victuals (VĬT-ls) Definition (Noun) Articles of food; supplies, or various kinds, of provisions; in later use especially articles of ordinary diet prepared for use. In Context "Perhaps, he thought, he would venture outside to scour the war-ravaged countryside for some victuals, but he quickly thought better of it." William Pencak, Editor, Pennsylvania's Revolution, 2010.
Word of the Week: weltschmerz (VELT-shmairts) Definition (Noun) 1. often capitalized Weltschmerz : mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state. 2. often capitalized Weltschmerz : a mood of sentimental sadness In Context "The mad narrator or central figure is in a world that may be experienced as confusing, grotesque or volatile; above all, it is private, closed in on itself, unavailable to outsiders.… The notion of insanity as a kind of extreme loneliness is good for a wallow in adolescent-romantic weltschmerz, if not much else." Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed, [...]
insensate (ĭn-SĔN-sāt) Definition (Adjective) Wanting in mental or moral feeling; devoid of sensibility; unaffected, unmoved; unfeeling. (Of persons, or their qualities, actions, etc.) In Context "Beneath this polished exterior, one sensed, lived a man capable of insensate rage and unrestrained debauchery, a man who, even before arriving in the tropics, had cast off the ennobling bonds of civilization and honour." Alan Vanneman, Sherlock Holmes and the Giant Rat of Sumatra, 2002.
cosset (KŎS-ĭt) Definition (Verb) To treat as a cosset; to fondle, caress, pet, indulge, pamper. In Context "Much of what Truman and Acheson did in the Middle East set patterns that long survived the administration, especially that of trying both to cosset Israel and to keep friendly relations with neighboring Arab states, many with oil underground." Robert L. Beisner, Dean Acheson: A Life in the Cold War, 2006.
sugar-plum (SHŎŎG-ər-plŭm) Definition (Noun) Something very pleasing or agreeable, especially when given as a sop or bribe. In Context "That was my father's way of extracting the most out of everyone -- dangling his sugar plums that would vanish when reached for." V. C. Andrews, If There Be Thorns, 1981.
caterwaul (KAT-er-wawl) Definition (Verb) 1. to make a harsh cry 2. to protest or complain noisily In Context Between begging calls, the young birds made more practice launches, flapping their wings and jumping. Paired adults were re-forming their relationships; returning birds went in for bouts of head flicking and kissing. Neighbors were in dispute, caterwauling above the din." Tim Dee, The New York Review of Books, 11 Sept. 2018
tomfoolery (tahm-FOO-luh-ree) Definition (Noun) playful or foolish behavior In Context "Presented as an oral history in a series of conversations between the couple, the book features anecdotes, hijinks, photos, and a veritable grab bag of tomfoolery." Brandy McDonnell, NewsOK.com, 1 Oct. 2018
tenebrous (ˈte-nə-brəs) Definition 1. shut off from the light : dark, murky 2. hard to understand : obscure 3. causing gloom In Context “By its very nature rather tenebrous, undercover intelligence gathering blurs the lines between procedure and actual process, making it a difficult area to monitor and regulate.”Sarah Vine, Radio Choice; The Times (London, UK); Sep 29, 2012.
Word of the Week: brouhaha (BROO-hah-hah) Definition (Noun) a state of commotion or excitement : hubbub, uproar. In Context "But where do you go, when the temperatures are soaring and you want to cool off but without all of the brouhaha that comes along with a trip to one of our more popular, crowded city beaches?" Ji Suk Yi, The Chicago Sun-Times, 25 July 2018.
Word of the Week: fugacious (fyoo-GAY-shus) Definition (Adjective) lasting a short time : evanescent. In Context “The maple leaves are a yellow light signaling me to slow down and take in the last pulse of color of a fugacious fall." David Johnson, The Daily News of Newburyport (MA), 26 Nov. 2013.
