Word of the Day: Brogue
brogue brogue / brĆg noun 1. a noticeable, regional accent, particularly a strong Irish accent when speaking English You can spot an Irishman or a Yorkshireman by his brogue. From âPygmalionâ by George Bernard Shaw, 1856 â 1950 2. a heavy work shoe made of untanned leather, formerly worn in Ireland and Scotland Sometimes it is given out, that we must either take these halfpence, or eat our... Read More
Word of the Day: Cotton
cotton cot-ton / kĆt-n noun 1. any of various shrubby plants of the genus Gossypium, having broad leaves and showy flowers, grown for its fiber and oil bearing seeds Their one object seemed to be to plant nothing but cotton; and in many cases cotton was planted up to the very door of the cabin. From âUp From Slaveryâ by Booker T. Washington, 1856 â 1915 2.... Read More
Word of the Day: Hector
hector hec-tor / hÄk-tÉr noun 1. a bully; one who is domineering and tries to intimidate smaller or weaker people All monarchs I hate, and the thrones they sit on, From the hector of France to the cully of Britain. John Wilmot, 1647 â 1680 verb 1. to intimidate smaller or weaker people; to bully; to bluster An honest man, when he came home at night, found... Read More
Word of the Day: Idiosyncrasy
idiosyncrasy id-i-o-syn-cra-sy / Äd-Ä-Ć-sÄng-krÉ-sÄ noun 1. a peculiar habit or mannerism; a quirk It is one of man’s curious idiosyncrasies to create difficulties for the pleasure of resolving them. Joseph de Maistre 1753-1821 2. an individualâs own, unique physical or emotional make-up The only success worth one’s powder was success in the line of one’s idiosyncrasy… what was talent but the art of being completely whatever one... Read More
Word of the Day: Filter
filter fil-ter / fÄl-tÉr noun 1. a device or material with tiny openings which liquid or gas is passed through in order to remove impurities or unwanted substances While primarily we use paper filters to stop coffee particles from ending up in our cup, paper also affects the flavour of coffee in a variety of different ways. Ana Paula Rosas, âGreen Home Brewing: Four Ways To... Read More
Word of the Day: Umami
umami u-ma-mi / oÍo-mĂ€-mÄ adjective 1. having or suggestive of the savory, meaty flavor produced by glutamates and nucleotides Strong-tasting cheeses like Parmesanâit can take anywhere from 18 to 36 months for the flavor to developâare high in glutamate, which means lots of umami taste. Nandita Godbole, âWhat is Umami, Exactly?â, Readerâs Digest, www.rd.com/list/13-foods-with-natural-umami, accessed February 21, 2024 noun 1. one of the five basic taste sensations, alongside... Read More
Word of the Day: Squeal
squeal squeal / skwÄl noun 1. a loud, piercing high-pitched cry or noise Everything had happened at once–the blow, the counter-blow, the squeal of agony from the porcupine, the big cat’s squall of sudden hurt and astonishment. From âWhite Fangâ by Jack London, 1876 â 1916 verb 1. to make a loud, piercing high-pitched cry or noise It does not always rain when a pig squeals.... Read More
Word of the Day: Hoodwink
hoodwink hood-wink / hoÍod–wÄngk verb 1. to trick or mislead through deception An enlightened mind is not hoodwinked; it is not shut up in a gloomy prison till it thinks the walls of its dungeon the limits of the universe, and the reach of its own chain the outer verge of intelligence. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807 – 1882 2. (archaic) to blindfold A thinking man is the worst... Read More
Word of the Day: Ladle
ladle la-dle / lÄd-l noun 1. a cup-shaped spoon with a long handle, used to serve or move liquids No man can perfectly empty a pot with a ladle. South African Proverb 2. a bucket-like container used to transfer molten metal A shout was heard, and a tall crane swung a gigantic ladle under the converting vessel, which then mysteriously upended, exploding like a cannon a prodigious... Read More
Word of the Day: Peripatetic
peripatetic per-i-pa-tet-ic / pÄr-É-pÉ-tÄt-Äk adjective 1. itinerant; walking about or traveling from place to place La Fontaine sauntered about from one to the other, a peripatetic, absent-minded, boring, unbearable dreamer, who kept buzzing and humming at everybody’s elbow a thousand poetic abstractions. From âThe Man in the Iron Maskâ by Alexandre Dumas, 1802 â 1870 2. (Peripatetic) pertaining to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who taught philosophy while walking... Read More