From the moment we met, we felt connected; we knew it was kismet [ˈkɪz.mɛt].kismet [ˈkɪz.mɛt]
noun
Kismet refers to a power that is believed to control what happens in the future. It is synonymous with both fate and destiny.
borrowed kismet from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately comes from the Arabic word qisma, meaning "portion" or "lot." English Mar 26, 2024, 7:19 AM cowpoke
The politician was criticized for genuflecting [ˈdʒɛn.jəˌflɛkt] to corporate interests.genuflect [ˈdʒɛn.jəˌflɛkt]
verb
To genuflect is to kneel, or nearly kneel, on one knee and then rise again in worship or as an act of respect. In figurative use, genuflect means "to be humbly obedient or respectful."
from the Late Latin word genuflectere, formed from the noun genu ("knee") and the verb flectere ("to bend"). English Mar 25, 2024, 7:04 AM cowpoke
"Half of the workforce was laid off, but those whose roles turned out to be somewhat critical were then begged to return. Some unlucky engineers were dragooned [drəˈɡun] into launching the new Twitter Blue feature, which would charge users $7.99 per month for a 'verified' check mark; the rollout was catastrophic." — Sheon Han, The New Yorker, 5 Jan. 2024dragoon [drəˈɡun]
1) When used with into, dragoon means "to force or convince someone to do something."
2) WITHOUT into, dragoon means "to subjugate or persecute by harsh use of troops."
History has recorded the dragonish nature of the dragoons who persecuted the French Protestants in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV. English Mar 22, 2024, 9:19 AM cowpoke
The press secretary made a point at the briefing not to address the scurrilous [ˈskɜrələs] rumors surrounding the senator.scurrilous [ˈskɜrələs]
adj
1) Formal adjective that most often describes language that contains obscenities, abuse, or, especially, slander (诽谤)—that is, a false statement that damages a person’s reputation.
2) Scurrilous can also describe someone who uses or tends to use scurrilous language, or it can describe a person or thing as evil or vulgar.
from the Middle French word scurrile, which comes ultimately from the Latin noun scurra, meaning “buffoon” or “jester.” English Mar 21, 2024, 6:16 AM cowpoke
Consumer advocates allege [əˈlɛdʒ] that the company knew about the faulty switches but sold the product anyway.allege [əˈlɛdʒ]
verb
To allege something is to assert it without proof or before proving it.
from the Middle English verb alleggen, meaning "to submit (something) in evidence or as justification." (Alleggen traces back to the Anglo-French word aleger, meaning "to lighten, free, or exculpate.") English Mar 19, 2024, 6:54 AM cowpoke
Tawdry [ˈtɔdrɪ] decorations cluttered the tiny house.tawdry [ˈtɔdrɪ]
adj
Something described as tawdry is cheap and gaudy in appearance or quality. Tawdry is also often used to describe something considered morally bad or distasteful, as in "a tawdry tale of political skulduggery."
In the 7th century, Etheldreda, the queen of Northumbria > St. Audrey day (Oct 17) > St. Audrey's lace > tawdry lace (since 1500's) English Mar 18, 2024, 6:49 AM cowpoke
The bartender laughingly asked her gregarious patron if anyone ever believed his blarney [ˈblɑːrni].blarney [ˈblɑːrni]
noun
Refers to false but charming talk that often flatters the listener.
The village of Blarney in County Cork, Ireland, is home to Blarney Castle, and in the southern wall of that edifice lies the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone will gain the gift of skillful flattery, but that gift must be attained at the price of some limber maneuvering—you have to lie down and hang your head over a precipice to reach and kiss the stone English Mar 17, 2024, 9:10 AM cowpoke
She shows an impressive amount of patience when dealing with querulous [ˈkwɛrələs] customers.querulous [ˈkwɛrələs]
adj
Someone described as querulous is constantly or habitually complaining. Querulous can also be used synonymously with fretful or whining when describing something, such as a person's tone of voice.
The Middle English form of the word, querelose, was an adaptation of the Latin adjective, querulus, which in turn evolved from the Latin verb queri, meaning "to complain." English Mar 16, 2024, 9:28 AM cowpoke
The two nations have for centuries struggled for regional hegemony [hɪˈdʒɛməni].hegemony [hɪˈdʒɛməni]
noun
Hegemony refers to influence or control over another country, group of people, etc.
Hegemony refers to a kind of domination. It was borrowed in the mid-16th century from the Greek word hēgemonia, a noun formed from the verb hēgeisthai, “to lead.” English Mar 15, 2024, 7:45 AM cowpoke
The sounds of shouting added to the cacophony [kəˈkɒfəni] on the streets.cacophony [kəˈkɒfəni]
noun
A cacophony [kəˈkɒfəni] is a mixture of loud and usually harsh unpleasant sounds. Cacophony can also refer to an incongruous or chaotic mixture.
Cacophony comes from a joining of phōnḗ ("sound" or "voice") with the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos, meaning "bad"), so it essentially means "bad sound." English Mar 13, 2024, 6:57 AM cowpoke
The young singer paid obeisance [əˈbeɪsəns] to Otis Redding while on tour in Memphis by singing “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay.obeisance [əˈbeɪsəns]
noun
Obeisance is a synonym of homage that refers to an acknowledgement of another’s importance or superiority. Obeisance can also mean “a movement of the body (such as a bow) showing respect for someone or something.”
traced back to the Anglo-French word obeir, a verb meaning “to obey” that is also an ancestor of English’s obey. English Mar 10, 2024, 10:23 AM cowpoke
“Corporate retreats aren’t just for fun and games; they are for tackling germane [dʒərˈmeɪn] issues that are critical to the success of any such organization.” — Abiola Salami, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023germane [dʒərˈmeɪn]
adj
formal synonym of "relevant" that describes something related to a subject in an appropriate way.
from the Middle English word germain, meaning “having the same parents.” Today, something said to be germane is figuratively “related” in that it is relevant or fitting to something else... English Mar 9, 2024, 8:41 AM cowpoke
Many people disagree with the writer's personal Weltanschauung [ˌvɛlt.ənˈʃaʊ.ʊŋ], but most can appreciate the quality and thoughtfulness of her work.Weltanschauung [ˌvɛlt.ənˈʃaʊ.ʊŋ]
noun
A Weltanschauung is a worldview; in other words, a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint. The word is typically capitalized.
The German word Weltanschauung literally means "world view"; it combines Welt, meaning "world," with Anschauung, meaning "view."
Note that the word is typically capitalized in English, as all nouns are in German. English Mar 8, 2024, 8:35 AM cowpoke
In their research, the bryologists descried [dɪˈskraɪ] an association between a moss and the iron content of the rock it typically grows on.descry [dɪˈskraɪ]
verb
1) literary word that, like discover or find out, means “to come to realize or understand something.”
2) “to catch sight of.”
If you’ve ever mixed up the words descry and decry, you’re not alone; even carefully edited publications occasionally mistake the former (“to catch sight of” or “to discover”) for the latter (“to express strong disapproval of”).
Descry sounds just like the English verb describe without its closing b, and the two share a Latin root English Mar 7, 2024, 8:42 AM cowpoke
The debate between the mayoral candidates was going smoothly until the ad hominem [æd ˈhɑmɪnəm] attacks began.ad hominem
adj [æd ˈhɑmɪnəm]
Something described as ad hominem involves an attack on an opponent’s character rather than an answer to assertions or points that the opponent has made.
Ad hominem literally means “to the person” in New Latin (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period). English Mar 6, 2024, 7:59 AM cowpoke
"The upcoming documentary will dive deep into the lives of the next generation of basketball luminaries [ˈluːməˌnɛri], Jonquel Jones, Nneka Ogwumike, and Breanna Stewart, as well as WNBA legend, Sheryl Swoopes." — Okla Jones, Essence, 18 Dec. 2023luminary [ˈluːməˌnɛri]
noun
A luminary is a person of prominence or brilliant achievement. The word luminary may also refer to a celestial body, such as the sun or moon.
traces back to the Latin word lumen, meaning "light." English Mar 5, 2024, 7:53 AM cowpoke
They picked up several salubrious [səˈluːbriəs] habits on their wellness retreat in Bali.salubrious
adj [səˈluːbriəs]
formal word - means “favorable to or promoting health or well-being.”
Salubrious, like healthful and wholesome, describes things that are favorable to the health of the mind or body. (A rather formal and somewhat rare word, it is related by its Latin ancestor salubris to the very common English word safe.) English Mar 4, 2024, 7:27 AM cowpoke
Roger suspected that his coworkers were conniving [kəˈnaɪv] to get him fired when in reality they were planning his surprise birthday party.connive
verb [kəˈnaɪv]
To connive is to secretly help someone do something dishonest or illegal.
the Latin ancestor of the word: connive comes from the Latin verb connivēre, which means "to close the eyes" and which is descended from -nivēre, a form akin to the Latin verb nictare, meaning "to wink." But many English speakers disagreed, and the "conspire" sense is now the word's most widely used meaning. English Mar 3, 2024, 9:00 AM cowpoke
Set in the aftermath of the first movie, the sequel resumes the story boldly, delivering visions both phantasmagoric [ˌfæn.tæz.məˈɡɔr.ɪk] and familiar. Like Timothée Chalamet ([ˌtɪməˈθeɪ ˈʃæləˌmeɪ]; leading actor)'s dashingly coifed [kwɔɪf] hero — who steers monstrous sandworms over the desert like a charioteer [ˌʃær.i.əˈtɪr] — (Denis) Villeneuve ([ˌvɪləˈnjuv]; director) puts on a great show. The art of cinematic spectacle is alive and rocking in "Dune: Part Two," and it's a ...morephantasmagoric [ˌfæn.tæz.məˈɡɔr.ɪk]
- noun a sequence of real or imaginary images like those seen in a dream
coif [kwɔɪf]
- style or arrange (someone's hair), typically in an elaborate way
charioteer
- a chariot ([ˈʃæriət] 双轮战车) driver English Mar 2, 2024, 9:20 AM cowpoke
