Collection of words and their meanings
POPULARITY
Categories
1,744 episodes with Dictionary
234 episodes with Dictionary
75 episodes with Dictionary
89 episodes with Dictionary
94 episodes with Dictionary
77 episodes with Dictionary
35 episodes with Dictionary
21 episodes with Dictionary
39 episodes with Dictionary
35 episodes with Dictionary
66 episodes with Dictionary
13 episodes with Dictionary
24 episodes with Dictionary
35 episodes with Dictionary
38 episodes with Dictionary
16 episodes with Dictionary
18 episodes with Dictionary
23 episodes with Dictionary
27 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
16 episodes with Dictionary
40 episodes with Dictionary
14 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
39 episodes with Dictionary
14 episodes with Dictionary
13 episodes with Dictionary
7 episodes with Dictionary
31 episodes with Dictionary
11 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
17 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
13 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
25 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
16 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
9 episodes with Dictionary
7 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
9 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
7 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
20 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
6 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
16 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
9 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
7 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
7 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
2 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
3 episodes with Dictionary
8 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
10 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
4 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
5 episodes with Dictionary
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2025 is: frolic • FRAH-lik • verb To frolic is to play and move about happily. // We watched the seals as they frolicked in the harbor. See the entry > Examples: “Harper's consciousness ends up in the body of her mom, Anna. Lily bodyswaps with her soon-to-be grandma Tess. And vice versa. Meaning Lohan and Curtis are playing teens again. While their younger co-stars mug sternly, make jokes about regaining a metabolism ‘the speed of light,' and frolic on electric scooters, Freaky Friday's dynamic duo fling themselves into silly sequences ...” — Kristy Puchko, Mashable, 5 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Frolic is a word rooted in pleasure. Its most common function today is as a verb meaning “to play and move about happily,” as in “children frolicking in the waves,” but it joined the language in the 16th century as an adjective carrying the meaning of its Dutch source vroolijk: “full of fun; merry.” Shakespeare's Puck used it this way in A Midsummer Night's Dream, saying “And we fairies … following darkness like a dream, now are frolic.” Verb use quickly followed, and by the early 17th century the word was also being used as a noun, as in “an evening of fun and frolic.”
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2025 is: sedentary • SED-un-tair-ee • adjective Something described as sedentary does or involves a lot of sitting. Sedentary can also mean "not physically active" (as in "a sedentary lifestyle") or "not migratory" (as in "sedentary birds" or "a sedentary civilization"). // Editing the dictionary is a sedentary job. See the entry > Examples: "From open offices to home workstations, employees across industries invested in sit-stand setups with the hope of counteracting sedentary lifestyles." — Michelle Stansbury, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Sedentary comes from the Latin verb sedēre, meaning "to sit." Other descendants of sedēre include dissident, insidious, preside, reside, and subsidy. Sedēre is also the base of the rare sedens, a noun that refers to a person who remains a resident of the place or region of their birth.
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from gatvol to hoovering.Key and Peele deal with crazy cute puppies. https://youtu.be/z6iC0Vi1yEg?si=Yc5ebhOgmjf9T5aGUse my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Jonah Krauthttps://jonahkraut.bandcamp.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
In 1872, the quiet Georgia town of Surrency became the center of one of America's strangest mysteries. Inside the home of Allen Powell Surrency, glass shattered, clocks ran backward, and furniture moved without a hand touching it. The events drew scientists, skeptics, and spiritualists, including one from Salem, Massachusetts. Was it a hoax, hysteria, or something that defied explanation? In this episode of Southern Mysteries, uncover the story of the Surrency family and the haunting that shook a town, blurred the line between faith and fear, and became one of the most documented poltergeist cases in U.S. history. Join the Community on Patreon: Want more Southern Mysteries? You can hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2025 is: etymology • eh-tuh-MAH-luh-jee • noun An etymology is an explanation of a word's history—that is, where the word came from and how it developed. // As a word nerd, I'm always eager to learn a word's etymology and trace it back to its earliest known origins. See the entry > Examples: “A recent Vogue bride, Nicole Amarise, changed her name—as did her husband. ‘Together we opted to create a new one for our new life together,' she says. ‘We gave ChatGPT information about the etymology of our old surnames, and guided it to generate surname options for us that could relate to our heritages and cultures.'” — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 16 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The etymology of etymology itself is relatively straightforward, so we won't bug you with a lengthy explanation. Etymology ultimately comes from the Greek word etymon, meaning “literal meaning of a word according to its origin.” Etymon in turn comes from etymos, which means “true.” Be careful not to confuse etymology with the similar sounding entomology. Entomon means “insect” in Greek, and entomology is a branch of zoology that deals with insects.
Dr. Ken Cooper is globally recognized as the Father of Aerobics – in fact, his term AEROBICS is officially included in Webster's Dictionary. A true pioneer in preventive medicine, Dr. Cooper revolutionized how millions think about staying active and healthy.His groundbreaking research and fitness philosophy proved that exercise is not just about adding years to your life— but adding life to your years. Learn his proven 8 Steps to Get “Cooperized” and discover how movement, mindset, and motivation can add life to your years.Top Takeaways:-Discipline Takes Discipline-When Things Get Difficult Wait on the Lord-Perseverance with Purpose-We Need Spiritual & Physical HealthLET ME KNOW WHAT FUTURE TOPICS YOU'D LOVE TO EXPLORE!FREE!! —JOIN THOUSANDS WHO GET VALERIE'S BEST INSIGHTS ONPROFESSIONALISM AND EXECUTIVE PRESENCE www.valerieandcompany.comFollow her journey and expert insights:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriesokolosky/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValerieAndCompanyX: https://twitter.com/valsokolosky?lang=enSubscribe, rate, and write a review on Apple Podcast- https://apple.co/2SHDDmoSubscribe to Doing it Right vlog cast: youtube.com/valerieandcompanyListen and watch Doing it Right the Stories that Make Us:https://www.valerieandcompany.com/Podcast
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2025 is: veritable • VAIR-uh-tuh-bul • adjective Veritable is a formal adjective that means “being in fact the thing named and not false, unreal, or imaginary.” It is often used to stress the aptness of a metaphorical description. // The island is a veritable paradise. // The sale attracted a veritable mob of people. See the entry > Examples: “The Roma are often described as an ethnic minority, but many Romani communities view ‘Roma' as a broad racial identity, stretching all the way back to our Indian ancestry. Indeed, to look at the Roma as one ethnicity is to disregard the veritable mosaic of Romani subgroups. There's a thread that holds us all together, which to me feels like a string of fairy lights scattered across the world. Each of these lights shines with its own unique beauty.” — Madeline Potter, The Roma: A Traveling History, 2025 Did you know? Veritable, like its close relative verity (“truth”), came to English through Anglo-French from Latin, ultimately the adjective vērus, meaning “true,” which also gave English verify, aver, and verdict. Veritable is often used as a synonym of genuine or authentic (“a veritable masterpiece”), but it is also frequently used to stress the aptness of a metaphor, often with a humorous tone (“a veritable swarm of lawyers”). In the past, language commentators objected to the latter use, but today it doesn't draw much criticism.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2025 is: muse • MYOOZ • verb When muse is used to mean "to think about something carefully or thoroughly," it is usually followed by about, on, over, or upon. The word can also mean "to become absorbed in thought," or "to think or say something in a thoughtful way." // He mused on the possibility of pursuing a master's degree. // "I could sell the house," she mused aloud, "but then where would I go?" See the entry > Examples: "On a crisp winter's day, 100-year-old Peg Logan sits in her favorite wingback chair in the living room of her Harpswell home. She flips through the pages of an oversized gardening book and muses about the vegetables she'll plant in the spring." — Connie Sage Conner, The Harpswell (Maine) Anchor, 27 Feb. 2025 Did you know? Muse on this: the word muse comes from the Anglo-French verb muser, meaning "to gape, to idle, to muse." The image evoked is one of a thinker so absorbed in thought as to be unconsciously open-mouthed. Those who muse on their pets' musings might like to know that muser is ultimately from the Medieval Latin noun musus, meaning "mouth of an animal"—also source of the word muzzle. The noun muse, which in lowercase refers to a source of inspiration and when capitalized to one of the sister goddesses of Greek mythology, has no etymological link: that word comes from the Greek Mousa. The ultimate Greek origin of the word museum translates as "of the Muses."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2025 is: kibosh • KYE-bosh • noun Kibosh refers to something that serves as a check or stop. It is usually used in the phrase “put the kibosh on” to mean “to stop or end (something)” or “to prevent (something) from happening or continuing.” // I downloaded an app to help me put the kibosh on my high screen time. See the entry > Examples: “… Maybe, suggests [Graham] Dugoni and other advocates, instead of putting the kibosh on devices entirely, we need to treat modern society like a teenager on a rebellious streak. Rather than saying no, we need to show them support, offer a gentle hand, maybe even make them think it's their idea. In a way, it's time for some gentle parenting.” — Chase DiBenedetto, Mashable, 3 June 2025 Did you know? Evidence of kibosh dates the word to only a few years before Charles Dickens used it in an 1836 sketch, but despite kibosh being relatively young its source is elusive. Claims were once made that it was Yiddish, despite the absence of a plausible Yiddish source. Another hypothesis pointed to the Irish term caidhp bhais, literally, “coif (or cap) of death,” explained as headgear a judge put on when pronouncing a death sentence, or as a covering pulled over the face of a corpse when a coffin was closed. But evidence for any metaphorical use of this phrase in Irish is lacking, and kibosh is not recorded in English as spoken in Ireland until decades after Dickens's use. More recent source theories include a heraldic term for an animal's head when born with only its face fully showing, and an Arabic word meaning “whip, lash,” but as the note at our etymology explains, no theory has sufficient evidence to back it.
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from descarga to gabacho.Use my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Jonah Krauthttps://jonahkraut.bandcamp.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2025 is: biannual • bye-AN-yuh-wul • adjective Biannual is an adjective used to describe something that happens twice a year, or something that happens every two years. Biannual is always used before the noun it describes. // The art show is a biannual event that won't happen again for two more years. // The group holds biannual meetings in December and July. See the entry > Examples: “About 200 miles of trails make up The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail along Alabama's Gulf coast. These comprehensive trails span both Baldwin and Mobile counties, following the coastline, wetlands, and backwaters—all crucial stopover habitats for migratory birds. Visit in the fall or spring to see part of the beautiful biannual journey for yourself.” — Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025 Did you know? When we describe something as biannual, we can mean either that it occurs twice a year or that it occurs once every two years. So how does someone know which particular meaning we have in mind? Well, unless we provide them with a contextual clue, they don't. Some people prefer to use semiannual to refer to something that occurs twice a year, reserving biannual for things that occur once every two years. This practice is hardly universal among English speakers, however, and biannual remains a potentially ambiguous word. Fortunately, English also provides us with biennial, a word that specifically refers to something that occurs every two years or that lasts or continues for two years.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2025 is: biannual • bye-AN-yuh-wul • adjective Biannual is an adjective used to describe something that happens twice a year, or something that happens every two years. // The art show is a biannual event that won't happen again for two more years. // The group holds biannual meetings in December and July. See the entry > Examples: “About 200 miles of trails make up The Alabama Coastal Birding Trail along Alabama's Gulf coast. These comprehensive trails span both Baldwin and Mobile counties, following the coastline, wetlands, and backwaters—all crucial stopover habitats for migratory birds. Visit in the fall or spring to see part of the beautiful biannual journey for yourself.” — Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2025 Did you know? When we describe something as biannual, we can mean either that it occurs twice a year or that it occurs once every two years. So how does someone know which particular meaning we have in mind? Well, unless we provide them with a contextual clue, they don't. Some people prefer to use semiannual to refer to something that occurs twice a year, reserving biannual for things that occur once every two years. This practice is hardly universal among English speakers, however, and biannual remains a potentially ambiguous word. Fortunately, English also provides us with biennial, a word that specifically refers to something that occurs every two years or that lasts or continues for two years.
My most recent guest, Gerry O'Sullivan, talked with me about her process, The Journey of Inference. As she puts it succinctly: “Our Journey of Inference interprets the world of observable data according to our unique perspective or paradigm.”It's clear from Gerry's process and our conversation that our inferences can get us into trouble, precisely because we each carry a unique perspective or paradigm.Dictionary definitions of infer are, if not quite unique, not fully consistent.For example, one says infer means to conclude through reasoning. Another than infer means to guess or use reasoning. And yet another statesInfer can mean “to derive by reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence.”It's that guessing, those premises, that can wreak havoc. Do you have comments or suggestions about a topic or guest? An idea or question about conflict management or conflict resolution? Let me know at jb@dovetailresolutions.com! And you can learn more about me and my work as a mediator and a Certified CINERGY® Conflict Coach at www.dovetailresolutions.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/janebeddall/.Enjoy the show for free on your favorite podcast app or on the podcast website: https://craftingsolutionstoconflict.com/
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2025 is: coalesce • koh-uh-LESS • verb To coalesce is to come together to form one group or mass. // The club's community service projects provide students with a common goal to coalesce around. // The movie is full of beautifully written scenes but they never coalesce into a whole. See the entry > Examples: “... as Angola prepares for the final, the combination of personal perseverance, team cohesion, and national pride coalesces into something bigger than a game: a celebration of resilience, dedication, and the enduring spirit of basketball in Angola.” — Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes, 24 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The meaning of many English words equals the sum of their parts, and coalesce is a fitting example. The word unites the prefix co- (“together”) and the Latin verb alescere, meaning “to grow.” Coalesce is one of a number of English verbs (along with mix, commingle, merge, and amalgamate) that refer to the act of combining parts into a whole. In particular, coalesce usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit, such as a political ideology, a fan-following, or (perish the thought) a Portuguese man-of-war, the body of which includes three types of zooids.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2025 is: utopia • yoo-TOH-pee-uh • noun Utopia refers to an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect; a utopia is a place of ideal perfection. // It's a nice place to live, but it's no utopia. See the entry > Examples: “Despite the rest of the group arguing with and (mostly) disagreeing with him for half the evening, my colleague stuck to his guns: it would be handy to have robots writing poetry for people. … But at the heart of my colleague's provocative position was a utopian ideal: of a future in which technology was advanced enough to ‘do everything,' even write poetry, so that no one needed to work. Yet this position wasn't convincing either. His utopia sounded more than a little dull, and nobody wants to be bored out of their minds.” — Surekha Davies, Humans: A Monstrous History, 2025 Did you know? There's quite literally no place like utopia. In 1516, English humanist Sir Thomas More published a book titled Utopia, which compared social and economic conditions in Europe with those of an ideal society on an imaginary island located off the coast of the Americas. More wanted to imply that the perfect conditions on his fictional island could never really exist, so he called it “Utopia,” a name he created by combining the Greek words ou (“not, no”) and topos (“place”). The earliest generic use of utopia was for an imaginary and indefinitely remote place. The current use of utopia, referring to an ideal place or society, was inspired by More's description of Utopia's perfection.
Welcome, my devilish fiends!Join me as we trace the roots of the vampire back to the women who came before her: Lamia, Lilith, and the succubi.These "monstrous" figures haunted ancient myth and medieval imagination, embodying male fears of female power, pleasure, and autonomy. Long before Dracula, they turned desire into danger and defiance into sin. Their stories reveal how myth and theology worked together to make women's power appear monstrous and how those same fears still shape the vampire we know today. So, close your doors and windows, turn off the lights, get cozy, and join me... ***Listener Discretion is Strongly Advised*******************Sources & References:Epic of Gilgamesh – references to lilītu demons.The Alphabet of Ben Sira.The Zohar (Book of Splendor).Philostratus, Life of Apollonius of Tyana.Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger, Malleus Maleficarum.King James VI of Scotland, Daemonologie.John Keats, Lamia.Sarah Iles Johnston, Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece (University of California Press, 1999).Daniel Ogden, Drakōn: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds (Oxford University Press, 2013).Judith Plaskow, The Coming of Lilith: Essays on Feminism, Judaism, and Sexual Ethics, 1972–2003 (Beacon Press, 2005).Gershom Scholem, Kabbalah (Quadrangle/New York Times Book Co., 1974).Raphael Patai, The Hebrew Goddess (Wayne State University Press, 1990).Jeffrey Burton Russell, Witchcraft in the Middle Ages (Cornell University Press, 1972).Deborah Lyons, Dangerous Gifts: Gender and Exchange in Ancient Greece (Princeton University Press, 1997).Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, Dictionary of Women in Religious Art (Oxford University Press, 1996).Nina Auerbach, Our Vampires, Ourselves (University of Chicago Press, 1995).Paul Barber, Vampires, Burial, and Death: Folklore and Reality (Yale University Press, 1988).Barbara Creed, The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis (Routledge, 1993).Marina Warner, From the Beast to the Blonde: On Fairy Tales and Their Tellers (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1995).****************Leave Us a 5* Rating, it really helps the show!Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beauty-unlocked-the-podcast/id1522636282Spotify Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/37MLxC8eRob1D0ZcgcCorA****************Follow Us on Social Media & Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!YouTube:@beautyunlockedspodcasthourTikTok:tiktok.com/@beautyunlockedthepod****************MUSIC & SOUND FX:"Beast by Beast" by Edward Karl Hanson"An Obsession" by DayonEpidemic SoundFind the perfect track on Epidemic Sound for your content and take it to the next level! See what the hype is all about!
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from comal to debs.Salads on "The Allusionist".https://www.theallusionist.org/allusionist/salads?rq=saladUse my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Jonah Krauthttps://jonahkraut.bandcamp.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman is the artist and illustrator of "The Divine Feminine Oracle", The Spellcasting Oracle” and “The Sutras of Unspeakable Joy”. She is a visionary artist who merges magick and technology with traditional mediums to create new interpretations of myth and archetype. Through her work she explores shamanic, astrological and mythological constructs to interpret the liminal worlds of the Divine Feminine, incorporating art and talisman to create a third phenomenon, or magical reality. Her art was included in Witchcraft - Taschen and features in The Divine Feminine Oracle that she created along with Meggan Watterson, on the covers of The Mistress of Longing and Gina Martin's Daughters of the Goddess series. In honor of the Great Mother, and as personal witness, she creates all work under the pseudonym "SheWhoIsArt".www.etsy.com/shop/SheWhoIsArt Website: www.shewhoisart.comFacebook: facebook.com/shewhoisartInstagram: @shewhoisWe talked aboutThe soul in artArt as a vessel for the sacredSacred Feminine perspective on current eventsFeminine representation in the Bible and why it goes untaughtHer work with Megan Watterson on the Divine Feminine Oracle.Her artmaking process – creating lightSymbology of the FeminineFinding and trusting the real in this post-truth worldIn the extended episode – over 45 mins of extra content just $3 on www.patreon.com/lucyhpearce we talked about:Perimenopause and menopause – wise woman insightMigraine and creativitySymbology – the Alphabet vs the GoddessAncient women cave paintersHer twinkle boxAI as a creative and business toolThe female roots of modern Western abstract artHer religious backgroundFacebook and IG jailBalancing our creatrix and business partsResourcesBurning WomanThe Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred ObjectsDiscover Your Inner Symbols – MasterclassThe Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image Women Who Run With the Wolves and Mother Night – Clarissa Pinkola Estes – listen to our Creative Magic special on Women Who Run with the WolvesThe Holy Wild: A Heathen Bible for the UntamedThe Great Cosmic Mother Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thousands of Cabo Verdeans Americans have made their home in Greater Boston bringing with them the indigenous language of their ancestral homeland. Now through the efforts of a local retired teacher and writer, Cabo Verdean Creole has been captured in a dictionary – the formalization of a language that has been passed down primarily orally. In honor of the dictionary's official publishing, we're looking back on the conversation we had in January 2024 about the making of this dictionary and why it's so important to Cabo Verdeans in the United States and abroad.
Watch You Be Trippin' https://www.youtube.com/@youbetrippinpodFind Ari:https://www.youtube.com/arishaffirhttps://www.instagram.com/arishaffir/Watch his special "America's Sweetheart" on Netflix now!This video, as well as every podcast on this channel is now available on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/6twCOTAW3UmiJOmvm1bja1?si=c6b5c97b1c294334Support the show on Patreon & get access to a bunch of perks https://www.patreon.com/smallbrainedamericanChapters:0:00 Going Where They Can't Find You4:30 Where is Ari Going Next?8:13 Which Trip Gave You The Travel Bug?22:50 Bali, When To End Travel28:13 Egypt & Acid30:36 Drugs In Other Countries35:10 Capitalist America40:00 Media Censorship Around The World46:59 Cuba, Language, Asia53:58 Foreign Foods59:30 The Foreigner Voice1:09:00 Strict Government, Backpacking, & Travel Miracles Follow the show ⬇️ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/smallbrainedamerican/Twitter https://x.com/SBAmerican_Get Your Merch https://www.smallbrainedamerican.store My gear: DJI Action 4 https://amzn.to/3VOlhyxDJI Wireless Mics https://amzn.to/3xLkkzeInsta 360 x3 https://amzn.to/45YwdyjBooks Japanese Phrasebook & Dictionary https://amzn.to/3LculsoVagabonding https://amzn.to/3tIAB5MThe slides i wear on travel days https://amzn.to/3XP436YApple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/small-brained-pod/id1724261259
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2025 is: penultimate • pih-NUL-tuh-mut • adjective Penultimate means "occurring immediately before the last one," or in other words, "next to last." A formal adjective, it is always used before the noun it modifies. // The penultimate episode of the TV series features some shocking plot twists that set up what will surely be a thrilling series finale. See the entry > Examples: "The high school soccer playoffs are down to their penultimate round with the state semifinals looming later this week after a select few regional champions were crowned on Tuesday." — Matt Welch, The Plano (Texas) Star Courier, 2 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Penultimate isn't the last word in words for things that are next to last. It has a pair of closely-related noun synonyms: penult and penultima. Although all three concern something that's next to last, penult and penultima are usually a bit more specific; they are used most often to identify the next to last syllable of a word. All three come from paenultima, the feminine of paenultimus, a Latin root from paene ("almost") and ultimus ("last"). You may occasionally hear the word penultimate used as an intensified version of ultimate, as in "a race they've called 'the penultimate challenge.'" This use isn't typically found in edited prose, however, or in dictionaries, as discussed in this video.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2025 is: imprimatur • im-pruh-MAH-toor • noun Imprimatur is a formal word that refers to explicit approval or permission. // Though not an official project of the theater, the drama festival has its imprimatur. See the entry > Examples: “It is not overstating to say that [Frederick] Douglass was a baseball man. He attended games, supported his sons' involvement, and even played catch with his grandchildren. Douglass's support gave Black baseball an imprimatur of race approval as an activity that uplifted the race. It was not frivolous for Black men to pursue this sport as an avocation, or even as a vocation.” — Gerald Early, Play Harder: The Triumph of Black Baseball in America, 2025 Did you know? Imprimatur means “let it be printed” in New Latin (the Latin used since the end of the medieval period especially in science). It comes from Latin imprimere, meaning “to imprint or impress.” In the 1600s, the word appeared in the front matter of books, accompanied by the name of an official authorizing the book's printing. In time, English speakers began using imprimatur in the general sense of “official approval.”
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2025 is: languid • LANG-gwid • adjective Something described as languid shows or has very little energy, force, or activity. // We paddled at a languid pace, in no hurry to arrive at our picnic destination. See the entry > Examples: “The flat once belonged to 19th-century French writer George Sand, and is now a handsome apartment with sleek decor and elevated amenities that will make it easy to enjoy languid afternoons sipping on a glass of wine and perusing the owner's extensive literary collection.” — Elise Taylor, Nicole Kliest, and Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 8 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Lack, lack, lack. Languid is all about lack. Depending on its context, the word can suggest a lack of strength or force, a lack of energy, or a lack of activity. The lack-of-strength/force sense of languid describes the kind of sluggishness that often results from fatigue or weakness, as in “the illness left her feeling languid.” The lack-of-energy sense is synonymous with listless, and often describes someone's character or disposition as a result of dissatisfaction or sadness. Lastly, there's the lack-of-activity sense of languid, as in “investors are worried about the languid stock market.” So languid is a total bummer, right? Not so (ahem) fast! Sometimes it's a good thing to dillydally, and languid has also long been used to describe stretches of time—think afternoons, days, summers, etc.—that are relatively and perhaps pleasantly chill.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2025 is: obviate • AHB-vee-ayt • verb To obviate something (usually a need for something, or a necessity) is to anticipate and prevent it. A formal word, obviate can also mean "to make an action unnecessary." // The new medical treatment obviates the need for surgery. // Allowing workers flexibility should obviate any objections to the change. See the entry > Examples: "In 1987, a new kind of computer workstation debuted from Sun Microsystems. These workstations, as well as increasingly powerful desktop computers from IBM and Apple, obviated the need for specialized LISP machines. Within a year, the market for LISP machines evaporated." — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 3 Sept. 2025 Did you know? It's most often needs that get obviated. And a need that's obviated is a need that's been anticipated and prevented. That sentence may obviate your need to consult the definition again, for example. Obviate comes ultimately from the Latin adjective obviam, meaning "in the way," and obviating does often involve figuratively putting something in the way, as when an explanatory sentence placed just so blocks a need to consult a definition. (Obviam is also an ancestor of our adjective obvious.) Obviate has a number of synonyms in English, including prevent, preclude, and avert, which all can mean "to hinder or stop something." Preclude often implies that a degree of chance was involved in stopping an event, while avert always implies that a bad situation has been anticipated and prevented or deflected by the application of immediate and effective means. Obviate generally suggests the use of intelligence or forethought to ward off trouble.
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from campo santo to collectomania.I'm not sure what makes it "charanga" music but I like it. https://youtu.be/7GztIUo8tSs?si=6x1nvArl_LWoQCCZUse my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Jonah Krauthttps://jonahkraut.bandcamp.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
Show #2514 Show Notes: ‘Theology’: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/theology Communion Verses: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010%3A4-13&version=KJV https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt.%2026%3A26-29&version=KJV Dr. Paul Interview: https://www.facebook.com/61571200380005/videos/1455557155677091 Coach’s Weekly Word: https://coachdavelive.com/weekly-word/christianity-is-no-place-for-the-cowardly Removed from Delta flight for his hat: https://www.facebook.com/reel/2619426985062233 Gen. Flynn Denounces the ‘Assault on Christianity’ in the US: https://www.lewrockwell.com/2025/10/no_author/gen-michael-flynn-denounces-assault-on-christianity-in-the-us/
1123. This week, we talk with author and self-described “word freak” Stefan Fatsis about his book "Unabridged." He shares his experience embedding at Merriam-Webster to become a lexicographer, sharing the contrast between the company's 1940s headquarters and the modern digital business. We look at the tension between updating old words (like the surprising original meaning of "pompom girl") and the need to add new, "sexy" words to generate web traffic.Find Stefan Fatsis on his website, Bluesky or Facebook. Get the book, Unabridged.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2025 is: duress • dur-RESS • noun Duress, which is typically used with under, refers to force or threats meant to make someone do something. It is used especially of unlawful coercion. // The defense asserts that the defendant's confession was made under duress. See the entry > Examples: “Did you know that Toni [Morrison] also edited poetry? (What couldn't she do!) Despite inexperience with the medium, Morrison was an early champion of the poet June Jordan. She published one of her earliest collections, Things I Do in the Dark, in 1977. In a 1975 letter, Morrison told Jordan that Random House would publish her work, but only under duress. ‘The answer they gave was “we would prefer her prose—will do poetry if we must,”' she wrote. ‘Now I would tell them to shove it if that were me…'” — Brittany Allen, LitHub.com, 24 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Duress is most often paired with the word under to refer to force or threats meant to make someone do something. For example, someone forced to sign a document signs it “under duress,” and a person held “under duress” is not free to leave but is being constrained, usually unlawfully. (Do not confuse being “under duress” with being “under stress,” which is a much more common occurrence.) Duress comes ultimately from the Latin adjective durus, meaning “hard,” source too of durable and endure.
Show #2513 Show Notes: ‘Melancholy’: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/melancholy Matthew 5: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%205&version=KJV ‘Disciple’: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/disciple Matthew 11:11 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011%3A11&version=KJV We May Never Pass This Way Again – Seals and Crofts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd6zYQPCgsc John 15:16 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2015%3A16&version=KJV Church Goers: https://www.facebook.com/donnie.kolb/videos/1104739031761644 If Tomorrow Never Comes – Garth Brooks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib71HRznJd0&list=RDib71HRznJd0&start_radio=1
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2025 is: finicky • FIN-ih-kee • adjective Finicky describes someone who is very hard to please, or something that requires a lot of care, precision, or attentive effort. // Although she was a finicky eater as a child, she grew up to become a world-renowned chef famous for her encyclopedic knowledge of global ingredients. // The latest game in the series boasts amazing graphics but the controls are a little finicky. See the entry > Examples: "Stardom is a fleeting concept, one that we've seen play out with the biggest of stars over time. Even without outright missteps, artists often find themselves scrutinized by the masses for reasons entirely unrelated to their work. More often than not, this pressure either drives them to prove their worth to a finicky fanbase—one that will jump ship the second something else catches their attention—or pushes them back into obscurity." — Aron A., HotNewHipHop.com, 22 Aug. 2025 Did you know? If you're a reader of a certain age (say, a Boomer, Gen Xer, or even a Xennial) you may remember cheeky television commercials featuring Morris, a finicky housecat who only eats a certain brand of cat food. (Morris is still featured on product labels.) Morris's tastes in cuisine are not only very particular, but very fine as well, and that's appropriate given the origin of finicky. The word came about in the early 19th century as an alteration of finicking, itself a 17th century alteration of another adjective, finical, which in turn is a late 16th century coinage likely derived from the adjective fine.
Show #2512 Show Notes: First Amendment: https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment ‘Establishment’: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/establishment ‘Abridge’: https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/abridge Denomination differences: https://www.learnreligions.com/comparing-christian-denominations-beliefs-part-1-700537 Top seminaries: https://churchleaders.com/voices/507542-a-closer-look-at-the-nations-largest-seminaries.html Which denominations adhere to dispensationalism? https://crosstalk.ai/knowledgebase/theological-concepts/soteriology/which-denominations-adhere-dispensationalism/ Link from Craig: https://realbiblebelievers.com/historical-evidence-of-dispensationalism Judaism is not Zionism: https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1932809797578211
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2025 is: candor • KAN-der • noun Candor refers to the quality of being open, sincere, and honest. // During the interview, the comedian spoke with candor about the nervousness she feels every time she takes the stage. See the entry > Examples: “When Malika Andrews sat down to chat with ESSENCE, she was seated in her car. There was no rush in her voice, just an ease that showed how thoughtful and open she was to the experience. That balance of composure and candor is exactly what's made her one of the most respected names in sports journalism.” — Diona Ballard, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The Latin verb candēre, meaning “to shine or glow,” has illuminated the English lexicon for centuries. It's given us familiar words such as candle, candid, and candidate, as well as less common terms like candela (a unit of luminous intensity) and candescent (“glowing or dazzling from or as if from great heat”). Candor, another candēre descendant, arrived in English in the 14th century. Its earliest uses referred to brightness or unstained purity and innocence; today, you're most likely to encounter candor as a word for unquestionably honest expression.
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from bombil to camera roll.Use my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Tom Maslowskihttps://zestysol.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2025 is: embarrass • im-BAIR-us • verb To embarrass someone is to make them feel confused and foolish in front of other people. // Unexpected laughter embarrassed the speaker. See the entry > Examples: “Going public creates accountability and makes backing out harder. Every creator wishes they'd started sooner. Don't let future-you have the same regret. Get okay with the idea that in the future, your past work will embarrass you. This means growth.” — Jodie Cook, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025 Did you know? If you've ever felt frozen, unable to move, or like a deer in the proverbial headlights when embarrassed by something, then the origins of the verb embarrass will make a great deal of sense. When embarrass first entered English from French in the late 16th century, it was used for the action of hampering or impeding the progress of someone or something—figuratively tying them up. No wonder then that embarrass comes ultimately from the Portuguese verb embaraçar, which adds the prefix em- to the noun baraça, meaning “noose” or “rope.” This “hampering” sense of embarrass, and others related to restricting, impairing, or burdening of one sort or other, are still in use today, but they're less common than the “to make someone feel confused and foolish in front of other people” sense is.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2025 is: sonorous • SAH-nuh-rus • adjective Sonorous is an adjective used in formal speech and writing to describe something that has a deep, loud, and pleasant sound. Sonorous can also mean “producing sound (when struck)” and “imposing or impressive in effect or style.” // The baritone's deep, sonorous voice cut through the din of the crowd, the voices immediately halting their conversations to listen more intently. See the entry > Examples: “The sonorous notes of a modern pipe organ were the soundtrack to my tour, enhancing the sense of reverence the cathedral inspires.” — Tracey Teo, The Chicago Tribune, 11 Sept. 2024 Did you know? If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, is it sonorous? Don't be thrown off by the subtle tweak in this classic conundrum—which usually ends with “does it make a sound?”—it's still the same question. Sonorous, in its oldest sense, simply describes things that make a sound when struck (the word's Latin ancestor, sonorus, is related to sonus, meaning “sound”). By this definition, felled firs, windblown willows, etc., are all sonorous. A desktop tapped by a pencil eraser wouldn't normally be described as sonorous, however. The word is usually reserved for things that make a deep, loud, booming, or echoing sound—think timpanis (or toppling timber), not tables. Sonorous is also frequently used to describe sounds themselves, as well as voices, that are deep, loud, and pleasant. And as sonorous sounds often cause one to sit up and take notice, sonorous can also mean “imposing or impressive in effect or style,” as when describing particularly affecting speech or prose.
O niemożności bycia w wielu miejscach na raz, momencie grozy przy kasie, oraz o zapomnianym Jajku Niespodziance. Książka, o której wspominam w odcinku to "Dictionary of obscure sorrows" Johna Koeniga
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2025 is: repertoire • REP-er-twahr • noun Repertoire typically refers to a list or supply of plays, songs, dances, etc. that a company or person is prepared to perform,. Repertoire may also refer to a supply of skills or devices, or more broadly to an amount or supply. // The band's repertoire includes both classic and modern jazz. // The couple enrolled in a cooking class to expand their culinary repertoire. // His fashion repertoire includes a rotation of vibrant floral tops. See the entry > Examples: "[Rebecca] Roudman is best known as the frontwoman for Dirty Cello, a hard-working band that has honed a rollicking repertoire of rock anthems, bluegrass standards and Americana originals." — Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News (San Jose, California), 21 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The Late Latin noun repertorium, meaning "list," has given English two words related to the broad range of things that someone or something can do. One is repertory, perhaps most commonly known as a word for a company that presents several different plays, operas, or other works at one theater, as well as the theater where such works are performed. Repertoire, which comes from repertorium via French, once meant the same thing as repertory but later came to refer to the works a company performs, or, in extended use, to a range of skills that a person has, such as the different pitches a baseball pitcher can throw or the particular dishes that are a chef's specialty.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2025 is: gibbous • JIB-us • adjective Gibbous is most often used to describe the moon or a planet when it is seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated. // The waxing gibbous moon provided the perfect lighting for a night of spooky storytelling around the campfire. See the entry > Examples: “At 3:30 a.m. the gibbous moon is high in the south and Perseus is nearly overhead. Set up a comfortable lawn chair facing away from any bright lights, ideally looking toward the northeast with the moon to your back. Have insect repellent handy along with hot chocolate, tea or coffee and enjoy the show.” — Tim Hunter, The Arizona Daily Star, 7 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The adjective gibbous has its origins in the Latin noun gibbus, meaning “hump.” It was adopted into Middle English to describe rounded, convex things. While it has been used to describe the rounded body parts of humans and animals (such as the back of a camel) and to describe the shape of certain flowers (such as snapdragons), the term is most often used to describe the moon: a gibbous moon is one that is between half full and full.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2025 is: gibbous • JIB-us • adjective Gibbous is most often used to describe the moon or a planet when it is seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated. // The waxing gibbous moon provided the perfect lighting for a night of spooky storytelling around the campfire. See the entry > Examples: “At 3:30 a.m. the gibbous moon is high in the south and Perseus is nearly overhead. Set up a comfortable lawn chair facing away from any bright lights, ideally looking toward the northeast with the moon to your back. Have insect repellent handy along with hot chocolate, tea or coffee and enjoy the show.” — Tim Hunter, The Arizona Daily Star, 7 Aug. 2025 Did you know? The adjective gibbous has its origins in the Latin noun gibbus, meaning “hump.” It was adopted into Middle English to describe rounded, convex things. While it has been used to describe the rounded body parts of humans and animals (such as the back of a camel) and to describe the shape of certain flowers (such as snapdragons), the term is most often used to describe the moon: a gibbous moon is one that is between half full and full.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2025 is: atone • uh-TOHN • verb To atone for something is to make amends for it—that is, to do something good as a way of showing that you are sorry about, or have remorse for, a mistake, bad behavior, etc. // The novel opens with an act of cruelty and then traces the thoughts and actions of those responsible as they try to atone for it. See the entry > Examples: “... the catcher atoned for his earlier miscue by hitting a game-tying solo homer to straightaway center field.” — Mac Cerullo, The Boston Herald, 24 July 2025 Did you know? Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at on meaning “in harmony,” a phrase echoed in current expressions like “feeling at one with nature.” When atone joined modern English in the 16th century, it meant “to reconcile,” and suggested the restoration of a peaceful and harmonious state between people or groups. Today, atone specifically implies addressing the damage—or disharmony—caused by one's own behavior.
Bath bun. Bobbinet. Poor basket. Vanity-bait. These are just a few of the words the Oxford English Dictionary credits Jane Austen with using for the first time in print—and almost all are words related to domestic and everyday life. In this episode, we sit down with scholar Charlotte Brewer to explore the Dictionary's 19th-century origins, its reliance on volunteer readers, its ongoing digital evolution, and the literary biases that shaped whose words were recorded. A must-listen for word nerds! Charlotte Brewer is Emerita Fellow in English at Hertford College, Oxford. She began her career as a medievalist, subsequently turning to the history of the English language and in particular its record in the Oxford English Dictionary. Her publications include studies of Jane Austen and Shakespeare in the OED, and she is currently working on the Murray Scriptorium, a co-edited edition of the letters of James Murray, the first chief editor of the OED.For a transcript and show notes, visit https://jasna.org/austen/podcast/ep28/.*********Visit our website: www.jasna.orgFollow us on Instagram and FacebookSubscribe to the podcast on our YouTube channelEmail: podcast@jasna.org
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2025 is: preternatural • pree-ter-NATCH-uh-rul • adjective Preternatural is a formal adjective used to describe things that are very unusual in a way that does not seem natural. // He has a preternatural knack for imitating birdcalls. // There was an eerie, preternatural quiet in the house. See the entry > Examples: "Beyond his physical and mental attributes, [Jayden] Daniels has a preternatural calm in the most pivotal moments of a drive, a game, and a season that makes you wonder if he's somehow been in the NFL for 10 years." — Doug Farrar, The Guardian (London), 21 Jan. 2025 Did you know? Preternatural comes from the Latin phrase praeter naturam, meaning "beyond nature." Medieval Latin scholars rendered this as praeternaturalis, and that form inspired the modern English word. Things beyond nature—i.e., very unusual things—can be alarming, and in its earliest documented uses in the late 1500s, preternatural was applied to strange, ominous, or abnormal phenomena, from works of God to signs of illness and disease. But by the 1800s things were looking up for preternatural, with the word describing remarkable abilities of exceptional humans, as it most often does today.
I read new words that were added to the Oxford (online) Dictionary in March of 2025, specifically from alamak to bomba.Use my special link https://zen.ai/thedictionary to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrTheme music from Jonah Krauthttps://jonahkraut.bandcamp.com/Merchandising!https://www.teepublic.com/user/spejampar"The Dictionary - Letter A" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter B" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter C" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter D" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter E" on YouTube"The Dictionary - Letter F" on YouTubeFeatured in a Top 10 Dictionary Podcasts list!https://blog.feedspot.com/dictionary_podcasts/Backwards Talking on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmIujMwEDbgZUexyR90jaTEEVmAYcCzuqhttps://linktr.ee/spejampardictionarypod@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thedictionarypod/https://www.threads.net/@dictionarypodhttps://twitter.com/dictionarypodhttps://www.instagram.com/dictionarypod/https://www.patreon.com/spejamparhttps://www.tiktok.com/@spejampar917-727-5757
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2025 is: impetuous • im-PECH-uh-wus • adjective Impetuous is a synonym of impulsive that describes a person who is acting without thought, or an action that is done without thought. // That impetuous decision could've cost us everything we worked so hard for. See the entry > Examples: “She takes off, impetuous and alone, for a cross-country trip, seeking some kind of self-understanding as she ultimately lands in the forests of California's redwood country, finding both a sanctuary and, whether she knows it or not, a bucket-list tribute to her late son.” — Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Impetuous types make impetuous decisions: they leap before they look, put carts before horses, count their chickens before even the tiniest of cracks appear on the eggs. In other words, they're impulsive. The etymology of impetuous is also impulsive but in a literal way: it traces back to the Latin word impetus, meaning “impulse, driving force,” as well as “assault.” English impetus, also meaning “impulse, driving force” (among other things), has the same source.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2025 is: obliterate • uh-BLIT-uh-rayt • verb To obliterate something is to destroy it completely so that nothing is left, to destroy utterly all trace, indication, or significance of it. It can also mean "to remove utterly from recognition or memory." // The wave completely obliterated our sandcastles. // The October snowstorm obliterated our hopes for a mild autumn. See the entry > Examples: "A day or two after the fire, I happened to be passing when the demolition crew got around to clearing away the debris. ... Most of the books were singed but readable, with titles outlined in charcoal and price conveniently obliterated. They cost nothing more than the effort to dig them out." — Peter Wortsman, LitHub.com, 14 July 2025 Did you know? Obliterate has been preserved in our language for centuries, and that's not nothing! The earliest evidence in our files traces obliterate back to the mid-16th century as a word for removing something from memory. Soon after, English speakers began to use it for the specific act of blotting out or obscuring anything written, and eventually its meaning was generalized to removing anything from existence. In the meantime, physicians began using obliterate for the surgical act of filling or closing up a vessel, cavity, or passage with tissue, which would then cause the bodily part to collapse or disappear. Today obliterate thrives in the English lexicon with the various senses it has acquired over the years, including its final stamp on the language: "to cancel (something, especially a postage stamp)."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2025 is: kerfuffle • ker-FUFF-ul • noun Kerfuffle is an informal word that refers to a disturbance or fuss typically caused by a dispute or conflict. // The reclassification of Pluto from a planet to a dwarf planet caused quite a kerfuffle among astronomy lovers. See the entry > Examples: “I find it fascinating that the media landscape and the world of storytelling has so many examples of Tony Sopranos and Walter Whites and Don Drapers, and I am hard pressed to think of as many characters who are women who are given the opportunity to be ... terrible people and to still get their story told. I think that because people are unaccustomed to that, it's a little bit more shocking, and it's clearly having an impact on the fandom. I've taken a step back from Reddit and social media, but enough of it gets through to me that I am at least aware that there is some kerfuffle happening on this front.” — Ashley Lyle, quoted in Teen Vogue, 11 Apr. 2025 Did you know? Fuffle is an old Scottish verb that means “to muss” or “to throw into disarray”—in other words, to (literally) ruffle someone's (figurative) feathers. The addition of car-, possibly from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “wrong” or “awkward,” didn't change its meaning much. In the 19th century carfuffle, with its variant curfuffle, became a noun, which in the 20th century was embraced by a broader population of English speakers and standardized to kerfuffle, referring to a more figurative feather-ruffling. There is some kerfuffle among language historians over how the altered spelling came to be favored. One theory holds that it might have been influenced by onomatopoeic words like kerplunk that imitate the sound of a falling object hitting a surface.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2025 is: vociferous • voh-SIF-uh-rus • adjective Vociferous describes people who express their feelings or opinions loudly and insistently. It is also applied to things, such as objections, that are expressed in such a way. // We were vociferous in our support of the proposal. // The decision was made over their vociferous objections. See the entry > Examples: "Earlier, there was talk of building a sports complex with playing fields in Highlands Ranch's 202-acre Wildcat Regional Park, which is owned by the county. But that plan was met with vociferous opposition from residents last year. " — John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2025 Did you know? Hear ye! Hear ye! To vociferate is to cry out loudly and insistently. Those who vociferate qualify as vociferous, especially when they loudly or insistently show their support for or displeasure in something by hootin' and hollerin'. Both vociferate and vociferous come from the Latin verb vociferari, a combining of vox, meaning "voice," with ferre, meaning "to carry." In addition to describing loud and insistent individuals and groups—critics, crowds, fans, et al.—vociferous can be used for anything characterized by loud insistence, as in "vociferous complaints," "a vociferous defense," and "vociferous support."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2025 is: gesundheit • guh-ZOONT-hyte • interjection Gesundheit is an interjection used to wish good health to one who has just sneezed. // I sneezed three times in a row, and my coworker called "gesundheit!" from the next cubicle. See the entry > Examples: "Personally, I did not like my husband's sneezing into his hand, so I stopped saying 'gesundheit' whenever he did that. He now almost always sneezes into his elbow." — The Toronto Star, 27 Jan. 2024 Did you know? When English speakers hear "achoo," they usually respond with either "gesundheit" or "God bless you." Gesundheit was borrowed in the early 20th century from German, where it literally means "health"; it was formed from gesund ("healthy") and -heit ("-hood"). Wishing a person good health when they sneeze was historically believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends. "God bless you" had a similar purpose, albeit with more divine weight to the well-wishing. Gesundheit at one time also served as a toast when drinking (much like its English counterpart, "to your health"), but this use is now largely obsolete.
Rizz!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 25, 2025 is: anomaly • uh-NAH-muh-lee • noun Anomaly is a somewhat formal word that refers to something that is remarkable in its deviation from what is usual or expected. // Last summer's storm was an anomaly for this area. // We were unable to explain the anomalies in the test results. See the entry > Examples: “Magic realism usually makes no attempt to explain or justify the anomaly behind the magical event. Its justification lies in the conceptual possibilities it allows for in the narrative, pleasure it provides, and feeling of strangeness that comes from a familiar world being tweaked.” — Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, Not Here, Not Now: Speculative Thought, Impossibility, and the Design Imagination, 2025 Did you know? You might be familiar with the Greek word homos, which means “same.” It is from this word that we get words like homonym, homogeneous, and homophone, all of which have to do with sameness or similarity. What does this have to do with anomaly? Although it's not obvious, homos is a part of the etymology of anomaly, too. Anomaly is a descendant—by way of Latin and Middle French—of the Greek word anṓmalos, which means “uneven” or “irregular.” Anṓmalos comes from the prefix a- (meaning “not”) and the word homalόs (meaning “even”)—and homalόs comes from homos.
© 2020-2025 Ivy Podcast Discovery LLC
