pirogue
Definition: (noun) A canoe made from a hollowed tree trunk. Synonyms: dugout canoe, dugout. Usage: Then I'll take you some night in the pirogue when …
Category: Today’s Word
Today’s Word
ombudsman
noun: An official who investigates complaints by individuals against an organization.
samizdat
Definition: (noun) A system of clandestine printing and distribution of dissident or banned literature. Synonyms: underground press. Usage: The samizdat was successful in disseminating the …
cosh
noun: 1. A short, thick, heavy stick, used as a weapon. Also known as a truncheon, blackjack, bludgeon, etc. 2. An attack with, or as …
artistry
Definition: (noun) A superior skill that one can learn by study and practice and observation. Synonyms: prowess, art. Usage: They were wrought to such a …
chaebol
noun: A large conglomerate of businesses, tightly controlled by a person or a family.
lyceum
Definition: (noun) A school for students intermediate between elementary school and college; usually grades 9 to 12. Synonyms: secondary school, Gymnasium, lycee, middle school. Usage: …
ikigai
noun: 1. A sense of purpose or something that gives a sense of purpose; a reason for living. 2. Something that brings fulfillment or enjoyment.
patrolman
Definition: (noun) A policeman who patrols a given region. Synonyms: flatfoot. Usage: The patrolman was familiar with the area and knew the noises he was …
lachrymator
Definition: (noun) A gas that makes the eyes fill with tears but does not damage them; used in dispersing crowds. Synonyms: teargas. Usage: When the …
habitue
Definition: (noun) A regular patron. Synonyms: regular, fixture. Usage: He was a habitue at the bar, but he never had more than two drinks in …
boot-faced
adjective: Having a stern, angry, or sad expression.
prodigal
Definition: (adjective) Rashly or wastefully extravagant. Synonyms: profligate, spendthrift, extravagant. Usage: Her prodigal spending left her with a mountain of bills and an empty bank …
sneakernet
noun: The transfer of electronic information by physically moving it, storing it on a device and moving the device, instead of doing it over a …
rigmarole
Definition: (noun) Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense. Synonyms: twaddle, story, saga, trash, jargon, yarn, gibberish, spiel. Usage: When I asked why he missed the …
incognizant
Definition: (adjective) Lacking knowledge or awareness. Synonyms: unaware. Usage: He was incognizant of the new political situation and needed his brother to brief him on …
saboteur
noun: One who disrupts, damages, or destroys, especially in an underhanded manner.
abattoir
Definition: (noun) A building where animals are butchered. Synonyms: slaughterhouse, butchery, shambles. Usage: The largest abattoirs are those of the meatpacking industry. Discuss
suede-shoed
adjective: Affecting smartness and respectability.
going-over
Definition: (noun) A severe scolding. Synonyms: castigation, bawling out, chewing out, dressing down, upbraiding, earful. Usage: When he was caught chewing gum in class, he …
driblet
Definition: (noun) A small quantity (especially of a liquid). Synonyms: drop. Usage: A driblet of water escaped from the corner of her mouth. Discuss
ampoule
Definition: (noun) A small glass vial that is sealed after filling and used chiefly as a container for a hypodermic injection solution. Synonyms: phial, vial. …
yesternoon
noun: The afternoon of the previous day.
ruffian
Definition: (noun) A cruel and brutal fellow. Synonyms: bully, hooligan, roughneck. Usage: He had been a bully in grade school, so no one was surprised …
hyperacusis
noun: A heightened sensitivity to sounds.
facetious
Definition: (adjective) Playfully jocular; humorous. Synonyms: bantering, tongue-in-cheek. Usage: She was quite gullible and could never tell when his remarks were facetious or when he …
bolt-hole
noun: 1. A place of escape, hiding, or seclusion. 2. A hole through which to escape when in danger.
pellucid
Definition: (adjective) Admitting the passage of light; transparent or translucent. Synonyms: transparent, crystal clear, limpid, crystalline, lucid. Usage: The water in the fountain, pellucid as …
cynanthropy
noun: A delusion in which one believes oneself to be a dog.
welter
Definition: (noun) A confused mass; a jumble. Synonyms: clutter, jumble, mare's nest, muddle, smother. Usage: Surrounded by a welter of papers and magazines, Susan began …
idiolatry
noun: Self worship.
escapist
Definition: (noun) A person who escapes into a world of fantasy. Synonyms: wishful thinker, dreamer. Usage: She calls herself a mere optimist, but we believe …
rive
verb tr.: To tear, split, fracture, etc. verb intr.: To become split or to cracked.
pharos
Definition: (noun) A tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships. Synonyms: lighthouse, beacon. Usage: The pharos was no longer operational …
lionize
Definition: (verb) To look on or treat (a person) as a celebrity. Synonyms: celebrate. Usage: She lionized her older brother and was always proud to …
spiv
noun: An unscrupulous person or a petty criminal, especially one who is sharply dressed. verb intr.: To make a living unscrupulously.
strapper
Definition: (noun) A powerfully built, robust person. Synonyms: bruiser, bull, Samson. Usage: Grandmother described everyone in larger-than-life terms. Even scrawny Bill from down the block …
topos
noun: A traditional theme, literary motif, etc.
montage
Definition: (noun) A single pictorial composition made by juxtaposing or superimposing many pictures or designs. Synonyms: collage. Usage: The children's gift to their grandmother was …
tarn
noun: A small mountain lake.