Jennifer Lopez 8-73

Word of the Day

doughty

\DOW-tee\ (adjective)

Definition: marked by fearless resolution: valiant

Ex. When little Liza saw the bullies picking on one of the younger boys the doughty girl

marched up to them and demanded that they stop.

Ex. The doughty surgeon took a big deep breath as he entered the door to the surgery

room.

ruction

\RUK-SHUN\ (noun)

Definition: Disturbance, uproar

Ex. The ruction outside the door prompted me to investigate what was going on.

Ex. The ruction woke me up and caused me to stomp down stairs.

finicky

\FIN-ih-kee\ (adjective)

Definition: extremely or excessively particular or meticulous in taste or standards.

Ex. Pam found it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that her young

son, a finicky eater would enjoy.

Ex. My sister is too finicky to eat the food at the local food court.

coruscate

\KOR-uh-SKayt\ (verb)

Definition: to give off, or reflect light in bright beams or flashes: sparkle.

Ex. The astronomy students observed the stars coruscate through a high-powered

telescope.

Ex. The lady’s ring coruscates from far, far away in the sunlight.

climacteric

\Kly-MAK-ter-ik\ (noun)

Definition: a major turning point or critical stage.

Ex. Many historians have tried to pinpoint the Roman Empire’s climacteric, that precise

moment when it began its long downhill slide.

Ex. As she use to be my enemy, a climacteric occurred in the next few years, which

made us bestfriends.

Jennifer Lopez 8-73

obsequious

\ob-SEE-kwee-us\ (adjective)

Definition: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness.

Ex. The executive brought with her an entourage of obsequious assistants who would

do anything she asked of them.

Ex. As her very cruel sister is asking to give the crowd more drinks for the party, the

little girl is following her orders being a very obsequious servant.

widdershins

\WID-er-shinz\ (adverb)

Definition: in a left-handed, wrong, or contrary direction: counter clockwise.

Ex. We turn right and walked the perimeter of the gardens before turning around and

walking it again widdershins.

Ex. The little boy ran two times around the track then went two more times again

widdershins.

importunate

\im-POR-chuh-nut\ (adjective)

Definition: trouble somely urgent: overly, persistent in request or demand.

Ex. Slyvia was fed up with the importunate phone calls she continued to receive from

charities seeking donations.

Ex. I was positive that the importunate phone calls I made to the lady made her very

irritated.

patina

\puh-TEE-nuh\ (noun)

Definition: a surface appearance of something grown beautiful, especially with age or

use.

Ex. The winery has been constructed and decorated to give it a patina of old-world

quaintness.

Ex. The saleslady wanted her silverware to look more like a patina so she would have

more sales.

Jennifer Lopez 8-73

rupee

\ROO-pee\ (noun)

Definition: a coin and monetary unit used in countries such as India, Nepal, Pakistan,

and Sri Lanka.

Ex. Six months after I returned from India, I found a lonely rupee wedged in the lining of

my purse.

Ex. A lady who decided to go to Pakistan, walked by boy asking for a rupee but instead

she came back and offered the boy lunch.

endearment

\in-deer-ment\ (noun)

Definition: a word or act expressing affection

Ex. While my husband was serving in Afghanistan, I kept a letter filled with

endearments from him in my wallet.

Ex. I saw my grandma open a letter full of endearments and as she read it once more

tears unfolded from her eyes.