expeditious (ek-SPE-ˈdi-shəs) Definition (Adjective) marked by or acting with prompt efficiency In Context "Finally, government officials have at least a reasonably strong interest in moderating discussion on their Facebook pages in an expeditious manner." David Kravets, "Politicians’ social media pages can be 1st Amendment forums, judge says," Ars Technica, 28 July 2017
bird-dog (BERD-dawg) Definition (Verb) 1. to watch closely 2. to seek out : follow, detect In Context "Also in line for a guaranteed budget is the new deputy inspector general for public safety charged with auditing police practices, identifying troubling trends, recommending changes to the police contract and bird-dogging the new multi-tiered accountability system." Fran Spielman, The Chicago Sun-Times, 4 Oct. 2016
liminal (LĬM-ə-nəl) Definition (Adjective) Characterized by being on a boundary or threshold, especially by being transitional or intermediate between two states, situations, etc. In Context "Biologically and culturally, for the child-apprentice it was a liminal moment as he encountered the challenges of puberty at the same time that he abandoned (and was abandoned by) his natural family in order to enter an adoptive one." Steven Laurence Kaplan, The Bakers of Paris and the Bread Question: 1700-1775, 1996.
alliaceous (ăl-ē-Ā-shəs) Definition (Adjective) Of a smell or taste: resembling that of garlic or onions, garlicky; also having such a smell or taste. In Context "In the Middle Ages in southern Europe, food tended to be alliaceous because garlic helped disguise the fact that warm temperatures had turned some of the ingredients bad." Mark Morton, Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities, Second Edition, 2004.
Definition (adjective) tremendous in size, volume, or degree : gigantic, colossal In Context "In 1920, the town council of Chamonix … decided to change the municipality's name to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, thus forging an official link to the mountain … with a summit that soars 12,000 feet above the town center. The council's goal was to prevent their Swiss neighbors from claiming the mountain's glory, but there was really no need: It's impossible when you're in Chamonix to ignore the gargantuan, icy beauty that looms overhead." Paige McClanahan, The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2018
soupçon (sōōp-SÔN) Definition (Noun) A suspicion, a suggestion, a very small quantity or slight trace, of something. In Context "And to this he must add more than a soupçon of luck, plus a heavy seasoning of pure nerve." Ernest K. Gann, Fate Is the Hunter, 1961.
Word of the Week: obfuscate (ŎB-fǝ-skāt) Definition (Verb) To cast into darkness or shadow; to cloud, obscure. In Context “By trying to expand their opposition into a national, rather than a sectional, battle, southern senators hoped to obfuscate the true issue at stake in the debate – the inherent inequality and repression of the system of white supremacy that they championed.” Keith M. Finley, Delaying the Dream: Southern Senators and the Fight Against Civil Rights, 1938-1965, 2008.
Word of the Week: scumble (SKUM-bul) Definition (Verb) 1 a : to make (something, such as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush 1 b : to apply (a color) in this manner 2 : to soften the lines or colors of (a drawing) by rubbing lightly In Context In an accomplished artist's hands, oil paint is fluid; it can be scumbled or glazed; it's a more versatile medium than tempera. Cate McQuaid, "Leonardo da Worcester," The Boston Globe, March 11, 2018.
Definition a typical or ideal example: embodiment. a. a summary of written work. b. a brief presentation or statement of something. brief or miniature form--usually used with in. In Context "I really want to make movies about tangible, complicated love, and I think the epitome of love is family love." Jeremiah Zagar, quoted in The New York Magazine, 23 Aug. 2018
Word of the Week: floriferous (flȯ-ˈri-f-e-rəs ) Definition (Adjective) Bearing flowers. In Context While intense and floriferous, hot hues aren’t for every garden. Maureen Gilmer, "For gorgeous blooms in the summer heat, you can’t beat lantanas," sacbee, June 22, 2018.
