/ návəɡādər/, noun: 1. a person skilled or engaged in navigation* “The wind and the waves are always on the side of the ablest navigator.” Edmund Gibbon,1737 – 1794 2. an explorer by sea example: Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama was the first person to sail directly from Europe to India. *navigation /navəˈɡāSH(ə)n/, noun: 1. the act or process of directing the course of... Read More

Complement /kämp-lə-mənt/ 1. noun: something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect “Constancy is the complement of all other human virtues.” Giuseppe Mazzini, 1805 -1872 2. verb: to add to (something), make complete or enhance, form a complement to “An America that inspires hope in its ideals must complement an America that inspires awe in its strength.” Adam Schiff, 1960 – Compliment /kämp-lə-mənt/ 1.... Read More

/pər-‘pleks/, verb: 1. a. to make difficult to grasp or understand clearly; puzzle, bewilder, or disconcert Quiet minds cannot be perplexed or frightened but go on in fortune or misfortune at their own private pace, like a clock during a thunderstorm. Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 – 1894 1. b. to make intricate or involved; complicate The debates of that great assembly are frequently vague... Read More

məˈmôrēəl/ 1. noun: an object, institution, or custom established in memory of a person or event “Letters are among the most significant memorial a person can leave behind them.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749 – 1832 2. adjective: intending to commemorate a person or thing example: memorial service We hope you have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. We are grateful for the... Read More

/anˈtikwədē/, noun: 1. ancient times, especially the period before the Middle Ages “The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.” John Milton, 1608 – 1674 2. great age “All those things that are now field to be of the greatest antiquity were at one time new; what we to-day... Read More

Its /its/, determiner: belonging to or associated with an object (previously mentioned) “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” Jacques Yves Cousteau, 1910 – 1997 It’s /its/, contraction of it (pronoun used to refer to a thing or person) and is (third person present singular of the verb to be) “It’s not whether you get knocked... Read More

/indəˈskrībəbəl/, adjective: 1. too unusual or extreme to be described “There is that indescribable freshness and unconsciousness about an illiterate person that humbles and mocks the power of the noblest expressive genius.” Walt Whitman, 1819 – 1892 “We all have such common ways to identify with each other, and I think when you approach music in that organic way, it’s almost indescribable how it... Read More

/dəˈskəv(ə)rē/, noun: 1. the action or process of finding or learning something for the first time; the act of discovering something “Transformation is a process, and as life happens there are tons of ups and downs. It’s a journey of discovery – there are moments on mountaintops and moments in deep valleys of despair.” Rick Warren, 1954 – “Love is but the discovery of... Read More

/ɡəmpSH(ə)n/, noun: 1. bold or spirited initiative and resourcefulness “A person filled with gumption doesn’t sit around dissipating and stewing about things. He’s at the front of the train of his own awareness, watching to see what’s up the track and meeting it when it comes. That’s gumption.” Robert M. Pirsig,1928 – 2. common sense “…Anyone with gumption and a sharp mind will take... Read More

Ensure /inˈSHo͝or/, verb: 1. make certain “We educated, privileged lawyers have a professional and moral duty to represent the underrepresented in our society, to ensure that justice exists for all, both legal and economic justice.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 1954 – 2. secure or obtain (a thing for a person, etc.) “Our real problem, then, is not our strength today; it is rather the vital... Read More