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Today's Word "purdah"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

purdah \PUR-duh\ (noun) - 1 : A curtain, screen, or veil shielding women from the sight of men or strangers in Hindu and Muslim communities. 2 : A striped cotton cloth from which a curtain is made, often blue and white. 3 : The system of secluding Hindu or Muslim women. 4 : A state of seclusion or concealment; social seclusion.

'Weaned on royal...Read more

Today's Word "sycophant"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

sycophant \SIK-uh-fuhnt\ (noun) - A person who seeks favor by flattering people of wealth or influence; a parasite; a toady.

"But many wiser than McGonagle succumb to the blandishments of the sycophant because, as is well known, the sycophant praises in them what they believe most worthy of praise." -- Alan Isler, 'Clerical Errors'

Sycophant ...Read more

Today's Word "chimerical"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

chimerical \ky-MER-ih-kuhl; -MIR-; kih-\ (adjective) - 1 : Merely imaginary; produced by or as if by a wildly fanciful imagination; fantastic; improbable or unrealistic. 2 : Given to or indulging in unrealistic fantasies or fantastic schemes.

"...At the same time he could not believe that that trove, supposing it had ever existed, still existed...Read more

Today's Word "inculcate"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

inculcate \in-KUHL-kayt; IN-kuhl-kayt\, transitive verb) - To teach and impress by frequent repetition or instruction.

"As we have said, Franval was generously endowed with all the charm of youth and all the talents which embellish it; but so great was his conempt of both moral and religious duties that it had become impossible for his tutors ...Read more

Today's Word "edacious"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

edacious \i-DAY-shus\ (adjective) - Given to eating; voracious; devouring.

"Occasionally the road must be set back, and once the lighthouse was moved back from the cliffs, eaten away by the edacious tooth of the sea." -- Henry White Warren, 'Among the Forces'

Edacious is from Latin edax, edac-, gluttonous, consuming, from edo, edere, to eat.

Today's Word "surfeit"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

surfeit \SUR-fit\ (noun) - 1 : An excessive amount or supply. 2 : Overindulgence, as in food or drink. 3 : Disgust caused by overindulgence or excess.

(transitive verb) - To feed or supply to excess.

"It is from boredom, our boredom, not from surfeit, on the contrary, from our thirst... not surfeit, you're mistaken there!" -- Fyodor ...Read more

Today's Word "extempore"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

extempore \ik-STEM-puh-ree\ (adverb) - Without premeditation or preparation; on the spur of the moment.

(adjective) - Done or performed extempore.

"...I must repeat to you some extempore verses I made yesterday at the house of a certain duchess... I am deuced clever at extempore verses." -- Moliere, 'The Pretentious Young Ladies'

Extempore is...Read more

Today's Word "supererogatory"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

supererogatory \soo-puhr-ih-ROG-uh-tor-ee\ (adjective) - 1 : Going beyond what is required or expected. 2 : Superfluous; unnecessary.

"He was close to her doors: his standing was sufficient: his qualities were even supererogatory." -- Thomas Hardy, 'Far From the Madding Crowd'

Supererogatory comes from Latin supererogare, "to spend over and ...Read more

Today's Word "superfluous"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

superfluous \soo-PER-floo-us\ (adjective) - More than is wanted or is sufficient; rendered unnecessary by superabundance; unnecessary; useless; excessive. (adverb) superfluously, (noun) superfluousness

"All this is useless, superfluous, and often even sinful. Similarly, I saw workmen whose entire art and occupation consisted in making ...Read more

Today's Word "ascribe"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

ascribe \uh-SKRYB\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To attribute, as to a source or cause; as, "they ascribed the poor harvest to drought." 2 : To attribute, as a quality; to consider or allege to belong; as, "ascribed jealousy to the critics."

"Far be it from me to ascribe a divine purpose to anything, particularly when I examine the sea of ...Read more

Today's Word "verbiage"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

verbiage \VUR-bee-ij\ (noun) - 1 : An overabundance of words; wordiness. 2 : Manner or style of expression; diction.

"I'm aware that I may be boring you, I'm cognizant of the fact that I have a tendency to excessive verbiage..." -- David Bosworth, 'The Death of Descartes'

Verbiage comes from French, ultimately from Latin verbum, "word."

Today's Word "insouciant"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

insouciant \in-SOO-see-uhnt\ (adjective) - Marked by lighthearted unconcern or indifference; carefree; nonchalant.

"Jonas's insouciant good humor concealed something more. There was certainly nothing insouciant in his hazel eyes." -- Stephanie Laurens, 'All About Love'

Insouciant is from the French, from in-, "not" + souciant, "caring," ...Read more

Today's Word "erudite"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

erudite \AIR-yuh-dyt; -uh-dyt\ (adjective) - Characterized by extensive reading or knowledge; learned.

"My dear colleague, Dr. Mercier, you who are a poet of space geometry, and your erudite friends, you are the first envoys of this new world which is emerging from the sea..." -- Karel Čapek, 'War With the Newts'

Erudite comes from Latin ...Read more

Today's Word "gregarious"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\ (adjective) - 1 : Tending to form a group with others of the same kind. 2 : Seeking and enjoying the company of others.

"It turned out that unlike my fun-loving and gregarious lover, I was rather antisocial." -- Laurie Colwin, 'Goodbye Without Leaving'

Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or ...Read more

Today's Word "propound"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

propound \pruh-POWND\ (transitive verb) - To offer for consideration; to put forward; to propose.

"And does she not propound her riddles to us? Of each man she asks daily, in mild voice, yet with a terrible significance, 'Knowest thou the meaning of this day?'" -- Thomas Carlyle, 'Past and Present'

Propound is a variation of earlier propone, ...Read more

Today's Word "constitutional"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

constitutional \kon-stih-TOO-shuhn-uhl; -TYOO-\ (noun) - A walk taken for one's health.

"Every morning, beginning at precisely 6 am, Thomas could be seen out walking, taking the air, engaging in his daily constitutional; each day wearing the same outfit consisting of shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes, regardless of the weather."

A ...Read more

Today's Word "expatiate"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

expatiate \ek-SPAY-shee-ayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To speak or write at length or in considerable detail. 2 : To move about freely; to wander.

"I will not expatiate upon her beauty. I will not expatiate upon her intelligence, her quickness of perception, her powers of memory, her sweet consideration from the first moment for the slow-paced ...Read more

Today's Word "inveigh"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

inveigh \in-VAY\ (intransitive verb) - To rail (against some person or thing); to protest strongly or attack with harsh and bitter language -- usually with "against"; as, "to inveigh against character, conduct, manners, customs, morals, a law, an abuse."

"He, too, was a keen gardener and had been known to inveigh against the weather in his time...Read more

Today's Word "equivocate"

Knowledge / Vocabulary /

equivocate \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\ (intransitive verb) - To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.

"My inability to prove that I did not equivocate does not always stop me from acquiring knowledge by means of the argument in question. A proof that I did not equivocate might merely...Read more

Burn Your Candle at One End

Knowledge / The Word Guy /

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to introduce the renowned motivational speaker Ward Back who will completely reverse your attitudes about life...

Thank you. Are you a reluctant beaver? A guilty bystander? A slim cat who got in on the top floor of an unsure-fire investment? Do you wish you were one of the great washed, a high man on...Read more

 

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