Word of the Day Archive
October 2003
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- expropriate: to deprive of possession; also, to transfer (property) to oneself.
- venal: capable of being bought; also, corruptible.
- pejorative: disparaging; belittling.
- nuptial: of or pertaining to marriage.
- imbue: to dye; to instill profoundly.
- denizen: an inhabitant.
- staid: steady or sedate in character.
- nonplus: to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely.
- adumbrate: to foreshadow; prefigure.
- turgid: swollen, bloated; also, bombastic, pompous.
- paragon: a model of excellence or perfection.
- ambit: circuit or compass; also, sphere of action or influence.
- profligate: shamelessly immoral; also, recklessly wasteful.
- cerebration: the act or product of thinking.
- rotund: round; rounded in figure.
- acquiesce: to accept or consent passively or without objection.
- bedaub: to besmear; also, to overdecorate.
- dilettante: an amateur; also, an admirer or lover of the fine arts.
- execrable: detestable; extremely bad.
- nebbish: a weak-willed, timid, or ineffectual person.
- filial: of, pertaining to, or befitting a son or daughter.
- panacea: a cure-all.
- leitmotif: a dominant and recurring theme.
- arbiter: one having the power of judging and determining.
- recidivism: a tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior; esp., into prior criminal habits.
- impassible: incapable of suffering; also, unfeeling or not showing feeling.
- contumacious: obstinate; stubbornly disobedient.
- largess: generous giving; also, gifts of money or other valuables.
- cataract: a large waterfall; also, a downpour, a flood.
- sotto voce: spoken low or in an undertone.
- wraith: a ghost; also, something insubstantial or shadowy.
