Word of the Day: Perpetually
perpetually per-pet-u-al-ly / pÉr-pÄch-oÍo-É-lÄ adverb 1. forever; eternally There is an abstruse astrologer that saith, If it were not for two things that are constant (the one is, that the fixed stars ever stand a like distance one from another, and never come nearer together, nor go further asunder; the other, that the diurnal motion perpetually keepeth time), no individual would last one moment. Sir Francis Bacon,... Read More
Word of the Day: Glut
glut glut / glĆt noun 1. an excessively abundant supply of something We have more information – a glut of information – than ever before, and perhaps less knowledge. Errol Morris, 1948 â 2. the act of or state of filling to excess or oversupplying Economists may not know how to run the economy, but they know how to create shortages or gluts simply by regulating prices... Read More
Word of the Day: Mirth
mirth mirth / mĂ»rth noun 1. merriment, laughter, glee Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity. Joseph Addison, 1672 – 1719
Word of the Day: Equinoctial
equinoctial  e-qui-noc-tial / Ä-kwÉ-nĆk-shÉl, Äk-wÉ-nĆk-shÉl adjective 1. pertaining to or occurring on or near the equinox, one of two days a year when the day and night are of equal length The equinoctial gale blew violently, and scattered the yellow leaves of Liberty Tree all along the street. From âGrandfatherâs Chairâ by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1804 â 1864 2. pertaining to the celestial equator, the circle of the... Read More
Word of the Day: Brogue
brogue brogue / brĆg noun 1. a noticeable, regional accent, particularly a strong Irish accent when speaking English You can spot an Irishman or a Yorkshireman by his brogue. From âPygmalionâ by George Bernard Shaw, 1856 â 1950 2. a heavy work shoe made of untanned leather, formerly worn in Ireland and Scotland Sometimes it is given out, that we must either take these halfpence, or eat our... Read More
Word of the Day: Cotton
cotton cot-ton / kĆt-n noun 1. any of various shrubby plants of the genus Gossypium, having broad leaves and showy flowers, grown for its fiber and oil bearing seeds Their one object seemed to be to plant nothing but cotton; and in many cases cotton was planted up to the very door of the cabin. From âUp From Slaveryâ by Booker T. Washington, 1856 â 1915 2.... Read More
Word of the Day: Hector
hector hec-tor / hÄk-tÉr noun 1. a bully; one who is domineering and tries to intimidate smaller or weaker people All monarchs I hate, and the thrones they sit on, From the hector of France to the cully of Britain. John Wilmot, 1647 â 1680 verb 1. to intimidate smaller or weaker people; to bully; to bluster An honest man, when he came home at night, found... Read More
Word of the Day: Idiosyncrasy
idiosyncrasy id-i-o-syn-cra-sy / Äd-Ä-Ć-sÄng-krÉ-sÄ noun 1. a peculiar habit or mannerism; a quirk It is one of man’s curious idiosyncrasies to create difficulties for the pleasure of resolving them. Joseph de Maistre 1753-1821 2. an individualâs own, unique physical or emotional make-up The only success worth one’s powder was success in the line of one’s idiosyncrasy… what was talent but the art of being completely whatever one... Read More
Word of the Day: Filter
filter fil-ter / fÄl-tÉr noun 1. a device or material with tiny openings which liquid or gas is passed through in order to remove impurities or unwanted substances While primarily we use paper filters to stop coffee particles from ending up in our cup, paper also affects the flavour of coffee in a variety of different ways. Ana Paula Rosas, âGreen Home Brewing: Four Ways To... Read More
Word of the Day: Umami
umami u-ma-mi / oÍo-mĂ€-mÄ adjective 1. having or suggestive of the savory, meaty flavor produced by glutamates and nucleotides Strong-tasting cheeses like Parmesanâit can take anywhere from 18 to 36 months for the flavor to developâare high in glutamate, which means lots of umami taste. Nandita Godbole, âWhat is Umami, Exactly?â, Readerâs Digest, www.rd.com/list/13-foods-with-natural-umami, accessed February 21, 2024 noun 1. one of the five basic taste sensations, alongside... Read More