Thursday, October 16, 2008

Writing - Let's Celebrate Dictionary Day!

Today, October 16th, is "Dictionary Day!" Did you know such a thing existed? If you've participated in other blog topics, you've probably had a chance to use an online dictionary.

Fun Fact: Noah Webster, considered the Father of the American Dictionary, was born on October 16, 1758. Webster began to write his dictionary at the age of 43 and completed the dictionary 27 years later.

Take a look at this online dictionary, http://www.merriam-webster.com. On there, they have a "Word of the Day" category and even an archive where you can see past words of the day!

So, to celebrate "Dictionary Day" I'd like you to visit the Merriam-Webster online dictionary's word of the day. To get there, click this link: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/wodcalendar.pl. Pick any word or date you want & click on that word. You'll see the word, a definition, and an example sentence. Come back here & post those results!

I'll start!

kvell
\KVEL\
verb
to be extraordinarily proud, rejoice


Example Sentence: Critics kvelled over the violinist's triumphant return to the stage where she had made her debut many years ago.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

castigate \KASS-tuh-gayt\
verb
to subject to severe punishment,reproof,or criticism.

Example Sentence: Before sentenceing the judge angrily castigated the two young defendants for their malicious act of vandalism.

Anonymous said...

Prodigy-noun

A highly talented child.

Example sentence:Musical audiences are fascinated by the progidy,that rare and remarkable youngster who possesses technical mastery.

Sheila W.

Anonymous said...

hypocorism \hye-PAH-kuh-riz-um\
noum
the use of pet names.

Example of Sentence. My mom used to called me by my pet name "bananita" when I was a little girl.

Adriana Wagner

Anonymous said...

circumlocution: The use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea.

Mr.Harvey was nortorious or his tendency to engage in endless circumlocution when a simple brief explantion would suffice.

Delbon Johnson

Anonymous said...

Haptic\Hap-tik
adjective
1=Relating to or based onthe sense of thoch
2= Characterized by a prediledtion for the sense of thouch.
Example Sentence:
Katty coul tell one kind of yarm from another purely by haptic clues
Maria E Wahlenberg

Anonymous said...

castigate \KASS-tuh-gayt\
verb
to subject to severe punishment,reproof,or criticism.

Example Sentence: Before sentencing the judge angrily castigated the two young defendants for their malicious act of vandalism.

Dorothea M.

Anonymous said...

The word that chosen is Danegeld : an annual tax belived to have been imposed .the price of gas is Danegeld in last few weeks. tiffany f

Anonymous said...

pukka • \PUCK-uh\ • adjective
: genuine, authentic; also : first-class

Sentence: She is very pukka.

-Judith B