Good evening, Netizens... March 21, 2013 Word of the Day demotic \dih-MAH-tik\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : of, relating to, or written in a simplified form of the ancient Egyptian hieratic writing 2 : common, popular 3 : of or relating to the form of Modern…
Good evening, Netizens.,., March 20, 2013 Word of the Day plaudit \PLAW-dit\ DEFINITION noun 1 : an act or round of applause 2 : enthusiastic approval — usually used in plural EXAMPLES The latest installment in the movie series earned plaudits from critics and fans…
Good afternoon, Netizens... March 19, 2013 Word of the Day sacrosanct \SAK-roh-sankt\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : most sacred or holy : inviolable 2 : treated as if holy : immune from criticism or violation EXAMPLES Our family traditions may seem silly to outsiders, but to…
Good morning, Netizens... I listen to very few radio stations in Spokane, primarily because I have an allergic reaction to radio advertising of all kinds and very specific tastes in musical fare. All I have to do is hear one smarmy advertisement and I either…
Good afterlnoon, Netizens.., March 18, 2013 Word of the Day fetter \FET-er\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a chain or shackle for the feet 2 : something that confines : restraint EXAMPLES John keeps his smartphone with him when he goes hiking, but Linda leaves hers…
Good evening Netizens... March 17, 2013 Word of the Day katzenjammer \KAT-sun-jam-er\ DEFINITION noun 1 : hangover 2 : distress 3 : a discordant clamor EXAMPLES The morning after the wedding, Pamela woke up with a blinding katzenjammer. "Combating your attack of the katzenjammers with…
Good evening, Netizens... March 16, 2013 Word of the Day carminative \kahr-MIN-uh-tive\ DEFINITION adjective : expelling gas from the stomach or intestines so as to relieve flatulence or abdominal pain or distension EXAMPLES Fennel is a carminative herb that helps alleviate gas after a spicy…
Good evening Netizens... March 15, 2013 Word of the Day voracious \vaw-RAY-shus\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous 2 : excessively eager : insatiable EXAMPLES Cemal is a voracious reader who whips through three or four books each week. "Hundreds of…
Good morning, Netizens... In my generation, vacations consisted of pouring members of the family into the family transportation, complete with various snacks, books and other entertainments and facing the long drive to wherever the family collective was heading. This itinerary was, of course, subject to…
Good evening, Netizens... March 14, 2013 Word of the Day quirk \KWERK\ DEFINITION verb : curve, twist EXAMPLES "She was surprised by the humor that quirked his fine straight lips." — From Elizabeth George Speare's 1958 book The Witch of Blackbird Pond "Refusing to relinquish…
Good evening, Netizens March 13, 2013 Word of the Day behemoth \bih-HEE-muth\ DEFINITION noun : something of monstrous size, power, or appearance EXAMPLES The town has voted against letting the retail behemoth build a store on the proposed site. "Interviews with an array of industry…
Good evening, Netizens... March 12, 2013 Word of the Day piggyback \PIG-ee-bak\ DEFINITION adverb 1 : up on the back and shoulders 2 : on or as if on the back of another; especially : on a railroad flatcar EXAMPLES The youngest of the hikers…
Good evening, Netizens... March 11, 2013 Word of the Day cajole \kuh-JOHL\ DEFINITION verb 1 a : to persuade with flattery or gentle urging : coax b : to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion 2 : to deceive with soothing words or false promises…
Good morning, Netizens... March 10, 2013 Word of the Day relict \REL-ikt\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a surviving species of an otherwise extinct group of organisms; also : a remnant of a formerly widespread species that persists in an isolated area 2 : something left…
Good morning Netizens... March 09, 2013 Word of the Day de rigueur \duh-ree-GUR\ DEFINITION adjective : prescribed or required by fashion, etiquette, or custom : proper EXAMPLES Although the teen was wearing a dinner jacket and a tie, his jeans and sneakers were hardly de…
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 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…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
