useful use-ful / yo͞os-fəl adjective 1. helpful, serviceable Unless what we do is useful, glory is vain. Latin Proverb 2. providing for a common need; having a practical purpose; utilitarian The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people. Karl Marx, 1818 – 1883 etymology useful, a combination of the English adjectival sufix “-ful” (full of, characterized by) and the English noun “use,” which... Read More

relate re-late / rĭ-lāt verb 1. to have a connection or association with another When indeed shall we learn that we are all related one to the other, that we are all members of one body?  Helen Keller, 1880 – 1968 2. to tell; to provide a record of the events We relate all our afflictions more frequently than we do our pleasures. Fanny Burney, 1752 –... Read More

narcissistic  nar-cis-sis-tic / när-suh-sis-tik adjective  1. overly concerned with one’s own appearance I was never narcissistic about my looks, but people thought that I should be so therefore I was. Gore Vidal, 1925 – 2012 2. overly self-centered; thinking too highly of oneself Meditation is a way to be narcissistic without hurting anyone. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, 1960 – etymology narcissistic, from Narcissus, the Latin transliteration of the name of... Read More

ferret fer-ret / fĕr-ĭt noun 1. a domesticated variety of polecat, Mustela putorius, raised for hunting purposes Here and there they rushed with wild screams and curses, diving under the sail, crouching behind booms, huddling into corners like rabbits when the ferrets are upon them, as helpless and as hopeless.  From “The White Company” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1859 – 1930 2. a small rodent,... Read More

name name / nām adjective 1.  famous or well known We will provide you with the best prices on top name brands! 2. bearing the words one is called or known by I wear a name tag to help people find me.  Eoin Colfer, 1965 – noun 1. a word that identifies something and differentiates it from others; the word or words by which something is known What’s in... Read More

essential es-sen-tial / ĭ-sĕn-shəl adjective 1. indispensable, completely necessary A dictionary is an essential tool for a quality education; you cannot do your best work without one. Caroline Brost, The Dictionary Project 2. fundamental; inherent An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.  Edwin Land, 1909 – 1991 3. totally, without exception; perfect A soul connection is a resonance between two people who respond to... Read More

eradicate e-rad-i-cate / ĭ-răd-ĭ-kāt verb 1. to destroy completely Words are more powerful than perhaps anyone suspects, and once deeply engraved in a child’s mind, they are not easily eradicated.  From “I Knew a Phoenix: Sketches for an Autobiography” by May Sarton, 1912 – 1995 2. to pull up by the roots Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil... Read More

sparky spark-y / spär-kē adjective lively and energetic; vivacious What a child wants and deserves is a parent who is SPARKY! From “Danny the Champion of the World” by Roald Dahl, 1916 – 1990 etymology An adjective formed from the English noun “spark,” which comes from the Anglo-Saxon noun spearca (spark) through its Middle English variants sparke, sperke, spearke. Special thanks to Allen Ward for providing this etymology.

effort ef-fort / ĕf-ərt noun 1. an unwavering or sincere attempt Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.  Winston Churchill 1874-1965 2. a strenuous action, usually requiring great mental or physical energy What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.  Samuel Johnson, 1709 – 1784 3. an accomplishment It was his finest effort to date; he wanted... Read More

fate fate / fāt noun 1. one’s destiny; fortune or luck that follows a person or thing Venture all; see what fate brings.  Vietnamese Proverb 2. that which ultimately determines the course of events and outcome In the presence of Fate, the physician becomes a fool.  Arabian Proverb 3. the final result; the ultimate outcome No fate is worse than a life without a love. Mexican Proverb 4. destruction,... Read More