word of the day

Word of the Day:

/ Erin May / 1 Comment

I recently downloaded a new Dictionary app on my iPad (because I’m so cool) and I thought the following was interesting:

It’s the list of the “trending” words right now. I love the idea of multiple people across the country looking up some of these words. I imagine them all reading the same NY Times article, or watching the news and an interesting work piques their interest. It makes me glad that people are still out there learning and growing, I guess!

In that vein, here’s a new word I’ve recently added to my vocabulary that I’m pretty excited about: Beatitude. I’ve always related it to Beatniks for some reason, but here it is:

Beatitude;

  1. Supreme blessedness; exalted happiness.
  2. Any of the declarations of blessedness pronounced by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.

The thesaurus likens this word to “blessedness,” “euphoria” and “delirium”

Used in a sentence: With the holidays right around the corner, I have begun humming Christmas tunes and dreaming of a decked-out “deck the halls” with a beatific smile on my face.

Definition via thefreedictionary.com. Illustration by me.

Word of the Day: Anachronism

/ Erin May / Leave a comment

Today’s word of the day is one that I’ve had stuck in my head for months. I first heard it years and years ago during one of my favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls in which they put on a historically accurate Bracebridge Dinner- except Paris points out the various anachronisms throughout the night.

Anachronism

Anachronism;

  1. The representation of someone as existing or something as happening in an other than chronological, proper, or historical order.
  2. One that is out of its proper or chronological order, especially a person or practice that belongs to an earlier time.

The thesaurus likens this word to “metachronism,” “misdate” and “prolepsis or solecism,” as if those words are easier to use and understand.

Used in a sentence: Depicting William Shakespeare as wearing stunner shades and toting an iPhone, while hilarious, is entirely anachronistic.

Definition via thefreedictionary.com. Illustration by me.

Word of the Day

/ Erin May / 2 Comments

I’ve been thinking lately that I keep coming across these great words in my normal daily travels that I would like to share. So I will. This gem of a word was heard during my morning commute while listening to an OPB broadcast about the mating habits of mollusks. (Gotta love NPR!)

Word of the Day Snail Bacchanalian

Bacchanalian;

  1. Characterized by or involving drunken revelry.
  2. (classical Myth & Legend) of or relating to the orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus.

The thesaurus likens this word to “riotously drunken merrymaking,” “helplessly inebriated” and interestingly, “a noisy crowd of intoxicated sailors.”

Used in a sentence: The Bacchanalian night preceding Kyle’s birthday this weekend will necessitate a healthy helping of Pine State Biscuits on Sunday morning.

Definition via thefreedictionary.com. Illustration by me.