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Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2009/September

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« 2009/August

(Recycled August)

September

(Recycled September)

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(Recycled October)

Day: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

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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 September 1
co-mother-in-law n
  1. The mother of one's son- or daughter-in-law; that is, the mother-in-law of one's son or daughter
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2

Word of the day
for September 2
front v
  1. To lead or be the spokesperson of a group.
  2. To provide money or financial assistance in advance.
  3. To assume a haughty manner, especially as a pretense
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3

Word of the day
for September 3
wanton adj
  1. Lewd, immoral; sexually open/free.
  2. Capriciously violent; malicious without provocation; acting without regard for the law or the well-being of others.
  3. Abundant and luxuriant, without restraint.
  4. Playful; overly happy
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4

Word of the day
for September 4
blet v
  1. To undergo bletting, a fermentation process in certain fruit beyond ripening
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5

Word of the day
for September 5
myriad adj
  1. Great in number; innumerable
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6

Word of the day
for September 6
pastiche n
  1. A work of drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist, often satirically.
  2. A musical medley, typically quoting other works.
  3. An incongruous mixture; a hodgepodge
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7

Word of the day
for September 7
catawampus adj
  1. Out of alignment, crooked, cater-corner.
  2. Fierce, destructive
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8

Word of the day
for September 8
Hobson-Jobson n
  1. A word or phrase borrowed by one language from another and modified in pronunciation to fit the set of sounds the borrowing language typically uses
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9

Word of the day
for September 9
scupper v
  1. (UK) Thwart, destroy
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10

Word of the day
for September 10
alabaster n
  1. A fine-grained white or lightly-tinted variety of gypsum, used ornamentally.
  2. (historical) A variety of calcite, translucent and sometimes banded
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11

Word of the day
for September 11
indemnify v
  1. To secure against loss or damage; to insure.
  2. To make restitution or compensation for, as for that which is lost
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12

Word of the day
for September 12
tight as a tick adj
  1. Drunk, inebriated.
  2. Fully inflated; swollen near to bursting.
  3. Unwilling to spend money
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13

Word of the day
for September 13
corkscrew v
  1. To wind or twist in the path of a corkscrew; to move with much horizontal and vertical shifting.
  2. To extract information or consent from someone
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14

Word of the day
for September 14
grudging adj
  1. Unwilling or with reluctance
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15

Word of the day
for September 15
wherewithal n
  1. The ability and the financial means required to accomplish some task
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16

Word of the day
for September 16
ductile adj
  1. Capable of being pulled or stretched into thin wire by mechanical force without breaking.
  2. Molded easily into a new form.
  3. (rare) Led easily; prone to follow
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17

Word of the day
for September 17
idiosyncrasy n
  1. A behavior or way of thinking that is characteristic of a person.
  2. A language or behaviour that is particular to an individual or group.
  3. A peculiarity that serves to distinguish or identify
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18

Word of the day
for September 18
proselytize v
  1. To encourage or induce people to join a religious movement, political party or other cause or organization.
  2. To convert (someone) to one’s own faith or beliefs
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19

Word of the day
for September 19
crocodile tears n
  1. (idiomatic) A display of tears that is forced or false
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20

Word of the day
for September 20
needle v
  1. To pierce with a needle, especially for sewing or acupuncture.
  2. (idiomatic) To tease in order to provoke; to poke fun at
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21

Word of the day
for September 21
uraeus n
  1. A representation of the sacred asp, symbolising supreme power in ancient Egypt
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22

Word of the day
for September 22
abrogate v
  1. To annul by an authoritative act; to abolish by the authority of the maker or his successor; to repeal.
  2. To put an end to; to do away with
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23

Word of the day
for September 23
thalweg n
  1. (geology, geography) The line that connects the lowest points in a valley or river channel, and thus the line of fastest flow along a river’s course
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24

Word of the day
for September 24
loricate adj
  1. (microbiology) Possessing an enclosing shell or test
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25

Word of the day
for September 25
ecky thump interj
  1. (Northern England) Exclamation of surprise or pleasure
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26

Word of the day
for September 26
guillemet n
  1. Either of the punctuation marks “«” or “»”, used in several languages to indicate passages of speech as the equivalent of the English quotation marks
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27

Word of the day
for September 27
rain on someone's parade v
  1. To disappoint or discourage someone
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28

Word of the day
for September 28
flange n
  1. An external or internal rib or rim, used either to add strength or to hold something in place.
  2. The projecting edge of a rigid or semi-rigid component
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29

Word of the day
for September 29
swagger v
  1. To walk with a swaying motion; hence, to walk and act in a pompous, consequential manner.
  2. To boast or brag noisily; to be ostentatiously proud or vainglorious
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30

Word of the day
for September 30
yeoman n
  1. An official providing honorable service in a royal or high noble household.
  2. A third in order of the feudal servant fighting class, below knight and squire but above a page.
  3. A subordinate, deputy, aide, or assistant.
  4. (British) A former class of small freeholders who farm their own land
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