Word of the Day
finagle
verb
to get or achieve something by guile, trickery, or manipulation.
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Why Dictionary.com chose finagle
More about finagle
- Finagle is an Americanism that was first recorded in 1925–30.
- Finagle comes from a variant of fainaigue, which means “to shirk” or “to break a rule when playing cards.”
- The –le ending on a verb means it refers to a frequent repeated action, also used in dazzle or twinkle.
EXAMPLES OF FINAGLE
- With his charming smile and persuasive words, he was able to finagle a raise from his boss.
- She managed to finagle her way into the VIP section of the concert, despite not having a ticket.
bombastic
adjective
(of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; pretentious.
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Why Dictionary.com chose bombastic
More about bombastic
- Bombastic was first recorded in 1695–1705.
- Bombastic comes from the noun bombast, which means “pompous speech; pretentious words.”
- Bombast came into English from Middle French around 1560.
- Bombast originally referred to a type of padding from the bombax family of trees, to which the silk-cotton tree genus belongs.
EXAMPLES OF BOMBASTIC
- The politician’s bombastic claims fell flat in the face of evidence to the contrary.
- The professor’s bombastic language in class left their students feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the material.
wakame
noun
a brown seaweed of coastal Japan, Korea, and other areas, usually dried for use in soups, salads, and side dishes.
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Why Dictionary.com chose wakame
More about wakame
- Wakame was first recorded in English in 1950–55.
- Wakame comes from the Japanese word, wakame.
- Wakame, in Japanese, is composed of the elements waka, meaning “young,” and me, a kind of edible seaweed.
EXAMPLES OF WAKAME
- The miso soup was enhanced with a sprinkle of dried wakame, adding a delightful oceanic flavor to the dish.
- The seaweed salad was adorned with strips of savory wakame, giving it a vibrant and refreshing taste.
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