Word of the Day
monadnock
noun
a residual hill or mountain standing well above the surface of a surrounding area.
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Why Dictionary.com chose monadnock
More about monadnock
- Monadnock entered English around 1735–45.
- Monadnock came from the name of Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
- Mount Monadnock was first named Grand Monadnock after an Algonquian name from one of the Abenaki peoples’ languages that meant “isolated mountain.”
EXAMPLES OF MONADNOCK
- Hikers flock to the monadnock, eager to conquer its towering peak and experience its rugged beauty.
- As I reached the top of the monadnock, I couldn’t help but marvel at nature’s ability to shape such impressive landforms.
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Why Dictionary.com chose dacker
More about dacker
- Dacker was first recorded in 1625–35.
- Dacker is primarily used in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
- Dacker possibly came from the early Dutch word daeckeren, which means “to flutter, vibrate.”
EXAMPLES OF DACKER
- As the hiker reached the summit, exhaustion took over, and they began to dacker down the steep slope.
- The toddler, still unsteady on his feet, would dacker and stumble as he tried to walk across the room.
refulgent
adjective
shining brightly; radiant; gleaming.
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Why Dictionary.com chose refulgent
More about refulgent
- Refulgent was first recorded in 1500–10.
- Refulgent comes from a form of the Latin word refulgēre, “to radiate light.”
- The first part of refulgent, re-, means “again and again” and intensifies the second part, fulgent.
- Fulgent, “shining brightly; dazzling,” comes from the Latin word fulgēre with the stem fulg-, meaning “flash.”
EXAMPLES OF REFULGENT
- The sunsets here are refulgent, painting the sky with vibrant hues of orange and pink.
- The fireworks lit up the night sky with refulgent colors, captivating everyone’s attention.
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