Word of the Day: cabbage Cabbage (verb) KAB-ij Definition : steal, filch Examples “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 “More and…
Word of the Day: vicissitude Vicissitude (noun) vuh-SISS-uh-tood Definition 1 : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability 2 a : a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance : a fluctuation of state or condition b : a difficulty or hardship usually beyond one’s control Examples “The vicissitudes of…
Word of the Day: dynasty Dynasty (noun) DYE-nuh-stee Definition 1 : a succession of rulers of the same line of descent 2 : a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time Examples “A scion of the Patterson-Medill publishing dynasty (her great-grandfather and her father founded the Chicago Tribune and the New…
Word of the Day: wistful Wistful (adjective) WIST-ful Definition 1 : full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also : inspiring such yearning 2 : musingly sad : pensive Examples As the car pulled away, Lea cast one last wistful glance at the house where she’d spent so many happy years. “The book left…
Word of the Day: genteel Genteel (adjective) jen-TEEL Definition 1 a : of or relating to the gentry or upper class b : elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape c : free from vulgarity or rudeness : polite 2 : marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation Examples “The Hamptons, once so genteel,…
Word of the Day: riddle Riddle (noun) RID-ul Definition 1 : a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed : conundrum, enigma 2 : something or someone difficult to understand Examples Despite Nick’s outgoing nature, he doesn’t share many details about his background and personal life, so he…
Word of the Day: impute Impute (verb) im-PYOOT Definition 1 : to lay the responsibility or blame for often falsely or unjustly 2 : to credit to a person or a cause Examples “Now, one comment in reaction to my essay said that by talking about the city’s problems and not its promise, I was…
Word of the Day: protocol Protocol (noun) PROH-tuh-kawl Definition 1 : an original draft or record of a document or transaction 2 : a preliminary memorandum of diplomatic negotiation 3 : a code prescribing strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence 4 : a set of conventions for formatting data in an electronic communications system…
Word of the Day: Kafkaesque Kafkaesque (adjective) kahf-kuh-ESK Definition : of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality Examples “Dealing with the Kafkaesque health system, for example, would be enough to make anyone ‘agitated, aggressive, irritable or temperamental.’” — Logan Jenkins, The San Diego…
Word of the Day: nictitate Nictitate (verb NIK-tuh-tayt) Definition 1 : to close and open quickly : to shut one eye briefly : wink 2 : to close and open the eyelids Examples “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.”…
