Word of the Day
inscape
[ in-skeyp ]
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noun
the unique essence or inner nature of a thing
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Why Dictionary.com chose inscape
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- First recorded in 1865鈥�70.
- Combines 颈苍-鹿 + -蝉肠补辫别鲁.
- Coined by the English poet and Jesuit priest Gerard Manley Hopkins.
EXAMPLES OF INSCAPE
- Letting the melody guide her, the song’s inscape unfolded note by note.
- Every individual’s interpretation of a piece of art is influenced by their own inscape.
SYNONYM OF THE DAY
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Why Dictionary.com chose pettifogging
More about pettifogging
- First recorded in 1570鈥�80.
- Combines pettifog, a backformation of pettifogger, meaning “a petty or fussy person,” + -颈苍驳虏.
EXAMPLES OF PETTIFOGGING
- The lawyer’s pettifogging arguments were only meant to stall the case.
- The novel’s epic saga is weighed down by the pettifogging formalities of aristocratic etiquette.
birl
[ burl ]
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verb
to spin something (like a floating log) by treading upon it
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EXAMPLES OF BIRL
- She tried to birl the barrel, but it wobbled unpredictably, sending her crashing to the ground.
- The champion of the lumberjack festivals could birl a log without ever losing balance.
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