Tag: Heena Rathore’s weekly meme

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

I’m up to the letter R this week. I started off by just choosing a word at random (perspicacious). Since then, I’ve been working through the alphabet, so I’ll be looking for a good word beginning with S next week.

So, here is my WOW for this week:

 Word: 

Redolent

Pronunciation:

red·o·lent  (rɛdəʊlənt)

Audio link: Click here

Part of Speech:

Adjective

[Noun: red·o·lence, red·o·len·cy.  Adverb: red·o·lent·ly]

 Meaning:

1.Having a pleasant smell; fragrant e.g. a  deep, rich, redolent wine 

2. Odorous or smelling (usually followed by of) e.g. a room, redolent of furniture polish

3. Suggestive; reminiscent (usually followed by of or with) e.g. a portrait redolent of the nineteenth century 

Synonyms:

1. odorous, aromatic, odoriferous, ambrosial, aromatic, perfumed, fragrant, savoury (savory) scented, sweet, pleasant -smelling

2. (serving to bring to mind): evocative, remindful, reminiscent, resonant

Antonyms:

fetid, foul, malodorous, noisome, putrid, rancid, rank, reek, reeking, skunky, smelly, stenchful, stinking, stinky, strong

Word Origin

C14: from Latin redolens smelling (of), from redolēre to give off an odour, from red- re + olēre to smell

Use in a Sentence:

1. The chapter Margaret was reading was a sad one, redolent of regret and lost causes.

2. The forest path was redolent with the scent of pine needles.

3. (Noun use): The farmhouse kitchen was filled with the redolence of freshly baked bread.

If you’d like to see more interesting words, visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practise with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

I’m up to the letter Q this week. I started off by just choosing a word at random (perspicacious). Since then, I’ve been working through the alphabet, so I’ll be looking for a good word beginning with  R next week.

*Note to exiledprospero, who kindly suggested a good word for me to do when I reached Q:

I was going to do Qixotic this week, Prospero, as you kindly suggested, but I discovered that Heena, who runs this challenge, had beaten me to it.  So, if you’d like to see what Heena has to say about that excellent word, follow the link in her name above.

So, here is my WOW for this week:

Word: Quagmire

Pronunciation:  [kwag-mahyuh r, kwog-]  (ˈkwæɡˌmaɪə; ˈkwɒɡ-)

Audio link to British and U.S. pronunciation here

Part of Speech:  Noun

Adjective:  Quagmiry (quag·mir·y)

 Meaning:

1. A soft wet area of land that gives way underfoot.

2. A difficult  or precarious situation; a predicament.

3. Anything soft or flabby.

Synonyms:

predicament, difficulty, quandary, pass, dilemma, pinch, plight, muddle, impasse, entanglement, imbroglio. Informal usage: fix, jam, scrape, pickle, rabbit-hole, rattrap. sticky wicket.

Word Origin and History (Dictionary.com)

1570s, “bog, marsh,” from obsolete quaq “bog, marsh” + mire. Early spellings include quamyre (1550s), quabmire (1590s), quadmire (1600). The extended sense of “difficult situation, inescapable bad position” is recorded by 1766, but this seems to have been not in common use in much before the 19th century.

Use in a Sentence:

1. Martin had no problems on his bike ride until he reached the track through the woods where the slush and rain had turned it into a quagmire.

2. Continuous rain for days on end had turned the former battlefield into a quagmire.

3. The dilemma sucked Angela deeper and deeper into a quagmire of indecision.

4. The family was enguilfed in a legal quagmire and was concerned that they may not be able to afford lawyer’s hefty fees.

*

If you’d like to see more interesting words, visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by not necessary, but it’s up to you.

I’m up to the letter P this week. I started off by just choosing a word at random (perspicacious). Since then, I’ve been working through the alphabet, so I’ll be looking for a good word beginning with Q next week

So, here is my WOW for this week:

Word: Popinjay

Pronunciation:   Pop·in·jay  [pop-in-jey]  (popinˌdzei)

Audio Link: popinjay

Part of Speech:  Noun

Adjective: Popinjay (when used to describe colours, e.g. popinjay blue; popinjay green).

 Meaning:

1.  A conceited, vain,  foppish, or excessively talkative person.

2.  British Dialect. a woodpecker, especially the green woodpecker.

3.  An archaic word for parrot.

4. Archaic: the figure of a parrot usually fixed on a pole and used as a target in archery and gun shooting.

Here is a good summary of the word’s meaning that I found at Dictionary Definition: Vocabulary.com

A popinjay is a person who is both talkative and cocky, who struts around chattering like a parrot. Fittingly, it’s also an old-fashioned word meaning parrot, and the name of a sport also known as pole archery, in which players shoot at wooden bird shapes with either rifles or crossbows. The origin of popinjay is unknown, but one guess is that its roots are imitative, meant to sound like the cry of a bird.

Synonyms:

fop, swell, buck, peacock, dandy, jackanapes, coxcomb, egoist, egotist, beau, blade, clothes-horse, dude, macaroni, Beau Brummel, blabbermouth, chatterbox.

Word Origin:

1275-1325; Middle English papejay, popingay, papinjai < Middle French papegai, papingay parrot < Spanish papagayo < Arabic babaghā

Use in a Sentence:

1.  The party host was a strutting, supercilious dandy; a real popinjay.

2. Maria sighed when she realised that her blind date was another Beau Brummel, who cared too much about his own appearance to appreciate the efforts she had made with hers.

3. The men congregated around the pole, some taking aim at the wooden popinjay fixed securely to the top.

4. (Adjective use). Carol’s new dress was a bright, popinjay blue.

4.  Her constant bragging gave her the air of being an irritating popinjay

*

If you’d like to see more interesting words, visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week. To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are not necessary, but it’s up to you.

Next week I’ll be looking for a word beginning with o.

Here is my WOW for this week:

 Word: Nefarious

Pronunciation:  ne·far·i·ous  [ni-fair-ee-uh s] (nə-fâr′ē-əs)

Audio link for pronunciation:  http://www.thefreedictionary.com/nefarious

Part of Speech: Adjective Adverb: nefariously Noun: nefariousness  

Meaning: extremely wicked or villainous; iniquitous  Synonyms:

flagitious, heinous, infamous, vile, atrocious, execrable, sinful, base, shameful, depraved, unethical, impious

Antonyms: good, honest, just, noble, upright, honourable, decent, ethical, virtuous

Word Origin: C 17 from Latin nefarious from nefās unlawful deed, from nē not + fās divine law

Use in a Sentence:

1. Martha scrutinised her husband’s new colleague, convinced there was something nefarious about him.

2. Police had been alerted to the fact that the nefarious casino boss had been recently released from prison and had returned to the town.

3. It is a great pity that such a wonderful tool as the Internet can be used for so many nefarious purposes.

If you’d like to check out more interesting words then visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly meme created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

Next week, I’ll be looking for a word beginning with the letter n.

Here is my WOW for this week:

 Word:  mellifluous

Pronunciation:  mel·lif·lu·ous  [muh–lif-loo-uh s]  (mə-lĭf′lo͞o-əs)

Part of Speech: Adjective

Adverb: mellifluously; Noun: melliflousness

 Meaning

1. (of sounds or utterances) having a smooth, flowing sound (e.g. a mellifluous voice)

2.  sweetened with or as if with honey

Synonyms:

sweet, sweet-sounding, sweet-toned, dulcet, honeyed, mellow, soft, smooth, silvery, liquid, soothing, rich, euphonious, harmonious, tuneful, musical,  lyrical, lyric, melodic, melodious, mellifluent

Antonyms:

unlyrical, cacophanous

Word Origin:

C15: from Late Latin mellifluus flowing with honey, from Latin mel honey + fluere to flow

Use in a Sentence:

1. I eventually nodded off to sleep, lulled by the mellifluous tones of the nightingale.

2. Gerald was enraptured by the mellifluous sounds of the string instruments.

3. The little stream that flowed beneath the bridge made beautifully mellifluous gurgling sounds.

4. James struggled to tear his eyes from the mellifluous movement of the model’s hips.

4. (Adverb) I am delighted to meet you, Miss Peacock,’ the bank manager intoned mellifluously.

If you’d like to view more interesting word, the visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practise with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

I’m up to the letter L this week. I started off by just choosing a word at random (perspicacious). Since then, I’ve been working through the alphabet, so I’ll be looking for a good word beginning with M next week.

So, here is my WOW for this week:

 Word: Leviathan

Pronunciation:  le·vi·a·than  [li-vahy–uh-thuhn;  luh- veye -uh-thuhn]

Part of Speech:  noun

Adjective: leviathan – meaning very large; gargantuan

 Meaning:

1. (often initial capital letter: Leviathan) Bible. a sea monster.

2. any huge marine animal, as the whale.

3. anything of immense size and power, as a huge, oceangoing ship.

4. initial capital letter, italics: Leviathan) a philosophical work (1651) by ThomasHobbes dealing with the political organisation of society.

Synonyms:

behemoth, blockbuster, colossus, colossal, dinosaur, dreadnaught, jumbo, elephant, elephantine, Goliath, jumbo, giant, mammoth, mastodon, monster, monstrous, titan, whale, whopper, whopping, gargantuan, astronomical, immense, supersize

diminutive, dwarf, half-pint, midget, mite, peewee, pygmy/pigmy, runt, shrimp, infinitesimal, Lilliputian, micro, miniscule, tiny, teeny, microscopic

Word Origin:

1350-1400; Middle English levyathan < Late Latin leviathan < Hebrew: liwyāthān

Use in a Sentence:

1. It can be a great challenge to drive a wheeled leviathan in rush-hour traffic.

2. The tree was a leviathan among redwoods.

3. The man in front of us was a leviathan! He took up several seats at the theatre.

4. (Adjective use) The Titanic was a leviathan ship by the standards of the time.

If you’d like to see more interesting words, visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly meme created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

Here is my WOW for this week:

 Word: Kapok

Pronunciation: ka·pok  [key-pok; keɪpɒk]

Part of Speech: Noun

 Meaning:

1.  The silky down inside the seed pods of a silk-cotton tree (kapok tree) Ceiba pentandra, of Indonesia, Africa and tropical America. It is used for stuffing pillows, life jackets etc. and for acoustical insulation. It is also called Java Cotton.

2. A massive tropical tree with deep ridges on its huge trunk and bearing large pods of seeds covered with silky floss – the source of the silky kapok fibre.

Synonyms:

1. For the kapok fibre: plant fibre, cushioning, padding, Java Cotton

2. For the kapok tree:  Bombay ceiba, Ceiba pentandra, ceiba tree, God tree, silk-cotton tree, white silk-cotton tree

Antonyms:

None

Word Origin:

1740-50; < Javanese (or Malay of Java and Sumatra) kapuk or kapoq the name of the large tropical tree which produces the fibres.

Use in a Sentence:

1. They say that when the kapok tree blooms it is time to gather the crocodile eggs.

2. Viewing platforms have been constructed in the tall kapok trees to allow tourists to look out over the rainforest canopy.

3. Emergent trees like the kapok rise above the rainforest canopy and provide a home for plants dependent on sunlight.

4. Naturally silky and resilient, kapok is the traditional stuffing for sitting cushions, in addition to cushions used by people who meditate in the kneeling position.

If you’d like to check out more interesting words then visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly challenge created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

Here is my WOW for this week:

 Word:  jardinière

Pronunciation:  jahr-dn-eer  [zhahr-dn-yair] [ʒɑːdɪˈnjɛə]

Part of Speech:

Noun

Meaning:

 1. a.  an ornamental stand for plants or flowers 

     b.  a large usually ceramic flowerpot holder

2. a garnish of fresh vegetables, cooked, diced, and served around a dish of meat

[Click here for illustrations of jardinière of vegetables]

Synonyms: 

Plant pot, flower pot, plant holder, planter, pot

Antonyms:

None

Word Origin:  1835-45 < French, feminine of jardinièr gardener, equivalent to Old French jardin -garden + ier

Use in a sentence: 

1. On the low wall along the driveway to the Old Hall, stood a number of impressive jardinières.

2. While we were at the garden centre, I bought an amusing watermelon jardinière.

If you’d like to check out more interesting words then visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure

Word of the Week (WOW) is a weekly meme created by Heena Rathore P. It’s a fun way to improve vocabulary by learning new words every week.

To participate, simply do a post with your word and leave the link as a comment on Heena’s WOW post for this week (above link). It’s a nice post to do and will give you some practice with a dictionary, of which there are several online. Illustrations are by no means necessary, but it’s up to you.

Here is my WOW for this week:

 Word: Insular

Pronunciation: In-su-lar (in-suh-ler)

Part of Speech: Adjective

Noun: insularism; insularity

Adverb: insularity

 Meaning:

1. Of, relating to, or constituting an island

2. Dwelling or situated on an island > insular residents

3. Characteristic of an island people, especially having a narrow provincial viewpoint

4. Isolated or separated

5. Illiberal or narrow minded

6. (Pathology) Occurring in or characterized by one or more isolated spots or patches

Synonyms: 

illiberal, narrow, narrow-minded, parochial, petty, provincial, picayune, sectarian,  small, small-minded, prejudiced, blinkered

Antonyms:

broad-minded, cosmopolitan, liberal, open, open-minded, receptive, tolerant

Word Origin:  

17^th Century from late Latin insulāris, from Latin insula, meaning island or isle

Use in a sentence: 

1. Their new neighbourhood was an insular community that was not receptive to new ideas, especially from outsiders.

2. Jane hated the insular world of her boarding school.

3. As a government spy, Justin was insular by nature and interacted on a social level with very few people.

4. For a best-selling author, he seemed much too insular the deal with the scrutiny given to people of renown.

 *

If you’d like to check out more interesting words then visit Heena’s page:

Word Treasure