** equivocate : (verb) To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information.; prevaricate, beat around the bush, palter, tergiversate; She was known for her tendency to equivocate, and many of her friends gave up on trying to discern her true opinions. blood-and-guts : adjective: 1. Marked by great violence, especially when depicted in a graphic way. 2. Dealing with fundamental concerns. 3. Performed with great zeal or vigor. ; "Mortal Kombat, the blood-and-guts arcade game that triggered Congressional hearings ... [had] a feature giving players the gory choice of whether to kill by decapitating an opponent or ripping out their heart." Mortal Kombat Among Four Inducted to Video Game Hall of Fame; Associated Press; May 3, 2019. "Economics is often an ivory tower pursuit, and Nobel winners get penthouse views. ... But the difference between [James] Heckman and many Nobel winners is that he takes on blood-and-guts issues that affect real people." David Greising; Nobel Economist Deflates Policies, Guts Assumptions; Chicago Tribune; Oct 18, 2000. "Pairing two standout siblings on the same team can lead to bickering, jealousy, and some blood-and-guts competition." Andy Olson; Sisters Are Biggest Fish in the Pool; Milwaukee Journal (Wisconsin); Sep 30, 1993. See more usage examples of blood-and-guts in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered. -Nelson Mandela, activist, South African president, Nobel laureate (18 Jul 1918-2013) *****July 20, 2023***** midden : (noun) A dunghill or refuse heap.; muckheap, muckhill, dunghill; His opponent, as proud as the rooster who is left unchallenged upon the midden, crowed away in a last long burst of quotation and deduction. hamstring : noun:1. Any of the tendons at the back of the knee.  2. Any of the three muscles in the back of the thigh, connecting the pelvis and the knee. verb tr.:1. To disable or make ineffective.  2. To cut the hamstring. ; "Why hamstring your own side with needless restrictions?" Publish and Perish?; The Economist (London, UK); May 3, 2003. See more usage examples of hamstring in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I dream of giving birth to a child who will ask, "Mother, what was war?" -Eve Merriam, poet and writer (19 Jul 1916-1992) *****July 21, 2023***** airscrew : (noun) A propeller that rotates to push against air.; prop; The model airplane had an airscrew powered by a rubber band. chopped liver : noun: Something or someone treated as unimportant. ; "[Barry Diller] says, 'Now, I wasn't chopped liver, I was the chairman of Paramount at thirty-three.'" Larissa MacFarquhar; The Huntress; The New Yorker; Sep 25, 2006. Thought For The Day: The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. -Carlos Santana, musician (b. 20 Jul 1947) *****July 22, 2023***** nimiety : (noun) Superfluity; excess.; excess, surplus, surplusage; After her long nap, the baby had a nimiety of energy that exhausted her parents. heart-whole : adjective: 1. Unattached: not in love. 2. Sincere; wholehearted. ; "And Myra had charmed the hearts out of many men, while remaining herself heart-whole. She was still heart-whole although she was engaged to be married to Tony ... 'Yes, I'll marry you, Tony, but I don't love you ... I'm going to marry you because Aunt Clarissa insists I must marry a rich man, and you happen to be the least objectionable rich man who wants me.'" Juanita Savage; Bandit Love; Dial; 1931. "[Wolfgang] Stange's performers work with a heart-whole involvement which gives his productions a true theatrical force." Clement Crisp; Dance; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 2, 2007. See more usage examples of heart-whole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 23, 2023***** extirpate : (verb) To destroy totally.; eradicate, exterminate, uproot; The tyrant's first order of business upon assuming power was to extirpate the vestiges of political democracy. heart-whole : adjective: 1. Unattached: not in love. 2. Sincere; wholehearted. ; "And Myra had charmed the hearts out of many men, while remaining herself heart-whole. She was still heart-whole although she was engaged to be married to Tony ... 'Yes, I'll marry you, Tony, but I don't love you ... I'm going to marry you because Aunt Clarissa insists I must marry a rich man, and you happen to be the least objectionable rich man who wants me.'" Juanita Savage; Bandit Love; Dial; 1931. "[Wolfgang] Stange's performers work with a heart-whole involvement which gives his productions a true theatrical force." Clement Crisp; Dance; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 2, 2007. See more usage examples of heart-whole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 24, 2023***** gamboge : (noun) A strong yellow color.; lemon yellow, maize, lemon; His blood may be gamboge yellow with green spots, for all anybody knows. heart-whole : adjective: 1. Unattached: not in love. 2. Sincere; wholehearted. ; "And Myra had charmed the hearts out of many men, while remaining herself heart-whole. She was still heart-whole although she was engaged to be married to Tony ... 'Yes, I'll marry you, Tony, but I don't love you ... I'm going to marry you because Aunt Clarissa insists I must marry a rich man, and you happen to be the least objectionable rich man who wants me.'" Juanita Savage; Bandit Love; Dial; 1931. "[Wolfgang] Stange's performers work with a heart-whole involvement which gives his productions a true theatrical force." Clement Crisp; Dance; Financial Times (London, UK); Jun 2, 2007. See more usage examples of heart-whole in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without. -Ernest Hemingway, author, journalist, Nobel laureate (21 Jul 1899-1961) *****July 25, 2023***** tortuosity : (noun) The quality or condition of being tortuous; twistedness or crookedness.; crookedness, torsion, contortion; The old tree was enormous, and they built a tree house in the tortuosities of its boughs. gospel : noun: 1. Message, teachings, or principles of a person or organization. 2. Something regarded as authoritative or infallible, especially when believed unquestionably. ; "The No. 3 man [Rick Santorum] in the Senate leadership is hard at work spreading the GOP gospel. Will his crusades take him all the way to the White House?" Howard Fineman & Andrew Romano; Mister Right; Newsweek (New York); Jan 3, 2005. See more usage examples of gospel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace. The soul that knows it not, knows no release from little things. -Amelia Earhart, aviator (24 Jul 1897-1937) *****July 26, 2023***** vapid : (adjective) Lacking taste, zest, or flavor; flat.; flavorless, insipid, savorless, bland, flat; The bar was rundown and filthy, serving vapid beer and stale peanuts. messiah : noun: A savior, liberator, or leader of a group or a cause. ; "The Cult of the Shining City ... raised Trump on high like a faulty messiah, and as they lauded him with titles like 'chosen one', his blasphemous word became living gospel." Jared Yates Sexton; Failing Upward: The Donald Trump Story; The Progressive (Madison, Wisconsin); Oct/Nov 2020. See more usage examples of messiah in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are no chaste minds. Minds copulate wherever they meet. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (25 Jul 1902-1983) *****July 27, 2023***** borecole : (noun) A hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head.; kale, Brassica oleracea acephala, colewort; The aristocrats did not enjoy the health benefits of borecole because they considered it a peasant's food. apocalypse : noun: 1. The destruction of the world. 2. Any widespread destruction or disaster. 3. A massive, decisive conflict. 4. A prophecy. ; [J.D. Vance] believed Trump to be a false messiah bound to break the hearts of his supporters. Nevertheless, the Trump phenomenon was an apocalypse in the strict sense of the word." Rod Dreher; Hillbilly Energy; American Conservative (Arlington, Virginia); Jan/Feb 2017. See more usage examples of apocalypse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have never thought much of the courage of a lion tamer. Inside the cage he is at least safe from other men. There is not much harm in a lion. He has no ideals, no religion, no politics, no chivalry, no gentility; in short, no reason for destroying anything that he does not want to eat. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (26 Jul 1856-1950) *****July 28, 2023***** philistinism : (noun) A desire for wealth and material possessions with little interest in ethical or spiritual matters.; materialism; His unabashed philistinism offended Susan, who had abandoned a lucrative business career to pursue her humanitarian interests. exodus : noun: A large-scale departure or emigration. ; "Then, at the same time, I'm seeing Venezuela, the country I grew up in, totally on fire. Literally. I'm seeing an apocalypse. I'm seeing a mass exodus of over 2,000 people a day trying to leave the country that I grew up in." Richard Bienstock; Space Man; Guitar Player (New York); Feb 2020. See more usage examples of exodus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In any free society, the conflict between social conformity and individual liberty is permanent, unresolvable, and necessary. -Kathleen Norris, novelist and columnist (27 Jul 1880-1966) *****July 29, 2023***** dyspepsia : (noun) Disturbed digestion.; indigestion, upset stomach; Certain foods trigger his dyspepsia, so he makes sure to avoid them at all costs. crusade : noun: A zealous effort for an idea or cause. verb intr.: To engage in a zealous effort. ; "On his election to the Senate, [Charles] Sumner led a virtually one-man crusade in Congress for the repeal of this act. The law had led to the exodus of thousands of African Americans to Canada." Manisha Sinha; The Caning of Charles Sumner; Journal of the Early Republic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Summer 2003. See more usage examples of crusade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****July 30, 2023***** gourmand : (noun) A lover of good food.; trencherman, glutton; Because he had a great appreciation for fine cuisine, the gourmand was asked to serve as a judge in the televised cooking contest. crusade : noun: A zealous effort for an idea or cause. verb intr.: To engage in a zealous effort. ; "On his election to the Senate, [Charles] Sumner led a virtually one-man crusade in Congress for the repeal of this act. The law had led to the exodus of thousands of African Americans to Canada." Manisha Sinha; The Caning of Charles Sumner; Journal of the Early Republic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Summer 2003. See more usage examples of crusade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****July 31, 2023***** myopia : (noun) A visual defect in which distant objects appear blurred because their images are focused in front of the retina rather than on it; nearsightedness.; nearsightedness, shortsightedness; By the time she was 30, her myopia had gotten so bad that she was declared legally blind. crusade : noun: A zealous effort for an idea or cause. verb intr.: To engage in a zealous effort. ; "On his election to the Senate, [Charles] Sumner led a virtually one-man crusade in Congress for the repeal of this act. The law had led to the exodus of thousands of African Americans to Canada." Manisha Sinha; The Caning of Charles Sumner; Journal of the Early Republic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Summer 2003. See more usage examples of crusade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We are social creatures to the inmost centre of our being. The notion that one can begin anything at all from scratch, free from the past, or unindebted to others, could not conceivably be more wrong. -Karl Popper, philosopher and professor (28 Jul 1902-1994) *****August 01, 2023***** spelldown : (noun) A contest in which you are eliminated if you fail to spell a word correctly.; spelling bee; Our school hosts a spelldown every year, but since Tom always wins, it's not very exciting. benignant : adjective: 1. Kind and gracious. 2. Beneficial. 3. Not harmful. ; "The itch to be seen as benignant is a hell of a lot better than the studied neutralism of indifference." Rex Murphy; The Right Spirit Behind the Giving; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jan 8, 2005. "Human beings ... are forever ascribing malignant or benignant motives even to inanimate forces such as the weather, volcanoes, and internal-combustion engines." Stephen Budiansky; The Truth About Dogs; The Atlantic Monthly (Boston); Jul 1999. See more usage examples of benignant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Trust is the first step to love. -Premchand, novelist and poet (31 Jul 1880-1936) *****August 02, 2023***** menage : (noun) A domestic establishment.; household; What sort of a menage is it which pays double the market price for a governess but does not keep a horse, although six miles from the station. forgettery : noun: 1. The capacity to forget easily. 2. A poor memory. ; "We carry along such a heart full of the injuries that other people have done us ... We need schools of memory, but we need schools of forgettery, even more." Ralph Albert Parlette; The University of Hard Knocks; Parlette-Padget; 1917. "The forgettery is, apparently, something of a family tradition. 'My mother has one. I think her mother had one. Stuff that actually doesn't matter goes in there. Stuff that's not important, stuff that if you carried it with you would be a burden,' [says Therese Rein]." Penny Wong; Homework in on Time or It's Double Dissolution for You; The Australian (Canberra); Sep 24, 2009. Thought For The Day: Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed. -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1 Aug 1819-1891) *****August 03, 2023***** guidepost : (noun) A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior.; rule of thumb, guideline; His guidepost in social situations was the belief that people tend to be kind to those who are kind. endarken : verb tr.: To make dark, less clear, or gloomy. ; "There is nearly no money to be made in painting a happy picture. It doesn't sell well; no drama. As a result, media-produced news is likely to endarken our world view." Bobby Kittredge; Amusings; Trafford; 2013. "And with the rising and roaring of his voice the perspiration began to flow, pasting his hair to his forehead, endarkening his clothes yet more." Robert J. Begiebing; The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton; University Press of New England; 1999. Thought For The Day: You think your pains and heartbreaks are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who have ever been alive. -James Baldwin, writer (2 Aug 1924-1987) *****August 04, 2023***** trencherman : (noun) A hearty eater.; glutton, gourmand; The waiter set the steak down in front of the smiling trencherman who had already polished off three other entrees. penultimatum : noun: A demand made before an ultimatum. ; "Loeser made an ultimatum, which they both knew was at best a penultimatum or an antepenultimatum." Ned Beauman; The Teleportation Accident; Sceptre; 2012. [If you are especially kind, consider giving a preantepenultimatum as well. -Ed.] Thought For The Day: The world is changed not by the self-regarding, but by men and women prepared to make fools of themselves. -P.D. James, novelist (3 Aug 1920-2014) *****August 05, 2023***** hautboy : (noun) A slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece.; oboe; What hautboys and Zamora bagpipes we shall hear, what tabors, timbrels, and rebecks! presenteeism : noun: The practice of being present at work when it's unnecessary or counterproductive. ; "There is a growing appreciation among businesses that working smarter, not harder, is more productive than presenteeism." Why Working Nine to Five Is No Longer a Way to make a Living; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 22, 2018. Thought For The Day: Ah! what a divine religion might be found out if charity were really made the principle of it instead of faith. -Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet (4 Aug 1792-1822) *****August 06, 2023***** commodious : (adjective) Spacious; roomy.; roomy, large, ample, spacious, expansive, capacious; The accommodations were commodious, and we had plenty of room to store our belongings. presenteeism : noun: The practice of being present at work when it's unnecessary or counterproductive. ; "There is a growing appreciation among businesses that working smarter, not harder, is more productive than presenteeism." Why Working Nine to Five Is No Longer a Way to make a Living; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 22, 2018. Thought For The Day: Ah! what a divine religion might be found out if charity were really made the principle of it instead of faith. -Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet (4 Aug 1792-1822) *****August 07, 2023***** swallowtail : (noun) A man's full-dress jacket with two long tapering tails at the back.; morning coat; When he decided to wear a swallowtail to his wedding, he endured some playful mockery from his groomsmen. presenteeism : noun: The practice of being present at work when it's unnecessary or counterproductive. ; "There is a growing appreciation among businesses that working smarter, not harder, is more productive than presenteeism." Why Working Nine to Five Is No Longer a Way to make a Living; The Guardian (London, UK); Aug 22, 2018. Thought For The Day: Ah! what a divine religion might be found out if charity were really made the principle of it instead of faith. -Percy Bysshe Shelley, poet (4 Aug 1792-1822) *****August 08, 2023***** debunk : (verb) To expose or ridicule the falseness, sham, or exaggerated claims of.; expose; When Rosa heard the ridiculous rumor being spread around the class, she decided to debunk the myth herself. culminant : adjective: Being at or reaching the highest point. ; "Like Nat King Cole, Del McCoury set out to be a crack instrumentalist and -- thanks to an unexpected career bend -- wound up the culminant vocalist in his field." Michael Gray; Cold Hard Facts; Nashville Banner (Tennessee); Jan 23, 1997. Thought For The Day: No amount of belief makes something a fact. -James Randi, magician and skeptic (7 Aug 1928-2020) *****August 09, 2023***** unctuous : (adjective) Characterized by affected, exaggerated, or insincere earnestness.; oleaginous, buttery, fulsome, smarmy, oily; In David Copperfield, the unctuous Uriah Heep is notable for his cloying humility and general insincerity. perficient : adjective: Accomplishing or achieving desired results; effective. ; "He's just a mite slower than the rest of us more perficient punchers." Jarold L. Hampton; Night of the Bull; Covenant Books; 2022. Thought For The Day: In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in the case of poetry, it's the exact opposite. -Paul Dirac, theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate (8 Aug 1902-1984) *****August 10, 2023***** contumely : (noun) A rude expression intended to offend or hurt.; insult, revilement, vilification, abuse; I can bear Dishonor, public insult, many shames, Shrill scorn, and open contumely, but he Who filches from me something that is mine ... he Perils his soul and body in the theft And dies for his small sin. reprehensible : adjective: Deserving criticism or condemnation. ; "Economists should treat threats to future lives as just as morally reprehensible as present threats to our own." Future Lives Matter; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 8, 2018. See more usage examples of reprehensible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The principal goal of education in the schools should be creating men and women who are capable of doing new things, not simply repeating what other generations have done; men and women who are creative, inventive, and discoverers, who can be critical and verify, and not accept, everything they are offered. -Jean Piaget, psychologist (9 Aug 1896-1980) *****August 11, 2023***** vibist : (noun) A musician who plays the vibraphone.; vibraphonist; The singing group hired a vibist to spruce up one of the tracks on their latest record. nondescript : adjective: 1. Without distinctive qualities. 2. Not belonging to a particular class. ; "Since he took over as Peru's president two years ago, Martín Vizcarra, an otherwise nondescript politician, has not flinched from taking bold decisions." Bello Wisdom and Witlessness; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 4, 2020. See more usage examples of nondescript in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Monsters remain human beings. In fact, to reduce them to a subhuman level is to exonerate them of their acts of terrorism and mass murder -- just as animals are not deemed morally responsible for killing. Insisting on the humanity of terrorists is, in fact, critical to maintaining their profound responsibility for the evil they commit. And, if they are human, then they must necessarily not be treated in an inhuman fashion. You cannot lower the moral baseline of a terrorist to the subhuman without betraying a fundamental value. -Andrew Sullivan, writer (b. 10 Aug 1963) *****August 12, 2023***** tallith : (noun) A shawl with a ritually knotted fringe at each corner; worn by Jews at morning prayer.; prayer shawl; He donned his tallith as he entered the synagogue. ostrobogulous : adjective: Unusual; bizarre; risqué or indecent. ; "Father, you know, doesn't approve of novels. A tissue of ostrobogulous lies, he calls them. With the writer laughing behind each page at the reader's gullibility." Charles Johnson; Oxherding Tale: A Novel; Scribner; 2005. "The magnificent Roz Chast's illustrations are, well, ostrobogulous." Michael Pakenham; Editor's Choice; The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland); Apr 6, 2003. Thought For The Day: Courage without conscience is a wild beast. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 13, 2023***** tempestuous : (adjective) As if showing violent anger.; angry, furious, raging, wild; The raging sea and tempestuous winds indicated that a big storm was coming. ostrobogulous : adjective: Unusual; bizarre; risqué or indecent. ; "Father, you know, doesn't approve of novels. A tissue of ostrobogulous lies, he calls them. With the writer laughing behind each page at the reader's gullibility." Charles Johnson; Oxherding Tale: A Novel; Scribner; 2005. "The magnificent Roz Chast's illustrations are, well, ostrobogulous." Michael Pakenham; Editor's Choice; The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland); Apr 6, 2003. Thought For The Day: Courage without conscience is a wild beast. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 14, 2023***** ridgepole : (noun) A horizontal beam at the ridge of a roof to which the rafters are attached.; rooftree; I knew a girl in Marysville who could walk the ridgepole of a roof. ostrobogulous : adjective: Unusual; bizarre; risqué or indecent. ; "Father, you know, doesn't approve of novels. A tissue of ostrobogulous lies, he calls them. With the writer laughing behind each page at the reader's gullibility." Charles Johnson; Oxherding Tale: A Novel; Scribner; 2005. "The magnificent Roz Chast's illustrations are, well, ostrobogulous." Michael Pakenham; Editor's Choice; The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland); Apr 6, 2003. Thought For The Day: Courage without conscience is a wild beast. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (11 Aug 1833-1899) *****August 15, 2023***** sinuous : (adjective) Characterized by many curves or turns; winding.; wiggly, sinuate; We tried to trace the path of the sinuous stream, but it veered and curved in every direction. schemozzle or shemozzle : noun: 1. A state of chaos or confusion. 2. A quarrel or commotion. ; "It was in the living room, so the fish tank starts overflowing, it was there for about 10 minutes and it's flooded the whole dining area and kitchen area and then my spaghetti bolognese was burnt. It was a complete schemozzle." Laugh-A-Minute Tiger Reaches 150 Games; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Apr 8, 2023. "The game was pockmarked by several shemozzles and on two occasions it involved the replacements, a crazy situation that unnecessarily fanned frayed tempers." John O'Sullivan; Connacht Emerge on Top in Another Test of Character; Irish Times (Dublin); May 15, 2021. Thought For The Day: Usually, terrible things that are done with the excuse that progress requires them are not really progress at all, but just terrible things. -Russell Baker, columnist and author (14 Aug 1925-2019) *****August 16, 2023***** discalced : (adjective) Barefoot or wearing sandals. Used of certain religious orders.; unshod; When a procession of discalced friars passed through the doors, I wondered if I should remove my shoes. punim : noun: The face. ; "Barristers are updating their business cards from Queen's Counsel to King's ... A new pound is being minted, with a new royal punim." Jason Farago; A Dynasty Aided By Creative Allies; The New York Times; Oct 11, 2022. Thought For The Day: Solitude, though it may be silent as light, is like light, the mightiest of agencies; for solitude is essential to man. All men come into this world alone; all leave it alone. -Thomas De Quincey, writer (15 Aug 1785-1859) *****August 17, 2023***** punctilious : (adjective) Strictly attentive to minute details of form in action or conduct.; meticulous; The old prince, like all fathers indeed, was exceedingly punctilious on the score of the honor and reputation of his daughters. mishpocha, mishpucha, or mishpacha : noun: An extended family or clan. ; "Was I invited to family dinner because Tatiana considered me mishpocha?" Deborah Wilde; Ace of Shades; Te Da Media; 2022. See more usage examples of mishpocha in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Eminent posts make great men greater, and little men less. -Jean de La Bruyere, essayist and moralist (16 Aug 1645-1696) *****August 18, 2023***** dissenter : (noun) A person who dissents from some established policy.; objector, dissident, protester, contestant; With the exception of one or two dissenters, the members agreed to the proposition. ooftish : noun: Money or cash. ; "It's no good scrapping with your governor, because he's got the ooftish." William Somerset Maugham; Mrs. Craddock; William Heinemann; 1902. Thought For The Day: I speak two languages, Body and English. -Mae West, actress, playwright, singer, screenwriter, and comedian (17 Aug 1893-1980) *****August 19, 2023***** telamon : (noun) A figure of a man used as a supporting pillar.; atlas; The portico of the Hermitage Museum in Russia features ten enormous telamones carved from granite. narrischkeit or narrishkeit : noun: Foolishness; nonsense. ; "Salter said, 'I'm not going to get involved in this petty nonsense. It's narrishkeit.'" John L. Mitchell; Out of the Gate in Beverly Hills; Los Angeles Times; Oct 25, 1987. Thought For The Day: Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) *****August 20, 2023***** dieresis : (noun) A mark ( ¨ ) placed over the second of two adjacent vowels to indicate that they are to be pronounced as separate sounds rather than a diphthong, as in naïve.; umlaut; The presence of a dieresis might indicate that a word originated in a foreign language. narrischkeit or narrishkeit : noun: Foolishness; nonsense. ; "Salter said, 'I'm not going to get involved in this petty nonsense. It's narrishkeit.'" John L. Mitchell; Out of the Gate in Beverly Hills; Los Angeles Times; Oct 25, 1987. Thought For The Day: Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) *****August 21, 2023***** recant : (verb) Formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure.; abjure, forswear, retract, resile; The dissident refused to recant and was imprisoned. narrischkeit or narrishkeit : noun: Foolishness; nonsense. ; "Salter said, 'I'm not going to get involved in this petty nonsense. It's narrishkeit.'" John L. Mitchell; Out of the Gate in Beverly Hills; Los Angeles Times; Oct 25, 1987. Thought For The Day: Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time. -Gulzar, poet, lyricist, and film director (b. 18 Aug 1934) *****August 22, 2023***** compendium : (noun) A list or collection of various items.; collection; Aglaya's husband was to be a compendium of all the virtues, and of all success, not to speak of fabulous wealth. gilded cage : noun: A place or situation that's superficially attractive but confining. ; "Charles is little more than a dilettante, living a life of useless luxury in a gilded cage. The sooner Canada grows up and removes the anachronism of the monarchy the better." Frank Malone; King and Country; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); May 9, 2023. Thought For The Day: Life cannot be classified in terms of a simple neurological ladder, with human beings at the top; it is more accurate to talk of different forms of intelligence, each with its strengths and weaknesses. This point was well demonstrated in the minutes before last December's tsunami, when tourists grabbed their digital cameras and ran after the ebbing surf, and all the 'dumb' animals made for the hills. -B.R. Myers, author (b. 21 Aug 1963) *****August 23, 2023***** skinflint : (noun) A selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend.; scrooge, churl, niggard; He had earned for himself the reputation of an awful skinflint, of a miser in the matter of living. cheeseparing : noun:1. The act of saving by using extremely frugal measures.  2. Something of little value. adjective:1. Meanly economical.  2. Insignificant; spare; thin. ; "I/you/we shall never possess even a cheeseparing of that greatness." Michael Paterniti; Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America With Einstein's Brain; Harper's Magazine (New York); Oct 1997. "It does not begin to be good enough for Sunak to impose another round of cheeseparing austerity." Martin Wolf; The Tories Need to Abandon Their Shibboleths; Financial Times (London, UK); Nov 14, 2022. See more usage examples of cheeseparing in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away. -Dorothy Parker, author (22 Aug 1893-1967) *****August 24, 2023***** floorshow : (noun) A series of entertainments presented in a nightclub.; cabaret; The floorshow was spectacular and loud, and the next morning, he had a splitting headache. cold feet : noun: A feeling of apprehension or doubt about proceeding with a planned action. ; "We thought you'd had cold feet and were chickening out." Laureen Kwock; One Touch of Paradise; Thomas Bouregy; 1991. See more usage examples of cold feet in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A few cobras in your home will soon clear it of rats and mice. Of course, you will still have the cobras. -Will Cuppy, journalist (23 Aug 1884-1949) *****August 25, 2023***** befuddled : (adjective) Perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment.; bewildered, confounded, baffled, mixed-up, bemused, lost; The audience was befuddled by the speaker's contradictory statements. ephemera : noun: 1. Things that last only a short time. 2. Things of no lasting significance. 3. Items such as tickets, postcards, and letters that are intended to be discarded after use but sometimes become collectibles. ; "It would be a mistake to dismiss the issues roiling the book business as ephemera." Alex Clark; The Publishing Wars; New Statesman (London, UK); Jul 22, 2022. "The exhibition includes more than 200 items of ephemera, with letters, photographs, telegrams, manuscripts, copies of The Little Review, and more." Gemma Tipton; The Women Who Helped Joyce Make Ulysses; Irish Times (Dublin); Feb 5, 2022. Thought For The Day: The world is changed by your example, not your opinion. -Paulo Coelho, novelist (b. 24 Aug 1947) *****August 26, 2023***** edification : (noun) Intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement; enlightenment; He knew very well that he must tell some story this evening for the edification of the company. golden handcuffs : noun: Lucrative incentives given to an employee under certain conditions to discourage them from leaving. ; "'You know I can't change jobs for a couple of years,' She reminded him gently. ... 'Golden handcuffs,' Pete muttered. 'Uh, I think I need to be a top exec to qualify as golden.' 'Base metal?' She laughed. 'Closer.' 'Handcuffs all the same.' Jeannie Watt; V is for Valentine; Tule; 2021. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (25 Aug 1949-2023) *****August 27, 2023***** indefatigable : (adjective) Incapable or seemingly incapable of being fatigued.; tireless, unflagging, unwearying; His indefatigable spirit helped him to cope with the illness. golden handcuffs : noun: Lucrative incentives given to an employee under certain conditions to discourage them from leaving. ; "'You know I can't change jobs for a couple of years,' She reminded him gently. ... 'Golden handcuffs,' Pete muttered. 'Uh, I think I need to be a top exec to qualify as golden.' 'Base metal?' She laughed. 'Closer.' 'Handcuffs all the same.' Jeannie Watt; V is for Valentine; Tule; 2021. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (25 Aug 1949-2023) *****August 28, 2023***** marque : (noun) A model or brand of a manufactured product, especially an automobile.; brand, trade name; The public relations department argued that the prestige consumers associated with marque of the car was even more important than the quality of the product. golden handcuffs : noun: Lucrative incentives given to an employee under certain conditions to discourage them from leaving. ; "'You know I can't change jobs for a couple of years,' She reminded him gently. ... 'Golden handcuffs,' Pete muttered. 'Uh, I think I need to be a top exec to qualify as golden.' 'Base metal?' She laughed. 'Closer.' 'Handcuffs all the same.' Jeannie Watt; V is for Valentine; Tule; 2021. Thought For The Day: Bullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun. -Martin Amis, novelist (25 Aug 1949-2023) *****August 29, 2023***** emetic : (noun) An agent that causes vomiting.; nauseant, vomitive, vomit; She was highly allergic to dairy products; pizza gave her a stomachache, and ice cream was a virtual emetic. egrote : verb intr.: To feign sickness. ; "Upon hearing of the impending visit of the talkative Lady Pennington, Miss Eliza Bennett decided to egrote, theatrically moaning and requesting tea every hour. Little did she know, Lady Pennington had the same idea and sent her regrets, citing a most 'sudden and dramatic' ailment." Jane Austen; The Convenient Colds of Highbury; Hartfield Publishing; 1814. Thought For The Day: Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (28 Aug 1749-1832) *****August 30, 2023***** atavism : (noun) A reappearance of an earlier characteristic.; throwback, reversion; Perhaps some deep-rooted atavism urges the wanderer back to lands which his ancestors left in the dim beginnings of history. zenzic : noun: Square of a number. adjective: Relating to the square of a number. ; "At the heart of the mystery was a note left on Reginald's desk. 'To unlock the vault,' it read, 'find the zenzic of the number.' Miss Marple, always one for cryptic challenges, realized that squared numbers might be the key to the treasure." Agatha Christie; Miss Marple and the Zenzic Enigma; Collins Crime Club; 1957. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: The decent moderation of today will be the least of human things tomorrow. At the time of the Spanish Inquisition, the opinion of good sense and of the good medium was certainly that people ought not to burn too large a number of heretics; extreme and unreasonable opinion obviously demanded that they should burn none at all. -Maurice Maeterlinck, poet, dramatist, and Nobel laureate (29 Aug 1862-1949) *****August 31, 2023***** placeman : (noun) One who has a political appointment in the government.; placeseeker; They viewed the placeman as a colorless bureaucrat. philomuse : noun: A poetry lover. ; "your touch a fervent poet's hand over the canvas of my skin philomuse, I am you ignite the raw verses of my body's longing" Rupi Kaur; intimate ink; Bare Essence Publishing; 2021. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: The heart of a mother is a deep abyss, at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. -Honore de Balzac, novelist (1799-1850) *****September 01, 2023***** asthenopia : (noun) A tiredness of the eyes caused by prolonged close work by a person with an uncorrected vision problem.; eyestrain; The jeweler developed asthenopia due to the long hours he spent fitting small clasps on thin chains. delibate : verb tr.: To take a small amount of something: to taste or sip. ; "At the heart of Hogsmeade, in a dimly lit corner of The Three Broomsticks, young wizards would often delibate potions of unknown origins, daring each other to guess the magical effects from just a tiny sip." J.K. Rowling; Whispers and Wonders of Hogsmeade; Bloomsbury; Dec 2004. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: The fingers of your thoughts are molding your face ceaselessly. -Charles Reznikoff, poet (31 Aug 1894-1976) *****September 02, 2023***** congeries : (noun) A sum total of many heterogeneous things taken together.; conglomeration, aggregate; The top floor is devoted to the servants—a congeries of little kitchens and cubicles, used by many as lumber-rooms. secundan : adjective: Occurring every other day. ; "Forsooth! Sir Henry hath adopted a curious habit, taking his long walks secundan, as if the morrow's sun offends and the next shines but to please him." William Shakespeare; Tales of Time's Oddities; The Stratford Sentinel (England); Jun 1, 1599. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1 Sep 1978) *****September 03, 2023***** compeer : (noun) A person who is of equal standing with another in a group.; equal, peer, match; He was a motivated and slightly competitive student who worked hard to distinguish himself from his compeers. secundan : adjective: Occurring every other day. ; "Forsooth! Sir Henry hath adopted a curious habit, taking his long walks secundan, as if the morrow's sun offends and the next shines but to please him." William Shakespeare; Tales of Time's Oddities; The Stratford Sentinel (England); Jun 1, 1599. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1 Sep 1978) *****September 04, 2023***** passementerie : (noun) Ornamental trimming for a garment, as braid, lace, or metallic beads.; trim; The passementerie on her hat was so elaborate that it made the brim droop. secundan : adjective: Occurring every other day. ; "Forsooth! Sir Henry hath adopted a curious habit, taking his long walks secundan, as if the morrow's sun offends and the next shines but to please him." William Shakespeare; Tales of Time's Oddities; The Stratford Sentinel (England); Jun 1, 1599. [An AI-generated usage example] Thought For The Day: When wealth is passed off as merit, bad luck is seen as bad character. This is how ideologues justify punishing the sick and the poor. But poverty is neither a crime nor a character flaw. Stigmatize those who let people die, not those who struggle to live. -Sarah Kendzior, journalist and author (b. 1 Sep 1978) *****September 05, 2023***** husbandman : (noun) A person who operates a farm.; farmer, granger, sodbuster; The husbandman will not make his own plough or mattock, or other implements of agriculture, if they are to be good for anything. pronation : noun: 1. Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces downward or backward. 2. Rotation of the foot such that the weight is borne on its inner edge. 3. The resulting position when the arm or foot is rotated in such a manner. ; "The detective turned the shoes upside down and ran her gaze over the soles. ... The wear pattern was typical of someone with moderate pronation." Diane Kelly; Bending the Paw; St. Martin's; 2020. See more usage examples of pronation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul. -Mary Renault, novelist (4 Sep 1905-1983) *****September 06, 2023***** effigy : (noun) A likeness or image, especially of a person.; simulacrum, image; The penny bears an effigy of Lincoln. militate : verb intr.: To exert a strong influence, either for or against something. ; "'The twin imperatives of corporate profit and national security,' Igo says, militate against greater privacy protections." Louis Menand; Nowhere to Hide; The New Yorker; Jun 18, 2018. "The importance of the town's biggest industry seems to militate for sticking with Britain." Scottish Independence; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 2, 2014. See more usage examples of militate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If he does not fight, it is not because he rejects all fighting as futile, but because he has finished his fights. He has overcome all dissensions between himself and the world and is now at rest... We shall have wars and soldiers so long as the brute in us is untamed. -Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, philosopher and second president of India (5 Sep 1888-1975) *****September 07, 2023***** complaisance : (noun) A disposition or tendency to yield to the will of others.; deference, compliancy, obligingness, compliance; He complied with her request, and answered her challenge in a large wine-cup; she then proceeded with her story, as if appeased by his complaisance. instar : noun: A stage in the life of an insect between two molts, prior to reaching maturity. verb tr.: To make a star or decorate using stars. ; "So they forced one of their own through all the instars they needed to make her a queen." Seanan McGuire; Calculated Risks; Astra; 2021. See more usage examples of instar in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) *****September 08, 2023***** contraption : (noun) A device that is very useful for a particular job.; gizmo, appliance, contrivance, gadget, widget, gismo, convenience; He turned the contraption around and around in his hands, not believing that such simple, small thing could save lives. diaeresis or dieresis : noun: 1. The separation of two adjacent vowel sounds. 2. The mark ¨ placed over a vowel to indicate that it's pronounced as a separate syllable, for example, in naïve or Brontë. 3. A break in a line of verse when the end of a word coincides with the end of the metric foot. ; "However, it was not until much later in life that Patrick went a step further and adopted the diaeresis which was to make the name Brontë." James Tully; The Crimes of Charlotte Brontë; Constable & Robinson; 1999. See more usage examples of diaeresis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We offer great rewards to a man who can tame a tiger, admire those who can train horses, monkeys, and elephants, and praise to the skies the author of some modest work. Yet we neglect women who have spent years and years nourishing and educating children. -Francois Poulain, author, philosopher, and priest (?? Jul 1647-1723) *****September 09, 2023***** abridgment : (noun) A shortened version of a written work.; condensation, capsule; In a word, I gave him an abridgment of this whole history; I gave him a picture of my conduct for fifty years in miniature. funambulism : noun: 1. The act of walking on a rope between two points elevated from the ground. 2. The balancing act between contrasting situations, such as appeasing two groups with opposing views. ; "There's a fine line between those two ways of thinking, and DJs ... walk this tightrope skillfully. Call it musical funambulism." Jason Bracelin; Mix It Up; Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada); Aug 2, 2012. "[The] US strategy has slid into total incoherence, drifting from a futile and deadly funambulism among the tribes of Afghanistan to propping up the Lebanese Army." George Gilder; The Economics of Settlement; The American Spectator (Alexandria, Virginia); Jun 2011. See more usage examples of funambulism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 10, 2023***** subterfuge : (noun) Something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity.; blind; The manner in which he said this made Ned feel sure that Tom had had other thoughts, and that he had used a little subterfuge in his answer. funambulism : noun: 1. The act of walking on a rope between two points elevated from the ground. 2. The balancing act between contrasting situations, such as appeasing two groups with opposing views. ; "There's a fine line between those two ways of thinking, and DJs ... walk this tightrope skillfully. Call it musical funambulism." Jason Bracelin; Mix It Up; Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada); Aug 2, 2012. "[The] US strategy has slid into total incoherence, drifting from a futile and deadly funambulism among the tribes of Afghanistan to propping up the Lebanese Army." George Gilder; The Economics of Settlement; The American Spectator (Alexandria, Virginia); Jun 2011. See more usage examples of funambulism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 11, 2023***** pedicab : (noun) A tricycle (usually propelled by pedaling); used in the Orient for transporting passengers for hire.; cycle rickshaw; Boys who once pulled rickshaws now pedal pedicabs. funambulism : noun: 1. The act of walking on a rope between two points elevated from the ground. 2. The balancing act between contrasting situations, such as appeasing two groups with opposing views. ; "There's a fine line between those two ways of thinking, and DJs ... walk this tightrope skillfully. Call it musical funambulism." Jason Bracelin; Mix It Up; Las Vegas Review-Journal (Nevada); Aug 2, 2012. "[The] US strategy has slid into total incoherence, drifting from a futile and deadly funambulism among the tribes of Afghanistan to propping up the Lebanese Army." George Gilder; The Economics of Settlement; The American Spectator (Alexandria, Virginia); Jun 2011. See more usage examples of funambulism in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) *****September 12, 2023***** concordat : (noun) A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action.; compact, covenant; The two nations were bitter enemies, but the signing of a concordat showed progress. anachronistic : adjective: 1. Out-of-date, old-fashioned. 2. Involving something or someone in the wrong historical period. ; "In an on-demand world, the two-week pay cycle most Canadian workers live with does seem anachronistic and a bit patronizing. You're asked to work harder and smarter to meet the demands of today's world, but The Man keeps paying you the same way your parents and probably your grandparents were." Rob Carrick; Pay on Demand Reflects today's Financial Stress; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Jul 25, 2023. See more usage examples of anachronistic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A straw vote only shows which way the hot air blows. -O. Henry, short-story writer (11 Sep 1862-1910) *****September 13, 2023***** cuspidor : (noun) A receptacle for spit (usually in a public place).; spittoon; Louisa was revolted when their mysterious guest coughed, spitting mucus into his already brimming cuspidor. kairos : noun: The right time for taking an action; a decisive moment. ; "Barbara said, 'I imagined her as having entered more fully into kairos -- the appointed time, the fullness of time. There's a suspension of certainty.'" Rachel Aviv; The Edge of Identity; The New Yorker; Apr 2, 2018. Thought For The Day: All zoos actually offer the public, in return for the taxes spent upon them, is a form of idle witless amusement, compared to which a visit to the state penitentiary, or even a state legislature in session, is informing, stimulating, and ennobling. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) *****September 14, 2023***** tremulous : (adjective) Marked by trembling, quivering, or shaking.; quavering; The moonlight on the lawn was tremulous, as if the sward were a rippling sea. chiliad : noun: 1. A period of a thousand years. 2. A group of 1000. ; "As Jan 1, 1990, hits the ground running, so do I, toward the biggest marketing opportunity in chiliads." Patricia Cadigan Tucker; Beginning of the End? No, It's Fin-De-Siecle; St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri); Jan 1, 1990. See more usage examples of chiliad in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Spurned pity can turn into cruelty just as spurned love turns into hate. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) *****September 15, 2023***** erratum : (noun) An error in printing or writing, especially such an error noted in a list of corrections and bound into a book.; misprint, typo, literal error; Subsequent printings of the book contained an index of the errata that had been noted since the first printing. epoch : noun: A distinctive time period in history. ; "Half a millennium from now, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa will have become great engines of productivity. Stranger things have happened. A millennium ago real output per person was significantly higher in China than in Britain. To predict that a European backwater would lead the world into the most transformative economic epoch in history would have seemed like madness." Hitting the Big Time; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 20, 2019. See more usage examples of epoch in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Elitism is the slur directed at merit by mediocrity. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist (14 Sep 1917-1986) *****September 16, 2023***** magnanimous : (adjective) Courageously noble in mind and heart.; greathearted; Then he imagined how, after the attack, Bogdanich would come up to him as he lay wounded and would magnanimously extend the hand of reconciliation. isochronal : adjective: 1. Equal in time. 2. Occurring at regular intervals. ; "The sphere, hanging from a long wire set into the ceiling of the choir, swayed back and forth with isochronal majesty." Umberto Eco; Foucault's Pendulum; Secker & Warburg; 1989. See more usage examples of isochronal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. -Agatha Christie, author (15 Sep 1890-1976) *****September 17, 2023***** terse : (adjective) Brief and to the point; effectively concise.; laconic, curt, crisp; The officer's orders were terse, but everyone understood his instructions. isochronal : adjective: 1. Equal in time. 2. Occurring at regular intervals. ; "The sphere, hanging from a long wire set into the ceiling of the choir, swayed back and forth with isochronal majesty." Umberto Eco (Translation: William Weaver); Foucault's Pendulum; Secker & Warburg; 1989. See more usage examples of isochronal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. -Agatha Christie, author (15 Sep 1890-1976) *****September 18, 2023***** credenza : (noun) A buffet, sideboard, or bookcase, especially one without legs.; credence; There was no room on the dining table, so they placed the desserts on the nearby credenza and encouraged their guests to help themselves to cake. isochronal : adjective: 1. Equal in time. 2. Occurring at regular intervals. ; "The sphere, hanging from a long wire set into the ceiling of the choir, swayed back and forth with isochronal majesty." Umberto Eco (Translation: William Weaver); Foucault's Pendulum; Secker & Warburg; 1989. See more usage examples of isochronal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is a curious thought, but it is only when you see people looking ridiculous that you realize just how much you love them. -Agatha Christie, author (15 Sep 1890-1976) *****September 19, 2023***** ragamuffin : (noun) A shabbily clothed, dirty child.; tatterdemalion; The wealthy bachelor had pity on the ragamuffin and handed him a wad of bills, instructing him to buy himself dinner and a new coat. castaneous : adjective: Deep reddish-brown. ; "Her large castaneous eyes were intensified by kohl and mascara." Sasha Mirage; Fatal Aroma; AuthorHouse; 2011. Thought For The Day: [Film and theater critic John] Simon has simply discovered the trick used with great effectiveness by certain comedians, talk show hosts and punk rock musicians: people of modest talent can attract attention, at least for a while, by being unrelentingly offensive. -Steven Pinker, author and psychology professor (b. 18 Sep 1954) *****September 20, 2023***** honky-tonk : (noun) A cheap, noisy bar or dance hall.; barrelhouse; The missionaries went to the honky-tonk on a Saturday night hoping to save souls, but they were not very successful. rubricate : verb tr.: 1. To color or mark with red. 2. To highlight or decorate. 3. To provide with a rubric (a guide, rule, commentary, etc.). ; "The sunken sun rubricated the sky." Patricia Colton; The Window Blind; AuthorHouse; 2011. "Writing about Perez Prado's arrangements, Cuban musicologist Helio Orovio in his 'Dictionary of Cuban Music' suggests, '... Underneath all, the trombones rubricate the musical phrases.'" Sergio Muñoz; Musical America; Los Angeles Times; Aug 8, 1999. "In all her scenes Linney rubricated the collaborative nature of their partnership." Marvin Kitman; Birth of a Nation; The New Leader (New York); Mar/Apr 2008. See more usage examples of rubricate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: This is what power really is: the privilege of ignoring anything you might find distasteful. -Oksana Zabuzhko, writer (b. 19 Sep 1960) *****September 21, 2023***** irk : (verb) To be irritating, wearisome, or vexing to.; gall; The sight of her gave Sheldon fresh courage, and the tedious hours of waiting did not irk him. cerulean : adjective: Sky blue. ; "Some 250 NATO warplanes roared into the cerulean heavens to smash the intruders." Mare Nostrum Balticum; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 12, 2023. See more usage examples of cerulean in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. -Upton Sinclair, novelist and reformer (20 Sep 1878-1968) *****September 22, 2023***** odium : (noun) Strong dislike, contempt, or aversion.; abhorrence, detestation, execration, loathing, abomination; He rather deserved the odium which he had incurred. brunneous : adjective: Dark brown. ; "It looked as though nature was taking over the planet. The colours were astounding. All shades of the brown: tawn, russet, chestnut, and filemot blending in perfectly with the reds of goldenrod, terracotta, sorrel, and rufous as the greens splashed sprays of apple, antique bronze, celadon, olive, and citrine all over the landscape like rivers of paint. I was driving on a veritable palette. The way the trees contrasted so alarmingly with their brunneous barks left me agape." Derek Ghirlando; Doune; AuthorHouse; 2017. Thought For The Day: Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. -Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947) *****September 23, 2023***** monomania : (noun) Pathological obsession with one idea or subject.; possession; He thought of it constantly, so that it became a monomania. variegate : verb tr.: To diversify, enliven, or to make more interesting, especially with colors. ; "She was enchanting in an unstudied, guileless way. ... The eyes were very fancy indeed, the lids variegating in a rainbow from plum to lavender to mauve." Allene Arthur; Recalling the Tammy Faye Scoop; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Oct 21, 2007. See more usage examples of variegate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 24, 2023***** inglenook : (noun) A nook or corner beside an open fireplace.; chimney corner; Yet no one had retired, except the children and "old Feyther Taft," who being too deaf to catch many words, had some time ago gone back to his inglenook. variegate : verb tr.: To diversify, enliven, or to make more interesting, especially with colors. ; "She was enchanting in an unstudied, guileless way. ... The eyes were very fancy indeed, the lids variegating in a rainbow from plum to lavender to mauve." Allene Arthur; Recalling the Tammy Faye Scoop; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Oct 21, 2007. See more usage examples of variegate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 25, 2023***** annulus : (noun) A toroidal shape.; doughnut, anchor ring, halo, ring; He was reclining on the red couch, blowing annuli of smoke that would slowly ascend and disappear into wisps. variegate : verb tr.: To diversify, enliven, or to make more interesting, especially with colors. ; "She was enchanting in an unstudied, guileless way. ... The eyes were very fancy indeed, the lids variegating in a rainbow from plum to lavender to mauve." Allene Arthur; Recalling the Tammy Faye Scoop; The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California); Oct 21, 2007. See more usage examples of variegate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Learning is acquired by reading books; but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading man, and studying all the various editions of them. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) *****September 26, 2023***** regalia : (noun) Magnificent attire; finery.; raiment, array; He arrayed himself in the regalia of millionaires and presidents. Goshen : noun: A place of comfort and abundance. ; "Where is that Goshen of mediocrity in which a smattering of science and learning will pass for profound instruction ... ?" George Eliot; Evangelical Teaching: Dr. Cumming; Westminster Review (London, UK); 1855. Thought For The Day: No battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. -William Faulkner, novelist (25 Sep 1897-1962) *****September 27, 2023***** solecism : (noun) A socially awkward or tactless act.; faux pas, gaffe, slip, gaucherie; She smiled again, turned, and walked away, leaving George to reckon up all the social solecisms he had contrived to commit in the space of a single moment. christen : verb tr.: 1. To name someone or something. 2. To use something for the first time. 3. To initiate a person, especially a child, into the Christian church, by baptizing and giving a name. ; "It was James Roscoe who first christened him Pirate. The nickname stuck." Carola Dunn; A Second Spring; Belgrave House; 1994. See more usage examples of christen in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The Hollow Men: Between the idea / And the reality / Between the motion / And the act / Falls the shadow. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) *****September 28, 2023***** lentigo : (noun) A small, flat, pigmented spot on the skin.; freckle; The dermatologist advised the patient to keep an eye on the large lentigo near her lip and to alert him if there was a change in its size or shape. Sodom : noun: A place considered to be full of wickedness and sin. ; "No amount of iPod emporia can save Regent Street from what it has become: a Sodom of the crassest commercialism." Stephen Bayley; "Once a Masterpiece, Now a Sodom of Commercialism"; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Jun 26, 2005. See more usage examples of Sodom in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence. -Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (27 Sep 1821-1881) *****September 29, 2023***** quietude : (noun) A state of peace and quiet.; tranquility, quietness; Who can tell how scenes of peace and quietude sink into the minds of pain-worn dwellers in close and noisy places. Rechabite : noun: 1. One who abstains from intoxicating drinks. 2. One who lives in tents. ; "St Kilda [Football Club] has a crazy past. Party boys, thugs, mergers, sackings, cash flows as dry as a rechabite's barbie."* Patrick Smith; St Kilda up the Creek With No Name; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Aug 18, 1998. *Australianism for a barbecue Thought For The Day: There is always more goodness in the world than there appears to be, because goodness is of its very nature modest and retiring. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) *****September 30, 2023***** compunction : (noun) A strong uneasiness caused by a sense of guilt.; remorse, self-reproach; This child had taken and lost her treasured amethyst brooch and now sat there calmly without the least apparent compunction or repentance. tower of Babel : noun: 1. A scene of noise or confusion. 2. An ambitious or impractical plan. ; "Unfortunately, makers of acoustic nodes have developed several incompatible data protocols, creating a 'Tower of Babel and a world of pain' for teams trying to link them together, says Mr. Potter." Captain Nemo Goes Online; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 9, 2013. See more usage examples of tower of Babel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery. -Enrico Fermi, physicist and Nobel laureate (29 Sep 1901-1954) *****October 01, 2023***** presentiment : (noun) A sense that something is about to occur; a premonition.; boding, foreboding, premonition; We've gone and lost your father's flat, Diana, and I have a presentiment that we'll not be allowed to row on the pond any more. tower of Babel : noun: 1. A scene of noise or confusion. 2. An ambitious or impractical plan. ; "Unfortunately, makers of acoustic nodes have developed several incompatible data protocols, creating a 'Tower of Babel and a world of pain' for teams trying to link them together, says Mr. Potter." Captain Nemo Goes Online; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 9, 2013. See more usage examples of tower of Babel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery. -Enrico Fermi, physicist and Nobel laureate (29 Sep 1901-1954) *****October 02, 2023***** tractable : (adjective) Easily managed or controlled; governable.; manipulable; I felt him become suddenly tractable again like an animal, like a good-tempered horse when the object that scares him is removed. tower of Babel : noun: 1. A scene of noise or confusion. 2. An ambitious or impractical plan. ; "Unfortunately, makers of acoustic nodes have developed several incompatible data protocols, creating a 'Tower of Babel and a world of pain' for teams trying to link them together, says Mr. Potter." Captain Nemo Goes Online; The Economist (London, UK); Mar 9, 2013. See more usage examples of tower of Babel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two possible outcomes: If the result confirms the hypothesis, then you've made a measurement. If the result is contrary to the hypothesis, then you've made a discovery. -Enrico Fermi, physicist and Nobel laureate (29 Sep 1901-1954) *****October 03, 2023***** jalopy : (noun) An old, dilapidated motor vehicle, especially an automobile.; heap, bus; The jalopy didn't even make it to the junkyard, breaking into a thousand pieces as soon as we climbed inside. lackwit : noun: One who lacks intelligence. adjective: Lacking intelligence. ; "Here in the land of the lackwit, while nitwits to the right of us and dimwits to the left of us volley and thunder, we permit the plunderers and their political boot-lickers to continue pillaging and highgrading." Stephen Hume; Forests Folly Proves BC Is Province of Losers; The Vancouver Sun (Canada); Feb 20, 1999. Thought For The Day: Civilization is the encouragement of differences. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) *****October 04, 2023***** rowlock : (noun) A holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing.; thole, tholepin, peg, pin, oarlock; It was that dull kind of a regular sound that comes from oars working in rowlocks when it's a still night. dingthrift : noun: One who is wasteful and reckless with money or resources. ; "Some dingthrifts talk of pulling down the universities and selling off their lands like the monasteries." Diane Davidson; Feversham; Crown Publishers; 1969. Thought For The Day: Which of us is not forever a stranger and alone? -Thomas Wolfe, novelist (3 Oct 1900-1938) *****October 05, 2023***** subspecies : (noun) A taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species.; race; The scientist identified a rare subspecies of the animal, and his discovery made international headlines. turnkey : noun: One in charge of the keys in a prison; jailer. adjective: Relating to a product or service that is supplied ready for immediate use. ; "The turnkey closed and bolted the barred gate." Bernard Cornwell; Gallows Thief; HarperCollins; 2001. "GE began to offer turnkey contracts to utilities, in which it delivered an entire nuclear plant for a fixed price." Nucleardawn; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 8, 2007. See more usage examples of turnkey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The unrestricted competition so commonly advocated does not leave us the survival of the fittest. The unscrupulous succeed best in accumulating wealth. -Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th US president (4 Oct 1822-1893) *****October 06, 2023***** catkin : (noun) A usually dense, cylindrical, often drooping cluster of unisexual apetalous flowers found in willows, birches, and oaks.; ament; Walking some forty paces away, Sergey Ivanovitch, knowing he was out of sight, stood still behind a bushy spindle-tree in full flower with its rosy red catkins. nipcheese : noun: 1. A miser. 2. A ship's purser (an official in charge of money matters). ; "I wouldn't have to dance for my supper if you weren't such a nipcheese about paying me for my services." Cara Elliott; Sinfully Yours; Grand Central Publishing; 2014. Thought For The Day: Wandering in a vast forest at night, I have only a faint light to guide me. A stranger appears and says to me: 'My friend, you should blow out your candle in order to find your way more clearly.' The stranger is a theologian. -Denis Diderot, philosopher (5 Oct 1713-1784) *****October 07, 2023***** fiat : (noun) A legally binding command or decision entered on the court record (as if issued by a court or judge).; decree, edict, rescript, order; The judge issued a fiat that was met with widespread protest. scattergood : noun: One who spends wastefully. ; "A damned scattergood -- and you've no need to remind me that you're not dependent on me for money you waste on your horses, and your betting, and your bits of muslin." Georgette Heyer; Charity Girl; Bodley Head; 1970. See more usage examples of scattergood in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 08, 2023***** gazebo : (noun) A freestanding, roofed, usually open-sided structure providing a shady resting place.; summerhouse; There was a gazebo about a quarter-mile away from the mansion where we would talk, surrounded by nature and protected from the sun. scattergood : noun: One who spends wastefully. ; "A damned scattergood -- and you've no need to remind me that you're not dependent on me for money you waste on your horses, and your betting, and your bits of muslin." Georgette Heyer; Charity Girl; Bodley Head; 1970. See more usage examples of scattergood in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 09, 2023***** vesicle : (noun) A small sac or cyst, especially one containing fluid.; cyst; All living things have much in common, in their chemical composition, their germinal vesicles, and their laws of growth and reproduction. scattergood : noun: One who spends wastefully. ; "A damned scattergood -- and you've no need to remind me that you're not dependent on me for money you waste on your horses, and your betting, and your bits of muslin." Georgette Heyer; Charity Girl; Bodley Head; 1970. See more usage examples of scattergood in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. -George H. Lorimer, editor (6 Oct 1867-1937) *****October 10, 2023***** commissariat : (noun) A stock or supply of foods.; provisions, viands, victuals, provender; During the war with Spain he was employed in the commissariat of the French army, and made a fortune. hallux : noun: The big toe. More generally, the innermost digit on the hind foot of animals. ; "'I developed gigantism of the hallux so I just don't wear shoes or boots most of the time ...' Billy says as he is gripping his large black toe with his right hand." Jeffrey M. Tulppo; The Carpenter; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of hallux in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: From everything that man erects and builds in his urge for living, nothing in my eyes is better and more valuable than bridges. They are more important than houses, more sacred than shrines. Belonging to everyone and being equal to everyone, useful, always built with a sense, on the spot where most human needs are crossing, they are more durable than other buildings and they do not serve for anything secret or bad. -Ivo Andric, novelist, Nobel laureate (9 Oct 1892-1975) *****October 11, 2023***** atelier : (noun) A studio especially for an artist or designer.; artist's workroom; Joe and Delia met in an atelier where a number of art and music students had gathered to discuss chiaroscuro, Wagner, music, wall paper, Chopin, and Oolong. pinna : noun: 1. The outer ear. Also known as auricle. 2. A projecting body part such as a wing, feather, or fin. 3. A leaflet or primary division of a pinnate leaf, as found in ferns and some other plants. ; "She put her hand on my hair and then the hand slipped down to my ear ... She caressed my pinna and stroked my shoulder." Abraham Verghese; Cutting for Stone; Random House; 2012. See more usage examples of pinna in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials. -Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976) *****October 12, 2023***** lackey : (noun) A servile follower.; toady, crawler, sycophant; The archdeacon had in Quasimodo the most submissive slave, the most docile lackey, the most vigilant of dogs. canthus : noun: Either of the two corners of the eye, specifically where the upper and lower eyelids meet, known as the inner and outer canthus. ; "There was a dip in the arc from Mick's inner canthus to the top of his eyelid that moved me. No matter how widely Mick smiled, he still had that aching arch." Martha Moody; Sometimes Mine; Riverhead; 2009. "I began to think of the artist as a sort of antenna, picking up invisible signals from across time and space (this impression was likely bolstered by the way they wear their eyeliner: antenna-like, drawn an inch or so past each outer canthus)." Julia Felsenthal; Artist's Questionnaire; The New York Times; Mar 23, 2023. See more usage examples of canthus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. -Eleanor Roosevelt, diplomat and writer (11 Oct 1884-1962) *****October 13, 2023***** arboreal : (adjective) Relating to or resembling a tree.; arborical, arborous; Clayton had erected a frail partition of boughs to divide their arboreal shelter into two rooms—one for the girl and the other for Monsieur Thuran. uvula : noun: The small, fleshy mass that hangs in the back of the mouth, above the throat. ; "An hour later, I was swallowed up by an ocean leviathan, and could only escape by ramming against its uvula." Luke Winkie; Goat Simulator 3 Review; The Guardian (London, UK); Dec 20, 2022. See more usage examples of uvula in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Life is just a short walk from the cradle to the grave and it sure behooves us to be kind to one another along the way. -Alice Childress, playwright, author, and actor (12 Oct 1916-1994) *****October 14, 2023***** hegira : (noun) A flight to escape danger.; exodus; The oppressed villagers secretly planned a hegira to escape the czar's army. gnathion : noun: The lowest part of the chin. ; "'The cyber sissy,' I snapped, drawing near her to caress her gnathion with the back of my right hand." Hermann Observer; Brain Quest; CreateSpace; 2017. See more usage examples of gnathion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Billionaires need the working class. The working class does not need billionaires. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. Oct 13, 1989) *****October 15, 2023***** scintilla : (noun) A minute amount; an iota or trace.; shred, smidge, smidgeon, tittle, whit; When the party was over, not a scintilla of food remained. gnathion : noun: The lowest part of the chin. ; "'The cyber sissy,' I snapped, drawing near her to caress her gnathion with the back of my right hand." Hermann Observer; Brain Quest; CreateSpace; 2017. See more usage examples of gnathion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Billionaires need the working class. The working class does not need billionaires. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. Oct 13, 1989) *****October 16, 2023***** dungaree : (noun) A sturdy, often blue denim fabric.; jean, denim; He wore an open jacket, with a splotch of tar on the sleeve, a red-and-black check shirt, dungaree trousers, and heavy boots badly worn. gnathion : noun: The lowest part of the chin. ; "'The cyber sissy,' I snapped, drawing near her to caress her gnathion with the back of my right hand." Hermann Observer; Brain Quest; CreateSpace; 2017. See more usage examples of gnathion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Billionaires need the working class. The working class does not need billionaires. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. Oct 13, 1989) *****October 17, 2023***** wharfage : (noun) A platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats.; pier, dock; After the storm, she stood at the end of the wharfage, waiting for her brother's boat to return. appanage or apanage : noun: 1. An allowance given for the maintenance of a member of a royal family. 2. A perk associated with a job or a position. ; "PM Mette Frederiksen will accordingly submit a motion to Parliament to enable the prince to continue receiving his appanage in his new home." Ben Hamilton; Prince Joachim Moving to the US; The Copenhagen Post (Denmark); Mar 17, 2023. "With a brilliant detachment that is anything but clinical -- the contradictory appanage of the true poet -- [Mahmoud Darwish's] lyrics are resolutely clear-eyed." Luis H. Francia; Fortune's Child; The Village Voice (New York); Jan 15, 2003. See more usage examples of appanage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) *****October 18, 2023***** nonstarter : (noun) An idea, proposal, or candidate with no chance of being accepted or successful.; failure, loser; Many lawmakers are pronouncing the budget a nonstarter. cake eater : noun: 1. A self-indulgent person who leads a life of ease and pleasure. 2. A ladies' man. ; "Always be suspicious of a player whose mom or dad carries his or her gear. They're likely cake eaters." Caroline Akervik; Christmas Comeback (to Me); Melange Books; 2020. "The rules: 'Don't fall for the slick, dandified cake eater -- the unpolished gold of a real man is worth more than the gloss of a lounge lizard.'" John Kelly; Anti-Flirt Club in 1923; The Washington Post; Apr 20, 2021. Thought For The Day: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) *****October 19, 2023***** bedeck : (verb) To adorn or ornament in a showy fashion.; bedight, deck; It was at the dawn of day in the merry Maytime, when hedgerows are green and flowers bedeck the meadows. grubstake : noun:1. Funds supplied for launching an enterprise in return for a share of the profits.  2. Money or other assistance provided to sustain someone in difficult circumstances. verb tr.:To supply with funds. ; "Starting with a grubstake in the low six figures, Two Small Fish backed 22 companies, some of which became breakout stars in Canada." Sean Silcoff; Two Small Fish Aims to Take Big Bite of Tech Market With New Venture Fund; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Oct 4, 2022. "If Bezos had any particular ingenuity, it was in realizing that not only could Amazon avoid paying taxes to get a leg up over its competitors, but it could rely on witless local, state, and federal government representatives to actively grubstake the company's growth. As a result, in 2018 Amazon contributed $0 in corporate tax on $11 billion in profit, and actually bagged a $129 million tax rebate. '[F]rom 2009 to 2018, the company paid an effective tax rate of 3 percent on profits totaling $26.5 billion' writes MacGillis. Amazon wove a new social fabric by threading an astonishing number of loopholes in the American tax system." Alexander Sammon; In Bezosworld; The American Prospect (Princeton, New Jersey); Mar/Apr 2021. See more usage examples of grubstake in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: What I like in a good author isn't what he says, but what he whispers. -Logan Pearsall Smith, essayist (18 Oct 1865-1946) *****October 20, 2023***** cupidity : (noun) Excessive desire, especially for wealth.; covetousness, avarice; Their very cupidity was to prove the means of their undoing, in the matter of the ransom at least. applesauce : noun: Nonsense; lies. ; "The foreshadowing, as it were -- comes true, or turns out to be pure applesauce." Cam Cole; Cujo Puts the Fear Into the Sens; National Post (Don Mills, Canada); Apr 3, 2000. See more usage examples of applesauce in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The same people who can deny others everything are famous for refusing themselves nothing. -Leigh Hunt, poet and essayist (19 Oct 1784-1859) *****October 21, 2023***** pyrexia : (noun) Fever.; febricity, febrility, feverishness; His pyrexia made the doctors nervous, and they immersed him in a bath of ice water to bring down his body temperature. interlard : verb tr.: To mix, insert, or intersperse, especially with something extraneous. ; "Kodo programmes are sometimes interlarded with Japanese folk music on flute and zither, but this time their show will reflect a return to basics." The Kudos of Kodo; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 6, 2018. See more usage examples of interlard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 22, 2023***** dovecote : (noun) A compartmental structure, often raised on a pole, for housing domesticated pigeons.; columbary; They were not allowed to keep doves themselves, and when the swarms from my lord's dovecote settled on their crops they must not lose their temper and kill a bird. interlard : verb tr.: To mix, insert, or intersperse, especially with something extraneous. ; "Kodo programmes are sometimes interlarded with Japanese folk music on flute and zither, but this time their show will reflect a return to basics." The Kudos of Kodo; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 6, 2018. See more usage examples of interlard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 23, 2023***** deponent : (noun) A person who testifies or gives a deposition.; testifier; In the taking of legal oaths, for instance, deponents seem to enjoy themselves mightily when they come to several good words in succession. interlard : verb tr.: To mix, insert, or intersperse, especially with something extraneous. ; "Kodo programmes are sometimes interlarded with Japanese folk music on flute and zither, but this time their show will reflect a return to basics." The Kudos of Kodo; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 6, 2018. See more usage examples of interlard in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination. -John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer (20 Oct 1859-1952) *****October 24, 2023***** docket : (noun) A list of things to be done.; agenda, schedule; Since everyone wanted to discuss healthcare, we put it on the docket for the next town meeting. neophobia : noun: The fear or dislike of the new. ; "The experiment included almost 50 people to determine whether they suffered from food neophobia -- a reluctance to eat or try new food." Judy Siegel-Itzkovich; Does the Bowl Color Change the Taste of Food? Survey Says Yes; Jerusalem Post (Israel); Nov 29, 2022. See more usage examples of neophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (23 Oct 1899-1989) *****October 25, 2023***** verruca : (noun) A firm abnormal elevated blemish on the skin; caused by a virus.; wart; When he developed a verruca on the bottom of his foot, walking became extremely painful. apanthropy : noun: A desire to be away from people; a love of solitude. ; "While misanthropy is a prejudice, apanthropy is merely a preference. It's a taste for being alone; a penchant for privacy." Tom Albrighton; One for Joy; ABC Business Communications; 2023. Thought For The Day: Inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness. -Brenda Ueland, journalist, editor, and writer (24 Oct 1891-1985) *****October 26, 2023***** squalid : (adjective) Dirty and wretched, as from poverty or lack of care.; flyblown, sordid; They lived like beasts in great squalid labor-ghettos, festering in misery and degradation. stultiloquy : noun: Foolish talk. ; "[Jacob Zuma] was so keen to impress on the audience his selflessness that he mentioned the word 'perks' a half-dozen times, and threw in the word 'stakeholders', without which no stultiloquy is complete." The Pained Trader; Global Capital (London, UK); Feb 22, 2018. Thought For The Day: Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. -Pablo Picasso, painter and sculptor (25 Oct 1881-1973) *****October 27, 2023***** yardmaster : (noun) A railroad employer who is in charge of a railway yard.; train dispatcher, trainmaster; Observing that the yardmaster had his back turned, the vagabonds leaped into one of the boxcars. argentocracy : noun: 1. Rule by the wealthy. 2. Undue influence of money. ; "The game was fostered by the argentocracy of Baltimore. Players who practiced ... were 'sons of wealthy merchants.'" John McPhee; Silk Parachute; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 2011. Thought For The Day: None of us gets through life alone. We all have to look out for each other and lift each other up. -Hillary Clinton, secretary of state and senator (b. 26 Oct 1947) *****October 28, 2023***** plainsong : (noun) A liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.; Gregorian chant, plainchant; The music professor explained that in the Western church four main dialects of plainsong developed—Ambrosian, Roman, Mozarabic, and Gallican. squandermania : noun: The practice of spending money recklessly. ; "People are spending less, saving more and reining in the excessive consumerism that made us the most debt-ridden nation on earth. This forced quit from squandermania may be painful now, but it should benefit us in the long run." Paul Routledge; Our Debt of Thanks to Arch Enemies of Greed; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Sep 26, 2008. See more usage examples of squandermania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 29, 2023***** tidbit : (noun) A choice morsel, as of gossip or food.; choice morsel, titbit; The book is chock-full of colorful tidbits about theater and theater people. squandermania : noun: The practice of spending money recklessly. ; "People are spending less, saving more and reining in the excessive consumerism that made us the most debt-ridden nation on earth. This forced quit from squandermania may be painful now, but it should benefit us in the long run." Paul Routledge; Our Debt of Thanks to Arch Enemies of Greed; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Sep 26, 2008. See more usage examples of squandermania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 30, 2023***** brandish : (verb) To wave or flourish (a weapon, for example) menacingly.; flourish, wave; The farmer, seeing before him this figure in full armor brandishing a lance over his head, gave himself up for dead. squandermania : noun: The practice of spending money recklessly. ; "People are spending less, saving more and reining in the excessive consumerism that made us the most debt-ridden nation on earth. This forced quit from squandermania may be painful now, but it should benefit us in the long run." Paul Routledge; Our Debt of Thanks to Arch Enemies of Greed; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Sep 26, 2008. See more usage examples of squandermania in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my eyes and all is born again. -Sylvia Plath, poet (27 Oct 1932-1963) *****October 31, 2023***** bunsen : (noun) A gas burner used in laboratories; has an air valve to regulate the mixture of gas and air.; etna; I accidentally singed my eyebrows while lighting my bunsen in chemistry class. primary : adjective: First; main; most important; basic. noun: Something that is fundamental or first in sequence, rank, or importance. verb tr.: To field a candidate against an incumbent of one's own party. ; "Many Republican politicians are more worried about being primaried by their own party leaders." Matthew Rothschild; The Fight for Democracy; The Progressive (Madison, Wisconsin); Feb/Mar 2022. See more usage examples of primary in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The only thing one can give an artist is leisure in which to work. To give an artist leisure is actually to take part in his creation. -Ezra Pound, poet (30 Oct 1885-1972) *****November 01, 2023***** apiarist : (noun) One who keeps bees, specifically one who cares for and raises bees for commercial or agricultural purposes.; apiculturist, beekeeper; Profits from the sale of honey comprised only a small portion of the apiarist's income. rollercoaster : noun: Something marked by sudden and sharp shifts in circumstances. adjective: Marked by sudden, extreme changes. verb intr.: To go through extreme and abrupt changes. ; "[Akihiko Shiota] trademark to date is an unsentimental but deep sympathy with the rollercoastering emotions of teenagers and children." Amy Taubin; Man of the Moment: Actor Koji Yakusho; Film Comment (New York); Jan/Feb 2002. See more usage examples of roller coaster in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fatalism is the lazy man's way of accepting the inevitable. -Natalie Clifford Barney, poet, playwright, and novelist (31 Oct 1876-1972) *****November 02, 2023***** castellated : (adjective) Having turrets and battlements in the style of a castle.; castled, crenellated, battlemented; He summoned to his presence a thousand hale and light-hearted friends...and with these retired to the deep seclusion of one of his castellated abbeys. wimple : noun:1. A covering worn around the head and neck by women in medieval times and by some nuns.  2. A fold, wrinkle, or pleat.  3. A curve, bend, or twist. verb tr.:1. To cover.  2. To cause something to bend or ripple. verb intr.:1. To form folds.  2. To meander or ripple. ; "I sit / with hands folded, by a pond, a pool, wimpled by unknowing. Kathleen Ossip; The Do-Over; Sarabande; 2015. "The gray cobbles ... wimpled like the pebbles beneath the surface of a brook." William Faulkner; A Fable; Random House; 1954. See more usage examples of wimple in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A man said to the universe: "Sir, I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation." -Stephen Crane, writer (1 Nov 1871-1900) *****November 03, 2023***** sunstone : (noun) A translucent quartz spangled with bits of mica or other minerals.; aventurine; He loved the red gold of the sunstone, and the moonstone's pearly whiteness, and the broken rainbow of the milky opal. sojourn : verb intr.: To stay in a place temporarily. noun: A temporary stay. ; "In his book about his American sojourn, 'America Against America', which was published in 1991, Mr Wang noted that if a political system failed to devise a way of transferring power, it would be hard for that country 'to enjoy enduring and stable political order'." Thinker-in-Chief; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 12, 2022. "Staying in an Airbnb rental may be only marginally less expensive than sojourning in a hotel." Erica Alini; Airbnb Prices Comparable to Hotels; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Aug 15, 2022. See more usage examples of sojourn in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Our cemeteries are full of people who prayed to live. -Annie Laurie Gaylor, freethinker and activist (b. 2 Nov 1955) *****November 04, 2023***** frankincense : (noun) An aromatic gum resin obtained from various Arabian or East African trees; formerly valued for worship and for embalming and fumigation.; gum olibanum, olibanum, thus; A crow caught in a snare prayed to Apollo to release him, making a vow to offer some frankincense at his shrine. high-grade : adjective: Of high quality, amount, or degree. verb intr.: To steal, especially by taking high-quality parts from something. ; "As we high-graded shrimp out of the stir-fry and then downed a quart of mint-chip ice cream, I see Kenny's boyish grin unleashed from its constantly niggling awareness of his lesser status in my life." Lee Goodman; Indefensible; Atria; 2014. "Even now, the men high-graded the best cuts of meat from whatever animal, fish, or bird they caught and threw the rest carelessly into the bush around the cabin." Hap Wilson; Dance of the Deadmen; FriesenPress; 2019. See more usage examples of high-grade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (3 Nov 1901-1976) *****November 05, 2023***** neonate : (noun) A newborn infant, especially one less than four weeks old.; newborn; The doctor examined the writhing neonate with great care but with a seeming coldness that bothered the baby's mother. high-grade : adjective: Of high quality, amount, or degree. verb tr.: To steal, especially by taking high-quality parts from something. ; "As we high-graded shrimp out of the stir-fry and then downed a quart of mint-chip ice cream, I see Kenny's boyish grin unleashed from its constantly niggling awareness of his lesser status in my life." Lee Goodman; Indefensible; Atria; 2014. "Even now, the men high-graded the best cuts of meat from whatever animal, fish, or bird they caught and threw the rest carelessly into the bush around the cabin." Hap Wilson; Dance of the Deadmen; FriesenPress; 2019. See more usage examples of high-grade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (3 Nov 1901-1976) *****November 06, 2023***** omnipotent : (adjective) Having unlimited or universal power, authority, or force.; all-powerful, almighty; Doug lived in the shadow of his seemingly omnipotent father. high-grade : adjective: Of high quality, amount, or degree. verb tr.: To steal, especially by taking high-quality parts from something. ; "As we high-graded shrimp out of the stir-fry and then downed a quart of mint-chip ice cream, I see Kenny's boyish grin unleashed from its constantly niggling awareness of his lesser status in my life." Lee Goodman; Indefensible; Atria; 2014. "Even now, the men high-graded the best cuts of meat from whatever animal, fish, or bird they caught and threw the rest carelessly into the bush around the cabin." Hap Wilson; Dance of the Deadmen; FriesenPress; 2019. See more usage examples of high-grade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The sons of torture victims make good terrorists. -Andre Malraux, novelist, adventurer, art historian, and statesman (3 Nov 1901-1976) *****November 07, 2023***** jurist : (noun) A public official authorized to decide questions brought before a court of justice.; judge, magistrate, justice; A very humane jurist once said, "The worst use you can put a man to is to hang him." gleek : noun:1. A jest or trick.  2. A stream of saliva. verb1. To play a trick. tr., intr.:2. To discharge a stream of saliva, especially from under the tongue. ; "I have seen you gleeking and galling at this gentleman twice or thrice." William Shakespeare; Henry V; 1623. "It feels as if God is gleeking his holy saliva onto my face when I use ["Apple Brightening Mist, $16.69"] to cool down after a workout." Aimee Heckel; End of Summer Might Be Approaching, But Style Always Matters; The Daily Camera (Boulder, Colorado); Aug 2, 2013. Thought For The Day: I don't think that combat has ever been written about truthfully; it has always been described in terms of bravery and cowardice. I won't even accept these words as terms of human reference any more. And anyway, hell, they don't even apply to what, in actual fact, modern warfare has become. -James Jones, novelist (6 Nov 1921-1977) *****November 08, 2023***** balladeer : (noun) A singer of popular ballads.; crooner; The balladeer sang about the tragic fate of the star-crossed lovers. gowpen : noun: Two hands cupped together. ; "When a human body is drained of its broths and filled again with formaldehyde and salts, or unguents and aromatic oils, and pranked up in its holiday best and laid out in a satin-lined airtight stainless steel coffin and stowed in a leakproof concrete vault -- I will know that if no fellow-creatures can pry their way in to do the underdigging and jiggling and earthing over and mating and egg laying and birthing forth, then the most that can come to pass will be centuries-long whithering down to a gowpen of dead dust, and not ever the crawling of new life out of the old, which is what we have for eternity on earth." Galway Kinnell; The Quick and The Dead; The New Yorker; Dec 25, 2000. Thought For The Day: Don't wait for the Last Judgment. It takes place every day. -Albert Camus, writer and philosopher (7 Nov 1913-1960) *****November 09, 2023***** eulogy : (noun) A laudatory speech or written tribute, especially one praising someone who has died.; encomium, paean, panegyric; Mournfully and low the man of God began his eulogy of the dead. fractal : noun: Something, such as a shape, curve, pattern, etc., where smaller parts have the same characteristics. adjective: Having the form or qualities of a fractal. ; "After all, it's impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shιt. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on, ad infinitum." Nate White; Why Do Many British People Not Like Donald Trump?; London Daily. See more usage examples of fractal in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Your voice dries up if you don't use it. -Patti Page, singer (8 Nov 1927-2013) *****November 10, 2023***** digression : (noun) A message that departs from the main subject.; divagation, excursus, parenthesis, aside; The lecture on animal behavior was interesting until the professor indulged in a long digression about his beloved dog. glabella : noun: The area between the eyebrows, just above the nose. ; "'Kiss my glabella,' she said. 'Sure.' 'That's not my glabella, silly, but, mmm, mmm, go ahead. I like that too. The glabella is the spot between my eyebrows.' 'Not in America it ain't.'" Curt Leviant; Zix Zexy Ztories; Texas Tech University Press; 2012. "My favorite Jake Tapper WTF Face is the one where ... his glabella [forms] a very satisfying omega sign." Stephanie Taffy Brodesser-Akner and Lauren Larson; The Realest Face in "Fake News"; GQ (New York); May 2017. See more usage examples of glabella in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In science it often happens that scientists say, "You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken," and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion. -Carl Sagan, astronomer and writer (9 Nov 1934-1996) *****November 11, 2023***** retrograde : (adjective) Tending towards an earlier worse condition; declining or deteriorating.; deteriorating, backward, regressive, retrogressive; It would be a retrograde step to revert to the old system. diachrony : noun: Change occurring over a period of time. ; "It was a violence, a terrible intrusion in the succession of moments, a clot in diachrony." China Mièville; Iron Council; Del Rey; 2004. "I also like to stand in the philosophy aisle, a thicket of the world's most impenetrable prose. I don't know why, but reading a few lines of Bakhtin, Bataille, Heidegger, or Derrida makes me hungry. I love to pull out a book and read a sentence that, try as I might, I simply cannot understand. For example: '[Heidegger] has initiated a vocabulary which deconstruction can appropriate and revise for the sake of disarticulating a notion of eventhood whose temporality has been eschatologically hypostasized and thereby fixed in an Aristotelian diachrony of self-contained moments.'"* Michelle Huneven; Food for Starving Artists, Writers; Los Angeles Times; Aug 2, 1991. *Please do not email us for the meaning of that sentence. Few are worthy of such esoteric knowledge. OK, we said that because we don't understand it ourselves. But in good conscience we can't leave you stranded and uninformed. So we recruited AI to explain it (see the image on the right). Enjoy. See more usage examples of diachrony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases. -Johan Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 12, 2023***** matriarch : (noun) A woman who rules a family, clan, or tribe.; materfamilias; When the matriarch of the clan appeared in the doorway, all conversation immediately ceased. diachrony : noun: Change occurring over a period of time. ; "It was a violence, a terrible intrusion in the succession of moments, a clot in diachrony." China Mièville; Iron Council; Del Rey; 2004. "I also like to stand in the philosophy aisle, a thicket of the world's most impenetrable prose. I don't know why, but reading a few lines of Bakhtin, Bataille, Heidegger, or Derrida makes me hungry. I love to pull out a book and read a sentence that, try as I might, I simply cannot understand. For example: '[Heidegger] has initiated a vocabulary which deconstruction can appropriate and revise for the sake of disarticulating a notion of eventhood whose temporality has been eschatologically hypostasized and thereby fixed in an Aristotelian diachrony of self-contained moments.'"* Michelle Huneven; Food for Starving Artists, Writers; Los Angeles Times; Aug 2, 1991. *Please do not email us for the meaning of that sentence. Few are worthy of such esoteric knowledge. OK, we said that because we don't understand it ourselves. But in good conscience we can't leave you stranded and uninformed. So we recruited AI to explain it (see the image on the right). Enjoy. See more usage examples of diachrony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases. -Johan Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 13, 2023***** morass : (noun) A soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot.; quagmire, mire, quag; The path from the wood leads to a morass, and from thence to a ford, which, as the rains have abated, may now be passable. diachrony : noun: Change occurring over a period of time. ; "It was a violence, a terrible intrusion in the succession of moments, a clot in diachrony." China Mièville; Iron Council; Del Rey; 2004. "I also like to stand in the philosophy aisle, a thicket of the world's most impenetrable prose. I don't know why, but reading a few lines of Bakhtin, Bataille, Heidegger, or Derrida makes me hungry. I love to pull out a book and read a sentence that, try as I might, I simply cannot understand. For example: '[Heidegger] has initiated a vocabulary which deconstruction can appropriate and revise for the sake of disarticulating a notion of eventhood whose temporality has been eschatologically hypostasized and thereby fixed in an Aristotelian diachrony of self-contained moments.'"* Michelle Huneven; Food for Starving Artists, Writers; Los Angeles Times; Aug 2, 1991. *Please do not email us for the meaning of that sentence. Few are worthy of such esoteric knowledge. OK, we said that because we don't understand it ourselves. But in good conscience we can't leave you stranded and uninformed. So we recruited AI to explain it (see the image on the right). Enjoy. See more usage examples of diachrony in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases. -Johan Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, poet and dramatist (10 Nov 1759-1805) *****November 14, 2023***** homochromatic : (adjective) Of or characterized by one color; (of light or other electromagnetic radiation) having only one wavelength.; monochromatic; The room appeared dull yellow in the dim, homochromatic light. angary or angaria : noun: The right of a warring nation to seize the property, for example, ships, of a neutral country, provided compensation is paid. ; "I had some substantive work -- a memorandum on the right of angary; the US early in 1941 impounded and took over numerous ships in American ports." Leonard C. Meeker; Experiences; Xlibris; 2007. Thought For The Day: Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) *****November 15, 2023***** gaunt : (adjective) Thin and bony; angular.; cadaverous, haggard, pinched, skeletal, wasted; A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. serenade : noun:1. A love song sung directly to one's love interest.  2. A composition for such a performance. verb tr.:To sing such a song. ; "Fans serenaded their team bus through the streets after a recent win against Asante Ko to ko, their great rivals. 'Never say die', runs their motto, 'until the bones are rotten.'" Own Goals; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 16, 2018. "What is the sound of a thousand dolphins? ... It's like being serenaded by a chorus of dentist's drills." Kennedy Warnere; South Africa's Teeming Seas; National Geographic; Dec 2009. See more usage examples of serenade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The spectacle of what is called religion, or at any rate organised religion, in India and elsewhere, has filled me with horror and I have frequently condemned it and wished to make a clean sweep of it. Almost always it seemed to stand for blind belief and reaction, dogma and bigotry, superstition, exploitation and the preservation of vested interests. -Jawaharlal Nehru, freedom fighter and the first Prime Minister of India (14 Nov 1889-1964) *****November 16, 2023***** cellblock : (noun) A group of cells that make up a section or unit of a prison.; ward; At the prison, one cellblock was reserved for particularly violent criminals, and it was monitored by twice the number of armed guards. Zion or Sion : noun: 1. Utopia. 2. Heaven. 3. The collective term for the Jewish people. 4. The religious and cultural practices and beliefs of Judaism. 5. A reference to the nation of Israel, especially in a historical or religious context. ; "I'd say: Pain -- whether our own pain, or learning of someone else's -- is a Zion. It's the place our wisest teacher lives." Natashia Deon; Lessons in Our Painful History; Los Angeles Times; Nov 2, 2021. See more usage examples of Zion in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: He who, when called upon to speak a disagreeable truth, tells it boldly and has done, is both bolder and milder than he who nibbles in a low voice and never ceases nibbling. -Johann Kaspar Lavater, poet, writer, philosopher (15 Nov 1741-1801) *****November 17, 2023***** venire : (noun) The panel of prospective jurors from which a jury is selected.; panel; Most of the people on the venire just wanted to go home, but I was hoping to be selected for the jury. assassin : noun: A person who kills someone important, especially for political or ideological reasons. ; "I'm a hired assassin, I carry a tommy gun in a violin case! ... They call me Killer, Killer Wingfield, I'm leading a double-life, a simple, honest warehouse worker by day, by night a dynamic czar of the underworld, Mother." Tennessee Williams; The Glass Menagerie; 1944. See more usage examples of assassin in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It has always seemed to me that the test of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013) *****November 18, 2023***** drumbeater : (noun) One that supports a cause, especially vehemently.; partisan, zealot; The editor of the newspaper was an unabashed drumbeater for the cause. aprosexia : noun: The inability to concentrate. ; "He was exhausted by the effort of concentration. ... The doctors suspected he had simulated the symptoms of aprosexia in order to be declared medically unfit." Paul Colize (Translation: Louise Rogers Lalaurie); Back Up; Point Blank; 2018. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 19, 2023***** retinue : (noun) The group following and attending to some important person.; entourage, cortege, suite; Guillaume Lejean…reached Karthoum by way of the Red Sea, and embarked upon the Nile with a retinue of twenty-one hired men and twenty soldiers. aprosexia : noun: The inability to concentrate. ; "He was exhausted by the effort of concentration. ... The doctors suspected he had simulated the symptoms of aprosexia in order to be declared medically unfit." Paul Colize (Translation: Louise Rogers Lalaurie); Back Up; Point Blank; 2018. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 20, 2023***** gastronome : (noun) A connoisseur of good food and drink.; epicure, epicurean, foodie, gourmet, bon vivant; He was quite the gastronome, and restaurant chefs around the town knew it was important to impress him. aprosexia : noun: The inability to concentrate. ; "He was exhausted by the effort of concentration. ... The doctors suspected he had simulated the symptoms of aprosexia in order to be declared medically unfit." Paul Colize (Translation: Louise Rogers Lalaurie); Back Up; Point Blank; 2018. Thought For The Day: Through others, we become ourselves. -Lev Vygotsky, psychologist (17 Nov 1896-1934) *****November 21, 2023***** brawny : (adjective) Strong and muscular.; hefty, sinewy, muscular, powerful; The muscles of his brawny arms showed through the sleeves of his light summer coat. monosemous : adjective: Having only one meaning. ; "[R]eason is confined to a monosemous logic, and the most sensible people choose their actions based on cause-and-effect calculations." Daniel Saldaña París; Among Strange Victims; Coffee House Press; 2016. See more usage examples of monosemous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The truth isn't always beauty, but the hunger for it is. -Nadine Gordimer, novelist, Nobel laureate (20 Nov 1923-2014) *****November 22, 2023***** exacta : (noun) A method of betting, as on a horserace, in which the bettor must correctly pick those finishing in the first and second places in precisely that sequence.; perfecta; Even though she knew it was risky, she was tempted to go for the exacta, which had a higher payout than a bet on just the winning horse. double-barreled : adjective: 1. Having two barrels mounted side by side, as in a gun. 2. Having two parts, purposes, impacts, etc. ; "She has a past as a spoiled rich girl and a double-barreled surname to go along with it." Maya Corrigan; The Tell-Tale Tarte; Kensington Books; 2017. See more usage examples of double-barreled in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire, philosopher (21 Nov 1694-1778) *****November 23, 2023***** daiquiri : (noun) An iced cocktail of rum, lime or lemon juice, and sugar.; rum cocktail; They knew he was lying about being a bartender when he was unable to correctly mix a daiquiri. exolete : adjective: 1. Obsolete. 2. Stale. 3. Faded. ; "I have declaimed so vehemently against the use of exolete and interpolated repetitions of old fables in poetry." Abraham Cowley (Translation: Nahum Tate); Six Books of Plants; Charles Harper; 1689. Thought For The Day: What loneliness is more lonely than distrust? -George Eliot (pen name of Mary Ann Evans), novelist (22 Nov 1819-1880) *****November 24, 2023***** calumet : (noun) A long-stemmed sacred or ceremonial tobacco pipe used by certain Native American peoples.; peace pipe; Among the Blackfeet warriors who advanced with the calumet of peace she recognized a brother. pentasyllabic : adjective: Having five syllables. ; "Of course, 'Chinese restaurant' is pentasyllabic! Was even rash enough to take out notebook to record idea." Peter Burt; Confessions; Lulu; 2014. See more usage examples of pentasyllabic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To seek understanding before taking action, yet to trust my instincts when action is called for. Never to avoid danger from fear, never to seek out danger for its own sake. Never to conform to fashion from fear of eccentricity, never to be eccentric from fear of conformity. -Steven Brust, novelist (b. 23 Nov 1955) *****November 25, 2023***** burgher : (noun) A comfortable or complacent member of the middle class.; bourgeois; From the serfs of the Middle Ages sprang the chartered burghers of the earliest towns. back-form : verb tr.: To make a word by dropping an apparent affix from a longer word. ; "The verb edit was back-formed from editor." R.M.W. Dixon; Making New Words; Oxford University Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: People rarely win wars; governments rarely lose them. -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 26, 2023***** calumny : (noun) A false statement maliciously made to injure another's reputation.; aspersion, defamation, denigration, slander; When it became clear that he could not win the election any other way, the candidate resorted to calumny and dirty tricks. back-form : verb tr.: To make a word by dropping an apparent affix from a longer word. ; "The verb edit was back-formed from editor." R.M.W. Dixon; Making New Words; Oxford University Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: People rarely win wars; governments rarely lose them. -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 27, 2023***** camion : (noun) A low heavy horse cart without sides; used for haulage.; dray; An empty camion came bumping down the cobblestone street, pulled by two exhausted horses. back-form : verb tr.: To make a word by dropping an apparent affix from a longer word. ; "The verb edit was back-formed from editor." R.M.W. Dixon; Making New Words; Oxford University Press; 2014. Thought For The Day: People rarely win wars; governments rarely lose them. -Arundhati Roy, author (b. 24 Nov 1961) *****November 28, 2023***** piddling : (adjective) So trifling or trivial as to be beneath one's consideration.; trivial, petty, fiddling, footling, niggling, picayune, piffling, lilliputian, little; Because she had only invested a piddling sum of money, she was not worried about the stock's poor performance. liaise : verb intr.: 1. To establish a connection with someone in a different group or organization for purposes of working together, coordinating efforts, exchanging information, etc. 2. To act as a link between two or more parties. ; "When they'd first liaised, Royston had been a little scared of this strong, fiery, extremely attractive woman, who'd been all probing questions and serious faces." Mat Blackwell; Beef; Lulu; 2016. See more usage examples of liaise in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A body of clay, a mind full of play, a moment's life -- that's me. -Harivansh Rai Bachchan, poet (27 Nov 1907-2003) *****November 29, 2023***** paunch : (noun) A protruding abdomen.; belly; Jim's bride was an excellent cook, and after only a few weeks of marriage, he began to develop a significant paunch. jerry-build : verb tr.: To build cheaply and sloppily. ; "I grew up in a jerry-built 1930s terraced house in an unfashionable London suburb. My father, a writer, made it his goal to one day match the annual salary of a London bus driver: When that thrilling day came, in the 1980s, he took the whole family out to KFC to celebrate. But one of the curiosities of the English class system is that it is defined by style as much as money." Jemima Lewis; The Prejudice Against Brown Shoes Is a Classic Case of Class Snobbery (Permalink); The Telegraph (London, UK); Sep 2, 2016. See more usage examples of jerry-build in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One law for the lion and ox is oppression. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (28 Nov 1757-1827) *****November 30, 2023***** bullhorn : (noun) A portable loudspeaker with built-in microphone and amplifier.; loud-hailer; The policeman used a bullhorn to order the crowd to disperse. osmose : verb tr., intr.: 1. To diffuse gradually. 2. To undergo or to subject to osmosis: the diffusion of fluid from a solution of low concentration to one of high concentration through a semipermeable membrane. ; "A sense of humor osmoses from one to the other." James Somers; The Friendship That Made Google Huge; The New Yorker; Dec 10, 2018. Thought For The Day: Write on my gravestone: "Infidel, Traitor" -- infidel to every church that compromises with wrong; traitor to every government that oppresses the people. -Wendell Phillips, human rights activist and attorney (29 Nov 1811-1884) *****December 01, 2023***** cirque : (noun) A steep bowl-shaped hollow occurring at the upper end of a mountain valley, especially one forming the head of a glacier or stream.; corrie, cwm; We followed the stream up the incline until we reached the cirque that was its source. manumise : verb tr.: To free from slavery, servitude, or restraint. ; "[M]anumise, enfranchise, and from every tie of slavery or servitude set free." Garfield Ellis; The Angels' Share; Akashic Books; 2016. Thought For The Day: Although the connections are not always obvious, personal change is inseparable from social and political change. -Harriet Lerner, psychologist (b. 30 Nov 1944) *****December 02, 2023***** oceanaut : (noun) A skilled worker who can live in underwater installations and participate in scientific research.; aquanaut; The machinery on the ocean floor required constant maintenance, so the company had a team of oceanauts stationed nearby. enthuse : verb tr.:1. To make someone enthusiastic.  2. To express something with enthusiasm. verb intr.:To display enthusiasm. ; "As Wang stacks the samples, she enthuses about the work. 'Proteins are like people. They each have their own personality,' she says. 'Some are very fragile. You should take care of them.'" Phil McKenna and Richard Fisher; Small Farmer, Big Pharma; New Scientist London, UK); Nov 10-16, 2007. See more usage examples of enthuse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 03, 2023***** menagerie : (noun) The facility where wild animals are housed for exhibition.; zoo; Through the dim smoke-haze the bunks looked like the sleeping dens of animals in a menagerie. enthuse : verb tr.:1. To make someone enthusiastic.  2. To express something with enthusiasm. verb intr.:To display enthusiasm. ; "As Wang stacks the samples, she enthuses about the work. 'Proteins are like people. They each have their own personality,' she says. 'Some are very fragile. You should take care of them.'" Phil McKenna and Richard Fisher; Small Farmer, Big Pharma; New Scientist London, UK); Nov 10-16, 2007. See more usage examples of enthuse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 04, 2023***** homily : (noun) A sermon, especially one intended to edify a congregation on a practical matter and not intended to be a theological discourse.; preachment; The priest addressed a hasty homily to the pair on the perils of life, on the duties they must, some day, inculcate upon their children. enthuse : verb tr.:1. To make someone enthusiastic.  2. To express something with enthusiasm. verb intr.:To display enthusiasm. ; "As Wang stacks the samples, she enthuses about the work. 'Proteins are like people. They each have their own personality,' she says. 'Some are very fragile. You should take care of them.'" Phil McKenna and Richard Fisher; Small Farmer, Big Pharma; New Scientist London, UK); Nov 10-16, 2007. See more usage examples of enthuse in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Labels are for the things men make, not for men. The most primitive man is too complex to be labeled. -Rex Stout, novelist (1 Dec 1886-1975) *****December 05, 2023***** repertory : (noun) The entire range of skills or aptitudes or devices used in a particular field or occupation.; repertoire; When the band had exhausted its repertory it took wing and settled upon the rocks above and behind the queen. aristology : noun: The art of dining. ; "I am coming to believe that aristology, or the art of dining, has yet to be discovered. When ladies are admitted to these banquets there will, at any rate, be less of that eating and drinking to excess which so disgusted you last night." J. Ewing Ritchie; Crying for the Light or Fifty Years Ago: Vol. 3; Jarrold and Sons; 1895. Thought For The Day: I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. -Edith Cavell, nurse and humanitarian (4 Dec 1865-1915) *****December 06, 2023***** camisole : (noun) A short, sleeveless undergarment for women.; underbodice; The beautiful dress was made out of a sheer fabric, so Nina wore a camisole underneath it. diablerie : noun: 1. Sorcery; witchcraft; black magic. 2. A representation of devils or demons in art or literature. 3. Mischievous manner or conduct. ; "[The hat] unquestionably lent a diablerie to my appearance, and mine is an appearance that needs all the diablerie it can get." P.G. Wodehouse; Stiff Upper Lip, Jeeves; Simon & Schuster; 1963. Thought For The Day: I don't believe in playing down to children, either in life or in motion pictures. I didn't treat my own youngsters like fragile flowers, and I think no parent should. Children are people, and they should have to reach to learn about things, to understand things, just as adults have to reach if they want to grow in mental stature. Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows. Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality. -Walt Disney, entrepreneur and animator (5 Dec 1901-1966) *****December 07, 2023***** boding : (noun) An omen or foreboding, especially of evil.; premonition, presentiment, foreboding; Sara was filled with an evil sense of boding as she approached the decrepit house to sell her Girl Scout Cookies. heliophilous : adjective: Fond of or adapted to sunlight. ; "Pervaded by an unstoppable desire to reach the top, he began to increase his speed, reaching the end almost flying. Once there, he realized that the immense foliage contained ... heliophilous lianas." Silvia Torquati; A Sign of Hope; Silvia Torquati; 2021. Thought For The Day: A timid question will always receive a confident answer. -Charles John Darling, lawyer, judge, and politician (6 Dec 1849-1936) *****December 08, 2023***** effervescent : (adjective) Marked by high spirits or excitement.; sparkly, bubbling, scintillating, sparkling; She exhibited none of that effervescent joy at his appearance which we like to see in our mothers-in-law elect. lotic : adjective: Relating to or living in flowing water. ; "The grant will allow the students to conduct research over the next year on the effects of road salt on forest and lotic ecosystems." Announcements; Concord Monitor (New Hampshire); Jul 29, 2019. "Michael continued his summoning despite the trickle of lotic terror in his veins." Teri A. Jacobs; Secrets of the Bones; Wildside Press; 2005. See more usage examples of lotic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all. -Noam Chomsky, linguistics professor and political activist (b. 7 Dec 1928) *****December 09, 2023***** animus : (noun) A feeling of ill will arousing active hostility.; bad blood, animosity; Dorothea had observed the animus with which Will's part in the painful story had been recalled more than once. umbriferous : adjective: Casting a shadow. ; "I enjoyed trundling down one road in particular, the oak trees overhanging both sides forming an umbriferous canopy that shards of sunlight sliced through here and there." Rayyan Al-Shawaf; When All Else Fails; Interlink; 2019. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954) *****December 10, 2023***** ramify : (verb) To have complicating consequences or outgrowths.; complexify; The problem merely ramified after the unsuccessful meeting. umbriferous : adjective: Casting a shadow. ; "I enjoyed trundling down one road in particular, the oak trees overhanging both sides forming an umbriferous canopy that shards of sunlight sliced through here and there." Rayyan Al-Shawaf; When All Else Fails; Interlink; 2019. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954) *****December 11, 2023***** rapier : (noun) A straight sword with a narrow blade and two edges.; tuck; Strickland employed not the rapier of sarcasm but the bludgeon of invective. umbriferous : adjective: Casting a shadow. ; "I enjoyed trundling down one road in particular, the oak trees overhanging both sides forming an umbriferous canopy that shards of sunlight sliced through here and there." Rayyan Al-Shawaf; When All Else Fails; Interlink; 2019. Thought For The Day: The real index of civilization is when people are kinder than they need to be. -Louis de Bernieres, novelist (b. 8 Dec 1954) *****December 12, 2023***** inveterate : (adjective) Persisting in an ingrained habit.; chronic, confirmed, habitual; He was an inveterate gambler, though a poor loser. Gavroche : noun: A street urchin. ; "He knew the Gavroche who danced attendance on Mr. Quilp at his wharf." Adolphus William Ward; Dickens; Harper; 1882. Thought For The Day: You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away from them. But when you've robbed a man of everything, he's no longer in your power -- he's free again. -Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, Nobel laureate (11 Dec 1918-2008) *****December 13, 2023***** ruralism : (noun) A rural idiom or expression.; rusticism; He was a country poet whose verses were filled with ruralisms. Bechdel test : noun: A test of inclusion and representation of women in a work of fiction. ; "'I'm saying if we are characters in a movie, television show, or book, we would fail that goddamn [Bechdel] test every time. Talk to me about something that isn't centered around a man!' 'My sister is pregnant, does that count?' Felicity asks, frowning. 'That's amazing!' I reply, enthusiastic. 'See?' 'A man made her pregnant, though.'" Andrea Rookes; A Month of Sundays; Stone Cairn Publishing; 2023. "Sadia Habib and Shaf Choudry, an academic and a tech consultant in Britain, created the Riz Test, the Muslim equivalent of the Bechdel Test, which set criteria for judging Muslim portrayals in film and television." Sopan Deb; 'Ramy' Is a Quietly Revolutionary Comedy; Gulf News (Dubai); Nov 2, 2019. Thought For The Day: He who allows oppression, shares the crime. -Erasmus Darwin, physician, scientist, reformer, and poet; grandfather of Charles Darwin (12 Dec 1731-1802) *****December 14, 2023***** mince : (verb) To moderate or restrain (words) for the sake of politeness and decorum; euphemize.; moderate, soften; She begged him not to mince words and to tell her exactly what had happened. chimerize : verb tr.: To form something from parts that are very different. ; "Taking them all into me, I chimerized myself, a multiple of all these creatures passing through the gateway of my body to the realm above." J.G. Ballard; The Unlimited Dream Company; Liveright; 2013. Thought For The Day: Whenever books are burned men also in the end are burned. -Heinrich Heine, poet, journalist, and essayist (13 Dec 1797-1856) *****December 15, 2023***** acrimony : (noun) Bitter, sharp animosity, especially as exhibited in speech or behavior.; acerbity, bitterness, jaundice; Their divorce was marked by bitter acrimony, even though their friends had hoped it would be amicable. Grangousier or Grandgousier : noun: 1. A big eater. 2. A gullible person, one who will swallow anything. ; "Jean Renoir was born on Sep 15, 1894 ... his father Auguste Renoir reacting to the arrival that night of such a Grangousier by exclaiming, 'What a mouth! A furnace! He'll have the appetite of a horse!'" Pascal Merigeau; Jean Renoir: A Biography; Running Press; 2017. Thought For The Day: In its original literal sense, "moral relativism" is simply moral complexity. That is, anyone who agrees that stealing a loaf of bread to feed one's children is not the moral equivalent of, say, shoplifting a dress for the fun of it, is a relativist of sorts. But in recent years, conservatives bent on reinstating an essentially religious vocabulary of absolute good and evil as the only legitimate framework for discussing social values have redefined "relative" as "arbitrary". -Ellen Jane Willis, writer (14 Dec 1941-2006) *****December 16, 2023***** avarice : (noun) Immoderate desire for wealth.; cupidity, covetousness, avariciousness; Dazzled by the greed of avarice, I thought that if one eye could show me riches, the other might teach me how to get possession of them. lexiphanic : adjective: Using pretentious words and language. ; "Someone who reads dictionaries for fun. ... Been totally lexiphanic and proud of the fact." Debra Adelaide; The Household Guide to Dying; HarperCollins; 2009. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 17, 2023***** ambage : (noun) A style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.; circumlocution, periphrasis; His head was swimming when the lecture finally ended, and he felt the speaker's ambages had taken him everywhere and left him nowhere. lexiphanic : adjective: Using pretentious words and language. ; "Someone who reads dictionaries for fun. ... Been totally lexiphanic and proud of the fact." Debra Adelaide; The Household Guide to Dying; HarperCollins; 2009. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 18, 2023***** offprint : (noun) A reproduction of or an excerpt from an article that was originally contained in a larger publication.; separate, reprint; The researcher was unable to locate the original, full-text publication and had to make do with an offprint that was published later. lexiphanic : adjective: Using pretentious words and language. ; "Someone who reads dictionaries for fun. ... Been totally lexiphanic and proud of the fact." Debra Adelaide; The Household Guide to Dying; HarperCollins; 2009. Thought For The Day: Writing is like carrying a fetus. -Edna O'Brien, writer (b. 15 Dec 1930) *****December 19, 2023***** whitlow : (noun) A purulent infection at the end of a finger or toe in the area surrounding the nail.; felon; What began as a small cut on his finger soon developed into a painful whitlow. blazon : noun:1. A coat of arms.  2. A description of a coat of arms in heraldic terminology.  3. An ostentatious display. verb tr.:1. To paint, depict, or adorn in great detail.  2. To describe a coat of arms in heraldic terminology.  3. To proclaim or display, widely or ostentatiously. ; "On one of the three existing slabs there is an inscription about the burial of the prince with the blazon of St George the Victor." Victor Tvircun; Creating the Legend; Cogito (Bucharest, Romania); Jun 2023. "The weather balloon blazoned with the letters MIT that erupted up through the turf in the middle of a Harvard-Yale football game is unforgettable." Wendy M. Grossman; A Cow on the Roof; New Scientist (London, UK); May 31, 2003. See more usage examples of blazon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. -Steve Biko, anti-apartheid activist (18 Dec 1946-1977) *****December 20, 2023***** sundog : (noun) A small halo or rainbow near the horizon just off the parhelic circle.; mock sun, parhelion; The scientists concluded that the sundog's rainbow-like appearance must be the result of the diffraction of light. spitchcock : noun: An eel split, cut into pieces, and cooked. verb tr.: To treat severely. ; "If they catch me in their camps again let them spitchcock me." The Collected Works of Charles Lamb and Mary Lamb; E Moxon; 1876. Thought For The Day: You must protest / It is your diamond duty / Ah but in such an ugly time / The true protest is beauty. -Phil Ochs, folksinger (19 Dec 1940-1976) *****December 21, 2023***** neophyte : (noun) A beginner or novice.; fledgling, newbie, newcomer, freshman, entrant, starter; You have no right to preach to me, you neophyte, that have not passed the porch of life, and are absolutely unacquainted with its mysteries. physic : noun:1. A medicine, especially one that acts as a laxative.  2. A doctor.  3. Medical science or the medical profession. verb tr.:1. To act upon as a laxative.  2. To treat with, or as if with, a medicine.  3. To cure or heal. ; "His reputation as a physic was worthless if he couldn't truly heal." David Walton; Quintessence; Tor; 2013. "Of Knadler Lake, about a mile long, [David] Love said, 'That's bitter water -- sodium sulphate. It would physic you something awful.'" John McPhee; Rising from the Plains; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux; 1986. See more usage examples of physic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If we would have new knowledge, we must get us a whole world of new questions. -Susanne Langer, philosopher (20 Dec 1895-1985) *****December 22, 2023***** bollard : (noun) A thick post on a ship or wharf, used for securing ropes and hawsers.; bitt; He swung at the bollard and cut the rope, yet, anchored firmly otherwise, the boat did not drift far off. troth : noun:1. One's pledged word, loyalty, or fidelity.  2. Truth.  3. Betrothal. verb tr.:To pledge or betroth. ; "[Minnesota State Rep. Drew Christensen] is planning to move a Bill to ban the winner of a reality show from the state for jilting a girl from there. Clearly, the lawmaker was not the only one incensed by The Bachelor in question going back on his troth on the finale of the TV show." Truth Is Stranger Than Reality TV; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Mar 10, 2018. "I am trothed to do your bidding." Erin O'Quinn; Storm Maker; Siren-BookStrand; 2012. See more usage examples of troth in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If there is a God, I don't think He would demand that anyone bow down or stand up to him. -Rebecca West, author and journalist (21 Dec 1892-1983) *****December 23, 2023***** microbe : (noun) A minute life form; a microorganism, especially a bacterium that causes disease.; germ, bug; By the time their teacher completed the unit on microbes, the science students had all become more cautious about their personal hygiene and food consumption. barnacle : noun:1. Any marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to rocks, hulls, docks, whales, etc.  2. Someone or something that clings. verb intr.:To cling in a persistent manner. ; "'Who's the blonde chick who barnacled herself onto your boyfriend?' Scarlett whispered." Elizabeth SaFleur; It Was All The Pie's Fault; Elizabeth SaFleur LLC; 2022. See more usage examples of barnacle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. -Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 24, 2023***** criterion : (noun) A basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated.; standard, touchstone, measure; Their criterion of a good rider is, a man who can manage an untamed colt, or who, if his horse falls, alights on his own feet. barnacle : noun:1. Any marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to rocks, hulls, docks, whales, etc.  2. Someone or something that clings. verb intr.:To cling in a persistent manner. ; "'Who's the blonde chick who barnacled herself onto your boyfriend?' Scarlett whispered." Elizabeth SaFleur; It Was All The Pie's Fault; Elizabeth SaFleur LLC; 2022. See more usage examples of barnacle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. -Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 25, 2023***** pourboire : (noun) A relatively small amount of money given for services rendered.; baksheesh, gratuity, tip; The bellboy waited expectantly, but no pourboire was forthcoming. barnacle : noun:1. Any marine crustacean of the subclass Cirripedia that attaches itself to rocks, hulls, docks, whales, etc.  2. Someone or something that clings. verb intr.:To cling in a persistent manner. ; "'Who's the blonde chick who barnacled herself onto your boyfriend?' Scarlett whispered." Elizabeth SaFleur; It Was All The Pie's Fault; Elizabeth SaFleur LLC; 2022. See more usage examples of barnacle in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It may sound trite, but using the weapons of the enemy, no matter how good one's intentions, makes one the enemy. -Charles de Lint, writer and folk musician (b. 22 Dec 1951) *****December 26, 2023***** obtuse : (adjective) Slow to learn or understand; lacking intellectual acuity.; dumb, slow, dense, dim, dull; Though he was generally regarded as obtuse by his fellow students, his math scores were the highest in the class. grandezza : noun: Grandeur, greatness, magnificence, etc. ; "The grandezza of Spanish ceremonial was just as easily joined to the lightness of Austria." Joseph Roth (Translator: Michael Hofmann); The Hotel Years; New Directions; 2015. See more usage examples of grandezza in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient observation than to any other reason. -Isaac Newton, physicist, mathematician, and philosopher (25 Dec 1642-1727) *****December 27, 2023***** foramen : (noun) An opening or orifice, as in a bone or in the covering of the ovule of a plant.; hiatus; The tribe made necklaces by passing string through the foramens of fang-shaped bones. aquaphobia : noun: A fear of water, especially of drowning. ; "Ever since I was a kid I've been scared witless of water. ... I became a pyromaniac to counter it. I remember thinking that there were two types of people: water people and fire people. ... I was just wondering how many kids develop aquaphobia after getting water splashed on their heads when they're little babies." Timothy Taylor; Silent Cruise; Vintage Canada; 2011. See more usage examples of aquaphobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't want to be a great leader; I want to be a man who goes around with a little oil can and when he sees a breakdown, offers his help. To me, the man who does that is greater than any holy man in saffron-colored robes. The mechanic with the oilcan: that is my ideal in life. -Baba Amte, social worker and activist (26 Dec 1914-2008) *****December 28, 2023***** perspicuous : (adjective) Clearly expressed or presented; easy to understand.; lucid, luculent, pellucid, crystal clear, limpid; The lawyer presented a perspicuous closing argument, clarifying the forensic evidence for the confused jurors. juxtapositive : adjective: Relating to placing side by side. ; "[P]olitical and theatrical journalism began to overlap and even form a sort of juxtapositive web." Matthew S. Buckley; Tragedy Walks the Streets; Johns Hopkins University Press; 2006. Thought For The Day: Just the other day, I was in my neighborhood Starbucks, waiting for the post office to open. I was enjoying a chocolatey cafe mocha when it occurred to me that to drink a mocha is to gulp down the entire history of the New World. From the Spanish exportation of Aztec cacao, and the Dutch invention of the chemical process for making cocoa, on down to the capitalist empire of Hershey, PA, and the lifestyle marketing of Seattle's Starbucks, the modern mocha is a bittersweet concoction of imperialism, genocide, invention, and consumerism served with whipped cream on top. No wonder it costs so much. -Sarah Vowell, author and journalist (b. 27 Dec 1969) *****December 29, 2023***** zoophagous : (adjective) Feeding on animal matter; carnivorous.; meat-eating; Zoophagous insects include predators and parasites. swanky : adjective: 1. Stylish; fashionable; luxurious. 2. Pretentious; ostentatious. ; "When beauty mogul and entrepreneur Mona Kattan invited you to her basement library at her swanky villa in Palm Jumeirah, you were forgiven for expecting rows of leather-bound books neatly stacked together under warm lighting. 'We are in my perfume library basement right now,' said Kattan." Manjusha Radhakrishnan; Dubai's Beauty Mogul Mona Kattan's Scent of Success; Gulf News (Dubai); May 9, 2023. Thought For The Day: In the case of good books, the point is not how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. -Mortimer J. Adler, philosopher, educator, and author (28 Dec 1902-2001) *****December 30, 2023***** remunerate : (verb) To pay (a person) a suitable equivalent in return for goods provided, services rendered, or losses incurred.; recompense, compensate; John carefully weeded his neighbors' gardens, aware that they would remunerate him for a job well done. cruciform : adjective: In the shape of a cross. noun: Something in the shape of a cross. ; "The boys made their way along the cruciform of gravel that bisected the kitchen garden." Merryn Allingham; The Buttonmaker's Daughter; HarperCollins; 2017. See more usage examples of cruciform in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****December 31, 2023***** sagacity : (noun) The quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted; wisdom; discernment, sagaciousness, judgment; Spies cannot be usefully employed without a certain intuitive sagacity. cruciform : adjective: In the shape of a cross. noun: Something in the shape of a cross. ; "The boys made their way along the cruciform of gravel that bisected the kitchen garden." Merryn Allingham; The Buttonmaker's Daughter; HarperCollins; 2017. See more usage examples of cruciform in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****January 01, 2024***** fulminate : (verb) To issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation.; rail; He fulminated against corruption in governmental institutions. cruciform : adjective: In the shape of a cross. noun: Something in the shape of a cross. ; "The boys made their way along the cruciform of gravel that bisected the kitchen garden." Merryn Allingham; The Buttonmaker's Daughter; HarperCollins; 2017. See more usage examples of cruciform in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border? -Pablo Casals, cellist, conductor, and composer (29 Dec 1876-1973) *****January 02, 2024***** prudery : (noun) Excessive or affected modesty.; Grundyism, primness, prudishness; Casting prudery to the wind, I lifted my head, looked him in the eyes, and professed my undying love. numero uno : noun: 1. Oneself; one's own interests. 2. The highest in rank, quality, importance, etc. ; "Lola's big plan for her thirties, all two of them so far, was to 'put herself first' ... and to start focusing on numero uno, and numero uno's career. Oh, and numero uno's marriage. Right." Lynn Harris; Death By Chick Lit; Penguin; 2007. Thought For The Day: I am a kind of paranoiac in reverse. I suspect people of plotting to make me happy. -J.D. Salinger, writer (1 Jan 1919-2010) *****January 03, 2024***** centerboard : (noun) A movable keel in a sailboat that can be pivoted upward to reduce the boat's draft in shallow water.; drop keel, sliding keel; Except for some damage to the centerboard, the boat was in good condition. noodgy : adjective: Nagging, pestering, annoying, or complaining. ; "What we had most in common were noodgy, hard-driving parents, the type of people who'd push their children to attend supplemental schooling for a year and a half." Vinson Cunningham; Test Case; The New Yorker; Mar 9, 2020. Thought For The Day: Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) *****January 04, 2024***** arid : (adjective) Lacking moisture, especially having insufficient rainfall to support trees or woody plants.; waterless; Only a few succulents managed to survive in the arid climate. pneumatology : noun: The study of spiritual phenomena. ; "He was rejoicing that African people were, as a result of their faith in God, displacing their belief in magic with a reasoned understanding of science, technology, economics, and rationality. Rolly spoke in praise of the diversity of the Bible college curriculum that included anthropology, psychology, and psychiatry with theology, Christology, and pneumatology." Jim Harries; To Africa in Love; 2019. Thought For The Day: Still round the corner there may wait, / a new road or a secret gate. -J.R.R. Tolkien, novelist and philologist (3 Jan 1892-1973) *****January 05, 2024***** farrier : (noun) A person who shoes horses.; horseshoer; The farrier took a look at the limping horse and declared that a badly fitted horseshoe was the culprit. nuciform : adjective: Like a nut. ; "Her perfect little nuciform body only vaguely stirred him." Corey Mesler; Memphis Movie; Soft Skull; 2015. Thought For The Day: People who demand neutrality in any situation are usually not neutral but in favor of the status quo. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969) *****January 06, 2024***** spline : (noun) A wooden or metal strip.; slat; Humidity and weathering had caused the spline on the edge of the door to detach. nutant : adjective: Drooping; nodding. ; "When I awoke the next morning, the sun was peeking through a cluster of leafy, nutant willow branches." P.W. Walters; Reunion; Izzard Ink; 2019. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 07, 2024***** mugwump : (noun) A person who acts independently or remains neutral, especially in politics.; fencesitter, independent; The public relations firm believed that the key to victory was to capture the hearts and minds of the mugwumps who would otherwise remain passive. nutant : adjective: Drooping; nodding. ; "When I awoke the next morning, the sun was peeking through a cluster of leafy, nutant willow branches." P.W. Walters; Reunion; Izzard Ink; 2019. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 08, 2024***** gambol : (verb) To leap about playfully.; frisk, frolic, lark, rollick, romp, cavort; Then he ran back to the shed pulling the playful young horse, who wanted to gambol all over the yard, by the rein. nutant : adjective: Drooping; nodding. ; "When I awoke the next morning, the sun was peeking through a cluster of leafy, nutant willow branches." P.W. Walters; Reunion; Izzard Ink; 2019. Thought For The Day: Fear prophets and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them, often before them, at times instead of them. -Umberto Eco, philosopher and novelist (5 Jan 1932-2016) *****January 09, 2024***** pestilence : (noun) A usually fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague.; plague; The place might have been desolated by a pestilence, so empty and so lifeless did it now appear. capacitate : verb tr.: To make capable. ; "'She can't leave the house. She's incapacitated.' 'Tell her to CAPACITATE then,' he snapped." Katherine Clark; The Headmaster's Darlings; 2015. "'Rock music was perfectly set up to capacitate everything that I was looking to express in a marketable fashion,' says Lewis." Kim Mulford; Camden Pianist Eric Lewis' Take on Music Is Classic Shock; Courier Post (Cherry Hill, New Jersey); Sep 28, 2012. See more usage examples of capacitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: When you counsel someone, you should appear to be reminding him of something he had forgotten, not of the light he was unable to see. -Baltasar Gracian, writer and philosopher (8 Jan 1601-1658) *****January 10, 2024***** revivalist : (noun) A preacher of the Christian gospel.; evangelist, gospeller; The revivalist drew a crowd of devoted followers to his weekly prayer meetings. eptitude : noun: Skill or proficiency in a situation or a task. ; "Desperate vegetation clung to cracks in the rocks, demonstrating nature's marvelous eptitude at making the best of a hellish situation." John Vorhaus; The Albuquerque Turkey; Bafflegab Books; 2013. Thought For The Day: One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, and compassion. -Simone de Beauvoir, author and philosopher (9 Jan 1908-1986) *****January 11, 2024***** runnel : (noun) A small stream; a brook.; streamlet, rill, rivulet, run; He could tell from the impression carved into the landscape that the runnel's flow had drifted a few feet to the north. mediate : adjective:1. Involving an intervening agency; not direct or immediate.  2. Being in a middle position. verb tr., intr.:1. To act as an intermediary to resolve a conflict, bring about a solution, etc.  2. To divide into two parts. ; "[James Wilson] supported the direct election of the office, but had to settle for the mediate election of the president by offering the compromise electoral college system." Lawrence J. DeNardis; The Electoral College; New Haven Register (Connecticut); Dec 4, 2016. "Though it was a very muffled love, mediated as it was through the screen and the keyboard." Elizabeth Cohen; The Hypothetical Girl; Other Press; 2013. See more usage examples of mediate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The most certain test by which we can judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities. -Lord Acton (John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton), historian (10 Jan 1834-1902) *****January 12, 2024***** drachm : (noun) A unit of capacity or volume in the apothecary system equal to one eighth of a fluid ounce.; fluidram; She measured out a drachm of the sweet-smelling elixir and administered it to the ailing child. maculate : verb tr.: To stain, blemish, or pollute. adjective: Stained, spotted, or impure. ; "I had to maculate the gleam in my eye." Justin Phillip Reed; When I Was a Poet; Poetry (Chicago, Illinois); Dec 2019. "I can make out its long-fingered wings and tightly ruddering tail, its maculate underside." Richard Smyth; There's a Buzzard in the Air; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 14, 2020. See more usage examples of maculate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Some are guilty, but all are responsible. -Abraham Joshua Heschel, rabbi and professor (11 Jan 1907-1972) *****January 13, 2024***** abase : (verb) Cause to feel shame; hurt the pride of.; chagrin, humiliate, humble, mortify; Today she overwhelmed me with shrill reproaches, and abased me to the level of a hearth-brush. nocent : adjective 1. Harmful. 2. Guilty. ; "Sadly, I am even used to threatening emails. In my line of work, they are an occupational hazard and nearly always these are the usual nocent missives about how I have mightily offended the GOP or Islam or God." Philip Kerr; Prayer: A Novel; Penguin; 2015. See more usage examples of nocent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 14, 2024***** sloven : (noun) One who is habitually careless in personal appearance or work.; slob, pig; I could better eat with one who did not respect the truth or the laws than with a sloven and unpresentable person. nocent : adjective 1. Harmful. 2. Guilty. ; "Sadly, I am even used to threatening emails. In my line of work, they are an occupational hazard and nearly always these are the usual nocent missives about how I have mightily offended the GOP or Islam or God." Philip Kerr; Prayer: A Novel; Penguin; 2015. See more usage examples of nocent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 15, 2024***** sophistry : (noun) A plausible but misleading or fallacious argument.; sophism, sophistication; Though they had all been taken in by the argument, they later claimed to have secretly known that it was pure sophistry. nocent : adjective 1. Harmful. 2. Guilty. ; "Sadly, I am even used to threatening emails. In my line of work, they are an occupational hazard and nearly always these are the usual nocent missives about how I have mightily offended the GOP or Islam or God." Philip Kerr; Prayer: A Novel; Penguin; 2015. See more usage examples of nocent in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: People's memories are maybe the fuel they burn to stay alive. -Haruki Murakami, writer (b. 12 Jan 1949) *****January 16, 2024***** exigent : (adjective) Requiring much effort or expense; demanding attention.; crying, insistent, clamant, instant; The professor regarded literary questions as exigent and momentous. peccant : adjective: 1. Sinful. 2. Violating a rule. ; "None of these writers believes atheists, agnostics, or skeptics are less moral than their religious fellows. Were there any evidence that unbelievers were more peccant, Dennett notes, the religions would be onto it like a duck on a June bug." Michael Cohen; The God Damners; Skeptic (Altadena, California); Fall 2018. See more usage examples of peccant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood. The trailblazers in human, academic, scientific, and religious freedom have always been nonconformists. In any cause that concerns the progress of mankind, put your faith in the nonconformist! -Martin Luther King, Jr., civil-rights leader (15 Jan 1929-1968) *****January 17, 2024***** periphrasis : (noun) A style that involves indirect ways of expressing things.; ambage, circumlocution; Parents often engage in periphrasis when discussing adult matters in the presence of their children. prestigious : adjective: Honored, esteemed, or having high status. ; "The announcement of the winner of the Nobel prize in literature usually prompts one of three reactions. The first is 'Who?'; the second is 'Why?'; the third -- by far the rarest -- is 'Hurrah!' This year, reactions were firmly in the first two camps. On Oct 5, Jon Fosse, a Norwegian, was awarded the world's most prestigious writing prize." Prestigious, Lucrative, and Bonkers; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 14, 2023. See more usage examples of prestigious in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. -English Proverb *****January 18, 2024***** impute : (verb) Attribute or credit to.; ascribe, attribute, assign; Keller, why does your article impute things to my father without the slightest foundation? dapper : adjective: 1. Stylish in dress. 2. Small and active. ; "A guru of the airwaves, [Bryan Cranston] is dapper and spry, striding up and down the stage as he lectures on the woes of corporate capitalism." Alexandra Schwartz; Mad, Mad World; The New Yorker; Dec 17, 2018. See more usage examples of dapper in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Half the truth is often a great lie. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (17 Jan 1706-1790) *****January 19, 2024***** vagrant : (noun) One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.; drifter, vagabond, floater; When things started disappearing from their backyard, they began to suspect the vagrant who had recently been spotted in the neighborhood. peterman : noun: Safecracker. ; "He's a peterman. Housebreaking's just the last thing we got him for. He blows safes. He did the British Linen Bank on Kilmarnock Road in '66." Liam McIlvanney; The Quaker; HarperCollins; 2019. Thought For The Day: Everyone has a belief system, B.S., the trick is to learn not to take anyone's B.S. too seriously, especially your own. -Robert Anton Wilson, novelist (18 Jan 1932-2007) *****January 20, 2024***** profuse : (adjective) Plentiful; copious.; lush, riotous, luxuriant, exuberant; He wiped his forehead, which had broken out in profuse perspiration at the thought of the pain which he might have to inflict upon the poor soul. prudish : adjective: Overly concerned with propriety or decorum, especially in matters of sex. ; "Don't tell me you're one of those prudish types who thinks every piano should be skirted so its legs won't show." Catherine Anderson; Lucky Penny; Penguin; 2012. See more usage examples of prudish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 21, 2024***** inculcate : (verb) To teach (others) by frequent instruction or repetition.; infuse, instill; All of virtue and chivalry and true manhood which his old guardian had neglected to inculcate in the boy's mind the good priest planted there. prudish : adjective: Overly concerned with propriety or decorum, especially in matters of sex. ; "Don't tell me you're one of those prudish types who thinks every piano should be skirted so its legs won't show." Catherine Anderson; Lucky Penny; Penguin; 2012. See more usage examples of prudish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 22, 2024***** cicatrix : (noun) A scar left by the formation of new connective tissue over a healing sore or wound.; scar; It was clear from the cicatrix on his back that he had been punished at one time, but, whether as a slave or as a thief, we could not tell. prudish : adjective: Overly concerned with propriety or decorum, especially in matters of sex. ; "Don't tell me you're one of those prudish types who thinks every piano should be skirted so its legs won't show." Catherine Anderson; Lucky Penny; Penguin; 2012. See more usage examples of prudish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: On stage, I make love to 25,000 different people, then I go home alone. -Janis Joplin, singer-songwriter (19 Jan 1943-1970) *****January 23, 2024***** furbelow : (noun) A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim.; ruffle, flounce, frill; Those dresses are good, sensible, serviceable dresses, without any frills or furbelows about them, and they're all you'll get this summer. Machiavellianism : noun: The use of unscrupulous means, cunning, and deceit in pursuit of power, especially in politics. ; "Ms. Merkel rose to power by besting the men around her. She took over the Christian Democrats by sidelining her mentor, the former Chancellor Helmut Kohl (who used to call her "mein Mädchen" -- my girl). In 2005, she beat the macho Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, a man known for considering women's emancipation as "Gedöns" -- bric-a-brac. Ms. Merkel did so by applying her unusual political intelligence as well as an age-old Machiavellianism." Anna Sauerbrey; What Do Clinton and Merkel Have in Common?; The New York Times; Oct 31, 2016. Thought For The Day: He who is only just is cruel. Who on earth could live were all judged justly? -Lord Byron, poet (22 Jan 1788-1824) *****January 24, 2024***** polymorphism : (noun) Crystallization of a compound in at least two distinct forms.; pleomorphism; Calcium carbonate possesses the characteristic of polymorphism, since it crystallizes as calcite or aragonite. Don Quixote : noun: Someone who is unrealistic, naive, chivalrous, idealistic, etc. to an absurd degree. ; "Being a Don Quixote -- pursuing what other people say is a lost cause -- in our culture is tantamount to being a fool." Beverly Willett; I Was Falsely Accused and My Reputation Was Disparaged. I Don't Regret Fighting Back; USA Today (Arlington, Virginia); Sep 28, 2018. See more usage examples of Don Quixote in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us. -Stendhal (Marie-Henri Beyle), novelist (23 Jan 1783-1842) *****January 25, 2024***** comedo : (noun) A plug of keratin and sebum within a hair follicle that is blackened at the surface.; blackhead; On the morning of the school dance, she was dismayed to discover a large comedo on her chin. thespian : noun: An actor. adjective: Relating to drama. ; "Ms Streep, a masterful thespian with chameleonic powers." Two Faces of a Star; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 4, 2021. See more usage examples of thespian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I begin to see what marriage is for. It's to keep people away from each other. Sometimes I think that two people who love each other can be saved from madness only by the things that come between them: children, duties, visits, bores, relations, the things that protect married people from each other. -Edith Wharton, novelist (24 Jan 1862-1937) *****January 26, 2024***** tetragon : (noun) A four-sided polygon.; quadrangle, quadrilateral; Long after the teacher had moved on from the geometry lesson, Alice found herself absentmindedly sketching tetragons in her notebook. epicure : noun: 1. A person with refined taste, especially in food or wine. 2. A person devoted to sensual pleasure. ; "On a recent Sunday at Angel Indian, a new, mostly Punjabi restaurant in Jackson Heights, where the bill of fare happens to be meat-free, an epicure I had brought along for lunch declared that he didn't much care for vegetarian Indian food. An hour and a half-dozen dishes later, I watched him jump up from the table to chase down a pair of women who had studied the menu taped to the front door before walking away, so he could urge them to return." Hannah Goldfield; Angel Indian; The New Yorker; Dec 9, 2019. See more usage examples of epicure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965) *****January 26, 2024***** demeanor : (noun) The way a person behaves toward other people.; deportment, conduct, behavior; She had a charming demeanor that endeared her to her many friends. Momus : noun: A carping critic. ; "Haigh's music is optimistic and light-hearted. ... But Mozart is much more of a Momus, delighting in pointed, intentional mockery." Benjamin Katz; HAIGH: 6 Harpsichord Concertos; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Jul/Aug 2013. See more usage examples of Momus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 27, 2024***** tumulus : (noun) A heap of earth placed over prehistoric tombs.; burial mound, grave mound, barrow; The tumulus marked the spot where his ancestor was buried. Momus : noun: A carping critic. ; "Haigh's music is optimistic and light-hearted. ... But Mozart is much more of a Momus, delighting in pointed, intentional mockery." Benjamin Katz; HAIGH: 6 Harpsichord Concertos; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Jul/Aug 2013. See more usage examples of Momus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 28, 2024***** aver : (verb) To assert formally as a fact.; allege, say; For as my conscience does not accuse me, I aver that I am not a criminal. Momus : noun: A carping critic. ; "Haigh's music is optimistic and light-hearted. ... But Mozart is much more of a Momus, delighting in pointed, intentional mockery." Benjamin Katz; HAIGH: 6 Harpsichord Concertos; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Jul/Aug 2013. See more usage examples of Momus in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Catch-and-release, that's like running down pedestrians in your car and then, when they get up and limp away, saying -- Off you go! That's fine. I just wanted to see if I could hit you. -Ellen DeGeneres, comedian, television host, and actress (b. 26 Jan 1958) *****January 29, 2024***** quixotic : (adjective) Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality.; wild-eyed, romantic; She is ready prey to any man who knows how to play adroitly either on her affectionate ardor or her quixotic enthusiasm. heightism : noun: Discrimination based on height, especially the unfair treatment of people who are short. ; "I'm pleased to report I haven't ordered my elevator shoes yet. The woman I love transcended her heightism. She's put away her heels, and clips articles about the latest trend in relationships: 'Short Men and Tall Women: The Last Taboo.'" Joel Yanovsky; What Women Don't Know About Men; Chatelaine (Toronto, Canada); May 1997. Thought For The Day: It is my belief that the writer, the free-lance author, should be and must be a critic of the society in which he lives. It is easy enough, and always profitable, to rail away at national enemies beyond the sea, at foreign powers beyond our borders who question the prevailing order. But the moral duty of the free writer is to begin his work at home; to be a critic of his own community, his own country, his own culture. If the writer is unwilling to fill this part, then the writer should abandon pretense and find another line of work: become a shoe repairman, a brain surgeon, a janitor, a cowboy, a nuclear physicist, a bus driver. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (29 Jan 1927-1989) *****January 31, 2024***** anachronistic : (adjective) Chronologically misplaced.; anachronous; The portrait's subject matter is anachronistic, since the famous historical figure is depicted sitting next to a modern computer. theophoric : adjective: Having or derived from the name of a god. ; "Elijah is a small man, hardly five feet tall. His theophoric name means 'Yahweh is my God.'" Rabbi Migosh; Elizah Comes to Dinner; The Jewish Quarterly; Summer 1996. Thought For The Day: Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. -Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President (30 Jan 1882-1945) *****February 01, 2024***** pergola : (noun) An arbor or a passageway of columns supporting a roof of trelliswork on which climbing plants are trained to grow.; arbor, bower; The thick vegetation met overhead, interlacing into a natural pergola. ekphrasis : noun: A description of or commentary on a work of visual art. ; "But to Louise the picture is an abstraction. She describes it in a befuddled ekphrasis, like an art student looking at an obscure slide, bringing none of its ideological weight to the task." Vinson Cunningham; Pro Choice; The New Yorker; Jan 30, 2023. See more usage examples of ekphrasis in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victor over anger, to smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts, to hate hate and to love love, to go on when it would seem good to die, to seek ever after the glory and the dream, to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be, that is what any man can do, and so be great. -Zane Grey, author (31 Jan 1872-1939) *****February 02, 2024***** concomitant : (adjective) Occurring or existing concurrently; attendant.; accompanying, consequent, ensuant, resultant, sequent, incidental; There is scarce any human good without its concomitant evil. diegetic : adjective: Happening inside a story. ; "Each pop song begins as a tinny diegetic insert (on a radio or gramophone) before flowering into a booming soundtrack accompaniment." Adrian Martin; December Boys; Sight and Sound (London, UK); Nov 2007. "Much of the book is pure chronicle, told in a diegetic prose." Marcel Theroux; No One Prayed Over Their Graves by Khaled Khalifa; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 26, 2023. "That's why I loved Moultrie's dance staging for 'Fat Ham', in which characters discovered their truth through what you might call diegetic movement. They were actually dancing in the story, while lip-syncing to karaoke at a party." Jesse Green, et al; Choreographers Shape New Shows; The New York Times; May 14, 2023. See more usage examples of diegetic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor and orator (c. Feb 1817-1895) *****February 03, 2024***** tussock : (noun) A clump or tuft, as of growing grass.; tuft; The chameleon hid in a colorful tussock of vegetation. yesterweek : noun: Last week. adverb: During last week. ; "I told you of all this yesterweek, when you visited my chamber last." Michael Canfield; The Woods Wife & Other Tales of Mystery & Magic; CreateSpace; 2015. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 04, 2024***** indigen : (noun) One that is native or indigenous to an area.; aborigine, native; Because they had physical characteristics known to be conducive to life in the cold, we thought they must be indigens of Alaska. yesterweek : noun: Last week. adverb: During last week. ; "I told you of all this yesterweek, when you visited my chamber last." Michael Canfield; The Woods Wife & Other Tales of Mystery & Magic; CreateSpace; 2015. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 05, 2024***** lariat : (noun) A long noosed rope used to catch animals.; riata, lasso; He spent his days chasing after fleeing cattle, roping them with his lariat and bringing them back to the ranch. yesterweek : noun: Last week. adverb: During last week. ; "I told you of all this yesterweek, when you visited my chamber last." Michael Canfield; The Woods Wife & Other Tales of Mystery & Magic; CreateSpace; 2015. Thought For The Day: The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw. -Havelock Ellis, physician, writer, and social reformer (2 Feb 1859-1939) *****February 06, 2024***** refractory : (adjective) Obstinately resistant to authority or control.; fractious, recalcitrant; He still made a naughty or refractory lad stand with one arm stretched out for anything from ten minutes to half an hour. tzimmes or tsimmes : noun: 1. Fuss; confusion. 2. A stew of fruits and vegetables, and sometimes meat. ; "But to admit his error, he realized, would be to jeopardize his own infallible reputation, as well as that of his future wife, who had set this whole tsimmes boiling in the first place." Naomi Ragen; The Saturday Wife; St. Martin's Press; 2008. Thought For The Day: A hungry man is not a free man. -Adlai Stevenson II, lawyer, politician, and diplomat (5 Feb 1900-1965) *****February 07, 2024***** granger : (noun) A person who operates a farm.; sodbuster, farmer, husbandman; Their lands had been bought long ago, and the grangers moved to the city to find work as manual laborers. gravy train : noun: A situation offering a lot of money or benefits for little work. ; "Plum overseas foreign postings are handed out to ex-federal cabinet members and former premiers, sometimes on merit, sometimes to get them out of the political sphere, and sometimes just as a gratuitous reward. It's a seat on the gravy train paid for by taxpayers." Editorial; Sunday Herald (Melbourne, Australia); Sep 3, 2023. See more usage examples of gravy train in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There's a schizoid quality to our relationship with animals, in which sentiment and brutality exist side by side. Half the dogs in America will receive Christmas presents this year, yet few of us pause to consider the miserable life of the pig -- an animal easily as intelligent as a dog -- that becomes the Christmas ham. -Michael Pollan, professor and writer (b. 6 Feb 1955) *****February 08, 2024***** sassaby : (noun) A large South African antelope; considered the swiftest hoofed mammal.; Damaliscus lunatus, topi; Our jeep sped across the terrain, but we still could not keep up with the sassaby. cold turkey : noun:1. An abrupt and complete withdrawal, especially from an addiction.  2. A frank and direct expression of views. adjective:Abrupt and complete. adverb:Abruptly. verb tr., intr.:To abruptly and completely withdraw, especially from something addictive. ; "When [Paul Denino] turned sixteen, he quit them all cold turkey. These days, he often talks about the drugs as a mental prison." Adrian Chen; No More Secrets; The New Yorker; Jul 9-16, 2018. See more usage examples of cold turkey in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it. -Charles Dickens, novelist (7 Feb 1812-1870) *****February 09, 2024***** parhelion : (noun) A bright spot sometimes appearing on either side of the sun, often on a luminous ring or halo.; sundog, mock sun; At first, Sue thought the bright spot in the sky beside the sun was a comet, but she soon realized that the phenomenon was actually a parhelion. nothingburger : noun: Someone or something that turns out to be inconsequential. ; "So was this the start of something beautiful, or a great big German nothingburger?" Angela Plays it Cool; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 9, 2018. Thought For The Day: When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) *****February 10, 2024***** lavabo : (noun) A basin for washing the hands.; handbasin, washbasin, washbowl; The priest washed his hands in the metal lavabo before saying Mass. plain-vanilla : adjective: Basic, plain, or bland. ; "Dad was expecting your plain-vanilla legislative report. Instead, Paul bound it in a four-color magazine stock cover with a beach scene and with the title 'Footprints ... on the Sands of Time'." Mimi Swartz; Remembering Paul Burka; Texas Monthly (Austin); Oct 2022. Thought For The Day: Activism is the rent I pay for living on the planet. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 11, 2024***** consign : (verb) To give over to the care of another; entrust.; charge; She consigned her daughters to the care of their aunt and took an extended vacation to Africa. plain-vanilla : adjective: Basic, plain, or bland. ; "Dad was expecting your plain-vanilla legislative report. Instead, Paul bound it in a four-color magazine stock cover with a beach scene and with the title 'Footprints ... on the Sands of Time'." Mimi Swartz; Remembering Paul Burka; Texas Monthly (Austin); Oct 2022. Thought For The Day: Activism is the rent I pay for living on the planet. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 12, 2024***** paling : (noun) A fence made of upright pickets.; picket fence; Between it and Judge Driscoll's house there was only a grassy yard, with a paling fence dividing the properties in the middle. plain-vanilla : adjective: Basic, plain, or bland. ; "Dad was expecting your plain-vanilla legislative report. Instead, Paul bound it in a four-color magazine stock cover with a beach scene and with the title 'Footprints ... on the Sands of Time'." Mimi Swartz; Remembering Paul Burka; Texas Monthly (Austin); Oct 2022. Thought For The Day: Activism is the rent I pay for living on the planet. -Alice Walker, author (b. 9 Feb 1944) *****February 13, 2024***** arc-boutant : (noun) A buttress that stands apart from the main structure and connected to it by an arch.; flying buttress; The architect favors the arc-boutant in his designs because it is practical and aesthetically pleasing. reptilian : adjective: 1. Contemptible. 2. Treacherous. 3. Like a reptile. ; "Whoever this individual was, he was an unmitigated villain -- a reptilian villain!" Theodore Dreiser; An American Tragedy; Boni & Liveright; 1925. See more usage examples of reptilian in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do, and as I should wish to do, evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of caterpillars, or that a cat should play with mice. -Charles Darwin, naturalist and author (12 Feb 1809-1882) [Ichneumonidae: The family of parasitic wasps that deposit eggs inside or on top of the larvae of other insects. Once hatched, the ichneumonid larva slowly eats its host alive from inside out.] *****February 14, 2024***** nightstick : (noun) A short stout club used primarily by policemen.; truncheon, billy, billy club, billystick, baton; The policeman ordered the loiterers to disperse, tapping his nightstick for effect. eager beaver : noun: One who is enthusiastic and hard-working, sometimes to the point of being overzealous. ; "He was surprised when he met the head of security in the lobby and learned that the building was not as empty as he had anticipated. One eager beaver, as the man put it, was still plugging away on the sixth floor at almost nine o'clock at night. That eager beaver was Serena Van Buren." Judy Angelo; Tamed by the Billionaire; Phoenix Publishing; 2016. See more usage examples of eager beaver in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In some circumstances, the refusal to be defeated is a refusal to be educated. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) *****February 15, 2024***** sutler : (noun) A supplier of victuals or supplies to an army.; provisioner, victualler; The sutler loaded his mule with provisions and followed the army. testudinal : adjective: 1. Slow. 2. Arched. 3. Old. ; "Time now assumed a testudinal pace, and a pain that had been growing in the small of O'Malley's back intensified." R.E.G. Sinke, Jr.; When None of Their Dreams Were Dead: Book 1; Eloquent Books; 2009. "Greenspan has startled others into cutting rates too, but not the testudinal Wim Duisenberg: the man who runs the European Central Bank (but who runs it very slowly)." Give Credit Where It's Due; Sunday Business (London, UK); May 13, 2001. Thought For The Day: Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) *****February 16, 2024***** propitiate : (verb) To conciliate (an offended power).; appease; After his grave sin, he tried to propitiate the gods with a sacrifice. weasel : noun:1. Any of various small slender carnivorous mammals of the genus Mustela.  2. A sneaky, cunning person. verb intr.:1. To evade an obligation.  2. To be evasive by using ambiguous or misleading words. ; "The CEO of the Washington Post Company, Don Graham, and Mark Zuckerberg shook hands over the deal, making a verbal contract, but when Zuckerberg weaseled out of it to take a better offer, Graham, out of kindness to a young fella just starting out, simply let him walk away." Jill Lepore; Hard News; The New Yorker; Jan 28, 2019. See more usage examples of weasel in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (15 Feb 1564-1642) *****February 17, 2024***** ecesis : (noun) The successful establishment of a plant or animal species in a habitat.; establishment; The ecologists were especially interested in ensuring the ecesis of the endangered species in the wildlife refuge. big fish : noun: An important person or entity. ; "In December alone, Britain signed terms with 11 countries ranging from big fish such as Canada and Turkey to minnows such as Cameroon and North Macedonia." Nice Work; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 30, 2021. See more usage examples of big fish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 18, 2024***** petrous : (adjective) Of, relating to, or resembling rock, especially in hardness; stony.; stonelike; The veterinarian removed several rounded, petrous objects from the animal's wound. big fish : noun: An important person or entity. ; "In December alone, Britain signed terms with 11 countries ranging from big fish such as Canada and Turkey to minnows such as Cameroon and North Macedonia." Nice Work; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 30, 2021. See more usage examples of big fish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 19, 2024***** insidious : (adjective) Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner.; pernicious, subtle; He appeared to be recovering, but the insidious disease soon reappeared in his other organs. big fish : noun: An important person or entity. ; "In December alone, Britain signed terms with 11 countries ranging from big fish such as Canada and Turkey to minnows such as Cameroon and North Macedonia." Nice Work; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 30, 2021. See more usage examples of big fish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. -Henry Adams, historian and teacher (16 Feb 1838-1918) *****February 20, 2024***** journeyman : (noun) A skilled worker who practices some trade or handicraft.; artisan, artificer, craftsman; He was a good ten years younger than I was; and, being only a journeyman, his worldly station was below mine. bridewell : noun: A prison. ; "[Jack Straw] made clear that the kind of spare cells in old bridewells that meant 3,000 prisoners a night could be held in them in the 1980s no longer existed." Alan Travis; Send Fewer to Jail; The Guardian (London, UK); Feb 22, 2008. Thought For The Day: There's nothing that makes you so aware of the improvisation of human existence as a song unfinished. Or an old address book. -Carson McCullers, writer (19 Feb 1917-1967) *****February 21, 2024***** homebody : (noun) One whose interests center on the home.; stay-at-home; He was not merely a homebody, but a true agoraphobic who lived in fear of the outside world. gulag : noun: 1. The system of forced labor camps in the former Soviet Union. 2. Any prison or forced labor camp, especially one for political prisoners. 3. A place of great hardship. ; "Eritrea is ruled by a despot-for-life whose critics wind up dead or sweating in a gulag of shipping crates in the desert." How to Make Eritrea Less Horrible; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 4, 2018. See more usage examples of gulag in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. -Ansel Adams, photographer (20 Feb 1902-1984) *****February 22, 2024***** apothegm : (noun) A terse, witty, instructive saying; a maxim.; aphorism; One of the monks in the monastery collected apothegms and compiled a book of 500 wise maxims. calaboose : noun: A prison. ; "[Hasan Baswaid] put his hands together as if he were in handcuffs. 'This could put you in the calaboose,' he said with a sheepish grin." Lawrence Wright; The Kingdom of Silence; The New Yorker; Jan 5, 2004. Thought For The Day: Throw your dream into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country. -Anais Nin, author (21 Feb 1903-1977) *****February 23, 2024***** haberdasher : (noun) A dealer in men's furnishings.; clothier; The young boy excitedly entered the haberdasher's shop, ready to purchase his first suit. panopticon : noun: 1. A circular prison with a watchtower in the center so that any inmate can be observed from a single point. 2. A place marked by constant surveillance. ; "And the radical circular plan has yielded a kind of benevolent parental panopticon, allowing the couple to see whose rooms are lit and determine whether their independent teenagers are home for the night." Sam Cochran; Gear Shift; Architectural Digest (Los Angeles, California); Jan 2023. See more usage examples of panopticon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is no absurdity so palpable but that it may be firmly planted in the human head if you only begin to inculcate it before the age of five, by constantly repeating it with an air of great solemnity. -Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher (22 Feb 1788-1860) *****February 24, 2024***** blacking : (noun) A preparation, such as a shoe or stove polish, that is used to impart a black color.; shoe polish; I let a bottle of blacking fall over his new dress, and he flew at me sword in hand, so that I was obliged to make my escape. lob's pound : noun: 1. Prison. 2. Difficulty. 3. Entanglement. ; "I know I shall catch her in some lob's pound." Hannah Cowley; The World as It Goes; 1781. Thought For The Day: Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013) *****February 25, 2024***** dullard : (noun) A person regarded as mentally dull.; dolt, pillock, poor fish, pudding head; David was always a quiet, orderly boy and for a long time was thought by the people of Winesburg to be something of a dullard. lob's pound : noun: 1. Prison. 2. Difficulty. 3. Entanglement. ; "I know I shall catch her in some lob's pound." Hannah Cowley; The World as It Goes; 1781. Thought For The Day: Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013) *****February 26, 2024***** cinematographer : (noun) A photographer who operates a movie camera.; cameraman; The cinematographer won an award for his lush landscape shots, which captured the mood of the film. lob's pound : noun: 1. Prison. 2. Difficulty. 3. Entanglement. ; "I know I shall catch her in some lob's pound." Hannah Cowley; The World as It Goes; 1781. Thought For The Day: Leaving home in a sense involves a kind of second birth in which we give birth to ourselves. -Robert Neelly Bellah, sociologist and author (23 Feb 1927-2013) *****February 27, 2024***** assiduous : (adjective) Marked by care and persistent effort.; sedulous; By such assiduous and persevering labor they made their way about four hundred and fifty miles up the Missouri. alible : adjective: Nutritious; nourishing. ; "Men who reached their seventies were often stooped and frail, but Guma Vetalda had been reared on mountain air and the alible food of Yscalin." Samantha Shannon; A Day of Fallen Night; Bloomsbury; 2023. Thought For The Day: The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves. -Victor Hugo, novelist and dramatist (26 Feb 1802-1885) *****February 28, 2024***** pillbox : (noun) A woman's small hat with upright sides and a flat crown.; toque, turban; Mary had to use hairclips to ensure that her new leopard-skin pillbox didn't slip off her head. fulgurant : adjective: 1. Flashing like lightning. 2. Brilliant. ; "The darkened kitchen, fulgurant with lightning beyond a rain-streaked window." Dale Bailey; Cockroach; Fantasy & Science Fiction (Hoboken, New Jersey); Dec 1998. "It was a beautiful spring day in Smyrna, Georgia, full of blooming Bradford pears and dogwood and other trees and shrubs that I couldn't name, blasting with the fulgurant petals of May." Doug Crandell; Back Story; Smithsonian (Washington, DC); May 2004. See more usage examples of fulgurant in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second. -John Steinbeck, novelist, Nobel laureate (27 Feb 1902-1968) *****February 29, 2024***** prosaic : (adjective) Straightforward; not fanciful or imaginative.; matter-of-fact; It is to be a cold, prosaic, matter-of-fact business proposition. anfractuous : adjective: Full of twists and turns. ; "He was surprised how good it felt to have someone listen and ask questions about the anfractuous course his life had run to this point." Mel Reisner; The Leather Man; Archway; 2008. See more usage examples of anfractuous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There is as much difference between us and ourselves as between us and others. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (28 Feb 1533-1592) *****March 01, 2024***** shoestring : (noun) Marked by or consisting of a small amount of money.; shoe string; The manager was expected to run the department on a shoestring budget, so to save money, he fired a few a few of the salesmen and accountants. heliotropic : adjective: Turning toward the sun or the light. ; "Architects have toyed with the idea of heliotropic mirrors that pick up sunlight at the top of tall buildings and shine it back down to street level, bathing the pavement in natural sunlight." Robert Nelson; Ideas Travelling at the Speed of Light; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Apr 3, 2013. Thought For The Day: Animals cannot speak, but can you and I not speak for them and represent them? Let us all feel their silent cry of agony and let us all help that cry to be heard in the world. -Rukmini Devi Arundale, dancer and choreographer (29 Feb 1904-1986) *****March 02, 2024***** roughneck : (noun) A cruel and brutal fellow.; yobo, bully, hooligan, rowdy, ruffian, yob, tough; The boys knew it was safer to avoid the alley where the neighborhood's roughnecks frequently gathered, but they chose to use the shortcut anyway. antelucan : adjective: Before dawn. ; "The sun was barely coloring the antelucan sky." Ella Quinn; The Most Eligible Bride in London; Zebra Books; 2022. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 03, 2024***** betise : (noun) A stupid mistake.; folly, imbecility, stupidity, foolishness; At the fundraising event, the master of ceremonies introduced the keynote speaker by the wrong name, and his betise was immortalized on film. antelucan : adjective: Before dawn. ; "The sun was barely coloring the antelucan sky." Ella Quinn; The Most Eligible Bride in London; Zebra Books; 2022. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 04, 2024***** chaise : (noun) A long chair; for reclining.; daybed; The queen reclined on a gorgeous chaise while her servants fanned her with palm fronds. antelucan : adjective: Before dawn. ; "The sun was barely coloring the antelucan sky." Ella Quinn; The Most Eligible Bride in London; Zebra Books; 2022. Thought For The Day: We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (1 Mar 1939-2017) *****March 05, 2024***** diatribe : (noun) A bitter, abusive denunciation.; fulmination; Silverstein found vent in a diatribe against all prize-fighters and against Joe Fleming in particular. tergiversate : verb intr.: 1. To evade or to equivocate. 2. To change one's loyalties. ; "Is the normally tergiversating Dakota Stevens committing to a date with moi?" Chris Orcutt; The Rich Are Different; Have Pen, Will Travel; 2012. See more usage examples of tergiversate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Creativity -- like human life itself -- begins in darkness. We need to acknowledge this. All too often, we think only in terms of light: "And then the lightbulb went on and I got it!" It is true that insights may come to us as flashes. It is true that some of these flashes may be blinding. It is, however, also true that such bright ideas are preceded by a gestation period that is interior, murky, and completely necessary. -Julia Cameron, artist, author, teacher, filmmaker, composer, and journalist (b. 4 Mar 1948) *****March 06, 2024***** tutelage : (noun) The capacity or activity of a tutor; instruction or teaching.; tuition; Michael's crowning achievement, under Daughtry's tutelage, in the first days in the stateroom, was to learn to count up to five. loggerhead : noun: 1. A blockhead: a dull or slow-witted person. 2. A loggerhead turtle. ; "He's a loggerhead. Good for nothing. I hereby subtract him from my life." A.K.B. Kumar; All That Glitters Is Not God; Partridge Publishing; 2014. See more usage examples of loggerhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: For 50 million years our biggest problems were too few calories, too little information. For about 50 years our biggest problem has been too many calories, too much information. We have to adjust, and I believe we will really fast. I also believe it will be wicked ugly while we're adjusting. -Penn Jillette, magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author (b. 5 Mar 1955) *****March 07, 2024***** garboil : (noun) A state of commotion and noise and confusion.; tumult, uproar; The crowd at the fair was noisy and rowdy, and in the midst of the garboil, I lost sight of my sister. hough : verb tr.: To cripple, disable, or to make ineffective. noun: The joint in the hind leg of a quadruped animal such as a horse, equivalent to the ankle in a human. ; "The self hamstrung, houghed, short-circuited, is the self God wants of us." Molly Rachamim; After the Fall; Cross Currents (New York); Fall 2004. Thought For The Day: If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (6 Mar 1475-1564) *****March 08, 2024***** chiffonier : (noun) A narrow high chest of drawers or bureau, often with a mirror attached.; commode; Against the wall stood an exquisite chiffonier, on which were resting some cut-glass decanters and goblets. middlebrow : adjective:1. (describing a person) Having tastes and interests that lie somewhere between sophisticated and vulgar.  2. (describing a work of art) Neither sophisticated nor vulgar. noun:A person who has conventional tastes and interests. ; "Rebeck's 100-minute tale of grief and release is the sort of middlebrow crowd-pleaser that used to be common fare." David Cote; Danny DeVito Hoards Laughter and Tears in "I Need That"; The New York Observer; Nov 2, 2023. See more usage examples of middlebrow in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Nature's laws affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman. -Luther Burbank, horticulturist (7 Mar 1849-1926) *****March 09, 2024***** condescending : (adjective) Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude.; patronizing, arch; Sir William, no doubt, meant to be kind, but he was cold and condescending, and not a little pompous and conceited. footloose : adjective: Free to go or do as one pleases without concerns or commitments. ; "'What would you rather be?' one tug captain asked me. 'If you had the opportunity to be a tugboat captain or a bank teller, what would you choose?' Yet the footloose spirit that once sent sailors to sea has been slowly starched out of the business -- mostly with good reason." Burkhard Bilger; Towheads; The New Yorker; Apr 19, 2010. See more usage examples of footloose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) *****March 10, 2024***** smidgen : (noun) A very small quantity or portion; a bit or mite.; whit, iota, scintilla, shred, tittle; He did not possess even a smidgen of courage and readily yielded his sandwich to an irate squirrel. footloose : adjective: Free to go or do as one pleases without concerns or commitments. ; "'What would you rather be?' one tug captain asked me. 'If you had the opportunity to be a tugboat captain or a bank teller, what would you choose?' Yet the footloose spirit that once sent sailors to sea has been slowly starched out of the business -- mostly with good reason." Burkhard Bilger; Towheads; The New Yorker; Apr 19, 2010. See more usage examples of footloose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) *****March 11, 2024***** uncultured : (adjective) Not cultured or cultivated.; artless, uncultivated; She regarded him as an uncultured brute. footloose : adjective: Free to go or do as one pleases without concerns or commitments. ; "'What would you rather be?' one tug captain asked me. 'If you had the opportunity to be a tugboat captain or a bank teller, what would you choose?' Yet the footloose spirit that once sent sailors to sea has been slowly starched out of the business -- mostly with good reason." Burkhard Bilger; Towheads; The New Yorker; Apr 19, 2010. See more usage examples of footloose in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (8 Mar 1841-1935) *****March 12, 2024***** pollinosis : (noun) A seasonal rhinitis resulting from an allergic reaction to pollen.; hay fever; It was spring, and, just like the garden, his pollinosis was in full-bloom. dogfood : verb tr., intr.: To test a company's product by having its employees use it in their regular workday. ; "Marina developed a brilliant user interface ... After a few weeks, they all cut over to this new setup, dogfooding it to make sure it was robust and useful." Kevin Robert Aldrich; Racing Hearts; Aldys Books; 2022. Thought For The Day: Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc., and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons. -Douglas Adams, writer, dramatist, and musician (11 Mar 1952-2001) *****March 13, 2024***** decennary : (noun) A period of 10 years.; decade; The first decennary of the century was marked by revolutionary movements and general social unrest. dot-connect : verb intr.: To make connections between different pieces of information in order to reach a conclusion. ; "We'll try to find out why the folks here are talking to this Elvina. Might be a money connection. If she's there, that's a big dot to dot-connect!" Greg Gilmartin; Spy Island; LifeRich Publishing; 2019 Thought For The Day: You ever wish that fireworks were incredibly quiet and also didn't disappear so quickly and also you could keep them in your home and also you could hold them in your hands? Because if so, I'd love to introduce you to, flowers. -Jonny Sun, author and illustrator (b. 12 Mar 1990) *****March 14, 2024***** conversant : (adjective) Well informed about or knowing thoroughly.; familiar; A few words, in explanation, will here be necessary for such of our readers as are not conversant with the details of aerostation. crowdfund : verb tr.: To fund a project by raising money from a large number of people, mostly strangers and usually via the Internet. ; "The video went viral, and Slat soon crowdfunded two million dollars from donors in a hundred and sixty countries." Carolyn Kormann; The Widening Gyre; The New Yorker; Feb 4, 2019. Thought For The Day: Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life. -Giorgos Seferis, writer, diplomat, Nobel laureate (13 Mar 1900-1971) *****March 15, 2024***** repugnance : (noun) Extreme dislike or aversion.; revulsion, repulsion, horror; Does any secret repugnance, or any hereditary dislike, exist between you and her family? neurodivergence : noun: The diversity of brain function, encompassing variations from what is considered typical. ; "It shouldn't have come as such a shock to have my neurodivergence confirmed. I mean, I'd always sensed that I was different from everyone else, but I'd learned to live with it." KT Bowes; Her Quiet Legacy; Hakarimata Press; 2021. Thought For The Day: The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (14 Mar 1879-1955) *****March 16, 2024***** jamboree : (noun) A noisy celebration.; gala, blowout; Mary could not bear to miss the party and begged her mother for permission to attend the jamboree. deepfake : noun: Digitally manipulated images, video, or audio that make someone appear to do or say something they did not. ; "Platforms say they are better at weeding out fakes. Taylor Swift, the latest high-profile victim of a deepfake, might disagree." The End of the Social Network; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 3, 2024. See more usage examples of deepfake in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020) *****March 17, 2024***** manger : (noun) A trough or an open box in which feed for livestock is placed.; trough; After putting him in a stable, his new master filled his manger with straw, but Pinocchio, after tasting a mouthful, spat it out. deepfake : noun: Digitally manipulated images, video, or audio that make someone appear to do or say something they did not. ; "Platforms say they are better at weeding out fakes. Taylor Swift, the latest high-profile victim of a deepfake, might disagree." The End of the Social Network; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 3, 2024. See more usage examples of deepfake in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020) *****March 18, 2024***** significative : (adjective) Pointing out or revealing clearly.; indicatory, revelatory, suggestive, indicative; Her frantic movements were significative of fear. deepfake : noun: Digitally manipulated images, video, or audio that make someone appear to do or say something they did not. ; "Platforms say they are better at weeding out fakes. Taylor Swift, the latest high-profile victim of a deepfake, might disagree." The End of the Social Network; The Economist (London, UK); Feb 3, 2024. See more usage examples of deepfake in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar 1933-2020) *****March 19, 2024***** disputant : (noun) One engaged in a dispute.; eristic, controversialist; Other tribes of the new federation took sides with the original disputants or set up petty revolutions of their own. adage : noun: A general truth conveyed succinctly and often metaphorically. ; "Behind every great fortune is a great crime, according to an adage attributed to Balzac." Andrew Marantz; The Gift; The New Yorker; Aug 14, 2023. See more usage examples of adage in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Art is like baby shoes. When you coat them with gold, they can no longer be worn. -John Updike, writer (18 Mar 1932-2009) *****March 20, 2024***** tucket : (noun) Short lively tune played on brass instruments.; fanfare, flourish; Her arrival was greeted with a rousing tucket. accede : verb intr. 1. To agree to a request, proposal, or demand, especially at the insistence of someone. 2. To assume a high office, such as a throne. 3. To become a party to an agreement, treaty, etc. ; "I am convinced that the board made a serious error in acceding to the demands of the protesters." I. King Jordan; Deaf Culture and Gallaudet; Washington Post; Jan 22, 2007. "When he acceded to the throne 17 months ago, the King pledged to dedicate the remainder of his life to the service of his people." Rob Harris; William's Unexpected Call to Duty Is Nothing New in 1000 Years of Monarchy; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 7, 2024. See more usage examples of accede in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's best to give while your hand is still warm. -Philip Roth, novelist (19 Mar 1933-2018) *****March 21, 2024***** turbid : (adjective) Having sediment or foreign particles stirred up or suspended.; murky, cloudy, muddy; It was now early spring, and the river was swollen and turbulent; great cakes of floating ice were swinging heavily to and fro in the turbid waters. efface : verb tr.: To erase or to make inconspicuous. ; "The whole unpleasant scene in the dining room had been effaced by the ease and lightness of Margaret's conversation." Darrell Husted; Miss Cordelia Harling; Popular Library; 1978. See more usage examples of efface in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It's easy to say "It's not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem." Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes. -Fred Rogers, television host, songwriter, and author (20 Mar 1928-2003) *****March 22, 2024***** haggard : (adjective) Showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering.; careworn, drawn, raddled, worn; His face was ghastly pale; his chin had a brown cut on it—a cut half healed; his expression was haggard and drawn, as by intense suffering. facade : noun: 1. The front of a building or a side facing a street or a public space. 2. The front part of something. 3. A false or superficial appearance. ; "But Sarah keeps a dark secret behind her prim and proper facade." Linda Lael Miller; Big Sky Secrets; Harlequin; 2013. See more usage examples of facade in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: In their youth both Herder and Schiller intended to study as surgeons, but Destiny said: "No, there are deeper wounds than those of the body, -- heal the deeper!" and they wrote. -Jean Paul Richter, writer (21 Mar 1763-1825) *****March 23, 2024***** excursive : (adjective) Of, given to, characterized by, or having the nature of digression.; rambling, digressive, discursive; What started as a few excursive remarks soon turned into a long, rambling speech about this and that. beachhead : noun: 1. An area of the shore secured by an advancing military force from which to advance further inland. 2. A foothold opening the way for further advance. ; "The Wall Street giants ... have long used London as a beachhead from which to serve wholesale clients across Europe." Brex and the City; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 24, 2020. See more usage examples of beachhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 24, 2024***** spelunker : (noun) One who explores caves chiefly as a hobby; a caver.; potholer, speleologist; The spelunkers were lost in the cave and worried that their minimal rations, two granola bars and a bag of salted peanuts, would not last long. beachhead : noun: 1. An area of the shore secured by an advancing military force from which to advance further inland. 2. A foothold opening the way for further advance. ; "The Wall Street giants ... have long used London as a beachhead from which to serve wholesale clients across Europe." Brex and the City; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 24, 2020. See more usage examples of beachhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) *****March 25, 2024***** buskin : (noun) A foot and leg covering reaching halfway to the knee, resembling a laced half boot.; half boot; He wore pale yellow buskins that covered the scars just above his ankles. beachhead : noun: 1. An area of the shore secured by an advancing military force from which to advance further inland. 2. A foothold opening the way for further advance. ; "The Wall Street giants ... have long used London as a beachhead from which to serve wholesale clients across Europe." Brex and the City; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 24, 2020. See more usage examples of beachhead in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. -Derek Bok, lawyer and educator (b. 22 Mar 1930) [Update: The attribution of this quote is undetermined. See here] *****March 26, 2024***** roster : (noun) A list, especially of names.; roll; The spy's mission was to compile a roster of officials amenable to bribery. whelm : verb tr.:1. To submerge.  2. To overcome; overwhelm. noun:An overwhelming or engulfing quantity of something. ; "Britain's small but vocal freedom-of-information lobby has given the plans a cautious welcome. ... Nevertheless, much will remain whelmed in mystery." Fiat a Little More Lux; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 22, 2011. "Though it seemed that the hen had survived the whelm of locusts, he stared at how lifeless it actually appeared." John LaChance; Primodeus; AuthorHouse; 2016. See more usage examples of whelm in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. -Robert Quillen, journalist and cartoonist (25 Mar 1887-1948) *****March 27, 2024***** banneret : (noun) A knight honored for valor, entitled to display a square banner and to hold higher command.; knight of the square flag; The banneret proudly led his troops into battle and pressed forward unafraid. kneecap : noun:A small, flat, triangular bone that covers the front of the knee. verb tr.:1. To attack the knee as a way to cripple someone.  2. To undermine or disable, especially in an excessive manner. ; "The desperation of competitive young editors reduced to kneecapping and humiliating one another for lack of promotional opportunities." Julian Lucas; Shamelessly Dramatic; The New Yorker; Jan 15, 2024. "He was owed something for allowing her to kneecap his career." Taffy Brodesser-Akner; Fleishman Is in Trouble; Random House; 2020. See more usage examples of kneecap in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Why are numbers beautiful? It's like asking why is Beethoven's Ninth Symphony beautiful. If you don't see why, someone can't tell you. I know numbers are beautiful. If they aren't beautiful, nothing is. -Paul Erdos, mathematician (26 Mar 1913-1996) *****March 28, 2024***** fleecy : (adjective) Having soft nap produced by brushing.; napped, brushed; Though the train was unbearably cold, she snuggled into the fleecy lining of her coat and promptly fell asleep. gegg : verb tr., intr.: To play a hoax or practical joke. noun: A trick or practical joke. ; "'I was gegging about in the changing rooms with the lads ...,' joked the Mals boss." Maxie Swain; No Panic Stations with Mals; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Sep 10, 2019. Thought For The Day: History is a novel whose author is the people. -Alfred de Vigny, poet, playwright, and novelist (27 Mar 1797-1863) *****March 29, 2024***** rampart : (noun) A fortification consisting of an embankment, often with a parapet built on top.; bulwark, wall; They stormed the ramparts of the city with ladders and catapults. T-bone : verb tr.:To collide with the side of, especially referring to a vehicle. Also known as broadside. noun:1. A collision of this kind.  2. A cut of meat with a T-shaped bone. ; "Some hit-and-run driver came out of nowhere and T-boned them." Jill Elizabeth Nelson; Lone Survivor; Harlequin; 2020. Thought For The Day: The mind is the effect, not the cause. -Daniel Dennett, philosopher, writer, and professor (b. 28 Mar 1942) *****March 30, 2024***** sepulcher : (noun) A chamber that is used as a grave.; burial chamber; The archaeologists opened the sepulcher expecting to find ancient artifacts, but the burial chamber turned out to be completely empty. manicure : noun:A cosmetic treatment of a person's hands, especially the nails. verb tr., intr.:1. To take care of the hands and fingernails.  2. To groom in a meticulous manner. ; "Remarkably little is known about Putin's private life. His public image is carefully manicured." Matthew Chance & Mick Krever; Gym, Spa, Beauty Equipment: Leaked Documents Reveal Hidden Details of Putin's 'Ghost' Train; CNN.com; Jul 10, 2023. "The palace's manicured gardens and lavish interiors transport guests to a bygone era of opulence and splendor." 7 Luxurious Resorts; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 13, 2023. See more usage examples of manicure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****March 31, 2024***** brachypterous : (adjective) Having very short or rudimentary wings, as certain insects.; short-winged; Some brachypterous insects evade predators by jumping short distances. manicure : noun:A cosmetic treatment of a person's hands, especially the nails. verb tr., intr.:1. To take care of the hands and fingernails.  2. To groom in a meticulous manner. ; "Remarkably little is known about Putin's private life. His public image is carefully manicured." Matthew Chance & Mick Krever; Gym, Spa, Beauty Equipment: Leaked Documents Reveal Hidden Details of Putin's 'Ghost' Train; CNN.com; Jul 10, 2023. "The palace's manicured gardens and lavish interiors transport guests to a bygone era of opulence and splendor." 7 Luxurious Resorts; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 13, 2023. See more usage examples of manicure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****April 01, 2024***** wraith : (noun) Something shadowy and insubstantial.; ghost, specter, spook, shade; He refused to venture near cemeteries, fearing he'd encounter wraiths, ghosts, and apparitions of all kinds. manicure : noun:A cosmetic treatment of a person's hands, especially the nails. verb tr., intr.:1. To take care of the hands and fingernails.  2. To groom in a meticulous manner. ; "Remarkably little is known about Putin's private life. His public image is carefully manicured." Matthew Chance & Mick Krever; Gym, Spa, Beauty Equipment: Leaked Documents Reveal Hidden Details of Putin's 'Ghost' Train; CNN.com; Jul 10, 2023. "The palace's manicured gardens and lavish interiors transport guests to a bygone era of opulence and splendor." 7 Luxurious Resorts; Financial Express (New Delhi, India); May 13, 2023. See more usage examples of manicure in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Kindness is always fashionable, and always welcome. -Amelia Barr, novelist (29 Mar 1831-1919) *****April 02, 2024***** sporty : (adjective) Marked by conspicuous display.; flashy, gaudy, jazzy, showy; The Thompsons thought it inappropriate that their newly widowed neighbor wore such a sporty outfit to her husband's funeral. umbra : noun: 1. Shade; shadow. 2. The darkest inner part of a shadow, as during an eclipse. ; "India is an emerging economy, however, its transition is taking place in the umbra of China's yet more majestic prominence." India in the Era of Rising Minilateralism; Tehelka (New Delhi, India); Jan 16, 2022. See more usage examples of umbra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Make no judgments where you have no compassion. -Anne McCaffrey, writer (1 Apr 1926-2011) *****April 03, 2024***** prosody : (noun) The study of the metrical structure of verse.; metrics; He was a master of meter, and contributed certain modifications to the laws of Chinese prosody which exist to the present day. occultation : noun: 1. The state of being hidden or blocked. 2. The passage of a celestial object in front of another, hiding it from view. ; "Matt Rinaldi [came to] to Dallas to work at a law firm at about the time when Texas Democrats were sliding into occultation." Christopher Hooks; Sinners in the Hands of an Angry GOP; Texas Monthly (Austin); Dec 2023. "A pair of amateur astronomers were setting their telescopes, hoping to catch an elusive occultation, where for a few seconds, an asteroid too faint to see would block out the light from a star." Henry Melton; Lighter Than Air; Wire Rim Books; 2008. See more usage examples of occultation in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A neurosis is a secret that you don't know you're keeping. -Kenneth Tynan, critic and writer (2 Apr 1927-1980) *****April 04, 2024***** worriment : (noun) A difficulty that causes anxiety.; troublesomeness, inconvenience; To him, everything was a worriment, and his anxiety increased every day. penumbra : noun: 1. A surrounding area or fringe, a zone of influence or activity that is less distinct or certain. 2. A partly shaded region between fully dark and fully lit. 3. The diffuse area around the dark central area of a sunspot. ; "If the mainstream debate is robust, its penumbra is toxic." Arguing Over Iran; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 5, 2015. See more usage examples of penumbra in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I am only one, / But still I am one. / I cannot do everything, / But still I can do something; / And because I cannot do everything, / I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. -Edward Everett Hale, author (3 Apr 1822-1909) *****April 05, 2024***** musette : (noun) A small French bagpipe operated with a bellows and having a soft sound.; shepherd's pipe; The young man was adept at the musette and would play it during celebrations. umbrageous : adjective: 1. Inclined to take offense easily. 2. Cast in shadow; shaded. 3. Providing shade. ; "Q: Is it possible to spend time with friends whose company I do enjoy without incurring the wrath of the umbrageous? Judith Martin; Host Needs Specific Dates for Holiday Guests; The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia); Dec 8, 2019. "Dark, umbrageous, sometimes pungent, [the streets] have had their ups and downs." Michael Frank; It's Not Rome or Venice. That's Part of Its Charm; The New York Times; Apr 30, 2017. "I think clumps of wide-spreading, umbrageous trees close off the space overhead." Michael McCoy; Feels Good, Looks Good; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Jul 29, 2006. See more usage examples of umbrageous in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) *****April 06, 2024***** quaggy : (adjective) Resembling a marsh; soggy.; boggy, marshy, miry, mucky, muddy, sloughy, swampy; The ground near the lake was wet and quaggy underfoot. totality : noun: 1. The condition or quality of being complete or whole. 2. An aggregate amount or sum. 3. The phase of an eclipse when an obscuring body completely blocks the light source, e.g., when the moon completely blocks the view of the sun. ; "The 'I' we experience is smaller than, and different from, the totality of who and what we are." Joshua Rothman; As Real as It Gets; The New Yorker; Apr 2, 2018. "The next total solar eclipse after Apr 8 occurs Aug 12, 2026. However, because its path of totality is short-lived and mostly in secluded areas, it might be a less popular target. It will touch Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia, as well as a small part of Portugal and Spain." Michael E. Bakich; The Next 20 Years of Eclipses; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Apr 2024. See more usage examples of totality in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 07, 2024***** preclude : (verb) Keep from happening or arising; make impossible.; foreclose, forestall, prevent, forbid; Modesty precludes me from accepting the honor. totality : noun: 1. The condition or quality of being complete or whole. 2. An aggregate amount or sum. 3. The phase of an eclipse when an obscuring body completely blocks the light source, e.g., when the moon completely blocks the view of the sun. ; "The 'I' we experience is smaller than, and different from, the totality of who and what we are." Joshua Rothman; As Real as It Gets; The New Yorker; Apr 2, 2018. "The next total solar eclipse after Apr 8 occurs Aug 12, 2026. However, because its path of totality is short-lived and mostly in secluded areas, it might be a less popular target. It will touch Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia, as well as a small part of Portugal and Spain." Michael E. Bakich; The Next 20 Years of Eclipses; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Apr 2024. See more usage examples of totality in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 08, 2024***** conflux : (noun) A flowing together.; merging, confluence; There was a conflux of emotions and thoughts in him. totality : noun: 1. The condition or quality of being complete or whole. 2. An aggregate amount or sum. 3. The phase of an eclipse when an obscuring body completely blocks the light source, e.g., when the moon completely blocks the view of the sun. ; "The 'I' we experience is smaller than, and different from, the totality of who and what we are." Joshua Rothman; As Real as It Gets; The New Yorker; Apr 2, 2018. "The next total solar eclipse after Apr 8 occurs Aug 12, 2026. However, because its path of totality is short-lived and mostly in secluded areas, it might be a less popular target. It will touch Greenland, Iceland, and northern Russia, as well as a small part of Portugal and Spain." Michael E. Bakich; The Next 20 Years of Eclipses; Astronomy (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Apr 2024. See more usage examples of totality in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) *****April 09, 2024***** campanile : (noun) A bell tower, especially one near but not attached to a church or other public building.; belfry; The architect intended the Tower of Pisa to stand straight and tall, but the marble campanile's foundation was poorly laid, and it soon began to lean. precipitate : verb tr.:1. To make something, especially something undesirable, happen prematurely or suddenly.  2. To throw suddenly.  3. To cause (water vapor in the atmosphere) to condense and fall as rain, snow, hail, etc.  4. To cause a solid substance to be separated from a solution. verb intr.:1. To separate from a solution as a solid.  2. To condense from water vapor in the atmosphere and fall as rain, snow, hail, etc. adjective:1. Headlong; hasty; rash; abrupt.  2. Happening unexpectedly. noun:1. A solid separated from a solution.  2. Moisture condensed as rain, snow, hail, etc. ; "What's more, my deception precipitated a major and unforeseen consequence." Daniel D. Victor; The Final Page of Baker Street; MX Publishing; 2014. "[Jo] precipitated herself into the arms of a stately old gentleman." Louisa May Alcott; Little Women, Vol 1; Roberts Brothers; 1868. See more usage examples of precipitate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: I don't understand how any good art could fail to be political. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 8 Apr 1955) *****April 10, 2024***** patella : (noun) A flat triangular bone located at the front of the knee joint.; kneecap, kneepan; Having learned his lesson, the rollerblader wore kneepads to protect his patellae from further injury. titrate : verb tr.: 1. To carefully adjust something in measured increments to achieve a desired balance or effect. 2. To determine the concentration of a solution by gradually adding another solution until a specific reaction, often indicated by a color change, occurs. ; "The error lies in thinking that one can titrate the application of violence to achieve exquisitely precise results." Eliot A. Cohen; Putin Is Cornered; The Atlantic; Sep 20, 2022. "He'd titrate what he told the elders until he saw which way the wind blew." Ann Gimpel; Unbalanced; Ann Gimpel Books; 2018. See more usage examples of titrate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Everything considered, work is less boring than amusing oneself. -Charles Baudelaire, poet, critic, and translator (9 Apr 1821-1867) *****April 11, 2024***** incantation : (noun) A ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect.; conjuration; Hagar, the witch, chanted an awful incantation over her kettleful of simmering toads, with weird effect. crucible : noun: 1. A vessel used for heating substances to a high temperature. 2. A trying experience. 3. A situation or place where forces interact to bring about great changes. ; "Another political crucible for [Steve] Reed was his experience of being a gay man during the era of Margaret Thatcher's 'horrific anti-gay legislation'." Freddie Hayward; Encounter; New Statesman (London, UK); Mar 8-14, 2024. "'The Notre-Dame isn't just a religious building -- it has been a crucible for music for almost 1000 years,' says Valentine." Ali Gripper; Cathedral Rebirth Inspires Musical Trip; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 27, 2024. See more usage examples of crucible in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: It's my duty to see that they get the truth; but that's not enough, I've got to put it before them briefly so that they will read it, clearly so that they will understand it, forcibly so that they will appreciate it, picturesquely so that they will remember it, and, above all, accurately so that they may be wisely guided by its light. -Joseph Pulitzer, newspaper publisher (10 Apr 1847-1911) *****April 12, 2024***** platitude : (noun) A trite or banal remark or statement, especially one expressed as if it were original or significant.; banality, cliche, commonplace, bromide; A trite platitude about his not caring to lose her was on his lips, but he refrained from uttering it. volatile : adjective: 1. Fluctuating widely and unpredictably. 2. Evaporating easily. 3. Explosive. 4. Capable of flying. ; "She decided not to rely on Rhy's good nature, which was a chancy thing at best. Rhy was hair-triggered, volatile, never predictable." Linda Howington; An Independent Wife; Harlequin; 1982. See more usage examples of volatile in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead. -Leo Rosten, author (11 Apr 1908-1997) *****April 13, 2024***** surfactant : (noun) A chemical agent capable of reducing the surface tension of a liquid in which it is dissolved.; wetting agent, surface-active agent, wetter; She ordered a new pair of glasses and had the lenses coated with a surfactant that would act as an anti-fogging agent. sublimate : verb tr.:1. To divert basic or instinctual impulses to something more socially acceptable.  2. To refine or purify. verb tr., intr.:To directly transform from solid to gas, or vice versa, bypassing the liquid state. adjective:Refined; purified; elevated; exalted. noun:A substance obtained by sublimating. ; "But he mustn't show it; he must subdue his eagerness and sublimate his need." Edwin L. Millet; Another Kind of Hero; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of sublimate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life's lessons could be reduced to single sentences, there would be no need for fiction. -Scott Turow, author and lawyer (b. 12 Apr 1949) *****April 14, 2024***** panpipe : (noun) A primitive wind instrument consisting of several parallel pipes bound together.; syrinx, pandean pipe; When his parents refused to buy him an instrument, the industrious ten-year-old fashioned himself a makeshift panpipe out of string and some pieces of dried bamboo he found in the garage. sublimate : verb tr.:1. To divert basic or instinctual impulses to something more socially acceptable.  2. To refine or purify. verb tr., intr.:To directly transform from solid to gas, or vice versa, bypassing the liquid state. adjective:Refined; purified; elevated; exalted. noun:A substance obtained by sublimating. ; "But he mustn't show it; he must subdue his eagerness and sublimate his need." Edwin L. Millet; Another Kind of Hero; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of sublimate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life's lessons could be reduced to single sentences, there would be no need for fiction. -Scott Turow, author and lawyer (b. 12 Apr 1949) *****April 15, 2024***** trawler : (noun) A fishing boat that uses a trawl net or dragnet to catch fish.; dragger; The fisherman boarded the trawler at four in the morning. sublimate : verb tr.:1. To divert basic or instinctual impulses to something more socially acceptable.  2. To refine or purify. verb tr., intr.:To directly transform from solid to gas, or vice versa, bypassing the liquid state. adjective:Refined; purified; elevated; exalted. noun:A substance obtained by sublimating. ; "But he mustn't show it; he must subdue his eagerness and sublimate his need." Edwin L. Millet; Another Kind of Hero; Xlibris; 2014. See more usage examples of sublimate in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: If life's lessons could be reduced to single sentences, there would be no need for fiction. -Scott Turow, author and lawyer (b. 12 Apr 1949) *****April 16, 2024***** portent : (noun) An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur.; omen, prognostication, presage, prodigy; The soldier looked to the sky for a portent and was gripped with fear when he read his future in the clouds. neophilia : noun: The love of what's new or novel. ; "Neophilia is at the root of the growing problem of hazardous waste in the US and other developed countries. More than 100 million mobile phones were discarded in the US last year, along with tens of millions of computers." Neophiliac; New Scientist (London, UK); Jun 10, 2006. Thought For The Day: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. -Leonardo da Vinci, painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (15 Apr 1452-1519) *****April 17, 2024***** nickelodeon : (noun) A cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin.; jukebox; When they arrived at the dance hall, the professional musicians were dismayed by the presence of the popular nickelodeon. pyrophobia : noun: An extreme fear of fire. ; "I checked the oven was switched off for the fifth time. ... I suffered pyrophobia but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't seem to rid myself of it." They Said My Fire Fears Were Silly, But My Worst Nightmare Came True; As Told to Joanna Singleton; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Mar 20, 2007. "Piero de Cosimo is said to have been ... so pyrophobic that he rarely cooked his food, subsisting mostly on hard-boiled eggs that he prepared 50 at a time while heating glue for his art." Carol Vogel; A Renaissance Master, His Quirks and His Art; The New York Times; Jul 25, 2014. See more usage examples of pyrophobia in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) *****April 18, 2024***** figurine : (noun) A small molded or sculptured figure; a statuette.; statuette; She had all the delicate grace of that Tanagra figurine that you have in your studio, Basil. arithmomania : noun: An obsessive preoccupation with numbers, calculations, and counting. ; "Nikola Tesla was notorious for his compulsion to count items, especially in his later years. ... His arithmomania was an expression of what some modern psychologists believe to be his OCD." Amy M. O'Quinn; Nikola Tesla for Kids; Chicago Review Press; 2019. Thought For The Day: If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. -Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (17 Apr 1885-1962) *****April 19, 2024***** charwoman : (noun) A woman hired to do cleaning or similar work, usually in a large building.; cleaning lady; The charwoman cleaned every bathroom in the office building after the executives left for the evening. zoolatry : noun: 1. The worship of animals. 2. Extreme devotion to animals, for example, to one's pets. ; "Dolphins have dethroned Christ, but don't be fooled by that smile. Around here, zoolatry is amping up." Anson Cameron; Can't Find God? Try Flipper; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Nov 14, 2020. See more usage examples of zoolatry in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. Thought For The Day: Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) *****April 20, 2024***** ninepin : (noun) A wooden pin used in the game of ninepins.; skittle; He threw the ball so hard that it knocked the ninepin into the neighbor's yard. cryptogenic : adjective: Of unknown origin or cause. ; "'Barney loves her, I know that,' said Bennett. 'He wants to marry her. Yet for reasons we might diagnose as cryptogenic, she keeps saying no.'" Erich Segal; Doctors: A Novel; Bantam; 1988. Thought For The Day: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (19 Apr 1931-2022)