seasonal sea-son-al / sē-zə-nəl adjective 1. pertaining to or occurring during a particular period, or season, of a year However long the dry season takes, a seasonal river will never forget where it used to pass.  African Proverb etymology Ultimately from the Latin Feminine noun satio, sationis (sowing, planting), derived from the same root as the Latin verb sero serere, sevi, satum (sow, plant), through the Old French noun seson/ seison/ saison (sowing... Read More

flaunt flaunt / flônt   verb 1. to show off or display in a pretentious manner One courts misfortune by flaunting wealth.  Chinese Proverb   2. to wave in the air in a manner that attracts attention Over it flaunted a Union Jack, flapping cheerfully in the morning breeze.  From “The War of the Worlds” by H. G. Wells,   1866 – 1946   etymology Of unknown origin, it... Read More

anchor an-chor / ăng-kər noun 1. a heavy piece of metal on the end of a rope or chain that lowered into the water to keep a boat from drifting A man without prudence is a ship without an anchor.  Welsh Proverb 2. something used to hold an object in securely in place The fine cotton tufts which had just acted as wings, now acted as anchors on... Read More

ultimate ul-ti-mate /  ŭl-tə-mĭt adjective 1. farthest, most remote It was quite late in the evening before the party descended to the ultimate skirts of the snow. From “The Adventures of Captain Bonneville, U.S. A. in the Rocky Mountains and the Far West” by Washington Irving, 1783 – 1859 2. final, last in a series of occurrences Capture of the adverse King is the ultimate but... Read More

drug drug / drŭg noun 1. a chemical substance used to treat, prevent or diagnose a disease; a medicine Drugs are not always necessary, but belief in recovery always is.  Norman Cousins, 1912 – 1990   2. a chemical substance, affecting the body’s central nervous system which can cause addiction Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936   verb 1. to administer... Read More

bouquet bou-quet / bō-kā, bo͞o- kā noun 1. a bunch of cut flowers, particularly those that are arranged; a nosegay One flower maketh not a bouquet.  French Proverb 2. a sweet fragrant aroma, as of wine Just because I’m resisting the wine doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate the bouquet. From “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer, 1973 – 3. a compliment He shouted loving bouquets about her beauty from below... Read More

furrow fur-row / fûr-ō, fŭr-ō noun 1. a long, narrow ditch dug in the ground with a plow An old ox makes a straight furrow. European Proverb 2. a long, narrow indentation in a surface, particularly a deep wrinkle in the skin If you can wear the hard times of your life as furrows on your brow, you can wear the good times as a twinkle in your eye. Robert... Read More

creativeness cre-a-tive-ness / krē-ā-tĭv-nĕs noun 1. the ability to imagine or produce something original We judge the song of the bird not by its musical quality nor even by its creativeness, but by its effect on the human spirit. Len Eiserer

faun faun / fôn noun 1. from Roman Mythology, a woodland deity represented by a man with a goat’s ears, horns, tail and sometimes hind legs, similar to a satyr of Greek mythology I fear that we are such gods or demigods only as fauns and satyrs, the divine allied to beasts, the creatures of appetite, and that, to some extent, our very life is our disgrace. ... Read More

gist gist / jĭst noun 1. the main idea or point; the essential part Though a seeker since my birth, Here is all I’ve learned on earth, This the gist of what I know: Give advice and buy a foe.  From “A Garland of Precepts” by Phyllis McGinley, 1905 – 1978 2. in law, the basis for a legal action In the case at hand the... Read More