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Word of the day

monadnock

[ muh-nad-nok ] [ məˈnæd nɒk ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

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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Word of the day

dacker

[ dak-er ] [ ˈdæk ər ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

verb

to totter or stagger.

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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.
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Word of the day

refulgent

[ ri-fuhl-juhnt ] [ rɪˈfʌl dʒənt ] Show IPA Phonetic Respelling

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 refulgentre-, 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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