/ mistáyke / noun: an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong, “A man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.” Theodore Roosevelt Verb tr. (past mistook / -to͝ok /; past part. mistaken / -tākən /) 1. misunderstand the meaning or intention of (a person, statement, etc.), “Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles.” Thomas Browne 2. (followed by... Read More

/vīˈtalədē/, noun: 1. a. the capacity to endure, be successful, carry on, “But one prediction is pretty safe: that, if we as a people have lost the habit of reading, if we have become a passive people, a society of viewers rather than thinkers, we will have lost our intellectual and moral vitality; and when these are gone, everything else will be about ready... Read More

/ˈvərCHo͞o/, noun: 1. behavior showing moral excellence; goodness, “Sacrifice, devotion, honor, truth, sincerity, love—these are the homely virtues characteristic of good, old-fashioned homes.” Paul Harris, My Road to Rotary “Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave.” Indira Gandhi 2. the ability to produce a desired or intended result, “Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure 3. derive... Read More

Coincidence /kō-ínsidƏns/, noun: a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” Albert Einstein Irony /írƏnee/, noun: an ill-timed or perverse arrival of an event or circumstance that is contrary to what one expects. “At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.” Frederick Douglass, Fourth of July Oration, 1852

/ ik’spre-shən /, noun: 1. the process of making known one’s thoughts, feelings, or emotions (on the face, in the voice, in artistic execution, etc.), “It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.”- Albert Einstein “There is something of the essence of creative expression that informs and transcends all its manifestations – and when you touch... Read More

/ brij /, noun: 1. an elevated structure, such as a viaduct or an overpass, that crosses over water or a highway, “Good composition is like a suspension bridge – each line adds strength and takes none away.” – Robert Henri 2. a card game, “If you spend you time playing bridge, you will be a good bridge player; if you spend it reading,... Read More

/băl’əns/ noun: 1. steadiness; a condition in which different elements are equal in proportion, “A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life.” – William Arthur Ward 2. an instrument used to weigh (objects), “An excellent man, like precious metal, is in every way invariable; A villain, like the beams of a... Read More

/rəˈdēm/, verb:  1. a. to compensate for faults or bad actions, “Redeem thy misspent time that’s past, And live this day as if thy last.” – Thomas Ken  1. b. to make better, more acceptable, “Life ceases to be so oppressive: we are free to give our own lives meaning and purpose, free to redeem our suffering by making something of it.” – Walter Kaufmann  2.... Read More

/ pərˈsistəns /, noun: the quality that allows someone to continue doing something; trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.” – Elbert Hubbard

/tóɡəl/ noun: 1. a device for fastening sewn to one side of a garment allowing passage through a hole or loop on the other side, “They make harpoons for hunting fish, pins for sewing up leather shoes, toggles for their fur-lined leather `parka’ coats.” – John Lewis, reporting on hunter-gatherer life after the Ice Age in southern Britain. 2. computing, a switch, key, or... Read More