Word of the Day: Squeal

squeal squeal / skwēl noun 1. a loud, piercing high-pitched cry or noise Everything had happened at once–the blow, the counter-blow, the squeal of agony from the porcupine, the big cat’s squall of sudden hurt and astonishment. From “White Fang” by Jack London, 1876 – 1916 verb 1. to make a loud, piercing high-pitched cry or noise It does not always rain when a pig squeals....
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Word of the Day: Hoodwink

hoodwink hood-wink / ho͝od–wÄ­ngk verb 1. to trick or mislead through deception An enlightened mind is not hoodwinked; it is not shut up in a gloomy prison till it thinks the walls of its dungeon the limits of the universe, and the reach of its own chain the outer verge of intelligence. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807 – 1882 2. (archaic) to blindfold A thinking man is the worst...
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Word of the Day: Ladle

ladle la-dle / lād-l noun 1. a cup-shaped spoon with a long handle, used to serve or move liquids No man can perfectly empty a pot with a ladle. South African Proverb 2. a bucket-like container used to transfer molten metal A shout was heard, and a tall crane swung a gigantic ladle under the converting vessel, which then mysteriously upended, exploding like a cannon a prodigious...
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Word of the Day: Peripatetic

peripatetic per-i-pa-tet-ic / pĕr-ə-pə-tĕt-Ä­k adjective 1. itinerant; walking about or traveling from place to place La Fontaine sauntered about from one to the other, a peripatetic, absent-minded, boring, unbearable dreamer, who kept buzzing and humming at everybody’s elbow a thousand poetic abstractions. From “The Man in the Iron Mask” by Alexandre Dumas, 1802 – 1870 2. (Peripatetic) pertaining to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who taught philosophy while walking...
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Word of the Day: Interact

interact in-ter-act / ĭn-tər-ăkt verb 1. to relate mutually to; to act together with or on another Leaders should interact with everyone in their organization as if the interaction is being recorded and will be used as a training film on how to treat colleagues, coworkers, and customers. Bill Crawford, Ph.D, ? –

Word of the Day: Comparison

comparison com-par-i-son / kəm-păr-ĭ-sən noun 1. the act of examining two or more things with the view of discovering the similarities or differences Comparisons make enemies of our friends. American Proverb 2. the state of association based on similarities and differences What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 – 1882 3. a...
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Word of the Day: Ponder

ponder pon-der / pŏn-dər verb 1. to think about something carefully and thoroughly, to contemplate, to consider The optimist pleasantly ponders how high his kite will fly; the pessimist woefully wonders how soon his kite will fall. William Arthur Ward, 1921 – 1994

Word of the Day: Rouse

rouse rouse / rouz noun 1. the act of awakening or provoking or a signal to get up At last this remark of his gave me a sudden rouse. From “The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut” by Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Clemens, 1835 – 1910 2. (obsolete) an alcoholic beverage ‘Fore heaven, they have given me a rouse already. From “Othello” by...
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Word of the Day: Scant

scant scant / skănt adjective 1. barely sufficient; limited Books that children read but once are of scant service to them; those that have really helped to warm our imaginations and to train our faculties are the few old friends we know so well that they have become a portion of our thinking selves. From “Books and Men” by Agnes Repplier, 1855 – 1950 2. insufficient in amount;...
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Word of the Day: Dubious

dubious du-bi-ous / do͞o-bē-əs, dyo͞o-bē-əs adjective 1. uncertain, not yet determined The world is full of hopeful analogies and handsome, dubious eggs, called possibilities. George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans, 1819 – 1880 2. doubtful or suspicious; questionable He is a friend who, in dubious circumstances, aids in deeds when deeds are necessary.  Plautus, 254 BC – 184 BC 3. untrustworthy; suspect Information obtained under dubious...
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