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The town has passed an ordinance that proscribes [proʊˈskaɪb] the ownership of snakes and other exotic pets.
proscribe
verb [proʊˈskaɪb]
Proscribe is a formal word meaning “to condemn or forbid something as harmful or unlawful.” More broadly, it can mean simply “to not allow something.”
Proscribe and prescribe both come from Latin words that combine a prefix meaning “before” with the verb scribere, meaning “to write.”
proscribere means both “to publish” and, more specifically, “to publish the name of someone who is condemned to death and whose property is now forfeited to the state.”
English
Jun 1, 2025, 9:06 AM
cowpoke
“This subversive comedy is now a posh panto, directed by Max Webster. It gets gusts [ɡʌst] of laughter but can feel rather forced, and the joyous language is left to fend for itself.” — Robert Gore-Langton, The Mail on Sunday (London), 8 Dec. 2024
gust [ɡʌst]
noun
Gust refers to a sudden strong wind. It is also used figuratively for a sudden outburst of something, such as a feeling.
The windy gust likely comes from a synonymous Old Norse word, gustr, whereas the older gust, which refers to the sensation of taste as well as to a feeling of enthusiastic delight, comes ultimately from gustus, the Latin word for “taste.”
English
May 30, 2025, 9:05 AM
cowpoke
The actress is now focused on her nascent [ˈneɪ.sənt] singing career.
nascent
adj [ˈneɪ.sənt].
Nascent is a formal word used to describe something that is just beginning to exist, or in other words, is recently formed or developed.
Nascent descends from the Latin verb nasci, meaning “to be born,” as does many an English word, from nation and nature to innate and renaissance.
nascent is applied to things (such as careers or technologies) that have recently formed or come into existence
English
May 29, 2025, 7:59 AM
cowpoke
The entire fiasco [fiˈæs.koʊ] could have been avoided if they'd simply followed the instructions.
fiasco
noun [fiˈæs.koʊ]
A fiasco [fiˈæs.koʊ] is a complete failure or disaster.
English speakers picked up fiasco from the French, who in turn adopted it from the Italian phrase fare fiasco—literally, "to make a bottle." Just what prompted the development of the meaning "failure" from "bottle" has remained obscure.
English
May 28, 2025, 10:25 AM
cowpoke
"After what has felt like an interminable [ɪnˈtɜr.mɪ.nə.bəl] winter, spring is finally in the air. Birds are singing, daffodils and crocuses are pushing their way through the mud, and best of all, Greater Manchester has finally been treated to some sunshine this week." — Greta Simpson, The Manchester (England) Evening News, 1 Mar. 2025
interminable
adj [ɪnˈtɜr.mɪ.nə.bəl]
Interminable describes things that have or seem to have no end, especially because they continue for a very long time.
This word was borrowed into English in the 15th century, from a Latin word combining the prefix in- ("not") and the verb terminare, meaning "to terminate" or "to limit."
English
May 27, 2025, 7:31 AM
cowpoke
// The plaque commemorates [kəˈmɛm.ə.reɪt] the battle that took place here 200 years ago.
// Each year on this date we commemorate [kəˈmɛm.ə.reɪt] our ancestors with a special ceremony.
commemorate
verb [kəˈmɛm.ə.reɪt]
Something, such as a plaque, statue, or parade, is said to commemorate an event, person, etc. when it serves as a memorial; it exists or is done in order to recall the event or person. A person or group commemorates an event, person, etc. by doing something special in order to remember and honor that event or person.
commemorate, including memorable, memorial, remember, and memory itself come from the Latin root memor, meaning “mindful.”
English
May 26, 2025, 9:21 AM
cowpoke
“Statler and Waldorf from ‘The Muppet Show’ made a long-running joke of dyspeptic [dɪsˈpɛp.tɪk] critics. Never once in my teenage years did I point to the TV and say, ‘Mom and Dad, that is what I want to be when I grow up.’” — Charles McNulty, The Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024
dyspeptic
adj [dɪsˈpɛp.tɪk]
Dyspeptic is a formal and old-fashioned word used to describe someone who is bad-tempered (in other words, easily annoyed or angered), or something that shows or is characteristic of a bad temper. The noun form of dyspeptic is dyspepsia.
The pep in the word comes from the Greek pep-, base of the verb péptein meaning “to cook, ripen, or digest.”
English
May 25, 2025, 9:28 AM
cowpoke
// The documentary limns [lɪm] the community's decades-long transformation.
// We admired every detail of the portrait, gracefully limned [lɪm] by the artist's brush.
limn
verb [lɪm]
Limn is a formal verb most often used especially in literary contexts to mean "to describe or portray,"
Limn is a word with lustrous origins, tracing ultimately to the Latin verb illuminare, meaning "to illuminate."
English
May 24, 2025, 10:44 AM
cowpoke
Bri knew something was bothering her normally voluble [ˈvɑl.jə.bəl] friend when he was reluctant to talk about his day.
voluble
adj [ˈvɑl.jə.bəl]
Someone may be described as voluble if they are talking a lot in a rapid, energetic way.
Voluble, as is clear in this context, describes someone or something (as in “voluble personality/prose/presence”) characterized by ready or rapid speech. Voluble traces back to the Latin verb volvere, meaning “to set in a circular course” or “to cause to roll.”
English
May 22, 2025, 7:25 AM
cowpoke
"The New York Yankees had a nice, feel-good return to their spring training home this weekend by beating up on the hapless [ˈhæp.ləs] Tampa Bay Rays." — Kristie Ackert, Athlon Sports, 19 Apr. 2025
hapless [ˈhæp.ləs]
adj
Hapless means "having no luck." It's a synonym of unfortunate.
Hap comes from the Old Norse word for "good luck," which is also the source of happen and happy. English has several words to describe those lacking good fortune, including ill-starred, ill-fated, unlucky, and luckless, a word formed in parallel to hapless by adding the suffix -less.
English
May 21, 2025, 7:51 AM
cowpoke
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