Monday, June 01, 2009

May '09 List of Today's Word


Two notes before we get to our word list: Please vote for the best caption for Photo Friday. We have lots of great captions but few votes. Winner announced tomorrow. And later this week, due to popular demand, I'll tell the story behind the crazy potty picture.

Now for today: anyone willing to make a sentence using at least six of these great words?

OSCITANCY (AHS-uh-tun-see) adj:--the act of yawning; the state of being drowsy or inattentive.

SECERN (suh-SURN) verb--to discriminate in thought; to separate, distinguish.

EVANESCE (ev-uh-NESS) verb--to dissipate or disappear like a vapor; disappear gradually.

CREPUSCULAR (cruh-PUS-cyuh-ler) adj: of or relating to twilight.

SEDULOUS (SEH-juh-lus) adj.--marked by care and perseverance; diligent in application or pursuit.

EXPATIATE (ek-SPAY-shee-ate) verb--to move about freely; to write/speak at length or in detail.

ABSQUATULATE (abz-KWATCH-yuh-late) verb--to depart quickly and secretively to avoid apprehension.

IGNIS FATUUS (IG-nus FATCH-uh-wus) noun--a deceptive or false goal; a misleading ideal.

ELYSIUM (uh-LIZ-ee-um) noun--abode of happy souls according to ancient Greeks/Romans; state of ideal delight.

CONTUMACIOUS (con-tuh-MAY-shus) adj.--perverse in resisting authority; stubbornly disobedient.

SAPROGENIC (SAP-row-GEN-ick) adj.--producing decay or putrefaction; of or relating to decay.

MEMENTO MORI (muh-MEN-toe MOR-ee) noun--a warning to prepare for death; something that reminds of death.

FOUDROYANT (foo-DROY-unt) adj.--dazzling, stunning; to strike (as lightening).

TENEBRIFIC (ten-uh-BRIFF-ick) adj.--causing gloom or darkness.

LUCULENT (LUCK-yu-lent) adj.--emitting light; transparently clear in thought or expression.

ERISTIC (uh-RIS-tik) adj.--characterized by disputatious, often specious argument.

OMPHALOSKEPSIS (AHM-fu-lo-SKEP-sis) noun--meditation while staring at one's navel.

SYZYGY (SIZ-i-gee) noun--line-up of three celestial bodies, as sun/moon/earth in an eclipse.

MYTHOLOGEM (mi-THAWL-uh-jem) noun--basic (i.e., love, betrayal) or recurrent (i.e., worldwide flood) theme in myth.

CACOGRAPHY (kuh-KOG-ru-fee) noun--bad handwriting.

MUZZY (MUH-zee) adj.--muddled or confused in the mind.

PROLUSION (pro-LU-zhun) noun--a trial run prior to a performance; an introductory, often tentative discourse.

MUGWUMP (MUG-wump) noun--a person unable to make up his mind, a fence-sitter.

LARDACEOUS (lar-DAY-shus) adj.--resembling lard, fatty.

CENOTAPH (SE-nu-taff) noun--monument for person(s) whose remains are elsewhere.


APOTROPAIC (AP-u-tro-PAY-ick) adj.--designed to avert or turn aside evil.

SCREED noun--a lengthy discourse; an informal essay or dissertation.

EFFLUVIUM (eh-FLU-vee-um) noun--something subtle and invisible that flows forth (as an aura); an unpleasant smell.

MOLDERING (MOLE-der-ing) adj.--decaying, crumbling.

INIMICAL (uh-NIM-uc-uhl) adj.--harmful in effect; unfriendly, antagonistic, hostile.

PHATIC (FAD-ick) adj.--relating to words that generate sociability or share feelings, not ideas. ("How are you?")

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Read June '09

2 comments:

Ben Whiting said...

I would have posted it on Twitter, but it didn't fit:

The lardaceous mugwump had the contumacious habit of omphaloskepsis as he waited for a syzygy, though he sometimes expatiated a muzzy screed in which he outlined his hope of absquatulating this life and utilized a cacography so saprogenic and moldering that it was frequently accompanied by an inimical, almost tangible effluvium.

~ Brandilyn Collins said...

Whoa, Ben, fabulous!