Imago

\ih-MAH-goh\  
...is Latin for "image"

       ...means an idealized concept of a loved one, formed in childhood and 
              remained unaltered in adult life

Entomology: an adult insect

An animated cicada molting into a winged imago.

Example1: She pictured him her imago in her heart, never been replaced through time and maybe until death.

dictionary.com page link for imago




 

Cachinnate

\KAK-uh-neyt\ means to laugh loudly or immoderately

Example1:
Bachelors who cachinnate may feel that they're charming their way to connubial bliss but what they do not know is that their cachinnation only serves to isolate them from prospective partners.
Example2:
Humans, who like cachinnating hyenas laugh in immoderate abundance, might find themselves become food for ravenous scavenging ruffians.
Example3:
A cachinnating hyena / met a little myna / asked the bird "why do you laugh?" / said the hyena "life is so tough / all the world's laughter is not enough."

dictionary.com page link for cachinnate

Kith

\KITH\ 
...means acquaintances, friends, neighbors, or the like; persons living in the same general locality and forming a more or less cohesive group.

Our teddy friendz, our genuine kith.

Limerick:

Kith are all around 

Short, tall, slender or round

But when troubles abound

They're nowhere to be found

Teddy Friendz Story:

(From top-down, left-right)...Warmie is his name, journalism is his game. Due to his popularity, a tedoid Wormie wanted his fame but Warmie, the journalist, is smart he's always on the dart. Chikki is small, a scholar by nature. Whatever seems confusing Chikki gets the musing. Problems get solved coz Chikki made the move. Gummy 'd" Bear has nothing to be proud of about himself but to have a family that is proud of him is a treasure to him. This line is a fine line and it's Gummy 'd' Bear's line. Dolly is a maiden full of mysteries hidden and soon she'll be taken to a paradise called Teddyland, a land of peace, joy and freedom. And secrets no more! Milky is a beauty. And the secret of her beauty? A bowl of milk three times a day. Browlie looks tiny but her brain is always hungry for arguments that are fiery. She is the renowned Browlie "the Lawyer", the undefeated opponent of Brawlie "the Liar". Chani was imprisoned for freeing Geese from the captivity of a Mogul in China. Got help from Mother Goose and the Great Wall of China they crossed to find a nice home in our handsome abode. The last in line is Chokie, the brother of Chikki. Far from being a scholar, in humor he is a connoisseur. He is the clown in this little hometown where everybody is a family, a genuine kith in their own teddycality. And that's the story of these little creatures. In reality they may not be alive but in our hearts they're always real. 

dictionary.com page link for kith

Beek

is a verb and read as \BEEK\ which means

...........(of wood) to season by exposure to heat

.................to bask or warm in the sunshine or before a fire

Example1: 

Kitty basking in the sun

In our family, it is usual to beek firewood especially the newly chopped wet logs.

Example2:

It is almost always observed that cats like to beek and roll under the sun.
Example 3:
Mr. Johnson asked the children to move a little farther and beek themselves by fireside.

dictionary.com page link for beek

Autodidact

\aw-toh-DAHY-dakt\ refers to a person who has learned a subject without the benefit of a teacher or formal education
........a self-taught person; an automath

Self-teaching kids.

Example1:
Driven by his interest, curiosity and yearning to know everything there is in the world, our friend, Cheekie "the scholar" is not only an erudite but also an autodidact.

Example2:
F.S. Flint, being an autodidact, was an English poet and translator whose extraordinary talent in language acquisition enabled him to become proficient in many languages such as German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Spanish, Danish and Japanese. Source: Wikipedia

                                Limerick:
                            An autodidact is a person 

Tadao Ando, Source: Wikipedia

             Who finds schooling fun
For he is the teacher 
And the learner
             All rolled into one.

Example 3: Tadao Ando is probably the most famous autodidact architect of the 21st century.


dictionary.com page link for autodidact

Zaftig

\ZAHF-tig\ means
.......full-bodied; well-proportioned; voluptuous
...........(of a woman) having a pleasantly plump and sexually attractive figure

                                                 Example1:

The zaftig and the zealot, both have in common an excessive overabundance but in contrasting ways, for while the fullness of one attracts, the fullness of the other repels.

Example2:
If only the anorexics knew the advantages of being zaftig, they would not be so fanatic in their dieting.

Our Gummy 'd' Bear

Example3:
A zaftig teddy bear named Gummy 'd' Bear went to the zoo to meet his friend, the little wild bear, but could not get into the cage because he was too plump to squeeze through the bars.

dictionary.com page link for zaftig

Sylvan

\SIL-vuhn\  
...means bounding in forests or trees; wooded 
    ...living or located in a wood or forest.
        ...a fabled deity or spirit of the woods 
            ...one that lives in or frequents the woods or forest
                ...a rustic.

Spirit of the Woods

Example1: Rima, a character from W.H. Hudson's Green Mansion, is the girl who lived all her life in the forest who is often referred by the natives as a sylvan or a spirit living in the woods that protects everything in it, a tale that makes these natives don't want to hunt there.

Example2:
I guess I can practically say that our place is sylvan.

dictionary.com page link for sylvan

Writhe

Writhing in pain

 \rahyth\
... means to twist the body about, or squirm, as in severe pain

Related terms: thresh; flail; contort; wriggle

In knot theory, the writhe is a property of an oriented link diagram. It is the total number of positive crossings minus the total number of negative crossings.

Example
      The child tried to writhe free from his uncle's embrace. Guess he didn't like his uncle or he didn't like the embrace itself. Which one, I am not sure!

dictionary.com page link for writhe

Tare

\TAIR\ means
........the weight of a vehicle without cargo or passengers
.............the weight of the wrapping or container that holds an object
.....................any of various climbing plants, generally with edible seeds

Example1:
Is there a case when a truck enters a regular beach resort the entrance fee is not per person but by tare?

Example2:
Junior just brought in an electronic weighing scale that has a button to subtract the tare of a container from its posted weight.

dictionary.com page link for tare

Attar

\AT-er\ is a perfume or essential oil obtained from flowers or petals

Example1:
It was known that many apothecaries have sold attar of jasmine to kings and queens.
Example2:
An attar of roses made by a loved one is worth wearing than a fancy million dollar perfume bought from a store.

Apothecary is a medieval person who studies the art and science of mixing medicine, who is known as pharmacist today.

dictionary.com page link for attar

Juggernaut

\JUHG-er-nawt\ is frequently used today to describe
..........something usually large or massive.
................an irresistible, ruthless force or machine that destroys everything that gets in its way.
.......................in Britain, juggernaut is a very large lorry for transporting goods by road, esp. one that travels throughout Europe.

Juggernaut is also called Jagannath, a crude idol of Krishna worshiped throughout Orissa and Bengal, wheeled through the town on a gigantic chariot and devotees were supposed to have thrown themselves under the wheels as sort of sacrifice.

Example1:
The terrifying juggernaut we have to face at the end of life is not the inevitability of Death but the realization that all our existence has been a mere act of artful trickery by that great juggler called Nature.
Example2:
So was set in sudden, ugly motion a juggernaut that, before it was finally put to a halt, cost more than a thousand lives.
Example3:
Juggernaut and lorry are never found in my vocabulary until I came to India. Somehow, in Philippines, though we are used to find big trucks traveling around, mostly at night, and carrying heavy loads, I could not just recall any word that names these trucks...we generally call them "dakong/malaking trak".

dictionary.com page link for juggernaut

Fantod

\FAN-tod\ means
..............a sudden outpouring of anger or outrage
...................a state of worry or nervous anxiety, irritability
.........................a state of extreme nervousness or restlessness

Example1:
There are times when someone just feels uneasy about nothing in particular, characterized by rapid beating of the heart and not able to get himself indulge in anything. Can this be called fantod?
Example2:
It is a rarely known fact that the company of teddy bears is a better cure for fantod than bottles of hot toddy.
Example3:
The fans of the fanatic kind can be identified by their fantod behavior when they fail to gather the attention of the object of their affections.

dictionary.com page link for fantod

Jocose

\joh-KOHS\, an adjective given to or characterized by joking; jesting; humorous; playful

Synonyms:
Jocose, Jovial, Jocular, Jocund agree in referring to someone who is in a good humor.

......Jocose refers to that which causes laughter; it suggests someone who is playful and given to jesting: with jocose and comical airs..............Jovial suggests a hearty, joyous humor: a jovial hostess.....................Jocular means humorous, facetious, mirthful, and waggish: jocular enough to keep up the spirits of all around her.
..........................Jocund (a literary word) suggests a cheerful, light-hearted, and sprightly gaiety: glad and jocund company.

Among the four words listed above, only jovial is familiar to me. I almost always associate it with convivial, a word I cannot forget for it's my nature to be convivial most of the times but moody sometimes. Now, by looking up the word jovial, I found three more similar words which remind me of their opposite, gloomy.

Example1:
A joker must be jocose enough to be able to laugh at himself or else he will end up laughing alone.
Example2:
Even if done jocosely, jaywalking can unfortunately fetch you a ticket to the final joyride of your life, a.k.a. a trip to the cemetery.

dictionary.com page link for jocose

Exiguous

is read as \ig-ZIG-yoo-uhs\ which means scanty; meager; small; or slender

Example1:
Due to floods brought by constant heavy rains, exiguous supply of rice and other crops is imminent and this would only mean one thing: to farmers, less harvest and less or no profit; to consumers, price increase.
Example2:
There has always been a protest against exiguous wage among the working class of people.
Example3:
The exiguous necessities for a Christian life has always been in excessive contrast to the exigent wants of its papal proponents.

dictionary.com page link for exiguous

Nitid

\NIT-id\ means bright or lustrous

Limerick:
On a nitid summer day
If you cannot find your way
You must be wearing sunglasses
Like all the fashionable classes
Who are plain stupid anyway.

Example1:
I rarely dream but last night I dreamt of a small but nitid room. In it was a table full of flowers in different colors and a single bed where a woman lay unconscious. The room was so silent that one can literally hear his own heartbeat. Then, there entered a woman watching the one in bed only to see her own wan face. That's when I woke up and realized the woman was me.
Example2:
Far from the towns, deep in the heart of the countryside, the night filled with numerous stars seems as nitid as a summer day.

dictionary.com page link for nitid

Ullage

\UHL-ij\ refers to the empty or unfilled space in a bottle or container of a liquid.

Example1: The optimist drunkard sees the wine in the half-full bottle while the pessimist drunkard sees the ullage in the half-empty bottle.

Example2: The degree of thirst a man feels when he's lost in the desert is proportional to the ullage of his water cask.

dictionary.com page link for ullage

Gerent

is read as \JEER-uhnt\ which means a ruler or manager

Gerent is an English adaptation of the Latin verb "gerere" meaning to manage or conduct.

Example1: Any complaint regarding the food or services has to be addressed to the newly hired gerent.
Example2: A gerent is one who exercises dominion or controlling power over others.

dictionary.com page link for gerent

Sabulous

is read as \SAB-yuh-luhs\ which means sandy or gritty.

Sabuline plants are plants that grow in sand. What plants are sabulous, anyway? Can you name one?

dictionary.com page link for sabulous

Asthenic

is read as \as-THEN-ik\ which means
..........weak
.............adynamic: lacking of strength or vigor
.................having a slim or slender physique characterized by by long limbs and a small trunk: claimed to be associated with schizoid personality

Example: I have never seen a man as asthenic as Mr. Crawford who seems to look healthy enough.

dictionary.com page link for asthenic

Viridity

is read as \vuh-RID-i-tee\ and means
.................greenness; verdancy; verdure
......................youth; innocence; inexperience

Example1: The country's viridity is too obvious to be missed.
Example2: Often, it is the children's viridity that is being abused.

dictionary.com page link for viridity

Titubant

\TICH-oo-buhnt\ means stumbling, staggering ; with the movement of one who is tipsy

In Pathology: titubation \tich-oo-BEY-shuhn\ refers to the disturbance of body equilibrium in standing or walking, resulting in uncertain gait and trembling, esp. resulting from diseases of the cerebellum.

Example1: I could hardly believe that titubant movements are characteristics of certain nervous disorders.
Example2: The rambling monologues of an inebriated man are no less entertaining than the titubant motions of his walk.

dictionary.com page link for titubant

Eristic

\e-RIS-tik\ means a person who engages in disputation
.........a controversialist
.............argumentative
.................the art of logical disputation

Example1: Seldom we can find people who are logically eristic nowadays.
Example2: Among our teddy friends, it is Browlee who is eristic. She is the advocate of law in Teddyland.
Example3: A lawyer should always be careful to reserve his eristic skills only for the court room and not at his chambers, or else he will have no client at all.

dictionary.com page link for eristic

Scabrous

Scabrous \SKAB-ruhs\ means
........having a rough surface because of minute points or projections
..............indecent or scandalous' risque'; obscene
....................full of difficulties

Related words: lepidote \LEP-i-doht\, leprose \LEP-rohs\, scurfy, scaly

Example1. "Come with me at the barber shop and I'll let you know how does a scabrous head feels like," urges Jonathan to his little sister.
Example2. Scabrous books are heavily censored these days, aren't they?
Example3. I don't know anyone who has never experienced a scabrous life.

dictionary.com page link for scabrous

Amerce

Amerce \uh-MURS\ means to punish by imposing a fine not fixed by statute.

Example: Usually, some people are amerced beyond what they can afford. Sometimes, the fine is even more than what they have done.

dictionary.com page link for amerce

Amaranthine

\am-uh-RAN-thin; thahyn\ means
........unfading or everlasting
...........of purplish-red color

Example1:  
A woman of amaranthine loveliness is a rare beauty to behold.
Example2:
If the sky was amaranthine, would the sunset be amethyst?
Example3:  
An amorous amaranthine angel accosted another and absconded.

Limerick:
If love were amaranthine
Then aging will be fine
Man and woman each other cherish
And their love never perish
But sparkle like ageless wine.

dictionary.com page link for amaranthine

Adit

is read as \AD-it\ which means
...........an entrance or a passage
.................an approach or access
.......................also called entry

In mining, the horizontal (nearly) passage leading into a mine is called adit.

Example: I have a niece whose nickname is Adit. Now, this word is easier to remember than I thought.

dictionary.com page link for adit

Ziggurat

is read as \ZIG-oo-rat\ and means a rectangular tiered temple or terraced mound erected by ancient Assyrians and Babylonians.
..............a stepped tower or pyramid of ancient Mesopotamia.

Casuistry

is read as \KAZH-oo-uh-tree\ which means specious (plausible but false), deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning esp. in questions of morality.

.......it's the application of general ethical principles to particular cases of conscience or conduct.

Casuistry comes from the French casuiste and the Latin casus, "case", perhaps related to making a case or justifying behavior.

dictionary.com page link for casuistry

Vagary

\vuh-GAIR-ee; VEY-guh-ree\ means unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance

Related definition: a whimsical, wild, odd or unusual idea, desire or action

Example: This group around here is indulging in other vagaries. God knows what!

dictionary.com page link for vagary

Prolix

\proh-LIKS; PROH-liks\ means (of a person) given to speaking or writing at great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy

Example: I got bored listening to a prolix lecturer telling us more than we want to know. He could have made the lecture brief and concise.

Limerick:
A prolix fop
Went to a shop
And asked for a shoe
But got in lieu
Stuff that made his jaw drop.

dictionary.com page link for prolix

Prorogue

is read as \proh-ROHG\ which means to defer; postpone; to discontinue or suspend a session.

Example: "Let's prorogue the schedule of the exam to next week," suggested the principal.

I am more acquainted with 'defer' or 'postpone' than the word prorogue that's why it seems so new to me. I hope it's not for you!

dictionary.com page link for prorogue

Dilatory

\DIL-uh-tawr-ee\ means tending to cause delay or procrastinate; delaying

I am a victim of dilatory tactics. I have applied for extension/conversion of visa in 2008 yet until now I don't have a proper answer from those people in-charge. Just great!

dictionary.com page link for dilatory

Doughty

is read as \DOU-tee\ which means steadfastly courageous and resolute; valiant

Related terms: dauntless; brave; bold; intrepid; fearless

Example1:
In the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Peter was crowned as King for he was doughty enough to fight against the evil witch, Jadis. I like the movie so much that I could watch it again and again. Whew!
Example2:
Mrs. Doublin was doughty enough to engage herself in some dough-making competition even if she has no idea how to make it.

dictionary.com page link for doughty

Largesse

\lahr-JES; lahr-JIS\ means generous bestowal of gifts; generosity

Also spelled as largess which means a gift or money given as of service or out of benevolence; usually given ostentatiously.

Related term: munificence - liberality in bestowing gifts

Example1:
Mrs. Manning never forgets to do some largesse not only during Christmas but every now and then.
Example2:
I always wanted to receive a munificent gift that would last a lifetime. Hmmm! What could it be? Love?

dictionary.com page link for largesse

Absquatulate

is read as \ab-SKWOCH-uh-leyt\ which means to flee; abscond; run away, usually includes something or somebody along.
.........to leave quickly or in a hurry; to decamp; to depart

Example1:
Burglary is very common nowadays in our locality. Yesterday, some burglars absquatulated with ancient gold and silver coins from Mr. and Mrs. Skinner.
Example2:
The plan is to take her belongings one by one so that when the day comes for them to absquatulate together, it would be easy and quick.
dictionary.com page link for absquatulate

Busticate

\BUHS-ti-keyt\ means to break into pieces (used with object)

Example1.
With so many children around, going in and out of the house, it's very difficult not to avoid glasses and figurines from being busticated.

Example2.
I thought the word busticate can be used to describe or to say something about the human heart but it seems like it's only for objects. But isn't a heart an object?

dictionary.com page link for busticate

Debacle

\dey-BAH-kuhl\ means
..........a sudden and violent collapse
...............a breaking up of ice in a river
....................overwhelming disaster

Related terms: ruin, fiasco, catastrophe, calamity

Example1.
An intensity 8 earthquake caused most of the huge buildings to collapse within seconds that it put everybody in shock and disbelief. It was such a debacle which I haven't seen in a long time.
Example2.
I never knew that the breaking of ice in a river just like what was shown in the movie Narnia, is also called a debacle until I included this word in Logofanum.

dictionary.com page link for debacle

Purlieu

\PUR-loo; PURL-yoo\ means outskirts; a term used of the outlying parts of a place or district.

1. purlieus, environs, neighborhood
2. a place where one may range at large; confines or bounds
3. a person's haunt or resort
4. a piece of land on the edge of the forest, originally land that, after having been included in a royal forest, was restored to private ownership
Source: dictionary.com

dictionary.com page link for purlieu

Puissant

is read as \PWIS-uhnt\ meaning powerful, mighty, potent

Example1:
Nuclear bomb is a very puissant weapon to wipe out the entire human race.
(I encountered this word in a book on How To Build A Better Vocabulary and since I lack retention I included puissant here to remind me of what it is).

Example2:
Some village people in our locality have always told my husband that the kind of tablet he is recommending for them to take for any kind of pain is very puissant. They used to come and say their thanks in awe.

dictionary.com page link for puissant

Obsequy

is read as \OB-si-kwee\ which means funeral rites

The word usually appears in plural form...obsequies \OB-si-kwiz\!

I have attended a few obsequies in my life though mostly the Christian way. I only heard how they are done the Islam way. Other than these, I knew nothing else about obsequies.

dictionary.com page link for obsequy

Opprobrious

\uh-PRO-bree-uhs\ means outrageously disgraceful or shameful

Related terms: ignominious, despicable, contemptible

Example1: It is considered to be opprobrious to bear a child out of wedlock.
Example2: I am telling you, my in-laws are outrageously despicable. I never thought I am capable of loathing somebody but after what they have done to me...phew! They are dead to me!

dictionary.com page link for opprobrious

Brannigan

\BRAN-i-guhn\ means
.........a squabble; a brawl
................a carouse; bacchanalian (a noisy feast with much alcohol consumption)

Example1: They were out carousing last night with four other members of the board.
Example2: Don't start a brannigan with me. You might regret it.

dictionary.com page link for brannigan

Tantivy

\tan-TIV-ee\ means a rapid gallop or the sound of a horn in imitation of a galloping horse.

We found the sheriff galloping tantivy in search for the three fugitives who ransacked the town's warehouse.

dictionary.com page link for tantivy

Palladian

\puh-LEY-dee-uhn\ means a three-part window where the center window is arched and wider than the two straight topped side windows.

Palladian architecture usually refers to a European style of architecture created by a Venetian architect, Andrea Palladio.

Example: I have seen many windows of palladian style in movies but I never knew its architectural name until today! Gosh!

dictionary.com page link for palladian

Zaftig

\ZAHF-tig\ means
...........full bodied; well-proportioned; voluptuous
................(of a woman) having a pleasantly plump and sexually attractive figure

Zaftig is a borrowing from Yiddish, zaftik, which literally means "juicy".

Example1:
The zaftig and the zealot share with each other an excessive overabundance, but of the opposite kind, for while the fullness of one attracts, the fullness of the other repels.

Example2:
If only the advantages of being zaftig are known to the anorexics they would not be so fanatic about their dieting.

dictionary.com page link for zaftig

Morganatic

is read as \mawr-ga-NAT-ik\ and means a marriage between one of royal or noble birth (mostly man) and one of lower rank (usually woman) in which the lower ranker or their children (if any) has no claim to all the possessions of the higher ranker.

Morganatic marriages are not common anymore these days though in some marriages between the rich and the poor, there is what we call pre-nuptial agreement. Senator Francis Pangilinan and Mega Star Sharon Cuneta (both from affluent families) signed a pre-nuptial agreement before they got married.

dictionary.com page link for morganatic

Inebriate

\in-EE-bree-eyt\ means always drunk
..........exhilarate: fill with sublime emotion
...............souse: become drunk or drink excessively
...................intoxicate: make drunk with alcoholic drinks
.......................drunkard: a chronic drinker

Example1. I feel inebriated at the idea of going abroad and studying there.
Example2. There are really some people, mostly men, who like to inebriate themselves on every occasion they find themselves in.

We had a neighbor before who used to get drunk and was fond of shouting on the road while heading home. There were times too when he used to throw stones at neighbors' houses whenever he felt like doing so. That was very bad of him.

dictionary.com page link for inebriate

Minstrel

\MIN-struhl\ means
........a lyric poet; a musician
.............a singer of folk songs like a troubadour
..................a medieval entertainer who traveled from place to place, especially to sing and recite poetry.
........................one of a troupe of comedians, usually white men made up as black performers, presenting songs or jokes

Example: The Arabian minstrels have scheduled a tribute to the people of Pampanga tomorrow evening before they move ahead to the next city.

Limerick:
If I were a minstrel
I would make your night special
With songs and poetry I compose
As in bed you rest and repose
To blissful dreams ethereal.

dictionary.com page link for minstrel

Aubade

Sounded as \oh-BAHD\ which means a song or poem or instrumental composition evoking dawn or daybreak.

Aubade is a song about lovers who must leave one another in the early hours of the morning.

Aubade can be associated with "harana", a series of songs sung early in the morning to awaken someone who is celebrating his/her natal day.

dictionary.com page link for aubade

Bellicose

\BEL-i-kohs\ means eager to fight; aggressively hostile; warlike in nature

Related terms: belligerent; pugnacious

The Delta Company of the 16th Infantry Battalion assigned at Aleosan, Cotabato is the most bellicose of the military units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

dictionary.com page link for bellicose

Tussock

\TUHS-uhk\ means a tuft or clump or bunch of growing grass

One can find lots of growing tussocks in places such as deserts. Often, people ignore them as if they are just grass but grass as they are they also have names just like you and me.

dictionary.com page link for tussock

Ratiocination

\rash-ee-os-uh-NEY-shuhn; oh-suh\ means the process of logical and methodical reasoning
............conscious deliberate inference

Bellman's ratiocination was so strong and valid that no lawyer could ever say anything during the trial against the Wills' family.

dictionary.com page link for ratiocination

Nunatak

\NUHN-uh-tak\ means a hill or a mountain of rock surrounded by ice; an island in a sea of ice.

Note: Nunataks are found in Greenland.

Example: A nunatak of 250 feet high may not be difficult to climb for a fugitive like Dr. Jennings.

I could no longer remember in which movie I saw nunataks but I think I have seen some. Whew! I am very forgetful these days.

dictionary.com page link for nunatak

Stevedore

Read as \STEE-vi-dawr\ which means a firm or a person who is into loading and unloading of cargo in a ship.

I don't believe that the work of a stevedore does not require intelligence for it must be there no matter how small or big the kind of work is.

Mr. Cunningham had worked as a stevedore, waiter and caretaker before enlisting himself in the army.

dictionary.com page link for stevedore

Lagniappe

\lan-YAP; LAN-yap\ means a small gift especially given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase.
...........a gratuity or tip

One good example of a lagniappe is when a customer buys a hundred of coconuts and the merchant or the owner gives the customer 5 coconuts more as a gift for purchasing that much. This is often observed in a situation when the customer is a regular one.

dictionary.com page link for lagniappe

Elan

\ey-LAHN\ means spirit, zeal, impetuous ardor, enthusiasm, vigor, liveliness

Lea Salonga delivered a performance of great elan and sophistication. She has never failed to entertain the world may it be in singing, stage or film acting.

dictionary.com page link for elan

Encomium

Read as \en-KOH-mee-uhm\ which is a formal expression of high praise; eulogy

Related words:
..........paean\PEE-uhn\ - any song of praise, joy, or triumph; a song of celebration
...................panegyric\pan-i-JIR-ik; JAHY-rik\- a formal speech or opus publicly praising someone or something

A returning hero from war is often greeted with encomium from the president. It is then followed by a press conference and a celebration at the White House.

dictionary.com page link for encomium

Clout

\klout\ means
...........a target used in archery
.................power or influence
.......................strike hard; punch; a blow, especially with the hand
...........................clout nail, a short nail with a flat head
...............................a piece of cloth; rag

Example1: Manny Pacquiao gave Erik Morales a clout on his nose. That was a terrible blow for Morales that led him to losing the match.

Example2: The director's clout made Mr. Craig reach his current position very quickly. Otherwise, he was just a small man in the film industry a few years back.

Example3: Eden chose a fine and plain clout to cover the basket where bread was kept for the picnic later.

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Contumacious

Read as \kon-too-MEHY-shuhs; -tyoo\ and means
......rebellious
...........recalcitrant
................willfully obstinate
......................stubbornly disobedient

Other similar words: headstrong; factious; intractable; refractory; pigheaded

Example: She rejected her mother's words so contumaciously that it commenced a silent war between them for three years.

dictionary.com page link for contumacious

Scurrilous

\SKUHR-uh-luhs\ means vulgar (verbal abuse), indecent, obscene, abusive, slanderous.

Other similar words:
1. contumelious \kon-too-MEE-lee-uhs; tyoo\- abuse, disdain, insolent, rude
2. vituperative \vahy-TOO-per-uh-tiv\ - vituperative remarks
3. fescennine \FES-uh-nahyn; -nin\ - licentious...fescennine mockery

I know someone who scurrilously attacked the former mayor. It was all in the papers.

dictionary.com page link for scurrilous

Dreg

\dreg\ is a sediment that has settled at the bottom of a liquid. The residue left from the brewing process generally consisting of yeast and other solids.

Other similar words: lees (fermentation); trub (beer brewing); grounds

Dregs are mostly found at the bottom of an empty cup of tea or coffee, especially a filtered one. I just encountered this word when I took an online quiz at WizIQ.com.

dictionary.com page link for dreg

Hegemony

Read as \hi-JEM-uh-nee; HEJ-uh-moh-nee\ and means
.................dominance or leadership
......................authority over another

Example1. Do all politicians aim for world hegemony?
Example2. Ferdinand Marcos' decade-long hegemony ended through people's power in favor of Corazon Aquino.

dictionary.com page link for hegemony

Meretricious

\mer-i-TRISH-uhs\
...............like or pertaining to a prostitute;
.....................based on pretense, deception, insincerity

Synonyms: flashy, tastelessly showy, tawdry, gaudy, spurious, sham, false

Example1. She was rumored to be involved in a meretricious relationship with her boss.
Example2. It was such a mechanical and meretricious melodrama. It could have been done better.

dictionary.com page link for meretricious

Littoral

\LIT-er-uhl\ pertaining to coastal region; a shore

We were driving along the North Sea littoral when we witnessed a tragic accident between a bus full of passengers and a family van.

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