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In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". sedulous • \SEJ-uh-luss\ • adjective 1 : involving or accomplished with careful perseverance 2 : diligent in application or pursuit Example sentence:Daphne was a sedulous student whose hard work and determination earned her a number of college scholarships. Etymology: No fooling—the word "sedulous" ultimately comes from the Latin "se dolus," which literally means "without guile." Those two words were eventually melded into one, "sedulo," meaning "sincerely" or "diligently," and from that root developed...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". an·ar·throus (n-ärth-rs)adjective Linguistics. Occurring without an article. Used especially of Greek nouns. Zoology. Lacking joints. Example sentence:Novelist Dan Brown staggered through the formulaic splendour of his opening sentence. I've discussed his anarthrous kickoff with a couple of novelists and they say things like, "It doesn't sound like a novel," and I usually reply that that's the point. If The Da Vinci Code were just a novel, it would just be crummy writing. Etymology:...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". adduce • \uh-DOOSS\ • verb : to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis Example sentence:"Leon has made some pretty strong accusations here tonight," said Tim, "but he has adduced no convincing evidence in support of them." Etymology: We won't lead you astray over the history of "adduce"; it is one of a plethora of familiar words that trace to the Latin root "ducere," which means "to lead." Perhaps we...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". nidus • \NYE-dus\ • noun 1 : a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply 2 : a place where something originates, develops, or is located Example sentence:The college, with its focus on human ecology, is widely known as a nidus of environmental activism. Etymology: The sciences use "nidus" to refer to a breeding ground, often a...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". esculent • \ESS-kyuh-lunt\ • adjective : edible Example sentence:Sonia is a chef at The Wild Asparagus, a top-notch restaurant whose claim to fame is that every dish on the menu features an esculent native plant. Etymology: One appealing thing about "esculent" is that this word, which comes from the Latin for food ("esca"), has been around for 375 years. If we give you just one more tidbit of etymology—that "esca" is from Latin...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". succor \SUH-kuhr\, noun: 1. Aid; help; assistance; especially, assistance that relieves and delivers from difficulty, want, or distress.2. The person or thing that brings relief. transitive verb:1. To help or relieve when in difficulty, want, or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; to relieve. Example sentence:There was some talk about the perils of the sea, and a landsman delivered himself of the customary nonsense about the poor mariner wandering in far oceans,...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". crapulous \KRAP-yuh-lus\, adjective1. Suffering the effects of, or derived from, or suggestive of gross intemperance, especially in drinking; as, a crapulous stomach.2. Marked by gross intemperance, especially in drinking; as, a crapulous old reprobate. Example sentence:The new money was spent in so much riotous living, and from end to end there settled on the country a mood of fretful, crapulous irritation.-- Stephen McKenna, Sonia Etymology: Crapulous is from Late Latin crapulosus, from Latin...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". Hobson's choice \HOB-suhnz-CHOIS\, noun: A choice without an alternative; the thing offered or nothing. Example sentence: Fagan's defense revolves around his insistence that he faced a Hobson's choice and had to act.-- Laura Parker, "Discovery of daughters never followed by reunion," USA Today, May 11, 1999 Etymology: The origin of the term Hobson's choice is said to be in the name of one Thomas Hobson (ca. 1544-1631), at Cambridge, England, who kept a...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". scion \SY-uhn\, noun 1. A detached shoot or twig of a plant used for grafting. 2. Hence, a descendant; an heir. Example sentence: Convinced he was the scion of Louis Alexandre Lebris de Kerouac, a noble Breton, he was off to do genealogical research in the Paris libraries and then to locate his ancestor's hometown in Brittany. -- Ellis Amburn, Subterranean Kerouac Etymology: Scion derives from Old French cion, of Germanic origin. Rules:...

> In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". repugn • \rih-PYOON\ • verb : to contend against : oppose Example sentence:"First and chief. . . . let the others repugn as they will: all Titles of Nobility, from Duke to Esquire, or lower, are henceforth abolished." (Thomas Carlyle, The French Revolution: A History) Etymology: "Repugn" is a word that was relatively common in English in the 16th and 17th centuries. These days, however, English speakers are more likely to be familiar...

Word For The Day, Thursday, February 16, 2006 - pixilated In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". pixilated • \PIK-suh-lay-tud\• adjective 1 : somewhat unbalanced mentally; also : bemused 2 : whimsical Example sentence: In 1998, Julie Taymor won a Tony Award for her original, pixilated costume and puppet designs that gave life to Disney's The Lion King on the stage. Etymology: "Pixilated" is an American coinage that dates back to about the mid-19th century. A pixilated person behaves as if...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". sapient \SAY-pee-uhnt\ adjectiveWise, sage, discerning Example sentences: By actual measurement they are the brainiest of birds, and on subjective evidence they seem more sapient than most other living creatures. -- David Quammen, "Bird Brains," New York Times, August 1, 1999 He also gives much of the book over to the voice and point of view of Wyatt's bright, quirky Aunt Ellen, who functions as a sapient observer of the world of the novel.....

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". sang-froid, also sangfroid \sang-FRWAH\, nounFreedom from agitation or excitement of mind; coolness in trying circumstances; calmness. Example sentences: Both men were mightily impressed by the calmness of the Americans on board, particularly among the women. "I had, during my sojourn in America," Beaumont said later, "a thousand occasions to see the sang-froid of the American." --Michael Kammen, "Wrecked on the Fourth of July," New York Times, July 6, 1997 Gaviria knew Alberto as...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". dubiety \doo-BY-uh-tee; dyoo-\, noun1. The condition or quality of being doubtful or skeptical. 2. A matter of doubt. Example sentences:Kennedy and O'Connor may think that Title 3 has been violated, but O'Connor and the chief justice are not convinced that the Supreme Court was meant to litigate challenges under that federal statute, and their dubiety here is shared by Justices Scalia and Souter.--Hadley Arkes, "A Morning at the Court," National Review, December 2,...

center> In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". perquisite \PUR-kwuh-zit\, noun1. A profit or benefit in addition to a salary or wages. 2. Broadly: The benefits of a position or office.3. A gratuity or tip for services performed.4. Anything to which someone has or claims the sole right. Example sentence:In a tight market for skilled labor... corporations are increasingly buying homes for hot new hires -- a perquisite once reserved for top executives.--Jennie James, "For Many Europeans, There's No Place Like...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". chatoyant • \shuh-TOY-unt\ • adjective : having a changeable luster or color with an undulating narrow band of white light Example sentence:The chest was opened to reveal a veritable treasure of glittering gold jewelry and chatoyant gems. Etymology: The complex structure of a cat's eye not only enables it to see at night but also gives it the appearance of glowing in the dark. Not surprisingly, jewels that sport a healthy luster are...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". quidnunc \KWID-nuhngk\, noun One who is curious to know everything that passes; one who knows or pretends to know all that is going on; a gossip; a busybody. Example sentence:What a treasure-trove to these venerable quidnuncs, could they have guessed the secret which Hepzibah and Clifford were carrying along with them!--Nathaniel Hawthorne, [1]The House of the Seven Gables Etymology: Quidnunc comes from Latin quid nunc?, "what now?" Rules: Everyone must leave a post...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". acumen \uh-KYOO-muhn; AK-yuh-muhn\, nounQuickness of perception or discernment; shrewdness shown by keen insight. Example sentence:With Leo's rare combination of editorial acumen and business know-how, he might have become a publishing giant had he not permitted his drinking and gambling to hold him back. --Ellis Amburn, Subterranean Kerouac: The Hidden Life of Jack Kerouac The family store gave him a sharp business acumen -- acquired, he would say, by manning the cash register --...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". carceral • \KAHR-suh-rul\ • adjective of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison Example sentence:When James first glimpsed his new campus, he thought there was something rather carceral about the school's tall wrought-iron fence. Etymology: Describing a painting of John Howard visiting a prison in 1787, writer Robert Hughes reminds us that Howard was "the pioneer of English carceral reform" (Time Magazine, November 11, 1985). Huges might have said "prison reform," but...

In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day". catachresis • \kat-uh-KREE-sis\ • noun 1. use of the wrong word for the context 2. use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech Example sentence:The paper printed a correction for the previous day's catachresis: dubbing a local artist-philanthropist a "socialist" when they meant "socialite." Etymology: As you might have guessed, "catachresis" is a word favored by grammarians. It can be employed as a fancy label of disparagement for whatever uses the...