galvanic \gal-VAN-ik\ (adjective) - 1 : Of, pertaining to, or producing a direct current of electricity, especially when produced chemically. 2 : Affecting or affected as if by an electric shock; startling; shocking. 3 : Stimulating; energizing.

"I can feel in my face that I have turned either bright red or ghost white, with the same galvanic ...Read more

idyll \EYE-dl\ (noun) - 1 : A simple descriptive work, either in poetry or prose, dealing with simple, rustic life; pastoral scenes; and the like. 2 : A narrative poem treating an epic, romantic, or tragic theme. 3 : A lighthearted carefree episode or experience. 4 : A romantic interlude.

"For the sake of our idyll I did not take her remark as ...Read more

putative \PYOO-tuh-tiv\ (adjective) - Commonly thought or deemed; supposed; reputed.

"Having washed her hands and face, tidied her hair, and powdered her nose, she set out to find her hostess, the putative mistress of this anything but ordinary household." -- Carola Dunn, 'Mistletoe and Murder'

Putative comes from Late Latin putativus, from ...Read more

equivocate \ih-KWIV-uh-kayt\ (intransitive verb) - To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.

"A woman does not thrill, blush, equivocate, and faint for nothing; especially such a woman as Miss Leavenworth." -- Anna Katharine Green, 'The Leavenworth Case'

To equivocate is ...Read more

benefaction \BEN-uh-fak-shuhn; ben-uh-FAK-shuhn\ (noun) - 1 : The act of conferring a benefit. 2 : A benefit conferred; especially, a charitable donation.

"On my side, I could have cursed the kindness that conferred upon me this benefaction, but I kept my vexation under the surface for policy's sake, and did with I could to let on to be glad." ...Read more

malcontent \mal-kuhn-TENT; MAL-kuhn-tent\ (noun) - 1 : One who is discontented or dissatisfied. 2 : A discontented subject of a government; one who opposes an established order.

(adjective) - Discontented; uneasy; dissatisfied.

"I was excited, but something, the malcontent perhaps, was keeping me from displaying my enthusiasm." -- Chuck ...Read more

plangent \PLAN-juhnt\ (adjective) - 1 : Beating with a loud or deep sound, as, "the plangent wave." 2 : Expressing sadness; plaintive.

"He let the plangent memory of the music fill his head and flow down his arms and fill his fingers." -- Terry Pratchet, 'Soul Music'

Plangent derives from the present participle of Latin plangere, to beat, to ...Read more

superannuated \soo-pur-AN-yoo-ay-tid\ (adjective) - 1 : Discharged or disqualified on account of old age; retired from service, especially with a pension. 2 : Old; no longer in use; no longer valid; outmoded.

"The worthy man was hale and hearty, not exceeding three score and seven, and had never dreamt of being superannuated." -- John Galt, '...Read more

pablum \PAB-luhm\ (noun) - Something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.

"'It's not all pablum for the masses, you know!' I let out my breath. He was probably just embarrassed to be caught enjoying the pablum of the masses." -- Jacqueline Girdner, 'Murder Most Mellow'

Pablum is derived from Pablum, a trademarked ...Read more

puerile \PYOO-uhr-uhl; PYOOR-uhl\ (adjective) - Displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; juvenile; childish.

"Hal cleared his throat to out-spit Leroy, then swallowed hard, laughing at his puerile urge." - Evelyn Cole, 'For The Sake Of All Others'

Puerile comes from Latin puerilis, from puer, "child, boy."

effulgence \i-FUL-juhn(t)s\ (noun) - The state of being bright and radiant; splendor; brilliance.

"The moment Sri Caitanya appeared, His beauty and effulgence transfixed everyone." -- N. S. Narasimha, 'The Way of the Vaisnava sages'

From Latin ex, "out of, from" + fulgere, "to shine." The adjective form of the word is effulgent.

quondam \KWAHN-duhm; KWAHN-dam\ (adjective) - Having been formerly; former; sometime.

"It is time for me to speak of Patrick Quilly, my quondam catamite, cook and general housekeeper." -- John Banville, 'The Untouchable'

Quondam comes from the Latin quondam, "formerly," from quom, "when."

sesquipedalian \ses-kwuh-puh-DAYL-yuhn\ (adjective) - 1 : Given to or characterized by the use of long words. 2 : Long and ponderous; having many syllables.

(noun) - A long word.

"Because my father was a professor, I early picked up a sesquipedalian way of speaking." -- Damon Knight, 'A Science Fiction Argosy'

Sesquipedalian comes from Latin ...Read more

capricious \kuh-PRISH-us; -PREE-shus\ (adjective) - Apt to change suddenly; whimsical; changeable.

"Perhaps the ancients were right, and we mortals are merely playthings of a capricious fate." -- Tom Harper, ' Knights of the Cross'

Capricious comes, via French, from Italian capriccio, a shivering, a shudder, finally (influenced by Italian ...Read more

epigone \EP-uh-gohn\ (noun) - An inferior imitator, especially of some distinguished writer, artist, musician, or philosopher.

"He was a conscious epigone, even in the l9th century preferring the powdered wig and ruffles of an earlier age." -- Andre Norton, 'Leopard in Exile'

Epigone derives from Greek epigonos, from epigignesthai, to be born ...Read more

ineffable \in-EF-uh-buhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Incapable of being expressed in words; unspeakable; unutterable; indescribable. 2 : Not to be uttered; taboo.

"In the light of the pyre, I saw in her face an ineffable sadness, even a longing, as she gazed down at the burial party tending to the dead mothers..." -- Michael Curtis Ford, 'The Ten ...Read more

flippant \FLIP-uhnt\ (adjective) - Lacking proper seriousness or respect; showing inappropriate levity; pert.

"Betty made some flippant rejoinder, but as she watched him, she was not gay." -- Humphry Ward, 'Sir George Tressady'

Flippant probably comes from flip. The noun form is flippancy.

consanguineous \kon-san(g)-GWIN-ee-us\ (adjective) - Of the same blood; related by birth; descended from the same parent or ancestor.

"...Descent in the royal house to which she belongs had always been confused by substitutions and adoptions; the effects of consanguineous marriage having been fortunately mitigated by impotence on the part of ...Read more

In "The Secret Life of Words" (Harcourt, $24), Paul West becomes a tabloid gossip columnist, revealing the skeletons (or "spell-etons") in the closets of famous words.

You might assume, for instance, that "admiral" derives from "admire"; certainly such a high-ranking naval officer is worthy of admiration. But West reveals that admiral comes ...Read more

spoony \SPOO-nee\ (adjective) - 1 : Foolish; silly; excessively sentimental. 2 : Foolishly or sentimentally in love.

"There is no doubt whatever that I was a lackadaisical young spoony; but there was a purity of heart in all this, that prevents my having quite a contemptuous recollection of it, let me laugh as I may." -- Charles Dickens, 'David...Read more