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David Theobald

The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… tome (noun): 1 : book especially : a large or scholarly book 2 : a volume forming part of a larger work -tome (noun combining form) 1 : part, segment – e.g. myotome 2 : cutting instrument – e.g. microtome Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Tome comes from Greek tomos, meaning

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… finesse (noun,verb): noun : skill and cleverness that is shown in the way someone deals with a situation, problem, etc. verb : to make a finesse in playing cards Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Finesse originally referred to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture; that

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… layman (noun): 1 : a person who is not a member of the clergy 2 : a person who does not belong to a particular profession or who is not expert in some field Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Layman is a closed compound of lay man. Lay

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… voluble (adjective): 1 : easily rolling or turning 2 : characterized by ready or rapid speech Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Voluble traces back to Latin volvere, meaning “to set in a circular course” or “to cause to roll.” English rolled with that meaning, using voluble as an

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… probity (noun): adherence to the highest principles and ideals Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Probity and its synonyms honesty, honor, and integrity all mean uprightness of character or action, with some slight differences in emphasis. Honesty implies a refusal to lie or deceive in any way.

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… predicate (noun, verb, adjective): A seemingly simple little word today, but a lot lurks within. noun: 1a : something that is affirmed or denied of the subject in a proposition in logic b : a term designating a property or relation 2 :grammar : the part of a

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… antithetical (adjective): 1 : being in direct and unequivocal opposition Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Antithetical and antithesis come from Greek antitithenai (“to oppose”). The oldest sense of antithesis refers to a language pattern that contrasts parallel ideas, as in “action, not words” or “they promised freedom

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… palindrome (noun): : a word, verse, sentence or number that reads the same backward or forward Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Palindrome comes from Greek palindromos, meaning “running back again,” which itself is from palin (“back,” “again”) and dramein (“to run”). Nowadays, we appreciate a clever palindrome—

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The BFD Word of the Day
NZ

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… captious (adjective): 1 : marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections 2 : calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Captious comes from Latin captio, which refers to a deception or verbal quibble. Arguments labeled captious are

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… repudiate (verb): 1a : to refuse to accept, especially to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force: repudiate a contract repudiate a will b : to reject as untrue or unjust 2 : to refuse to acknowledge or pay – repudiate a debt 3 : to refuse to

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… pejorative (noun, adjective): noun: a word or phrase that has negative connotations or that is intended to disparage or belittle adjective: having negative connotations, especially tending to disparage or belittle Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… vulnerable (adjective): 1 : capable of being physically or emotionally wounded 2 : open to attack or damage 3 : liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses after winning a game in contract bridge Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Vulnerable is ultimately derived from the Latin noun

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… perspicacious (adjective): of acute mental vision or discernment Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Perspicacious is similar in meaning to shrewd and astute, but a sharp mind will also discern subtle differences among them. All three denote being acute in perception and sound in judgment, but shrewd

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… carte blanche (noun): : full discretionary power Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Carte blanche is much like a blank check. In French, carte means “document” and blanche means “blank,” so the phrase means “blank document.” English retained that literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… livid (adjective): 1 : discolored by bruising 2 : ashen, pallid 3 : reddish 4 : very angry Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means “dull, grayish, or leaden blue.” From this came the French livide, which English borrowed as livid. The

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… adventitious (adjective): 1 : coming from another source and not inherent or innate 2 : arising or occurring sporadically or in other than the usual location Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Adventitious comes from Latin adventicius, meaning “coming from outside,” which, in turn, is from advenire, “to arrive.

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