Tag: Definition

Word of the day

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Equivocal

e·quiv·o·cal
[əˈkwivək(ə)l]

ADJECTIVE
open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.
“the equivocal nature of her remarks”
synonyms: undecided · to be decided · unresolved · undetermined · uncertain · open · arguable · debatable · disputed · unanswered · open to debate · doubtful · in doubt · moot · up in the air · in (a state of) limbo · in a state of uncertainty · indefinite · inconclusive · unconfirmed · unsolved · ongoing · pending · confused · problematic · vexed · ambiguous · equivocal · vague · borderline · iffy
antonyms: settled
uncertain or questionable in nature.
“the results of the investigation were equivocal”
synonyms: controversial · contentious · open to question · open to doubt · in doubt · doubtful · dubious · uncertain · unsure · debatable · in dispute · in question · arguable · problematic · problematical · unverified · unprovable · unresolved · unsettled · undecided · equivocal · unconvincing · implausible · improbable · not definite · unclear · not obvious · apocryphal · spurious · borderline · marginal · moot · iffy · dodgy
antonyms: certain · indisputable

ORIGIN
mid 16th century: from late Latin aequivocus, from Latin aequus ‘equally’ + vocare ‘to call’.

WORD OF THE DAY

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CATERWAUL-

cat·er·waul
[ˈkadərˌwôl]

VERB
caterwauls (third person present) · caterwauled (past tense) · caterwauled (past participle) · caterwauling (present participle)
  1. make a shrill howling or wailing noise like that of a cat.
    “he seems to think that singing soulfully is to whine and caterwaul tunelessly” · “the caterwauling of a pair of bobcats” · “a caterwauling guitar”
    synonyms: howl · howling · wail · wailing · screech · screeching · shriek · shrieking · scream · screaming · bawl · bawling · cry · crying · yell · yelling · yelp · yelping · yowl · yowling · squall · squalling · whine · whining · ululating · miaowing · miaow · howl · wail · bawl · cry · yell · scream · screech · yelp · yowl · squall · whine · miaow · ululate
NOUN
caterwauls (plural noun)
  1. a shrill howling or wailing noise.
    “the song ended in a caterwaul of feedback”
    synonyms: yell · cry · call · roar · howl · bellow · bawl · clamor · bay · cheer · yawp · yelp · wail · squawk · shriek · scream · screech · squeal · squall · caterwaul · whoop · holler · vociferation
    antonyms: whisper
ORIGIN
late Middle English: from cat1 + imitative waul.

Word of The Day

glade

noun GLAYD

Definition

: an open space surrounded by woods

Did You Know?

We know that glade has been with us since at least the early 1500s, though the word’s origins remain a bit of a mystery. Glade, which originally was often used not just to indicate a clearing in the woods but one which was also filled with sunlight, may come from the adjective glad. In Middle English, glad also meant “shining,” a meaning that goes back to the word’s Old English ancestor, glæd. Glæd is akin to Old High German glat (“shining, smooth”) and Old Norse glathr (“sunny”). It may also be a relative of Old English geolu, the ancestor of the modern English word yellow.

Examples

“Whenever they got a glimpse of the sun in an open glade they seemed unaccountably to have veered eastwards.” — J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, 1954

“Park on the side of the road near the sign where possible, but try to avoid going too far off into the mud. Walk past the sign and across a glade before descending into the hollow.” — James Baughn, The Southeast Missourian, 5 Apr. 2018

Word of the day

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ad·a·man·tine
[ˌadəˈmanˌtēn, ˌadəˈmanˌtīn]

ADJECTIVE
literary
unbreakable.
“adamantine chains” · “her adamantine will”
synonyms: unbreakable · shatterproof · nonbreakable · toughened · sturdy · stout · hardwearing · heavy-duty · resistant · durable · lasting · made to last · enduring · everlasting · perennial · deathless · undying · immortal · endless · inextinguishable · imperishable · ineradicable · long-lasting · adamantine · infrangible
antonyms: fragile · ephemeral

Word of the Day

se·nes·cence

[səˈnesəns]

NOUN
biology
  1. the condition or process of deterioration with age.
    synonyms: elderliness · old age · oldness · seniority · maturity · dotage · senility · one’s advancing/advanced years · one’s declining years · the winter/autumn of one’s life · senescence · eld · caducity
    antonyms: youth · childhood

Word of The Day

Definition of lethologica in English:

lethologica

noun

mass noun rare

  • The inability to remember a particular word or name.

    ‘he would grope for the words and he often apologized for his lethologica’

Origin

Early 20th century: irregularly from Greek lēthē ‘forgetfulness’ (see Lethe) + logos ‘word’, with the ending in -ica probably intended to distinguish the word from others in -logia denoting a subject of study (see -logy).

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