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Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2006/December

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(Recycled November)

December

(Recycled December)

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(Recycled January)

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{{wotd | theWord | p.o.s. | Definition | month | day | audio=En-uk-{{subst:PAGENAME}}.ogg }}

When the words for a given month have all been replaced (or whatever) then subst: the sub-templates in on this page. That will preserve this month's archive, leaving the entries in the "Recycled" monthly pages to be (optionally) reused next year.

1

Word of the day
for December 1
nimbus n
  1. A circle of light; halo.
  2. A gray rain cloud
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2

Word of the day
for December 2
yonder adv
  1. In an indicated place; over there
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3

Word of the day
for December 3
fastidious adj
  1. Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details.
  2. Overly concerned about tidiness and cleanliness
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4

Word of the day
for December 4
arbitrary adj
  1. Determined by impulse rather than reason.
  2. Chosen for no reason or at random
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5

Word of the day
for December 5
prevaricate v
  1. To evade the truth; to waffle or be intentionally ambiguous.
  2. To speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble
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6

Word of the day
for December 6
lugubrious adj
  1. Gloomy, mournful or dismal, especially to an exaggerated degree
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7

Word of the day
for December 7
segue v
  1. To move smoothly from one state or subject to another.
  2. (music) To make a smooth transition from one theme to another
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8

Word of the day
for December 8
emaciated adj
  1. Thin or haggard, especially from hunger or disease; weak from being malnourished
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9

Word of the day
for December 9
optimize v
  1. To make (something) optimal; to make the best that is possible.
  2. To make something more efficient
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10

Word of the day
for December 10
inchoate adj
  1. Recently started but not fully formed yet; only elementary or immature
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11

Word of the day
for December 11
extemporise v
  1. To do something, particularly to perform or speak, without prior planning or thought; to act in an impromptu manner; to improvise
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12

Word of the day
for December 12
lexicon n
  1. (linguistics) A dictionary that includes or focuses on vocabulary.
  2. A dictionary of Classical Greek, Hebrew, Latin, or Aramaic.
  3. The vocabulary employed by or known to an individual
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13

Word of the day
for December 13
knock on wood v
  1. (idiomatic) An action taken or referred to ward off some misfortune that is discussed but has not happened yet
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14

Word of the day
for December 14
pectinate adj
  1. Resembling a comb
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15

Word of the day
for December 15
shako n
  1. (From Hungarian csákó): A stiff cylindrical military dress hat with a metal plate in front, a short visor, and a plume
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16

Word of the day
for December 16
paddy n
  1. (From Malay padi): An irrigated or flooded field where rice is grown
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17

Word of the day
for December 17
robot n
  1. (From Czech and Slovak robota): A machine that resembles humans in shape or function
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18

Word of the day
for December 18
capoeira n
  1. (From Portuguese): A martial art developed in Brazil
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19

Word of the day
for December 19
hoi polloi n
  1. (From Ancient Greek οἱ πολλοί): The common people; the masses
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20

Word of the day
for December 20
brogue n
  1. (From Irish Gaelic bróg): A strong dialectal accent, especially a strong Irish accent
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21

Word of the day
for December 21
geronimo interj
  1. (After Chiricahua Goyaałé): A cry shouted before jumping out of or into something
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22

Word of the day
for December 22
kabuki n
  1. (From Japanese 歌舞伎): A form of Japanese theatre in which elaborately costumed male performers use stylized movements, dances, and songs to enact tragedies and comedies
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23

Word of the day
for December 23
chocolate n
  1. (From Nahuatl chocolatl): A food made from ground roasted cocoa beans
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24

Word of the day
for December 24
tundra n
  1. (From Kildin Sami tūndar): A flat and treeless arctic region
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25

Word of the day
for December 25
Hanukkah n
  1. (From Hebrew חנוכה): A Jewish festival that commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees
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26

Word of the day
for December 26
pariah n
  1. (From Tamil paraiyar): An outcast.
  2. A demographic group or community that is generally despised
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27

Word of the day
for December 27
zero num
  1. (From Arabic صفر): The number that denotes no quantity or amount at all
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28

Word of the day
for December 28
ogonek n
  1. (From Polish "little tail"): A hook-shaped diacritical mark attached underneath a vowel to indicate nasalization
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29

Word of the day
for December 29
juggernaut n
  1. (From Hindustani जगन्नाथ): A literal or metaphorical force regarded as unstoppable
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30

Word of the day
for December 30
abalone n
  1. (From Ohlone aulon): An edible univalve mollusc having a shell lined with mother-of-pearl
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31

Word of the day
for December 31
wiki n
  1. (From Hawaiian wikiwiki): A website based on any kind of Wiki software which enables users to add to, edit, and delete from the site’s content quickly
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