viral
adjective: 1. Spreading rapidly and widely from person to person, often through social media rather than traditional avenues. 2. Relating to or caused by a …
Category: Today’s Word
Today’s Word
ramose
Definition: (adjective) Having many branches. Synonyms: branching. Usage: The ramose tree sheltered us from the blistering sun. Discuss
high-octane
adjective: 1. High-energy; powerful; dynamic. 2. In relation to engine fuels, having a high octane number resulting in anti-knock properties and higher efficiency.
promulgate
Definition: (verb) To make known (a decree, for example) by public declaration; announce officially. Synonyms: exclaim, proclaim. Usage: Where is the staircase from which Charles …
broad-spectrum
adjective: Effective in a wide variety of uses.
indigence
Definition: (noun) Poverty; neediness. Synonyms: beggary, pauperism, penury, need. Usage: The luxury of one class is counterbalanced by the indigence of another. Discuss
radioactive
1. Involving something extremely controversial that may rub off on others. 2. Spontaneously emitting radiation, as from an unstable atomic nucleus or in a nuclear …
flinders
Definition: (noun) Bits, fragments, or splinters. Synonyms: slivers, splinters. Usage: The bullet blew the glass bottle into flinders. Discuss
reprobate
Definition: (noun) A morally unprincipled person. Synonyms: miscreant. Usage: The prison was full of notorious reprobates. Discuss
cowpuncher
Definition: (noun) A hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback. Synonyms: cattleman, cowboy, cowhand, cowherd, cowman, cowpoke. Usage: The only time …
souse
verb tr.: 1. To soak or steep. 2. To pickle, cook in a marinade, etc. 3. To make intoxicated. noun: 1. Something or someone soaked. …
fecund
Definition: (adjective) Marked by intellectual productivity. Synonyms: prolific, fertile. Usage: He had a fecund imagination and wrote four novels in two years. Discuss
skeeve
verb tr.: To disgust. noun: A disgusting person.
mettlesome
Definition: (adjective) Full of mettle; spirited and plucky. Synonyms: spirited, game, gritty, spunky. Usage: Joe, being a mettlesome fellow, returned the stranger's angry glance with …
chirk
verb tr.: To cheer. verb intr.: To make a shrill noise. adjective: Lively; cheerful.
pinnace
Definition: (noun) A light boat propelled by sails or oars, formerly used as a tender for merchant and war vessels. Synonyms: ship's boat, cutter, tender. …
sluice
noun: 1. An artificial channel, stream, etc. 2. A valve or gate to control the flow of a liquid. 3. A body of water controlled …
pressmark
Definition: (noun) A mark consisting of characters written on a book; used to indicate shelf location. Synonyms: call number, call mark. Usage: Long days spent …
stymie
verb tr.: To obstruct, thwart, stump, etc. noun: A hindrance.
cumulonimbus
Definition: (noun) An extremely dense, vertically developed cumulus with a relatively hazy outline and a glaciated top extending to great heights, usually producing heavy rains, …
tyro
Definition: (noun) A beginner in learning something. Synonyms: beginner, initiate, novice. Usage: I once heard a pirate swear, but his best efforts would have seemed …
multifarious
Definition: (adjective) Having great variety; diverse. Synonyms: multifaceted, many-sided. Usage: This famous old French trading post continued to be a rallying point for a multifarious …
hibernal
adjective: Of or relating to winter.
interlanguage
Definition: (noun) A common language used by speakers of different languages. Synonyms: lingua franca, koine. Usage: Koine Greek was the interlanguage of the empire of …
weather vane
noun: 1. A device having a pointer rotating on a vertical spindle, used to indicate the direction of the wind. 2. Someone or something constantly …
malediction
Definition: (noun) The calling down of a curse. Synonyms: imprecation. Usage: They muttered maledictions and curses, but we ignored them. Discuss
autumnal
adjective: 1. Relating to the season of autumn. 2. Past the prime of life or maturity.
paroxysm
Definition: (noun) A sudden uncontrollable attack. Synonyms: convulsion, fit. Usage: Michael strained backward in a paroxysm of rage, making fierce short jumps to the end …
favonian
adjective: 1. Relating to the west wind. 2. Mild; gentle; benign.
windsock
Definition: (noun) A tapered, open-ended sleeve pivotally attached to a standard, that indicates the direction of the wind blowing through it. Synonyms: drogue, air sock, …
barometer
noun: 1. A device for determining atmospheric pressure in predicting weather. 2. Something used as a gauge or as an indicator of change. 3. A …
raring
Definition: (adjective) Full of eagerness; enthusiastic. Synonyms: impatient. Usage: Standing at the starting line of the race, he shifted from foot to foot and was …
arborist
Definition: (noun) A specialist in the care of woody plants, especially trees. Synonyms: tree surgeon. Usage: The arborist informed the homeowners that the sick tree …
crotchet
Definition: (noun) An odd, whimsical, or stubborn notion. Synonyms: oddity, queerness, quirk. Usage: He is perhaps the sanest man and has the fewest crotchets of …
nobodaddy
noun: 1. God. 2. Someone who is no longer considered worthy of respect.
cincture
Definition: (noun) A band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers. Synonyms: waistband, waistcloth, girdle, sash. Usage: Their adornments were completed …
tulgey
adjective: Thick, dark, and scary.
nadir
Definition: (noun) An extreme state of adversity; the lowest point of anything. Synonyms: low-water mark, rock bottom. Usage: They lost everything in the fire and …
interrobang
noun: A punctuation mark (?) formed by a question mark (?) superimposed on an exclamation point (!).
flattop
Definition: (noun) A large warship that carries planes and has a long flat deck for take-offs and landings. Synonyms: aircraft carrier. Usage: Before the invasion, …