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“The climb is infamous for its heart-pumping switchbacks and vertiginous [vɝˈtɪdʒənəs] jaunt [dʒɔnt] along a narrow sliver of crag. Those who fear heights, like me, typically avoid it.” — Stephanie Vermillion, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
vertiginous
adj [vɝˈtɪdʒənəs]
Vertiginous is a formal adjective used to describe something that causes or is likely to cause a feeling of dizziness especially because of great height.
jaunt [dʒɔnt]: a short excursion or journey for pleasure
...from the Latin adjective vertiginosus, which in turn comes from the Latin noun vertigo, meaning “a turning or whirling action.” Both words descend from the Latin verb vertere, meaning “to turn.”
English
Feb 15, 2026, 8:21 AM
cowpoke
Two lovers were canoodling [kəˈnuːdəl] on a park bench.
canoodle
verb [kəˈnuːdəl]
To canoodle with someone is to hug and kiss them in a romantic way.
The origins of canoodle are uncertain, but may have their genesis in an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning “donkey,” “fool,” or “foolish lover.” That canoodle may itself be an alteration of the word noodle, used to mean “a foolish person.” (The fool noodle likely comes from noddle, a word for the head.)
English
Feb 14, 2026, 9:26 AM
cowpoke
“Bella, née Victoria, is a living breathing tabula rasa [ˌtæbjələ ˈrɑzə] unfettered by societal pressures, propriety, or niceties.” — Ryan Lattanzio, Indie Wire, 16 June 2025
tabula rasa
noun [ˌtæbjələ ˈrɑzə]
In general use, tabula rasa refers to something existing in an original pristine state. In philosophy, tabula rasa refers to the mind in its hypothetical primary blank or empty state before receiving outside impressions.
Philosophers have been arguing that babies are born with minds that are essentially blank slates since the days of Aristotle... In later years, a figurative sense of the term emerged (as above)
English
Feb 11, 2026, 6:49 AM
cowpoke
This particular English teacher is known both for engaging students deeply in literature and for her eccentric sartorial [sɑrˈtɔriəl] tastes.
sartorial
adj [sɑrˈtɔriəl]
Sartorial broadly means “of or relating to clothes,” but it often more specifically means “of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes.”
Study the seams in the word sartorial and you’ll find the common adjective suffix -ial and sartor, a Medieval Latin noun meaning “tailor.” (Sartor comes ultimately from Latin sarcire, “to mend.”)
English
Feb 6, 2026, 7:02 AM
cowpoke
"With a bright pattern set on flaming crimson and a diaphanous [daɪˈæfənəs] petticoat underneath, the dress fits her perfectly." — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
diaphanous
adj [daɪˈæfənəs]
Diaphanous is a formal word used to describe fabric of a texture so fine that one can see through it. Diaphanous is also sometimes used figuratively to describe something characterized by extreme delicacy of form.
What do the words diaphanous, epiphany, fancy, phenomenon, sycophant, emphasis, and phase all have in common? The Greek word phaínein shows more clearly in some of these words than in others, but it underlies all of them.
English
Feb 4, 2026, 6:59 AM
cowpoke
"Netflix users have been warned to look out for an insidious, AI-powered email scam that looks nearly indistinguishable from the real deal. ... If you have been already hornswoggled [ˈhɔrnˌswɑɡəl] by such a scheme, Netflix advises changing your password and reaching out to your bank." — Ben Cost, The New York Post, 3 Mar. 2025
hornswoggle
verb [ˈhɔrnˌswɑɡəl]
To hornswoggle someone is to trick or deceive them.
...its etymology is concerned. The word appears to have originated in the southern United States in the early 19th century. The earliest known written record comes from an 1829 issue of The Virginia Literary Magazine in its glossary of Americanisms.
English
Feb 3, 2026, 6:50 AM
cowpoke
She looked resplendent [rɪˈsplɛndənt] in her green evening gown.
resplendent
adj [rɪˈsplɛndənt]
Resplendent is a literary word used to describe someone or something as very bright and attractive.
Resplendent shares a root with splendid (meaning, among other things, “shining” or “brilliant”), splendent (“shining” or “glossy”), and splendor (“brightness” or “luster”).
In the case of resplendent, the prefix re- added to splendēre formed the Latin resplendēre, meaning “to shine back.”
English
Jan 25, 2026, 11:26 AM
cowpoke
“‘Renaissance Treasures’ includes two contemporary navigational devices, a planispheric astrolabe [ˈæstrəˌleɪb] from Persia and a pocket compass (think of them as beta-version GPS), as well as two Mercator globes. One dates from 1541 and shows the surface of the Earth. The other dates from 1551 and shows the heavens ...” — Mark Feeney, The Boston Globe, 9 May 2025
astrolabe [ˈæstrəˌleɪb]
noun
An astrolabe is a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant.
the word astrolabe traces to the Late Greek name for the instrument, astrolábion.
English
Jan 23, 2026, 9:08 AM
cowpoke
“Strong solar storms can be dangerous for astronauts in space, and can cause problems for GPS systems and satellites. ... But solar storms can also have more innocuous [ɪˈnɑkjəwəs] consequences on Earth, such as supercharged displays of the northern lights.” — Denise Chow, NBC News (online), May 15, 2025
innocuous [ɪˈnɑkjəwəs]
adj
Innocuous is rooted in a lack of harm: it comes from the Latin adjective innocuus, which was formed by combining the negative prefix in- with a form of the verb nocēre, meaning “to harm” or “to hurt.” It first appeared in print in the early 1600s...
English
Jan 9, 2026, 7:35 AM
cowpoke
Our grandparents, now in their senescence [sɪˈnɛsəns], are enjoying spending more time with family and going on new adventures together.
senescence
noun [sɪˈnɛsəns]
Senescence is a formal and technical word that refers to the state of being old or the process of becoming old.
traced back to Latin senex, meaning “old.” Can you guess which other English words come from senex? Senile might (correctly) come to mind, as well as senior. But another one might surprise you: senate.
English
Jan 3, 2026, 9:36 AM
cowpoke
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