February 2017 – WOTDs

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February 2017

28 February 2017

lintel

[lin-tl]

noun

1. a horizontal architectural member supporting the weight above an opening, as a window or a door.

Also, British, lintol.

Origin of lintel

Middle English, Middle French, Latin

1350-1400; Middle English lyntel < Middle French lintel, dissimilated variant of *linter < Latin līmitāris orig., belonging to or indicating a boundary; later taken as synonym of līmināris orig., of the threshold. See limit, -ar1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lintel

Historical Examples

A lintel, consisting of a single stone, some two tons’ weight, was supported by the protruding jambs.
Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia
Thomas Forester

On the lintel of the gate and in the lock dust lies accumulated.
Chaldea
Znade A. Ragozin

At the door, in the middle of the end of the street, he paused and struck on the lintel three times with his gun-butt.
King–of the Khyber Rifles
Talbot Mundy

Anagram

in tell
let nil

27 February 2017

orotund

[awr-uh-tuhnd, ohr-]

adjective

1. (of the voice or speech) characterized by strength, fullness, richness, and clearness.
2. (of a style of speaking) pompous or bombastic.

Origin of orotund

Latin

1785-1795; contraction of Latin phrase ōre rotundō, with round mouth

Related forms

orotundity [awr-uh-tuhn-di-tee, ohr-], noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for orotund

Historical Examples

Hamlet saw that pithy old Polonius was a preposterous and orotund ass.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley

Mrs. Hallam was sitting in orotund silence, but seemed in good humour.
Visionaries
James Huneker

He pitched his orotund voice upon me as if he were giving a command in a gale at sea.
A Republic Without a President and Other Stories
Herbert Ward

Anagram

rout nod
door nut
torn duo

26 February 2017

grandiloquence

[gran-dil-uh-kwuh ns]

noun

1. speech that is lofty in tone, often to the point of being pompous or bombastic.

Origin of grandiloquence

Latin

1580-1590; Latin grandiloqu (us) speaking loftily ( grandi (s) great + -loquus speaking) + -ence

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for grandiloquence

Contemporary Examples

Our central problem is that the combination of his grandiloquence and the September 2008 financial crisis led to his election.
I Told You So
Lynn Forester De Rothschild
February 27, 2010

But in opposing the Bush-Cheney march to war, his grandiloquence changed to eloquence.
Remembering Robert Byrd
Paul Begala
June 27, 2010

Historical Examples

He was waving his hand with his usual sense of the grandiloquence of his remarks.
The Seven-Branched Candlestick
Gilbert W. (Gilbert Wolf) Gabriel

He was young, and liked a bit of grandiloquence as well as another.
Phoebe, Junior
Mrs [Margaret] Oliphant

But that which really distinguishes a Gascon, is grandiloquence on all subjects.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 67, Number 414, April, 1850
Various

Mrs. Dodd smiled at the grandiloquence of youth, and told him he had mistaken her character.
Hard Cash
Charles Reade

Mere wordiness and grandiloquence may sound like ecstasy yet lack that quality.
The Literature of Ecstasy
Albert Mordell

grandiloquence is never more characteristic than in its figures; there it disports itself in a very carnival of bombast.
The Art of Illustration
Charles Haddon Spurgeon

The grandiloquence went out of the voice of Telfer and his face became serious.
Windy McPherson’s Son
Sherwood Anderson

It was Maggie who was becoming a mean figure in spite of her grandiloquence —perhaps because of it.
The Lowest Rung
Mary Cholmondeley

Word Origin and History for grandiloquence Expand
n.
1580s, from Latin grandiloquentia, from grandiloquus “using lofty speech, bombastic,” from grandis “big” (see grand (adj.)) + -loquus “speaking,” from loqui “to speak” (see locution ).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

equaled corning
align conquered

25 February 2017

execrate

[ek-si-kreyt]

verb (used with object), execrated, execrating.

1. to detest utterly; abhor; abominate.
2. to curse; imprecate evil upon; damn; denounce:
He execrated all who opposed him.
verb (used without object), execrated, execrating.
3. to utter curses.

Origin of execrate

Latin

1555-1565; < Latin ex (s) ecrātus (past participle of ex (s) ecrārī to curse), equivalent to ex- ex-1+ secr- (combining form of sacrāre to consecrate; see sacrament ) + -ātus -ate1

Related forms

execrator, noun
unexecrated, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for execrate

Historical Examples

But the day will, come when they will execrate Pierce before Benedict Arnold, sir.
The Crisis, Complete
Winston Churchill

I execrate the enslavement of the mind of our young children by the ecclesiastics.
The Necessity of Atheism
Dr. D.M. Brooks

As it was, we could do nothing but stand there and execrate them, which naturally was useless.
The Putumayo, The Devil’s Paradise
Walter Hardenburg

And yet, have I a right to execrate the thrall of the beaker?
Cleopatra, Complete
Georg Ebers

Why do we execrate in one set of men, what we laud so highly in another?
An Appeal in Favor of that Class of Americans Called Africans
Lydia Maria Child

He longed to execrate aloud, to bring his fist down on something violently.
Dubliners
James Joyce

And just as I reverence this, do I execrate, with all my heart’s indignation, a corrupt judicature.
The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II.(of II)
Charles James Lever

I pity the man, I execrate and hate the man who has only to boast that he is white.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 9 (of 12)
Robert G. Ingersoll

But they refused to execrate, and made peace with him on the condition of their paying tribute.
Selections From The Kur-an
Edward William Lane

One learns in these aged lands to hate and execrate the past.
Venetian Life
William Dean Howells

Anagram

ace exert

24 February 2017

dissolute

[dis-uh-loot]

adjective

1. indifferent to moral restraints; given to immoral or improper conduct; licentious; dissipated.

Origin of dissolute

Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French
1350-1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin dissolūtus (past participle of dissolvere to dissolve ). See dis-1, solute

Related forms

dissolutely, adverb
dissoluteness, noun
undissolute, adjective

Can be confused

desolate, dissolute (see synonym study at desolate )

Synonyms Expand

corrupt, loose, debauched, wanton, abandoned.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dissolute

Contemporary Examples

On his execution, state media accused Jang of leading a ” dissolute, depraved life” and running up £6.4 million in gambling debts.
The Women Behind the Throne in North Korea’s ‘Empire of Horror’
The Telegraph
December 14, 2013

Even if they do not manage to take and hold power, they are examples of the dissolute lives that sons of dictators often lead.
Dictators’ Sons, From Egypt to Libya, Are Doomed
Stephen Kinzer
February 8, 2011

Historical Examples

At least, first take out of it the drunkard and the dissolute of your own Church.
fCharles Bradlaugh: a Record of His Life and Work, Volume II (of 2)
Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner and J. M. (John Mackinnon) Robertson

Anagram

solitudes
side lotus
dilutes so
soul tides

23 February 2017

shebeen

[shuh-been]

noun, Scot., Irish English, South African.

1. a tavern or house where liquor is sold illegally.

Origin of shebeen

Irish, English
1780-1790; Irish síbín illicit whiskey, place where such whiskey is sold (ellipsis from teach síbín shebeen house), orig., a unit of measure < English chopin1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for shebeen

Historical Examples

shebeen, an unlicensed place where spirituous liquors are illegally sold.
The Slang Dictionary
John Camden Hotten

“‘Twas at Micky’s shebeen that they had the first encounther wid the inimy,” said old Martin.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 148, January 20th 1915
Various

shebeen or sheebeen; an unlicensed public-house or alehouse where spirits are sold on the sly.
English As We Speak It in Ireland
P. W. Joyce

A reconciliation took place, and in due time it was determined that Peter, as he understood poteen, should open a shebeen house.
Phil Purcel, The Pig-Driver; The Geography Of An Irish Oath; The Lianhan Shee
William Carleton

The gabble and laugh were again heard loud and hearty, and the public and shebeen houses once more became crowded.
The Hedge School; The Midnight Mass; The Donagh
William Carleton

There was a bitter taste in his mouth, and a pain in his ear where somebody’d hit him during a shebeen brawl the night before.
The Buttoned Sky
Geoff St. Reynard

Schele de Vere derives it from the French cabane, but it seems rather more likely that it is from the Irish shebeen.
The American Language
Henry L. Mencken

On reaching St. John’s he would go to a shebeen that he knew, in a narrow and secluded back street, and there rent a room.
The Harbor Master
Theodore Goodridge Roberts

In this lane at the time to which we allude the widow Mulready kept the shebeen shop, of which mention has before been made.
The Macdermots of Ballycloran
Anthony Trollope

Anagram

bee hens
she been

22 February 2017

morass

[muh-ras]

noun

1. a tract of low, soft, wet ground.
2. a marsh or bog.
3. marshy ground.
4. any confusing or troublesome situation, especially one from which it is difficult to free oneself; entanglement.

Origin of morass

Dutch, Middle Dutch, Old French

1645-1655; < Dutch moeras, alteration (by association with moer marsh; cf. moor1) of Middle Dutch maras < Old French mareis < Germanic. See marsh

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for morass

Contemporary Examples

His life became a morass of anger and self-destruction: suicide attempts, gang activity.
Carmine Galasso’s ‘Crosses’: Childhoods Robbed by the Church
The Daily Beast
March 10, 2013

CEO waded into the morass and basically declared himself Scientology Enemy No. 1.
Rupert Murdoch Attacks Scientology Because It Once Courted His Son Lachlan
Paula Froelich
July 1, 2012

The facts on the ground are anything but auspicious for America injecting itself into an intra-Arab morass, writes Lloyd Green.
Obama’s Syrian “Red Line” Could Return Us To The Mistakes of Iraq
Lloyd Green
May 4, 2013

The facts on the ground are anything but auspicious for America injecting itself into an intra-Arab morass.
Obama’s Syrian “Red Line” Could Return Us To The Mistakes of Iraq
Lloyd Green
May 4, 2013

He can bring about two states living in peace and security, or continue the drift into the morass of an unsustainable occupation.
Come Clean, Mr. Prime Minister
Stephen Robert
May 31, 2012

Historical Examples

I should think some of them might lead less frequently to bramble and morass.
A Woman of Genius
Mary Austin

He knew every inch of the land, the river, the morass, and the commanding hill.
Lafayette
Martha Foote Crow

Humor alone could accomplish Munchausen’s feat, and draw itself by its own hair out of the morass.
Library of the World’s Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 16
Various

The street had been transformed into a morass of sticky mud by the storm.
L’Assommoir
Emile Zola

The Pennsylvania regiment to which the Wyoming troops belonged, occupied the strip of woods near the morass.
In the Days of Washington
William Murray Graydon

Anagram

so rams
mars so

21 February 2017

ptarmigan

[tahr-mi-guh n]

noun, plural ptarmigans (especially collectively) ptarmigan.

1. any of several grouses of the genus Lagopus, of mountainous and cold northern regions, having feathered feet.

Origin of ptarmigan

Scots Gaelic

1590-1600; pseudo-Greek spelling of Scots Gaelic tarmarchan, akin to Irish tarmanach

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for ptarmigan

Historical Examples

The Iceland falcon and the ptarmigan have pretty much the same habitat, the one preying upon the other.
Poachers and Poaching
John Watson

The net was of service, not only for fish and beluga, but also for ptarmigan and foxes.
Short Sketches from Oldest America
John Driggs

At one time or another Elstead probably told the officers of the ptarmigan every detail of his strange twelve hours in the abyss.
The Plattner Story and Others
H. G. Wells

He knew clearly what was to be done, and this he did by promptly eating the ptarmigan.
White Fang
Jack London

Eider-ducks, looms, and dovekies are abundant, as well as hares and ptarmigan.
In the Arctic Seas
Francis Leopold McClintock

Among birds, the ptarmigan is a fine example of protective colouring.
Little Masterpieces of Science:
Various

But that is the substance of the extraordinary story that Elstead related in fragments to the officers of the ptarmigan.
The Plattner Story and Others
H. G. Wells

The rise of the ptarmigan had another effect, on which the travellers had not counted.
The Big Otter
R.M. Ballantyne

The ptarmigan struggled against him, showering blows upon him with her free wing.
White Fang
Jack London

The only ornament which he allowed himself was the white wing of a ptarmigan.
The Prairie Chief
R.M. Ballantyne

Anagram

trim pagain
pig mantra
taping ram
A prim gnat

20 February 2017

dada

[dah-dah]

noun, ( sometimes initial capital letter)

1. the style and techniques of a group of artists, writers, etc., of the early 20th century who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and who programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc.

Origin of dada

1915-1920; < French: hobby horse, childish reduplication of da giddyap

Related forms

dadaism, noun
dadaist, noun
dadaistic, adjective
dadaistically, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dada

Contemporary Examples

Was one of dada ‘s fathers really such a mystery or did he show his true self in his art?
Man Ray Revealed
Philip Gefter
November 11, 2009

At Performa, Shana Lutker revisits a wild dada play that featured a nose and some lips.
A Performance Like a Punch in the Face
Blake Gopnik
November 19, 2013

The other day we got in the car and I had a CD on, and he said, “ dada, is that James Brown?”
Kentucky’s Finest Antihero: Walton Goggins on Justified’s Chameleon Villain
Allen Barra
February 10, 2014

Anagram

A dad

19 February 2017

intercalate

[in-tur-kuh-leyt]

verb (used with object), intercalated, intercalating.

1. to interpolate; interpose.
2. to insert (an extra day, month, etc.) in the calendar.

Origin of intercalate

Latin

1605-1615; Latin intercalātus past participle of intercalāre to insert a day or month into the calendar, equivalent to inter- inter- + calā- (stem of calāre to proclaim) + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

intercalative, adjective
unintercalated, adjective

Synonyms

1. interject, introduce, insinuate.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for intercalate Expand

Historical Examples

The rule was to intercalate a day in every fourth year (quarto quoque anno).
Plutarch’s Lives Volume III.
Plutarch

To prevent this it was customary at regular intervals to intercalate days or months.
History of Astronomy
George Forbes

The present appears the fittest place in which to intercalate remarks concerning them.
Luck or Cunning
Samuel Butler

So far it would suffice, in accounting for the facts, to intercalate between A and B a few terms, which would remain discrete.
The Foundations of Science: Science and Hypothesis, The Value of Science, Science and Method
Henri Poincar

‘They answered, “Thous hast dared to fix intercalations and new moons, by which nonconformity has arisen between Babylon and Palestine”.’
The Talmud, Introduction: Chapter 2
Translated by Joseph Barclary LLD
Hebrew Literature: Talmudic Treatises, Hebrew Melodies, and The Kabbalah …
By Epiphanius Wilson

Anagram

lacerate tin
racial tenet
clarinet tea
earn tactile
near lattice
certain tale
React Entail
Antic Relate
Tacit Leaner
Attic Leaner
Clan Iterate
Talc Retinae
A treacle tin

18 February 2017

hauteur

[hoh-tur; French oh-tœr]

noun

1. haughty manner or spirit; arrogance.

Origin of hauteur

1620-1630; French, equivalent to haut high (see haughty ) + -eur -or1

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for hauteur

Contemporary Examples

For all his reputation for hauteur, I would forever after remember this evidence of Vidal’s graciousness and self-confidence.
Putting Words in Gore Vidal’s Mouth—a Copywriter Recalls the 1982 Senate Campaign
Robert Chandler
August 5, 2012

Historical Examples

“I will not pretend to misunderstand your meaning,” he said, slowly and with hauteur.
The Mystery Girl
Carolyn Wells

He was also accused of hauteur and of an unsoldierly reserve with his brother officers.
White Lies
Charles Reade

I never heard a speaker or actor who could give such a sting to hauteur or the taunt.
Complete Prose Works
Walt Whitman

Then aloud he demanded, with hauteur : “Who do you wish to see, lady?”
A Little Miss Nobody
Amy Bell Marlowe

Into the manner of young Mr. Stuart Farquaharson came now the hauteur of dignified rebuke.
The Tyranny of Weakness
Charles Neville Buck

The hauteur of being one of the élite of Joralemon again flashed out.
The Trail of the Hawk
Sinclair Lewis

“I have always been that,” declared William, with just a touch of hauteur.
Miss Billy
Eleanor H. Porter

Of all nations on earth, they require to be treated with the most hauteur.
The Writings of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson

“Not specially,” she said, with a sudden accession of hauteur.
The Mystery Girl
Carolyn Wells

Anagram

urea hut

17 February 2017

willowwacks

[wil-oh-waks]

noun, New England.

1. a wooded, uninhabited area.

Also, willywacks.

Origin of willowwacks

of uncertain origin

Dictionary.com

Example

The lonely willowwacks of New England provided an atmospheric location for the fertile imagination of horror writer, Stephen King.

Anagram

laws lick wow
awl wick owls

16 February 2017

dapper

[dap-er]

adjective

1. neat; trim; smart:
He looked very dapper in his new suit.
2. lively and brisk:
to walk with a dapper step.
3. small and active.

Origin of dapper

late Middle English Middle Dutch
1400-1450; late Middle English daper < Middle Dutch dapper nimble, stalwart; cognate with German tapfer brave

Related forms

dapperly, adverb
dapperness, noun
undapper, adjective

Synonyms

1. spruce, modish, jaunty, natty.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for dapper

Contemporary Examples

A dapper man with a Georgian charm, Crumpton is sometimes called the “American James Bond.”
CIA’s Henry Crumpton on the Heroes You’ll Never Know
Miranda Green
November 14, 2012

There, the actor—dressed like a dapper, blood-soaked zombie—took on the Michael Jackson classic “Thriller.”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 9 Best Musical Performances: Jimmy Fallon, Lady Gaga, More
Marlow Stern
September 26, 2013

The young actor has also gained marks for his dapper red-carpet style, which he credits to fashion designer Tom Ford.
Nicholas Hoult on ‘Warm Bodies,’ ‘X-Men,’ Jennifer Lawrence & More
Marlow Stern
January 31, 2013

Among the ghosts in that alluring photo is Harold L. “Doc” Humes, dapper in suit, vest, and bow tie.
Plimpton’s Crazy Co-Conspirator
Ronald K. Fried
December 7, 2008

One of the few exceptions is James Lindon, dapper director of PaceWildenstein, who always wears something interesting.
Venice by Foot
Bettina Von Hase
June 9, 2009

Historical Examples

It was Lasalle, and with him was a lame gentleman, very neatly dressed in black with dapper ruffles and cuffs.
The Exploits Of Brigadier Gerard
Arthur Conan Doyle

The dapper little officer in khaki was Aguinaldo, and this is the story of how I saw him.
Bamboo Tales
Ira L. Reeves

They went to where they found the dapper warriors standing in the court in a great press of welcoming knights.
The Nibelungenlied
Unknown

Major Forsyth arrived in time for tea, red-faced, dapper, and immaculate.
The Hero
William Somerset Maugham

A genial gentleman, the druggist, white-coated and dapper, stepping affably about the fragrant-smelling store.
Half Portions
Edna Ferber

Anagram

rapped
per pad

15 February 2017

samovar

[sam-uh-vahr, sam-uh-vahr]

noun

1. a metal urn, used especially by Russians for heating water for making tea.

Origin of samovar

1820-1830; Russian samovár, equivalent to samo- self (see same ) + -var, noun derivative of varítʾ to cook, boil

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for samovar

Historical Examples

The samovar was brought in, and over hot tea and buns we speedily became acquainted.
In Search of a Siberian Klondike
Homer B. Hulbert

The maid brought in the samovar, and the conversation was interrupted.
Foma Gordyeff
Maxim Gorky

They have been ready since midnight, and the samovar also; you will drink a glass of tea, Excellencies.
The Red Symbol
John Ironside

Anagram

am savor
mars ova

14 February 2017

bonce

[bons]

noun, British Slang.

1. head; skull.

Origin of bonce

1860-1865; perhaps to be identified with bonce a large playing marble, perhaps representing dial. pronunciation of bounce; compare dial. (Yorkshire) bouncer large earthenware marble

Dictionary.com

Example

He dodged a bonce to the head.

Anagram

be con

13 February 2017

introspection

[in-truh-spek-shuh n]

noun

1. observation or examination of one’s own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
2. the tendency or disposition to do this.
3. sympathetic introspection.

Origin of introspection

Latin

1670-1680; < Latin intrōspect (us), past participle of intrōspicere to look within (equivalent to intrō- intro- + spec (ere) to look + -tus past participle suffix) + -ion

Related forms

introspectional, adjective
introspectionist, noun, adjective

Synonyms

1. self-examination, soul-searching.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for introspection

Contemporary Examples

A salty pragmatism runs throughout, and only a modicum of introspection is encouraged.
Advice From the Oldest Americans
Casey Schwartz
October 28, 2011

Still, some introspection on the part of Hillel International might be worthwhile.
Swarthmore Hillel Breaks From Guidelines Over Ban on ‘Anti-Zionist’ Speakers
Elisheva Goldberg
December 9, 2013

But I really do believe that it can be a time when Republicans engage in an appropriate level of introspection.
Rightward, Ho!
Ana Marie Cox
November 17, 2008

Anagram

rot inceptions
nicotines port
corniest point
incites pronto
nicest portion
scorn petition

12 February 2017

circumspect

[sur-kuh m-spekt]

adjective

1. watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent:
circumspect behavior.
2. well-considered:
circumspect ambition.

Origin of circumspect

late Middle English Latin

1375-1425; late Middle English < Latin circumspectus (past participle of circumspicere to look around), equivalent to circum- circum- + spec (ere) to look + -tus past participle suffix

Related forms

circumspectly, adverb
circumspectness, noun
noncircumspect, adjective
noncircumspectly, adverb
noncircumspectness, noun

Synonyms

1. careful, vigilant, guarded.

Antonyms

1. careless, indiscreet.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for circumspect

Contemporary Examples

Some of the Americans joining ISIS are less than circumspect, especially online.
How Many Americans in ISIS? No One Knows
Eli Lake
September 4, 2014

But his subsequent actions will remain case by case and circumspect.
Israel: No Peace in Sight
Leslie H. Gelb
May 15, 2011

(LOC 1011-1015) One more adjective could be added to Summer’s list: circumspect.
David’s Bookclub: The New New Deal
David Frum
November 30, 2012

The poet remains coolly detached: a circumspect observer in the face of cataclysm.
Catastrophe in Verse
Eliza Griswold
April 20, 2011

Mandela did not want messy personal details in his Long Walk to Freedom, and here his handlers have been just as circumspect.
Nelson Mandela’s Revelatory Diaries
James Zug
October 15, 2010

Historical Examples

Trusting me, the little road dared to turn mad, she who had been so circumspect down below in the valley.
The Joys of Being a Woman
Winifred Kirkland

During your courtship let me entreat you to be very careful and circumspect.
The Ladies Book of Useful Information
Anonymous

After that the generals began to disperse with the solemnity and circumspect silence of people who are leaving, after a funeral.
War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy

But she was dutiful to him, and he was circumspect in his behaviour before her.
Captain Blood
Rafael Sabatini

Why has this bold and circumspect man kept his secret and become his chief adviser?
Shakespearean Tragedy
A. C. Bradley

Anagram

cecum script

11 February 2017

intransigent or intransigeant

[in-tran-si-juh nt]

adjective

1. refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible.

noun

2. a person who refuses to agree or compromise, as in politics.

Origin of intransigent

Spanish

1875-1880; < Spanish intransigente, equivalent to in- in-3+ transigente (present participle of transigir to compromise) < Latin trānsigent- (stem of trānsigēns, present participle of trānsigere to come to an agreement); see transact

Related forms

intransigence, intransigency, noun
intransigently, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for intransigent

Contemporary Examples

And why is it that the Republicans can be so intransigent and Barack Obama gets blamed?
Bob Woodward and the Rules of Washington Morality
Michael Tomasky

March 2, 2013

But on the subject of marriage, Motilal was intransigent : his son would have to endure an arranged match.
Hold Onto Your Penis
David Frum, Justin Green
November 28, 2012

They know most voters want them to work things out, which is why the other guys should stop being so intransigent.
Obama’s GOP Frenemies Hit the White House
Howard Kurtz
November 29, 2010

Anagram

grannies tint
tenanting sir
in astringent
nattering sin
restating inn

10 February 2017

lien(1)

[leen, lee-uh n]

noun

1. Law. the legal claim of one person upon the property of another person to secure the payment of a debt or the satisfaction of an obligation.

Origin of lien(1)

Old French, Latin
1525-1535; < Anglo-French, Old French < Latin ligāmen tie, bandage, equivalent to ligā (re) to tie + -men noun suffix of result

Related forms

lienable, adjective

lien(2)

[lahy-uh n, -en]

1. the spleen.

Origin

1645-55; < Latin liēn spleen

Related forms

lienal [lahy-een-l, lahy-uh-nl], adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for lien

Contemporary Examples

lien kept going and the bikers pursued him, horns beeping, the big buzz now sounding frenzied, furious.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013

Georgia revenue officials declined to comment on the matter except to say the lien was withdrawn.
Cain’s Tax Delinquency
Daniel Stone
October 24, 2011

lien and Ng were celebrating a much happier marker, their first wedding anniversary.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013

But lien was a 33 year-old e-commerce executive with his young family.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013

lien had been taken to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, where he was treated and released.
How New York City’s ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Terrorized a Young Family
Michael Daly
October 1, 2013

Historical Examples

He is said to have a lien on the goods or proceeds of the sale, for his compensation.
Cyclopedia of Commerce, Accountancy, Business Administration, v. 3
Various

But there was—that of debtor and creditor—a lien not always conferring friendship.
The Death Shot
Mayne Reid

His brother proved a lien on it for L300 and the rest went by will to his wife.
Put Yourself in His Place
Charles Reade

The sale of the property was threatened by those who held the lien on the church.
History of Linn County Iowa
Luther A. Brewer

A land tax was certain—it might, and undoubtedly would, be made a lien on the real estate on which it was laid.
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. II (of 16)
Thomas Hart Benton

Anagram

line
nile

9 February 2017

impugn

[im-pyoon]

verb (used with object)

1. to challenge as false (another’s statements, motives, etc.); cast doubt upon.
2. Archaic. to assail (a person) by words or arguments; vilify.
3. Obsolete. to attack (a person) physically.

Origin of impugn

Middle English, Middle French, Latin
1325-1375; Middle English impugnen < Middle French impugner < Latin impugnāre to attack, equivalent to im- im-1+ pugnāre to fight, derivative of pugnus fist; see pugnacious

Related forms

impugnable, adjective
impugnability, noun
impugner, noun
impugnment, noun
unimpugnable, adjective

Can be confused

impugn, impute.

Synonyms

1. attack, asperse, malign, criticize, censure.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for impugn

Contemporary Examples

Defense lawyers will look for inconsistencies in the same records as they try to impugn her credibility further.
The Evidence That Could Doom DSK
Christopher Dickey, John Solomon
July 25, 2011

“I think the jury will see it as a desperate attempt to try and impugn his character,” Slotnick says.
Jodi Arias’s Baffling Defense Strategy
Christine Pelisek
February 16, 2013

Historical Examples

No one, I think, will venture to impugn the motives or the purity of the intentions of Miss Heald in taking this step.
Lola Montez
Edmund B. d’Auvergne

Not being able to impugn her beauty, they attacked her costume.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Victor Hugo

We take refuge in a grievance rather than impugn the supremacy of our ego.
Appletons’ Popular Science Monthly, Vol. 56, March 1900
Various

“I am not attempting to impugn the qualifications of the witness,” I snapped.
…Or Your Money Back
Gordon Randall Garrett

His choice was unexceptionable: and those who impugn it are blind.
Northern Spain
Edgar T. A. Wigram

Nor in the town, nor among the caste, could any one impugn the act.
Tara
Philip Meadows Taylor

What we have to do is an act of justice, and I don’t wish that anyone should be able to impugn my motives.
Jack Harkaway and His Son’s Escape From the Brigand’s of Greece
Bracebridge Hemyng

To suppose it so little as most people do, is to impugn the justice of Providence.
Life Without and Life Within
Margaret Fuller

Anagram

mug pin

8 February 2017

discommode

[dis-kuh-mohd]

verb (used with object), discommoded, discommoding.

1. to cause inconvenience to; disturb, trouble, or bother.

Origin of discommode

French

1715-1725; < French discommoder, equivalent to dis- dis-1+ -commoder, verbal derivative of commode convenient; see commode

Related forms

discommodious, adjective
discommodiously, adverb
discommodiousness, noun

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for discommode

Historical Examples

An air of breathlessness about Rachel seemed to discommode her friends.
Erik Dorn
Ben Hecht

To ask for a guarantor for a reputable resident is simply to discommode two people instead of one.
A Library Primer
John Cotton Dana

“Yet not so far aside as to discommode any one,” responded Mason.
From Farm House to the White House
William M. Thayer

The boys shouted to their animals, who flew across the plain as though the snow did not discommode them in the least.
The Young Ranchers
Edward S. Ellis

For this end it was necessary to discommode myself of my cloak, and of the volume which I carried in the pocket of my cloak.
Edgar Huntley
Charles Brockden Brown

I objected, for I did not wish to discommode him in the least and told him a good bed could be fixed in the mess wagon.
Dangers of the Trail in 1865
Charles E Young

Anagram

discoed mom
medic moods

7 February 2017

mendicant

[men-di-kuh nt]

adjective

1. begging; practicing begging; living on alms.
2. pertaining to or characteristic of a beggar.
noun
3. a person who lives by begging; beggar.
4. a member of any of several orders of friars that originally forbade ownership of property, subsisting mostly on alms.

Origin of mendicant

late Middle English Latin

1425-1475; late Middle English < Latin mendīcant- (stem of mendīcāns), present participle of mendīcāre to beg, equivalent to mendīc (us) beggarly, needy + -ant- -ant

Related forms

nonmendicant, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for mendicant

Historical Examples

Or else, we have representations of those interested visits that mendicant friars paid to the dying.

A Literary History of the English People
Jean Jules Jusserand

The strength of the mendicant orders was in their popularity.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

“Well-disposed” persons, with a good word from the priests, can obtain food at the convents of the mendicant friars.
Rome in 1860
Edward Dicey

The mendicant orders furnished the 218army of papal absolutism.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

As in the case of Cybele, mendicant priests were attached to her service.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 6
Various

Other mendicant orders prove the dominant ideas of the time.
Folkways
William Graham Sumner

The mendicant monks stirred up the populace to acts of fanatical 35 enmity.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 1
Various

You may be certain there was a mendicant priest in attendance on his godship.
In Eastern Seas
J. J. Smith

The mendicant orders were subject only to their own general or superior, not to the bishops.
Chaucer’s Works, Volume 5 (of 7) — Notes to the Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer

As she came closer to him, the mendicant acted very strangely.
Monte-Cristo’s Daughter
Edmund Flagg

Anagram

caned mint
mind enact

6 February 2017

hooptie

noun

– a large older automobile, often in poor condition; jalopy

Usage Note

slang

Dictionary.com

Example.

If you had a job, you could buy your own car rather than borrowing your mum’s hooptie.

Anagram

I hop toe
pie hoot
tie hoop

5 February 2017

ambivert

[am-bi-vurt]

noun, Psychology.

1. one whose personality type is intermediate between extrovert and introvert.

Origin of ambivert

1925-1930; ambi- + -vert, as in extrovert, introvert

Dictionary.com

Example

I like meeting new people, but I also need time out by myself. I’m an ambivert, which Sylvester McNutt III has provided the best description: ‘I’m both: introvert and extrovert. I like people, but I need to be alone. I’ll go out, vibe and meet new people but it has an expiration, because I have to recharge. If I don’t find the valuable alone time I need to recharge I cannot be my highest self’.

Anagram

verbatim

4 February 2017

sporran

[spor-uh n]

noun

1. (in Scottish Highland costume) a large pouch for men, commonly of fur, worn, suspended from a belt, in front of the kilt.

Origin of sporran

Scots Gaelic, Irish

1745-1755; Scots Gaelic sporan; compare Irish sparán purse

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for sporran

Historical Examples

He put a pickle money in his sporran, and gave him a place a little way down his table.
The Lost Pibroch
Neil Munro

He sprang up and thrust the stocking and needles into his sporran.
The Sleuth of St. James’s Square
Melville Davisson Post

It’s no a verra suitable dress for rinnin’—the spleughan—or ” sporran,” is it?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, October 19 1895
Various

This must be the sporran following us close with grim disregard of danger.
The Mystery of the Sea
Bram Stoker

I wonder if these bags are related to the sporran of the Highlanders.
Visions and Beliefs in the West of Ireland, First Series
Lady Gregory

At noon he sat down to eat his “piece,” which he carried in his sporran.
The Wee Scotch Piper
Madeline Brandeis

They wear a tight coat, and in front of them hangs the sporran, a pocket made of white fur.
The Great Round World And What Is Going On In It, April 22, 1897, Vol. 1, No. 24
Various

One of them dragged at the frogs of his kilt, and then at his ” sporran.”
The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885
Charles Royle

Do the kilt and sporran bring in brawny youngsters of five-foot nine, and thirty-nine inch round the chest?
From Sea to Sea
Rudyard Kipling

Its skin makes the “ sporran ” of the kilted Highlander, and its hair makes our shaving brushes.
Records of Woodhall Spa and Neighbourhood
J. Conway Walter

Anagram

nor rasp

3 February 2017

suitor

[soo-ter]

noun

1. a man who courts or woos a woman.
2. Law. a petitioner or plaintiff.
3. a person who sues or petitions for anything.
4. Informal. an individual who seeks to buy a business.

Origin of suitor

Latin, Middle English, Anglo-French

1250-1300; Middle English s (e) utor, suitour < Anglo-French < Latin secūtor, equivalent to secū-, variant stem of sequī to follow + -tor -tor

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for suitor

Contemporary Examples

When Cato still refused, the suitor then asked Cato for Cato’s own wife.
Who Was the Real Cato?
David Frum
December 19, 2012

I find both “admirer” and “ suitor ” to be presumptuous and one-sided.
What Should I Call the Man I Love?
Dushka Zapata
November 17, 2014

Soni and Goodman attribute the complicated story to the shared Stoic philosophy of Cato and the suitor.
Who Was the Real Cato?
David Frum
December 19, 2012

Historical Examples

One child advances as “ suitor,” and says the three first verses.
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol I of II)
Alice Bertha Gomme

In reality, Madeleine had entirely forgotten her suitor and his letter.
Fairy Fingers
Anna Cora Mowatt Ritchie

It was a love-scene, and rather of an impassioned character; Villebecque was her suitor.
Coningsby
Benjamin Disraeli

Julien was by no means the only suitor who pressed for the honour of dancing with Estelle.
Chatterbox, 1906
Various

The suitor had to bribe every one, from the doorkeeper to the pope, or his case was lost.
History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science
John William Draper

She had had an Insurrecto general for a suitor, and had turned him down.
The Great White Tribe in Filipinia
Paul T. Gilbert

It has the advantage of enabling a suitor to reckon as well as to admire the objects of his affection.
Eothen
A. W. Kinglake

Anagram

sir out
us riot
I tours

2 February 2017

perennial

[puh-ren-ee-uh l]

adjective

1. lasting for an indefinitely long time; enduring:
her perennial beauty.
2. (of plants) having a life cycle lasting more than two years.
3. lasting or continuing throughout the entire year, as a stream.
4. perpetual; everlasting; continuing; recurrent.
noun
5. a perennial plant:
Daffodils and tulips are perennials.
6. something that is continuing or recurrent.

Origin of perennial

Latin

1635-1645; Latin perenni (s) lasting the whole year through ( per- per- + -enn-, combining form of annus year + -is adj. suffix) + -al1

Related forms

perenniality, noun
perennially, adverb

Can be confused

annual, perennial.

Synonyms

1. perdurable; constant, incessant, continual. 4. imperishable, undying, eternal, immortal.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for perennial

Contemporary Examples

And the omission or derision of dads in the parent (aka “mommy”) blogosphere is a perennial pet peeve.
Move Over, Ladies: Dove Does Dads
Andy Hinds
June 16, 2014

Mothers who kill their children are a tragic and yet perennial news sensation.
Did Julie Schenecker Kill Her Kids?
Amy Green
February 7, 2011

Does your school or alma mater support its basketball teams, even if they are not perennial March Madness powerhouses?
Top 25 Colleges With Diehard Fans
The Daily Beast
March 20, 2011

Scottie the dog, a perennial favorite, and the racecar were added in the 1950s.
Fidel Castro Hates Monopoly & 12 More Reasons to Love It
Caroline Linton
February 5, 2013

And of course there are the perennial stories about how the new models are really fragile and easy to break, or are easy to hack.
Apple’s New iPhones Met by Strong Demand
William O’Connor
September 22, 2013

Historical Examples

It is herbaceous and perennial, and proves hardy in this climate if planted on a well-drained soil of a vegetable character.
Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers
John Wood

The perennial will be the one to suffer, mostly from lack of moisture.
Making a Garden of Perennials
W. C. Egan

Hippopotami exist in the Lokalueje, so it may be inferred to be perennial, as the inhabitants asserted.
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
David Livingstone

Tea-plants are perennial, and are set about four feet apart on hillsides.
East of Suez
Frederic Courtland Penfield

All through the summer the winter Jasmine is covered by a perennial pink Bellbine, that dies in autumn and comes up each spring.
The Children’s Book of Gardening
Mrs. Alfred Sidgwick

Anagram

nip leaner
leaper inn
learn pine
pearl nine

1 February 2017

alluvion

[uh-loo-vee-uh n]

noun

1. Law. a gradual increase of land on a shore or a river bank by the action of water, whether from natural or artificial causes.
2. overflow; flood.
3. Now Rare. alluvium.

Origin of alluvion

Latin

1530-1540; < Latin alluviōn- (stem of alluviō an overflowing), equivalent to al- al- + -luv-, base of -luere, combining form of lavere to wash) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for alluvion

Historical Examples

alluvion is the name for an accession of land washed up on the sea-shore or on a river-bank by the waters.
International Law. A Treatise. Volume I (of 2)
Lassa Francis Oppenheim

The deposites of alluvion along the banks betray a similar origin of gradual accumulation by the annual floods.
Early Western Travels, 1748-1846 (Volume XXVI)
Various

Springs are common in the alluvion, and more frequently than in the case of drift, they can be found by boring.
Water Supply: the Present Practice of Sinking and Boring Wells
Ernest Spon

Anagram

ulna viol

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