exalt \ig-ZOLT\ (verb) - 1 : To praise, glorify, or honor. 2 : To heighten or intensify. 3 : To raise in rank, character, or status; as, "exalted the humble shoemaker to the rank of King's adviser."

"A warrior should ...Read More

ineluctable \in-ih-LUCK-tuh-buhl\ (adjective) - Impossible to avoid or evade; inevitable.

"All of this, she thought, more probable than battle orders wrapping up cigars in enemy territory, a sad and ineluctable fact of ...Read More

Brobdingnagian \brob-ding-NAG-ee-uhn\ (adjective) - Of extraordinary size; gigantic; enormous.

"The cover was removed... revealing two gigantic pots... capable of holding 200 gallons each...a cooking apparatus as might ...Read More

While you're enjoying a deck, a dock or a daiquiri this summer, dip into the one of these new books about words and language.

Did you know that "lick into shape" originated from the medieval belief that bear cubs are ...Read More

Q: I often see this misuse in the newspaper: "between three people." Shouldn't it be "between two people" and "among three people"? -- Mary Ellen Palmer, Frankfort, Michigan

A: Generally, yes. "Between" should be used ...Read More

Sometimes a word's archaic meaning is embedded in its modern definition like a fossil in a rock.

When you hear, for instance, that golfers are addressing the ball, you might assume they're speaking to the ball. (...Read More