Definition (Noun) A mischievous, tricksy imp or sprite; another name for Puck or Robin Goodfellow; hence, a terrifying apparition, a bogy. In Context "In the graveyard in 1815, someone reportedly saw a hobgoblin, an ugly, frightening little goblin or elf that harasses the living." Cheri Revai, Haunted New York: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Empire State, 2005.
Word of the Week: adumbrate (ˈa-dəm-ˌbrāt ) Definition (verb) 1. to foreshadow vaguely : intimate 2. to suggest, disclose, or outline partially 3. overshadow, obscure In Context “His temper and tendency to violence, adumbrated in the first part of the book, lead not only to his decline as a journalist but also his inability to maintain relationships with the various women he encounters.” Gerald Early, The Washington Post, 2015
Word of the Week: cerulean (sə-RŌŌ-lē-ən) Definition (Adjective) Of the colour of the cloudless sky, pure deep blue, azure. Chiefly poetic. In Context "It was July, and rolling waves of heat shimmered beneath a cerulean sky." Justin Marozzi, Baghdad, City of Peace, City Of Blood: A History in Thirteen Centuries, 2014.
Word of the Week: satori (sə-TOR-ē) Definition (Noun) Sudden enlightenment or intuitive understanding. In Context “Twenty years later, Michael Okun’s enthusiasm is fresh as he describes his neurological satori. ‘A lot of people were saying all these pathways and everything are really complicated, and they just wanted to get through the class and get a grade. But to me it made perfect sense.’” David Noonan, Mind Craft; Smithsonian, May 2014.
Word of the Week: defenestration (dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun) Definition (Noun) 1 : a throwing of a person or thing out of a window 2 : a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office) In Context "It's possible that nobody in Hollywood works harder than Tom Cruise, who, in his latest turn as Ethan Hunt, once again finds himself in a race against time after a mission goes wrong. Expect defenestration, helicopter crashes, and exploding motorbikes." Vogue (vogue.com), 22 May 2018
Word of the Week: kaput (kuh-PUT) Definition (Adjective) 1. utterly finished, defeated, or destroyed 2. unable to function : useless 3. hopelessly outmoded In Context "Sure, there are still top-billed behemoths capable of guaranteeing a strong opening, like Dwayne Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio, but for the most part, the idea of a box office movie star is kaput." Brandon Katz, The Observer, 19 May 2018
Word of the Week: germane (jer-MAYN) Definition (Adjective) being at once relevant and appropriate : fitting In Context "'Most places we used to play have been demolished, and this one hasn't,' [Mick Jagger] said, and while he was mixing up his venues, his point was germane. Buildings, eras, styles of music, and the people that play them come and go. But the [Rolling] Stones carry on, seemingly immortal." Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 24 July 2019
Word of the Week: mollycoddle (MAH-lee-kah-dul) Definition (verb) to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence or attention In Context "You work longer hours than most of your friends, you never know where your next paycheck is coming from and there's no HR team to mollycoddle you when times get tough… it's safe to say that the life of a self-employed worker is one plagued by instabilities." Olivia Petter, The Independent (London), 16 Mar. 2018
Word of the Week: lapidary (ˈla-pə-der-ē ) Definition (Adjective) (of language) elegant and concise, and therefore suitable for engraving on stone. (Noun) 1 a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds 2 the art of cutting gems In Context "If you wish to send us something in return we would like to get Wilmart's Pensées du B. Guigue, if this is Guigo the Carthusian. I have never yet gone into him. His lapidary style fascinates me. He is better than Pascal." Thomas Merton, excerpt of a letter, 1951.
Word of the Week: unbeknownst (un-bih-NOHNST) Definition (Adjective) 1. happening or existing without the knowledge of someone specified — usually used with to 2. not known or not well-known : unknown In Context "… Senate Bill 15, approved unanimously by that House committee Thursday, hopes to help homeowners who find themselves the victim of 'squatting'—people who illegally move into a home, often unbeknownst to the homeowner." Marianne Goodland, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colorado), 12 Apr. 2018
