Curio Cabinet / Word Curio

Word of the Day : March 22, 2019

purview \PER-vyoo\ noun

Definition

1 a : the body or enacting part of a statute

b : the limit, purpose, or scope of a st...

Word of the Day : March 21, 2019

hamartia \hah-mahr-TEE-uh\ noun

Definition

: a flaw in character that brings about the downfall of the hero of a tragedy ...

Word of the Day : March 20, 2019

canker \KANG-ker\ verb

Definition

1 : to become infested with erosive or spreading sores

2 : to corrupt the spirit of

3...

Word of the Day : March 19, 2019

orthography \or-THAH-gruh-fee\ noun

Definition

1 a : the art of writing words with the proper letters according to standa...

Word of the Day : March 18, 2019

parabolic \pair-uh-BAH-lik\ adjective

Definition

1 : expressed by or being a parable : allegorical

2 : of, having the fo...

Word of the Day : March 17, 2019

smithereens \smih-thuh-REENZ\ plural noun

Definition

: fragments, bits

Did You Know?

Despite its American sound and its...

Word of the Day : March 16, 2019

encroach \in-KROHCH\ verb

Definition

1 : to enter by gradual steps or by stealth into the possessions or rights of anothe...

Word of the Day : March 15, 2019

two-bit \TOO-BIT\ adjective

Definition

1 : cheap or trivial of its kind : petty, small-time

2 : of the value of two bits...

Word of the Day : March 14, 2019

animadversion \an-uh-mad-VER-zhun\ noun

Definition

1 : a critical and usually censorious remark — often used with on

2 :...

Word of the Day : March 13, 2019

zero-sum \ZEER-oh-SUM\ adjective

Definition

: of, relating to, or being a situation (such as a game or relationship) in w...

Word of the Day : March 12, 2019

delate \dih-LAYT\ verb

Definition

1 : accuse, denounce

2 : report, relate

Did You Know?

To delate someone is to "hand ...

Word of the Day : March 11, 2019

bathetic \buh-THET-ik\ adjective

Definition

: characterized by triteness or sentimentalism

Did You Know?

When English s...

Word of the Day : March 10, 2019

newspeak \NOO-speek\ noun, often capitalized

Definition

: propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, an...

Word of the Day : March 9, 2019

cap-a-pie \kap-uh-PEE\ adverb

Definition

: from head to foot

Did You Know?

Think of a medieval knight riding off to batt...

Word of the Day : March 8, 2019

shard \SHAHRD\ noun

Definition

1 a : a piece or fragment of a brittle substance; broadly : a small piece or part : scrap

...

Word of the Day : March 7, 2019

Mirandize \muh-RAN-dyze\ verb

Definition

: to recite the Miranda warnings to (a person under arrest)

Did You Know?

"You ...

Word of the Day : March 6, 2019

abecedarian \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-un\ adjective

Definition

1 a : of or relating to the alphabet

b : alphabetically arranged...

Word of the Day : March 5, 2019

leviathan \luh-VYE-uh-thun\ noun

Definition

1 a often capitalized Leviathan : a sea monster defeated by Yahweh in various ...

Word of the Day : March 4, 2019

feisty \FYE-stee\ adjective

Definition

1 chiefly Southern US and Midland US

a : full of nervous energy : fidgety  

b : t...

Word of the Day : March 3, 2019

sentient \SEN-shee-unt\ adjective

Definition

1 : responsive to or conscious of sense impressions

2 : having or showing re...