Word of the Day

Definition: (noun) A varied collection. Synonyms: assortment, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, mixture, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, variety. Usage: The conference panel was comprised of a veritable smorgasbord of religious leaders promoting peace, unity, and understanding. Discuss

Definition: (noun) The auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience. Synonyms: noise, racket. Usage: Maddening church bells of all degrees of dissonance, sharp and flat, cracked and clear, fast and slow, made the brick-and-mortar echoes hideous. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A woman who wears clothes to display fashions. Synonyms: model. Usage: She longed to become a mannequin and preened for hours before going out in public. Discuss

Definition: (noun) District consisting of the area on either side of a border or boundary of a country or an area. Synonyms: border district, march, marchland. Usage: The borderland was sparsely populated, and the lawless region saw few visitors. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Recite with musical intonation; recite as a chant or a psalm. Synonyms: cantillate, chant. Usage: I heard the eight singers of the King of Sicily intone the first verse of seven o'clock mass in the Sainte-Chapelle. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Striving to overcome in argument. Synonyms: combative. Usage: The incumbent's aggressive, agonistic approach to the debate alienated many of his supporters. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A thick, syrupy, colorless alkaloid, C17H21NO4, extracted from plants such as henbane and used primarily as a mydriatic and sedative, and to treat nausea and prevent motion sickness. Synonyms: hyoscine. Usage: At the conclusion of the surgical procedure, the doctor applied a transdermal scopolamine patch to the patient to prevent postoperative nausea. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Supplying motive force. Synonyms: energizing. Usage: The bustling market was the kinetic center of the city, and all movement seemed to radiate outward from it. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Giddy and talkative; foolish. Synonyms: rattlepated, scatterbrained, scatty. Usage: Grandpa's rattlebrained, crackpot ideas always made us laugh. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Having a natural fragrance. Synonyms: sweet-smelling, perfumed, scented, odorous, sweet. Usage: There were large bottles filled with serpents, ticketed according to their species; dried lizards shone like emeralds set in great squares of black wood, and bunches of wild odoriferous herbs. Discuss