THE WORD OF THE CENTURY FOR 2000 IS ETYMOLOGY!
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THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/28/14 TO 12/4/14 IS COGITATION!
[koj·i·tay·shun]
noun - (1) concerted thought or reflection; meditation; contemplation, (2) the faculty of thinking,
(3) a thought, design, or plan
origin - 1175 to 1225, Middle English cogitacium
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/21/14 TO 11/27/14 IS LATITUDINARIANISM!
[lat·i·tood·in·air·ee·uhn·iz·uhm]
adjective - allowing or characterized by latitude in opinion or conduct, especially in religious views.
noun - the belief that one should maintain himself in opinion or conduct
origin - 1655 to 1665, Latin latitudin
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/14/14 TO 11/20/14 IS ABSORBEFACIENT!
[ab·sawr·buh·fey·shunt]
adjective - causing absorption
noun - a medicine or agent that promotes absorption
origin - 1870 to 1875, English absorb + facient
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/7/14 TO 11/13/14 IS JEJUNUM!
[ji·joo·nuhm]
noun, anatomy - the middle portion of the small intestine, between the duodenum and the ileum.
origin - 1350 o 1400, Latin jejunum
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 10/31/14 TO 11/6/14 IS MACABRE!
[muh·kuh·bruh]
adjective - (1) gruesome and horrifying; ghastly or horrible, (2) of, pertaining to, or dealing with death, particularly in a grim or ugly aspect, (3) of or suggesting of death
origin - 1400 to 1450, French macabrees
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 10/24/14 TO 10/30/14 IS TITTLE!
[tit·ul]
noun - (1) a dot or other small mark in writing or printing, (2) the dot over an i or a j
origin - circa 900 AD, Old English titul
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 10/17/14 TO 10/23/14 IS DETUMESCENCE!
[dee·too·mes·uhns]
noun - a reduction or subsidence of swelling
origin - 1670 to 1680, Latin detumesce
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 10/1014 TO 10/16/14 IS ATTERCOP!
[at·er·kop]
noun, archaic - (1) a spider, (2) an ill-natured person
origin - Unknown date, Old English attercoppa
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 10/3/14 TO 10/9/14 IS SCHWA!
[shwah]
noun, phonetics - (1) the midcentral, neutral vowel sound typically occurring in unstressed syllables in English, (2) The phonetic symbol ə, used to represent this sound
origin - 1890 to 1895, Hebrew shəwā
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 9/26/14 TO 10/2/14 IS BOVERISM!
[boh·vuh·riz·uhm]
noun - an exaggerated, especially glamorized, estimate of oneself; conceit
origin - 1900 to 1905, French bovaryisme
hə·mar·te·ol·og·ie
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 9/12/14 TO 9/18/14 IS XYST!
[zist]
noun - (1) a covered portico, as a promenade, (2) a garden walk planted with trees
origin - 1655 to 1665, Latin xystus
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 9/5/14 TO 9/11/14 IS PUSILLANIMOUS!
[pyoo·suh·lan·uh·muhs]
adjective- (1) lacking courage or resolution, cowardly, faint-hearted, or timid, (2) preceding from or indicating a cowardly spirit or person
origin - 1580 to 1590, Late Latin pusillanimis
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 8/29/14 TO 9/4/14 IS SPOONERISM!
[spoo·nuh·riz·uhm]
noun - the transposition of initial or other sounds of words, usually by accident.
origin - 1885 to 1900, English name spooner + ism
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 8/22/14 TO 8/28/14 IS SCARAMOUCH!
[skar·uh·mouch]
noun - a stock character and farce who is a cowardly braggart, easily beaten or frightened
origin - 1655 to 1665, Italian scaramuccia
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 8/16/14 TO 8/22/14 IS PHANTASMAGORICAL!
[fan·taz·muh·gawr·ic·al]
adjective - (1) having a fantastic or deseptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination, (2) having the appearance of an optical illusion, (3) changing or shifting
origin - 1950 to 1960, French fantasmagorie
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 8/10/14 TO 8/16/14 IS PULCHRITUDINOUS!
[pul·chri·tu·di·nous]
adjective - physically beautiful; comely
origin - 1910 to 1915, Latin pulchritudin
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 8/3/14 TO 8/9/14 IS HIBERNACULUM!
[hi·ber·nac·u·lum]
noun - a protective case or covering, especially for winter, as of an animal or plant bud, (2) winter quarters, especially of a hibernating animal
origin - 1690 to 1700, Latin hibernaculum
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 7/27/14 TO 8/2/14 IS SPHRAGISTICS!
[sphra·gis·tics]
noun (used with singular verb) - the study of signet rings
origin - 1830 to 1840, English sphragistic
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 7/20/14 TO 7/26/14 IS DEIPNOSOPHIST!
[deip·nos·o·phist]
noun - a person who is an adept conversationalist during a meal
origin - 1650 to 1660, Greek Deipnosophistes
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 7/13/14 TO 7/19/14 IS SOLILOQUIZE!
[so·lil·o·quize]
verb (used with object) - to say something to oneself
verb (used without object) - to talk to oneself
origin - 1750 to 1760, English soliloquy + ize
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 7/6/14 TO 7/12/14 IS PAROXYSM!
[par·ox·ysm]
noun - (1) any sudden, violent outburst; a fit of violent action or emotion, (2) a severe attack or sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically.
origin - 1570 to 1580, Greek paroxysmos
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 6/29/14 TO 7/5/14 IS VERISIMILITUDE!
[ver·i·si·mil·i·tude]
noun - (1) the appearance or semblance of truth, likelihood, or probability, (2) something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth
origin - 1595 to 1605, Latin versimilitudo
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 6/22/14 TO 6/28/14 IS UXORICIDE!
[ux·o·ri·cide]
noun - (1) the act of killing one's wife, (2) a man who kills his wife
origin - 1855 to 1860, Latin uxor + cide
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 6/15/14 TO 6/21/14 IS KAKISTOCRATICAL!
[ka·kist·o·cra·tic·al]
adjective - describing a government ran by the worst possible persons
origin - 1820 to 1830, Greek kakisto + cracy
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 6/8/14 TO 6/14/14 IS QUAQUAVERSAL!
[qua·qua·ver·sal]
adjective (geological)- sloping downward from he center in all directions.
noun - something that slopes downwards on all sides
origin - 1720 to 1730, Latin quaqua + vers
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 6/1/14 TO 6/7/14 IS METAPHRAST!
[met·a·phrast]
noun - a person who translates or changes a literary work from one form into another
origin - 1600 to 1610, Medieval Greek metaphrastes
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 5/25/14 TO 5/31/14 IS MISANTHROPIC!
[mis·an·throp·ic]
adjective - (1) of, or pertaining to, a misanthrope, (2) disliking humankind and human society
origin - 1755 to 1765, derived from English misanthrope
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 5/18/14 TO 5/24/14 IS MACROSMATIC!
[mac·ro·smat·ic]
adjective - a person with an extremely good sense of smell
noun - an extraordinarily good sense of smell
origin - 1880 to 1890, English macro + Greek osme
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 5/11/14 TO 5/17/14 IS CHIONOPHOBIA!
[chi·on·o·pho·bi·a]
noun - an intense fear of snow, sleet, and/or hail
origin - 1670 to 1680, Greek snow + phobia
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 5/4/14 TO 5/10/14 IS CATTYWAMPUS!
[cat·ty·wam·pus]
adjective - (1) askew, awry, (2) in a general state of disarray or fracas
adverb - (3) diagonally or obliquely
origin - 1830 to 1840, English cata + wampus
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 4/27/14 TO 5/3/14 IS BRAGGADOCIO!
[brag·ga·do·ci·o]
noun - (1) empty boasting or bragging, (2) a braggart; a boasting person
origin - Pseudo-Italian, named after a character in a play called Braggadocchio
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 4/20/14 TO 4/26/14 IS GRIMALKIN!
[gri·mal·kin]
noun - (1) a cat, (2) an old female cat, (3) an ill-tempered old woman
origin - 1595 to 1605, English apparent alteration of grim + malkin
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 4/13/14 TO 4/19/14 IS PRIMOGENITURE!
[pri·mo·gen·i·ture]
noun - (1) the state of being firstborn
law - (2) the system of inheritance or succession by the firstborn, specifically the eldest son
origin - 1585 to 1595, Medieval Latin primogenitura
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 4/6/14 TO 4/12/14 IS HONORIFICANILITUDINITAS!
[hon·or·if·i·can·il·tud·in·it·as]
adjective - (1) the state of being able to achieve honors, (2) honorableness
more common usage - (3) the longest word used in a Shakespeare play
origin - 1235 to 1245, Old English hororificaniltudinitabus
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 3/30/14 TO 4/5/14 IS CIRCUMLOCUTION!
[cir·cum·lo·cu·tion]
noun - (1) a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than is necessary to express an idea; (2) a roundabout expression
origin - 1375 to 1425, Latin circumlocutio
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 3/23/14 TO 3/29/14 IS HIPPOPHILE!
[hip·po·phile]
noun - a person who loves horses
origin - 1850 to 1855, English hippo + phile
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 3/16/14 TO 3/22/14 IS AUTOSCHEDIASM!
[au·to·sche·di·asm]
noun - something that is improvised or extemporized
origin - 1835 to 1845, Greek autoschediasma
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 3/9/14 TO 3/15/14 IS MALAPROPOS!
[mal·ap·ro·pos]
adjective - (1) inappropriate, (2) out of place, (3) inopportune, (4) untimely
adverb - (5) inappropriately, inopportunely
origin - 1660 to 1670, French mal a propos
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 3/2/14 TO 3/8/14 IS PROSELYTIZATION!
[pros·e·lyt·i·za·tion]
verb - (1) to convert or attempt to convert someone to a different belief or religion
noun - (2) a prolonged attempt to change someone's viewpoint
origin -1670 to 1680, English proselyte + ization
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 2/23/14 TO 3/1/14 IS ZYMOMETER!
[zy·mom·e·ter]
noun - an instrument used for measuring the degree of fermentation; zymoscope
origin - 1695 to 1705, English zymo + meter
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/16/14 TO 12/22/14 IS PLETHORA!
[pleth·o·ra]
noun - overabundance; excess
origin - 1535 to 1545, Greek plethora
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 2/9/14 TO 2/15/14 IS FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION!
[floc·ci·nau·ci·ni·hil·i·pil·i·fi·ca·tion]
noun - (1) the estimation of something as valueless
more common usage - (2) to exemplify the longest, unchallenged, nontechnical word in English.
origin - 1735 to 1745, Latin flocci + nauci + nihili + pili
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 2/2/14 TO 2/8/14 IS BORBORYGMUS!
[bor·bo·ryg·mus]
noun, plural - a rumbling or gurgling sound caused by the movement of gas in the intestines
origin - 1710 to 1720 Greek borborygmós
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 1/26/14 TO 2/1/14 IS DENDROCHRONOLOGY!
[den·dro·chro·nol·o·gy]
noun - the science dealing with the study of the history of trees
origin - 1925 to 1930, English dendrochronological
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 1/19/14 TO 1/25/14 IS PETTIFOGGING!
[pet·ti·fog·ging]
adjective - (1) insignificant or petty, (2) dishonest or unethical
verb - (3) to bicker or quibble over unimportant matters, (4) to carry on a petty or unethical buisness
origin - 1605 to 1615, German fogger + English petty
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 1/12/14 TO 1/18/14 IS ICHTHYOPHAGOUS!
[ich·thy·oph·a·gous]
noun - (1) the practice of eating or subsisting on fish
adjective - (2) a person who eats or subsists on fish
origin - 1650 to 1660, Greek ichthyo + phagy
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 1/5/14 TO 1/11/14 IS JALOPY!
[ja·lop·y]
noun - an old, decrepit, or unpretentious automobile
origin - 1925 to 1930, Americanism; unknown
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THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/29/13 TO 1/4/14 IS VILAYET!
[vi·la·yet]
noun - a providence or main administrative district in the Turkish region
origin - 1865 to 1870, Arabic wilayah
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/22/13 TO 12/28/13 IS JUGLANDACEOUS!
[ju·glan·da·ceous]
adjective - (1) of, or pertaining to, the walnut family of nuts
noun - (1) a walnut
origin - neo-Latin juglandance
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/15/13 TO 12/21/13 IS SOMNAMBULATION!
[som·nam·bu·la·tion]
verb - the tendency to walk during sleep; sleepwalk
origin - 1825 to 1835, Latin somn
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/8/13 TO 12/14/13 IS VALETUDINARIAN!
[val·e·tu·di·nar·i·an]
noun - (1) an invalid, (2) a person who is excessively concerned about his or her health
adjective - (3) in poor heath, (4) of, or pertaining to invalidism, (5) being concerned about one's ailments
origin - 1695 to 1705, English valetidunary
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 12/1/13 TO 12/7/13 IS CAMARADERIE!
[ca·ma·ra·de·rie]
noun - comradeship, good fellowship
origin - 1830 to 1840, French camarade
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/24/13 TO 11/30/13 IS XENOPHOBIC!
[xen·o·pho·bic]
adjective - unreasonably fearful or hating of anyone or anything foreign or strange
origin - 1905 to 1915, English xenophobia
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/17/13 TO 11/23/13 IS OMNIPOTENT!
[om·nip·o·tent]
adjective - (1) almighty or infinite in power, (2) having great or unlimited authority or power
noun - (3) an omnipotent being, (4) a single, all-powerful God
origin - 1275 to 1325, Latin omnipotens
THE WORD OF THE WEEK FOR 11/10/13 TO 11/16/13 IS GASCONADE!
[gas·con·ade]
noun - extravagant boasting or boastful talk
origin - 1700 to 1710, French gasconnade
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