synonymous syn-on-y-mous / sĭ-nŏn-ə-məs adjective 1. meaning the same or nearly the same thing Earnestness and sincerity are synonymous. Corita Kent, 1918 – 1986 2. suggestive of the same thing or idea Believe me, when an actress is told that her very name is synonymous with bad acting, she’s had it. Piper Laurie, 1932 –

foster fos-ter / fô-stər, fŏs-tər adjective 1. giving or receiving parental care, even though not related legally or by blood My riches are my family and my foster children. S. Truett Cathy, 1921 – 2014 verb 1. to rear; to raise and care for (such as a child) Foster a raven and it will peck out your eyes. Spanish Proverb 2. to further the growth and development The... Read More

juxtapose jux-ta-pose /  jŭk-stə-pōz verb 1.  to place side by side or close together, particularly in order to compare or contrast Thus it happened that in Eustacia’s brain were juxtaposed the strangest assortment of ideas, from old time and from new. From “Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy, 1840 – 1928

you you / yo͞o pronoun 1. used to refer to any person in general; one You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803- 1882 2. used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing It only takes one person to change your life — you. Ruth Casey 3. (archaic,... Read More

persecution per-se-cu-tion / pûr-sĭ-kyo͞o-shən noun 1. the act of persistently oppressing or harassing others due to their differing beliefs, especially due to religious or racial differences Happily the Government of the United States which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.... Read More

ornery or-ner-y / ôr-nə-rē adjective 1. cranky; ill-tempered; disagreeable The more we love, and the more unlikely people we love, the more we resemble God – who, after all, loves ornery creatures like us. Philip Yancey, 1949 – 2. stubborn What keeps my flame burning is, first, I’m ornery and persistent. Eddie Pepitone, 1958 –

culpable cul-pa-ble  / kŭl-pə-bəl adjective 1. deserving blame, liable Teach the ignorant as much as you can; society is culpable in not providing a free education for all and it must answer for the night which it produces. Victor Hugo, 1802 – 1885

strenuous stren-u-ous / strĕn-yo͞o-əs adjective 1. requiring a great deal of effort, exertion or endurance I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life. Theodore Roosevelt, 1858 – 1919 2. energetic, active, zealous Let your hearts be filled with the strenuous desire that tranquillity and harmony may encircle all this warring world. Abdu’l-Bahá, 1844 – 1921

injudicious in-ju-di-cious / ĭn-jo͞o-dĭsh-əs adjective 1. unwise; not prudent; not showing good judgement If a cause be good, the most violent attack of its enemies will not injure it so much as an injudicious defence of it by its friends. Charles Caleb Colton, 1780 – 1832

pollen pol-len / pŏl-ən noun 1. a fine yellow dust on the anthers of seed bearing flowers, which serves as the male agent in reproduction in seed plants Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind. James Russell Lowell, 1819 – 1891