Word of the Day - La Palabra del Dia - Julio/July 2007

The Word of the Day for July 23 is:

extirpate   \EK-ster-payt\   verb
   1 *a : to destroy completely : wipe out  b : to pull up by the
root
   2 : to cut out by surgery

Example sentence: 
   By insisting that he has a plan to extirpate crime and corruption
in our cities, the governor might have bitten off more than he can
chew.


The Word of the Day for July 22 is:

panoptic   \pan-OP-tik\   adjective: being or presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view

Example sentence:
   At the top of the mountain is a sightseeing point that provides
climbers with a panoptic view of the surrounding valleys.


The Word of the Day for July 21 is:

moot   \MOOT\   adjective
  1 a : open to question : debatable  b : subjected to discussion :
disputed
 *2 : deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely
academic

Example sentence:
  Since the team would have lost anyway, it's a moot point whether
the umpire?s call was right or not.


The Word of the Day for July 20 is:

disinformation   \dis-in-fer-MAY-shun\   noun: false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by
the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure
the truth

Example sentence:
  The writer's latest book examines the effects of propaganda and
disinformation during the Cold War.


The Word of the Day for July 19 is:

indomitable   \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\   adjective: incapable of being subdued : unconquerable

Example sentence:
  Molly has always admired the indomitable spirit of her
great-grandparents, who endured many hardships when they emigrated from Ireland.


The Word of the Day for July 18 is:

garderobe   \GAR-drohb\   noun 
 1 : a wardrobe or its contents
 2 : a private room : bedroom
   *3 : privy, toilet

Example sentence:
"On our tour of Castle Rushen, begun in 1200 and enhanced over the
years, [caretaker Ian] McKinlay made sure to point out the garderobe
-- because nature calls, even in a castle...." (Gemma Tarlach,
_Milwaukee Journal Sentinel_, July 25, 2004)  

The Word of the Day for July 17 is:

binary   \BYE-nuh-ree\   adjective
    *1 : compounded or consisting of or marked by two things or parts
     2 a :  relating to, being, or belonging to a system of numbers
 having 2 as its base
  b : involving a choice or condition of two
 alternatives (as on-off or yes-no)

Example sentence:
     Brass is a binary alloy, having the two metallic elements copper
 and zinc.


The Word of the Day for July 16 is:

onomastics   \ah-nuh-MAS-tiks\   noun
     1 a : the science or study of the origins and forms of words
 especially as used in a specialized field  b : the science or study of the
 origin and forms of proper names of persons or places
    *2 : the system underlying the formation and use of words
 especially for proper names or of words used in a specialized field

Example sentence:
     Dr. Donn will be presenting a paper at the conference on the
 onomastics used in naming towns during the early Republic.


The Word of the Day for July 15 is:

distrait   \dih-STRAY\   adjective: apprehensively divided or withdrawn in attention : distracted 

Example sentence:
     Professor Aguilar noticed that Sheldon was often distrait during
 her lectures, so she pulled him aside one day after class to ask if
 anything was wrong.


The Word of the Day for July 14 is: 

pilgarlic   \pil-GAR-lik\   noun
     1 a : a bald head *b : a bald-headed man 
     2 : a man looked upon with humorous contempt or mock pity 

Example sentence: 
     "Ever since I became a pilgarlic," Dale explained, "I've believed
 that bald is beautiful!"


The Word of the Day for July 13:

libertine   \LIB-er-teen\   noun
     1 usually disparaging : a freethinker especially in religious
 matters
    *2 : a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality;
 specifically : one leading a dissolute life

Example sentence:
     The writer was portrayed in the film as a libertine who relied
 heavily on the vices of drinking and gambling.


The Word of the Day for July 12 is:

herald   \HAIR-uld\   verb
     1 : to give notice of : announce
     2 a: to greet especially with enthusiasm : hail b : publicize
    *3 : to signal the approach of : foreshadow

Example sentence:
     The first robin heralded the arrival of spring.

The Word of the Day for July 11 is: 

reprise   \rih-PREEZ\   noun
    *1 : a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action 
     2 a : a musical repetition  b : a repeated performance :
 repetition

Example sentence:
     The argument was a reprise of a long-standing disagreement.


The Word of the Day for July 10 is: 

fraught   \FRAWT\   adjective
    *1 : full of or accompanied by something specified -- used with
 with
     2 : causing or characterized by emotional distress or tension :
 uneasy

Example sentence:
     The doctor warned her patient that the experimental procedure was
 fraught with problems.


The Word of the Day for July 9 is:

tincture   \TINK-cher\   noun
     1 : color, tint 
     2 a : a characteristic quality : cast *b : a slight admixture :
 trace 
     3 : a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent 

Example sentence: 
     Mabel's stories contain just the right tincture of macabre humor
 to be enjoyed by readers young and old alike.
  

The Word of the Day for July 8 is:

cavil   \KAV-il\    verb: to raise trivial and frivolous objection

Example sentence:
     It may seem petty to cavil at minor flaws given the film's
 excellence as a whole, but the ending did seem to lack some credibility.


The Word of the Day for July 7 is:

antithetical   \an-tuh-THET-ih-kul\   adjective
    1 : constituting or marked by the rhetorical contrast of ideas by
means of parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or sentences
   *2 : being in direct and unequivocal opposition

Example sentence:
    Your suggestion is completely antithetical to my morals and
beliefs.


The Word of the Day for July 6 is:

waddy   \WAH-dee\   noun, West: cowboy

Example sentence:
     "The cowboy of today is a sort of sophisticated waddy, driving
trucks, flying airplanes and applying scientific resources to successful
ranching." (Willard H. Porter, _Chicago Tribune_, July 3, 1988)


The Word of the Day for July 5 is:

palmy   \PAH-mee\   adjective
   *1 : marked by prosperity : flourishing 
     2 : abounding in or bearing palms

Example sentence:
    "In Beaufort Road was a house, occupied in its palmier days, by Mr
Shorthouse, a manufacturer of acids." (J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter, July
1964)

The Word of the Day for July 4 is: 

sycophant   \SIK-uh-funt\   noun: a servile self-seeking flatterer

Example sentence:

"I can't stand sycophants," said Rosemary, "so if you want that promotion, do your best and let your work speak for itself."

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