Word of the Day

Definition: (verb) Plan and direct (a complex undertaking). Synonyms: engineer, orchestrate, organize, direct. Usage: The finance minister will continue to mastermind economic reform. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture. Synonyms: chawbacon, hayseed, hick, rube, yahoo, yokel. Usage: Many people take one look at Farmer Dan and assume he is an unsophisticated country bumpkin, but his lectures on sustainable agriculture teach them never to judge a book by its cover. Discuss

Definition: (noun) Edible terrestrial snail usually served in the shell with a sauce of melted butter and garlic. Synonyms: snail. Usage: I ordered escargot in an attempt to appear sophisticated, but when the plate of snails was set down before me, I could not bring myself to choke down a single one. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) Vocally expressing grief or sorrow or resembling such expression. Synonyms: lamenting. Usage: The men wavered in indecision for a moment, and then with a long, wailful cry the dilapidated regiment surged forward and began its new journey. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A cheap drinking and dancing establishment. Synonyms: honky-tonk. Usage: After dinner, we grabbed a couple of beers at the local barrelhouse and let loose on the dance floor. Discuss

Definition: (verb) To cause to lose courage, strength, confidence, self-control, etc. Synonyms: faze, unsettle, enervate. Usage: The look on her father's face unnerved her, and she soon dropped her gaze and meekly waited for him to tell her what her punishment would be. Discuss

Definition: (verb) To cut small bits or pare shavings from (a piece of wood). Synonyms: pare. Usage: For my eighth birthday, my grandfather taught me how to whittle a toy boat from a scrap of firewood. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Kill en masse; kill on a large scale; kill many. Synonyms: kill off. Usage: Hitler wanted to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies, Communists, and homosexuals of Europe. Discuss

Definition: (noun) Any collection in its entirety. Synonyms: bunch, lot. Usage: The art collection was originally going to be auctioned off piece by piece, but the owner decided at the last moment to donate the whole caboodle to the local museum. Discuss

Definition: (verb) Command against. Synonyms: disallow, forbid, nix, prohibit, veto, interdict. Usage: They are proscribed by federal law from owning guns. Discuss