"As Dior rises to prominence with his groundbreaking, iconic imprint of beauty and influence, Chanel’s reign as the world’s most famous fashion designer is put into jeopardy [ˈdʒɛpərdi]." — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Nov. 2023jeopardy [ˈdʒɛpərdi]
noun
Jeopardy is defined as "exposure to or imminence of death, loss, or injury"; it is synonymous with danger. In legal contexts, jeopardy refers specifically to the danger that an accused person is subjected to when on trial for a criminal offense.
dates back to at least the 1300s, but its Middle English form can make it hard to spot: it appears in the phrase "in jupartie" with a meaning very much akin to the word's meaning in the modern phr... English cowpoke
"Royal Island, a swanky Caribbean oasis in The Bahamas, awaits its next king or queen and their lucky retinue [ˈrɛt.ɪˌnjuː] of family and friends." — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 11 Jan. 2024retinue [ˈrɛt.ɪˌnjuː]
noun
A retinue is a group of helpers, supporters, or followers.
Retinue comes via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb retenir, meaning "to retain or keep in one's pay or service." English cowpoke
They continue to caterwaul [ˈkætərˌwɔl] about having to take the blame.caterwaul [ˈkætərˌwɔl]
verb
To caterwaul is to make a very loud and unpleasant sound. Caterwaul can also mean “to protest or complain noisily.”
The word comes from the Middle English word caterwawen (also caterwrawen). English cowpoke
After a disastrous rafting trip, Robin emerged from the woods looking haggard [ˈhæɡərd] but otherwise unscathed.haggard [ˈhæɡərd]
adj
Someone described as haggard appears tired or thin especially as if because of hunger, worry, or pain. Haggard can also describe someone who looks wild or otherwise disheveled.
traditionally, falconers trained wild birds that were either taken from the nest when quite young or trapped as adults. A bird trapped as an adult is termed a haggard, from the synonymous Middle French word hagard. English cowpoke
The exhibit chronicles the long history of lampooning [læmˈpun] public figures in cartoons.lampoon [læmˈpun]
verb
To lampoon someone or something is to ridicule that person or thing, especially through the use of harsh satire.
from the French word lampon, which likely originated from lampons, a form of the verb lamper, meaning "to drink to the bottom." English cowpoke
"Oppenheimer provides an opportunity to revisit this charismatic, contradictory man and reconsider how previous attempts to tell his story have succeeded—and failed—at fathoming [ˈfæðəm] one of the 20th century’s most fascinating public figures." — Andy Kifer, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2023fathom [ˈfæðəm]
verb
To fathom something is to understand the reason for its existence or occurrence.
Fathom comes from the Old English word fæthm, meaning "outstretched arms." English cowpoke
The group decided to forgo stopping at the swimming hole on their hike because of its turbid [ˈtɜr.bɪd] waters.turbid [ˈtɜr.bɪd]
adj
Turbid is a formal word that has several meanings having to do with literal or figurative muddiness or cloudiness.
It's most often used literally to describe water that is thick or opaque with stirred-up sediment, as in "the river's turbid waters"; similarly, turbid air is smoky or misty.
In figurative use, turbid describes things that lack clarity, as in "efforts to clear my turbid mind."
The person giving the lengthy toast seemed to be completely unaware of the degree to which he was enervating [ˈɛnərˌveɪt] his audience.enervate [ˈɛnərˌveɪt]
Enervate is a formal word used for situations in which someone or something is being sapped of physical or mental vigor, vitality, or strength.
The verb is most common in the participial forms enervated and enervating, as in "children enervated by the summer afternoon heat" and "a tedious discussion we found completely enervating."
Enervate comes from a form of the Latin verb enervare, which literally means "to remove the sinews of," English cowpoke
For an icebreaker, we were each asked to share a noteworthy quirk [kwɜrk] about ourselves. Mine was that I have to make sure every square of my waffles is buttered evenly before I eat them.quirk [kwɜrk]
noun
Quirk refers to an unusual habit or way of behaving. It can also refer to something strange that happens by chance, as in “a quirk of fate.”
no one knows whence quirk came—but the twists and turns of its meanings across the centuries. The oldest known use of quirk dates to the mid-1500s English cowpoke
"The tragedy of AI is not that it stands to replace good journalists but that it takes every gross, callous [ˈkæləs] move made by management to degrade the production of content—and promises to accelerate it." — Brian Merchant, The Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2023callous [ˈkæləs]
adj
Someone or something described as callous does not feel or show any concern about the problems or suffering of other people.
A callus is a hard, thickened area of skin that develops usually from friction or irritation over time. Such a hardened area often leaves one less sensitive to the touch... English cowpoke
The missing document is the MacGuffin [məˈɡʌfɪn] that brings the two main characters together, but the real story centers on their tumultuous relationship.MacGuffin [məˈɡʌfɪn]
noun
A MacGuffin is an object, event, or character in a film or story that serves to set and keep the plot in motion despite usually lacking intrinsic importance.
The first person to use MacGuffin as a word for a plot device was Alfred Hitchcock. English cowpoke
The wood of most conifer species is fissile [ˈfɪsaɪl], making it much easier to cut than that of sycamore and hornbeam.fissile [ˈfɪsaɪl]
adj
1) describes materials that are capable of undergoing fission—that is, the process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom is split apart, releasing a large amount of energy.
2) also describe something, such as wood or crystals, capable of or prone to being split or divided in the direction of the grain along natural planes. English cowpoke
"The bottle is crowned with the letter K like a signet [ˈsɪɡnɪt] representing the majesty of the wearer." — MuseArabia.net, 20 Aug. 2023signet [ˈsɪɡnɪt]
noun
Signet refers to a seal used officially to give personal authority to a document in lieu of (in place of) a signature, or to the impression made by or as if by such a seal.
Signets have been used for thousands of years. The design of a signet is personalized for its owner, and no two are alike. The ancients used signets to mark their possessions and to sign contracts.
In later years signets were used to stamp a blob of hot wax sealing a folded secret document English cowpoke
As 1) The film was criticized for its gratuitous [ɡrəˈtuɪ.təs] violence.
As 2) A local veterinary technician provides gratuitous [ɡrəˈtuɪ.təs] services to the animal shelter twice a month.gratuitous [ɡrəˈtuɪ.təs]
adj
1) describes things that are not necessary, appropriate, or justified, as in "a gratuitous insult" or "a gratuitous assumption."
2) can also mean "free."
a descendant of the Latin word gratus, which means "pleasing" or "grateful." When gratuitous was first used in the 17th century, it meant "free" or "given without return benefit or compensation." The extended meaning "done without g... English cowpoke
The ratio of daylight to darkness in the spring is an important zeitgeber [ˈzaɪtˌɡeɪbər] that affects the activity of some migrating birds.zeitgeber [ˈzaɪtˌɡeɪbər]
noun
Zeitgeber refers to an environmental agent or event (such as the occurrence of light or dark) that provides the stimulus which sets or resets an organism’s biological clock.
Zeitgebers are alarm clocks—both biologically and etymologically. The word zeitgeber comes from a combination of two German terms: Zeit, meaning “time,” and Geber, which means “giver.” English cowpoke
"The film casts a cynical side-eye at the acquisitive [əˈkwɪz.ɪ.tɪv] ethos of the Reagan '80s, told with a hypnotic sense of style." — Mark Olsen, The Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2023acquisitive [əˈkwɪz.ɪ.tɪv]
adj
Someone or something described as acquisitive is characterized by a strong desire to own or acquire more things.
ultimate source the Latin word acquīrere, meaning "to acquire." While acquire and acquisition have both been in use since the 15th century, acquisitive is a bit younger. English cowpoke
“What-ifs are almost always registered as negative. We prognosticate [prɑˈɡnɑstɪˌkeɪt] the worst-case scenarios probably as a means to be prepared for the worst. ‘Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst’ is a well-known adage [ˈædɪdʒ] that programs negative thinking.” — Bruce Wilson, Psychology Today, 7 May 2023prognosticate [prɑˈɡnɑstɪˌkeɪt]
verb
To prognosticate is to predict or foreshadow something.
ultimately traces back to the Greek word prognōstikos (“knowing beforehand, prescient”), first appears in English during the 15th century.
adage [ˈædɪdʒ]
noun
a proverb or short statement expressing a general truth English cowpoke
The old chair was upholstered in a blue silk damask [ˈdæm.əsk] which was now faded and threadbare.damask [ˈdæm.əsk]
noun
Refers to a usually shiny, thick fabric made with patterns. Also can be used as a synonym of Damascus steel, or for a grayish red color.
the city of Damascus - the city’s Arabic name comes from Dimašqa, a word so ancient that it suggests the origins of the city predate recorded history. The Medieval Latin name for the fabric famously associated with the “pearl of the East,” damascus, first entered Middle English as damaske in the 1300s and was later shortened English cowpoke
The article offers suggestions on how to gamify quotidian [kwoʊˈtɪd.i.ən] tasks.quotidian [kwoʊˈtɪd.i.ən]
adj
Something described as quotidian occurs every day or occurs routinely or typically. More broadly, quotidian is used as a synonym of commonplace and ordinary.
from a Latin word, quotidie, which means "every day." English cowpoke
