Word of the Day
oubliette
noun
a secret dungeon with an opening only in the ceiling
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Why Dictionary.com chose oubliette
More about oubliette
- First recorded in 1810–20.
- From French; ultimately from the Latin root oblītāre, meaning “to forget or blot out.”
EXAMPLES OF OUBLIETTE
- They unearthed a skeleton at the bottom of the oubliette during renovations.
- Rumors of a hidden oubliette fueled ghost stories about the manor.
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Why Dictionary.com chose fusty
More about fusty
- First recorded in 1350–1400.
- From Old French fust, meaning “wine cask, tree trunk.”
EXAMPLES OF FUSTY
- Those fusty curtains made the whole café feel gloomy.
- The board still clings to fusty policies from the 1980s.
proprioception
noun
awareness of the position of one's body
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Why Dictionary.com chose proprioception
More about proprioception
- First recorded in 1905–10.
- Combines proprio-, meaning “one’s own,” + (re)ception.
EXAMPLES OF PROPRIOCEPTION
- Gymnasts need exceptional proprioception to flip and land precisely.
- Many martial artists practice with their eyes closed to sharpen their proprioception.
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