Word of the Week: sesquipedalian (sĕs-kwĭ-pĭ-DĀL-yǝn) Definition (Adjective) Given to using long words. In Context “Poor Miss Matty got sadly puzzled with this, for the words gathered size like snowballs, and towards the end of her letter Miss Jenkyns used to become quite sesquipedalian.” Elizabeth Gaskell, Cranford, 1851.