Word of the Day – June 15, 2019

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Recidivism

Recidivism is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they had either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or had been trained to extinguish that behavior. It is also used to refer to the percentage of former prisoners who are rearrested for a similar offense.

Word of the Day, June 8, 2019

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cavil

(kăv′əl)

v. cav·iled, cav·il·ing, cav·ils also cav·illed or cav·il·ling
v.intr.

To argue or find fault over trivial matters; raise petty objections. See Synonyms at quibble.
v.tr.

To quibble about; point out petty flaws in.
n.

A carping or trivial objection.
[French caviller, from Old French, from Latin cavillārī, to jeer, from cavilla, a jeering.]
Cite: freedictionary.com

Word of the Day – June 1, 2019

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preponderant

(prĭ-pŏn′dər-ənt)

adj.

1. Having superior force, importance, or influence: “No big modern war has been won without preponderant sea power” (Samuel Eliot Morison).
2. Having greater weight; heavier.

Word of the Day – May 18, 2019

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palimpsest

(păl′ĭmp-sĕst′)

n.

1. A manuscript, typically of papyrus or parchment, that has been written on more than once, with the earlier writing incompletely scraped off or erased and often legible.
2. An object or area that has extensive evidence of or layers showing activity or use: “My skin had become a palimpsest of fleeting sensations, and each layer bore the imprint of who I was” (Paul Auster).
[Latin palimpsēstum, from Greek palimpsēston, neuter of palimpsēstos, scraped again : palin, again; see kwel- in Indo-European roots + psēn, to scrape.]

Word of the Day – April 20, 2019

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surreptitious

(ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs)

adj

1. done, acquired, etc, in secret or by improper means
2. operating by stealth
3. characterized by fraud or misrepresentation of the truth
[C15: from Latin surreptīcius furtive, from surripere to steal, from sub- secretly + rapere to snatch]
ˌsurrepˈtitiously adv
ˌsurrepˈtitiousness n