Word of the Day

Definition: (adjective) Difficult or impossible to eradicate or destroy. Synonyms: inexterminable. Usage: Some weeds seem inextirpable, but they all have at least one weakness that may be exploited. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Stubbornly unyielding. Synonyms: dogged, dour, tenacious, persistent. Usage: When he made up his little mind to have or to do anything, all the king's horses and all the king's men could not change that pertinacious little mind. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues). Synonyms: evade, hedge, skirt, parry, fudge, circumvent, dodge, elude, duck, put off. Usage: The candidate tried to sidestep the issue during the debate, but eventually he had to make his position clear. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Extending or lying across; in a crosswise direction; at right angles to the long axis. Synonyms: cross, thwartwise. Usage: The transversal beams of the building's frame were to be made of steel, not wood. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Of minor importance. Synonyms: small-time. Usage: He ran his nickel-and-dime operation out of the back of a pickup truck and dreamed of the day when he would own his own storefront. Discuss

Definition: (noun) One leading a solitary or secluded life. Synonyms: recluse, troglodyte, hermit. Usage: Peter, a self-proclaimed solitudinarian, lives in a cabin deep in the woods, miles from his closest neighbor. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A merchant who sells men's clothing. Synonyms: haberdasher. Usage: It was for the next generation to patronize clothiers who kept each suit on its separate hanger. Discuss

Definition: (noun) Coarse, indigestible plant food low in nutrients; its bulk stimulates intestinal peristalsis. Synonyms: fiber. Usage: Fruits and vegetables should be eaten every day to ensure that one gets enough roughage in his diet. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Devoid of creatures. Synonyms: lonely, solitary. Usage: The reference library is quite unfrequented as a rule, and the silence there is so intense that I often find myself holding my breath in a subconscious effort to remain noiseless. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Experiencing or accompanied by sleeplessness. Synonyms: sleepless, watchful. Usage: Every night, I'm woken by the sound of creaking floorboards as my insomniac husband leaves for another late-night snack. Discuss