Lemon lem·​on /ˈlemən/ Noun a yellow citrus fruit with a very sour taste, grown in tropical climates “It is probable that the lemon is the most valuable of all fruit for preserving health.” – Maude Grieve (1858 – 1941)

Laurel lau·​rel /ˈlôrəl/ Noun 1. an evergreen shrub with pink flowers “Along the roads, laurel, viburnum and alder, great ferns and wildflowers delighted the traveler’s eye through much of the year.” – Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson (1907 -1964) 2. achievement, award, victory “Nothing wilts faster than laurels that have been rested upon.” – Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 – 1822)

Monosyllabic mono·​syl·​lab·​ic /ˌmänəsəˈlabik/ Adjective 1. consisting of only one syllable “Just as there are polysyllabic words that say very little, so there are also monosyllabic words of infinite meaning.” – Georg C. Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799) 2. terse, laconic “She was as tranquil as he was agitated, as monosyllabic as he was garrulous.” – Song of Solomon (1977), by Toni Morrison (1931 – 2019)

Milieu mi·​lieu /milˈyo͞o/ Noun the social, cultural, or intellectual surroundings in which something or someone exists or develops “It is the child in man that is the source of his uniqueness and creativeness, and the playground is the optimal milieu for the unfolding of his capacities.” – Eric Hoffer (1902 – 1883)

Potent po·​tent /ˈpōtnt/ Adjective powerful, effective “Words – so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 – 1864)