Word of the Week – Princeton Writes

Word of the Week: incipient (ĭn-SĬP-ē-ənt)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:40:41-04:00

incipient (ĭn-SĬP-ē-ənt) Definition (Adjective) Beginning; commencing; coming into, or in an early stage of, existence; in an initial stage. In Context "The whiff of incipient anarchy in Iraq in recent days has provided a prospect so terrifying as to concentrate the minds of Republicans and Democrats, Iraq's sectarian political factions, and even the media." Robert D. Kaplan, "Salvation from a Hobbesian World," The Jerusalem Post, March 6, 2006.

Word of the Week: incipient (ĭn-SĬP-ē-ənt)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:40:41-04:00

Word of the Week: chthonian (THŌ-nē-ən)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:38:03-04:00

chthonian (THŌ-nē-ən) Definition (Adjective) Dwelling in or beneath the surface of the earth. In Context "'Chthonian' is derived from the Greek for 'earth,' and the adjective was generally associated with the mythological underworld and its shadowy deities, the darker counterparts of the Olympians." Joseph R. Millichap, A Backward Glance: The Southern Renascence, the Autobiographical Epic, and the Classical Legacy, 2009. This word was suggested by Jeff Bergman in the Office of Human Resources.

Word of the Week: chthonian (THŌ-nē-ən)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:38:03-04:00

Word of the Week: zephyr (ZĔF-ər)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:35:59-04:00

zephyr (ZĔF-ər) Definition (Noun) A soft, mild, gentle wind or breeze. In Context "There was not even a zephyr stirring; the dead noonday heat had even stilled the songs of the birds; nature lay in a trance that was broken by no sound but the occasional far-off hammering of a woodpecker, and this seemed to render the pervading silence and sense of loneliness the more profound." Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876.

Word of the Week: zephyr (ZĔF-ər)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:35:59-04:00

Word of the Week: masticate (MĂS-tĭ-kāt)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:30:52-04:00

masticate (MĂS-tĭ-kāt) Definition (Verb) To reduce (food) to a pulp with the teeth; to grind up by, or as if by, chewing. In Context "Another viewpoint is that the French have fewer heart attacks because they eat more slowly and masticate their food properly, chewing each mouthful twenty-five times, rather than wolfing down their dinner before pulling out from the Wendy's window." Theodore Fenske, While You Quit: A Smoker's Guide to Reducing the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke, 2009.

Word of the Week: masticate (MĂS-tĭ-kāt)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:30:52-04:00

Word of the Week: conurbation (kŏn-ər-BĀ-shən)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:26:18-04:00

conurbation (kŏn-ər-BĀ-shən) Definition (Noun) An aggregation of urban areas. In Context "In the United States, the Dallas-Fort Worth Urban Area is a good example of a conurbation." Stanley D. Brunn, Maureen Hays-Mitchell, and Donald J. Zeigler, Editors, Cities of the World: World Regional Urban Development, Fifth Edition, 2012.

Word of the Week: conurbation (kŏn-ər-BĀ-shən)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:26:18-04:00

Word of the Week: tendentious (tĕn-DĔN-shəs)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:20:03-04:00

tendentious (tĕn-DĔN-shəs) Definition (Adjective) Having a purposed tendency; composed or written with such a tendency or aim. In Context "Indeed, these texts are tendentious and combative, and they often skew well-known evidence to satisfy their particular needs – as did the French, the Chinese, and the Americans." Patricia M. Pelley, Postcolonial Vietnam: New Histories of the National Past, 2002.

Word of the Week: tendentious (tĕn-DĔN-shəs)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:20:03-04:00

Word of the Week: pusillanimous (pyōō-sə-LĂN-ə-məs)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:14:55-04:00

pusillanimous (pyōō-sə-LĂN-ə-məs) Definition (Adjective) Of a person: lacking in courage or strength of purpose; faint-hearted, craven, cowardly. In Context "Mr. Richard Perle, the hawkish, outgoing Assistant Secretary of Defence, touched the mood of the White House when he said the allies were mealy-mouthed and pusillanimous in refusing to confront the Soviet Union with accusations of cheating and bad faith." Christopher Thomas, "US Patience with Europe Wears Thin," The Times, March 28, 1987. This word was suggested by Dan Day in the Office of Communications.

Word of the Week: pusillanimous (pyōō-sə-LĂN-ə-məs)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:14:55-04:00

Word of the Week: querulous (KWĔR-ə-ləs)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:12:50-04:00

querulous (KWĔR-ə-ləs) Definition (Adjective) Of a person: complaining, given to complaining, full of complaints; fault-finding; peevish. In Context "They reminded him of his maternal grandmother in her last years, when, far from being a strong, sensible, courageous woman, she grew weak and querulous, her expression of general discontent increasing with her vulnerability." Patrick O'Brian, Desolation Island, 1978.

Word of the Week: querulous (KWĔR-ə-ləs)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:12:50-04:00

Word of the Week: couturier (kōō-TŎŎR-ē-ər)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:06:10-04:00

couturier (kōō-TŎŎR-ē-ər) Definition (Noun) A male dressmaker or fashion designer. In Context "The couturier, today the god of women's fashion, came into existence only in the final decades of the nineteenth century." Joan DeJean, The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafés, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour, 2005.

Word of the Week: couturier (kōō-TŎŎR-ē-ər)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:06:10-04:00

Word of the Week: prestidigitation (prĕs-tĭ-dĭj-ĭ-TĀ-shən)

Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:03:28-04:00

prestidigitation (prĕs-tĭ-dĭj-ĭ-TĀ-shən) Definition (Noun) Sleight of hand, legerdemain; conjuring. In Context "But like a magician who focuses his audience's attention on one hand while performing feats of prestidigitation with the other, Ponzi knew that the details of the transactions were less interesting than the promised results." Mitchell Zuckoff, Ponzi's Scheme: The True Story of a Financial Legend, 2005.

Word of the Week: prestidigitation (prĕs-tĭ-dĭj-ĭ-TĀ-shən)Stephanie Whetstone2024-06-18T14:03:28-04:00

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