The word for today is… haiku (noun): : an unrhymed verse form of Japanese origin having three lines containing usually five, seven, and five syllables respectively also : a poem in this form usually having a seasonal reference Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :A haiku is an unrhymed Japanese poetic form that consists
The word for today is… panjandrum (noun): 1- a pompous self-important official or person of rank 2 – Secret WWII rocket propelled rolling bomb project designed to be used at beach assaults. It was an abject failure and was never deployed in action. Source : Interesting literature.com; Youtube Etymology : One of
Andy Corble goodnewsnetwork.org Andy Corbley is the founder and editor of World At Large, a small environment, travel, and lifestyle focused journal that stresses integrity, nuance, and honesty which launched in early March 2019. A hospice care volunteer who sews together teddy bears for patients who’ve lost loved
The word for today is… 1: of little or no consequence : 2: having no force Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Just because nugatory isn’t the most common word in the English language doesn’t mean it’s trifling. Rather, nugatory is literally trifling because the two words are synonymous, as
The word for today is… hummock (noun): 1: a rounded knoll or hillock 2: a ridge of ice Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Having trouble telling a hummock from a hammock from a hillock? Not to worry: all three words refer to a small hill or earthen mound. Hummock, in fact,
Kathryn Sampeck University of Reading Advent calendars with hidden chocolatey treats, huge tins of Quality Street and steaming cups of hot chocolate festooned with whipped cream and marshmallows are all much-loved wintry staples at Christmastime. But how many of us stop to think about where chocolate actually comes from and
The word for today is… augur (noun, verb): noun 1: an official diviner of ancient Rome 2: one held to foretell events by omens verb 1: to foretell especially from omens 2: to give promise of : presage Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In ancient Rome, augurs were official diviners whose function
The word for today is… magnaminous (adjective): 1: showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit 2: showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :When you see anima, animus, or a similar formation in a word, it’s often an indicator of something
Duggan Flanakin cfact.org Duggan Flanakin is the Director of Policy Research at the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow. A former Senior Fellow with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Mr. Flanakin authored definitive works on the creation of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and on environmental education in Texas.
The word for today is… crucible (noun): 1: a vessel of a very refractory material (such as porcelain) used for melting and calcining a substance that requires a high degree of heat 2: a severe test 3: a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence
The word for today is… intoxicate (verb): 1a: to excite or stupefy by alcohol or a drug especially to the point where physical and mental control is markedly diminished b: to excite or elate to the point of enthusiasm or frenzy 2: poison Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :From scents to
The word for today is… doughty (adjective): : marked by fearless resolution Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :There’s no doubt that doughty has persevered in the English language—it’s traceable all the way back to the Old English word dohtig—but how to pronounce it? One might assume that doughty
The word for today is… bilious (adjective): 1a biology : of or relating to a yellow or greenish fluid that is secreted by the liver and that aids especially in the emulsification and absorption of fats : of or relating to bile b biology : marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and
The word for today is… supine (adjective, noun): adjective 1a: lying on the back or with the face upward b: marked by supination 2: exhibiting indolent or apathetic inertia or passivity especially : mentally or morally slack 3 archaic : leaning or sloping backward noun 1: a Latin verbal noun having an
The word for today is… encapsulate (verb): 1: to enclose in or as if in a capsule 2: epitomize, summarize Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Encapsulate and its related noun, capsule, come to us from capsula, a diminutive form of the Latin noun capsa, meaning “box.” (Capsa also gave us the
The word for today is… thespian (noun, adjective): noun :actor adjective often capitalized [from the tradition that Thespis was the originator of the actor’s role] : relating to the drama Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Greek drama was originally entirely performed by choruses. According to tradition, the Greek dramatist Thespis, of
