Good afternoon, Netizens March 08, 2013 Word of the Day indoctrinate \in-DAHK-truh-nayt\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : teach 2 : to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle EXAMPLES New hires were…
Good norning, Netizens... March 07, 2013 Word of the Day gnomic \NOH-mik\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : characterized by aphorism 2 : given to the composition of aphoristic writing EXAMPLES Some critics have praised the young artist's gnomic utterances, while others argue that her sayings are…
Good morning, Netizens... March 06, 2013 Word of the Day meritorious \mair-uh-TOR-ee-us\ DEFINITION adjective : worthy of reward, gratitude, honor, or esteem EXAMPLES Mrs. Goodman received the town's Meritorious Service Award for her untiring efforts to keep the library open. "In February 2011, President Barack…
Good morning, Netizens... March 05, 2013 Word of the Day allusion \uh-LOO-zhun\ DEFINITION noun 1 : an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; also : the use of such references 2 : the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act…
Good morning, Netizens... March 04, 2013 Word of the Day paltry \PAWL-tree\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : inferior, trashy 2 : mean, despicable 3 : trivial 4 : meager, measly EXAMPLES Anna told us she was tired of engaging in paltry work and longed to do…
Good morning, Netizens... March 03, 2013 Word of the Day abandon \uh-BAN-dun\ DEFINITION noun : a thorough yielding to natural impulses; especially : enthusiasm, exuberance EXAMPLES We chased one another through the snow, hurling snowballs with complete abandon. "He slid head first, dived for balls,…
Good morning, Netizens... March 02, 2013 Word of the Day thimblerig \THIM-bul-rig\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to cheat by trickery 2 : to swindle by a trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three small…
Good evening Netizens... March 01, 2013 Word of the Day clepsydra \KLEP-suh-druh\ DEFINITION noun : an instrument designed to measure time by the fall or flow of a quantity of water : water clock EXAMPLES The ancient Greeks were known to time political speeches with…
Good evening, Netizens... February 28, 2013 Words of the Day tchotchke \CHAHCH-kuh\ DEFINITION noun : knickknack, trinket EXAMPLES Upon returning home from his trip to Maine, Jerry ceremoniously placed his new ceramic lobster next to the other tchotchkes on his mantelpiece. "Everywhere there is something…
Good evening, Netizens... Another of our American piano greats, Van Cliburn, died yesterday ostensibly of bone cancer, and I admit there will always be a soft spot in my heart for this Texas-born piano prodigy. There for a time, back in my youth, they made…
Good evening Netizens... February 27, 2013 Word of the Day expunge \ix-SPUNJ\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion 2 : to efface completely : destroy 3 : to eliminate (as a memory) from one's consciousness EXAMPLES Time and the…
Good evening, Netizens... February 26, 2013 Words of the Day pugilism \PYOO-juh-liz-um\ DEFINITION noun : boxing EXAMPLES Long fascinated by the art and science of pugilism, Shane has collected biographies of noted boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, and Sonny Liston. "At 48, Cyr…
Good evening, Netizens... I am cracking up over hearing how City Councilman Mike Fagan called Governor Inslee a “lying whore”. Perhaps that is because most of the whores I have met on East Sprague Avenue are more honest than your typical politician, including Mr. Fagan.…
Good evening Netizens February 25, 2013 Word of the Day idiopathic \id-ee-uh-PATH-ik\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause 2 : peculiar to the individual EXAMPLES "Some dogs have idiopathic epilepsy, which means there's no real explanation for their…
Good evening, Netizens... February 24, 2013 Word of the Day roseate \ROH-zee-ut\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : resembling a rose especially in having a pink color 2 : overly optimistic : viewed favorably EXAMPLES Her memories of her childhood are pleasant, bordering on roseate; some of…
Good evening, Netizens... February 23, 2013 Word of the Day manifesto \man-uh-FESS-toh\ DEFINITION noun : a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer EXAMPLES On the day of his sudden departure from the company, Rick posted an angry manifesto on…
Good morning, Netizens... February 22, 2013 Word of the Day recuse \rih-KYOOZ\ DEFINITION verb : to disqualify (oneself) as a judge in a particular case; broadly : to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest EXAMPLES The judge recused herself because she…
Good morning, Netizens... February 21, 2013 Words of the Day ephemeral \ih-FEM-uh-rul\ DEFINITION adjective : lasting a very short time EXAMPLES The young pop star's fame turned out to be ephemeral. "During the creation of the ephemeral show—the walls will be erased for a new…
Good morning Netizens... February 20, 2013 Words of the Day trousseau \TROO-soh\ DEFINITION noun : the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares EXAMPLES I am fortunate to be in possession of various family heirlooms, including several items…
Good afternoon Netizens... February 19, 2013 Words of the Day white elephant \WYTE-EL-uh-funt\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit 2 : an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others 3…
Good evening, Netizens... February 18, 2013 Word of the Day portend \por-TEND\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of 2 : indicate, signify EXAMPLES In the short story, the appearance of a black cat portends danger for the protagonist. "These…
Good morning, Netizens... By now you no doubt have heard the incredible tale of the stinky Carnival Triumph cruise liner from Hell that broke down in the tropics, leaving its passengers to fend for themselves for five days, for such necessities as food, water and…
Good morning, Netizens... February 17, 2013 Word of the Day clamant \KLAY-munt\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : clamorous, blatant 2 : demanding attention : urgent EXAMPLES Clamant students gathered outside the college president's office, protesting the denial of tenure for the popular professor. "My clamant desire,…
Good morning, Netizens... February 16, 2013 Word of the Day espouse \ih-SPOWZ\ DEFINITION verb 1 : marry 2 : to take up and support as a cause : become attached to EXAMPLES The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists. "[The food collection…
Good morning, Netizens... I have been more than a bit remiss in posting in Community Comment lately, for a number of personal reasons. However, now that I have once again caught up my job list, completing a number of fairly complex tasks for a diverse…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
