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David Theobald

The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… overweening (adjective): 1: arrogant, presumptuous 2: immoderate, exaggerated Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “The overweening conceit which the greater part of men have of their own abilities is an ancient evil remarked by the philosophers and moralists of all ages.” So wrote the Scottish philosopher Adam

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… portmanteau (noun, adjective): noun 1: a word or part of a word made by combining the spellings and meanings of two or more other words or word parts (such as smog from smoke and fog) 2: a large suitcase adjective : combining more than one element,

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… word (visceral) adjective 1: felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body : deep 2: not intellectual : instinctive, unreasoning 3: dealing with crude or elemental emotions : earthy 4: of, relating to, or located on or among the viscera : splanchnic Source : Merriam -Webster

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… delve (verb): 1: to dig or labour with or as if with a spade 2a: to make a careful or detailed search for information b: to examine a subject in detail archaic : excavate Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The verb traces to the early Old English

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… piquant (adjective): 1: engagingly provocative also : having a lively arch charm 2: agreeably stimulating to the taste Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Piquant flavors “sting” the tongue and piquant words “prick” the intellect, arousing interest. These varying senses reflect the etymology of the word piquant, which

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… ululate (verb): : to utter a loud, usually protracted, high-pitched, rhythmical sound especially as an expression of sorrow, joy, celebration, or reverence : howl Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “When other birds are still, the screech owls take up the strain, like mourning women their ancient u-lu-lu.” When

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… aplomb (noun): : complete and confident composure or self-assurance : poise Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you do something with aplomb, you do it with composure and self-assurance—you do it with poise. This English noun aplomb was borrowed directly from French, where it carries the meanings

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… genial (adjective): 1a: marked by or freely expressing sympathy or friendliness b: favorable to growth or comfort : mild 2: displaying or marked by genius 3 obsolete : of or relating to marriage or generation 4 obsolete : inborn, native 5 : of or relating to the chin Source

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… exhort (verb): : to incite by argument or advice : urge strongly Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Exhort arrived in the 15th century from the Anglo-French word exorter, exhort traces back further to the Latin verb hortari, meaning “to incite to action, urge on, or encourage.” Latin users

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… mentor (noun, verb): noun 1 capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telemachus 2a: a trusted counselor or guide b: tutor, coach verb : to serve as a mentor for : tutor Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Mentor is pretty ubiquitous in today’

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… quixotic (adjective): 1: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals 2: capricious, unpredictable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The hero of Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century Spanish novel El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (in English “The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha”

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… foolscap (noun): 1: a cap or hood usually with bells worn by jesters 2: a conical cap for slow or lazy students 3 [from the watermark of a foolscap formerly applied to such paper] : a size of paper formerly standard in Great Britain Source : Merriam

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… convalesce (verb): : to recover health and strength gradually after sickness or weakness Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : When you convalesce, you heal or grow strong after illness or injury, often by staying off your feet. The related adjective convalescent means “recovering from sickness or debility,” and

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… intrepid (adjective): : characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you’re going to name a ship, whether an aircraft carrier or an interstellar starship, you could do worse than to name it the Intrepid, as both the United States military

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… tincture (noun, verb): noun 1: a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent 2a: a characteristic quality : cast b: a slight admixture : trace 3a: color, tint b archaic : a substance that colors, dyes, or stains 4: a heraldic metal, color, or fur 5.

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… permeable (adjective): : capable of being permeated : penetrable, especially having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “Our landscapes are changing … they’re becoming less permeable to wildlife at the precise moment animals need to move most,” writes

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