Word of the Day
Learn a new word every day! The Dictionary.com team of language experts carefully selects each Word of the Day to add some panache to your vocabulary.
a greed for riches
Avarice is an insatiable greed for wealth. The word has a bite that is stronger and more judgmental than simply wanting money. A small fortune may be enough for most people, but someone with avarice always wants more.
The fable warns that avarice can leave a person rich in possessions but poor in friendships.
a punctuation mark (‽) that combines the question mark and exclamation point
What did you just say‽ Interrobang, of course! An interrobang is a funny little punctuation mark that looks like a question mark and an exclamation point sharing the same dot. It was devised in 1962 as a way to add flourish to rhetorical questions. Who says punctuation can't be fun‽
Since her text message expressed both excitement and a bit of disbelief, she ended it with an interrobang.
finery in dress, especially when showy, gaudy, or the like
Frippery is flashy finery that's sure to draw attention — for better or worse. The word can refer to clothing loaded with ruffles, jewels, or other details that may be more showy than tasteful. But don't let labels stand in your way, because frippery can be fun!
She arrived at the gala wearing unnecessary frippery that distracted from her natural elegance.
to evade work or responsibility
To fainaigue is to dodge work or shirk a responsibility. It suggests more than ordinary procrastination, since a person who fainaigues may rely on excuses or clever maneuvering to escape the task altogether. Of course, devising the perfect excuse can become almost as much of a chore as simply getting the job done.
Sam always tries to fainaigue by disappearing whenever it is time to clean the kitchen.
a fanciful creature of undefined nature
A whangdoodle is a creature whose appearance is left entirely to the imagination. Unlike a dragon or unicorn, there's no standard shape or defining features baked into the word. Your whangdoodle might have feathers or flippers or 300 toes, and nobody could tell you otherwise.
Old sailors often tell stories about a mysterious whangdoodle lurking in the bay.
