Word of the Week – Princeton Writes

Word of the Week: cathexis (kuh-THEK-sis)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-25T14:35:17-04:00

Word of the Week: cathexis (kuh-THEK-sis) Definition (Noun) investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea In Context "In 2004, Bowie had a heart attack, and he was recently rumored to be in poor health. Leading up to the release of 'The Next Day,' a jittery cathexis formed. Do we judge Bowie as we always have, by his own standards? Would a new album be received reverentially, like those of the post-motorcycle-crash Bob Dylan?" — Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2013

Word of the Week: cathexis (kuh-THEK-sis)Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-25T14:35:17-04:00

Word of the Week: accoutrement (ə-ˈkü-trə-mənt , -ˈkü-tər-mənt)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-25T14:32:24-04:00

Word of the Week: accoutrement (ə-ˈkü-trə-mənt , -ˈkü-tər-mənt) Definition (Noun) equipment or clothing that is worn or carried, but not part of your main clothing In Context The umbrella of the title refers, of course, to the Penguin’s signature prop, which we see him carrying in the opening scene while flanked by two new flunkies, signaling his continuing evolution toward his supervillain destiny. But the accoutrement also functions as a handy metaphor for both the Penguin’s unparalleled ability to shield himself from trouble and the broad shadow the little man is casting across Gotham City. Everything in Monday’s episode sprang [...]

Word of the Week: accoutrement (ə-ˈkü-trə-mənt , -ˈkü-tər-mənt)Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-25T14:32:24-04:00

Word of the Week: ineluctable (in-ih-LUK-tuh-bul)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-11T10:58:47-04:00

Word of the Week: ineluctable (in-ih-LUK-tuh-bul) Definition (Adjective) not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable In Context Mr. Unkrich faced a dilemma. On the one hand, he believed that artists should not be restricted to 'only telling stories about what they know and their own culture.' But he also needed to safeguard against his ineluctable biases and blind spots, and ensure that his film didn't 'lapse into cliché or stereotype.'" Reggie Ugwu, The New York Times, 19 Nov. 2017

Word of the Week: ineluctable (in-ih-LUK-tuh-bul)Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-11T10:58:47-04:00

Word of the Week: quern (kwûrn)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-06T12:04:19-04:00

Word of the Week: quern (kwûrn) Definition (Noun) A simple, typically hand-operated, device for grinding corn, etc., consisting of two stones, the upper of which is rotated or rubbed on the lower. Also: a small hand-mill for grinding pepper, mustard, etc. In Context "Virtually every activity which involved the crushing of material led to the purchase of a quern or mill." Gitte Hansen, Steven P. Ashby, and Irene Baug, Editors, Everyday Products in the Middle Ages: Crafts, Consumption and the Individual in Northern Europe c. AD 800-1600, 2015.

Word of the Week: quern (kwûrn)Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-06T12:04:19-04:00

Word of the Week: scapegrace (SKĀP-grās)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-06T12:02:01-04:00

Word of the Week: scapegrace (SKĀP-grās) Definition (Noun) A man or boy of reckless and disorderly habits; an incorrigible scamp. Often used playfully. In Context "Young Rockett, something of a scapegrace, was by the baronet's advice sent to sea, and thenceforth gave his parents no trouble." Angelique Richardson, Editor, Women Who Did: Stories by Men and Women, 1890-1914, 2002.

Word of the Week: scapegrace (SKĀP-grās)Stephanie Whetstone2023-04-06T12:02:01-04:00

Word of the Week: avuncular (uh-VUNK-yuh-ler)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:22:48-04:00

Word of the Week: avuncular (uh-VUNK-yuh-ler) Definition (adjective) 1. suggestive of an uncle especially in kindliness or geniality 2. of or relating to an uncle In Context "Today's generation of fans knew [Stan] Lee as the avuncular elder statesman who regaled packed halls at comic conventions with stories of his years in the medium, and for his cameos in every Marvel movie, which he continued well into his 90s." Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 12 Nov. 2018

Word of the Week: avuncular (uh-VUNK-yuh-ler)Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:22:48-04:00

Word of the Week: bardolater (bar-DAH-luh-ter)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:17:16-04:00

Word of the Week: bardolater (bar-DAH-luh-ter) Definition a person who idolizes Shakespeare In Context "[W]hether you're a bona fide Bardolater or someone who uses Shakespeare as an excuse to eat brie on a blanket under the summer stars, here's a brief round-up of where to satisfy your appetite for Shakespeare this summer." Jenny Terpsichore Abeles, The Recorder (Greenfield, Massachusetts), 15 June 2017

Word of the Week: bardolater (bar-DAH-luh-ter)Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:17:16-04:00

Word of the Week: prescind (prih-SIND)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:15:13-04:00

Word of the Week: prescind (prih-SIND) Definition 1. to withdraw one's attention 2. to detach for purposes of thought In Context "Nooyi prescinded from the share price-obsessed practices associated with most conglomerates—and instead said she was focused on making PepsiCo the kind of company that would deliver a 'lasting impact' to society." Edmund Heaphy, Quartz, 6 Aug. 2018

Word of the Week: prescind (prih-SIND)Stephanie Whetstone2023-03-22T16:15:13-04:00

Word of the Week: yahoo (YAH-hoo)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-02-13T11:38:45-05:00

Word of the Week: yahoo (YAH-hoo) Definition (noun) 1. capitalized Yahoo : a member of a race of brutes in Swift's Gulliver's Travels who have the form and all the vices of humans 2. a boorish, crass, or stupid person In Context "In a place like America, we seem to revel in these geographic judgments. And so Northerners stereotype Southerners as Confederate flag-waving, pickup driving, moonshine-drinking yahoos and Southerners depict Northerners as snooty, elitist, big city, latte-drinking, Volvo-driving liberals." John F. Hudson, The Cambridge (Massachusetts) Chronicle, 31 May 2018

Word of the Week: yahoo (YAH-hoo)Stephanie Whetstone2023-02-13T11:38:45-05:00

Word of the Week: weir (ˈwer, ˈwir)

Stephanie Whetstone2023-02-13T11:39:52-05:00

Word of the Week: weir (ˈwer, ˈwir) Definition (noun) 1. a fence or enclosure set in a waterway for taking fish 2. a dam in a stream or river to raise the water level or divert its flow In Context "Without the weir, the ocean tides could flow in and out, creating a predominantly saltwater system." Phil Diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Decision on Buena Vista Lagoon project likely delayed until summer," 22 Apr. 2018

Word of the Week: weir (ˈwer, ˈwir)Stephanie Whetstone2023-02-13T11:39:52-05:00

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