impoverished im-pov-er-ished / ĭm-pŏv-ə-rĭsht, ĭm-pŏv-rĭsht adjective 1. poor, without the basic necessities of life, destitute Has he not also another object, which is that they may be impoverished by payment of taxes, and thus compelled to devote themselves to their daily wants and therefore less likely to conspire against him? From “The Republic” by Plato, 427 BC – 347 BC 2. lacking strength or vitality; depleted... Read More

graceful grace-ful / grās-fəl   adjective 1. characterized by or displaying grace or beauty in form, movement or action; elegant It is graceful in a man to think and to speak with propriety, to act with deliberation, and in every occurrence of life to find out and persevere in the truth. Marcus Tullius Cicero. 106 BC – 43 BC

remonstrance re-mon-strance / rĭ-mŏn-strəns noun 1. the act or an instance of protesting or dissenting Conscience is justice’s best minister; it threatens, promises, rewards, and punishes and keeps all under control; the busy must attend to its remonstrances, the most powerful submit to its reproof, and the angry endure its upbraidings. Mary Wortley Montagu. 1689 – 1762 2. a protest or censure; a rebuke If we let... Read More

insouciant in-sou-ci-ant / ĭn-so͞o-sē-ənt, ăN-so͞o-syäN adjective 1. unconcerned; without care or worry; nonchalant  But in the final set, when the challenger has nothing left to lose, he becomes relaxed again, insouciant, daring. From “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel, 1963 –

phi phi / fī, fē noun 1.  the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet, written as Φ, φ, it corresponds to ph or f in the English alphabet Since 2009, the Omega Psi Phi fraternity has provided a personal dictionary to more than 8,100 students through their association with The Dictionary Project.

homesick home-sick / hōm–sĭk adjective 1. having a feeling of depression or sadness caused by being away from one’s home or family If you’ve ever been homesick, or felt exiled from all the things and people that once defined you, you’ll know how important welcoming words and friendly smiles can be. Stephen King, 1947 –

extraordinarily ex-traor-di-nar-i-ly / ĭk-strôr-də-nĕr-ə-lē, ĕk-strə-ôr-də-nĕr-ə-lē adverb 1. extremely; exceedingly Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Angelique Arnauld, 1591 – 1661

kindling kin-dling /  kind-lĭng noun 1. material that is easily combustible and used to start a fire Within the heart of every person exists the flame of wisdom that transforms all suffering into kindling for the fire of creative energy. Daisaku Ikeda, 1928 – 2. the act of building and igniting a fire Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel. Socrates,... Read More

paltry pal-try / pôl-trē adjective 1. worthless; petty; trivial; inconsequential When I first tried to write, I had nothing to write about except a few paltry experiences which I neither understood nor appreciated. From “Martin Eden” by Jack London, 1876 – 1916 2. extremely small in amount; negligible; inadequate If a man borrows a paltry sum of money, there must needs be bonds and securities, and every... Read More

mantel (also spelled mantle, primarily in American English) man-tel / măn-tl noun 1. the decorative facing around a fireplace; also called a mantelpiece A broad window with leaded panes looked out upon the moor; and over the mantel was another portrait of the stiff, plain little girl who seemed to stare at her more curiously than ever. From “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett,... Read More