inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 30

raconteur • \ra-kahn-TER\ • noun

: a person who excels in telling stories

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 29

parlay • \PAHR-lay\ • verb

1 : to bet in a parlay

2 a : to exploit successfully

b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 28

eternize • \ih-TER-nyze\• verb

1 a : to make eternal

b : to prolong indefinitely

2 : immortalize

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 27

rectilinear • \rek-tuh-LINN-ee-er\ • adjective

1 : moving in or forming a straight line

2 : characterized by straight lines

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 26

phatic • \FATT-ik\ • adjective

: of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 25

flippant • \FLIP-unt\ • adjective

: lacking proper respect or seriousness

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 24

demeanor • \dih-MEE-ner\ • noun

: behavior towards others : outward manner

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 23

reminisce • \rem-uh-NISS\ • adjective

: to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 22

permeable • \PER-mee-uh-bul\ • adjective

: capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 21

caravansary • \kair-uh-VAN-suh-ree\ • noun

1 : an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night

2 : hotel, inn

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 20

plaintive • \PLAYN-tiv\ • adjective

: expressive of suffering or woe : melancholy

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 19

fret • \FRET\ • verb

1 : to eat or gnaw into : wear, corrode; also : fray

2 : to become vexed or worried

3 : agitate

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 18

scintillate • \SIN-tuh-layt\ • verb

1 : to emit sparks : spark

2 : to emit quick flashes as if throwing off sparks : sparkle

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 17

farrago • \fuh-RAH-goh\ • noun

: a confused mixture : hodgepodge

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 16

jejune • \jih-JOON\ • adjective

1 : lacking nutritive value

2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull

3 : juvenile, puerile

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 16

antecessor • \an-tih-SESS-er\ • noun

: one that goes before

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 14

countermand • \KOUNT-er-mand\ • verb

1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order

2 : to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 13

flounder • \FLOUN-der\ • verb

1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly

2 : to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 12

mayhap • \MAY-hap\ • adverb

: perhaps

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 11

debacle • \dee-BAH-kul\ • noun

1 : a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river

2 : a violent disruption (as of an army) : rout

3 a : a great disaster

b : a complete failure : fiasco

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 10

synchronicity • \sing-kruh-NISS-uh-tee\• noun

1 : the quality or fact of being simultaneous

2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 9

auxiliary • \awg-ZILL-yuh-ree\ • adjective

1 a : offering or providing help

b : functioning in a subsidiary capacity

*2 : constituting a reserve : supplementary

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 8

zenith • \ZEE-nith\ • noun

1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer

2 : the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body

*3 : culminating point : acme

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 7

laconic • \luh-KAH-nik\ • adjective

: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 6

paranymph • \PAIR-uh-nimf\ • noun

1 : a friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also : the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom

2 a : best man

b : bridesmaid

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 5

Sisyphean • \sis-uh-FEE-un\ • adjective

: of, relating to, or suggestive of the laors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 4

bona fides • \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\ • noun

1 : good faith : sincerity

2 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness

3 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 3

clitic • \KLIT-ik\ • noun

: a word that is treated in pronunciation as forming a part of a neighboring word and that is often unaccented or contracted

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 2

vulpine • \VUL-pine\ • adjective

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox

*2 : foxy, crafty

inspired by Merriam-Webster's "Word of the Day"

September 1

hector • \HEK-ter\ • verb

1 : to play the bully : swagger

2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure